Annual ReunionThe Society of the 1st Infantry Division’s 100th Annual Reunion is being held at the Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, in Baltimore, Maryland 7-11 August 2019. The theme for this year’s reunion is the 75th Anniversary of D-Day & 100th Anniversary of the Society of the 1st Infantry Division. Register Here!This will be a sensational reunion with tours and events that will appeal to everyone. The premier tour this year will take us into Washington DC, where we will stop to view our own First Division Monument. This city is steeped in rich history and named for second Lord Baltimore Cecilius (Cecil) Calvert. Calvert’s family was of English nobility that were rewarded with land in the new world. Initially the Calvert family invested in the colonization of the Americas for commercial incentives, where the waterfront made Baltimore a hub for tobacco trade with England in its earliest days. Later the Calvert family became advocates for religious freedom in the Americas. The second Lord Baltimore, Cecil Calvert founded the colony of Maryland and mandated religious tolerance. Cecil governed Maryland for 42 years. Baltimore, is a bustling city rich with tradition and civic pride. With hundreds of identified districts, Baltimore if often dubbed "a city of neighborhoods," but is more commonly known as "Charm City." The colorful, diverse city of Baltimore, is Maryland's largest city and economic center, well known for its quirky, distinct neighborhoods; unique museums and the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital to the east and the University of Maryland Medical Center to the west. One of many notable locations is Fort McHenry that sits at the mouth of Baltimore’s Inner Harbor and is the birthplace of the United States national anthem, “The Star-Spangled Banner.” This major city in Maryland with a long history continues to be an important seaport, today the harbor area offers shops, upscale crab shacks and attractions like the Civil War–era warship the USS Constellation and the National Aquarium. The waterfront, is surrounded with attractions that lure tourists and residents into the city every day. Directly across from our hotel this year, is The Gallery, a premier shopping, dining and entertainment destination. There is also a water taxi system that you can catch to virtually any place along the harbor. We have a full schedule planned this year. Please read through these next two pages carefully and make sure to register for all of the events that are of interest to you and your guests. There is limited seating for many of these tours, so register now so that you are not disappointed later! The most important reason for attending is to see all your old buddies and to meet and make new friends. Please join us for the Welcome Party to enjoy some entertainment and socialize. It is free and everyone is WELCOME!! This year we will have comedian for your enjoyment. We are looking forward to seeing everyone. We hope you will join us. ADMIN AND LOGISTICS (DETAILS)Our Hotel The Renaissance Baltimore Harborplace Hotel, Baltimore, is the location for our 100th Annual Reunion, August 7-11, 2019. Check will be at 3:00 pm and check-out is at noon. The hotel is located at 202 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, MD 21202. The phone number is 410-547-1200. This number is NOT for reservations. Transportation from Airport Super Shuttle is offering a one-way shared ride price of $17 (that includes an 11% discount) from Baltimore/ Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). The link for reservations is: https://group.supershuttle.com/group-page/first-infantry-division-reunion/. Or call Super Shuttle at 1-800-BLUEVAN (1-800-258-3826) and mention group code W9JM2 to get our special rate. Parking Parking at the hotel is available for $43 per day, payable to the hotel once you arrive. Or we have secured an alternate more affordable parking option in a garage, one block from the hotel, at a reduced rate of $7 per day (normally $21). If you wish to use the parking garage, please indicate and pay for it on your registration form. This option must be paid in advance and will not be available once you arrive and is non-refundable. Schedule If you are unable to attend the entire event, no problem. The core of reunion events take place on Friday and Saturday, 9-10 August. Join us for those days your schedule will allow. You’ll have a great time! Spread the Word! You can help spread the word about the reunion by sending the news release in this publication, to the editor or pressroom of your local media. Go ahead and make copies and mail or fax them to all of the newspapers, magazines, TV and radio stations that you can. Unit Command Posts The 2nd, 16th, 18th, 26th/28th Infantries, Artillery, Cavalry/Armor/Recon and Headquarters & Support Units will operate Command Posts (Hospitality Rooms) for their units. Veterans from units not listed are welcome in any CP. The size of your CP room will be based on the number of members from your unit attending. Judging for the CP competition will take place on Friday 9 August at 1500, the theme for this year’s CP decorating competition is 75th Anniversary of D-Day & 100th Anniversary of the Society of the 1st Infantry Division Handicap Accessible Rooms If you require special room accommodations please indicate those on your registration form. When we make your room reservation your request for a handicap accessable room will be included. Any other room accommodations should be coordinated through the hotel. Reunion Registration FeesEarly-Bird registrations, received before 15 May, will be $45 On-time registrations, received between 16 May- 5 July will be $50 Late registrations received after 5 Jul will be $65. *Reunion registration fees are nonrefundable Hotel Reservations – PLEASE NOTE –This is a change from years past All hotel reservations must be made directly with the hotel by calling Toll Free – 1-877-212-5752 and mentioning you are attending the reunion of the Society of the 1st Infantry Division. Or by going to: https://book.passkey.com/e/49885070 The cutoff date to secure your hotel room reservations at our group rate is 10 July. We encourage you to get your registration in early to take advantage of the group rate! *After 25 July hotel rooms will be based on a space and rate availability and you will have to contact the reservation desk at the hotel directly at 410-547-1200. If you make reservations and then need to cancel them, as long as you cancel 24 hours prior to your arrival, your hotel fees will be refunded. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the arrival date will be charged for one night’s hotel stay including tax. All cancellations must be made through the hotel at Toll Free – 1-877-212-5752 or Reunion registration fees are non-refundable. For tours, if you cancel by 7 July, you will receive a full refund. After that date there are no refunds. If you need to cancel your hotel reservation, cancellations made 24 hours prior to arrival will be refunded. Cancellations made less than 24 hours before the arrival date will be charged for one night’s hotel stay including tax. WeatherThe average temperatures in Baltimore in August are in the high 80’s and lows in the 70’s. Since it is near the water, temperatures could be cooler in the evenings. ConfirmationYou will receive a written confirmation of your registration. Please review it carefully to be sure you signed up for all of the activities and functions you are interested in, as there is limited seating at several events. The banquet sells out quickly, so please sign up for that early. If any activities you are interested in are not on your confirmation then you did not sign up and pay for them. Call us immediately to make any corrections or additions to your registration. TOURS AND SPECIAL EVENTSWe have arranged several tours to make your Baltimore visit a memorable experience. These are optional events and require pre-registration. All tours have limited seating. To avoid disappointment, it is recommended you sign up for your tours when you register rather than waiting until you arrive at the reunion. Sign up early to ensure you have a seat on the tours you wish to go on. If you decide after you arrive at the reunion to go on a tour, check with Quartermaster for availability.
100th Annual Reunion BanquetSaturday, August 10th $50 per person/children’s meal $25. Each meal includes, salad, dessert, coffee and tea. Entrees: Rosemary Chicken breast, parsley new potatoes, roasted peppers and baby green beans with natural jus. Miso glazed Atlantic Cod, sesame soba noodles and braised bok choy with ginger lemongrass reduction Grilled flat iron steak, Yukon potato hash, caramelized mushrooms and sweet onions with natural reduction Vegetarian Plate – Chef’s choice Children’s plate – chicken fingers, French fries, cut up fruit Conflict BreakfastFriday August 9th 7:30-8:30am $20 per person. The breakfast will consist of scrambled eggs, Chesapeake potatoes, bacon, roasted tomatoes, coffee and tea. There will be a speaker to talk about the history of D-Day. Guinness Brewery Tour and TastingWednesday, August 7th Bus loads at 2:15 and returns around 5:00 $35 per person-includes tour and transportation A bus will take you from the hotel to the Guinness brewery. Then you will explore the Guinness Open Gate Brewery & Barrel House, the first Guinness Brewery in the USA since 1954. You will embark on a guided tour of the brewery where you will get plenty of background about the Guinness heritage, the brewery, and answer your questions. The tour will be followed by a tasting. You will leave with a complimentary keepsake. The tour will last approximately 1 ½ hours. Golf OutingThursday, August 8th , Departure from the hotel is at 7:30AM, 1st Tee time 8:30 AM $ 65 per person, Woodlands Golf Course, 2309 Ridge Rd, Windsor Mill, MD 21244 Website: http://baltimoregolfing.com/course/woodlands The Woodlands takes golfers on a scenic journey through a world of tall, hardwood trees that guard the lush Bent Grass fairways and large, undulating greens of the course's enjoyable yet challenging 18 holes. Designed by renowned golf course architect Lindsay Ervin, The Woodlands opened in 1998 to critical acclaim. Ervin himself said The Woodlands "truly ranks as my best design" and Washington Golf Monthly called it "the best public course in the Baltimore suburbs." Golf Digest has rated The Woodlands a "Four Star Places to Play Award Winner." DC Monuments TourThursday, August 8th Bus loads at 9:30 and returns at 5:00pm $35 per person-includes transportation and tour If you have never been to Washington DC or have and want to see it again, this is the tour for you. A luxury motor coach will depart the hotel at 9:30 to Washington DC. A guided tour of DC’s most iconic monuments and memorials is in store. You will see the National Mall, the White House, the 1st Division Monument, the Capitol, the Washington Monument, the Lincoln Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the WWII Memorial, and Arlington National Cemetery. A stop for lunch on your own will be made with several eating options available. Oriole Park Camden Yards Behind the Scenes TourThursday, August 8th Bus loads at 1:00 and returns at 3:00 $25 per person-Includes transportation and tour Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the beautiful baseball-only facility in downtown Baltimore, became the official home of the Orioles on April 6, 1992. Come see Oriole Park at Camden Yards from a whole new perspective. Enjoy the charm of the ballpark from club level suites, the press level, and even the Orioles dugout. Oriole Park revolutionized baseball when it debuted on Opening Day 1992. Now, here's your chance to go behind the scenes of this historic ballpark and learn more about how it has continued to change the baseball fan's experience ever since. This walking tour is approximately 1 ½ hours long. Spirit of Baltimore Lunch CruiseFriday, August 9th Depart the hotel at 11:00, return at 2:30 $65 per person-Includes cruise and buffet lunch Boarding will take place at 401 Light Street, a 10-minute walk from the Hotel. There will not be any bus transportation to the pier. This tour will head out on the water for a Spirit of Baltimore lunch cruise. There is no better way to see the city than from aboard a cruise, perfect for sightseeing! Departing from the Inner Harbor and continuing along the Patapsco River, this lunch cruise includes two hours of incredible views of Baltimore’s historic waterfront. Your ticket includes: A two-hour cruise on the Patapsco River, a delicious lunch buffet with freshly prepared entrees, salads and desserts, unlimited coffee, hot tea, iced tea and water (cash bar available). Spectacular views of the city skyline and local landmarks, including the Federal Hill, the National Aquarium, Fell’s Point, Fort McHenry and the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Note: If we are able to get 150 of our members to sign up for this cruise, we will have a private deck for our group, and on board entertainment with our own DJ music, access to shared spaces and interactive games. Orioles vs Houston Astros Ballgame and PicnicFriday, August 9th Buses load at 6:00PM $ 62 per person-Includes transportation, game and picnic dinner Buses will depart the hotel to take you to Oriole Park at Camden Yards, the beautiful baseball-only facility in downtown Baltimore. There you will have seats in the Left Field Picnic Perch, where the price of your ticket includes all you can eat hotdogs, chips, peanuts, ice cream, and soda and enjoy the Orioles versus the Houston Astros baseball game. The bus will return you to the hotel after the game. Baltimore City and Fort McHenry Bus TourSaturday, August 10th Bus departs at 11:30 and returns at 2:00pm $40-Includes bus and a boxed lunch The original Baltimore Trolley Tour takes you through the neighborhoods that comprise downtown Baltimore. The tour showcases the city’s role in the Revolutionary War, the War of 1812 (“The Star-Spangled Banner” story), the Industrial Revolution and the preservation of historic architecture, monuments and waterfront neighborhoods. Along the way, you’ll discover why Baltimore is still making history. Points of interest include:
This tour includes a box lunch. Meal selections are on the registration form. Policy for Priority for Attendance at Selected EventsFor the 2017 & 2018 Reunion, the Society Board of Directors approved a policy to give priority for attendance at selected events to Society members registered to stay at the Reunion Hotel. We shall continue that Policy for the 2019 Reunion.
This policy was established by the Board of Directors in 2017. They have determined it will remain in effect for 2019 |