Five members of the U.S. service academies get together at the former Holiday Inn on Dec. 23, 1970, with Mrs. William Lowers as their hostess. Her husband was liaison officer at the time for the Air Force Academy. From left, kneeling, are Rich Van Dame from the Air Force and Wes Blaine from the Army. Standing, from left, are Richard Lower and Bill McKinnis from the Air Force and Mike McNallen from the Navy. Lower is from Seneca Valley; Van Dame, Knoch; Blaine and McKinnis are from Butler High and McNallen is from Karns City. The Holiday Inn is now the Days Inn-Butler on Route 8 south. This year's event, now the Service Academies Ball, will be held at its new home, the Soldiers and Sailors National Military Museum and Memorial in Oakland on Dec. 29. Cathy Berger-Reese from Penn Township is organizing the 2006 black-tie event for cadets and midshipmen from across Western Pennsylvania. Her son, Jay Berger, is a senior at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y.