Rocky Mountain Eagles Chapter, 101st Airborne Division Assn.

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. .

Print the above form out, fill it out, and mail it in to our Chapter Secretary/Treasurer.

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.

Our annual event Tet/Bastogne ceremonies and dinner, once again will be held in Colorado Springs at the Academy Hotel (8110 N. Academy Blvd). Please block out your calendar for January 16th as we have an exciting guest speaker and great line-up for this year's event.

We are honored to one of our own, Art Dillon, BG (Ret), a huey pilot with the 101st Airborne Division in Vietnam, as our guest speaker this year. General Dillon is a new member of the national as well as a new Rocky Mountain Eagles Chapter member. This will be BG Dillon's and his wife Cheryl's first event for the Rocky Mountain Chapter, so let's give them a big welcome. Click on the attached document for the dinner reservation form -

We will implement Bill Somer's idea of a 50/50 drawing again this year to help supplement all costs. Click on the following link to see/get a copy of the form -

Bring a small inexpensive item for our door prize drawing. This is voluntary and we ask you to keep "inexpensive" in mind.

1600-1700 Chapter meeting in the hospitality room suite. No bar, coolers provided.

The Rocky Mountain Eagles Chapter held our annual Tet/Bastogne dinner at the Academy Hotel in Colorado Springs on January 24^th. We thank the hotel staff for their great service in making this an event to remember. The Tet/Bastogne Dinner is one of the most significant events hosted by the Rocky Mountain Eagles Chapter each year. This was our largest turnout to date for this and all other events. Our thanks go out to Bill Somers, Co C, 3/187^th Inf (VN 70-71) for coordinating this event and our guest speaker for the evening. This is our annual event to honor the fallen and missing of all wars with ceremonies conducted at the Missing Man Table (above). The ceremony began with President Jim Keeton, Hq Btry, 1/321st FABN (VN 69-72) explaining to the audience the tradition of the Missing Man Table. A presentation by Secretary/ Treasurer, John Thompson, Co A & E, 1/501^st Inf (VN 71) accompanied the ceremony and added a new dimension for those familiar with this traditional honor ceremony. His presentation included a PowerPoint slide show leading up to each honor and a narration that ending in a moving tribute to those still serving on Freedom’s Frontier. May they also never be forgotten!

Christopher McEwan (left), Co A, 3/501 PIR (WW II 42-45) accompanied by Francis Hill (right), Hq Co, 502 PIR (WW II 43-45) honor the fallen and missing of World War II by lighting the ceremonial candle for that era. Francis and his lovely wife Rosemarie drove from Logan, NM for this event. It was great to see them both.

Bill Somers (l) assisted by Chapter Vice President Tom Stevens (r), Btry A, 3/319 FABN (FC 73-75) honor the fallen and missing of the Korean Conflict by lighting the ceremonial candle for that era. Bill served in the 3/187^th long after that era and serves as our ambassador to honor those men who served before him that made the ultimate sacrifice.

Mike Thompson (l), 2/502 Inf (VN) and Larry Frazier (r), Co C, 158th Avn Bn VN (69-70) light a candle and pay tribute to the fallen and missing of the Vietnam War. It is appropriate to note the Red Cross hanging behind the ceremonial table. This was Jim Keeton’s dust-off flag that flew on FSB Bastogne during his tours there. The red mud only took about twenty washings to remove it all.

Captain John M. Ruths (r), our guest speaker, and Ron Krom (l), Btry A & B, 2d Bn, 319th Arty (VN- 70) light the ceremonial candle for the missing and fallen of the ongoing conflicts since Desert Storm.

We extend our personal thank you to Captain Ruths for his presentation and briefing on the status of operations in Afghanistan and the complex nature of the battlefield, including the ethnic cultural challenges within the “theater of operations.” We are honored by soldiers like Captain Ruths. To see his enthusiasm, professionalism and dedication to the mission of guarding our Nation’s safety is most commendable. You may sleep well knowing who the gatekeepers are.

Our dinner was a culinary delight. Here member Chaplain Roger Evans (l), Btry A, 2/319th Arty VN (69-70), proposes a toast as Diane Thompson (rear), Linda Keeton (fore), Sandra and Richard Sonnenberg, Co E, 2/502st Inf. VN (71-72), Jim Keeton (front), Mike Thompson and Tom Stevens look on. Other participants enjoying this great meal were:

Roger Hamilton (l), Co C, 1/502 Inf VN (70-71), Michele Hamilton, Felicia and Captain John Ruths.

Steve Mullineaux (l), Co C, 1st Bn, 501st Inf (FC), Christopher McEwan and Associate Member Sal Blandi who served in the US Navy during WW II.

Rick Wertz (l) who often lets us parade with his Weld County Memorial, Parade of Flags, Jim Crim, Jr., Co B, 801st Maint, 1st Bde (VN 67-68) and his new bride Hope with Duane Steinbrecher (r), Hq 2/11 Arty VN (69-70).

During our earlier cocktail social hour and door prize drawing (whoever keeps bringing those scented candles…), Richard Sonnenberg (right) got to meet his old Battalion Commander, Col Chuck Shay (left).

John Thompson presented Richard Sonnenberg with a framed copy of the photo aptly titled, “The Introduction.” It is a photograph of Richard introducing his grandson Nathan to his best friend from Vietnam by name only on the Travelling Wall Memorial in Winter Park last August. The photograph was taken by Danny Barton and was reproduced with his permission. Danny first published the photograph on the cover of QuickThrottle Magazine. Look forward to that story.

In the future. John’s comment, “This is the most perfect example of Brotherhood that I have ever seen!”

If you picture did not appear here, you must not have been there. We certainly look forward to the day when all members of the Rocky Mountain Eagles gather as one! Brothers Forever!

For all who attended the Tet/Bastogne Dinner in Colorado Springs on January 20^th, 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 4^th Judicial District of Colorado in Colorado Springs.

Frank Lett (center), Co C, 377^th 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, 158^th Avn Bn, who narrated the ceremony looks on. The ceremony includes all conflicts that the 101^st Airborne Division has participated in and is a moving tribute.

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, 159^th 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.

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

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)

Chapter Vice President: Tom Stevens, Colorado Springs, CO telephone (___) ___-____

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For Those That Fought For It, Freedom Has A Taste And A Meaning, The Protected Will Never Know.

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Page last modified - 01/06/10