SO....Who's going to the Reunion? I am... Because I can't think of a better way to spend an early September weekend than with friends I know, and friends I haven't met yet....at a place that helped to make me who I am today. Chanco is in my blood, and is part of my soul. It's caused me to do things I haven't considered doing before. I've never been one for much outdoor physical labor. But scroll back to May 2009 at the work weekend; there I was applying hammer to nails (big ones--and a full size hammer, not one of those girlie ones). continue reading »

Old Camp, New Camp, Red Camp, Blue Camp continue reading »

Old Camp, New Camp, Red Camp, Blue Camp

            It has been four weeks since I traveled by train from Rensselaer County (Troy), New York to Newport News, Virginia on my way to Chanco.  I have had a lot of time to reflect on what that trip meant and how the experience was.  It was great to see old friends and to make some new ones.  My facebook “friends” list has increased considerably.

            On the return trip, I was teary-eyed and sad, but elated all the same.  I took some notes, determined to write some sort of wrap-up piece for the website.  Now, after a month, I still want to write it, so, here goes:

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My grandfather was MIA in Korea as a USN pilot in 1952 - Ironically he was pronounced KIA a few days later on November 11th which turned out to be my birthdate 19 years later. I was named after my other grandfather who was named after a World War I veteran and that is where the date originates.
It's a date for those other reasons that it is easy to remember.

Regardless of where or whom I am with - I remember those who served in our US Armed Forces and today I wanted to remind everyone that Chanco lost a great friend in Air Force Major William Watkins when he was KIA in April of 2003 in Iraq while flying in support for the 333rd Fighter Squadron. continue reading »