101ST AIRBORNE DIVISION ASSOCIATION
Updated 02/09/08
The Rocky Mountain Eagles Chapter is a local group of veterans who served with the 101st Airborne Division at some time in the past. We have members who have served in World War II, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and at Fort Campbell, Kentucky in various eras. The majority of our membership resides in the Colorado area, however, we do have members that live all over the United States. We are a non profit veterans organization that gets together for business meetings, picnics, dinners, and other activities to have a good time and share comradiere.
In order to become a member of our Rocky Mountain Eagles Chapter, you are required to
be a regular member of the 101st Airborne Division Assn, our national headquarters.
Our small Chapter has been in existence since April, 1989. Each year we try to have a couple of picnics, an annual Bastogne/Tet Dinner, and we get together for other activities. We have had some dandy horseshoe tournaments, marched in parades in Denver, and attended several Veterans Day activities across the state. One year we had a trap shooting contest and in 1992 we hosted the annual national reunion in Colorado Springs. We had over 900 attendees, and we still receive a lot of nice comments about the fantastic reunion we put on. Our chapter also supports various veterans causes, and in the past we've made donations to such things as the Veterans Monument built in Denver, and the Chappie Hall Scholarship Fund which is for deserving descendants of 101st veterans. .
How to join the Rocky Mountain Eagles Chapter
Print the above form out, fill it out, and mail it in to our Chapter Secretary/Treasurer.
You will need Adobe Reader Software to read .pdf files like the one above. Download the software free by using the following link http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html
Annual dues for our local chapter are $10.00. The national membership costs $25.00 per year, or life memberships are available. Associate memberships are also available for the same prices listed above.
Chapter News
RECENT ACTIVITIES
2008 Bastogne/Tet Dinner
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Chris McEwan & Frank Lett lit the WWII Candle |
Jim Keeton & Ron Krom lit the Vietnam Candle |
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Bill Somers and Randy Hoffman lit the Korean War Candle |
Missing Man Table at 2008 Tet/Bastogne Dinner - Photos by Eric Frazier and John Thompson |
SGT Michael Sweeny & SSG Michael Garcia lit the Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom/Iraqi Freedom Candle |
The Bastogne/Tet Dinner was held January 26th, 2008 at the Academy Hotel in Colorado Springs, CO. Over 30 members and guests attended this event that we hold every year. This year, we had the honor of having five active duty soldiers from Ft. Carson attend the event. LTC Dean Dunham, Commanding Officer of 1st Battalion, 9th Infantry, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry spoke after dinner of their recent second tour of Iraq and all the good things that are happening. We enjoyed having these young soldiers with us for this event.
LTC Dean Dunham
After being commissioned as a second lieutenant, he
attended the
Infantry Officer Basic Course in Fort Benning Georgia and was assigned
to the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.
Then Lieutenant Dunham served there as a rifle platoon leader, TOW
missile platoon leader, S1 and assistant S3 in the 2nd of the 502nd
Infantry, to include service in Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm.
We also had SSG Stillman, the local Army recruiter present at our dinner. He talked about new recruiting efforts, and had handouts.
Frank Lett received a life membership certificate for the donations he has made to the chapter over the years. This is the only lifetime membership we have in the Rocky Mountain Chapter.
Chapter President Larry Frazier awarded large screaming eagle patches to members Chris McEwan for recruiting, Bill Somers and Gene Standish for event planning, Jim Keeton for newsletter work, and to John Thompson for membership and treasurer work.
Chapter Meeting Prior to Social Hour and Dinner - Jim Keeton, Larry Frazier, John Thompson (back) and Randy Hoffman
John Thompson (back to us), Frank Lett, Tom Stevens, Chris McEwan, and Ron Krom
Rowland Hannon, Erika & Bill Somers, Jim Crim at the chapter meeting
SGT Michael Sweeny and Bill Somers
Frank Lett, Jim Crim (back to us), SSG Stillman, Chris McEwan, and Rowland Hannon
LTC Dean Dunham, and Debbie Frazier
Erika Somers, Margareta and Gene Standish
A good time was had by all....
Special thanks go to Eric Frazier for taking many of these photos.
UPCOMING EVENTS
Calhan Loyalty Day Parade
We’ve been invited back to Calhan, Colorado to participate in their annual Loyalty Day Parade on Saturday, May 3, 2008. We expect to participate in the parade and have a chapter picnic. The parade forms up at 10 am, and starts at 11 am. Sloppy Joe Sandwiches will be served at the VFW afterwards, and the chapter will supply additional food selections. A chapter meeting will occur after that, plan to attend.
For the quickest way to Calhan from I-25, take the E Woodmen Road east to Hwy 24. You will come out just past Falcon. Take Hwy 24 east to Calhan and north on Colorado Ave. Look for Curly’s on the left.
Bastogne - Tet Dinner 2007
For all who attended the Tet/Bastogne Dinner in Colorado Springs on January 20th, 2007 thank you for the successful turnout. I know you enjoyed this event as much as I did. For all those who could not make it, I wish you could have been there. We had a great dinner.
Our guest speaker, MG Ron Crowder (above), did a great job showing us the National Guard’s current role in the war on terrorism and what the Colorado National Guard’s role and participation has been in the recent past. Our Colorado Guard has participated one hundred per cent in individual calls to duty and many have served more than one active duty tour. We commend their devotion to duty, bravery and sacrifices to this end. May they all be safe! We owe them so much. It was a pleasure meeting Ron and Ann for the first time. We also would like to extend wishes for much success to His Honor, Ron Crowder, in his new role as a district judge in the 4th Judicial District of Colorado in Colorado Springs.
Frank Lett (center), Co C, 377th PFA, WWII is joined by Chris McEwan (r), Co A, 3/501 PIR WWII in lighting the memorial candle for Screaming Eagles that made the ultimate sacrifice in WWII. Larry Frazier, Chapter President, Co C, 158th Avn Bn, who narrated the ceremony looks on. The ceremony includes all conflicts that the 101st Airborne Division has participated in and is a moving tribute.
Randy Kirby (159th Avn Bn. VN)
Great slide Show! For those who were not able to attend the dinner and Randy Kirby’s slide show of his collection of photos from Viet Nam afterwards, double regrets! Thank you Randy for sharing! Randy (shown left) served one tour with Co C, and one with Co A, 159th Avn. Bn. so there were plenty of aerials. I promise you it looked different from the ground.
This was a walk down memory lane for some and a visual epic for those who missed service in that lovely AO. It really was (and probably still is) a beautiful country. It is a shame it wasn’t more of a vacation for those who served there. I do remember that on the coastal mountains west of FSB Tomahawk (or was it Los Banos?) there was an old French resort. I don’t remember its name but I understand it was something back in its day. That would probably be the only spot I would care to revisit.
Other chapter activities in 2007 included a great turnout of chapter members at the Omaha National Reunion in August, participation in the Patriot's Day Parade in Downtown Denver on September 15th followed by lunch, and attending a Veterans Day Program and lunch at Kenny's Steakhouse in Greeley, CO.
Rocky Mountain Eagles Gather for Veteran - See pictures of a great parade in Denver
Change of Command Lunch at Brooklyn's
Each year we have a meeting/lunch at Brooklyn's Bar and Restaurant near Mile High Stadium to make plans for the upcoming year and to install new officers. The below pictures were taken in 2001.
Left to Right - Carl Broker, Gene Standish, Chris McEwan, Bob Hilburn, ________, Frank Lett, Randy Hoffman, and Bill Somers
Rolling Monument Honors the 101st - A story about our own Frank Lett and his car
Old Abe Dedication - VFW Post 5061 (09/10/97)
L to R - Commander Ed Conrad, Post 5061; Duane Steinbrecher, HQ 2/11 Arty VN; Bob Hilburn, 521st PS & M Co FC; Carl Broker, HQ 1/502 VN; Ole Baumann, A Co 327 FC; Larry Frazier, C/158 Avn VN; and George Gaspard, ADJ 3/187 .Veteran's Day 1996
Chapter members gathered in Greeley, CO. for a Veteran's Day Meeting and to lay a wreath at the Weld County Memorial.Chapter Picnic
Cheyenne Mountain Park (Norad Site) above Colorado Springs (September 1995)Vietnam Remembered
Vietnam Memorial, Washington, D.C.Chapter Members at the 1995 Veteran's Day Parade in Denver
L to R is Frank Lett ( C 377 Arty WWII), Chris McEwan (A 3/501 PIR WWII), and current Chapter President Ben Fortenberry (C 3/319 Arty VN)Larry Frazier and Eugene Standish
Displaying Colorado Flag at Washington, D.C. Reunion in 1990101st National Monument (July 1990)
Located at Arlington National CemeteryCHAPTER OFFICERS
Chapter President: Larry Frazier, Greeley, CO telephone (970)
330-1522
Chapter Vice President: Les Kennedy, (303) 677-8867
Chapter Secretary/Treasurer is: John Thompson, (303) 522-6608
This page created & maintained by:
Larry G. Frazier (C/158th AVN VN 69-70)
For Those That Fought For It, Freedom Has A Taste And A
Meaning, The Protected Will Never Know.
