Compatriots and Friends:

We start a New Year amid a fast-gathering war storm in the Middle East and ever-growing concern over the Terrorist Threat. From our own experiences, we know that any war is terrible to contemplate. But our past service to our nation, even if long ago, as ours was, tells us that we must support and defend our country, its flag, and our Constitution as well as the decisions of our elected leaders. We hope everything works out to the best for America.

Early information on the Williamsburg Reunion, including the Hotel Reservation form and our Schedule of Events, as currently scheduled, is given in this issue. We hope you all can be there. This Reunion, like the last one at Salt Lake City, will include a raffle or lottery of an A-2 Jacket, by Andrew Martinez.

Bob Alford, our Australian Historian, has sent us information on their memorialization of the crash site of MILADY near Darwin. The Australians still remember the 380th with fondness.

George B. Welsh, of the B-24 Liberator Society, has called our attention to the program to place a model B-24 (similar to that at the Air Force Academy) in Balboa Park in San Diego. Please consider supporting this effort.

We join all of America in mourning the Columbia astronauts. Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families at this sad time.

See you all in Williamsburg!

To preserve the memory of the 380th.

Sincerely,

Theodore J. (Ted) Williams