Post on 28-Jun-2020
1
Editor Note: As most of you know, Dick &
Debbie‟s daughter and son-in-law, Elizabeth &
Matt, were in a serious vehicle accident in Atlanta
on Saturday, Nov. 23rd. The good news is that
they are on their way home now. Here is the
information in chronological order as sent to me:
11.23.19 Text from Dick: I‟m going to be off
line for a few days. My daughter and her husband
were in a serious wreck in Atlanta. We are leaving
for there tonight. My daughter has a broken neck.
Her name is Elizabeth Cappella. We don't really
have an update on her husband but know that he
is alive.
11.25.19: Text from Dick (he also put this on
FaceBook): I can‟t begin to thank everyone for
your well wishes for my daughter Elizabeth. She
was just transferred from ICU to a regular room.
Her ankle was not fractured but torn ligaments, no
broken hip but bone spurs, she does have 2
fractures in her spine, L2, no operation for now,
the fractures are pressing on her arteries. She will
be out of action for quite a while. May be released
in a few days but has to fly home, good luck on
that over Thanksgiving.
11.26.19 Text from Dick: Elizabeth being
released today, Debbie, Matt and Elizabeth flying
home tonight, Alexis and I will be driving back.
She will see specialist on Monday.
11.27.19 Email from Dick: We are home. She
will go to the neurosurgeon for further evaluation.
Elizabeth, her husband and Debbie flew home
last night. I drove with my granddaughter and got
home about 2 hours after, they could not drive, I
dropped them at the airport earlier. We are just
relaxing now, exhausted after the weekend.
Everyone in Atlanta was very nice and helped us
a lot. I think the dozen or so prayer chains
worked.
——————————————————————
REUNION CONTROL CENTER
2020 Stimson Reunion
October 7-11, 2020
Hotel: Holiday Inn
1717 Airport Exchange Blvd.
Erlanger, KY 41018
Greetings from Cincinnati
Stimson Shipmates.
We are well on our way in
preparations for the 2020
reunion. All of our group
activities have been set. Please
check the web site for the
VOL. 2019 #12 DECEMBER 2019
U S S H E N R Y L . S T I M S O N A S S O C I A T I O N S S B N 6 5 5 N E W S L E T T E R
A s s o c i a t i o n O f f i c e r s & B o a r d o f D i r e c t o r s 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 2 0
PRESIDENT Tom [Marie] Krauser
VICE PRESIDENT Steve [Terry] Novic
SECRETARY Nick [Linda] Nichols
TREASURER Ken [Diane] Meigs
OUTGOING PRESIDENT Ray [Rita] Kreul
HISTORIAN / CUSTODIAN Larry [Linda] Knutson
WEBMASTER / NEWSLETTER Nick [Linda] Nichols
CHAPLAIN Jake Morris
STOREKEEPER / SHIPS STORE Jim [Suzie] Weaver
O t h e r P o s i t i o n s 2 0 1 8 - 2 0 2 0
2
reservation form and activities POR (Plan of
the Reunion). I know it seems like a long way off
but time passes quickly. Please plan on attending
and renewing old friendships.
There have been a few registrations already
and those are listed on the reunion webpage.
Early reservations will help us immensely in our
planning. For those that reserve their hotel rooms
and send in the reunion registration by April 1st
we will be raffling off two free rooms a $129.00
value for each room.
I have been updating our Face Book site on a
weekly basis with the planes that you can see at
the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. This is a
must see, its regarded as the biggest and best
military museum in the world. It has 4 large
hangers jammed with planes and missiles dating
back to WWI.
Any Questions please feel free to contact me
using the Reunion email address. //Dick Young
stimson655reunion2020@aol.com
WRIGHT PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE
BELLE OF CINCINNATI RIVERBOAT –
DINNER AND CRUISE
——————————————————————
From the Association President -
Tom Krauser, MM1(SS) B 72-74:
From the Association President – Tom
Krauser, MM1(SS) B 72-74
As Christmas approaches let us
be thankful for our family, good
friends, and shipmates and
remember that Christmas is not just
about what we can buy but what we
can share. Let us all try to do
something special for someone
outside of the people we know. My
granddaughter, Caitlin, has participated in a
special program for the last 3 years that collects
gifts for children who may not normally have
anything for Christmas. She generally collects
between 2000 to 3000 gifts each year for children
who otherwise may not have a Christmas.
Dick Young and the reunion committee are
making great progress in setting up the 2020
reunion in Cincinnati Ohio. Look for his updates in
the newsletters. I have already sent in my
registration and hope everyone is making their
plans to attend also.
3
If you have any questions or concerns for the
board, please feel free to contact us so we can
address them.
——————————————————————
From the Association Historian/Memorabilia
Custodian - Larry Knutson, MMCS(SS) B 79-81
USSVI-Charleston Base:
If you were on the Gold Crew
during any portion Bob Weeks was
the CO you completed a check-in
card for him. The box of cards is
now held by our base secretary. If
you would like a copy of your card
sent to you please contact our
Secretary at 655webmaster@ssbn655.org.
——————————————————————
From The Editor
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
USSVI MEMBERSHIP: We have another Stimson
shipmate who has joined the United States
Submarine Veterans Inc. (USSVI) membership.
USSVI is a great organization and we have many
of our shipmates who are members. They are
notated on the secure Sailing List with SV. I would
like to congratulate the following on joining
USSVI:
John Glaub, MM2(SS) B 71-74
Qualified SS in 1973 on HL Stimson
USSVI Member At Large
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
LOST CONTACT WITH THESE SHIPMATES
After sending the October and November
newsletters I received bounces from the following
Stimson crewmembers. If anyone can give me a
current and good email address on these
shipmates I will very much appreciate it. LKA =
last known address
Boggs, Charles „Chuck‟ [LKA: Largo FL]
Wise, Bill [LKA: Philadelphia PA]
Hobart, David „Dave‟ [LKA: Sweet Home OR]
Brittingham, Richard [LKA: Two Rivers WI]
Appel, Al [LKA: Stonefort IL]
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Sharing Pictures with Shipmates:
If anyone has pictures you would like to share
with your shipmates please follow the directions in
this link and I will be glad to put them in the
newsletter.
Picture Upload Instructions (to Dropbox)
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
——————————————————————
The Lean Submariner
Here‟s the latest posts on the blog. Still going
strong. The link to his blog is
https://theleansubmariner.com/
*****
Veterans Day 2019 – Thanks to all
who served by Mister Mac - Originally posted
on theleansubmariner: Original Post from 2014: I
posted this a few days ago on Facebook and the
response has been pretty terrific. Lots of
“Shares” and hundreds of “Likes” from all over
the world. The picture has been on the blog a
few times but I was thinking about what a
veteran really […] Read more of this post
*****
Veteran’s Day 2019 – Neptune’s Cadillac
Redux by Mister Mac - Veteran‟s Day is about
remembering the men and women who
sacrificed so much for the country. If you asked
most of us, and we were honest, we would
simply say that we did our jobs. This article
came from the Honolulu Advertiser and was
written about the USS San Francisco shortly
after we made the […] Read more of this post
*****
After the parades are over… by Mister Mac -
The Day After Veteran‟s Day Proud… standing
straight and erect with shoulders held back and
eyes focused forward with a steel and resiliency
that is unquestionable. Months of practice have
made sure that even a sudden noise won‟t
change that. Crisp uniforms, flawless creases,
perfect lines and hands glued in place at their
sides. Chiseled […] Read more of this post
*****
Courage? I could never describe myself that
way could you? by Mister Mac - Recently, I
made the decision to run for a local office. I
figured after a lot of time of scrubbing shitters
and shooting garbage out of the TDU, I would be
a perfect candidate. Bilge diving seemed to also
fit the bill so I filled out my paperwork to
compete for a Township Supervisor. Not […]
4
Read more of this post
*****
Elections… the good, the bad and the ugly
by Mister Mac - This will be my last pre-
election post. Its been a fun and interesting
(and slightly stressful) nine months. Tomorrow
the public will decide. The amazing thing is
this: there will be an election. People will have
a chance to influence the way their
communities are run. What passes for
democracy will be on display all […] Read
more of this post
*****
There’s no place like home for the
holidays… even if home is greater than
200 feet by Mister Mac - Blessings in disguise
We are getting ready to head out to my
nephew‟s house for Thanksgiving Day dinner.
The house will be filled with people and the
smells of the season will wrap around us as
we enter. Thanksgiving has always been one
of my favorite times of year. But the way we
celebrate has […] Read more of this post
——————————————————————
The following Stimson Shipmates have
departed on Eternal Patrol.
=====
MT1(SS) Stephen J. ‘Steve’ Paul B 67-69
Departed on Eternal Patrol 2 August 2019
(Reported by USSIV National)
=====
The direct link to the Association Eternal Patrol
page is: http://ssbn655.org/eternal-patrol/
eternal-patrol.html
=====
_______________________________________
WELCOME ABOARD: Found & Updated
Shipmates
(Shipmate has contacted us to be added or have
info updated on our Sailing List. Please check the
online Sailing List to for shipmates contact info.)
**********
IC2(SS) Brian M. Leonard B 77-80
(info updated by shipmate)
Many of our shipmates are on FaceBook but are
not listed on our Sailing List. Please check the
new „Looking For‟ Sailing List on the website to
help locate these shipmates. When you see
shipmates on Facebook ask them if they are on
the Sailing List and please send them a personal
invite to contact 655webmaster@ssbn655.org to
be listed and become a member of the Stimson
Association.
—————————————————————
BINNACLE LIST
(if you would like to be placed on our Association
Binnacle List please send an email to
655webmaster@ssbn655.org)
====================================
William ‘Sandy’ Hastie, CAPT B CO 80 (Oct-
Dec)
Cards to: 365 Kenmure Dr., Flat Rock NC 28731
No new updates
10.24.19: Dear Friends,
This is a complicated update to write. One
thing we have learned on our journey is that there
are no black and white results. Each have a
caveat and there is always an ―however‖ after the
result. This is the story we have received these
past days and weeks. This is a brief
history: Sandy gets a Keytruda infusion every
three weeks and a PET/CT scan every three
months to determine if the Keytruda is controlling,
and in some cases eliminating, the mesothelioma
cancer. On September 1, 2019 the PET/CT scan
showed that the mesothelioma had returned. We
have always known there is no cure for
mesothelioma, and that it will return, but we
continue to pray for longer periods of time before
it does so. This is the second time we have
received this news, once six months after the
surgery at Duke Medical, and the second on
September 13, 2019. It is never easy to hear.
When we saw Dr. Hill (Sandy‘s local
oncologist) on September 3 he said that based on
the results of the scan, the Keytruda would be
discontinued and the only other treatment would
be to go back on the chemotherapy Sandy had
5
before surgery. In comparison to many others,
Sandy did OK on the chemotherapy, but was very
tired, had no energy, and had severe nausea. We
asked Dr. Hill if when Sandy was off the Keytruda
for six weeks in June, if the mesothelioma could
have grown rapidly during that time. Dr. Hill said it
was possible but he could not know for sure. We
agreed on a compromise that Sandy would get
two infusions and then have a PET/CT scan early
to determine if the cancer continued to grow or
was controlled by the Keytruda.
He was scheduled for a scan on October 13
and meet with Dr. Hill on October 15. If the
cancer was controlled he would continue to get
the infusions; if not, they would be
discontinued. On the way to the hospital we
received a call that the scanner broke and his
scan was cancelled. We had a carefully planned
week that included our appointment with Dr. Hill
and then leaving that afternoon to go to Duke
Medical to meet with his oncologist Dr. Clarke and
his team there. Thanks to great help from our
nurse navigator Cathy Jenkins, she was able to
reschedule everything for the following
week. Sandy had the scan on Oct. 20 and the
mesothelioma was still visible and had grown, but
not as significantly as it did on the Sept. 1
scan. We talked with Dr. Hill and he said after
viewing the scan he was ready to recommend
Sandy continue the Keytruda. This was
significant because in most cases when the
cancer returns, the treatment is stopped. With
this hopeful news, we drove to Duke and met with
Dr. Clarke on Wednesday. He studied the last
three scans before we met with him and after
discussion, said he was ready to make the same
recommendation. Mesothelioma is a very
aggressive cancer and it appeared that the
Keytruda was controlling the cancer to a good
extent. He also said that there was no other
viable option for treatment except going back on
chemotherapy. He said we would ―ride the
Keytruda horse‖ as long as possible and pray
there would be a break-thru treatment in the near
future.
So the ―however‖ in this case is that Sandy will
continue to get the Keytruda infusions every three
weeks; ―however‖ based on the regrowth of
cancer he will get a PET/CT scan every two
months for the foreseeable future.
We talked a lot driving home from Duke and
know we have to treat Sandy‘s cancer as a
chronic disease, similar to diabetes or heart
disease, where medication and treatment are
needed on a continual basis to ensure a good
quality of life.
We have asked ourselves how should one
respond if your whole world was turned upside
down? It‘s hard to know in advance, but this is
the second time we have heard ―the cancer has
returned‖, so we have some history in this area. If
that time ever comes in your life there are a few
anchors that can hold you in place – including
faith in our unshakable God and Jesus Christ to
intercede on your behalf; and the support of a
loving family and friends who share that faith. The
Bible tells us that the good that comes to us
through bad experiences has nothing to do with
feelings or circumstances. Instead, it‘s a question
of becoming different than we were before our
troubles began: stronger, more hopeful, more
loving, more faithful. We both strongly believe that
is the case with our almost three-year
journey. We value each day and look forward to
as many as God gives us.
We have placed our lovely mountain home on
the market and have a cottage at Deerfield
Episcopal Retirement Community near Asheville,
NC. We expect our cottage will be ready in late
December and we will move in early January
2020. As we begin the next part of our journey,
please know we appreciate your prayers and
continued support. We ask for prayers that the
Keytruda will continue to control Sandy‘s cancer
and he will continue to enjoy a good quality of life
at Deerfield.
Blessings, Donna and Sandy
==================
Jim Gray, MM1(SS) B 69-71
Cards to: 1 Rugby Ct., Toms River NJ 08757
No new updates
7.28.19: I met with my doctors at U of Penn. I
gave them permission to access my tissue
samples from my operation for checking my T
cells. Turns out I have a 95% chance that my T
cells will work to help attack the mesothelioma.
6
Will be meeting with a doctor next week to find out
further details. I am feeling encouraged about this
new information, and keeping an open mind.
3.26.19: I have been having quite the time of
things with my mesothelioma. Mar 20, 2017 with 2
weeks in the University of Pennsylvania Hospital
all cleaned out of my left lung cavity lung sacks
still intact with an air pocket in the cavity outside
of the sacks (slight problem). Went through 3
cycles of the first rounds of chemo recommended
which end on July 26, 2018. CT scan showed that
it was mostly clean with a few traces of the
mesothelioma which raised concern. So we tried
the Keytruda (Immunotherapy) for its rounds. Ct
scans showed no improvement as a result of this
treatment. Now on the Gemzar chemo which is
wreaking havoc on my body more than the
previous IV Stuff. Hopefully this will be the
combination that will do it. Keeping my positive
attitude and praying that all will be better.
Thank you all for your concerns and prayers. I am
feeling those good wishes in my dreams. Betty
and I are blessed to have so many friends in our
life. //Jim Gray & Betty Trasko
6.20.18: I am still alive. Got out of the hospital
after the operation on Apr 2 after 2 weeks being
there. Started the chemo May 23 went fine no
problems. Then got my 2nd chemo on June 13
and all hell broke loose on evening of the day
after. Thursday, Friday and Saturday side effects
and humility. Father's day was quiet since I was
relaxing and sleeping. Monday another lesson in
humility. Yesterday and today moving toward
normal.
2.5.18: I have been recently diagnosed at my
local hospital as having mesothelioma.
==================
Bob Faulkner, MT1(SS) B/G 80-86 OVHL2
Cards to: 2901 N 82st Place, Scottsdale AZ
85251
No new updates
11.7.17: Remember Bob as he continues to find
the best result to manage Parkinson's Disease
symptoms.
——————————————————————
GREAT LINKS TO SPEND TIME WITH
(all links from “The Draft” will be on the
website)
**********
655 Association Website
www.ssbn655.org
**********
Submitted by Jeff Morse, STS1(SS) B 86-90
SSBN 655 Christmas 1989
Andy Sierra
Published on Dec 29, 2014
Henry L. Stimson SSBN 655B Christmas in Kings
Bay, Ga.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=mZSpFQpJCqY
**********
Burl Ives - What shall we do with the drunken
sailor
https://www.youtube.com/embed/
GFwpWvG4ZVw
**********
Free Stuff You Can Really Use
Dozens of freebies worth paying for, but you
don't have to spend a dollar
by Shelley Emling, Tamara Lytle and David Schiff,
AARP, October 4, 2019
www.aarp.org/money/budgeting-saving/info-
2019/free-stuff.html
**********
How to Stop Vertigo—What to do when the
room starts spinning
by Barbara Stepko, AARP, October 14, 2019
https://www.aarp.org/health/conditions-
treatments/info-2019/vertigo-causes-
treatments.html
7
——————————————————————
VETERANS AFFAIRS - RETIREE INFO
https://www.va.gov/
And FLEET RESERVE
<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
VA and Pet Partners combine efforts to bring
therapy animal services to more Veterans
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
partnered with non-profit organization Pet
Partners in October to help improve quality of life,
social engagement and health of Veterans, by
increasing access to animal-assisted activities
(AAA) and animal-assisted therapy (AAT) services
throughout the VA health care system.
Pet Partners and VA will train therapy animal
teams, encourage VA medical facilities to
establish and expand trained therapy animal
visitation, and provide AAA and AAT programs to
give patients connection, comfort and joy that
comes from spending time with animals.
“Emerging research recognizes the positive
effects interactions with animals can have on
patients,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “VA‟s
work with Pet Partners provides unique resources
to our Veterans, through animal-assisted activities
and therapy.”
The partnership also provides Veteran
communities with volunteer opportunities and
helps integrate Veterans and their families into
Pet Partners‟ activities and events.
A wide range of research and studies suggest
the human-animal bond can lead to lower blood
pressure, reduced risk for cardiovascular disease,
lessened anxiety, pain and loneliness. Time with
therapy animals not only promotes physical and
mental health but also supports wellness across
variables such as social interaction, rate of
recovery and personal motivation.
For more information, visit health
partnerships.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
New Disability Claims Tool Tutorial Videos
This new self-service tool dramatically simplifies
the process of submitting disability claims.
The platform help Veterans provide clear and
complete information which speeds up the
adjudication time for Veterans to receive a claims
decision. WATCH VIDEO LEARN MORE
<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Vietnam Veterans eligible to receive lapel pins
More than 11,000 commemorative partners
conduct events in their local communities
throughout the year to recognize Vietnam
Veterans and their families. Vietnam Veterans are
eligible to receive a lapel pin during these events
or may contact a commemorative partner to find
out details on the next event. LEARN MORE
<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Commissary, Military Service Exchange, and
MWR Access Extended to More Veterans
Beginning January
Starting Jan. 1, 2020, the Department of
Defense is expanding access to military
commissaries, exchanges, and morale, welfare
and recreation facilities for certain Veterans and
caregivers. Those eligible for access include all
service-connected Veterans, Purple Heart
recipients, former Prisoners of War (POW), and
those approved and designated as the primary
family caregivers of eligible Veterans. To acquire
the in-person privileged access, all eligible
Veterans must obtain a Veteran Health
Identification Card (VHIC). LEARN MORE
<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The VA Card Is Required for Some Veterans to
Have Access to Commissary, Exchanges &
MWR
The Department of Veteran's Affairs has
expanded access to commissary, military
exchanges, and to morale, welfare and recreation
(MWR) services for Purple Heart recipients, VA
designated caregivers of disabled veterans,
former prisoners of war and veterans with VA
documented service-connected disability. This
expansion is mandated by the Purple Heart and
Disabled Veterans Equal Access Act of 2018 and
takes effect Jan. 1, 2020.
These eligible individuals are required to
obtain a Veteran Health Identification Card (VHID)
from the VA in order to gain entry to Department
of Defense and Coast Guard facilities. Caregiver
8
eligibility will be limited to caregivers who are
designated as the primary family caregiver of an
eligible veteran under the VA Caregiver program
and will need to show an acceptable credential,
along with their eligibility letter. The other eligible
groups without a VHID card can shop exchanges
online. For more information, go online.
<<<<<<<<<<<<<>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
New Sponsor for Military Retiree Survivor
Comfort Act
In the wake of Rep. Walter B. Jones (S.C.)
passing, Rep. John Garamendi (Calif.) has
become lead sponsor of FRA-supported Military
Retiree Survivor Comfort Act (H.R.463). This bill
would authorize the retention of the full final
month's retired pay by the surviving spouse (or
other designated survivor) for the month in which
the member was alive for at least 24 hours.
Surviving spouses who are unaware that the
Defense Finance and Accounting Services
(DFAS) should be immediately notified about the
death of the military retiree, are surprised to learn
of this requirement. Those who had joint bank
accounts, which retirement payments were made
electronically, gave little if any thought that DFAS
could swoop down and recoup any overpayments
of retirement pay from such accounts. This action
could easily clear the account of any remaining
funds whether they were retirement payments or
money from other sources. All these proposals go
to the Senate for further consideration.
——————————————————————
SOMETHING FROM OUR SHIPMATES:
SEA STORIES, COMMENTS, JOKES, ETC.
=====
Submitted by Linda Ford (wife of James (Hank)
Ford MM1(SS) served 72-76, Eternal Patrol 2001)
SHINGLES...TAKE YOUR SHOTS!!! I personally
got shingles in May. I am one of the ones with
LASTING POST SHINGLES PAIN. You need to
do all you can to lessen or prevent SHINGLES.
Pain is unreal!!! It is difficult to even wear clothes
for some. Mine is from the front rib in a line all the
way back to the middle of the back. Please take
care of yourselves with this disease.
=====
Submitted by Thomas ‗TR‘ Bietsch EM1(SS) B 72
-74
I'm trying to make contact with Jerry Wieskamp
former Stimson blue crew with me. Do you have
any contact info? Tom
Editor: The only info on the sailing list is that
Jerry lives in Fuquay-Varina, NC 27526-6644
=====
Submitted by Frank Morris, YN1((SS) G 68-70,
USSVI Perch Base
I'd like to know if anyone happens to know if
there were any yeomen other than myself that
stood watch when underway on patrol as chief of
the watch. I did for four patrols, 1969 and 1970. I
went on board in 1968 and spent the usual two
patrols to complete basic qualification. When it
was realized that our crew was a bit short with
chiefs of the watch, I was asked if I would qualify.
I did. Please respond to me at
fsm2121@msn.com. Thank you.
=====
Submitted by Chuck Linhart, QM1(SS) G 68-74
Cell Phone Cover
=====
Submitted by ‗Pete‘ Peterson MM1(SS) B 70-72, SV
MAL
Ain’t it so
An Indian walks into a cafe with a shotgun in one
hand and pulling a male buffalo with the other. He
says to the waiter: "Want coffee."
The waiter says, "Sure, Chief, coming right up."
He gets the Indian a tall mug of coffee... The Indian
drinks the coffee down in one gulp, turns and blasts
the buffalo with the shotgun, causing parts of the
animal to splatter everywhere and then just walks out.
The next morning the Indian returns. He has his
shotgun in one hand, pulling another male buffalo with
the other. He walks up to the counter and says to the
9
waiter: "Want coffee."
The waiter says, "Whoa, Tonto! We're still cleaning
up your mess from yesterday. What was all that about,
anyway?"
The Indian smiles and proudly says: "Training for a
position in United States Congress... Come in, drink
coffee, shoot the bull, leave mess for others to clean
up, disappear for rest of day."
=====
Submitted by Sandy Hasty CAPT B CO 80 (1
patrol-Oct-Dec)
Veterans have great value!
On Monday, Veterans Day will be celebrated
across the United States. The holiday, originally
named Armistice Day, marked the end of fighting
in World War I when the Allies and the German
Empire declared a cease-fire.
The holiday has continued to evolve with the
nation.
After World War II and the Korean War saw
millions of Americans put into uniform, Congress
knew that all who served must be honored. On
June 1, 1954, Armistice Day was amended to
Veterans Day to reflect all of their contributions to
protecting freedom and the homeland.
Even to this day, there is some confusion
among Americans about the differences between
Memorial Day and Veterans Day, but the
distinction matters.
Memorial Day is a chance to remember all the
men and women who have died in service to our
country. Veterans Day is a celebration of all the
service members and veterans who have served
our country.
There are currently more than 18.2 million
veterans in the U.S., making up almost 10% of the
entire adult population. Statistics show that these
veterans thrive in the workforce because they
bring their unique skills and leadership to nearly
every industry and community in our country.
Veterans from the 9/11 era hold an
employment rate of approximately 78%, a full 8%
higher than the civilian population. Additionally, in
2015 it was shown that veterans‟ yearly average
income reached $80,000, as compared to only
$68,000 among non-veterans.
Their success doesn‟t stop there. According to
a 2017 study by the Graduate Center at the City
University of New York, 1 in 8 young adults in
America did not graduate from high school. By
comparison, only 1 in 33 veterans failed to
graduate.
Local communities especially benefit from
having resident veterans because their civic
participation and volunteerism are unmatched.
Veterans vote in local elections at a rate
of 73.8%. Non-veterans vote at a rate of only
57.2%. They also put in an average of 177 hours
of volunteer work each year, 25% more than the
rest of the population.
These are America‟s future leaders and
innovators, individuals dedicated to bringing
military values to the federal government and
private sector.
As a civilian, it isn‟t always clear how to
appropriately honor the veterans who still walk
among us. Not everyone can attend Veterans Day
parades or afford to donate to veterans advocacy
groups.
Fortunately, there are many ways to express
your gratitude.
Simply speaking to a service member about
their experiences, visiting a VA hospital, or writing
to troops deployed overseas are all great ways for
citizens to do their part. Participating in
the Veterans Day moment of silence, observed for
two minutes at 3:11 p.m. Atlantic Standard Time,
is another simple yet effective way to take part in
the day.
Unfortunately, it appears there never will be a
war to end all wars, but there also will never be a
day in which the U.S. military isn‟t ready to protect
our country no matter the cost.
Thank you to all who have served, and happy
Veterans Day.
COMMENTARY BY Thomas Spoehr
Thomas W. Spoehr, a retired Army lieutenant
general, is director of the Center for National
Defense at The Heritage Foundation.
Jack Penders
Jack Penders is a member of the Young Leaders
Program at The Heritage Foundation
——————————————————————
10
The Computer Corner
By: George Birmingham, ET1
(SS), Gold 69-74
Manage Notifications in Windows 10
As this is the last article for 2019, then it‟s time
to wish all of you, and your families, a very Merry
Christmas!!!
Notifications are an important and integral part
of the Action Center functionality in Windows 10,
starting with the first version and continuing with
the latest version. We often want our applications
to alert us for specific events, but receiving a
stream of those less important notifications can
often create unwanted interruptions. That‟s
especially true if you have multiple applications
that push out notifications every time anything
happens.
Well, shipmates, there is good news. You can
turn notifications on and off in Windows 10
Settings fairly easily. The only requirement is that
you have already received a notification from the
application, at least once.
Here are a few articles to get you headed in
the right direction from Microsoft and a few other
sources:
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/
help/10761/windows-10-change-notification-
action-settings
https://www.digitaltrends.com/computing/how-
to-turn-off-notifications-in-windows-10/
I‟m running Windows 10, version 1903 from the
08/17/2019 update, so my screen looks slightly
different that some of the articles I have
referenced. But the functionality and actions are
the same.
The following screen shows how to turn off
notifications by application.
Note the comment that states that some
“senders” or applications can have their own
custom settings, so if you leave a sender enabled,
then be sure to check for any custom settings that
might produce unexpected notifications. For
instance, here is what my Security and
Maintenance application provides:
I found that most applications have a similar, if
not identical, set of options. However, if you have
purchased a user written application from the
Microsoft App Store, then the developer may have
included other options for notifications. Be sure to
check those custom application settings...
Windows 10 allows setting Quiet Time for
notifications. It‟s on the Focus Assist page, under
11
the Automatic Rules section. Here‟s an article that
may help you set up the proper quiet times for
applications:
https://www.howtogeek.com/279192/how-to-
change-the-default-quiet-hours-in-windows-10/
Ever see advertisements when your computer
is locked (Lock Screen)? Well, here‟s an article
that may help:
https://www.howtogeek.com/243263/how-to-
disable-ads-on-your-windows-10-lock-screen/
From my family to yours, we hope everyone
has a wonderful holiday season. It‟s always great
to spend time with the children and grandchildren
and share good times and make memories! Merry
Christmas!!!
As always, shipmates, comments and
suggestions for future topics are welcomed. I am
in need of topics for future articles, so please send
your ideas along to me. Contact me at
subvet_ssbns@bellsouth.net.
And if you have a difficult computer or network
problem you need help with, contact me. I‟m
always glad to help out if I can.
//George
——————————————————————
Submitted by Jeff Morse, STS1(SS) B 86-90
Navy Submarine, Missing for 75 Years, Is
Found Off Okinawa
John Ismay
CNN Video
A 75-year-old mystery has been solved, and
the families of 80 American sailors lost at sea will
now have closure: the U.S.S. Grayback has finally
been found.
It was hidden from discovery all this time by a
single errant digit.
The mystery began on Jan. 28, 1944, when
the Grayback, one of the most successful
American submarines of World War II, sailed out
of Pearl Harbor for its 10th combat patrol. By late
March it was more than three weeks overdue to
return, and the Navy listed the submarine as
missing and presumed lost.
After the war, the Navy tried to piece together a
comprehensive history of the 52 submarines it
had lost. The history, issued in 1949, gave
approximate locations of where each submarine
had disappeared.
The Grayback was thought to have gone down
in the open ocean 100 miles east-southeast of
Okinawa. But the Navy had unknowingly relied on
a flawed translation of Japanese war records that
got one digit wrong in the latitude and longitude of
the spot where the Grayback had probably met its
end.
The error went undetected until last year, when
an amateur researcher, Yutaka Iwasaki, was
going through the wartime records of the Imperial
Japanese Navy base at Sasebo. The files
included daily reports received by radio from the
naval air base at Naha, Okinawa — and the entry
for Feb. 27, 1944, contained a promising lead.
The report for that day said that a Nakajima
B5N carrier-based bomber had dropped a 500-
pound bomb on a surfaced submarine, striking
just aft of the conning tower. The sub exploded
and sank immediately, and there were no
survivors.
“In that radio record, there is a longitude and a
latitude of the attack, very clearly,” Mr. Iwasaki
© Mary Inhea Kang for The New York Times Tim Tay-
lor, an undersea explorer, set up the Lost 52 Project
with the goal of finding the wrecks of every American
submarine lost in World War II.
12
said. And it did not match what was in the 1949
Navy history, not by a hundred miles.
Mr. Iwasaki is a systems engineer who lives in
Kobe, Japan, and who became fascinated as a
teenager with the Japanese merchant ships of
World War II — four-fifths of which were sunk
during the war, he said. Uncovering the history of
those ships necessarily brought him into contact
with records on submarines. “For me, finding U.S.
submarines is part of my activity to introduce the
tragic story of war,” he said. “It is my hobby, and
also my passion.”
His work brought him to the attention of Tim
Taylor, an undersea explorer who has set out to
find the wrecks of every American submarine lost
in the war. In 2010 he found his first submarine,
the U.S.S. R-12, off Key West, Fla., where it sank
during a training exercise in 1943. He set up the
privately funded Lost 52 Project to track down the
rest, relying on technology that had become
available only in the last 10 to 15 years.
Mr. Taylor says that of the 52 lost American
submarines, 47 are considered discoverable; the
other five were run aground or destroyed in known
locations.
Mr. Taylor and his wife, Christine Dennison,
have been searching for those 47, and have
begun to focus on the ones that were probably
sunk near Japan.
Through his work in undersea exploration, Mr.
Taylor was introduced to Don Walsh, a former
Navy submariner who, as a lieutenant in 1960,
reached the deepest point of any ocean on Earth,
in the Mariana Trench near Guam. Mr. Walsh
gave Mr. Taylor his copy of the 1949 Navy history,
“U.S. Submarine Losses, World War II.”
Armed with the information in that book and
Mr. Iwasaki‟s discovery, Mr. Taylor and the Lost
52 team decided to make a run at finding the
Grayback.
The Grayback‟s last patrol was its third under
the command of Lt. Cmdr. John A. Moore, who
had been awarded the Navy Cross for each of the
first two. His third Navy Cross would be awarded
posthumously, after the submarine sent 21,594
tons of Japanese shipping to the bottom on its last
mission. In all, the Grayback sank more than a
dozen Japanese ships. The Navy considers
submarines like the Grayback to be “still on
patrol.”
Like Commander Moore did 75 years before,
Mr. Taylor launched his mission to Okinawa this
spring from Hawaii. When they reached Japanese
waters in June, he and his team fought through
mechanical and electrical problems that bedeviled
their mission.
They were searching an area where the ocean
was 1,400 feet deep, and their main search tool
was a 14-foot-long autonomous underwater
vehicle weighing thousands of pounds that Mr.
Taylor likened to an underwater drone. It would
dive to just a few hundred feet above the sea floor
and then spend 24 hours pinging with different
sonars back and forth across about 10 square
nautical miles. When the drone returned to the
mother ship, technicians downloaded its data,
using computer software to stitch all of the sonar
imagery into one coherent picture that they could
quickly review.
“When you‟re on these sites, you feel like
you‟re one breakdown away from having to go
home,” Mr. Taylor said of the search area. “So
every day is precious.”
On the next to last day of the expedition, the
drone reported a malfunction one-third of the way
through a planned 24-hour mission. As they
recovered the drone, Mr. Taylor said, half of his
crew started getting the ship ready to return to
port, thinking that the vehicle was likely to be
beyond quick repair. But Mr. Taylor began
reviewing the images captured by the drone.
He quickly spotted two anomalies on the sea
floor, and readied another of the ship‟s remotely
operated vehicles to visit the bottom. Unlike the
drone, this one was steered manually from the
mother ship, and had high-definition cameras.
In a matter of hours, Mr. Taylor was looking at
the hull of the Grayback and, lying about 400 feet
away, was the submarine‟s deck gun, which had
been blown off when the bomb exploded.
“We were elated,” Mr. Taylor said. “But it‟s
also sobering, because we just found 80 men.”
The next day, Mr. Taylor and his crew held a
ceremony to remember the sailors lost aboard the
ship and called out their names one by one.
One of those names was John Patrick King.
13
His nephew John Bihn, of Wantagh, N.Y., is
named after him. Mr. Bihn, who was born three
years after the Grayback went down, remembers
him as a constant presence in his maternal
grandparents‟ home, where a black-and-white
photo of the submarine hung in the living room
near a black frame holding Mr. King‟s Purple
Heart medal and citation. But in his family, the
subject of his uncle‟s death was “too sad to ask
about,” Mr. Bihn said. “My mother would cry very
often if you spoke to her about it.”
With no body to bury, Mr. Bihn‟s grandparents,
Patrick and Catherine King, memorialized their
son on their own headstone. Under their names,
Mr. Binh said, they had engraved, “John Patrick
King „Lost in Action.‟”
Mr. Bihn got a text message from his sister
Katherine Taylor (no relation to Tim Taylor) two
weeks ago, saying the Grayback had been found.
She had gotten the news from Christine
Dennison. “I was dumbfounded,” he said. “I just
could not believe it.”
"I wish my parents were alive to see this,
because it would certainly make them very
happy,” he added.
In a video taken by the vehicle that surveyed
the wreck, Mr. Binh said, the camera tilted upward
at one point to show the conning tower, and a
plaque reading “U.S.S. Grayback”
was plain to see.
“It‟s like someone wiped it clean,” Mr. Bihn
said. “It‟s like it wanted to be found.”
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/navy-
submarine-missing-for-75-years-is-found-off-
okinawa/ar-BBWyxCp?ocid=spartanntp
——————————————————————
Norfolk Naval Shipyard completes moored
training ship conversion of USS La Jolla
Michael Brayshaw, Naval Sea Systems
Command, November 12
NORFOLK NAVAL SHIPYARD, Portsmouth,
Va. —
Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) successfully
completed the conversion of USS La Jolla (SSN
701) into a Moored Training Ship Nov. 7.
La Jolla is the first of two next-generation
training ships converted at NNSY to become land-
based platforms for training nuclear Sailors at the
Nuclear Power Training Unit (NPTU) in
Charleston, South Carolina. The second, USS
San Francisco (SSN 711), has been at NNSY
since January 2017.
“Converting USS La Jolla into a moored
training ship is a great investment in the Navy‟s
future and a commitment to fleet excellence,” said
CDR John C. Smith, commanding officer.
“Training on a more modern plant design provides
a major upgrade and equips our sailors with a
reliable platform for the years ahead, which is key
to ensuring maximum effectiveness across the
Fleet.”
As the first MTS conversion ever performed at
NNSY, and the Navy‟s first one in nearly 30 years,
the effort proved similar in many ways to
constructing the first ship in a new class. During
its conversion, La Jolla underwent two complete
hull cuts, separating the boat into three pieces,
recycling the center section, and adding three
new hull sections, adding 76 feet to the overall
ship length. The new hull sections arrived from
Electric Boat via barge and were craned into the
dock. In the midst of that massive undertaking, the
conversion also included work typical of
engineered overhauls NNSY conducts on other
Los Angeles-class submarines.
“Thank you to everyone who participated in
the conversion of USS La Jolla, which was a long
and challenging process, but also one important
to our growth as an organization and an
achievement vital to the development of our Navy
Sailors,” said Shipyard Commander Captain Kai
Torkelson. “It‟s truly a remarkable
accomplishment to complete the conversion of a
fast-attack submarine into a moored training ship,
the closest NNSY has come in more than 60
years to constructing an all-new vessel. Along
with USS San Francisco, La Jolla will provide a
modern platform for enabling highly skilled and
fully capable 21st century fleet operators.”
The conversion‟s unprecedented work for the
shipyard presented unique challenges in all
phases of the project. NNSY naval architects,
docking officers and La Jolla project team
members collaborated extensively to safely and
successfully dock the boat on strongbacks, which
are more than twice the height of blocks usually
14
used at NNSY. The docking challenge hinged on
having the boat sitting as high in the water as
possible without creating an unstable buoyancy
condition. This challenge was effectively met by
pulling 40,000 pounds of material off the boat
before docking, and “superflooding” the dock
three feet above the river level during the
breasting over of the ship on top of strongbacks.
“This is the first time, to my knowledge, that a boat
in the U.S. Navy has been dry docked using
strongbacks,” said NNSY Stability and Weight
Control Branch Lead Engineer Gus Goddin.
Per the NAVSEA Campaign Plan to Expand
the Advantage 2.0, shipbuilding and maintenance
sites should effectively partner and assist one
another as needed, something that‟s been done
throughout the La Jolla project. “In our work
partnering with Electric Boat on the conversion,
we also helped build an environment promoting
increased levels of innovation, collaboration and
knowledge sharing across the shipbuilding,
maintenance and repair community,” said
Torkelson.
The Navy has used moored training ships for
30 years, with the current two at NPTU—ex-Sam
Rayburn (MTS 635) and ex-Daniel Webster (MTS
626)—having been converted at Charleston Naval
Shipyard. Following that shipyard‟s closure in
1996, NNSY assumed maintenance
responsibilities of both Rayburn and Webster, to
include their upcoming inactivations.
——————————————————————
Submitted by Jeff Morse, STS1(SS) B 86-90
Over the last year or so, I‘ve had the distinct
honor and pleasure of interacting with literally
hundreds of submarine veterans, both in person
and online, during the process of writing and
rewriting our book entitled Poopie Suits and
Cowboy Boots. My own journey in this endeavor,
as a civilian physician and part-time writer, began
as an interest in helping to put together a book
explaining some of the basics of submarine
operation, all told in the context of my brother
Frank‘s Navy story as a junior officer aboard the
USS Seahorse nearly 50 years ago. The process
of collaboration with Frank on this project led me
to become aware for the very first time of all of the
fantastic stories—some humorous, some daring,
and some offbeat—of the secretive world of
submarine service. I saw a real need to peel
away the layers of dust and concealment from
these stories, many over a half-century old,
especially those that weren‘t classified and really
needed to be shared with the public. These guys
had done some amazing things! But, very few
people were (are) the slightest bit aware. As I
kept digging, I developed a greater appreciation
for the vital role that these men played during the
Cold War era to maintain the peace. It is one of
my passions nowadays to get the word out about
their contributions, while this generation of men is
still around to tell their stories, so that they can be
properly appreciated and take their rightful place
in history.
This tribute was published just recently in the
American Submariner magazine, one of the many
fringe benefits of USSVI membership. For those
of you who aren‘t members, the essay is
reproduced below. Don‘t forget! Our book is still
on sale for the crazy-low introductory price of $15!
It includes this essay and many others. Thanks--
Charles Hood
HOW TO SPOT A BROTHER OF THE PHIN
Since the middle of 2017, when Frank and I
began our research and writing on Poopie Suits
and Cowboy Boots, I‟ve given book presentations
at the regular meetings of nearly a dozen USSVI
bases (with more planned), and I‟ve had several
opportunities to eat and chat casually with a wide
range of these men, from those in their 30s who
have only recently gotten out of the Navy to
several of the living legends of the World War II
fleet boat generation. During these get-togethers,
I‟ve had a rare opportunity to glimpse their culture
from the inside. Through our well-followed
Facebook page on submarine history and by
email, I‟ve corresponded at length with dozens of
sailors who have shared their submarine stories,
photos, and expertise. Many of these men have
volunteered significant chunks of time to help
correct the technical details and refine our
narrative about the exploits of the Silent Service
during the Cold War years. While these men are
different in countless ways—age, ethnic
15
background, political and religious persuasions,
for starters—their years serving aboard
submarines shaped their lives profoundly in both
obvious and subtle ways. As an outside observer
of this fascinating group, I have noticed several
common attributes among them that form the
basis of this essay. I‟d like to share a few of these
thoughts as a tribute.
Submariners are a proud and elite group. What
makes these guys tick? Short answer: The
irrefutable sense that their service aboard
submarines was critically important in the safety
and security of our country. At the core of their
self-identities is pure patriotism; not the attention-
seeking kind associated with bumper stickers and
flag lapels and other fanfare, but a quiet and more
informed version. These are the men who
decided that it was worth it to put their personal
lives aside—for a few years, or even an entire
career—to answer the call to volunteer for the
corps that defends our nation‟s defensive
interests at sea. About those precious personal
freedoms that the vast majority of us just accept
as inherent rights…the reason we civilians can
take them for granted is because these guys
didn‘t. While they were putting their families and
personal ambitions on hold, they served for long
stretches in cramped and unforgiving
surroundings. The missions they accomplished
remained largely secretive and therefore
unheralded. They accepted the underappreciated
anonymity of working in the shadows, even
though it deprived the rest of us the privilege of
knowing as much as we should about their
important contributions to national security.
Submariners like to kid. The jokes can come
fast and furious, often right after the initial firm
handshake, and if you‟re not prepared for them,
your first impression might be that these guys are
out to harass you. The truth is, they do enjoy
yanking your chain. The practice evolved as a
sort of warped survival skill, honed after many
months at sea, to boost morale and preserve
some degree of sanity during those times of great
pressure and uncertainty. But even today, the
humor serves a very important purpose. By
disarming you with a quip or mild insult, they are
checking you out. Can you take a joke, or do you
wither under the heat? In the end, they won‟t
waste time with someone who doesn‟t pass
muster. So I take it as a good sign that, during my
talks to the USSVI audiences, several of the guys
will continue to blurt out jokes or witty remarks.
Submariners appreciate individuals with thick
skins. They‟re not so keen on those who pack up
and run at the first perceived slight or ridicule.
And they really can‟t stand the related notion of
political correctness.
Submariners revere the American flag, and
what it really stands for. When our national
anthem is played at a sporting contest, we
civilians may only see the familiar stars and
stripes before us, For these men, though, the
song hearkens them back to their years aboard
the submarines, recalling the solemn ritual of
raising and lowering of the ensign at Morning and
Evening Colors. As the song rolls on, they think
about the close calls that they had during their
Navy days, and how fortunate they are to be
standing there saluting the flag at that moment—
posture erect, hand over heart-- and intensely
appreciating the moment, while silently thanking
those who were lost at sea while heeding the call.
Understandably, then, they don‟t appreciate
attempts to politicize this sacred tradition.
Submariners are comfortable in their own
shoes. Pretense is not in their repertoire. They
call things as they see them, but they don‟t need
to always hear the sound of their own voices to be
content. It‟s not that they don‟t like to talk, but at
gathering with their civilian friends and family, they
are masters at deflecting the topic of conversation
away from their years in the Silent Service. But—
put two of these sub vets together in the same
room—especially if cold beer is involved—and
you may never hear the end of their lively
discussions about the “old days”.
Submariners do not suffer fools gladly. These
are guys who were held to extraordinary
standards of competency while serving aboard
our nation‟s subs. They practically invented the
mantra, “zero mistakes”. So don‟t try to B.S.
them. They‟ll see through the artifice in a skinny
minute. They appreciate straight shooters. And
they themselves are the prototypical straight
shooters.
16
Submariners don’t like to guess. For every
question or problem, there‟s a right answer, and if
you work alongside one of them, they would
rather keep striving until the proper answer is
found. This sense of precision, inculcated by
submarine service, also applies to timeliness.
Don‟t be late for things. These guys expect
punctuality and live by the rule, “If you‟re five
minutes early, you‟re late.” Their very DNA
seems intertwined with the science of unflinching
exactitude. But I get it. When the fate of you and
your crewmates on the same submarine hinged
daily on flawless execution of your assigned
duties, well, that mindset had a knack of following
you into your post-military life. So forgive these
men if they seem befuddled when the rest of the
human race doesn‟t seem equally disciplined. It‟s
a shame that the same sense of personal
responsibility and accountability isn‟t also a given
in the civilian world. Sloppy work and tardiness
are major annoyances for these men.
Submariners are a little wary of strangers. I
think this has to do with the oath to secrecy that
they all had to sign upon penalty of imprisonment.
Since they are forbidden from talking about a
substantial part of their personal histories, they
can seem a little suspicious of those who may try
to draw them out in conversation or otherwise
attempt to ingratiate themselves. That makes
sense to me. Trust is a precious commodity to
them, and it is not earned without some time and
effort. Once that hurdle is crossed, though, they
will bend over backwards to help you. In offering
their help to me countless times over the course
of the last 12 months, they have exemplified the
giving spirit in so many ways. You get the feeling
after working with so many of them that they
would give you the shirt off their back if you
needed it.
Submariners are very frugal individuals.
While generous with their time and talents, they
are careful about how their hard-earned dollars
are spent, and they won‟t open up their wallets to
just any cause. This reputation for penny
pinching makes sense; they didn‟t exactly earn a
fortune while serving aboard submarines, and the
strong disincentives about unnecessary waste
that governed ship duty simply reinforced the
notion of “waste not, want not”. Still, despite their
understandably thrifty tendencies, they make
tremendous contributions to their local towns and
cities through endowed scholarships, fund-raising
for worthy causes, and various community
awareness projects. I have seen how the USSVI
gives them the vehicle to make these things
happen and to continue to make a difference with
their neighbors.
Submariners like to speak in code. Listening
to them converse among themselves is both an
intriguing and baffling activity. Their language is
steeped in the acronym-laden phrases of Navy-
speak, so unless you have a willing translator, you
may not the faintest idea of what they are talking
about with such enthusiasm. (Coming from the
world of medicine, I thought our jargon was bad!
Not even close.) With some practice, though, the
code may be cracked. For example, here is an
excerpt from a message I received yesterday from
a veteran submariner: “…HGR was our senior
EDO, and he was OINC of a SRF at one time.” I
actually understood him!
Submariners are sentimental about their old
boats. They swap stories with their fellow
veterans about their former rides with great
affection. They like to wear vests adorned with
badges that tell the story of their military service.
They pay homage at every USSVI event to those
boats on eternal patrol, and they hold the fleet
boat generation of WWII in particularly high
esteem because of the tremendous loss of life
sustained by submariners during that global
conflict against tyranny and evil. They thoroughly
enjoy one another‟s company, knowing that each
of them is indelibly linked for life by that youthful
decision to volunteer for submarine service.
Finally, while they may recall those years at sea
as some of the most difficult of their lives,
practically every one of them would do it again in
a heartbeat if asked.
I salute these men—the “Brothers of the Phin”
as they call themselves—proud members of a
storied military fraternity. You‟d be hard-pressed
to find a finer group of men anywhere. They truly
represent the best of us all.
Print a copy, complete and mail with your check to the address below:
Event Registration 655 Reunion #11 7 – 11 October 2020
Holiday Inn Cincinnati Airport
1717 Airport Exchange Blvd.
Erlanger, KY 41018
888.294.5067
www.holidayinn.com/cvg-airport Call the hotel number above or reserve on their website.
Reserve Group Rates using either:
Henry L. Stimson 655 Reunion OR Block Code R65
Hotel Reservation Deadline SEPT 16, 2020
Hotel Reservation is the responsibility of the individual.
Reunion Registration Deadline SEPT 16, 2020
http://ssbn655.org/reunions/2020_Reunion11
Please complete (print legibly), print the form and return along with a check payable to: Henry L. Stimson Reunion Mail to: Dick Young, 7209 Austin Woods Ln., Cincinnati OH 45247 Email: stimson655reunion2020@aol.com
Shipmate Name: _________________________________________ Guest Name: _________________________
Relationship: ___ Spouse ___ Significant Other ___ Family ___ Friend
Street Address: _________________________ City: ________________________ State: ______ Zip: __________
Phone: Home: _______________________ Cell: _______________________ Work: ________________________
E-mail: Home: ___________________________________ Work: ______________________________________
Number who will be attending this event in your group: _________
# Patrols on STIMSON: __________ Total # Patrols on all boats: __________
Dates Onboard Rate Crew Dates Onboard Rate Crew
_______________ __________ __________ _______________ __________ __________
Special Needs: _________________________________________________________________________________
(Event attendance will be through advance payment only.)
I am registering for the following per person (Association Member and all guests):
Event package: $80.00 Number: __________ = __________
OR
Registration Fee: (required) $45.00 Number: __________ = __________
Saturday Banquet: $35.00 Number: __________ = __________
Total Enclosed _____________
Two are two scheduled events. Please indicate your interest. Include fees with your check for the reunion.
1. Thursday: Wright Patterson AFB Museum Tour in Dayton OH. This is a 70 mile trip (just over an hour) and we will go by coach bus/s. Cost for the tour/transportation is $30.00 per person.
I/we will attend the WPAFB Museum Tour. $30.00 ea. Number: ___ = _________
(Include the fee in your check for registration.)
2. Friday: Ohio River Cruise and Meal. The cruise departure is less than a 30 minutes from the hotel and we
will go by coach bus/s. Cost for the Cruise/Meal and transportation is $75.00 per person. I/we will attend the Ohio River Cruise and Meal. $75.00 ea. Number: ___ = _________
(Include the fee in your check for registration.)
The Association has established a refund policy for reunion registrations and it is located within our Bylaws in Article V.g. You can view this policy at: http://ssbn655.org/association/bylaws/1610%20655BylawRev.pdf or on the back of this form.
REUNION USE ONLY
Check # _____________
Date Rcvd ___________
Registration # ________
Hotel Resv: __________
Print a copy, complete and mail with your check to the address below:
g. Cancellation of reunion registration and the refund of monies paid will be based on the timing of the cancellation. Registration cancelled prior to the reunion registration cutoff date will result in refund of monies paid minus the registration/office fee. For cancellation after the registration cutoff date, there will be no refund of monies paid.
Cincinnati is located in Southwest Ohio and just across the Ohio River is Northern Kentucky where the reunion will be held. It‘s only 10 miles from Indiana. There are 3 Interstates that lead to Cincinnati: I-74, I-75 and I-71. We are located a day‘s drive (8-10 hours) from most of the East Coast. There will be plenty of free parking at the hotel for cars and RV's.
If you are flying there are 7 major airlines that service Cincinnati (CVG) and several are discount
airlines. They include Air Canada, Allegiant, American, Delta, Frontier, Southwest and United. A free
shuttle service from the airport (1.5 miles) is provided by the hotel.
Along with the planned activities here are a few activities that you can do on your own if you arrive early or stay late or don’t plan on going to the Wright Patterson AFB Museum on Thursday. The baseball season will be over but the Reds have one of the best Museums in the Professional Baseball and it‘s located next to the Great American Ball Park. The Museum is free to veterans.
https://www.mlb.com/reds/hall-of-fame Our Zoo and Botanical Gardens are second to none with a White Tiger display and Baby Fiona, a hippo raised from birth at the zoo.
http://cincinnatizoo.org/ Tthe Creation Museum is about 7 miles from the hotel. It‘s a state of the art Adventure through biblical history with stunning exhibits, botanical gardens, planetarium, zoo, zip lining …and dinosaurs. In the Bible??? For real??? You gotta see it to believe it.
https://creationmuseum.org/
The Ark Encounter is 20 miles south and has a real wooden Ark based on the size described in the bible; it is huge.
https://arkencounter.com/
Kentucky Horse Park is about 45 miles away near Lexington Kentucky.
https://kyhorsepark.com/ The Cincinnati Museum Center is near the downtown area and housed in the old Art-Deco Union Terminal Train Station. It has a natural history museum and the Cincinnati History Museum. You can also tour the old railroad control station housed on the top floor. It also features an IMAX theater.
https://www.cincymuseum.org/
The Hofbrauhaus in Newport, KY features the best German food outside of Munich. https://www.hofbrauhausnewport.com/
You may want to check out the restaurant on the top of the Radisson Hotel located in Covington, Ky
(5 miles from the hotel) on the Ohio River. It sits on the 18th floor of the hotel and revolves once
every 45 minutes, giving a great view of the downtown area, and the food is delicious. https://www.restaurantcovingtonky.com/