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| General Omar Torrijos |
| The day I had my close encounter with General Omar Torrijos Herrera... First a little bit of history about the General: General Omar Torrijos Herrera (1929-1981) was born in the providence of Santiago. He took part in the coup that deposed Presidente Arnulfo Arias in 1068. He became commander of the National Guardia and soon emerged as the strongman of the new regime. He exercised full control, ruling by decree an imprisoning or exiling all of his opponents until his untimely death in an airplane crash in 1981. Here is my little story. It really did happen, which at the time seemed really unbelievable that it was all happening to me. Now, picture if you will a sunny morning in Panama with the time almost 10 O'clock and you are running late in picking up an inspector from the states. So, you are trying to make time by racing. You are in a small blue VW heading in the direction of the Metro Theater on a narrow street one over from Balboa Avenue. You are about to pass the intersecting street up from Cafe del Boulevard. When all of a sudden out of nowhere a monstrous green Mercedes with its engine racing cuts in front of you. You react quickly by slamming on your brakes and leaning on your horn. As your tires scream like a banshee on the plains of Zimbabwe, you notice that a man in uniform occupies the back seat of the Mercedes. He is smoking a large Cuban cigar. Your eyes meet his briefly and his large Mercedes accelerates. He must be late for his appointment too. The chase car has his bodyguards brandishing submachine guns who at this point are just trying really hard to keep up with the general's car. The whole incident takes a few seconds, but your whole life, as you know it flashes before your eyes. As they speedily pull away, you quickly pullover to the curb, breathe a sigh of relief and stop the VW by turning off the ignition. As you sit there thanking your lucky stars that you stop for some chance tickets at "La Loteria" building and a "Raspado" for the road... you say softly, "Thank you God!" After a few moments you continue on to the International Hotel located on the Plaza de Cinco de Mayo. The story would end there... but no there is more. As you all remember close parking at the International is at a premium at almost any hour of the day. As you get closer you spot a large green Mercedes in front of the entrance. The bodyguards are deployed. You go around the Plaza and notice that there is only one parking spot available but one of the general's bodyguards is standing in it. You have already gone around twice so you beep your horn. He looks your way swings his machine pistol in your direction but steps out of the way as you ease into the parking space. You are wearing a white Pana-brisa and you are sweating bullets, no pun intended. You get out of the VW, which you have nicknamed 'Herbie-2' from the movie of "The Love Bug." Some people when they are very nervous, they talk to themselves. Well, you are carrying on a full conversation. First with 'Herbie-2' as you leave him in the parking space and later with yourself as you rush to meet your party staying at the International Hotel. You had tried to put him up at the Tivoli Guest House but his stateside travel agency had made his reservations. You enter from the bright sunshine to a somewhat cooler interior of the lobby and proceed to the courtesy phone. You ring the visiting fireman's room from the main office. He picks up on the first ring and tells you that he will be right down. You walk to the bank of elevators and notice that one is already descending. The doors open suddenly right in front of you. Guess who? No, it is not the Headquarters' Manger that you are to pick up and bus to Fort Clayton. No, it is General Omar Torrijos Herrera in the flesh. As he heads toward you, his bodyguards swarm around you like killer bees. Again your whole life flashes before you... but this time much faster. You do what anybody else would do in such a situation and say, "Buenos Dias mi General." He grunts a greeting as he passes you and heads for the doors. And at that very moment the elevator doors open and the person you are to pick up steps out into the lobby. He sees the general departing and says, "Louie, that is the general, did you see him?" You answer, "Yes, I know." Well, he continues bantering with, "Now I'll have something to tell the people back at the home office." And you think, some day you will have to tell your little story... Well, his inspection tour of your operations goes well. He stays about a week. Then after some sightseeing and shopping you take him to the airport. And he is gone until his next visit. You never have another close encounter with the general. A year later you transfer to San Francisco, California. Sometime later in a stateside newspaper you read of the general's untimely death in an airplane crash. Over the years when you think about that close encounter, you say to yourself that everything in life is a matter of timing. You being a little late at that intersection saved you from your final curtain call. You thank God the he was watching out for you that day. It could have been different and you may not be here at this keyboard relating this incident that when it was happening appeared like something out of the "Twilight Zone." Again time marches on.... |
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