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National Convention 2009

    The 2009 ADBC National Convention was held at the "Omni San Antonio Hotel At The Colonnade", 9821 Colonnade Blvd, San Antonio, TX 78230 on May 26-30, 2009 with over 500 people in attendance.  This was the last convention that will be held by the ADBC.  Beginning in 2010, annual conventions will be held by the "Descendants Group, an Auxiliary of the American Defenders of Bataan and Corregidor".
 

    The 2008 ADBC National Convention was held at the Holiday Inn Louisville-Downtown, 120 West Broadway, Louisville, KY 40202 on May 5-10, 2008. There were 294 attendees, including 56 members, and a great time was had by all. 
 

    The 2007 ADBC National Convention was held at the Crowne Plaza Hotel Dulles Airport near Washington, DC on April 12 - 16, 2007.  We had 407 attendees including 66 members.  The remainder were spouses, widows, descendants and guests.  Attendees enjoyed a very inspirational one-person play performed by 15-year-old Anthony Zendejas, a bus tour of Washington, DC monuments & memorials and a speech by Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson during the final banquet.
 

    The 2006 ADBC National Convention was held at the Embassy Suites Phoenix North, 2577 W. Greenway Road, Phoenix, AZ on May 16-20, 2006.  We had 354 attendees including 86 members plus spouses, widows, descendants and guests.  Hotel accommodations were great and attendees enjoyed a wonderful time of visiting and sharing "war stories" that were only slightly exaggerated.  On May 18th there was an excellent dramatic presentation of "Waiting for MacArthur" at nearby Greenway High School.  We thank Debra Bergbower-Grunwald and her father, National Commander Harold Bergbower, for arranging this entertainment.
 

The 2005 ADBC National Convention was held at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza Hotel in Cincinnati, OH on April 5 - 10, 2005.  We had 265 attendees including members, spouses, widows, descendants and guests.  This was a great time for renewing acquaintances with old friends and for the descendants to get the opportunity to learn more about their relative's time as a POW.  On April 7th we made a trip to the U.S. Air Force Museum at Wright Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton, OH and that night we were treated to a preview of the forthcoming film, "The Great Raid," which includes the raid by the 6th Rangers (assisted by Filipino Guerrillas and the Alamo Scouts) to liberate Cabanatuan POW Camp.  Of course, the Saturday night banquet was the highlight of the convention.