Message in the Tunnel”

A couple of years ago my family took a wonderful vacation traveling north through Michigan, west across the Upper Peninsula and then back south through Wisconsin. As we neared Green Bay, my wife Karen insisted that we take the time to stop and see Lambeau Field – the home of the Green Bay Packers. This brief detour turned out to be the best part of the trip.

The Stadium.

Lambeau Field looks and feels like the National Football League of yesterday. The stadium is literally located in the middle of a residential area in Green Bay, Wisconsin. It is the only Organization owned by the citizens – and the pride is evident. It’s a show-piece and they routinely give tours to large and small groups who are interested enough to visit. You can’t come away without feeling that you have witnessed a great form of continuity in action. Although the stadium has been totally redesigned, they haven’t forgotten their past; they take care of the present and they plan for the future.

The Team.

I have been a Packers Fan all my life. While some of it was because of my admiration for Coach Lombardi, most of it has been because of the Team and their sense of unity. Coach Lombardi once said, “Build for your team a feeling of oneness, of dependence on one another and of strength to be derived from unity.” I guess that’s why I love football. No matter who has the best players, it’s always the best Team that wins. It’s a great American sport and we can all learn from it.

The Message.

Even though the stadium has been completely remodeled, there are still fascinating links to the best of Packer history. In the concrete tunnel which leads the Team from the locker room to the field, there is a row of bricks that was salvaged from the old tunnel at Lambeau. These are the same bricks that the Greats ran over as they stormed onto the field: Vince Lombardi, Ray Nitschke – Bart Star. As you come up to the bricks in the tunnel, there is a bronze plaque which says, “Proud generations of Green Bay Packers Players, World Champions a record 12 times, have run over this very concrete to greatness.” Our guide also quoted Coach Lombardi saying, “What you do in the next 4 quarters will determine how people remember you for the rest of their lives.” So, as the Team leaves the locker room, they travel down the tunnel and tap their shoes on the row of bricks as they read the quote that will define them.

Our Stadium is Camp Bondsteel. Our Team is Multinational Task Force East and the Message from Coach Lombardi rings just as true for us as it did for each player who has made the trip through the tunnel. It’s a privilege to tap my boots.

“Get it Done!”

Larry D. Kay

Brigadier General, USA

Commanding