7/25/2010

FUTURE NEWSLETTER

6/14/2007

Dec. 4-05

Ammen shipmates:

An important step forward has been achieved with our newsletter being made a part of our Ammen website. I hope that this convenience will become an ongoing and useful tool for us to use. Not only will we be able to keep ourselves better informed about each other but getting feedback concerning our ongoing activities such as our reunions will be made more convenient.

A major change has been suggested concerning our joining the Tin Can Association. This would mean that we  would become a part of their annual reunions. The Association next year will be in Norfolk the week of July 4th. The following year would be around the same date in San Diego. Neither of these dates or locations appear to be backed with much enthusiasm. Our major concern at this time is to take some of the pressure off Art. He and his daughter have been the major part or our reunions. If we decide to forego the change, we as a group would have to accept some of the responsibility for setting up the activities for our reunions. Don Whittaker has volunteered to handle this for our Norfolk reunion and I will assist him as much as possible.

We request your thoughts on this change. It is very important for our future that we get your input to this important decision. Some have already suggested that we keep our own idenity and agendas.

WHAT DO YOU THINK? WHAT ARE YOUR SUGGESTIONS?

FOLLOWING ARE SOME OF MR.O’Brien’s suggestions on keeping the newsletter interesting and ongoing.

Hi Pete and Penney,

The longest journey starts with the first step. Please take that step. Just a suggestion, and you may be miles past that-but maybe you can prime the pump by putting out an outline of topics that you would like to cover and invite input accordingly. For instance, the following might be a start:

1) Bringing Her out of Mothballs

2) 25 Knot Desmond and the Charleston seawall

3) Newport 1952 and preparing for Europe

4) Maneuvers in Mainbrace, Scotland and the UK while the real war was raging in Korea

5) Lisbon, picking up the downed night fighter and the MED

6) Storms in the MED, Longstep and our engineering problems

7) Greece, Turkey, Venice and Trieste as easy duty

8) Learning to live with Charley Browning and J. Bob Pendelton

9) The changing of the Guard when we got back from the MED and our experienced officers finished their two year call up.

MR O’BRIEN SUGGESTED THE FOLLOWING:

I A’M SURE YOU WILL INCLUDE SOMETHING ON THE NEWPORT REUNION WHICH I THINK WAS VERY SUCCESSFUL.

PERHAPS INCLUDE THE 3 STORIES THAT WERE WINNERS; 1ST JOE SEWELL “At liberty call, the 3 showers aft were so crowded, I washed 3 asses before I found my own.”2ND DONAT JAQUES “In a storm leaving the galley he was washed over the life line. While hanging on he waited for the roll to bring him back to safety in the galley. Then he went on watch. 3RD BOB HALSEY Playing pinochle in the sonar room the night we went on plane guard in rough seas off Korea when the hull was damaged and water came into chief’s quarters. Bob relates that they could see the vertical beams buckling where they were and he and Harry Snelgrove started yelling “let’s get the hell out of here” John MacDonald having been dealt a 400 hand firmly stated, “no, not till we finish the hand”

I called Bob after I sent him his photo. He had originally planned to attend our reunion (lives in San Francisco) but had some physical problems. Hopes to see us at the next.

Also got a nice e-mail from Louis Junod with a little news on Holberg (wife has physical problems) and Bob Miller (still not doing well after a serious fall). Junod hopes to make our next one.

WHAT DID YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT THE NEWPORT REUNION?

WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR MOST MEMORABLE  STORIES FROM YOUR NAVY DAYS?

Pete.