4th LAR Bn Reunion
July 14 - 16, 2022 | Circus Circus Reno, NV
Iron Horse Marines,
I hope you and your families are doing well. It has been a very long time – actually too long – since we’ve assembled and I firmly believe we are long overdue for a reunion. We had hoped for a 10 year reunion but COVID 19 prevented that from occurring. Nonetheless Pat Garrahan and Michael Pleasant have been working diligently since the outbreak of COVID to put this reunion together and I would be honored, and thankful, to see as many of you as possible in July.
The MEB HQ has been conducting reunions since 2011 and the interest/attendance has only grown for them over the years. Why? Because the opportunity to get together with the Marines and Sailors with whom they served in combat has proven to be a very positive experience. Let’s follow their lead and do the same for the Iron Horse team.
Right now we have 7 Gold Star Families committed to attending our reunion but our Marine and Sailor responses have been low. I know we are all incredibly busy but I’m hopeful that over the next 10 weeks you’ll be able to carve out a weekend to reunite with your brothers-in-arms, honor our fallen and their families and enjoy the fellowship a reunion offers. I ask that if you are reading this, commit to attending and pass the word to your fellow Marines and Sailors so that we can make this a memorable and impactful weekend for everyone who served with, supported, or sacrificed as a member of the 4th LAR team.
Sandy and I hope to see you in July.
Semper Fidelis,
Mike Martin
News
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During the reunion ceremony, we’d like to have a slideshow playing in the background showing off moments and memories from different eras of 4th LAR’s history. If you have family friendly photos you’d like to share and have included in the slideshow, we’d love to have them! Visit our Photos page where you can upload your pictures to us.
We will be taking plenty of photos during the reunion as we’re sure many of you will be. After the reunion has concluded, we’ll be asking that attendees share their photos similarly on our Photos page where everyone can enjoy the collection. Make sure to check back during and after the event!
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4th LAR Marines, Sailors, family members, support groups, sponsors, and attendees:
We have been in contact with some of our Gold Star Family members throughout the process of planning this reunion and recently broke the good news about meeting our minimum required numbers to make the event official. In their own words, they have said they are looking forward to attending the reunion and describe the opportunity to meet or reunite with many of you who served with their sons as being, “awesome,” “epic,” and “memorable.”
We have a duty to remember our fallen brothers and to make the reunion as awesome, epic, and memorable as possible for their families. We will not disappoint and we appreciate everyone’s support and participation along the way. If you haven’t purchased your tickets yet, or can help spread the word, every little bit helps.
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First, thank you to those who stepped up and bought tickets this past week. We have now hit our minimum attendance numbers and the reunion is definitely a go!
Everything is in place for an outstanding reunion and you should be there! This is a rare opportunity for us to gather, reconnect, and enjoy the brotherhood and camaraderie we shared during our ‘09-10 OEF deployment.
Most importantly, this is an extremely significant opportunity for us as a group to honor our fallen brothers and pay our respects to the Gold Star Family members who will be attending. The sacrifices of our warriors and their families deserve your attendance at the reunion. Please make every effort to attend.
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We have some exciting news for the reunion!
Attendees can look forward to going home with some quality memorabilia from their time reconnecting. All items and meals each evening are included with the ticket price and can be seen in the images above.
We’ve had remarkable support and generosity from our sponsors and donations to make this possible and we can’t thank them enough. To learn more about them, check out our sponsor wall.
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As the reunion draws closer, we are trying to spread the word to everyone who deployed with the battalion in 2009 and we need your help. Please pass along the reunion information to any 4th LAR vets you are in contact with so we don’t leave anyone out. An easy way to share that information is by sending them to our website: www.4thlar.com which will continue to have all the latest news and details.
We’ve had some questions about 4th LAR vets from other time periods other than our 2009 deployment and whether they can attend the reunion. The answer is YES! Any 4th LAR Marine, Sailor, or supporting element from any time period is welcome to attend.
Please purchase your reunion tickets and make your room reservations sooner rather than later before the event is sold out! This also allows us to provide the reunion venue and our sponsors with an ongoing head count to aid in their planning.
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Our upcoming reunion has received overwhelming response from several veteran-oriented sponsors to cover much of the event expenses.
Due to this phenomenal donor support, tickets for the entire three-day reunion will be available for just:
$50 for adults
$15 for children (17 and younger)
Don’t delay as there are a limited number of tickets and they are sure to go fast. Buy your tickets now!
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We recently connected with USMC 2D MEB-A Task Force Leatherneck and made aware of their own reunion plans this coming May 13-15, 2022, in Quantico, VA. They’ve pledged their support for our own reunion and are helping to spread the word to fellow 4th LAR Marines and Sailors.
We thank them for their support and wish them success with their reunion this Spring. You can learn more about their reunion here: https://mca-marines.org/task-force-leatherneck-reunion/
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The reunion preparations are kicking into high gear and we are beginning to spread the word amongst our fellow Marines, Sailors, and family members. More frequent updates can be expected over the coming weeks.
For now, we’re excited to offer reunion attendees an opportunity to contribute their experiences with our partner: Witness to War which aims to preserve historical accounts of events from the perspective of those who served. Anyone interested in participating can sign up ahead of time here: https://www.witnesstowar.org/schedule and select 4th LAR Reunion.
Be on the lookout for 4th LAR Reunion posts across many social media channels for opportunities to help spread the word. We appreciate all the help we can get to let as many know about the reunion as possible.
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We are excited to announce that we have partnered with a number of supporting organizations to assist in making our reunion a success! We give our sincere thanks and appreciation to the following groups:
These organizations will most certainly help make our upcoming reunion an event to remember. More reunion information will be coming shortly after the New Year. Our reunion will be a rare opportunity to get reacquainted, enjoy camaraderie, and remember our fallen. So mark your calendars and plan to attend.
Agenda
Thursday - July 14th
Welcome Aboard consisting of a light dinner and bar. This is the opportunity to get reacquainted with our brothers-in-arms and start things rolling.
Friday - July 15th
Buffet banquet dinner and open bar featuring keynote speaker Major General Mike Martin, the former 4th LAR battalion commander. We will memorialize our fallen and recall memories of deployment.
Saturday - July 16th
We close with a Farewell Gathering consisting of a light dinner and bar. This will be the final opportunity to see each other and say our farewells until we meet again.
MajGen Mike Martin
Airfare
Reno-Tahoe International Airport (RNO)
Airlines currently serving RNO
Lodging
Circus Circus - Reno, NV
Rooms must be booked no later than June 24, 2022 for group rates.
Use Group Code: SC4LAR
Ground Transportation
Hotel Shuttle
Circus Circus Reno also offers daily airport shuttle service. Upon your arrival at the Reno Tahoe International Airport, proceed to the baggage claim area and follow the signage directing you to the general airport shuttle area to board the Circus Circus Reno shuttle.
Past Reunion Sponsors
Semper Fi & America’s Fund
Semper Fi & America’s Fund is dedicated to providing assistance to our combat wounded, critically ill and injured service members, military family members, and veterans, from all branches of the U.S. Armed Forces.
Warrior Reunion Foundation
Warrior Reunion Foundation supports combat veterans in overcoming the challenges of post-military transition by reconnecting those who served together overseas. We challenge stigma through shared experience, rebuilding essential peer support networks that enable our veterans to live with meaning, purpose and positive impact in their communities.
The Independence Fund is committed to empowering our nation’s catastrophically wounded, injured, or ill Veterans to overcome physical, mental, and emotional wounds incurred in the line of duty. They are dedicated to improving the lives of both our Veterans and their families.
Independence Fund
The Focus Program serves wounded warriors in various stages of transition and recovery. Their mission is to develop and administer programs for wounded warriors which will assist them in their transition from military to civilian lives.
Focus Marines Foundation
