Newport Dealeys 2016 Reunion Newport RI
September 8 to the 11th
The Crown Plaza Airport hotel in Warwick RI, located us a short distance away from a highly anticipated
visit to our former home port, the US Naval Base Newport RI, and our eighteenth annual reunion.
Starting Thursday noon, shipmates began arriving and exchanging old sea stories
in the hospitality room . Chairman Chief Rich Legg (USS Hartley/USS J K Taussig) opened festivities by naming the 2016 reunion
host ship the USS Courtney and welcoming the 81 shipmates and guests followed by a special address and welcome to our first
time attendees. Pizza, chicken wings and cash bar were the fare of the evening, followed by another version of the Newly Wed
game hosted by Larry Percival (USS Cromwell).
Our Friday tour
took us over the Newport Bridge to the Naval Base with a stop at pier two to view our former home and a unique opportunity
to see our newest US Navy ship, the USS Zumwalt DDG 1000. The ship had left the Bath shipyard in Bath ME the week before and
was on its way to Baltimore for commissioning. A visit to the base Naval War College Museum, the Marine Detachment and lunch
at the officers club completed the base tour. Our tour guide Chief Ernie Pina (USS Hartley), constantly entertained us by
providing stories and interesting facts as we transited downtown Newport ( Wow, a lot has changed in fifty years) and
a brief stop at the beautiful Brenton Point State Park on our way to the mansions and a visit to the Breakers.
On return,
our reunion business meeting selected Harrisburg PA as our 2018 reunion city destination.
A casual Friday evening began with buffet dinner followed by Chairman Legg addressing the shipmates
and then holding up a USS John Willis cigarette lighter that was donated and to be offered to a John Willis shipmate. First
time shipmate Robert Castle SK3 quickly raised his hand and received the lighter with a comment that he ran the ship store
while aboard and he could have actually sold that lighter. Marc Arsenault and Jerry Skorch then approached the podium
and recognized Chief Legg for his three years of chairmanship of the Newport Dealeys reunions by presenting him with a Newport
Dealeys ball cap. We now have a total of four three time chairmen, which also includes not in attendance, Bob Kitchen, USS
Lester.
Marc Arsenault provided and informative presentation of the Newport Dealey News, which included Dealey class articles
of interest that surfaced in the past year which included, author Rick Campbell's latest book Ice Station Nautilus, Charles
Lamm's plans to build a remote control Dealey Ship Model and share the progress details with us, he continued with a final
update on the site cleanup and disposal of the remaining parts of the former USS Hartley/ARC
Boyaca, in Guatape Colombia and the recent USS Courtney Anchor display dedication at the city hall in Treasure Island FL,
Mike Upchurch, USS Van Voorhis, followed with an interesting talk on Reflections of the Past which most of
us could relate to as we look back to our own retirement, elder years, and our relationship with the younger (millennial)
generation.
Our Saturday tour took us to Battleship cove in Fall River MA and the USS Massachusetts,
USS Joseph P Kennedy, USS Lionfish and an East German Corvette with a lunch break board the big Mamie.
Saturday evening
festivities began with the entrance of the USS Courtney Honor Guard commanded by Jerry Skorch, the Pledge of Allegiance and
the Missing Man ceremony. Following invocation and dinner, we continued with our door prize raffle which included purchased
and donated gifts. Rose Russell (guest of Bill Wood USS Dealey) won the 2016 grand prize, a Newport Dealeys porthole clock.
Sunday morning service was conducted by Chaplain Jerry Skorch assisted by bell
ringer John Livingston of the USS Courtney and Chairman Chief Richard Legg. As in all our past reunions
departing and saying goodbye to our friends and shipmates is always a difficult time as we leave but with anticipation to
seeing them again at our next reunion in Charleston SC in September of 2017 with Mike Upchurch, USS Van Voorhis, as Chairman
and the USS Lester the host ship.
And a big thank you to Chief Richard Legg , the Committee and Premier Reunion Services for
organizing another great union.
Marc Arsenault
USS Hartley/USS Lester
Bruce and Ruth Whitney USS Joseph K Taussig Checking in
|
Early Arrivals in the Hospitality Room
|
|
|
|
Chicken wings and pizza
|
|
Newlywed Game with Larry Percival
|
Waiting for the tour bus Allen and Claudette
Bardsley with tour guide Ernie Pina
|
USS Zumwalt DDG 1000 AT Pier 2 Newport
RI
|
Naval War College Museum
|
Mike and Beverly Upchurch
|
Charlie Holzschuch and Karen Davis
|
Captain Martinez USMC and the touring
shipmates at the Marine Detachment Building
|
Al Bardsley at the Lebanon Marine Barracks
Memorial
|
Beriut Lebanon Marine Barracks Memorial
|
Kathy Arsenault and Captain Martinez
|
Lunch at the Officers Club
|
Ruth and Bruce Whitney with Steve Kittle
and Ernie Pina AT Brenton Point Park
|
Mike Hennesy and Jerry Skorch
|
Mike and Bevelery Upchurch
|
|
|
Mike Upchurch in the main entry room
|
Friday Evening Buffet
|
3X3 a Chairman Chief Richard Legg, Marc
Arsenault and Jerry Skorch each with three years as Reunion Chairmen
|
Newport Dealey News offered by Newport
Dealeys Historian Marc Arsenault
|
Chaplain Jerry Skorch Offering our Meal Blessing
|
Mike Upchurch with Tom and Mike Hennesy Battleship
Cove Fall River MA
|
|
|
Bill McColl USS Dealey Inspecting the Berthing
Area
|
Herb Mann Jr USS Joseph K Taussig
|
Skip and Martha Urbati USS Lester
|
Bobby and Ann Young with Pat and
Sherrie Aube
|
|
Mike Upchurch and Tom Hennesy in the engine
room
|
Break Time
|
|
|
Mike Upchurch USS Van Voorhis
|
|
USS Courtney Honor Guard
|
Chairman Chief Richard Legg Commencing
the Evening
|
Chaplain Jerry Skorch reading the Invocation
|
Newport Dealeys Chaplain Jerry Skorch Reciting the Missing Man Ceremony
|
Chief Richard and Lee Legg USS Hartley, and USS Joseph
K Taussig
|
Charles and Juanita Lawing USS Lester With
Catherine Hagan
|
Bill McColl and Carl Albittron USS Dealey
|
Don Shields and Bridget Hack USS Lester
|
Jerry and Sandy Skorch USS Joseph K Taussig
|
Phil and Gail Passler USS Dealey
|
Dale and Donna Holzworth USS Dealey
|
Mark and Pamela Novak USS Lester
|
Arthur and Gloria Petz USS Hartley
|
Robert Cordner USS Courtney
|
James and Patricia Cruickshank USS John Willis
|
David and Nancy Gondak USS John Willis
|
Pat and Sherrie
Aube USS Van Voorhis
|
Chief Bobby and Ann Young USS Courtney
|
Garnet and Doris Stum USS Joseph K Taussig
|
William and Donna Buchanan USS Lester
|
Robert and Ralphene Matuszewski USS
Courtney
|
John Livingston USS Courtney
|
Charles (Shoe) and Norma Holzschuh USS
Hartley
|
Larry and Janina Percival USS Cromwell
|
Randle Pomeroy USS Dealey and Charles Hall
USS John Willis
|
Raymond and Catherine Dunlap USS Lester
|
Karen and Harry Davis with Chief Robert
Buchanan USS Van Voorhis
|
Dale Holzwort with Bill McColl USS
Dealey
|
Charles and Juanita Lawing USS Lester
|
Master Chief John and Catherine Hagan USS
Lester
|
Marc and Kathy Arsenault USS Lester
|
Mark and Patricia Priest USS Lester
|
Nina Percival and Mike Upchurch
|
Bill Wood and Rose Russel with guests USS
Dealey
|
Chief Richard and Lee Legg USS Joseph K Taussig USS Hartley
|
Francis (Skip) and Martha Urbati USS Lester
|
Allen and Claudette Bardsley USS Van Voorhis
|
Rod Sheley USS Lester
|
Ray and Ginny Hammock USS John
Willis
|
Bud and Sue Harlow USS John Willis
|
Mike and Tom Hennessy USS Hartley
|
Bruce and Ruth Whitney USs Joseph K Taussig
|
Steve Kittle USs Lester
|
Jack and Catherine Pero USS John Willis
|
Robert Castle with Sue Badia USS John Willis
|
Anthony Capon and Kathy Willis USS John Willis
|
Jerry Skorch with Chief Bobby Young
|
Jerry Skorch, Rod Sheley and Mike Upchurch
|
Marc Arsenault and John Hagan comparing
the ET duties of the early years vs the later years aboard the USS Lester
|
Larry and Brenda Eckard Premier Reunion Services (MLRS) Reunion Coordinators
|
Newport Dealeys Chaplain Jerry Skorch coonducting
the Memorial Service
|
|
Beverly and Mike Upchurch 2017 Reunion Chairman
|