We have been spending a busy, but delightful summer in the Seattle & Bellevue, WA area, enjoying an especially  blue & dry prelude to “Indian Summer”, but as you read this the Bitemans have, once again packed bushels of papers, books, ref­erence materials and computer gear into and atop the car, and headed for our winter abode in Mesa, AZ. (We emphasize ‘Mesa’ because we no long­er live in our RV in Apache Jctn. and hope to arrive in mid-November, 2001, at: 2131 So. Silkwood Ave Mesa, AZ, 85212 )

Have you started your serious plans for attend­ing the upcoming 18FWA ‘SEA-02’ gather­ing in the beautiful Pacific Northwest next year?  The count-down has begun ... it is now less than twelve  months away, and at our age we must remember how  ‘time really flies’-  before we even begin to have our fun.   

Previous issues of Status Reports have touch­ed briefly on our planned facilities at the Seattle Double-Tree Suites hotel, where we will be within strolling distance of the major South­center shopping mall, staying in modern guest suites for only $115 per night.. with freedom to extend your stay a few days before or after the reunion, at the same rate.  Select city coach tours will be available (at extra cost) for those interested, and free time is planned for socializing and sightseeing.  A major attraction will be free access to the world-famous Boeing Museum of Flight.

Detailed schedules of events will be cov­ered insubsequent flyers and newsletters.  At this point we just want to remind you – again - to get your personal plans into action – and to be sure your Dues are paid through Oct,  2002, so you will not miss out on the vital info because – ‘heaven  forbid’, we were forced to drop you from our Membership rolls for non-payment of  Dues. 

We find it necessary to repeat in each Status Report issue ... to ask members to “Check your mailing label for your membership EXPIRATION DATE. If your renewal is postmarked after the date shown, your renewal fee is $24, not the  discounted $20 fee  for early payment. We DO NOT mail out any other expiration reminders.   Renewal is up to you.

 If you fail to notify us of your address change, it’s highly likely that you will not receive subsequent newsletters, due to postal regulations which prohibit their forwarding of bulk mail.

 As this Status Report is being compiled, we made a quick review of how many members are now overdue ... can you believe that a total of eighty-one members are in arrears?  22 are more than 1 year behind; 21 are more than 6 months overdue, and 38 are three to six months beyond their expiration dates.  Of 387 active registered members on our present rolls, eighty-one are in arrears, and forty-three are in imminent peril of being dropped from membership.

We have never  raised our dues, and don’t intend to .. in fact, we offer a $4 reduction if payment is postmarked  before expiration. 

   “Are we having fun yet?”
I’m not!   --  Bud B.

Caps, Patches, Pins, Decals, Books To place orders, contact Steve Seele at 541-772-4306 or write 1553 Grand Ave., Medford, OR. 97504 All caps: $18 plus $4.00 postage & handling ($22.00 total) Patches: $5.00 ea. + $1.00 p&h 4" (12, 39, 44, or 67th Sq & 18FWA) 18FFWA Lapel Pins: $4.50 ea + .50 p&h 18FWA Decals: $2.00 ea or 3 for $5.00 pp Book: Mustangs over Korea - $35.pp. Send payment with order & make all checks payable to "18th Ftr Wg Assn."

Brigadier ‘Jock’ Lello, SAAF, Ret, head of So. African Korean War Veterans Assoc. (SAKWVA) has been send­­ing their monthly newsletter  ‘across the pond’  via e-mail lately .  As items of mutual interest appear, I try to forward e-mail copies to 18FWA troops who I think would be interested.  If you (18FWA vets only) are interested in receiving  a direct copy of their newsletter you might contact Jock Lello at:    jlello@lantic.net  

We are fortunate in having a number of other SAAF Korean vet’s e-mail addresses. if you learn others, please pass them along to us.