It’s time to make your  plans!  Come and see all your old buddies!     

JULY 23 -- JULY 26, 2009

20^TH ENGINEER BRIGADE REUNION

COLUMBIA (FORT JACKSON), SOUTH CAROLINA

YOUR HOSTS FOR 2009

JERRY COOK                   and                 GEORGIA COX

803/528-7363                                           803/622-1194

YOU’RE INVITED TO

20^th Engineer Brigade Reunion   July 23-26, 2009   Columbia (Ft. Jackson), South Carolina

                                                         Jerry Cook – HHC - Bien Hoa 68-69

Welcome home, and welcome aboard the reunion!       The New Year has begun!   We’re very thankful to be a part of this group with all its great folks and hoping you’ll be joining us in Columbia, South Carolina for the 2009 Reunion of the 20^th Engineering Brigade.  We are partnering with Ft. Jackson Community Relations and the Columbia Convention & Visitors Bureau to ensure you have an enjoyable event worth your time!   

We have guys from a great variety of units within the 20^th.  I’m sure you and your family will enjoy it at the reunion – be sure and bring any pictures you may have.   I met my hootchmate at the first reunion I attended ~~ I hadn’t seen him in nearly 40 years and we still recognized each other instantly!  Look below and you will see a small form.  If you would fill it out, it would help us make a count for dinner and such. This may be your first reunion, but if you’re anything like us, it won’t be your last one.  They’re addictive!   Some come alone, most bring spouses, family, or grandchildren.  We’ve worked hard to make this a good reunion.  If you’d like, give us your snail mail address and we’ll put you on the master list for the reunion.   That way you’ll always know what’s going on.  Put us on your contact list for email so it won’t wind up in junk mail.  We don’t share the addresses, send junk mail, or forward you any “funnies”.   Feel free to call us up.   It is our privilege as hosts to help members in any way we can!      

The main hotel for the event is the Hampton Inn at 1021 Clemson Frontage Road, Columbia, SC 29229.   (Phone 803/788-4901)  We will be setting up our hospitality area in their spacious meeting room.  We have held 75 rooms at the rate of $92.00: these rates are good for two days prior and after the event. Handicapped Rooms are available.  We also have rooms at the Holiday Inn Express (803/419-3558) located next door at 1011 Clemson Frontage Road; the room rate will be the same.  When making reservations, be sure to mention our group to get the rate.  Pets are not allowed, but Service Animals are welcome.  Be sure to mention any special accommodations you might need (i.e. first floor, wheel chair, service animal, etc.) when you book your room.  This reunion has been publicized in the American Legion Magazine, The VFW Magazine, The TREA Magazine, The Army Engineer Magazine, as well as many military/reunion websites.  Many rooms have been booked already – best not to wait too late. Make sure you get yours! 

We’ve got plenty planned for you.   Fort Jackson will be providing buses from our hotel on Saturday for a tour of the installation, museums, ranges, and facilities -- complete with lunch at a mess hall.  They will also provide us with PX privileges and an on-post authorization for our vehicles.  In addition, Mr. Lyle Daniels, of the Warrior Training Alliance, will take all of us through a training session on the range, just like the recruits go through before heading into real combat situations.   Don’t panic if you’re not as fit as you were in basic training…this is open to everyone, men and women, adults and kids alike.   You DO NOT want to miss this!   (BE SURE AND SEE HIS FLYER on line at our reunion website!!) 

Thursday, will be check in with an informal evening meal.  If there is enough interest, Friday, we’ll sponsor a golf outing on base -- shotgun start, 18 holes, with box lunch and beverage cart.  Of course, there will be prizes for the winners.  The price for this outing is $50.00.  Please indicate your interest (and feel free to pay ahead) so we’ll have a good count.  For those who are not golfers, the city of Columbia offers many ideas for day trips or simple outings.  There are historic tours, antique shops, a botanical garden, the State Museum, and the Children’s Museum.  Close to the hotel, at Fort Jackson, is PALMETTO FALLS - a water park for young and old alike.    Whilst you are on post, it might be a good time to use those PX passes and find a good buy.   Not quite 3 miles away are the Shops at Sandhill Village – many great stores and restaurants.   Friday night, we’ll meet, renew old acquaintances, award the prizes from the golf outing and just get laid back at the hospitality room at the Hampton Inn.  .  

 Saturday, after our base tour, the dinner is on base at the NCO club, and is by reservation only.   You may pre-pay if you like in the amount of $25.   We’ll have pre-dinner music by a Quartet furnished by the U.S. Army Band.  Our flag ceremony will be presented by U.S. Army Soldiers on active duty.  We will have troops & speaker from the current 20^th Engineer Brigade stationed at Ft. Bragg NC (who have recently returned from Afghanistan) there to join us.  These soldiers consider YOU as the ones who laid the groundwork for their mission – BUILDING COMBAT POWER!  The annual meeting of the group as well as a presentation by the 2010 hosts will follow immediately after.  

 In order to speed up registration, we are including a small form that we hope you will clip and return to us.   It will greatly help us to make things smooth.   It does offer an option to prepay for the dinner and/or the golf outing.   While this is not mandatory, it will greatly help us.   Any payment you may make will be refundable up until July 1, 2009.    You may choose to pay on site if that works better for you.    Either way, please take a moment to fill out the form and mail it/email it back to us.   If you have already called and given us your plans, you don’t need to mail them again.  To those of you who have prepaid for the dinner, we would like to express our great appreciation.  Our mailing address is 359 Harvest Field Court, Pelion, South Carolina, 29123-9155.  Feel free to call, email, or fax us any questions you may have.  Please feel free to copy and share this information with any people or groups (VFWs, VA, American Legion, DAV, or other military groups, etc) that you may think might be interested.

If you are planning on flying in, please check flights coming into Charlotte, NC (CLT) as well as Columbia, SC (CAE).  Charlotte is approximately 2 hours away, but can often be a much better air deal than Columbia.   Once in Charlotte, you can rent a car, or ride in on the Charlotte/Columbia Shuttle Van.   The link for this service is www.columbiacharlotteshuttle.com .  This shuttle will deliver you directly from the airport to the hotel and back as you desire.  Feel free to call us if you have any questions regarding this or any other aspect of the transportation.    

This is a great place to plan a weeklong vacation.   You won’t be disappointed!  With both the Great Smoky Mountains and the Atlantic Beaches (at Myrtle Beach and near Charleston) between 2 and 3 hours away, either or both would make a fantastic day trip.   Each night, from the steps of the Capitol Building, leaves the Columbia Ghost Walk at 8pm.   While you are there, be sure and take a walk around the Capitol building and see the marks on the walls left by Sherman’s shelling.    Feel free to ask us anything you may need to know.  Please contact us if you need to find a camping space.  It is our privilege as hosts to help you in any way possible.  Columbia is home to the wonderful Riverfront Zoo, and the fabulous River Walk.  Speaking of the River, you might want to rent a canoe for a short jaunt down the Congaree.     You’ll love Columbia; it really is a Capitol City!

 You do not need to pay ahead to come, but it does help.    Your money is refundable until July 1, 2009.  Either way, please clip the form below & mail or email it back to us.    

                                                                       Make checks out to 20^th Engineer Brigade Reunion

WELCOME HOME VETERANS

WE HOPE TO SEE YOU IN COLUMBIA IN 2009!!

ColumbiaSCReunionhost09@hughes.net

FAX 866/577-2881

www.20thengineerbrigadereunion.com