  Hello Shipmates! We’re just a little over a month away from having our 2022 SBSA Reunion in Norfolk, Virginia. Everything is on track to allow everyone to have a great time. Below is some information about Oral Histories, Transportation, Raffles and Silent Auctions, Financial Sponsorship, Agenda, Registrations, Hotel Reservations and Tours and Activities: Oral Histories. The Hampton Roads Naval Museum is offering to take “oral histories” from all Swifties attending the reunion. This would involve sitting down with an interviewer and a camera operator to tell about your Vietnam experiences, and particularly your experiences on Swift Boats. This was done at the Washington, D.C. reunion a number of years ago, and was well received. Excerpts from the oral histories will be used as part of the Museum’s Vietnam exhibit, and the histories may be used by the Museum for research and historical purposes. The interview will last 30-45 minutes. The interviewer would like to have some background information from you in advance. There’s a link below to a short background form for the oral history interview. Please print it out and complete it. You can either send the completed form to Laura Orr at the Museum (addresses are on the form) or to me by email at donhammer@gmail.com or by snail mail to: 7320 Glenroie Ave., Unit 3K, Norfolk, VA. 23505. You’ll be able to sign up for a specific interview time when you get to the reunion. There’s no obligation to give an interview, but we hope you do. Many of us have not talked to our children, grandchildren, spouses and close friends about our Vietnam experiences, especially our combat experiences. It’s hard to do so. Hopefully going through the “oral history” will make it easier. This process will ensure that Swift Boat memories are not lost to history. Keeping our memories alive is important to all of us, especially at our ages. If you have questions, please call me at 309-825-7331. Thank you. SBSA Board of Director, Don Hammer Please click HERE for a copy of the Vietnam Veteran Oral History Program Biographical Data Sheet Transportation from and to Norfolk Int’l Airport. The Sheraton Waterside Hotel is located approximately 9 miles from the Norfolk International Airport (approximately 15 minute drive) and there are a number of options for transportation between the hotel and airport. You can use a Taxi; Uber; Lyft; or click HERE to arrange for an online Airport Shuttle Service. The quickest way to get to the hotel is to use a taxi, Uber or Lyft. A taxi currently costs $23 – $28 from the airport to the hotel or you can use an Uber or Lyft and save a few more dollars. Uber’s current estimate is $20 to $27 for a ride from the airport to the hotel. Raffles & Silent Auctions. We plan on having raffles and silent auctions with a 50/50 drawings each night. We’re still looking for item donations to help support the SBSA and Reunion. The funds generated from these raffles and auctions helps support our organization. If you have something you would like to donate, please contact our SBSA Board Chairman, Mike Solhaug at solhaumj@evms.edu Another friendly Reminder – the SBSA still has an offer for Financial Sponsorship. The SBSA is sponsoring up to five members who are having a financial hardship in paying for a hotel room at the Norfolk Reunion. The Association will pay for two nights hotel lodging at the Sheraton Waterside Hotel in Norfolk with no questions asked. Also, if anyone knows of a Swifty with a financial hardship, please contact our SBSA President, Bob Barnett, at cmdcmbarnett@msn.com as some of our members might be too shy to ask for help. You can apply for this financial sponsorship directly to Bob Barnett at cmdcmbarnett@msn.com. Names of those applying will be held in complete confidence and the information will not be shared with anyone else in our Association. Please apply for this financial sponsorship by 15 April 2022. Thank you! Registration Extended. The Reunion Registration has been extended to the 15th of April 2022 to allow our members more time to register. Mail in REGISTRATIONS must arrive by 15 April 2022. Links for registrations (both online and mail in) plus hotel reservations are located at the bottom of this email. As a note, we won’t be taking any more T-Shirt or Polo Shirt orders after 1 April 2022 and the Ship’s Store WILL NOT be selling these shirts during the reunion. Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions. We looking forward to seeing you at the Reunion in Norfolk! In Brotherhood, Bob Barnett President Reunion Agenda Clink HERE for Reunion Agenda Reunion RegistrationClink HERE for Online Reunion Registration Form Click HERE for a HARD COPY Registration Form to be Printed and Mailed In.Online Hotel Reservations Clink HERE for Online Hotel Reservations(Please NOTE when making Online Hotel Reservations: Please ADJUST the dates on the registration page for the dates you’re actually staying when making your Hotel Reservations – The Dates are Preset in the hotel system for 15-26 May 2022.) *List of Tours & Activities Clink HERE for List of Tours and Activities |