This third newsletter for RETIRED AIRBORNE RIGGER REUNION 2010 has the information you have been waiting for. The REUNION will be from the 19^th May THROUGH the 23^rd May 2010 right here in greater Fayetteville, NC. You should plan on arriving on the 19^th and get checked in and ready to see and do some action things here in Fort Bragg, North Carolina and plan on departing on the 23^rd May 2010. You need to read this newsletter slowly and let all the information sink in.

Will be having the Saturday night supper in the Fort Bragg Officer’s Club, and if you were with us before in 1995 and 2000, the food was very good. We will be touring various units on post, going to the drop zone as before, and all the moving about will be by civilian bus. I truly hope that I can count on some of my BIG contributors that have stepped forward in the past to come forward with a healthy donation. I also need stamps, so how about dropping your check in the mail with 100 stamps.

Keep in mind that the only news I have to report is what you bring to me, or if I call you whatever you tell me, and I don’t generally print anything in the newsletter unless you OK it. I would appreciate it when someone dies if the next of kin would send me a copy of the death notice, and I will try to print all the death OBITS with the newsletter.

Major Ulsh shot and killed a big pig up in Kentucky, but the article was lost. I am sorry Major. It was careless of me. OK, we also may need some more new pictures for the wall to hang up along with what we have. Hardly any of you are checking the WEB SITE for any information that we may place on the WEB SITE. I get word that you are checking the RED HAT CHAPTER web site. What are you doing that for unless you want to read about the Iraqi war? Check the WEB SITE where you will find your name and your information. OK Lets talk about T-shirts. I have a new design in the back of my mind and as everything is going up the cost of T-shirts is going up. In the coming months I will be looking for a good deal on white golf shirts so I can maybe get you two for the price of one, so if you desire a T-Shirt send me an additional $24.50 and the size you would like. Now so as I can get a good deal and get my order in early get your check to me ASAP, That is like now. $24.50 per T – shirt and your exact size…..Also GOLFERS I need your check for $35.00 and if I get a lower golf fee at what ever course you will be playing, which right now I am looking at KINGS GRANT,I will put the balance of the money toward any prizes I may come up with. You know in years past I have been more or less begging these golf prizes from a car dealership here in town and I will be hitting them up again next year. All this is for you guys, so pitch in and help me. Get your check with the amount I am talking about in like now. Today. Also as you well know postage has went up again. Riggers I need them stamps like yesterday. Stamps is stamps and money is money. You send me stamps I put them in the stamp box, you send me money I put it in the bank. We had a gathering of some very fine RIGGER PERSONAL over at the Golden Corral on the 23^rd May. A total of 22 RIGGERS showed up for comradery. I was so happy to see COL Causey, LTC Flanagan, LTC Williford, CW4 Hughes, CW3 Churchill, CW2 Williams, SFC Button, SFC Freedle (80 years old) CSM Cooper, SGM Walker, SFC Hempstead, MSG Winn, 1SG Barnette, CW4 Page, SFC Chadwick, SFC Gagan, CW4 Chrisman, CW4 Taylor (active duty), SFC Kennebeck, MSG Deloach, CSM Hebron . If all of the RIGGERS that were sent letters would have showed up we would have had a gathering of over 60 veterans. Oh their loss, not mine. I really need to hear from the following listed personal. You have money on the book, left over from the last reunion and I need some money out of you and a cheerful note telling me you are planning on attending the 2010 reunion. The RIGGERS listed are MSG Serrano, SSG Green, CW2 Hardegree, COL Tanner, SGT Griswold, MAJ Wise, SFC LeBlanc, CW4 McDonald, COL Causey, COL Riley. Yes I took some of your money for hats, bus seats and meals for the last reunion because no body notified me on time. Also for all of you, if you desire the new and I mean new T-shirt with new design and maybe also a golf shirt you need to get me a check in here NOW for $24.50. We have a lot to do over the next 11 months, so now is the time to get with the program. Next newsletter will be out in October 2009. Have a great summer, Brenda and I will be going to Puerto Rico and Florida.

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

• Received a check from L/Gen Seitz, B/Gen Williford, LTC Williford, CW3 Churchill. All these fine people say they are looking forward to the 2010 reunion here at Fort Bragg, NC.
• Received a few pictures from COL Walt Tanner down in Florida showing some of the troops he had when he was Commanding the 549^th in Japan. They will be enlarged and placed on the wall.
• Received a check and stamps from a long lost Rigger Chief, CW3 Perry Sizemore who has reported that his lovely first wife Wanda passed away at age 66 on 16 February 2007, after three years of suffering with COPD. Since that time CW3 Sizemore remarried a very lovely lady by the name of Joyce. Lets make her welcome when they get here to Fort Bragg. He has also moved to a new residence in Houston, Texas. He is still working more or less part time to stay out of trouble.
• Received a nice letter from Mr. Ben Baker who at one time was the Deputy Director of the office of CISO in Okinawa. This office supported mostly Special Forces in Viet-nam. Mr Baker is now 81 years old living the quiet life in sunny California thinking of all the good times he had in the far east. Mr Baker and I went into Laos one time on a TDY trip trying to find out what CW4 Melvin and Col Peterka were doing with all our G-13 parachutes being dropped in Laos. It was a great trip and I truly enjoyed the adventure.
• Spoke with LTC Billy Penick and his wife and they were preparing to depart from their home in the 5^th wheel RV for Fort Cobb State Park and get in some golfing and fishing and LTC Penick said he would be gone for at least one month and that he was planning on making the reunion here at Bragg next summer and whipping young CPT Mason’s ass on the golf course.
• Received word by E mail and then I called him. 1SG Val Taggart was told that he had a fluttering heart beat and that what made him pass out and wreck his truck several weeks ago. The doctors installed a defibrillator with a built-in pace maker in his chest and send him home. He has many appointment and he can not raise his left arm above his waist for 30 days. He says he is real sore where they installed the device in his chest, but that he is preparing to get well quickly and be at the 2010 reunion and playing golf. He also says that he will whip both LTC Penick and CPT Mason. I wonder what Peggie is feeding him for breakfast.
• Received a call from SGM Alvin Walker telling me about a Rigger by the name of SFC Charles W. Evans who retired in 1975 from the 612^th QM company. SFC Evans spent most of his time in the 612^th and he will be 76 years old this year. We hope to see him at the next reunion. His wife name is Annette.
• Spoke with Col Bill Foley and he mentioned that his wife was in frail health and that they were planning on moving back to Petersburg, Va.
• Received a check from CW4 Dave Richards who just turned 80 this past March and says he is still working.
• Had lunch with CWO Jose E. Rodriquez who gave me his check for the reunion. CWO Rodriquez is working out of Florida and looking very healthy. He is a old soldier with a lot of experience behind him in both jumping and combat.
• Received a call from SFC Henry McLaney telling me that his wife had taken a bad fall there at the house but was recovering and they would be at the reunion. He also said he would like to purchase a reunion T-shirt.
• Received a check from CW4 Terry Wallace and he informed me that he would send me a little more once his social security check came in. Terry and Angela are still in Florida and doing very well. Terry is always on the go doing something.
• Received a check from LTC Carl P. Flanagan Jr. He is a old soldier who used to bowl for Support Group way back when Maj Butte was also knocking down the pins. LTC Flanagan will be 77 years old this year. Will be good to see him at the breakfast and at the reunion.
• SFC Charles Evans was killed here in Fayetteville on the 19 May in a fatal car crash. SFC Evans was 76 years old and had served in the 612^th and the Alaska Test Board.
• Received check and stamps from Robert and Carol Forshaw. Robert had thyroid surgery on his left side in April and as of now he is doing fine. They both are looking forward to the reunion here at Bragg in 2010.
• At the breakfast on 23^rd May I received checks from LTC Flanagan with stamps and a check from CSM Cooper, previous CSM from Fort Lee, Va under LTC Rougeau and COL Bill Foley.
• Received an E mail that our own CW2 Dave Sharbutt has been recognize as the most-productive recruiter in the entire MOAA organization. CW2 Sharbutt stated that he would recruit 100 new members for the year 2009 and by may of this year he had signed up 232 MOAA members…way to go DAVE.

CLEAR SKIES: ROY & BRENDA WARREN