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61st Annual |
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Reunion
Forms & Info
Travel |
General Information The 61st Annual Reunion of the 1st Cavalry Division Association will be held in Jacksonville, Florida from 18-22 June, 2008. Reunions are a time to gather together and renew old acquaintances from times gone by and make new friends that share the common bond of serving with the First Team. All Life members, Associate members of the 1st Cavalry Division Association are welcome to attend this special event. Register and reserve your room now. Reunion Registration Reunion Registration forms were sent to Association members with the 2008 Calendar and will be published in every issue of SABER beginning with the November/December 2007 issue. Registration forms are available on-line in either a Microsoft Word or Adobe Acrobat format. The Adobe Acrobat version allows you to type in the information and then print the form to mail in to us. We are not set up to take credit cards and do not have the capability to accept registrations on-line. You must mail your completed registration form to the 1st Cavalry Division Association, 302 N. Main St., Copperas Cove, TX 76522-1703 with your check or money order for the entire amount. Please register early to assist us in coordinating the best reunion possible. Some events will have limited seating available due the size of available rooms. All members of the Association must register and pay the Registration Fee in order to attend the reunion. Early registration ends 14 May 2008. All members, except those on active duty, must pay a $20 registration fee. Active Duty Troopers pay $10 to register. Family members attending with an Association member and widows of 1st Cavalry Division Troopers that attend do not have to pay a registration fee. The Registration fee goes up to $30 on any registrations postmarked after 14 May, 2008. The Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel We will be utilizing the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel for all of our events. We contracted for a minimum of 150 rooms on Wednesday evening and 350 rooms per night for Thursday, Friday and Saturday. We have a special room rate of $92 per night, plus applicable taxes, for the duration of the reunion including three days before and three days after the reunion dates. The room block for every night was expanded due to the number of people requesting rooms during the Reunion but they are currently full on Thursday and Friday night. They may have rooms available on other nights. They have two phone numbers available to accept reservations. We have contracted with the Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel to provide us with overflow rooms (See below). They Hyatt Regency has two phone numbers available to accept reservations. They are:
Make sure that you identify yourself as being with the 1st Cavalry Division Association to obtain our special rate. The Hyatt Regency normally charges
$15 per day for self parking but reunion attendees that are staying at the Hyatt Regency
will be provided free self-parking.
Valet parking is available for a $20 per day. Parking in the
city lots adjacent to the hotel is free on Saturday and Sunday but their
posted rates apply during week days. The hotel does not
provide a free shuttle service from the Jacksonville International
The Hyatt Regency
Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel is located adjacent to the There
are several choices for eating inside the hotel and more locations within
a short walk from the hotel at Jacksonville Landing.
Trellises Restaurant is located in the center of the
hotel lobby area and offers casual a la carte dining or buffet (selected
mornings) with an emphasis on fresh and creative seafood dishes.
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner seven days a week from 0600-1430 and
1700-2230 hours. Einstein Bros. Bagel Shop is located on the
back walkway of the hotel, this convenient bagel shop features the famous
"Bagel and Schmear," sandwiches, coffee drinks, smoothies and
salads. It is open from
0600-1500 daily. Jaxx
Sports Bar is open from 1700-0100 and provides a casual sports bar
atmosphere where you can watch your favorite team on one of the big screen
TVs, enjoy daily drink specials, and sample your favorite
appetizers and sandwiches. Currents
Lounge features a Starbucks Cafe' in the morning, cocktails and light
fare in the afternoon, and specialty drinks and desserts in the evening.
Four plasma screen televisions and complimentary wireless internet
access make this lounge the ideal place to keep current.
Open from 0600-1200 daily. Plaza
III Steakhouse, the famed Kansas City Steakhouse will impress you with
the best steaks, chops and fresh seafood around! Offering lunch and
dinner, the restaurant features exceptional fare, an extensive wine list
and a piano bar/lounge area. The restaurant also boasts two
private dining areas that can accommodate groups as well as outside patio
seating overlooking the stunning The Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel Because the Hyatt Regency is full on a couple of nights, we have contracted with the Crowne Plaza Jacksonville Riverfront Hotel to provide rooms for those of you that will be coming to the reunion at a special rate. Standard room rates at the Crowne Plaza are $109 per night, plus tax, and they have also provided free parking for you (normally $10 per day). The Crowne Plaza is located across the St. John's River from the Hyatt Regency. There is a water taxi (S.S. Marine Taxi) that provides transportation across the river that is cheaper than a regular taxi. Information on the water taxi is below in the Transportation section. The reservation numbers for the Crowne Plaza are:
Please identify yourself as being with the 1st Cavalry Division Association to obtain the special rate. You may also obtain a room with a river view for $129 per night and suites are available at the rate of $169 per night. The Crowne Plaza is a smoke-free hotel with 100% non-smoking rooms. Restaurants located in the hotel include Ruth's Chris Steak House, Starbucks, the American Grille. They also have two bars. The American Grill is a full service restaurant that is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. There are several other restaurants and shopping within walking distance. The 61st Annual Reunion will run from Wednesday, 18 June through Sunday morning, 22 June, 2008 and is full of events and time to visit with one another. As usual, we are planning for a Welcoming Mixer on Thursday, War Era Lunches and Sweetheart Dance on Friday, Unit Lunches and Annual Association Banquet on Saturday, and a Group Breakfast and Memorial Service on Sunday. Additionally, this year we will provide an event for the ladies that will provide a hotel Chef presenting a cooking demonstration. The Ladies Tea and Dessert Demo scheduled for Friday is a new event that we hope will be big hit with the ladies attending the reunion. We will have meetings of the Chapter Presidents on Wednesday, Foundation and Museum Foundation Trustees meetings on Thursday, the Board of Governors meeting on Friday and our General Membership meeting on Saturday. During our General Membership meeting on Saturday morning we will hold elections for the Association and both Foundations and conduct other Association business. Seating for all events is open with the exception of the Reunion Banquet on Saturday night. If you are attending the banquet, you must get your tickets marked with a table number at the Banquet Seating table when picking up your registration packet. If you want to sit with specific people we recommend that you all go to the Banquet Seating table together with your tickets available. Don’t wait until the last minute or we may not be able to accommodate your needs. Cavalry casual attire is appropriate for all reunion events. We are always questioned about attire for the banquet. Wear what you feel comfortable wearing. A coat and tie, your uniform (if it still fits), casual clothing with open collar, or jeans or shorts. We want you to attend and aren’t overly concerned with what you wear, as long as it isn’t indecent! The Association will provide a Reunion Room with a terrace view of the St. Johns River during the reunion for you to gather together and enjoy yourself. Drinks in the Reunion Room are free but we ask that you generously donate to help us pay for this room. The Crossed Sabers Souvenir Shop will set up a store in the hotel to sell all kinds of First Team merchandise including shirts, hats, Stetsons, pins, decals and other items to numerous to mention. Transportation and Travel Information Located 18 miles from downtown Jacksonville, Jacksonville International Airport (JAX) provides non-stop flights to major U.S. cities, including those that serve as international gateways. More than a dozen major airlines and a network of regional carriers provide some 200 daily arrivals and departures at JAX. Airtran Airlines, American Airlines, Continental Airlines, Delta Air Lines, Express Jet, Frontier Airlines, JetBlue, Northwest Airlines, Southwest Airlines, United Express and US Airways all currently provide service to JAX. The following major rental car agencies are located in the Jacksonville International Airport: Alamo, Avis, Budget, Dollar, Enterprise, Hertz and Thrifty. Hertz has a desk located in the Hyatt Regency Riverfront Hotel for your convenience if you wish to rent a car after arriving at the hotel. We have obtained a special rate from A-Team Taxi for those arriving and departing from the airport and going to the Hyatt Regency. Please call to make reservations for your arrival and departure. Individuals will pay $25 and those in groups of two or more will pay $12 per person for a one-way fare. Contact them via telephone at (904) 443-7100, fax at (904) 443-7705 or e-mail at info@ateamtaxiservice.com or swill50077@yahoo.com to schedule pickup at the airport and your departure from the Hyatt. You will need to provide your name, the number of people, airline and flight information including your arrival and departure. They will contact you and confirm receipt of your request. You may pay using cash or credit card. They do not accept debit cards or checks. The S.S. Marine Taxi service provides transportation across the St. Johns River and cruises on the river that depart from the Jacksonville Landing. One way fares for adults are $3, children (4-12) and seniors (over 60) are $2. Hours of operation are Sunday - Thursday 1100 - 2100 hours and Friday and Saturday 1100 - 2300 hours. Taxi stops are located at the Jacksonville Landing, Friendship Fountain/River City Brewing Co., Crowne Plaza/Ruth's Chris Steak House, The Wyndham/The Chart House, the Hyatt/Liberty Street/Berkman Plaza, and the Municipal Marina/Sports Complex/Arena. Book your travel on-line using our new Travel Program, http://www.ytbtravel.com/firstcav, and get low prices and have a portion of the commission for your travel paid to the Association to support the Association and its programs. If you don't have a regular travel agent or don't like scheduling your own flights on the Internet, there are two reputable travel agencies that we recommend you contact for travel arrangements. Both of the travel agencies below have worked with us in the past.
Please check with the Transportation Security Agency (TSA) prior to packing for your trip if you are flying to the Reunion. The rules on what can and what can not be taken on the aircraft change regularly. A few minutes taken to check for the current rules may save you valuable time going through airport security and make your trip more enjoyable. We have provided a link to the TSA web page to assist you. Tours We have coordinated three (3) different tours that will be run by a local tour company, Active Escapes, for your enjoyment. These tours will be held on Wednesday and Thursday, 18-19 June. On Wednesday, two tours are
offered. In the morning a tour
of The registration deadline
has been extended from 10 April to 10 May 2008. You still
have time to send in a registration form to sign up for any of the tours
offered. Mail your
completed Tour Registration Form for the tours to Active Escapes, Inc., Summary As always, the best
part of any reunion is the people that attend the reunion. 1st Cavalry Division
Association reunions bring in Troopers from every era of the First Team's
history. Troopers that rode horses, fought in the Pacific with
MacArthur, occupied Contact your friends
and plan on joining us and help make Jacksonville, Florida
CAV Country! |
