After much anticipation, Roberta and I boarded a Northwest Airline flight at 1900 hours on Wednesday night, the 12th of May, bound for Nevada’s gambling mecca.

After a pleasant flight we arrived at the Las Vegas Airport and, after a long wait for our luggage, departed for the Imperial Palace. Upon checking in, I was given a note from Mike McDonald to call him no matter the time of night. After getting Roberta and our luggage to the room, I met McDonald for drinks. We drank and visited until about 0030 hours before retiring.

The next morning I met Smrk, Mac and Betty, Joe and Virginia Finley at the breakfast buffet. Smrk, Mac and I were detailed by Joe to secure the keys to the hospitality suite while he and Jim Kaus made the local rounds to pick up the raffle prizes that had earlier been shipped to Al Divers, Dennis Farmer, and other Las Vegas locals.

After finally finding the suite, we spent the remainder of the day organizing the hospitality suite, getting Kaus’ banner installed, and assisting Smrk, the keeper of the raffle. I met so many people that day whom I had known only electronically via the site. I had to agree with Roberta that I didn’t meet a person I didn’t like and whose personality wasn’t just the way I had imagined from their posts. The looks might have fooled me a little, but not the basic person.

That night Roberta and I, Jim and Alice, Russ and Jody, and Dutch and Jeannette, and Joe and Virginia Finley went to The Excalibur for dinner and the show. A most enjoyable evening was had by all. Joe and I served together on Trick 3 in the 50s-60s.

BJ had me up and at 'em with an early reveille Friday to meet the group for a 0645 departure for the golf course at Nellis AFB. What a genial group of duffers I joined. We were surprised to see that the road to the golf course had been named for us - Duffer’s Drive! Breakfast, a round of golf on the Eagle and Falcon nines, lunch, and after some delay a van ride back to the Imperial Palace. To no one’s surprise, BJ did a superb job in arranging the golf outing.

As I walked in the Hospitality Suite, everyone who saw me started laughing. I didn’t know I had picked up and was wearing Roberta’s name badge, not my own. Randy called me Roberta the remainder of the weekend. The Hospitality Suite was a beehive of activity that afternoon with late arrivals and the packaging of raffle items for transportation to the Executive Room. That was a laborious task entailing elevators from the 19th floor back across to another building and finally an elevator to the 5th floor. I was detailed to scope out the hall and luckily missed all the manual labor. Roberta got to tell me all about her day spent sightseeing and shopping with Jeannette Wiest. Dutch had said weeks ago he thought they would become bosom buddies and sure enough they did.

The Raffle Reception kicked off a bit earlier than scheduled, causing a few problems, but all in all the evening was a success. I shared the emcee duties with Jim Kaus while Helen and the ever-present Lloyd Smrkovski made sure the donated items were raffled fairly. The cash bar was a busy place and we did have a great bartender with a strong wrist. We ran out of food early, but Joe and Russ stepped in and ordered more. We had some 80 items donated and Lloyd sold $1,136 in raffle tickets. The formal part of the evening wrapped up about 2100 hours and many of us continued the festivities in the hotel bar located outside the Executive Room.

Another early reveille Saturday morning helped by Fred and Joanna Williamson showing me where the Starbuck's Coffee Shop was located. The caffeine helped a bit. Our golf group was not as large as it was on Friday, but still a genial, enjoyable group. The same cannot be said about my game (if you can call it that). BJ started calling me "Snowman" after that day, but I still had a good time. Again, thanks to BJ, we were well organized playing the Eagle and Falcon nines. Nellis has 4 nines located next to the flight line. We watched as F16s, 15’s, and 117’s took off with full afterburners. The courses were in amazing condition for the number of rounds played. As we were making the turn, we heard General Wood’s group called to start their round (he was playing with a group from the RAF). While we waited for the van to take us back to the IP, we noticed 2 cars parked in the General Officer’s spaces in front of the Club. One was a Jeep SUV and the other a new T-Bird. We speculated the T-Bird must belong to General Wood.

Back in time for another visit to the Hospitality Suite where I got to meet more folks. Smiley’s computer/CD player in the suite was a big hit. Then on to the Executive Room to assist with checking the set-up in advance of the banquet.

The cocktail hour for the banquet was getting underway when Roberta and I arrived. Russ brought the General and his wife, Denise, to the Executive Room where I met them for the first time. After getting them settled in, it was time for me to once again pick up the old microphone to get things started. We had originally scheduled a Roll Call photo to be taken at 1830 hours, but decided rearranging the tables would cause too much confusion, so the photo opportunity was postponed until after the banquet. After Ben Hendrix gave the invocation, Jim Kaus led us in the Pledge of Allegiance. Then Wayne Babb led us in the singing of My Country 'Tis of Thee and America The Beautiful. I didn’t see many dry eyes in the house at that moment. This group can sing! Afterwards Russ Butcher, our Reunion Chairman, gave the official welcoming.

After we had been through the food line (there are some advantages in being emcee) everyone else was forming a line right in front of our table where General Wood was to sit. He was standing, shaking hands, and greeting everyone instead of eating his dinner. When Ed and Jane Staal were introduced, Jane told the general she had a son who was stationed at Nellis. I’m not sure of the story at this point, but I don’t think the general recognized her son's name. Anyway, he got out his cell phone and called one of his aids to get a message to Jane’s son to call General Wood at this number. It was only a few minutes later when the general’s telephone rang and sure enough Jane’s son was reporting to the general. I overheard him say something to the effect of, "I just met your mom and I’m having dinner with her. Would you like to speak to her?" He carried the telephone over a few tables to Jane who had the biggest and brightest smile on her face I have ever seen as she said hello to her son. Ed later said he imagined the son, who is a 1st Sergeant I think, probably needed a laundry when he heard he was to call General Wood. That is just the kind of man Steve Wood genuinely seems to be.

The Woods were a delightful couple. When everyone was signing the 2nd Annual Misawans In America Reunion Banner - designed and produced by Jim and Alice Kaus - we asked the general and Denise to also sign. The general signed as "Steve Wood, Major General, Commander 35th Fighter Wing, Misawa, Japan 1998-2000". Denise signed her name but said she didn’t have a title. Someone said, "Yes, you do - you are the General’s Boss". So, that is how she signed. Oh, by the way, the T-Bird in the golf club parking lot? It belongs to Denise’s father who is letting her drive it. The general drives the SUV!

Following his introduction, General Wood gave us a great talk about today’s Air Force, it's mission, and how it relates to what we all did so many years ago.

Helen Henderson then gave us an update on the Misawa Family. She was followed by Dutch Wiest’s update on the Companion Site. Wayne Babb had asked for a few moments on the program during which he invited us to have the 2005 reunion in Chattanooga and further volunteered to be the Honcho of said event. His invitation was met by loud approval. Helen then presented service awards to B. K. Kelley, Joe Finley, and Russ Butcher for their outstanding efforts in producing our 2nd Annual Reunion.

At about 2100 hours, Russ Butcher gave by design maybe the shortest closing remarks in the history of reunion banquets.

The room was then rearranged for the official Roll Call photo of all those who had served in Misawa. A far better looking group of our ladies was then formed and photographed.

The evening ended around the piano in the bar area outside the Executive Room where BJ Cook had arranged for the piano player to play "For The Good Times". A large group stood around singing along and again there weren’t many dry eyes to be seen.

The next morning Roberta and I met Helen, Smrk, Smiley, Dutch, and Jeannette for breakfast before checking out and heading for the airport. Smrk, the Wiests, and Roberta and I shared a taxi to the airport where we said our goodbyes.

Roberta and I had a nice flight home until a line of thunderstorms prevented us landing at the Memphis Airport. We circled for an hour and, just before the captain was about to divert to Little Rock for fuel, he received landing clearance.

What a wonderful weekend it was. Seeing old friends, making new ones, and just generally enjoying the company of all those with whom I share such a strong bond.

The only regrets I have of the reunion was not having more time to visit with everyone in attendance and I greatly missed many of those who for one reason or another could not attend. I hope so many more will be able to make Chattanooga in 2005.