On 9 May 2009, the two associations gathered in Austin for a joint meeting of the 82nd Airborne Division Association (Alamo Chapter, San Antonio, Texas) and the Combat Infantrymen’s Association (H21 Southern Chapter, Austin, Texas).

The meeting was special because it centered around the annual memorial service usually celebrated at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, at the 82nd Airborne Division Museum, around the monument with the bronzed jungle boots, rifle and helmet to honor those 82nd Airborne paratroopers who died in the Vietnam War, as they were part of the “Golden Brigade.” Ordinarily, this ceremony would take place during what is called “All-American Week” at Fort Bragg. But, because of the deployment of the 82nd Airborne Division in the Middle East, the veterans’ participation during All-American Week was cancelled.

Thus, we took it upon ourselves to perform this ceremony (called the “82nd Airborne Division All American Memorial Ceremony”) at the joint meeting. The crux of the ceremony is to remember each conflict in which the 82nd Airborne Division participated.

Since its activation in 1917 at Camp Gordon, Georgia, the 82nd Airborne participated in the following campaigns, and we had the following attendees at the meeting carry the photo of the campaign and render the memorial salute to those who gave their lives in the campaign:

- World War I – Gabe Garcia honored Alvin C. York, the hero of WWI, a member of the 82nd Infantry Division, for the heroic day of October 18, 1918, in the Muesse-Argonne offensive. A photo of Sergeant York was placed next to the 82nd Airborne Division wreath.

- Word War II - Matt Rayson was in the World War II D-Day airborne combat jump uniform and equipment, to honor General James Gavin, the WWII Division Commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, as well as the vets of World War II. He was accompanied by Darrell G. Harris, the WWII combat veteran of the European campaign (and author of the book Casablanca to VE-Day: A Paratrooper’s Memoirs), and Howard from the CIB Association, the WWII combat veteran of the Pacific Campaign in the Philippines with the 25th Infantry Division. The photo was a modern re-enactor boarding the C-47 for the D-Day parachute drop.

- Vietnam – Fred Castaneda was dressed in his original Vietnam jungle fatigues, with weapons and LBE,  flanked by Bobby Briscoe and Tony Martinez of the CIB Association. All 3 were veterans of the 23rd Infantry Division (Americal) and served in Vietnam in combat. They honored the 82nd Airborne Division Golden Brigade with the photo of the Huey helicopter air-mobility of the war.

- Grenada – We had an Air Force veteran, Airborne-qualified with nearly 100 parachute jumps, place the photo of the first 2 KIAs in Grenada, from B Company, 2nd Bn, 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment of the 82nd Airborne Division. The photo was of the Kevlar helmets placed on  the rifle butts which were staked in the ground with their bayonets along the Grenada coastline. This was the reminder of Operation Urgent Fury.

- Panama – We had Duane Williams place the photo of the 82nd Armour support in Panama. Duane was dressed in the woodland BDUs, with equipment and weapon–for Duane actually participated and made the combat parachute jump at night into Panama in Operation Just Cause.

- Desert Storm – We had Joe Franco of the 82nd Airborne Division Association place a photo of a combat infantryman of the 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment in Kuwait/Iraq next to the wreath of the “double-A.”

- Afghanistan and Iraq – We had John Trevino and Fred Castaneda stand in for our local hero, Alan Babin, and place a photo of an airborne officer saluting those who have fallen in Operation Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.

- ‘WHEN YOU JUMP, IT’S JUST YOU…’ was the motto of the poster that signified the recruitment for the 82nd Airborne Division yesterday and today. This 1972 poster was carried by John Peed, the commander of the 82nd Airborne Division, Alamo Chapter, to signify that our traditions of never forgetting those who have fallen will be carried on by our future recruits and members of the associations.

After the ceremony, the group listened to the presentation from Fred Castaneda (filling in for Clint Riddell of the Austin Texas Veterans’ Commission) as he handed out literature and details about veterans’ rights, claims, benefits for education and employment, etc., for the State of Texas. Predominant in the conversation was the Hazlewood Act, which provides free college tuition for veterans who enlisted in the State of Texas.

Then the meeting wrapped up as each association conducted its monthly old business and new business –including events– with the update from the officers.

With the food having been provided by the 82nd Airborne Division Association, the meeting was a great success. And look forward to the next joint meeting during the final week of October to be hosted by the 82nd Airborne Division Association chapter on a Saturday in a favorable location in San Antonio. More details will be given at a later date.

The final round of camaraderie had everyone look forward to our next gathering — both in San Antonio and Austin — to honor those who have fallen at the Memorial Day Ceremonies on 25 May 2009.

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