{"id":21380,"date":"2017-02-06T05:01:16","date_gmt":"2017-02-06T05:01:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/?p=21380"},"modified":"2017-02-06T05:01:16","modified_gmt":"2017-02-06T05:01:16","slug":"wounded-warriors-thrilled-by-super-bowl-trip-with-the-vice-president","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.biphoo.com\/bipnews\/news\/wounded-warriors-thrilled-by-super-bowl-trip-with-the-vice-president.html","title":{"rendered":"Wounded warriors thrilled by Super Bowl trip with the vice president"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wounded warriors thrilled by Super Bowl trip with the vice president<\/span><\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n

Wounded warriors thrilled by Super Bowl trip with the vice president:- Marine Staff Sgt. Tony Mannino thought the call was a mistake when he was told he was going to the Super Bowl with Vice President Mike Pence.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was like, `This is the White House? Are you sure you\u2019ve got the right person?\u2019\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

It likewise took some convincing until Army Staff Sgt. Frederick Manning realized his invitation wasn\u2019t a joke.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI barely got any sleep last night. I was like a kid waiting for Christmas,\u201d Manning said on Air Force II as he flew to Houston Sunday. \u201cEver since I got the confirmation, it\u2019s been awesome.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Mannino, who was injured in Iraq, and Manning, who was injured in Afghanistan, were waiting in front of Air Force II Sunday afternoon when Pence walked off the Marine II helicopter with his wife, Karen, and daughter Charlotte.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhat do you think? Decent ride?\u201d Pence said, pointing to Air Force II.<\/span><\/p>\n

The service members had been chosen by the Defense Department for the trip. It helped that Mannino is a Patriots fan and Manning is rooting for the Falcons.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve got Falcon fans. We\u2019ve got Patriot fans,\u201d Pence said as he shook their hands. \u201cThey\u2019ll be a winner on this plane on the way back.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Pence, a supporter of the Indianapolis Colts, was strictly neutral on which team he wanted to win.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cTwo great teams. I think it\u2019s going to be a great game,\u201d he said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Manning, 50, brought Army Sgt. First Class Charles Stanley, a nurse at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center who has been one of his caregivers.<\/span><\/p>\n

Mannino, 33, brought his wife, Diane.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s amazing,\u201d she said. \u201cI\u2019m sitting here thinking, how are we here?”<\/span><\/p>\n

After landing in Houston, they rode in the vice presidential motorcade to Pappas BBQ restaurant.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I heard this was the place to come,” Pence said as he shook hands with Leon Whiting, the general manager.<\/span><\/p>\n

Pence posed for selfies around the room before ordering a pulled pork sandwich with a side of BBQ sauce.<\/span><\/p>\n

One of the diners, Angela Porter, was wearing an Indianapolis Colts shirt.<\/span><\/p>\n

“We found a Colts fan down here,” a delighted Pence said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Porter, who lives in Wabash, Ind., was in Houston visiting a friend, Jerry White, originally of Marion, Ind.<\/span><\/p>\n

They arrived at the restaurant about 15 minutes before Pence and his entourage of secret servicemen, aides and camera crews pulled up.<\/span><\/p>\n

“It was shocking,” Porter said of his appearance. “We didn’t know what was going on.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Wearing a Super Bowl 2017 shirt, White was rooting for the Falcons because of former Colts player Dwight Freeney being on the team. White said he’d like to see Freeney win another Super Bowl ring.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Pence left the restaurant to watch the game from the Houston Texans\u2019 owners box, he gave Pappas a top rating.<\/span><\/p>\n

“It was just great,” he said, rubbing his stomach. “That’s some Texas BBQ.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Source:-\u00a0http:\/\/www.usatoday.com\/story\/news\/politics\/onpolitics\/2017\/02\/05\/wounded-warriors-thrilled-super-bowl-trip-vice-president\/97533402\/<\/span><\/div>\n

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