SEC’Y: CAPT Dave Carruth, USN (Ret.)
                                                  7206 Danford Lane; Springfield, VA 22152
                                                   P: 703-569-1354        E: [email protected]
                                       WEBMASTER: John Tsiknas
                                                    15644 Caldas De Reyes, San Diego, CA 92128
                                                    E: [email protected] 
                                        WEB SITE: 1948.usnaclasses.com

CLASS OF 1948 SHIPMATE COLUMN
                                           November-December - 2011   
                                             

The weather this summer has been, and still is for many, really rough.  Classmates in Texas tell me they are very desperate for rain and here on the East Coast we would love to share some of ours.  Of course we’ve also had hurricanes and an earthquake.  Our last luncheon was supposed to have been at Pirate’s Cove about an hour from Washington, a bit closer to Annapolis.  We had a good sign up but Thurs night people from the Washington area started calling saying they would not be able to get there.  We heard that at least one of the roads we would have to travel was underwater.  Nancy Graham had a terrible time getting home from school (NoVA, where she teaches), because of flooded roads so Warren did some additional checking and cancelled the luncheon.  He called people and I sent an email to everyone who had signed up.  From the emails I received we were successful and Phil Rogers 9th Co. confirmed our success because he and Patsy went to work, they volunteer at the hospital, early Fri. morning without checking email or phone messages and immediately after work went to Pirate’s Cove.  Phil sent me an excellent, tongue-in-cheek report on the “Sept. Class luncheon” as follows:

The semi-annual class of 1948 luncheon at the Inn at Pirate’s Cove was held today.  The conversation was scintillating and loud.  The menu was a huge fried oyster platter topped with superb coleslaw and french fries.  The Bloody Marys passed muster too.  A scrumptious dessert of home made apple crumb pie topped with vanilla ice cream rounded out a meal to remember.  All for the tidy sum of $22 plus tip.

Among the attendees were two dignitaries of Anne Arundel County, Patsy and Phil Rogers.  It was a gala affair and all attendees are looking forward to the next luncheon.  Scribe:  LOL

Two of our Classmates devote a lot of effort to charitable events.  Every year Chuck Gorder 12th Co. sponsors a 5K walk in memory of his son Bruce.  Chris Christoph 12th Co. sent me the following report on same, dated Sept 26th:  Over this past weekend I participated in the “Bruce Gorder USCD Annual 5K Walk for Melanoma” which benefits the Moores USCD Cancer Center.          

This was the 18th consecutive annual walk that Chuck has sponsored in honor of his son who died at the age of 34 from the disease.  This time they raised over $100,00 alone, with Chuck matching the first $25,00o0.  The event seems to be getting bigger and bigger every year.  Even I, recovering from surgery last month, managed to cover 2K with my trusty walker.  Scribe’s note: all of us couch potatoes should be ashamed of ourselves.  A very big BZ Chris.

I don’t think that the Class realizes what really great people Chuck and Rhona are.  They know of their efforts for Class cruises and sponsoring the reunion out here, but not of his philanthropic efforts.  As a matter of fact, I think Chuck and Rhona first met at the Moores center when he set up the walk 18 years ago.          

By the way, the Rebecca and John Moores UCSD Cancer Center is named for the former owner of the San Diego Padres, who’s nasty divorce forced them to sell the team.  However the new owner seems about as willing as Moores to fund and build the team.  A miracle team last year but now back in the cellar.
          Just thought you would like to know.     Chris

Scribe’s note:  Chuck and Rhona have done a lot for the Class, West Coast reunions and two cruises with a third on tap going through the Panama Canal January 4th thru January 17th, 2012 with Crystal Cruise Lines, which Betty and I consider to be the best cruise line afloat.  The cruise is closed out now with the following signed on: Bill Kanzler 11th Co. and Marcia Adams, Marilyn and Mike Rose 22nd Co., Bill and Marilyn (Lulu) and Bill  Pierson 10th Co., Walt Spangenberg and Sonia Kazanjian, boyd and Ann Siebert, Chuck and  Rhona Gorder plus several additional members of their family and a few friends also.>          

A second Classmate who has been raising lots of money is Bob McClinton 11th Co. sailing his two boats, WEIGH TO GO which he has now traded off for INTREPID.  Bob says the local paper mentioning the 17 Sept.  Reach for Hospice on Sequim Bay reported that INTREPID was fortunate in having raised more money for Hospice than any other team as well as winning all three races.  Our sloops WEIGH TO GO (nine Hospice races) and now INTREPID (one race) have raised for hospice over $52,000 in these ten years of competition.  Gunvor, the crew and I will try to do more of the same next September.

Upon looking at this picture I commented that his crew was getting a bit long in tooth. Bob replied, I’ve a crew list of 23 men and women; I take six with me (one more than in our Pearson 36).  I’ve a 14 year old lad, an 18 year old lass, two in their 30s, with most of the others in their 50s and 60s.  And one of us is 86.  A 12 year old lad is asking to join.

I am always sorry to list those of our Classmates and wives who’s passing I have been made aware of since the last column, but see what follows after this section.
          Classmates:
          24th Company  Strong, J.T.  7/21/11
          9th Company  Castano, J.M.R.      8/1/11
          5th Company  Hamlin, D.R.  9/9/11
          Wives:
          Hansen, Henrietta (Boots)  8/22/11; wife of Dean Hansen 4th Co.
          Mellencamp, Ginny 8/22/11; wife of Jim Mellencamp (deceased)  14th Company

Now, I have been carrying Dean Hansen 4th Co. as killed in action in Korea.  When I received Boots’ obit it told me that she is survived by Dean, her husband of 63 years.

Dean, please accept my condolences for your loss of Boots.  I am, however, pleased to once again list you among those of us still moving around.

Reunion, the last information I received from Roger Carlquist 19th Co. on August 20 says 184 Classmates still had not returned the questionnaire.  Even though you will not read this until January 2012 please be certain you have committed yourself, in writing, as attending or not attending.  In particular, if you plan to attend and stay at the hotel, be certain you have your reservation. In the same email Roger says 163 Classmates and 53 widows have returned their responses questionnaires with 148 Classmates, wives and widows expressing the intent  to attend all or at least a part of our 65th Reunion.    

In a post card dated 10 Sept. Ernie Castle 3rd Co. says he and Jean B. Faglie were married in a small family ceremony on 10 Sept. ’11.  He said part of their honeymoon would be in Charleston, SC where their room will look down upon that famous juncture of the Cooper and Ashley rivers where they come together “to form the Atlantic Ocean.”  Congratulations to you both.

A card to Don Buhrer 5th Co. from ENS Stephenson reads:
“Thank you for presenting me with the class of 1948 Information Technology Award.  I hope to use the money from the award to further my education in a computer science related discipline.  Many thanks to you and the class of 1948 for your support of this great award.”

The recent discussion of songs and Chuck Bloom’s 5th Co. story about the REDHEAD (AMS-34) prompted Joe Cofer ’47 to send me a note in which he mentioned several out of ’48.  Joe was XO REDHEAD.  “In the listing of your class officers there appears Robert H. Ghormley.  You may be interested in knowing that he was on the 23rd company push ball team which won the brigade championship, fall 1945, having beat the team of the great Don Whitmire.”  In a second note he says: “In our AMS squadron in Japan we had a class of 1948 officer named Ryder who later was washed overboard from a submarine.  He was a great guy.”  Scribe note:  That would be R.M. Ryder  14th Co.lost at sea from USS SEA LION 12/18/50.

I have now gone through all the material set aside for Shipmate and deadlines do not go away.  In the beginning we reported moves, births, marriages etc but today we don’t move much, no new duty assignments and births are of great grandchildren (Lochner and McClinton since last column).  Memories, sea stories and Class/family/personal activities are now more fun to share.  Some areas of the country are seldom heard from and we collectively yearn for stories from those folks.  My next deadline will be in about 30 days so how about some input.