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USS Benjamin Stoddert (DDG-22) Association

T h e S t o d d e r t N e w s VOLUME 4 - NUMBER 4 2008 FALL EDITION

Association President: Lou Turilli 429 S. Roselle Rd., Roselle, IL 60172, [email protected] (630) 529-9875 Editor: Art Hansen, 5800 30th Avenue, Kearney, NE 68845, [email protected] (308) 237-5435

NEXT REUNION: Fall 2009 tour of D.C., making stops at various points of TWO SITES PICKED AT BUSINESS MEETING interest and concluded with a very moving wreathing Mount Rushmore or The Alamo: the 2009 Reunion lying at the Navy Memorial. The Navy Memorial & will be held on dates yet to be announced at one of these Museum website is worth a visit: two sites selected by popular vote at the 2008 Benjamin www.navymemorial.org. (Cont. page 3) Stoddert Association business meeting. The business Wreath Lying at the Navy Memorial meeting was held October 5th, in Washington D.C. The dates will be worked out once the Chairman, Lou Turilli, and Assistant Chairman, Mike Hoffman, have a chance to work with Military Reunions to Remember to investigate both sites. Either way, San Antonio, Texas or Rapid City, South Dakota, it is sure to be a good time. Registration packets are not available at this time, but please plan to register as soon as possible once they are available. Early bookings, both with MRTR and the hosting hotel make it easier on the reunion chairman and the assistant. Full refunds for meals, tours, and registration are always available to anyone who must cancel any time prior to the deadline (normally about one month ahead of the event) by contacting Military Reunions to Remember at Contents of The Stoddert News (757) 479-0849, Monday through Thursday. HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE D.C. TOURS Next reunion announcement...... 1 As part of the tour of 2008 Reunion Tour Highlights ...... 1 Arlington National Cemetery, NAVY QUIZ ...... 2

we visited the grave of John & Reunion Notes from Association President ...... 2 Robert Kennedy, the Lee House and witnessed the 2008 50-50 Drawing Results...... 3 Changing of the Guard at the Quiz answers...... 3 Tomb of the Unknown More Reunion Pictures ...... 3 Soldiers. (Right) 2009 Reunion Survey Information...... 4 After lunch at the Arlington Mall, we took a bus 2009 50-50 Drawing ...... 4 Page 1 of 4 Benjamin Stoddert Association Volume 4 – No 4 Fall Edition 2008 ceremony at the Navy Memorial, where the names of the victims of the gun mount explosion, along with NAVY Taylor, were read. Rubbings were made of their names from the Vietnam Wall, and now belong to the group. While not officially part of the reunion, QUIZ some of us returned to Arlington Cemetery to lay a wreath at Captain Taylor’s memorial. All these Identify who said the following famous Navy quotes things needed to be done. from the list of historical figure (one has two quotes). The tours were good, and went as smoothly as Answers are on page 3. possible. When we ran short of time on Friday, the President lunch venue was changed to allow more time for the Captain John Paul Jones afternoons itinerary. Some appreciated it, some David Glasgow Farragut didn’t. On Saturday, the tour company President accommodated us by taking us past Benjamin 1. "I have not yet begun to fight!" Stoddert’s house in Georgetown. 2. “I wish to have no Connection with any Ship that The hotel was very nice, but a bit too fancy, does not Sail fast for I intend to go in harm's way." remote, and pricey for our needs. I’ve learned 3. "A good Navy is not a provocation to war. It is the affordability is important, as is being able to walk to surest guaranty of peace." a drug store and hamburger stand. Also, the size of 4. "Damn the torpedoes, Full speed ahead!" the hospitality room is more important than the size 5. "It follows than as certain as that night succeeds of the hotel room. In the future, I’ll look more at the day, that without a decisive naval force we can do how we will be accommodated, rather than the nothing definitive, and with it, everything honorable accommodations. and glorious." Our bylaws were amended at the business Have you visited our website lately? meeting. We will now change only one at All of the reunion pictures in this newsletter were each reunion. The longer terms will give more taken from the website, www.ddg22.com. To see continuity, and save time and effort. We will also the rest of the pictures from the Washington D.C. pick two reunion sites this year. This will allow us to reunion, plus pictures from all four past reunions, just announce 2010’s reunion site at the 2009 reunion. vist the website and click on the link on the Finally, we voted to retain Military Reunions to homepage. Remember in helping us with our next reunions. Notes from the Terry worked hard to get us what we asked for, and President Debbie was a joy. I may make her an honorary crew member. We’ve been back from Our new committee shapes up this way. I’ll be Washington just over a week, Chairman for one more year. Mike Hoffman is our and it’s time to review this new Assistant Chairman. Dave Saunders remains as year’s reunion from my Secretary; and John Dishaw is our new Treasurer, perspective. Overall I was replacing Herm Chambers. very pleased. Herm will remain on in an adviser roll, being our Washington was a tough immediate Past Chairman. His efforts in getting us town for a military reunion. together should never be forgotten. Without him We needed to balance things that could only be done there would be no USS Benjamin Stoddert in Washington, with other things that Washington Association. had to offer. Finally, I want to publicly thank Art and Jane We needed to do all the war memorials, and Hansen. They do a terrific job with the Newsletter. particularly, The Vietnam War Memorial. We They also know when to prod the Chairman to get needed to remember shipmates who lost their lives things done. The same is true for Carole Bryan, our while serving their country. The Washington area is Webmaster…. except she’s close enough to poke me home to many retired Wardroom members. We as she prods. needed them to at least attend the banquet. I wish you all smooth sailing until our next Mission accomplished in all these areas. We Liberty call. Lou Turilli were able to have a service, and wreath laying

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Benjamin Stoddert Association Executive Committee 2008-2009 Lou Turilli Chairman Mike Hoffman Assistant Chairman Dave Saunders Secretary John Dishaw Treasurer John Bassolino Member-at-large Art Hansen Newsletter Editor Carole Bryan Webmaster

2008 50-50 TICKET DRAWING RESULTS Another one of the hundreds of machines in the Air & The 50-50 ticket drawing was held at the 2008 reunion. Space Museum. This one is a P-40 Flying Tiger. We sold just under $800 in raffle tickets and put up $400 in Generally speaking, the D.C. prizes (One at $200 and two at $100 each). The winners tours were as good as any we were Dave Nicholson ($200) and Dave Rabeau & Ed have had on any of the reunions. Siegrist ($100). Dave Nicholson donated $100 of his There are so many sites to see back to the association, and Ed and Dave Rabaue donated that it was “mission impossible”: their prize money back as well. Congratulations to the not just for those of us who winners and thank you very much for your generous wanted to see everything we contributions to the association funds. could, but also had friends or Highlights from the DC Tours (cont. from page 1) relatives in the area, and wanted Day Two of the tour took us to the Lincon Memorial, to visit with the other reunion the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials, and lunch at attendees. One thing I heard oft Union Station. After lunch the tour passed though repeated was, “We’ve got to come Georgetown, including Halycon House—the historic home back when we have more time.” of the first Secretary of the Navy: Benjamin Stoddert. WWII Memorial ANSWERS TO QUIZ QUESTIONS 1. Captain John Paul Jones said this during the famous battle between Bonhomme Richard and Serapis on 23 September 1779. It seems that some of Jones's men cried for surrender, but not John Paul Jones! Captain Richard Pearson of Serapis asked Jones if he had surrendered. Jones uttered the immortal words: "I have not yet begun to fight!" So, at least, Lt. later recalled. 2. Captain John Paul Jones, 16 November 1778, in a letter to le Ray de Chaumont. 3. President Theodore Roosevelt, 2 December 1902, second annual message to Congress. 4. Admiral David Glasgow Farragut (1801-1870). Aboard The Korean War Memorial Hartford, Farragut entered Mobile Bay, Alabama, 5 August 1864, in two columns, with armored monitors leading and a fleet of wooden ships following. When the lead monitor Tecumseh was demolished by a mine, the wooden ship Brooklyn stopped, and the line drifted in confusion toward Fort Morgan. As disaster seemed imminent, Farragut gave the orders embodied by these famous words. He swung his own ship clear and headed across the mines, which failed to explode. The fleet followed and anchored above the forts, which, now isolated, surrendered one by one. The torpedoes to which Farragut and his contemporaries referred would today be described as tethered mines. 5. President George Washington, 15 November 1781, to Marquis de Lafayette.

Anyone care to claim this lot?? “The Wall” is in back. http://www.history.navy.mil/trivia/trivia02.htm Page 3 of 4 Benjamin Stoddert Association Volume 4 – No 4 Fall Edition 2008 2009 FIFTY/FIFTY DRAWING We will be selling 50/50 drawing tickets right up to a few Benefits of Association minutes before the drawing at the 2009 reunion banquet dinner. Tickets will no longer be mailed out with the newsletters: instead you need only send your check in along with some of Membership those pesky return address labels that regularly appear in your mailbox. Our treasurer will take care of the funds Full pass worded access to and will even stick the address labels on the tickets. Remember, the drawing website is always open to everyone, regardless of whether or not you attend the reunion. You do not have to be present to win. The winners who are not at the reunion will have a check Member Directory mailed to him or her immediately after the reunion. Here is a (With written permission from members) chance to cash in on some big bucks. Ticket sales for the 50-50 will continue until just before the drawing, which will be at the Sunday evening banquet. Help support a growing Benjamin Stoddert Association. If Hard copy newsletters you want to purchase 50/50 tickets, simply mail $10.00 for each 12 tickets to John Dishaw at the address below and include 12 address labels so we can place them on the tickets for you. Make your checks payable to USS Benjamin Stoddert Association and Free entries into Reunion door mail to: John Dishaw 3035 Charlotte Street prize drawing Newbury Park, CA 91320 Discount at Ship Store Reunion Survey The survey is not available at this time. Once we have Join Today @ determined the next reunion site, we will have up on the website, www.ddg22.com the reunion survey. This survey is for information only and is not a commitment to attend www.ddg22.com the reunion!

DDG-22 Benjamin Stoddert Art Hansen, Newsletter Editor 5800 – 30th Ave. Kearney, NE 68845

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