Sponson Box – Past Issues
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/by adminWATCH and LISTEN To: St Louis Reunion Farewell Dinner Video #1
St Louis Farewell Dinner Video #2
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USMC VTA Mini-Reunion in Wyoming!!!
The dates are September 17th to 20th, 2022
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites
1002 – 11th Street, Lander, WY 82520
REMINDER: This is a mini-reunion…there is no registration form and no upfront fee. We will be asking for “donations” after we arrive and get moving…
ACIVITY SCHEDULE:
Saturday, Sept. 17 – Arrive. Lunch on your own.
For dinner we are thinking about arranging for an “Old West” dinner in the little town of Hudson which is about ten miles outside of Lander. You will be responsible for your own beverages … but dinner will be paid for by the VTA. I have been told that you will probably remember the meal for a long time after. And by the by, we will select several of the restaurant’s best-selling items for you to choose from…to be chosen by you about a month before we gather. Please don’t arrive too late or you’ll miss dinner.
Sunday, Sept. 18 – Free Breakfast at the hotel.
We will then travel by charter bus to Dubois and spend the day at the National Military Vehicle Museum. We plan to have VTA-provided box lunch at the museum.
We will travel back to Lander in the late afternoon / early evening. Dinner will be on your own in Lander or where ever you choose to dine.
Monday, Sept. 19 – Free Breakfast at the hotel.
This will be a “chill day.” You can hang out in the hotel hospitality room or you can travel around (on your own) as a tourist. Lunch and Dinner on your own.
Local Sites: Shoshone Rose Casino (in Lander)
Sinks Canyon State Park
Museum of the American West
Popo Agie Falls Trail
Freemont County Pioneer Museum
Wild Horse Sanctuary
Chance Phillips, USMC burial site (of “Taking Chance” movie fame) (in Dubois)
Wind River Reservation Casino (in Riverton)
Order a FREE site seeing guide book: https://www.go-wyoming.com/Lander/Attractions/#
Tuesday, Sept. 20 – Free Breakfast at the hotel.
Travel home … or embark on a tour of Wyoming (Jackson Hole, Yellowstone, the Grand Tetons, Etc.) on your own.
AIRLINE FLIGHT: If you need to make airline reservations we will be flying into the Riverton, Wyoming airport. Right now, there are three flights per day into Riverton. There may be some unfortunate changes where there is only one flight per day. I highly recommend that you take care of this sooner than later.
PLEASE NOTE: Just so you are aware, several attendees are flying to either Salt Lake City, UT; Denver, CO; Jackson Hole or Cheyenne, WY and renting a car to drive to Lander … many of them are planning to take time after the gathering to be tourists in the area.
CAR RENTAL: At this point, the car rental situation in Riverton is considered “slim” … but if we get our heads together and commit ahead of time, we may be able to arrange to make the situation “better.” That is, let me know if you intend to rent a car and we will try to get the rental people to remedy any shortfalls.
Again, you may want to fly to a larger city (Salt Lake, Denver, Jackson Hole or Cheyenne) and rent a car to drive to the Lander, WY hotel.
As you may or may not know, due to the COVID hysteria forced a lot of car rental companies to sell off excess cars and now they are facing a very short supply of rental cars because car manufacturers cannot make new cars fast enough to fulfill demand.
TRANSPORTATION: There are four or five “fixed route” buses from Riverton to Lander each day. This is a no-cost bus service. It is not an “on demand: service. They have a set schedule where departure times may be hours apart. This bus service is the Wind River Transit Authority at 307-856-7118.
If you need to travel on your own schedule, there is a taxi service (it is $70 each way) and you need to contact Gator Creek Taxi by Aug. 1st at (307) 851-3619 to reserve your ride. There may be another shuttle bus starting up later in the year. That new shuttle bus will also have a fee to ride from the Riverton Airport to Lander.
LANDER HOTEL: The room rate is $159.00 per night. We will be staying for three nights. We will be getting a FREE breakfast so that it worth (what?) $20.
You HAVE TO make your room reservations NOW!!! The contact information is below. Most of us know and understand that the hotel will not charge you until you check out of your room on the last day. Please secure your room reservation right away.
If you call and the hotel says that they are “out of rooms” for us, please call John Wear (719-495-5998) and I will see about adding more rooms to our block of rooms.
The Holiday Inn Express & Suites
1002 – 11th Street, Lander, WY 82520
Please note, guests will need to make their individual reservations by the cut-off date, August 20th. After this date any unclaimed rooms will be released and reservations will be taken on a space and rate availability basis. Reservations can be made by calling the hotel directly at 307-332-4005 or on line using the link below: (The group code and rate will populate when they put in their travel dates)
Board Of Directors
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DIRECTORS
How To Join & Membership Form
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If you are a US Marine veteran who served with a US Marine tank battalion in any capacity and at any time, you may be eligible to become a member of our brotherhood.
If you would send an email to us with your name and current mailing address, we will send you a “Membership Recruiting Package” that contains a sample of the Sponson Box, our 48-page quarterly magazine (that is filled with personal stories and photographs of our time in-country) … and an official USMC VTA membership application.
Email to:
National Recruiter & Webmaster- usmctanker@comcast.net
President- johnwear2@verizon.net
If you qualify for membership fill out the application, enclose a check with your annual membership fee ($30) and enclose a copy of your DD-214.
Send your application paperwork to:
USMC VTA
c/o John Wear
16605 Forest Green Terrace
Elbert, CO 80106
To become a member, simply print out the Membership Application Form below. Fill it out completely and enclose a check for $30 made out to the “USMC VTA”.
You must also enclose a copy of your DD-214 (it is an IRS requirement that we have these on hand in our office if ever audited by the IRS; it is required of all nonprofit military veteran’s organizations).
Send all three items to:
USMC VTA
c/o John Wear
16605 Forest Green Terrace
Elbert, Colorado 80106
To download a membership application form CLICK HERE
Contact Us
/by adminIf you are a US Marine veteran who served with a US Marine tank battalion in any capacity and at any time, you may be eligible to become a member of our brotherhood.
If you would send an email to us with your name and current mailing address, we will send you a “Membership Recruiting Package” that contains a sample of the Sponson Box, our 48-page quarterly magazine (that is filled with personal stories and photographs of our time in-country) … and an official USMC VTA membership application.
Email to:
National Recruiter & Webmaster – usmctanker@comcast.net
President – johnwear2@verizon.net
Then if you qualify for membership … and then if you fill out the membership application, enclose a check with your annual membership fee ($30) and enclose a copy of your DD-214 then we will send you a beautiful embroidered USMC VTA patch.
Send your application paperwork to:
USMC VTA
c/o John Wear
16605 Forest Green Terrace
Members Photos
/by adminFallen Heroes, Tanks & Ontos
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/by adminWidowhood & SSA Financial Impact When a spouse dies, not only is there the profound emotional loss but also there’s frequently a financial one as well. While a widow receives Social Security survivors’ benefits, she can’t receive the same amount of Social Security income that she and her deceased spouse enjoyed before. And, while Social Security income drops, the effective tax rate tends to increase due to the change in filing status. To top it all off, there are a host of bureaucratic hoops to jump through when a spouse passes away. Here’s a few of the most important: Several approaches to modify Social Security benefits in order to aid widows are available to Congress. One widely discussed option would boost the widow’s benefit to a percentage of the couple’s combined Social Security benefit (such as 75% of the combined benefit) when the deceased spouse was alive, allowing the widow to choose the higher of the new boosted benefit or what she would otherwise receive as a widow’s benefit. [Source: [Source: The Senior Citizens League | October 19, 2021 ++] VA: Federal Benefits, for Veterans, Dependents and Survivors 2021 Edition If you would like to make a Legacy donation to the USMC Vietnam Tankers Association upon checking into the Big Tank Park in the Sky, we have outlined a guide for your planning in making an informed and impactful decision. All you need to do is follow a few simple steps to ensure your Legacy Donation is in place. Example: VTA Buddy Fund–VTA Scholarship Fund–VTA General Fund a) Specific Bequest: I give, devise and bequeath to the USMC Vietnam Tankers Association 16605 Forest Green Terrace. Elbert, CO. 80106, the sum of $_________ ( or here otherwise describe the gift) for its ( where the Legacy Donation is to be used or put) general purposes as shall be determined by its Board. b) Residuary Bequest: All (or state a_______%) of the rest, residue, remainder of my property, both real and personal and whosesoever situated, I give, devise and bequeath to the USMC Vietnam Tankers Association 16605 Forest Green Terrace. Elbert, CO. 80106 for its (where the Legacy Donation is to be used or put: general purposes as shall be determined by the Board). c) Gift of Other Personal Property: I give the USMC Vietnam Tankers Association 16605 Forest Green Terrace. Elbert, CO. 80106 (here describe the gift, for example: coins, property, collections and/or firearms) for its (where the Legacy Donation is to be used or put: general purposes as shall be determined by its Board). USMC Vietnam Tankers Association IRS: number 207115000 Effective date: 7/7/06 Combat Tax Exempt Association 501(c) 19 If you have questions please call or email: Rick Lewis Vice President USMC VTA and he will get answers to your questions. Rick can be reached via phone at 858-735-1772 or email: ricklent@aol.com If you would like to make a Legacy donation to the USMC Vietnam Tankers Association upon checking into the Big Tank Park in the Sky, we have outlined a guide for your planning in making an informed and impactful decision. All you need to do is follow a few simple steps to ensure your Legacy Donation is in place. Example: VTA Buddy Fund–VTA Scholarship Fund–VTA General Fund a) Specific Bequest: I give, devise and bequeath to the USMC Vietnam Tankers Association 16605 Forest Green Terrace. Elbert, CO. 80106, the sum of $_________ ( or here otherwise describe the gift) for its ( where the Legacy Donation is to be used or put) general purposes as shall be determined by its Board. b) Residuary Bequest: All (or state a_______%) of the rest, residue, remainder of my property, both real and personal and whosesoever situated, I give, devise and bequeath to the USMC Vietnam Tankers Association 16605 Forest Green Terrace. Elbert, CO. 80106 for its (where the Legacy Donation is to be used or put: general purposes as shall be determined by the Board). c) Gift of Other Personal Property: I give the USMC Vietnam Tankers Association 16605 Forest Green Terrace. Elbert, CO. 80106 (here describe the gift, for example: coins, property, collections and/or firearms) for its (where the Legacy Donation is to be used or put: general purposes as shall be determined by its Board). USMC Vietnam Tankers Association IRS: number 207115000 Effective date: 7/7/06 Combat Tax Exempt Association 501(c) 19 If you have questions please call or email: Rick Lewis Vice President USMC VTA and he will get answers to your questions. Rick can be reached via phone at 858-735-1772 or email: ricklent@aol.com
USMC VTA Legacy Donation Program
USMC VTA Legacy Donation Program
Our Organization
/by adminWe hold a national reunion every odd numbered year. We rotate the reunion site around the country to give people a better chance to attend one close by. We try to keep it near an area of military interest. We have have taken side trips during each reunion such as the U.S. Army Proving Grounds in Aberdeen, MD, MCRD Parris Island, the battleship USS New Jersey and The Wall in Washington, DC, etc.

2019 Seattle Reunion, WA Reunion

2015 Washington, DC Reunion

2013 San Antonio, Texas Reunion

2011 San Diego, California Reunion

2009 Charleston, South Carolina Reunion

2007 Las Vegas, Nevada Reunion

2005 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania Reunion

2003 Seattle, Washington Reunion

2001 Minneapolis, Minnesota Reunion

1999 Washington, D.C. Reunion
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About Us
The U.S. Marine Corps introduced the M48A3 Patton Tank and the M50A1 Ontos Anti-Tank vehicles to the Vietnam War in March of 1965, a war that many, including the Commander of Military Assistance Command, Vietnam (MACV), Army’s Gen. Westmoreland, said armor had no place in. Marine armor proved so effective that the U.S. Army later followed suit. Today the USMC VietnamTankers Association keeps alive that brotherhood and history of Marine armor of the Vietnam War.The USMC Vietnam Tankers Association is a non-profit fraternal organization (brotherhood) of United States Marines and Navy Corpsmen veterans who served with any of the three Marine Corps tank battalions (1st, 3rd and 5th Tank Battalions) or anti-tank battalions (1st, 3rd and 5th Anti-Tank Battalions) in Vietnam between 1965 and 1970. Membership is open to any and all military occupational specialties (MOS) that were assigned to a Marine tank battalion including: tank crewmen and officers, Ontos crewmen and officers, tank repairmen, optics repair, ordinance, armorers, supply, office clerks, cooks, motor-t, and our beloved Navy Corpsmen. Our motto is “Ensuring our legacy through Reunion, Renewal and Remembrance.”Every other odd-numbered year we hold a Reunion in a different U.S. city to Renew and reestablish the friendships and experiences we shared during the Vietnam War. And thirdly, we Remember those fallen heroes who perished on the battlefield as well as those that have passed on since. In addition, we actively record and publish our personal and unit histories for future generations to ensure our legacy making certain that the contribution made by tanks and Ontos in the Vietnam War is not lost in the writing of U.S. Marine Corps battle history.
FOR INFORMATION ABOUT OUR 2021 REUNION IN PROVIDENCE, RI GO TO REUNION NEWS

Our Organization
We hold a national reunion every odd numbered year. We rotate the reunion site around the country to give people a better chance to attend one close by. We try to keep it near an area of military interest. We have have taken side trips during each reunion such as the U.S. Army Proving Grounds in Aberdeen, MD, MCRD Parris Island, the battleship USS New Jersey and The Wall in Washington, DC, etc.
Contact Details
16605 Forest Green Terrace
Elbert, CO 80106
Useful Links
- Our Organization
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- View by Tank Companies & Ontos Battalions
- Alpha Co – 1st Tanks
- Bravo Co – 3rd ATs
- Bravo Co – 1st Tanks
- Charlie Co – 1st Tanks
- H&S Co – 1st Tanks
- Alpha Co – 3rd Tanks
- Bravo Co – 3rd Tanks
- Charlie Co – 3rd Tanks
- H&S Co – 3rd Tanks
- Alpha Co – 5th Tanks
- Bravo Co – 5th Tanks
- First Anti-Tank Bn.
- Bravo Co – 1st ATs
- Charlie Co – 1st ATs
- H&S Co – 1st ATs
- Third Anti-Tank Bn.
- Charlie Co – 3rd ATs
- H&S Co – 3rd ATs
- Fifth Anti-Tank Bn.
- Bravo Co – 5th ATs
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