OUR
REUNIONS
2011
Reunion
 Pete
Hale will be the reunion coordinator for our 2011 reunion, which will be held
in Seattle Washington.
Shortly after Boot Camp and Infantry training Pete was assigned to the 8th
replacement draft, which arrived in Korea early in May of 1951. He along with
several others joined Charlie Co. shortly after the Chinese spring offensive
that had taken place in April. In September he received his second wound,
which resulted in four and a half months hospitalization. He was eventually
assigned to the Marine Barracks at Bremerton WA. He was released from active
duty in April of 1952. Pete then attended the University of Washington and
received his degree in Mechanical Engineering. Pete worked for Boeing
aircraft for 41 years retiring as engineering manager.
The reunion will be held September 14
to September 18 2011. The reunion will be held at the Holiday Inn
Seattle located at SEATAC. The hotel rate is $75.00 with wife/companion rate of $65.00 plus local taxes. The rates will be effective three days prior
to and three days following the reunion. The hotel has a 24-hour fitness
center, an Olympic sized pool plus other amenities. The hotel runs a
complimentary transportation to the Westfield Shopping town Center mall.
There is also Shuttle service available to down town for a nominal charge.
There is also light rail service to the Westlake Mall in Seattle and access
to the monorail to the Science Center and the space needle.
For those who have not previously visited Seattle it is a beautiful area. The
city and area is nestled between the Olympic Mountains and Puget Sound on the
West and the Cascade Mountain Ridge, which include Mount Rainer, and Mount
Baker on the east.
There are many areas of interest particularly the Pike Place market located
on Seattle's famous waterfront overlooking Elliot Bay, sight-seeing tours of
the bay, Lake Union and Lake Washington plus other areas including tours
provided by the Boeing Corporation are available. The reunion will sponsor a number of tours including lunch at
the Space Needle.
Seattle also is the home a very active Korean Community. It is planned to
include the Korean ambience in our theme and during our evening dinner.
2009
Reunion
 Jim Hannon will be the reunion coordinator.
Jim served with Baker company of the battalion from January 1951 to
January 1952, during this time he was wounded twice. He was released from
active duty in May of 1952. Jim served 33 years in the Buffalo Fire
department. He has been involved with the First Marines Division Association
and served as a Director of the 7th Marines and as President of the New
York West Chapter of the First Marine Division. Jim will be assisted
by Military Reunion Services Inc.
The 2009 reunion will be held September
22 to September 25 2009 in Buffalo NY. With the cooperation of
Mother nature is is very possible the area will be ablaze with
all of the beauty of fall colors. For those who may consider a brief trip
over into Canada it would be wise to ensure you have a current passport.
Reentry into the US requires positive proof of citizenship.
The hotel will be the recently
renovated Millenium, The hotel offers easy access to all western New York
attractions. It is located directly of I- 90 and is three miles from the
airport. Downtown Buffalo is a 15 minute ride while the grandeur of
Niagara Falls is a 25 minute ride away. The Walden Galleria Mega Mall, with
it's 200 plus stores, is within walking distance. The hotel features
300 guest rooms, the elegant Walden Restaurant, the Twiggs lounge and the all
season pool and fitness center along with ample meeting rooms . The room rate
will be 101.00 per night (single, double, triple) plus local taxes.
The tentative schedule calls for a
Wednesday evening, no host, welcome aboard reception. On Thursday there
will be an optional tour of Niagara Falls with the evening free. On Friday,
our business meeting will be held. There will also be an optional tour of the
Basilica Botanical garden. On Saturday our memorial service will be
held at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval and Military park. Our traditional
banquet, auction and 50/50 drawing will be held that evening. Additional
tours and other sightseeing opportunities are being explored.
Details as to hotel registration etc,
will be posted on our Bulletin Board, when available, and will be included in
out "Early Warning " letter plus in the registration form.
2007 Reunion
 The 2007
reunion will be held in Oklahoma City OK Harold (Muley) Mulhausen will be the
coordinator. "Muley" is well known locally as a speaker, lecturer
and author of the book "Korea-Memories of a US Marine". He is
presently serving as President of the Oklahoma City Korean War Veterans
Association. Muley served with Able Co during the later part of 1950 and
1951. "Muley" has organized a number of large gathering and
reunions and will do a great job for One Seven in 2007. Oklahoma City
provides a wide range of sights and tours including the Crystal Botanical
Gardens, Old brick Town, The Oklahoma National Memorial and Museum, The
Oklahoma Arts Museum, The Western Heritage & Cowboy Hall of fame and the
Civic Music hall. There will be some thing for everyone so come see the
sights and sounds of this great Midwest metropolis.
The reunion will be held October
2 - 6 departing on Sunday the 7th. The Clarion Meridian Hotel and Convention
center has been selected as reunion headquarters. The hotel is located off
Meridian and I 40. It is just minutes away from the airport, fairgrounds and
other attractions. The hotel provide complimentary shuttle service to
the will Rogers World Airport. The "Trolley Stop" located in front
of the hotel provides service to Bricktown and other local attractions.
The hotel has 312 guest rooms ranging
from the traditional standard room to luxurious kings and mini suites. All
rooms are equipped with coffee makers, irons, hair dryers and Cable TV (53
Channels). Some rooms and suites also have refrigerators, speaker phones, computer
data ports and high-speed wireless Internet access.
The hotel offers an indoor pool,
complete exercise room, guest laundry and valet services. A
complimentary deluxe continental breakfast is included in the very
attractive nightly rate. In addition a complimentary managers reception
(Monday -Thursday) is served in the lobby area featuring cocktails along with
hot and cold hors d' oeuvres.
Ample complimentary parking is included
with RV parking provided in one corner of the lot.
The rates for the hotel is $65.00 per
night plus local taxes. Reserve your room by calling (405) 942-8511 or
1-800-252-7466 Fax (405)946-8357. The first 50 people who reserve a
room may have a suite at the same price which is good for two days before and
after the reunion itself. Each member must make their own reservation
remember a reservation costs you nothing until your arrival date. At the time
you make your reservation be sure to mention you are with the1st Bn. 7th
Marines reunion.
Oklahoma City has in excess of 30 major
museums and attractions. Among those being considered for the 2007
reunion include:
The 45th Infantry Division Museum. This
museum depicts the military history of Oklahoma and is the largest National
Guard Museum in the nation. It includes fascinating displays of
memorabilia collected from Hitler's apartment when the division captured it.
Over 200 original "Willie and Joe" Bill Mauldin cartoons are
displayed. Included is a large display of military equipment and vehicles.
The Hefner Mansion: One of the cities
most beautiful homes featuring collections of art, fine china, bells and
canes.
The Myriad Botanical Gardens: The
garden is a 17-acre oasis in the heart of the city with beautiful landscaped
roiling hills surrounding a sunken lake. The center piece of the garden is
the seven story Crystal bridge which features a collection of Palm trees,
flowers and exotic plants from around the world.
The National Cowboy & Western
Heritage Museum: The museum preserves the rugged individualism and romantic
spirit of the frontier. It features a superlative collection of classic and
contemporary western art. Several individual galleries provide a view of
aspects of the western heritage.
Additional information of the sights
and sounds of Oklahoma City may be obtained from Oklahoma City Convention and
Visitors Bureau 189 W. Sheridan, Oklahoma City OK 73102 or by visiting their
web site www.visitokc.com
2005 Reunion
Bob & Renett
Frank were Coordinators along with JW Martin for our 2005 reunion in Wichita
Falls TX. Stan Stanovsky did a great job in preparing many of the graphics.
The reunion was well organized with an outstanding hospitality room. Ample
space and time was available to sit and enjoy the camaraderie. One of
the highlights was the tour of Sheppard Air Force base and a visit to the
stations elementary school, grades 2-6. The children welcomed us
outside with cheering, clapping and formed an arch of flags which we walked
under as we entered the building. The children then welcomed us with poems
and songs. They then presented us with cards they had made for
us. The Bar-B-Q was outstanding as was the International dinner which
consisted of four serving lines with Italian, British, and German foods. The
final serving line was French consisting of snacks and deserts. While
attendance was somewhat below what we normally have it was undoubtedly one of
our better reunions.
2003 Reunion
The Battalions 2003
reunion, chaired by Ed Orford was held at Hilton Head Island in SC. April 22
through April 26 of 2003. Our motel was the Holiday Inn Beachfront. The
motel was great and the staff superb. The high point was to be a trip to
Parris Island were the group were to be guests at a recruit graduation
parade, unfortunately rain cancelled the parade. We were however, able to
attend the graduation in the local theater. The group also made a visit
to the MCAS facility in Beaufort. Our memorial service conducted by Dr.
Glen Galtere (B C0.) was moving and uplifting.
2001 Reunion
 The 2001 reunion, organized by Ray
Leffler (deceased), was held in Branson, MO. The OZARK Reunion. There were
over 177 members registered with 333 in total attendance. It, like all
of our reunions, was great. The many attractions of Branson coupled with the
evening on the Branson Bell was great. Some first class “dummies”
assisted in the entertainment. The Saturday banquet, coupled with the
memorial service on Sunday, was a fitting end to a great reunion.. This
reunion also contributed to a number of organizations including the Marine
Military Academy, the Korean War Project, The Korean War Educational Site and
the States “Toys for Tots” effort. Money was also provided the 1st
Bn 7th Marines to help defray the cost of the enlisted ball.
1999 (29 in 99) Reunion
 The 1999 reunion (29 in 99),
organized by Bob Licker, brought together Marines and Corpsman who had served
with the Battalion at any time during the Korean War. There were many
highlights in this four-day reunion. Without a doubt, the best was the day
spent with the present 1st Bn. 7th Marines. Thus, we
had two generations of Marines who had served in the same Battalion but some
50 years apart. All those attended came away with the feeling that our Corps
was in good hands. The Band concert hosted by the city of Palm Springs and
presented by the Marine Corps Band of 29 Palms was a great event. A
stone monument dedicated to all who served in the Battalion and made the
supreme sacrifice was dedicated, a very moving experience for all. This
reunion contributed funds for the equipping of a recreation room at the
Marine Military Academy, additionally presented the City of Palm Springs a
very large American Flag for use in the convention center. A new tradition
was started in that funds to help defray the cost of the enlisted Marines
attending the annual Birthday Ball was presented to the Battalion Commander
of the 1st Bn. 7th Marines.
1997 Reunion
The 1997 reunion was held
in Fort Myers, Florida. Joe Owen was chairman assisted by Wally Dugan
and "Mac" McKellar. The day trip and luncheon ride to South Seas
Plantation provided an opportunity to see how the other half live along with
enjoying the sights and sounds of Sanibel Island and it’s mile long causeway.
The evening ride and dinner on the Caloosahatchee River was a great ending to
a great day. The banquet and memorial service at the Iwo Jima statue in Cape
Corals Veterans Park was a fitting end to a fine reunion. This reunion also
made significant contributions to the Marine Military Academy and to the
Marine Corps league to assist in the completion of the Veterans Park Iwo Jima
Monument.
1995 Reunion
 Our second reunion, in 1995, was
in the Holiday Inn at the San Antonio airport. The reunion was organized by
Al Padilla and Jake Skvaril (deceased). This reunion again brought
together members of the original Battalion, which formed at Camp Pendleton.
Over 100 members plus their spouses and guests attended. . The River
Walk was one of the highlights as was the tour of the Alamo Museum. The
memorial service conducted by the Marine Military Academy Chaplain and band
held at the Alamo was moving and very emotional. This reunion, like the
Toledo reunion, made a significant contribution to the Marine Military
Academy in Harlingen Texas. Al Padilla - Co-Chairman 1995 reunion
1993 Reunion
 Our first reunion, held in 1993,
came about following General Davis’s remark that it would be great to get the
whole Battalion together. The General was attending a company meeting held in
conjunction with a Chosin Few reunion. Taking the General’s remarks literally
several commenced an effort to have such a reunion. Bill Cartledge
volunteered to organize and host the reunion. Timmy Killeen and Mac McKellar
offered to assist by providing administrative support. An all out effort was
then commenced to locate as many members of the original battalion as
possible. The reunion was held in the Toledo, Ohio Ramada Inn. It was a great
affair with many of our former officers being able to join with about 100
members of the Battalion. Being the first time the battalion had assembled
since Korea there were many emotional moments as old buddies once again met.
One of the highlights was the Saturday morning concert of martial
music provided by a local band. The banquet that evening was a fitting end to
a great day.
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