Class of 1976

Members of the National War College Bicentennial Class of 1976

OK, classmates, it’s time to sign up for the reunion! We have selected the schedule and we know the costs, so it’s now up to you to let us know you are coming and what you want to attend. Here are the events we have arranged:

Friday Night Icebreaker

--- The first function will be an icebreaker at the Army Navy Country Club (the one in Arlington next to I-395). Cocktail hour will begin at 1800 with hors-d’oeuvres and a cash bar. No need to go out to find a place to eat dinner because we will have a buffet put out just for us at 1900. For those of you who know ANCC, you’ll be familiar with our room, the Cocktail Porch, with the beautiful glassed-in view. There will be no program, no speeches – just getting reacquainted and enjoying friends. The cost for the icebreaker will be $40 per person ($17.50 in 2006, but this includes a buffet dinner).

Saturday Day Events

Tommy Tamura, has come up with a great opportunity, a visit to The Centre for Counterintelligence and Security Studies (CCSS), which is just off I-395 inside the Beltway, hosted by its president, Dave Major. Dave has offered to provide those who attend with insights to the CI and intelligence operations the world is now pursuing. This will be open to all and will be unclassified. We will further define the topics and times depending on the number of you who show an interest. You can find out more about the CCSS at http://www.cicentre.com/. Let us know if there are any topics that particularly interest you so we can ask Dave to shape the briefing accordingly. There will be no cost for this event.

As most of you know, Jack Dailey is Director of the National Air & Space Museum, a national treasure in the DC area with two museums available, the original on the mall and the newer Udvar-Hazy Museum at Dulles IAP. Mike Nelson, who is a docent at Udvar-Hazy, would be pleased to arrange a tour at either museum. Let us know your druthers on the sign up sheet.

In addition, here are some other places of interest which you may wish to visit:
--- USMC Museum at Marine Base Quantico (about 30 miles south of the Pentagon, just off I-95). Web site: www.usmcmuseum.org. It’s open from 0900 to 1700 every day.
--- USAF Memorial, overlooking the Pentagon. Web site: www.airforcememorial.org. It’s open from 0800 to 2100 daily.
--- Navy Memorial, the Lone Sailor statue on Memorial Plaza in DC. Web site: www.navymemorial.org. The Memorial is open 24/7 and the nearby Memorial Museum/Heritage Center will be open on our Saturday. Also, the USS Barry (DD933) is now a museum ship at the Navy Yard. Web site: www.hnsa.org/ships/barry.htm.
--- The Army does not have a specific memorial at the moment, and the main Coast Guard Memorial is at the Coast Guard Academy in New London, Ct.
--- Pentagon 9/11 Memorial at the Pentagon at the site of the attack. Web site: www.whs.mil/memorial. It’s open 24 hours daily.

When we have all the inputs on Saturday events, we’ll let you know what interests have been indicated by whom so you can coordinate your sightseeing. Of course, there are countless sights to be seen in the DC area. If you want some specific help with a sight we haven’t listed, let us know in your reservation, and we’ll do what we can.

Saturday Night

--- We will have cocktails at 1800 in the library at NWC and a catered dinner at 1900 in the Rotunda with music supplied by the US Air Force, a string quartet during dinner and the Strolling Strings during dessert. Again we’ll have a pay-as-you-go bar ($2 for booze!). The NWC Commandant, RADM McAneny, and the Executive Director of the NWC Alumni Association, Capt Gary Cooper, USN, Ret, their spouses, and widows of our deceased classmates will be our guests.

There will be few formalities, though we will, of course, have the pledge of allegiance, an invocation, introduction of guests, and the ringing of the bell for our deceased classmates. The cost for the evening, which includes a fine dinner, wine at the table, and all related costs (except individual drinks) will be $100 per person (only $5 more than 2006!).

Recovery Day at Heron’s Court Farm, Middleburg, VA

--- On Sunday, John Zugschwert has offered again to host an event at his estate west of Middleburg, always a great way to end the reunion. Here’s the agenda:
--- 1100: Participants arrive at the Farm, map and directions to be provided to those who sign up.
--- 11-1200: Meet, greet, light favors, coffee/tea, open bar – Bloody Mary specialty.
--- 12-1300: Presentations by experts addressing the events of the Civil War in the immediate area. Among the famous names who played parts: MG McClellan, MG Jeb Stuart, Gen R.E. Lee, Col John Singleton Mosby.
--- 13-1400: Catered lunch, much as in 2001 and 2006 with omelettes to order, poached salmon, fruit & vegetables, cheese grits and shrimp, mixed desserts.
--- 14-1600: Tours of Herons Court Farm, its flora and fauna.
--- This whole package will cost $45 per person (same as 2006!).

A Place to Stay

--- For those of you coming from out of town, the Doubletree Hotel across from the Pentagon (where we had our icebreaker in 2006) has agreed to block 10 double rooms at $139+tax for the nights of 21 and 22 October. Contact the hotel at 703-416-4100 and refer to NWC Class of 1976. For more info and directions, see their website at: http://doubletree1.hilton.com/en_US/dt/hotel/DCAAEDT-DoubleTree-by-Hilto...

We ask you to help in getting the word around and finding any classmates or widows who may not be on our list! If you have any such information, please pass it to Tony Bauer at ABauer0658@aol.com or 5904 Mount Eagle Dr. #808, Alexandria, VA 22303.

After we receive your responses, we’ll send another message or letter out to you with more information, and we’ll send a reminder to those who haven’t made a commitment to attend.

The no-kidding drop dead date for reservations at any of the events will be 15 September, though we encourage you not to wait to get on board! A reservation form is attached to this message or letter. We hope to hear from you soon!

The Committee

Members of the National War College Bicentennial Class of 1976

In 2011 we will mark the 35th anniversary of our graduation. Encouraged by the overwhelmingly positive responses to our survey earlier this year, some of your classmates (frankly, it's the same motley group) have begun planning for a celebration in the Washington, DC, area next October.

Block 21/22/23 October on your 2011 calendar!

We don't have the venues yet and many details are yet to be decided, but we agree that the

format will be similar to the reunion of 2006: Ice-breaker on Friday evening, possible options for activity during the day on Saturday, gala dinner in the Rotunda (not in the library - promise) on

Saturday night, and brunch in the country at John Zugschwert's place on Sunday.

If you would like to offer some comments to the planning committee, by all means do

so. You can write to Mike Nelson at 7517 Quigg St, Clifton, VA 20124 or send an email to Tony Bauer at ABauer0658@aol.com.

In any case, please let us know if your address has changed in the last four years, and give us your email address if you have not already heard from us by email or postal mail.

We encourage you to talk it up with classmates. If you discover someone, including a widow,

who is unaware of our plans, please get us a good address and we'll follow up.

Thanks from the reunion planning committee: Bauer, Breed, Hagerty, Johnson, Krivoruchka,

Mitchell, Nelson, Sones, Vorhies, and Zugschwert.

We're looking forward to seeing you!