USS Benjamin Stoddert DDG-22 USS Jupiter AVS-8 Fall 2019 2020 San Antonio, Texas 2020 The iconic Tower of the Americas at 750’ was built for the 1968 World's Fair, HemisFair '68. The downtown area is beautiful and colorful at night when the lights are shining. San Antonio, is the seventh-most populous city in the United States, and the second-most populous city in both Texas and the Southern United States, with more than 1.5 million residents. "San Antonio" ranks second worldwide on the List of Popular Place Names. Founded as a Spanish mission and colonial outpost in 1718, the city became the first chartered civil settlement in present-day Texas in 1731. The area was still part of the Spanish Empire, and later of the Mexican Republic. Today it is the state's oldest municipality. The city of San Antonio celebrated its 300th anniversary on May 1, 2018. The only other city in the United States to celebrate 300 years in 2018 was New Orleans, Louisiana. the Alamo Riverwalk USS Carl Vinson USS Ronald Reagan USS Nimitz For Recap of USS Stoddert DDG-22 Reunion 2010 go to: DDG-76 USS Higgins https://rigdon.smugmug.com/Ship-Reunions/USS-Stoddert-DDG-22-Reunion/ National Museum of the Pacific War – Fredricksburg, Texas The Admiral Nimitz Foundation was established in 1964 (Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Naval Museum, Inc.) to support a museum honoring Fredericksburg’s native son, Commander-in-Chief of Allied Forces, Pacific Ocean Area. The hotel owned by Nimitz's grandfather, Charles Henry Nimitz, was restored to its original design and renamed the Admiral Nimitz Museum by an act of the Texas legislature in 1968. The original intent was to focus only as a memorial to Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz. In 2000, the complex was renamed Admiral Nimitz State Historic Site - National Museum of the Pacific War, and is dedicated exclusively to the Pacific Theater battles of World War II. The conning tower and foc'sle of submarine USS Pintado (SS-387) sits at the Museum entrance. The Pacific Combat Zone is a simulation of a Pacific island battlefield, and includes a Quonset hut hospital, a PT boat and base, Japanese tank, palm trees, and machine gun placements. Re-enactments, called Living History exhibits, are held throughout the year. The Veterans' Walk of Honor and Memorial Wall can be found within the Memorial Courtyard The plaza is a tribute to the ten United States Presidents who served during World War II: Franklin D. Roosevelt (Commander in Chief), Harry S Truman (Commander in Chief), General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower (Army), John F. Kennedy (Navy), Lyndon . Johnson (Navy), Richard Nixon (Navy), Gerald Ford (Navy), Jimmy Carter (Navy), Ronald Reagan (Army) and George H. W. Bush (Navy). Not pictured: Harry S Truman, Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford. Commander William Thies, USS Jupiter Executive Officer – 1 January 1953 2 Distinguished Navy Cross Flying Crosses 6 Air Medals During WW II Commander Thies was awarded all the above medals Commander William (Bill) Thies joined the Navy in June, 1938, receiving his commission as Ensign and his Navy Wings in Pensacola in Nov. 1939. During WW II he spent three years in the Aleutian Islands, and during the Dutch Harbor Campaign, flying PBY’s (Catalinas); and one year in the Central Pacific (Eniwetok, Tinian, Saipan, and Guam), as Commanding Officer of PV-2 (PBY Catalina Patrol Squadron) in October 1944. CDR Thies reported aboard the USS Jupiter AVS-8 as Executive Officer in January 1953. November 11, 1939 Bill Thies appeared in a History Channel story on the restoration of a PBY Catalina. He and his Navigator and Co-pilot Bob Larson were featured. Bill spent a memorable and exciting day September 14, 2005 at the Skagit Regional airport, near Burlington, WA. A three hour drive north from Gig Harbor where a PBY5A Catalina flying boat, like he flew in WWII, was undergoing restoration. A crew from the History Channel was there, filming the attachment of the wing panels. During the day, the History Channel producer, Steve Thomas, (many may know from Public Televisions', This Old House Series) spent 4 hours filming interviews with Bill, walking around, inside and sitting at the controls in the cockpit of the airplane. The film crew had just returned from a week's trip to the Aleutian Islands where they filmed an 85 year old veteran of the infamous battle of Attu which involved recapturing the island from the Japanese. The film, which aired in March 2006, was titled, "Save Our History". Steve Thomas said Bill's part in it was about 8 to 10 minutes with the theme about how Bill was involved in the discovery of the Japanese Zero fighter aircraft, which changed the course of the air war in the Pacific theater during the war. The following text is from Jim Rearden's book "Koga's Zero" (Pictorial Histories Publishing Co., 713 S. 3rd St. West, 59801, Missoula, Montana). Jim lives in Homer, Alaska and spent years researching material for this outstanding publication! The significance of the recovery and flight testing of this famous World War II fighter is best expressed by General Masatake Okumiya (Japanese Air Sea Defense Forces), in his book ZERO: "The acquisition of that ZERO was no less serious than the Japanese defeat at the Battle of Midway" (The aircraft was studied to develop tactics to bring them down). June 4, 1942. Alaska's Aleutian Islands. Three Japanese Zero fighter planes flew low over the tree-less green island of Akutan, 25 miles east of the American navy base at Dutch Harbor. One Zero, crippled by gun fire, following an air raid on Dutch Harbor, sought a place to land. At a grassy level valley floor, Flight Petty Officer Koga, lowered wheels and flaps. As his wheels touched, the Zero flipped onto its back. The grassy flat was a bog. Seeing no signs of life, the remaining Zeros had orders to destroy the downed plane with gunfire, but fearing Koga might still be alive and recover to destroy the plane himself and make his way to the beach where a Japanese submarine waited to pick up downed pilots, they set course to return to their aircraft carrier. Five weeks later, the Zero with Koga's body still in it was spotted by a PBY Catalina patrol plane piloted by "Bill" Thies. Subsequently "Koga's Zero" was salvaged, repaired and flight tested. Until then, the mysterious Zero had out-flown every fighter plane that the Allies had thrown against it. San Antonio 2020 Reunion -- Registration Form El Tropicano Riverwalk Hotel 110 Lexington Avenue -- San Antonio, TX 78205 Reservation # 210-277-4043 M-F 9 AM – 5 PM or E-mail: [email protected] For 24 hr. service: 413-372-9086 Ask for Code: BSJDDG228 September 8 -- September 13, 2020 Registration Cutoff Date – August 17, 2020 USS Jupiter Un-reps the Special Rate: $119.00 per room/per night for single occupancyUSS Lexington(one guest CVper-16 room in ) (with applicable fees and taxes = $140.67 per room/per night Korean Waters $129.00 for double occupancy (2 per room) (with applicable fees and taxes = $152.49 per room/per night · Rate is inclusive of breakfast in the Restaurant · Group rate 3 days prior to arrival and 3 days after departure · Self and/or Valet Parking is $29.00+taxes per day with in/out privileges Motor Coach parking is at $40.00+taxes per day and reservations associate must be informed during time of booking Reserve early as any reservations after this date cannot be Guaranteed available at our special rate. Please note that you must be a member, the spouse or descendant of a member, or the guest of a member to attend our reunion. Remember: You are responsible for your own Transportation Reservation as well as your own Hotel Reservation! Questions? Call Ron Zorn at 619-402-5523. Name____________________________________________________________ Home Address____________________________________________________ City_______________________________________State______ Zip _________ Phone_____________________ Cell Phone _____________________ E-mail Address _____________________________________________ Department / Division_____________________Years Aboard______To ______ Spouse Name __________________Guest(s) Name ___________________ Emergency Contact_______________________Phone ____________________ Above Information needed for your name tags. Please indicate if you are a first time attendee. Members Name: Registration Form – San Antonio September 9 -- September 13, 2020 Registration Cutoff Date – August 17, 2020 Membership Dues: $20 x ( ) $ 50/50 Tickets $10 for 15 tickets x # Sheets ( ) $ Date & Activities Day 1 – TUESDAY, Sept. 8 Registration Fee: $25 x( ) $ Hospitality Room Open - 1000 -- 2200 Beer & Snacks included Officers Meeting 1730 - 1830 Day 2 – WEDNESDAY, Sept. 9 TOUR 7 Hours City Tour + Alamo – 0930 – 1530 (Meet in Lobby) $50 x ( ) $ Business Meeting 1900 – 2030 Social Hour 2030 till Closing (Beer & Snacks included) Day 3 – THURSDAY, Sept. 10 TOUR 10 Hours Fredricksburg – 0800 – 1800 (Meet in Lobby) $80 x ( ) $ Hospitality Room Open - 1000 -- 1700 Beer & Snacks included Day 4 – FRIDAY, Sept. 11 Free Day Hospitality Room Open - 1000 -- 1700 Beer & Snacks Possible Tour not yet set up Day 5 - SATURDAY, Sept. 12 Hospitality Room Open – 9 AM to 1500 Banquet Dinner (Pictures 1730 Hrs) 1830 -- 2300 $60.00 X( ) $ Day 6 - SUNDAY, Sept. 13 – DEPARTURE DAY Coffee & Buns Provided TOTAL $ ______ Please make check payable to: USS Benjamin Stoddert Mail Check and Forms to: Mike Rigdon, 11533 Corte Playa Las Brisas, San Diego, CA 92124-1547 Our Great Jupiter Ladies in Reno 2001 DDG Sails into the Sunset Reno, Nevada Reunion September 9 -- September 13, 2019 Date & Activities Day 1 – MONDAY, Sept. 9 Hospitality Room Open - 1000 x 2200 Beer & Snacks included Officers Meeting 1730 x 1830 Day 2 – TUESDAY, Sept. 10 TOUR 7 Hours Lake Tahoe Tour – 0830 – 1530 (Meet in Lobby) Business Meeting 1900 – 2030 Social Hour 2030 till Closing (Beer & Snacks included) Day 3 – WEDNESDAY, Sept.