May was an Exciting Month!

Our staff covered a lot of miles in May of 2012, working with 5 different reunion groups.  We managed events in Norwich, CT, Warwick, RI, Minneapolis, MN,  Norfolk, VA and  Chattanooga, TN.  All of these locations were great host cities!

The week before Mother's Day we had a group go to the little town of Pawcatuck, CT (not to be confused with Pawtucket, RI!) for a special memorial dedication.  The members of the USS PAWCATUCK actually stayed in Norwich, CT, and rode the bus over to Pawcatuck to dedicate a memorial to the ship in their small veteran's park near the river.  It was a fantastic event!   Also while in CT, the group visited the Coast Guard Academy and the Sub Force Museum and Historic USS NAUTILUS.

Next on the calendar was the USS PURDY reunion in Warwick, RI.  Another great group of folks in another great location.  The meet for 4 nights instead of the traditional 3, so they can enjoy a slightly slower pace.  From Warwick, they ventured over to the historic area of Boston, the Battleship Cove, and to see the mansions in Newport.  It made for a great reunion!

Where we went in April 2012

Well, 2012 is winding down and it's time to look back at the places we've been this year!  I think I'll divide this up into a couple of posts.  This first one will be our April reunions.  This year we went to Branson, MO, Washington, DC, Nashville, TN, Cincinnati, OH, in April.  Each location was a great place to hold a reunion!  Check out some of these pictures:

The first reunion of the year was the USS CAMBRIA in Branson, MO.  There is so much to do in Branson. It is truly a city dedicated to our country's veterans.  There is a spectacular Veteran's Museum - a must-see for every American.  You can see a number of shows, take a ride of the Branson Belle Showboat, and Ride the Ducks.  Our group went to the Dixie Stampede and thoroughly enjoyed the show!

The same week we had a group in Branson, we had another group in Washington, DC.  I don't have a lot of tour pictures, but this group always has a good time.  They've been getting together for years and are more like family than just friends!

We were also privileged to manage the USS TARAWA reunion in Nashville, TN.  The highlight of this reunion was a visit to the Grand Ole Opry.  We were very fortunate to be there this time for a very big event in country music - the induction of Keith Urban into the GOO.  I think I personally may have enjoyed this even more than the reunion attendees.  A couple weeks after the reunion, I spoke to one of the Tarawa guys on the phone and he made the comment that "he didn't see why all those young people were so excited to see a singer who couldn't even afford jeans without holes in them, or to get  a haircut!"  (I know he was just picking, we really did have a great time!).  Here's a few pictures from the Grand Ole Opy:

USS TARAWA crewmembers waiting for the show to begin

Bus trip over to the Grand Ole Opry

Little Jimmy Dickens!

One half of the duo Love and Theft.  They performed one song, and  later in 2012 that song was released as their first single - which scored the duo their first CMT Music Awards nomination for Duo Video of the Year.  

The other half of the duo Love and Theft

Keith Urban

Josh Turner

Keith Urban, center about to receive his ceremonial microphone stand as a member of the Grand Ole Opry (Trace Adkins is on his left, Josh Turner on his right)

Trace Adkins speaking a few words of welcome

And now Keith is thanking the GOO for his induction

We can't promise big names like this every visit to the Grand Ole Opry, but the show is always top notch!  (Our tickets are purchase months before the big names are added to the Opry schedule).  Other attractions our groups enjoy in Nashville include the General Jackson showboat, tour the Opryland Hotel, the Country Music Hall of Fame, and many more!

The last trip we took in April was to the Cincinnati area.  Another great location!  An Army Security Agency group that was stationed in Helemano, Hawaii met in Cincinnati for their annual reunion.