Reunion 2000

The 1/92nd Field Artillery
Association - Vietnam

Fort Polk
Kinder Louisiana

 November 8-12, 2000

The 1/92nd Field Artillery Association recently held a reunion in Kinder, Louisiana. Fifteen members and spouses converged on Kinder, for five days of fellowship, renewing friendships, and reliving the experiences of 30 years ago. Kinder is approximately 60 miles southeast of Fort Polk, and is home to the Coushatta Tribe Grand Casino, where the reunion was staged.

The reunion was held November 8-12, 2000, centering around Veteran's Day, November 11th. This coincided with the International Vietnam Veteran Reunion which was held in Oberlin, LA. Wednesday and Thursday were used as travel/arrival/rest days. We were free for site seeing, gathering with other members, or just relaxing. Due to the unexpected weather conditions, many of us needed to rest up a bit after extended travel times.

Friday was our day to tour Fort Polk. It was a pleasant drive up to the post, and we were greeted by Carol Connor, our Public Affairs contact. We boarded the Army bus and were off for a great day of seeing how the 'New Army' works. We had our noon meal at the 1/509th Inf. dining facility. We all ate well, and there were no complaints. We visited several museums and displays, including 'Force Provider' a tent city similar to the set up used by our troops in Bosnia. A graduation ceremony took place on post, and we were able to see an Air Assault class receive their wings. Several guys in our party took basic training at Fort Polk, so it was a trip back to the past for them when they spotted familiar areas. As we left the Army bus, we were all given a pack of MRE's, and the ones sampled were quite good.

Our hosts, Bruce and Mary Esther Courville, arranged for the 1/92nd to march in the Veteran's Parade on Saturday, and we looked outstanding. The weather was on the cool side, but did not hamper the stellar marching capabilities of the Brave Cannons stepping off in cadence through the streets of Oberlin. After 30 years, we still kick butt. We enjoyed a wonderful group dinner at the Grand Casino that evening, followed by several hours of shooting the breeze.

Sunday was the day for farewells, and we all returned to our homes, a little tired, but still very excited from the experience of the previous days. The 7th Reunion of the 1/92nd Brave Cannons had come to a close.