Roothugger Rundown

It had been over ten years since I was last in the company of one of the august members of the Roothugger Clan, that being the epic 2013 New Orleans reunion. Life inserted itself each time a subsequent reunion rolled around. For the uninitiated, the Roothuggers are the members of Staff Group 23B from our Command and General Staff College year at Fort Leavenworth, 1992-93. We have remained in touch over the many years since and always seem to generate a significant amount of fun. That fun had been reduced to the occasional zoom call as I had missed all the reunions.

Dinner Wednesday Night

The storied leader of Staff Group 23B decided to travel to Massachusetts and tourist up the place for a few days. He reached out and shared his itinerary and we were able to reserve an evening to meet up in Raynham, near their hotel. I included my Favorite Panamanian as the Roothugger spouses were definitively part of the social aspect that made that CGSC year and subsequent reunions so special. According to Army records we also did the work required as we all graduated and went on to distinguished careers, but the most profound memories are always composed of the after-school hours.

Two Old Roothuggers

The best thing about good friends is that despite the many years that have passed, as soon as we met up, it was as if no time at all had passed. While our physical conditions put a lie to that sensibility, we immediately fell into the laughter that always liberally lubricates a Roothugger reunion. We caught each other up on our various adventures including shared cancer experiences. The night flowed much too quickly but we made plans for a trip next year to Quebec and hopefully a journey to Arizona where we could also drop in on the Upstairs Neighbors as these fine people only live an hour or so apart. It was such a great evening and a stark reminder of the one thing I miss most about my time in uniform, the camaraderie.

Roothuggers Back in the Day
I'm top Row 2d from Left, He is Middle row Center next to Navy Guy

A More Descriptive Photo of our CGSC Experience

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------RECURRING CHARACTERS:

ABFA – Amazing Best Family Athlete – my daughter in law; BR3 – Blog Reader #3 – granddaughter #3; BRS - Blog Reader the Sequel - second granddaughter; Cantankerous Friend – friend since grade school who likes to argue about everything, poses as radical leftist to attract women; CRC - Connecticut Riverboat Captain – another close friend from high school, renowned sailor of the big river; Curbside Girls – close friends of my daughter acquired during her single days in Brooklyn; Czech Connection – Czech couple who’ve become good friends along with their daughter (the Czech Shadow); Deckzilla – our backyard deck which grew to monstrous dimensions once my wife got involved in planning; Favorite Panamanian - the wife (of course); FBR - First Blog Reader - first granddaughter; First Friday – celebrations to mark the First Friday of the Week; Great Aunt - my elder sister; Keene Friends 1 & 2 – friends since high school from my home town of Keene, NH; Kindergarten Friend – friend since kindergarten whom I reunited with after many years; Maine and Virginia Musqueteras – two close friends of my wife – her US sisters, my wife is the 3^rd Musquetera (musketeer); Namesake Nephew – son of Great Aunt and Soxfather named after me; Neighborhood Mafioso - wife's close friend and Panamanian mafia member; PanaGals – female relatives /friends of my wife from Panama; Panamanian/Latin Mafia – inevitable group of Latino friends my wife accumulates wherever we have lived & their spouses; PCR - Pittsburgh College Roommate – high school friend, also a “Minor Celebrity” in Pittsburgh; PCR+1 - Pittsburgh College Roommate’s wife; Riggins - also known as the Grandpuppy, son's dog; Seis Amigos - two couples from our condo complex and my wife and I; Soxfather – my brother-in-law (whom I miss more than I can ever explain); Tia Loca – wife’s younger sister; Wingman – my son in law; Upstairs Neighbors – American couple and great friends who live in condo above us in Panama; Wingmom – Wingman’s mom, of course