News
Vets, Patronize *Sears & Applebee's* They support us & are our good friends!
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*Centralia C/22 2011 Reunion Info*
This in a notice to let you know that Charlie Company's Annual Reunion will be held in Centralia, Washington again. The dates for this are, July 28 to the 31st. We have a lot of fun things planned. Lucky Eagle Casino for Dinner *Thursday, *Friday, a visit to the Viet Nam Memorial Museum, & get together at the Eagles Club. And, if our "Better Half's, don't want to go to the Museum, we have a shopping trip to Centralia Antiques Stores. *Sat., a Steam Locomotive Ride for those who want to go, and Dinner at 6 at the American Legion. Dinner's cost will be $15 ea. *Sunday is our Breakfast to say our "Good-byes". The Eagles will be open all day to us Friday & Sat.
Also, I am at this time, trying to get Col. Bruce Crandall, "Medal of Honor recipient" to attend our Dinner. Won't know for a couple of days if he will be able to attend. Col. Crandall was portrayed in the movie "We were Soldiers" with Mel Gibson staring, Col. "Snake" Crandall was the helicopter pilot...He was just totally amazing! Hopefully we will all be able to meet him!
The Host Motel again, will be the Peppermill in Centralia. They treated us so great last year! The phone # for reservations is: 360-330-9441. We are getting another great rate from them, a group rate and a Military Discount also. The rate is $66.70 plus tax, reg. rate is $89....When you call for reservations, you MUST tell them you are with "Charlie Company Reunion" in order to get that rate. Also, you need to make those reservations as soon as possible! This is important!!
One last thing, if you plan on attending, please, PLEASE, e-mail me back and let me know. I need to know how many Dinners the American Legion will need to prepare.
Van Karg & John Mersinger, please forward this to all our Brothers out your way. I don't have many e-mail addresses for our Brothers back in your neck of the woods...Thanks in Advance!
MOTEL INFORMATION FOR C 2/22 REUNION
Please Note, if you are planning on attending, get your Motel Reservations as soon as possible!
The Peppermill Motel will be our "Host Motel"
Peppermill Motel- Exit 81 360-330-9441
$66.70 plus Tax- Group Rate with 10 or more. (Reg price is $89 for Summer Rates, they are giving us a huge discount + Military Discount!)
Call as soon as possible to reserve a room at this rate, also, let me know also that you will be staying there.
Travel Inn Take - Exit 81
Large view of lake in back rooms
Call 1-866-736-9344 - reservations only
Holiday Inn Take - Exit 81
Continental Breakfast
Call 1- 360- 330-9441 or Fax to - 1-360-330-1467
Econo Lodge Take - Exit 88
Pool & Continental Breakfast
Call 1-360-736-2825 or Fax to 1-360-736-2651
Ferryman's Inn Motel Take - Exit 88
AAA Discounts
Continental Breakfast
Call 1-800-977-2094 or 1-360-330-2094 ,
Fax # 1-360-330-5049
Motel 6 Take - Exit 88
NO group rates
Call 1-360-330-2057 or Fax to 1-360-330-2066
All these Motels can be seen from exits , ALL these motels are in Centralia, WA
Return Trip to Viet Nam
May 5th, 2010
Larry & Vicki Mason are planning a return trip to Viet Nam next year. Anyone interested in going with them, contact Larry @ 503-621-0453. The one's that went last year had a "Great" time. Larry's pictures of his trip will be posted on our site as soon as he gets them to me.
April 17, 2010
Thank You Nathan Henwood
I would like to thank my good buddy Nathan Henwood of Montesano Washington for taking the time to get this website up & running. Without him, no doubt, we wouldn't have a web site. He had put many hours into getting this site to work properly. So Nathan, we all "Thank You" for getting us there!
April 3, 2010
Hello My Brothers, well finely we have our web site back on line. Lots of problems getting this site to play DVD's. It is fixed now and up & running good. The site has changed for the better. For me, it is much more "User" friendly and changes can take place much faster, and I can keep what hair I have there on my head! I was loosing it rapidly!
Charlie Company's Web Site NEEDS your Photo's!!!!!!
Also, I NEED YOUR PHOTOS! If you have slides, which most of us did, take them to Wal-Mart and the will charge $.24 apiece to have them put on a CD. It is about the cheapest place I have found to get them done. One more good advantaged to using Wal-Mart, they will do it in the store, not sending them out and having the chance of loosing them. So get them changed over, send me a copy and I will get it into "Charlie Company's Web Site"
Jim Neeley
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November 10, 2009
A Veteran's Day Wish
By Roger Frydrychowski
My salute to each of you on this Veterans' Day 2009. You served well. Stand tall, be proud and receive the salute and thanks of those around you. You deserve it.
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Aug.5,2009
I have been in contact with Dave Goodwin. He is trying to find anyone that knew Bill Janes, KIA 12-20-1967, he came to Charlie Company in March of 67'. If you remember him please contact Dave at dlgoogwin7@hotmail.com.
Thank you,
Jim Neeley
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Reposted May 4,2009
Been in contact with Rick Arthur and Major Thomas Flemming, they have been invited to our reunion in Oct. They are from the Air Cav, 25 Div. who were stationed at Chu Chi. They were the ones who would give us fire support from their Gunships. On the morning of March 21st, 1967, their two gunships were the first on the scene at Soui Tri. They eye witnessed the battle, and us breaking thru the jungle. They will be there to give us a different perspective of how the battle looked from the air. Rick Arthur will be there for sure, Maj. Flemming will let us know for sure later. Hopefully they both can make it. Be sure to give them a big "Welcome"....Jim
Reposted May 4, 2009
I talked on the phone a couple days ago with Joe Engles, he was not with Charlie Company, but was with A Battery, 77th Arty, 4th Div. He was at Soui Tre when we arrived. He is very "Thankful" for us showing up when we did. We have talked several times now, and has been invited to our reunion in Oct. He is looking forward on meeting all of you from "Charlie Company". You all be sure to give him a "Big Welcome", remember all the fire support the 77th gave us, they saved our asses more than once....Jim
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Posted May 3, 2009
A Message about Van Karg taken from the Minnesota Dept. of Veterans Affairs, May 2009 Newsletter. Van had met with US Dept. of Veterans Affairs Gen. Eric Shinseki that day of the interview.
Veteran Spotlight: Van Karg
3, Issue 5 9Van Karg believes that connecting with the community
and others is the most important thing a
Veteran can do to help heal the sometimes "invisible"
wounds of combat.
Karg is a Vietnam Veteran who works to help others
find the support and connection that helped
him transition from a solider to a civilian. As the
14th District National Executive Committeeman
for the Disabled American Veterans, he works to
serve all Veterans and their families and lives every
day by that mission.
On June 13, Karg will gather with many of the
soldiers he served with in Vietnam to reconnect,
reminisce and remember their experience in Vietnam.
The group is planning to attend the Minnesota
Honors Vietnam Era Veterans event as part of
their reunion weekend on the Minnesota State
Capitol grounds in St. Paul, Minn.
Karg is looking forward to this year’s reunion. He
remembers how close this group became after
basic training and while serving in Vietnam.
"When you work with that many guys in close
quarters you start to think the same way and take
care of one another," said Karg.
The group, based out of Ft. Lewis Washington,
served together from September 1966 to September
1967, mainly in the southern region of Vietnam.
He remembers being the most fearful when the
unit first arrived in Vietnam. He recalled the
actual environment of war being far different from
their training.
Karg remembers his return to the United States as
less than positive.
"Well I didn’t have any bad experiences when I
returned, you know they talk about how people
got spit on and called names and what not. That
didn’t actually happen to me," he said.
However, he recalls that he and others didn’t
receive the welcome Veterans before them had.
"We didn’t have the welcome home ceremonies,
and when we got back to our communities, we
weren’t welcomed into the American Legions
and the VFWs, we had to go in and make ourselves
welcome," he said.
Karg also feels strongly that this situation, and
others like it, were extremely detrimental to
families of service members.
"Our families got hurt by it too, even our children.
In school children would come up to my
children and say, my mom and dad told me this
about your dad, about being a baby killer. Well
that hurt my kids too and that’s not the right way
to go about it," he said.
Karg feels that today the reception of returning
service members by the public and Veterans
organizations has changed – and for the better.
However, he believes many Vietnam Veterans
and their families remember the hurt, and may
still be hurting.
"If they don’t open up, they’re holding it in, and
until they open up to the public it’s going to stay
that way," he said.
Karg reiterates that it is important for all Veterans
and their families to connect with a community.
"Get active in something. If you get active in
something then someone is going to talk to you
and you’re going to let things out. If you don’t
get active in a community then you won’t let
things out," he said.
He attributes a vital part of his healing process
to his connection, and the opportunity to reunite,
with his fellow service members. He said it
is the most important thing he and his unit have
ever done to move forward.
"We actually didn’t get together until three years
ago, 39 years after we served," said Karg.
He is excited about the June 13 event at the State
Capitol.
"This is the perfect time for this reunion, we’re
expecting 40 men from Minnesota and Wisconsin
to come to this reunion," he said.
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I talked to Van today, he says everyone of you are invited to come to this reunion. You may reach Van for details at: vlkarg@hutchcel.net
He hope you all can make it back for this one, if you can't, he hope to see you all in Seattle! *Jim Neeley*