Reunion
Plans for Denver in '06 Move Forward
With a Slight Modification in Course
All former 33rders, family, and friends planning to attend the 2006 Reunion of the 33rd ABAA in Denver the third weekend in June will want to know that there has been a slight alteration in our plans. The Executive Hotel coordinator for the event we had scheduled for the hotel contacted Frank Schlatter in July to inform him that the Executive Hotel was readying to undergo a complete remodeling of the facility which would, of necessity, make it impossible for us to hold our reunion there. She said she was committed to finding an alternate hotel for us, and because Frank was planning to visit Denver the following weekend, he indicated to her that he would stop by the Executive Hotel to discuss the situation with her.
True to her word, when they met that weekend, the Executive Hotel coordinator provided Frank with several great possibilities, the upshot of which is that our reunion is now going to be held at a facility Frank had considered to be so much out of our reach that he previously had not given the hotel a second thought. The hotel (pictured below) is the Adam's Mark Hotel. It is situated right on the 16th Street Mall in Denver and is providing us with the exact same room rates that we were scheduled to have with the previous hotel--$90 for a single, $95 for a double.
The contract with the Adam's Mark Hotel has been signed and room reservation procedures have been supplied to us. To make reservations, you will want to phone the hotel at 1-800-444-2326. According to the hotel, you need to contact the hotel at least 30 days prior to your arrival date, identifying yourself as part of the 33rdABAA Reunion and providing the hotel with your name, requested type of room, requested bed type (i.e., king, double/double queen, twin or suites), check-in and check-out dates. Our special room rates will be honored for us "three (3) days before Group arrival and three (3) days after Group departure based on availability." Essentially, the Group arrival date will be June 16; therefore, if you will be arriving on that date, you must have your reservation in the hotel no later than May 16. Our contract with the hotel indicates that if you make reservations less than thirty days prior to your arrival date, they will be accepted "on a space available basis, at the higher of the contract rate or the rate available at the time."
ROOM
REGISTRATION FEES AND DEADLINE
It is also important that
all attending the reunion forward their registration fee(s) for the Reunion to
Frank Schlatter so that he has them by May 16. The basic registration fee
for each participant will cover the costs for the Saturday evening banquet, the
Sunday morning breakfast meeting at the hotel, and food and drink costs in the
hospitality room.
In the survey taken regarding possible pre- or post-Reunion activities (such as a bus trip to one or more towns or scenic sites in the nearby mountains), there is certainly sufficient interest for such an outing after the Reunion proper, and the Reunion Committee will therefore look into hiring a bus for Monday, June 19 and will establish one or more destinations of interest. A few individuals expressed interest in a pre-Reunion outing, and we are hopeful that something for them might also be arranged--not necessarily a bus, but perhaps a van and one or two automobiles to form a small caravan.
At this time we do not know just what our meal, food and drink costs are going to be. Nor do we have a handle on the costs for buses and vans for the pre- and post-Reunion events. Furthermore, we still do not know what will be playing at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, which some Reunion goers may wish to attend. Nevertheless, we hope to obtain such information by the time the next newsletter is published so we can include a Reunion registration form for your use that will cover the various contingencies.
Such completed registrations will need to be sent to Frank Schlatter by May 16 in order to meet our contractual commitment with the hotel to pre-pay for our meals and meeting rooms 21 days prior to our arrival and to meet whatever commitments we make with transportation companies and/or the theater.
THOSE
"GIVING SERIOUS CONSIDERATION TO ATTENDING THE 2006 REUNION"
You
will recall that a survey card was included with the last newsletter. On
the basis of that survey and Frank's telephone exchanges with some others, the
parties below have indicated that they are "giving serious consideration to
attending the Denver Reunion." If you are planning to attend the
reunion and you are included in the listing below, please contact Frank and let
him know whether you plan to stay at the Adam's Mark, the number who will
accompany you, your interest in being included in a pre- or post-trip to the
mountains, and whether you would be interested in playing in our reunion
"concert"-noting your instrument if you plan to play.
The
current list of those hoping to attend, with the number
of participants that may
be involved in each case, as of Aug. 20:
| Name, number in party, (#-Will room at hotel) | *Would play in "concert" (instrument identified) | Tour dates with 33rd |
| Robert Arledge (1) # | *Euphonium | 1969 |
| Steve Barnhart (1-2?) # | *Percussion | 74-76 |
| Julie & Milton Belle (2) | 79-93 | |
| Tony Bencivenga (2) # | *Tuba | 64-66 |
| Michael Bradbury (2-maybe 3)# | 73-78 | |
| Catherine Burge | 88-90 | |
| Donald & Melanie Craig (4) # | *Clarinet & Trombone | 75-80/89-92 |
| Lou Driever (2) # | *Trumpet | 55-56 |
| Ken Erion (2) # | 73-79 | |
| John Field (2) # | *Conductor | 69-72 |
| Lorelei Giddings & "Fish" Kaye (2) # | *Oboe & Trombone | 77-79/76-79 |
| Frank Gomes (2) # | 55-56 | |
| Melvin Good (2) # | 55 | |
| Joe Haba (2) | *Tuba | 60-62 |
| Eugene Hawk (2) # | 61-65 | |
| Dennis Hoeppner (2) # | 57-58 | |
| Dick Hays (2-5) | *Clarinet/Oboe | 57-58 |
| Wirt (Phil) Jones (2) # | *Trumpet | 56-57 |
| Tom Kerkman (2) # | 57-58 | |
| William Lesher (1) | 54-56 | |
| George Masche (2) # | *Tuba | 54-56 |
| Raymond McCallister (2) # | 56-58 | |
| Greg Miller (2) | *Clarinet/Alto Sax | 57-59 |
| Scott Phoenix (3) # | *Clarinet | 75 |
| Fritz Schaufele (1) # | *Tuba | 59-63 |
| Frank Schlatter (4) #(2) | *Flute | 56-58 |
| Lowell Skabo (2) # | *Clarinet | 56-57 |
| Bill Steiden (2) # | 56-58 | |
| Paul Stevens (2) | 63 | |
| Ken Stickel (2) # | 56-57 | |
| John Tauber (2) # | 56-57 | |
| Dee Tonning (2) # | *Clarinet | 56-57 |
| Bill Woodworth (2) # | *Trombone | 56-58 |
| Ken Winkle (2) # | *Euphonium | 59-61 |
| David Yoshioka (1 or 2) # | 56-57 |
___________________________________________________________
About the 33rd Army Band Alumni Association
The 33rd
Army Band Alumni Association is a not-for-profit organization that has been
developed to provide a means for former members of the USAREUR Band to be in
contact with one another via the quarterly newsletter Passing
In Review and through periodic reunions.
33rd
ABAA CEO: Frank Schlatter, 3111 Futura, Roswell, NM 88201.
E-mail: obfusa@rt66.com Telephone
number: 505-622-6898. Fax:
505-622-1611.
Webmaster
for the 33rd ABAA internet site: Dee
Tonning, 2265 Tawny Woods Pl., Boise, ID 83706.
E-mail: dtonning@aol.com.
Local
Coordinator for 2006 reunion in Denver the third weekend in June: Greg Miller,
5252 Golf Course Dr., Morrison, CO 80465-2104. E-mail: greg-miller@comcast.net.
The
organization's web site: http://www.rt66.com/~obfusa/33rd.
Persons who are not former members of the 33rd Army Band but who are interested in participating in the activities of the alumni association are welcome as associate members. Annual dues for all members: $15, payable to the 33rd ABAA and sent to the CEO. The normal dues cycle is from January to January. but dues can be paid at any time.
___________________________________________________________
Bill Lesher (54-56) wrote regarding the 6 color photos on the last page of the June 05 Passing in Review, the 1st photo (top left corner of the page). He said that second from the left is Walter Stuckey, French horn player and and chorus member from Arkansas--the one with the red glass in his right hand. Bill also identified the clarinet player in the right-hand picture in the second row from the top as Bob Vellico from Hollywood, Florida.
SSG David O. Scott (83-87) wrote to inform us that the only e-mail that should be used for him is the following: Snwblldave@aol.com.
Fred McCall (68-70) wrote to discuss some pictures that he had forwarded to the newsletter in 2004. Some of those pix from the time that he was with the band are reproduced at the end of this newsletter. (Thanks Fred!)
Fred informed us that he was made an honorary member of the music association in the town of Dilsberg along the Nekar River in 1970, saying that he had recently been in touch with them in the last month. He wrote: "There are still 6 people in their band who remember me and other guys from the 33rd that supported them. I would like to send them copies of the pictures I sent to you, and of course I wish to make additional copies. The current president of their band was 6 years old at the time but still remembers us!"
Fred referred to an e-mail from Reinhard Greulich in Dilsberg, a communication that had been forwarded to the German Band with which he performs in LA. He said he believes Reinhard would like to hear from anybody else from the 33rd who may have assisted the band in Dilsberg.
Those wishing to get in touch with Fred can reach him at 9870 Amalfi Way, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 91730. His e-mail address is Fredrose1978@aol.com.
Catherine Burge (88-90) wrote an e-mail that linked to a website that provides an interesting account and pictures related to those who guard the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. If you are interested, you might want to contact Catherine for the URL . Her e-mail address is CATBURGE@aol.com.
Catherine formerly resided in Aurora, CO, but now lives in Sebring, FL., where she is the chair of the South Florida Community College Music Dept. in Avon Park, FL.
When asked regarding the 2006 reunion, she wrote: "We'd love to come! I am out of school by then, no problem." So we are hoping she will be joining with us in Denver next June.
Dana O'Riley (Chorus Member 91-93) e-mailed us to say that First Sgt Gerding was First Sgt. after Craig and before Sage, noting that it was "Somewhere around 92/93." She also provided us with a couple of photos taken in '91 or '92 on an FTX. She may be e-mailing us some other photos, in which case we will look into including one, two, or more of them in the next newsletter.
She provided the following information: Ron Blomberg, who played trumpet, retired in Heidelberg and, as far as she knows, is still there. She said that Marcy Larson is currently the Sergeant Major of the USAREUR Band, and she noted that Barry Fletcher (clarinet) is working at the University of Maryland in Heidelberg, along with Frank Harris.
Dana's husband, whom she met in Heidelberg in 1991, is Dan O'Riley--an O2N (piano). When they left the band, they went to Ft. Stewart for a couple of years and then went back to the USAREUR Band from 97 to 2003. They are now at Ft. McPherson, which, according to Dana "will probably shut down soon." She said that a reunion would be fun, but there is a real question as to where they will be next year, suggesting that it would be great to go back to Heidelberg, which is like their "second home".
| [From The Post Herald of Friday, May 1, 1970, p.3] By German Group Army Bandsman Honored Dilsberg - SP5 Fred W. McCall III of the USAREUR Band was made an honorary member of the Dilsberg Music Association in a ceremony here April 18 [1970] when he was presented a diploma stating that his name will be carried on the association's membership scroll forever. The honor was given McCall for his dedication to the association and his outstanding musicianship as a baritonist. He has been participating in concerts and rehearsals of the group for more than a year. Herr Peter Schwan, the group's director, said "His ability on baritone has added immeasurably to the success of the band." He has been the principal baritonist in the USAREUR Band for more than 18 months and before that was in the CONARC Band at Ft. Monroe, VA. Before enlisting in the Army, McCall studied music at the University of Miami where his father is the band director. Not content to support only the Dilsberg Band, he also plays in Gaiberg and Dossenheim. In the past year McCall has played more than 60 concerts in the Heidelberg area. "I'm here in Germany and I feel I should get to know the people. This is the first time in my life I have seen such friendship among people of a town, and I'm very proud to have the honor of being made a member of the association and being called a 'Dilsberger'," he said. |
,
33rd Army Band - Erbach, July 19, 1969
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________