| Sergeant Michael G. Mowry. Sergeant Mowry was born on October 9, 1955 and passed away on Sunday, June 18, 2017. He was a resident of Webster, Texas at the time of passing. Following graduation from West High School in Davenport, he joined the U.S. Army; he served in 3rd Squadron, 11th ACR in both L Troop and I Troop from 1976 until at least 1979. He was buried Thursday, June 29, 2017, at the Houston National Cemetery. ____________________________________________ Arlington Ceremony for Deceased Trooper There will be an interment service for Colonel (ret.) Ronald B Schmidt at Arlington Cemetery on July 21, 2017 at 9 am. Those planning to attend should be at Arlington no later than 8:15 am. Colonel Schmidt commanded M Company, 3/11 ACR in Vietnam and was a great friend of the Regiment while on active duty. We published his obituary (which he wrote himself) in the March 2017 E-News. ________________________________________ Photos of 2017 Reunion Photos taken by CSM (ret.) Carleton at our 2017 Reunion are now posted. _____________________________ 2017 Blackhorse Association Family Reunion Wrap-up From Scott Harrison: I believe we had another great year at our reunion, and I am looking forward to an even better year in Boston at the 2018 Reunion. Although we are still collecting input for the after action report, I want to give a quick note on the results, a link to our survey, and some basic information about next year’s reunion. Please take a moment to complete our survey. opens in a new windowhttps://www.surveymonkey.com/r/L55T235 Silent Auction The Silent Auction was profitable again this year. We received $6910.76, compared to $7827 in 2016. We had 180 items donated for the auction with Rondo continuing as the donor with the greatest number of items donated for auction. Not every item sold, but many items sold through the “Buy it now” process versus the traditional auction process. We are reviewing changes for next year and hope we can get more people involved in donating goods or services for the auction. We appreciate all those who continue to support the auction and look forward to a great auction experience for everyone in Boston. Blackhorse Store The Store continues to support our association and the scholarship fund by bringing clothing and goods for everyone to add to their collection. As in past years, the store developed a unique reunion coin for everyone to have as a keepsake of the reunion. For next year, we are considering reunion shirts as well as the coin. All sales support the Blackhorse Scholarship Fund. Although the reunion is over, you don’t have to wait until next year to buy something from the store; please visit it at opens in a new windowhttp://www.blackhorsestore.org. United States Army Armor School & Fort Benning We had 125 travelers by bus and many more who chose to drive on their own. George Desario and the Armor School provided an update on the school and showed how the Armor branch is evolving. Many attendees stated that they enjoyed the meal at the Dining Facility, had the opportunity to reminisce about their time as trainees, and appreciated seeing our memorial. This was a unique event that will not be forgotten. 3rd Annual Ernie Ford Memorial Golf Tournament We couldn’t have asked for better weather. 24 golfers played this year, and John Sherman Crow led a moment of silence before sending the first ball down range. The teams used a “best ball” format and had competition for lowest score, longest drive on hole 1, and closest to the pin on hole 3. Two foursomes scored at minus 3, while Bob St. Laurent won both the longest drive and closest-to-the-pin competition. Stable Your Mount informal social The theme of the reunion and the evening of the social was “Blackhorse NCOs: Backbone of the Nation and the Regiment Since 1901.” Ken Preston and Ricky Pring conducted the Stable Your Mount and were supported during the night with announcements of the 1901 raffle winners. We received comments about the quantity of food for the event and are trying to find a way to balance the expectations of our attendees and our budget. Our intent has been to provide finger food with an expectation that the attendees would eat prior to or after the social. However, over the years attendees have come to expect dinner during the event. As we plan for the 2018 reunion, we will be mindful of the feedback as well as your budget. City of Atlanta tour AFR provided a tour of the Atlanta area on Saturday afternoon. Feedback from some of the 70 participants was that the tour was interesting and a great way to see what Atlanta has to offer. AFR is planning a similar tour of Boston for our 2018 reunion, and details will be provided as we get more information. Formal social The theme of the evening was “Blackhorse NCOs: Backbone of the Nation and the Regiment Since 1901.” We were entertained by a five-piece brass band from the 316th Cav as well as an Honor Guard provided by the Maneuver Center of Excellence. The evening included a speech by SMA Tilley, an update on the Regiment, entry into the regimental honor rolls, induction into the Order of Saint George, and the results and winners of the Silent Auction, 50/50, and Pistol raffle. Atlanta Braves versus the New York Mets Although this event was added to the plans for Sunday afternoon, it was not attended as well as expected. The seats and the bus service to and from the game were excellent. Attendees got to see a great game before leaving at the end of the 7th inning. ____________________________ 2018 Blackhorse Association Family Reunion Hilton Woburn, June 14-17, 2018 We have negotiated a great rate of $134 per night at the Hilton Woburn. The hotel has recently been renovated and has 344 rooms, a pool, a gym, 2 restaurants, and sufficient space for our meetings, events, and socials. The hotel is located 12 miles from Logan Airport and can be reached by Super Shuttle ($20), public bus ($11), or taxi. The hotel is also located 20 miles from downtown Boston. You can learn more about the hotel on its website at opens in a new windowhttp://www3.hilton.com/en/hotels/massachusetts/hilton-boston-woburn- BOSBWHF/index.html. Although we would like everyone to stay at the Hilton, we also understand that the cost of lodging is often the largest cost of attending the reunion. Alternative hotels include: Holiday Inn Express, Comfort Inn, Residence Inn, Red Roof and Best Western. You can review these alternatives on TripAdvisor at opens in a new windowhttps://www.tripadvisor.com/Hotels-g41948- Woburn_Massachusetts-Hotels.html. Our main event will be a visit to the Patton farm, which is known as Green Meadows Farm. Mrs. Patton has invited us over the years to pay her a visit, and we are finally taking her up on her offer. Details for this event will be announced as soon as we have them. Information about the farm can be found on its website: opens in a new windowhttp://www.gmfarm.com/patton-history. AFR is coordinating a Boston bus tour, which will be similar to the Atlanta tour we just had at our reunion. More details will be announced. ____________________________ An Interesting Rock – Story Below There is a huge rock near a gravel pit on Highway 25 in rural Iowa. For generations, kids have painted slogans, names, and obscenities on this rock, changing its character many times. A few months back, the rock received its latest paint job, and since then it has been left completely undisturbed. It’s quite an impressive sight. Be sure to scroll and check out the multiple photos with all the angles of the rock. In the final photo, you’ll meet the young artist.  It might look as though the flag is draped over the rock, but it’s not. It’s actually painted on the rock.   
Ray “Bubba” Sorensen, the artist, is in the next photo.   AWESOME Work, RAY…Thank You!
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E-News – July 2017
Trooper Down
