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Mid Winter 2014-15
January 21, 2015
USS BRISTOL DD857 VETERANS
ASSOCIATION
Ed Lynch, Editor: edwardclynch1@verizon.net
In this issue:
Texas Goodbye…………Page 1
WWII History………….Page 4
MONEY TALKS, BUT
CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM
SINGS !!……………….Page 5
Sam Dalfanzo Photo……Page 6
The Rock……………….Page 6
Jerry McCall’s Family…Page 8
Holloween Party at Bunker
East…………………….Page 9
Tower of London………Page 9
STATUE OF LIBERTY…Page 11
Young Mike Ward Photo Page 12
An Inspirational Golf Story
………………………….Page 12
A Soldier’s Prayer………Page 13
Great Lakes Aircraft Carriers WWII …………………..Page 14
TEXAS
GOODBYE Contributed by Deacon Bruce Burnham
This is why America will remain strong. We take care of
our own as well as others who may not deserve taking
care of.
I just wanted to share with you all that out of a horrible
tragedy we were blessed by so many people.
Chris Kyle was Derek's teammate through 10 years of
training and battle. They both suffer/suffered from PTSD
to some extent and took great care of each other because
of it.
The Lord's Prayer……….Page 16
2006 in Ramadi was horrible for young men that never
had any more aggressive physical contact with another
human than on a Texas football field.
THE MAGIC BANK ACCOUNT
…………………………..Page 16
They lost many friends. Chris became the armed services
number #1 sniper of all time. Not something he was
On Bob Hope……………Page 17
Run to the Wall 2014 ……Page 18
USS BRISTOL DD 857 JAPAN
OCCUPATION…………..Page 18
Continued on last page
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Mid Winter 2014-15
January 21, 2015
h a p p y
a b o u t ,
other than
the fact that
in so doing,
he saved a
lot
of
American
lives.
Three
years ago,
his wife
Taya asked
him to
leave the
SEAL
teams as he
had a huge
bounty on
his head by
Al Qaeda.
He did and
wrote the
book "The
American
Sniper."
100% of
the
proceeds
from the
book went
to two of
the SEAL
families
who had
lost their
sons in Iraq
.
That was
the kind of
guy Chris
was.
He
formed a
company in
Dallas to
t r a i n
m i l i t a r y,
police and I
t h i n k
firemen as
far
as
protecting
themselves
in difficult
situations.
He also
formed a
foundation
to work with military people suffering from PTSD. Chris
was a giver not a taker.
He, along with a friend and neighbor, Chad Littlefield,
were murdered trying to help a young man that had
served six months in Iraq and claimed to have PTSD.
Now I need to tell you about all of the blessings.
Southwest Airlines flew in any SEAL and their family
from any airport they flew into free of charge.
The employees donated buddy passes and one lady
worked for four days without much of a break to see that
it happened.
Volunteers were at both airports in Dallas to drive them to
the hotel.
The Marriott Hotel reduced their rates to $45 a night and
cleared the hotel for only SEALs and family.Thousands
line up outside Cowboys Stadium for the Chris Kyle
memorial service.
The Midlothian, TX Police Department paid the $45 a
night for each room. I would guess there were about 200
people staying at the hotel, 100 of them were SEALs.
Two large buses were chartered (an unknown donor paid
the bill) to transport people to the different events and
they also had a few rental cars (donated). The police and
secret service were on duty 24 hours during the stay at our
hotel.
At the Kyle house, the Texas DPS parked a large motor
home in front to block the view from reporters. It
remained there the entire five days for the SEALs to
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Mid Winter 2014-15
congregate in and all to use the restroom so as not to have
to go in the house. Taya, their two small children and
both sets of parents were staying in the home.
Only a hand full of SEALs went into the home as they
had different duties and meetings were held sometimes on
a hourly basis. It was a huge coordination of many
different events and security. Derek was assigned to be a
Pall Bearer, to escort Chris' body when it was transferred
from the Midlothian Funeral Home to the Arlington
Funeral Home, and to be with Taya. A tough job.
Taya seldom came out of her bedroom. The house was
full with people from the church and other family
members that would come each day to help. I spent one
morning in a bedroom with Chris' mom and the next
morning with Chad Littlefield's parents (the other man
murdered with Chris). A tough job.
George W Bush and his wife Laura met and talked to
everyone on the Seal Team one on one. They went
behind closed doors with Taya for quite a while. They
had prayer with us all. You can tell when people were
sincere and caring
Nolan Ryan sent his cooking team, a huge grill and lots of
steaks, chicken and hamburgers. They set up in the front
yard and fed people all day long including the 200 SEALs
and their families. The next day a local BBQ restaurant
set up a buffet in front of the house and fed all once
again. Food was plentiful and all were taken care of. The
family's church kept those inside the house well fed.
Jerry Jones, the man everyone loves to hate, was a rock
star. He made sure that we all were taken care of. His
wife and he were just making sure everyone was taken
care of....Class... He donated the use of Cowboy Stadium
for the services as it was determined that so many wanted
to attend. The charter buses transported us to the stadium
on Monday at 10:30 am. Every car, bus, motorcycle was
searched with bomb dogs and police. I am not sure if
kooks were making threats trying to make a name for
themselves or if so many SEALs in one place was a
security risk, I don't know. We willingly obliged. No
purses went into the stadium!
We were taken to The Legends room high up and a large
buffet was available. That was for about 300 people. We
were growing.
A Medal of Honor recipient was there, lots of secret
service and police and Sarah Palin and her husband. She
looked nice, this was a very formal military service.
The service started at 1:00 pm and when we were
escorted onto the field I was shocked. We heard that
about 10,000 people had come to attend also. They were
seated in the stadium seats behind us. It was a beautiful
and emotional service.
January 21, 2015
The Bagpipe and drum corps were wonderful and the
Texas A&M men's choir stood through the entire service
and sang right at the end. We were all in tears.
The next day was the 200-mile procession from
Midlothian , TX to Austin for burial. It was a cold,
drizzly, windy day, but the people were out. We had
dozens of police motorcycles riders, freedom riders, five
chartered buses and lots of cars. You had to have a pass
to be in the procession and still it was huge. Two
helicopters circled the procession with snipers sitting out
the side door for protection. It was the longest funeral
procession ever in the state of Texas. People were
everywhere. The entire route was shut down ahead of us,
the people were lined up on the side of the road the entire
way. Firemen were down on one knee, police officers
were holding their hats over their hearts, children waving
flags, veterans saluting as we went by. Every bridge had
fire trucks with large flags displayed from their tall
ladders, people all along the entire 200 miles were
standing in the cold weather. It was so heartwarming.
Taya rode in the hearse with Chris' body so Derek rode
the route with us. I was so grateful to have that time with
him.
The service was at Texas National Cemetery. Very few are
buried there and you have to apply to get in. It is like
people from the Civil War, Medal of Honor winners, a
few from the Alamo and all the historical people of
Texas. It was a nice service and the Freedom Riders
surrounded the outside of the entire cemetery to keep the
crazy church people from Kansas that protest at military
funerals away from us.
Each SEAL put his Trident (metal SEAL badge) on the
top of Chris' casket, one at a time. A lot hit it in with one
blow. Derek was the only one to take four taps to put his
in and it was almost like he was caressing it as he did it.
Another tearful moment.
After the service Governor Rick Perry and his wife, Anita,
invited us to the governor's mansion. She stood at the
door, greeted each of us individually, and gave each of
the SEALs a coin of Texas.
She was a sincere,
compassionate, and gracious hostess.
We were able to tour the ground floor and then went into
the garden for beverages and BBQ. So many of the Seal
team guys said that after they get out they are moving to
Texas. They remarked that they had never felt so much
love and hospitality. The charter buses then took the guys
to the airport to catch their returning flights. Derek just
now called and after a 20 hours flight he is back in his
spot, in a dangerous land on the other side of the world,
protecting America.
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Mid Winter 2014-15
We just wanted to share with you, the events of a quite
emotional, but blessed week.
……………………………………..
World War II History
Contributed by SSG Joe Zager, USA, Ret
You might enjoy this from Col D. G. Swinford, USMC,
Retired and a history buff. You would really have to dig
deep to get this kind of ringside seat to history:
The first German serviceman killed in WW II was killed
by the Japanese (China, 1937), The first American
serviceman killed was killed by the Russians (Finland
1940); The highest ranking American killed was Lt Gen
Lesley McNair, killed by the US Army Air Corps.
2. The youngest US serviceman was 12 year old: Calvin
Graham, USN. He was wounded and given a
Dishonorable Discharge for lying about his age. His
benefits were later restored by act of Congress.
3. At the time of Pearl Harbor, the top US Navy command
was called CINCUS (pronounced 'sink us'); The shoulder
patch of the US Army's 45th Infantry division was the
swastika. Hitler's private train was named 'Amerika.' All
three were soon changed for PR purposes.
4. More US servicemen died in the Air Corps than the
Marine Corps. While completing the required 30
missions, an airman's
chance of being killed
was 71%.
5.
Generally
speaking, there was
no such thing as an
average fighter pilot.
You were either an
ace or a target. For
instance, Japanese
Ace Hiroyoshi
Nishizawa shot down
over 80 planes. He
died while a
passenger on a cargo
plane.
January 21, 2015
6. It was a common practice on fighter planes to load
every 5th round with a tracer round to aid in aiming. This
was a big mistake. Tracers had different Ballistics so (at
long range) if your tracers were hitting the target 80% of
your rounds were missing. Worse yet tracers instantly
told your enemy he was under fire and from which
direction. Worst of all was the practice of loading a string
of tracers at the end of the belt to tell you that you were
out of ammo. This was definitely not something you
wanted to tell the enemy. Units that stopped using tracers
saw their success rate nearly double and their loss rate go
down.
7. When allied armies reached the Rhine, the first thing
men did was pee in it. This was pretty universal from the
lowest private to Winston Churchill (who made a big
show of it) and Gen. Patton (who had himself
photographed in the act).
8. German ME-264 bombers were capable of bombing
New York City, but they decided it wasn't worth the
effort.
9. German submarine U-120 was sunk by a
malfunctioning toilet.
10. Among the first 'Germans' captured at Normandy
were several Koreans.They had been forced to fight for
the Japanese Army until they were captured by the
Russians and forced to fight for the Russian Army until
they were captured by the Germans and forced to fight
for the German Army until they were captured by the US
Army.
11 . F o l l o w i n g a
massive naval
bombardment, 35,000
United States and
Canadian troops
stormed ashore at
Kiska, in the Aleutian
Islands. 21 troops
were killed in the
assault on the island...
It could have been
worse if there had
actually been any
Japanese on the
island.
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Mid Winter 2014-15
12. The last marine killed in WW2 was killed by a can of
spam. He was on the ground as a POW in Japan when
rescue flights dropping food and supplies came over, the
package came apart in the air and a stray can of spam hit
him and killed him.
……………………………………
MONEY TALKS, BUT CHOCOLATE ICE
CREAM SINGS !! Contributed by Charlie Weaver
For those who understand, no explanation is
needed. For those who do not understand, no
explanation is possible.
One day I had lunch with some friends. Jim,
a short, balding golfer type about 85-years old,
came along with them; all in all, a pleasant bunch.
When the menus were presented, we
ordered salads, sandwiches, and soups, except for
Jim who said, "Ice Cream, please. Two scoops,
chocolate.
I wasn't sure my ears heard right, and the
others were aghast. "Along with heated apple pie,"
Jim added, completely unabashed.
The next time I went out to eat, I called and
invited Jim . I lunched on white meat tuna. He
ordered a parfait. I smiled. He asked if he amused
me.
We tried to act quite nonchalant, as if
people did this all the time. But when our orders
were brought out, I didn't enjoy mine.
January 21, 2015
missing out on something good. This year I
realized how old I was. (He grinned) I haven't been
this old before. So, before I die, I've got to try those
things that for years I had ignored.
"I haven't smelled all the flowers yet. There
are too many trout streams I haven't fished. There's
more fudge sundaes to wolf down and kites to be
flown overhead.
"There are too many golf courses I haven't
played. I've not laughed at all the jokes. I've missed
a lot of sporting events and potato chips and
cokes.
"I want to wade again in water and feel
ocean spray on my face. I want to sit in a country
church once more and thank God for His grace.
"I want peanut butter every day spread on my
morning toast. I want un-timed long distance calls
to the folks I love the most.
"I haven't cried at all the movies yet, or
walked in the morning rain. I need to feel wind on
my face. I want to be in love again.
"So, if I choose to have dessert, instead of
having dinner, then should I die before night fall,
I'd say I died a winner, because I missed out on
nothing. I filled my heart's desire. I had that final
chocolate mousse before my life expired."
With that, I called the waitress over.. "I've
changed my mind, " I said. "I want what he is
having, only add some more whipped cream!"
I couldn't take my eyes off Jim as his pie a-lamode went down. The other guys couldn't believe
it. They ate their lunches silently and grinned.
This is my gift to you - We need an annual
Friends Day! If you get this twice, then you have
more than one friend. Live well, love much & laugh
often - Be happy.
I answered, "Yes, you do, but also you
confuse me. How come you order rich desserts,
while I feel I must be sensible?"
SHARE THIS WITH YOUR FRIENDS
including me if I'm lucky enough to be counted
among them.
He laughed and said "I'm tasting all that is
possible. I try to eat the food I need, and do the
things I should. But life's so short, my friend, I hate
Be mindful that happiness isn't based on
p o s s e s s i o n s , p o w e r, o r p re s t i g e , b u t o n
relationships with people we like and respect.
5
Mid Winter 2014-15
Remember that while money talks, CHOCOLATE
ICE CREAM SINGS!
January 21, 2015
…………………………………………………………….
Sam Dalfanzo when he served in Bristol. I didn’t have
the space to put this in the last newsletter. !
……………………………………………………………
The Rock Contributed by Tony Molnar
There is a huge rock near a gravel pit on
Hwy. 25 in rural Iowa . For generations, Kids have painted slogans, names, and
Obscenities on this rock, changing its
Character many times. A few months back, the rock received its Latest paint job, and since then it has been Left completely undisturbed. It's quite an impressive sight. Be sure to Scroll down and check out the multiple Photos. All angles of the rock. !
I thought the flag was draped over the rock, But it's not. It's actually painted on the rock too.
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Mid Winter 2014-15
January 21, 2015
!
!
!
!
Here’s the artist named Ray
“Bubba” Sorensen
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Mid Winter 2014-15
Jerry McCall’s Family Contributed by Tony Molnar
We honored our shipmate, Jerry McCall, at our reunion
in Branson. Jerry McCall’s family made a donation to
Tin Can Sailors in honor of Jerry. These are the emails
between Jerry’s niece, Darlene Bennett, and our
association treasurer, Tony Molnar.
Ed Lynch
From: dar admin
Sent: Monday, October 20, 2014 9:41 AM
To: Tony Molnar
Subject: Re: Tin Can Sailor Donation
Good Morning!
I can't "Thank You" enough for sending me the "Tin Can"
donation letter along with the program from the Memorial
Service. I will share these items with my family and we
will always have wonderful memories of our Uncle Jerry.
I thank you and the Veteran's of the USS Bristol for your
service to our country.
January 21, 2015
52508 Winchester Street
Fort Mill, SC 29707
I can't thank you enough for everything you have done.
We appreciate your kindness.
The Dietz (McCall) Family
Darlene
704.281.1079
On Sunday, September 28, 2014 10:02 AM, Tony Molnar
<tmolnar1@earthlink.net> wrote:
Darlene
I wanted to let you know that at our business meeting this
week we decided to use the $75 you sent us as a donation
to the Tin Can Sailors Association in Jerry's name. Tin
Can Sailor is an organization that works to preserve the
memory of the destroyer fleet.
Regards,
Regards
Tony Molnar
Darlene Bennett
PS If you send me your address I will send you a copy of
the Memorial Program.
On Friday, October 17, 2014 4:38 PM, Tony Molnar
<tmolnar1@earthlink.net> wrote:
Darlene
Here is a copy of the letter I received today from Retired
US Navy Captain James Jones, President of the Tin Can
Sailors acknowledging receipt of the donation in Jerry's
name.
Thanks again.
Tony Molnar
From: dar admin
Sent: Monday, September 29, 2014 9:06 AM
To: Tony Molnar
Subject: Re: Message from USSBristolDD857.com
Good Morning!
That sounds like the perfect place for Uncle Jerry's
remembrance. My mailing address is as follows;
From: dar admin
Sent: Monday, September 01, 2014 4:20 PM
To: Tony Molnar
Subject: Re: Message from USSBristolDD857.com
Hi Tony,
Thank you for the information regarding our donation in
honor of Gerald S. McCall. I will be sending the check
this week.
On a personal note; My Uncle Jerry was at sea when I
was born in January 1950, he and my Dad had a code to
notify him of my birth. A ship to shore call was made to
the Commander and the code was...... "A Flag" (it's a
boy) or "No Flag" (it's a girl) and that's how he was
notified that he had a new niece! Uncle Jerry would
always call on my birthday's to share this story with me.
Yes, he will be missed by everyone.
Thank you again......Darlene Bennett
……………………………………………………………
Darlene Bennett
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Mid Winter 2014-15
Holloween Party at Bunker East Contributed by
Charlie Weaver
January 21, 2015
a hundred years later, we should not forget their
incredible acts of heroism and dedication...
The 'moat that surrounds the Tower of London has long
stood empty and dry, but now, what may look like blood ..
is actually something beautiful .'a hundred years later, we
should not forget their incredible acts of heroism and
dedication...The 'moat that surrounds the Tower of
London has long stood empty and dry, but now, what may
look like blood .. is actually something beautiful .'
This summer, the moat has been filled with 888,246 red
ceramic poppies, one for each British and Colonial soldier
who perished during World War I.
……………………………………………………………………
Tower Of London Contributed by Ray Storey
World War I, known at the time as the Great War, was
thought to be the war that would end all future wars... All
sides suffered an incredibly high number of needless
deaths, and the war devastated an entire generation. In
fact, the sheer amount of destruction and death has only
been eclipsed by World War II.....
Since it ended, all countries involved - have held
memorials to remember their fallen dead who sacrificed
their lives for the good of their country. This fact is all the
more so in England, where nearly a million people lost
their lives... What they've done to commemorate their
fallen soldiers is truly beautiful, while also helping us
understand the true scope of these soldiers' sacrifice. Even
For the past few weeks, a team of 150 volunteers has been
placing red ceramic poppies one by one around the Tower.
9
Mid Winter 2014-15
January 21, 2015
The last poppy will be symbolically planted on the last
day of the installation: November 11, Armistice Day—
Each evening, the Last Post will be sounded and a
'selection of names of the dead read out loud, a stunning
and sobering commemoration that befits the Great War.
Regardless of why their countries went to war, we should never forget the selfless acts of these
brave men.
10
Mid Winter 2014-15
January 21, 2015
STATUE OF LIBERTY Contributed by Ray Storey
I find it amazing that this photo, taken so many years ago, actually still exists!
And now, someone has put it online for all of us to see. 11
Mid Winter 2014-15
This INCREDIBLE picture was
taken in 1918.
It is 18,000 men preparing for war
in a training camp at Camp Dodge ,
in Iowa …
EIGHTEEN THOUSAND
MEN!!!!!
What a priceless gift from our
grandfathers!
FACTS:
Base to Shoulder: 150 feet
Right Arm: 340 feet
Widest part of arm holding torch: 12
1/2 f feet
Right thumb: 35 feet
Thickest part of body: 29 feet
Left hand length: 30 feet
Face: 60 feet
Nose: 21 feet
Longest spike of head piece: 70 feet
Torch and flame combined: 980 feet
Number of men in flame of torch:
12,000
Number of men in torch: 2,800
Number of men in right arm: 1,200
Number of men in body, head and
balance of figure only: 2,000
Total men: 18,000
……………………………………
U N D E R S TA N D I N G “ U P
Contributed by Charlie Weaver
Lovers of the English language
might enjoy this. It is yet another
example of why people learning
English have trouble with the
language. Learning the nuances of
English makes it a difficult
language. (But then, that's probably
true of many languages.)
There is a two-letter word in English
that perhaps has more meanings
than any other two-letter word, and
that word is "UP." It is listed in the
dictionary as being used as an [adv],
[prep], [adj], [n] or [v].
It's easy to understand UP, meaning
toward the sky or at the top of the
January 21, 2015
list, but when we awaken in the
morning, why do we wake UP?
At a meeting, why does a topic
come UP ? Why do we speak UP,
and why are the officers UP for
election and why is it UP to the
secretary to write UP a report? We
call UP our friends and we use it to
brighten UP a room, polish UP the
silver, we warm UP the
leftovers and clean UP the kitchen.
We lock UP the house and some
guys fix UP the old car.
What is the first thing you do in the
morning & the last thing you do at
night?
At other times the little word has a
real special meaning. People stir UP
trouble, line UP for tickets,
workUP an appetite, and
think UP excuses.
Young Mike Ward aboard USS
U P
Don't screw up. Send this on to
everyone you look up in your
address book.
Now I'll shut up
……………………………………
MC CANDLESS FF 1084
The photo below shows Mike sitting
To be dressed is one thing but to
be dressed UP is special.
And this up is confusing:
A
drain
must
be
openedUP because it is stopped
UP.
We open UP a store in the morning
but we close it UP at night. We
seem
to
be
pretty
mixed UP about UP!
To be knowledgeable about the
proper uses of UP , look the
wordUP in the dictionary. In a desksized dictionary, it takes UP almost
1/4 of the page and can add UP to
about thirty definitions
If you are UP to it, you might try
building UP a list of the many
ways UP is used. It will take UP a
lot of your time, but if you don't
give UP, you may wind UP with a
hundred or more.
When it threatens to rain, we say it
is clouding UP When the sun comes
out we say it is clearing UP. When it
rains, it wets UP the earth. When it
does not rain for awhile, things
dry UP.
One could go on & on, but I'll wrap
it UP , for now ........my time is UP ,
so time to shut UP!
Oh...one more thing:
at a radar repeater during an
underway evolution. Mike is 19
years old in this photo. Who is
Mike Ward?
He’s my second
cousin.
………………………………
An Inspirational Golf Story
Contributed by Charlie Weaver
A golfer, now into his golden years,
had a lifelong ambition to play the
17th hole at TPC Sawgrass in Ponte
Verde, Fla., exactly the way the pros
do it. The pros drive the ball out
over the water onto the small green
that is on a small spit of land. It was
something the golfer had tried
hundreds of times without success.
His ball had always fallen short, into
the water. Because of this, he never
used a new ball on this particular 12
Mid Winter 2014-15
hole. He always picked out one that
had a cut or a nick, as did many
other "average" golfers when
negotiating very challenging holes.
Recently he went to Sawgrass to try
again. When he came to the fateful
hole, he teed up an old, cut ball as
usual, and said a silent
prayer. However, before he could
hit the ball, a powerful voice from
above seemed to be booming out
from the clouds, saying: "Wait!
Replace that old ball with a brand
new one."
January 21, 2015
A Soldier’s Prayer
Contributed by Ray Storey
The soldier stood and faced God,
Which must always come to pass.
He hoped his shoes were shining,
Just as brightly as his brass.
'Step forward now, you soldier,
How shall I deal with you ?
Have you always turned the other
cheek ?
To My Church have you been true?'
The golfer
complied, with
some slight
misgivings,
despite the fact
that this same
force seemed to
be implying that
he was going to
finally achieve
his lifelong
ambition. As he
stepped up to
the tee once
more, the voice
came down
again: "Wait.
Step back. Take
a practice
swing."
So he stepped
back and took a
practice swing,
certain now that
this heavenly
force was going
to make his
dream come
true. The voice
boomed out
a g a i n : " Ta k e
another practice
swing."
Dutifully, he did.
He stopped
expectantly and waited ... A long
silence followed ...
Then the voice again: "OK, use the
old ball.”
……………………………………
But, I never took a penny,
That wasn't mine to keep...
Though I worked a lot of time,
and the bills got just too steep.
And I never passed a cry for help,
Though at times I shook with fear.
And sometimes, God, forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place,
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around,
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place
for me here,
Lord,
It needn't be so
grand.
I never
expected or had
too much,
But if you don't,
I'll understand.
There was a
silence all
around the
throne,
Where the
saints had often
trod.
As the soldier
waited quietly,
For the
judgment of his
God.
The soldier squared his shoulders
and said,
'No, Lord, I guess I haven’t.
Because those of us who carry guns,
Can't always be a saint.
'Step forward
now, you
soldier,
You've borne
your burdens
well.
Walk peacefully
on Heaven's
streets,
You've done your time in Hell.’
…………………
I've had to work most Sundays,
And at times my talk was tough.
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
13
Mid Winter 2014-15
January 21, 2015
Great Lakes
Aircraft Carriers
- WWII
Contributed by
Gary Johnson
USS Sable (IX-81)
was a training ship of
the United States
Navy during World
War II. Originally
built as the 'Greater
Buffalo', a sidewheel
excursion steamer, she
was converted in 1942
to a freshwater aircraft
carrier to be used on
the Great Lakes. She
was used for advanced
training for naval
aviators in carrier
takeoffs and landings.
One aviator who
trained upon the Sable
was future president
George H. W. Bush.
Following World War
II, Sable was
decommissioned on 7
November 1945. She
was sold for scrapping
on 7 July 1948 to the
H.H.
Buncher
Company.
14
Mid Winter 2014-15
January 21, 2015
The
steamship
'Seeandbee' before it was
converted to the USS
Wolverine (IX-64).
Photo below: The USS
Wolverine (IX-64) lies at
anchor in Lake Michigan
while aircraft fly
overhead 1943
Overhead view of the training aircraft carrier Sable (IX 81) underway on Lake
15
Mid Winter 2014-15
The Lord's Prayer written by a
15 year old school boy and
contributed by Joe Kelsey
Now I sit me down in school
Where praying is against the rule
For this great nation under God
Finds mention of Him very odd.
If scripture now the class recites,
It violates the Bill of Rights.
January 21, 2015
It's 'inappropriate' to teach right
from wrong,
3. You may only spend it.
We're taught that such 'judgments'
do not belong..
4. Each morning upon awakening,
the bank opens your account with
another $86,400 for that day.
We can get our condoms and birth
controls,
Study witchcraft, vampires and
totem poles ...
But the Ten Commandments are not
allowed,
5. The bank can end the game
without warning; at any time it can
say, “Game Over!". It can close the
account and you will not receive a
new one.
And anytime my head I bow
No word of God must reach this
crowd.
Becomes a Federal matter now.
It's scary here I must confess,
What would you personally do?
Our hair can be purple, orange or
green,
When chaos reigns the school's a
mess.
That's no offense; it's a freedom
scene..
So, Lord, this silent plea I make:
The law is specific, the law is
precise.
Prayers spoken aloud are a serious
vice.
For praying in a public hall
Might offend someone with no faith
at all..
……………………………………
The Magic Bank Account
Imagine that you had won the
following *PRIZE* in a contest:
Each morning your bank would
deposit $86,400 in your private
account for your use. However, this
prize has rules:
To quote the Good Book makes me
liable.
We can elect a pregnant Senior
Queen,
And the 'unwed daddy,' our Senior
King.
You would try to spend every penny,
and use it all, because you knew it
would be replenished in the
morning, right?
THE MAGIC BANK
ACCOUNT
THE AUTHOR IS NOT
KNOWN.
God's name is prohibited by the
United States.
Guns are allowed, but Not the Bible.
You would buy anything and
everything you wanted right? Not
only for yourself, but for all the
people you love and care for. Even
for people you don't know, because
you couldn't possibly spend it all on
yourself, right?
Amen
Contributed by Joe Kelsey
And pierce our noses, tongues and
cheeks...
Should I be shot; My soul please
take!
In silence alone we must meditate,
We're allowed to cuss and dress like
freaks,
ACTUALLY, This GAME is
REAL ...
Shocked ??? YES!
Each of us is already a winner of
this *PRIZE*. We just can't seem to
see it.
The PRIZE is *TIME*
The set of rules:
1. Everything that you didn't spend
during each day would be taken
away from you.
2. You may not simply transfer
money into some other account.
1. Each morning we awaken to
receive 86,400 seconds
as a gift of life.
2. And when we go to sleep at night,
any remaining time is Not credited
to us.
16
Mid Winter 2014-15
January 21, 2015
3. What we haven't used up that day
is forever lost.
ON TURNING 90
'You know you're getting old when
the candles cost more than the cake.'
4. Yesterday is forever gone.
ON TURNING 100
'I don't feel old. In fact, I don't feel
anything until noon. Then it's time
for my nap.'
5. Each morning the account is
refilled, but the bank can dissolve
your account at any time
WITHOUT WARNING...
ON GIVING UP HIS EARLY
CAREER, BOXING
'I ruined my hands in the ring. The
referee kept stepping on them.'
SO, what will YOU do with your
86,400 seconds?
Those seconds are worth so much
more than the same amount in
dollars. Think about it and
remember to enjoy every second of
your life, because time races by so
much quicker than you think.
So take care of yourself, be happy,
love deeply and enjoy life!
I had forgotten that he lived to be
100, and also didn't realize it has
been over 10 years since he died.
Always enjoyed him, his movies,
and his show. He touched a lot of
lives during his life.
Thought you might enjoy a bit of
memory touching, so sent it along to
you.
Here's wishing you a wonderful and
beautiful day. Start “spending”....
SOME PEOPLE DON'T GET THE
PRIVILEGE!
……………………………………
On Bob Hope Contributed by
Charlie Weaver
On his death bed they asked him
where he wanted to be buried and he
said. "Surprise me."
Enjoy.
Do you remember Bob Hope?
You'll enjoy this.
ON GOLF
'Golf is my profession. Show
business is just to pay the green
fees.'
ON PRESIDENTS
'I have performed for 12 presidents
but entertained only six.'
ON WHY HE CHOSE SHOWBIZ
FOR HIS CAREER
'When I was born, the doctor said to
my mother,
Congratulations, you have an eight
pound ham.'
"DON’T COMPLAIN ABOUT
GROWING OLD…!"
ON NEVER WINNING AN
OSCAR
'Welcome to the Academy Awards,
or, as it's called at my home,
'Passover.'
Enjoy and recall a neat comedian.
BOB HOPE IN HEAVEN
For those of you too young to
remember Bob Hope, ask your
Grandparents and thanks for the
memories. WHAT A WONDERFUL
E-MAIL.
ON RECEIVING THE
CONGRESSIONAL GOLD
MEDAL
'I feel very humble, but I think I
have the strength of character to
fight it.'
I HOPE THIS WILL PUT A SMILE
ON YOUR FACE AND IN YOUR
HEART.
This is a tribute to a man who DID
make a difference.
O N H I S FA M I LY ' S E A R LY
POVERTY
'Four of us slept in the one bed.
When it got cold, mother threw on
another brother.'
ON TURNING 70
'I still chase women, but only
downhill.'
ON HIS SIX BROTHERS
'That's how I learned to dance.
Waiting for the bathroom.'
ON TURNING 80
'That's the time of your life when
even your birthday suit needs
pressing.'
ON HIS EARLY FAILURES
'I would not have had anything to
eat if it wasn't for the stuff the
audience threw at me.'
17
Mid Winter 2014-15
ON GOING TO HEAVEN
'I've done benefits for ALL
religions.
I'd hate to blow the hereafter on a
January 21, 2015
BROTHERS FROM TEXAS THAT
LOST THEIR LIVES IN NAM. WE
HOLD THIS RUN NOW FOR 26
YEARS AND ALL FUNDS RAISED
GOES TO THE FRIENDS OF THE
WA L L F O R U P K E E P A N D
MAINTENANCE AS THE CITY OF
DALLAS
DOES
NOT
CONTRIBUTE A DIME FOR THIS
TO OUR MEMORIAL !
Charlie Weaver
I did a search on anything that
involved Bristol and Compton and
this is what I found Ed Lynch
!
This letter was written by a sailor
serving aboard the USS Bristol, as
his ship was leaving for home. The
letter is dated February 24, 1946,
0326. At the top of the letter, is
written 31 degrees 4’ N. Latitude,
141degrees 8’ E. Longitude.
Homeward Bound:
technicality.'
Give me a sense of humor Lord,
give me the grace to see a joke,
to get some humor out of life, and
pass it on to other folk.
……………………………………
R u n t o t h e Wa l l 2 0 1 4
Contributed by Charlie Weaver
………………………………………….
RED AND BLACK TEXAS STYLE
USS BRISTOL DD 857
JAPAN OCCUPATION via
OUR RUN IS FROM ARLINGTON,
TX TO FAIR PARK IN DALLAS, TX
AND THE TEXAS WALL HAS 3,715
email
Tony, The Bristol was part of the
Occupation Forces of Japan based
in Yokusaka in 1945 and part of
1946. We were still part of CincPac
as Destroyer Squadron 12 until late
Spring, 1946, when we were
assigned to proceed to the Panama
Canal and the Atlantic to Newport
RI. When we came back from Japan
we were berthed at Long Beach,
Cal. and as I remembered for about
3 weeks for several operations, one
in which we collided with the
Compton during a transfer, and lost
a portion of Mt. 42. I'm sure that
was put into the records.
Bob Lang, GMSN 45-47
USS Bristol February 24,
1946 WWII Era Letter
Estimated time of arrival (ETA)
March 16, San Pedro, Via Eniwetok
Atoll and Pearl Harbor.
Task unit 55.6 _ USS Compton
(DD-705), USS Garinard (DD-706),
USS Soley (DD-707), USS Hyman
(DD-732), USS Purdy (DD-734),
and USS Bristol (DD-857). DesRon
11
At last we are taking our
eastbound cruise homeward. Boy,
oh, boy, we are surely glad to be
doing this too. We weighted anchor
s h o r t l y a f t e r t h e n y e s t e rd a y
morning. Our ship was the last one
of the six to move and it was very
nice. The battle ship Iowa sent up
flags spelling out “aloha” and
signifying Bon Voyage to us. I’ll bet
we were the envy of a lot of those
other ships. However a lot of them
have been home since we came out.
Well, it’s now time to wake up the
4-8 watch and “hit the sack” so I
shall continue this on the next
watch.
1545 Sunday Feb. 24th Now our
position is 28 degrees 22.5’ N.
Latitude and 143 degrees 24’ E.
Longitude so if you are plotting this
on the map you can see we are
going to get there to Eniwetok Atoll
about Thursday.
That will be just about one third of
our journey. Today has been a
wonderful day. The sea has been
pretty calm and the sun has been out
almost all day. My cold is a whole
lot better. I have been out in the sun
a little bit today. I started to get a bit
18
Mid Winter 2014-15
of a suntan. We have had very little
roll to contend with on the ship. All
the hatches are open and the nice
air is simply permeating the ship.
What a cruise! A very much more
enjoyable life than we have lead in
these last few months in Japan.
My liberty section will be the first
to make a liberty in Hawaii and that
will probably be the only liberty I
will get there. So I shall try my best
to see all I can. I think I shall send a
cablegram as instructed when we
get there. This letter will reach you
probably the day we arrive in Pearl
Harbor since it will leave by airmail
at Eniwetok. It will take five or six
days to reach you.
I’m getting a box of thins ready for
mailing when we hit the states. We
have a lot of spare parts boxes on
board which formerly contain radio
and radar spares. We had to
combine a lot of these boxes in
order to have some for all the spares
in our small storage compartment.
Mr. Coe has shipped some things
home in some he has taken from us.
Several boxes we have used for steel
radio chassis and coffee pot stands;
others are used as tool boxes. Well, I
have a couple I want and one I shall
send to you soon after we hit the
states. I shall put it inside a regular
wooden box and send it via parcel
post or railway express. There will
be other things in it, of course. I
intend to repaint it when I get it
home and to use the box as a good
book case for school and traveling
case. Capable of being locked and
with handles on each end they make
swell utility boxes.
This watch is really a humdinger.
We have all the lights on, and none
of the radars are on. We are only
using our surface search radar at
night. One ship out of the six has the
regular duty each day with all
radars going. All the rest of us
remain in communication and
maintain our regular station in the
column. “Note: at this point in the
letter, the sailor made a drawing of
the position of each ship, which I
will include below”
January 21, 2015
!
So it is nice easy going daily
routine. And I really like that! I’ve
worked enough recently:
Friday morning , Joe Dawson
changed the magnetron tube on the
SG radar. Shortly after that, the
whole dam set broke down. Joe
worked until noon on it and was
completely baffled. We worked all
afternoon and by evening we had
Schwartz helping us. Mr. Mallett
was on liberty all day but he turned
to with us when we informed him of
the trouble after he returned. Well,
we worked all night on that gadget
and finally got it fixed at about 0600
Saturday morning. Boy, oh, boy
what a night! We practically
remodeled and replace the entire
set. Found several bum tubes, a
transformer that was burned out,
and several other very disturbing
thing. By now, I’m becoming quite
an Electronic Technician’s Mate.
And you will find out that I am
valued a little more highly pretty
soon. I naturally wanted to be up to
make sure we pulled out of Tokyo
Bay as planned so I didn’t go to bed
on Saturday morning until we were
underway. Well, I finally retired
around 1030 and slept all day. I’m
fairly well rested now although I’ll
go to bed pretty soon.
Last letter received was Feb. 14. It
came thru in 8 days. Thanks for the
dope on transportation home from
the coast. I surely hope that yu9ou
had a nice trip over to Steamboat
Springs, Dad. And Mr. Mallett is one
swell fellow. He thanked us for our
work on the SG; more than Coe?
ever did, Just heard Tokyo airport
on the radio 525 miles distant and
very nice to know my equipment is
working so well.
So until next time, adios
!
!
……………………………………..
USS Bristol DD 857
Collisions Contributed by Bob
Lang GMSN
Atlantic 09/29/59: The USS Bristol
(DD-857) collides with the Italian
merchant vessel, Italia Fassio, in
fog in the Nantucket Shoals area off
Massachusetts. The Bristol is
slightly damaged.
Received this email from Bob Lang:
Ed, to add something else I
remembered: we didn't sail directly
to RI, we first stopped at Portsmouth
for 1 week, (we were hammered by
one of those Cape Hatteras Storms).
Yo u p ro b a b l y re m e m b e r t h e
hospitality there " Dogs, and sailors
keep of the grass " When we were
leaving, blind backing up to the
channel, sounding the horn 3 times,
we needed to stop quickly, because a
freighter which had the right-ofway nearly ran into us while
frantically sounding their horn
dozens of times. As I remembered,
how close we came to being
involved in a horrific collision. (I'm
not sure if that got into the ship's
19
Mid Winter 2014-15
records, or not). Next we went to
New York Harbor for 2 weeks. I
think we berthed alongside the
Hyman.( I have Kodak photos of
that). There, we had an extensive
Admiral's Inspection.
The
inspection was marked excellent,
and we were rewarded with a trip of
2 weeks to Portland, Maine. That
was great; I don't know if anyone
remembers Orchard Beach and all
those girls who were crazy about
sailors. I still have a photo of one
beauty who wanted me to marry her.
I retorted that I'm not even 19 yet,
and I still need to serve 3 more
years in the Navy since I shipped
over from USNR to USN, for better
rate advancement. Of course she
didn't understand, and was very
unhappy. But, such is Life.
After Portland we finally sailed to
Newport to berth at a mooring buoy,
alongside the Hyman in the middle
of Narragansett Bay.
The next thing that happened, was
being ordered to sea to avoid a
h u r r i c a n e a p p ro a c h i n g N e w
England, and , of course, we ran
directly into that hurricane. Lot of
fun watching everything sliding all
over the place rolling in those high
seas. Also, you know what the
chow menu was !
At my age (87) I might not
re m e m b e r e v e n t s i n p ro p e r
sequence, such as when we went to
Bermuda, (twice), Gitmo (3-times)
and does anyone remember shoreb o m b a rd m e n t e x e rc i s e s o n
Cubalibra Island. Also, I believe we
went to Key west, Fla. for " HunterKiller " Operations " (Cold-War
Preparations), or that might have
been the Hanson DDR/DD 832.
I was in CIC at that time as a
Radarman and Air/Defense Plotter.
THERE MUST BE SOME
RECORD OF THIS
COLLISION, I know I didn't
dream it.
ED, I'm not sure if it was the Bristol,
or the Hanson that had the collision
January 21, 2015
in the Gibraltar Harbor with docked
French ship SS Gerondi. It's my
guess that it was the Bristol due to
the fact that it was our second tour
to the Med.
Lt. Commander
Joachem , who previously was the
1st. Lt. on the USS Leyte, carrier,
with which we had close air
operations in the North Pacific after
t h e w a r.
H e h a d re l i e v e d
Commadore Letts. I remember one
of the radiomen (Ruffa) had told me
he didn't think this new Captain
knew how to handle a twin-screw
destroyer, because he observed this
Captain reading an instruction book
on how to control such a destroyer.
The collision: entering the harbor,
at slow speed on both engines, as I
remembered, we were to tie up
alongside ( the Hyman ).
As
observed, the signal (two-blocked)
from ( the Hyman ), was "affirm"
blue/white , but as we got closer, a
lookout cried out that their motor
whaleboat was in the water on the
port side.
Next, all I heard was a lot
of confusing orders as to which
engine forward which engine in
reverse, and at what speed, and to
the helmsman what course to bring
to and steady.
The immediate result, 100 ft. from
the ( Hyman ), our ship did a 360
due to currents within the harbor
until our bow rammed into Girondi
at 1/3rd speed. As we backed from
the collision, Ruffa heard the
Captain say, "What a mess", and he
threw the book over the side.
The thing I'm very certain about is
our requirement for the hundred
copies we had to draw up showing
the position, time, course command,
engine order, for each 20 degrees of
out-of-control movement. Keep in
mind; no facsimile machine. This
took a week. My statement to this
was " Who the hell needs all these
copies. Does the janitor in the
Pentagon also get one ?" I was
quickly reprimanded. Ruffa also
made a negative quip, and he too
was reprimanded with a how would
you like a Captain's Mast.
It probably was the Bristol &
Hyman, because I had inquired at
one of the Hanson Reunions if
anyone had any knowledge of that
collision, to which I received
negative answers. My conclusions
as to the fault of that incident had to
be the signalmen on the Hyman. If
they had "affirm" at half mast, it
would have signaled to our Captain
to not come alongside. Therefore,
there wouldn't have been any need
for emergency control. I'm sure you
would agree. The fault I would place
on the Captain: he needed to be
better prepared for emergency
situations such as unfamiliar harbor
currents, because just about
everywhere we went there were
terrible currents.
On the Hanson's last trip to the
MED, (my last trip), the Navy
combined Signalman &
Quartermaster to one rate. I
managed to make QM3. I learned
how difficult it was to determine the
variable currents, caused by
changing weather conditions in
different areas of the Mediteranian
Sea, based on the Military Geodetic
Maps for navigation.
If you wish, I will later describe how
the Hanson almost ended up on the
bottom of the North Sea.
An aside note: while we were there
in Gibralter, we had the chance to
go aboard the HMS Cheviot. You
would not believe how dirty that
ship was. They told us woman clean
the ship when they return to London,
or any port to which they are
assigned. Isn't that great ?
Will send more info later. I don't
know if you ever heard about how
we almost lost the jeep at the dock
in Trieste.
Bob Lang
ED, This story is going to require a
load of backing to corroborate the
information which was given to me
when I first came aboard the Bristol.
Probably most of it is true due to the
guys who were on board before me
each reunion they regret not getting
the Imperial sub I-58, which sank
20
Mid Winter 2014-15
the cruiser Indianapolis. Actual
news : The Navy did not know
the cruiser was missing for
over 4 days on it's return
from delivering the "A"
Bomb, "Little Boy" to Tinian
for the B -29 Air Group,
which dropped it on
H i ro s h i m a . R e s c u e o f
survivors was implemented
way too late and 1100 men
perished, many drowned,
others were partially eaten by
sharks. Fortunately for us the
cruiser wasn't sunk on the
way to Tinian, or we would
remain fighting the war for a
much longer time.
Now the Kicker : which might
give some believability. I
watched the trial of McVeigh,
the Commander of the
Indianapolis where the Navy
claimed he didn't follow
proper zig-zag procedure to
avoid the torpedoes.
NOW: Present at this trial
was the Commander of the
sub, I-58, Honsu Motsomura,
who thru interpreters claimed
the target couldn't avoid the
torpedoes no matter what evasion
tactic was used, because they were
"kietons", He further explained to
the interpreter they are suicide
torpedoes, where a man pilots the
device to the target. If that
interpreter was correct in the
translation, I would think that would
shoot the Navy Prosecution Case to
Hell. I believe they brought in
Honsu in order to prove evasion
tactics were not used by McVeigh,
and it backfired on them.
Now get this : Honsu stated he was
very lucky to sink the ship, because
earlier he was almost sunk by an
American destroyer, when he
foolishly surfaced too close to
charge the sub's batteries in the
dead of the night to avoid detection.
He further admitted that after he
escaped, he realized the destroyer
was the type he was ordered by his
Commander not to engage. I later
learned about the details of that
order. All Japanese submarines are
to avoid attacking the American
Destroyers of this class (Display
January 21, 2015
shown) {outlines of Gearing &
Indianapolis ' s intended route from
Guam to the Philippines
Sumner}. So it's possible it was the
Bristol, using a depth charge attack,
as described by Buck Reardon.
I guess the story Buck Reardon,
Gunners Mate 2C told me could be
true. He was my immediate
supervisor when I boarded and was
assigned to "O' Division as GM
Striker.
On our first reunion at Pittsburg he
told me he wrote down every
assignment he gave to me in a little
notebook, so he could check to make
sure the work was done. Most of the
work was on the dual 20mm and
40mm mounts. I remember him
being fair to me while he trained
me. As a boot, GM striker, I made
some errors and goofed up. He
rightfully chewed me out. He was a
tobacco-chewing Kentuckian. He
said I wasn't ready to work on the
main battery mounts at that time.
Later at the reunion he told me he
was going to give me that notebook
to keep. he said he would bring it for
me at the next reunion which
would be Fall River, Mass.
However, Buck never came to
that reunion. Sadly, I found
out Buck had passed away a
few months before that
reunion.
In order to respect his
memory, I will paraphrase
the story he told me.
Early, in the morning (3:00
AM), (he didn't tell me the
date), the lookouts spotted
something about 300 yards
or more off the starboard
side. They were not sure what
it was. However, the crew in
Mt. 53 claimed it looked like
a sub, and they were ready to
fire a salvo. The Captain
ordered not to fire for if it is a
sub, it might be one of ours.
My guess is he thought it was
highly unlikely an enemy sub
would surface near a
destroyer. (My theory is if
it had been a US sub, they
would immediately indicate
by signal their identity).
Next, there was an order for a 10second illumination to identify the
contact. That angered the Exec, and
he stated if the searchlight wasn't
turned off, he was going to shoot it
out. During the illumination, the
trainer claimed it was an enemy sub,
with I-58 marking, and was making
a crash dive. Being too late to fire at
the sub, the Captain ordered the
depth charge attack.< wrong>
As I stated in the beginning of this
narration that it needed a lot
of vetting. Is there a definite record
of this contact ? If there is, what are
the details ? Is there verification of
action against the contact ? Was the
incident reported to the Commander
of Task Group 80.1
I ask these questions because I read
the entire report of 28 pages, on
line, about the attack by kamakazies
on the USS Laffey DD 724, while
they were on picket duty North of
the Leyte landings on April 15,
1945. Captain Benoit detailed on
each page, the bogey type, angle of
21
Mid Winter 2014-15
attack, specific damage, casualties,
direct bomb hits, fires, evasion
tactics, and bogeys splashed. Also
detailed action by the CAPS.
(combat air patrol aircraft).
This will be very interesting if it all
fits into the translated statements
made by Honsu, that it was the
Bristol he encountered. Too bad we
didn't sink him. It would have
saved 1100 men. I guess that is why
our guys relent the fact that we
didn't get the I-58.
I wonder if any of our guys, still
living, have any other information.
It would be great if we could verify
all this and put it to rest.
ED, I just did some checking to find
info on the Bristol thru squadron
assignments. To my amazement the
list stated the Beaty, DD 756, and
the Bristol, DD 857 were not given
any squadron assignment. This
seems odd, obviously incorrect
records, for we were Squadron 12
operating in the North Pacific, with
the Compton DD 705 as the flag,
and the Hyman was our division
Commander. We were later given the
term Acey/Ducey Squadron, and that
is why we had the cards on our
forward stack. Also the Beaty and
Purvis were in our division.
Bob.
ED, Did you know there is more info
about the Bristol's special operation
in Gitmo in the USS Corey DD 817,
( the destroyer that joined us in that
operation ), records, than our
records show. I remember the
category 5 hurricane they mention
in their report. I think the name was
"Hattie". After all that, I have a
story that developed on our return
trip that is really hilarious, and isn't
in any record, and it concerns the
guys on the Hyman.
Bob
…………………………………………..
The Train Contributed by Tony
Molnar
At birth we boarded the train and
met our parents, and we believe they
will always travel on our side.
January 21, 2015
However, at some station our
parents will stepA down from
thetrain, leaving us on this journey
alone.
opening of the, at that time, longest
suspension bridge in the world.
As time goes by, other people will
board the train; and they will be
significant i.e. our siblings, friends,
children, and even the love of our
life.
Many will step down and leave a
permanent vacuum. Others will go
so unnoticed that we don't realize
they vacated their seats. This train
ride will be full of joy,
sorrow, fantasy, expectations, hellos,
goodbyes, and farewells. Success
consists of having a good
relationship with all passengers
requiring that we give the
best of ourselves.
The mystery to everyone is: We do
not know at which station we
ourselves will step down. So, we
must live in the best way, love,
forgive, and offer the best of who
we are. It is important to do this
because when the time comes for us
to step own and leave our seat
empty we should leave behind
beautiful memories for those who
will continue to travel on the train of
life.
I wish you a joyful journey on the
train of life. Reap success and give
lots of love. More importantly, thank
God for the journey.
Lastly, I thank you for being one of
the passengers on my train.
……………………………………..
Ve r r a z a n o - N a r r o w s
Celebrates 50 Years with 50Gun Salute
On 21 November 1964, USS Bristol
DD 857 passed under the VerrazanoNarrows Bridge.
When Bristol
sounded the ship’s whistle, New
York City Mayor, Robert Wagner,
cut the ribbon signifying the
50-gun salute at Verrazano-Narrows
celebration.
A ceremony complete with a 50-gun
salute marked Friday's celebration
of the Verrazano-Narrows Bridge
50th anniversary. A fireboat water
display with the bridge itself serving
as a spectacular backdrop also
helped to kick off the festivities.
The event, held at the Overlook
inside the National Park Service’s
Fort Wadsworth in Staten Island,
was attended by several hundred
invited guests with many more
watching and listening to the
displays from Von Briesen Park in
Staten Island and Shore Road in
Brooklyn.
The bridge, which is 4,260 feet from
tower to tower and links Staten
Island and Brooklyn, opened to
traffic on Nov. 21, 1964. In its first
full year of operation, 17.6 million
vehicles crossed the span. The
architect
of
the
bridge, Othmar Ammann, also built
the Triborough (now Robert F.
Kennedy),
BronxWhitestone, Throgs Neck, George
W a s h i n g t o n ,
Bayonne, Goethals and Outerbridge
Crossing bridges.
At the close of the ceremonies,
attendees donned ear plugs and were
treated to a 50-gun salute – 25 shots
fired by Howitzer cannons from
each side of the bridge – by the New
York State Veterans Corp of
Artillery and a red-white-and-blue
fireboat display in New York Harbor
by the Fire Department of New
York.
……………………………………..
22
Mid Winter 2014-15
January 21, 2015
Our Shipmates Donations/
Notes
8 October 2014
Marvin Marsh RM2 55-57
The westward mail is rather slow:
your letter was postmarked 2 Oct,
but didn’t arrive until today, the
eighth. Six days: the Pony Express
must have stopped to water the
horses.
Harold Schulman PHM3 46-47
Roger Valentine, CS1 62-65
Jerry Cottrell, BTFN 56-58
Jim Payne, LTJG 59-62
Mary Riddle (Clyde Riddle’s widow)
Bill Howe, SO3 60-61
Ted Taper, BM3 52-57, writes:
Hi Tony
I’ll be 82 on the 17th Oct. I don’t go
anywhere.
I remember my 41/2
years on the Bristol. But I’ll keep
up my dues. I enjoyed my 21 years
in the Navy. Tell everyone I said Hi
if they remember me. Have a good
holiday coming up. Ted
Hi Tony
Thanks Tony for doing the job of
Treasurer, and for getting the letter
out so promptly. I sure hope that
Marian is in condition next year. It
will be old times for me. When I left
the navy I was immediately put to
work @ Westinghouse Air Arm
division at Friendly Airport (now
BWI). I lived in Baltimore not very
far from the big white Montgomery
Ward Building.
The check for 2014 dues is enclosed.
Thanks again.
10-9-14
Dear Tony Molnar
Thank you for (remind)me to
continue my membership in the USS
BRISTOL CLUB.
Your choices on where to have our
get-togethers seem to be on the
coast (East) and middle of USA.
If possible you can plan a meeting
near the West Coast near California,
I can attend. And will appreciate
your choice.
Hope to join you soon.
Enclosed is my check for renewal
Jack Warnitz
Rich Kinka writes:
10/15/2014
Hi Tony,
Paul Moynihan
Sorry to have missed another
reunion. Hope it was well attended.
Paul Bocchetti, RM3 51-54, writes:
Bernie O’Connor, STG 2 62-64
wirtes:
Tony,
Sorry we couldn’t make 2014
reunion. Sounds like it was fun.
10/9/14
10 Stonefield Mews Ln
Pittsford, NY 14534
I just can’t bring myself to be away
for that period of time. My wife’s
condition is unchanged and it is now
obvious that she will never regain
the functions she lost.
We will do our best to make the
Baltimore get-together.
Looking
forward to seeing everyone there
next year.
USS BRISTOL DD857
Veterans Association
Incidentally, we get a kick out of the
newsletters from Ed Lynch. They’re
very informative.
Attached please find my check for
2014 dues. Sorry I was unable to
attend the reunion this year. My
wife’s illness takes up all my
attention.
Ck 5521 in Amt of $15.00 is
enclosed.
All the best,
Mary Bocchetti
PS
We are both doing fine
M&P
Paul Moynihan writes:
Tony,
Hopefully next year I”ll be @
Baltimore.
Best Wishes to All
Regards,
Bernie O’Connor
STG2 62-64
Jack Warnitz, SN 46-47 writes:
Thanks for your continuing service
to the assn.
Regards,
Rich
Marvin Marsh writes:
Tony
Glad to hear the reunion was a
success. Sorry I didn't make it!
Thanks to all who keep it going!
Enclosed check for dues and
donation for the good of the
Association!
Hope all is well, think "15".
Marvin Marsh
RM 2 55-57
413 Hillcrest Ave
23
Mid Winter 2014-15
In Memoriam
(Photo from 2005 reunion in
Charleston, SC)
Roger Arthur Kaeberlein was a
loving husband, father, grandfather
and great-grandfather. He was born
March 18, 1940, in Erie, Pa. He was
the son of the late Arthur Kaeberlein
and the late Leona Cessna.
He graduated from Wesleyville High
School, class of 1958, and served
eight years in the US Navy.
January 21, 2015
A wealthy man and his son loved to
collect rare works of art. They had
everything in their collection, from
Picasso to Raphael. They would
often sit together and admire the
great works of art. When the
Vietnam conflict broke out, the son
went to war.
He was very courageous and died
in battle while rescuing another
soldier. The father was notified and
grieved deeply for his only son.
About a month later, just before
Christmas, there was a knock at the
door. A young man stood at the door
with a large package in his hands.
Mr. Kaeberlein is survived by his
wife of 52 years, Pat, three children,
D a v i d , Ly n d a M o r o s k y a n d
Kimberly Mills, six grandchildren,
and one great-grandson, brother,
Forrest (Pug) Wheeler, sister Laura
(Cessna) Jones, and several nieces
and nephews.
A memorial service will be
celebrated Friday, November 14,
2014, at 6:00 p.m., at Banfield
Funeral Home, in Winter Springs,
Fla. In lieu of flowers, the family
requests donations be made to Vitas
Innavative Hospice Care, at 2201
Lucien Way, Suite 100, Maitland,
FL 32751.
…………………………………….
The Son Author Unknown
Contributed by Ray Storey
He said, "Sir, you don't know me,
but I am the soldier for whom your
son gave his life. He saved many
lives that day, and he was carrying
me to safety when a bullet struck
him in the heart and he died
instantly.
He often talked about you, and your
love for art." The young man held
out this package. "I know this isn't
much. I'm not really a great artist,
but I think your son would have
wanted you to have this."
The father opened the package. It
was a portrait of his son, painted by
the young man. He stared in awe at
the way the soldier had captured the
personality of his son in the
painting.
The father was so drawn to the eyes
that his own eyes welled up with
tears. He thanked the young man
and offered to pay him for the
picture. "Oh, no sir, I could never
repay what your son did for me. It's
a gift".
The father hung the portrait over
his mantle. Every time visitors came
to his home he took them to see the
portrait of his son before he showed
them any of the other great works he
had collected.
The man died a few months later.
There was to be a great auction of
his paintings. Many influential
people gathered, excited over seeing
the great paintings and having an
opportunity to purchase one for their
collection.
On the platform sat the painting of
the son. The auctioneer pounded his
gavel. We will start the bidding with
this picture of the son.
Who will bid for this picture?"
There was silence.
Then a voice in the back of the
room shouted, "We want to see the
famous paintings. Skip this one."
But the auctioneer persisted. "Will
someone bid for this painting? Who
will start the bidding? $100, $200?"
Another voice shouted angrily. We
didn't come to see this painting. We
came to see the Van Goghs, the
Rembrandts. Get on with the real
bids!"
But still the auctioneer continued.
"The son! The son! Who'll take the
son?"
Finally, a voice came from the very
back of the room. It was the
longtime gardener of the man and
his son. "I'll give $10 for the
painting." Being a poor man, it was
all he could afford.
"We have $10, who will bid $20?"
24
Mid Winter 2014-15
"Give it to him for $10. Let's see the
masters!" someone shouted.
"$10 is the bid, won't someone bid
$20?"
The crowd was becoming angry.
They didn't want the picture of the
son. They wanted the more worthy
investments for their collections.
The auctioneer pounded the gavel.
"Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!"
A man sitting on the second row
shouted, "Now let's get on with the
collection!"
The auctioneer laid down his gavel.
"I'm sorry, the auction is over."
What about the paintings?"
"I am sorry. When I was called to
conduct this auction, I was told of a
secret stipulation in the will. I was
not allowed to reveal that stipulation
until this time. Only the painting of
the son would be auctioned.
Whoever bought that painting would
inherit the entire estate, including
the paintings. The man who took the
son gets every thing!"
God gave His son 2,000 years ago
to die on a cruel cross.
Much like the auctioneer, His
message today is: "The son, the son,
who'll take the son?" Because, you
see, whoever takes the Son gets
everything.
…………………………………….
Manchester High Honors
Vets
( P H O T O : Ve t e r a n s h o n o r e d a t
Manchester Township High School’s
Veterans Recognition Ceremony last
week pose in the school. Credit
Manchester Township School District)
January 21, 2015
They read poems and proclamations.
They played taps and presented a
drill team demonstration.
In individual ways, Manchester
Township High School students and
staff paid tribute to local veterans of
the U.S. military during the school’s
11th Annual Veterans Recognition
Ceremony last Thursday.
Held separately from Veterans Day
so as to avoid conflicts with other
ceremonies, the event at Manchester
High School included the
presentation of colors by the
school’s NJROTC Color Guard, the
singing of the national anthem by
the high school chorus, and readings
by students. Cadets Nicholas
McGinley and Chase Block
impressed the audience with their
drill team demonstration, and Alex
Torrejos-Holm played taps. Students
read proclamations and poems,
including senior Patrick Carr, who
read his own tribute to the veterans.
Each veteran in attendance was
individually recognized and
presented with a folder containing
an appreciation certificate and
letters from students.
This year’s ceremony was dedicated
to two Manchester alumni, U.S.
Marine Cpl. Tyler Straube, and U.S.
Army Staff Sgt. 1 Pamela
Smekjal, who also is an
Army Reservist. Cpl.
Straube graduated in
2009. He was in the
infantry and participated
in two tours of duty in
Afgahanistan. He
currently attends school
and hopes to have a
career in counterterrorism. Staff Sgt.
Smekjal graduated in
1992. During her service
from 1996 to 2009, she
was stationed in Germany
and spent a year in
Afghanistan. She currently
volunteers with local veterans
organizations and is a writer.
……………………………………..
Package Delivery Virus
Copied from Snopes
A common (and unfortunately,
effective) technique for luring email users into opening viruslaunching attachments is to send
messages that would appear to be
relevant or important to many of
their potential
!
One way of accomplishing this feat
is to make the virus-carrying
messages appear to come from some
type of business entity that many
people commonly deal with, such as
one of the large Internet auction or
retailing sites, or a national bank (or
other financial institution), or a
major provider of a common
service.
That last area usually comes into
play around the winter holiday
season, when e-mail users
experience the onset of a viruses
spread through messages purporting
to come from parcel delivery
companies such as the United Parcel
Service (UPS) or Federal Express
(FedEx). The bogus messages
typically inform users about
packages they have supposedly sent
that could not be delivered due to
incorrect recipient addresses and
invite them to open and print out
attached invoices in order to claim
the undelivered packages. The
messages include file attachments
with names like 'ups_invoice.zip'
that actually harbor malicious
executable files ('ups_invoice.exe' or
the like) and display as a Microsoft
Word icon to make it appear like a
harmless Word document and
thereby lure recipients into clicking
on it.
A mass mailing of this type is bound
to hit quite a few people who have
shipped parcels in the recent past
(especially around the holidays) and
therefore might easily be lured into
opening the virus-launching
attachment, so UPS was quick to put
up (and e-mail) a warning about the
malicious messages:
……………………………………..
25
Mid Winter 2014-15
January 21, 2015
It Pays to Advertise
Contributed by Ed Lynch
We were shopping in Costco with
our two year old granddaughter the
other day. We give her a big treat of
a hot dog on the way out of the
store.
Because I was wearing a BRISTOL
hat, a man approached me and asked
if I served in Bristol during WWII.
I said, “Do I look that old?” What
he meant to say was that his Father
served in and survived the sinking
of USS Bristol DD453.
This
gentleman is a former marine who
served in Vietnam and wasn’t
familiar with US Navy ship naming
conventions.
This former marine’s Father, Marvin
Jerolaman, survived the sinking.
Bristol DD 453 was on escort duty
in the Med until 13 October 1943,
when she was torpedoed by U-371
during convoy operations to Oran,
Algeria.
USS Trippe and USS
Wainwright rescued the survivors of
the sinking. Bristol lost 52 crew.
……………………………………..
British Special Air Service
(SAS) Dealing with ISIS
Hey let’s hear it for the Brits.
These guys are eliminating up to 8
ISIS fighters every day. These guys
are similar to our Special Forces
and a very good at what they do.
They are using so much ammo that
their logistics folks are having a
tough time keeping up.
26
Mid Winter 2014-15
A GOOD REMINDER TO BE
THANKFUL
FOR
AMERICA !!!!!!!
January 21, 2015
Kate Smith might not have made it
big in the age of TV, but with her
voice coming over the radio, she
was the biggest star of her time.
Kate was also patriotic. It hurt her to
see Americans so depressed and
afraid of what the next day would
bring . She had hope for America ,
and faith in her fellow Americans.
She wanted to do something to
cheer them up, so she went to the
famous American song-writer,
Irving Berlin (who also wrote
"White Christmas") and asked him
to write a song that would make
Americans feel good again about
their country. When she described
what she was looking for, he said he
had just the song for her.
Frank Sinatra considered Kate
Smith the best singer of her time,
and said that when he and a million
other guys first heard her sing "God
Bless America" on the radio, they all
pretended to have dust in their eyes
as they wiped away a tear or two.
Here are the facts... The link at the
bottom will take you to a video
showing the very first public singing
of "GOD BLESS AMERICA". But
before you watch it, you should also
know the story behind the first
public showing of the song.
The time was 1940. America was
still in a terrible economic
depression. Hitler was taking over
Europe and Americans were afraid
we'd have to go to war. It was a time
of hardship and worry for most
Americans.
This was the era just before TV,
when radio shows were HUGE, and
American families sat around their
radios in the evenings, listening to
their favorite entertainers, and no
entertainer of that era was bigger
than Kate Smith.
Kate was also large; plus size, as we
now say, and the popular phrase still
used today is in deference to her, "It
ain't over till the fat lady sings".
He went to his files and found a
song that he had written, but never
published, 22 years before - way
back in 1917. He gave it to her and
she worked on it with her studio
orchestra. She and Irving Berlin
were not sure how the song would
be received by the public, but both
agreed they would not take any
profits from God Bless America .
Any profits would go to the Boy
Scouts of America. Over the years,
the Boy Scouts have received
millions of dollars in royalties from
this song.
This video starts out with Kate
Smith coming into the radio studio
with the orchestra and an audience.
She introduces the new song for the
very first time, and starts singing.
After the first couple verses, with
her voice in the background still
singing, scenes are shown from the
1940 movie, "You're In The Army
Now." At the 4:20 mark of the video
you see a young actor in the movie,
sitting in an office, reading a paper;
it's Ronald Reagan.
To this day, God Bless America stirs
our patriotic feelings and pride in
our country. Back in 1940, when
Kate Smith went looking for a song
to raise the spirits of her fellow
Americans, I doubt whether she
realized just how successful the
results would be for her fellow
Americans during those years of
hardship and worry..... and for many
generations of Americans to follow.
Now that you know the story of the
song, I hope you'll enjoy it and
treasure it even more.
Many people don't know there's a
lead in to the song since it usually
starts with "God Bless America ......"
So here's the entire song as
originally sung..... ENJOY!
https://www.youtube.com/embed/
TnQDW-NMaRs?rel=0
………………………………
Online shopping privileges
for all vets is likely, official
says
Expanding online shopping
privileges to all honorably
discharged veterans isn’t a matter of
“if,” but “when,” the chief executive
officer of the Army and Air Force
Exchange Service said at a meeting
in Washington on Wednesday.
“We still have a ways to go,”
acknowledged Tom Shull, but he
said AAFES is working with its
sister exchange services to iron out
some issues.
One of those is determining how to
share dividends for morale, welfare
and recreation programs when a
Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard
veteran buys online.
The issues “are not
insurmountable,” said Shull,
speaking at the annual convention of
the American Logistics Association,
an industry trade association that
conducts business with
commissaries, exchanges and MWR
activities.
In May, AAFES officials gave a
formal proposal to defense officials
to allow all honorably discharged
veterans to shop at its online
exchange store only; the proposal
doesn’t extend to brick-and-mortar
stores. Concerns subsequently were
raised within the Defense
Department that expanding online
27
Mid Winter 2014-15
access would lead to “benefit creep”
— access for veterans to brick-andmortar exchange stores and to other
quality-of-life benefits.
Shull said he is adamant that this
proposal will not lead to that — and
has said “no” to recent talk about
allowing DoD civilians overseas to
shop online.
Other sources have said the proposal
is not a done deal, and that AAFES
still has difficult questions to answer
about how the proposal would help
not just veterans, but service
members and their families.
AAFES must present its business
case for the proposal to the DoD
Executive Resale Board. The next
meeting of the board has been
delayed tentatively until the end of
November.
He noted that the current customer
base is made up of a finite number
of active-duty, Guard and reserve
members and retirees that has been
shrinking with the drawdown of the
military.
He contends the move also would
benefit the military community, by
increasing sales and providing more
profits that could be contributed to
MWR programs, and to improve
brick-and-mortar stores.
[Source: Military Times, Oct 30,
2014 (edited)]
……………………………….
MAIL CALL
shipsoffice@ussrich.org
To: Edward Lynch
Reply-To: shipsoffice@ussrich.org
Bristol Newslette
Good Day—
I would like to extend a hearty
“Bravo Zulu” for your work on the
Fall 2014 edition of the Bristol
Newsletter.
As an editor, I very much appreciate
the effort to put together such a
publication especially the size of
yours. You are indeed fortunate to
have so many contributors.
January 21, 2015
Fair Winds…
Marshall
Marshall K DuBois, SH2 (62-66)
TAD in the Ship's Office
www.ussrich.org
………………………………
Shipmates, I would like to share
with you a letter I recieved from a
Bristol Shipmate who has attended
all three Bristol Reunions.
- Dick bristolski@aol.com
Jerry & Clyde
Jerry & Clyde, sounds like a pair of
Percherons or Clydesdale horses but
believe me they are Not. Jerry and
Clyde are a couple of Sailors who
once served on a Great Ship, the
USS Bristol.
Jerry was a quiet peaceful young
man from the mingling hills of
Pennsylvania and Clyde was a
young charger from the Tar Heel
State of North Carolina. They met
on this great ship in 1948, and they
formed a great friendship. They
went through allot together, going
Around the World and serving in the
Korean War among many other
challenging situations in defense of
our Great Country.
Jerry and Clyde didn’t complain,
they just went out and did what was
asked of them. After 5 years service
aboard the Bristol, they went their
different ways but kept contact with
each other. Many years had gone by,
about 50, and Jerry and Clyde
wanted to have a Reunion of this
Great Ship, the Bristol and its great
crews. They worked hard, wrote
many letters, phone calls, hours
turned to days and months and
finally in early October, 1998, Jerry
and Clyde’s dreams came true. The
first Reunion of the USS Bristol
DD857 and its great crews took
place in Pittsburgh, PA.
I t w a s g re a t s u c c e s s ! O l d
friendships were renewed, much
laughter and many tears of joy took
place. We elected Clyde, President
and Jerry, Vice-President. The
initial establishment and renewal of
old friendships are still going on. We
have had our second Reunion in
Fall River, MA and just finished our
third in Nashville, TN. The fourth is
now being planned for in Buffalo,
NY.
I am so grateful for the efforts of
Jerry and Clyde in being able renew
my friendships with old
acquaintances from the crews
aboard the Bristol. I personally was
able to see a few shipmates for the
last time here on earth as they
passed on, Clyde being one of them.
But if it wasn’t for the dreams and
effort of these two fine North
American Blue Jackets, these
Reunions and friendship renewals
would not have come about.
We have new leadership now and
very capable men to lead us in the
future. I will forever be grateful for
being reunited with the Greatest
Sailors who ever sailed the Seven
Seas. Thanks Again to two great
guys, Jerry and Clyde.
Respectfully Yours,
Robert G. Dickerson - 51 to 54 GM 3/C
234 East Ocean Ave
Norfolk, VA 23503-4434
757-588-7969
From: Bristolski@aol.com
Date: Monday, February 05, 2001
12:26 PM
Subject: ONCE I WAS A NAVY
MAN!
Another retired friend sent me this--it hits the spot! --Dick
"ONCE I WAS A NAVYMAN"
I like the Navy. I like standing on
deck on a long voyage with the sea
in my face and ocean winds
whipping in from everywhere-the
feel of the giant steel ship beneath
me, it's engine driving against the
sea.
I like the Navy. I like the clang of
steel, the ringing of the bell, the
foghorns and strong laughter of
Navy men at work. I like the ships of
the
Navy-nervous
darting
destroyers, sleek cruisers, majestic
28
Mid Winter 2014-15
battle ships and steady solid
carriers.
I like the names of the Navy ships:
Midway, Hornet, Enterprise, Sea
Wolf, Iwo Jima, Wasp, Shangri-La,
and Constitution-majestic ships of
the line.
I like the bounce of Navy music and
the tempo of a Navy Band, "Liberty
Whites" and the spice scent of a
foreign port. I like shipmates I've
sailed with...the kid from the Iowa
cornfields, a pal from New York's
eastside, an Irishman from Boston,
the boogie boarders of California,
and of course a drawling friendly
Texan.
From all parts of the land they
came-farms of the Midwest, small
towns of New England- from the
cities, the mountains and the
prairies. All Americans, All are
comrades in arms. All are men of
the sea.
I like the adventure in my heart
when the ship puts out to sea, and I
like the electric thrill of sailing
home again, with the waving hands
of welcome from family and friends
waiting on shore. The work is hard,
the going rough at times, but there's
the companionship of robust Navy
laughter,
the
devil-may-care
philosophy of the sea.
And after a day of hard duty, there is
a serenity of the sea at dusk, as
white caps dance on the ocean
waves. The sea at night is
mysterious, like the lights of the
Navy in darkness-the masthead
lights, and red / green sidelights and
stern lights. They cut through the
night and look like a mirror of stars
in darkness. There are quiet nights
and the quiet of the mid-watch when
the ghosts of all the Sailors of the
world stand with you.
And there is the aroma of fresh
coffee from the galley.
January 21, 2015
I like the legends of the Navy and
the men who made them. I like the
proud names of Navy Heroes:
Halsey, Nimitz, Perry, Farragut and
John Paul Jones. A man can find
much in the Navy-comrades in arms,
pride in a county. A man can find
himself.
In years to come, when the Sailor is
home from the sea, he will still
remember with fondness the ocean
spray on his face when the sea is
angry. There will still come a faint
aroma of fresh paint in his nostrils,
the echo of hearty laughter of the
seafaring men who once were close
companions.
Locked on land, he will grow wistful
of his Navy days, when the seas
belonged to him and a new port of
call was always over the horizon.
Remembering this, he will stand
taller and say, "ONCE I WAS A
NAVY MAN"
Editor’s Note:
I get mail from members from
time to time. I happen to be
looking for something this
morning and came across the
emails above from our
beloved Dick “BristolSki”
Szulczewski. \
The largest group of members
were those shipmates who
joined the navy out of high
school, went to boot camp,
and then, the navy assigned
them to Bristol. They served
in Korea; steamed around the
world; drank beer together;
got in trouble together; got out
of trouble together; and
reunited with each other in
our association.
Then you listen to the guys
who served a short time after
they served and those
shipmates have similar stories.
They endured the same
hardships and didn’t
complain. To this day some
of those guys like Duane
Haugan and Marty Walsh
have mini reunions of their
own.
Our officers, Paul Ratcliffe,
Paul Kallfelz, Duane Haugan,
Marty Walsh, Tony Molnar,
Don Tanner, and, Walter
Marczak work so hard to keep
our association strong.
Putting a reunion together is a
daunting task. These guys
work many unsung hours for
our benefit. If I were going
over the side and had to share
a lifeboat with anyone, I’d
hope that these guys were
there also.
Then, there are the members
for whom we do all this
“stuff.”
We do it for our
shipmates. In the United States
Navy "shipmate" is most
accurately a term used by anyone
in the Navy to reference anyone
else in the Navy. It can be used
with a range of connotationsmost often as an expression of
camaraderie, but also as a
respectful way to address other
crew members .
29
Mid Winter 2014-15
January 21, 2015
In this issue:
USS Bristol February 24, 1946
WWII Era Letter………..Page 18
USS Bristol DD857 Collisions
………………………….Page 19
The Train……………….Page 22
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
Celebrates 50 years with 50 Gun
Salute……………………Page 22
Shipmate Donations/
Notes…………………….Page 23
In Memoriam……………Page 24
The Son………………….Page 24
Manchester High Honors
Vets………………………Page 25
Package Delivery Virus….Page 25
It Pays to Advertise………Page 26
British SAS Deal with
ISIS………………………Page 26
A Good Reminder to be Thankful
for America………………Page 27
Online shopping privileges for all
vets is likely, official says..Page 27
Mail Call…………………Page 28
USS BEATTY
USS PURDY
USS BRISTOL
USS HYMAN
Nested in Boston Navy Yard
30