NATCHEZ &045;&045; It will be a weekend of old stories, updates and sad but fond memories in Room 720 of the Eola Hotel.

Sixteen members of the Field Artillery Officer Candidate School class No. 17 of 1952 from Fort Sill, Okla., have brought their annual reunion to Natchez.

The men, part of an original class of 175 and 99 actual graduates, had their first reunion eight years ago in Oklahoma.

This year Mississippi member Roy Parker Sr. of Tupelo decided it was time to bring the reunion down South.

&uot;I finally thought I’d take all these Yankees down to a real Southern city,&uot; Parker said. &uot;Natchez is a super place to go and a great place to show them Mississippi.&uot;

The men traveled from as far away as California, Minnesota and Massachusetts to gather with old friends and see a new town.

At the first reunion eight years ago, many of the men had not seen each other in 50 years.

&uot;The chemistry has been interesting and positive,&uot; said Wallace Eberhard of Athens, Ga.

Parker said the real connection was between the wives who didn’t know each other at all before the reunions started, but have really bonded since.

About a third of the graduating class is deceased, but none of the men were lost in war. After school some of the men went to Korea and others went to Germany.

All were trained to direct fire, making them the prime target of the enemy.

&uot;We expected we’d all go to Korea,&uot; said Ernest du Bary of Palm Desert, Calif.

&uot;But we didn’t expect to all come back. We were lucky. They lost a number of men in previous classes.&uot;

Class No. 17 produced one general and six full colonels, Parker said, also a rarity.

&uot;We had a pretty good class if I do say so myself,&uot; Parker said.

After their military time was up the men pursued a variety of careers ranging from farming to school administration and the law field. Several became full-time military men.

The reunion, which started Thursday, will continue through Saturday when the men and their wives will travel to Vicksburg’s National Military Park and return to Natchez for Pageant.

&uot;It’s amazing how everything comes back to you,&uot; Parker said. &uot;I never dreamed of this.&uot;