World War II Veterens are gathering in Kingston

506th InfantryKINGSTON - A three-day conference on World War II - honoring those who battled the Nazis, including veterans made famous in the “Band of Brothers” television series - begins today at Holiday Inn on Washington Avenue.

The event, billed “Ulster County World War II Conference and Banquet,” runs through Saturday.

Organizers say the banquet, which begins at 6 p.m. Saturday, will honor Staff Sgt. Robert Dietz, a Kingston resident who was killed in action during World War II and was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for heroism. The Uptown Kingston stadium used by Kingston High School athletic teams bears his name, as does an Army Reserve center on Flatbush Avenue in the city.

Veterans will arrive at the Holiday Inn between 1 and 5 p.m. today. A service will be held at 7 p.m. at the Old Dutch Church on Wall Street, and organizers hope to fill the church’s 800 seats.

A breakfast will be held at 7 a.m. Friday, followed by the veterans visiting local schools and the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor in the Orange County town of New Windsor.

At 3:30 p.m. Friday, a motorcade of more than 300 Harley Davidson motorcycles is expected to travel from the Kingston Holiday Inn to City Hall on Broadway, where Kingston Mayor James Sottile will welcome the veterans to the city during a brief ceremony.

An informal dinner will be held at the Holiday Inn at 5 p.m. Friday, followed by a social and autograph session for ticket-holders only.

On Saturday, featured speakers will include veterans from the Easy Company 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, U.S. Army. The company’s experiences during World War II were depicted in the HBO television series “Band of Brothers,” which was directed by Tom Hanks and produced by Steven Spielberg.

The Saturday seminars will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. and will be followed by the banquet.

300 Bikes!! That sounds like a great Ride! Not to mention the rest of the program.


Another event is coming up in Georgia ….

If you watched the series ‘Band of Brothers’ you probably remember their battle cry ‘Currahee’. Currahee is Cherokee for ‘Stand Alone’. To this day, the Regiment yells ‘Currahee’ when they do their jumps.

That’s because their training was in the Land of the Cherokee. Actually, in an area very near the last capitol of the Cherokee Nation.


Currahee Military Weekend

CurraheeCAMP TOCCOA, GA (October 4, 2006) - The Stephens County Historical Society and the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce have partnered again this year to present the 4th annual Currahee Military Weekend set for October 13-15.

The Historical Society has invited all paratroopers who trained at Camp Toccoa and Currahee Mountain during World War II to come to a reunion. “We hope that the paratroopers who trained at Camp Toccoa on Currahee Mountain will take the time to visit Toccoa, reminisce about their training experiences and visit with their friends who shared this very significant time in their lives,” says Brenda Carlan, Historical Society President. In addition, we extend an invitation to families, friends, re-enactors, active military and the public to join these very special men for this memorable occasion.

The Military Weekend activities are held in conjunction with the reunion. There are a number of activities planned for the weekend:

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 13th:
• 11:30am–1:30pm Barbecue at the Elk’s Lodge ($7 per chicken dinner): The Chamber is selling chicken dinners for their annual fund raiser. Local companies are encouraged to pre-order dinners by Friday, October 6th to be delivered to their worksite for their employees. Individuals can purchase tickets at the Chamber or at the door of the Elk’s Lodge for eat-in or take-out. The Elk’s Lodge is at the intersection of Edward’s Place and Remsdale.
• 2:00pm–4:00pm Book Signing at the Historic Courthouse: Come meet the authors of several military books about the paratroopers of WWII. Mark Bando, Richard Killblane, Jake McNiece, Ivan Mehosky, Doc Andrew Lovy and Larry Alexander are just a few who will be there to sell and autograph their books.
• 4:00pm March to the Military and County Museums: Veterans, active military and military vehicles will make their way to the dedication of the brand-new museums.
• 5:00pm Dedication of the Military and County Museums: Come watch the march and visit the museums to see the incredible collections. Highlights include the stable from Aldbourne, England that was home to the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment (PIR) before and after D-Day.

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 14th:
• 9:00am Currahee Challenge Road Race: Come run the famous Currahee mountain trail, “3 miles up and 3 miles down,” that served as part of the rigorous basic training where the men of the 101st Airborne were hardened to become the paratroopers who parachuted into Normandy hours before the D-Day invasion.
• 10:00am–5:00pm Military Show: Gates open at 9:00am. $5 per person at the gate, children 6 yrs. and under are free.
o 12:00 Opening Ceremony – Brigadier General James H. Schwitters
o World War II Re-enactment - Over 75 actors will put on a WWII show.
o World War II Military Vehicle Show – half tracks, jeeps, German staff car, Humvees, 100+ corvettes, 50+ motorcycles, AH-64D Longbow Apache helicopter
o US Army Ranger parachute jumps and demonstrations
o Over forty tables of military arms and memorabilia of the Civil War, Indian Wars, WWI, WWII, Vietnam and more. This show will have something for the serious collectors as well as kids of all ages.
o US Army WWII History Team presentations

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 15th:
• 8:30am Remembrance Service - Meet at the Parachute Infantry Regimen Memorial. Take highway 123 to the Patterson Pump and Milliken-Humphrey plants. Park at the Milliken plant and walk to the service.

Stephens County is rich in military history. Camp Toccoa had over 17,000 soldiers who trained here in four regiments – the 506th, 501st, 517th and the 511th. This is the birthplace of The Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan and The Dirty Dozen. The event serves to celebrate the accomplishments of the veterans who trained at Camp Toccoa.

The Military Weekend is a community wide program put on with the support of sponsors and volunteers from every area. “The Historical Society and the Chamber are grateful for the energy and enthusiasm from everyone involved,” says Wendi Bailey. “Also, we would like to give a special thanks to the Airport Authority for agreeing to host the Military Show again this year.”

The Chamber of Commerce on Alexander Street will be open Friday and Saturday 8:00am-5:00pm. The museums will be open Friday, Saturday and Sunday 10:00am-4:00pm. Registration for the “weekend package” are still available at the Chamber and include the BBQ, banquet, hospitality suite, military show at the airport, weekend pass to the museum and a T-shirt. For more information and/or to volunteer your time please contact the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce at 706-886-2132, toccoaga@alltel.net or www.toccoagachamber

Tiara Tip and hugs to Wild Thing for passing this info on …..