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.

REALLY big news! REALLY!

If you've tried to call our office in the last two weeks, you're probably aware that something's going on around here!  Since this is normally a very slow two weeks, chances are you haven't tried to call, and you don't know something is underfoot!  But either way, it's time to spill the beans!

Effective on January 2, 2012 Military Locator & Reunion Service has been sold!  The new company, Premier Reunion Services, LLC has purchased all the assets of ML&RS, Inc, including the company name, all the contact methods, the web site, and the physical assets.  Our reunion customers and our vendor contacts will most likely not notice the change.  We'll still use the same name, for the first year or so, then gradually change over to Premier Reunion Services, LLC.  But other than that, you will still receive the same great service you always have from us!  Our staff will remain the same, as will our phone number, web address and mailing address.  Our street address has changed, so if you decide to stop by for a visit, please call first so we can tell you how to get here!  If you want to send us flowers or chocolate just 'cause you like us, we'll be happy to give you the new street address too!

As you might imagine, our "on site staff" thoroughly enjoy traveling all over the US to manage our reunions.  One reunion a month is a lot of fun, two is still fun.  Eight reunions in eight weeks...now that can tucker one out!  Larry and Brenda have decided it's time to scale back, so they are in the process of retiring.  They will still be traveling to reunion locations to manage reunions, but they are out of the management end of the business.  I (Dina) am their daughter and I have started Premier Reunion Services and will be continuing the business as seamlessly as possible.  Our goal is that our customers won't really notice a change.

If you're in Hickory, still feel free to stop by and say hello!  We're in a new location, but we still love to see our reunion folks when you are passing through NC!

Of course, I can't post a blog without a few pictures!  We moved from our old office to a much smaller location.  It took some doing, but we're all in our spots now, snug as a bug in a rug!

First day, moving in.  Whew.

First day, different angle.

Second day.  We did good!  This is where Karen, our newsletter editor does her work!

This is where Elaine, our Memory Book editor, works.

And this is looking down the room, Karen and Elaine are just behind the filing cabinet and book shelf, Lynette and I are in the two back corners.  It's been a great money saving venture to change our location and outsource our printing jobs.  We're very happy with the results!

Colorado Springs - Air Force Academy - Another great location!

We really don't favor any one city over another!  Everywhere we've been has great things to offer a military reunion group.  But my purpose on here is to highlight some of the places you might not think about going, or some activities you might not have considered including in your itinerary!  We recently had the privilege of having the 34th Bomb Sqd meeting in Colorado Springs, CO.  Being an Air Force group, their trip to the Air Force Academy was one of the highlights, as well as attending the Academy Vs. Tennessee football game.  There are many other great activities in Colorado Springs, but since this group's itinerary was a little different than normal, I wanted to highlight the things that they did.  Below are pictures from the visit to the Academy on Friday, and then pictures from the football game on Saturday!  It's a little "iffy" to schedule a reunion around a football game - at the time we have to book the hotel, the football schedule has not been released, so we have no way of knowing whether the team will be playing at home or traveling to another school.  We got lucky this time and they played at home on the date we were there!  Check out their photos:

Diamond Lil, at the entrance to the Academy

34th Bomb Squadron group members 

The chapel on the grounds of the Air Force Academy

Watching the noon formation on the grounds of the Academy

Posing at the football stadium in front of the Screaming Eagle!

Now, there's not many military reunions where you get to see cheerleaders!

Opening ceremonies prior to the game

Fans watching the game!

Carrying in the US Flag!

The flag unfurled!