2018 Reunion Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
2018 reunion was held in Oklahoma City hosted by Ben Robinson on Oct.8th thru Oct. 13th. The Tours of Tinker AFB and The Cowboy Museum where amazing.
Altogether, forty-nine people attended our 2018 Reunion in Oklahoma City: forty six Veterans of the 132nd and 178th and three guests. Thirty-seven "survivors" are in the group photo taken at the very end, after Thursday nights Business Meeting and Raffle.
1dispite a few "glitches" in our Reunion plans, we had another successful Reunion, with many good and lasting memories to treasure. The weather played a part, with torrential rains on Monday, Tuesday, as well as Thursday night into Friday morning. Rain cancelled out the Tinker AFB golfing plans. But Wednesday was bright and sunny for our tour of Tinker Air Force Base. We toured the Oklahoma Air Logistics Complex, which is a HUGE building housing 20,000 workers and every conceivable type of aircraft part and powerplant undergoing repair an maintenance. We then went to an auditorium for a presentation on the 552nd AWACS Wing; the speaker did not make it, and our Reunion Host Ben Robinson just stepped right in and gave the presentation himself. [Note: Ben was a W-2 helicopter pilot in the 132nd, but retired as a USAF Brigadier General, and was formerly the CO of the 552nd] Later, we had a speaker who told about the loss of Hercules 67-18442 and crew on 17 March 1970, and a video presentation by an Australian Vet about the evacuation of Ngok Tayok. However, the planned presentation about Kham Duc and Ngok Tavok Part II was cancelled due to the major "glitch" of the week. [ That "glitch" being a break-in at the hotel, and the theft of items from our locked meeting room, to include Bill McRae's laptop and video set-up. The other major "glitch" was a car accident; Steve and Peggy Niedbala, with four passengers, had their Toyota Highlander rear-ended, while stopped in traffic. The three people in the other car all jumped out and ran! OKC Police, Fire Rescue, and Ambulance all responded quickly, and fortunately all our folks were shaken up, but OK. The OKC Police and Hotel Management also were on the job trying to sort out how a burglar entered the building around 02:00 or so and broke into our secure area. This was in marked contrast to our experience in Philadelphia back in 1999, when Tom Chism's truck was stolen from the hotel parking lot; that hotel refused to take any responsibility for security in their own parking lot, and Philly PD refused to respond...because nobody had been shot! Good Marks to Oklahoma City...Philadelphia? Not so much...] No speaker or presentation? No problem, as we are a group who can always cope...with damn near anything! So we spent the evening talking, which is what Reunions are all about anyway! Thursday afternoon, many of the group enjoyed a guided tour of the National Cowboy and Western Museum, again led by Ben Robinson, who is a docent at the museum.
Thursday Evening: An excellent catered buffet in the hotels banquet room, followed by our annual Business Meeting and Election, and then the Raffle. As is our custom we began the Meeting with the reading of our Honor Roll, the list of our KIA's who are etched on the wall in Washington, D.C.; John Holland read the names of the 132nd casualties, and Dean Nelson did the same for the 178th. Our "Election" went far smoother than the big election on 6 November!
Bob Sines volunteered to be the next Site Host and Vice-President for next year...Hosting what will be
reunion 29 for Boxcars and12 for Hercules-in Dayton, Ohio. And after some discussion we "elected" Monte Mc Donald in absentia to be next years President...Democracy Veterans Group style! John LeCates will remain Treasurer, Dean Nelson Secretary, Dick Janousek 178th Historian, Bill McRae 132nd Historian, and Marx Held Website Manager. After the business, the Raffle was another popular final Reunion event- Our Treasury should be stable for the year. Friday Morning we shared breakfast and goodbyes in the hotel and then went all our separate ways...Until Next Year in Ohio
-Submitted by the Secretary on 16 November,2018.
DCN
Ben Robinson Reunion Host
2018 Group Picture
2018 Oklahoma City reunion wives
132nd Members
178th Members
Special guest Ravonna Clower Rodgers, the niece of Huge Clower, the Crew Chief of 442. H died on 17 March 17 1970 and she was born Sept. 1970.
The guy on the left is Peter DiVerigillio. He was the Flight Engineer on the ship that landed close to 442. He ran over to the crash site to see if there where any survivors. The guy on the right is John Chancellor, the Pilot of the ship landed. He actually saw 442 hit the ground. The other guy is Ron Hoggard.
The guy on the left is Peter DiVerigillio. He was the Flight Engineer on the ship that landed close to 442. He ran over to the crash site to see if there where any survivors. The guy on the right is John Chancellor, the Pilot of the ship landed. He actually saw 442 hit the ground. The other guy is Ron Hoggard.
