March 31, 2002
Troopers and Friends,
Planning for our mini-reunions continues. This is the time for all pilots, gunners, crew chiefs, Blues, LRRP's, maintenance, operations, supply, admin…every trooper and families, to reunite for a trip down memory lane. Some information will repeat from my initial letter.
Charlie
Troop is not competing with either the VHPA or the Bullwhip
Squadron. Many Charlie Troopers are
already members of those groups. This endeavor
has only one purpose and that it to get veterans to interact with comrades with
whom they served and comrades from other year groups. You don’t have to come to a reunion to do that. Make a phone call or write a letter. Most Charlie Troopers attending the Bullwhip
reunion are already members of that organization, including some who did not
respond to my survey. That is also
OK. But, at least 12 non-Bullwhip
Charlie Troopers are coming to Rucker for the first time and that is
really great. Some have already joined
the Bullwhip Squadron Association. So,
this is a newsletter about reunions. We
are asking for your participation in whatever form you wish. Your comrades want to see you.
My
first reunion letter was sent to 371 troopers.
Sixty-one letters bounced due to out of date addresses, leaving 310 that
should have been delivered. One hundred
responses have been received.
Thirty-five indicate they will attend the Las Vegas Reunion. Twenty-nine indicate they will attend the
Fort Rucker Bullwhip Squadron reunion.
Others did not decide and most wished to be kept informed as planning
continues. This will be the final
update for those not responding to either of my two mailings.
There
is an annual meeting of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association (VHPA). Members of the VHPA were pilots in
Vietnam. This event should draw over
2,500 pilots and guests. Many VHPA unit
members hold mini-reunions in conjunction with the annual reunion. This year, we hope to have the largest
number of 1/9 troopers and friends ever.
While Charlie Troop has had strong turnouts for past mini-reunions,
other troops are actively planning mini-reunions in Las Vegas.
The
Riviera Hotel is the official host hotel for the VHPA and offers rooms
at a special rate of $76 per night. Non-VHPA members are welcome
to stay at the Rivera at the same price VHPA members are paying. Just say you are a guest of a
VHPA member. Guests are welcome in
the bars, restaurants, displays, vendor areas, etc. They don't need to register with VHPA unless they plan to attend
a VHPA function like the Banquet, Welcome Party, etc. If
you want to stay at the Riviera, contact them directly as a guest of a VHPA
member to get the $76 rate. The hotel
has no group rate for 1/9…only the VHPA rate.
.
Riviera Hotel: 2901 Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las
Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: 1-800-634-6753
Web
Site: http://www.lasvegas.com/travel/hotels/riviera.html
Stardust Hotel: 3000
Las Vegas Boulevard South
Las
Vegas, NV 89109
Phone: 1-800-824-6033
Web
Site: http://www.lasvegas.com/travel/hotels/stardust.html
Some
attendees have made arrangements at other hotels. Bring your RV. Blues and
Rangers can just bring a poncho and curl up in the desert! There is plenty of sand for your sandbags.
John
Powell and his meeting planner, Linda Tucker, are looking into Troop-only
events. From past reunions, we know
that a banquet is a great place to meet the families and guests who might not
attend hospitality suites, or might otherwise just want to see the sights. Our next update will include information on
other activities.
John
is planning the Charlie Troop banquet for 3 July. This will give us the best pre-4 July prices. The downside is that you must arrive on 3
July. We should not compete with the
VHPA banquet on 6 July. Our events can
also be spur of the moment. Join a
gaggle and head for a trough of your choice.
We will attempt to have a bulletin board or another place at the
Stardust to offer information for the good of the order. We will also attempt to coordinate
carpooling for off-site events. John
suggests a restaurant called Claim Jumpers. They can handle us. Will keep you posted.
John
is also trying to get us a full-time meeting room at the hotel. We need a place to meet every day. A place everyone knows they can go to for
information, bonding, scrapbooks, leave a message, drink a beer, show your
album, or view somebody's slides. A
comfort zone. This will be in addition
to whatever we can arrange at the Riviera Hotel.
Jack
Schwarz (Cavalier 44) maintains a Charlie Troop Web site and has updates on
reunion activities and other information.
Visit: http://cavalier44.tripod.com.
1st squadron, 9th
Cavalry Events
Lad
Vaughan, Apache 31 - Headhunter Lift, is President of the Las Vegas Chapter of
the VHPA. As such he is very involved
with VHPA and is a Las Vegas resident.
Lad has been helping troop planners’ to structure mini-reunion events
Contact
has been made with the operator of Maverick Helicopters, a tour helicopter
company in Las Vegas. The operator's
name is Greg Rochna. He was an A/1/9
Scout pilot during 69-70. Greg proposes
to have a "Hanger Party" at his facility during the 1/9th’s
visit to Las Vegas. The tentative
schedule is Friday July 5, 2002 @ 1900 to 2100 local. The finger food, wine, beer and chilled water are being provided
by Greg. Appearing for your pleasure
and photographs will be an AH-1 and a OH-6 fully dressed out with Teeth, Sabers
and Weapons of Communist destruction.
Helicopter rides down the Strip and Grand Canyon tours will be very
"Dollars Friendly" for those troopers and guests wishing to see the
Lights and Splendor of Southern Nevada by helicopter. This most gracious offer by Greg Rochna is his salute to the
1/9th and the Las Vegas Chapter. He
asks only that this event be invitation only/RSVP with some advance head
count. Chapter Members wear their
Chapter Shirts and all (God Bless 'em) 1/9th Real Cav should show up with Cav
Hats, Horse Patches or 9th Cav patches.
Please
let me know if you wish to attend the hanger picnic and the number of people in
your party.
Check the roster of those
who have responded. Let me know if
there are corrections. Thanks.
ATTENDANCE AT VHPA REUNION EVENTS. (Extracted from VHPA Web site)
Read this if you want to register for VHPA events. See below for descriptions and prices. All ticketed events below require that you have a paid registration in addition to ticket prices.
The
VHPA will display Special Operations aircraft flown in Afghanistan as well as
the display of two AH-64 Apaches to show how aircraft we flew have evolved into
today's variants. The Apache's are very
large and the hotel is finding display place for them.
July
3, Wednesday. Charlie Troopers should arrive this
day. This is the night of our Charlie
Troop dinner. VHPA members must
register at the Riviera regardless of hotel selected. As part of their operation, the VHPA will make unit hospitality
rooms available. We will have this
information available at both hotels.
We also are trying to “cover our bets” and find a second hospitality
room at the Stardust. To attend VHPA
events you must have an official nametag on a lanyard that will be your pass
into all the events you choose (or paid for).
Security will be directed to restrict admission to badge holders
only. All pilots and guests over 18
are charged a registration fee of $45 if paid before April 30, 2002. After that date, registration increases to
$55. If you are not a member and
want to attend any VHPA event, please arrange your registration directly with
the VHPA. If you need a member-sponsor,
use my member number: M09699. Contact data for VHPA registration is below.
VHPA: 1-800-505-VHPA
Web Site: http://www.vhpa.org
The
VHPA Welcome Reception will be held from 7- 10 p.m. Tickets are $20 for this event.
This is the only VHPA event that conflicts with the Charlie Troop
dinner.
An
“Evening at La Cage” is the second production choice. Although costing less, it is no less an entertainment
spectacular. The show highlights Frank
Marino performing as Joan Rivers and features the "most accomplished
female impersonators in the world."
Price is $22.50 for the 600-seat capacity house. Preview at www.rivieracasino.com/lacage.html
and get a glimpse of an entertaining burlesque. Eighty seats remain.
The
Top of the Riviera, where floor-to-ceiling windows offer a dramatic view of
downtown Las Vegas and the fireworks display is SOLD OUT.
July 5, Friday. Friday is
the day set aside by VHPA for doing nothing if you choose. Tour information is available at all
hotels. Remember, this is the night of
the 1/9 Cavalry/Maverick Helicopters “hanger party”.
The
closing banquet is in the immense Royale Pavilion Ballroom. Your $50 banquet ticket pays for your meal
and all the following events. With your
choice of broiled New York steak, baked orange roughy, or pasta vegetarian
meal, the hotel banquet staff assures us this is no "rubber chicken"
banquet. After dinner (with minimum
speeches), you'll remain seated for a spectacular one hour-plus live stage show
designed for the VHPA reunion. Following
the extravaganza, a short walk to the Grande Ballroom (across the hall), and
you'll be able to dance and party the rest of the night. One of the best stage groups/bands in the U.S., the Los
Angeles-based “The Zippers” are absolutely unbelievable with their performance,
presentation and musical talent.
BULLWHIP SQUADRON
REUNION: 11-13 October 2002
(Extracted from
www.bullwhipsquadron.org)
Troopers,
The
clock is ticking down to 11 October 2002 for the start of the next Bullwhip
reunion. This is the advance notice for
motel registration. As many of you
remember from the last reunion, procrastination guarantees that you will not be
in the motel of your choice. So make
reservations now! Recommend you call
and reserve rooms ASAP. We hope to have the largest
assemblage of Black Stetsons seen outside of Fort Hood.
The
three motels have been locked in for rooms and prices. We have over 200 rooms reserved for our
troopers. When you call, inform the
desk that you are reserving for the Bullwhip Squadron reunion, dates 11, 12,
and 13 October. Yes, you can come
earlier and stay later if you desire. A
credit card will be needed for reserving, or prepay. The desk will answer all your questions. The Holiday Inn is the reunion host hotel
and is fully booked. The Jameson Inn is
filling fast. The All American Inn has
rooms for Charlie Troopers and will provide a hospitality room that will be
stocked with refreshments courtesy of the Bullwhip Squadron Association. Information on hotels follows.
Holiday
Inn:
(Reunion headquarters) $51.84 per night.
Includes Buffet breakfast and Hospitality Room.
Phone
1-334-774-7300. This is fully
booked…SOLD OUT
Jameson
Inn: $54
per night. Includes Continental
breakfast and. Hospitality Room.
Phone
1-334-774-0233 for reservations.
All
American Inn:
(formerly the Best Western) $48.60 per night for the standard room. Includes deluxe Continental breakfast. Hospitality room. Note: They have guaranteed a number of economy rooms at $29 for
single and $32 for double for those of you that would like a price
reduction. Charlie Troop will have a
full-time hospitality room at the All American in addition to the Squadron
hospitality room at the Holiday Inn.
Phone
1-866-768-5970 for reservations.
Call
the above numbers only! Do not call the
national 800 numbers as you will be told that all rooms are reserved. Again, call the above numbers only. All motels allow four per room at the
standard rates, with the exception of the economy rooms. Special arrangements can be made for young
children. Ask the desk. All the motels are on highway 231 in Ozark
and are within three short blocks of each other, same side of the road (west
side). For you pilots that means if you
are driving south, they will be on your right.
More information on the reunion will be in the upcoming Bullwhip news
magazine.
Check the Bullwhip Squadron web site: www.bullwhipsquadron.org. Join today.
Their newsletter alone is worth the price of admission.