Fellow Boxcar Veterans,

It is June, 1999 as I type this; you should be reading it several days before our reservation cut-off date of 29 June. If you are planning to attend the 1999 REUNION, and have not made your reservations yet, PICK UP THE PHONE... NOW... call the COMFORT INN RSVP number: 215-627-7900; be sure to specify that you will be attending the 178th BOXCAR REUNION. Many veterans are apprehensive about attending a REUNION for the first time. Believe me, once you arrive and start meeting the other Veterans, and especially if you meet one of your old buddies from the Outfit, your apprehension will melt away, and you'll have the time or your life.

Association President Al Stratton has said, "This is really good for us." And it really is. Many friendships are renewed; many new friendships are formed; many questions are finally answered.

I have likened it to Vet Center support groups, only far better, because everyone is from the same Outfit. our membership includes everyone who served in the 178th ASHC and the 400th TC: pilots, aircrew, maintenance, operations, clerks, cooks ... everyone ... two-year draftees, three-year volunteers, multi-tour professional soldiers, including Veterans of the Korean War and World War II.

Just being together, in the company of brave men, is a special experience, which is why our Reunions have become the priority trip of each summer for many of us who attend. If you have not had the experience, make 1999 the summer to go for it; you won't be sorry.

Keep the Faith,

Dean Nelson