Category: 2019 Reunion
Last chance to book at special discounted rate for 2019 31st Engineer Battalion Reunion in Boston
Message from Executive Director, Louis Brown
Fellow 31st Combat Engineer Battalion Veterans:
First, thank you to all who have booked your rooms for the upcoming 2019 Reunion. Please bug your fellow 31st Vets who “haven’t gotten around to it yet”.
For those of you planning to attend but “haven’t gotten around to it yet” you’re running out of time. You have until 3 September to book at the reunion discount rate!
After 3 September, you can still book, but it’s subject to availability and at the standard rates.
Call the Double Tree Hotel in Danvers, MA today!
Call the hotel directly (978) 777-2500
Be sure to tell the clerk that you’re with the 31st EBN Reunion.
Don’t forget $25.00 bi-annual Association Dues are due as well.
Make checks payable to 31st CBT ENGR BN ASSN
Mail checks to: Warren DuBois
906 W. Virginia Ave.
Salem, MO 65560
I’m looking forward to seeing everyone there.
Wilson L. Brown, Executive Director, 31st Engineer Battalion Association
(508) 294-5869
31st Engineer Battalion 2019 Reunion Boston
Rekindle the bond of brotherhood at the 2019 31st Engineer Battalion Association reunion in Boston, MA!
The original invitation appears below with a new phone number for calling the hotel directly (the original number provided did not work.) The reunion is only three months away and will be here before you know it. Make your reservations now!
Hope to see you all in Boston!
31st Engineer Battalion Association Reunion Danvers, Massachusetts
October 3-6, 2019
The Veterans of the 31st Engineer Battalion Association Cordially invite you and yours to gather and rekindle the bond of brotherhood, share stories of our service together and enjoy the attractions and spectacular beauty of Boston, Massachusetts and the surrounding area. Boston (as in Boston Tea Party), Lexington and Concord (The Shot Heard Around the World) are where the whole American Revolution started in 1775. Come and visit the birthplace of our nation!
This represents a change from our original venue for the 2019 reunion which was to have been Williamsburg, Virginia. The unexpected passing of our fellow 31st EBN veteran Harley Brinkley, who was heading up the planning for Williamsburg, made it necessary to change to our #2 most popular choice, which was Boston.
LOCATION: Double Tree by Hilton Boston North Shore, 50 Ferncroft Rd, Danvers, Massachusetts 01823.
AMENITIES: Free parking, free WiFi, 32-inch TV with HBO and on-demand movies, free area shuttle (within a 5-mile radius). Hotel restaurants (Tradewinds & Tradewinds Lounge). Indoor pool, and the Atlantis Sports Club 24 hour fitness center.
AREA ATTRACTIONS: Besides being in the Boston metropolitan area, there are many local attractions close to the hotel.
The Ferncroft Country Club and 18 hole Golf Course.
CoCo Key Water Park.
Alfalfa Farm, a historic farm that mixes New England charm with the best wine
making technology.
Village of Salem, with its history of ghosts, goblins and witches, plus the Peabody
Essex Museum.
The town of Gloucester.
Boston, Lexington and Concord. (Trips will be organized to both of these
venues).
Visit the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau website www.bostonusa.com for tourist information.
ACCOMMODATIONS: A block of 70 rooms are reserved with a cutoff date of Tuesday, 3 September 2019 for individual reservations. You can reserve a King or Double Queen bed for $139.00 plus 11.7% tax. A 15% discount at the Tradewinds in- house restaurant will be honored for the period 3 October through 6 October (alcoholic beverages not included). Rates are available 3 days prior and 3 days after the Reunion dates.
RSVP: Make room reservations as soon as possible, but not later than 3 September 2019, by calling the hotel directly at (978) 777-2500. (Explain that you are with the 31st Engineer Battalion Reunion).
TENTATIVE AGENDA: To be supplied at a later date.
BATTALION WEBSITE: 31stengineerbattalion.com is ready for viewing, get updates on the reunion and past photos and postings. Webmaster – June Robbins, (941) 348-5925 junekeywest@yahoo.com. Please get to know the site and contribute information/photos if you wish.
POINTS OF CONTACT: Wilson (Louis) Brown, Director, (508) 294-5869, wilsonbrown46@yahoo.com ; Warren Dubois, Treasurer, (573) 729-8157, dubois@embargmail.com
Latest Update for the 2019 31st Engineer Battalion Boston Reunion
Message from Executive Director, Louis Brown:
Gentlemen,
On 17 April, I invited BG Mark A. Merlino of the Massachusetts National Guard to be our guest of honor and speaker at the banquet.
BG Merlino is an Engineer officer and is currently the Assistant Adjutant General, MAARNG as well as the Deputy Chief of Engineers for National Guard Affairs.
He has volunteered to provide the color guard for the pre-banquet ceremonies. The invitation included his aide and his senior enlisted staff member as well.
Wives included, of course.
Kudos to Bob Powers for making the initial contact.
To assist with planning, please let me know if you will be attending this year’s reunion and when you expect to arrive in Danvers, MA.
I will be in the area by 9/29 and plan to be at the hotel from the evening of 10/2 on.
Looking forward to seeing you all there.
Best Regards,
Louis Brown
(508) 294-5869
Invitation to the 2019 Boston Reunion of the 31st Engineer Battalion Association
Official announcement of the 31st Engineer Battalion Association Reunion in Danvers, Massachusetts October 3-6, 2019
The Veterans of the 31st Engineer Battalion Association cordially invite you and yours to gather and rekindle the bond of brotherhood, share stories of our service together and enjoy the attractions and spectacular beauty of Boston, Massachusetts and the surrounding area.
Boston (as in Boston Tea Party), Lexington and Concord (The Shot Heard Around the World) are where the whole American Revolution started in 1775. Come and visit the birthplace of our nation!
This represents a change from our original venue for the 2019 reunion, which was to have been Williamsburg, Virginia. The unexpected passing of our fellow 31st EBN veteran Harley Brinkley, who was heading up the planning for Williamsburg, made it necessary to change to our #2 most popular choice, which was Boston.
LOCATION: Double Tree by Hilton Boston North Shore, 50 Ferncroft Rd, Danvers, Massachusetts 01823.
AMENITIES: Free parking, free WiFi, 32-inch TV with HBO and on-demand movies, free area shuttle (within a 5-mile radius). Hotel restaurants (Tradewinds & Tradewinds Lounge). Indoor pool, and the Atlantis Sports Club 24 hour fitness center.
AREA ATTRACTIONS: Besides being in the Boston metropolitan area, there are many local attractions close to the hotel.
The Ferncroft Country Club and 18 hole Golf Course.
CoCo Key Water Park.
Alfalfa Farm, a historic farm that mixes New England charm with the best wine making technology.
Village of Salem, with its history of ghosts, goblins and witches, plus the Peabody Essex Museum.
The town of Gloucester.
Boston, Lexington and Concord.
(Trips will be organized to both of these venues). Visit the Greater Boston Convention & Visitors Bureau website www.bostonusa.com for tourist information. 2
ACCOMMODATIONS: A block of 70 rooms are reserved with a cutoff date of Tuesday, 3 September 2019 for individual reservations. You can reserve a King or Double Queen bed for $139.00 plus 11.7% tax. A 15% discount at the Tradewinds inhouse restaurant will be honored for the period 3 October through 6 October (alcoholic beverages not included). Rates are available 3 days prior and 3 days after the Reunion dates.
RSVP: Make room reservations as soon as possible, but not later than 3 September 2019, by calling (800) 222-8733. (Explain that you are with the 31st Engineer Battalion Reunion).
TENTATIVE AGENDA: To be supplied at a later date.
BATTALION WEBSITE: 31stengineerbattalion.com is ready for viewing, get updates on the reunion and past photos and postings. Webmaster – June Robbins, (941) 348-4925 junekeywest@yahoo.com. Please get to know the site and contribute information/photos if you wish.
POINTS OF CONTACT: Wilson (Louis) Brown, Director, (508) 294-5869, wilsonbrown46@yahoo.com ; Warren Dubois, Treasurer, (573) 729-8157, dubois@embarqmail.com.
Reunion 2019 Update – Change of Venue
To All Members of the 31st Combat Engineer Battalion Association:
At our last reunion in Colorado Springs, CO, you voted to hold our 2019 reunion in Williamsburg, VA. At that time, our fellow 31st EBN veteran Harley Brinkley volunteered to be the point man for the 2019 Williamsburg reunion. Before 2017 was out, Harley had already made considerable progress with preliminary planning. However, it is my sad duty to report that LTC (Ret) Harley Brinkley passed away on 7 January 2018. He will be sorely missed.
After a two-week search, the board was unable to locate anyone in the Williamsburg area who could take over as the all-important point man for Williamsburg. If past reunions have taught us anything, it is that “boots on the ground” are essential to a successful reunion.
That being the case, the board voted to move the 2019 reunion to the Boston, MA area. Boston was the #2 choice in the voting at our last reunion. We also have two members in the Boston area, who are already scouting a suitable venue for the 2019 reunion.
The Boston area is jam-packed with things to do and see from the church where the lanterns were hung to start Paul Revere on his famous ride, to battlefields in Boston proper and Lexington and Concord. If you’re into the American Revolution in the least degree, you’re gonna love it. Plus, the sea food is fantastic. The fall colors should be in full glory as well.
The current tentative reunion dates are October 4 through 7, 2019. Those dates are for preliminary planning purposes only and might slip back a week or two depending on what the Advance Team runs into.
Looking forward to seeing you there.
Louis Brown
Executive Director, 31st EBN Assn.
(508) 294-5869