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MCB2 Newsletter Vol 9 No 4

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Volume 9, Issue 4 SEABEESJuly 18, 2012 A Newsletter for Former US Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 2 Personnel and host to CBD 1802, CBD 1804, CBMU 1, CBMU 101, CBMU 553 and CBMU 577 Dulles Hilton! Seabees Are Coming! Check Inside For Details! Hilton Hospitality Is Excellent! White House Tour The Hilton Dulles is an excellent choice for our The White House tour is a tour that would be reunion. The rooms are very nice and comfortable, excellent to take while in Washington, DC, but it the Hospitality Room is large and adequate for our requires so much personal information and notifi- leisure time (if there is any!) and a buffet menu that cation is not until just a few weeks prior to the sounds delicious. It is located about 30 miles tour date desired that I do not want to handle this northwest of Washington, DC for the best rates as booking. Contact your U.S. Senator and request hotels closer are about 50% higher. We have a tour tour information from them. The hotel will host a operator that is putting together wonderful tours wine and cheese reception on Monday, October that we can all enjoy, including two evenings of 14 starting about 5:00 p.m. and our reunion will dining, one of which is a Potomac dinner & cruise. end with our banquet dinner on Friday, October Start making plans now for a fun-filled, exciting 18, so any additional tours should be outside reunion! There is just so much to see and do that those dates. Not only the White House tour, but See Dulles Hotel (Continued on page 2) 1 See Tours, Tours, Tours! (Continued on page 2) (Continued from page 1) Dulles Hotel SEABEES we have extended our tour time to three days and that is still not enough, so we have made arrange- ments with the hotel to allow the same rate three days prior and three days after our reunion so all May - August can take advantage of sights we will miss. We are not going to any of the Smithsonian Museums Dates to Remember as that would entail quite a bit of walking. But this would be your opportunity to see these won- July 4 Independence Day derful museums. Don’t miss this extra time July 26, 1944 Seabees land on Tinian. available in DC! Take advantage of it! - Scott Aug. 7, 1942 1st Marine Division lands on Guadalcanal. Aug. 9, 1945 Bombing of Nagasaki. Aug. 9, 1956 MCB 2 decommissioned. The Commander Aug. 11, 1942 USNCTC Camp Endicott, Davisville, RI commissioned ‘Original Home of the Sea- and Staff bees’. Aug. 14, 1945 Japan accepts terms of Pots- Our leadership consists of: dam Declaration. VJ Day. Aug. 20, 1942 6th NCB arrives at Guadal- Commander canal, first to enter combat. Pete Elliott Sept. 1, 1942 6th NCB Seabees arrive at Guadalcanal, first Seabees to Staff: enter a combat zone. Paul D’Angelo Sept. 2, 1945 Formal surrender of Japan. David Haines Vic Jaccino WWII ends. Bill Knight Sept. 14, 1892 Admiral Ben Moreell’s birth- Don McLain day. Rich Nelson, Vice Commander Sept. 15, 1950 Seabees land at Inchon, Ko- Malcolm Pearson rea. John Petronka Sept. 16, 1967 CBMU 302, first Seabee Bat- Stoney Serrett, Commander Emeritus talion to deploy to Cam Scott Williams, Sec’y/Treas./Publisher Rahn Bay, RVN. Sept. 27, 1967 NMCB 10, first NMCB to de- ploy to Quang Tri, RVN. (Continued from page 1) Tours, Tours, Tours! Oct. 13, 1775 Navy Birthday also the Supreme Court, the Library of Congress, the Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Oct. 16. 1942 Eight men of the 6th NCB the Marine Corps Museum at Camp Lejune are but killed at Guadalcanal, first a few of the sights we will not have on our tours. Seabees killed in action. So, make your plans to come to the reunion but Oct. 21, 1995 USS Stethem commissioned, also plan to see these sights also. Elsewhere in in honor of SW2 Robert this Newsletter is a listing of the tours that are Stethem. planned, so coordinate your plans with the sched- Oct. 31, 1941 First Headquarters Con- uled tours to take advantage of all that can be seen struction Company author- in Washington, D.C. - see you there! Scott ized by Admiral Nimitz 2 (forerunner of battalions). all ways, a buddy. PS: I’ll be back in Texas in November but, moving up here to Iowa I guess I am almost a Yankee…… from Mary Dick & Chip : Enclosed is a check for one of the old timers and me. Hope all is well with you and Rachel [it is and thanks]. We are celebrating Chip ’s 10 birthday today [ Chip is Mary ’s Golden Retriever that works as a Service Dog for oth- Notes from our members: ers at nursing homes, etc.]. He has been doing therapy Email from David Anderson : Thanks work for half his life now. What a gift from God he for the best Seabees Newsletter yet! is! Gotta run! The window installers just pulled up. Edith and I really enjoyed it. It’s so Hugs to all…… received dues from Mal Jaeger , newsy that I have had to read it twice Jack Sims , John Ruby , Richard Walters [thanks to fully enjoy it [only twice?]. I am all!]…… from Mary R. Axt : It is with great sorrow typing this email by the one-finger to inform you the Donald B. Shoff passed away on method. I am home now and have March 18, 2012 after a very long illness. Don and I been since 3/1/12 and recovering rapidly (at least that were teen sweethearts and we became reunited in is what the therapists say) but it is not fast enough for 2000. It was expected by his doctors that he would die me. I still cannot use my right hand much but I can very soon at that time. However, I aggressively walk fairly good. I have not fallen for over three sought the best medical care for him, including the weeks, but things change fast. I hope to be able to Mayo Clinic. He amazed the staff and lived until this walk without the walker soon [and we hope to see you year. Don was very proud to have been a Seabee and in Washington, DC!]…… from Dale Rogers : En- often wore his cap. He later went into the army and closed is my check for dues plus a little bit extra for a Special Forces, serving a total of 21 years. He was new roster. My wife Phyllis and I are still in pretty indeed a very special person and will be missed be- good shape, so I should still make it a few more years. yond words. [so sad to lose a loved one, Mary , and I really enjoy the Newsletter and especially the pic- our prayers are with you in your loss. I hope you will tures of the officers and blasting of Mt. Maritan. I re- come to Washington, DC to meet some of his old membered them all. I had a few cool ones while sit- shipmates and some of the other widows. We all have ting in front of the fireplace pictured at K-6 while I a good time and would love to have you join us.]…… was there and attached to CBMU 101. Keep up the from Bob Janson : Enclosed is a check for my dues, good work…… from Basil Arnold : Don’t know what late again as usual, but better late than never happened when we were talking on the phone, but it [AMEN!]. Please put me back on the Good Guy List just cut off. Enclosed is a check to take care of the [you’re on! And thanks]. One of these years, I’ll send flags and a little more to cover shipping or whatever them in around October and be on schedule for once. [thanks!]…… from Jack Robertson : The DC reunion Sorry about that and best regards…… from Stoney sounds good. Is anyone from 1950-’53 at Port Hue- Serrett : Congratulations on another fun-filled News- neme or Adak on your list? If so, they might remem- letter. It sure sounds as though our next reunion is off ber a bagpiper! [sent a business card: Bagpipes spo- to a great start. Your Newsletter had a lot of good ken here, also enclosed a check for dues and thanks] news and also some bad news. The article about …… from Bob Gardner : Here’s a check for my Chuck Minert was very interesting. I do not know dues. If you need help with the kitty, use part of this anything about motorcycle racing but knowing that towards your needs [thanks]. Thanks for a job well Chuck was a member of MCB 2 and was voted into done…… from Cecil Price - [Arky or Smiley or ??]: the Motorcycle Hall of Fame…. MCB 2 has an awful I have kind of moved north for the summer. Those lot of people do well in their lives and that certainly Texas summers just seem to be a bit hot for me any- makes me proud that they did also serve with MCB 2. more. Sorry about my spelling but my old man I am enclosing a check for operation expenses and seemed to think all I needed to know was how to har- hopefully it will help us in our next step towards an- ness a mule. Book learning was not necessary to him, other great reunion. Thanks again for all you do to so I don’t have a computer.
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