This seventh newsletter for the RETIRED AIRBORNE RIGGER REUNION has the information you have been waiting for. 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. I went down to the hotel and took inventory on who had called to make reservations, and I tell you I was very disappointed. I put out a special one-page letter to 41 of you to ask you to call and make your reservations. Also, you do know and understand that reunions are PRE-PAID. In other words, all money is up front. For example, I am looking to contract three 47-passenger buses and the seats are $11.70 per person and the bus is $550.00 per 8 hour day. Right now I am looking at 140 people attending. I must say that there is a lot of you that is really procrastinating, and that is not helping me one bit. This old stuff of "well, I may stop by", "I will let you know at the end of the month" is not cutting it. What I need to know is your money is in the bank and you will be on board. I hate to waste money. Now, the Friday night supper at the Officer’s Club, to include wine, is $27.23 per person, and it will be an excellent meal. I need to know that you will be there to eat. If not, I am cutting the number of Riggers eating supper to save money. The hospitality room at the hotel where I will hang all the pictures, and you stand around telling stories, will be FREE if I contract 80 rooms. As of right now I am nowhere close to that number. If I don’t get the proper number of rooms, then the hospitality room will cost us $200.00 per day. We don’t have that money in the budget. It doesn’t help us if you stay with a buddy, or if three of you double up in the hotel. Gentlemen, Fayetteville/Fort Bragg can be an expensive place to visit, and I am trying my very best to keep YOUR COST DOWN, but I need your help. Do what I ask you to do. Once you get this letter and you figure out you can afford a little extra, then drop me a check in the mail. Thank you.

Already some of you are calling and asking what our itinerary will be. This is what I am looking at trying to do:

THURSDAY (20 May)

9AM Visit the Division Parachute operating facility

11:30 Lunch in an Army Dining facility

13:00 Visit the USAESW Board and Hanger

FRIDAY (21 May)

7AM Breakfast in the Hospitality Room (by yourself)

I am paying $200.00 per morning for this privilege.

9AM Visit the US ARMY Special Warfare Museum

12:00 Lunch at the Hudson Bay Seafood Restaurant

13:30 Tour the GOLDEN KNIGHTS Facility w/parachute Demo.

17:00 Supper at the Main Post Offices club w/awards. We will be dining on (your choice) of CHICKEN MARSALA,BAKED SALMON or PRIME-RIB carved table side, and on the side will be salad, mashed potatoes, steamed broccoli, ice tea, coffee and wine with apple cobbler. Anyone who doesn’t like this menu can stop off at McDonald and get you a carry out bag.

Buses will transport you back and forth, so you can drink. As you can see Friday will be a full day, so you may need to eat some extra WHEATIES before you start out.

SATURDAY (22 May)

7AM Breakfast in the Hospitality Room

8 AM Prayer Breakfast (Chap Williams)

9 AM Golf tournament starts

LTC Richard Graham, with the help of SGT Becky Naden and SGT Drew Wardlaw, will be running the bar and all else in the Hospitality Room for your pleasure. Be sure and give them a word of THANKS. SGT Becky will be handing out HATS and T-SHIRTS, don’t confuse her too much. She is new.

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

• Received stamps from LTC Dave and Pat Currin, but LTC Currin said they cannot attend this year. Prior planning and other things will keep them away.
• Received a card from COL Bill Daly and he says he is unable to attend the reunion. He will be TDY to Italy. He says that he is still working and someone has to make all these trips. He did make a nice contribution for the bar.
• Received a very nice check from SGT Jerry and Laura Jacobson up in Sugarcreek, Ohio. SGT Jacobson and his wife are two lovely people and always make a nice addition to the reunion.
• Received a Christmas card from COL Bob Cuthbertson and he assures me that he and Penny will be at the reunion ready to see and do it all. He says check and stamps will follow.
• I put out the word that I need some stamps and I would appreciate the new LONG RANGER STAMP. LTC Williford sent me two books of the regular liberty bell stamps and asked if I was kidding. LONG RANGER STAMP, whoever heard of them?? Well, next month send me some of the new HOPALONG CASSIDY STAMPS.
• Received 40 stamps and a check from SSG Updike. He says he doesn’t know if he will be able to play golf yet. Back problems.
• SGT Wardlaw did send me one sheet of the LONE RANGER STAMPS. Did you know it also has HOPALONG CASSIDY and LASSIE? Thank you, Drew.
• Received an additional check from COL Rome Stephen and he says that he is coming with his daughter. Will be great to see COL Stephens.
• Received an additional check from my ole buddy, CW4 Coy McDonald, and did you know that his picture is in the 50^th addition of the GOLDEN KNIGHTS 2010 calendar? Be good to get one of those.
• MSG Jose Rodriquez was in town for the Golden Knights Reunion and gave me $60.00 for stamps. While I was down at the Holiday Inn picking it up, I ran in to MAJ Jim Garvey, an outstanding person, and we said hello, but I had to call my old buddy, CW4 Coy McDonald, who was also in town. Always something going on here in greater Fayetteville, NC.
• Received an additional check from LTC Dave Kline. He was asking if COL Riley, COL Peterka, COL Castleberry, and MAJ Norris were attending. Well, my answer to that is who knows what these O-6’s will do. --- especially Peterka and Castleberry, and no, I have no information on COL Bob Scholesser.
• Received a check today from a very long lost soul, SGT Bob Nickles, from up in Toledo, Ohio.  SGTNickles served in the old 11^th Airborne and is a big buddy of CW4 Coy McDonald, so look out at the bar.
• Received word that my old buddy from the early days in Japan, SFC Alan Capps, had died and his lovely wife, Wanda, had also passed away. Also received word that COL Robert (Bob) Howard had died at age 70 in Waco, Texas. COL Howard was a Rigger and a Medal of Honor winner from the Vietnam conflict.
• You talk about a voice from the past --- I got a Christmas card from SFC L.C. Miller (82 years old) who used to ride my ass in the 82d when I was on the pack tables. He said that he had gotten several Christmas cards from some old guys that he couldn’t remember their names and they all said they would see him here at Bragg in May 2010. So he sent me a Christmas card to find out what was happening. Now keep in mind he didn’t send any stamps, nor did he send a check. SFC Miller always did have a tight pocket book, but I did mail him a newsletter and I called him to sort of fire him up.
• Received a check and stamps from COL Pete Peterka and his lovely wife. COL Pete says they are looking forward to attending and seeing everyone one more time. He says he is staying with COL Causey.
• Received an additional check from CW3 Charlie Churchill. He is always a great supporter of the reunion. Thank you, Charlie.
• Received a check and stamps from CSM Kenneth E. Johnson and his wife, Maxine. CSM Johnson says he was in the 82d PM Company in 53-56. He was in Vietnam and received wounds, spent time at Camp Zama, Japan, Keesler, AFB, Fort Rucker, AL, and Fort Gordon, GA. He will be interesting to talk to.
• Received a call from SGM Mark Strick today (16 Jan) and he says that his check is in the mail and he and his wife will be here.
• Received a call from SFC Bobby and Donna LeBlanc telling me they were coming and would be staying in their RV.
• Received check from MAJ Dunlap with a note saying, "spend as needed". Dunlap is a great guy, why don’t more of you do that?
• Received check from COL Weisinger for golf and extra money for the bar. Another good man, all of you follow suit.
• Received a note from CPL Dick Taylor telling me he is moving to Boone, NC, with new address. CPL Taylor must like the snow.
• As of 1 March it looks as if the following Rigger-Veterans will be unable to attend. COL Hutcheson & wife and LTC Sturgeon & wife. COL Hutcheson has a family conflict and LTC Sturgeon has to attend his West Point 50^th Reunion, which I understand. We will truly miss all of them fine people.
• Received a check and stamps from SGM Mark and Rose Strick. Be good to see both of them
• Today, LTC Graham got the results of a CT scan that was performed on Mon., 14 Dec. This is what he says: Chemo seems to be working well. Largest lung tumor has shrunk by about 25%, second largest remained the same size, and many small tumors no longer show up at all. Spots appear to be gone from kidneys. CT scan can't see tumors inside stomach, so we don't know how that changed. I do know that after the third cycle, I recovered to a higher level that my recovery from the first two cycles, so I guess the stomach is improving, too. I started cycle #4 today, using the same chemicals and 3-week schedule used for the first three cycles. After cycle #6, we will do a PET scan, which

                      CLEAR SKIES,