A patriot must always be ready to defend his country against his government.
Edward Abbey
Edward Abbey
"Forward, the Light Brigade!"
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1854
Was there a man dismay'd?
Not tho' the soldier knew
Someone had blunder'd:
Theirs not to make reply,
Theirs not to reason why,
Theirs but to do and die:
Into the valley of Death
Rode the six hundred.
Alfred, Lord Tennyson, 1854
In The Beginning
Anything, Any Time, Any Place, Anyhow
Special Forces Reunions
Experiencing the Bonds of Brotherhood
It's better to have had a morning after, than never to have had a night before.
Problem is, at our ages, the morning after, may last a couple of days, Hic!
Problem is, at our ages, the morning after, may last a couple of days, Hic!
Special Forces Association
Officially announcing the 2024 Global Gathering of Green Berets aboard the beautiful Carnival Paradise.
This 5-night Bahama cruise departs the Port of Tampa, Florida on October 19, 2024, and includes:
Ports of call in Nassau and Bimini, as well as fun filled sea days with your Special Forces friends and family.
Onboard, you have access to some great dining venues including 5 star dining in the main dining rooms, scrumptious burgers and fries at Guy’s Burger Joint, handmade tacos and burritos at the Blue Iguana Cantina, self-serve ice cream, Mongolian Wok, Italian Pizzerias, and the endless culinary variety in the Lido Marketplace
Enjoy a refreshing drink at the Red Frog Rum Bar or the Blue Iguana Tequila bar or the Hero’s Bar and other lounges and bars throughout the ship.
Sit back and be entertained with Broadway style shows, comedy club entertainers, deck parties, and music for everyone throughout the ship.
Try your luck in the Majestic Casino or enjoy a game of bingo, blackjack or Texas hold’em.
The Fun shops onboard have duty-free shopping and cruise related items to take home as a remembrance of a great time.
For the kiddos, there is the Waterworks water slide area, pools and splash pads as well as Circle C and Camp Ocean with tons of activities for the kids.
For Adults there are the pools, hot tubs and the adult only Serenity deck area for quiet lounging as well as the Piano Bar and Library to catch up on some reading.
A state-of-the-art fitness center and sports deck help you burn those calories and be able to enjoy another burger or slice of pizza.
Don’t miss this epic gathering of Special Forces friends, sharing stories and building strong bonds with warriors of all ages.
SFA Members: To see a list of those who have registered for the cruise, you must log in at the SFA Team house. The list is in the Document Library under ‘SF Cruise October 2024’.
GO TO TEAMHOUSE
For more Information; https://www.specialforcesassociation.org/sfacon-2024/
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Brothers,
The 1st Group Reunion will be held in conjunction with SFACON 2024. We, the 1st Group, will be staying at the Barrymore Hotel. This is a five-night cruise from Tampa, FL with stops in Bimini and Nassau, Bahamas. Please ensure the names on your registration match those on your legal IDs. Otherwise, you will not be permitted to board.
Register for the cruise today by typing in SFACON 2024 online. The registration is for the cruise only. You then must call to register at the Barrymore Hotel, 813-223-1351. Tell the hotel you are with the 1st Special Forces Group. SFA has a deal for the rooms, and we are included, of course.
Transportation from the airport to Barrymore is around $15 by Uber. The Barrymore Hotel offers a free shuttle service to cruise ships and anywhere within two miles of the hotel. That distance covers the best parts of Tampa. There is also a free trolley service in the area. The trolley is quick and easy to use. It runs every 15 minutes. Most of the activities are within walking distance of the Barrymore.
For planning, I recommend you fly in on 17 Oct and fly out on 26 Oct.
Reserve your rooms at the Barrymore from 17 Oct -19 Oct and again from 24 Oct – 26 Oct.
The cruise is from 19 Oct – 24 Oct. We leave on the 19th and exit on the 24th.
We will have hors d’oeuvres by the pool on 18 Oct, the night before loading for the cruise, SFA has several events planned, and we are not competing with them, but we are adding small events to highlight our reunion. There is no extra cost for our reunion events.
During the cruise, we will have a 1st Group dinner to celebrate our 40th anniversary of re-activation. At the dinner, we will have a raffle drawing. All 1st Group members who are staying in an interior cabin are eligible to win $800 cash to be evenly divided by all in the cabin. If someone not from 1st Group is staying in your cabin, they too share in the winnings.
17 Oct – arrive at the Barrymore Hotel and register at the Presidential Suite, we will have an open bar.
18 Oct – hors d’oeuvres by the pool, gathering. Time TBD.
19 Oct – load the ship for the cruise.
TBD dinner for the 1st Group Reunion
24 Oct – exit the ship and return to the Barrymore.
26 Oct – return home.
We plan to have more events during the entire reunion.
—————————-SEPARATE MESSAGE ——————————--
Please help us stay in touch with you for future events. Email us with updated contact information. Too many have only given partial information. Please include your name, address, home, and cell numbers (indicate which is which), email address, and wife’s name. If you have done this already, then don’t worry, we got you. But for some, I only have a name, or a phone number with no name, or every strange combination of partial information that makes communicating more difficult. That is our challenge.
Hope to see you there.
The phone # to the Barrymore hotel is 813-223-1351. Thanks to John Larsen and Ike Camacho for pointing that out to me.
Have a great day.
John
Phill Grounds
Executive Director
1st Special Forces Group Reunion
740-409-6720
The 1st Group Reunion will be held in conjunction with SFACON 2024. We, the 1st Group, will be staying at the Barrymore Hotel. This is a five-night cruise from Tampa, FL with stops in Bimini and Nassau, Bahamas. Please ensure the names on your registration match those on your legal IDs. Otherwise, you will not be permitted to board.
Register for the cruise today by typing in SFACON 2024 online. The registration is for the cruise only. You then must call to register at the Barrymore Hotel, 813-223-1351. Tell the hotel you are with the 1st Special Forces Group. SFA has a deal for the rooms, and we are included, of course.
Transportation from the airport to Barrymore is around $15 by Uber. The Barrymore Hotel offers a free shuttle service to cruise ships and anywhere within two miles of the hotel. That distance covers the best parts of Tampa. There is also a free trolley service in the area. The trolley is quick and easy to use. It runs every 15 minutes. Most of the activities are within walking distance of the Barrymore.
For planning, I recommend you fly in on 17 Oct and fly out on 26 Oct.
Reserve your rooms at the Barrymore from 17 Oct -19 Oct and again from 24 Oct – 26 Oct.
The cruise is from 19 Oct – 24 Oct. We leave on the 19th and exit on the 24th.
We will have hors d’oeuvres by the pool on 18 Oct, the night before loading for the cruise, SFA has several events planned, and we are not competing with them, but we are adding small events to highlight our reunion. There is no extra cost for our reunion events.
During the cruise, we will have a 1st Group dinner to celebrate our 40th anniversary of re-activation. At the dinner, we will have a raffle drawing. All 1st Group members who are staying in an interior cabin are eligible to win $800 cash to be evenly divided by all in the cabin. If someone not from 1st Group is staying in your cabin, they too share in the winnings.
17 Oct – arrive at the Barrymore Hotel and register at the Presidential Suite, we will have an open bar.
18 Oct – hors d’oeuvres by the pool, gathering. Time TBD.
19 Oct – load the ship for the cruise.
TBD dinner for the 1st Group Reunion
24 Oct – exit the ship and return to the Barrymore.
26 Oct – return home.
We plan to have more events during the entire reunion.
—————————-SEPARATE MESSAGE ——————————--
Please help us stay in touch with you for future events. Email us with updated contact information. Too many have only given partial information. Please include your name, address, home, and cell numbers (indicate which is which), email address, and wife’s name. If you have done this already, then don’t worry, we got you. But for some, I only have a name, or a phone number with no name, or every strange combination of partial information that makes communicating more difficult. That is our challenge.
Hope to see you there.
The phone # to the Barrymore hotel is 813-223-1351. Thanks to John Larsen and Ike Camacho for pointing that out to me.
Have a great day.
John
Phill Grounds
Executive Director
1st Special Forces Group Reunion
740-409-6720
5th Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Events - Event View 2024
This is the "Event Detail" view, showing all available information for this event. If the event has passed, click the "Event Report" button to read a report and view photos that were uploaded.5th Group Legion Week & Reunion When:
Saturday, September 14, 2024, 8:00 AM until Saturday, September 21, 2024, 5:00 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada) (UTC-05:00)
Where:
Fort Campbell, KY
Event Contact(s):
PETER B TINGSTROM ( 808) 436-2901 (p)808-436-2901 (c)
Category:
Special Forces Association-Wide Events
Registration is not Required
5th Group Legion Week & Reunion, Fort Campbell, KY
Events - Event View 2024
This is the "Event Detail" view, showing all available information for this event. If the event has passed, click the "Event Report" button to read a report and view photos that were uploaded.5th Group Legion Week & Reunion When:
Saturday, September 14, 2024, 8:00 AM until Saturday, September 21, 2024, 5:00 PM Eastern Time (US & Canada) (UTC-05:00)
Where:
Fort Campbell, KY
Event Contact(s):
PETER B TINGSTROM ( 808) 436-2901 (p)808-436-2901 (c)
Category:
Special Forces Association-Wide Events
Registration is not Required
5th Group Legion Week & Reunion, Fort Campbell, KY
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Why Veterans Reunite
“I now know why men who have been to war yearn to reunite. Not to tell stories or look at old pictures. Not to laugh or weep. Comrades gather because they long to be with the men who once acted at their best; men who suffered and sacrificed together, who were stripped of their humanity. I did not pick these men. They were delivered by fate and the military.
But I know them in a way I know no other men.
I have never given anyone such trust. They were willing to guard something more precious than my life. They would have carried my reputation, the memory of me. It was part of the bargain we all made, the reason we were so willing to die for one another.
As long as I have memory, I will think of them all, every day. I am sure that when I leave this world, my last thought will be of my family and my comrades…Such good men.”
By an unnamed Soldier
“I now know why men who have been to war yearn to reunite. Not to tell stories or look at old pictures. Not to laugh or weep. Comrades gather because they long to be with the men who once acted at their best; men who suffered and sacrificed together, who were stripped of their humanity. I did not pick these men. They were delivered by fate and the military.
But I know them in a way I know no other men.
I have never given anyone such trust. They were willing to guard something more precious than my life. They would have carried my reputation, the memory of me. It was part of the bargain we all made, the reason we were so willing to die for one another.
As long as I have memory, I will think of them all, every day. I am sure that when I leave this world, my last thought will be of my family and my comrades…Such good men.”
By an unnamed Soldier
If any Special Forces Group or Unit, would like me to post info on their Reunion/Convention, contact me, Frank Fowler Webmaster. Include all the information you want published, and an icon if you have one.
Click on icon to listen to Tom T. Hall
Vietnam War, Facts versus Fiction
Debunking the assertions claimed by the liberal media, and far left politicians
Debunking the assertions claimed by the liberal media, and far left politicians
Click to set custom HTML
Click on an Event, to see additional Information
From Col Max Carpenter:
A quote by James R. Ward of our forefathers in the OSS that aptly sums up the Special Forces experience. Many have heard this quote but I never tire of reading it or listening to it. Major Ward said:
“Men, Special Forces is a mistress. Your wives will envy her, because she will have your hearts. Your wives will be jealous of her because of her power to pull you away. This mistress will show you things never before seen and you will experience things that you have never before felt. She will love you, but only a little, seduce you to want more, to give more, and to die for her. She will take you away from the ones you love, and you will hate her for it, but leave her you never will, but if you must, you will miss her, for she is a part of you that will never be returned intact. And in the end, she will leave you for a younger man”.
A quote by James R. Ward of our forefathers in the OSS that aptly sums up the Special Forces experience. Many have heard this quote but I never tire of reading it or listening to it. Major Ward said:
“Men, Special Forces is a mistress. Your wives will envy her, because she will have your hearts. Your wives will be jealous of her because of her power to pull you away. This mistress will show you things never before seen and you will experience things that you have never before felt. She will love you, but only a little, seduce you to want more, to give more, and to die for her. She will take you away from the ones you love, and you will hate her for it, but leave her you never will, but if you must, you will miss her, for she is a part of you that will never be returned intact. And in the end, she will leave you for a younger man”.
THE BUSHIDO CODE, THE WAY OF THE WARRIOR
I. Rectitude, or Justice
II. Courage
III. Benevolence, or Mercy
IV. Politeness
V. Honesty and Sincerity
VI. Honor
VII. Loyalty
VIII. Character and Self-Control
II. Courage
III. Benevolence, or Mercy
IV. Politeness
V. Honesty and Sincerity
VI. Honor
VII. Loyalty
VIII. Character and Self-Control
CHEERS & JEERS
Click on the Emoji's, if you have time to spend. And, feel free to opine, someone may be interested.
Click on the Emoji's, if you have time to spend. And, feel free to opine, someone may be interested.
An application for, Membership in the Special Forces Association, for new members, is Here. It can be filled out prior to printing out, or after. Either way, after completing the required information, e-mail it or send by regular mail to our Treasurer Tom Tomlin, for processing. Tom's POC is on the Form.
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