thedrifter
10-04-07, 08:17 AM
Posted Thursday, October 4 at 5:42 AM
The Band of Brothers is back
from staff reports
TOCCOA - During the dark unsettled days when the world was at war, a group of men came together in the mountains of northeast Georgia. They gathered from different places and backgrounds with one common goal: to defend their homeland.
In 1942, the United States government acquired a site in Toccoa where these men were trained. They were a new type of soldier... the paratrooper. Approximately 17,000 soldiers of the 501st, 506th, 511th, 517th Parachute Infantry Regimen trained at Camp Toccoa during World War II. Camp Toccoa is the birthplace of The Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, The Dirty Dozen and the History Channel’s Los Banos Prison Raid.
The Stephens County Historical Society and the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce have partnered again and are inviting the public to be a part of a reunion of some of these soldiers during the 5th annual Currahee Military Weekend, Thursday through Sunday.
“We hope the paratroopers who trained at Camp Toccoa on Currahee Mountain will come back to Toccoa for the reunion and reminisce about their training experiences with their friends who shared this very significant time in their lives,” Brenda Carlan, Historical Society Executive Director, said last month.
“There are a number of activities planned in conjunction with the reunion,” says Chamber of Commerce President, Wendi Bailey. “We are inviting families, friends, re-enactors, active military and the public to: meet some of the paratroopers who trained at Camp Toccoa and listen to their stories; visit the Currahee Military Museum and walk through the actual stable,(which housed the soldiers in Aldbourne, England run or walk the Currahee Challenge “3 Miles Up and 3 Miles Down Currahee Mountain;” attend a special parade to honor the Camp Toccoa veterans; enjoy military recruiter displays, see military vehicles, watch hand-to-hand combat demonstrations; and experience an authentic WWII campsite set up by re-enactors who will provide interactive “living history” presentations, as well as weapons and battle tactic demonstrations. There will be something for kids of all ages.”
This year the Military Weekend events will be held in downtown Toccoa.
Also, new this year is the opportunity to purchase the 2007 Currahee Military Weekend event t-shirts, pins and patches. Original artwork featuring Currahee Mountain was created exclusively for the event by local artist Carl Fennell.
Below is a schedule of events. Some activities require participants to register and or purchase tickets, i.e., the Currahee Challenge Run/Walk, the Chamber BBQ, the “War Bonds” musical and the Banquet. Also, there is a “weekend package” deal that includes everything, (except the run/walk) plus access to the hospitality suite, a weekend museum pass and the official weekend t-shirt.
Thursday, October 4
8:00am–6:00pm: Registration, Train Depot, Mitchell Allen Conference Room
10:00am–5:00pm: Museum Open, Train Depot
7:00pm–11:00pm: Hospitality Suite at the VFW
8:00pm–10:00pm: “Cinema on Sage” showing “The Dirty Dozen” outdoor movie
Friday, October 5:
8:00am–6:00pm: Registration, Train Depot, Mitchell Allen Conference Room
10:00am–5:00pm: Museum Open, Train Depot
11:30am–1:30pm: Chicken BBQ Lunch at the Elk’s Lodge, $7 per plate, benefiting the Chamber of Commerce. Local businesses are encouraged to pre-order plates for their employees by Friday, September 28th and if 10 or more plates are ordered they will be delivered to their worksite. Individuals can purchase tickets at the Chamber or at the door of the Elk’s Lodge for eat-in or take-out. The Elk’s Lodge is at the intersection of Edward’s Place and Remsdale Street.
2:00pm–4:00pm: Book Signing downtown. Come meet the authors of several military books about the paratroopers of WWII. Jake McNiece, Donald R. Burgett and Charles Everett Bullard are just a few who will be there to sell and autograph their books.
7:00pm–11:00pm: Hospitality Suite at the VFW
7:00pm: Northeast Georgia Community Concert Association Presents a musical called “War Bonds: The Songs and Letters of World War II” at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center.
Saturday, October 6th:
8:00am–10:00am: Registration, Train Depot, Mitchell Allen Conference Room
8:00am: Currahee Challenge 1 Mile, 3-Mile and 6-Mile Run & Walk. Come run the infamous Currahee mountain trail, “3 miles up and 3 miles down,” that served as part of the rigorous basic training where the men were hardened to become battle-ready paratroopers.
10:00am–5:00pm: Museum Open, Train Depot
10:00am–5:00pm: Memorabilia Show & Sale, downtown. Over thirty tables of military arms and memorabilia of the Civil War, Indian Wars, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and more. This show is family oriented with items for kids as well as the serious collector.
10:00am–5:00pm: USO Canteen - providing mobile morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform. The military recruiters will have booths: U. S. Army is bringing a rock climbing wall, U. S. Navy is bringing a flight simulator, U. S. Air Force will provide a C130, U. S. Marines are bringing a Hummer and the Georgia National Guard will provide a 5-Ton dump truck. Weapons displays and hand-to-hand combat demonstrations are also planned. Subject to availability.
10:00am-5:00pm: World War II Re-enactors will set up an authentic camp site on Pruitt Field (North Pond Street). They will offer interactive “living history” presentations, and weapons and battle demonstrations. Subject to re-enactor availability.
12:00pm: Veteran’s Parade of vintage military vehicles. Start on Doyle St. end at the Train Depot.
12:30pm: Opening Ceremony at the Train Depot. Special guest and speaker Colonel Thomas Vail, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
2:00pm–4:00pm: Book Signing downtown.
Time TBD. Parachute Jump Teams at Boyd Field. Subject to availability.
7:00pm: Banquet dinner at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center featuring special guest and speaker Donald R. Burgette, a Camp Toccoa Veteran who fought in four major campaigns. A fundraiser auction benefiting the TSC Historical Society will follow the dinner.
Sunday, October 7th:
8:30am: Remembrance Service. Meet at the Parachute Infantry Regimen Memorial. Take US Highway 123 to the Patterson Pump and Milliken-Humphrey plants. Please park at the Milliken plant and walk to the service.
10:00am–4:00pm: Museum Open
The Currahee Military Weekend sponsors include the Pilot and Anchor clubs, Rotary, American Legion, the VFW Post 4346, Elks Lodge 1820 and Boy Scouts of America.
Major sponors are: Acree Davis Funeral Home, Stephens Federal Bank, Acree Oil, First Citizens, Georgia Baptist Conference Center, Stephens County Middle School, Dr. Ken Schneider, Quincy’s of Toccoa and the law firm of McClure, Ramsay, Dickerson & Escoe.
For more information, contact the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce at 706-886-2132 or link below.
Ellie
The Band of Brothers is back
from staff reports
TOCCOA - During the dark unsettled days when the world was at war, a group of men came together in the mountains of northeast Georgia. They gathered from different places and backgrounds with one common goal: to defend their homeland.
In 1942, the United States government acquired a site in Toccoa where these men were trained. They were a new type of soldier... the paratrooper. Approximately 17,000 soldiers of the 501st, 506th, 511th, 517th Parachute Infantry Regimen trained at Camp Toccoa during World War II. Camp Toccoa is the birthplace of The Band of Brothers, Saving Private Ryan, The Dirty Dozen and the History Channel’s Los Banos Prison Raid.
The Stephens County Historical Society and the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce have partnered again and are inviting the public to be a part of a reunion of some of these soldiers during the 5th annual Currahee Military Weekend, Thursday through Sunday.
“We hope the paratroopers who trained at Camp Toccoa on Currahee Mountain will come back to Toccoa for the reunion and reminisce about their training experiences with their friends who shared this very significant time in their lives,” Brenda Carlan, Historical Society Executive Director, said last month.
“There are a number of activities planned in conjunction with the reunion,” says Chamber of Commerce President, Wendi Bailey. “We are inviting families, friends, re-enactors, active military and the public to: meet some of the paratroopers who trained at Camp Toccoa and listen to their stories; visit the Currahee Military Museum and walk through the actual stable,(which housed the soldiers in Aldbourne, England run or walk the Currahee Challenge “3 Miles Up and 3 Miles Down Currahee Mountain;” attend a special parade to honor the Camp Toccoa veterans; enjoy military recruiter displays, see military vehicles, watch hand-to-hand combat demonstrations; and experience an authentic WWII campsite set up by re-enactors who will provide interactive “living history” presentations, as well as weapons and battle tactic demonstrations. There will be something for kids of all ages.”
This year the Military Weekend events will be held in downtown Toccoa.
Also, new this year is the opportunity to purchase the 2007 Currahee Military Weekend event t-shirts, pins and patches. Original artwork featuring Currahee Mountain was created exclusively for the event by local artist Carl Fennell.
Below is a schedule of events. Some activities require participants to register and or purchase tickets, i.e., the Currahee Challenge Run/Walk, the Chamber BBQ, the “War Bonds” musical and the Banquet. Also, there is a “weekend package” deal that includes everything, (except the run/walk) plus access to the hospitality suite, a weekend museum pass and the official weekend t-shirt.
Thursday, October 4
8:00am–6:00pm: Registration, Train Depot, Mitchell Allen Conference Room
10:00am–5:00pm: Museum Open, Train Depot
7:00pm–11:00pm: Hospitality Suite at the VFW
8:00pm–10:00pm: “Cinema on Sage” showing “The Dirty Dozen” outdoor movie
Friday, October 5:
8:00am–6:00pm: Registration, Train Depot, Mitchell Allen Conference Room
10:00am–5:00pm: Museum Open, Train Depot
11:30am–1:30pm: Chicken BBQ Lunch at the Elk’s Lodge, $7 per plate, benefiting the Chamber of Commerce. Local businesses are encouraged to pre-order plates for their employees by Friday, September 28th and if 10 or more plates are ordered they will be delivered to their worksite. Individuals can purchase tickets at the Chamber or at the door of the Elk’s Lodge for eat-in or take-out. The Elk’s Lodge is at the intersection of Edward’s Place and Remsdale Street.
2:00pm–4:00pm: Book Signing downtown. Come meet the authors of several military books about the paratroopers of WWII. Jake McNiece, Donald R. Burgett and Charles Everett Bullard are just a few who will be there to sell and autograph their books.
7:00pm–11:00pm: Hospitality Suite at the VFW
7:00pm: Northeast Georgia Community Concert Association Presents a musical called “War Bonds: The Songs and Letters of World War II” at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center.
Saturday, October 6th:
8:00am–10:00am: Registration, Train Depot, Mitchell Allen Conference Room
8:00am: Currahee Challenge 1 Mile, 3-Mile and 6-Mile Run & Walk. Come run the infamous Currahee mountain trail, “3 miles up and 3 miles down,” that served as part of the rigorous basic training where the men were hardened to become battle-ready paratroopers.
10:00am–5:00pm: Museum Open, Train Depot
10:00am–5:00pm: Memorabilia Show & Sale, downtown. Over thirty tables of military arms and memorabilia of the Civil War, Indian Wars, WWI, WWII, Korea, Vietnam and more. This show is family oriented with items for kids as well as the serious collector.
10:00am–5:00pm: USO Canteen - providing mobile morale, welfare and recreation-type services to our men and women in uniform. The military recruiters will have booths: U. S. Army is bringing a rock climbing wall, U. S. Navy is bringing a flight simulator, U. S. Air Force will provide a C130, U. S. Marines are bringing a Hummer and the Georgia National Guard will provide a 5-Ton dump truck. Weapons displays and hand-to-hand combat demonstrations are also planned. Subject to availability.
10:00am-5:00pm: World War II Re-enactors will set up an authentic camp site on Pruitt Field (North Pond Street). They will offer interactive “living history” presentations, and weapons and battle demonstrations. Subject to re-enactor availability.
12:00pm: Veteran’s Parade of vintage military vehicles. Start on Doyle St. end at the Train Depot.
12:30pm: Opening Ceremony at the Train Depot. Special guest and speaker Colonel Thomas Vail, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division.
2:00pm–4:00pm: Book Signing downtown.
Time TBD. Parachute Jump Teams at Boyd Field. Subject to availability.
7:00pm: Banquet dinner at the Georgia Baptist Conference Center featuring special guest and speaker Donald R. Burgette, a Camp Toccoa Veteran who fought in four major campaigns. A fundraiser auction benefiting the TSC Historical Society will follow the dinner.
Sunday, October 7th:
8:30am: Remembrance Service. Meet at the Parachute Infantry Regimen Memorial. Take US Highway 123 to the Patterson Pump and Milliken-Humphrey plants. Please park at the Milliken plant and walk to the service.
10:00am–4:00pm: Museum Open
The Currahee Military Weekend sponsors include the Pilot and Anchor clubs, Rotary, American Legion, the VFW Post 4346, Elks Lodge 1820 and Boy Scouts of America.
Major sponors are: Acree Davis Funeral Home, Stephens Federal Bank, Acree Oil, First Citizens, Georgia Baptist Conference Center, Stephens County Middle School, Dr. Ken Schneider, Quincy’s of Toccoa and the law firm of McClure, Ramsay, Dickerson & Escoe.
For more information, contact the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of Commerce at 706-886-2132 or link below.
Ellie