Summer 2001
Secretary’s Corner
Summer is now well-advanced, with its usual heat, humidity and, in the west, more forest-fires! Before Labor Day arrives, announcing the onset of a busy autumn, sit back and read about what’s going on in your Association.
The BIG NEWS in this issue is about our next reunion – some of which was recently posted to the JPJ website for our online members. More about it below.
Membership keeps on growing: 13 new members since the last newsletter, for a new total of 358. Great news!!!
At the same time, regrettably, we’ve also lost a few shipmates, but haven’t heard of any in “sick-bay”!
Starting this issue, you’ll find a new section, “JPJ DDG-53 CO’s Column”, in which the skipper of the USS John Paul Jones provides a sitrep about “our” ship during its present deployment. Because of the recent Change-of-Command aboard the JPJ, we’re very pleased to be able to publish sitreps from both ** Former CO **, the out-going CO, and his relief, ** Current CO **. We wish ** Former CO ** “Fair Winds and Following Seas” as he takes up his new responsibilities in the Pentagon, and a hearty “Welcome Aboard” to CDR Steindl!
Pete Maytham, Secretary
Here’s the news you’ve all been waiting for: WHEN AND WHERE!
When -
10-14 October 2002
Where -
Norfolk, Virginia
NOTE THOSE
DATES NOW!!!
The reunion Committee of Joe Good, Walt Malone, Pete Maytham and Dick Moore has been very busy since the San Diego reunion checking out possible locations, hotels, tours, etc. to make the reunion an EVENT TO REMEMBER!
Norfolk, Virginia (NORVA)
Not only because JPJ DD-932 was home-ported, and later decommissioned there to be converted to DDG-32, Norfolk and the surrounding Tidewater region is a great place to visit:
·
Waterfront
·
Nauticus
·
USS
Wisconsin BB-64
·
Chrysler
Museum
·
General
MacArthur Memorial
·
Norfolk
Botanical Gardens
·
MacArthur
Shopping Center
and nearby:
·
Virginia
Beach
·
Colonial
Williamsburg
·
Yorktown
·
Mariners’
Museum
·
Air &
Space Center
AND MUCH, MUCH MORE!!!
Following considerable competition on the part of a number of Norfolk hotels, Reunion Committee Chairman Pete Maytham recently signed a contract with the Radisson Norfolk Hotel to be our reunion hotel.
Located in downtown Norfolk, with easy access to all its attractions, the Radisson is an ideal place to be.
Details and procedures for making hotel reservations will be sent to you with a future newsletter. In the meantime, the enclosed brochures give an idea of what awaits you at the Radisson and in Norfolk.
As our very good luck would have it, our reunion year of 2002 happens to coincide with the 100th Anniversary of U.S. Destroyers, highlighted by the commissioning of the USS Bainbridge DD-1 (Nov. 24, 1902).
Moreover, our reunion dates (10-14 Oct.) coincide with Norfolk Fleet Week, with major events honoring the U.S. Navy, culminating in the Navy’s official “birthday” on Oct. 13th.
Your Reunion Committee is already in contact with OPNAV’s Surface Warfare Directorate, coordinating our reunion plans with the PR plans and events the Navy is already working on to promote and publicise next year’s “Destroyer Centennial”!
To that end, the
JPJ website is already linked to Surface
Warfare’s website:
www.surfacewarfare.navy.mil/destroyercentennial
AND
THAT’S ONLY THE BEGINNING!
MAKE SURE YOU’RE THERE IN 2002!!!
************
New
Members
Please
welcome the following 13
shipmates to our roster:
§
DD-230 –
·
Fred
Marks (son of Ben) 1920’s
♣
DD-932
–
·
Ron
Ball
‘60-’62
·
Mark
Brinkman
‘61-’62
·
Mike
Farmer
1964
·
Larry
Howe
‘58-‘62
·
Charles
Hubbard
‘62-’64
·
Ed
Thompson ‘56-’58
·
Myron
Winklevoss ‘62-‘65
♣
DDG-32
–
·
Joe
George
‘69-’73
·
Chuck
Torelli
‘73-’76
·
Jody
Utsey
‘70-’71
·
Luis
Wright
Unknown
♣
Unknown
·
Charles
Pennington Unknown
WELCOME
ABOARD!!!
Every
Member Get A Member
Even
though Membership is growing, it would be wonderful to have even more
shipmates aboard, from all the JPJ’s of recent years and,
especially DDG-53,
which will have been in commission 8 years in December!
IF
KNOW OF A SHIPMATE NOT YET A MEMBER, SIGN HIM UP SO HE MIGHT RELIVE
HIS DAYS ON THE JONES, AND BE AT THE REUNION!
We
commit thee to the sea
……
♠ His son, Lee, informed us of the passing of Virgil M. Highsmith on June 8, 2001. Virgil served aboard DD-230 from 1943-1945. Lee wrote from his home in Anchorage, Alaska: “I’m very proud of my father’s navy service. I proudly wear the USS JOHN PAUL JONES cap my father gave me. I also have his original black watch-cap.” We’re proud of him too, Lee.
♠
Geri Center emailed us that her husband, Larry
Center,
passed away on June 25, 2001, asking that we remember him in our
hearts and prayers. Larry served aboard DDG-32
from 1970-1972. He will be missed by us all.
♠
Another DDG-32
shipmate, Gary
Owens 1971-1972),
passed away very unexpectedly on July 14, 2001 from a heart-attack,
leaving his wife, Tracy, three sons, his father and brother, reported
to us by his co-worker at Bath
Iron Works,
Bob Stevenson. Bob wrote: “Gary and I shared the same office at BIW and
were neighbors. He and I had the honor to work on, and train the crew
of DDG-53
in 1992 and 1993. Through the years, Gary always referred to the John
Paul Jones very fondly.”
Our
thoughts and prayers are with all of you and your families.
Seabag
Items
¨
Special
recognition – DD-230 –
Shipmates
who served aboard USS
Paul Jones
in the Atlantic during 1944-1945 recently received special
recognition from the French
Govt.
in the form of a Diplôme,
signed by the French Secretary of State for
“Certificate
of gratitude by France for those forces of the allied armies engaged
in the Normandy Landings and Liberation of France 1944-1945.”
Shipmate
Chuck
Wilson (DD-230)
personally received one of these certificates and kindly sent it to
Pete Maytham to be shared with all JPJ DD-230 shipmates who were
there. WELL
DONE
to you all!
Chuck
also sent me a most interesting “History
of USS Paul Jones DD-230”,
which he obtained recently from the Operational Archives Branch of
the Naval Historical Center at the Washington Navy Yard.
Anyone,
especially DD-230 shipmates, who would like a copy of either the
“long” version Chuck obtained, or the “short” version already
in our files, please contact our Secretary, Pete Maytham, at:
USS
John Paul Jones Association
105
Joshua Rd.
Smithfield,
VA 23430
Tel: (757) 357-3785
Fax: (757)
357-0846
Thanks
and congratulations to Chuck
Wilson,
who turned 90
a few weeks ago, and still going strong – as he writes: “A day at
a time”!
DUES DUE
We’re
coming up almost 6 months since the San Diego reunion, and many of
you haven’t paid your DUES yet.
Those
of you who haven’t yet paid your Dues may have noticed “DUES DUE”
after your name on the envelope this newsletter arrived in.
If
you haven’t sent them in – they’re only $20.00,
and valid from now through next year’s reunion - please do so NOW,
sending your check to:
USS John Paul Jones Association
P.O. Box 180572
Coronado, CA 92178-0572
Ship’s Store
Sea-chests:
At
the San Diego reunion, , it was announced, and confirmed in the
Spring 2001 Newsletter, that shipmates could order beautiful
sea-chests from shipmate Paul Lanza’s
company, Cottage Furniture Ltd., in return for which, Paul would
donate $35.00 to the JPJ Assoc. A
few shipmates have taken him up on his offer so far. If you’re
interested, contact Paul at:
Cottage Furniture Ltd.
P.O. Box 1232
Avon, CT 06001
Tel: (860) 658-1850
JPJ Prints
Although
a large showing-of-hands in San Diego indicated many shipmates would
be interested in having a print of shipmate
Dick Moore’s
beautiful watercolor of DD-932, Dick
has received only a very few confirmations of serious interest,
insufficient to justify production costs. If interested, contact Dick
at:
Richard C. Moore
6 Eisele Court
Hampton, VA 23666
Tel: (757) 827-3266
JPJ DDG-53 CO’s Column
Following
are SITREPS emailed to us by ** Former CO ** outgoing CO, and by his
relief, **Current CO **, concerning the JPJ’s current deployment to
the Middle East.
04 June, 2001 – **
Former CO **:
“JPJ
underway for WESTPAC/MEF (again). Next stop Hawaii and East Timor.
See you guys on the other side of the world. Regards, Tom C.”
14 June 2001 –
“We
are currently 3000 mi. from Guam and headed for East Timor after
that. Thank you for your continued support, and please give my best
to the JPJ Assn. ** Former CO **."
19 July 2001 –
“As
I write this, we are sitting at anchor in Phuket, Thailand, after
having left San Diego about six weeks ago. The deployment started
with a successful missile shoot at a supersonic target the first day
out, and we haven’t looked back yet.
After
brief stops in Hawaii and Guam for fuel, we spent three days doing
humanitarian relief operations in East Timor. I can say the
devastation the crew witnessed made an impression that will last a
lifetime. We put over 150 people ashore doing construction projects
and providing security details. They returned to the ship with the
satisfaction of knowing they made the world a little better place to
live in.
After
joining up with USS O’BRIEN from Yokosuka, Japan, and HMAS ANZAC
for a week of training off the coast of Darwin, Australia, we all
proceeded to Singapore for another brief stop.
From
here in Thailand, we will head to the Arabian Gulf to work enforcing
UN sanctions against Iraq. This involves boarding and searching all
ships bound in and out of Iraq to ensure no contraband cargo is
headed in either direction. If the schedule goes as planned, and you
all know Navy schedules “never change”, JPJ should be back in San
Diego the week before Thanksgiving.
Unfortunately,
this is my last column in command of this great warship. I am due to
be relieved on 29 July by ** Current CO **, a great officer and old
friend. I know JPJ will continue to be the best ship in the Navy, and
will go on to achieve even greater accomplishments. Thank you all for
your thoughts and prayers. I know you will continue to support JOHN
PAUL JONES and her crew in the future. Best regards, ** Former CO
**.”
07 August - **
Current CO **:
“Thank
you for your note of congratulations. The change-of-command was held
on short notice 3 August 01 in Bahrain. The 29 July ceremony had to
be delayed a few days due to operational requirements. You will be
pleased to hear that John Paul Jones is setting the standard out here
in the Persian Gulf. The crew has excelled in every operational task
assigned. It’s a very busy theater of operations, and I could not
be prouder of this fine crew. Thanks for your continued support of
USS John Paul Jones.
Sincerely,
** Current CO **
18 August 2001 –
Greetings
from USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53). JPJ is now almost halfway through
her deployment and everything is going very smoothly.
Repeating
perhaps a bit of what ** Former CO ** may have already reported,
after departure from Hawaii, JPJ stopped in Dili, East Timor, for 3
days. Over one-third of the crew participated in Community
Relations’ projects ashore. Everyone participating said the work
was hard, but very satisfying.
After
East Timor, JPJ arrived in Darwin, Australia for a working port-visit
with the two other ships in our deployed Surface Action Group, HMAS
ANZA and USS O’BRIEN (DD975). JPJ spent 4 days at sea getting used
to each other’s systems, and preparing for our deployment together.
Everyone performed marvelously. Several members of the crew were able
to spend a couple of nights onboard the Australian ship, HMAS ANZAC,
for “training”. The reports that came back were all positive ….
they had a great time! Although the stay in Darwin was a working
port-visit, everyone was able to get off the ship and enjoy a much
needed rest ashore. JPJ departed Australia and spent 5 days at sea
working with ANZAC and O’BRIEN, before arriving in Singapore for a
3-day port visit. A few days later, JPJ conducted a 4-day visit to
Phuket, Thailand.
JPJ
arrived in the Arabian Gulf in late July as part of the Multinational
Maritime Interception Force, which is enforcing sanctions against
Iraq. After an August 3rd Change-of-Command, JPJ has been
at sea
Thank
you for your continued support of USS John Paul Jones (DDG-53).
Sincerely,
**
Current CO **, CDR USN
Commanding
Officer”
*************
All
of us in the JPJ Association are very proud of both **Former CO **,
** Current CO **, and especially the crew of the JPJ, as they carry
out their demanding and, at times, dangerous mission on behalf of a
grateful nation.
BRAVO ZULU – keep
up the great work!!!
Humorous
Thought
Shipmate
Ed Ettinger
submitted the following “sea-story” that ought to get a few
laughs.
-
Sarge -
In
the Blue Ridge Mts., there was a retired Marine reputed to have the
best hunting-dog ever, named “Sarge”. Three generals went up into
the mountains and wanted to rent “Sarge”. The old Marine said,
“Good huntin’ dog. Gonna cost ya $50 a day. They agreed, and 3
days later came back with the limit.
The
next year, they came back again and were told, “Sarge” got better
– gonna cost ya $75 a day”. Again, they agreed, and 2 days later
came back with the limit.
The
third year, the generals came back and told the Marine they just had
to have “Sarge”, even if it cost $100 a day, to which the retired
Marine replied, “You can have the worthless mutt for $5 a day, and
I’m overcharging you $4.00”.
“We
don’t understand”, said the generals, “what happened to him”?
The
old Marine replied, “Well, a bunch from Quantico came up and rented
him. One of the idiots called him “Master Sarge”, and he’s just
been sitting on his ass barkin’ ever since!”
*******************
Remember:
·
KEEP
OPEN 10-14 OCT. 2002 FOR THE NORFOLK REUNION.
·
To
make it more attractive and affordable for those likely to fly to
Norfolk for the reunion, a DISCOUNTED AIRFARE
will be available, with savings off lowest applicable published
fares.
·
above
all,
MAKE SURE TO BE THERE!!!