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Dates and Hotel for 2003 Reunion Selected

Reasonable Rates for Meals and Accommodations Are Found

After having polled the membership of the 33rd ABAA regarding projected attendance at the 2003 Reunion and subsequent to extended research into the hotels in the vicinity of Heidelberg, Dick Hays, Stan Cornett, and Frank Schlatter, coordinators for the reunion, have set September 1 through September 10, 2003, as the dates for the basic reunion.

Site for the reunion will be the Hotel Zagreb in Schwetzingen, just a short distance from the quarters for the current USAREUR Band and Chorus. According to data provided about the hotel on the internet the hotel was built in 1993, and, according to SFC John Jacobs, a USAREUR Band NCO, who visited the hotel on our behalf: "The Zagreb is a nice looking hotel, and the staff spoke very good English and were very helpful. There are four conference rooms for 65, 100, 120, and 70 people respectively. I viewed the one for 70 people and it seemed very nice, with large windows, making the room bright..."

From e-mail and faxed exchanges with the Hotel Zagreb, the following information can now be provided to members of the 33rd ABAA. First, current rates for overnight accommodations are:

Single Euro 60

Double Euro 90

Three persons Euro 125

Four persons Euro 155

The net price for projected banquets at the hotel is Euro 18. Since the Euro equals about 90 cents USD, it should be clear that the aforementioned Euro prices would make the cost of room accommodations and meals considerably less than what we experienced in Washington, D.C. and in Minneapolis.

In any event, the hotel is setting aside 35 rooms for our reunion. The initial arrangement that we made with the Hotel Zagreb was for sleeping accommodations on September 3 through September 9, with the plan to spend the first day in Frankfurt. However, because the arrival times in Frankfurt are generally in the early morning hours, the plan now is for those attending the reunion to travel by train to Schwetzingen on September 2--which requires just another hour or so before the reunion-goers can get settled in and either "crash" or mosey about Schwetzingen. Thus, the starting date at the Hotel Zagreb will be September 2 for most reunion members. Our current plans call for our room reservations to be made through the travel agency with which Dick Hays has been in contact: Wee Travel, 1380 W. Midway Blvd., Broomfield, CO 80020. (Phone: 1-800-327-4006; Fax: 303-465-2465.)

Reunion members who plan to rent automobiles upon arrival may wish to give some serious thought to whether they want to drive to Schwetzingen on the day of their arrival. Obviously, you are going to be tired after the flight, and we definitely do not want you driving in your sleep!

It should be noted that the use of the Hotel Zagreb on September 9 is contingent on flight times out of Frankfurt. Once our flight times are established, we may deem it necessary to make reservations at a Frankfurt hotel for September 9, so that we will be assured of getting to the airport at the proper time.

Air Travel Plans. At first the coordinators talked about participants in the reunion meeting at a given airport in the states and traveling to Germany on one plane. However, after Dick Hays, chairman of the committee, discussed the matter with our travel agent, it was determined that it would probably be far better for the agency to arrange the flights directly to Frankfurt from whatever airports are near to the homes of those attending. Through this means, the travel agency will be able to employ different airlines through a consolidator, thus obtaining cheaper rates for those making the trip. The travel agency will not begin to make airline reservations until October or November.

Once the process begins for air transportation, those utilizing the services of the travel agency will, within fourteen days of the reservation, need to make a deposit of $125 for each ticket. The remainder of the cost will need to be made at least 45 days prior to departure.

Access to Heidelberg. It would appear that we will find it relatively easy to get into Heidelberg from the hotel. We have been informed that the bus stop is 300 meters from the hotel, and the train is apparently about a five minute walk away.

Internet Information Regarding Our Hotel. Those of you with access to the internet may wish to see some photos of the Hotel Zagreb. You can find some pictures by going first to this web address on Netscape: www.hotel-zagreb.de and then clicking on Willkommen bei www.hotel-zagreb.de

Stan Cornett's "take" on Schwetzingen: "For those of you who haven't seen Schwetzingen, let me assure you that it is a charming German town. It also has a castle built by the Count Karl Theodor in the 17th century. The buildings and grounds are styled after the palace at Versailles. Karl Theodor was the last of Palatinate electors to live in Heidelberg. Church and political disputes caused him to move his court to Mannheim and use the castle in Schwetzingen as a summer or 'get-away' home. The royal family once hosted the child prodigy W.A. Mozart and his sister in a performance given in the castle's Rokoko Theatre. Just seeing the theatre is worth the visit. The 33d performed there a couple of times in the mid 1980's.

"Schwetzingen is renowned in Germany for its spargel (white asparagus). There are some excellent white wines made in the area too. The town is quite near Speyer, in wine country, which offers a wonderful cathedral and picturesque town of its own. Those of you who are into auto racing will be interested in the Hockenheimer Ring near Schwetzingen. I'm told some 'heavy duty' drivers show up there for big stakes races."

Reunion Activities. Over the last month Dick, Stan, and Frank have made numerous projections for things to do during the reunion. Stan has been especially good at making contact with people who run the base operations and infrastructure support for the military community of Heidelberg. Among the details that he has uncovered are these:

1) Patton Barracks will apparently be readily available for us to visit. The requirement for entry is a U.S. passport. Depending on the "current force protection posture" when we are in Germany, we may be able to visit Campbell Barracks as well.

2) Shopping at the PX or Commissary is not allowed and travel on military shuttle buses will not be an option for us.

3) In all likelihood, the Herald Post will be interested in writing about our reunion.

4) AFN is likely to be interested in broadcasting information about our reunion.

Some former USAREUR Chorus members have been in touch with Stan, one of whom--Lynia Ghomley (Chorus 87-89)-- suggested that we look into participating in a Volksmarch as a reunion activity. Stan indicated that there are hundreds--maybe thousands--of volksmarching clubs all over Germany. According to Stan, the groups set out one or two courses (walking trails, bike paths, or both) and put some refreshment stands (beer, soda, bratwurst) and rest stops along the way. The course might range in length from 3 kilometers to 10 kilometers, There is normally a small entrance fee that covers the costs of the medallion or pin given to everyone who crosses a finish line and whatever other overhead is incurred. Some of these volksmarches have an oompah band or Dixieland band playing at the start and, sometimes, the finish.

Stan added that the courses are generally chosen for their natural beauty and intermittent shade. He said, "You normally see the courses wind in and out of forested areas (parks and such). The athletes can enter timed competitions. Everyone else just strolls at whatever pace suits them. These are family activities so you see everyone from the infants in strollers to the grandmas in wheelchairs. Americans and Germans alike get a big kick out of collecting the medallions and pins from all the different towns and wear them on their hiking hats and shirts." Stan has already sent an e-mail to the Heidelberg International Wandering Club to see if there might be something in which we can participate. It may well be that a volksmarch can serve as an afternoon option, or, if reunion-goers are so inclined, an activity to participate in as a group.

Other possible activities were identified in the previous newsletter, and in the weeks to come the coordinating committee will also be looking into how to get the various events into a feasible schedule. Suggestions and comments from members of the 33rd ABAA are always welcome, so feel free to contact any of the coordinators with your views.

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Walter D. Medley, Jr. (Dec. 1949-June 1952) has provided us with a history of the early 33rd, and it is provided here as it was submitted to the 33rd ABAA Secretary-Treasurer in late February of this year.

"As we discussed, here is the information pertaining to the 33rd Army Band prior to January, 1953.

"Prior to January 1, 1953, the 33rd Army Band was activated under Warrant Officer Junior Grade (WOJG) Benjamin R. Durant in Mannheim, Germany. In December 1952, the 33rd Army Band Commanded by Chief Warrant Officer Harry H. Hollowell, and the 80th Army Band under (WOJG) Thomas Reid moved to Heidelberg, Germany to facilitate integration.

In addition, Andy provided his personal review of the eightieth anniversary concert of the US Army Band (conducted by Col. Lamb--96-98) that they had attended in early March. He noted: "Needless to say, it was wonderful and brought tears and a fierce sense of patriotism." Andy said that anyone who visits the D.C. area should be aware that the band's performances are posted on their website: http://www.army.mil/armyband/fr_calendar.htm. The Old Guard Fife and Drum Corps perform every Wednesday night from mid-April to the end of July on the Ellipse. The Army Band performs from June through August near the Washington Monument every Tuesday at 8 and the concerts are free. The website, he says, has a more definitive schedule.