Here are the pictures from the 2017 reunion at New Orleans, LA. Mike Breaux, chairman,  For quicker loading there is a differert link for each page containing just 15 pictures. Most of these picture were taken by Dwight Beuthling.

1. 2017 Reunion pictures General Reunion Pics
2. 2017 Reunion pictures  Plantation Tour
3. 2017 Reunion pictures  Plantation Tour
4. 2017 Reunion pictures  Swamp Tour
5. 2017 Reunion pictures  Swamp Tour
6. 2017 Reunion pictures WWII Musem Tour
7. 2017 Reunion pictures WWII Museum Tour
8. 2017 Reunion pictures Victory Belles Lunch
9. 2017 Reunion pictures Victory Belles Lunch

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2017 Reunion Report

    We held our 2017 Reunion of the units of the 145th Combat Aviation Battalion at the Wyndham Garden, Baronne Plaza New Orleans, LA, May 18th through 20th, 2017.
    Most attendees arrived Wednesday, May 17 when we gathered for registration and our early bird reception. It was good seeing everyone and everything went well thanks to the organizing of Mike and Catherine Breaux. We had plenty of snacks and refreshments and hotel supplied the good size meeting reception room. The Earlybird Reception went on till late in the evening and everyone seemed to have a really good time.
    On Thursday 18 May we opened the hospitality room about 8 AM where we was setup for registration. The buses departed for the plantation/swamp tour at about 8:30 AM.
    Since I didn't go on the tours I asked Deb to write a review of the tours. I stayed back at the hotel to visit with the ones not on the tour.
    At the Plantation, our group went from the ice house, to the beautiful home, to the slave houses. The plantation produced indigo, for dyeing clothes, and sugar cane. As we walked around the plantation you could see the grandness of the life and the harshness of its workers. From there we were taken to the swamp. Our guide was a hoot, as we ate he took us on a nice tour of the swamps and told us about his life growing up there. As a mother of five I would have been a wreck waiting for the children to get home safe, but he really had a great childhood. He took us up the fingers of water looking for gators. When we found them he fed them marsh mellows We also got to hold one of the little guys. I was so lost in the swamp I was glad he knew his way home
     The buses returned to the Wyndham Gardens about 4 PM. People went to dinner on their own, some in unit groups. We had the hospitality room open all day for registration. And about 5 PM we held our Thursday night reception with snacks and drinks which went on till late in the evening.
    On Friday 19 May we opened the registration and hospitality room about 8 AM. About 8:30 AM the buses loaded for the tour to the national World War II Museum. We completely filled the bus with one more than capacity but everything worked out okay.
    The Museum was so full of information, to truly see it; you would need two days. After we walked though the museum we had a delicious lunch with entertainment. A USO show with the Victory Belles, three beautiful young women. It was one of the most entertaining shows that I have seen in years. The singers went out into the audience and sang to the men, sat on their laps and joyously teased them with songs. Mel Metzger, 120th AML, 63-64, was picked to go up on stage, but to their surprise he was not shy. Mel danced all the dances and sang with them. His parents were ballroom dancers and he was very good. We all laughed and cried during the show, the girls done a fantastic job. I would tell everyone to go to the museum and see the show.
    About 4 PM the buses returned to the Wyndham Gardens where we had the hospitality room open. People went to dinner on their own some in unit groups. About 5 PM we held our Friday night reception with drinks and snacks which went on till late in evening
    On Saturday 20 may we opened the registration and hospitality room about 8 AM. About 9 PM we started a business meeting. The registration and hospitality room remained open all day. People got a chance to go out and visit the French quarter and other attractions in New Orleans on their own and also visit with friends.
    At the business meeting we re-elected our officers: Jim Bodkin - Nat Dir, Debby Bodkin - Nat Sec/ Treasurer, Mike Hoke - Auditor, Mel Metzger - Historian.
    David McCollum, brother of PFC Wayne McCollun, KIA Nov 7th, 1966, 334th AHC, talked a little about his brother, but mostly we discussed PTSD, his son-in-law Brady Oberg who took his own life Aug 6th, 2015, and the Brady Oberg Legacy Foundation. The Foundation is trying to help cut back on the 22 veteran/soldiers who take their own lives each day. You can find more info on the Brady Oberg Legacy Foundation by contacting David McCollum, 1882 180th St, Mahnomen, MN 56557 email mccollum@tekstar.com or bradyoberglegacyfoundation@gmail.com. Their mission is to promote a happy, healthy life for combat veterans. With your donation they will provide…. Scholarships for combat veterans going into counseling, Events to get combat veterans together, Combat PTSD awareness.
    We discussed and decided that for the 2021 Reunion to look for a professional reunion organizing group and to look more at the center of the country, maybe Branson, MO. We discussed about having the Reunion more during the week days and not just week-end time. We discussed selling CDs with the website pictures just for our members. We discussed the price of unit t-shirts, $3 over cost plus mailing, a slight increase. And we discussed placing a memory in Arlington Cemetery, but the VN pilots and crew members memorial might have that covered.
    From 6 PM to 7 PM we had our social hour before our banquet began. From 7 PM till about 9:30 PM we had our main banquet dinner with guest speaker, Col Larry Babin. Very interesting.
    About 9:30 PM we reopened our hospitality room with drinks and snacks and good conversation until way late in the evening.
    I look forward to seeing everyone at the 2019 Reunion at Ft Rucker, AL.