MARINE MEDIUM HELICOPTER SQUADRON
265

October 31, 2004

Subject: Reunion 2005

To: Former Members of HMM-265

Next year, 2005, marks the fortieth anniversary of squadron preparations and the assembly of officers and men who would take HMM-265 to the Republic of Vietnam the following year. HMM-265 proudly served and distinguished itself in Vietnam from May 1966 through October 1969.

Our respective tours of duty with HMM-265 bonded each of us together as brothers, forever. While some of our brothers made the ultimate sacrifice, none of us were left untouched. Our lives were permanently changed. As Marines, we vowed that we would never forget our brothers.

In May 2005, the brothers of HMM-265 will meet where it all began, MCAS New River, North Carolina. Except, this reunion of brothers will not be complete unless you are there. We need you! So, Marine, mark May 19, 20, and 21 in your calendar and clear the decks.

Under the leadership of R. T. Harry, our planning is proceeding. We already have chosen a host hotel in Jacksonville and are finalizing arrangements for a reunion banquet on base at the Officers Club. Other on base activities, such as access to flight simulators, squadron tours, live fire simulators, PX privileges, etc., should be finalized during the first quarter of 2005.

R.T. has asked me to update the squadron roster and search for lost brothers. This is akin to undertaking a night retraction in Ashau Valley during monsoon season. So, I need your help! I need your full name, home address, telephone number, E-mail address, years served with the squadron, etc. Most importantly, I need confirmation that you are planning to attend the reunion. I also need to know if you plan to bring your spouse or “significant other”. As soon as I can compile all this data, we can keep you informed of our progress and the reunion details.

As a minimum, we will use Military.com, HMM-265 Yahoo Groups, and the Pop-A-Smoke NOTAM board to post reunion information. Once we determine how to best contact you, we will start the registration process.

Please get your contact information to me ASAP.

Tim Bastyr
HMM-265 (‘65-‘67)