The 2025 Reunion for the 145th Combat Aviation Battalion (VN) Association is in the final planning stage.
    The dates are May 13th thru May 15, 2025, that is a Tuesday thru Thursday night. On my reservation I told them I would be arriving after 4pm on Sunday May 11th and checking out before 11am on Friday May 16th, I want to be there a little early. Most arriving May 12th and departing May 16th. The room rates are $118.95 + Tax per night. To make your reservation call the Hotel and talk to them in Branson, not the world wide center. The hotel is Thousand Hills Resort Hotel, 120 South Wildwood Dr, Branson, MO 65616 phone 1-417-690-4021. When I called it was option 4 to talk to Group Sales. Tell them the reservation is for the 145th Aviation Battalion to get the $118.95 + tax, that’s 134.83 with the tax. The rates are good for three day before and after the Reunion for those that want to see more of the attractions.
    We have a couple of group activities planned. Dolly's Stampede Show and Dinner 5:30 PM Tuesday 13 May and Veterans Memorial Museum Wine and Cheese Wednesday evening 14 May. Our main Banquet will be Thursday night May 15th at the Hotel. The two-planned group activities away from the hotel are about a mile and a half away. I'm hoping we can get everyone there with out using a bus. I'm hoping for everyone to use their own transportation and car pool to the events, let me know if you need help or can offer help for transportation.
For the Banquet you will need to pick between the Champagne Chicken or Beef Tenderloin Medallion for the meat. When I put together each persons Reunion package envelope I will put in a ticket for each meal, either Chicken or Beef. Each meal will also include Rosemary Potato, Ozark Salad, Vegetable, roll with butter, Coffee, Tea, water and a desert.
I'm setting the Reunion Fee at $50 per family because we don't know cost of the items we need to cover, if it turns out that it is more than what was needed then refunds will be in order. We need an accurate count as soon as possible. Fill out your form and get them sent in as soon as you know you will be able to attend. You will still be able to cancel and get a refund.
The total cost for a single person attending and doing all the group activities is $175.00; cost per couple would be $300.00. If bringing more- see registration form.  It is really great to see the whole family, kids and grandkids.
    I would like for those that plan to attend to go a head and make their hotel reservation and also let me know. I will keep you updated as the planning progresses. Thanks, Jim Bodkin  jbodkin145@aol.com   1-850-624-0264        145th CABVA, 497 County Road 104, Brundidge, AL 36010

Tuesday 5/13/25
    0800-        Registration            Hospitality Room      Unity
            Free Time Activity 
    1730        Dolly's Stampede Show & Dinner
            Hospitality room open        Hospitality Room       Unity

Wednesday 5/14/25
    0800-        Registration            Hospitality Room      Unity
            Free Time Activity 
    1730        Veterans Memorial Museum     Wine & Cheese
            Hospitality room open        Hospitality Room       Unity

Thursday 5/15/25
    0800-        Registration              Hospitality Room     Unity
    1000-1100    Business Meeting        Hospitality Room     Unity
            Free Time Activity
    1730-1830-    Social Hour            Unity
    1830-2130     Banquet            Unity
    2130-        Hospitality Room open        Hospitality Room      Unity
End of Reunion

   We started off our Reunion on 30 May with our early bird reception with many old friends and meeting new ones.
   The morning of May 31st we attend the Change of Command for the 1st Bn / 145th Avn Rgmt, great weather and ceremony for outgoing commander LTC Katherine J Slingerland and incoming commander LTC Mark A Axtell. From there we got a Ft Novosel briefing from Col Tucker, 1st Aviation Brigade Commander. Time was short between the Briefing and the Museum tour so we ordered Subway sandwiches for 75 people served at our Hospitality room at the hotel. We then toured the Museum, while 6 of our people had a Question and Answer session with some flight school students.
   On June 1st started off with a tour to three airfields to check out the new Lakota, the CH-47 Chinook, and the AH-64 Apache. It was hard to get everyone away from the aircraft so we were a little late for the 1st/145th Avn Commanders picnic. Most of us went for the Huey ride with the Friends of Army Aviation from Ozark, AL.. My grandsons 9 and 11 yrs old, my son Rob and his wife Summer and my wife Debby all went for a ride, riding in the gunners and crew chief well, where I spent many hundreds of hours in Vietnam and after, with doors open.
 June 2nd we started off with our business meeting, election of our officers, then we went to lunch. Then to the flight simulators. The group of 4 that I was in picked NY City for the flight area. It was fun flying around the buildings, around the Statue of Liberty, 10 ft over the river and three times under the bridge.
 Friday night 2 June, we had our main Banquet, with 77 people in attendance at the Country Club. We had 8 active duty personnel, the Guest Speaker and members of the 1st/145th Avn. Our Speaker was Major General (2 star) Michael C McCurry, Commanding General, United States Army Aviation Center, Ft Novosel (FT Rucker) AL. Not only did he agree to be our speaker, he arrived early during the social hour, visited with everyone, spoke for about 25 minutes, dinned with us then went around visited some more.
   The bad things about the Reunion are it was too short and we will never be able to have a better one, although we will try in 2 years in Branson, MO, then back here at Ft Novosel (Ft Rucker) AL in 4 years. I have to give all the credit for the great Reunion to our VP Ron and Donna Manning and the staff of the 1st BN, 145th Aviation Regiment. They did the work and had all the contacts to make every event happen, get all our people on and off Ft Novocel efficiently, and coordinate with all the other units involved in the events. I also need to thank the ladies who helped my wife Debby set up and maintain the Hospitality Room, Andrea Smith, Catherine Breaux, and basically all the ladies, thank you. I will be posting pictures and more info on our oldwarrior.com website as they come in. For all those that attended please post and let us know you arrived home safely and post your pictures. Thank you.
   At the business meeting we discussed the plans for the next reunion and suggested the date of the middle of the second week in May 2025 in Branson Missouri. Ed Knighten volunteered to work with the people and Branson to set up the reunion. Mike Hoke our Association auditor passed away in April 2022, Joffre Filion volunteered for the position. We had election of officers: Jim Bodkin - National Dir, Ron Manning – Vice President, Debby Bodkin - Sec/Treasurer, Joffre Filion - Auditor, Mel Metzger - Historian. Mike Breaux, Fred Eckelmann, and Bill Sheets to the Executive Board positions. I want to welcome and thank our leaders.
   Our 2023 Reunion finances: income: 37 Reunion Fees $2960, 61 Banquet meals $2135, and 2 Donations $300, total $5395. Reunion expenses for Hospitality room food, refreshments, Commanders picnic, Subway lunch, and Banquet, etc, total 5094.62. Reunion refunds of $230. For a total profit of $70.38. We try to plan the cost as close as possible so as keep Reunion fee as low as possible. Thanks to the donations, two people that couldn’t attend at the last minute and didn’t want a refund, We made a small profit. And a really big thanks to the 1st/145th Avn Reg for requesting bus support from General Dynamic Flight Simulator Operations saving us $2208. And the 1st Avn Brig for making sure they didn’t need the bus during that time period.