NSWUA (NNWA) History

Received from Danny Rider 23 Sept, 2001

The Association was formed in 1983 in Albuquerque by a group of Fleet Reserve Members of Branch 200 that were retired. They were ex enlisted and mainly mustangs from the old teams operating out of Sandia Base.

Headed by Jim Buchans and Don Fullbright with John E. Johnston as the first Chairman and William T. Owens as the first secretary/treasure and reunion chairman. They held the first reunion the third weekend in October 1983. The reunion was so successful they voted to have the second one the next year, also in Albuquerque . The second one was held October 19, 1984 . During this interval the constitution was drafted and I believe presented to the membership at the second reunion. This is the first one I attended and I do have a copy of it. ( being forwarded with this mail). It was in the constitution that the reunions would be on even numbered years hence. There was a clause however, that special meetings could be called with the boards agreement. I am not sure of all the officers at the second reunion, but Jim Buchans was the committee chairman for that one.

Reunion number three was held in Tulsa OK on October 17, 1986 and hosted by the McAlester group headed up by Fred Dyer as the committee chairman. A decision was passed to hold a special reunion the following year in San Diego CA . I don’t have a list of the officers during the third reunion.

Reunion number four was held in San Diego October 24, 1987 . (Tom Best attended this reunion as his first.) The Board was as follows:
Joe Bland President
Ernie Sanchez Vice-President
Jack Hayes Secretary
Lou Catron Treasure
John Cummings Members at Large
Don Fullbright “
Robert King “
Ralph Danklefsen “

Reunion number five was held in Las Vegas NV October 15, 1988 . The board was as follows:
Jim Buchans President
Jack Hayes Secretary
Lou Catron Treasure
Bob Bayes Members at Large
Don Waymeir “
Joe Butler “
Elton Call “

Reunion number six was held in Norfolk VA September 27, 1990 . The board was as follows:
Robert King President
Fred Dyer Vice- President
Danny Rider Secretary (Tom Best Relieved Danny shortly after this reunion)
Lou Catron Treasurer
Harry Stephens Chaplain
Don Micco Historian

I am not sure why we some times had a vice president and other times not, unless I missed seeing it listed somewhere. At this 1990 meeting I knew Don Micco had quite a collection of artifacts and a lot of history on the nuclear weapons program so I suggested that we elect him the historian with a unanimous vote of aye. We also changed the by-laws at this reunion to meet each year as we were losing too many of our shipmates over a two year period. This was also a resounding aye. It was also decided to elect a Chaplain which Henry Stephens had been fulfilling anyway.

Reunion number seven was held in Albuquerque again on October 17, 1991 with the same slate as the previous year by a unanimous vote.

Before reunion number seven I had to resign due to my wife’s car accident and my having to go back to work full time in order to save the photo business I had turned over to my son and his soon to be ex-wife. It was a hectic time and I had no time of my own. I missed number eight and nine and have been attending sporadically since. Not out of disinterest but out of necessity. I won’t make it again this year but am fully planning on it next year and hopefully from there on until my taps.

Yours on Loyalty;

Danny Rider