Airborne & Special Operations Museum New Exhibit

“The Animal Called POW”: US Special Forces and Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV) prisoners held in South Vietnam Examine a Realistic “Tiger Cage” like the one Colonel James “Nick” Rowe lived in for five years.

Opening at 10am on 10 February 2012 in the Temporary Exhibit Gallery of the ASOM. This exhibit will stay open through January 2013 This exhibit made possible by the support of Booz|Allen|Hamilton; The SERE School, Camp MacKall, North Carolina; The United States Army Special Operations Command (USASOC) Public Affairs Office; Fort Bragg’s Division of Plans, Training and Mobilization; Many Former POWs and their families; and The Airborne & Special Opertions Museum Foundation.

Support the Museum If you like this exhibit share it with your friends. Nick Rowe’s book may be purchased in the Museum Gift Shop. Visit www.asomf.org for more information on this exhibit. Or call 910.643.2774 or email info@asomf.org

WWII Military Reunions Coming to an End

It’s a predictable, but somewhat sad story.  Another World War II reunion is saying farewell as vets pass away or simply become too old or disinterested to travel.

This time it’s the 104th Infantry Division, who have met every year in the United States for a reunion since World War II ended.

This year’s gathering, which starts Sept. 1 at the Westin Hotel in Lombard, IL Yorktown Center, will be their 65th reunion.  The reunion is expected to draw about 600 people, many of the others are “Timberwolf pups” – the children and grandchildren of those who served with such distinction during World War II.

Past gatherings have drawn as many as 1,500, and fewer than half of those who signed up this year are veterans.

Reflections on a 20 Year High School Reunion

Blogger Ted Sullivan from MMG Worldwide recently traveled to Atlanta, GA to attend his wife’s 20 year High School Reunion.

Atlanta has grown immensely since these North Springs HS graduates threw their caps in 1990. The home of the 1996 Olympics has almost doubled in size since the summer games & all attendees commented on how “this place is not the same.” Atlanta is now a World City, with our nation’s busiest airport facilitating travelers all over the world. Mel & I were happy to de-plane & enjoy the city in ways we hadn’t in the past. We divided our time visiting old standbys like the Varsity & big beers at El Azteca, while trying new experiences like confit duck leg at CRAFT & whale sharks at the Georgia Aquarium. A mix of old & new provided the feeling of home & vacation.

The former classmate posturing & positioning at a 10 year reunion is absent during a 20. We’re all in the same boat paddling with equal effort… therefore, heartfelt interest in today almost beats the joy of recalling tales of yesterday. Hearing stories of what took place in Atlanta 20 years ago made me appreciate the City for what it was… but traveling within it’s growth gave me a new appreciation for how far it’s come.

Ted’s Top 5 Things He Learned About Travel on This Trip:

1. Atlanta has over 100 streets in the metro area called “Peachtree”. (Definitely get GPS or Neverlost in your rental car.)

2. 25% attend their 20 year reunions & of those… about 22% travel to attend the festivities. (Back those #s into your own graduating class)

3. The Georgia Aquarium is the world’s largest with over 8,000,000 gallons of water

4. If your wife forgets to bring pictures of your child to your reunion… it’s totally YOUR fault for not reminding her.

5. Nostalgic High School Drinking can be fun… but Bartles & James Wine Coolers taste terrible. (see pic below)

Read the full post

Reunion Resort in Orlando

A family reunion in a beach paradise would be an amazing vacation.  Take your family on an adventure in Orlando.  The numerous activities, breath-taking  beaches, and unbelievable weather make this a great vacation destination.

Reunion Resort in Orlando, FL is a great reunion spot.  It offers accommodations and packages for large groups.  From a buy one, get one free package to the family reunion package, Reunion Resort makes it easy to plan a fabulous reunion.

This huge resort has houses and villas, a golf course, water park, spa and more.  It is also right next to the all the thrilling Orlando theme parks.  Your family can visit Disney World or Universal Studios while staying at Reunion Resort.  This resort is a family-friendly facility and the perfect place for your next reunion.

To learn more or make your reservation visit:  http://www.reunionresort.com/

Top 10 Family Reunion Destinations of 2005

According to Family Travel Forum (FTF), the top ten family reunion destinations of 2005 were:

Top Dream Reunion Experiences:

Cruising Glacier Bay, Alaska

Houseboating on Lake Powell, Arizona

Walt Disney World, Florida

Top All-Inclusive Resorts for Reunions:

Club Maeva Tulum, Riviera Maya, Mexico

Club Med Sandpiper, Florida

Woodloch Pines, Pennsylvania

Top Mountain Resorts for Reunions:

Northstar-at-Tahoe, California

Stratton Mountain Resort, Vermont

Top Recreational Resorts for Reunions:

Big Cedar Lodge, Missouri

Taboo Resort, Ontario, Canada

Visit FTF at http://www.familytravelforum.com/ for more information.

Reunions in Baltimore

In early June, the Baltimore Area Convention & Visitor’s Assn. launched several multicultural initiatives meant to draw African-Americans to the city. In order to bring more African-American travelers to Baltimore, BACVA has formed a partnership with Enoch Pratt Free Library. The marketing initiative will encourage residents to plan family reunions at Enoch Pratt’s central branch library and its seven neighboring libraries, where free space and materials will be available for reunion planning.

At its website, BACVA offers several other services tailor-made for family reunions. The organization provides free planning assistance, a search option that will sort out restaurants capable of hosting large groups and another search option that will find venues for group events.

For more information, visit BACVA’s reunion page at

http://baltimore.org/reunion

Travel Channel Cruise Special Features Samantha Brown’s Reunion Vacation

MIAMI (June 4, 2009) – In an upcoming episode of the Travel Channel
series, Samantha Brown’s Great Cruises, host Samantha Brown reunites with
family and friends during an hour-long cruise special airing Saturday, June
13, at 10 p.m. on Travel Channel. In the episode, Samantha provides viewers
with an inside look at her vacation aboard the Carnival Freedom.

The program highlights her experience with the variety of facilities
and features aboard the 110,000-ton “Fun Ship,” along with the many sites
and attractions of its popular eastern Caribbean itinerary that includes St.
Thomas, Antigua, Tortola/Virgin Gorda, Nassau and San Juan.

Brown and her traveling companions relax and re-connect aboard the
Carnival Freedom, taking advantage of the 2,974-passenger ship’s many
on-board amenities, including luxurious spa treatments in the
14,500-square-foot health club and a host of activities, ranging from
basketball, mini-golf and ping-pong to a ballroom dancing class and a visit
to the casino.

Cameras also follow the group as they explore Carnival Freedom’s
tropical ports of call. Activities include an exhilarating ATV adventure
and zipline tour in Antigua, swimming and relaxing at The Baths in Virgin
Gorda, shopping for duty-free bargains in St. Thomas and a scenic carriage
ride in Nassau.

Carnival Cruise Lines is the largest and most popular cruise line in
the world, with 22 “Fun Ships” operating voyages ranging from three to 16
days in length to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii,
Panama Canal, Canada, New England, Europe and Bermuda.

The line currently has two new ships scheduled for delivery between
now and 2011. The first of those, the 130,000-ton Carnival Dream, is set to
debut Sept. 21, 2009.

For additional information or reservations on the “Fun Ship”
vacation experience, contact any travel agent, call 1-800-CARNIVAL or visit
carnival.com.

Carnival can also be found on:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/carnivalcruise
Facebook Fan Page:
www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Carnival-Cruise-
Lines/6067784583?ref=ts
Flickr: www.flickr.com/photos/carnivalcruiselines/