Tuesday, December 21, 2010

The Banshee Gazette Dec 2010

VOLUME XII ISSUE 1
AIRBORNE – AIRMOBILE – AIR ASSAULT

Presidents Message
by David Martin
I appreciate everyone’s support in nominating me President of the Association.
If you missed the Reunion in San Antonio you really missed a great time. The San Antonio Riverwalk, Fredericksburg, and Luckenbach, Texas were highlights of our adventures around San Antonio.
I would like to thank Retired Command Sergeant Major Ron Still and Staff Sergeant Herring for their time on Saturday for giving us a tour of LaPointe Hall and the AMEDD Museum. If you have not heard Ft Sam Houston goes under US Airforce control in October of 2010 and will become a Joint Military Base.
Our guest speaker was Ted Acheson who was a Combat Photographer for Department of the Army Special Photographic Office (DASPO). Ted provided us with video shoot of B Troop in May 1968.
We were fortunate to have Rod Forty’s nephew Corey Ruell and his wife Desera join us for our Dinner Meeting…Corey was on leave from Operation Iraqi Freedom…Corey thanks for your service!
I would like to express great appreciation to all members that have served in various positions in our Association since our inception in 1997 in Shelbina, Missouri. I think an extra special Thank You should go out to Jim Matthews and Randy Kunkleman for their 12 (yes…twelve) years of service to our Association. I personally worked with both of them for the first eight years since the Association’s was formation as the Vice President of the Association and know the endless hours they have provided to insure the Association’s health and growth.
I hope you all have a wonderful Merry Christmas and Happy New Year…see you in May at Ft. Campbell.
Vice Presidents Message
by Larry Allen

I have been honored for the past two years, to be elected as your Vice President. I am so proud to have served in this unit in Vietnam and even more proud to see the membership in our organization flourish after so many years of being home, from Vietnam. There are still members out there that served with us forty some years ago, that need to be contacted. I have taken this responsibility upon myself to find as many as I possibly can this year. I'm sure it will continue next as well. If you have someone in mind that we need to find, please contact me. I have faith in our president, to keep our organization on the best track possible. And he will. Dave Martin is a man who gets things done. I will work together with him to insure that B Troop 2/17th Cavalry, 101st. Airborne Division Association is a proud and giving organization. The comradely I have seen over the years with this group of veterans is of great reverence. Again I must say how proud I am to be a member of this special group of Vietnam Veterans.
I'm looking forward to seeing all your smiling faces at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky this May, to welcome home our Brothers and Sisters from Afghanistan. Bring your wife, your children or your girl friend, but not all three. See you in May.


2011 Reunion
The 2011 Reunion will be held at Ft. Campbell, Kentucky on May 12- 15th. We are fortunate to be able to Welcome the Squadron back from a year’s deployment in Afghanistan.
Activities - (Subject to Change)
May 13 – Squadron Golf Tournament
We will have other activities planned if you are not golfing. We know some of
you have not been to or seen the attractions at Ft. Campbell some we will
attempt to have information and maps available to attractions on and off base.
May 14 – Fallen Members Tribute and Memorial Dedication
Squadron Bar-b-que
May 15 – B Troop Business Meeting, LaPointe Scholarship
Endowment Auction, and B Troop 2/17 Cavalry Association Auction


Joseph Guy “Doc” LaPointe Scholarship Endowment at Texas Tech University
by David Martin

We would like to thank everyone that has donated to the Joseph Guy “Doc” LaPointe Scholarship Endowment to date we have donated $14,989.50.
We will begin awarding a $1,000.00 Graduate Scholarship for Vietnam Studies in January for the next 3 years. It is our hopes to continue the growth of the Endowment with donations and auctions so that we can provide this amount in perpetuity. At present we are approximately $10,010.50 under what would need to have in the Endowment to insure this.
Remember that your donations to B Troop 2nd 17th Cavalry Association and the Scholarship Endowment are tax deductible.


Concerns with E-mail Address on Website

It was brought up at the Annual Meeting that some people are concerned that your e-mail addresses are posted on the website.
After a lengthy discussion we had not really reached a resolution on this issue since this is a way for others to contact you.
If you do not want your e-mail address listed on the website please send me an e-mail at Banshee694@yahoo.com and I will have it taken off.
Your e-mail will still be available on the latest edition of the B Troop Rooster held by the Association. If someone wants to contact you they will need to e-mail the President of the Association then he or she will e-mail you a copy of their request. Remember to do this we will need your e-mail address which some of you forget to provide us when you change it.


Membership
by Bill Crawford

We are in need of you to join the Association!
We are in the process of updating the various Rosters and will be contacting members to insure we have your correct information.


VA Records Safe Guard

It is to your benefit to get copies of your VA Medical Records every 6 months or year. It is a known fact that Records do get lost in the VA system. If you make sure to request your records through Release Of Information Desk at your local VA you can assure yourself that you will always have a copy of your records if you need them.

Where to send things:
Dues, Endowment Fund Donations and Reunion Registration Fees (any monies)
Randy Kunkleman
2395 N. Conant Road
Elida, OH 45807
419-339-3984
mailto:%20kunkleman@hotmail.com
ADDRESS / TELEPHONE / E-MAIL CHANGES
David Martin
3018 Hickory Glen Drive
Orange Park, FL 32065
904-505-4218
Banshee694@yahoo.com
BANSHEE GAZETTE
mailto:%20Banshee694@yahoo.com



Gazette
We will begin putting a Banshee Gazette on the web page Blog every 3 months. If you have information to submit for publication please e-mail it to Dave Martin at Banshee694@yahoo.com.

17th Cavalry Regimental Coat Of Arms