CATKILLER REUNION ANNOUNCEMENT, 2012:

Greetings from the Great Northwest

Countdown to the reunion, July 12, 2012:

Home of Fort Lewis, where the 220th Aviation Company
was organized on 15 April, 1965

2012 REUNION REGISTRATION
RELATED DOCUMENTS AND FORMS

Plans are final! Here are the six of seven items that make up our reunion plan: 2012 Reunion-Main PDF Overview
Item seven is an Activities Page that will appear below (dynamic).

To access individual pages (suitable for printing), click on these Adobe Reader Files (PDF). To increase/decrease page size in PDF view, use CTRL -, or CTRL +:

1. Cover Sheet
2. Questionnaire
3. Registration Form
4. Schedule
5. Hotel Booking Instructions
6. Hotel Map

If you have a reunion-related question not answered by these documents, please contact:
Norm MacPhee via email (preferred) or 509-465-3158 (cell)

OTHER REUNION DETAILS:

Plan a July 11th arrival, 12-14th time of your life, and departure on the 15th, for the 2012 Catkiller Reunion in Seattle Washington. You may even want to come early and stay late while you enjoy a mini-vacation in the area at the height of our summer season. Hotel rates will apply for 3 days before the reunion and 3 days after the get together.

The hotel will be the DoubleTree Guest Suites, Seattle Airport/Southcenter with unlimited access to more than you can imagine—via the new Light Rail from SeaTac to downtown Seattle—plus many other opportunities within 100 miles or an hour or so in almost any direction.

There is a KOA Campground near the hotel for those who may wish to make this an RV outing. In Fact, here is an "Available Activities" page to help with many decisions regarding what to see and do in the Seattle area (information compiled and presented by Charles Welsh):

REUNION REGISTRATION UPDATE (updated 7–2–12):

This is our current list of attendee who have actually sent in their registration forms, as of 7–2–12. We anticipate more will join this list during June, based on verbal and email statements. However, the cut–off date for registrations received is July 7, 2012:

List of 2012 Reunion Attendees

Al Paulsen + 1 Albert Slater + 1 Andy Anderson +1 Bill Everett +1 Bill Snyder Bob Arrington +1 Bob Copland +1 Bob Laferriere Bud Bruton Charles Finch +1 Charles Goode +1 Charles Richardson +1 Charles Welsh + 1 Darl McAllister +1 Dave Ohare +1 Dave Troha +3 Dick Bielot + 1 Dick Tobiason + 1 Don Ricks + 1 Gary Miller +1 Gene Wilson + 1 Bob Rowland +1 Dennis Currie

Glen Evans Henry Milan +1 J. D. Richards Jeff Thompson Jerry Curry +6 Jerry Jackson + 1 Jim Carlin +1 Jim Fadden Jim Morris + 1 Keith Klett + 1 Kennedy Kohibrand + 1 Leonard Bumgardner +1 Larry Deibert + 1 Leroy Burkemper + 1 Lloyd Oake + 1 Mal Mixon + 1 Nelson Kunitake + 1 Norm MacPhee + 1 Paul Brennan +1 Paul Garin +3 Paul Smith + 1 John Hillman Roger Bounds +3

Pete Blevins +1 Phil Caverhill + 1 Ray Alexander +1 Raymond Caryl +1 Rod Stewart + 1 Roger Putnam + 1 Sarge Means + 1 Scott Cummings + 1 Tim Moriarty Toby Decker + 1 Tom Murray Walter "Chico" Fernandez Don Pepe + 1 Francis Alexander + 1 Kurt Onley Doc Clement Don Pellecchia Jack Bentley + 1 Roger Bradley +1 Carl Collins Bob Link Otha Dent + 1

 

Count: 134

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OTHER REUNION ANNOUNCEMENTS AND NOTICES: MAY 2012:

DEADLINES AND NOTICES:

1. The last day for ordering any “logo items” such as hats, pins, etc., will be June 1. Your order must be to us by that date.
2. The final MAILING date for registrations will be July 1. Registrations will be accepted on a “walk–in” basis, but some things might not be available at that late date.
3. The proposed group trips to Mt. Rainier and Arlington Air Show are cancelled due to low participation. You are encouraged to make arrangements to go on your own. Web sites below will help:
   Arlington Air ShowMount Ranier Tour
4. The last day to add your name to the trip to Ft. Lewis is June 1, 2012.

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FORT LEWIS TOUR UPDATE, JUNE 11, 2012:

Hello All:

We had a reunion committee meeting at the DoubleTree on Wednesday - all is progressing very well - and it is time to get this information out to you. At the attachment is the list of everyone (also includes family members and friends) who indicated a "Yes" or "Maybe" with their reunion registration for the Fort Lewis Tour on Thursday, July 12th. I can still accept reservations for this tour until June 30th. Just contact me so that we might fill some more seats if there are others who might like to go to Fort Lewis.

The group will assemble at the DoubleTree near the Atrium at 8:45 am and depart promptly at 9:00 am.

We will meet our escort, Matt Hinkle, Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) Public Affairs, near the Visitor Center at the Corps of Discovery Plaza with Captain Meriwether Lewis, his dog, Seaman, and 1ST SGT John Ordway, just outside the Main Gate of Fort Lewis a/a 10:00 am.

After a welcome and opportunity to hear a bit about the history of Fort Lewis, we will then proceed to Gray Army Airfield and meet with MAJ Phil Mazingo, S3, 16th Combat Aviation Brigade for a Static Display of their OH-58 and UH-60 Aircraft with Soldiers to answer all of your questions.

Then we will enjoy lunch (included in the tour) in a Troop Dining Facility.

At 1:15 pm, we will be briefed by Doug Saunders, Project Officer, and given the opportunity to touch, climb on and ask questions about the STRYKER Vehicle - the combat vehicle of choice for the Army's Interim Brigade Combat Teams (IBCTs).

Then between 2:00-2:15 pm, we will arrive at the Fort Lewis Military Museum, be met by Miles Grant, the Museum Director, and enjoy our final stop on the tour.

Our departure from the Museum will be at 3:00 pm so that we may arrive back at the DoubleTree about 3:45 pm, in time for the 4:00 pm presentation by Kurt Olney, who was a crew chief with the section of three YO-3A aircraft (attached to the 220th during late June 1970 until January 1971).

The Welcome Pizza party and Happy Hour will then commence at 5:00 pm in the Atrium.

Assuming that there are at least 30 confirmations among you, the cost (including lunch) is $30 per person. Since we did not collect anything in advance, and I am trying to save some add-on accounting load for Norm MacPhee, I would appreciate payment by check to: Donald E. Wilson (that's me, Gene), 7620 98th Avenue SW, Lakewood, WA 98498-3271, NLT June 30th. If this is not possible, I will accept cash prior to boarding the bus. Invite your friends to join us - we exceeded the number of seats on a small bus and a larger bus did not cost that much more.

Please confirm your reservation and address any questions on this tour as soon as possible by email or telephone: (253) 582-9249.

Gene Wilson
Fort Lewis Tour Coordinator

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ATTENTION CATKILLERS AND FRIENDS:

Regarding the Army Aviation Museum, Ft. Rucker, Alabama:

We are developing a relationship with the museum at Ft. Rucker. The objective is to have the 220th represented there, along with other Bird Dog units.

The Museum Director agreed to accept and make available CD copies of our web site. We agreed to provide two copies each October. One is for archive purposes and one for public use, via a viewer, in the Observation section of the Museum.

The museum director requests your ORIGINAL Catkiller items from the Vietnam War. If you have such items and are willing to part with them, here is your chance to contribute. Bring them to the 2012 Reunion, labeled as to what they are, who donated them, when they were in the unit and where. If you are unable to attend the reunion, please send your donation items via mail or delivery service to:

Catkiller Reunion Committee
6258 Brennan Court
Nine Mile Falls, WA 99026

Someone from the reunion committee will get them to Ft. Rucker in person. Your contributions will also be displayed at this year's reunion, if received in time.

As an example: One member will donate three items; a “Blood Chit”, A set of survival maps, and a set of Navy “Junk Fleet” wings awarded for flying naval coastal recon missions.

One of our committee members constructed and supervised development of a memorial display to our fallen. It will be at the reunion and a visible part of the memorial service. We plan to take this item to Ft. Rucker for storage or display at the museum. Future reunion committees may retrieve the display for display during reunions.

2012 Reunion Committee

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REUNION COMMITTEE NOTES:

We solicit your assistance in these areas before the reunion:

1. Contact others you think may be interested in attending.
2. Send us up to three of your best photos from Viet Nam for use in the Hospitality Suite and Banquet. These photos should have information attache—who took the photo, where, and year. Send to catkiller2012@earthlink.net
3. We would like to have some short war stories from you. Up to three of them, limited to two single-spaced typewritten pages from your time with the 220th. Your name, time frame in country and location should be included. There should be no offensive material in the stories because we hope to publish these on the web site and possibly even a tell-tale booklet (at cost) after the reunion. These can be from anyone in or who worked with the 220th.

Come prepared to enjoy every moment of this reunion and your visit to the Great Northwest.

Present Committee Members are:

1. Jack Bentley, 1968—69
2. Norm MacPhee, 1966 (Chairman)
3. Lloyd Oake 1967
4. Al Paulsen, 1970—71
5. Rod Stewart, 1967—68
6. Dick Tobiason, 1966—67
7. Charlie Welsh, 1965—66
8. Gene Wilson, 1966—67
9. Dick Wolfe, 1970—71

Your Reunion Committee