It’s been a few weeks since I got back home from our 26th annual OV-1 Mohawk Association reunion, this time in San Diego. I look forward each year to renewing decades-old friendships face to face, and making new ones of guys I did not know while I was at the 225th. There were over two hundred men and wives at this year’s reunion. It’s just fun to get together! Here’s a list of the (by my count) twenty-two Blackhawks/Phantomhawks that attended: Joe Beckham, Alex Berkeley, Don Bernstein, John Britten, Tom Cote, Joe Floyd, Larry Haglund, Steve Hammons, Felipe Hilburn, Arlan Lando, Bobbie Luthi, Gilberto Mendoza, Dave Nelson, Bill Page, Ben Perez, Ron Pitcock, Bob Riha, Steve Sachs, Ernie Serna, Rich Steinbock, Alan Summers and Gary Todd. Helmut Haberl was on the reunion attendance roster, but I don’t recall seeing him.
This year John Bosch, the Association Reunion Director, put
together some great events to give us a sample of what San Diego has to
offer. I took the tour to the USS Midway
aircraft carrier museum and was amazed as I wandered with John Horvath and Sandy
Wolfe on the flight deck, hanger deck and down into the bowels of this floating
airport. We met a former Marine from
Tennessee in the gift shop who told us that he also had actually flown a Mohawk
while he was in the Marines. I forget
the details, but it’s such a small world. Maybe Sandy Wolfe or John Horvath remember because we were all together in the gift shop when we met him. Oh, I almost forgot, I also got my annual airplane fix (even though it
was a Navy airplane fix) this year!
An experience like touring the Midway and attending our
reunion always causes me to pause and reflect on the achievements and
sacrifices of those who have gone before me in other wars. It also reinforces how important my
relationships are with you I served with in Vietnam!
I hope you plan on being in Washington, DC September 22-25,
2016 for our 27th reunion. I
plan on being there and would sure like to see you too!
Click here to see an album of photos...(opens in a new window)
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