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Dear Shipmates,
Hard to believe that another reunion is past…and it went
by so quickly, don’t you think? Philadelphia has SO much to offer, so much to see, so much to do, so
much to experience that a weekend, albeit a long one, isn’t enough time to do it all justice. We had a teaser, a tickle,
an invitation to come back some day to see and experience all the more. We walked where our Nation’s Founders walked, sat near where they sat while planning this
experiment in democracy called America. I
still get chills thinking about that. Chills, doesn’t describe the conditions of that high vantage point out in Valley Forge where our boys spent one helluva cold winter…in
rags. Today they’re burning up in 130-degrees with 120 lbs on their backs being eaten by sand fleas…looking for
a rat. If we don’t appreciate the cost of freedom then we are on the wrong soil!!! We’ve got
to stand UP to those who won’t stand behind our troops. I invite them to stand IN FRONT of our troops instead.
I can’t explain what a joy it is was
to have served as your Chairman for another year. You folks are the backbone of America and a pleasure to be with. Just wish there was more time to spend with each of you. In just eleven
months we can do it all over again in Nashville,
September 25th – 28th, 2008, at the Holiday Inn Opryland, with Marc Arsenault as Chairman. 2008 will be different, don’t forget, as we will spend Friday riding
the Great General Jackson Riverboat before our Annual Banquet (yes, a Friday Banquet). Then, on Saturday, the beautiful and
generous Mrs. Winfrey Willis will host a party for us at the hotel in the afternoon before we go to the Grand Ole’ Opry
for the evening. It should be a GREAT time for all. My hat
is off to all of you who stepped forward to assist in any small way with this reunion. Some of you really stood out, such
as Larry Lander with his DVD composition, and Marc Arsenault, who was advising me from the side lines, the volunteers for
the color guard and memorial service and the knowledge & history exploding from John Rodgaard amazes me. Again this year,
we had a wonderful warm group of shipmates and guests and it gets better each year.
God bless you all and we’ll see you
in Nashville!
Jerry Skorch USS Joseph K Taussig
Newport Dealeys 2007
Reunion Chairman
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Historic Downtown Philadelphia
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