Welcome to the 2012 Reunion

The 29th Annual VHPA Reunion

   The 29^th Annual VHPA Reunion
   New Orleans , LA 31 July – 5 August 2012
   Hilton New Orleans Riverside

It's New Orleans - you're different here!

Welcome to the 29th Annual Reunion web site.

New Orleans is back from Katrina better than ever!

We have moved the date for this year’s reunion away from the 4^th of July weekend specifically for those who have told us for years they can not attend that weekend because of other commitments. Well now is your chance to attend a reunion so we hope to see you there 31 July – 5 August 2012! Yes. We know New Orleans is hot and humid in August. So was Vietnam . J Unlike Vietnam , nearly everything is air conditioned so unless you play golf on Thursday morning, there is no need to spend much time in the heat.

We have three primary objectives for each reunion. The first is to provide a safe and comfortable atmosphere for you to reconnect with your past experiences in the military especially those related to flying helicopters in the Vietnam War. It is comforting to be among those who have had similar experiences and those who truly understand those experiences. You do not have to know anyone when you arrive in order to have a good time. We are an elite group of men who have survived extraordinary risks by using unique skills requiring incredible courage. We are all of like mind so striking up a conversation with a “stranger” is easy and interesting. You will find that we are a fascinating group of men and our families are too. Many of us who have attended several reunions have developed new and lasting friendships beyond just reconnecting with our friends from the past. We also provide the opportunity to learn more about our war through the Historical Presentations, War Story sessions and special documentaries.

Mini-reunions and unit TOCs (Tactical Operation Centers) are designed to help with this reconnection with our past. We have set aside a group of business rooms that can be dedicated to a specific group for as little time as one hour all the way to the full length of the reunion. We encourage groups (units, flight classes, etc.) to co-locate their reunions with the VHPA to avoid the time and expense to put on their own reunion. These groups can participate fully in all of the VHPA events while maintaining autonomy. Please check our web site at http://www.vhpa.org for details or to reserve space for your mini-reunion. New this year is the “O Club”. This replaces the honor keg room and provides a meeting place to relax and enjoy the company of your old and new friends while partaking in an adult beverage from a dedicated bar with reduced prices specifically for the VHPA.

The second objective is to provide entertainment. This is the most challenging since our group has a very wide range of interests. Throwing family and friends into this mix adds additional challenges since they also have a wide range of interests. Our experience shows that providing a place to meet with friends is not enough. After a few drinks and war stories, you are ready for something new and new is the key to this objective. We not only move the reunion around to new and different cities each year to make it more convenient for members geographically but also to provide new entertainment experiences. The last time we were in New Orleans was 1990 so it was time to experience this unique city again especially after its renewal from Katrina.

The third objective is to conduct the official business of the association. This will be done at our annual business meeting on Friday morning where committee chairman will give reports and we will vote on administrative issues and elect our next two Executive Council members. This is an opportunity to learn about the workings of the VHPA behind the scenes and to influence the future direction of our association.

There is something magic about New Orleans that does not exist in any other city. Come find out for yourself. The hotel is the Hilton New Orleans Riverside walking distance from the French Quarter with an incredible nightly rate of $119. Many things are walking distance, however, the Riverfront Streetcar is out the front door if you don't want to walk. Share the excitement of the Warehouse/Arts District, or try your luck at Harrahs Casino across the street. Connected to the hotel you will find the Riverwalk Marketplace, featuring more than 140 shops and restaurants. You can also visit the Louisiana Children’s Museum, IMAX Theater, The National World War II Museum, and Superdome. Nightlife? Ah, the nightlife. It’s all there, waiting for you, and Hilton puts you front and center. Bring your friends and family. See the tour description here. Here is an up-to-date schedule of events. Registration will be open mid December.

We guarantee you that you and your friends and family will not be bored in New Orleans . We have many events to select from with the offerings so numerous it is impossible to attend all of them. This means we have covered the full range of reunion desires all the way from simply enjoying friends in the hotel over a few drinks in the “O Club” to spending the entire week on outside tours with just about any combination of inside and outside events in between. Personally I prefer to stay in the hotel and attend all of the Historical Presentations and War Stories. Jim Fulbrook and Al Roettger have put together an interesting group of historical presentations this year. Whether you come for just one day or for 10 days, we can fill your time and interest.

Here are the Historical Presentations for this year. Jack Heslin’s presentation will be “The Battle of Kontum, 1972 Easter Offensive” 40 years after the event; representatives from Texas Tech University will update us on the Vietnam Archives which is our official archives; Tom Phillips, author of “Leave No Man Behind”, will speak on US Navy Combat Search and Rescue operations; Les Hines will explain how he collects historical information on the Americal Division and Mike Sprayberry (CMOH) will show a documentary Fallen: but not Forgotten about his quest to locate six MIAs. Other internal events are the Poker Tournament which benefits our scholarship fund, a writer’s panel discussion organized by John Penny our book reviewer and David Adams our magazine editor, a memorial service organized by secretary/treasurer Tom Payne and Gary Rossomme and a Gold Star Family breakfast organized by Julie Kink. Everyone is welcome to attend any or all of these events. Here is more detail on internal events.

Also in the hotel this year, we are having a comedian group perform on Wednesday night followed on Thursday night with a special premiere of a Dustoff documentary done by Arrowhead Films. This documentary will compare Dustoff operations in Afghanistan with Vietnam . Friday night will be the 10^th Anniversary Celebration of the filming of the award winning documentary, In the Shadow of the Blade. This documentary got its start at our 2000 reunion in Washington , DC . Many of the “stars” of the show and crew members will be in attendance along with a special “director’s cut” of the film. This is a must attend event.

Since New Orleans is world renown for its food, we have left two dinner times (Wednesday and Friday nights) open so you can sample the local food on your own. We will provide a list of recommendations along with transportation information. If you want to organize a group meal, Wednesday and Friday are the times to do that. If you need assistance with group meals, please let us know. You can then come back to the hotel for the evening events.

Please note that several events are capacity restricted. This means that if you want to participate in those particular events, you must sign up early. Also the hotel is restricting our room block so again you need to make reservations early to insure you benefit from our special room rate of $119 per night. This rate may no longer be available once our room block sells out. If you run into problems with hotel reservations, please call.

The highlight for most reunion attendees is our closing banquet on Saturday night. This is the only “dress up” occasion of the reunion. It is a celebration of our time together opening with a tribute to our missing men and closing with the change of command from our current president, Mike Law to the new one, John Sorensen after the meal. Entertainment will be a brass dance band playing tunes from our youth.

We are meeting in New Orleans during the hurricane season so it is important to understand our cancellation and refund policy. The Hilton and the city of New Orleans have learned from Katrina and have put in place evacuation procedures to use in case of a threatening hurricane so you will not end up in the Super Dome with no food and water in the unlikely event of a hurricane while we are there. The reunion cutoff date is 11 July 2012. This means that full refunds can be received minus a $15 cancellation fee if cancellations are received by HQ before noon on 11 July 2012. This is also the date our room block and special room rate in the hotel expires. Please note that this is three weeks before the beginning of the reunion. After that date, you can use our Cancellation Waiver Program for an additional fee. For details, go to http://www.vhpa.org Travel expenses are not the responsibility of the VHPA so if you are concerned about that financial exposure, you need to make other arrangements to cover potential cancellations.

For those of you flying to the reunion there are a few options for transportation to your hotel. You may consider a taxi, which will cost about $35 each way. We have arranged for special discounted transportation rates with Airport Shuttle New Orleans. The discounted rate is $35 per person round trip or $20 per person one way. Reservations need to be made in advance on-line. See http://www.vhpa.org for a link to their site. After the initial online reservation, changes can be made by calling Airport Shuttle New Orleans on 866-596-2699.

There are several options for traveling around New Orleans . The hotel is located about ¾ mile from the French Quarter, and close to many other downtown attractions (maps will be available at registration). You may want to walk to some of the closer attractions, remember the weather will be very hot and humid, don’t forget to take bottled water. Taxis are also available at the hotel 24 hours a day. You may want to consider one of the historic streetcars. The Rapid Transit Authority offers three streetcar lines: the St. Charles line, the Canal Street line, and the Riverfront line. All lines either run along or intersect with Canal Street in the area between the French Quarter and the Central Business District ( CBD ). The streetcar is a fun and economical way to get around the city, and offer relaxing views of the beauty, charm and history of New Orleans for little cost. The streetcar fare is $1.25 for adults and $.40 for seniors each way (exact change is needed). Streetcar maps will be available at registration.

For hotel reservations, please use the special link on our web site at http://www.vhpa.org We have negotiated special rates for parking at $15 per day for self parking, $5 per day for the health club and $9 per day for the Internet. These are about half price from the hotel's regular prices.

Having difficulty getting around or need a wheelchair? That is no reason to miss this reunion. Home Medical Equipment and Supplies has made special arrangements with the Hilton to provide regular and powered wheelchairs for your use. To reserve a chair, please see http://www.mrwheelchair.com/ or contact them by phone at 800-548-9672.

That’s it. Check our web site at http://www.vhpa.org for the latest and greatest reunion information. Please sign up now so you do not miss out on those events that are capacity restricted.

Gary Roush
webmaster@vhpa.org
National Reunion Committee Chairman

[ Home ] [ Up ] [ VHPA Membership Services ] [ Related Web Sites ] [ Contents ]

Send mail to webmaster@vhpa.org with questions or comments about this web site. Copyright © 2011 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association Last modified: March 05, 2012

Send mail to webmaster@vhpa.org with questions or comments about this web site.
Copyright © 2011 Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
Last modified: March 05, 2012