FOX FAX

FOX&nb= sp; FAX

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Journal of the 199^th Recon Airplane Comp= any RVN 1967-70 Vol. 3, Issue 7 July 06

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Swamp Fox Coordinator 2004-6 Bob Woolley - Fox 26 &n= bsp; bjdubu@ao= l.com

Reunion Coordinator C&C &nb= sp; &nb= sp; Don Nicholson - Fox ?? &nbs= p; lontri= ps0@aol.com

Unit Historian = &nb= sp; Charley Baker - Fox 46 cbkbwdb@starpower.net

Treasurer = &nb= sp; = Dan Aldridge - Fox 56 = ; &n= bsp; Deepsea3= @aol.com

Patch and Shirt Project &n= bsp; Gary Simon - Fox 16 GaryLBB@aol.com

Web Master / Commo Chief= &= nbsp; Ray "Doc" Jennings - Fox 032A r.jennings14@verizon.net

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WEB SITE = www .SwampFox199thRAC.co= m

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Lunch and a Visit to the Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy = Air and Space= Museum.

By Curt Her= rick

On 26 June 2006 Norm = Wood and I enjoyed a small Fajitas lunch (more very good food than expected) at the = Rio Grande Café (A Fodor’s choice) in Reston Town Center. We me= t each other ‘passing in the daylight’ with Norm in his car while I was crossing the street to the restaurant. Since we recognized each other= we knew the Swampfox adventure was off to good start. Sadly Charley Baker wise= ly stayed in Maryland as a precaution again the wide-spread rain driven traffic disruptions. &nbs= p;We shared flight school, 199^th unit forming experiences, vignetts of our RVN tours and caught up a little on stories of our personal lives. Since we wisely chose an inside the building table by the window we were ab= le to watch part of the downpour that has been buffeting the greater D.C. area= for the last several days. I followed Norm’s expert lead through the downpour to the Udvar-Haz= y Center and paid the= fair $12 each for parking although there was no entry fee.=

Once inside the magni= ficent building we went to a docent desk for orientation and maps. The gentl= eman made us feel comfortable and suggested that we go to the 1330 hours 1 &frac= 12; hour English speaking tour. We were divided in to 3 groups and assign= ed docents. We toured the space program things first. We were comfortably told and sometimes conference-ed about space history. The docent updated the things we recalled and exposed us to a great deal more information of interest. We left the Space Shuttle Enterprise with a wealth of information. The shuttle information was tied with the laun= ch programs. By comparing the model man standing next to a launch rocket model we gained a realistic view of that mammoth program. The warts a= nd stories of the various programs were exposed to give us an objective view. We were told a number of good General Aviation stories. =

After we moved to the= SR-71 we learned that that amazing airplane was built by the Lockheed Skunk works= in the slide rule era. I could have reached out and touched it. Of course some people in our group did not recognize the ‘slip-stickR= 17; calculating instrument that the docent pulled from his coat. Norm and I had a gre= at time sharing the details between us of our favorite WW II combat aircraft. He liked the Vought F4U-1D Corsair and the Hellcat. I recalled seeing P-38s on dawn patrol while an older boy and I rang the scho= ol bell during first grade in Sol= vang, CA. The docent exposed us t= o the pre, during, and after W II developments= and history. He topped his presentation with recent developments. We saw the Rattan-Virgin aircraft that Branson recently flew around the world. We saw the Enola Gay B-29 and learned how the aircraft was configured for the historical flight.

The most exciting new= s of the day was that a Birddog is ready to be placed in the Museum in about 2 years. The Smithsonian has an old aircraft rehabilitation facility in the College Park, MD, that will be transferre= d to the growing greater Udvar-Hazy complex area. I guess there are easily more that 100 aircraft hanging from the ceiling or on special jacks. = The additional aircraft to be added are in a carefully planned line of arrivals consistent with the space needed to move them in. The arrival of the Birddog presents a great opportunity for us. At this time we have no details other than that the plane is scheduled. We do not know if it = is grey bird. Maybe we could arrange a reunion around the event for the = many Birddog veterans out there. I guess it could be done in coordination = with the IBDA and the various RVN Birddog unit organizations. Who knows? with a little congressional help we could have quite a ceremony and get-together.<= /span>=

Another important thi= ng is that there are Men’s facilities and a few sitting chairs strategically located through out the museum. The MacDonald’s is nice and the souvenir shop is first class with almost reasonable prices. We did not have time to see the Air Traffic Control Tower with a view of Dulles, the I= MAX Theater and many other items.

We had a great visit.= We discussed driving in the future to the new Army Historical Center at Carlisle Barracks to view the 199^th RAC records when we get it together.

Best wishes=

Curt Herrick

Attachm= ents:

The two attachments t= his month are the member lists a/o July 9, 2006. Alphabetical and by state.

The alphabetical list= to help find old friends.

The "by state&qu= ot; list is to encourage mini-reunions, lunches, BBQs etc. Any excuse for a get together.

Cheers

- editor <= /span>

&nbs= p;

WEB SIT= ES of INTEREST

<= /span>

Sounds interesting= . No plans yet for next year's reunion.

Any feedback on th= e idea?

<= /span>

Located along interstate I-95 in Florence, South Carolina, Swamp Fox Campground is a well known midway point between New York and Miami. Perfect for the overnight stop o= r for an extended stay. So if you are visiting a great location in South Carolina or making tracks to Florida or somewhere in between, Swamp= Fox Campground can accommodate all of your camping needs. Swamp Fox Campground = has full hook ups, bath houses, cottages and all the utilities you expect from a great campground. We have a club house, driving range, tennis, and nature w= alk. Call early for reservations or pull right off I-95 and kick back.

<= /span>

- For The Non-Camper-

Young's Plantation Inn

120 Guest Rooms - = Pool & Jacuzzi ... Featuring the Magnolia Dining Room & Scarlett's Lounge with live entertainment nightly (Located adjacent to the Swamp Fox Campgrou= nd).

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www.swamp-fox-campground.com

<= /span>

HOME DEPOT VETERANS DISCOUNT

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http://corporate.homedepot.com/wps/portal

Sorry I didn't catch = this last month. Keep an eye on the web site for future veteran's discounts.

The Home= Depot Celebrates Independence Day by Honoring Military Service With 10 Percent Discount

ATLANTA, June 27, 2006 /PRNewswire-FirstCall via COMTEX News Network/ -- The Home Depot(R), the world's largest home improvement retailer, today announced that the Company= is offering all active duty personnel, reservists, retired military, veterans = and their families a 10 percent discount off their purchases in honor of Independence Day. The offer is valid on purchases of up to $2,000 for a max= imum of $200 between June 29 and July 4, 2006, at The Home Depot stores, The Home Depot Floor Store(R) locations, The Home Depot Landscape Supply(R) stores a= nd EXPO Design Center(R) locations.

(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20030502/HOMEDEPOTLOGO)

"The Home Depot is proud to su= pport the efforts of our troops and those who have served in the armed forces,&qu= ot; said Bob Nardelli, chairman, president & CEO of The Home Depot. "Independence Day reminds us all of the hard work and dedication of our nation's military personnel. This discount is our way of showing appreciati= on for their service."

To qualify, individuals must presen= t proof of military service to the Special Services desk at any The Home Depot stor= e, where they will receive a coupon that is redeemable at any cashier's checko= ut register. Discount coupons are valid on a single receipt, in-store purchase only. Details and exceptions are printed on the coupon. <= /p>

The discount offer extends the Comp= any's overall commitment to supporting the military community. The Home Depot is = the largest retailer with a General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule cont= ract and is one of the largest suppliers of building, repair and maintenance products available to the military and all federal agencies through GSA's Hardware SuperStore Multiple Award Schedule program. In effect since July 1, 2003, the GSA Schedule contract makes it easier for The Home Depot and the military to do business together by offering federal procurement customers a more streamlined procurement process.

Other examples of The Home Depot's commitment to the U.= S. military include the launch of Project Homefront in 2003, through which The Home Depot donated $1 million and 1 million volunteer hours to help military families with home repairs while their loved ones were deployed. In July 20= 04, a $1 million donation in tools and supplies was made to support U.S. troops in the rebuilding effort in Iraq.

In September 2004, The Home Depot j= oined forces with the U.S. departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs to launch Operation Care= er Front(SM), an unprecedented program designed to provide career opportunities for America's military personnel interested in transferring their unique skills, knowledge and abilities into a successful second career. In 2005, The Home Depot hired 17,000 former military personnel.

Since the beginning of Operation En= during Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom, The Home Depot has had as many as 1,80= 0 of its associates called to active duty. Beyond making sure these associates h= ave a meaningful job when they return home, The Home Depot equalizes pay between associates' military salary and their potential salary at The Home Depot. Health benefits are also extended to all deployed associates and members of their families.

In 2005, The Home Depot received se= veral commendations for the Company's military programs, including a Distinguished Service Award from the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA); a U= SO Patriot Award from the United Services Organization (USO) Council of Georgi= a; a Most Distinguished American Award from the Marine Corps Law Enforcement Foundation; a Most Supportive Employer Award for The Home Depot Canada from= the Canadian Forces Liaison Council; and a commendation for support of active d= uty, national guard and reserve military personnel through the Project Homefront initiative from The American Legion.

The Home Depot(R) is the world's la= rgest home improvement specialty retailer, with 2,071 retail stores in all 50 sta= tes, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, 10 Canadian provinces and Mexico. Through its HD Supply= (SM) businesses, The Home Depot is also one of the largest diversified wholesale distributors in the United States, with more than 900 locations in the United = States and Canada offering products and services for building, improving and maintaining home= s, businesses and municipal infrastructures. In fiscal 2005, The Home Depot had sales of $81.5 billion and earnings of $5.8 billion. The Company employs approximately 355,000 associates and has been recognized by FORTUNE magazin= e as the No. 1 Most Admired Specialty Retailer and the No. 13 Most Admired Corporation in Ameri= ca for 2006. The Home Depot's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: HD) and is included in the Dow Jones industrial average and Standard & Poor's 500 index. HDG

SOURCE The Home Depot

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Coming = Events

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1= 83^rd RAC SeaHorse Grand Reunion Sept 2006 Washington D.C.<= /b>

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ATTENTION!!!!!!! The 183rd is inviting all Bird= dog Companies to its September 7th through the 10th 2006 Reunion in Washington DC. We had a great time with the Aloft (74t= h) and the Swamp Fox (199th) group at our last reunion and hope to see them and other birddoggies at this one. At this reunion, all birddog members are welcome: The Shotguns (221st); Petrodactyls (185th); Non Stop (184th); Catkillers (220th); Headhunters (219th); Hawkeyes (203rd); Warriors (73rd); Night Hawks (131st) and Black Aces (21st).  =

From: SEAHORSE NEWSLETTER =

=

June 2006 =

Reunion News =

There is some very exciting news regarding our reunion planning. A revised Reunion Agenda is attached, but here are a couple of the highlights.= =

=

The traditional Memorial Service, which was started at our first reunion at Fort Rucker , will be held at the Amphitheater at Arlington National<= /st1:PlaceName> Cemetery with a wre= ath laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. These arrangements were ma= de through the diligent efforts of Dave Woods.

We are going to forego the “sit-down” dinner on Thursday night in favor of heavy hors d’oeurves served in the hospitality suite. = This will allow us to keep the hospitality suite open continuously from 3 pm unt= il llpm on Thursday evening for those people who arrive later in the day, as w= ell as give everyone a better chance to greet old friends.=

Doug and Sylvia Thorp worked as a team to find a great place for our Friday reception and dinner. They went all over the area evaluating possible sites and we are pleased to say, they helped us secure Spates Hall at Fort Myer for Friday night’s festivities.    After dinner on Fri= day night, the buses will take us to make a candle light walk to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, The Wall. This will be a very special evening!=

=

There are representatives from three other Bird Dog companies already registered = for the reunion. The 74^th, the 184^th and the 185th Aviation Companies will join us. We are hoping for more Bird Dog units to be represented. Our brothers from other Bird Dog units helpe= d make our San Antonio reunion very special.

It’s time to register

It’s time to register and commit your attendance. To register with the Cry= stal Gateway Marriott for your room, you can either make reservations by phone by calling (800)228-9290 or (703)920-3230 or by going to the Marriott website = www.marriott.com. Make= sure that you tell the Marriott that you are part of the 183^rd Aviati= on Company Reunion and give them the reservation code REVREVA. This will ensure that you get the $109 per night rate for your stay. This code = also guarantees that you will get that rate three days prior to the reunion and three days after for those who want to extend their stay to see more attrac= tions of our nation’s capital.

It is also time to register for Seahorse Reunion Activities. A copy of the registration form is attached. Please complete the form, attach a picture of yourself when you were in Vietnam, enclose a check for your reunion activity fees and mail them to Hiram Johnston, 1321 Beaver Dam Road, Madison, Georgia 30650.

The Reunion Activity Fee will be used to fund the Continental Breakfast each da= y in the Hospitality Suite, bus transportation on Friday night and Sunday, the reception on Thursday night in the Hospitality Suite, the Dinner on Friday = at Fort Myers , the f= inal banquet on Saturday night at the Hotel and a 2006 Fortieth Anniversary Seah= orse Reunion memento. The Committee has worked hard to keep the cost as reasonable as possible without sacrificing the quality of the Reunion . The total activity fee of $200 per person is only $50 more per pers= on than the fee for our San Antonio Reunion two years ago. =

There are some optional expenses if you want to participate. Sunday after t= he Memorial Service there will be an optional champagne brunch served aboard a boat that will cruise the Potomac River . The cost of that brunch cruise is $55   per person. = ;For more information see www.dandydinnerboat.com.

For those of you who would like to see our nation’s capital on a Tour Bus= on Friday, we have made arrangements with a tour operator to pick you up at the hotel, tour the city and return you to the hotel. The cost of this to= ur is $ . Saturday, there will tour bus that will take you to Mount Vernon .&n= bsp; The cost of this tour is $ . At the time of sending out this newsletter, we were still negotiating with a couple of tour bus operators.&= nbsp; As soon as we reach an agreement with one of them, the prices will be forwa= rded on to you.

There are two less expensive ways to see Washington, D. C. The first is the Metro. The Metro is a subway system which h= as a station right at our hotel. You can buy an all day pass for $6.25, wh= ich allows you to get off and on the subway all day. Many of Washington ̵= 7;s famous sights are accessible to the Metro. For more information see www.wmata.com.=

Another less expensive way to see Washington, D. C. is the Tourmobile. The Tourmobile travels throughout the many famous sights = in Washington and Arlington National Cemetery . You can get off at any stop, visit the sight and reboard another To= urmobile at one of the many convenient stops. You can board the Tourmobile at = Arlington National Cemetery , two Metro stops from our hotel. An all day pass costs $20. For more information see www.tourmobile.com.=

Another suggestion is that you should contact your Senator or Congressman, tell him or her that you will be in Washington from September 7^{th to
the 10^th and would like to get tickets to see the White House.&n=
bsp;
The tickets are free, but you can only get them through your
representatives. They may also have other valuable passes or informat=
ion
that could make your trip more interesting. Now is the time to make t=
hat
contact.} =

This is= partial information from the 183^rd web site.    &nbs= p; = www.183seahorse.org

=

=

2= 19^th RAC HeadHunters Reunion Sept. 2007 Atlanta Georgia

=

9/17/2005  = HEADHUNTERS decide to hold their NEXT REUNION scheduled for SEPTEMBER 2007 in= ATLANTA, GEORGIA. The hosts will be Steve Butler (RVN 1/68-1/69 Pleiku) and Tom Mor= ris (RVN 7/65-7/66 Nha Trang, Tuy Hoa, Phan Thiet & NonCo). The host location wi= ll be Peachtree City South of Atlanta. MARK YOUR CALENDARS!=

=

www.219headhunters.com/Reunions.htm

=

&n= bsp;

220th Reconnaissance Airplane Comp= any (RAC) "Catkillers" Reunion

Friday, October 6, 2006 until Sunday, October 8,= 2006

Mark Your Calendars!

South<= span style=3D'font-size:12.0pt'> Shore Harbour Resort & Conference Center
2500 South Shore Blvd.
League City, TX 77573
Phone: 281.334.1000
Fax: 281.334.1157

=

=

Carl Drechsel

Catkiller 30

Reunion C= hairman

sdrexel@yahoo.com

=

=

EAA cal= endar

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http://www.eaa.org/events

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=

<= /span>

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IBDA

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From:Th= e bark

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AND FOR A REALLY H= OT DATE -- WHOHOO.............................!

come to the Close Support Aircraft fly-in at Fort Worth's Meacham airport on August 12th. They are pulling out all the stops to honor the Marine Corps Combat Aircrew Associat= ion. The DOD has authorized numerous active duty aircraft to fly-in and the list= is very impressive, including an F-4 Phantom. Plus all the others that we love= and hate, from AH -1 Cobras to F-16's to AV-8's to A-10's are there too and you= are invited. Those flying their Birddogs in for the event will be honored with a free lunch and of course free admission. If you plan on going please send y= our N-Number to your scribe at N= 305AF@ktc.com so that they can make arrangements for parking and lunch. If your not able to = fly in, stop by to visit anyway and ogle all the great pieces of machinery. I w= ill be there, come by and say Howdy!

&n= bsp;

&n= bsp;

Contact Rob for back iss= ues of the BowWow.

=

www.ibdaweb.com=

Rob Robinson

Membersh= ip Director, IBDA

200 Sugar Hollow Road

Hendersonville, North Carolina 28739 U.S.A.

828 696 8414

828 606 7440

saltire@bellsouth.net

<= /b>

FOX HUN= T

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Status quo

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SWAMP F= OX NETWORK

=

Welcome to Kevin Kirby S= F 25 1970

=

Soldier= s Angels

Do check out this web site if you are looking for a ch= arity to support our troops.

www.soldiersangels.com<= /o:p>

=

Site Ne= ws

&n= bsp;

Added photo gallery for Kevin Kirby SF 25 1970

=

If you have something to add to the Fox Fax, I need= it before the fifth of the month.

Cheers Y'all - Edi= tor r.jennings14@verizon.net

=

(EOM)