BOXCAR VETERANS

Since the Boxcar Association was founded during our first Reunion in Arlington, Virginia in 1991, we have held Annual Reunions every year; we have scheduled our Sixteenth Boxcar Reunion for the 15th through the 18th of June, 2006 in Fresno, California.

Hotel Reservation phone Numbers are listed in this Newsletter; note that their special rates cover the days from the 15th through the 20th, so that you may choose to stay a couple days longer at the special rate. We have never before held a Reunion on the West Coast, and we are hoping for a great turnout, with a lot of first-time attendees. As we have forty-four Boxcar Vets in just the three West Coast states alone, a large attendance should be easy. The Spring Newsletter (should be out in April) will be filled with Reunion details from Hosts Andy Killian and Bob Melaughlin.

This Newsletter will be mailed out to 349 people, as we have four associate members in just two families, and one member has not given us a mailing address. We now have almost as many associate members as we had total Veteran members when we started.

Included in our Associate Roster are widows, adult children, and one sibling of a 178th Vet, as well as friends from several other military units, and six other Veterans Associations.

We are still finding Boxcar Veterans who are just learning that the Boxcar Association exists, usually via the internet or by accident from another Vet. Over the years we have lost a number of members who have passed away, as well as some who have moved without providing new addresses. We now list 312 live Veteran members in our Association.

INDIVIDUAL MEMBER NOTES:

Mike Markowski . . . . . Mike was a young WO-1 pilot when he arrived at Phu Loi in February, 1967. When we were doing address-searches through the VA locater Service in the early 1990's, we were informed that he had died in 1991 . However. . . Mike has contacted us and claims that he is NOT dead! We welcome him back to the Boxcars, and back to the ranks of the living?!

Earl Rocca.... Rocky was the first Association President, and hosted the first two Reunions. He has moved around a lot in the construction business, and we have lost his address several times; have not seen him at a Reunion since Ft. Banning in 1995- But Rocky is back on the Roster, and just wants guys to know he is still alive and kicking.

Eaul McNeill........
Patrick Wingerter...
We are out of touch with these two Veterans, both of whom are from New Orleans and whose Autumn Newsletters were returned. If any of you are in touch with one or both of them, please let the Association Secretary know their whereabouts. Other Vets in the Pensacola, Biloxi areas, and Houma, Louisiana are accounted for, and got through Hurricane Katrina intact.

Note from Association President and Reunion Host Andy Killiam

From the Pres. (178th) not the BIG guy

This week while working in Bakersfield Ca. I stopped at a vendor to pick some parts etc., one of the men working at the supplier saw my Vietnam vet bumper sticker and stop to ask me of my service, then thanked me for the time I had given to the country and shook my hand. I thanked him back and told him of my son who is now on active duty for the last nine years and would be glad to hear that also. After leaving I realized that having left the service in 1969 that other than a vet no one has ever said that in all these many years. I now have plans to pass that thank you hand shake to every Vet I meet young or old. Please come to our Reunion this year because I know just where to start.

Until June Andy

NOTE ... It is only five months until the Reunion in Fresno. AND, it is already time to start considering REUNION 17 in 2007...Come to Fresno with a plan!!