WELCOME ABOARD !!! - USS John Paul Jones Association

Winter 2014
Reunion The countdown has started... a little over
two months to Reunion Time in
Pensacola!!
New Members We're very pleased to have several new
members up during the past year:

Gregory Shanks (son of shipmate
Paul Shanks) - Major, US Army,
stationed at Kaiserslautern,
Germany, where he is Deputy Chief,
On-Site Inspection Team Three,
Defense Threat Reduction Agency Europe. Other than his dad, Greg
also has some "Navy" in him, having
graduated from Naval Postgraduate
School in Monterey, CA, in 2012.

Richard Collinsworth, BT1, DDG32, married (Patty), living in Colfax,
WA.

Carroll Craig, FTM2, DDG-32,
Plankowner, '67-'71. living in
Lewisport, KY (wife: Beverly)
The Reunion Committee, ably led by
shipmate Don Wall, is putting the
finishing touches on what promises to be
a great time!
ARE YOU SIGNED UP!!!
If not, complete the Registration form at
the end of the newsletter, and mail to
Andy Longo, together with your
registration fee... and dues (valid until
our next reunion).
Don has done a tremendous job of
regularly publicizing and promoting the
reunion online through the
[email protected].
Shipmates who've already signed up:
Agnew, R.
Bjerke
Bruce
Davis
Dirks
Effland
Ettinger
Gallagher
Grinnell
Grove
Hanson
Heathman
Kelly
Lombardo
Longo
Maytham
McKechnie Peterson
Thiese
Towers
Wall
Zeisser
(Plus wives/guests)
Let's have lots more shipmates with their
wives sign up!
WELCOME ABOARD !!!
Sick Bay 

We're very glad to report that Andy
Longo has recovered from a back
operation he underwent last summer.
Jerry Neeland, DD-932
plankowner, has recovered from a
long siege of problems following a
knee-replacement 3 years ago. After
having to replace the replacements 3
times, and combating infection, Jerry
is once again back on his feet,
enjoying life, and is planning on
joining us in Pensacola.
Taps The past year has regrettably seen
several of our shipmates sail into eternal
peace:

CAPT Robert D. Pace, Jr. - 24
April 2013 - former COMDESRON
9 aboard the JPJ. Shipmate Norm
Knupp, who served aboard DDG-32
remembers him, sending the photos
below:




Pat McDevitt, 9 May 2013, wife of
DD-932 plankowner, Frank
McDevitt, ASW Officer. She is
buried in Arlington National
Cemetery.
RADM Ted Lockhart, DD-932
1965 - 24 July 2013. Ted
succumbed unexpectedly, having
dealt for more than two years with
ALS-related motor neuron disease
(Lou Gehrig's disease). He served
on active duty for 32 years ... from
commissioning at OCS in 1962
until 1993, when he retired as
Commander South Atlantic Force,
headquartered at Roosevelt Roads.
Pat McCarty, DD-932, QMC Nov. 20, 2013. Following his
retirement, and until he passed
away, Pat and his wife, Joyce, were
great RV'ers, travleing to rallies all
over the country
We learned only two weeks ago
from his son that Antonio Cambra,
DD-932 plankowner in 2nd Div.,
passed away 3 January 2014. His
son wrote: "He loved that ship and
was very proud to be a JPJ DD-932
original crew member."
SeaBag VA Issues Fraud Alert - Dec. 2013
Veterans should be aware of a marketing
scam targeting callers trying to reach the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA)
National Call Center or GI Bill Call Center.
A marketing company has established two
fraudulent numbers that differ from the two
official VA call center numbers by one digit.
If the fraudulent number is dialed by
mistake, the answering party will offer a gift
card and try to obtain personal and financial
information, including credit card
information, from the caller. The answering
party may even transfer the caller to the VA
after the caller's information is obtained.
The numbers to be avoided are: 800-8721000 (the VA National Call Center number
is 800-827-1000) and 888-442-4511 (the
VA GI Bill Call Center number is 888-4424551). VA has notified law enforcement
authorities to address this situation.
USS John Paul Jones to Replace USS Lake Erie in Hawaii;
USS Preble also moving to Aloha State
Story Number: NNS140107-05 Release Date: 1/7/2014 6:40:00 PM
From Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet Public Affairs
CORONADO, Calif. (NNS) -- The U.S. Navy announced Jan. 7, that USS John
Paul Jones (DDG 53) will swap homeports with USS Lake Erie (CG 70) this
summer. USS Preble (DDG 88) will also leave San Diego for Hawaii this
summer to replace the decommissioned frigate, USS Reuben James (FFG
57).
Moving the two guided-missile destroyers to Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam
will provide updated, advanced Aegis capabilities to Commander, Naval
Surface Group Middle Pacific (CNSGMP). It will also allow Lake Erie, a
Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser, to proceed to San Diego for a
scheduled, extended docking ship repair availability (EDSRA).
Lake Erie is expected to replace John Paul Jones as a rotational Ballistic
Missile Defense (BMD) deployed out of San Diego once the EDSRA is
complete. John Paul Jones and Preble are Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile
destroyers that can operate independently and perform key roles in support
of a carrier strike group, expeditionary strike group or surface action group.
John Paul Jones is currently the most technologically-advanced ship within
the BMD program and will be used in that capacity to support the Navy and
Missile Defense Agency testing program. Recently, the ship was updated with
the latest Aegis BMD capability to engage ballistic missiles with the SM-3
missile.
DDGs are capable of sustained combat operations supporting forward
presence, maritime security, sea control and deterrence. These combatants
operate in a network centric warfare environment and execute multi-mission
tasking to include air, surface, undersea, space and cyber warfare. DDGs
coordinate with units of a task group to conduct naval operations and
execute the Maritime Strategy under a naval component commander.
USS Reuben James, the last remaining guided-missile frigate homeported in
Hawaii, was decommissioned July 18, 2013 after nearly 30 years of
distinguished naval service.
Maintaining the most technologically advanced ships support the United
States and its commitment to the security, stability and prosperity of the
Indo-Asia-Pacific region.
For more news from Commander, Naval Surface Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet, visit
www.public.navy.mil/surfor, www.navy.mil/local/cnsp/ or follow the Surface Force at
www.facebook.com/SurfaceWarriors; and on Twitter @surfacewarriors.
DD-932 Plankowner J.Paul Lanza Makes Good
We take pictures!
Shipmates Pete Maytham (second from left) and John McKechnie (4th from left) visit
JPJ DDG-53 in San Diego, Oct. 2013, during the Annual General Meeting of the
American Society of Marine Artists, of which Pete is Managing Director and Treasurer.
L-R: John McKechnie, Pete Maytham, Norm Knupp at San Diego Yacht Club, 10/13
JPJ Cookout at John McKechnie's, July 2013
L-R: RADM Dave Steindl, CO JPJ DDG-53 2001-2003; CDR Drew Thomson, CO DDG53; RADM Tom McNamara; John McKechnie; CAPT John Kelly;
CDR Matt Hall, XO DDG-53
Good & Humorous Thoughts Navy Chiefs Are Honorable
One day, while a Navy Chief was cutting a branch of a tree above a river, his axe fell into the
river. When he cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, “Why are you crying?” The Chief replied that his
axe had fallen into the water, and he needed the axe to make his living. The Lord went down into the
water and reappeared with a golden axe. “Is this your axe?” the Lord asked. The Chief replied, “No.”
The Lord again went down and came up with a silver axe. “Is this your axe?” the lord asked.
Again the Chief replied, “No.” The Lord went down again and came up with an iron axe. “Is this your
axe?” the Lord asked. The Chief replied, “Yes.”
The Lord was pleased with the Chief’s honesty and gave him all three axes to keep, and the
Chief went back to the ship happy.
Sometime later, the Chief was walking with his wife along the riverbank, and his wife fell into the
river. When he cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked him, “Why are you crying?” “Oh Lord, my
wife has fallen into the water!” The Lord went down into the water and came up with Angelina Jolie. “Is
this your wife?” the Lord asked. “Yes,” cried the Chief.
The Lord was furious. “You lied! That is an untruth!” The Chief replied, “Oh, forgive me, my Lord.
It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said ‘no’ to Angelina Jolie, you would have come up with
Cameron Diaz. Then if I said ‘no’ to her, you would have come up with my wife. Had I then said ‘yes’
you would have given me all three. Lord, I am poor old seagoing Chief, and am not able to take care of
all three wives in a way that they should be, so that’s why I said 'yes' to Angelina Jolie.”
The moral of this story is: Whenever a Navy Chief lies, it is for a good and honorable reason,
and for the benefit of others. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!
*****************************************************
USS JOHN PAUL JONES ASS0CIATION REUNION
April 29 thru May 2, 2014
REUNION REGISTRATION AND NAME BADGE INFO
Please mail this form and your check for registration and tour selections no later than
March 15, 2014.
MAIL TO:
USS JOHN PAUL JONES ASSOCIATION
C/O Andy Longo, Treasurer
16 AMERICAN ELM AVENUE
HANOVER, MA 02339
Registration Fee covers the cost of: Tour of Historic Downtown Pensacola: Memorial Service at
Veteran’s Memorial Park; and lunch at McGuire’s Irish Pub. It also covers your banquet meal and
breakfast at the business meeting.
Your First Name: _________________________ Last Name: _________________________________
Spouse/Other (if attending):
First Name: ______________________________ Last Name: _________________________________
Want a different badge name? If so, please specify: __________________________________________
Street Address: ______________________________________________________________________
City, State, Zip: _____________________________ Will you have a car? [ ] YES [ ] NO
Phone Number ___________________________ Email: _______________________________
Hull Number: ________ Years served on JPJ: From: _____ to _____ Rank/Rate while on JPJ: _______
(230/ 932 / 32 / 53)
HOTEL RESERVATIONS:
HOLIDAY INN 7813 N. Davis Hwy
Pensacola, FL 32514
(850) 472-1400
Or:
ONLINE @
www.holidayinnpns.com
using the group code JPJ
JPJ REUNION RATES $89 PER NIGHT, plus 15.3% tax. No cost for parking or internet service.
PRICES VALID 3 DAYS BEFORE AND 3 DAYS AFTER REUNION.
WHEN BOOKING, BE SURE TO MENTION JPJ.
BOOK NOW
Hotel Reservation may be cancelled until 6 PM, April 27, 2014, if you are unable to attend.
Event
No. Pers.
Cost
Total
Reunion Registration Fee
______
@ $130
_____
Optional: Blue Angels/Naval Air Museum
______
@ $52
_____
USS John Paul Jones Association Dues
$ 20.00
TOTAL
$ _________
MAKE CHECK FOR TOTAL AMOUNT, PAYABLE TO JPJ ASSN., ENCLOSED
COME ON DOWN, Y'ALL !!!