36th & 540th Combat Engineers Reunion 2007

[Walt's Daughter]

Yeah!!!

 

 

And right off the press, well off to wire at any rate. I just got a phone call from John Zappitello and we are scheduled for our reunion next year at the same weekend in Lebanon. I will send out all details in the regular letter in the spring but will send out a special letter in a few weeks to all who were at the reunion this year and several usual suspects who missed it for some reason or other. We will be using the smaller room next to the Colony Room but I'l bet we will fill it up. Mark your calendars NOW.

 

 

36 Engineers are rugged......John Fallon II. Capt. USA Ret.

 

Marion's note: This is a combined reunion for members of the 36th and 540th! The 36th Engineers are cordially inviting the 540th men and their family members to their bash this fall. I hope to have complete reunion details to you very shortly. Please try and attend this year and make it one hell of a get-together. Let's hear it for the SEAHORSES!

[Walt's Daughter]

Here's the final info regarding our reunion this fall.

 

Quality Inn

625 Quentin Rd.

Lebanon, PA

17042-7088

 

Toll-Free: (800) 626-8242 or (717) 273-6771

Fax: (717) 273-4882

 

Make your reservations by September 1, 2007 to make sure you get a room. Let them know that you are part of the 36th/540th Reunion to get the discounted rate! Hotel rooms are $54 per night

 

Thursday- Sunday September 20th to 23rd

 

The Colony Room (our hospitality suite) is available to us for all four days. Snacks will be provided, along with beer and wine.

 

We usually plan a nice dinner out at a local restaurant on Friday night. If you are interested, let John or I know ahead of time so we can include you in the reservations. If not, the Colony Room will be open for your use.

 

There will be a banquet Saturday evening. This is a semi formal affair.

 

DVD presentations by YOURS TRULY will be shown throughout the weekend.

 

Bring your photos, etc. We have a LOT of fun reminiscing!

 

PLEASE MAIL $30.00 TO JOHN FALLON to cover dinner and hospitality suite goodies before September 1, 2007. Let him know how many will be attending along with names, so he can prepare your name tags. Send check or money order to:

 

John Fallon

2459 First Ave

Avalon, NJ 08202

 

 

Nearest available airport - Harrisburg, PA (approximately 30 minutes west of our hotel)

 

The famous Hershey's Chocolate Factory/Museum, in Hershey, PA is located between airport and Lebanon. Plan on stopping in!

 

Maps of Area

 

http://www.lebanonpa.org/lebanoncity/site/default.asp

 

http://www.google.com/maps?hl=en&rls=G...al&ct=image

[Walt's Daughter]

Gentlemen:

 

Your reunion info has been added to the Army Corps of Engineer Association's site:

 

http://www.armyengineer.com/Vet_news.htm

 

Many thanks to Col Mike Morgan!

[Walt's Daughter]

Sent out an email and snail-mail newsletter today to all the members of the 540th and their families. Here is a copy of the snail-mail letter.

 

Let's hear it for that combined Seahorse Reunion!

540th_Newsletter_May_6__2007.pdf

[Walt's Daughter]

Printed with permission:

 

Subject: reunion

 

I stopped advertising in the American Legion and the DAV magazines many years ago when it became apparent that nobody was replying to them and we were getting the same people to reunions all the time. But this year, what the heck, I put an ad in the DAV magazine. Well don;t you know what happened? Well, Ill tell you, I got five phone calls from all over the country, TExas, California etc. BUT. they were all Viet Nam Vets and had no idea that the 36th was in WWII. Anyway I invited them all to the reunion and offered to send them the history of the Regiment but apparently none had any access to a computer.

 

Then, yesterday I got a phone call from Raymond Pankow from whom we had never heard. In fact he thought he was the last of the 36th veterans and was surprised to hear that we are old time seahorses. He mentioned that he was wounded some place in Alsace so I looked him up and sure enough he was wounded January 4th when we were fighting that German parachute Infantry Division. AT any rate I sent him everything I could find and I hope he knows that some old timers some place are thinking of him I put him on our roster and maybe he will stay RUGGED a little longer.

 

36 Engineers are rugged......John Fallon II. Capt. USA Ret.

[Walt's Daughter]

This was in response to me asking for permission to print it on the forum:

 

You bet, and today I just got a phone call from an old guy who landed with the 36th Engineers in Africa and Sicily but was not one of our seahorses. He was a member of the Navy Beach Battalion that was attached to us for each of the landings. They did the job that the Engineer Amphibian Command had planned to do with their shore battalion, marking the beachesetc.

 

36 Engineers are rugged......John Fallon II. Capt. USA Ret.

[Walt's Daughter]

This are getting brighter all the time. I just heard from Pat Bare and they will be with us and John Zap heard from Til Werner. The numbers are growing so I think we will have as many or almost as many as last year...

 

36 Engineers are rugged......John Fallon II. Capt. USA Ret.

[Walt's Daughter]

Here's the latest from John. The numbers keep getting higher. I am REALLY hoping I can talk at least one 540th to attend. I know that a few of the family members are planning on being there.

 

I have had 21 say they will be there so far and that is pretty good for so early There are also about 10 others we can probably count on. Do you think a 540th vet could join us?

 

36 Engineers are rugged......John Fallon II. Capt. USA Ret.

And another letter a couple of days earlier:

 

Well, not exactly new, but I got a phone call from Hereld Prather in South Carolina and he tells me that he is joining us for the reunion. He was never on my list and I am sure never on Irv Cherney's list However he saw the ad in the DAV magazine and I sent him all the information. I got several other phone calls from that ad but most of them were from fellows who were in Korea with the 36th but all claimed to be too old to join us. I guess WWII kept us young.

 

The next reunion letter will be going out at the end of the month and everything seems to be going very well, probably bigger than last year and, of course, they always get better

 

36 Engineers are rugged......John Fallon II. Capt. USA Ret.

 

[Walt's Daughter]

Even though John is getting a good response from people telling him they are coming, many haven't sent their $30.00 registration fee to John yet. If you haven't done so, please put it in the mail today. These things worry John and we don't need to worry our great host now, do we?

 

Remember to get your hotel reservations too. Reserver early and SAVE!

 

This is a special plea to members of the 540th and their families. This is a great chance to get together. I'm encouraging everyone, especially the sons and daughters. Join me in celebrating the life and times of these great men.

[Walt's Daughter]

Bob Hawkins just sent in his reservation from Indiana. Again I can't begin to tell you how much we owe you for your hard work on the website and your research. That means there will be three old (very) Seahorses who will be with us for the first time. I still haven't heard from any 540th guys but they will surely be welcomed as one of our own.

 

36 Engineers are rugged......John Fallon II. Capt. USA Ret.