Gentlemen,
As promised I'm sending a re-cap of this years Association reunion which was held in Colorado Springs, Colorado a few weeks ago. The weather was awesome and I think that I can speak for most that it was a great success. We had many WWII, Korean War, and Cold War veterans in attendance with about 30 4th Battalion veterans in attendance off and on during the 4 days of the reunion. I'm also happy to report that I was voted in as the new 17th Infantry Regiment Association President with Doug Bell (SCOUT 4-17) filling the vacant Secretary position and Steve Goodwin (SCOUT 4-17) stepping up and assuming the Treasurer position. This year and next will be important in the life of the Association and I hope that many of you that are currently not members will consider joining at this time. Another important thing to take note of is that membership dues will be increased (annual $11.50 to $17.00 and Life $120.00 to $150.00) to cover increased postage and other administrative costs. If you were thinking about joining, now would be a good time.
Membership Form: http://www.17thinfantry.com/membership.asp
Next Years reunion will be held in Mystic, Connecticut at a date to be determined. I'm going to be pushing for a lot of you to attend, especially the ones who live in Connecticut, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Rhode Island, Maine, Massachusetts, Delaware, and Vermont. I know that attending an annual reunion every year is hard to do, but making one every couple would be beneficial to us all. It was great to see all the guys again this year and to see new faces like Mike Jackman, Chris Hutchinson, Charlie Elliot, Duane Davis, Chris Sanders, Big Joe Tatem, Yudi Wong, Wayne Wagner, Craig Nauman, and Brian Doffing. Guys returning for consecutive years included Steve Goodwin, Kevin Ryan, CSM Collins, Doug Bell, Myself, William Allen, Mike Kipp, Ernest Echoles, Dan Jeans, Clayton Plumley, Jon Ray, etc. A few of us even stayed an extra couple of days to see more sights .. Ranger Tatem and I rented Harley's the last day of our trip which turned out to be a highlight of the vacation .. cruising with Joe up in the Colorado mountains is a memory that I won't soon forget. I told him that it's going to be an annual thing .. renting a bike and seeing the sites in the reunion city ... anyone who rides is highly encouraged to join us.
Doug Bell has taken the lead as reunion host for Connecticut and I'm sure that he'll do a fantastic job. The reunion will be held probably late August, early September so mark it down in your calendar now. If you join the Association then you'll receive the Buffalo Bugle with all the details as we get them. Again, we need your support for the Light Buffalo and more importantly the 17th Infantry Regiment Association.
Below are some pictures from the reunion. I will post more as I receive them.
Buffalo!
Donald Shook
President and Membership Chairman
17th Infantry Regiment Association
Brian Doffing and Big Al
Big Al, Mike Kipp, Laurie and Duane Davis
Doug and Ulrike Bell at the US Airforce Academy
Doug and Ulrike Bell at the US Airforce Academy
CSM Robert Collins and Duane Davis
Drinking at the hotel bar. They had a sweet deal, Free Happy hour every day from 5:30 to 7:30
Drinking at the hotel bar. They had a sweet deal, Free Happy hour every day from 5:30 to 7:30
Steve Goodwin was always hospitable to 4th Battalion vets
Dave Ray, Kevin Ryan, John Hutchinson, Don Shook, Mike Jackman, Duane Davis, Charlie Elliot, and Steve Goodwin watch some old videos from C 4-17 (Funny stuff)
Mike Jackman and Steve Goodwin
Dave Ray, Kevin Ryan, John Hutchinson, Don Shook, Mike Jackman, Duane Davis, Charlie Elliot, and Steve Goodwin watch some old videos from C 4-17 (Funny stuff)
Mike Jackman and Steve Goodwin
Friday Evening outside the hotel
Friday Evening outside the hotel
Mike Kipp, Chris Sanders, Dan Jeans, Ernest Echoles, Don Shook, and Brian Doffing
Inside the cog train on the way up to Pike's Peak
Doug and Ulrike Bell, and Mike Kipp
Don Shook takes in the scenery
Great sites
On top of Pike's Peak. We went from 80 degrees to about 20 degrees with the wind chill in about 75 minutes.
Swearing in the Officers of the Association. Doug Bell, Bruce Frazer, Steve Goodwin, and Donald Shook being sworn in by Chaplain John Strube.
Swearing in of the Board of Directors
Carla Shook and Laurie Davis at the Banquet
Banquet crowd
Saturday Banquet: Kevin Ryan, Steve Goodwin, Chris Sanders, Ernest Echoles, Yudi Wong, Clayton Plumley, and Robert Northcut.
Saturday Banquet: Lisa and Wayne Wagner, Craig and Mishelle Nauman, Mike Kipp, and Joe Tatem.
Robert Northcut (Distinguished Service Cross winner), CSM Collins, and Duane Davis
Robert Northcut (Korean War Vet) and Chris "Squeak" Sanders
Don Shook, CSM Collins, Steve Goodwin, and Dan Jeans
Korean War Veteran and Doug Bell (Obviously, Doug drug out an old Jungle fatigue set for the banquet) Good Stuff.
Brian Doffing mingles with some 17th Infantry Korean War Veterans.
Stu Rothman and Donald Shook
Some of the 4th Battalion vets at the banquet
Mike Kipp and Steve Goodwin say goodbye on Sunday morning.
On Monday a group of us did some site seeing. Joe Tatem, Don Shook, Laurie Davis, Doug Bell, Ulrike Bell, and Carla Shook.
Doug Bell, Joe Tatem, Don Shook, and Duane Davis
Mike Kipp, Chris Sanders, Dan Jeans, Ernest Echoles, Don Shook, and Brian Doffing
Inside the cog train on the way up to Pike's Peak
Doug and Ulrike Bell, and Mike Kipp
Don Shook takes in the scenery
Great sites
On top of Pike's Peak. We went from 80 degrees to about 20 degrees with the wind chill in about 75 minutes.
Swearing in the Officers of the Association. Doug Bell, Bruce Frazer, Steve Goodwin, and Donald Shook being sworn in by Chaplain John Strube.
Swearing in of the Board of Directors
Carla Shook and Laurie Davis at the Banquet
Banquet crowd
Saturday Banquet: Kevin Ryan, Steve Goodwin, Chris Sanders, Ernest Echoles, Yudi Wong, Clayton Plumley, and Robert Northcut.
Saturday Banquet: Lisa and Wayne Wagner, Craig and Mishelle Nauman, Mike Kipp, and Joe Tatem.
Robert Northcut (Distinguished Service Cross winner), CSM Collins, and Duane Davis
Robert Northcut (Korean War Vet) and Chris "Squeak" Sanders
Don Shook, CSM Collins, Steve Goodwin, and Dan Jeans
Korean War Veteran and Doug Bell (Obviously, Doug drug out an old Jungle fatigue set for the banquet) Good Stuff.
Brian Doffing mingles with some 17th Infantry Korean War Veterans.
Stu Rothman and Donald Shook
Some of the 4th Battalion vets at the banquet
Mike Kipp and Steve Goodwin say goodbye on Sunday morning.
On Monday a group of us did some site seeing. Joe Tatem, Don Shook, Laurie Davis, Doug Bell, Ulrike Bell, and Carla Shook.
Doug Bell, Joe Tatem, Don Shook, and Duane Davis
This is such a great picture and I couldnt leave it out. Thanks to Joe Tatem for a great day and the awesome picture that captures the ride.HOPE TO SEE MORE OF YOU IN 2007 !!
2 comments:
I wish I could've been there. I will someday, hopefully next year. It's about all I can manage to keep my head above water at school, I couldn't afford to take any time off.
Jackman don't look like I remember. As a matter of fact, I showed his pic to my wife and asked her who he looked like. She said "you". Ha.
He sold me a Fender Stratocaster back in like 1988 or so. He and Kipp (and Elliot) were roomates at that time. I didn't recognize Chuck Elliot at all in any of the pictures. After I got out and came back in, he was one my RI's.
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