USAF Helicopter Pilot Association

Reunion 1988

Reunion 1988 Information

REUNION #3 – October 6-8, 1988 - San Antonio, Texas

The 1988 USAF Helicopter Pilot Association Reunion held in San Antonio, Texas is now history and we are happy to report a very successful gathering. 373 members and guests were registered during the reunion. Also we had 8 new members sign up which boosted our 1988 membership to 427. We realize this appears to be a relatively small number considering the number eligible to join the Association but consider it very good for the first year of the official organization.

For those of you who were not able to make the reunion, we will recap some of the activities. Thursday the 6^th was set aside for registration and socializing in the Hospitality Room. We visited with many old friends and renewed acquaintances with some we had not seen in over thirty years. In an adjacent room we were fortunate to have displays provided by Sikorsky and Bell Helicopter Companies along with memorabilia provided by our own members.

Friday morning we had 37 enthusiastic golfers descend on the Randolph AFB course for a tournament. Highlight of the outing was a hole-in-one scored by Ollie Campbell, who was presented with a (toy) car. The 1^st place team was awarded plaques during the Dinner Dance on Saturday. The weather was cooperative and the refreshment cart readily available to make it a most enjoyable outing.

For others, Friday was set aside for return to the Hospitality Room to swap lies and greet friends they had not found the preceding day. Some took advantage of the time to see some of the sights of San Antonio. Trolleys and river barges were available from the hotel, which make it convenient to see some of the Alamo City.

The Friday evening festivities started when members were bussed to the Rio Cibilo Guest Ranch where they dined and danced at one of the finest facilities of its kind in Texas. Here everyone could see "a little bit of Texas" with Longhorn cattle and all. For those of us that have been out of the cockpit for some time, a helicopter flyover brought back some fond memories. In addition to the traditional "kicker" band, we were entertained by a group of "Cloggers". We were pleasantly surprised when John Elliff gave us his rendition of "Lucille". A caricature artist was available and a panoramic photo was taken of those attending the function.

Saturday morning the association members gathered in the Hospitality Room for the general membership meeting required by our Constitution and Bylaws. At this meeting, we discussed and voted on numerous items related to the Association and elected a new Board of Directors. A summary of items presented for discussion with the results of the election of the Board of Directors is included later in this letter.

Those attending the Dinner Dance on Saturday evening were bussed to the Randolph AFB Officer’s Club for a prime rib dinner and dancing to a ten-piece orchestra. Good food and good friends made it a most enjoyable evening. No formal program was planned, however, a live microphone among our group always draws attention. Portrait pictures were taken of those in attendance for inclusion in the Reunion Memory Book.

While on the subject of a memory book, we have received the layout kit information with proofs of the portrait pictures. Unfortunately the photographer ruined most of the candid shots taken during the reunion and we ended-up with only two photographs that we could use in the Reunion Memory book. We are in desperate need of your help in this area. If you have any candid photos which you would like considered for the book, please send them to the Association as soon as possible.

The Association was given three complimentary rooms at the El Tropicano Hotel as a result of booking rooms for the reunion. These free rooms were passed on to the members registered in the hotel. Results of a drawing of names were announced during the BBQ. The lucky winners were Sam Granier, Homer Hite and Doug Sams.

This Reunion Committee decided to provide favors for those attending the reunion and who made contributions toward the hospitality/reunion expenses. After due consideration of options, we decided on windbreaker jackets with the USAF Helicopter Pilots Association logo. Unfortunately some members who made contributions were not able to attend so their jackets were mailed. There are approximately 60 jackets (size large) remaining which are available, one per member and on a first-come-first served basis, to members who could not make the reunion. A contribution of $15.00 to defray the cost and expense of mailing will be needed.

During the reunion we asked attendees to verify the mailing list for currency. Enclosed you will find the updated list which we promised. The list includes a few names of helicopter pilots who are not members that we have been in contact with recently. Due to the cost of reproduction, the Association will not mail additional copies without a donation of $1.00.

While on the matter of high finance, we will cover a couple of items included in the general membership meeting mentioned earlier. With the anticipated increase in cost of administering the Association, the subject of dues was presented to the membership. Annual dues of either $7.50 or $10.00 was suggested. A motion was made, seconded and unanimously carried to establish annual dues of $10.00. As current membership will expire on 31, December 1988, the Association will accept your membership renewal for either one (l) or two (2) years. Please complete and return the membership renewal form on the last page of this newsletter to renew your membership and provide requested comments. In order to remain on our mailing list for Association and reunion newsletters, Association dues need to be paid by March 1989.

As required by the Constitution and Bylaws, a Treasurers Report was provided at the general membership meeting. Now that the reunion is over and most of the bills have been paid, we can report that the 1988 Reunion was a success from a financial standpoint as well. With the cost of this mailing, an audit, and some administrative expenses still outstanding, it appears that we will clear approximately $1,500 from this reunion. The bulk of this is a result of transportation contract returns, exceeding a prorata share (based on a sliding scale) for anticipated numbers contracted for reunion activities, and savings on refreshment expenses.

Five (5) proposed changes to the Constitution and Bylaws were presented during the general membership meeting. These changes were duly accepted and legally adopted by the members present. The Constitution and Bylaws have been revised to incorporate changes make during the meeting and are available through the Association.

An election of officers for the Board of Directors was held during the general membership meeting. Results of the election are as follows:

Chairman: L.F. "Pepper" Marcum

1st Vice Chairman: James T. Carroll

2^nd Vice Chairman: James P. Scarff

Secretary: Larry Burke

Treasurer: George Ullmann

All members of the board are from the San Antonio area. The principle office will be 109 Suncliff Drive, Universal City, TX, 78148 – telephone (512) 658-2467. Please note the change in mailing address on letterhead and direct all correspondence for the Association to P.O.Box 3063, Universal City, TX, 78148-2163.

Also during the membership meeting, the matter of the next reunion was discussed at length. First discussed and voted on was the frequency to have reunions. The majority of the members selected an 18 month to two (2) year cycle with latitude to the hosting reunion committee. Second item regarding the next reunion was the desired location. Front runners in order of priority were Fort Walton Beach, FL; an organized Caribbean cruise; and Albuquerque, NM. After much deliberation, Fort Walton Beach, FL, was selected as the most desirable location for the next reunion.

The Fort Walton Beach area has the first or second largest concentration of retired helicopter pilots plus an enviable number of active duty helicopter pilots. We are sure that you will give the next hosting group your full support in having another successful reunion where we can continue the same camaraderie that has always been prevalent. You will be receiving more information about the next reunion from the hosting reunion group.

When referring to hosting groups, we would be remiss not to take this opportunity to express our appreciation to all those who had a part in our last reunion. Our sincere thanks go to many, but we will not try to recognize each by name for fear of slighting one or more individuals. All had an important roll no matter how small it may have appeared. If you only attended then you had to contribute to the overall success of the reunion.

See you in Fort Walton Beach

The San Antonio Gang: Jimmy Hamill, Bob Hamel, Pepper Marcum

Note: Information taken from USAFHPA Newsletters and other sources. Kyron Hall, Historian.