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Mini reunion After Action Report
The 2019 Branson Mini reunion gathered over the week and weekend following the Labor Day Holiday. We had people arriving from Sunday the 1st of September through Friday the 6th of September. The official start of the mini reunion was Wednesday the 4th of September. There were a total of 89 people attending of which 18 were maintenance types with their guests, 20 Pilots and their guests, 11 were KIA Families and their guests, 40 Gunners with their guests. We also had one Seawolf who had never been to any Seawolf function. He had to leave Saturday but had a good time and was made very welcome.
On Thursday we assembled at the IMAX complex at 9:00 AM for a showing of Scramble the Seawolves in the Cinema Theater. Later that afternoon 73 of us were back at the complex for an early dinner at 3:00 PM in Mc Farlains Restaurant. Some of the options were more than some of us could eat, in other words you got plenty for your money. Others decided to take in a show during that time or had not arrived yet.
Friday during the day people explored Branson or took in an early show. That evening we went to the show “A Beach Boys Tribute”. We had 77 attending that one. It was a very entertaining show. The entertainers did an outstanding job with all the Beach Boys songs. During this show they also discussed the impact that the Beach Boys had on the following music during the 60’s and 70’s.
Saturday morning, we again explored Branson until it was time to get to the gazebo at the Branson Belle for a memorial celebration for our fallen 44 at 3:00 PM. This is put on by the Branson Belle for any military group that would like it prior to boarding the Branson Belle.
The memorial consisted of: The National Anthem, The Pledge of Allegiance, a short speech by Pat Samel including the reading of the names of our 44 fallen Seawolves with help from George Leduc and Bill Summers. The Speech was followed by a short prayer given by Rick Harmon. The memorial continued with The Navy Hymn, Amazing Grace and Taps.
We followed the memorial service with 81 of us boarding the Branson Belle for dinner and a show while cruising Table Rock Lake. For those who didn’t know, the Belle is the only paddlewheel boat to be built right on the shore of Table Rock Lake, when she was launched, they wanted to stay ecologically friendly so they used bananas for lubrication on the whays as she slid into the lake. She also only uses soy diesel to run the engines that provide electrical power for her propulsion motors and the electrical system aboard.
During the week starting Tuesday afternoon, with a shaky start, the hospitality room opened with announced hours allowing us to get the refreshments cooled and out for consumption. I will admit there was a little confusion until I got the hours posted. We averaged about 25-30 people in the hospitality room at any one time. Everyone seemed to kind of rotate through during the open hours.
As people were leaving on Sunday all I heard was compliments on the great time that everyone had.
I would like to thank Linda Combs and Marie LeDuc for their assistance with the hospitality room. They filled in when Carol and I had to run errands during the open hours of the Hospitality room. I also would like to thank all those who contributed food and snacks as well as some adult beverages to the Hospitality room. Such as Linda Combs, Larry and Janice Huffstutter, Tim and Pat Carmody, Al and Julie Nutter, Lonnie Roy, and last but not least Red and Pat Cummings. I hope I didn’t miss anybody.
Sorry it took so long to get this out but I had my class reunion following our mini reunion. I was the organizer and host of that one also. I spent another week there for that one. Needless to say, I was exhausted when we got home.
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