54th Annual 11th Bombardment Group (H) Association Reunion
Another wonderful reunion for WWII veterans, spouses and Associate members took place in October of 2014 in Rapid City, South Dakota. It was a small group this year but a great time was had by all.
We spent a day touring Ellsworth Air Force Base, including a stop at security forces to watch a working dog demonstration and also to spend time viewing the modern weaponry used by the Air Force security teams. The group had a chance to view a B-1B Lancer up close, including a trip into the cockpit for those who were adventurous and made the climb up the ladder. The day concluded with our annual veteran's forum, which is a wonderful chance to hear stories told by those who lived them.
On Friday, we had a jam-packed day touring the area around Rapid City, beginning with a stop at Mount Rushmore. One of our veteran's, as a young boy in 1937, had stood on George Washington's head so it was only right that we put him there again. We have proof of this with a picture. It was a sunny yet chilly day but the sight of one of our national monuments was certainly worth it. From there it was off to Crazy Horse, which is not yet completed but you can see the huge scope of this family project. We had a chance to spend a little while in Deadwood, located in the Black Hill of South Dakota, famous for the gold rush and Wild Bill Hickok. We also stopped briefly in Sturgis, home of the motorcycle rally.
Everyone had some free time on Saturday, which for some included touring Rapid City itself. The evening was spent at the Dakotas Club at Ellsworth Air Force Base. The evening began and ended with the color guard. Colonel Kevin Kennedy, Commander of the 28th Bomb Wing of the base gave a very excellent presentation at the banquet.
As we closed this year's reunion, we began to look forward to next year's event to be held in Dayton, Ohio, home of the National Museum of the Air Force. The date at this time is set for July 8-12, 2015.
|