The Quarterdeck

The
BACHE 470
Quarterdeck
VOLUME XXX Issue 3
DD DDE
www.ussbache.com
“Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”
FACT or FICTION?
Recently I received a letter from one of our shipmates with
interesting questions and answers about the guards for the Tomb
of the Unknown Soldier. Over the years I, as many of you, have
received emails about their commitment, duties, lifestyle, code
of conduct, etc. accompanied by many different answers.
One of the fascinating things about computers and the Internet is
that they are invaluable tools for researching an infinite number
of topics. Of course you must decide for yourself whether or not
the results of your research are true or false.
With this in mind I decided to put an end to the confusion of
the facts mixed with fiction about the Guards at the Tomb of the
Unknown Soldier, (and hopefully to all of the forwarded emails,)
so I went to the website “The Society of the Honor Guard –
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”
Summer 2015
How did a Gyrocopter land on
Capitol Hill?
The airspace around the national capital is
supposed to be the most restricted in the world, yet a
postal worker, hello, a postal worker! from Florida
gyrocopter
was able to fly his
for 30 miles through
restricted
space before landing
on the
capitol lawn. He said
that he
“just wanted to demonstrate how nonexistent security
is around our nation's capital.” And that he did!
Anyone up on current news events understands
that these inexpensive little machines are readily
available online and hobby stores and can be
equipped with cameras and even explosives!
Refueling
Over
Chesapeake
Bay
X-47B
On April 22 drone engaged the tankers refueling
see Fact or Fiction page 3
Unmanned
Fighter
Bomber
X-47 B
drogue over the Chesapeake Bay. The X-47B will
conduct 3 airborne refueling tests before it shuts
down paving the way for the next generation
Unmanned Carrier-Launched Drone.
The X-47B demonstration aircraft will retire later
this year, after having proved the concept of a
carrier-based-unmanned jet that can take off,
integrate into the ships operations, flying a pattern
with manned jets and land on a moving flight deck.
The Quarterdeck
Page 2
Tom’s Thoughts
TOM BLASZCZYK
18201 PATRICK AVE.
COUNTRY CLUB HILLS, IL 60478
708-798-8782
[email protected]
Shipmates:
Well, another year has gone by, it does not seem possible
that we will be at the reunion in San Antonio in a few days.
It feels like I just unpacked from Pensacola.
The main reason for having the reunion in Pensacola
Florida was, of course, to see the Blue Angels practicing, but
because of the "Gramm-Rudman and Hollings Act,“ also
known as the “BUDGET SEQUESTRATION," the Blue
Angels were grounded! Fortunately, cooler heads prevailed
and eventually they were given the green light to not only
practice but continue to perform. Unfortunately their
scheduling for their air show destination cities remained
fluid for several months and when that was finally settled
their practice dates and times fluctuated! All this sure made
for exciting event planning.
The reunion got off to an great start at 0830 Tuesday
morning, we boarded the trolley and headed for the National
Naval Aviation Museum to watch the thrilling maneuvers of
the Angels as they practiced. A lucky few were able to
observe them from the roof of the museum while the rest had
ringside bleacher seating close to the runway. When the
show was over we were treated to lunch inside the museum
at the Cubi Bar where there was a plethora of patches,
insignias and memorabilia from every air group that was
stationed there. Immediately following lunch we had a
knowledgeable and entertaining guided tour of the museum
itself, after which we boarded the trolley and returned to the
hotel.
Summer 2015
The following morning, Wednesday, things did not go as
smoothly. After touring Historic Downtown Pensacola, our
"experienced" driver seemed to be trying to set a speed record
on the way to Veterans Memorial Park, he took one turn a little
too quickly, and caused Jane Larson and her wheelchair to
topple over sideways. With a little help Jane and the wheelchair
were righted and fortunately she only suffered some bruising,
needless to say the driver lost his gratuity.
After we arrived at Veterans Memorial Park a very young,
handsome NAS Pensacola Color Guard, in dazzling crisp
whites, marched to the memorial to be part of our services.
They left many of the wives a little weak in the knees and the
"Old Salts" standing taller than they had in quite a while. After
the memorial service and having our pictures taken with the
Guard we all, including the Guard, boarded the trolley and
headed to McGuire's pub for lunch, (with a little more caution
this time.) During the meal, most of us going to the "head," ran
into a bit of confusion, we walked into the wrong one! You see,
the signs on the door stated "This is not the men's room" or
"This is not the women's room."
Now in both instances the signage is quite large, with the noted
exception of the word “not” which was in very, very, very
small print and of course most of us, to our chagrin, just gave
the signs a cursory glance and walked in. Oops! Of course the
seating in that area of the restaurant had all of this in mind for
the amusement of the nearby patrons who applauded as you
retreated from one to enter the other (after carefully reading the
next sign!)
With our carryout containers in hand we boarded the trolley to
finish the tour and head back to the hotel with ample time for a
nap.
As you all know a lot has happened in the Blaszczyk
household over the past year so I guess it is no wonder that the
year has gone by so swiftly. JoAnn and I are thankful for all of
your thoughts, prayers, cards, and kind words. They helped to
keep us going when times got tough. When times got rough,
and situations seemed insurmountable we were buoyed up
knowing so many of you cared. I am happy to say that JoAnn is
well on her way to complete recovery from both surgeries, and
is looking forward to seeing everyone in San Antonio.
Pensacola attendees:
Baron, Ray
Blankenship, Ed and Wanda
Blaszczyk, Tom
Brockman, Russell and Brenda
Boos, Chuck and Brian Solywoda
Coleman, Ed, Janet and Ed (son)
Carmichael, Mike and Janice
Carmichael, Walter and Barbara
Darcy, Art and Connie
Davenport, Earle and Janice
Dickinson, Stan
Larson, Duane and Jane
Leipart, George and Donna
Lively, Earl and Lindy
McGary, Bob
Ostrander, Leo and Mark Green
Owens, Paul and Carol
Piper, Tom and Melanie
Shope, Fred and Mary
Smith, James and Rob (son)
Smith, Ken and Debbie
Tuck, Dick and Lorraine
“I only do what the voices in my wife’s head tell her to tell me to do”
Summer 2015
The Quarterdeck
Page 3
continued from page 1
FACT or FICTION?
From the website “The Society of the Honor Guard – Tomb of the Unknown Soldier”
How does the guard rotation work?
Is it an 8 hour shift?
Currently, the Tomb Guards work on a
three Relief (team) rotation - 24 hours on,
24 hours off, 24 hours on, 24 hours off,
24 hours on, 96 hours off. However, over
the years it has been different. The time
off isn't exactly free time. It takes the
average Sentinel 8 hours to prep their
uniform for the next work day.
Additionally,
they
have
Physical
Training, Tomb Guard training, and
haircuts to complete before the next work
day.
How many steps do the Sentinels
take during their 'walk' by the Tomb of
the Unknowns and why?
Twenty-one steps. It alludes to the
twenty-one gun salute, which is the
highest honor given any military or
foreign dignitary.
How long do the Sentinels hesitate
after the facing movement to begin the
return walk? Is the rifle carried on the
same shoulder all the time?
The Sentinel does not execute an about
face, rather they stop on the 21st step,
then turn and face the Tomb for 21
seconds. They then turn to face back
down the mat, change the weapon to the
outside shoulder, mentally count off 21
seconds, then step off for another 21 step
walk down the mat. They face the Tomb
at each end of the 21 step walk for 21
seconds. The Sentinel then repeats this
over and over until the Guard Change
ceremony begins.
Why are the Sentinel's gloves wet?
Gloves are moistened to improve the
grip on the rifle.
How often are the Guards changed?
The Guard is changed every 30
minutes during the summer (April 1 to
Sep 30) and every hour during the winter
(Oct 1 to Mar 31). During the hours the
cemetery is closed, the guard is changed
every 2 hours. The Tomb is guarded, and
has been guarded, every minute of every
day since 1937.
Is it true a Sentinel must commit for
two years to guard the Tomb, live in a
barracks under the tomb, and cannot
drink any alcohol on or off duty for the
rest of their lives?
No, this is a false rumor. The average
tour at the Tomb is about 18 months.
However, there is NO set time for service
there. Sentinels live either in a barracks
on Ft. Myer (the Army post located
adjacent to the cemetery) or off base if
they like. They do have a living quarters
under the steps of the amphitheater where
they stay during their 24 hour shifts. If
they are of legal age, they may drink
except while on duty.
Is it true they cannot swear in public
for the rest of their lives?
Again, another false rumor.
Is it true after 2 years, the guard is
given a wreath pin that is worn on their
lapel signifying they served as Guard of
the Tomb, that there are only 600
presently worn, and that the Guard
must obey these rules for the rest of
their lives or give up the wreath pin?
The Tomb Guard Identification Badge
(TGIB) is awarded after the Sentinel
passes a series of tests. The TGIB is
permanently awarded after a Sentinel has
served nine months as a Sentinel at the
Tomb. Over 600 have been awarded since
its creation in the late 1950's (on average
10 per year). And while the TGIB can be
revoked, the offense must be such that it
discredits the Tomb of the Unknowns.
Relocation is at the 3rd Infantry
Regimental Commander’s discretion and
can occur while active duty or even when
the Sentinel is a civilian. The TGIB is a
full size award, worn on the right pocket
of the uniform jacket, not a lapel pin.
Are the shoes specially made with
very thick soles to keep the heat and
cold from their feet?
The shoes are standard issue military
dress shoes. They are built up so the sole
and heel are equal in height. This allows
the Sentinel to stand with a straight back
and perpendicular to the ground. A side
effect of this is that the Sentinel can "roll"
on the outside of the build up walking
down the mat. Done correctly, the hat and
bayonet will appear to not "bob" up and
down with each step. It gives a more
formal, fluid and smooth look to the walk,
rather than a "marching" appearance.
The soles have a steel tip on the toe and a
"horseshoe" steel plate on the heel. This
prevents wear on the sole and allows the
Sentinel to move smoothly during his
movements when he turns to face the
Tomb and then back down the mat.
Then there is the "clicker". It is a shank of
steel attached to the inside of the face of
the heel build-up on each shoe. It allows
the Sentinel to heel click during certain
movements. A guard change is considered
great when all the heel clicks fall together
and sound as one click. The guard change
is occasionally done in the "silent" mode
(as a sign of devotion to the Unknowns)
with no voice commands - every thing is
done in relation to the heel clicks and on
specific counts.
How many times will a Sentinel be on duty during the shift?
How do the Soldiers get to and from the quarters without being seen?
Has anyone ever tried to get past the Tomb guards, or attempted to deface
the Tomb?
What happened to the soldier that was in the Tomb from the Vietnam War?
Do you guard in a blizzard or a bad thunderstorm?
How many Sentinels have been female?
Is the rifle that the Sentinel carries loaded?
For the answer to these questions and more go to “tombguard.org”
The Quarterdeck
Page 4
Summer 2015
116 MEMBERS CURRENT WITH THEIR 2015 DUES
*Abshire, Carl
Amee, John
61-64
Ammon, Richard
Anderson, Dale
Aniuk, Leonard
Antola, Paul
*Bauer, Dutch
Baron, Ray
Becker, Glenn
67-68
42-45
62-65
Colarusso, John
*Conley, John
66-68
Conrad, William
Corb, Marvin
Cosgriff, Jim
Cougill, Royce
*Cristadore, Joseph
Cybulski, Henry
Darcy, Art
65-67
Davenport, Earl
Del Sesto, Ray
DeLue, Donald
Dickinson, Stanley
Dighero, John
Donnelly, Gerald
Eager, James
Elias, Joseph
Erb, Thomas
Everett Jr., Albert
Eversman, Donald
Friedman, Allen
Gandy, Arthur
Glenney, Robert
65-67
42-45
66-68
Gorski, Gerald
Gould Paul
61-63
Gower, John
Haffkoss, John
Harrell, Thomas
Harvey, H. E.
Heneisen,Ralph
Henry, James
Hinebaugh,Robert
58-60
If I missed anyone
I apologize
43-45
42-45
42-46
63-65
61-64
Bickle, Robert
64-67
Blankenship, Ed 61-65
Blaszczyk, Tom
58-60
Boos, Charles
61-63
Bowman, Edward 62-63
Brady, George
64-67
Calkins, Chuck
58-60
Carmichael, John 54-57
Carmichael, Walter 55-58
Carrier, Richard
64-67
*Carter, Clyde
68-68
Carter, Jeff
64-66
Casper, Alvin
60-62
Chaput, John
61-64
Cipriani, Hugo
42-45
42-45
66-68
61-64
42-45
56-58
55-58
66-68
60-61
63-66
42-45
62-65
42-46
60-63
60-62
67-68
59-62
43-46
53-56
42-45
61-63
56-58
54-56
Hrezik, Mike
53-56
Klunk, Kenneth
56-57
Kubinski, Edward 55-57
Kuznicki, Richard
59-62
Langston, Ray
57-60
Larson, Duane
61-65
Leipart, George
53-56
Lindenmeyer, John 62-65
Litts, Douglas
62-63
Lively, Earl
65-67
Lloyd, William
58-60
Lockwood, Malcolm 44-46
McGary, Bob
59-61
McGann, John
62-65
McIntire, Fairlee 64-66
McKinney, Paul 65-66
Mischke,
Thomas
63-65
Moore, Mike
Beale
Morton, Thomas 42-45
Murphy, William 42-45
Owens, Al
63-68
Owens, Paul
61-63
Pendelton, Cliff 45-46
Pimentel,
Richard
45-46
Piper, Thomas 62-63
Plott, Nelson
60-63
Polovin , Harvey 65-67
Potter, William 61-63
Rael, Gene
65-67
Reid, William
57-60
Richter, Dale
56-57
Ridge, Walter
51-53
Rigg, George
43-45
Roellich, Richard 42-45
Ruhe, Tom
63–65
Rush, Clyde
42-46
Rycus, Mitch
52-53
Sanborn, Philip 66-68
Schlueter, Don 66-68
Shope, Fred
Shores, Roy
Simcox, John
Smith, David
Smith, Ken
Starling, Lester
Stefffen, Charles
64-66
56-58
66-68
55-57
59-61
44-46
62-65
Stepnowski, Bob 61-62
Stuber, Forest 61-64
Tuck, Richard
60-64
Tuttle, Jeremiah 43-45
Vegely, Frank
42-45
Vinti, Al
51-54
Waters, Ed
65-67
Werden, William 62-66
Whalen, Richard 60-62
Wilde, William 42-46
Willey, Walter 51-52
Williman, Bryan 62-63
Wilson, Ron
64-68
Zickafoose,Don 54–55
The * denotes a deceased shipmate whose dues were donated
SPECIAL THANKS to the following for
their generous donations & support.
Carla Abshire
Richard Ammon
Joan Bauer
Robert Bickel
Barbara Carter
John Conley
Marvin Corb
John Gower
44-45
60-63
62-64
John Haffkoss
Thomas Harrell
Pat Plott
Eugene Rael
Thomas Ruhe
Roy Shores
John Simcox
Charles Steffen
WISHIN
G WELL
Shall I turn it off?
Dues $20
per year
2nd Annual Chicago Bache Bull Session
The attendees:
51-54 Pete Henderson
53-56 George & Donna Leipart
58-60 Tom & JoAnn Blaszczyk
61-63 Jerry & Phyllis Gorski
65-67 Harvey & Debbie Polovin
Ens (Lt)
MM3
SO2
MM2
BT3
A few weeks ago a five Bache shipmates and their wives got together for lunch
and old-fashioned camaraderie at Harry Carey’s restaurant near O’Hare airport. We
all live in different suburbs surrounding Chicago so the restaurant was chosen
because it is conveniently located for everyone.
As usual the sea stories were entertaining, at least for the guys – I wasn’t sure if our
wives were laughing at the stories or us – probably both. They eventually decided to
cluster together and ignore us, just the same as they do at the reunions.
No two of us served on board at the same time or in the same capacity and
everyone had stories to tell, some completely new and others quite familiar.
Traversing the 0-1 deck while hanging onto the line stretched fore and aft, because of
heavy seas, was just as dangerous, adrenaline pumping and soaking no matter what
year you were on board. Of course it gets more hazardous every time it is retold, but
that is to be expected.
We welcomed Jerry and Phyllis Gorski to our little get together, hopefully next year
more shipmates and their wives will join us.
The Quarterdeck
Summer 2015
Page 5
Continued from the Spring Quarterdeck
Excerpts from
"A Warrior in Autumn"
by Paul Stillwell
A few years after his stint on the Bache,
Evans DD 754, cutting her in two. The
Evans sank with the resulting loss of 57
in 1958, King was ordered to the staff of
lives.
CARDIV 6. Hating the prospect of being
Vice Adm. King presided over an
on board an aircraft carrier, he tried to
international inquiry to determine the
avoid the duty but couldn’t. Each of the
USS
HOUSTON
(CA-30)
causes of the accident. He had to be
admirals whom he served later became
extremely careful to be fair to all
CNO. He later acknowl-edged that it
concerned and he felt constantly under
turned out to be a great break. His
the gun because the wife of the
demanding approach, which was
Melbourne's skipper covered the
frequently a bane to his juniors, made a
proceedings as a journalist and criticized
positive impression on the admirals he
King for virtually everything he did.
served. Vice Adm. Moorer later asked for
him to join the 7th Fleet staff and in the
mid 60s King was executive assistant for
“The Australian Carrier
CNOs McDonald and Moorer. He
Melbourne Collided
demonstrated the same meddle in
sorting out Pentagon crises as he had on
With the USS Frank E
board ship. That led to his assignment as
Evans DD 754
commander of ASW Group One in 1968
Cutting
Her in Two”
and 69, where his demanding ship-board
In
1972,
at
which
time Moorer was
persona once again emerged.
Chairman
of
the
Joint
Chiefs of Staff, he
During deployments it is customary for
called
on
his
protégé
once
again and
juniors to put on skits or roasts that
made
King
the
Director
of
Operations,
J-3,
gently make fun of their seniors. One
on
the
Joint
Staff.
It
was
a
swan
song
for
group on board the flagship Kearsarge
the officer who claimed to have gotten
CVS-33 did a parody of a song from the
the wrong line at the post office in New
musical Camelot. Their version began, "I
Haven all those years earlier. Both
wonder what the King is doing tonight; I
Moorer and King retired in the same day,
wonder whose ass he's chewing tonight.
1 July 1974.
“That tour of duty also brought out the
diplomatic side of Adm. King. In the
CMDR Jerome H King Jr was Capt. of
spring of 1969, in the South China Sea,
the
Bache from 30 June 1953 to 8 April
the Australian carrier Melbourne collided
1955and
retired one July 1974 as Vice
with the US destroyer Frank E
Admiral.
Dear Tom
Sorry for being so late with my dues
for 2015. Enclosed my dues + a late fee
and my dues for 2016 so I don't forget
again.
My mom is going to be 102 in August
so you know why I'm forgetful.
Sincerely Mike Moore Beale
DDE 471
Hi Tom
I opened the Quarterdeck and found
out my dues were not paid so I sent you
my check. I did not know about your wife.
God would get her well and I will keep her
in my prayers.
My mom will be 102, it has been touch
and go for the past year.
After looking at the helicopter on the
last page it reminded me of my birthday,
my 21st. We got mail and my girl sent me
a chocolate cake and salt water taffy.
Well the pilot dropped the mailbag about
25 feet to the deck and we all sat in CIC
and had salt water taffy and chocolate
cream cake. Just a memory from the past.
I'm sure glad that you do not forget
me with the newsletters.
You'd think being aboard ship and at
sea is tough and confining enough, taking
care of a loved one that is a hundred and
one is rough.
I'll close for now, I'm not losing it – I
just sent 2 letters!
Sincerely Mike Moore
USS Beale DDE 471
Why was Mayberry so peaceful?
Because----no one was married!
Here are the single people of Mayberry:
Andy, Aunt Bea, Barney, Floyd (the barber), Howard,
Goober, Gomer, Sam, Ernest T. Bass, the Darlin' Family,
Helen, Thelma Lou and Clara.....all single!
In fact, the only one who was married was Otis, and he stayed drunk.
“Did you ever noticed that the people who tell you to calm down
are the same ones who got you mad in the 1st place!”
The Quarterdeck
Page 6
Hi Tom,
My name is Gary L. Loucks and my
father, George Loucks Jr, served on the
Bache during the invasion of Okinawa in
1945.
He never spoke much about those
times only once when the parents of
Norman Northrum (sp) came to visit my
Dad in 1956.
My Dad and Mom put on a big spread
for them and treated them with high
respect. After our evening meal we went
into our living room and he told them
what a hero their son was and how he
was killed. It was the only time I ever
heard him talk about the war. I could tell
what a big man he was that it sadden
him.
I recently did a search on your ship and
the honors that it won. It made me
proud of you all. I wish you much success
on your reunion.
I recently have held a few reunions for
my Marines known as Newton's Raiders
during the Viet Nam Era. We all are truly
a band of brothers, whether it be any
war.
You take care and enjoy your brother's
in arms. Mostly thank you all who served
on the Navy vessel, USS Bache, for your
service which was above and beyond.
God Bless You all & Semper Fidelis
Gary L. Loucks-USMC
Hey Tom,
Great to hear from you. Your email
originally came back to me undeliverable
so I didn't think that you received it. Well,
I am surly glad that you did.
I will definitely answer your questions
about my Dad. He passed away in August
of 1996 in the VA Hospital in Albany,
New York. He passed away from Staff
Infection which he received there as a
patient, it got into a cut on his foot and
subsequently ,because complications due
to sugar diabetes and the limitation on
antibiotics, he passed away.
I know one picture of him shows that
he was an E-4 if I recall. I have pictures
of him in his graduation class from boot
camp plus a few others that I gave my
older brother Jim. I found the train tickets
my Mom had when she went to California
to see him (before you all shipped out to
Okinawa) behind and inside the picture
frame.
You have a blessed reunion and please
send me any info that you may have of
your special event. Also my Dad owned
his own business until about 1960 or so.
He retired for several years in Florida and
returned to New York where he
entered the security field until he
retired in the early 70's. If I remember
correctly, he was 100% disabled s/c
as well. He and my Mom separated in
the 60"s but never divorced, to which
I still stand amazed about that.
Summer 2015
"The reports of my death had
been greatly exaggerated"
Mark Twain
Dear Tom
I'm writing this note to let you know
that I'm very much alive. In the last
Quarterdeck you had me down as
deceased.
I enjoy reading the Quarterdeck.
Brings back a lot of old memories. I was a
boiler tender second-class in the forward
fire room. Keep up the good work.
William Mark Cougill BT 2 51-55
Editor's note: In the dues list of the
last Quarterdeck I had inadvertently put
an asterisk next to Bill's name, sorry about
that Bill.
Tom,
This was in the John R Pierce DD 753
newsletter. I found it very interesting
right from A-Z, so to speak. I thought
perhaps our guys would find it interesting
also.
Stanley Dickinson. SH 3 55-58
Tom,
Enclosed is a check for 2015 dues.
My wife Patty and I have a daughter, sonin-law and 2 girls that live in IL.
Hope to meet you sometime when we
are in the area.
Don Schlueter MM2 66-68
My brother would like to hear from
you, he probably will be able to help you
out.
His name is:
James A. Loucks-USN
P.O. Box 282
Jefferson, New York 12093
Cell phone: 1.607.652.1936
God Bless and Semper Fidelis
Gary L. Loucks - USMC
THE SHIP’S CO. & THE MARINE’S CO.
FINALLY GET TOGETHER FOR COFFEE
Health nuts are going to feel stupid someday, lying in the hospital, dying of nothing.
Good health is merely the slowest possible rate at which one can die.
The Quarterdeck
Summer 2015
Page 7
10,535 pages of Obama Care condensed to 4 sentences
Anonymous Purdue engineer
1. In order to ensure the uninsured, we first have to
insure the insured.
un-
May the Lord hold you in the palm of His hand
and grace you with His Healing Love
Pray for
2. Next, we require the newly uninsured to be re-insured.
3. To re-insure the newly un-insured, they are required to
pay extra charges to be re-insured.
4. The extra charges are required so that the original insured,
who became un-insured, and then became
re-insured,
can pay enough extra so that the original un-insured can
be insured, which will be free of charge to them.
I hope that this clears everything up for you.
Glenn Becker
61-64
Ed Bowman
62-63
Henry Cybulski
52-55
Tom Erb
62-65
Don & Maria Delue
56-58
JoAnn Blaszczyk
(Tom 58-60)
Colleen Heneisen
(Ralph 61-63)
Al Friedman
"Hank" Henry
Mike Hrezik
60-62
56-58
53-56
Mary Ann Hinebaugh (Bob 54-56)
Bob Glennie
59-62
Alice Lewandowski (Sue's mother)
Ed Kubinski
55-57
Pat Lockwood
Joe Repasch
Beale
Dorothy Marcello (*Robert 60-63)
Larry Bain
67-68
Melanie Piper
Tom Schillo
52-56
(Mac 44-46)
(Tom 62-63)
Virginia Piechowski
Ruth Pimentel
(Bill 55-59)
George Rigg
43-45
(Richard 44-45)
Marvin Corb
66-68
“A generous man will prosper;
He who refreshes others will himself be refreshed”
Proverbs 11:25
Albert “Al” Owens HM3/c 63-68
[email protected])
“Lord, Keep your arm around my shoulder and your hand
over my mouth “
Dear Tom,
Just dropping you a line to let you know that I’m
restarting chemotherapy and I wanted to say hello to
everyone.
Dorothy Marcello (Robert GM 60-63
deceased)
Tom,
Just a quick note to let you know to take me off the
prayers requested list. I have no more three-month
checkups starting in Oct it is going to be six-month
checkups. The cancer is still in remission.
When People See A Cat's Litter Box They Always Say,
'Oh, Have You Got A Cat?'
Just Once I Want To Say,
“No, It's For Company!'
Thanks
Stan Dickinson SH 3 55-58
Pray for our Men & Women in Harms Way
&
The Families Of Those That Have Gone On Their Final Journey
The Quarterdeck
Page 8
Letters to the editor
AI
LL
Hi Tom,
Sorry we can't come to the reunion
this year, we were really looking forward
to it. But unfortunately Colleen has had
some serious health issues including three
back surgeries that did not help a lot, after
15 years of being clear, her as breast
cancer has returned!
On Sept. 14 Colleen had her left breast
removed. She is recuperating very well
but we don't know what they will do next
because she can't have any more radiation
because of damage to her skin from the
first time she had cancer there.
We will know more in a few weeks.
Please put her in your prayers.
Ralph & Colleen Heneisen EM 3
61-63
Tom,
thanks for the latest edition of the
newsletter, I am not sure if I will be able
to attend the reunion in San Antonio, I
will be having major surgery in August, on
my lung, so it is a bit soon to know how
things will turn out. I trust you and your
wife are coming along etc. do take care
and thanks again, always good hearing
from you. John Dighero SN 66-68
Tom,
This was in the John R Pierce DD 753
newsletter. I found it very interesting
right from A-Z, so to speak. I thought
perhaps our guys would find it interesting
also.
Stanley Dickinson. SH 3 55-58
Summer 2015
Vietnam – year?
One night on patrol, returning from the Philippines we passed a
man in the water hanging onto a log – being in formation we were
instructed to leave him. We believe that he was a Vietnamese
fishermen and have no idea what happened him.
One day coming back from the Philippines one of our pilots was
coming out over China and babying his aircraft. You could hear him
begging “come on baby" trying to coax it to make it over the water as
he was being chased by several Chinese planes. He parachuted out
over the water and as we watched, we saw small craft were coming
out to get him which we shot at and blew out of the water.
Unfortunately the Bache was told not to go after him. Do not know
what happened to the pilot.
A recounting by Brice Horton SM1 61-65
Dear JoAnn and Tom
Just received the latest newsletter,
although the letter did a lot of traveling,
because we had to move twice before
settling into our new home, backspace.
I was sorry to hear that you, JoAnn, were
having a medical problem. I hope you are
now in good health and spirits.
We, the World War II veterans, in the
San Antonio area, enjoyed a reunion at a
local ranch. The attendance was about
150 of us old codgers. The war stories
were of great interest since there were
helicopter pilots, battleship (USS
Alabama) sailors, tin can sailors,
parachute riggers, Battle of the Bulge
soldiers, Pearl Harbor survivors, etc.
My wife (Marie) and I are doing well,
considering I turned 90 in February.
I intend to show up at 2015 reunion in
San Antonio, but not stay at the hotel or
take the tours.
Take care – smooth sailing!
PS San Antonio is a military city! – I
can't count the number of breakfasts and
dinners someone paid for in appreciation
of my service. – Very heartwarming!!
Sincerely yours,
Jeremiah Tuttle FC2 43-45
Tom,
OOPS!
Late again with the dues…
Sorry
Jerry Gorski MM2 61-63
Hi Tom,
(June 7, 2015)
So sorry to hear about your wife’s
health problems – but glad she’s doing so
well.
I wish Paul checked his email more
often. Had my own health scare 5 years
ago – cancer.
I am doing well and wish JoAnn all the
best– look forward to seeing you in
October.
Thanks,
Carol Ann McKinney
(Paul)
FTGSN 65-66
Dear Tom ,
Another wonderful newsletter! Many
thanks for all
you do for all of us tired
old Bache shipmates.
I always seem to be a day late and a
dollar short but here, at last, are my
dues.
So glad that JoAnn continues to make
progress!
Best,
Peter Henderson Lt. 51-54
Hi Tom,
Just a note to let you know I will not be
attending the Bache reunion which I
regret. I'm still having health issues. I'm
scheduled for a test at Regency Hospital
in Columbus. We hope all is better at your
place.
Best to all.
Jim "Hank" Henry SK 3 56-58
Don't let your worries get the best of you; Remember
…. Moses started out as a basket case.
“May You & Yours Be Blessed With Fair Winds & Following Seas”