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December 3, 2003

Soccer Or Politics: My Helicopter Ride With President Doe

On December 19, 1983, I was part of a historic flight that has never and may never be repeated in the history of soccer and sports in Liberia. As a member of the new Lone Star Soccer Squad, I flew with President Doe on a helicopter to a ball game. Though the flight was historic, it turned out being a bittersweet experience for me. For little did I know that one of the most powerful men in the world and the President of my country had a negative mind about me and will come face-to-face with me several hundred feet off the ground to discuss it.

The flight took us from The James Spriggs Areoport in Sinkor, Monrovia and landed us midfield of the Antoinette Tubman Ball field for a "test" match against the old Lone Star.

On the flight, I sat next to the President. As the pilot adjusted his altitude, the game clicked my mind. The challenges awaiting me on the ball field were huge. And as the "new kid on the block," I was having my debut and all the coaches raised my morale. Some referred to me as the "Return of Garretson Sackor," a ballplayer they say displayed unusual skills, style and gyration on the ball and was a goal-scorer who took Liberia to the upper level of world and African soccer. Though he came decades before my time, but here I am being compared to him. That alone plus what the most popular sporting magazine in the country at the time, The Daily Observer voted me to be as the "Super Striker" put more weight on me. Obviously, the stakes were high. But I had to rise to the occasion. 

Everybody on the flight must have been thinking about the game because that's why we were flying together. It became evident what the President was thinking when he turned to me, looked me straight in the eye and posed an embarrassing and unexpected question. My thought process dramatically changed as a result of the question.

The story goes like this.

In preparation for the "test" match against the old Lone Star, the government camped us at the Holiday Inn for a week. Notice, the Ballpark is about four blocks from the hotel, but something strange occurred.

The ballgame was scheduled to begin at 4:30 P. M., but at 2:00 P. M. the minister of youth and sports, Hon. John  P. Beh gave us a pep talk. At the end, he asked us to hop on a luxurious bus awaiting us in the hotel lot. As early as it was, the bus pulled out of the lot at 2:15 P .M. Though it was a bit confusing, but we were in good spirit and began singing. Suddenly, reality set in: the bus was heading in the wrong direction - out of town. As nervous kids would do, we began looking over the windows like frightened boy scouts wondering what was going on. All efforts to call the Minister's attention was up to no avail. He spent the travel time on his walkie-talkie. But to our surprise, the bus pulled in the parking lot of The James Spriggs Aeroport. The Minster hopped off the bus and entered the Terminal. Immediately, silence filled the bus in anticipation of what was next.

When the Minister returned, he invited us in the Terminal. As we approached the Terminal the message became apparent. There were soldiers everywhere. Evidently, either the President was in the area or a high-level government official. In no time we realized it was the President of the Republic, the chief patron of The Lone Star. He sat in the Lounge smiling as we walked in dressed in his full Lone Star gears ready for the ball game. He welcomed us, encouraged us, shook hand with us and order refreshment for us. While sipping cold soft drinks, we noticed the President and his Staff quietly discussing.

Later on a new surprise was unwrapped.

The President said, "Kids, we are landing on the Stadium in a helicopter. We will make history today and everyone will be a part of it" I don't know what exactly happened to my soft drink, but I remember the bottle was empty. We were overwhelmed and shocked because never has this happened before and during our lifetime in Liberia. When we notice the Pilot heading towards the exit, it became evident, "The show was on." We cheered and shouted slogans. In a split second, the helicopter propellers began flapping and the leaves and papers and other light particles were chaff in the wind. History was in the making and we were to be a part of it - the new Lone Star, unlike all ball clubs in the nation, was flying in an helicopter and will land on the Ball field for the first time ever.

Now, the time has come to depart the aeroport. Seating arrangements on the flight were made prior to our arrival. The President and the "Super Stars" were selected to take the first flight. I was first on the List.  If my memory serves me well, we were three on that "Super Star" list. Few seconds later, the pilot instructed us to fasten our seat belts and in no time, we were off the ground and the City was beneath our feet.

From that point midway to the Stadium, my bittersweet experience set in.

I am one of the sixty-plus students sent by the Liberian government in 1980 to the sister African Republic of Ethiopia to pursue studies in adult literacy. I was in my early teens then. While in Ethiopia, rumors circulated that we were being militarily trained to return and overthrow the Liberian government. I guess the former minister of foreign affairs, Hon. Gabriel Baccus Mathews wanted to confirm the rumors and so he visited with us on our campus, which was formally used by the Ethiopian Military. Whatever he concluded, hunted us later on.

As a result of the rumors, the government made efforts to eliminate us. I recall meeting with the late vice head of state, Thomas Wehsey who warned me of the PRC's intent to eliminate us. I guess he was troubled by the situation and didn't want to be a part of it.

Now here am I on a helicopter sitting next to the very President who I understand wants me dead. Apparently, that's why they had me sitting next to him on the Flight. Just in case the rumor was true, sitting next to him was an opportunity to monitor my activities. The Secret Service knew much about me prior to my arrival because they kept their eyes on me most of the time. I'm quite sure they may have figured out I was no threat to the President. That's why they allowed me to sit next to him. Another thing could be that they were using my "Super Striker" status to win some support. Whichever way the truth turned, they were on their "Ps" and "Qs." For me, this was no more fun. I was perturbed.

My hair began to rise and I thought I was in danger. There had been scary stories about missing people and my dad had been approached many times by the government in reference to my travel to Ethiopia and what it believed had happened there. Though I was looking forward to a spectacular and challenging ball game, the President's questions to me changed the whole picture and my demeanor.

He asked, "Thomas, when you guys were in Ethiopia, was your military training designed to overthrow my government?" I answered, no chief. His follow-up question was "If it were so and you are not willing to tell me, would you want to kill me?" I again calmly replied, no chief, I would never want to kill you or anybody. There's no reason to kill. The final question was the one that touched my soul. He asked, " Your dad was in the Tubman and Tolbert governments, how do you feel about those former government officials killed on the beach by firing squad?" I paused for a moment and began asking myself, I said, "Self" after I've told this man no reason is there to kill and I come back and answer his question in the negative, what would he think of me or do? Quickly I said to him, sir, I don't know! And that neutralized him. The word "kill" kept coming and going, twisted and turned, this way and that way, calmly and vigorously, but the fact that my answers were constant and consistent, the word disappeared. Suddenly, friendly smiles glittered from the Secret Service to the President. Seemingly, they realized how much infringement this had on my fun time. Politics should not have come in. This was fun time.

When the grilling questioning ceased, the President paused momentarily and invited me to visit with him at the Executive Mansion after the game. Lastly he said, "Say hi to the General for me, I mean your dad." And I said yes sir I will! At that point the only thing I could hear was the humming sound of the helicopter. As we approached the ballpark I looked over the window of the helicopter, and noticed how jammed park was the Stadium. Surely the fans must have been wondering why the helicopter was flying over the Ballpark. Suddenly, they were out of the suspense. When it landed on the field of, the President jumped out, I followed and then the rest. We all began warming up in our brand new gears. When they recognized us, they went wild cheering and chanting - "Go Doe, go Lone Star!" After that, they loved every aspect of the history-making process.

Coach Victor Sieh, Sr. was our trainer. He and the rest of Team arrived on the helicopter and joined us. It was time for the ball game to begin. They played the National Anthem and President Doe asked to play my position - striker. I agreed and took a seat on the sub-bench in respect to the man. After all, he had a lot to offer to make this game a success. Unfortunately for him, the old Lone Star was unhappy and waiting to get even.

And this is the beginning of another story, a tensed and overly physical game.

The old players did not welcome their retirement. They tried to abort the process. Second, both coaches were aspiring to coach the new Lone Star because the President was supporting us including the fans. But the old Lone Star was upset and it was clear. They felt demoralized when they rode a bus on the field while the new Lone Star flew on the pitch in a helicopter. The negative energy was transferred into the game. They treated President with no respect.  He was kicked in the leg, knocked over and finally injured. The Secret Service ran on the pitch several times to warn the players, but it didn't change their demeanor. Some fans thought the attitude of the old Lone Star was quite understandable - they were to be retired, they rode a bus to the game and the new Lone Star flew in a helicopter with brand new gears and that their retirement was not done honorably. So every now and then the President knocked over. All of a sudden, the President had had enough. He called for substitution, walked of the pitch and received a standing ovation from the fans. The coach called me in and the ball game changed.

President Doe was a sports-lover. Irrespective of the odds, he gave a lot of support to improve the games, especially soccer. Though I had just arrived on the scene as a young ball player, no President had been so supportive of soccer that I have ever known. All the Presidents did their best; but Doe was the best. All in all, I left Liberia to save my life. Because, anything could have happened to me.

By: Thomas G. Bedell