Anyone who has had to deal with an individual who has lost his hold on reality knows just how difficult it is to get through to that person. Indeed, not only do we find ourselves ill-equipped on a personal level to contend with the un-sane, but most of the institutions we have set up to deal with mental illness are also woefully inept. So it is no surprise that when a band of crazed terrorists goes berserk, the leaders of the free world also experience great difficulty in their efforts to control the seemingly uncontrollable.

Those people who characterize the United States as the "Great Satan" certainly have a distorted view of our country, and when they go beyond the mouthing of epithets to conducting war on innocent people, it would appear that our leaders have no other recourse but to resort to the use of military force to hunt them down and remove them from the world. One can but wonder what brings on the madness of terrorists. It's clear, though, that those who strike down others and, at the same time, maintain that they are doing what they do with God's blessing have come up with a very different interpretation from the rest of us regarding the intent of the Words of God found in our various sacred scriptures. Equally obvious, their discordant actions can not be allowed to prevail in a world in which harmony is the only true standard for the well-being of all the peoples of the earth. --F.D.S.

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Except for those 33rd ABAA members with internet connections who were given instructions in July on downloading the July newsletter, all individuals who once served with the 33rd Army Band and for whom we have postal addresses (both dues-paying members and non-dues persons) received in July a survey form related to the Heidelberg reunion scheduled for 2003. At the time this October newsletter is being developed we received 29 completed survey forms. Of those who sent in their responses, 11 indicated on their form that there was a 50% chance or less that they would attend the reunion in Heidelberg. Of the remaining 18 forms 13 respondents indicated that they could attend the reunion in September-October, and some of those same individuals indicated that the May-June time frame would also work for them. There was a total of 11 respondents who identified the May-June period as suitable for them.

If all the individuals who identified on their survey forms the September-October period were to attend the reunion along with the other family members or friends they identified on their forms, the total number of persons attending would be about 36.

Most of he respondents who identified a preference for the September-October time span indicated that the duration of the reunion should be between 7 and 14 days.

A review of the suggested activities of the 2003 reunion shows that the activities receiving the most votes included sightseeing in the Heidelberg area, taking a cruise on the Neckar River, attending a symphony concert, visiting with the 33rd Army Band at their quarters, and shadowing the band to one or more of its "gigs". If there were sufficient time, respondents also indicated a desire to travel to Berchtesgaden/Garmisch for a couple of days. One respondent who spent some time in Germany in the 80's indicated that by bus it would take a full day to reach Berchtesgaden, and he said that the traffic on the autobahn to Salzburg through Munich was bumper to bumper. He noted that the beauty of the Bavarian Alps would be well worth the trip, but if the reunion only lasted five actual days, going to Berchtesgaden would allow about six minutes in Heidelberg. That, he noted, would be unreasonable for it "takes us 33rders that long to drink one beer!"

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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. The organization's website: http://www.rt66.com/~obfusa/33rd. Webmaster for the site: Dee Tonning, 2265 Tawny Woods Pl., Boise, ID 83706. E-mail:dtonning@aol.com

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 secretary-treasurer.

Current officers of the association

President: Dick Hays, 820 Nickel Street, Broomfield, CO 80020. Tel: 303-466-7006 E-mail: Corangle@aol.com

Secretary-Treasurer, Membership, and Newsletter Editor: Frank Schlatter, 3111 Futura, Roswell, NM 88201 Tel: 505-622-6898 Fax: 505-622-1611 E-Mail: obfusa@rt66.com

Campbell, George M. (75-77), 

Goff, Steve (95-98)  

Granzow, Robert (80's). 

LeCompt, Paul J., 

Mark, Gareth L. (75-77), 

McClurkin, L.C (82-85). 

Morgan, John A. 

Price, Allen (73-75)

Stickel, Ken (56-57) New telephone number: 520-742-6098. New E-mail: nanken@quest.net

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Rick McFerron (75-78) wrote: "Greetings--I'm sorry I didn't get to see you in Minneapolis. I have to admit that I've not been a very good 33rd ABAA member. Teri and I just completed the questionnaire about the Heidelberg reunion and we will send it soon...so we can continue to be active members. I hope everyone had a great time in MN and I think the planning so far for the Germany trip is great. I think that within the next few years we will be able to plan for the trip. I've been dealing with kids starting college, a daughter getting married, and a father whose recovery from hip surgery is getting better every day.

"Keep up the good work, Frank--we appreciate all that you do."

L.C. McClurkin (82-85) provided a biographical accounting, noting that he had been the Percussion Section Leader, a Squad Leader, The War Plans NCO, and the leader of a 21 man loading / unloading crew, and the first bandsman soldier to attend PLDC in Germany at the time when he performed on vibes in the stage band, played snare drum in ceremonies, and played drum set on Fest band gigs. L.C. noted that he retired at the rank of Master Sergeant in August 1996 at Ft. McPherson, Ga., then "gigged as a One Man Electric Jazz Orchestra" at the Sheraton Atlanta Hotel for a couple of years. He later taught drum lessons at a Jackson music store in College Park, Georgia and then "got a real job working at the Main Post Office in Atlanta, Georgia, as a Window Distribution Clerk in 1997." When his wife took a job in Germany in 1999, he was on the road again and has since been "gigging around Germany in Military Clubs", playing at Graf., Hohenfels, Ansbach, and Stuttgart Clubs. He also noted that he has performed with German musicians for weddings, and was a feature soloist with the Parsberg Symphonic Orchestra.. From Nov. 2000 - June 2001 in Stuttgart and Ansbach, he was awarded recognition certificates for his participation in cultural community events ranging from art shows, expositions, luncheons, Christmas parties, and concerts at the commissary. He said: "Since there is no Army Band in this area I picked up the slack and really had fun and exposure."

Greg Miller (57-59) recently forwarded the following poem, which, according to his e-mail, is apparently attributed to Diane Kacher.

One

As the soot and dirt and ash rained down,

We became one color.

As we carried each other down the stairs of the burning building,

We became one class.

As we lit candles of waiting and hope,

We became one generation.

As the firefighters and police officers fought their way into the inferno,

We became one gender.

As we fell to our knees in prayer for strength,

We became one faith.

As we whispered or shouted words of encouragement,

We spoke one language.

As we gave our blood in lines a mile long,

We became one body.

As we mourned together the great loss,

We became one family.

As we cried tears of grief and loss,

We became one soul.

As we retell with pride of the sacrifice of heroes,

We become one people.

We are

One color

One class

One generation

One gender

One faith

One language

One body

One family

One soul

One people

We are The Power of One.

We are United.

We are America.

This candle was lit on the 11th of September, 2001.

Please pass it on to your friends & family so that

it may shine all across America.

"A candle loses nothing by lighting another candle."

Scott Phoenix (73-75), in an e-mail to Dee Tonning wrote regarding the Minneapolis reunion, which he had missed, saying: "Looks as if everyone had a grand time. I'd have far preferred being there than doing what I had to. I can identify Bob Davies (D.C. reunion photo). He is the person (dark hair, mustache, laughing) listed as unknown at the far right of the 3rd row from the bottom (next to Steve Barnhart). Bob is a very nice fellow, as you know if you've met him. He and I shared some nice experiences and he helped light my darkened path. A nickname for him was Slob Bob because every doorknob he touched after having made himself a peanut butter/honey sandwich became sticky."

After asking for Ken Elkins' address, he continued: "I enjoyed him and his French wife very much. They loved to participate in Volkswanderlungen and one time several other band members and Ken and his wife signed up for one on the west side of the Rhein (can't recollect the name, unfortunately). The Elkinses were not real happy to find out that what they thought would be a choice of either a 10 kilo or a 20 kilo walk was only the longer walk. But these were folks committed to earning those nice medals awarded to those who complete the walks, and they valiantly strode off. I can still see them haggardly striding toward the finish area, desperately trying to beat the time limit in order to earn the medal They made it as time ran out and the food/drink time afterwards was especially welcome. I have photos of the Elkinses holding their medals, big smiles framing them."

Ed.Note: We'd love to hear from more former 33rders. Let us know what you're doing (and how you're doing it). We also like getting your remembrances of what went on in the 33rd when you were with the band.

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The pictures accompanying this newsletter show how easy it is for me to remind myself on a daily basis of my time in Germany with the USAREUR Headquarters Band in Heidelberg. As I hope will be clearly evident, the photos on the next two pages are of my Marklin HO train system, the starter set for which I purchased at Carl Knobloch's on Sofienstrasse in Heidelberg. As I noted in my "I Remember" remarks presented at the Washington, D.C. reunion and included in the July 1999 Passing In Review, the set may not have cost a great deal initially but it has now become an expensive hobby that takes up what was formerly a small shop room in our home but has now expanded to our back porch. The pictures that are shown on the first of the two photo pages were taken inside the former shop room. The pictures on the second page, except for the one showing a train awaiting the passing of another, are of that portion of the layout that is on the porch--the section with the ski lift and the skiers, and which I consider my Bavarian Alps region.

If you're unfamiliar with Marklin trains, you probably wouldn't know that the German-made units are not compatible with American HO trains. The Marklin tracks actually have a middle third rail that most people don't notice; whereas the American model trains are two-rail systems. One of the major benefits of the three rail system is how easy it is to wire--and the sensational head-on crashes that you can have if a train gets past the signals that control the movements of the various trains. Without great difficulty, I can generally run three trains at once in the limited space I have. It may be compressed, but it's my little Germany! So, as you can see: I can go to Germany everyday! --F.D.S.