Tom Kovach
Out with "The G" in Tennessee
G. Gordon Liddy visits his friends and fans
By Tom Kovach
A chilly day in early December proved to be "way cool" for friends and fans of talk-radio legend G. Gordon Liddy. On Thursday, 06 December 2007, far from his usual headquarters near Washington, DC, "The G-Man" did a live broadcast from local station WGNS in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The trip was a mixture of business and pleasure, both for Mr. Liddy and for fans of his national talk show.
G. Gordon Liddy mingles with "the troops"
(David Hall, president of Diamond Gusset Jeans,
is in background, to the left of Mr. Liddy.)
(Photo by: Jim Phillipson of Rolling Thunder, TN-1)
The main reason for the trip was so that Mr. Liddy could participate in the taping of some TV ads for Diamond Gusset Jeans, a major sponsor of his talk show. The ads were filmed at the Tennessee Clay Target Complex, a modern and well-groomed shooting range on the outskirts of Nashville. The air was clear and crisp, with an afternoon high of 42 degrees. Although there was not a cloud in the sky, the sound of Rolling Thunder could be heard in the afternoon ... along the 40-mile route from a post-broadcast lunch in Murfreesboro to the shooting range just north of Nashville.
G. Gordon Liddy joins listener Lillian Branson, age 90, for lunch
(Photo by: Jim Phillipson of Rolling Thunder, TN-1)
Among the guests on Mr. Liddy's program that day was Ronnie Barrett, inventor of the Barrett .50-caliber rifle, which is made at his factory in Murfreesboro. Barrett has been a guest on Mr. Liddy's program many times; but, they are not usually together in a studio in Murfreesboro. Another guest was local Vice-Mayor Chris Bratcher, who presented Mr. Liddy with a key to the city. Showing that his quick draw is verbal as well as with a gun, Mr. Liddy asked if the key would get him out of the local jail. During his days as an FBI agent, Mr. Liddy had earned the nickname "Sudden" for his pistol-drawing speed.
It turned out that several area businessmen and other fans had made special lunch plans after hearing that Mr. Liddy and his entourage would have lunch at Puleo's Grille, about a mile from the radio station. Among those were a state trooper that "just happened" to be in the vicinity at the time. There were actually two groups that joined Mr. Liddy for lunch. One group was the "inner circle" of people from the radio station and guests on the program. The other was the "outer circle" of members of the local Rolling Thunder chapter, who provided the VIP escort along Interstate 24 after lunch. (This writer is proud to note that, upon hearing the phrase, "Mr. Liddy, gung-ho greetings," the world-famous host replied, "Good to see you again, Tom." Mr. Liddy had never seen me in my Rolling Thunder colors before — thus proving that he is as alert as he is gracious.)
G. Gordon Liddy at the range with some of
Tennessee Chapter 1 of Rolling Thunder
(The author is at left, in denim vest ...
and black Diamond Gusset Jeans, of course.)
(Photo courtesy of Jim Phillipson)
Mr. Liddy had a whirlwind schedule for his entire three-day trip to Tennessee. The day after the shooting at the range (with cameras and guns, of course), will be spent on a boat, fishing on the Cumberland River. The TV ads will be featured on the programs "Fishing University" and "Hunting University." Because his schedule was packed to overflowing, I did not get to shoot my .357-Magnum with Mr. Liddy. (Nor did I get to discuss Project 'Warrior Bonus' with him. I'll have to call into the program next week.)
Participants were a bit disappointed by the weather. The weekend before Mr. Liddy's visit had featured mild temperatures (about 60 degrees Fahrenheit), and the weekend after his visit is forecast at about 63 degrees Fahrenheit. But, about the time that Mr. Liddy got off the airliner in Nashville, an icy wind blew into Tennessee. (Coincidence....?) Despite an afternoon high of 42 degrees, the members of Rolling Thunder were full of warm smiles to be out riding with "The G" across middle Tennessee.
© Tom Kovach
A chilly day in early December proved to be "way cool" for friends and fans of talk-radio legend G. Gordon Liddy. On Thursday, 06 December 2007, far from his usual headquarters near Washington, DC, "The G-Man" did a live broadcast from local station WGNS in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The trip was a mixture of business and pleasure, both for Mr. Liddy and for fans of his national talk show.
(David Hall, president of Diamond Gusset Jeans,
is in background, to the left of Mr. Liddy.)
(Photo by: Jim Phillipson of Rolling Thunder, TN-1)
The main reason for the trip was so that Mr. Liddy could participate in the taping of some TV ads for Diamond Gusset Jeans, a major sponsor of his talk show. The ads were filmed at the Tennessee Clay Target Complex, a modern and well-groomed shooting range on the outskirts of Nashville. The air was clear and crisp, with an afternoon high of 42 degrees. Although there was not a cloud in the sky, the sound of Rolling Thunder could be heard in the afternoon ... along the 40-mile route from a post-broadcast lunch in Murfreesboro to the shooting range just north of Nashville.
(Photo by: Jim Phillipson of Rolling Thunder, TN-1)
Among the guests on Mr. Liddy's program that day was Ronnie Barrett, inventor of the Barrett .50-caliber rifle, which is made at his factory in Murfreesboro. Barrett has been a guest on Mr. Liddy's program many times; but, they are not usually together in a studio in Murfreesboro. Another guest was local Vice-Mayor Chris Bratcher, who presented Mr. Liddy with a key to the city. Showing that his quick draw is verbal as well as with a gun, Mr. Liddy asked if the key would get him out of the local jail. During his days as an FBI agent, Mr. Liddy had earned the nickname "Sudden" for his pistol-drawing speed.
It turned out that several area businessmen and other fans had made special lunch plans after hearing that Mr. Liddy and his entourage would have lunch at Puleo's Grille, about a mile from the radio station. Among those were a state trooper that "just happened" to be in the vicinity at the time. There were actually two groups that joined Mr. Liddy for lunch. One group was the "inner circle" of people from the radio station and guests on the program. The other was the "outer circle" of members of the local Rolling Thunder chapter, who provided the VIP escort along Interstate 24 after lunch. (This writer is proud to note that, upon hearing the phrase, "Mr. Liddy, gung-ho greetings," the world-famous host replied, "Good to see you again, Tom." Mr. Liddy had never seen me in my Rolling Thunder colors before — thus proving that he is as alert as he is gracious.)
Tennessee Chapter 1 of Rolling Thunder
(The author is at left, in denim vest ...
and black Diamond Gusset Jeans, of course.)
(Photo courtesy of Jim Phillipson)
Mr. Liddy had a whirlwind schedule for his entire three-day trip to Tennessee. The day after the shooting at the range (with cameras and guns, of course), will be spent on a boat, fishing on the Cumberland River. The TV ads will be featured on the programs "Fishing University" and "Hunting University." Because his schedule was packed to overflowing, I did not get to shoot my .357-Magnum with Mr. Liddy. (Nor did I get to discuss Project 'Warrior Bonus' with him. I'll have to call into the program next week.)
Participants were a bit disappointed by the weather. The weekend before Mr. Liddy's visit had featured mild temperatures (about 60 degrees Fahrenheit), and the weekend after his visit is forecast at about 63 degrees Fahrenheit. But, about the time that Mr. Liddy got off the airliner in Nashville, an icy wind blew into Tennessee. (Coincidence....?) Despite an afternoon high of 42 degrees, the members of Rolling Thunder were full of warm smiles to be out riding with "The G" across middle Tennessee.
© Tom Kovach
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