Hilton Evicts Wounded Heroes ( Sgt Shaft Alert )

Sgt Shaft column at Military.com ^ | April 21, 2006 | Sgt. Shaft

[george76]

Corporate Hillton Apparatchiks have given credence to the old adage, “No good deed goes unpunished” by their not renewing Fran O’Brien’s renewable lease.

Since October of 2003 Hal Koster, a two-tour Vietnam veteran and Jim Mayer, a combat injured Vietnam veteran and long time advocate for veterans and a small group of volunteers have been hosting a dinner each and every Friday night for the severely injured patients of Walter Reed Army Medical Center's Ward 57 and severely injured sailors and Marines at Bethesda Naval Medical Center and their families.

This was begun as part of a promise to insure that this generation of American service members are welcomed home appropriately and given the recognition and respect they have earned.

The dinners have been hosted by Hal Koster and his partner Marty O'Brien at their award winning restaurant, Fran O'Brien's Stadium Steak House in the basement of the Capital Hilton at 16th and K Street in the heart of Washington, DC.

This evening has become a huge success and the soldiers and their families have come to depend upon it.

This evening out has taken on a much larger meaning and had a far greater effect than what was originally envisioned as a simple night out.

However, as a result of recent unreasonable, arbitrary, and inexplicable actions on the part of the Hilton Hotel Marty and Hal now need our help.

[Mo1]

ping

[george76]

For over six months they have been asking the Hilton Management for the terms for renewal of their lease.

For over 5 months they were told not to worry they would have the renewal lease in a few weeks.

About a month ago the greedy Hilton management stopped responding to their emails and voice messages for a status report and recently Hal and Marty received a one page eviction notice. No explanation was given.

At least part of the reason likely may be be that the Hilton Apparatchiks are concerned about the increased liability of having so many severely injured and disabled soldiers in their basement each Friday (several have taken falls on the steep stairs at the entrance to Fran's (but no law suits or problems have ensued).

It may be that there is very limited and problematic wheelchair access to the restaurant (although no ADA complaints have been filed).

[Calpernia]

That was a little confusing. Did you understand it?

>>>The dinners have been hosted by Hal Koster and his partner Marty O'Brien at their award winning restaurant, Fran O'Brien's Stadium Steak House in the basement of the Capital Hilton at 16th and K Street in the heart of Washington, DC.<<<

What was the eviction exactly?

Did he live at the Hilton?

[george76]

It is confusing.

Apparently they have a lease that is expiring.

But the local idiot Hilton Hotel manager will not renew it.

There is not a legal eviction, per se.

Rather their lease is not being renewed, so they have to go.

[TheClintons-STILLAnti-American]

"What was the eviction exactly? "The restaurant rents space in the basement of the hotel. The hotel, for some unexplained reason, has decided they no longer want them as a tenant, and are refusing to renew their lease.

[em2vn]

This was knocked around on FR a couple of months ago. The Hilton has decided to use the space for another purpose. The restaurant can move to any other location it rents and the dinners can go forward.

[Calpernia]

Thanks!

[george76]

War veterans fighting to keep restaurant open .

For more than 100 Friday evenings, some of America's worst war-wounded have made their way to a Washington restaurant to feed their stomachs and souls.

At Fran O'Brien's Stadium Steak House, hundreds of soldiers and Marines maimed in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have dined gratis on thick steaks, tossed back a few cold ones and basked in the normalcy and comradeship offered there.

But come May 1, those much-anticipated outings from local military hospital wards will cease. Hilton Hotel Corp., landlord of the restaurant, is evicting Fran's from its decade-long location in the basement of the Capital Hilton in downtown D.C.

Fran's _which is co-owned by Marty O'Brien, a son of the famed Washington Redskin for whom the upscale establishment is named, and Hal Koster, a veteran of three Vietnam tours _ sees things differently.

They say Hilton balked at their request to install an elevator that would make it easier for the vets on crutches and in wheelchairs to reach the restaurant, now accessible only by as many as 20 steps. Some allies of Fran's suspect that Hilton also soured on the arrangement because of the added liability the hotel might face by having so many disabled people on premises.

The Hilton's stance has triggered a barrage of protest from military veterans and others across the country who say the eviction is a callous affront to troops who have paid a huge price in service to their country.

Internet blogs and radio talk shows from San Diego to Memphis to Camp Doha in Kuwait are denouncing Hilton, spurring a flood of calls of complaint to hotel corporate in-boxes and voice mail.

http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=VETS-04-17-06

[Young Scholar]

Don't blame Hilton; blame the legal system that allows this potential liability. It is perfectly reasonable for Hilton to act to reduce this liability if this is the best business decision.

[george76]

The owners of Fran O'Brien's have created a charity to help fund the Friday night steak dinners they hold for wounded soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

Donations for the dinners can be sent to: Aleethia Foundation Inc., C/O Fran O'Brien's Steakhouse, 1001 16th St. NW, Washington, D.C. 20036.

As National Commander of the American Legion, Thomas L Bock who supports the dinners stated, “It’s truly a shame these Friday night outings for our wounded heroes will come to an end at Fran O’Brien’s.”

It is for this reason that I join commander Bock in urging in the Hilton Corporation to renew an equitable lease for this wonderful Steakhouse.

[mathurine]

Probably owned by foriegners. If so, let it feed only foreigners and democrats and go broke when illegal immigrants are no longer available as slaves.

[mathurine]

Probably owned by foriegners. If so, let it feed only foreigners and democrats and go broke when illegal immigrants are no longer available as slaves.

[george76]

The Battle for Fran O'Brien's...

I'm Jim McDaniel, webmaster for the 174th Assault Helicopter Company's web site. I refer you to one of our web pages that I put together back in 2004.

It is about Hal Koster, one of our 174th crew chiefs from Vietnam. Hal crewed the UH-1C SHARK gunships that I flew 1967-68. Hal and I flew together.

Please see the page about his restaurant and his support of our veterans at

http://www.174ahc.org/koster-iraq.htm.

Now, having read the page, Hal has continued to host our veteran amputees every Friday night.

I have been to several of the dinners, and it is absolutely WONDERFUL what Hal has been doing at significant effort and personal expense (every dollar he spends on our veterans could be money he puts in his pocket).

You really have to be one of these dinners to fully appreciate what this means to these soldiers.

Well I received this message (below) from Jack Cunningham, and I couldn't believe it.

http://www.mudvillegazette.com/archives/004390.html

[Marine_Uncle]

"It may be that there is very limited and problematic wheelchair access to the restaurant (although no ADA complaints have been filed)."
The damnest, sadest thing is. There could have been writen legalized papers signed that freed the corporation from any law suits due to a possible injury. A writen gentlemens agreement, where a set of terms would have been proposed,agreed upon, that would have left the WIA the ability to have careing people make sure they where carried in, wheeled in, helped in, e.g. two escorts for someone on crutches etc., so they would never fall, etc..
It could have been a win/win for everyone.
The rules would have been clearly posted, the corporation by a signed and legalize agreement was free from any form of law suit.

[mathurine]

so much for ADA as far as it pertains to veterans. However there is an older law, the Soldiers and Sailors relief act, which might apply here, and I am quite certain it would. Sue Hilton under that law. Liability be damned, obligation legally to serve these vets is what the law requires, and they may not refuse to. And in addition, all of us should take any opportunity available to tell Hilton to go to hell until they treat veterans fairly and equitably. After all, what did any Hilton ever do in a war but squat and shiver on the sidelines.

[RDTF]

I just saw on Glenn Beck that there was a development on this today - can't find a link or what exactly it was but it sounded positive. Something like Hilton management is holding a meeting and rethinking this.

[sinkspur]

Sue Hilton under that law. Liability be damned, obligation legally to serve these vets is what the law requires, and they may not refuse to.

Well, at the risk of playing Scrooge, there is no "law" that requires free dinners for vets or anybody else.

It would seem that some other establishment could step into the breach here and provide this service, in conjunction with O'Brien and Koster. The public relations affect would be tremendous, to say nothing of the gratitude from these soldiers.

Forget Hilton. Put them in your rear view mirror and move on.

Hilton is a business, acting like a business.

Your gripe should be with the tort system in this country that exposes business owners to damages for violations of the ADA or, should some veteran choose, to a lawsuit should one of these veterans be injured.

This is just a sad situation all the way around.

[george76]

Glenn said that they had found a temporary restaurant for the Army Medical Center's Ward 57 and severely injured sailors and Marines at Bethesda Naval Medical Center and their families.

For a few months.

[RDTF]

Thanks - I caught the tail end of it