220th Reconnaissance Airplane Company


First Quarterly 2006 CATCOM E-Newsletter
updated March 27 (morning)


Catkiller plaque
"Catkillers"
and Family,
and all Friends
and Brothers in Arms,
in memory of those who have served

CATKILLER REUNION ANNOUNCEMENT:

220th Reconnaissance Airplane Company (RAC) "Catkillers" Reunion

Friday, October 6, 2006 until Sunday, October 8, 2006

Mark Your Calendars!
Click here to go to South Shore Harbour Resort & Conference Center

NOW is the time to make the commitment to reconnect with your fellow Catkillers, Back Seaters, and others.

NOW is the time to make the commitment to bring your kids and grandkids to this Reunion. Let's all help our families to understand the unique camaraderie that has never left any of us who were proud to be known as a Catkiller.

NOW is the time to make sure your Reunion Committee has contact information for all Catkillers, Back Seaters, and others.

Reunion Committee:
Rooms: Make your room reservation at the prestigious South Shore Harbour Resort by e-mailing them at: http://www.reservations@sshr.com, or phone them at 281.334.1000 now. Be sure to mention that you are with the "220th Reconnaissance Airplane Company group." The specially negotiated room rates will be available until September 14, 2006.

Room Single Rate Double Rate
Floors 2, 3, 4 $99.00 $99.00
Floors 5,6,7,8,9 $102.00 $102.00
Floors 10,11 $112.00 $112.00

Current tax and local occupancy tax (subject to change): 12%

Airline Reservations: Houston Intercontinental Airport (IAH) is located approximately 1 hour from the Resort.

Houston Hobby Airport (HOU) is located approximately 30 minutes from the Resort.

Both Continental Airlines and Southwest Airlines have hubs in Houston.

Agenda:

Survey Form:
A Survey Form is attached to this announcement (click on blue link for a Word file). Please fill out and return via e-mail to: sdrexel@yahoo.com. If you are not able to view the file, e-mail Sandy for an e-mail copy.

By taking the time to fill out the form, you will be helping us to make this Reunion one of the best ever, with a choice of outside activities that everyone will enjoy, including your kids and grandkids!!

link removed

Additional Information:

Additional information will be sent to you on a regular basis.

See you this coming October!

Carl L. Drechsel
Cat Killer 30
Reunion Chairman

FOUND CATKILLERS AND E-MAIL UPDATES:

This section also becomes a focus to us as we progress closer to October, so if you have information that would assist in locating some of our brothers in arms send your e-mail to Sandy, or Don. Let's make every effort to locate, inform and invite!

Richard Phillips (1970), whose e-mail address is RPhill2719@aol.com, checked in with Charles Finch. Richard has some photos taken in 1970 that he will send in. Thanks for the contact, Richard.

George V. Quiggle checked in last month, and here is a copy of his e-mail:

"Hello.

I want to Thank You for returning my email, I know that it has been a long time since I had even thought about my time in Phu Bai, and the company I was assigned to.

It really wasn't until I had a house fire and lost everything that I got in contact with the records division to see about re-issuing my ribbons and any other commendations that I might have had. The town of LaPorte, Indiana is honoring the vets, by issuing local medals for time spent in a combat zone, that got me to reflect on my past.

I can still picture the compound in my mind as to where everything was located, the Officers Club,, the NCO Club, the Orderly room, even the place where we took our cold baths, or with the hose from the tanker truck- showers. I can even remember to the detail the flight line.

I hope to be able to make the reunion, but being as I work for the Post Office, transporting mail, our vacation schedules are erratic, but I will try. And I will continue to look for the 1st Avn Patch's, and I will definitely be interested in some of the Cat Killers stickers that you mentioned. But I am also interested in finding some Cat Killer Patches of various sizes, both for my leather vest, and for a plaque for my wall.

So if you happen to hear of any place that I might be able to find these items. I would be very much appreciated.

I was stationed with the 220th CatKillers in Phu Bai, in most of '71 and a little of '70. For a while my duties was flight communications clerk, as I monitored the radio communication while the pilots were over the Rock Pile, Ashaw Valley and other missions. I was PFC George V. Quiggle at that time.

I am hoping to be able to make the next reunion in Oct., but as I work for the Post Office scheduling vacation is sometimes difficult at times.

Also how do you receive your CatKiller numbers? And is there a roster of personnel names, as I remember a Anthony Quichocho from Guam, that was in the company and a Sgt. Waters, and I can picture some of the others but for right now can't remember their names exactly. Or the correct spelling.

Any help in obtaining either the patches or information on some of the personnel would be very much appreciated. I look forward to hearing from you again once you get settled down and hope to be able to make it to the reunion in Oct.

George (ethel@csinet.net)"

George, to the best of my recollection our company pilots were the only ones to receive Catkiller numbers, as their call signs while flying, but we are all Catkillers. There is a computerized version of a unit roster maintained by Scott Cummings. When he has time to update it, perhaps he will add your name. Thanks for the information and for checking in with us. We look forward to seeing you again in October. Don Ricks

I received this interesting note from SGT Ronald Eldridge:

My wife found the Cat Killers homepage and was very happy to present it to me, knowing I often remember. I have been writing about my experiences while residing there during my tour in '70-'71. I will send some later as their mostly humorous.

I was Sgt Eldridge, ran the Cat Killers Open Mess, EM-NCO, and did flightline engine repairs.

Being a retired NCO, 1988, I've kept copies of all military documents of my career, and these have a lot of names and rank of the personnel of the 220th. However, I'd only provide names as these are usually orders which have SSAN also.

Let me know if they will help.

Great web site, and thanks. [Ronald Eldridge. e-mail: ronald.eldridge@fuse.net]

[From Ronald Eldridge, taken from unit orders.] These names were in the unit, the 220th, during my tour, Jan 70 - Jan 71. I have them listed on my various company orders.

Zebeck SP5&stationed in Hunter AAF Georgia after Nam

Kunamera 1SG

Minjares, Guillermo Sgt

Newell, Charles SP4

Moore, Efra Jr SP5

Cook, Floyd W SP4

Smith, Paul H WO1&.orders states he was authorized to pilot an airplane

Gliszczynski, Anthony SP5

Conrad, Daniel J SP5&.lived in Chicago after the tour

Woods, Darrell G SP5

Gibbs, Dewitt SSG

Eldridge, Ronald E SGT&myself

Robinson,Joseph n SGT

Guinn, Jack L MAJ

Stokes III, John H Maj

Stokes, Calvin D SSG

Daniels, Dean PFC

Bennett, Joseph D SFC

Lanier, Michael R SP5

Miller, Kenneth SSG

Battee, James M SP5

Burnett, Gerald E SP5&best buddy, a Blackfoot Indian from Minn.

Pucell, John SP5

Buquette, Lambert M SP4

Ford, Stephen A SP4

Huber, Robert L SP4

Lovejoy, Tommy D SSG

Cressey, Allen P SP6

Ranson, Charlie B SP6

Anglin, Glennis M SFC

Easterling, Darrell L SP4

Vosburgh, John R SP4

Dill, Daniel J WO1&.orders state appointed as a disinterested witness

Dodge, Richey A Sp4

Vernon, James L CPT

Also was a Soldier, a SP5 named Walter____ who ran the EM-NCO clubs before me.

This message came in on February 21 from Lane C. Taber:

"I was Catkiller 28 in 1971 and have recently received a call from my old roommate from Vietnam and it brought back a lot of memories.

Thanks

Lane C. Taber [taber@pop4.net]

CATCOM EDITOR MOVING TO COLORADO:

I now live in Englewood, Colorado, and my e-mail address is below, if you need to contact me.

Don Ricks: donrix@catkillers.org ***********************************************************************************************************************

OTHER BIRDOG REUNIONS:

This came via forwarded e-mail from Ray "Doc" Jennings (e-mail: r.jennings14@verizon.net) , Web Site: http://www.SwampFox199thRAC.com:

ATTENTION!!!!!!!

The 183rd is inviting all Birddog Companies to its September 7th through the 10th 2006 Reunion in Washington, DC. We had a great time withthe Aloft (74th) and the Swamp Fox (199th) group at our last reunion and hope to see them and other birddoggies at this one. At this reunion, all birddog members are welcome: The Shotguns (221st); Petrodactyls (185th); Non Stop (184th); Catkillers (220th); Headhunters (219th); Hawkeyes (203rd); Warriors (73rd); Night Hawks (131st) and Black Aces (21st).

SEAHORSE NEWSLETTER
February, 2006
2006 SEAHORSE REUNION:

The third, and indeed the biggest, reunion is now officially contracted with the hotel and you need to mark your calendars.  The reunion is going to be in Washington, D. C. at the Crystal Gateway Marriott located at 1700 Jefferson Davis Highway, in Arlington, Virginia. The official reunion activities will begin on Thursday, September 7th and end on Sunday, September 10th. If you would like to see more about the hotel, the hotel website is www.crystalgatewaymarriott.com.

We have very special room rates, of $109 per night, well below what it normally charged.  For those of you who wish to come early or stay longer, the rate will apply three days before and three days after the reunion.  The hotel is very conveniently located in an area that is on the Metro System, close to shopping and a wide variety of restaurants, and very near most of the main attractions in Washington, D. C.  There is complementary shuttle service to and from Reagan National Airport, which is a short five minutes from the hotel.

Instructions on how to register with the hotel and receive the discounted room rate will follow in next month’s Newsletter. You will also need to register for the reunion activities with the Seahorses.  That information will also follow in next month’s newsletter.

This is partial information from the 183rd web site.

www.183seahorse.org

219th RAC HeadHunters Reunion
Sept. 2007
Atlanta\Georgia

9/17/2005:

HEADHUNTERS decide to hold their NEXT REUNION, scheduled for SEPTEMBER 2007 in ATLANTA, GEORGIA. The hosts will be Steve Butler (RVN 1/68-1/69, Pleiku) and Tom Morris (RVN 7/65-7/66 Nha Trang, Tuy Hoa, Phan Thiet & NonCo). The host location will be Peachtree City South of Atlanta.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS!

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