Wednesday, September 19th and checkout Sunday, September 23, 2018
Next Volunteer Planning meeting
Wed, 10 Jan 2018 at 1pm at Wyndham Hotel
e-mail: isaacks2018pjreunion@gmail.com
Thanks to all our BODs and everyone that helped make a difference in 2017.
A Special thanks
to those who did just a little extra;
Ryan Beckmann, John Pighini, Chuck Morrow, Jim Cusic, Jim Morris, Barry Gales,
Doug Kestranek, Doug Issacks and many more.
Please remember those brothers we lost this year to their finale Jump, keep them and their families in your thoughts and prayers.
We have so much to be thankful for, I wish everyone a very successful and Happy New Year.
2018 PJ Reunion Hotel Reservations
Wyndham San Antonio Riverwalk
You can make your hotel reservations for the 2018 PJ Reunion in San Antonio, TX. It's four nights: check-in Wednesday, September 19th and checkout Sunday, September 23, 2018. Book now so you don't need to stay at an overflow location. You do not want to miss this one, it will be special, bring your teammates back together!
Pararescue Toast
"Here is to the men whom wear the maroon beret
It is not blue, black,
tan, or grey
It is a Maroon beret that is on our heads
Like the blood the men before us shed
May we all grow old and never die
And tell the stories of why we fly
For all the blood, sweat and tears we give
These things we do that others may live" by Michael Herrera
PJ Flag Challenge
Join the challenge with Pararescue/CRO class 17-04
Class 17-04 will be the
first Team signing and passing on to the next PJ/CRO Class, join in and get your PJ Flag, take a photo with friends or Teammates and send it on to use. Take your photo anywhere, in the Air, on a Jump, a Dive, a Climb, a Ski trip, or meeting and reunions with friends.
We will post your Photo on the PJA Website and FaceBook pages and chose a winner each month. Those winners will compete for the Best Flag photo to be selected and recognized at the 2018 PJ Reunion and Rodeo 75th Anniversary of Pararescue.
Get your flag if you don’t have one now!
https://www.pjassociation.com/pja-store/pja-PJ-Flag-w-Flash-2-X-3-Nylon-p92441647 Other Items Flying off the
Shelf
Our Stories: Vietnam
Udo Fischer:
Alamogordo
– Not the typical Vietnam Veteran, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Germany who served as a Para-Rescue airman on different helicopters and several rescues. His artwork was used as the commemorative patch for the mission at Son Tay.
A few outstanding drawings from the Great one Udo Fisher, The jumping Jerk was one of
his first ever drawings he did as a PJ.
King 11 Site Angel Dedication
Second planning meeting - 1/26/2018
The History As we Know it
Shortly after the crash of King 11 (April 2nd,1986) a metal plaque along with a plastic “Angel of Mercy” was placed at the site to honor the crew of King 11.
In 2008 as an instructor at the PJ school, Dan Inch and his wife & Teresa went to the site, cleaned it up as best they could. After that they decide have a stone memorial made of the crew and the names. Dan and Tracy Debbs that took it to the site. After every tactics class they would make the students go to the site and pay respects to the crew. They buried an ammo can where each class would put a memento in it. Vandals later destroyed the memorial a few years
later after Dan moved to Nevada.
Approximately three years ago Steve Rodman (a retired PJ) started a project to replace the metal plaque with a granite memorial headstone, engraved with all crew-members names. In September of 2015 Steve, along with several retired/former PJs and tremendous support from the PJ/CRO School, spent three days at the crash site prepping and laying the granite plaque
in concrete. During this time it was noticed that the plastic “Angel of Mercy” had seen better days due to the fact she had been in the harsh New Mexico weather for almost 30 years standing guard over the plaque and crew. It was decided that a new Angel to watch over the site was needed. With that, a new Angel was carved out of marble.
On September 28th & 29th, 2017 a mission was
launched to the site and set the new marble Angel into a concrete base. She is now safely standing guard over the headstone and our fallen brothers.
The Brotherhood (along with support from the Pararescue/CRO School and Pararescue Association) would like to hold an informal memorial service to rededicate the new engraved headstone and Angel of Mercy. This Memorial Service will be held at 12:30pm, April 2nd, 2018 the 32nd anniversary of the
crash.
It is unlikely that most surviving family members or friends have been to the site and this visit may bring some closure for them.
Our plan is to get an invitation out to all King 11 crew members, PJ’s, and SERE instructor’s, surviving families and friends to attend this memorial.
Assistance is needed contacting the C-130 unit as well as any crew
member surviving families, friends and team mates. Please share any support or contact information and volunteer below.
Since the site is in a remote area that will require less than a 1 mile walk/hike, it must be noted that ambulatory individuals may not be able to make the last 1 mile trek. Most all others can.
A plan would be to secure a hotel in Albuquerque (possibly near the airport)
for family and friends to stay or the Hotel where the April 6th PJ/CRO graduation will be that following Friday, which many will be attending.
It is said that “one never dies if we keep them alive in our memories”. Let’s always remember these fallen warriors.
Draft Time Line: April 2nd, 2018 Depart
Albuquerque 0800
Arrive Parking Area 1030 We will stage there 50 minute with coffee, donuts, and depart as a group to Memorial site.
Depart Parking 1120 MEMORIAL
1230 Depart Memorial 1330 Arrive Parking 1410 Arrive Albuquerque 1640 Libations
1700
Complete your update information so we and others can find you
Subject: Member Profile Update To: PJA Association Members
The PJ Brotherhood is the foundation for the PJ Association. Membership is the core that binds the brotherhood together as an association. We live by Mottos like, “The things we
do, that Others may Live” and “Once a PJ, Always a PJ”.
In late 2016, the PJA recognized an urgent need to update member records and improve records keeping. In February 2017, we committed to a new website to create a central communications portal for members and friends of the PJ Association.
Following an investment of 1000’s of hours of review, analysis and testing by PJA Officers and the Board of Directors, and by the website and database
development team… we now need you to update your member profile.
It is vital to the success of this initiative, that all members of the PJA update their member profile as soon as possible. And if you are not a Member or Current on Dues, please do so TODAY.
Members who update their records and become current, will receive a new association membership list delivered to their updated email address, and they will have access to the new, members only database and
records archive when completed.
Don’t put it off until tomorrow… update here, now: https://www.pjassociation.com/update/ Please visit the Members tab to pay dues and shop at the PJ store for new and awesome items.
On behalf of all PJA Members, Officers and the Board of Directors
Are you an artist or know someone that is willing to provide some volunteer work for the PJA.
We need a few art pieces updated in; ai, .png, .gif with transparent background. You might even know we need something else to make Teeshirts, Patches and posting on the Website.
e-mail us and let us know
The new Pararescue Association website, our Facebook page and the New PJA AIG (all in group) is live and
online. It's a living and changing process. So share the news and check out the store for all your PJ memorabilia, buy a hat, stickers and more.
Anything you would like to see us add, please pass on.
At the PJ Association, 100% of all funds donated by individuals go to our family services fund and will go directly to support our veterans. Our staff and team is made up of 100% volunteers. We raise funds from the sales of memorabilia
items, our PJ Reunions and the PJ Rodeo ( which is a competition amongst our Special Operations and Guardian Angel Teams every two years). These functions as well as our dues cover all operating cost.
So, thank you to everyone for your donations, contributions and dues payments to the Pararescue Association.
Thank you again very much for your continued support and God Bless our Troops.
Bill Watson
PJ Association Membership
Membership in the Pararescue Association is based
on eligibility. All membership applications are subject to review and approval by the PJ Association Board of Directors. Membership Classifications, Fees & Dues
Full and Associate Members, with dues in good standing are encouraged to upgrade to a Life Membership. New Member Applicants qualifying for Full or Associate membership are encouraged to join as a Life Member.
Life Member - ($300.00 1 time fee) - open to Full and Associate Members with
dues in good standing, and to New Applicants for Full or Associate membership.
Full Members - $40.00 to join; renews at $20/year on the anniversary date.
Associate Members - $40.00 to join; renews at $20 year on the anniversary date.
Legacy and Honorary applicants are sponsored by a Life or Full Member with dues in good standing. Dues do not apply for Legacy and Honorary Members.
Applications for a
Gold Star Family Membership, or a Widow of a PJ applying for Associate Widow Membership are reviewed and approved by the PJ Association Board of Directors. Dues do not apply.
PJ Association Eligibility
Life Membership and Life Associate Membership ($300 1 time fee)
Eligibility - Full and Associate Members in good standing, and active duty, retired and former Pararescuemen, and CRO applicants
who are or were assigned to an Active Duty, Air Guard or USAF Reserve Unit, and Associate Member Applicants are eligible to become a Life Member. Life Members avoid annual recurring fees.
New Member Applicants who qualify for Full or Associate Member status, are encouraged to apply as a Life Member or a Life Associate Member.
Full Members with dues in good standing, are encouraged to upgrade to a Life Membership.
Associate Members, with dues in good standing,
are encouraged to upgrade to a Life Associate Membership.
Associate Member ($40.00 to join, renewing at $20/year on the anniversary. Associate Members, with current association dues, are eligible to upgrade to a Life Membership
Eligibility - Any individual who is an immediate family member of a past or present Pararescuemen, CRO, or an individual who supports or has supported a
Pararescue Unit (Unit with PJ’s or CRO’s assigned), the Pararescue Association, the Pararescue career field, friends of Pararescue, or the goals or mission of Pararescue is eligible to join as an Associate member.
Widows of a Pararescueman are eligible to apply for an Associate Membership, if they do not otherwise qualify for a Legacy Membership. There are no annual dues. Widow Associates members do not have voting privileges.
Associate Member candidates are sponsored
by a Full or Life Member in good standing, and must not otherwise meet the Full, Legacy, or Honorary membership classifications. Life Associate Members, and Associate Members have no voting privileges.
Legacy Membership - is granted to an immediate family member (as identified by DoD), of a Pararescuemen or CRO who has died in the Line of
Duty, and who has been nominated by an active Life or Full Member. Widows of Pj/CROs will be granted Legacy Membership. Legacy Membership applications are reviewed, and approved by the PJ Association Board of Directors. There are no annual dues. Legacy members do not have voting privileges.
Honorary Membership - is granted to those who have completed the nomination process, or have been recommended by an operational active duty unit, or by the PJ
Association Board of Directors for their outstanding contributions to the Pararescue mission, and its personnel. There are no annual dues. Honorary members do not have voting privileges. (Guidelines are identified in the General Meeting minutes.)
Gold Star Membership - Gold Star Membership is granted to an immediate family member (as identified by DoD) of a Pararescueman, or CRO who died during in combat operations. There are no annual dues. Gold
Star Members do not have voting privileges.
Pararescue Association Officers:
President - Bill Watson
Vice Pres. - John Pighini
Treasurer - Ryan Beckmann
Recorder - Scott Gearen
Association Board Member:
Rod Alne
Joe Topel
Bill Sine
Bill Preble
Past Association
Presidents:
Chuck Morrow
Roy Taylor
Randy Galloway
Follow:
Please Like, Follow and share our Facebook page with friends.
"Once a PJ, Always a PJ"
Help make our webpage popular as well;
www.pjassociation.com
The Pararescue Association sent by: bill.watson@pjassociation.com
