Another Vietnam Sky Cop Reunion by the Boards

With Sunshine and temps in the 70s and higher over the weekend{since back to winter with snow and record low temperatures}, we held our 6th "Mini Reunion" at Dayton's Hope Hotel, Wright~Patterson AFB, and the Air Force Museum, in the past 8 years...this one was marked with the best weather by far as compared to the past.  Of course moving it to early to mid April, rather than January, February, or even March, might have something to do with this....

Patrica fixed dozens of homemade cookies, pies, and supplied Veggie and Cheese Trays and bowls of chocolate candy....Bob Griffith, my partner in crime in the WPAFB area, filled the coolers with beer,

soda pop, wine, and the tables with chips, dips, etc. 

The room and hospitality situation was resolved, not to the best{things will be better next year, you can count on that}, but we survived in tact....my buddies Randy and MAC, Bill McDonald, supplied the entertainment along with singing help from my buddy Mike Tillman's wife Debbie....grandson Kasyn joined us for dinner on Saturday as well, and by the time we parted Sunday Morning{to sit with K~Man while Hal and Lisa celebrated Hal's 30th Birthday at the Reds Game}...I was satisfied with the weekend in total...we can do better, and hopefully that will come next year.

Sadly we lost 5 of our guys from last year and previous years....it is the way of the Vietnam Vets....our numbers will not grow, we will only become less as each and every year passes....however our numbers for the Reunion itself continue to grow...from 5 of us in 2007 to as many as 40...this year, Sky Cops, wives, friends, and family members totaled about 55.

Next year we will meet even later in the Spring, as April 23 thru 26th are the set dates...

Baseball...and rainouts

So far this season, despite the miserable weather, I have umpired more than 50% of the games during the Regular Season....rained out on Monday, my game yesterday had been moved, good thing too, as it never got above 34 degrees.  Cold, but Sunny today, and my game at LCC was cancelled and they moved it to Coldwater, where young Damon and I will work this one...I have the plate today{Damon will work the dish at Delphos Jefferson next week when we work together again}...tomorrow I have picked up another game, after a cancellation...at New Knoxville with my buddy from Greenville Greg.  No games Friday due to it being Good Friday, Saturday me and my District assigned buddy Jim will work a double header at St. Marys vs Indian Lake...Jim and I, along with Garry, will work the 3 games at the D4 District at Elida this year...no Regional or State Assignments, but I have seen that hand writing on the wall for several seasons, 65 year olds just are not getting those these days regardless of Ratings or how good of shape one may be in.  But no complaints...I have had my share of good post season assignments in the past, and time for some new blood to move

in...Damon does have a District 3 games as well as the D1 Regional at Bowling Green.

back later>>>

Photos-2014 Sky Cops at the Defender Fortis Statue...part of the Hospitality Room Spread...fixed mostly by my wife.  Patricia and Doug Davis' wife Pam...my friend Bill Harris, who lives year round in Vietnam and travels the country presented me with patches, a VSPA Flag and Sand from the Beaches of Nha Trang.  Bill "MAC" McDonald, Debbie Tillman and Randy Albertson perform after Dinner on Saturday Night at the Hope Hotel...and me and "Mac"...the only two guys in our group that served at both Nha Trang and Tan Son Nhut during the Vietam War as Sky Cops.