Battle of Suoi Tre Veterans attending this reunion:
from the:
2/77th Artillerymen
Bob Deshaies and wife Pauline
Ron Plaisance and his wife Beverly
Joe Engles and his wife Carol
Amil Cerejo
James Cook
Carl Besson
Bob Choquette
A/2/12 Infantrymen
Bill and Chris Comeau
Denny and Helene Foerster
Larry and Jeanie Savage
Norm Smith
Gene Barton
Henry Osowiecki
Porter Harvey
Ken Eising
Bill Cameron
Brian Neal
Gene Pavalack
Notice: The Public Affairs Office has agreed to provide a van and a Military escort to view A/2/12s area including the Evergreen Theater! We will be going on our tour on Wednesday morning, October 7th at 8am. Contact me for more details
Alpha Association Members and 2/77th Artillerymen from GOLD have been invited to share memories
with the men of the 22nd Infantry Regiment Society
in Seattle Washington on October 8th through the 11th, 2009.
The 22nd Infantry had two battalions serve with us in the 3rd Brigade of the 4th and 25th Division; the 2/22nd and the 3/22nd. We shared much history with these Units including:
1. Training at Fort Lewis starting in January 1966, through September 1966
2 We all sailed over to Vietnam on the Nelson M Walker
3. We established Camp Rainier at Dau Tieng in November, 1966
4. All three of our Units received the Presidential Unit Citation for their action at the Battle of Suoi Tre
and much more...
As a result of our common history we have been invited to their annual reunion, which will take place at the Marriott Hotel at Seattle Tacoma Airport. I spoke to their President, Skip Fahel (3/22nd replacement April, 1967) and the Reunion Chairman, Lynn Delpaz (one of those 2/22nd troopers that burst through the clearing just after we got to the battle) and both are eager for us to join them. I've heard that they are trying to lure as many of that battle veterans to the reunion as possible. In fact, I was originally approached by a 2/77th artilleryman by phone alerted me of the proposition and he was contacting as many of his 2/77th artillerymen to urge them to go.
Two other considerations to take into account should you consider going is the fact that we will be taking a tour of Fort Lewis, including the barracks area and rifle ranges. I've spoken to the Public Relations Officer there and we may be able to expand that tour if enough of A/2/12 men decide to go. Much is still there as it was in 1966 when we left for Tacoma to board the Nelson M. Walker. I wonder if the donut shop survived? I am told by Lynn that our old barracks are slated to be demolished next year, so this may be our only chance to see it.
The second big deal will be the exhibit that we will be going to at the Washington State Museum. It is only there for a short period and move on, but we'll be able to view it. When the 'Nelson M. Walker' was scrapped a few years back many mementos from the ship were saved from the scrap yard including the the actual berthing units that we slept on! In the collection saved were actual graffiti (maybe something you guys wrote?), pillows, mattresses and hundreds of other artifacts from the scrapped ship and all on display at the museum.
Skip sent me three newsletters that contained information on the reunion and is allowing me to post them online so that you can see what is being planned for the October affair.
Click on the links below to read the different pages and use you browser return button to get back here. If you think that you may like to go, contract me either by phone, email or snail mail and I'll see if we can plan something extra for us. Chris and I are definitely going, God willing, and hope to see as many of the association members as possible. I'll keep you posted on the level of interest as time goes by and I hear from interested parties.
OK, here are the links with an additional link at the end to view the 22nd Regiments Society's home page with more information: