NSWUA (NNWA) History
Received from Danny Rider
23 Sept, 2001
The Association was formed in 1983 in
Albuquerque
by a group of Fleet Reserve Members of Branch 200 that were retired.
They were ex enlisted and mainly mustangs from the old teams operating
out of Sandia Base.
Headed by Jim Buchans and Don Fullbright with John
E.
Johnston
as the first Chairman and William T. Owens as the
first secretary/treasure and reunion chairman. They held the first
reunion the third weekend in October 1983. The reunion was so successful
they voted to have the second one the next year, also in
Albuquerque
.
The second one was held
October
19, 1984
. During this
interval the constitution was drafted and I believe presented to the
membership at the second reunion. This
is the first one I attended and I do have a copy of it. ( being
forwarded with this mail). It was in the constitution that the reunions
would be on even numbered years hence. There was a clause however, that
special meetings could be called with the boards agreement. I am not
sure of all the officers at the second reunion, but Jim Buchans was the
committee chairman for that one.
Reunion
number three was held in
Tulsa
OK
on
October 17, 1986
and hosted by the
McAlester
group headed up by Fred Dyer as the committee chairman. A decision was
passed to hold a special reunion the following year in
San
Diego
CA
.
I don't have a list of the officers during the third reunion.
Reunion
number four was held in
San
Diego
October
24, 1987
. (Tom Best attended this reunion as his first.) The
Board was as follows:
Joe Bland President
Ernie Sanchez Vice-President
Jack Hayes Secretary
Lou Catron Treasure
John Cummings Members at
Large
Don Fullbright "
Robert King "
Ralph Danklefsen "
Reunion
number five was held in
Las
Vegas
NV
October 15, 1988
.
The board was as follows:
Jim Buchans President
Jack Hayes Secretary
Lou Catron Treasure
Bob Bayes Members at
Large
Don Waymeir "
Joe Butler "
Elton Call "
Reunion
number six was held in
Norfolk
VA
September 27, 1990
.
The board was as follows:
Robert King President
Fred Dyer Vice- President
Danny Rider Secretary (Tom
Best Relieved Danny shortly after this reunion)
Lou Catron Treasurer
Harry Stephens Chaplain
Don Micco Historian
I am not sure why we some times had a vice president and
other times not, unless I missed seeing it listed somewhere. At this
1990 meeting I knew Don Micco had quite a collection of artifacts and a
lot of history on the nuclear weapons program so I suggested that we
elect him the historian with a unanimous vote of aye. We also changed
the by-laws at this reunion to meet each year as we were losing too many
of our shipmates over a two year period. This was also a resounding aye.
It was also decided to elect a Chaplain which Henry Stephens had been
fulfilling anyway.
Reunion
number seven was held in
Albuquerque
again on
October 17, 1991
with the same slate as the previous year by a unanimous vote.
Before reunion number seven I
had to resign due to my wife's car accident and my having to go back to
work full time in order to save the photo business I had turned over to
my son and his soon to be ex-wife. It was a hectic time and I had no
time of my own. I missed number eight and nine and have been attending
sporadically since. Not out of disinterest but out of necessity. I won't
make it again this year but am fully planning on it next year and
hopefully from there on until my taps.
Yours on Loyalty;
Danny Rider
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