Fayetteville, North Carolina
Fayetteville, North Carolina’s ties to the military are older than the nation, dating back to before the American Revolution. Today, the city is home to Pope Army Air Field and Fort Bragg, the world’s largest military base by population, with nearly 240,000 people.
“I don’t think there’s any other community that shows their support to the military the way that the Fayetteville community does,” said John Meroski, president and CEO of the Fayetteville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Military groups and reunions can request meals at military dining facilities, and various officers’ clubs are available for banquets, parties and receptions. The CVB can also help arrange tours of Fort Bragg and Pope Army Airfield. On base, smaller events can reserve McKellar’s Lodge, and large functions can book a hangar.
A new $17.5 million conference facility at Fort Bragg is slated to open in March. The 49,000-squarefoot Fort Bragg Conference and Catering Center will seat up to 1,000 people, and the largest space can be split into seven smaller rooms. It will also have two boardrooms and a lunch buffet area.
In downtown, the Airborne and Special Operations Museum can host dinners for up to 500 people, and the North Carolina Veterans Park is next door. The Patriots Past and Present trail includes nearly 30 historic markers, memorials and museums, including the Fayetteville Independent Light Infantry Armory and Museum, which is good for groups of up to 50 people and “kind of a hidden gem in our community,” Meroski said.
Hopkinsville, Kentucky
Fort Campbell straddles the Kentucky- Tennessee border and is home to the renowned 101st Airborne Division, also known as the “Screaming Eagles.”
Only 20 miles north of Fort Campbell, Hopkinsville is home to many military personnel and families, and the city hosts military reunions and events throughout the year, said Cheryl Cook, executive director of the Hopkinsville-Christian County Convention and Visitors Bureau.
One of the city’s many repeat reunions is the Rakkasans, a regiment of the 101st Airborne, but Hopkinsville also draws active military meetings and events, such as military balls, hail and farewells and retirement dinners, Cook said.
Most use the city’s 26,000-square-foot James E. Bruce Convention Center, which can host receptions for up to 1,000 people. The center has a 15,000-square-foot exhibition hall that can be split into three 5,000-squarefoot spaces, as well as a 5,000-square-foot ballroom that can be broken into four rooms. Groups can also use smaller conference rooms or the 3,700-square-foot lobby, which has “winding staircases from the top to the bottom,” Cook said.
The CVB can also arrange guided tours of the base that — with enough advance planning — could include flying a Blackhawk simulator or doing simulation shooting, she said. Groups can also visit the on-base Don F. Pratt Museum, which focuses on the history of the 101st from the 1940s to the present.
At Fort Campbell, the 33,000-square-foot Cole Park Community Activities Center, also known as Cole Park Commons, has five banquet and meeting rooms that are open to soldiers, their families, retirees and civilians for meetings, conferences, reunions and military balls.
Branson, Missouri
Although Branson, Missouri, isn’t home to a military installation, the city knows how to make active military and veterans feel at home. Branson strives to honor faith, family and flag, and nearly every show in town takes a moment to recognize and applaud veterans and troops.
“It’s just in the heart of the community,” said Julie Peters, leisure group sales manager with the Branson/Lakes Area Convention and Visitors Bureau. “It’s so much in the hearts of the people, who love them for their service and want them to be recognized.”
Branson hosts several veteran appreciation events throughout the year, among them the annual Vietnam Veterans Welcome Home Celebration every spring, the Armed Forces Remembrance Days in May and Veterans Homecoming Week in November, which culminates on Veterans Day.
When reunions come to town, the groups often like to visit the Veterans Memorial Museum, which is home to a 70-foot-long bronze veterans memorial statue. The Branson Military Museum opened last fall and features artifacts such as historic firearms and uniforms from wars throughout American history, including the Civil War, both world wars, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
The CVB also hosts an annual Military Reunion Planners Conference, which planners can apply to attend, Peters said. This year’s conference will be August 3-6.
