November 2008

To: E Company, 9th Infantry Division, 75th Rangers

From: Rick Stetson, Unit Director

As you will see in the message below from Bob Hernandez, things are shaping up for an outstanding, fun-filled reunion in San Diego next May. Bob along with Tess, Marshall, Greg and the other West Coast reunion committee members have been busy coordinating with the Navy and the staff of the Mission Valley Resort to make sure everything goes smoothly when E Company arrives in town. As with any reunion, an advance "head count" is needed, especially when making preparations for our banquet, so be sure to let Bob know if you plan on attending.
   The registration fee for the reunion is $50 which will insure the hospitality room is continually stocked. The banquet fee is also $50 (that will cover the cost of the banquet room and the dinner.) You can send your checks to Bob Hernandez at: 4424 Rock Island Drive, Antioch, CA 94509.
   I'm sad to report that Bob Maushardt lost his wife this past summer. They had been married for 50 years and all of E Company sends our sympathies. Hernandez reports that Top is still going strong at 92 and he and Tess will make sure our first sergeant is present when we fall in at our reunion. If Bob Maushardt can make it to the next E Company reunion, there is no reason all of E Company can't be there as well. No excuses accepted. Be there or be AWOL.
   I have had several members of E Company ask what we can do as a unit to support our soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. My recommendation is that we continue to support the Ranger Family Fund as our contributions will go directly to the family members and next of kin of our special ops soldiers. E Company has a tradition of providing great support to this fund and I hope that can continue this year in spite of a less than favorable economy. Checks can be made payable to the 75th RRA and sent to: P.O. Box 10970, Baltimore, MD 31234. Thank you in advance for remembering the families of our Rangers serving so far from home.
   Best wishes as we head into the holiday season. Stay safe, stay well and always remember: Rangers Lead the Way.    Rick

  2009 Reunion Sitrep from Bob Hernandez

The 2009 LRRP/Ranger reunion will be held at the Mission Valley Resort in San Diego Ca. The Resort is located at 875 Hotel Circle South, San Diego Ca. 92108. The phone number is (619) 298-8251. Mention the 9th Div. LRRP/Rangers and the rate will be $85 per night. Dates are May 13th-17th with early arrivals coming in on Sunday the 10th. The rates will be good three days before and after the above dates. 
 
                 The resort features cable TV, in-room movies, video games, free Wi-Fi, voice mail and free parking. We also get free use of the 28,000 sq. ft. health and fitness club. The resort will also provide free transportation to and from the championship golf course that is less          
than a mile away. There are also two shopping centers located within two miles of the resort.     

 

                   For the fisherman in our group, a wide variety of deep sea fishing is available from 6 hours to three days, at Point Loma Sportfishing.

 

               On Sunday the early arrivals can gather in the fully stocked hospitality room and latter head for Old Town San Diego for some Mexican food and margaritas.

 

                   Monday morning after breakfast we will head down to Miramar Speed Circuit. It is one of the finest indoor race tracks in the US . It is the perfect place for anyone who wants to race wheel to wheel at 40 mph. You can race for your own best time or race against the other drivers.   Next we’ll head over to Belmont Park, a Coney Island type park. The park is home to the Giant Dipper, an old fashion wooden roller coaster with 2,500 feet of track, and 13 heart pounding hills. There are many other heart pounding rides as well as shops and restaurants. The park is rated one of the best beach side parks in the country.   

 

               Tuesday is the perfect time to see the San Diego Zoo, home to some of the rarest and most endangered animals in the world. The zoo is located in Balboa Park , famous for its 15 museums and art galleries. You will also find many restaurants, shops and walking trails. It is also “free Tuesday”, so some of the museums will be free! 

 

                  On Wednesday we can explore the USS Midway. A self guided audio tour of the aircraft carrier will guide us from the 4 acre flight deck down to the engine room. In the afternoon we’ll head up to Cabrillo National Monument. The park is named after the famous Portuguese explorer, the first to explore this region. The park is at the top of a peninsula and the perfect spot to watch the gray whales migrate south. You can also see San Diego Bay ,  downtown San Diego and even Mexico if it’s a clear day.

 

                  Thursday it’s time to get a little wet watching Shamu the killer whale perform his act. Sea World is home to Shamu and many other performing giants. At this park you can even rent a wetsuit and interact with the dolphins. There are many other activities at the park including the shark tank, penguin counter, a comical sea lion, water rides and a simulated jet helicopter motion ride over the arctic!  After all this excitement we’ll head over to Old Town for dinner and margaritas.

 

                  Friday we will visit Coronado Island, home of the U.S. Navy SEAL’s. Here we will split into two groups. The first group will attend a history of the LRRP and SEAL’s relationship in Vietnam . It should be very interesting! You will also get to see the SEAL’s train at the Bud school. The second group will get a ride on San Diego Bay aboard the mach 5, an official seal assault boat.  When both groups are done, they will switch. We tried to set up a live fire demo. But due to the 2 wars, the SEAL’s are very short handed, but they still promised to take good care of us. 

 

                  In the afternoon we will go over to the world famous Coronado Hotel for a cocktail. Built in 1888, it is now a National Historic Landmark. The hotel has many restaurants, shops, and a beautiful ocean front beach.

 

                  On Saturday, the memorial service will be at 10 am, followed by our meeting. There will be free time until the banquet at 7pm. We hope to have a SEAL as a guest speaker who served with us in Vietnam.

 

                  This schedule of events is just a small sample of all the things to do and see in the San Diego area. I am sure some will want to go off on their own and see the things that interest them, and that’s fine! The main thing is to come and keep the spirit of our great friendships and our history alive.  I hope to see you all in San Diego !!

 

Bob Hernandez