Greetings Respected Soldier, Valued Friend and Honored Patriot,
We have some very sad news to share with all of you. On Saturday, November 26, just 4 days after his 94th birthday, Robert L. Muzzy, proud member of the 25th Infantry Division during WW II and longtime President of the 25th Infantry Division Association - SASC, passed from this life. He was hospitalized for several weeks with a newly found heart condition and passed quickly and peacefully. Since serving the 25th has been such a major part of his life for over 60 years, we have decided to hold this year's reunion in his honor.
If you are reading this reunion notice and are a 25th Division veteran, it means you are alive and you are a survivor! If you were a member of the attack force in August 1945 poised to invade Japan, you and thousands of others are alive today and have enjoyed sixty some additional years of living. If you served in the Korean War, like over half the veterans who have attended our reunions in the past several years, our country is in your debt! To our younger members who served honorably in Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and during peacetime, we appreciate your continuing the tradition of the Division on those foreign shores. We are dedicating our 2012 Reunion to Bob Muzzy, known as "Old Faithful" to many in the 25th, and we will honor all of our 25th Division Veterans, deceased and living, including those who served in WW II, Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and during peacetime - honoring all for their bravery and service to our country. We would like to show our appreciation to all of these Americans who have courageously served their country and allowed us to live in the land of the free and the home of the brave.
We ask all those who plan to attend to reserve their room and send in their attendance form as soon as possible. We have rooms and banquet facilities to accommodate 200. So don’t be left out!
Please note that only those veterans returning their attendance forms by July 1, 2012 will receive a cap as a gift to be presented at our roll call on Thursday, August 2nd. We need this amount of time to order the caps.
| When: | Wednesday August 1 to Sunday August 5, 2011 |
| Where: | Holiday Inn |
| 2 Montgomery Village Avenue |
| Gaithersburg, Maryland 20879 |
| (301) 948-8900 |
This year our Friday bus tour will take us to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum in Washington, DC. As a special accommodation to our veteran group, there will be guides at various points in the museum to give brief talks and answer any of our questions. Our tour will conclude with a buffet lunch.
Each year we depend heavily on proceeds derived from Bingo, our two raffles, the mini-store sales and your generous donations to the Operation Fund to cover our total expenses. Everyone who donates to our Operation Fund is listed on our permanent 25th Division SASC Donor Honor Roll, which is displayed at every reunion. Every donor’s name will appear, but not the amount of the donation. You may make your donation in the name of or in memory of a living or departed loved one or friend. Every dollar counts and enables us to keep these reunions going. Please indicate the amount of your Reunion Operation Fund contribution on your Attendance Form.
| Wed. Aug. 1 | All day | Registration |
| Wed. Aug. 1 | 6 PM | Early Bird Dinner followed by Raffle |
| Thurs. Aug. 2 | All day | Registration |
| Thurs. Aug. 2 | 5:30 PM | Roll Call & Cap Presentation to Veterans |
| Thurs. Aug. 2 | 6 PM | Buffet Dinner followed by Bingo |
| Fri. Aug. 3 | 6:30 AM – 8:30 AM | Buffet Breakfast |
| Fri. Aug. 3 | 8:30 AM – @3:30PM | Bus Tour to Air and Space Museum and buffet lunch |
| Fri. Aug. 3 | 6 PM | Buffet Dinner followed by Raffle |
| Sat. Aug. 4 | 7 AM – 8:30 AM | Buffet Breakfast |
| Sat. Aug. 4 | 8:30 AM | Memorial Service immediately following breakfast |
| Sat. Aug. 4 | 9:00 AM – 5 PM | Free Time |
| Sat. Aug. 4 | 5 PM – 6 PM | Cocktail Hour and Corsages for Ladies |
| Sat. Aug. 4 | 6 PM | Banquet, dancing and sing-a-long |
| Sun. Aug. 5 | 7 AM – 8:30 AM | Buffet Breakfast and Aloha until next year |
We ask each veteran to bring a bottle of wine or spirits and 2 liters of soda for the Hospitality Bar, plus a gift for our Raffles. Snacks are also greatly appreciated.
Make your hotel reservation early! Call (301) 948-8900 Monday - Friday 9 AM to 4PM. This number is a direct line to the hotel registration desk only during the above hours. Be sure you mention the 25th Infantry Division Association Reunion (SASC) to receive the reunion rate of $87 per night plus tax and make sure you get a confirmation number.
If you intend to fly, the most direct route would be to choose the Reagan International Airport. From the airport take the Metro to the Shady Grove Station. Then call the hotel at (301) 948-8900 and request that the hotel shuttle pick you up. There is no charge for the shuttle. If you plan to drive, there is free parking at the Holiday Inn.
If enough of our friends sign up to arrive on Wednesday, Aug. 1, and return their attendance form on time, we can have an Early Bird Dinner, as we have had in the past. However, I must guarantee the hotel an attendance of 75 in order to reserve the banquet hall for Wednesday night. So fill out your attendance form, or the absentee form if you cannot attend, to help with our planning.
If you know a buddy with whom you served, phone or write him, encourage him to come. Feel free to copy this notice and send to friends who might be interested. Please help with hand and heart.
Bulletin Board
- If you have asked to be deleted from our mailing list, so noted. However, we thought you might be interested in this special reunion.
- WWII Veterans note: We’re here today and gone tomorrow. You never know when your name will be called. This event may not pass your way again in this lifetime and there are no guarantees that there will be reunions in the hereafter. So sign up!
- Repeat – Sign up early – especially if it’s your first reunion, we don’t want you to be left out.
- Only those who return their Attendance Form by July 1, 2012 will receive a cap.
- We have a mini store at the Reunion with many Division items
We promise you a great time! We need you, so come enjoy the memories. Your cooperation will help assure that this reunion will be a big success. Hope to see you in August!
Happy New Year!
Click here to register to attend the 2012 reunion
for more informatin please e-mail rlmuzzy@aol.com
www.25thinfdivsurvivors.com and www.25thdivisionveterans.com