Military reunion places

Over there: two towns that cherish veterans
by Jacky Runice
   The commanding Winston Churchill once likened America to a gigantic boiler. Once the fuse is lighted under it, there is no limit to the power it can generate. Veterans are the keepers of our national flame and they deserve righteous celebration whenever they gather. Two of the most welcoming areas for military reunions are Pigeon Forge, Tennessee, and Emporia, Kansas.
  With a theme park, shopping galore, southern hospitality and the magnificent Smoky Mountains as a setting, Pigeon Forge has much going for it for any reunion. Honoring the men and women who fought for our country's freedom, “Celebrate Freedom!‰ Pigeon Forge Salutes America's Veterans and America” is an extravaganza scheduled for August 10-24, 2002. The celebration will feature a wide variety of patriotic festivities including special speakers’ forums, canteen dances, parades, musicals and a military book fair. Several distinguished veterans and historians will participate in the 15-day salute including Rocky Bleier, a Vietnam War veteran and NFL all-star running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers.
  Celebrate Freedom‰ isn’t some kind of sidekick to the summer tourist season in Pigeon Forge. It’s an all-out celebration in its own right. Experience living history and military re-enactments of the Revolutionary War, Civil War and WWII. Visitors meet at the Heartlander Country Star Resort and are shuttled on the Pigeon Forge Fun Time Trolley to the encampment location. The Vietnam Moving Wall will be on display for viewing 24/7 at Patriot Park from August 13–17.
   Talking heads will gravitate to a series of symposiums featuring notable veterans and historians in roundtable discussions. Topics will include "Vietnam Warriors Tell Their Story," "American Ex-Prisoners of War," and "America's Other Asian Wars: Pacific WWII, Korea, Philippine Insurrection." Authors and veterans are slated to appear at the Military Book Fair co-produced by the City of Pigeon Forge and the University of Tennessee Center for the Study of War and Society on August 16-18 at the Smoky Mountain Convention Center. All veterans are encouraged to share their personal experiences during open microphone sessions at the Heartlander Country Star Resort.
   Celebrate Freedom!™ The Musical is an original production presented by the City of Pigeon Forge. It focuses on various wars through the eyes of family members back home. “Both Sides Now: The War At Home and The War In Vietnam” is a musical written by Pat Mendoza, a Vietnam veteran who patrolled the Mekong River.
   Operation Liberty! is a unique sunrise parade scheduled for August 24th, which will feature veterans and military vehicles from different conflicts. They will cruise down the Pigeon Forge Parkway. Following the parade, friends and families are invited to join in games, entertainment and an old-fashioned pancake picnic in Patriot Park.
   The 698th AAA Gun Battalion, C Battery plans to head to Pigeon Forge this year for its 51st anniversary reunion. Kenneth Elkins, one of the coordinators, explained that his military outfit is scattered among Chicago, New York and Florida, so Pigeon Forge is a good choice because of its central location. “My wife and I have spent time there and there’s enough entertainment for everyone,” he said. The Korean War vets expect between 18-30 people.
   “We had our first reunion in 1960 in Philadelphia,” explained Woody Fahrenholtz, secretary for the reunion of the 876th Airborne Engineer Aviation Battalion. This Airborne Battalion arrived overseas in July 1943 and was primarily engaged in airfield maintenance in France, Belgium, and Germany. During the airborne invasion of Holland, the 876th carved out airstrips for the airborne forces. The World War II vets 2002 reunion in Pigeon Forge anticipates about 30 members. “We schedule annual reunions in May or June. Our last reunion was at Fort Benning in Columbus, Georgia, and this coming 31st reunion in Pigeon Forge,” Fahrenholtz explained. “We are proud of (our) accomplishments and continue as a social organization to keep our association alive and leave a history of those who served in WWII.”
Nestled along the Great Smoky Mountains, Pigeon Forge offers cabins, hotels, inns, condominiums, and campgrounds with full hook-ups, bathhouses and tent sites. For outdoor types, Great Smoky Mountain National Park beckons with 800 miles of trails, camping within the foothills, trout fishing and horseback riding.
   Shoppers won’t be disappointed with discount shopping at more than 200 stores. In addition to deals on designer clothes, athletic wear, luggage, home furnishings, crystal, china, tools and toys, shoppers can browse pottery, handmade quilts and other arts and crafts at dozens of specialty stores. Pigeon Forge is home to Bell Tower Square, the South's largest year-round Christmas village.
   Kids will want to spend an afternoon riding coasters at Dollywood or getting wet at the 25-acre Dolly’s Splash Country. Dollywood can crow about the Southern Gospel Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Eagle Mountain Sanctuary (America’s largest number of non-releasable Bald Eagles) and more live entertainment shows than any other theme park. Carbos Police Museum features police items from the US and the world and the Elvis Museum is the world’s largest private collection of Elvis memorabilia. There are scenic helicopter tours, family whitewater rafting experiences and plenty of opportunities to catch gospel and country music performances. For information about Celebrate Freedom!™ call 800-365-6993 or email events@cityofpigeonforge.com.

Emporia’s tribute
   “As the ‘Founding City of Veterans Day,’ we honor Veterans every November
with a five-day long All Veterans Tribute!” reported Vanda Stephens of the Emporia (Kansas) Convention & Visitors Bureau. The All Veterans Tribute, November 6-11, 2002, includes a USO Show and Veteran Recognition, Memorial Tribute Service and the Veterans Day Parade and Memorial Service. There are exhibits of military equipment and memorabilia and a Military Field Base at Lyon County Fairgrounds with exhibits, programs, children's activities, Civil War Living History, World War II Living History and Battle Reenactments, a party and dance.
   The US Constabulary vets traveled from Illinois, Florida, Arizona, Washington, Maryland, California, Iowa, and Nebraska. William Tevington, group historian, explained that the Constabulary was the state police occupation force in Europe after WWII. How did the men and their wives take to the community of 27,000? “Emporia was an excellent experience,” Tevington explained. “The warmth of Emporia residents was great and the CVB helped tremendously with information, hand-outs, escorts, they bent over backwards for us.” During the annual gathering, the group has a traditional taps ceremony and they try to have a number of meals together. “We’re all getting older and there was one person I hadn’t seen in 50 years,” he recalled. “We swapped lies and tales.”
   Tevington noted that one of the reasons Emporia was chosen was that the town was the first in the nation to honor all veterans by changing Armistice Day to Veterans Day. In 1953, Emporian Alvin J. King proposed that Armistice Day be changed to Veterans Day to recognize and honor all veterans from all wars and conflicts. An Emporian congressman took King's proposal to Congress, and fellow Kansan President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed the bill proclaiming November 11th Veterans Day. The first nationwide observance of Veterans Day was on November 11, 1954.
   In 2001, the Kansas town hosted the Second Tank Battalion, Second Marine Division. A member of the unit, Lorin Peter, noted that Emporia was the hometown of one of the Battalion’s fallen comrades. “Sgt. Grant F. Timmerman gave his life to save the rest of the men’s lives – and won the Congressional Medal of Honor posthumously. He was mortally wounded while serving as tank commander during action against Japanese forces. As he stood in the open hatch of his tank's turret, Timmerman blocked a Japanese grenade with his body, taking the brunt of the explosion, saving the lives of his crew.
Emporia is the first city in the nation to have a memorial, dedicated in 1991, that honors all veterans.
   Emporia’s Group Service Coordinator, Susan Rathke, sends a Reunion Planners Guide that’s especially for veterans. Call 800-279-3730 or email groups@emporiakschamber.org. Local hotels reserve special rates for military groups during the tribute and the CVB offers many support services.
About the author
Jacky Runice is a Chicago broadcaster and journalist penning the "Family Travel" column for the Daily Herald. She is a member of the Midwest Travel Writers Association and mother of three young adventurers who love travel as much as she does.

Tour the battlegrounds
Military history interest is at an all time high and the public’s thirst for knowledge of battles is quenched by Valor Tours and Military Historical Tours.
Interest in these tours has surpassed both companies’ expectations. It isn’t solely veterans who return to battle scenes, the public and veterans’ families are interested in learning about WWII and other conflicts. One reason for the interest is that these are the places America built its legacy as one of the world’s great countries. Many want to see the beginnings of our country’s rise.
The trips provide more than a view as military history experts and authors provide insight. Trips include meetings with local veterans and citizens that experienced events first-hand who note places of personal importance. One veteran found the fox hole where he sustained a face wound and parts of his shattered rifle remained.
Contact Valor Tours, 10 Liberty Ship Way, Sausalito CA 94965; 800-842-4504; www.valortours.com; info@valortours.com. Military Historical Tours, 4600 Duke St., Suite 420, Alexandria, VA 22304; www.miltours.com; mht@miltours.com.
from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

Great reunion places
Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Conference & Visitors Bureau (BCCVB) offers a reunion site with both atmosphere and convenient location. Al Hoffman, of Quakertown, Pennsylvania, organized an annual reunion of the Army 26th Special Services (WWII) in Bucks County. Out of the original 130, fifty attended the reunion from around the country. Hoffman hosted a dinner at his farm. BCCVB provided Visitor's Guides for incoming travelers. The group also held a formal banquet at a local inn and members toured historic sites.

The 11th annual Roy O. Hale Association Reunion also chose Bucks County. The association is USS Roy O. Hale - DE-336, WWII shipmates and from the Cold War 1957-1963 when the DE-336 became the DER-336, a Radar Picket Ship. A well-traveled shipmate recommended Bucks County as an ideal reunion location after visiting the area. Seventy people stayed in Trevose and enjoyed a country barbecue and a barge ride on the Delaware River.

Contact the Bucks County Conference & Visitors Bureau at (800) 836-2825; (215) 345-4552 or online at www.bccvb.org.

Reunion testimonies from Green Bay, Wisconsin
Connie Baye, 998th Treadway Bridge Company Reunion, wrote "We liked Green Bay so much, we voted to come back. We liked everything about Green Bay: friendly people, accommodations, attractions. Some of our attendees had never been to Wisconsin and remarked how beautiful the state is. Also, the Visitor and Convention Bureau bent over backwards and provided services free that we didn't expect, such as name badges and discount coupons to area attractions like the Packer (Football) Hall of Fame and Heritage Hill State Park. Whoever wasn't a Packer fan is now!"

Gradyn Davies, 14th Cavalry Military Reunion, said, "We brought a group of World War II vets from all over the US, some who had been to reunions in Boston, Fort Worth and Chicago. They said Green Bay was the most enjoyable of all the cities they had been to. We were impressed with the friendliness in Green Bay. The Visitor and Convention Bureau is worth its weight in gold."

Perry Harris writes, "Everybody from our Subic Bay Reunion group was very pleased with our accommodations and great entertainment. We enjoyed the Packer Hall of Fame, Green Bay Botanical Garden, and National Railroad Museum. We would definitely like to come back."

Looking at Tacoma for your reunion?
If so, you're timing is perfect. Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitor Bureau , Washington, invites military reunion organizers to their Reunions Grand Tour, March 25-29, 1999. You get to the Seattle-Tacoma Airport, they'll take care of everything else. There will be one day of how-to workshops and trade show exhibits. Then, there will be two full days of grand tours with options to visit Northwest Trek Wildlife Park, Fort Lewis Military Museum, Bremerton Harbor Tour of the Mothball Fleet, Tacoma historical tour, Boeing Museum of Flight, "Emerald City" tour of Seattle and the Washington State History Museum. Also included in the event are a welcome reception and dinner cruise, four breakfasts, two luncheons and three dinners.

When you consider Tacoma Regional Convention & Visitor Bureau within an hour of Bremerton Naval Shipyard, Fort Lewis Army Base and McChord Air Force Base, you can expect it to be up to 50% less expensive than nearby Seattle. A real reunion bargain! Contact TRCVB Sales Department , 800-272-2662, ext 13; sales@traveltacoma.com, www.traveltacoma.com.

Try before you buy
The Colorado Springs Convention & Visitors Bureau announces a military reunion familiarization tour, Oct 12-15, 2000. Highlights include the Air Force Academy, Garden of the Gods, Royal Gorge, Flying W Ranch entertainment and the Olympic Training Center. Contact 800-888-4748, x138 or 135, or www.coloradospringsreunion.com.

Free Trial Issue

Send us your name and address to receive a sample copy of Reunions magazine.

Reunions Forums
Share your planning advice and experiences with other reunion planners, attendees, newbies, and the editors of ReunionsMagazine in our Reunions forums!