HONOLULU, Calif., Dec. 30 (UPI) -- President-elect Barack Obama has been working out in a military gym during his vacation in Hawaii, a move that pleases service members and veterans.
Vanessa Letcher, the wife of a Navy pilot, told The Honolulu Advertiser that everyone at Marine Corps Base Hawaii learned quickly that Obama was likely to be in the Semper Fit gym between 7:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
Letcher said that on Christmas Eve she worked out on a treadmill -- she usually runs outdoors -- so she could be in the gym while Obama was at a nearby elliptical machine.
"It was fantastic," she said. "Definitely everyone's excited, whether they voted for him or not. It's a great thing to have him on base because he's going to be the commander in chief."
Obama, who grew up in Hawaii, did not spend much time with the military when he was running for president. But this time, he visited a dining hall on Christmas Day to shake hands with the Marines -- mostly single with no families nearby.
Jerry Coffee, a retired Navy flier and former prisoner of war who supported John McCain in November, said he is glad to see Obama spending time with the troops.
