Chris McKeever

Members of the 6th U.S. Cavalry Association reunite this weekend, renewing military friendships as well as memories of the sounds of horses and sights of prisoners of war at the former Fort Oglethorpe Army base.

Today and Sunday will mark the 108th reunion of the Association, and the 61st of them held in Fort Oglethorpe.

“The 6th Cavalry was here from 1919 until 1942, and this year the association purchased a restored World War II Jeep to give to our 6th Cavalry Museum,” Chris McKeever, museum executive director, said about the unit formed in 1861 for the Civil War.

She said bout 80 to 90 association members, plus family and friends, are expected for the annual reunion.

At tonight’s banquet, Maj. Gen. James Simmons, deputy commanding general U.S. Army, III Corps, and deputy commanding general for Support Multi-National Corps-Iraq, will be the speaker.

John Williams, who served two of his nine years in the U.S. Army with the 6th Cavalry at Fort Knox in 1980-82, was visiting the museum on Barnhardt Circle on Friday.

“I am considerably younger than many members, including some who served with the unit here before 1942. I enjoy hearing those fellows talk about World War II, Gen. George Patton and recount tales of activities at Fort Oglethorpe,” said Mr. Williams, who drove here from Tampa, Fla.

“I’ve been an association member for three years, and this is my second reunion,” he said.

Some events surrounding the reunion are open to the public and help local residents understand the importance of the Army base and of the unit in many of America’s past wars, Ms. McKeever said.

Those include a memorial service and wreath-laying ceremony Sunday, followed by free tours of the museum and two of the former officers quarters homes on historic Barnhardt Circle.

The vintage Jeep will be the museum’s newest display item.

Matt Fox, a resident of Lookout Mountain above Rising Fawn, Ga., and an expert at restoration of the Willys Jeeps, delivered the association gift to the museum Friday morning.

“This is a 1944 Model Willys MB that took about 18 months to restore,” he said. “I restored two or three each year before, but having a family limits the time I spend with restoration.”

Ms. McKeever said it is an honor to get Maj. Gen. Simmons as the speaker for tonight’s banquet at 7 at the Comfort Inn, East Ridge.

In his Iraq duties, the general was responsible for 34,680 soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines in two commands and nine separate brigades.

Maj. Gen. Simmons previously served with the 6th U.S. Cavalry Brigade.

The Memorial Service will be at 11 a.m. Sunday at Calvary Memorial Baptist Church, then events move about one block to the 6th U.S. Cavalry monument on Barnhardt Circle and the wreath-laying ceremony to honor the 94 members of the unit killed in action in World War II and association members who have died in the past year.

The museum and the historic officers’ homes will be open for free tours until 4 p.m. There also will be living history demonstrations.

The home of Paula Muina is one of the houses that will be open. She said her family is glad to open their home for tours to honor 6th Cavalry veterans.

“Participating in the reunion activities is the least we can do to show our thanks for their sacrifices,” Mrs. Muina said.

The Fort Oglethorpe Army base opened in 1905, was home to the 6th U.S. Cavalry from 1919 until 1942, and served as a training center for the Women’s Army Corps and an internment camp for prisoners of war during World War II.

High-profile military and government visitors to Fort Oglethorpe over the years included President Teddy Roosevelt, General of the Armies John Pershing, Gen. George Patton, President Franklin Roosevelt and then-Capt. Dwight D. Eisenhower.