The Michigan Company of Military Historians and Collectors!
MEETINGS take place the second Monday of every month at the:
Downtown Holiday Inn, 310 Pearl NW, Grand Rapids, MI 49504 (Free parking)
Socializing begins at 6:00, dinner at 7:00, business meeting, 7:15 and program at 8:00
Ample free parking available
You are cordially invited to attend the 2023 Open Mess of the Michigan Company of Military Historians and Collectors. Join us for a unique social
evening patterned after a traditional British regimental “Ladies Dining-In-Night,” with a bit of ceremony, a piper and a round of toasts, along with a great dinner, good company and an entertaining guest speaker.
Saturday, November 18, 2023
Boulder Creek Golf Club
5750 Brewer NE
Belmont, Michigan 49306
(616)363-1330
Cocktails at 6:00 PM
Dinner at 7:00 PM
Rev. Thomas Bradley
Gentlemen: Suit or Jacket
Ladies: Semi-Formal Attire
Speaker: Bill Blair-U.S. Army
We are back! After a three-year pandemic hiatus, the Open Mess will again be held. We have a very entertaining speaker for you to celebrate the event’s return.
Bill Blair is a 35-year A.my veteran who had a remarkable career retiring as a Brigadier General in Army Aviation. Initially serving as a Ranger in Vietnam, he earned a battlefield commission and became an Anny aviator commanding a Cavalry Troop. He assisted in rescuing prisoners and in the process was once shot down 13 times in a 24-hour time span! One of his Huey helicopters that he flew in Vietnam is on display at the Smithsonian Air & Space Museum. After the war, Bill became commandant of the Army Aviation Logistics School.
After his Army career, Bill became involved with many pursuits including Scouting, historical re-enacting, black powder shooting, gardening, teaching and even being an extra in two movies. He now lives in Virginia with his wife “Babe”. An Irishman with a natural flair for storytelling, Bill promises to be a worthy addition to the Company’s extensive list of distinguished Open Mess speakers.
Check out the “For the Good of the Company” page for a great series of videos on British Mess traditions!
The Michigan Company of Military Historians and Collectors (MCMHC) is a private organization dedicated to the observation and study of military history and to the memorialization of those involved in some of those historical moments. Our membership is composed of a cross section of society which includes combat veterans, non-veterans, professional and amateur historians, modelers and collectors. Membership is by invitation and election only. Some of our members are distinguished and recognized authorities in their fields of military history, others have experienced first hand some of the most momentous times in military history, and the rest of us just wish we had. Military history as a discipline suffers from a kind of stigma. It is more often than not misunderstood as the realm of war lovers and warmongers. And yet, there is not one aspect of human history which either directly or indirectly can escape the study of military history. Many of our past and present advances in technology, medicine, and even our present social organization are connected in one way or another or due to some aspect of human conflict the subject of which is military history .
Members in good standing are welcome to invite prospective members to visit this website. As stated in our by-laws and constitution, “The purpose of this organization shall be to advance its members study and enjoyment of military history in all its facets.”
For membership information please contact Kingman Davis, Chairman of the Membership Committee at kuziaks@me.com