Roothugger Reunion Bound!!!!

The Roothuggers in 1993
I'm Second from Left in Back Row as a Major

This Morning I’m getting on a plane with my bride to head to Fort Walton Beach, Florida.  A few months ago I re-established contact with some guys I went through Command and General Staff College with at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas almost twenty years ago. 

This turned out to be one of the best groups of people I ever spent time around during my military career.  After the year long study together we all went our separate ways and occasionally ran into one another over the years.  We’re all retired now and social media made it possible for us to find each other. 

I missed an earlier reunion in Las Vegas because of scheduling conflicts but I’m really psyched to see some of these great people again.  We all came to Leavenworth from different branches of the Army along with one navy guy and an officer from Mexico.  For some reason we just gelled as a group.  The favorite group activity was karaoke in which I adamantly refused to participate, other than providing vociferous support (I have one of the recognized worst singing voices in the Western Hemisphere).  The lawyer in the group, a card carrying West Virginian, hailing from Panther Gulch, WV (I’m not kidding) coined the phrase Roothugger for the group.  We have affectionately and proudly referred to each other as such since that time.

My wife has been feverishly packing for the last three days.  I’m getting the impression she enjoys this almost as much as the trip itself. Buddy will spend the next couple days with our friend from Keene whom he idolizes so I’m sure he’s anxious to shuffle us out the door.

I’m not sure I’ll be able to blog from Florida.  If not it will be due to poor hotel wi fi or that I am in a transcendental state courtesy of Coors Light.  Whatever the reason – I’m looking forward significantly to this trip.

Roothuggers Headed Out for Battle - 1992

Front Yard Yesterday