VP-28 Reunion - St. Augustine, FL - October 7-11, 2014               

2014 All Hands Reunion Detailed Announcement 

Welcome to the Sunshine State. The 2014 All Hands Reunion will be held in St. Augustine, FL, from Tuesday, October 7th to Saturday, the 11th, and offers great tours, small town Florida hospitality and opportunities to relax with old friends. The focus tour this year is a trip to NAS Jacksonville where the new Boeing P-8 Poseidon is now operational.

Reunion Coordinator - Mike Chalut – Home phone - 904-522-1276  Cell - 904-607-6063        

HOTEL - The Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Historic has been chosen as the reunion location with a block of 30 rooms reserved for VP-28 Shipmates and their guests. Hotel accommodations will be separate from the Reunion Registration and must be arranged by you. We have purposely set the dates for the reunion to fall in a less expensive airfare and hotel rate timeframe. This year’s Reunion will run from Tuesday thru Saturday not Wednesday thru Sunday.  Please reserve your room early so that we can gauge demand - you can cancel without penalty later if you must change your plans. 

 Hotel Rates are as follows:

Hotel Address: 1302 North Ponce de Leon Blvd, St. Augustine, FL 32084
Reservations:  1-800-465-4329 (code: VP28)
Event Name:  VP-28 Patrol Squadron Reunion
Reservation cutoff date:  September 7, 2014
Hotel Website:  www.staugustinehi.com 
Parking: Free and plentiful

Airport Transportation – “Airport Express” is available for those flying into Jacksonville International Airport.  It is a one-hour ride to the hotel and one-way cost is $75 for the 1^st two people and $5 for each additional person up to six. This means that coordination between couples is essential to take advantage of lower rates.
 
Reserve "Airport Express" pick-up (904-824-9400) one week prior to arrival.  To assit you in  Lower airline fares may be available by flying into Orlando International and renting a car for the 2-hour drive to St. Augustine.  Or you can use the Orlando/Sanford Airport, which is 1 1/2-hours from St Augustine.   

TOURS – St. Augustine is a tourist paradise, with historic “oldest city” attractions and a relaxing beach environment.  It has relatively close proximity to Disney World, Daytona Beach and the Kennedy Space Center.  You will find lots of nice shopping on nearby St. George Street, at the Prime Outlet Mall and in the many quaint antique shops just one block from the hotel.   For information and links to all of the St. Augustine places of interest, go to www.augustine.com

  Reunion Agenda

Arrival Day – Tuesday, October 7 
Most people will travel on Tuesday, arriving in the afternoon and checking into the Hotel and VP-28 hospitality suite.  No other formal activities are planned for Tuesday.

Train Tour of St Augustine - ($15) Wednesday, October 8
This activity will give everyone an overview of the Ancient City with a one-hour guided tour.  Your ticket also allows you to ride the Red Train without charge for three days. Trains run every 20 minutes from 8:30 to 5:00 daily with 22 stops throughout St. Augustine.  You can get on/off as often as you like while sightseeing and enjoying the many excellent restaurants in town. There is also complimentary pick-up & return to our hotel.  View their web site at  www.sightseeingtrains.com  and get excited about all the attractions you can visit and the ease with which you can get around town. 
In addition, we plan to tour the Lightner Museum of 19^th Century Art in the old 1880 Alcazar Hotel ($6) in conjunction with lunch in the vicinity.  This is on the Train Tour.      

VP Tour – NAS Jacksonville – Thursday Morning, October 9
VP has come a long way since we flew P-2s and P-3As back in the 50’s and 60’s.  The P-3 has been in service for FIFTY-ONE years!!  The Boeing 737-400 based Poseidon aircraft is now operational, and we are arranging a tour for everyone.  The tour will give you the “insider” view of the future of the VP community.  Lunch is at Mulligans, which overlooks the golf course. ($15 for a specialty buffet.) 

We are planning to rent vans for this trip to NAS JAX (some may choose to drive their own vehicles or carpool).  If you plan to ride the van, please indicate so on your Reunion Registration Form.  ($15 per person)

IMPORTANT:  A photo ID is required for you to get on the base.

Tour of Castillo de San Marcos Fort – Friday Morning, October 10 - This oldest U.S. fort was built by the Spanish in 1672 and took 23 years to complete.  Tour is free with a National Parks “Senior Pass”.  If you want to purchase a Senior Pass, they are available for those 61+ for $10 at the Fort.  The Pass works for all National Parks and allows admission for the cardholder plus three others.

Banquet – Friday Night, October 10 - The banquet and reunion gathering is scheduled in the hotel’s Flagler Room. Cost is $33 per person and includes a two entrée buffet with salad, carbohydrate, vegetable, and beverage. This large, nicely-appointed room will also be our hospitality suite and is on the second floor with our hotel rooms.  It will be the gathering place for reminiscing about the early days, sharing cruise books and aviation memorabilia, visiting with old friends and getting misty-eyed sentimental over a cold one.

Photos – Greg and Angela Gielow have volunteered as roving photographers and will post photos online as they did for Tucson and Charleston.  In addition, come prepared to shoot and share your own digital snapshots to preserve memories.

GOLF - A golf outing is planned.  Indicate your intention to golf on the registration form and pay on the day of event.  Date and time of the round will be finalized during the first two days of the reunion.  The World Golf Hall of Fame (15 min away) is a must see for the avid golfer. www.wgv.com  

Departure - Saturday, October 11 -  Departure day for most shipmates.  "Fair winds and following seas" to all until we meet again.

  To register for the reunion:
   1. Click the Reunion Registration Form* button below.  
   2. Print a copy of the Reunion Registration Form.  
   3. Fill in your selections and mail to Peter Lindberg with your payment at the address on the form.
   4. Remember to contact the Holiday Inn Hotel and Suites Historic to book your lodging.

Note:
*The Reunion Registration Form is a PDF download. If your computer doesn't have PDF reader installed, click on the following link to get it free: http://get.adobe.com/reader/.