Steve Semancik, an IT specialist in Reclamation’s Snake River Area Office, served in Korea in 1974 under then Lt. Col. Colin Powell. Semancik had not seen Powell since leaving Korea later that year. His memories were forever captured in his military yearbook, until now. 

On Oct. 15 retired Gen. Colin Powell, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and U.S. secretary of State, flew into the Treasure Valley in Idaho. Powell was there to discuss trade with a 90-member delegation of South Korea's government and local business leaders for the Korea-Pacific U.S. Joint Economic Conference.

Media coverage on the upcoming event reminded Semancik about his yearbook. So he e-mailed Idaho Gov. C.L. “Butch” Otter’s office to see if Otter could somehow get Powell to sign it.  The governor’s office, however, thought it would be more fun to have Semancik attend the event and surprise Powell. As a result, Semancik and his wife, Debi, received an invitation to attend the VIP dinner at Otter’s ranch near Star, Idaho. His “clearance” to get in was his yearbook. The VIP dinner was closed to the press and the public; Semancik and his wife were the only two non-political folks there!

Semancik got to meet with Powell. They had a short time to reminisce, and Powell signed his picture in the yearbook that Semancik had brought back from Korea so many years ago.