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This year's event--Kansas City, MO, June 18-21--is accessible to a whole raft of MUs we don't often see at our Virginia Beach reunions, so we're hearing from folks who've never been to a reunion. Many wonder, "If I go, will I know anyone"?
I wondered, too, as I carried the suitcase from my car to the hotel at my first reunion in 2006. Here's how it worked out:
I figured I'd hardly know anybody. I'd only been in the Navy for a few hitches, so I didn't have 20 or 30 years' worth of acquaintances in my address book.
But, at the door to the hotel, I ran into Kim Holl, with whom I'd been stationed with twice at the school--once when he was an MU2 in the Intermediate Course, and again when, as an MUC, he pinned on my chief's anchors.
I got in line at the check-in desk and found myself standing behind Doyle Church, my LPO from my first unit.
Carrying my luggage to the elevator, I ran into Charlie Sweet, who'd led my first show band.
Just as I was unlocking the door to my room, a voice hollered down the hall, "Where the hell is Mullen--I heard the S.O.B is here!" It was John Hanson, an old S.O.M. pal.
Sure, your mileage may vary. Those who served full careers will likely know more attendees, and one-hitchers will know fewer. But, broadly, the folks you run into at MMA reunions fall into four separate categories:
- People you know. This is what you hope for. Nowadays, with social media and various forms of electronic communication, it's easier than ever to find out what your shipmates are planning. (Pro tip: when contacting an old shipmate, instead of asking if he's going to the reunion, tell him you're going. With this, you've just convinced a newcomer that he'll know someone at the reunion!)
- People you knew in the Navy, but not well. You arrived at a band, and met a clarinet player who shipped out within a month. Just as your tour was ending, a new guitar player checked in. You all have much in common, but never really had a chance to talk. Until now.
- People you never met, but heard about. In the small world of Navy music, stories routinely fly around the fleet. Everyone in your first band told stories about people from previous bands. After a few years, you were telling such stories, too. NMA reunions offer the opportunity to finally meet the stars of these stories. (I say this like it's a good thing, but keep in mind that, from someone else's point of view, you may be the star of some stories. Oh, how often I have wished I could travel back in time and alter my behavior just a tad. When NMA members gather in the lounge for conviviality, the beverages are cold, but the stories are hot.)
- Friends You're Meeting for the First Time. You probably won't realize it immediately, but NMA reunions don't just serve to rekindle old relationships; they spark new ones, too.
Despite all that rah-rah I told you about all the shipmates I ran into at my first reunion, they amounted to only a fraction of the MUs in attendance. No matter how many or few old friends you encounter at a reunion, most people will be strangers--when you first meet, that is. As days pass and you talk with them about the bands you were in, mutual friends, good times and bad times, these strangers turn into shipmates. After only a few reunions, I found myself looking forward to meeting up every year with MUs I hadn't known in the Navy.
So, if you're thinking about joining us for the first time, I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about who you'll know. Walk in the hotel, find the Registration Room, sign in, and join the party.
