Pam, WOW I just love it up there. Started going up there in 1971. My 3 favorite casinos were Harrah's, Harvey's, and Sahara Tahoe. That's really where I got the casino chip collecting bug. Howdy Hertz had a little gift shop, with a great display of old casino chips, that's how I got hooked. I always loved the early Harvey's chips with the building. At time I was stationed at Casle AFB, in Merced , CA. So we made a trip up to the Lake about once a month, 3 hrs. each way. After a few trips we started to spend a night or 2 on the weekends. The price was right $9.99 a night plus a free buffet. Both me and my wife loved playing the old mechanical slot machines, plus a little BJ. So basically I've been going up to the lake on a regular basis for over 50+ years. Now days about 2 or 3 times a year. Tons of stories over the years.

Back in the fall of 1972 we were on a weekend trip to the lake. I was sitting at Harrah's playing $2 BJ which was pretty within the budget in those days. A gentleman in a suit and tie sat down next to me. He saw that I was wearing a black Vietnam Veterans hat. He asked me when I served and what I did. I told my time over there was 2 1/2 years and that I was a B-52 aircrew member. He asked me a number of questions about the war. And I told him I didn't like talking about it. Next I heard him tell the dearer to give me a couple of chips. I said no thanks, he insisted I take them. When I saw the 2 chips the dealer pushed over to me, they looked like $2.50 chips. I told him thank you, not realizing he had given me 2 pink brass core $500 chips. Well I was shocked, didn't really know what to do next. So I pushed 1 pink chip to the dealer for change , he gave me 4 white and 4 black chips. I put a $25 black chip up to play. My new friend said " NO GUTS NO GLORY " So he told me to play 2 hands at $200 each which was the table limit. Well guess what my first hand was a BJ and my second hand was a 20. I just won $500, at the time that was the most money I ever won in a casino. As I was stacking my chips my new friend handed me a card, and said I'll see you later. As he was leaving I asked the dealer who that was, and he said " That's the owner Mr. Bill Harrah ". I looked at the card he had given me, it said " Mr. William F. Harrah " CASINO COURTESEY CARD" full casino VIP privileges. Signed Wiiliam F. Harrah. Over the years I had many great interactions with him, including some very large slot machine and old casino chip deals.