TAC Tanker Tales
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TAC Tanker Tales Volume 13 Issue 3 March 2012 Tactical Tankers Assn., Ltd Ready Set , Begin Packing………….Time is Short 231 King Street Lancaster, OH 43130 Officers 2010-2012 If you have missed out on the reasons for Seattle , the attractions, ac- commodations and the various web sites to explore, then dig up your past President: three newsletters and go at it. If they are no long available, check them out on Nate Hill 740-653-3835 [email protected] the TAC Tanker web site . I don’t do repetition very well. Vice President Anyway the Renaissance Hotel room block is getting filled up and the Lou Chapman 209-339-1175 multicolored Registrations Forms (we did not have enough of the same color) [email protected] are slowly arriving in the daily mail. Nate is fielding questions off and on re- Secretary: garding the reunion and I help when I can. The door prizes and special good- Jim Boyington 509-922-4377 [email protected] ies for the banquet are set to go. The next step is to get the packets lined up with the tickets we print for the individual events. Most of you know our rou- Treasurer: Gary Myers 757-868-7164 tine, the only BIG difference is that we will not be driving to Seattle. [email protected] Our mode of travel will be train . Yes, folks this will be a first as we Historian: drive to Toledo to catch the Amtrak to Chicago on Tuesday, May 22, where John Bessette 703-569-1875 [email protected] we will be boarding the Empire Builder for two nights en route to Washington. At early thirty on the 24th we get off at Ephrata and will be guest of Dave Legal Counsel: Joe Furukawa 310-217-0606 Bishop (622, 431st) until Saturday when we will all drive to Seattle to get set- [email protected] tled into the hotel and prepare for your arrival. Chaplain: The reason I share this agenda is because we won’t be carrying tons Rev. Geo Burrows 231-347-5393 [email protected] of “stuff” for the Hospitality Room and Banquet as in the past. Most of what will be there will be mailed ahead, i.e. Yellow Books, Registration packets and Quartermaster: Gordon Jacobson 706-975-3253 some banquet items. Shopping for the Hospitality Room will be done upon arrival. Editor: Natalie Hill 740-653-3835 Speaking of the Hospitality Room —it is part of our Corner Luxury [email protected] Suite on the 26th Floor. We were sent photos of the layout and there is an Board of Directors outside patio to help with the over flow and should have about 2 tables and Chair: Bill Wolford 802-660-9934 multiple chairs. The living room space has 2 tables and a couch area and sev- Frank Boggs 402-420-1126 Dick Hermans 903-852-5002 eral chairs, etc. A wet bar will house the beverages and the counters under Pug Hoover 541-479-9864 the windows will be Jake’s “store .” Walt Larimer 937-873-8672 Vic Ventura 707-455-8506 Many of you have reserved your rooms, but have not sent in the Reg- istration Form. Please get those in ASAP. Visa Versa for those having sent Attention Members Who us the form, but not made Hotel Reservations —Do So Soon. Attended the 2002 TAC Reunion at Langley!!!!!!!!! Here are some tips when contacting the hotel (from the Event Man- ager, Cristin Peters). Contact Randy McKinnon at 206-694-4950 Monday- Did you win a door prize Friday 8am-4pm PACIFIC STANDARD TIME . He is the Rooms Inventory quilt at the banquet???? I was not writing down names Supervisor. Remember, if you are attending the Banquet on the 30th, you as the tickets were called out need to have a 5/31 checkout or later. We had a few who planned to check and I would like to record out the 30 and still go to the banquet-thus they would be sleeping in the lobby the winners in my Quilt Log after the party—-and that is not good. We really look forward to seeing you all Book. Thanks, Natalie soon. -Natalie Page 1 President’s Corner by Nate Hill We had planned to change the user name and pass- word on the TAC Tankers web site but because of the trouble I am here again with the privilege of expounding to we had with the initial implementation have decided against it. the membership. First, hope the winter has been kind to you. So, continue to use the ones you have been using. Also, watch Temps here are climbing but that means that we can start wor- the web site closely, ‘cause Lou has been working on it and rying about tornados. Oh well, I have things to be happy about some new pictures and layouts with be showing up shortly. too. Our membership is now at 426 and that is higher than 10 years ago; this thanks to serious recruiting by our V-P, Lou and In case you haven’t sent in your Seattle registration, the dedication of all of you. We must be doing something right you can check the web site for the list of folks who have sent because Natalie keeps making door prizes and folks keep theirs and paid. If you need the list and don’t have a computer, showing up at the reunions to win them. Since the majority of call me. Response has been good and the attractions in the our members are Lifers, a change in dues has been effected. To Northwest are pretty awesome. Mitch Matsudaira has been reduce the admin effort of annual memberships and eliminate helping Natalie with Seattle locations and we have all the good your mental strain of sending back a check every year, we have ones scheduled. Thanks Mitch ! reduced membership categories to two; two years for $40 or Just saw an article concerning a major change in Life Membership which is still $100. We think that will work Tri-care which will affect all retirees. We need to make certain much more efficiently. that our elected officials are pro-Defense and if I may be so I am very pleased to report that we now have 2 groups bold, the current group seems bent on getting the troop levels which are meeting monthly. This helps me keep up with folks reduced to minimal like they were at the start of WWII. Please who need moral support. As I review the group, I am very don’t let the election pass you by - - - - remember, in the pleased to see that our entire membership is in great physical words of a famous Chicago politician “Vote Early and Vote shape considering the average age which is right at 80. We do Often ! !” have some friends who need our prayers because of various Till Seattle I remain Dedicated to TAC Tankers. Nate illnesses but generally we are GREAT! Vice President’s Corner by Lou Chapman Since there are varied activities planned that will appeal to all of us, you still have time to coordinate with As Vice-President of Membership, this job gets friends who will be attending as to what you want to do. Be more interesting and rewarding with each new person I am sure and mail in your registration forms as soon as possible able to contact. In addition to talking with our current mem- so that Natalie can get a total count as to how many will be bers about their experiences in and out of the Air Force, I participating in the different tours and other events. My also get the chance to learn about what these new people plans are for spending additional days in the area to visit did. with friends and see a bit more of the Northwest. We recently had a visitor to the TAC Tankers web- One of the great benefits of these reunions is that site who looked it over and signed our guestbook. I con- we get to visit a variety of cities as a group instead of trying tacted him, we've had several interesting conversations, to see them on our own. Having transportation furnished as and he e-mailed me orders he had saved from the 4505th a part of reunion also takes a lot of the worry out of driving CAMS at Langley. From them, I have been able to locate in unfamiliar areas. more people who weren't aware that there was an organi- Sadly, the end of February has been a nightmare zation that represented this part of their military service. for people throughout the Midwest who have experienced Current members have also mailed me orders that tornados and the loss of lives and property. We hope that they saved from years past, and we use them to see if we none of you, your extended families or friends, have been can locate potential new members. The downside of the impacted by them. I think back to 2007 when TAC Tankers searching is thinking I've found someone, then learning that held the reunion in Branson, Missouri and the great timewe either they don't have a listed phone, or the one I find for had there, then seeing what the town experienced the 29th them is no longer is in service. I also find that some have of February. The people of Branson are already talking of passed away and try to get their names listed on our web- rebuilding, so with time, it should be back to being a great site.