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USS SHIELDS DD-596 All Eras Reunion Association USS SHIELDS DD-596 All Eras Reunion Association Newsletter April 2009 Jene Cain, Editor – Jim Durough, Assistant Editor This Newsletter Sent to 1071 Former Crew Members, Families & Guests USS SHIELDS DD-596 All Eras Reunion Association, Copyright © 2002 www.dd596.com Attention! Shipmates Local to the President's Column Seattle Reunion Site Our Seattle reunion will be our sixth since our As you may know the reunion site moves around the Association was formed and it will be the first held in country from year to year. Typically following the the beautiful Pacific Northwest. I hope that you will pattern of West Coast, Heartland and East Coast. This read all of the exciting information about our upcoming means about every three years the reunion will be in meeting in this newsletter and join us in camaraderie one of the above regions. Therefore the next reunion and fellowship as we celebrate our service to our on the West Coast most likely will be in 2012, however country and aboard the USS SHIELDS. probably not in Seattle. So local shipmates here is your opportunity to join us Whether you served in SHIELDS during WWII, Korea, and experience, if you have not done so, the the Cold War, or Vietnam or during her reserved fleet hospitality provided by the Association. Many years, you are an important member of our association friendships have been created, or renewed at our and share our feeling of brotherhood. You probably reunions. Not to mention the occasion to relive and can recall a shipmate who had a significant impact on retell those sea stories of the time you were aboard your career or your development. Such was the case with your fellow shipmates. For example, the two of Chief Topping as told by Dave Murphy on Page 4. articles in this issue resulted from shipmates swapping What better way to honor a mentor. Can you share stories at our reunions. your story with us? Using the current mail out list here is the count of At our reunion gatherings in the hospitality room you shipmates local to Seattle. get the chance to relive some of the significant events that happened while aboard ship. The WWII guys will State Number of Shipmates tell you about how they are sure that they sunk a Washington 60 submarine (even though the Navy never confirmed it). Oregon 40 The Korean vets will relate their tales about life under Idaho 11 fire and how they developed a certain attachment that Again, this is your best local opportunity to experience lasts even today. The reservists will relate how they the hospitality and fun of reliving your time aboard the sunk the entire First Fleet (well, almost the entire Shields. Please make plans to join us. Our member's fleet). The stories get better with the passage of time meeting is open to dues paying shipmates; all other and one never tires of hearing them retold. activities are available to all shipmates. See the signup sheet and contact Gatherings Plus to make your Why not contact some of the men who served aboard arrangements. Special rates are available for daily with you and plan to meet with us in Seattle? The visits, or to attend just the banquet. tours are optional but worthwhile; the fellowship is not optional. Sure, economic times are tough but none of For those who RV we are in the process of locating us are getting any younger and we don’t know what parks near the reunion site. We will be publishing a list our health situation will be a year or two from now. in the next issue. Plan now to join us September 6th through 10th in Seattle. I promise you that no matter what years you served in SHIELDS you will come away from this meeting with a renewed appreciation for your service to our country. You’ll have a jolly good time as well and will rekindle old friendships and make new friendships that will have a significant impact on your life. JACK BLANN President, USS SHIELDS All Eras Reunion Assoc. USS SHIELDS DD-596 All Eras Reunion Association Newsletter April 2009 Page 2 Board Members Contact Info. Eldest Living Shipmates Below is a list prepared by Jim Durough of the 10 eldest living officers and enlisted shipmates. If Jim Jack Blann, President 2925 Harrison Dr missed you, please contact him with your birth date. Chino Valley, AZ 86323-5569 Ph: 928-636-2087 Officers E-mail: [email protected] New addition in bold face type Jim Sewell, V. P., & Reunion Coordinator Schweizer, Jack R., CDR, 49-50, 8-27-1915 304 White Moss PL McDaniel, George T., LCDR, 45, 5-21-1916 Franklin, TN 37064-8628 Hoblitzell, Paul C., LTJG, 44-45, 11-24-1916 Phone: 615-790-2325 Jepsen, Edward P., LT, 50, 3-17-1917 E-mail: [email protected] Teeters, David R., LT, 49-50, 4-11-1918 Bob Carl, Secretary Metze, George M., LCDR, 52-54, 9-15-1918 6987 Lazy Sunset Ct Robinson, Jack W., LTJG, 51-52, 10-28-1918 Las Vegas, NV 89156-7206 Goodell, Trenor F., ENS, 44-45, 12-29-1918 Ph: 702-438-9826 Fredell, Erling W., LT, 49, 12-1918 E-mail: [email protected] Wessel, Robert L., CPTN, 61-63, 06-20-1919 Enlisted Roger Brotherton, Director, Treasurer, Resident Agent New addition in bold face type 7750 W 4th St #105 Reno NV 89523-8915 Sulmonetti, Henry, S1, 45, 07-27-1915 Ph: 775-336-7896 Hafner, Ben L., SC3, 44-45, 10-1917 E-mail: [email protected] Sabasta, Tony, MM2, 45, 03-20-1917 Trusty, Clinton N., SK1, 57-58, 01-1918 Harvey Fine, Dir., Bartender, Historian & Dabney, Richard E., STM1, 45-46, 08-18-1918 Memorabilia Keeper Criscione, Henry, S2, 45, 08-21-1919 121 Parkview Cir Komoroski, Clement J., S1, 45, 10-02-1919 Mountain Home, AR 72653-3743 Cromer, Harold E., WT1, 44-45, 02-15-1920 Phone: 870-425-8618 Reifsnyder, Robert A., FC3, 44-45, 05-21-1920 E-mail: [email protected] Kowaliski, Arthur A., BMC, 52-55, 09-08-1920 Friends to the Board Contact Info. Jene Cain, Newsletter Editor Recently Passed 13171 Galleria Pl Shipmates Apple Valley, MN 55124-6113 Phone: 952-432-8746 E-mail: [email protected] Dewitt, Marvin D., FN, 62 Gold, Sol W., SN, 44-45, Sad to report our eldest Jim Durough, Asst. Newsletter Editor, enlisted shipmate passed on December 25, 2008 Shields Locator & Contact List Keeper Labbe, Austin, BM3, 54-55 5470 S Shades Crest Rd Michel, Theodore K., LTJG, 51-53 Bessemer, AL 35022-4183 Ragsdale, Charles E., BT2, 52-54 Ph 205-425-9197 Soles, Arthur J., SN, 50-52 E-mail: [email protected] Whitaker, Donald R., RD2, 51-54 Winner, Hal M., LCDR, 51-52 One of the 10 Bill Ragan, Ship’s Store 1642 Rambling Rd eldest officers passed on October 27, 2007 Simi Valley, CA 93065-5737 Phone: 805-527-2196 New Found Shipmates E-mail: [email protected] Givens, Tim L., SN, 63 Editors Note: Please keep your contact Gnirke, Roy F., SM2, 65 information up to date by getting in touch with Kraus, Harold G., ENS, 55 Jim Durough above. Warner, Greg A., MM3, 66 USS SHIELDS DD-596 All Eras Reunion Association Newsletter April 2009 Page 3 Captain R. L. Wessel, Added to Phone Call with Captain Wessel Eldest Officer List On January 3, 2009 I awoke thinking of my first Commanding Officer on the USS Shields DD-596 and wondering how he was doing. I knew I was going to call and check on him today it was just a matter of waiting till I was sure he was up with him being on Pacific Time. At about 11AM Central Time I made the call and the person on the other end of the line answered “Captain Wessel Here”. This was a good feeling as his voice was strong, pleasant and I knew that he was OK. We talked about old times and then I asked “Do you think we could take the Shields out just off Point Loma and make one of those speed runs up to Long Beach”? To this Captain Wessel replied “I remember those days and we were the fastest Destroyer out there with those Super Heated Boilers”. I later asked Captain Wessel ‘Do you still remember those old WW II PT Boats you were on”? To this he Above photo and write up taken from the replied “Yes, every one of them”. I told Captain '62 - '63 Cruise Book Wessel that I had a picture of him as an Enlisted man during those PT Boat days that he had shared with The following is the text next to Captain Wessel's photo. Ed Velasquez. Captain Robert L. Wessel, U.S. Navy, past After we had talked for quite a while I bid Captain Commanding Officer, was born in Fresno, California Wessel goodbye and told him that I would call again in June 1919. He graduated from the School of to check on him. To this Captain Wessel said “I really Engineering, University of California in May 1941, appreciate receiving calls from my crew." entered the naval service in November 1941 and was My message to all Shields commissioned Ensign in July 1942. shipmates is please call your During World War II, Commanding Officers and tell them Captain Wessel served how much you appreciate them in Motor Torpedo Boats before it is too late. These calls will in the South Pacific and definitely be appreciated and will Philippine campaigns most likely make their day a little from Guadalcanal to brighter.
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