&nb= sp;

FOX&nb= sp;= FAX

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Journal of the 199^th Recon Airplane Comp= any RVN 1967-70 Vol. 2 , Issue 10 &nbs= p;Oct 05

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Swamp Fox Coordinator 2004-5 Bob Woolley - Fox 26 &n= bsp; bjdubu@ao= l.com

Reunion Coordinator C&C &nb= sp; &nb= sp; Don Nicholson - Fox ?? &n= bsp; 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.jennungs14@verizon.net

---------------------------------------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= -------------

WEB SITE = www .SwampFox199thRAC.co= m

------------------------------------------------= ---------------------------------------------------------------------------= ----------------

<= o:p>

Swamp F= ox Coordination Letter # 8, September 2005

To all Swamp Foxes,

&= nbsp; The 199^th RAC Swamp Foxes gathered for a 2005 Reunion during the weekend of 16-19 September at = Fredericksburg, TX. We tagged onto the front-end of the IBDA annual fly-in that was held at the Gillespie County Airport during the = week of 18-22 September. A major highlight of the weekend was the visit to= the flight line where over thirty Birddogs were on display. They also flew despite a brisk Sunday afternoon breeze. = ; Sam Givhan, and his brother Walter, had flown = the newest 0-1 to the event, and allowed all the Swamp Foxes to once again sit = in the cockpit and recall experiences of years ago.

&= nbsp; There were over twenty-five Swamp Foxes that attended the reunion; which was double the number that gathered at Ft Rucker in 2004. There were over fifteen wives that were present, and their participation added bonus spice = to the weekend. The Swamp Foxes that attended are listed below.

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; Don Nickholson &nb= sp; = Stan Treanor &n= bsp; = ; Rick Shoup

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; Sam Givhan &n= bsp; = ; &n= bsp; Tim Davenport &nb= sp; = Heinz Zoegner

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; Ralph McRae &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Rex Wellar &= nbsp; &nbs= p; Brian Kinderman

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; Charles Robertson = Steve Lehmkuhl &nb= sp; Herb Gingras

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; Jerry Faust &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Joe Swift &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Vincent Aberle

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; Rich Burns &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Ray Jennings &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Gary Simon

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; Woody Barnes &nb= sp; = David Snow = ; &n= bsp; Tom Estes

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; James Duffell &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Keith Chapman &n= bsp; = ; Jim Strye

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; Dan Aldridge &nb= sp; = Charley Baker &nbs= p; &= nbsp; Mike Virginia

&= nbsp; &nbs= p; Bob Woolley

&= nbsp; There were many photos that were shared. Others brought DVDs that cou= ld be viewed on laptops; VCR tapes that could be viewed on a large TV screen; = and several had tactical maps that were studied and discussed. All of the= se items helped us to recall and share our Swamp Fox experiences.

&= nbsp; The current organization’s collective efforts were discussed during a general meeting held on Saturday. Our goals were reaffirmed; i.e., to make contact with as many Swamp Foxes as possible, to develop a more comple= te history of the 199^th RAC, and to perpetuate Swamp Fox reunions. In addition, several specific items were discussed. S= tan Treanor agreed to exchange info with Doc Jennings to insure that a back-up capability existed for the web-site activities. Tom Estes and Dave Sn= ow indicated that they would attempt to compile a more complete roster of the = 1970 Swamp Foxes. It was agreed that the collection of individual award narratives would not continue; but all were encouraged to submit narratives describing specific events that merit posting as a Swamp Fox Tale. In= an effort to create an improved operational history of the 199^th RA= C, the submission of narrative accounts of the various geographical missions w= as also encouraged. We also discussed the fact that a common scale map of the 199^th AO (posted to the web-site) would be a desirable proje= ct that would be beneficial to the unit’s operational history.

&= nbsp; During the meeting our interface with other organizations was discussed.&nb= sp; The possibility of forming a Birddog Chapter within AAAA was discussed; and= it was agreed that this matter should be deferred for further discussion when = all the RACs meet together. Our current reuni= on focus will be the combined reunion for all of the RVN Birddog units that is being planned for September 2006. It was also agreed that in the future, a two-year interval between Swamp Fox reunions w= ould be sufficient.

= Our current treasury fund was reviewed, with over $450 being donated by the 2005 attendees. It was agreed to reimburse Doc Jennings for the annual expense of having a specific swampfox199thrac.com web-site and Don Nicholson for his expenses incurred for this year’s reunion.

= . Don Nicholson did a fine job of planning and orchestrating the weekend’s overall activities. His extra effort was the key to t= he success of reunion, and a special “thanks” goes to him and those that helped.

Bob Woolley

&n= bsp;

Reunion Feedback

From IBDA

This is feed back from the thank you note to the IBDA.=

+++++++++++++++++

Thank you for the kind words. I know it was a treat fo= r so many of us to meet the guys who actually hung it all out in The Delta, in Birddogs. And be assured, your note will make it into "Bowwow" - = our association magazine. I enjoyed meeting you and hope we have another opportunity to get together soon.

Best regards,

Allan Johnson

= N119AJ@JGroupOrg.net

Howdy,

our pleasure and glad we co= uld join forces. I think our membership enjoyed it tremendously. In the future it probably would be a good idea to see if we can do this sort of co-hosting again. (bold print rwj)

thanks.

Jim Mulvhill

Doc: Hey, the pleasur= e was all ours. Those of us fortunate enough to own Birddogs are always ready to share them with those who had a personal relationship with them in combat.<= /span>

Thanks for having you= r troops there.

During 6-8 October 20= 06, there will be a liaison aircraft fly-in at the N= ational Museum of the Air Force in Dayton, OH. It appears that we will be able to take about 20 Birddogs into the area beh= ind the Museum and there will be other liaison aircraft there as well. The FAC Association will be holding a reunion just ahead of our event and we will be dovetailing with them in the middle two days. If any of your members are fr= om that area, it should be a good event to attend.

For the next few year= s, until 2010 when we host a 60th anniversary of the Birddog, the IBDA will sponsor annual "Regional Roundups" in several spots around the country. T= his should permit more IBDA members and others to attend without having to trav= el extensive distances to see and fly Birddogs. I expect the first events will= be held next summer. Keep watching our web site, www= .L-19bowwow.com for more information

Cheers,

Larry Flynn

*****************************************

Curt Herrick's (Sw= amp Fox 26) article "Bird Dogs with Teeth" appeared in the Summer 2005 addition Of the BowWow. You can request a copy from Rob Robinson. Help relieve his over abundance problem identified below.

<= /span>

This from the IBDA membership director about BowWows and membership forms.

<= /span>

I am going to enco= urage IBDA membership. It is not expensive. Worth it for just= the magazine.

There is a level of support for us there and we should reciprocate by joining up if possible.

<= /span>

Doc

www.ibdaweb.com=

Ray, I have a shit po= t full of Bowwows, and our next one comes out very soon. They can contact me = at:

Rob R= obinson

Membersh= ip Director, IBDA

<= st1:Street w:st=3D"on">200 Sugar Hollow Road

<= st1:place w:st=3D"on">Hendersonville, North Carolina 28739 U.S.A.

<= b>828 696 8414

<= b>828 606 7440

<= b>saltire@bellsouth.net

<= /b>

Feedback= from the attendees

Hello all,

My feeling is that it was a great team effort resultin= g in very rewarding experience for all who attended.

Without Charlie Baker it probably would not have been = nearly as successful. He supplied the Unit Histories with the rosters for the Fox Hunt. Other members found people and some members found the web site. The rosters helped the most.

Without Don Nicholson's feet on the ground in Fredericksburg and coordinating with the IBDA it probably would not have happened at all.

Dan's treasury insured that the key players would not = be funding the reunion out of their own pockets.

Gary Simon helped as well.

Public speaking is not my forte. My voice carries about three feet and hits the ground like a cold flap jack.

Bobby Woolley as spokesman and coordinator did a terri= fic job for us.

My thing is communications. I know how to run the web = site and fling e-mail around with reckless abandon. Make phone calls and bend ea= rs. I had an idea that got completely out of control. Somehow it took on a life of it's own. The key players, including mys= elf, made it happen. The results were extraordinary.

Although this feed back was addressed to me, it should= have been addressed to the team. I didn't do this alone.

Thank you all very much.

Ray "Doc" Jennings

FEEDBACK:

Attached are some of = our better Swampfox reunion pictures for those who = are interested. We had a great time seeing old friends and meeting those = who established the 199th. We want to thank those responsible for putting= it together and making it happen.

Enjoy

Herb Gingras
Swampfox 34

****

&nbs= p;

Thanks fo= r what you have done for the 199th RAC.

Next time= for sure...

House

&nbs= p;

****=

Thanks for a great reunion.Made it back OK.

Sam Givhan=

&nbs= p;

****=

Doc:=

The reuni= on was indeed a success. One should never overlook the bonding created by the RVN experience regardless of the closeness of the relationships back then. Joe's comments reflect on the huge obstacle that keeps many wou= ld be attendees from actually coming to an event. It's a hard thing to overcome and the best thing we can do is make any future endeavors as simple and easy as possible. A natural rhythm will develop and a distinct feeling will form based on a blend of old and new friendships. Kind of magical, I would say.

Great wor= k! I don't remember discussing if anyone was going to do a reunion wrap-up.&nb= sp; If not, we need to address that for distribution to the non-attendees. Comments like Joe's need to be included, along with any positive feed back = from the women.

Hope your trip home was uneventful.

Gary Simo= n

&nbs= p;

****=

Ray,

I want to thank you a= nd all those that had a hand in planning and running the "Reunion". It was without doubt the most heart warming event I have attended. Si= nce I was only in the unit a short time and didn't recognize many of the names,= I was afraid I would be an outsider. I am happy to say that my wife and= I were accepted like a lost brother. It really made me feel good about = you guys and the entire unit. You are a great bunch of guys and I promise= to do everything in my power to be in DC next year.

Thanks again from my = wife and me. We love you guys.

Joe Swift<= /span>

&nbs= p;

****=

&nbs= p;

Hi Doc,

It sure is nice to en= vision a face while I'm e-mailing. It was great to meet you and your wife at the reu= nion Anyway with my limited photo capability here's a picture of the embroidered= Swampfox patch on the party shirt. I don't know if it= 's of good enough quality to do anything with but here it is.

Regards,

Tim Davenport

****=

&nbs= p;

Doc,

well we are home and certainly did have a good time. The day at the airfield was= the icing on the cake. My daughter called and my wife talked to her for a few minutes before lost commo. She is projected to take command 14 0ct at least that is the date that has been set. Again thanks for your efforts and a successful reunion 05.

Jim Strye<= /o:p>

****

&nbs= p;

Great Job I know I,ll never forget it.=

Thanks again and Welc= ome Home, brother

Brian K.

****

Again, thanks for all= your effort to bring this all together. I had a great time in TX, and look forwa= rd to the VA (DC?) meeting. Hopefully, I'll be a little more organized. I will= send you the pictures I took at the reunion, to be used as you see fit.

Warmest regards,=

Rich Burns=

*************

Hi <= span class=3DGramE>Doc,
      Thanks for the reunion pics. I'm = glad to know my message got thru and was delivered. I have to admit, I stu= died all the faces and I can't put a name to anyone. I can't seem to download it. I'm looking forward to the captioned version so I can see who is who.=
      My, my, how 37 years changes us. = At least everyone looks hale and hearty. Its a group that I'm glad to belong to. The kind of guys I'd like to hang out wit= h if they all lived around here.
Charles Hutchins
Fox 6/Phantom 6
&nbs= p;

&nbs= p;

&nbs= p;

WEB SIT= ES of INTEREST

&n= bsp;

Anyone = miss the M1 Garand or M14 (M1A)

&n= bsp;

Springfield Armory

Standard M1A Rifle

The cornerstone of the M1A family, t= his rifle is all business. Choose between 2 stock designs, black fiberglass with rubber buttplate or American walnut with origin= al military buttplate.

&n= bsp;

=

www.springfield-armory.com/prod-rifles.= shtml

=

&n= bsp;

Coming = Events

&n= bsp;

=

EAA Calander October

www.eaa.org/events/2005October.html

=

Edwards Air Force = base Open House Oct 22, 23 2005

www.edwards.af.mil/openhouse/index.html

=

74^=
th RAC Aloft Grand Reunion Sept 2006 Washington D.C.<= /st1:place>

www.aloft74th.org/pages/1/index.htm

=

219th RAC HeadHunters Reunion Sept. 2007 Atlanta Georgia

www.219headhunters.com/Reunions.htm

=

SWAMP F= OX NETWORK

=

Status Quo

=

=

=

Soldier= s Angels

Do check out this web site if you are looking for char= ity to support our troops.

<= o:p>

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

Wanted<= o:p>

=

Request from a non-Sw= amp Fox

I am still trying to = find an original 199th RAC patch for my collection. I realize there are reproductio= ns available, but I would like to find one of the ones that dates back to the Vietnam<= /st1:country-region> period. I realize it is an unlikely event that I will be able to locate one= of the patches but Ralph thought you could steer me in the right direction. I = have a standing offer of $200 - $225 for the pa= tch. It is one of the last ones I need to complete my RAC and SAC portion of my collection. There are about 1300 patches in the collection. Most have come = from veterans of the units over the past 35 years. It's a lot of work but I get great enjoyment from it,.

Could you put = out the word to the guys for me. Maybe someone has an ex= tra they might consider parting with. Perhaps someone could really use the money for personal or family reasons. You never know.

   I apprec= iate anything you can do for me. I would consider it a great favor. My interest = is sincere, and if you find someone, I would be willing to send payment before they send the patch. Thanks for your time and assistance. Best Regards- Dan.......Dan Popa, 13 Mathew Dr., Annandale, NJ 08= 801. Phone: 1-908-713-0925.

Daniel Popa [dpopa@venturepaper.= com]

=

=

Site Ne= ws

=

Work in progress - 05 Reunion - pictures etc. being added as received.

Work in= progress - Locations and Maps page.

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

Cheers Y'all - hgi= c r.jennings14@verizon.net

=

(EOM)

&nb= sp;

&nb= sp;