MILITARY REUNION NEWS

Hospitality Answerman

It’s always our pleasure to assist the many military reunion groups meeting in Fairfax County, Virginia, each year in making arrangements for their memorial services.

Many groups elect to hold their memorial service at the hotel where the group is staying, usually in the hotel’s ballroom, or on a landscaped terrace out-of-doors, if the weather is pleasant. One of the more memorable such reunions was the one held here in February 2005 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Battle of Iwo Jima. Approximately 350 people attended the weekend-long reunion at the Hilton McLean Tysons Corner in McLean, Virginia. Of those attending, approximately 75 were US Marines who had fought on Iwo Jima; other attendees were friends, spouses, children and grandchildren of those who had fought in the battle. The group’s memorial service was held in the hotel’s grand ballroom on Sunday morning; Gen. Michael W. Hagee, the Commandant of the Marine Corps at the time, was the featured speaker at the group’s banquet. The reunion received considerable press attention, given the significance of the battle. Many Army groups choose to hold memorial services at General George Washington’s tomb, located on the grounds of his Mount Vernon estate in Fairfax County. General Washington and his wife Martha are entombed together in a crypt located in a tree-shaded glen, within walking distance of the General’s beloved Mount Vernon. The staff at Mount Vernon will schedule a time for your group to conduct a private memorial service, as well as provide a wreath for the ceremony. A copy of General Washington’s “Prayer for His Country” is provided, and is traditionally read aloud by the oldest surviving member of the group. (www.mountvernon.org)

Army groups may choose to hold a memorial service at the new National Museum of the United States Army, on the grounds of Fort Belvoir. The stunning Veterans Hall and the outdoor Medal of Honor Garden both offer private, quiet, reflective spaces ideal for a memorial service. Both spaces can be reserved in advance for private events. (www.thenmusa.org)

Navy reunion groups frequently hold memorial services at the United States Navy Memorial, located on Pennsylvania Avenue in downtown Washington, DC. The outdoor plaza of the memorial features a striking map of the globe, watched over by a statue of The Lone Sailor, representing all those who have ever served the United States upon the oceans of the world. The memorial is ringed by fountains commemorating the major Naval battles in American history, with quotations from well-known sailors etched into the marble walls. The Naval Heritage Center, adjacent to the memorial, features a small museum with an auditorium, reception area, exhibits, gift shop, and Naval research library. Allow time to tour the Heritage Center following your memorial service. Navy Memorial staff will assist groups in arranging for a memorial wreath, a chaplain to conduct the ceremony, if desired, and seating for group members. (www.navymemorial.org)

The United States Air Force Memorial, located in Arlington, Virginia, towers above a high bluff overlooking Arlington National Cemetery, the Pentagon, and the Washington, DC, skyline. Memorial services are held on the memorial’s broad plaza, honoring those who have served in the Air Force or its predecessor organizations. The three soaring spires of the memorial tower above the plaza in a “bomb burst” formation. Air Force Memorial staff members are delighted to assist with scheduling, obtaining a wreath, seating, and providing a chaplain and/or a bugler, as the group desires. (www.airforcememorial.org)

The Pleiku MP Association’s wreath at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

Groups representing all Armed Forces branches can hold wreath-laying services at the Tomb of the Unknowns, located in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia. As the nation’s most revered military shrine, services here are particularly moving. (www.arlingtoncemetery.mil)

Visit Fairfax (Fairfax County Convention and Visitors Corporation) is always eager to assist military reunion planners by providing site tours of venues noted above, as well as arranging introductions to each venue’s professional staff. They can also assist in arranging group transportation between the group’s hotel, the site of their memorial service, and other area attractions.

The Pleiku MP Association, a Vietnam era Army reunion group laid a wreath at The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery. Both photos by Ms. Kathi Petrowski

About the Hospitality Answerman

Dean Miller, national sales director for Visit Fairfax, the convention and visitors bureau in Fairfax County, Virginia (www.fxva.com), is a great friend of reunions. Contact him (dmiller@fxva.com; 703-790-0643) when you are planning a reunion in the Washington, DC, area. Fairfax County is nearby, affordable, and conveniently located to all the area has to offer.

USS Ranger Reunion

Speaking on behalf of the Rangerettes, ladies for the USS Ranger members, I would say the reunion in Norfolk, Virginia, was a big success. The Sheraton Waterside was a beautiful hotel and the setting on the Elizabeth River couldn’t have been better. The weather was sunny and in the mid 70s the whole week we were there the end of September. Reunion planner Brian Forrester had arranged some great tours on the Victory Rover, a Naval base cruise, along with Virginia Beach, Williamsburg, and a wonderful dinner cruise on the Spirit of Norfolk. I think the highlight was that everyone was looking to finally get together after 18 months of Covid-19 and the variant. I have never seen as many enjoy the Hospitality room this year as I have at past reunions and the banquet and entertainment Brian arranged, were just the icing on the cake.

Reported by Mary Schmuhl, who, with her husband the USS Rangers Association President, live and travel in a motor home.

Rangerettes Joanna Teran, Susan Forrester and Belinda Heinen Rangers on the Victory Rover tour along Virginia Beach

D-Day: Freedom from Above

The US Army Airborne & Special Operations Museum (ASOM), at Fort Bragg, Fayetteville, North Carolina, is hosting an interactive augmented reality experience titled “D-Day: Freedom from Above” through March 14, 2022.

This new French American project commemorates D-Day. It was created in partnership with Parisian company Histovery and the Airborne Museum in St.-Mere-Eglise, Normandy. The experience allows visitors to witness the invasion of Normandy through the eyes of the 82nd and 101st Airborne divisions paratroopers. “HistoPad,” a tablet with augmented reality technology provides an immersive experience allowing visitors to manipulate a series of 3D virtual relics, view unpublished photos and extracts of exceptional archival films, interact with animated maps, and learn the incredible destinies of some of our nation’s heroes. The exhibit shows the bravery, courage, and planning it took for US Soldiers and our Allies to liberate villages and towns from Nazi oppression across France and throughout Europe.

Admission to the ASOM is free. There is a $5 rental fee for the HistoPad. Visit www.bit.ly/DDayexhibit

True War Stories: Mission Report

True War Stories: Mission Report podcast series is an anthology of historically true, gripping war stories told by the veterans who lived them. They captivate listeners and fascinate history and war buffs, patriots, the politically interested, and people who just love a good tale. Each episode, a different true story spanning WWII to Vietnam, is told either by the veteran who lived it or those directly connected to the stories. The collection of stories is curated for their realism, as well as the uplifting acts of heroism, love and compassion that war often elicits. “These are important stories, taken from the wars we’ve fought, stories that the world doesn’t usually get to hear about, stories that need and deserve a platform.” according to Nat Mundel, Voyage Camouflage Sisters: Veteran Lila Holley shares her powerful bond with the military Media Founder and CEO. The series is available on all sisterhood and some of the female major podcast platforms and veterans’ stories she's collected. www.voyagemedia.fm. More Than a Soldier: captured by the Nazis, a young soldier escapes through the floor of a moving train and hides out with an Italian family, falling in love with their daughter, before trying to make his way home.