13th Biennial Reunion
Sheraton Norfolk Waterside Hotel
Norfolk, VIRGINIA
JULY 16-22, 2012
Would you believe the two year wait for our 13th reunion has come and gone already?
Time seems to fly by faster as we get older, doesn’t it. Guess what, preparations have already started for our 2014 reunion in New Orleans, LA.
As for this recent reunion, it went over smoothly with no reported complaints. Turnout was pretty good, totaling about 400 people consisting of former crew members, associate members, families and friends.
Sorry I do not have the breakdown as to the number of former crew members that attended.
There was a mix or crew members from WW2, Korean War and the Gulf War.
Our WW2 members are starting to diminish at our reunions. Approximately 14 had registered and 11 of them were honored at our banquet dinner. Our third generation crew members numbered less than twenty. We desperately need our third generation former crew members to join our association. Our membership is sadly getting smaller without them. Their membership is needed to keep this association afloat otherwise we will sink fast.
A number of our attendees went on tours and the lunch cruise aboard the Spirit of Norfolk.
Our business meeting and our memorial service went well, a number of family members were present to place the flower for their loved one in the memorial wreath.
The dropping of the memorial wreath into the Elizabeth River at the end of the service was touching as usual.
Nauticus recently opened the 2nd and 3rd decks aft to the public. Special guided tours in groups of 15 were set up for us to visit that area. Nauticus named this tour, “Main Street, USN”. (Recently I had suggested that the name be changed to Main Street BB-64, I guess it wasn’t accepted.). The tour takes you through the Ward Room the crews sleeping quarters, galley, mess decks, CPO Mess and other work spaces. Construction was going on while we toured, mainly to get the air conditioning units installed and make this area more comfortable to tour. It was nice to go below decks once again, even though it did not look like it did in the 1940s and 1950s.
Our banquet numbered about 320 people. For the first time our musical entertainment was performed by a DJ and not a live band.
See you all at our 2014 reunion in New Orleans, LA.
Photo credits: Dom Menta #1 to #129
Joan Romatowski #130 to #160
Mike Rigdon #161 to #172
Kit Genet #173 to #187
Bud Fourney #188 to #192
Tom Bradshaw #193 to #252
Thank you all for sharing your photos.
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