USS BELLE GROVE–EPPING FOREST NEWSLETTER

ISSUE #110 ______July 2021

To All Shipmates and Righthanders: Orange. He wanted to bring up that members serving in this capacity should Thank you all for coming to Rapid City. It was go to the V.A. good to see everyone. Hope you all enjoyed  Web page was noted as the week as much as we did. www.ussbgef.com. Best Regards  Facebook is being managed by Lori Oviatt. Her contact information is The Chadwick and Kugler families [email protected]. Any questions please contact Lori.  Election of officers for the next two years was held. All existing officers remained in their current positions except for Darrel Dexter who will assume the position of Chaplin upon the retirement of Darrel Ridings.

 Boston has been selected as the NOW HEAR THIS: location for the 2022 BG-EF Reunion. No date has been set at this time. Russ Business Meeting Minutes Highlights: and Sheila Pillion will host. Reunion for 2023 will be hosted by Bob and Mary  Russ Pillion brought up the information Smith. Either San Diego or Long Beach that service members serving will be selected for the location after on brown water craft operating in the research by the Smiths. rivers and inland waterways of Vietnam  New comer Ed Tetlak 66-69 BG and his during the — those boats wife Fran attended for the first time. or ships in Vietnam that were part of the Also Darrel Dexter’s son and wife Mobile Riverine Force (MRF, or attended. “Riverines”) or Inshore Fire Support  Contributions of $500 were awarded to (ISF) Division 93 — are presumed to Folds of Honor and VetConnect. have been exposed to herbicides during  Jake Griego was honored on this 91st active duty service including Agent Birthday with a birthday cake President: Fred Reck; [email protected]; 503-440-9569 and signing. Vice-President: John Ellis; [email protected]; 870-834-8900 Secretary/Treasury: John Vice; speedbal@cox.,net; 337-577-4343

Chaplin: Darrel Dexter; 402-482-5597

Ships Store: Lester Maudlin; [email protected]; 515-778-3917

Master of Ceremonies: Russ Pillion; [email protected]; 603-887-3222

Newsletter: Marilynn Kesslar; [email protected]; 713-210-9111

USS BELLE GROVE–EPPING FOREST NEWSLETTER

ISSUE #110 ______July 2021

IT IS THE VETERAN Retrieval of Chinese MIG by Epping Forest and USS Whetstone It is the Veteran, not the preacher who has given us freedom of religion. Her sojourn in mothballs was a short one, though, for the North Korean It is the Veteran, not the reporter who has given us freedom of the press. assault on South , hurled across the 38th parallel on 25 June 1950, It is the Veteran, not the poet who has caused a drastic naval build-up. Many given us freedom of speech. World War II-vintage men of war were It is the Veteran, not the campus taken out of reserve and activated for organizer who has given us freedom to service; some ships whose postwar assemble. careers had been very short -- like Whetstone -- were also placed It is the Veteran, not the lawyer who on active duty. Accordingly, Whet- has given us the right to a fair trial. stone was recommissioned on It is the Veteran, not the Politician who December 2, 1950. has given us the right to vote. During the Korean conflict, Whetstone It is the Veteran who salutes the flag, who proved her worth in support of UN serves under the flag and whose coffin will operations in that war, conducting two be draped by the flag. deployments to Korean waters first Poem presented by Frank Trautman at from April to November of 1951 and Rapid City 2021 Reunion second from December of 1952 to the end of the hostilities in July 1953.

In the first deployment, she took part in a notable operation - the recovery of a Soviet-built MiG 15 fighter. On 9 July word was received in the upper echelons that a MiG had been downed in the shoal waters off the mouth of the Chongchon River. The initial plot proved inaccurate, however planes from the British aircraft carrier HMS Glory sighted the MiG a few miles offshore, 33 miles north of the estuary of the Taedong River. "Risky and navigationally difficult" to reach, the site lay less than 10

minutes' flight time from enemy air Frank Trautman 2nd from right; Baldy bases. Nevertheless, the risks to be run rd Trautman 3 from right seemed acceptable -- especially in

USS BELLE GROVE–EPPING FOREST NEWSLETTER

ISSUE #110 ______July 2021 view of the fact that no MiG's had thus multinational effort proceeded apace been available for inspection to see despite the initial grounding of the LCU what made them "tick." Whetstone on a sand bar and, by the evening loaded of the 22day, had proceeded to a suc- a special crane-equipped utility craft ( successful conclusion. Whetstone's LCU ) at Inchon -- the port at sistership Epping Forest (LSD-4) took which the LSD had arrived, from the LCU and its precious Sasebo, , on 12 June -- and cargo aboard and sailed for Inchon. sailed for Provided by Joe Braim Cho Do Island on the 19th of July. The In Memoriam Goldie Cookston – Beloved wife of Dave Cookston who was our master of ceremonies for the USS BG reunions for many, many years. Goldie passed away February 15, 2021 at the age of 77. She continued to attend numerous reunions after Dave’s passing until health reasons prohibited her to do so.

Willis T. Castile – Willis served aboard the USS BG from August 8, 1945 through September 28, 1949. Willis passed away March 18, 2021 at age of 93.

Lowell Chadwick – Lowell passed away March 12, 2021 at age of 85. He served aboard the USS BG 1954-1957. Lowell was a devoted attendee of the USS BG Reunions. He and his wife Marlene of 65 years hosted the 2005 Reunion in Denver, CO. His grandson Kevin Kugler, Jr. and the Chadwick family hosted the 2021 Reunion this year in Rapid City, SD. We will all miss you, Lowell, Rest in Peace. Gary Etheridge - Gary served on the Belle Grove 66-70. He passed away in July 2021. Lloyd McKnight - Lloyd served on the USS BG from October 1943 to April 1945. He passed away 2/29/2020 in Clio, MI at 94 years of age.

USS BELLE GROVE–EPPING FOREST NEWSLETTER

ISSUE #110 ______July 2021

EPPING FOREST

Inez Strange, Ralph Fries, James & Leanne Morin, Joe Braim & Grandson, Anthony

USS BELLE GROVE 50’s

Front Row: Bob Smith, Frank Trautman, Jake Griego, Baldy Trautman Bank Row: Darrel Ridings, Les Maudlin, James Grall, Robert Treynor, Darrel Dexter

USS BELLE GROVE–EPPING FOREST NEWSLETTER

ISSUE #110 ______July 2021

USS BELLE GROVE 60’s

Front Row: Bob Smith; Middle Row: John Vice, Darrel Ridings, Fred Reck, John Ellis, Larry Edwards, Robert Smith; Back Row: Russ Pillion, Ed Tetlak, Les Maudlin, Darrel Dexter, Bob Cowan

An admiral is sailing a ship and ahead of him, spots an incoming

light. He radios the light, commanding, "Turn 10 degrees South to

avoid a collision course." The radio squawked, "No, you are to turn

10 degrees South." This exchange happens about 3 or 4 more

times until finally, the admiral yells into the radio, saying, "Do you

know who you are talking to? I AM AN ADMIRAL OF THE

UNITED STATES NAVY!" The radio says back, "Well, you're talking to the lighthouse."

USS BELLE GROVE–EPPING FOREST NEWSLETTER

ISSUE #110 ______July 2021

I received the following letter from Richard Heyroth and wanted to pass on to you:

atomic proving grounds of the . When we got back to San

Diego in June 1954 a second class engineer man was needed on the LST 1138 which was headed for Japan and Korea. So I transferred. So that was Hello Shipmates: about my three years on the Belle Grove. I was in A Division which meant My name is Richard Heyroth and I was I did watches in the pump room and the born in Mishicot, WI on September 26, generator room. I was lucky enough to 1930. Mishicot is about 30 miles south be the engineer on the Captains gig for of Green Bay. about a year, so during that time I didn’t I was born on a dairy farm just 1 ½ miles have to stand watch. I met many good N.E. of Mishicot. I graduated from High friends on the BG which I corresponded school in the spring of 1949. The with over the years but they have now all Korean War started in the spring of 1950 passed on. and by the spring of 1951 I was going to An interesting note is that the next be drafted in the army. I didn’t want to reunion will be in Rapid City SD where dig fox holes so I and another classmate James Nestor was from. I stayed in enlisted in the Navy on July 12, 1951. I touch with him over the years and even did basic at Great Lakes. After basic I went to visit him in 1999. I attended went to the Little Creek until about 15 or so reunions over the years December when the Belle Grove came mostly closer to here in the mid United back from a cruise. Mid-January we left States, Cincinnati and Norfolk being the on a Mediterranean cruise to ports of farthest. After service I married my high France, , Greece, Lebanon. When school girlfriend in 1955 and dairy we got back it was a Caribbean cruise farmed the rest of my life. So July and then we docked in Charleston and reunion time was always a busy time on Carolina. Then through the Panama the farm. Good memories of the good Canal to San Diego. Then trips to ole BG – Anchors away! Richard Seattle, Point Barrow and the Heyroth

U.S.S. BELLE GROVE LSD 2 ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED

Marilynn Kesslar 411 Jordan Farm Cir. Rockwall, TX. 75087 Cell: 713-210-9111 Email: [email protected]

RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

July 2021 110th Edition

DUES and Other Important Information To continue membership as a USS Belle Grove LSD2/Epping Forest Crew Member

Date Mailed: ______Please Print Name Name ______Spouse’s Name ______Address ______Ph #. ______City ______, State ______Zip Code ______Email Address: ______Do you want to receive Newsletter via email Y/N

New Members: I served aboard the USS Belle Grove/EF from ______, 19_____ to ______, 19____ I was in ______Division. My rank was ______

Annual Dues - $10.00 July 15, 2021 to July 15, 2022 or Lifetime Membership - $75.00

Here is a donation of $____ General fund or Special donation to ______

Make check payable to: USS Belle Grove LSD-2 Association Inc. Mail to: John Vice 104 E. Tampico St. New Iberia, LA 70563