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October 6 - 9, 2011
Group activities for the
Silver Anniversary Reunion have been planned to include
activities which are (1) different from those done in previous
DC area reunions, (2) new to the area, and/or (3) inaccessible
via public transportation. The agenda/costs for these
activities are detailed below. All tours and activities are
optional and it is hoped everyone will participate. The
hospitality room will be closed during group activities but
there are plenty of seating arrangements throughout the hotel
where people can meet and spend time together if they choose not
to leave the hotel.
Tuesday and Wednesday, October 4
and 5
No group activities are
planned. The hospitality room opens at 2:00 and will remain
open until Midnight. Light snacks will be served. 10%
discount is given at both hotel restaurants, O'Malleys and
Tuscan Grille. Several restaurants are within easy walking
distance or via hotel shuttle which will transport to the Mall,
within a 3 mile radius, and to the Metro.
Since the 2002 reunion, many
new monuments and museums have opened in Metro DC and the
surrounding areas. To name a few: The American Indian Museum
at Smithsonian, the Marine Corps National Museum, the US Air
Force Memorial, the Pentagon 2011 Memorial, the National Air and
Space Museum Udgar Hazy Center at Dulles Airport, the Newseum,
the Cold War Museum, the International Spy Museum, the Crime and
Punishment Museum, the FDR and MLK memorials, and much more.
Most are accessible via the Metro or within easy driving
distance.
Tyson's Corner Galleria and
Mall are across the street from the hotel. More than 100
stores, shops, and restaurants, including the big name
Department stores -- Versace, Cartier, Bloomingdale, Nordstrom
-- are located there and eager to have new customers.
Chinese Auction
A Chinese Auction is a benefit
auction with a raffle twist. The
bidding is done by ticket. Each participant buys a certain
number of tickets for a set price.
We will
sell sheets of 26 tickets for $20. Those tickets
are then used to "bid" on a variety of items on "auction." You
can bid as many tickets as you wish on each item you're
interested in, by depositing ticket(s) in a container assigned
to that item. You can put one ticket in each container, all of
your tickets in one container, or mix up any number of tickets
in any number of containers you want -- until your tickets run
out! (Then hopefully you buy more!) Rather than going to the
highest bidder, the item goes to the person whose ticket is
drawn, at random, from each item's container.
Starting on Wednesday, all auction items will be displayed in
the hospitality room, with a corresponding ticket bin next to
each item. Bidders may purchase sheets of tickets and, after
browsing all the wares, bidders take chances of their favorite
items by placing one or more tickets into each item's
containers. Items will be on display (and bidable) from
Wednesday through Saturday; drawings will take place on Saturday
night after the dinner buffet.
Normally, each item would be donated. However, since this is the
first year we are attempting to do this fundraiser, we have had
to purchase items for auction. Each item has a retail value
between $25 - $50 and most items will be unique to the
Association; majority of them they can't be bought anywhere
else. We hope to cover the cost of the items and hopefully make
a good profit for the Association, all while having fun with the
auction!
Thursday, October 6
Two motorcoaches will depart
Crowne Plaza at 8:30 am for Annapolis, MD, the U.S. Naval
Academy, and Arlington Cemetery. Two docents will lead the
Academy tour (government-issued photo ID [driver's license]
or passport required), including the Chapel and John Paul
Jones' crypt. After the tour, you can see the cadets' noon
formation or visit the Annapolis harbor. The Academy is
positioned at the point where the Severn River meets the
Chesapeake Bay and the scenery is tranquil and beautiful. If
the weather cooperates, it is a great place to spend the day
and Thursday is the opening day for the World's largest outdoor
sailboat show held at Annapolis City Dock (2 blocks from the
Academy). Lots of sights to see but be careful walking on the
cobblestones outside of the Academy grounds! We'll endeavor to
drive through downtown Annapolis so that you can see this
beautiful city which started as a Colonial village in 1649 and
now is the State capital of Maryland.
From Annapolis, the motorcoach
will head across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge to Maryland's Eastern
Shore for lunch at a waterside restaurant. Sandwich choices
are Maryland crab cake, soft-shell crab (not for the feint of
heart), grilled tuna, NY strip steak OR a chicken caesar salad,
each with crab soup or clam chowder, french fries, cole slaw,
and a drink. The restaurant is next door to the last remaining
oyster shucking plant in Maryland which you are welcome to
visit.
The motorcoach will depart
for Arlington Cemetery. The Association has been granted
permission for the motorcoach to enter the cemetery grounds and
park at the Amphitheater, a short walk away from the Tomb of the
Unknowns. We will observe the changing of the guard and the
Association will lay a wreath at the Tomb of the
Unknowns. There will be a few minutes to visit the memorials to
the Maine, the Challenger, as well as other notable gravesites
in the immediate vicinity to the Amphitheater. If there is
enough light, the group pictures will be taken on the steps of
the Amphitheater. Men are asked to wear the Association polo
shirt or similar white shirt for the wreath-laying.
The Officer's meeting will
be held at 6:00 Thursday afternoon and the hospitality room will
open shortly thereafter with the gourmet pizza party.
NOTE: Naval Academy grounds
are flat but extensive. Manual wheelchairs are available at the
Academy but need to be reserved. Please let us know if you want
to use one for your visit to the Naval Academy. (You must,
however, provide your own "pusher"!) Downtown Annapolis can be
difficult to negotiate because of the cobblestoned streets. The
dock area (right behind the Visitors Center) is an easy walk,
mainly on paved sidewalks. However, it will be quite hectic
because of the sailboat show.
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The
USNA Guide Service provides guided walking tours throughout
the year so you can experience life on the Yard.
Catch noon meal formation during the school year as the
Brigade of Midshipmen forms for uniform inspection before
lunch (Time and weather permitting).
 Annapolis
City Dock
The heart of Annapolis' historic district,
the City Dock has remained a bustling center of city life
for over 300 years.
 The
United States Naval Academy
The U.S. Naval Academy is home to about 4,000 midshipmen who
are training to become officers in the Navy.
 Annapolis
State House
The Annapolis State House is the center of Maryland's
government.
 St.
John's College
Founded under the name of King William's School in 1696,
St. John's College is one of the oldest educational
institutions in the U.S.
Harris
Crab House - Kent Narrows, Maryland
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Tomb of the Unknowns at
Arlington National Cemetery |
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The Tomb of the Unknowns at Arlington
National Cemetery in Arlington, Va., is also known as
the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, and has never been
officially named. The Tomb of the Unknowns stands atop a
hill overlooking Washington, D.C. On March 4, 1921,
Congress approved the burial of an unidentified American
soldier from World War I in the plaza of the new
Memorial Amphitheater.
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The white marble sarcophagus has a
flat-faced form and is relieved at the corners and
along the sides by neo-classic pilasters, or
columns, set into the surface. Sculpted into the
east panel which faces Washington, D.C., are three
Greek figures representing Peace, Victory, and
Valor.
The Tomb sarcophagus was placed
above the grave of the Unknown Soldier of World War
I. West of the World War I Unknown are the crypts of
unknowns from World War II, Korea and Vietnam. Those
three graves are marked with white marble slabs
flush with the plaza. |
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The Unknown of Vietnam
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The Unknown service member from the
Vietnam War was designated by Medal of Honor
recipient U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. Maj. Allan Jay
Kellogg Jr. during a ceremony at Pearl Harbor,
Hawaii, May 17, 1984. The Vietnam Unknown was
transported aboard the USS Brewton to Alameda Naval
Base, Calif. The remains were sent to Travis Air
Force Base, Calif., May 24. The Vietnam Unknown
arrived at Andrews Air Force Base, Md., the next
day. Many Vietnam veterans and President and Mrs.
Ronald Reagan visited the Vietnam Unknown in the
U.S. Capitol. An Army caisson carried the Vietnam
Unknown from the Capitol to the Memorial
Amphitheater at Arlington National Cemetery on
Memorial Day, May 28, 1984. President Reagan
presided over the funeral, and presented the Medal
of Honor to the Vietnam Unknown. |
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The president also acted as next of kin
by accepting the interment flag at the end of the
ceremony. The interment flags of all Unknowns at the
Tomb of the Unknowns are on view in the Memorial Display
Room. The Memorial Bridge leading from Washington, D.C.,
to Virginia is lined with a joint-service cordon as the
remains of the Vietnam War Unknown are taken by motor
escort to Arlington National Cemetery for interment in
the Tomb of the Unknowns.
(The remains of the Vietnam Unknown were
exhumed May 14, 1998. Based on mitochondrial DNA
testing, DoD scientists identified the remains as those
of Air Force 1st Lt. Michael Joseph Blassie, who was
shot down near An Loc, Vietnam, in 1972. It has been
decided that the crypt that contained the remains of the
Vietnam Unknown will remain vacant.) |
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Friday, October 7
The motorcoach tour will depart Crowne
Plaza at 8:30 am for the U.S. Marine Corps National Museum.
You can tour the Museum at your own pace before lunch in the
"Mess Hall". The museum is set up to bring the guests into
the various battlefields. You will become one of the
Marines on the beaches of Normandy and one of the Marines in
the snow in Korea. It is a series of incredible experiences
from the Revolutionary War to modern day warfare with
special exhibits of WWI & II, Korea, and Vietnam. We will
have a buffet lunch of ham and turkey sandwiches, vegetable
crudite, pasta salad, assorted cookies, and a drink, before
departing for Smithsonian Udvar-Hazy Air Museum at Dulles
Airport.
The Udvar-Hazy Air Museum is the
companion facility to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum
on the National Mall. The building opened in December, 2003,
and provides enough space for the Smithsonian to display the
thousands of aviation and space artifacts that cannot be
exhibited on the
National Mall. The two sites together showcase the
largest collection of aviation and space artifacts in the
world. We will break down into three groups; each group
will have its own guide to tour the museum.
We will return to the Crowne Plaza around 3:30 pm, allowing
for some free/rest time before the Reunion Banquet.
NOTE: Manual wheelchairs are available
at the Marine Corps Museum and at Udvar-Hazy; no
reservations are necessary. The Museums are fully
accessible.
There will be a wine and cheese
reception at 6:00 pm, followed by dinner at 7:00, with
a choice of chicken teriyaki or sliced beef with bordelaise
sauce, tossed salad, vegetables, dessert, coffee/tea. A
cash bar will be open during the wine and cheese
reception, during dinner, and for the musical entertainment
following dinner (Wine is complimentary during the
reception; it is pay per drink during dinner and
entertainment.) The hospitality room will reopen at 10:00.
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The
Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center
has more than 100
aircraft and 122 space objects on display. Visitors
enter on the second level where the Welcome Center,
Airbus IMAX Theater, Museum Store and food service
entrances are located. Floor exhibits, classrooms
and tower entrance are located on the first level.
Aircraft and space objects on the map below are
shaded based on their display position (floor level
or two hanging levels above). A more detailed map
(PDF) with major objects labeled is available. See
exhibitions for information on thematic exhibit
stations through the Center. A
list of major objects on display
is also available, with links to more information
about the individual objects on display.
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Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center |
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Saturday, October 8
No group activities are planned to give
all attendees time to see and do what they want in downtown
Washington, DC. It is anticipated that the Association will
visit The Wall in the morning at a time TBD. Once downtown,
the Smithsonian, Washington Monument, WWII, Korea, FDR, and
other memorials are within flat walking distance of The Wall
or you can take the Metro to Union Station to pick up a
trolley tour with on/off privileges. No group
transportation is planned since the hotel will shuttle
people to and from the Metro station at their own pace.
Traffic should be light for the weekend and the trains won't
be crowded with commuters.
The annual men's meeting will be held
late in the afternoon at a time TBA. An optional hot/cold
buffet will be served in the hospitality room at 7:30 pm
followed by the drawings for the Chinese Auction and door
prize.
Sunday, October 9
Farewells and Godspeed until next
year! Thanks for your participation and have a safe trip
home.
Pricing
Motorcoach tours for
Thursday and Friday,
including transportation, Thursday's tour, and lunch
on both days -
$95 pp (best
deal)
Motorcoach tour for Thursday only, including
transportation, guided tour, and lunch at the waterside
restaurant - $53 pp
Motorcoach tour for Friday only, including
transportation and lunch at the Marine Corps Museum - $45 pp
The cost of the banquet is $45 pp. It
includes the wine and cheese reception, 3-course dinner, and
live musical entertainment for dancing and listening
pleasure.
(See registration for registration
fees and other activities as well as menu selections.)
PLEASE NOTE: The
hospitality room will be closed during all group activities
and during the banquet.
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