2006 Reunion - San Antonio

For those of you who couldn’t make or didn’t make the reunion in San Antonio, it was a great time had by all. Represented was a good cross-section of experiences in 1st “Composite” Radio Company/Battalion. Also represented were several wives of those who served. My thanks to all who came, shared, ate and drank with us in San Antonio.

Although things went very well, the reunion got off to a slow and dry start. You all remember that Ric Warnick and Harvey Rosenfeld were given directions to prepare Rick Swans’ adjoining suite with cold beer. Well, at least Rosy did. Suffice it to say, there was a breakdown in communications. Not good for those whose careers were in COMMUNICATIONS. It did get done, however. The suite served us well as a gathering and planning place. It also was a serendipitous way for those who participated in this year’s reunion event to take photos and to get to know others who served in 1st Radio over the years.

If the faux pas in the suite was a bad thing, it certainly was the only thing that went awry. There was plenty to see and do in San Antonio. If you’ve never been to San Antonio or to their beautiful and famous River Walk, it’s worth the time and effort. There are eateries and beer joints of all types, sizes and varieties. From pubs to saloons to fine dining to roll up your sleeves and get nasty restaurants, you can find fun and entertainment that suit your tastes and moods. There also are sites to see as well.

The Alamo actually was adjacent to the Crockett hotel—our hotel. Tersely stated, it is the history of Texas. It alone is worth a visit. The River Walk is certainly another highlight with its establishments that line the San Antonio River. There are the ubiquitous motorized gondolas and water taxis that provide you a river’s-eye view of the architecture and history that embrace the river’s edge. Finally, there are the hundreds of people who find comfort in river-edge drinking and dining, or who are out for just a leisurely stroll along this serpentine river. For the more adventurous, there were the museums and the quaint towns of Boerne and Fredericksburg, Texas; Fredericksburg being the largest and the busiest. These towns offer shops upon shops of antiques, brew pubs and, eateries and bakeries, and shops of many varieties. There were these and other places and things to do either individually or in groups.

There also were several opportunities for everyone to gather and enjoy the company of their Marine brothers and the wives and family who joined us in Texas. There was the informal dinner at the County Line. This was a very crowded BBQ restaurant that offered cold beer, ribs and steak as their forte. This took place on Thursday night. A more formal dinner was held on Friday night at Casa Rio. It was a well planned, well implemented event held in a banquet room, above the River Walk. It came complete with a Mariachi Band that serenaded Peggy Rosenfeld on Harvey and Peggy’s 6th wedding anniversary. Served was chicken and beef fajitas with all the trimmings. There were no disparaging words ”heard this pos”.

The final night’s dinner was at Dicks. This meal requires its own paragraph. If you’ve been to Dick’s you’ll understand why. For those who haven’t been to Dick’s, like Joe Stearne, it is a place to behold. The trappings are stark and the servers are rude and crude. Large picnic tables are the furniture of choice, and the only way to defend against your server’s behavior is to join in or leave. The latter choice would be a mistake because you would miss the fun and the food; the food being surprisingly good. Oh yeah, and the beers are large and cold. Is this about right Joe?

There also were the nightly musters at Ernie’s. It was in the Crockett Hotel and provided a venue for more war stories, a lot of jocularity along with recapitulations of the day’s events. Not all took part in these informal gatherings-- probably because they went on into the waning minutes of the day. Yes, Gary Bryson and Gordon Hagan closed another bar down. And true to form, Gary continues to fail to make morning muster.