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07/20/14 10:27 AM #1    

 

Stanley Miller

Welcome to the Rhein Main Air Base Veterans 2015 Reunion forums. Please press "Post Response" to participate in the discussion.

The Reunion Planning Group is putting allot of time into making this reunion to be an awesome event.

Looking forward to seeing you at the reunion.


09/14/14 08:41 PM #2    

 

Carole Ridgeway/Paddock (Lail)

I'm so excited to be a part of the planning committee for the 2015 Rhein Main Air Base Reunion, and look forward to seeing everyone in beautiful Leavenworth, WA, next July.  Please pass on this reunion information to anyone you know who may have been a part of the Rhein Main AB family (active duty, retired, civilian or family member -- all are welcome).

Carole (Ridgeway/Paddock) Lail

Rhein Main  1979 - 1984


09/15/14 07:41 PM #3    

 

Dave Hobley

Hello Everyone, as your Reunion Host I am very excited to be a part (once again) of a GREAT Rhein Main Air Base Team, helping to make this 2015 Reunion happen for all of us!  I, and our Reunion Team of Co-Hosts and Volunteers are super excited to continue planning for what is already going to be an awesome event, in order to refine every detail to make it the best Reunion yet!   

We are super excited to see many of you once again and to meet all of our Team Rhein Mainers who will be in attendance!  

If you should have any questions, comments or suggestions what so ever, feel free to contact myself or any one of our Reunion Co-Hosts and/or Volunteers and we will do whatever we can to get you the assistance/information that you need!

Thank you for visiting the Rhein Main Air Base Reunion 2015 Website and please be sure to visit some of the following Websites, YouTube Channels, Facebook Pages and Groups to expand your Rhein Main Air Base Memorial Experience!

Please consider supporting your Rhein Main Air Base Reunion by visiting one of the following links:

Support your Rhein Main Reunion with reunion items (clothing and more!) onhttp://www.cafepress.com/2015rheinmainreunion. A portion of your purchase will help pay for amenities during the reunion. You can also purchase your Rhein Main Air Base Shirt or Hoodie (Non-Reunion, Limited Edition) developed by Air Base Concepts ($1.00 from the sale of each crowd funded shirt is donated to the Reunion) at http://teespring.com/RheinMainAirBaseGermany.

Keep in the loop by joining our Rhein Main Air Base Reunion Group on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/RheinMainReunionNW/

 

"Visit", "Plus" and "Follow" the Rhein Main Air Base Germany Google+ Page & Photo Albums at https://plus.google.com/u/0/104611922565734061171/photos

 

"Like" & "Share" the Rhein Main Air Baser Germany Memorial Facebook Page:  http://www.RheinMainAirBase.com/

"Subscribe" and "Share" the Rhein Main Air Base YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/RheinMainAirBase

Thank you,
Dave Hobley
https://www.facebook.com/DavidHobley
ReunionStaff@RheinMainAirBase.com

253.299.2767

 



 

 

 


09/16/14 10:19 AM #4    

Randy Smith

What a fantastic movie tribute! This brought back wonderful recollections of my three years at Rhein-Main and shall always be some of my fondest memories. So many sights, places and scenes of my life there were brought to mind and I recall fondly my last visit in 2007. Thanks for allowing me to "go back" and experience once more the glory that was our beloved Rhein-Main. Randy Smith 7167th Air Transport Squadron 1962-1965.


09/17/14 11:35 AM #5    

 

Robert Carlson

I was assigned to the Bsae Civil Engineering Squadron (BCE) in the Design and Contracting Branch,  as Chief of Chief of Construction Management from 1979 to 1980.

A history of my assignments prior to RHAB were at Fort Lost-in-theWoods, MO, 1955, Fort Carson, 1955, Stuttgart, Germany 1956/57, Fort Polk, 1958.  I was a Combat Engineer, Topographic for these assignments.

Selfridge AFB, 1959, Orlando AFB, 1959, Ramstein AB 1960/1962, Tyndayal AFB, 1963, Elmendorf AFB , 1964/1967, Hill AFB 1967/1971. These assignment were as a Geodetic Surveyor.

RED HORSE-Vietnam 1971/1972, McCoy AFB 1973, Dyess AFB, 1974, Sheppard AFB 1975/1977, NATO-AFSouth Naples, Italy 1977/78.  I retired from Langley AFB in 1983.  These assignment were as an Engineering Tech.


12/04/14 11:44 PM #6    

 

Dave Hobley




01/29/15 01:25 PM #7    

 

Daniel Parsons

Was in the 1945 Communications Squadron from 1979-1980. I am making plans to come up to Leavenworth and be at the Reunion. I have some fond memories of going to the villages around Frankfurt and having a real German meal in their Gasthauses.

Parsons

Airman First Class


08/14/16 04:48 PM #8    

Robert Nelson

Stan,

The latest forum was asking about Col.Clay. He was the DCM while I was in Maintenance Control between 1975 - 1977. Ted Clay was a great man and he added comments to my APR on two occasions. He would invite me out to his house for lunch on occasion in Buschlag which was just down the road from the main gate. The house was real nice and I assume it was for senior officers while stationed at R/M. He just wanted to chat and always treated me as a member of his inner team. It was a great privilege to work for him.


08/15/16 10:43 PM #9    

 

Stanley Miller

Awesome,  Thanks.
Will you be attending the reunion in Dayton?  Looking forward to seeing you and your wife.

Sm


08/16/16 05:15 PM #10    

Robert Nelson

Stan,

Sorry I can't make it this year. Really busy with work. Maybe next year.

Bob Nelson


02/19/18 05:22 PM #11    

 

Keith Enstad

Reunion planners,

It would be great to see a reunion affordable to all, just not a few!  What about a Branson reunion as there is so much to do, plus middle of the country— easy to get to, plus you can get pretty good deals working through the convention and visitors group, in Branson!   Maybe Rapid City!,

Just trying to help with ideas!

Keith Enstad

 


02/20/18 10:48 AM #12    

 

Carole Ridgeway/Paddock (Lail)

Hi Keith -- thanks for reaching out!  Making our reunions affordable is one of our top priorities; to that end, we try to rotate the reunion locations to ensure we locate them closely enough to make attending easier for as many people as possible.  Recent locations have been West Coast (Washington State), Midwest (Dayton, OH), and East Coast (Atlanta, GA).  Branson is most definitely a possibility.

We try to involve as many members of our group in the planning process as possible, and encourage you to stay in touch to ensure we hear what is important to you.

I hope we will meet you at a future reunion!

Carole Lail, Reunion Coordinator                         Stan Miller, Reunion Coordinator


02/21/18 02:40 PM #13    

Fredrick E. Norton

A good location would be the Scott AFB area (towns near the base:  O'Fallon, Fairview Heights, Shiloh, Belleville with lots of hotels in the first three).  I don't know how many are in the area from other squadrons but there are a lot of APSers in the area.  The location is good, middle of the country.  Lots of things to do in St. Louis:  perhaps a Cardinals baseball game, the Gateway Arch (the grounds and entrance have been remodeled and the Museum of Westward Expansion should be opening back up sometime this year, The Old Courthouse (Dred Scott Trial), Grant's Farm with its German looking food area, brewery tours, St. Louis Science Center, St. Louis Zoo (Recently voted Best Zoo and America’s Top Free Attraction), The Butterfly House and various other attractions.  Good place to eat:  The Old Spaghetti Factory at Laclede's Landing by the riverfront and Römer Topf (a German restaurant in nearby Mascoutah).  Roemer Topf German Restaurant - Official Site roemertopfllc.com    ​For anyone in Florida, depending where you are, there are flights out of some of the Florida cities into Mid America Airport at Mascoutah,  For others who may want to fly there is a public transportation train that goes from St. Louis Lambert Airport all of the way to Scott AFB with 27 or 28 stops along the way.  Someone could pick you up when you get off the train and take you to your lodging.

 


02/21/18 03:18 PM #14    

Fredrick E. Norton

​Stan, You can say whatever you want about Branson but I have been going there for Veterans' Day for 15 years, more or less (probably more) and I'll keep on going there.  A week before Veterans' Day starts Veterans' Week with various activities or functions going on.  They have what they call The Dayroom and the chow hall.  At the chow hall there is a free lunch for veterans and I think $5 for spouse/companion each day during Veterans' Week.  A day or two before Veterans' Day Wal-mart in the north part of town sponsors a free show and meal.  It used to be held at the Wal-mart but got too crowded and is now held at another location.  Most, if not all, of the theaters have reduced price or free tickets at Veterans' Day time.  The last three years on Veterans' Day I have gone to the parade in the morning, went to The Lettermen Concert at The Andy Williams Theater (it was free for the veteran and I'm hoping they will be invited back again this year), then after The Lettermen concert I went to Applebee's for a free meal.  I had the free red, white and blue breakfast at IHOP.  I know, you don't have to be in Branson for the free meal at Applebee's, IHOP, and various other restaurants.  You can get them in any town where there is a sponsoring restaurant.   Last year at Applebee's and also at IHOP they had the Missing Soldier Table of Honor with an explanation of the different symbols.  Anybody that wants to join me I'll be going each year unless some other plans interfer.


02/22/18 10:32 AM #15    

 

Ray Baxter

Fred, my wife & I have been going to Veteran's week in Branson since 2000 & have enjoyed every time we go.  We have went at other times during the year also & have never found anyplace we went to be short on thanking our veterans.  We also plan to go every year we possibly can to Veteran's week as well as other times.  I am 68 years young and left Rhein Main in October of 1972.  I cannot speak for anyone else but Branson is the most Veteran friendly place I have ever been and we have been all across the country.  I am sorry that Stan had such a bad image portrayed to him while he was there.  Stan maybe give them another chance as we have never been treated as less than welcome there.


02/22/18 12:13 PM #16    

 

Tom Annonson

Hello all,

Is there any possibility of changing the time frame of the reunions? Having the reunion in October falls during the harvest season and makes it impossible for some of us to attend. The harvest season pretty much runs from mid to late August through mid to late October depending on the weather conditions. Maybe we could consider holding it some time at the end of July or beginning of August, possibly early November or even as early as in April or May. Just my thoughts as I would really like to attend.

Tom Annonson

 


02/22/18 01:56 PM #17    

 

Stanley Miller

Hello Tom

Great hearing from you. Just to let you know, this reunion is not the Enroute Reunion. 
This is the Rhein Main Veterans Reunion.  In regards to when the reunions are held, we have found,
September and October is when most people can attend.  Thanks. Hope to see you see soon.

Stan Miller


02/23/18 11:49 AM #18    

 

Carole Ridgeway/Paddock (Lail)

Hi Tom -- thanks for getting in touch.  We generally try to schedule the Rhein Main Reunion Group events to accommodate as many people as possible, and in the past few years, reunions have taken place in July and September.  One consideration for scheduling is that reunions that take place during summer months (June, July, August) are typically more expensive because summer rates are much higher, so we look at that very closely before committing to any particular destination. 

We are hoping that our next reunion will be an Alaska cruise in June of 2019.  If that doesn't come together, we have discussed holding the reunion in Arizona or California (Napa Valley or Lake Tahoe), again, during the summer months.

There is a survey currently active on this site concerning the cruise, and we'll send other surveys out periodically to be sure we've heard from as many of our group about future reunions.  We also like to work with members who live locally at reunion destinations to make sure we're enjoying as much of the community as possible!

Keep an eye on this site for more information about future reunions.

Carole Lail, Reunion Coordinator

 

 


02/23/18 01:13 PM #19    

 

Keith Enstad

You know, us veterans are just trying to help out with suggestions that might help out more Rhein Main vets to get to a reunion!  But if certain board members give us a attitude, I guess we don’t need to come to a reunion!!  A lot of us veterans can’t afford the higher priced hotels, cruises and expensive tours!  Yes you can get better rates in the fall, but it would be great to have options!  I was in the convention and tourism industry for over 10 years, so if you need help or ideas, I’m here to help out!


02/24/18 01:53 PM #20    

 

Carole Ridgeway/Paddock (Lail)

Keith -- we absolutely understand the need to keep costs down to make our reunions do-able for all of our members.  This is one of the reasons we try to rotate the reunions around the country.  Some of our members attend the reunions, but don't stay in the hotel with us (altho, you might miss a lot of the fun that way!).  We try to identify local campgrounds/RV parks, and encourage anyone concerned about the costs to look into less-expensive accommodations.  

We also welcome the suggestions you and other members make, and the experience everyone brings to the table.  When a reunion destination is decided on, we try to work with members in the local area, as well as members, like you, who have experience in this industry. We have a lot of talent in our group!

Stan and I have been organizing reunions for our squadrons for more than 20 years, and got together to plans the first All-Rhein Main reunion back in 2015.  I think that one thing we learned along the way is the importance of working with anyone willing to be a part of the planning team.  As planning continues, we're looking forward to getting lots of responses from the group to help us figure out where our next reunion will take place.  Once that is decided, we'll definitely reach out to the group to see who would like to help make the reunion a reality, and hope we'll be able to count on you!

Stay in touch, and keep an eye on our posts to see where our next reunion will take us!

 

Carole Lail, Reunion Coordinator


02/28/18 04:26 PM #21    

 

Keith Enstad

Any other options besides the cruise?  I’m not trying to mess with your intentions, but I only saw 26 votes!


03/01/18 03:56 PM #22    

 

Carole Ridgeway/Paddock (Lail)

Yes, there is a possibility of an alternative reunion if we're unable to get a cruise at a price that works for most of us.  If so, it will be on or near the West Coast, as we have gone to the Midwest and East Coast the past two years.  I'm researching Napa Valley or Lake Tahoe to see what we might be able to plan.

Our reunions generally average 50-75 people, so the fact that only 26 have responded concerning the cruise isn't a problem.  We'll give it another week or so, and send out another notice to be sure everyone who cares gets a chance to vote.

 

Thanks for keeping the conversation going!

 

Carole

 


03/02/18 08:58 AM #23    

Ralph Siemer

Carole,

I have responded to the survey, but I would prefer something like Napa or Lake Tahoe than a cruise.  Just my 2 cents.


03/03/18 11:00 PM #24    

 

Carole Ridgeway/Paddock (Lail)

Hi Ralph -- I saw your survey responses -- thanks!  I actually got to thinnking about Napa as a destination after seeing what a great time you and Margaret had recently.  If we aren't able to find a cruise that is affordable for our group, Napa (or Tahoe) is a definitely possibility, as it's time for a West Coast reunion.  I'll keep you posted!

 

Carole


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