Notes from the President That survey was extremely important as it was your We dodged another one! Hurricane Dennis was pow- voice to assist the board in carrying out Association erful but fortunately, it moved through rapidly and did- business. Unfortunately, we had very little response. n’t do the same level of damage as Ivan. Gus was Based on what we, had and the issues we face, we without power for a while and he has plenty on his needed to make an early decision on where reunion plate at work trying to get things back to normal. Still, 2006 will be held. We are going west to Albuquerque! he and Norm have stayed on top of things and they Steve Mac Isaac has agreed to take the lead and promise AC-119 Gunship Reunion VI to be great! make it special. This news may get the hair some of Just to recap the planned events. Friday evening at your backs up but the simple fact remains, we needed the welcome mixer we will have a professional pho- to get something rolling now for a successful 2006 re- tographer taking squadron pictures, and if we have union and we acted on input we had. There are numer- enough folks, we will include some crew pictures as ous factors that affected the board’s considerations in well. Please be there by 5pm so we can get you making this decision—it wasn’t treated lightly. Bottom and your guest in the photos. We also encourage line...you elected us to steer this organization and act on your behalf. We are doing just that. you to wear flight suits and/or party suits if you can still get them on. This year’s membership meeting will be full of issues On Saturday, while we are in the annual membership that need your input. For a starters, we will be voting meeting, the hotel will set an area up so the women on where we plan on going in 2007. Over the years, can have a breakfast/brunch while we conduct busi- we’ve learned that we need to plan our reunions two ness. Following the meeting, we will have a memorial years in advance; we need to address that and make it service and dedication of the AC-119K Stinger Memo- happen. There are other important issues that we need rial in the Hurlburt Air Park. We will be honored by to discuss and get your input on during the meeting, having special guests with us who are family mem- aside from electing the officers for 2006 season. I will bers of those we lost while in SEA. do my best to provide read-ahead of those issues with your membership packet so that we can try and cover Due to heightened security at the gate, you are all the issues in the one meeting. asked to sign up for the reunion early. We need to turn in the list in to Hurlburt Security NLT Septem- This will be the last newsletter going out to you before ber 16. the reunion. Bill Petrie will continue to add new, reun- ion relevant, information as it becomes available. I plan Back at the hotel, we will continue gathering member on adding another “letter to the members” which Bill inputs for our history project. Saturday evening’s will put on the web site. banquet will be special with Brigadier General Heine Take care and I’ll see you at the Hooch. Alderholt (ret), Father of the Air Commandos, as our guest speaker at the Elk’s Club. Craig Corbett, President Sunday will be an open day for you to spend as you AC-119 Gunship Association desire with golfing, fishing, or whatever else you wish to do while in sunny Florida. we will have our Farewell Party at the poolside. There will be a VA briefing in Inside this Issue the afternoon that will focus on items of interest Viet- nam era vets. Later in the afternoon we will have our Page 3 Officer Reports poolside Farewell Party. We also hope to scan lots of pictures into our computer so please pictures from your days in SEA that you wouldn’t mind sharing with Page 6 Reunion Speaker others. As I said, lots of work is being accomplished by a few to make Reunion VI special. I hope you can join us as Page 7 Reunion Agenda I know you will have a terrific time. Early in the preparation for this year’s reunion, we ….and much more asked each of you to complete a survey. THE FIRING CIRCLE The AC-119 Gunship Association If you have concerns, suggestions or questions, please Formed during our first-ever AC-119 Gunship Reun- contact any of the officers at: ion in October 2000, the AC-119 Gunship Association Reunion VI is a brotherhood of men who served with the 71st, Coordinators President 17th and 18th Special Operations Squadrons in the (Ft Walton Beach) Craig Corbett US & Southeast Asia during The Vietnam War. Sept 30, Oct 1, 2, 2005 (703) 923-0476 Who is Eligible to Join? Phone (850) 863-9649 [email protected] You are eligible for membership if you served with the [email protected] [email protected] 71st, 17th or 18th SOS as an Air Crew or Ground Crew Member, on the AC-119G Shadow or the AC- & Norm Evans Vice President 119K Stinger Gunships. There are also Associate and Phone (850) 864-0923 Henry “Bud” Buchanan Family (only annual memberships) (there is no charge [email protected] 253-924-0257 for surviving spouse’s of deceased life members) [email protected] memberships available. Contact the Association Sec- Chaplain retary for full information on all types of memberships Larry Hunter Treasurer available. 850-244-0530 Doug Wohlgamuth How to Join [email protected] 813-781-5728 Obtain an application for membership in this newslet- Chaplain [email protected] ter or on the Association Website, fill out & submit the Leigh Norstrum application to the Association Membership, with a 915-795-1132 Secretary money order or check made out to The AC-119 Gun- Jim Alvis ship Association. We offer an annual membership at VA Information Officer 317-846-4130 Ray Barradale $20.00 per year or a lifetime membership for $119.00 [email protected] (available only to regular members). Surviving 570-722-2067 Webmaster spouse’s of life members, become life members auto- [email protected] Bill Petrie matically Awards & Dec’s Officer 405-721-4490 Steve Mac Isaac My Obligations As a Member [email protected] Just like Southeast Asia, where it took every man in (302) 249-4130 the 71st, 17th & 18th SOS to accomplish assigned [email protected] Past Board Member missions, every member of the AC-119 Gunship As- Rogers Stevens sociation is essential to the preservation and better- 304-584-4506 ment of the Association. As a member, you can help [email protected] solidify and improve the Association by attending re- unions if possible, contacting and enlisting new eligi- ble members, making suggestions, and communicat- In order to save time & expense, we will attempt to send the ing with any of the Association Officers. Newsletter to all members we have email addresses for. If a member can not down load the Newsletter, or if we do not have an email address, it will sent by regular mail. If you want back issues of the Newsletter, please contact Everett Sprous. If you have questions or con- Acrobat Reader free download: tacts with new members or www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html our fallen heroes (families), please contact the following Have you moved or changed your email address? When you move to a different residence or change your officers at: email address, please let us know right away. By doing so, you will avoid delays and missed issues of the Firing Circle New Member/Family Research Officer and other important communications. This is especially true Jim Terry for LIFE members who do not renew annually. Help us keep 707-422-6774 the AC-119 Gunship Association membership roster up-to- date by keeping us informed. [email protected] Newsletter Editor Write to: Jim Alvis, AC-119 Gunship Association, 3110 Ma- qua Court, Carmel, IN 46033-4136 Everett Dale Sprous cell 314-614-6131 (Cingular) Email me at: [email protected] [email protected] 2 THE FIRING CIRCLE Thanks to the great detective work of Jim Terry and Wayne ICE Laessig, we are really excited to have these special quests This is a good idea. Paramedics will turn joining us at this year’s reunion. These are family members to a victim's cell phone for clues to that person's of our fallen comrades. identity. You can make their job much easier with The Family of: a simple idea that they are trying to get everyone to adopt: ICE. Robert Fage--KIA ICE stands for In Case of Emergency. If Dewight Fage--Son you add an entry in the contacts list in your cell Sheila Ware phone under ICE, with the name and phone no. SSgt Kenneth Brown--KIA of the person that the emergency services should Thomas Reitz--Son call on your behalf, you can save them a lot of Dolores Reitz--Daughter-in-Law time and have your loved ones contacted quickly. Robert Reitz--Grandson It only takes a few moments of your time to do. Kristen Reitz--Granddaughter Paramedics know what ICE means and they look Sandra Reitz--Wife for it immediately.