This is crunch time. This will be the last newsletter before the reunion. Now if you are not coming PLEASE LET ME KNOW NOW. The REUNION will be from 19 May THROUGH 23 May 2010, right here in greater Fayetteville, NC. The hotel will be the HAMPTON INN at 1700 SKIBO ROAD and the phone number for reservations is (910) 487-4006. Tell them you are with the RETIRED RIGGER REUNION. OK, here is the new revised schedule. Wednesday at noon we hope to have the Hospitality Room up and running. LTC Graham, with help, will be in charge of the Hospitality Room. I have a feeling he will do one outstanding job. Pictures will be hanging and Wednesday afternoon CHICKEN WINGS will be ordered in from HOOTERS and the PARTY will begin. SGT Becky (a young soldier) will be passing out T-Shirts. Everyone gets a HAT and I would like you to wear them on Thursday and Friday for picture taking. There is a possibility that we will get a visit by the Corps Commander which will present a photo opportunity, so keep your Red Hat on. If you ordered a T-Shirt, see SGT Becky and she will have it for you (I hope). If not, see me. We will have a few extra T-shirts with no name and they will sell for a flat $25.00 each. Also, see SGT Becky if you want a CAR TAG with reunion LOGO for $10.00 each and an Airborne window sticker at $3.00 each. I have had several questions on a Pinochle Tournament. All I can say is when you get in see Bob Carhuff and we may be able to get started on Wednesday evening. It will more than likely run each evening and finish up on Saturday. Maybe more later on this. Golf has been changed to Saturday morning instead of Friday as was announced in the previous newsletter. More later on this in this newsletter. I will say that my dear old friend CW4 Lonnie Parker has taken over Golf Operations and has managed to secure a T-time on Saturday morning and he will be briefing all golfers on Wednesday evening in the hospitality room as to T-times and departure times. The golf course will be Bayonet at Puppy Creek (a fine new course here in the area). Green fees will be $50.00 per person, so all golfers need to have $15.00 in change in their pockets to make up the difference. I will provide the other $35.00. There will be several small golf prizes. I also must say that in the last newsletter I ask for you to check your pockets and if you could spare a few dollars more send it on down. Well that request fell on deaf ears I am afraid, so we will have to tighten the belt in certain area. That is OK, we will make it some how.

Directions from I-95 coming south is to take Exit 56 and go approx 8 miles until you come to Owen Drive. Turn right and stay on Owen Drive until it turns into the All American Expressway and then take the 401 by-pass exit. You will be setting in front of the Hampton Inn. If you have a GPS in your vehicle, the address is 1700 Skibo Road, Fayetteville, NC 28303.

I am having trouble trying to figure out what these veterans are going to do: COL Bob Cuthbertson, LTC Clyde Daniel, CW2 Tom and Grandson Hardegree. They say one thing and they do something else.

Also because they are traveling with a dog the following veterans are in the hotel next door: SGT Updike and SFC Bedford. This doesn’t help our cause, but you have to do what you have to do. Now as I understand it COL Riley and CSM Simmons are staying with friends in the area.

LTC Graham is making an initial stocking of the bar with assorted drinks, mix, snacks and on occasions there will be finger sandwiches. I would appreciate you all bringing several six (6) packs of your favorite beer (can only) And turning it over to either myself or LTC Graham or SFC Gagan. There will be an amble supply of bottle water (with our own Reunion Logo), but it is always hard to keep enough beer on ice and enough hard liquor at the bar. Some of you hard-core drinker need to bring your own bottle (put your name on it) and turn it into LTC Graham. OK lets make it a reunion to remember. Also let me mention that at the Saturday night supper there will be table wine and I hope to be able to provide beer for your drinking pleasure, but keep in mind that we are back in the county and the restaurant does not have a liquor license.

WEDNESDAY (19MAY)

Get checked in, pick up your hat, attitude adjustment in the Hospitality Room, see old friends and get settled down, pictures to look at.

THURSDAY (20 MAY)

0900 Visit the Division Parachute Operation facility

1130 Lunch in a Army Dining facility (pre-paid)

1300 Visit the US Army Special Opns Museum

1700 Drinks and Snacks in the hospitality Room

FRIDAY (21 MAY)

0700 Breakfast in the hospitality room (by yourself)

We are paying for this privilege (prepaid)

0900 Visit the ACE Board

1200 Lunch at Peaden’s Seafood Rest (pre-paid)

1330 Tour the GOLDEN KNIGHTS Facility

1700 Drinks and snacks in the hospitality room

SATURDAY (22 MAY)

0700 Breakfast in the hospitality room

0900 Golfer’s depart for Puppy Creek.

0900 Women will be touring the mall and other areas

1700 Load buses and you will be taken to the finest seafood restaurant in Fayetteville for a SEAFOOD/BBQ Supper (pre-paid). We will have CHOPPED BBQ PORK, FRIED CHICKEN, FISH and SHRIMP, BAKED BEANS, COLE SLAW, POTATO SALAD, HUSHPUPPIES, ICE TEA, LEMONADE, TABLE WINE and BEER, and also a BLUEGRASS band to entertain us. At that time we will present the GOLF AWARDS, Over-70 awards, and several SPECIAL AWARDS. We will have an outstanding guest speaker. Now if you don’t plan on attending, let me know early, so I can save the money on head count. Let me know.

SUNDAY MORNING 23 MAY)

0800 Prayer Breakfast in the Hospitality Room and we will say our GOOD BYE’S.

--- THINGS YOU MAY OR MAY NOT KNOW---

• Received a check and stamps from SGM Mark Strick and his lovely wife and they will be on board.

• OK, to update the OVER-70 PLAQUE awards, it looks as if it will be, and this is by age, young to old: LTC Graham, MSG Millsapp, LTC Gregor, COL Kalanges, SFC Gagan, SFC Button, SSG Carhuff, CSM Walker, and SGM Johnson. Look forward to seeing all of them receive their plaque.

• Hoping to have the Fort Bragg Garrison Commander as our guest speaker, and also hope to have the ACE Board President with us at the Saturday supper. They both should be in uniform.

• Received a letter from SGT Tokyo Joe Hartnett up in Canada and he says he will be on board, but his lovely wife, who is recovering from a mild stroke, will have to remain behind. SGT Hartnett is an old 549^th Veteran from the late 50’s.

• Received a check from CW2 IW Harper and he says he will be here with wife.

• Received and additional check from CPL Blackburn (PM Company Clerk) back in 60 and 61. Will be good to see “BLACKIE” again.

• Received an additional check from CSM Kenneth and Maxine Johnson. They say they are really looking forward to seeing greater Fayetteville and Fort Bragg again.

• Received word from SFC McKinney that SFC James “HOOK” Miller Jr. died this past Tuesday (22^nd Feb) at his home in Florida. He was a 173^rd combat veteran and a Rigger for a number of years. He would have been 75 his next birthday. He served in Okinawa, Vietnam (3-tours), Germany, Thailand, and Iran. He was a paratrooper and rigger for 17 of his 27 years in the Army. He had worked for Lockheed Aircraft Company for 4 years in Saudi-Arabia.

• SFC Henry McLaney had a knee replacement in early March and he’s back home taking REHAB. He will be in REHAB for 5 weeks and then he will be back to driving that motor home. Will be good to see Henry and his wife in May.

• Received a check today from MSG Lloyd and Gloria League. This will be their first reunion and MSG League said they were riding down with CW2 Harper and his wife. MSG League is a golfer. He was assigned to the 549^th and the Airborne Department in years past.

• Received a very nice check from LTC Billy Penick and he said that because of age and health his golf game may suffer just a little, but all them “flatbellies” will have their hands full. Airborne!

• Received an additional check from COL Kalanges and he requested that his old Platoon SGT, SFC Kratcoski, hand him his over 70 plaque. That can be arranged, if we can keep Kratcoski sober.

• Received an E-mail from my long time friend, MSG Lou Tawney, informing me that he and his lovely wife will be unable to attend because of medical problems. Very sorry to lose them.

• Just received word that CSM J.C. Cooper (previous CSM of the Airborne Department) died on 23 March 2010 at his home. He was one fine individual and will be sorely missed.

• Received a check from CW4 Robert and Mary Phillips. CW4 Phillips is an old 549^th veteran when COL Tanner was the CO. Will be good to see him after all these years.

• Received a check from MSG League for the cost of golf fee for him and CW2 Harper. That put the golf players up to 16 total.

OK GUYS, remember --- don’t play around if you are not planning on attending. Let me know ASAP. These reunions are very hard to organize, and it is even harder to keep track of you people. Get on to the hotel on the 19^th May and get checked in.