In May 2012, we had a reunion of "Charlie Battery" Gun #1. It was held in St Augustine Florida where Jim Suessmann has a condo. We met Friday night at the pool where we had drinks, drinks, drinks and BBQ.  Although not pictured, most of the wives were in attendance  Not pictured but who attended was Tony Volponi and his wife Charlene.  Tony was our Battalion XO, He was a Major then, now a retired Colonel. He livened up the evening of Friday night by telling stories and praising us on what an "outstanding, and so Damn young, group of Soldiers" we were. Of course, we never would have heard these words back then, but now, you can't imagine how we felt after hearing the wonderful things he had to say about us. And it wasn't just "Charlie" Battery, but the entire Battalion.  All Batteries of the 6/27th were held in high regard. Tony is 75 now, but looks to be a very fit 50ish man, and was as gracious as you could imagine. Thanks Tony for all the kind words.

There were many highlights to the weekend but the best came Saturday night when Keith asked John, Bruce, Jim, and I to meet him out by the pool.  Now would be a good time to click over to the A Battery website and read my story I wrote titled "Incoming". It will make this story easier to understand.

At the pool, Keith gave each of the four of us a coin of Saint Barbara, the Matron Saint of Artillerymen, a "Flask" that looks like a Civil War canteen commemorating 100 years of Fort Sill, 1869 to 1969 (which in 1969 we were all in some type of training at Fort Sill), but the biggie was a Bayonet, the exact one we ALL carried in Vietnam, except these were still brand new, yet built in the 1960's for Vietnam and still in the box. 

Keith started out the presentation with a speech he wrote thanking us for, since our reunion in 2006, our efforts in writing letters and telling his story of getting wounded to the Dept. of the Army, Dept of Defense, and the Dept. of Records.  Jim even got a 4 Star General friend of his to use his stroke, but with all of that, still, today, we have nothing.
As you can see, we had a beautiful reunion.

It was a great time to see old comrades!

Ken Wright Then and Now
April 1970 - March 1971
Charlie Battery 6/27th Artillery