2008 Reunion

Gaithersburg, MD  

(Washington DC) 

November 9 - 12, 2008

 

I would like to thank all of the attendees for their selfless participation this year at our reunion.  You were all responsible for making this year’s reunion a very enjoyable experience for our organization.  It may have been cold but on the days we were out it was nice, with the exception of the Spirit Cruise which was a bit chilly getting there and getting back but a fun time was had by all.  

There was good food and entertainment during the river cruise.  As those of you there saw we have some talent in our ranks, there were several of us who participated in the floor show which was very nice.  The 17th Artillery Regimental Association joined the wreath laying ceremony at the Vietnam War Wall with Jim Sanders and Mike Burke joining me in placing our wreath at the base of the Wall.  

The guest speaker really drove home the idea that WE "The Vietnam Veterans'" HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE. The scholarship program is set to be completed again this year.  I have lots of requests come in for the application and I have a voting board which will do the selecting from our applicants.  They are: Richard Flowers, Rod Gurrero, Alan (Ray) Kaufman, James (Jim) Sanders, and Donald Brooks.  I thank them for taking on this very important task this year. 

There were lots of familiar faces missing this year but I am sure we will see them next year at Fort Sill .  We filled the Secretary and Treasurer positions again this year at our general membership meeting.  Jack Picciolo was re-elected to the position of Secretary/Historian, and Rich Siebe was re-elected to the position of Treasurer for the Association.  Along with those positions being filled the vacant position of Chaplain for the 17th Artillery Regimental Association was filled by Richard Smith.  It was an easy choice Richard had a background of such work and will officially fill that position for us. We now are looking forward to our next big reunion in 2009.  

We will be returning to the roots of where the 17th Artillery Regimental Association was established back in 1999.  This all took place at Fort Sill Oklahoma ; this will be our 11th annual reunion and our 10th anniversary.  This reunion will give us all a chance to select a brand new President for the Association.  It will be the beginning to our next ten years as a great organization. 

All of the information for our big tenth anniversary reunion will be forthcoming on the website.  Hope to see all of you at Fort Sill next year. 

P.S.  I have a number of pictures that attendees have sent me, and a copy of the CSPAN CD of the entire ceremony.  If you are interested in a copy of both, send me your name and address and I will be glad to see you get a copy.

Jack (TOJ) Stroud

CLICK ON THUMBNAIL IMAGE TO MAKE LARGER

Tony Casselli.JPG (89791 bytes)

Tony Casselli

Placed wreath at wall for the 17th Artillery L-R James Sanders,Michael Burke & Jackie Stroud.JPG (195791 bytes)

Placed wreath at wall for the 17th Artillery L-R James Sanders, Michael Burke & Jack Stroud

Jack Picciolo.JPG (78313 bytes)

Jack Picciolo

Cathy & Gw Adkisson,Tonja Burke.JPG (110755 bytes)

Cathy & GW Adkisson, Tonja Burke

Tom Kurtz & Mark McCowan.JPG (112956 bytes)

Tom Kurtz & Mark Cowan

Joe Russo.JPG (74929 bytes)

Joe Russo

Gene Retka,Richard Smith, Bob Pasquill.JPG (112949 bytes)

Gene Retka, Richard Smith, Bob Pasquill

Bob Pasquill.JPG (94361 bytes)

Bob Pasquill

Thomas Kurtz.JPG (123431 bytes)

Tom Kurtz

Paul Raymond.JPG (65845 bytes)

Paul Raymond

Gene Retka drinking  water with wife on his left.JPG (120784 bytes)

Gene Retka drinking water with wife on his left

Gene Johnson & Ed Hitchner.JPG (121799 bytes)

Gene Johnson & Ed Hitchner

Seated behind Tom Kurtz L-R Cindy & Bill Wright, Don Brooks with wife and daughter.JPG (141274 bytes)

seated behind Tom Kurtz  L_R Cindy & Bill Wright, Don Brooks with wife and daughter

Mike Klingeman & Friend.JPG (63240 bytes)

Mike Klingeman & friend

Charles Riley.JPG (67026 bytes)

Charles Riley

Peter Coffin at the Wall.JPG (115174 bytes)

Peter Coffin at the wall

Rod Guerrero with Nephew.JPG (91583 bytes)

Rod Guerrero with nephew

Mike Burke at Tom Vernor's grave.JPG (220205 bytes)

Mike Burke at Tom Vernor's grave

Ed & Nancy Hitchner.JPG (85123 bytes)

Ed & Nancy Hitchner

Charles Garner.JPG (109214 bytes)

Charles Garner

Rod Guerreo.JPG (94903 bytes)

Rod Guerrero

L-R Mike Burke, Peter Coffin, Jack Picciolo, Alan Kauffman.JPG (69040 bytes)

L-R Mike Burke, Peter Coffin, Jack Picciolo, Alan Kauffman

Don Brooks Daughter.JPG (95399 bytes)

Don Brooks & daughter

Jack Stroud presents Life Membership to Rodivico Guerrero.JPG (90639 bytes)

Jack Stroud presents life membership to Rod Guerrero

Richard Smith.JPG (74004 bytes)

Richard Smith

L-R James Sanders,Mike Burke,G.W. Adkisson,Tom Ward & Jackie Stroud.JPG (193308 bytes)

L-R James Sanders, Mike Burke, G.W. Adkisson, Tome ward, & Jack Stroud

Dinner Cruise.JPG (121398 bytes)

dinner cruise

 

Reunion Banquet.JPG (129793 bytes)

Reunion Banquet

Richard Siebe.JPG (94916 bytes)

Richard Siebe