Reunion

Reunion Summary for the 758th AC&W Squadron

Neah Bay, WA

The annual reunion of the 758th AC&W Squadron of Neah Bay had its origin in 2004 with an idea submitted by Edward Suggs of Loris, SC, with the thought of getting as many guys from the 1954/55 era as possible to attend. It is now open to anyone serving at this site during its active duty period.

2004

The first reunion was in November 2004 with the host being Darwyn McCall and held in Danville, VA. The attendees were McCall, Bob McLeod of Sandston, VA and Edward Suggs of Loris, SC.

2005

The second reunion was in September 2005 with the host being Bob McLeod and held in Sandston, VA. Attendees were McLeod, Darwyn McCall of VA, Edward Suggs of SC, Norman Wine of WV, Rex Fothergill of FL.

2006

The third reunion was held in October 2006 with the host being Edward Suggs and held in North Myrtle Beach, SC. The attendees were Suggs, Darwyn McCall of VA, Bob McLeod of VA, Bruce Brodersen of GA, Jim Bierbauer of MN.

2007

The fourth reunion was in November 2007 with the host being Bruce Brodersen and held in Peachtree City, GA. Attendees were Brodersen, Bob McLeod of VA, Edward Suggs of SC, Jim Bierbauer of MN, Ray Daffron of AL, Steve Gerlock of NJ, Ken Tennis of FL. The passing of Rex Fothergill of FL shocked us.

2008

The fifth reunion was held in September 2008 with the host being Bob McLeod and held in Williamsburg, VA. The attendees were McLeod, Edward Suggs of SC, Darwyn McCall of VA, Norman Wine of WV, Bruce Brodersen of GA, Jim Bierbauer of MN, Paul Geckeler of PA, Steve Gerlock of NJ, James Lockamy of NC, Barry Metzger of FL, Ken Tennis of FL. We were certainly thrilled to have Mrs. James Lockamy (Gail) with us as she is a native of Port Angeles, WA. This brought our memories of Neah Bay even closer with her presence. With the wild celebrations of the SHAFT AWARD, THE ORDER OF THE MAKAH, the members let their pride and memories come forth to be topped off with the BLUE BERETS OF NEAH BAY. With the appearance of all those berets, the meeting took on the feeling of a drunken orgy. I am ever so thankful we did not have any AP's in attendance for this gathering as all of us would be trying to get out on bail had there been. The comment was made and noted that we left all the wives out of the awards...this situation will certainly be rectified somehow by the fall of 2009. This meeting only proved once more that memories can be very enjoyable and bring back thoughts we had long forgotten. Again, the sadness in the loss of George Charvarno of WI, who wanted so much to attend a reunion but his illness prevented his traveling.

2009

The sixth reunion of the 758th was held in Charleston, SC, October 19th through the 22nd, 2009, hosted by Bob McLeod and Bruce Brodersen. Those in attendance were Bob McLeod of VA, Bruce Brodersen of GA, Edward Suggs of SC, Darwyn McCall of VA, Ken Tennis of FL, Norman Wine of WVA, “Dude” Weathers of AL, Barry Metzger of FL, James Bierbauer of MN, Pal Geckeler of PA, Steve Gerlock of NJ, Ken Smith of TN, and to make our meet International, Dick Frederickson of SPAIN. As an added addition, we were very pleased to have Colonel Doug Harper (Ret), of Kentucky join us. I did fight the impulse to call the room to attention each time he entered, but with the right amount of self control, I was able to overcome the urge. I think McLeod and Brodersen are to be commended for their choice of a meeting place. The accommodations were very, very good, with a private meeting room available for our entire stay. How can we overlook the care and hospitality of the Quality Inn with Nese Horton, our breakfast chef, who made sure everyone had what they wanted? Her service to us was outstanding, I think, with those hot banana muffins, blueberry muffins, and also her baked peaches. You have to try those to appreciate them. That is why I would like to extend this compliment to her, with her new nickname of “Aunt Jemima, Jr.” Also inducted this year were two new members to the Order of the Makah: Brodersen and Bierbauer. Even the women were remembered this year with awards. Ed Suggs did a beautiful job with these awards as well as the name plates for everyone, however, he can expect repercussions for granting this writer “The Distinguished Service Shaft” award. There is always next year. Last year, the awarding of the Blue Berets of Neah Bay got a little out of hand. This year, we toned things down with the “Sash of Reunion Attendance” and security did not have to be called. With the roar of conversation daily, I do believe that the women are beginning to enjoy these meetings as much as the men, and the lies that the men are telling cannot be repeated here. We took a little poll this year and found the age group ran from 64 to 79. Also, the total time served by all came to 108 years and 14 days. This location seemed to agree with all this year as the vote was taken for the location of next year’s meet, and a very large percentage voted to return to this same location. “LIFE IS HARD UNDER THE MAGNOLIAS.”

(Click on each photo to view in larger format)

2010

The seventh reunion of the 758th was held in Charleston, SC, October 18th through the 21st, 2010, with the hosts again being Bruce Brodersen and Bob McLeod. Those in attendance were Bob McLeod of VA, Bruce Brodersen of GA, Edward Suggs of SC, Darwyn McCall of VA, Ken Tennis of FL, Norman Wine of WVA, “Dude” Weathers of AL, Barry Metzger of FL, James Bierbauer of MN, Paul Geckeler of PA, Steve Gerlock of NJ, Ken Smith of TN, John Adams of RI, James Lockamy of NC. We were also very happy to have Colonel Doug Harper (Ret) of Kentucky, join us again this year.

We did return to the Quality Inn in Mount Pleasant, SC and found our breakfast chef, Aunt Jemima Jr. still with the motel. Last year, she was good: This year she was very good so we all chipped in with a nice little tip for her. Bob and Bruce again did a very nice job as hosts and I must comment about our outing for Tuesday afternoon. We had a scheduled tour of the Boone Hall Plantation, a small 4000 acre farm about six miles from where we were staying. We were informed that this was the setting for the TV series a few years ago, of “North and South”. We were also treated to a catered BBQ dinner at one of the pavilions on the grounds. As we ate, I became somewhat nervous just thinking about how this was going to be paid for and was looking over all the fields I could see and what a relief it was to note that all the cotton had been picked this year…I was concerned that Life Was Going To Become Very Hard Under The Magnolias…

I also have to admit this: At times, I was concerned about the quiet, well behaved group we became compared to what happened the last couple of years. Ed Suggs again did a beautiful job of certificates of attendance for the women as well as the men and he and I paid a small tribute to the four career men of the Air Force that were in attendance. Those were Master Sgt. Paul Geckeler of PA, Master Sgt. John Adams of RI, WO4 Norman Wine of WVA, and Colonel Doug Harper of Kentucky. Master Sgt. Mike Rugg of SC was scheduled to attend and was also a career man but for unknown reasons, was unable to attend at the last moment.

I am very happy to say that as this group grows, it is so gratifying to note that we have all merged into what I like to think of, as one big family. The members have become very close and this makes for a very pleasant and enjoyable meeting.

As I mentioned above, our chef, Nese, was so helpful again this year but when someone told her that we would seek another location for 2011, I do believe I heard her mumble under her breath…”Thank God”…

2011

The 8th annual reunion of the 758th Group was held October 17th thru the 19th, at the Inn By The River in Pigeon Forge, TN, with the hosts being Norman Wine and Bruce Brodersen. It was a nice setting, warm sunny weather the first two days, with the geese and ducks enjoying themselves on the river. Very peaceful surroundings.

Now, lets go inside and for example, down to breakfast where tour bus loads of people are trying to get food. I do believe that if you spilled a bit of jam on your arm, someone would use it for a hors d'ouevre. Those in attendance were Norman Wine of WVA, Bruce Brodersen of GA, Ed Suggs of SC, Bob McLeod of VA, Darwyn McCall of VA, Col. Doug Harper of KY, Jim Bierbauer of MN, John Adams of RI, Dude Weathers of AL, Ken Tennis of FL, Paul Geckeler of PA, Ken Smith of TN and Dick Frederickson of Spain.

Ed Suggs, again, did a great job with the records of attendance for both men and women and brought a very attractive large banner of the name of our Group. It was outstanding in design and color. The group was also given a photo of themselves, replacing George Washington on Mt. Rushmore. We believe that fame should be longer than 15 minutes.

Our Group does hold an auction sale at each meeting with items brought by the members. This sale was conducted Wednesday evening and I plan to look into this more because when certain names are called so often, a full investigation is warranted for this sale being rigged.

Wednesday morning brought rain and lower temperatures which naturally took its toll on the members. Going from Summer to Winter overnight can do that to you.

2012

The 9th annual reunion of the 758th Group was held in Mount Pleasant, SC (Charleston) Oct. 22nd thru 24th with our hosts being Bruce Brodersen and Norman Wine. Again, they did a fine job of events apparently enjoyed by all.

Those attending were Bruce Brodersen of GA, Norman Wine of WVA, Barry Metzger of FL, Ken Tennis of FL, Ed Suggs of SC, Darwyn McCall of VA, Paul Geckeler of PA, Doug Harper of KY, Jim Bierbauer of MN, Dick Frederickson of Spain. We were also happy to welcome David Potts of NJ and our visitor, Michael Brodersen of TX, Bruce's son.

Two years ago when we met here at the Quality Inn, our breakfast chef, Nese, gave us excellent service and we left a little gratuity for being so nice to us. As we were leaving, I told her we would be seeking another location for the next year. I commented in this space then, that I thought I heard her mumble under her breath "Thank God". This year, she apparently heard we were coming back so she took the entire week off. There is no pleasing some people.

One of the highlights this year was to give a salute to one of our own, who we just learned, was an outstanding W04 of the Vietnam era, having received two bronze stars for Valor. We hope our little program gave Norman Wine the recognition with our group that he deserves.

Our favorite Colonel, Doug Harper, handled the raffle this year. Most of the items were gift cards. I do believe that in another life, Doug was either a Vegas Dealer or a Used Car Salesman. If you won, he made you face away from him, hands behind your back to draw one of these cards. As things went on, you were almost afraid to admit you had a winning ticket for fear of being Court Martialed. But it was all fun and games. He did a commendable, efficient job.

A new Club for the group was introduced, called THE METHUSELAH CLUB; the only qualification to become a member was reaching the milestone of 80 years. We had two Charter members this year; Doug Harper and Norman Wine. The others were told to be patient; they would be inducted very soon.

How can we overlook the wives who have become real assets to our meets with the purchasing and displaying of snacks, drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Thank you. Our thanks also to Ken Tennis for the beautiful plaque he made and to Ed Suggs for the great looking banner he brought to the meet. A very nice job.

2013

The 10th annual reunion of the 758th Group was held October 21st thru 23rd, 2013, at the Best Western Plus Hotel in Sandston, VA (Richmond). This meeting was to honor Bob McLeod who had been confined to the local VA hospital for the past 15 months due to injuries from an accident. We wanted to give him a boost if possible, however, he passed away in August prior to our meeting. The loss of Bruce Brodersen in January of this year was a terrible shock to us all as well.

Those in attendance were Ed Suggs of SC, Darwyn McCall of VA, Paul Geckeler of PA, Ken Smith of TN, David Potts of NJ, Dude Weathers of AL, Ken Tennis of FL, Barry Metzger of FL, James Bierbauer of MN. We were happy to have newcomers to our group: Jack Barber of NC, Gerard Smith of PA and Richard Muzio of TX.

We were very glad to have the family of Bob with us who was one of the original members of our group. Plaques were presented in tribute to the memory of Bob and Bruce Brodersen. Both were very active in our group.

A group dinner at a local steak house and a tour of the nearby Air Museum were among the highlights of our meet. Again, I must compliment the women for their assistance in shopping and preparing hors d'oeuvres available at all hours.

For 2014: A new location and a new adventure.

Best regards to all,

Darwyn G. McCall

2014

The 11th annual reunion for the 758th Group was held 24th through 26th of October 2014, at the Hampton Inn in Chattanooga, TN. Attendees were Dude Weathers of ALA, Ken Tennis of FLA, Barry Metzger of FLA, Ed Suggs of SC, Darwyn McCall of VA, Dave Potts of NJ, Paul Geckeler of PA, Doug Harper of KY, Ken Smith of TN, and Jim Bierbauer of MN, and Mrs. Mary Brodersen of GA.

We were happy to welcome Warner & Linda Rowe of MO to our group this year and also Jim & Gina O'Daniell of NC. Although Jim was not stationed at Neah Bay, he was a visitor to a number of sites during his active duty. We appreciated his stopping by while in town.

Recipients of the Methuselah Award this year were Ed Suggs and Dude Weathers after reaching the milestone of 80 years.

2015

The 12th annual Reunion for the 758th was held at the Quality Inn, Mt. Pleasant, SC, Oct 19th thru 21st. Those attending were Ed Suggs SC, Darwyn McCall VA, Ken Tennis FL, Gerard Smith PA, Paul Geckeler PA, Dave Potts NJ, Ken Smith TN, and Jim Bierbaurer MN.

We were happy to see Nese, our breakfast chef, still there. She and her Assistant, Minni, went all out on breakfasts to spoil us. You have to experience it to understand what they do, it is very special. It is prepared right there and they make sure you get exactly what you want. During our meetings, just across the corridor from the dining area, one of them walked over in the morning with some pastery platter, still hot, right out of the oven. Was a terrible thing to behold. ha.

We were still saddened by the loss of Dick Frederickson of Spain in August. He and Hotensia were an asset to our group and will be missed.

2016

The 13th annual reunion of the 758th AC&W Squadron was held October 2nd and 3rd, 2016, at the Quality Inn & Suites, Mt. Pleasant, SC. Those attending were Ken Tennis of FL, Ed Suggs of SC, Gerard Smith of PA, Dave Potts of NJ, Paul Geckeler of PA, Col. Doug Harper of KY, Ken Smith of TN, Darwyn McCall of VA.

The Witches certainly had their brooms in after-burner and the black cats wer scurrying for this meet. A group dinner was scheduled for our arrival date on Monday evening but due to late cancellation notices, the count for this fell below the minimum for our chef at the hotel. They instead, had made a reservation for us at a local restaurant that we were considering also, for 11 persons. This reservation was confirmed with out name but upon arriving at the time scheduled, another party of 11 persons had arrived before us, with no names checked and assuming it was our group, gave our table to that party which made us wait for some time for another table but with a good group such as this, everyone seemed to enjoy their food.

Normally, we go for three days with departure on the morning of the fourth day but on Tuesday afternoon, we learned that due to the approaching hurricane, Matthew, that the Governor had ordered an evacuation of Mt. Pleasant with a deadline of 3:00 PM on Wednesday. Our activities were moved from Wednesday to Tuesday evening and we departed early Wednesday morning, cutting our meet short by 24 hours.

2017

The 14th annual reunion of the 758th AC&W Squadron, was held October 2nd thru the 4th, 2017, at the Quality Inn & Suites, Mt. Pleasant, SC.

For 2016, our count was down to the lowest of any time with 11 persons in attendance. As we all know, time is catching up to us and nothing can be done about this so we have to make do as best we can. I knew when the cancellations started coming in a couple months before, that this year's attendance was going to be even lower. When I left for the reunion, the count was down to 7 persons and after arrival at the hotel, I found we were down to 5 persons.

Those in attendance were Ken Smith & wife Betty, of TN, Ed Suggs of SC, Paul Geckeler of PA and Darwyn McCall of Va. So, what do you do with a small group like this, first you make lemonade and by that, this group gathered around a table and letting the discussions begin and begin they did. The subject matter varied, but what was interesting to me, was the comments of Ken Smith regarding WWII. He must have had two older brothers in WII...one on the staff of Patton in Europe and one on the staff of McArthur in Asia. As I have said before, we do have a lot of talent in this group and I now know, should it come up, we do have a Historian in our midst we can call on. As these discussions about so many subjects continued, even Betty Smith offered some interesting comments.

As three of our members were experiencing some problems with walking, we thought we would think about food. Monday evening, it was Sticky Fingers BBQ. Since we survived that, the comment was made about never coming to the coast without dining on seafood so we took care of that on Tuesday evening. As our Pizza Chef, Ken Tennis was not with us this year, and for our usual Wednesday evening of pizza, we decided to try something different. Ken had one shop he loved to order from so we decided, as a group, to go to the shop instead of ordering out. We now know why he likes this place so much. Anything and everything you have ever heard of on a pizza, this place does it. There seemed to be smiles all round as you could hear the smacking of lips.

We realize that most of the cancellations were connected to some medical problem and we certainly want to wish those, one and all, our sincere wishes for a complete and rapid recovery. We do look forward to having all of you back with us next year. The meeting was enjoyable this year but the missing ingredient was something I didn't believe at first: NOISE

How could we possibly overlook having Nesee, our breakfast chef, back. She has actually added more to that breakfast line and you have to experience it to understand just how delicious it is. Having a laid back breakfast in her dining area is almost worth the trip there. Again, she did us proud and also told me, she is nearing the end. Lets hope she forgets how to spell retirement. Many thanks to Nesee.

This year, the ladies provided the entertainment, one in particular. No names will be mentioned here but she was sitting around the table, holding her medium bottle of wine when she started telling us about her saga with wines which became a lecture in WINES # 101, between sips of her refreshment in hand. As she neared the end of # 101, I was waiting for a quiz which never came, as she moved right into WINES # 102. As this began, she moved into a very happy stage and the words were flowing faster. I was waiting for the quiz as she neared the end of # 102 but she was very happy at the end of this one but her Assistant removed the bottle and got her calmed down a little bit. Then suddenly, she declared everyone a graduate and called for a celebration party for graduation...I think there was some Master's Degrees and one or two PHDs before it was over. By this time, she was very, very, very happy to bestow those degrees!

It was a very enjoyable time all in fun, with a lot of laughter. We can only hope this party will return for our next meet.

2021

The 19th annual reunion of the 758th ACWSquadron was held October 4th thru 7th, 2021 in Mt. Pleasant, SC.

When this was announced last February, I had some 16 people showing interest in attending but time and age took its toll and only had 7 people there this year. The most unusual thing about this reunion was that the women made up the largest group as never before: 4 to 3 ratio.

Those attending were Ken & Pauline Tennis of Florida, Mary Brodersen and daughter, Kathy from Georgia, Ken Smith and Betty from Tennessee and Darwyn McCall of Va.

We enjoyed three days of talking, catching up on all the gossip of the group. I remained very quiet, just listening to all with their inputs. I knew we had some smart people in this group but after listening to what they were saying, I felt like I had just spent another semester in college, trying to absorb all that was being said. We had classes in everything you can think of: It was 101, 102 and 103 in a lot of subjects. I felt about half smart from just listening.

But it was enjoyable, so nice to see those there. Our breakfast chef, Nessee was still there and she really put on a spread each morning......we lounged in the dining room as long as possible, enjoying everything she had placed there. I think some of the members came just to enjoy her breakfast.

Plans for next year have not been made but will advise when they are.

Until next time, Darwyn G. McCall