January 24, 2019

REUNION 2019

Dear Fellow Handlers,  Lee Ruth has told me that the hotel in New Bern, NC will not have repairs completed before our planned reunion.  I am sure you are sadden as I and Sandy are.  Lee is contacting everyone who was registered for the New Bern reunion to let them know. 
Rather than cancel the reunion, I would like to propose having our reunion in Springfield, MO.  If the membership is okay with this I would like to coordinate the reunion.  We can use the same hotel we did in 2013.  We could arrange for a tour of Fort Leonard Wood, MO home of the Military Police Corps.  I believe costs will not exceed what we were expecting to pay in New Bern.  Those that have sent in their money to Lee we would either apply it to the Springfield reunion or refund the money if you are not going to come to the reunion. 
The dates I am looking at are September 5, 6, 7, and the 8th  2019.
What I envision is we meet Thursday September 5th in the hospitality room.  We tour Fort Leonard Wood, MO by commercial bus either on Friday September 6th or Saturday September 7th.  I would have to leave that date open for Fort Leonard Wood, MO to accommodate us.  Whatever date we do not go to Fort Leonard Wood, MO we use that day for mingling or going out to see the local sites.  Saturday evening September 7th we would have our banquet.  Sunday morning September 8th we would have our goodbye breakfast. 
I am sending this out to only those who I have an email address for.   If you know of anyone who does not use email and you want to let them know please do.  You can either pass on to me their response or they can call me on my cell 713-614-2503.   I am requesting from you a response that you are okay with the solution and that you may or may not be coming to the reunion.  I do not want to sign a contract and then have to back out when I find out no one wants to come.  I hope you understand.  I also need numbers of who will be coming ie. Spouse or children, friends or whatever.  I also would like to know if anyone wants to tour Fort Leonard Wood again.  Again I need numbers for the tour.  If it is a go I will send out a registration form for us to register.  I need to hear from you as soon as you can to lock in the hotel if it is a go.  
If we do not have a reunion in 2019 we will be forced to wait till 2021 because of the agreement we have with the Vietnam Dog Handlers Association (VDHA) to host our reunions on the odd years.  Gary Smith 981st 71-72