REUNION MISSION: The main mission of this reunion is to renew friendships and to catch up on each other’s lives since Vietnam and subsequent reunions. The meeting room will generally be open daily for anyone to review photo albums, memorabilia, etc and to exchange remembrances.
12th REUNION
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO
JUNE 17 - 21, 2009
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There are all kinds of reunions: high school, family, college, etc. Then there are those reunions that aren’t organized just for celebrations, but more importantly for remembrance, honoring fallen comrades, and healing. The biennium gathering of Vietnam Veterans who served in Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry was one of these. This year it was held in Colorado Springs, CO, and we were invited to be part of the three day events. On Friday we visited Ft. Carson where the group was graciously granted access to several special base training sections including the simulation area where troops were able to practice their shooting skills. Another simulation building housed four look-alike Humvee Vehicles with machine guns, and other high tech equipment. Soldiers practice their driving skills and teamwork prior to deployment (or re-deployment) to assignments in Iraq and Afghanistan. These maneuvers proved far more challenging than any of us ever imagined. It made us realize how incredibly intelligent and efficient our current troops are when being trained for combat. Our young military guides were so enthusiastic about their mission, their work and their willingness to serve their country. Each had been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan at least once. Many had experienced three deployments with a fourth coming soon. I couldn’t help envisioning the huge sacrifice they were making, as well as the commitment from spouses, children, and parents.

 The reunion ended with a banquet on Saturday evening which was far from any I had ever experienced. Before dinner was served, the names of almost one hundred fallen and missing comrades were read by various members of the Regiment. Then, all eyes focused on a round, empty table that sat on the stage with a vase tied with a red ribbon holding a single red rose. A dress military hat sat next to the vase which made the entire scene a poignant reminder of those who would never attend any of these reunions. Since many of our customs and stories are mirrored through metaphors and symbols, I thought you might find the following explanation of the empty table meaningful.

 

missingmantable.jpg

The table is round - to show everlasting concern for our missing men.

The tablecloth is white - symbolizing the purity of their motives when answering the call to duty.

The single red rose - reminds us of the life of each of the missing, and the love ones and friends of these Americans who keep the faith, awaiting answers.

The vase is tied with a red ribbon - symbol of our continued determination to account for our missing.

A slice of lemon on the bread plate - is to remind us of the bitter fate of those captured and missing in a foreign land.

A pinch of salt - symbolizes the tears endured by those missing and their families who seek answers.

The Bible - represents the strength gained through faith to sustain those lost from our country, founded as one nation under God.

The glass is inverted - to symbolize their inability to share the evening’s toast.

The chair is empty - they are missing.

Sometime, perhaps 20 or 30 years from now, the warriors of today will be the old soldiers of tomorrow.  Perhaps they will gather to remember, to heal, and to honor those who die in today’s war zones. And likely they too will honor a single empty, round table with an inverted glass and a red rose.

A Reunion to Remember - written by Tony Seahorn

Reunion Memories from Dave Gehr:

   

120 grunts showed up!  Pete McNaughton did a fantastic job!  Took our time coming home!

 Stopped the first night in north Platte, Nebraska (337 miles).  Met up with the Powleys, Nett's

 And even visited with some of the Fogarty's who were staying in the same hotel.  Revisited the

very nice Veterans Memorial and hit the road early Monday morning.  Took a break in council

 Bluffs, Iowa and visited another memorial known as a casino. Stayed a few hours and earned

 A fantastic jimmy buffet for gambling for 30 minutes, which is never a problem for Beckie, and

 I even hit on a very big jackpot.  Drove eastward and stayed for the night.  Another 402 miles

 Closer to home! Left Tuesday morning and stopped at a shopping mall then onward to the east.

 Pulled in the driveway at 6:00 p.m. after the final 439 miles!  Total trip miles driven by me were

 2,458,  miles driven by Beckie  0,  but she helped with her various hand signals and continually

 Insinuating where I should go........  A wonderful trip and sorry to see it end! Next reunion in

 Washington, D.C.,  start making your plans.  Will see you and hopefully many more there!

 

The Colorado Springs reunion was a huge success.  The list of the attendees is below: 

KENNETH ALMOND

RICHARD ANDERSON

JAMES  & KAREN ASHER

RUBEN  & ARLENE BARKLEY

TONY & JANICE BARTOLOTTI

WES & JUDY FOGARTY BECTHOLD

JOHN A. & DEBORAH BENDER

JOHN T. BENDER

JOHN & PATRICIA BERGER

MIKE & KATHY BLOOMQUIST

BILL BRADBURY

JAMES & MARTHA BRIDGES

EDWARD & SUWANNEE BROWNING

TERRY    & SUSIE BUCHHOLZ

ARTURO & DORA BUENTELLO

HERBERT & BARB BURDETT

ROGER BYGNESS

OSCAR  & LINDA CANTU

DANIEL CHRISTIAN & SUSAN CONWAY

GARY CLEMENT

GARY & MICHELLE CUNNINGHAM

JOSEPH & FRANCES DAVIS

DONALD & META DELAMORE

DENISE DELAMORE & TRAVIS YEGGY

DAVID & KAREN DEMAURO

RICK & JOYCE DENOMME

RONALD & JACKIE DEVRIES

TOM & KAREN LAISURE DINGER

ERVIN DOBOSIEWICZ

JAMES DONAHUE

MARTY & NORMA DOUGLAS

NICHOLAS & JENNIFER DRAGON

BOB & GAIL DUPLECHIN

DELBERT & JOSIE EYER

LARRY (TOM) FERGUSON

RUDY & CYNTHIA FERNANDEZ

JOEL R. & MARGARET FERNLUND

TOM "MOOSE" & JANET FERRAN

ROBERT & EILEEN FOGARTY

ROGER & ARVONNE FOGARTY

DAVID & BECKIE GEHR

BUTCH  GODLEWSKI

MIKE NIZICK

JOSE & HELEN GONZALES

BARBARA STAPLETON

GREGORY HALL & CHRIS & KENT

GARY & CAROLYN HARDING & NICKOLAS

OSCAR  & SUE HARRIS

EUGENE HECK

LOEL & CLARIAN HUNT

PALMER JOHNSON & TINA JOHNSON

MIKE KALLANSRUDE

PAUL KENDALL

FELTON KIDDER & JANICE DUPRE

JAMES KLOTZ & PAM KARJEWSKI

DENNIS & LYNNE KRAUSE

ERROL   LANIER

CHARLES LEFEBRE

KENNETH & APRIL LYONS

ROGER & CINDY MARTIN

TOM MASON & ELIZABETH MASON

CLARENCE & LINDA McCAIN

WILMA (BILLIE) FOGARTY McGRANE

PETER & SUSAN McNAUGHTON

DENNIS & CAROL McQUADE

JOHN & JACKIE MEADOWS

WILLIAM & ANN FOGARTY MEIRICK

LLOYD & VICKI LYNN MIETZNER

GARY MILLER

RICHARD & LORETTA MISAKI

DENNIS & LARETTA MITCHELL

RICHARD P. MONSON

LARRY   & DEBBIE MORAN

RON & CLAUDIA MORE

JIM & SHARON NELSON

JOSEPH & DIANE NETT

ARTHUR OLIVAS

ROBERT & GINA O'NEAL & PATRICK & DECLAN

JOSEPH PIAZZA & LARA PALI

DAVID PICKETT

JOSE  A. & CYNTHIA PINA

GARY & BARB POWLEY

PAUL QUINN

KENNETH & JOANNE MAUSLEIN REINERT

MAC REPPERT

ROLAND & DOLORES RESPESS & JADE ALLISON

LARRY   & BARBARA RHODES

ROBERTO & BECKY ROBLES, JR

PETE & SALLY ROJAS

MIKE ROOT

RICHARD & KAREN ROWE

RUBEN  & MARLENE SANCHEZ

RUDY SANDOVAL

HARTMUT & ROSEMARIE SCHULER

BILL & PATTI SCHWINDT

TONY & JANET SEAHORN

JOHN E. SHARP

HENRY  & DOTTIE SHERRY

RAY SIMPSON

JAMES (KEITH) & SALLY SKILES

BILL & DENI SLATE

LOUIS B. SMITH & S. WEDDEKING

TYRONE & GLADYS SMITH

DON & CAROLYN SNYDER

WILLIAM & MAVIS SPENCE

JOHN & MARY KAYE STELZER

BILL & RITA STOPP & DEMIAH J. TORIX

THOMAS (TIM) STRUS & STACEY STRUS

MIKE & PAM SULLIVAN

DAVID & BETTY SUTTERBY

DOUG SYVERTSON

JAMES  TOBIN

TOMMY & DEANNA TOMPKINS

FRANK  VALENTO

ROBERT (KOOKIE) & DIAN VIALPANDO

DAVID & SUSAN WALKER

VINCENT C. WEBER & SHARON FROST

DORSEY & BARBARA WEEKS

ALEC J. WHITE

JAMES WHITE

JERRY WHITE

RALPH & ANITA WILKS

TED & KATHY WRONKIEWICZ

STEVE & PAM YANES

PAUL N. & KAREN YECKEL

TOM & SUE ZUREK

Every reunion we are honored to have first time attendees. this reunion we had 13!

Tony Seahorn, Felton Kidder, Robert Vialpondo, Marty Douglas, Joe Davis, Charles LeFebre, Tom Dinger, Keith Skiles, Tom Mason, Ray Simpson, Ed Browning, Tom Ferguson and Jim W.

Joe Piazza and Ralph Wilks haven't attended a reunion since Washington D.C.