The Sixth Annual
Misawa Project National Reunion
San Antonio, Texas
June 5 - June 8 2008
2008 Reunion Countdown
The Sixth Annual
Misawa Project
National Reunion is scheduled for
Thursday, June 5th through Sunday, June 8th, 2007, and will be held in San Antonio, Texas.
This year's Reunion Chairperson is Jim Kaus.
For so many of us who went through basic training at Lackland AFB, or who served at USAFSS HQ at Kelly AFB one or more times,
this trip to San antonio will be something of a homecoming.
San Antonio captures the spirit of Texas. Now the eighth largest city in the United States,
the city has retained its sense of history and tradition, while carefully blending in cosmopolitan progress.
The city has always been a crossroads and a meeting place.
Sounds and flavors of Native Americans, Old Mexico, Germans, the Wild West, African-Americans
and the Deep South mingle and merge.
Close to twenty million visitors a year delight in the discovery of San Antonio's charms.
The actual founding of the city came in 1718 by Father Antonio Olivares when he established
Mission San Antonio de Valero, which became permanently etched in the annals of history in 1836
as The Alamo where 189 defenders held the old mission against some 4,000 Mexican troops for 13 days.
The cry "Remember the Alamo" became the rallying point of the Texan revolution against Mexico.
Located in the heart of downtown, today The Alamo is a shrine and museum.
A tour of downtown San Antonio will uncover centuries of history, including:
La Villita,
one of the original settlements comprised of Spanish soldiers and their families;
the Spanish Governor's Palace, seat of government when San Antonio was the capital of the Spanish Province of Texas;
San Fernando Cathedral,
whose construction was started in 1731 by Canary Islanders;
and Market Square,
the largest Mexican marketplace outside of Mexico, just to name a few.
Selected as the site for this year's reunion, the Holiday Inn
El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel
is situated at 110 Lexington Avenue at the intersection of Lexington and North St. Mary's on San Antonio's famous Paseo del Rio
(Riverwalk).
The hotel is accessible by foot, trolley and river barge, and is just steps to elegant restaurants,
fine shopping and the excitement of
Riverwalk
night life.
When you enter the hotel, you’ll think you have walked into an Acapulco Beach resort.
Everywhere you look, there are splashes of brilliant color, tropical plants, and
Mexican artifacts along with Salsa music playing in the background.
There is even an Aviary complete with live Toucans, iguanas and a giant tortoise.
The El Tropicano
features 306 comfortable, air conditioned, contemporary décor guest rooms, each with cable color television, complimentary morning newspaper,
high-speed Internet access, coffee makers, hair dryers, irons and boards, and full-size desks.
Mango's Restaurant offers breakfast and lunch buffets with a Latin flair,
the Expreso Coffee Bar is the place for quick coffee, pastries or sandwiches,
and the Tiki Bar is complete with a veranda that overlooks the Riverwalk.
At El Tropicano,
you can take a dive in the outdoor swimming pool, bask in the sun on the sun deck,
or work up a sweat in the state-of-the-art fitness center.
Nearby, take in your favorite sports - tennis, golf or racquetball are all available for a fee.
The El Tropicano
is approximately 9.5 miles from
San Antonio International Airport (SAT).
One way van/shuttle charges to/from the airport range from $10 to $18 per person, and a one way taxi fee (about 20 minutes) is about $22.
If you have your own transportation, self parking is available at the hotel
for $13/day plus tax, and valet parking is offered at $18/day plus tax.
Hotel Reservations
You can and should make your hotel reservations as soon as possible.
Again, just to make sure you have the right place, the Holiday Inn
El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel
is at 110 Lexington Avenue in downtown San Antonio.
Call the hotel direct at 1-210-223-9461, or call Holiday Inn Worldwide Reservations at 1-888-465-4329 (888-HOLIDAY).
Remember to identify yourself as being with
The Misawa Project
to ensure your negotiated group rate of $99/night (plus taxes). A limited number of handicap rooms are available upon request.
Jot down your confirmation number, then call back before you travel to confirm your reservation.
Reunion Registration
Your registration form and check must be received by Wednesday, May 21, 2008.
Click the red button to the right to open the registration form - complete the information, print the form,
and mail it to the address shown at the bottom of the form.
Although registrations will be accepted until May 21,
we would appreciate your submitting your registration as early as possible to help with planning.
Note ~ if you are unable to attend the reunion, but would like to participate in the Friday night Raffle,
you may use this form to purchase Raffle Tickets.
Reunion Itinerary
June 5th - Thursday
0900-2300, Hospitality Suite open
Arrive, check in, unpack
June 6th - Friday
0800-2300, Hospitality Suite open
0800-1300, Tour to Lackland AFB Graduation / Building 2000 & Mission Briefing
1200-1700, Golf outing (times are approximate)
1830, Exotic Shirt Contest & Pioneer Recognition
1900, Raffle Buffet (Cowboy Bar-B-Que)
1930, Raffle - Denny Arnold & Marv Schroeder
June 7th - Saturday
0800-2300, Hospitality Suite open
1000-1500, Mission Tour (times are approximate)
1700, Group Photos (bring your teeth so you can smile)
1830, Reunion Banquet Welcome - Ben Whitten
1830, Presentation of Colors - AF ISR Honor Guard
1830, Special Entertainment - TBA
1830, POW/MIA Ceremony - Jane Doolittle
1900, Banquet Dinner
1930, Keynote Speaker - Major General John C. Koziol
2000, Misawa Project Inc., Board of Directors
2030-2400, Other stuff
June 8th - Sunday
0900-1100, Hospitality Suite open
Breakfast and farewells
Reunion Raffle
The Annual Reunion Raffle is essentially our only fund raiser.
Raffle ticket sales allow us to provide each Misawa Vet a membership to
The Misawa Project
at the outrageous price of free.
It also covers the cost of website operation and all associated overhead costs,
and generally keeps our organization financially afloat.
But, raffles don't work without raffle prizes,
so we depend heavily on your generous donations of raffle items to drive the sale of tickets.
This is your chance to contribute to your organization, and we deeply appreciate your participation.
If you have one or more items you'd like to place on the Raffle Table this year, but they're too large to travel with -
or perhaps you're unable to attend - consider mailing them well in advance to -
But, before you mail them, remember to take at least one decent photo of each item and email it,
along with descriptive verbiage of each, to Dutch Wiest
so they can be displayed on the
Virtual Raffle Table prior to the reunion. Previewing raffle items really helps our ticket sales.
Reunion Checklist
So, you think you're good to go? Here's a final checklist, just to make sure you haven't overlooked something -
Mark the reunion on your June 2008 calendar now to make sure you can be there.
Make your travel arrangements (book airline reservations, gas up the pickup, overhaul your pogo stick, etc).
Make your hotel reservations early, then confirm them again shortly before your trip.
Arrange for personal transportation to/from the hotel (van, taxi, rental car, hitch hike?).
Print your reunion reservation form and get it to Doug Pearson with your check ASAP.
If you can donate an item to the raffle table, give some thought now to your selection, then get it in
the mail to Denny Arnold.
Remember to bring photos, keepsakes, souvenirs, and all your stories (true or not) from your Misawa tour(s) to share with others.
Reunion Contacts
Just in case you still have more questions than answers, contact either -
Jim Kaus
