Changeover Ceremony at New River - info superceded

[Enrique del Rosario]

I just received an early (for me) morning call from Dennis Polley. The present day active HMM-365 will hold a Changeover Ceremony at MCAS New River, NC on January 15, 2009 at 14:00 hrs.

Invitations are being made out by HMM-365 and will be sent out shortly to all HMM-365 Vietnam Squadron members who are on Paul Thomas' list. If you are not on it, or not sure you are on it, or you don't receive an invitation in the next few days, contact Denis, or Paul, or me and we will get the word out to you.




Due to the short notice we will have to improvise and help each other out. Any volunteer help will be welcomed. Please let everyone in the Squadron know of this history-in-the-making ceremony. I will make my plane and hotel reservations as soon as I get the formal invitation from HMM-365.

s/f
del

[bobandrolevich]

Del As soon as I get the invite I'll respond--- Wouldn"t miss this one for anything--- Let me know when and where you are flying in and I'll pick you up. I'm only about 50 miles away

[Enrique del Rosario]

Just talked to Frank Bermudez and Bob Androlevich and we think it would be a good idea to have a Squadron dinner/get-together after or before the ceremony - kinda like a mini-reunion.

Let us know what your thoughts are on this. If we get enough interest then we can set up a dinner - something like what we did at Washington, D.C. last summer.

s/f
del

[Enrique del Rosario]

Okay, here's what I know of this fast developing situation:

The present-day HMM-365 stationed at New River, NC will hold a changeover ceremony 14:00 hrs, January 15, 2009.

Capt. Laird of HMM-365 had contacted Dennis Polley (who had written the maintenance manual for the V-22) for a list of HMM-365 Vietnam Squadron members so that they can send out formal invitations to us for the Changeover Ceremony.

The connection between our generation and the present-day HMM-365 is greater than just direct lineage. There are several HMM-365 Vietnam squadronmates who directly impact the development of the V-22. Dennis Polley, of course, and Billy Martin and Bert Goodfallow are two that I can think of who engineered or developed technical manuals for the V-15, forerunner of the V-22.

There sits in New York a UH-34D that was an HMM-365 bird in Vietnam. It is flyable and could be flown down to New River for the Changeover Ceremony. It will cost $7500 to get it there and back, with volunteer pilots.

No one is coordinating this event. We need someone to step forward to coordinate with the active duty squadron and our guys.

This will be a great opportunity to reunite the Vietnam Squadron, especially those who had not yet been to any of our reunions, and also to extend the bonds of comradeship to the younger HMM-365.

I suggest a squadron mini-reunion with dinner at some restaurant in Jacksonville or reserve a dining room at the Officers Club at New River or Camp Lejeune.

s/f
del

[george mckee]

i'm packing my bags while i wait on the invitatation. need some deep pockets for the 34 flight. mine have holes in them. paradise would be a great coordinater.

[del Rosario]

I received an email from Mike Layman and he had been in contact with the Admin Chief of HMM-365. According to Mike, this Changeover Ceremony is a Change of Command and not changeover of aircraft from the CH-46 to the MV-22. We will hear more from HMM-365 on Monday and we will try to clarify this.

Until I get the real "word" from HMM-365 I will be withholding my decision to attend the Changeover on January 16.

s/f
del

[george mckee]

i am a natural suspicious person so i researched the new river post newspaper. there was no mention of what i would consider a major event. i still have my bags packed but will not go to the expense of attending if it is a change of command.

[Enrique del Rosario]

The Changeover Ceremony has been moved to January 15, 2009 at 1400 hrs.

del