At the Business Meeting in San Antonio, you chose Dayton, Ohio; Salt Lake City, Utah; and Williamsburg, Virginia, as our future Reunion sites in that order. We are making arrangements with the Marriott Hotel in Dayton for October 3-7, 2001. The reason for that date was for the color change of the leaves in the East. We propose late September 2002 for Salt Lake City because of the Aspen leaf color then. Several of you have asked for a reunion in early August so our grandchildren can be with us. Let's plan for that for the Williamsburg visit in 2003, if the vacation period cost premium is not too high there.

Please let us know your comments.

THE AIR FORCE ACADEMY PLAQUE

All arrangements have been completed for moving our 380th Memorial Plaque to the 5th Air Force Memorial Wall in the USAF Academy Memorial Cemetery. Work will be carried out as soon as the weather breaks next spring. The USAF Academy has offered us a formal Rededication Service Ceremony if we want it. We would like to have us accept their offer. This would probably be in mid-May.

Please send us your comments and interest in attending.

Most of you know that much of the artwork associated with the 380th post-war was designed and drawn by "Johnny" Johnston, including that in the WWII Rosters, our Reunion materials over the years, and these Newsletters. We are sorry to have to report that his name is now included in our TAPS list, along with so many of our comrades. We will miss him as we do all of the others.

We received email from Jon Joubert of Largs Bay, Adelaide, reporting that over the past 5-6 years he has made four trips to Fenton Airfield in the Northern Territory. He wanted our members to know that the airfield is still in very good order and still quite landable in a sizeable aircraft. Mr. Joubert notes that there is still a lot of bits and pieces of our damaged aircraft still in what was the aircraft graveyard; in fact, the entrance is marked by the tail and part of the elevator of a B-24. There is a map erected near the cross over taxiway halfway along the strip to show visitors where the graveyard is situated. In addition, at the campsite the plaque that was erected at the corner of the Officers Recreation Club was still in good order the last time he was there. There is a map of the camp erected at the gate and by following it, it is very easy to make out the layouts of the buildings, etc. If anyone is interested in communicating with Mr. Jon Joubert, his email address is: loujon@tne.net.au, and his mailing address is: 8 Railway Terrace, Largs Bay, Adelaide, South Australia 5016, Australia, phone: 61 8 93416556.

Return to the 380th home page