Happy 88th Birthday, Clint Hill!

It will go down as one of the most successful undercover operations of 2020. The surprise 88th birthday party for my partner, coauthor,  and legendary Secret Service Agent Clint Hill.

THE RUSE

Clint thought that he and I were going to dinner at one of our favorite local restaurants. I’d told him we had seven o’clock reservations, but before that, we were invited for cocktails with another couple at my parents’ new residence, which Clint hadn’t yet seen. Meanwhile, our next door neighbor Vicki had offered to have our dog Dazzle over for a playdate with his bestie Enzo.

We left promptly at 4:45 and had a lovely time catching up with my parents and friends Telly Hoimes and B.V. Vaughn. The plan was for us to depart at 6:15, head back to collect Dazzle and take him out for a quick pee, and then go out to dinner. Unbeknownst to me, Clint had called the restaurant a few hours earlier to check if they were serving his favorite dish—cassoulet—that night. Fortunately, he didn’t give his name, or he would have found out that we did not actually have a reservation.

THE PREPARATION

Meanwhile, there was a manic flurry of activity at our house as the caterers, a bartender, and thirty-four friends were sneaking into our home, just minutes after we left. Paige Peterson and Wendy Miller were moving furniture, pulling serving dishes and fondue pots out of the cupboards, and lighting candles, while my sister Stephanie and her husband were greeting guests, taking coats, and handing out RayBan style sunglasses. Steve John had prepared a music playlist of Sinatra tunes and was syncing his phone with the Sonos system. Jessica Miller had created a fabulous (and mouth waveringly delicious) James Bond themed cake with a caricature of a Secret Service agent holding a gun in one hand and Clint’s signature Campari cocktail—The Clint—in a tall glass in the other.

In order to get Clint into the house, I told him that Vicki had already brought Dazzle back to our place, so no need to collect him. I furtively texted Paige:  ON OUR WAY. I chatted with Clint the short walk back to our house, my stomach swirling in a frenzy of anticipation. I could tell he didn’t have a clue. As we turned the corner toward our front door, I was pleasantly surprised to see that no one was arriving late—the guests had been told to arrive between 5:45 and 6:00.

Wendy Miller and Paige Peterson

John Lamar poses by Clint’s portrait.

THE SURPRISE

My heart was beating as Clint turned the key into the lock. Being the gentleman he is, he always opens the door and allows me to walk in first. So in I walked. I could hear someone whisper “Shhh.” Clint walked in behind me. He told us later that he was concerned when Dazzle wasn’t waiting for us at the door wagging his tail. And then he saw a pair of shoes down the hall. His immediate thought was that we were being burglarized.

Clint is shocked to see dozens of friends yelling Surprise!

One of our friends, Mike Rowe, later commented, “I hoped he wasn’t carrying a gun.”  Fortunately not.

And then Clint saw lots of shoes and lots of people and in that moment, they yelled “Surprise!” and started singing Happy Birthday to you

Clint was in complete shock. We had pulled it off! Surprised the Secret Service Agent. I could see in his face that he was overwhelmed with joy, even though he was really struggling to keep his emotions in check.

“I can’t believe it,” he said, his eyes on the verge of, but not quite, welling up with tears. As he looked around at all the friends who had dropped everything to celebrate his 88th birthday, his shock turned into an enormous smile. There were hugs and handshakes, and then the party began.

Clint, Lisa, Mike Rowe

We feasted on crab cakes, filet of beef on crostini, shrimp cocktail, asparagus with aoli dip, peanut chicken skewers, bread and veggies with cheese fondue, wine, champagne, cocktails, and of course that amazing birthday cake. The room was buzzing with conversation and laughter and every time I glanced at Clint, he had a huge smile on his face.

One of my guests remarked that the sign of a good party was that no one wanted to leave. Well, then, it was a darn good party. It was after midnight when the last guests finally bid goodbye.

THE VERDICT

“It was perfect,” Clint said. I was thrilled I was able to pull it off. And so grateful that he truly enjoyed it. As I said in my toast, We are all here because we love you, and we are blessed to know you.

It was a great party celebrating a truly great man.

For more about the party, check out Mike Rowe’s take on Instagram and Facebook. And Clint’s version of events on his Facebook and Instagram.

 

 

 

7 Comments

  1. Roy Martin on January 19, 2020 at 12:27 pm

    Happy Birthday, Mr. Hill !

    I wish you & Lisa could visit the midwest (Chicago) as I would be honored to see you speak.

  2. Marilla van Beuren on February 16, 2021 at 1:27 pm

    What a wonderful and touching story. Belatedly a Happy Birthday to this wonderful man.

  3. Shirley Corley on September 11, 2021 at 9:20 pm

    What a wonderful 88th Birthday surprise for a
    great gentleman. You are a real legend and a HERO!
    Enjoy your great life and just ‘relax’, because you’ve
    earned it. You have protected so many first families
    and I am sure they are all so very grateful to you.
    I am so happy that you met Lisa. She is an angel 👼

  4. Amy Skewes-Cox on November 12, 2021 at 11:26 am

    Lisa: Love this story of the surprise party you had! I just finished your (and Clint’s) book about Jackie Kennedy and have so, so enjoyed it. We listened to it on Audible for multiple trips to and from the Sierra this summer and fall. My husband and I were captivated the entire time. And then last week, I learned that you are both neighbors with my high school friend, Trudi Costello. Maybe I will have a chance to meet you both sometime. I cannot thank you enough for this story and the incredible “soul” conveyed throughout the writing. It was an extremely important time in my life as our family moved (from Marin) to Washington D.C. in 1963 and I was in school (at age 10) with many of the nieces of John Kennedy. Those were years I will never forget.

  5. Robert roby on February 14, 2023 at 10:35 am

    Clint is an American hero he risked his life he made the most of opportunities he had. I would like to meet this great man and shake his hand. If all Americans were like Clint imagine how much better this country would be

  6. Laura Berendson on February 20, 2023 at 6:14 pm

    What a wonderful story and event!

  7. Cheryl M Parker on June 9, 2023 at 9:14 pm

    I met Clint in Memphis TN at a speaking engagment. I had read all of his books and was thrilled to meet him. He truly is a part of history!! Thanks for “saving”him Lisa! What a treasure he is to the USA! God bless you and Lisa. Love the new book!!

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