Planners of 2001 Reunion Seek Membership Views
The coordinators for the Minneapolis, Minnesota, reunion of
the 33rd Army Band Alumni Association, to be held the weekend of June 16-18,
2001, June 21-24, 2001, have developed a questionnaire regarding the get-together. The
purpose of the questionnaire is to learn who is planning to attend and to obtain
feedback about the kinds of activities the attendees want during the
reunion.
The questionnaire is included with this newsletter, along with a stamped, addressed envelope to be sent to Lorelei Giddings, President of the 33rd ABAA and Chairman for the event. (Note - The questionnaire and stamped envelope are not included in this website copy of the newsletter.) Please take a few minutes to complete the questionnaire and mail it to Lorelei. Your input will be helpful in determining the makeup of the reunion. Please bear in mind that the questionnaire is simply that: a questionnaire. It is not a reservation form. Registration materials for the conference will be mailed to 33rd ABAA members in early 2001, at which time you will be encouraged to make room reservations and send in your registration fee.
As noted in the previous newsletter, the coordinators had planned for reunion-goers to attend a concert of the 451st Army Band. Unfortunately, we have since learned that the 451st will not be performing during the time of our reunion, and thus that particular activity will not be available to us. The activities listed in the questionnaire, though, are still available as possible reunion events.
You are requested to return your completed questionnaire to Lorelei by November 1.
UPDATE ON 33RDERS
(The newly "found" and address changes)
AIKMAN, William
R.
ANFINSON, Roland
BARLETTA, Bob
BURGE,Catherine
COLLINSWORTH, Roger
CORNETT,
Stanley N.
DRENNER, Dale
ELLIOT, David
GARMAN, Steve
GRANZOW, Robert
GROSHELL, JR., Howard G.
HAMILTON, COL. Finley
HARRIS, MSG (Ret) Francis
HELLER,
George
HUDSON, George
HUSCHKA, Keith G.
LAMB, Gary
MEYERSON, Don
PHOENIX, Scott
SMITH, Joseph
WESTERHOUSE, Jim
WOOD, Lane
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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 is $15, payable to the 33rd ABAA and sent to the secretary-treasurer.
Current officers of the association
President: Lorelei Giddings, 4323 Longfellow Ave., Minneapolis, MN 55407. Tel: 612-729-4413. E-mail: oboemuse@uswest.net
Vice-President: Gene Karjala, 10810 St. Croix Trail North, Marine on St. Croix, MN 55047. Tel: 651-433-4351 E-mail: karja002@tc.umn.edu
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
Keith Huschka, Clarinet, '63-'64, wrote regarding his "healthy and interesting life". He married Karen in Heidelberg. "We had a son Todd and three foster children. Worked for Penney's, K-Mart and a local newspaper in advertising. Karen died of breast cancer at 37 and the next four years I finished raising the kids. The only music during this time was as a church choir director for 3 or 4 years. Evansville is a town of about 3,000 people and there were a lot of Sundays that we had a bigger choir than there were people in the pews. Set the course record at the old 9-hole golf course...won a city tennis tournament in doubles.
"Married Mari in '84. We had a daughter Natalie, and two boys from her previous marriage. Lived on a farmette and raised Pot-Bellied pigs (we got in at the beginning), Llamas and lots of other critters. Answered an ad in the classifieds for a sax player...and after 25 years of not playing, I found myself doing 4 nights a week with sax, clarinet and fiddle in a polka/country/50's-60's band. Went to Madison Newspapers in '85 and it was great until I turned 55 and they tried to force me out.. I refused to go, stayed 3 more years, and last Oct., I felt the time was right.
"During all this, Mari decides to go in a different direction. She lives on the farmette and I'm in a city townhouse with Natalie and my new wife Irma Jean. Nat is in the 10th grade and the two stepsons are at UW Minnesota and UW Madison. I work part time at a small video store and help Todd some at his custom and Snaidero cabinet business. Retired for the second (and final) time from our band last summer. I had cut back a lot the past couple of years but it was getting old, and I do not miss playing.
"I cherish the past (History minor) but my recall of names, faces and events is not good. I hope others will be able to refresh my memory as to what it was "really" like back in '60 something (I'm not real sure of the dates... who were the 2 band members that stood up for us at the wedding... and, I thought Westerhouse said I could have his Guggenheimer albums in Chicago...etc.).
"Hello to all...Great to be in Touch."
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Jim Westerhouse, '62-'63, Piano & percussion (Nov. 62-Nov. 63) wrote in early July, saying: "I plan to spend part of the holiday transferring 7th Army Chorus records to tapes to CDs. I may not get them all finished but I'll start. When done I'll send you a set for the archives. Isora Heckel (Chorus75-76) lent me a copy of a record that the band and chorus did just before she joined. Do you know if anyone has any recordings of the Band that they would be willing to share? I have mentioned it to Sgt. Breeze, but she never responded and I get the feeling that even if the archive recordings exist, they probably wont distribute them. If anyone has indicated they have recordings, please have them contact me. All I want are cassette recordings and I can put them on CDs and return copies if they are interested. Any accompanying documentation would help, such as titles, dates, personnel, pictures, etc. If there is time to include this in the newsletter, please do so. I would appreciate it. In the meantime, I will try to get "stuff" from last year's reunion off to you soon. So much has passed my plate this past year that I have gotten behind on a lot of things. I owe you some videos from the reunion. Haven't heard from anyone who has video of the "Friday night Band" so could you mention it again? I know it's on the Bulletin Board but no response yet and other people were taking videos. I would like to add the remaining 4 pieces to my video. I can tell you this much, my physical profile has certainly changed a lot since then!!!
*****
CONGRATULATIONS AND GOOD WISHES are in order for Paul Tuttle (Clarinet, Sax. Bassoon--72-74) and Vada Rhoads (Trombone & Tuba--91-94) who are planning to be married on 21 October 2000. Paul left the service in '74, attended Moorhead State University as a voice major, became a police officer in Moorhead, then in '85 joined the Richmond Police Dept., where he has been ever since. Currently, he is the woodwind group leader, Administration NCOIC, Drum Major for the 80th Division Army Band and plays clarinet in concert band and bari sax in stage band. Earlier this summer he spent two weeks in Ft. Leonard Wood, where their outfit replaced the 399th Army Band when they went on blanket leave. Paul now sings in the Richmond Symphony Chorus and the Richmond Concert Chorale.
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Greg Browne (Dec. 67-Dec. 70) wrote to indicate that the USAREUR Post Herald article in the last newsletter has been on the following Internet site for over two years: http://www.aracnet.com/~brownes/band33d.htm
The article was previously written up in the May, 1998 newsletter. Greg noted that his "page is a rework of the article, but contains pointers to 3 different sizes of pictures of the actual pages."
*****
Scott Phoenix (Nov.73-Sep-75): Howdy! Imagine my surprise in finding this site!!!! I am listed as unfound (henceforth found) and that I was in the band in '75... Good job with the site. I would like to make a reunion and will spread the word about the site. I played clarinet (not well) and, unfortunately, was a bit of a pain in the ass to the Chief Warrant Officer Herbert Billhartz, to whom I have subsequently apologized via a message on his machine (no return call - don't blame him!). This is a god deal. One time my wife and I were driving back to Oregon from San Diego when we stopped in at Ft. Ord. I wanted to see the site of my basic and AIT and we heard the band practicing on the large field by the band barracks. I recognized Ken Erion immediately by the erectness of his stance. He was then the drum major and sergeant 1st class. This was one of the guys who said he was getting out of the Army as soon as he could. Well..."
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ABOUT THE FOLLOWING PICTURES
Martin Leibolt (June 81-85) sent us the pictures reproduced below. Martin found the pix in his attic, doesn't know how he got them, but (with the editor of the newsletter) would be interested in someone providing some identification of those who are in the picture. The first picture of the entire band was apparently taken in 1976.
The second picture, showing the brass in front of the band, was identified as taken in Jordan, also in 1976. The third picture is apparently a rehearsal that focuses on the clarinets and saxes, but we don't have any identification for who is in the picture and when it was taken. The fourth picture from Martin also shows the clarinet section plus the horns passing in review--but what was the occasion? On the back of this picture is one word "Andy."
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IN THE NEXT ISSUE: The editor hopes to include pictures recently sent by Scott Phoenix (73-75).