Reunion Memories

Guys and gals, I’ve been home from the reunion for several days now and just got a reminder from Art Mandler that I haven't sent an email to everyone about the reunion. So here goes.

It was another great reunion, approximately 230 people attended the banquet and this includes women and children. Our best-attended reunion ever was DC in 97—250 people attended that banquet. And 235 attended St Louis in 95, so I think this puts Milwaukee in third—very close to a tie with Baton Rouge in 2001 at 225. All these figures are from memory and don't hold me to accuracy, please. The point isn't about numbers, although the more the merrier usually applies. It's really about the people who attend, the personal reunions that happen, and what people take home with them.

Kudos for the Milwaukee Reunion!

How does one put into words about how fantastic our reunion in Milwaukee was?

The Team of Dave Gehr “The Chair”, Joe Nett, Gary Powely, Tom Mohar and Dennis Leedle did a No. 1 job putting this reunion together for us. But, you know and I know that they did not do it alone. Their backup, of course was Beckie Gehr, Diane Nett, Barb Powely, Min Mohar and Carol Leedle. I can’t forget the great work Rick and Joyce DeNomme did with the Raffle. Rick must have sold a zillion tickets. What a great Team!

188 people celebrated the ninth reunion of Charlie Company, 3rd Battalion, 22nd Infantry, in Portland, Oregon, from 25-29 June 2003. Bill and Patti Schwindt, along with the men and women of their committee, bent over backward to host a wonderful reunion. The following is a report about that special event. Superb! Yes, that's what it was. The magic that unfolded in Portland was so enchanting, so overwhelming in interaction and emotion, even the Veterans themselves were mystified by the experience. To say that Portland was wonderful is an understatement. The affair was incredible! Bill and Patti Schwindt made it so. As reunion hosts, they spent months preparing for this wonderful five-day excursion into the great Northwest. All the bases were covered--nothing was left to chance. Even the weather behaved, showering Charlie Company with sunshine and cool breezes. ...........click link to read more............

On August 29 - September 2, 2007, we had our bi-yearly reunion. Although our numbers were not what we hoped, that did not for a minute take away from what our reunions are meant for and do for all of those that attended. It never ceases to amaze me how men who have been in combat together, be separated by thousands of miles and not even communicate with each other for two years and in some cases decades will hug and take up with each other like the gap in time never happened. ........click below to read the rest...........

Guys, I walked into the hotel lobby in Colorado Springs Tuesday around 4:30 PM. Already, there were 8-9 guys there, and all but oneof them was from my platoon in Vietnam. I've never missed a national reunion, so I've seen them all before. But seeing them again is just as great. As it turned out there were over 20 of us there that evening and we all went to dinner together. That's always a fun time. Those of us who come early, for that Tuesday evening, always say, "I can't wait for the reunion to start tomorrow so we can have some fun, HA!" And we say it with a laugh, because we are already having so much fun it's hard to describe.

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.