Military Railway Service Veterans of World War II and Korea to be Honored at Conference 2009-05-28

Military Railway Service Veterans of World War II and Korea to be Honored at Conference
2009-05-28

Military Railway Service (MRS) veterans of World War II and Korea will be honored at the annual Transportation Corps (TC) Conference at Fort Eustis, Va., July 29-Aug. 1.

During World War II (WWII), more than 43,500 solder-railroaders served in more than 50 commercial railroad-sponsored MRS units stationed in theaters around the world. Seven of these were sponsored by BNSF-predecessor railroads.

Specific events scheduled to honor MRS veterans include "staff ride" visits to nearby rail facilities, tours of the Army Transportation Museum, showing of 1950s-era Army rail training films, history presentations on the Military Railway Service and the Claiborne and Polk Military Railway and access to the locomotive simulator trainer. The Museum Foundation General Membership Meeting luncheon and Conference Ball will enable veterans to meet and share their knowledge with each other and with today's generation of TC soldiers. Throughout the event, an Army History Detachment will be on hand to record the personal MRS experiences and impressions of these veterans for future generations. A detailed schedule listing times and locations for specific events will be published in the near future.

Most TC conference events will be open to the public. A special invitation, though, is extended to post Korean-era soldiers who served, or are currently serving, in active or reserve MRS units. MRS veterans of WWII and/or Korea, who want to participate in TC conference activities, should contact Mark Metz, LTC-USAR (Ret.) at e-mail: m-m-e@comcast.net or 717-597-2636. Other individuals should go to the Fort Eustis Web site at the end of May 2009 and complete the registration form.
BNSF Headquarters
BNSF Railway Company
2650 Lou Menk Dr. 2nd Floor
P.O. Box 961057
Fort Worth, TX 76161-0057
Phone: (817) 352-1000

For more information on the company and its transportation solutions, visit the BNSF Web site at www.bnsf.com