The
annual Currahee Military Weekend is only a few weeks away—Thursday through
Sunday, October 3 – 6, 2013. These events are sponsored and hosted by Stephens
County Historical Society, Main Street Toccoa, Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber
of Commerce, and Camp Toccoa at Currahee.
We
will have several events new and different this year and we are looking forward
to the return of many of our guest from past military weekends and we will have
some new faces to join in for the events.
New
this year, the Stephens County Community Theater will perform the “A Musical
Tribute to Our Veterans” live on Thursday October 3rd at the Schaefer Center.
On Saturday at the Airport there will be a Huey AND a Cobra helicopter
available for rides.
We
look forward to these gentlemen arriving in Toccoa, some on Thursday, October 3rd,
and Friday, October 4th. Some of them will be speaking to students in the
Stephens County School System Friday morning.
Later
on Friday you may meet some of them at the annual Chamber of Commerce BBQ, at First
Baptist Church. Call the Chamber at 706-886-2132
for more information and tickets.
After
the BBQ they will be attending and available for visits at “WWII on Paper.” The
veterans will be autographing books, pictures, and other memorabilia from 1-4
p.m. Friday afternoon in the Mitchell
Allen Memorial Hall at the depot. participating in the parade Saturday morning
at 11 a.m.; attending the banquet Saturday evening; and attending the memorial
service at Currahee Mountain Sunday morning.
You might even see some of them at the hangar dance to be held in the
LeTourneau hangar at the airport Friday night at 7 p.m.
Activities
at the airport will begin Friday night with the hangar dance and will continue
Saturday with helicopter rides, vintage planes on display, and army recruiter
displays.
The
Currahee Challenge Run/Walk, sponsored by the Toccoa-Stephens County Chamber of
Commerce, will begin Saturday at 7:45 a.m. for the 3M run and at 8:30 a.m. for
the 6M run. The run, of course, is held
at Currahee Mountain.
Participants
in the parade will include the Stephens County High School Indian Band, Camp
Toccoa veterans, re-enactors driving military vehicles, Stephens County High
School JROTC, new military recruits, Shriners, and more. The parade will begin after a parachute jump
by the Special Forces Association Parachute Team. The museum will close during the parade and
opening ceremonies, so that volunteers and guest may enjoy these events.
Visitors will be allowed to return, with their pass, to the museum after the
ceremonies.
Opening
ceremonies will be held at the depot following the parade. The Blue Ridge Rifles from North Georgia
College and State University will perform and the Stephens County High School
JROTC will perform the presentation of colors.
On
Saturday afternoon at the Train Depot the historical society is sponsoring the
“2025 Grenade Toss.” There are only 250
grenades available, so call, 706-282-5055 to reserve your chance to win first
prize of $500. There are 250 prizes, so every grenade wins something.
The
annual fundraising banquet and auction Saturday night will be at a new but then
also, an old location. This event will be at Camp Toccoa at Currahee, the old
WWII training camp!!! Also new for the
banquet is a 1940's Radio Show, bringing the sounds,
sites, and stories of the WWII years back to the old camp site for the first
time in seventy years!! Long time local
resident and radio business man, Roy Gaines of WNEG history will be the MC,
along with the Vintage Vocals and other local talent. Seats are limited, so
make your plans to join us for a fun night at Currahee!!! This event is open to the public, the dinner
and entertainment is $50 a ticket, for reservations call 706-282-5055.
Other
community organizations involved in the weekend include the Civil Air Patrol,
Marine Corps League, American Legion, VFW, Stephens County High School Junior
ROTC, the Pilot Club of Toccoa, Toccoa Lions Club, Rotary Club of Toccoa, and
the Stephens County High School and Toccoa Elementary choruses.
Also new this year, we want everyone to
dress up in period dress likes it’s the 1940’s all weekend long. The hair
dressers in town will offer 40’s hairstyles and there are plenty of army
fatigues around.
This
event began years ago as a reunion for the men that trained at Camp Toccoa, and
has since turned into a weekend of fun and fellowship. The event is now open to
the community and general public, as well as all veterans and their families.
Living
historians and re-enactors from Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, Wisconsin,
Oklahoma, and Tennessee will be present for the weekend and will set up their
camps on the Stephens County Courthouse lawn and other areas near the museum.
A
memorabilia show will be set up in downtown Toccoa, and it will be open Friday
and Saturday.
Visitors
to Toccoa/Stephens County are encouraged to visit the Camp Toccoa property donated
to the Stephens County Historical Society by Pacolet-Milliken, Inc. and the
memorials that are nearby. Plans for the project may be viewed in the
office/gift shop at the Currahee Military Museum and at Camp Toccoa at
Currahee.
Currahee
Military Weekend officially ends Sunday morning with memorial and in honor of
all veterans at 8:30 a.m. at the memorials at Camp Toccoa at Currahee. Farewells are given after breakfast downtown
Toccoa.
