2007 JSA REUNION REPORT

The boys were back in town for the third JSA/Panmunjom Veterans Reunion held April 27 & 28, 2007 at the Palace Station Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas , Nevada .     

The following is a list of the JSA veterans in attendance at this reunion:

Joseph Alger (72-73), Crystal Lake , IL

LTC Michael Anastasia (06-07), Camp Bonifas , ROK

Larry Anderson (68-69), Sun City , AZ

Michael Arett (73-74), Minneapolis , MN

Lynn Bachman (72-73), North Easton , MA

Carl Bandy (68-69), Peoria , AZ

James Barrier (69-70), Nicholasville , KY

Steve Bell (69-71), Lake Worth , FL

Michael Bilbo (76), Socorro , NM

Garry Bledsoe (67-68), Charlestown , IN

Tom Booth (70-71), Haiky Haw, HI

William Boston (70-71), Furlong, PA

James Brooks (68-69), Littlerock , CA

Michael Brown (89-90), Santa Fe , NM

Dan Bultman (69-70), Glendale , AZ

Rocky Burke (74-75), San Antonio , TX

Ed Burningham (69-70), Seattle , WA

Paul Carlson (78-79), Wadena , MN

Richard Carlson (70-71), Ventura , CA

Zane Cheary (69-70), Ceres, CA

Tom Christensen (72-73), Kingsburg , CA

Ross Cox Sr (77-78), San Saba , TX

Jack Coyle (71-72), Highland , IN

Walter Days (61-62), Salinas , CA

Dennis Dee (70-71), Michigan City , IN

Dave DeLoney Jr (68-69), Los Angeles , CA

Dan Dietz (69-70), Fargo , ND

George Drew (65-66), Los Angeles , CA

Michael Ertz (89-91), Scottsbluff , NE

Edward Freeland (70-71), Claremont , CA

Jack Hoefer (68-69), Albany , OR

Richard Hogle (76-78), Waukesha , WI

Ray Jones (69-70), Winslow , ME

Rob Kendig (69-70), Arcanum, OH

Richard Kewley (70-71), Schenectady , NY

Frank Kuennen (73-74), Solon, IA

Kenneth Lane (58-59), Boynton Beach , FL

Les Leonard (64-65), Laurel , DE

Mark Luttrull (76), Bloomington , IN

Robert Lynch (70-71), Independence , CA

David Manson (67-68), Las Vegas , NV

James Mazour (73-74), West Des Moines , IA

David McAllister (58-59), Barefoot Bay, FL

Jim McKinney (69-70), Medina , MN

Roy Moore (84-85), Monroe , GA

Pat Morrissey (70-71), Grand Rapids , MI

Hans Neumann (70-71), Spirit Lake , ID

John Novey Jr (68), Glendale , AZ

Phil Nudo (79), Reston , VA

Ron Purviance (70-71), Leadville , CO

Dante Rossi (69-71), Gardena , CA

Mark Rozycki (74-75), Pine Mountain , GA

Douglas Salyer (71-73), San Antonio , TX

Richard Schnabel (59-60), Portsmouth , VA

Maynard Schulz (70-71), Ukiah , CA

Ralph Seaman (70-71), Ballston Spa , NY

Jerry Smith (60-62), Mountlane Terrace , WA

Jeff Solomon (69-70), Washoe Valley , NV

Kenneth Soranno (71-72), Conway , SC

Danny Stanfield (74-75), New Braunfels , TX

Dan Tolbert (69-70), Highland , IL

Jong Lim Tchue (73-74), Seoul , ROK

Lewis Voorhees (61-62), North Myrtle Beach , SC

Michael Walz (72-73), Billings , MT

Jim Warmkessel (58-60), Emmaus , PA

Tom Williams (59-61), Fruit Heights , UT

Marsha Mazour greeted attendees at the registration table with a reunion information packet and reunion polo shirts.  Each attendee’s packet included a JSA unit decal compliments of William Boston, who also donated the money from the sale of additional decals to Stanley Suit’s Panmunjom website.  Thank you Bill, for your generosity with these donations.

The reunion opened with an honor guard from Nellis Air Force Base.  Reunion organizer James Mazour welcomed the attendees, and recognized several special persons in attendance including, Lieutenant Colonel Michael Anastasia, the current commanding officer of the United Nations Command Security Battalion – Joint Security Area (UNCSB-JSA), who traveled 37 hours from the Korea DMZ to Las Vegas to be with us for this reunion; Dan Dietz, organizer of the first two JSA reunions held in 1996 and 1999; and Jong Lim Tchue, chairman of the Republic of Korea JSA veterans organization, known as the “Oldboys Society.”  Mazour also recognized the contributions of Stanley Suit (69-71) webmaster of the Panmunjom Korea, The Truce Village website, who was unable to attend this reunion.

LTC Anastasia provided each attendee with a Joint Security Area Movie & Photo CD, and a letter of appreciation from the Command Team at the UNCSB – JSA.  He also brought some JSA unit challenge coins, and a number of other Panmunjom items from the Camp Bonifas gift shop for raffle gifts. 

Chairman Tchue conveyed a personal welcome from all the Korean JSA veterans to the American JSA veterans, and presented each attendee with a UNCSB-JSA Oldboy Member pin.  He also brought a number of gifts for the reunion raffle, including a half dozen 50^th Anniversary of the Korean War Wire Fence from DMZ Limited Edition plaques containing an actual piece of barbed wire taken from the old DMZ wire fence that separated the two Koreas. 

John Sammon (72-73) of Pacific Grove , California donated three copies of his book, Freedom Pagoda, for raffle gifts during the reunion, and Stanley Suit donated a DVD copy of the popular Korean movie, “JSA.”   

A number of JSA/Panmunjom memorabilia items were on display, including vintage Panmunjom banners, brassards, and photo albums. Ralph Seaman brought a cracked MP helmet liner, which he was wearing when bushwhacked from behind by a club wielding North Korean guard in 1970.  Mike Bilbo displayed a number of items from the 1976 events of the tree trimming/axe murders incident and Operation Paul Bunyan.  

Friday morning including the showing of Dante Rossi’s excellent 1969-71 JSA/ Panmunjom DVD photo slide show with music, and a photo show of the 50-year history of the JSA unit.  Rossi also served as the reunion’s official photographer. 

LTC Anastasia was the lunch guest speaker.  He showed the Joint Security Area movie and answered our many questions about the current status of the JSA unit.  “Mike” was an instant hit with the guys, and we thoroughly enjoyed getting to know him. The reunion presented LTC Anastasia with a JSA/Panmunjom “Big Stick” award – a reproduction of the original US Army hickory axe handle used by Joint Security Force personnel at Panmunjom in past years.

The afternoon activities included a showing of the popular 2000 Korean film, “JSA,” while a number of spouses/companions took advantage of side trip to a local outlet mall led by Marsha Mazour.  These ladies soon adopted the name of “In Front of the Mall.”

Friday evening was a hospitality room to renew old friendships, meet other JSA veterans, and swap the many great Korea war stories that we all have to tell.  A shortage of ice for the hospitality room resulted in the announcement that it would be a BYOI – Bring Your Own Ice party.  Dan Dietz and Ed Burningham came to the rescue by raiding several hotel floors’ ice machines for large quantities of ice to chill the cases of Korean Oriental Brewing (OB) beer made available by David Manson.  The guys gathered for a group toast to SFC Charles Senor (85-87) who dearly wanted to attend the reunion, but was serving a tour of duty in Baghdad , Iraq .  

The hospitality room included a small wall memorial display to honor the seven JSA soldiers killed in action during the unit’s 55-year history.  These soldiers will be forever In Front Of Them All: 

SGT James Anderson, Camp Springs , Maryland (KIA 14 April 1968)

SP4 Larry Wood, Barstow , Illinois (KIA 14 April 1968)

CPL Lee Son Kyoo, Republic of Korea (KIA 14 April 1968)

PFC Kim Ik Hong, Republic of Korea (KIA 14 April 1968)

CPT Arthur Bonifas, Newburgh , New York (KIA 18 August 1976)

1LT Mark Barrett, Columbia , South Carolina (KIA 18 August 1976)

CPL Jang Myung Ki, Republic of Korea (KIA 23 November 1984)

Saturday morning featured the showing of a film of the 301^st Military Armistice Commission meeting held at Panmunjom in February 1970, and a JSA/Panmunjom trivia contest testing the knowledge of reunion attendees.  The afternoon session included showings of the History Channel programs – “Running the DMZ” and “Betrayal – USS Pueblo.” 

Saturday night included a cocktail hour where Richard Carlson provided every veteran with an official “US Imperialist Aggressors and Running Dogs” button - which we all wore with pride.  Spouses and companions were presented with a beautiful Rucinni brooch designed by Carlson’s daughter.  

F. Carl “Skip” Schumacher of St. Louis , Missouri , former operations officer on the USS Pueblo, was the dinner guest speaker.  His moving story of the USS Pueblo ship’s capture by North Korean naval forces in 1968, and the crew’s 11-month imprisonment in North Korea held everyone’s attention.  Several veterans and spouses commented later that we were in the presence of a real American hero that evening.  Schumacher was reunited with four JSA veterans attending the reunion who were at Panmunjom on that fateful day of the USS Pueblo crew’s release across the Bridge of No Return .  They included Larry Anderson, Carl Bandy, James Brooks and Dave DeLoney Jr.

The reunion presented Schumacher with a JSA/Panmunjom Big Stick award.   LTC Anastasia presented Schumacher with an American flag flown over Observation Post Ouellette in the DMZ near Panmunjom .  And, Ross Cox Jr presented Schumacher with a copy of his book, The Texas Rangers & The San Saba Mob. Cox wrote this true story about the most deadly vigilante group in this country’s history, which operated in central Texas from 1868 to 1898, and was responsible for the assassnination of over 200 people.

LTC Anastasia presented reunion organizers Jim Mazour with a beautiful framed JSA recognition award, and Marsha Mazour with an official JSA unit challenge coin.  Mazour presented JSA/Panmunjom Big Stick awards to the following individuals who were instrumental in the organization of this reunion – Stanley Suit, Dan Dietz, Dante Rossi, David Manson and Jong Lim Tchue.

“Private” John Novey was called to the podium and informed that he was again being drafted into the US Army, and was to report for duty at Camp Bonifas within one week.  Happy Birthday, John!

The dinner concluded with group photographs of the attendees, and, for a few, some final goodbyes.  Others retired to the hospitality room to continue the socializing – no one wanted this reunion to end just yet.  

The following is the unofficial list of 10 funniest things heard at the April 2007 JSA/Panmunjom Veterans Reunion: 

10. "I thought you had to be six feet tall to be in the JSA unit?" 

09. "I finally came to the conclusion that Iowa pigs are smarter that San Francisco yuppies."  (JSA veteran Zane Cheary's comments about his experiences working as a San Francisco  real estate agent).

08. "The JSA hospitality room is a BYOI party - bring your own ice.  (Instructions to attendees from reunion organizer).

07. "In Front of the Mall."  (The name given to the veterans' spouses/companions shopping trip to a local Las Vegas outlet mall).

06. "If we are planning to return to Korea to relive our youth in the local villages, perhaps we should think about bring a defibrillator."  (Advice of JSA veteran Richard Schnabel)

05. "He looks good in a uniform, but I really would like to see him in a pair of tight fitting blue jeans."  (JSA veteran's wife remarking about JSA battalion commander LTC Mike Anastasia).

04. "This JSA/Panmunjom big stick has been cut from good old American hickory wood, hand-rubbed with Korean kimchee, soaked for 13 months in OB beer, and only slightly used by the moose bus guard on moose nights."  (Description of award presented to LTC Mike Anastasia).

03. "If you lose just 10 kilograms, I buy you airline ticket to Korea ."  (Korea ROK /JSA veterans organization chairman comment to JSA reunion veteran's wife).

02. "Do they still have moose night at the JSA camp?"  (The VERY FIRST question asked of current JSA battalion commander LTC Mike Anastasia).

And, the number one all time funniest thing heard at the reunion:

01. "I can't believe I'm being kicked out of the JSA reunion hospitality room."  (Last words of JSA veteran escorted from hospitality room).

The third JSA/Panmunjom Veterans Reunion was a huge success. Thank you to all JSA veterans who supported this reunion with your presence and/or money contributions, donations and assistance.  We hope to see you all at the next reunion.             

LAS VEGAS JSA REUION DVD NOW AVAILABLE

Dante and Linda Rossi have put together a 20 minute long professional quality photo slide show with music documenting this JSA reunion on DVD .  A copy of this classic JSA reunion DVD can be purchased for the sum of $20.  Send your check made payable to Dante Rossi to the following address:

Dante Rossi

15120 Van Ness Avenue

Gardena , California 90249-4146

After viewing this great JSA reunion DVD , you will be making plans to attend the next reunion!

2009 KOREA TOUR and INTERNATIONAL REUNION OF JSA VETERANS

Raymond Jones is currently organizing a return tour to Korea for JSA veterans and other interested people.  He expects to make the trip in the Spring of 2009, and some 25 JSA veterans have expressed interest in this tour.  It will include the first international reunion of American JSA veterans and Republic of Korea JSA veterans with activities to be held at Panmunjom and Camp Bonifas .

For more information about this tour, please go to Raymond Jones’ website at:

http://dreamwater.com/ginseng/kortrp1.html

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