2011 Reunion – Indianapolis, Indiana

August 31st to September 4

Plan of the Day

There is no dress code. Dress to be comfortable. Always wear a pair of comfortable shoes if you plan on visiting the local sites. The hotel is very large and their will be quite a bit of walking involved. Most of all, just come and have a great time.

*** HELP US BY REGISTERING IN ADVANCE FOR THE REUNION ***
*** CLICK HERE to View and Print the 2011 Reunion Registration Form ***

*** WE ARE SEEKING A FEW GOOD PEOPLE ***

We are seeking a few volunteers that are familiar with computers to help at our registration desk. This will help speed up the process of getting everyone registered more quickly and on your way. We always have to make changes to some of the name tags. Some of the ladies in the past have mention they would like to get involved. We can always use folks at the Product Table. Also assistance in setting up for the Dance etc. if you would like to get involved in some way please Contact:

Georgie Ardinger: mrfamembership@mabeltel.coop
Albert Moore: mrfa@bellsouth.net
Frank & Linda Jones (Dance Setup) – frank@raffertylighting.com
Website: www.wyndhamindianapoliswest.com

Hospitality Rooms: $125.00 per night – The opening and closing of the individual Hospitality Rooms will be up to the discretion of the representatives of each Unit’s room. Often these rooms are paid for out of pocket by faithful Members. Let’s help them out by being generous with our donations to the room or rooms that pertain to your Unit. If you want more info on booking an individual hospitality room contact Reunion Coordinator Michelle Jackson (aka “Action Jackson”) – Phone: (317) 381-6130 – Email: mjackson@wyndham.com
Hall of Champions: This Hospitality Room will be open daily beginning at 7:00 am. Beverages and Snacks will be available.
Shuttle: Wyndham Indianapolis West offers a free airport shuttle service. Phone to hotel for shuttle at the bank of phone in the baggage area. They will once again make the shuttle service available for anyone who wants to go to downtown Indianapolis and visit some of the local sites. Times vary on when the shuttle leaves and returns to the hotel so you may want to check with the main desk for their schedule. Schedules will also be posted in the main lobby.
Dining: The Wyndham Indianapolis West proudly offers a wide range of dining flavors for all moods, ages and lifestyles. Mornings start with a tasteful buffet and full breakfast menu in the Marker restaurant. Lunch in the Marker has a full menu available and features a locally popular lunch buffet with stations Monday through Friday. Dinner boasts a wonderful collection of “comfort and creative” from our talented chefs. Fresh cut meat, seafood specialties and vegetarian entrees are highlighted by our extensive wine menu presented table side by our in house wine steward. The Marker lounge is open nightly with full menu, extensive sports viewing, comfortable leather social sitting areas and a friendly staff.
Dining Options: For your convenience, we have listed some area dining options below. Please note that hotel establishments are referred to as on-site while nearby restaurants are listed with their street address. Your dining options include our 24-hour room service.

Schedule of Events

Registration: Begins at 9:30 am on September 1st. We will set up outside of the Hall of Champions.
Hall of Champions: Snacks and Beverages – Open daily beginning at 7:00 am. Closing times will vary.

Products Sales: Held in the Hall of Champions beginning at 9:30 am on September 1st & 2nd. Sales will be from Noon until 2 pm on Saturday September 3rd. MRF & 9th I.D. Museum Room: The room will be open from 10 am to 5 pm daily. Bob Pries and Quentin Sommers will watch over the room and answer questions.
Golf: A “Scramble” format tournament will be held on Friday September 2nd at the Winding River Golf Course. *** Click HERE for Golf Details and an “Adobe PDF” REGISTRATION FORM *** HERE is some more information on the Winding River Golf Course. If you have any questions regarding this event then contact Phil Rossman at: gprii@msn.com
Guest Speakers: Will begin at 10:00 am on Saturday September 3rd preceding the Memorial Service.

Admiral Thomas J. Lopez (USN Ret.) Main Speaker – Commander, River Assault Division 153 – To view a short Bio on Admiral Thomas click HERE.
John N. Baldwin: MD FACS Major, MC US Army 1967-69 – Chief of Vascular and Thoracic Surgery – 24th Evacuation Hospital – Long Binh, Vietnam – 1967-68. To view a short bio on Dr. John Baldwin click HERE.

More Speakers will be announced in the near future.
Memorial Service: Will be held Saturday morning at 11.00 am. The service will be conducted by Chaplain LTC Jim Johnson, 3rd/60th (USA Ret.) and Captain Richard MaCaullagh (USN Ret.). The “Missing Man Ceremony” will be headed up by Dave Schoenian, C Co. 4/47th Infantry. Flags and Certificates will be presented to widows, sons and daughters of our fallen brothers from Vietnam. Also to the relatives, who will be in attendance, of those who have passed since Vietnam.
Master Chief Chet “Gunner” Stanley, assisted by Don Blankenship, will do the honors. Bob Nichols will render the honors of the playing of “TAPS”. From the Delta to the DMZ Dance: Will be held Friday Evening – September 2nd. There will be a DJ playing your favorites of the ‘60s and ‘70s music. Board Member, Frank Jones and wife Linda, will be hosting the Dance.
Daily Raffles: We will have only 50/50 Raffles this reunion. We appreciate all the items that folks donated during the past reunions. However, a lot of hard work and effort was put into these items and to only sell 4 or 5 raffle tickets on some of these valuable items was hard to swallow for those who donated them. Also for our Raffle Queen, Mabel Springer, who always goes all out with the raffles, we have decided it would be best to go with the 50/50 Raffles. I am sure Mabel will make it very interesting. For folks who worked so hard on their donated items we just could not see that happen again. Thanks again to everyone for their past efforts…!
Veteran Assistance table: Member Tim Goins, E Co, 3/60th (Recon) 68-69, will have a table set up and will be assisted by his wife Carla and Associate member Paula Scott Wright, widow of past MRFA member Richard Scott. Tim, Carla and Paula did a great job at the 2009 Reunion. Below are just a few things Tim and his staff can help you with. Tim will set up from 0800 to 1700 hours on the Reunion days. He will have a computer able to access any VA information websites. He’ll also have his cell phone with direct access to the VA Regional Offices (on weekdays). They will also have a printer to print out forms.
Some services they can provide:
1. Determine the status of VA claims or appeals and explain the status in understandable English.
2. Evaluate the viability of a claim (i.e. PTSD have-to-haves to be successful).
3. Explain the claims process (medical and mental).
4. Explain burial rights and funerals with FMHs.
5. Help dependents of veterans (both living and deceased) determine their benefits (if any).
6. Explain how 100% veterans can apply or reapply for Vocational Rehabilitation.
7. Help acquire lost DD-214s, awards, citations and medals.
8. Counsel veterans on how to approach the VA system.
9. Explain veteran eligibility VA Health Care.

Additional Events: Will be published in future issues of “River Currents”.

The Indianapolis Speedway and downtown bring all the excitement of the city right to your doorstep. Here you will find the warmth and charm of the grand hotels combined with the comfort and efficiency of the most modern accommodations. Our staff will provide unrivaled service and attention to detail, taking care of all your needs. Experience Indianapolis’ finest hotel and have a truly remarkable stay!

Location: Just one half mile from the Indianapolis International Airport and only 8 minutes to downtown, the Convention Center, RCA Dome, and Circle Centre Mall. Easy access to interstate highways makes the Adam’s Mark a convenient destination from any part of the city, state, or country. Address and phone: 2544 Executive Drive, Indianapolis, Indiana 46241, 317-248-2481. Airport: Free shuttle to and from Indianapolis International Airport, accessed by courtesy phones located in baggage claim areas.

Medal of Honor Memorial: In June 1998, a New York Times reporter attended the annual meeting of the Congressional Medal of Honor Society in upstate New York. He wrote about its members and the courageous acts that earned them our nation’s highest award for military valor. Eight hundred miles away, John Hodowal, chairman of the Indianapolis-based energy company IPALCO Enterprises, and his wife, Caroline, read the article. They were so moved by the story that they began thinking of ways to bring broader recognition to these extraordinary individuals. They and the IPALCO staff began doing research on these men and the lack of widespread awareness of their valor. While conducting this research, IPALCO officials learned that no memorial had ever been built to recognize the 3,436 Americans who had received the Medal of Honor. As a result of this startling discovery, IPALCO decided not only to bring the Medal of Honor recipients to Indianapolis, but also to build them a memorial that would provide lasting recognition.

Site preparation for the Indianapolis Medal of Honor Memorial began in November 1998 and construction began in January 1999. The Memorial was unveiled and dedicated May 28, 1999, with 96 Medal of Honor recipients present. Located on the north bank of the Central Canal in White River State Park in downtown Indianapolis, the site is adjacent to the Military Park. The city’s first recorded Fourth of July celebration was held there in 1822. During the Civil War, it was a military camp used for the recruitment and training of troops.

The memorial is a group of 27 curved glass walls, each between 7 and 10 feet tall. The walls represent the 15 conflicts, dating back to the Civil War, in which acts of bravery resulted in the awarding of the Medal of Honor. Information about the 3,436 medal recipients are etched into the glass walls. Steps, benches, and a grassy area provide seating for visitors. Each day at dusk, a sound system will play 30 minutes of recorded war stories about medal recipients and their acts. As each story is told, lights illuminate a portion of the memorial to highlight the war or conflict being discussed. Most of the stories have been recorded by Medal of Honor recipients.

Materials: A concrete base, curved blue/green plate glass panels, aluminum and stainless steel supports, Indiana limestone in shades of buff, gray and pink.
Designers: Architectural landscape artists Eric Fulford and Ann Reed of ROAMworks, an Indianapolis landscape design firm. The firm also is working on projects at the Eiteljorg Museum and in Broad Ripple Village in Indianapolis.
Sponsor: IPALCO Enterprises, an Indianapolis-based energy company, proudly donated the Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial to the country and each Medal of Honor recipient. IPALCO Enterprises, Inc., One Monument Circle, Indianapolis, IN 46204, Mailing address: PO Box 1595, Indianapolis, IN 46204-1594.

The Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Monument is a 284-feet tall monument built from gray limestone and bronze in a neoclassical style in the center of Indianapolis, Indiana. The structure commemorates Hoosiers who were veterans of the Indiana War (1776 to 1865). The Colonel Eli Lilly Civil War Museum is in the monument’s lower level while a 30-foot statue of “Victory” tops the obelisk. The view of the surrounding area from the 250-foot high observation deck is simply spectacular. Indianapolis Motor Speedway, located in Speedway, Indiana (an enclave of Indianapolis), is the home of the most famous race in the world, the Indianapolis 500. It has existed since 1909 and is the original “Speedway,” the first racing facility historically to incorporate the word. With a permanent seating capacity for more than 257,000 people and infield seating that raises capacity to an approximate 400,000, it is the largest and highest-capacity sporting facility in history (by comparison, the world’s largest stadium seats 150,000 spectators).

Considered relatively flat by American standards but high-banked by Europeans, the Motor Speedway is a 2 1/2 mile, nearly rectangular oval with dimensions that have remained essentially unchanged since its inception: four 1/4 mile turns, two 5/8 mile long straightaways between the fourth and first and second and third turns, and two 1/8 mile short straightaways, termed “short chutes,” between the first and second, and third and fourth turns.

A modern infield road course, constructed between 1998 and 2000, includes the southern parts of the oval to create a 2.6-mile (4.2 km) track. Altogether, the current grounds have expanded from an original 320 acres (1.3 km²) on which the Speedway was first built to cover an area of over 559. Placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1975 and designated a National Historic Landmark in 1987, it currently remains the only such landmark to be affiliated with automotive racing history since its inception.

Besides the Indianapolis 500, NASCAR’s Allstate 400 at the Brickyard (formerly Brickyard 400) also takes place there. The Speedway also hosted the United States Grand Prix for Formula One from 2000 to 2007, the inaugural race drew an estimated 225,000 which set a Formula One attendance record. It was also the venue of the opening ceremonies for the 1987 Pan American Games.

Between August 19, 1909, and July 29, 2007, 226 automobile races took place, with 125 separate drivers winning. After winning the Grand Prix in 2006, Formula One driver Michael Schumacher holds the record for most victories among the 500, 400, and Grand Prix with five, although all having come on the infield road course. A.J. Foyt, Al Unser, and Rick Mears each won four times in the Indianapolis 500 on the rectangular shaped oval track, and Jeff Gordon has also won four times on the oval in the Brickyard 400. No driver to date has won any combination among the three events, with only one driver (Juan Pablo Montoya) having competed in all three.

On the grounds of the Speedway is the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Hall of Fame Museum, which opened in 1956, and the Brickyard Crossing Golf Resort, which originally opened as the Speedway Golf Course in 1929.
~ Medal of Honor Memorial ~
~ Indianapolis Motor Speedway ~
~ USS Indianapolis (CA-35) Museum
~ Indiana War Memorial Museum ~
~ American Legion National Headquarters Located on the down Mall. Free tours of the building to include the Museum and Library ~

Albert Moore – President (MRFA)
Roy Moseman – Vice President (MRFA)