Attention 71st SOS members Make your plans and reservations now to attend the AC-119 Gunship Reunion. This is the first combined reunion of the 71st, 17th, and 18th SOS Squadrons, and is destined to be very rewarding, memorable, and worthy of your attendance. What makes this reunion a "must attend" event? Consider the following highlights. 1. The reunion is being held at Wright Patterson Air Force Base/Air Force Museum. 2. This is the first 71st, 17th, 18th joint reunion. 3. Memorial service by the 71st/17th plaque in the Air Force Museum Memorial Park to recognize and remember our gunship brothers who are no longer with us. 4. Saturday evening's banquet will be held in the Modern Flight Hangar of the Air Force Museum, adjacent to the Southeast Asia display area. 5. Patriotic and entertaining music provided by USAF Band of Flight, 'Systems Go', a six-member popular music group that performs for hundreds of military protocol functions, community festivals, and high school and university shows annually. 6. The very special banquet guest speaker will be Colonel Ronald W. Terry, USAF (ret.) “Father of the Gunship”. Colonel Terry is considered by many as the driving force in the development of the fixed-wing gunship platform in the mid 1960s. His accomplishments are well documented in the book Development and Employment of Fixed-Wing Gunships 1962-1972 by Jack S. Ballard, Office of Air Force History. The following quote appears on page 8, Chapter 1, Origin and Early Development. "The appearance of Captain Terry as a project pilot proved a propitious development. His personality projected a subtle blending of tact and tenacity, self-confidence and openness, intelligence and common sense, and, most significant for the progress of the gunship, an uncommonly convincing salesmanship." You can view Chapter 1, Origin and Early Development as a PDF document here. 7. The AC-119 Gunship Association commissioned two paintings for presentation to the Air Force Museum on behalf of the Association and its members. The paintings depict the Stinger and the Shadow gunships in action, and will serve to tell our story to future Museum visitors, as well as help preserve our illustrious history. The original paintings will be presented to the Museum during Saturday evening's banquet. Two hundred Museum quality, numbered and signed lithographs of each aircraft type will be made available for sale through the Association during the reunion. Be sure to visit the AC-119 Gunship Reunion web page for ALL reunion details. It is not necessary to join the AC-119 Gunship Association in order to register for the reunion, although your membership would be most welcome. Rooms have been reserved at the Hope Hotel & Conference Center. Attendees must contact the Hope Hotel directly for reservations. Rates should be in the $75 per day range plus tax. Ask for 'Gunship Reunion' rates. Write, Call or Fax: Hope Hotel & Conference Center, Wright Patterson AFB, Dayton, OH 45433-5000, TELEPHONE (937) 879-2696 FAX: (937) 878-8731. There will be a hospitality room for the 71st so that we can meet, greet and converse. It will also serve as our contact point for information and assistance. The Gunship Association will also have a hospitality room, so attendees can visit either or both. Make your reservations NOW. Rooms at the Hope Hotel are filling up fast. Once filled, you will be directed to a nearby hotel/motel. |