I would like to thank all of the attendees for their selfless participation this year at our reunion.  You were all responsible for making this year’s reunion a very enjoyable experience for our organization.  It may have been cold but on the days we were out it was nice, with the exception of the Spirit Cruise which was a bit chilly getting there and getting back but a fun time was had by all.  

There was good food and entertainment during the river cruise.  As those of you there saw we have some talent in our ranks, there were several of us who participated in the floor show which was very nice.  The 17^th Artillery Regimental Association joined the wreath laying ceremony at the Vietnam War Wall with Jim Sanders and Mike Burke joining me in placing our wreath at the base of the Wall.  

The guest speaker really drove home the idea that WE "The Vietnam Veterans'" HAVE MADE A DIFFERENCE. The scholarship program is set to be completed again this year.  I have lots of requests come in for the application and I have a voting board which will do the selecting from our applicants.  They are: Richard Flowers, Rod Gurrero, Alan (Ray) Kaufman, James (Jim) Sanders, and Donald Brooks.  I thank them for taking on this very important task this year. 

There were lots of familiar faces missing this year but I am sure we will see them next year at Fort Sill .  We filled the Secretary and Treasurer positions again this year at our general membership meeting.  Jack Picciolo was re-elected to the position of Secretary/Historian, and Rich Siebe was re-elected to the position of Treasurer for the Association.  Along with those positions being filled the vacant position of Chaplain for the 17^th Artillery Regimental Association was filled by Richard Smith.  It was an easy choice Richard had a background of such work and will officially fill that position for us. We now are looking forward to our next big reunion in 2009.  

We will be returning to the roots of where the 17^th Artillery Regimental Association was established back in 1999.  This all took place at Fort Sill Oklahoma ; this will be our 11^th annual reunion and our 10^th anniversary.  This reunion will give us all a chance to select a brand new President for the Association.  It will be the beginning to our next ten years as a great organization. 

All of the information for our big tenth anniversary reunion will be forthcoming on the website.  Hope to see all of you at Fort Sill next year. 

P.S.  I have a number of pictures that attendees have sent me, and a copy of the CSPAN CD of the entire ceremony.  If you are interested in a copy of both, send me your name and address and I will be glad to see you get a copy.

Jack (TOJ) Stroud

CLICK ON THUMBNAIL IMAGE TO MAKE LARGER

Tony Casselli	Placed wreath at wall for the 17th Artillery L-R James Sanders, Michael Burke & Jack Stroud	Jack Picciolo	Cathy & GW Adkisson, Tonja Burke
Tom Kurtz & Mark Cowan	Joe Russo	Gene Retka, Richard Smith, Bob Pasquill	Bob Pasquill
Tom Kurtz	Paul Raymond	Gene Retka drinking water with wife on his left	Gene Johnson & Ed Hitchner
seated behind Tom Kurtz  L_R Cindy & Bill Wright, Don Brooks with wife and daughter	Mike Klingeman & friend	Charles Riley	Peter Coffin at the wall
Rod Guerrero with nephew	Mike Burke at Tom Vernor's grave	Ed & Nancy Hitchner	Charles Garner
Rod Guerrero	L-R Mike Burke, Peter Coffin, Jack Picciolo, Alan Kauffman	Don Brooks & daughter	Jack Stroud presents life membership to Rod Guerrero
Richard Smith	L-R James Sanders, Mike Burke, G.W. Adkisson, Tome ward, & Jack Stroud	dinner cruise	Reunion Banquet
Richard Siebe