September 8, 2021

Dear Friends of the 416th Bomb Group,

Thank you very much for those who have registered your attendance at our upcoming Reunion in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. I'm sure we all are excited about visiting the New England Air Museum and spending time catching up with each other while making new friends, too.

Chris Adams and I continue to monitor the COVID-19 Mask Mandates for the state of Connecticut, and specifically for Windsor Locks. The state updated its requirements for wearing masks to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and the Delta Variant on August 19, 2021 that also allowed towns and cities in Connecticut to enforce the state's mandate. Windsor Locks issued a Proclamation and Order requiring, all individuals to wear a mask or cloth face covering at all times while in public indoor settings, regardless of vaccination status, effective August 20, 2021. Click to view a copy of the Proclamation and Order for the town of Windsor Locks. Please read thoroughly and be prepared to abide by this mandate.

While we respect the individual's right to choose whether or not to mask up, we respectfully require all who attend the reunion to obey this mandate. Here's why:

* The vast majority of those attending are over 65 years of age who may or may not have received their two injections of the vaccine. We simply cannot make assumptions.

* Our goal is to fellowship with each other in a safe environment. Wearing our masks properly by completely covering nose and mouth will go a long way to reassure each other.

Living in a pandemic world requires adjustments. All of us continue to live within the constraints as this pandemic continues affecting our daily lives. Let us work together during our reunion to do the "right thing" and protect ourselves and each other.

Please contact me at "friendsof416thbombgroup@swcp.com" if you have any questions or comments.

Kathe Rensner, Reunion Coordinator

August 21, 2021

Dear Friends of the 416th Bomb Group,

Our reunion is quickly approaching and before you know it, we will be meeting together in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. Now is the time to make your final plans including booking your room at the Hampton Inn to take advantage of the special discounted rate for our reunion.

Chris Adams and I thank those who have already registered for the reunion. If you are planning to come to the reunion, now is the time to send in the registration form and fee, so Chris and I can know how many will be coming to the reunion. We are in the final phases of planning the reunion, and we need to provide the New England Air Museum and the other venues with head counts.

Click to save or open a PDF file of the 2021 Reunion Registration form. If you have any questions, please contact me at "friendsof416thbombgroup@swcp.com" or Chris Adams at the contact numbers listed on the registration form.

The Friends of the 416th Bomb Group reunions are such a special way for us to connect with each other and pay tribute to the men who served so valiantly during WWII. These reunions help keep the bond that hold us together as friends and families. I hope to see you at the reunion in October.

Sincerely,
Kathe Rensner

July 8, 2021

Dear Friends of the 416th Bomb Group,

Our October reunion in Windsor Locks, Connecticut is approaching quickly. The Reunion Committee continues working toward making this reunion memorable. Highlighting this year's reunion will be a guided tour of the New England Air Museum (NEAM) specifically, the "Reida Rae" A-26C plane flown by the 671st Squadron. The "Reida Rae" was dedicated in 2012 after its restoration led by Carl Sgamboti, Honorary Veteran member of the 416th Bomb Group, and volunteers.

Click to save or open a PDF file of the museum's schedule and other important information about the museum. The guided tour will last about an hour after which our group will have ample time to continue exploring the museum.

The Hampton Inn's hospitality room will be our "hub" where we can visit and share stories about the 416th veterans and welcome newcomers to the Friends of the 416th Bomb Group. If you have not made a reservation with the Hampton Inn/Hartford Airport, please do so by calling the hotel at 860-683-1118 and asking for the Friends group discount rate. You may also click this direct link for our group to reserve rooms at the Hampton Inn for our reunion.



Click to save or open a PDF file of the 2021 Reunion Registration form. Please note there are two types of registration fees this year. The New England Air Museum offers free admission to all United States veterans. If you are a veteran, your reunion registration fee is $35.00; please indicate this on the Registration Form. Otherwise, the registration fee is $50.00. We ask that you send the Registration Form and check to Chris Adams by September 21, 2021. This will help the Reunion Committee to provide a final count to the museum prior to the reunion.

The fees for this year's reunion align with our efforts to streamline the reunion activities to keep costs down. Most notably, we have decided not have a banquet dinner, as we have had in past years, due to rising costs and fees. That alone has significantly reduced the registration fee for this year. We will still have some of the special features from our past banquet dinners such as the Missing Man table, group picture and a guest speaker for this year's reunion. The Reunion Committee has planned a special Friends of the 416th Bomb Group Dinner for Friday, October 15, 2021 at highly recommended family-owned restaurant. We believe this is a great alternative to a banquet meal, with its "special" fees and taxes, drinks and desserts, that drive up reunion costs ultimately paid for in higher reunion fees. This year, each person will be able to tailor their choices from an extensive menu for food and drinks, and only pay for their meal.

We are looking forward to catching up with friends and meeting new people at this year's reunion. If you have any questions, please email the Reunion Committee at the above email address. See you in October!

Kathe Rensner, Reunion Coordinator (email: "friendsof416thbombgroup@swcp.com")

June 8, 2021

Hello Friends of the 416th Bomb Group!

After a long, difficult year and missing our reunion last year, we are finally planning to get together in Connecticut this year! The 2021 Friends of the 416th Bomb Group Reunion will meet in Windsor Locks, CT October 13-16, 2021 (Wednesday check-in, Saturday check-out).

The reunion will be similar to past reunions but altered to accommodate the different circumstances we now face. As of this writing, the state of Connecticut has lifted most COVD-19 restrictions except unvaccinated people are still required to wear masks indoors. All vaccinated people are allowed to participate in all indoor (and outdoor) activities except as restricted by local businesses. Of course, depending on conditions going forward, these requirements can change. It does appear we are close to returning to normal!

For this reunion, we've shortened the reunion timeframe and simplified the agenda. There will likely be fewer attending this year and sadly, as of this writing, no WWII veterans able to attend. The good news is we will be joined by a few veterans who served at Wethersfield during the Cold War. The common bond of Wethersfield service will be interesting to learn and talk about as we welcome them to our gathering. Also, several of our group's newer Friends are planning to attend and are excited to meet and learn more about their loved ones who served with the 416th Bomb Group.

We will host the reunion in the same hotel as in 2011 and 2012, that is, the Hampton Inn/Hartford Airport in Windsor Locks. They have agreed to give us a group rate of $92.00 per night. You must make your reservation no later than one month prior (September 13, 2021). Please call, the hotel's phone number is 860-683-1118 and mention Friends of the 416th Bomb Group to get the special rate. You may also click this direct link for our group to reserve rooms at the Hampton Inn for our reunion.

The New England Air Museum (NEAM) will again welcome us and have agreed to a group rate of $13.00 per person if we have ten or more people. We plan to visit the museum on Thursday, October 14 most likely in the morning. The museum will have people knowledgeable about the 416th aircraft, the A-26, "Reida Rae" an aircraft that saw service and was flown by our veterans in WWII. The "Reida Rae" was dedicated in 2012 after its restoration led by Carl Sgamboti, Honorary Veteran member of the 416th Bomb Group, and volunteers. The hotel has a shuttle service to get us to and from the airport and museum.



Veterans and Wives at the 2012 Dedication Ceremony


On Friday, October 15, we will have our yearly business meeting and we also hope to have presentations that will bring us all up to date on what's been going on within the 416th community while dealing with the restrictions due to COVID-19. As we always do, we will also have our yearly discussion on whether to continue the reunions and, if so, a vote on where that reunion should be held. In late afternoon we will gather prior to dinner (sorry, no "formal" banquet this year) for pictures and to honor the men of the 416th with our traditional Missing Man Table tribute followed by the playing of Taps before heading out to dinner at a highly recommended local family-owned restaurant.

The Reunion Registration Form will be mailed later in the summer with the latest details about the reunion schedule and activities. If you have questions, please call Kathe Rensner, Reunion Coordinator email at: "friendsof416thbombgroup@swcp.com"