The former crewmen of the USS Pawcatuck (AO

The former crewmen of the USS Pawcatuck (AO108) held their annual reunion May 4-7, 2014 at the
Radisson Hotel in Branson, MO. Twenty-seven members
of the crew and twenty of their
guests enjoyed the reunion
and seeing one another for a
few days of reminiscing.
Registration began around
lunchtime, with Dan and Tanya Phelps being the first to
register. The hospitality room
opened and became a meeting place for everyone after registration and checking into
their rooms. Refreshments were waiting there, and everyone enjoyed meeting and greeting one another. At 3:45
PM everyone who wasn’t already there, met in the hospitality room. Everyone was welcomed to Branson and the
Radisson and a couple of admin announcements were
made. Because of the very early afternoon departure to
the Dixie Stampede and their non-alcohol policy, the
availability of snacks in the hospitality room and preshow, there was not the usual welcome reception. After
the welcome, it was tme to leave for the Dixie Stampede!
Midst the fog, the sound of beating hooves began to
grow…the crowd watched in amazement and the excitement spread throughout the grand arena…suddenly, as if
by magic, a herd of longhorns appeared. A fun-filled, ac-
tion-packed Dinner and
Show extravaganza for
everyone featured spectacular special effects and
amazing stunts by the
most talented performers
in the area. It’s the only
place that brings together
stunning
performers,
amazing horse feats, fantastic stunt riders, magic and audience participation with
a delicious four-course dinner extravaganza for one
amazing price! Only the finicky had a problem with the
meal – it was served and eaten without utensils. It’s all
part of Dixie Stampede adventure. It was an enjoyable
evening, and upon returning to the hotel, many of the
Pawcatuck members spent the rest of the evening in the
hospitality room sharing stories and having a few laughs.
Monday morning’s breakfast was at the hotel’s buffet,
which offered a full bar of
breakfast items to satisfy anyone’s taste. At 10:00 AM it
was time to Ride the
DUCKS! These amphibious
vehicles of WW II fame came right to the hotel door and
took the group on a riding tour of Branson, as well as a
short cruise (just to show you they work) on Table Rock
Lake. Everyone was given a quacker so they could
quack right along with the Captain. This quacker is a
wonderful gift for a small grandchild that does not live
with you! As the DUCKS took the group through Branson,
the Captain pointed out the most famous restaurants and
shows, and the housing area (everyone always wonders
where people who work in Branson live). He pointed out
a little known fact that Missouri
is the nation’s third leading
wine producing state—trailing
only California and New York.
One of the most interesting areas visited was the Military Vehicle Park where vehicles
ranging from the famous WWII
jeep to battlefield ambulances and tracked weapons vehicles were on display. Then it was time to hit the lake—
Table Rock Lake. Doing something less than breakneck
speed, the DUCK made the
transition from land to sea vehicle for a pleasant cruise on
the lake. Other interesting
sites included the fish hatchery
where literally thousands of
fish are raised to stock the
lake for local fishermen. The tour returned to the hotel in
time for everyone to have lunch at the hotel restaurant
and then have a relaxing afternoon with friends. The
evening meal was a buffet featuring pan fried fresh trout,
BBQ chicken, potatoes, vegetables, salad, dessert, rolls,
tea and coffee. Two first-time attendee crewmembers
and their wives were introduced and welcomed to the
group. Jerry and Jane Ingram and Robert and Elizabeth
Stadler attended their first reunion, and hopefully they will
make it an annual event. Everyone enjoyed a pleasant
evening with good food and great company.
After another wonderful
breakfast at the hotel buffet,
Tuesday’s tour was off for
the day. The first stop was
the Veterans Museum, a national tribute to the brave
men and women who defended our liberties during
the 20th Century. This visit
to the museum was a powerful, emotional experience. As
everyone wandered the great halls of the museum, they
were captivated by the stories of these men and women
who gave us so much. The museum was filled with the
most incredible collection of wartime exhibits covering
the heights and depths of human experience. The Veterans Memorial Museum is composed of ten great halls
covering the wars and conflicts fought during the 20th
Century. Viewing started in the World War I Hall, progressing through World War II, Korea, Vietnam, Desert
Storm, and more. Each hall featured dramatic and
thought-provoking
exhibits.
Sculpture, murals, historical
artifacts, objects d'art, and
thousands of authentic memorabilia honor all branches of
the service, major battlefronts, campaigns, industrial
defense, and more. For
lunch, the group enjoyed a fantastic lake cruise on board
the magnificent Showboat Branson Belle. The showboat
cruised past the lush Ozark Mountains on the crystal
clear waters of Table Rock Lake. During the lake cruise
everyone experience fabulous Branson dining and
the best in Branson shows.
Everyone came to Branson
to see shows, and this was
one of the best! After the
fabulous cruise and entertainment on the showboat,
the group was taken to the
beautiful College of the Ozarks campus. Here they saw
the absolutely fascinating Ralph Foster Museum that collects, preserves, interprets and exhibits items relating to
the Ozarks region. In addition, visitors find antiques,
weapons, dolls, natural history and other items from
around the world. The museum, dubbed “The Smithson-
ian of the Ozarks,” looks to support and educate the public through C of O’s academic, vocational, Christian, patriotic, and cultural goals by presenting exhibits and artifacts which coincide with each goal. Each of the three
floors of the museum have
different themes. The first
floor houses the museum’s
most popular artifact, the
original car used in the
Beverley Hillbillies television show which was donated to the college for use in the museum and the Edwards Art Gallery displaying works of local artists, and a
small Children’s Discovery exhibit and a Primitive Americana gallery. The second floor is home to Ralph Foster’s
extensive gun collection, some replicas of famous
Ozarkian’s offices, and assorted examples of natural history which Foster loved so much. The third floor is made
up of more natural history
artifacts such as birds, butterflies, moths, and rocks
and minerals and a special
History of the Ozarks sections. Located right next to
the Ralph Foster Museum, is
the Star School house. This
one room school house has
been restored to perfectly resemble what a school child
of the 1900’s would have been taught lessons in. Complete with desks, McGuffey’s Readers, and an authentic
school marm costume, the Star School House gave a
look at what it was like to attend grade school back in the
early 1900s. The whole tour was great, and upon returning to the hotel there was time to rest up before the 3:00
PM business meeting. During the meeting, Jim Fortune
was selected to continue his leadership for the next year
as reunion coordinator, Charleston, SC was reaffirmed as
the 2015 reunion location and New Orleans was named
as the 2016 reunion site. Following the meeting, the Memorial Service to honor all USS Pawcatuck shipmates
who have passed away, especially those since the last
reunion was conducted. Crewmembers formed their own
Color Guard to post and retire the Colors. Mark McPherson lead the service which remembered the following
shipmates: John Frye, Frank Holdren, William Knapp, Billy Knowles and Keith Mumby. When the Memorial Service came to a close, the pre-dinner cocktail hour and
photo session began. After enjoying a favorite beverage
and getting a photo made for the post reunion Memory
Book, it was time for the highlight of the reunion—the
USS Pawcatuck banquet. The banquet began with welcoming remarks by Jim Fortune and then dinner was
served. The meal consisted of sliced sirloin of beef and
chicken champagne, potatoes, vegetables, salad, des-
sert, tea and coffee. Following the meal, the USS Pawcatuck Scholarship winners were announced. The scholarships were awarded to James Lawrence, grandson of
Chris and Ed Bernier; Emma Leisentritt, granddaughter
of Fred Leisentritt; and
Charles P. Young, son of
James Young. Congratulations to these fine young
people, and we wish you
the best in your future endeavors! Next on the
agenda was the raffle of literally dozens of gifts that were
donated by the members and displayed by the ladies of
the group. Nearly everyone participated by purchasing
tickets hoping to win their favorite item. Just a few of the
gifts won were a beautiful afghan, a man’s wallet, embossed glass cutting board, USS Pawcatuck caps and
shirts, chef’s grill set and a host of other equally nice
items. The evening ended with everyone happy to take
home a great reminder of the wonderful time they had in
Branson at the 2014 USS Pawcatuck reunion.
Wednesday morning brought goodbyes and hugs as
the reunion wound down after breakfast. Many were still
seen in conversations well into the morning, while others
had early departure times and had to leave at an earlier
hour. Although the reunion ended, there’s always next
year to look forward to. So, see you in Charleston!
USS PAWCATUCK 2014
Bernier, Edmond & Chris
Carter, Charles & Martha
Casey, George
Crowley, Peter & Maureen
Fortune, Jim
Happy, Thomas & Nancy
USS PAWCATUCK 2014
Harrison, Bruce
Houston, Paul & Loretta
Ingram, Jerry & Jane
Jordan, Ralph & Elizabeth
Klinefelter, Robert
Kritschgau, John & Jean
USS PAWCATUCK 2014
McPherson, Mark & shirley
Narkie, Roger & Janice
Phelps, Dan & Tanya
Mosley, Randy & Donna
Payne, Herman
Powell, Ralph & Janet