This is our forty-fourth Newsletter since the Boxcar Association was formed during Reunion #1 in Arlington, Virginia in June, 1991. Over the years since then we have lost some of our friends who have passed away and Flown West.

We occasionally lose touch with members who move, but leave no forwarding address with us or with the Post Office. However, we have added more than 300 Veterans and Associates. Our thirteenth Reunion is scheduled for next September in Pensacola, Florida. Plans for 2004 are wide open .... SUGGESTIONS AND HOST VOLUNTEERS WELCOME!

We seem to be on the brink of another war... A few thoughts about that: Our only real allies in the Middle-East are the British and the Israelis. It is probable that between our CIA, British MI-6, and Israeli Mossad, we know exactly where Saddam's "stuff" is hidden. We don't disclose that because they would move it, and the Inspectors would keep on not finding it. Hiding weapons and chemicals so they can't be found does not qualify as disarming. The United Nations seems intent on prevaricating itself into irrelevance, just like the League of Nations in the 1930's. I think the UN and Europe really want the US to act alone... cleaning up every mess and making the world safe, while they criticize without dirtying their hands.

Europeans gave us WWI, WWII, The Holocaust, the mess in the Balkans... But we Americans are the crude and violent ones! The Neville Chamberlain wanna-bes in this country don't get it either [Those who don't study History are condemned to repeat it]. Negotiations with liars are pointless; reasoning with someone who is actively trying to kill you is suicide.

Lately I have heard a lot of feed-back from fellow Veterans expressing the wish that we could volunteer again; lots of Chinooks already in place. I'd go in a heartbeat... But, how many of us could pass a flight physical today? We have bifocals, by-passes, pace-makers, artificial knees, hips, shoulders, etc. If the Army really needed us we'd be in big trouble. I can't see through peep-sights with my bifocals; but an M-60 with tracers? Maybe...

DC Nelson / 088