11/03/2013: "Reunion Update"

LAST 2013 REUNION UPDATE:
Everyone I spoke with said the reunion was a success. I have to agree. We had about 120 folks attend. Out of that about 65 were dog handlers. Unofficially the reunion started for some of us on Wednesday meeting outside by the pool. Every time some one arrived at the hotel they found the unofficial welcoming committee. As the evening approached we dined at the hotel restaurant. There was about a dozen of us. On Wednesday we met in the center court of the hotel over breakfast buffet. Wednesday afternoon we moved into the hospitality room. We had plenty of beverages and food galore. You could hang out at the hospitality room and never get hungry. One of the most popular items which was gone by Wednesday afternoon was Buc-ee’s Beaver Nuggets. If you want to know what they were you will have to ask Lee Ruth next time you see him. Thursday was much like Wednesday, checking in and getting acquainted with old friends. The nice thing about Thursday there was time to site see. One of the most popular places was Bass Pro Shop. I heard you could spend two days in the Bass Pro Shop and not see everything. They even have a NRA museum there.
To describe Friday’s trip to Fort Leonard Wood, MO I am enclosing the thank you letter I sent to the Commandant, U. S. Army Military Police School who hosted our trip. I am enclosing the letter for several reasons, it describes what we saw and felt. It also gives a reference if anyone else is so incline to write a thank you note, and if anyone wants to attach names to the photos they took. The letter identifies key people we met.
Saturday during the day was like Wednesday and Thursday which was good. We had plenty of time to reminisce. Saturday evening we had our banquet dinner. The Hillcrest High School JROTC posted the colors for us. We were entertained through the night by a DJ from Travel Tunes Entertainment. We were welcomed by the city of Springfield. Our guest speaker for the night was Military Police Regimental Command Sergeant Major John F. McNeirney. He spoke to us about the evolution of the Military Police Corps from when we were young MP’s to present day. It was very enlightening. As the evening ended groups would go back to the hospitality room. Sunday morning we met in the hospitality room over breakfast and said our goodbyes.
During the reunion I overheard a couple times that some of our members did not attend because they did not enjoy drinking adult beverages. I can tell you first hand drinking was never important. What was the overriding theme during the whole time was hanging out with some of the greatest friends a sentry dog handler can have.
On a personal note, I want to thank each and everyone that came to the reunion. Thank you for all the gifts and compliments. I do not believe I deserve them. I had incredible assistance from Sandy my wife, Alumni members, the Ramada Hotel, Springfield Visitor’s Center, Fort Leonard Wood and the Hillcrest High School JROTC. They deserve every compliment I received. They gave their all. Thank you this closes out the 2013 Reunion. I’ll see you at Reunion 2015 with my hat on. By the way we are still looking for where we are going to have our next reunion. If anyone would like to volunteer contact Larry Majeski.

Gary S. Smith
31239 Kensington Park Drive
Spring, TX 77386

November 1, 2013

Commandant
U. S. Army Military Police School
14030 MSCoE Loop, Suite 1061
Fort Leonard Wood, MO 65473

Sir:

My name is Gary Smith. I was the reunion coordinator for the Vietnam Military Police Sentry Dog Alumni who toured Fort Leonard Wood, MO on October 11, 2013. I want to tell you how pleased we were with our tour of Fort Leonard Wood and our subsequent dinner with RCSM McNeirney.
Mr. Hanshew and SGT Shober scheduled everything for us. They were of immense help in fulfilling what we wanted to see and do. I also want to express my gratitude to Ms. Gregory for getting a wavier from TRADOC to allow us to visit during the Federal shutdown. Our whole reunion was centered around visiting Fort Leonard Wood.
SFC Lorenz, SFC Abdon and K-9 Atos were superb. Our members still hold fellow dog handlers and dogs near our hearts. To be greeted by both handlers and a former military working dog made our members day. SFC Lorenz and SFC Abdon not only escorted us, but they gave of themselves. They told us what it is like to be a dog handler and military working dog in today’s Army, and they listened to our stories. Atos, SFC Abdon’s retired military working dog, brought back the fond memories of being a dog handler.
I would be remise if I did not mention all the personnel who greeted and briefed us during our tour including SGM Lane, SFC Ochoa, and SFC Mayrand at Stem City. Stem City is far beyond anything we had at Fort Gordon. What a great operation you have. Mrs. Simpkins at the Dining Facility, Building 930, treated us like kings and queens. She made sure we got a very appetizing meal and that we did not leave hungry. It was a great feeling for us to be eating with fellow soldiers. SFC Jones, Drill Sergeant, B Co, 787th Military Police Battalion gave us a tour of a typical OSUT barracks and how training progresses in the barracks. We were glad to see some things have not really changed. I think our spouses got an idea of what we went through living in open bay barracks. Next on our tour, we were greeted by Mr. Rogers and Ms. West of the Military Police Museum. As you know, we have a first class museum there. We especially enjoyed the static displays of Vietnam and a dog handler in an agitation suit. Mr. Harne, Executive Director of the Military Police Regimental Association, greeted us at the Military Police Memorial Grove. He was very informative about what the Memorial Grove represents and what is going to be added in the future. I hope our Alumni will become involved in some small way in the future of Memorial Grove. Our final stop was at the Post Exchange. After the whirlwind tour of the Home of the Military Police Corps, we needed some R&R. As with everything else at Fort Leonard Wood the PX is top notch.
On Saturday, we Had the opportunity to meet RCSM McNeirney. He joined us for dinner and told us how the Regimental Military Police Corps has progressed since we were young soldiers. It is oblivious to me why he is the Regimental Command Sergeant Major. He genuinely cares for the Soldiers and the mission. I am sure he is a reflection of the rest of your staff.
One of the things I missed about the U.S. Army is exchanging the greeting of the day with eye contact. From the youngest private to the most seasoned NCO, we were greeted with respect and thanked for our service. In the civilian world, people do not greet each other and hardly make eye contact. My wife Sandy, who is a retired Army Reserve LTC, pointed out to me that everyone we met went out of their way to make us feel welcome.
As you can see, we got to visit several places and meet some of the finest Soldiers in the world. We really appreciate all the hard work and planning that went into our visit. Every Alumni member I met and spoke with about our visit to Fort Leonard Wood had nothing but high praises for their experience. That includes our spouses. Thank you again from the bottom of our hearts.

Sincerely,

GARY S. SMITH
1SG USA RETIRED
REUNION COORDINATOR