416th BG 2024 Reunion

Friends of the 416th Bomb Group
Keeping memories alive by perpetuating the accomplishments and
heritage of the 416th Bomb Group for present and future generations

2024 Reunion

Bethesda, MD

September 12-15, 2024

416th.com Table of Contents Friends Welcome Page

THANK YOU Very Much for another WONDERFUL and MEMORABLE Reunion Maggie, Simon and Zoe.

Most folks arrived Wednesday, so those here started the Reunion early at the Embassy Suites in Bethesda, MD. We visited, had our Happy Hour "refreshments", dinner at the hotel, then more visiting.

Thursday started with a great breakfast at the hotel, followed by more visiting while some folks did a bit of shopping. Maggie, Sue and Jean, with help from others got the Hospitality room set up and equipped with (mostly) healthy refreshments. The room "officially" opened at 4 PM, so we all migrated there to continue telling stories.

We couldn't pass up Happy Hour, then we all went to Maggie's favorite "Fish Taco" restaurant for a delicious dinner. When we got back to the Hospitality Room, Dr. Vernon Williams was waiting for us after an eventful trip from Abilene. Vernon set up a number of 2x3 foot posters he and Ross Stewart created about the recent events concerning the Wethersfield Museum and its new home.

Another delicious breakfast at the hotel again Friday morning. The recently expanded Archive Board of Directors (less Tom Rickels) held their annual meeting during breakfast. At 10 AM, most everyone gathered in the lobby to carpool to Arlington National Cemetery. When we all arrived, Maggie went inside the visitor center and arranged a shuttle bus to take us to Bob Kehres Columbarium site (Court: 9, Section: S44, Column: 25, Niche: 5). Upon returning to the Visitors Center, Maggie and Zoe bought us tickets for the tram which took us to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier where we saw a wreath being placed by the United War Veterans Council before the Tomb followed shortly after by the somber Changing of the Guard Ceremony.

After returning to the hotel, Taylor Brooks joined us after his safe trip. We gathered again in the Hospitality room and had pizza for dinner, graciously provided by Zoe. Visiting continued into the night.

As was becoming our habit, Saturday morning we enjoyed the complimentary full breakfast at the hotel. The Group Business Meeting started after breakfast with Maggie thanking everyone for attending. Wayne then gave his update on changes/additions at the Archive over the past year, including introducing our newest Board of Directors members, Arlene and Roy Hohn. Rick followed with his website update. Vernon showed a video made by Ross Stewart providing a virtual guided tour of the newly relocated and opened Wethersfield Airfield Museum in Finchingfield, England. The new location has been leased for a 3-year period. Vernon followed up with some clips for his recent "Wethersfield at War" DVD. For lunch, we enjoyed Chick-Fil-A sandwiches and nuggets provided by Maggie.

After lunch, Chris Adams led a discussion about the "Friends" and decreasing participation in reunions. Without a formal "Friends" organization to organize them, the reunions need to be shorter in length - arrive Thursday, Friday, Saturday, check out Sunday. Plan is for attendees to stay at the same hotel, so someone needs to volunteer to survey hotels at that location ahead of time. (For the 2025 Reunion, Jean Sittarich volunteered to find a hotel for us.). A hospitality room will be requested and, if there's a fee for one, it will be split among attendees. The traditional Saturday "Banquet" Dinner will now (and has been for the last couple of reunions) be a dinner at the hotel or a local restaurant, paid for individually (no more "banquet" type arrangements - no Color Guard, formal presentations/speech after dinner, etc.). We will still have a "Missing Man Table" tribute (location TBD at the reunion). After this discussion, the question of whether to have a 2025 Reunion was put to a vote and it was unanimous in favor of having one. After discussing various ideas, options/pros and cons, all agreed that the next one will be in Branson, MO so we can take advantage of being near the Archive in Gainesville, MO to visit during one of our days there. There was also discussion about calling the "Reunion" something else like: "Get-together", but for now "Reunion" remains the name for this event. Finally, there was discussion about the content of the reunions themselves. To try to encourage interest, a suggestion was made by Vernon to feature some of the recorded videos of veterans that were made over the years. A set of them could be made available for participants to refocus what the reunion's main purpose is: Honoring the memory of the veterans who served in the 416th Bomb Group (L).

We took a break from 3 to 5 PM, then gathered on the patio for our group and individual/couples' photos. We enjoyed our Happy Hour refreshments, and gathered again in the Hospitality Room, newly converted for our dinner. Since, sadly, Doris was unable to attend, Taylor Brooks honored the Missing Soldiers by describing the Missing Man Table and raising a Toast to all the Missing. Chris Adams followed by leading us in a Prayer. Dinner was a wonderful BBQ feast of hamburgers with all the fixin's, pulled/shredded chicken, corn-on-the-cob, baked beans, fruits and refreshments. Maggie and Zoe made a delicious cake for a perfect end to dinner.

As always, everyone said their sad goodbyes Sunday morning, some leaving very early in the morning. We all had a wonderful time and thank Maggie and her family very much. The Embassy Suites was a great place, and they did a wonderful job on our Saturday dinner.

Chris and Mary Adams, Sue Berg, Capt. Taylor Brooks, Carolyn and Sonny Haisler, Arlene and Roy Hohn,
Maggie McEvoy, Rick Prucha, Wayne Sayles, Jean Sittarich, Dr. Vernon Williams, Simon Young, Zoe Young