Next Autumn marks the fortieth anniversary of the creation of the 178th at Fort Benning. For the "Boxcar Originals" who were there [I was in basic training at Sand Hill at the time] it doesn't seem possible that it can have been that long ago. Nor does it seem possible that it has already been ten years since our "30th Anniversary Reunion" at Fort Benning in 1995. In 1983 my Uncle's B-24 squadron (7th Squadron, 34th Bomb Group, 8th Air Force) had their Reunion at their old airfield in England. What are the odds that we will one day hold a 178th Reunion at Phu Loi or Chu Lai? I'm guesing probably about the same as the number or R's in fat chance. In any case, our Fortieth Anniversary (which is our fifteenth Annual Reunion since our first one in 1991) will begin on 10 August, 2005 in Indianpolis. We'll be discussing future Reunions, and the future of our Association, during our annual business meeting. Several years ago the Air America Association held a Reunion in Bangkok; who knows (?) maybe a Chu Lai party could be a future possibility!

This is the annual Winter Newsletter with New Association Roster issue, and the fifty-second Boxcar Newsletter. Our Boxcar Veterans Roster now stands at an even 300, and our Associate Roster includes thirty-six individuals and six Veterans organizations. IF YOU SEE ANY ERRORS, PLEASE CONTACT ME by mail, phone, or email and I'll put corrections in the Spring Newsletter. Also in the Spring an Summer issures will be details about hotel reservations and agenda highlights for the August gathering in Indianapolis, as well as several contributed articles (including a trip back to Vietnam) from Boxcar Veterans. As I type this (using my faithful 30-year-old Smith-Corona typewriter....don't laugh!) it is 28 February, 2005. Look for the Spring Newsletter in May and the Summer issue in July.

Keep the Faith,

Dean C. Nelson
Boxcar Association Secretary