I thought 2000 reuinin was expensive ,it can't compare to this maybe I will just skip DC. SF

Reunion

Guys

The room rate for DC is the same as the Gulf Side rate we had in 2002 in Pensacola - do you remember that???

As far as parking, we are getting over $100 off the room each night, I really can't complain about parking during tourist season in DC. We are picking up the tab for 8th & I and busses are available for everything else. With the price of gas - why drive????

Walt - the Tigers really want to see you and I hope you will reconsider.

LZ out

Parking....

Larry,
What about bikes and bike trailers?? They EACH cost extra?

Cost of reunion

Marines

I received a pm today telling me that I just did not get it. Was told people can't afford to come to DC because the costs of the room, parking, etc. Well, I do get it. I am a Real Estate Appraiser and I know full well the state of the country as it relates to work. I have none and I have been doing this for 16 years. When choosing a reunion site, the membership is always at the top of our concerns. We have been told that we want everyone in the same hotel. We want to go here, we want to go there. And we listen. We are looking at places for 2010 and one of them is San Diego. The room rate in San Diego is more expensive than DC - so please tell me what we are to do???????? We have not been back to DC since I believe 1992. In that time our membership has grown - by a lot. We are absolutely trying our best - because we are brothers - and you take care of your brothers. If you have suggestions, I welcome them. If you just want to b**tch - well go ahead, that's what Marines do - or they are not happy. I can handle it.

LZ

Costs for events for a couple make it difficult for me to pay to go. Besides DC in mid August especially the Sunset Parade is too Darn Hot. I aint goin either.

R/S

K.D. Logue

reunion 2010

Larry, many years ago I rode PRCA, the national finals were held in Oklahoma City. I think maybe someone could look into that fine city for a possible site. The national finals are now held in LV. Nevada. Charlie

Reunion 2008

My question is...why are the reunions held in the high heat of summer??
I believe that the hotel room rates, etc, are higher in the summer than
the spring or fall.

Does anybody remember the 100 degree days in Ft Worth?

I think that having reunions in spring or fall would be better for the marjority of the organization.

The 1st MAW Association - Vietnam Service reunion next year will be in Beaufort, SC in October. This is also the weekend the Blue Angels will be at the MCAS Beaufort Airshow.

Summer heat

That makes sense to me. We are all older and most have no school aged kids to consider, why not spring or fall or even winter someplace when rates are down? We were just in Reno then Ft. Worth....Both WAY West for us easterners...Can we do a "Middle" of the country?? For old fat people, like many of us (myself at the top of that list) Summer in D.C. is going to be tough...:(
Please don't do another West coast until we do a "mid" country-Nashville-Memphis-Little Rock...Please
Thanks for listening..Larry, YOU said we could bitch if we wanted...

OK, we will bring it up

at the next BOD meeting in DC. There have been no contracts signed for 2010 for anywhere. We will see if we can accomodate your request.

Parking - possible get around. Long term parking at Regan National Airport is $10/day. Come to the hotel, check in, drive to Regan, park and hop the Metro to the Dupont Circle station and it's a short walk to the Hotel and you save $13/day!!!! How's that???? Oh, BTW - Motel 6 in DC, double occupancy is $91/day+tax so it's over $100/day.

Need not mention all the % of cost hikes, etc.
Thought Laughlin, NV was a good deal historically.
Pensacola and the beach hootches was always the best time.
I've observed that as we gain more members, the tastes and priorities get more expensive. Henceforth, will probably have to skip DC and maybe hope to pay the "lifer" tab, and just read about the reunions in "Pop-a-Smoke."

Hooper
69-81:eek:

Complaint?

Larry:

I did not see the Physical Fitness Test on the event list.

Did I miss it?

Let's get real

It seems that before every reunion these pages are filled with beefs of one kid or another about some aspect of reunion costs. This year it’s the parking fee, last time the hotel room rate, the time before that it was the cost of beer. And so on back to year one.

Marines, it’s about time that some of you got your head out of your ass and faced reality. Everything is more expensive than it was twenty-four years ago when the first reunion was held. For example, the DC hotel room you paid $75 for in 1984 now costs a minimum of $130 thanks to inflation.

The fact that you’re paying only $100 instead of $130 can be attributed to the great pains taken by Pop A Smoke leadership to keep things as affordable as possible. Concern about how much the average member can afford is always in play. Keeping costs down is the guidance every President gives every reunion coordinator. I know because I was the guy who coordinated the Reno reunion.

So, how about cutting Bruce, J D, Larry, and the reunion team a little slack. Better yet, how about giving them credit for the immense amount of work that goes into putting on a reunion by knocking off the bitching about the cost of this or that. As always, Pop A Smoke management has negotiated them as low as they can.

To my mind, the opportunity to be with my old squadron mates is worth a $23 parking fee or whatever it costs, especially since it won’t be too long until there will be fewer and fewer of us, and no reunions.

Semper Fi,

Tom

hilton parking fees

well said tom!! I'm disabled, on a fixed income, and wished costs were less-however, realize that inflation is here!! I plan to attend and saving up by having a couple less beers at the american legion and vfw, having chicken instead of steak--if you really want to attend, muster up and make some sacrifices--kudos to the reunion committe!!

Well said, Larry Zok, Tom Hewes and D. Weathers. The leadership in Popasmoke does everything it can to make it easy for members to attend the reunions, and there are many obstacles to overcome. I was intimantly involved in the 06 reunion in Fort Worth. You can't satisfy everyone all the time with all the many factors involved, but our leaders do the best they can. It boils down to a basic factor: if it is worth it, people will attend and pay whatever it takes. It is easy to find an excuse if you want to find one.
I hope to see all of you in DC in August.

Well, let's get real, is probably right. I try to use just a couple of things to guide my decisions on these reunions:

1. In LV I wanted to see twelve former squardron mates. Saw 8.
2. In P-Cola I just wanted to see P-Cola and ride across the bay bridge to the tune of "Spirit in the Sky." Drift the hootches and drink beer on the beach.
3. P-Cola 2, wanted to see @6 people. drink at the various unit tents.
4. DC 1, wanted to see DC and hopefully 6-12 people. Not quite so, but did receive letters for months afterwards about the coffee table.
5. Reno...way too organized and "stringent."
6. Ft Worth...not even worth talking about. Except VMO-2 was classical and true to form.
7. DC...just cannot figure it into the budget...the org is just getting too "high falootin' and more like a circus.

If that's anal rententive, then I'm one...but definitely not alone.:mad:

Anal retentive?

I've NEVER had any words for the PAS staff that does all the hard work, other than praise! However, as Larry pointed out, Marines will be Marines. When they're bitchin', they're HAPPY!!
I applaude the arrangement for DC..under the circumstances, they've done quite well! However I, personally, can't afford the parking fee for the car, bike, and trailer..on top of the gasoline prices...just one of those things.
I hope that PAS 2010 is in the mid-west. and NOT the West coast..again. Maybe we can make that one, the Lord willing and the creek don't rise! Little Rock-Memphis where many the enlisted trained, Nashville-St. Louis....Any would be a help. It's not that much closer than D.C. if at all, but we could afford the associated fees and such, this IS reality!
PAS Staff thanks for all you do!

Popasmoke DC

I probably should not get involved, but here goes: Let me be very clear that I am NOT looking for any sympathy or any comments of such.

I have an advanced stage of kidney cancer and most probably won't be able to make Popasmoke DC this year. I have helped organize events of this size and nature before and can cuncur that the Board is doing the best they can to keep costs as low as possible while maintaining a level of quality befitting the members of this Association. We are Marines and have a common bond and experience, not just a get-together of a bunch of Vietnam veteran old farts who sit around and bitch about life in general like you hear at the VFW.

I know that there are other Marines out there that will not be able to attend because of health reasons, and I'll bet they will all agree that, even though the cost may seem prohibitive, any one of us would do whatever possible to attend, just to be with our Brother Marines, at least one more time.

These reunions are precious, more than most of us may realize. What else is more precious than our families and the relationships forged amoung our Marine brothers so many years ago? Don't the majority of us usually bring up the names and events which took the lives of some of our Brothers? Isn't one of the reasons for these events to remember and honor our Marine Brothers who made the Ultimate Sacrifice?

If you can't go, or don't want to, that's entirely understandable, but don't take it out on the guys who put in so many unselfish hours to put together an event of this scope.

Sorry if this offends some, but it's just MY opinion.

Mid Country Reunion

"Please don't do another West coast until we do a "mid" country-Nashville-Memphis-Little Rock."

I don't have a problem with the above statement...just some info to supply.

Most of us enlisted went thru training at NATTC Memphis, (located in Millington, TN) in the 60's, the schools associated with NATTC MFS were transferred to Pensacola in the mid 90's.

What was known as NAS Memphis, is currently called NSA (Naval Support Activity) Mid-South. It is the home of a number of Navy Headquarters, the largest being the Navy Personnel Command.

Most of the north side of the base was given to the city of Millington, they own the airfield, now called "Millington Regional JetPort", the former Navy Brig is now the headquarters for Millington police Department. The Navy still controls the Golf Course, Gym, Stables and Navy Lake

There are no Marines stationed in Millington.

I was station at NATTC MFS 3 times (student and 2 tours as an instructor). I retired while stationed in Millington and still live in Memphis.

Millington

Thanks Marty!
I was there only once, as a student in 1966. Darrell Tygart, on of my best friends from HMM-362/HMM-165 was there as an instructor in 1971-73, approx. He thought as much as you said above. Still would be a nice location, maybe Millington would let us fly a few of our birds in for the event. Kind of a "thanks for the airport" gesture?? They did in Reno few years back.
Just a thought....

I think Marty and Joe are on to something, Memphis would be a great central place for a reunion. Just think some of may even see Elvis there; and you can probably still sell a pint of blood for some beer! Just kidding I loved Memphis and I thing we should all vote on the next reunion location.
S/F
Tim

Parking

Marines

I was just informed this morning that our contract at the Hotel includes a 50% discount on the parking. Since rates change almost weekly in DC I will not post the current rate that they are charging.

Joe, the will not allow trailers in the parking garage, they are checking on where we can put them. If need be, we can park your bike in Chris's garage in Springfield and park the trailer in front of his house. He would be the one leading any bike rides as my butt is going to be working at this reunion and I can't ride until at least Sunday afternoon.

I agree. Don't criticise the people doing the hard work of making the event happen. Say thanks for the effort! Then if you have some constructive suggestions offer them.

Unfortunately, I won't be able to make DC because of work and money but that is the result of my personal choices. I would like to see reunions more reasonable in cost thinking of the offyear Purple Fox reunions as an example.

When looking at locations I would recommend New Orleans if held later so the weather is cooler.

Howard Nelson

Parking

Thanks Larry!
Please thank Chris for me as well. We'll certainly consider it.
Thanks again for all you do!

Hilton Hotel Parking

I will be staying at the Cherry Hill Campground in College Park.
I Noticed that Thru, Fri, Sat, nights everything is not over until late or after dark, don't want to take the metro at that time.

So if someone is not getting a car, could I get there Hotel parking pass. I would be glad to send a check to them for the parking fee.

S/F

Ed Mckinnie