April 22nd, 23rd, & 24th, 2009

The 553rd Field Artillery Battalion Veterans
Red Scarf Club,
held it's 6th reunion in Branson, MO.

Attending were 553rd veterans and spouses Full members: (in no particular order), Anna Marie (Roy) Brafford, Mary Ann (Enloe) Krausz, Gene & Flossie Selby, Mike & Sharon Kraft, Marlow Foster, Charles Ray, Herb Yolitz, and Jim & Shirley Thompson.

Honorary members, Steve and Marie Stewart, Annie Wilhite, Betty Foster, and guests Jerry and Lynn Brown also joined us. We had 17 all total this year. Some of our Full and Honorary Members were not able to attend for medical or scheduling reasons, but we look forward to having them again in the future, as well as any new members.

NOTE: We had one Honorary Member Air Force veteran, and a Marine veteran guest,
with us this time - but they behaved themselves so we all got along just fine.☺

To start off with, we all met in the Lobby of the LODGE OF THE OZARKS, early in the morning of the 22nd, and posed for group and individual pictures after checking in. We then all went on to the WHITE RIVER RESTAURANT, at the Branson Landing, for lunch. Later that afternoon, we attended the showing of BROADWAY, at the Branson Variety Theater. That evening we were provided a private room at the Lodge of the Ozarks, for our business meeting, dinner, and later some time of "Show and Tell", during which we all brought out our picture albums and momentos. Gene Selby passed around Red Scarves, that he recently had made, similar to the ones that our honor guards and drill team members wore. Shirley Thompson showed a custom made scrapbook album that she has been working on for the Red Scarf Club for some time. I brought my laptop and scanner to capture any pictures that anyone wanted to be put in the web site. Some members left early to catch another show.

The next morning, after a breakfast of waffles, pancakes, or bacon and eggs, at the BELGIAN WAFFLE PANCAKE HOUSE, we all motored to the College of the Ozarks, and toured the RALPH FOSTER MUSEUM. Three floors of history all packed in one large building, right on campus. The first thing you see when you enter is the original "Beverly Hillbilly's" car, and it just keeps getting better from there - antique guns and weaponry, stuffed animals, farm equipment, tools, tractors, steam engines, and on and on. Too many to mention. It truly was fascinating.

After that, we gathered at the Andy Williams theater and enjoyed the music of the BILL HALEY AND THE COMETS, original members, (plus some new ones). After the show, we went across the street to the newly remodeled ANDY WILLIAMS GRILL for dinner. All I can say is that all members said; "We WILL come back here next time". It was definitely worth it.

After dinner, we went back to the Andy Williams theater, and enjoyed an hour of PAUL REVERE AND THE RAIDERS. (I personally don't remember a recent time that I have laughed so hard,) and an hour of the lone RIGHTEOUS BROTHER, BILL MEDLEY, and his band, along with his son and daughter.

The next morning we said our goodbye's over breakfast in the dining room of the Lodge of the Ozarks, and promised to see each other next time - possibly in the fall.

IN SHORT - A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL.

Pictures of our reunion experiences are the last album on the CURRENT PHOTOS page.

Jim T