Vice President Dick Cheney was in Casper last night - and unlike most events in Washington D.C., his 45-year high school reunion was a "wonderful low-key event," involving no politics, or media, according to former classmate Ron Lewis.

Lewis was one of two emcees at the Natrona County High School class of 1959 reunion, Saturday night.

Cheney attended Dean Morgan Junior High School and NCHS, where he played halfback on the football team, represented the school as a delegate to Wyoming Boys State and served as senior class president in 1959.

"Most of us in the class figured (Dick and Lynne Cheney) would probably show up, they're real down to earth people," Lewis said.

But that doesn't mean there were no special precautions taken for Wyoming's very own VIP.

Guests were ushered through airport-style metal detectors at the Parkway Plaza, and security was tight - yet after an hour the metal detectors were removed and the party began to look like any other reunion, except for the presence of about ten Secret Service agents, said Secretary of State Joe Meyer.

There were no special introductions or ceremonies for Cheney other than to introduce him as a senior class officer, Lewis said.

In fact, the Cheneys requested no special treatment, he added.

Rather, they had their own informal greeting line and then went around the tables and posed for pictures with their former classmates.

"We have a class that's hung together," said Meyer, who also roomed with Cheney at the University of Wyoming for a semester in the 1960's. "Dick never missed a class reunion."

Lewis had the chance to talk to the vice president, but he chose not to discuss political issues like the war in Iraq or the economy.

Rather, he said, the two talked about people they knew and "things that have happened to people we hadn't seen in quite some time."

Meyer agreed with Lewis' sentiments.

"They are relaxed, they are just being real people," Meyer said of class reunions. "You don't talk about what you're doing now, you talk about what happened in high school."

Lewis estimated roughly 130 people attended the evening's festivities, which included a buffet dinner and dance with music from the 1950's.

"Most of the classmates said it was the best reunion we've ever had," Lewis said. "It was quiet, done on a standard class reunion basis and everyone go to talk and renew old friendships."

The party broke up at about 11 p.m. and the Cheneys flew on to Jackson, where they have a residence.

Joan Barron contributed to this story.