Contents Welcome to Fleet News! Welcome to Fleet News................... 1 Dr. William B. Cogar, Executive Director AROUND THE FLEET Welcome to “Fleet News”! that others may wish to have, an- Radio Call........................................ 1 nouncements of items sought by Turner Joy Receives Grant............. 2 This is the first edition of the Fleet members, announcements new, monthly electronic News- of new members at both the Fleet HAIL AND FAREWELL letter for Historic Naval Ships and Associate member levels, as Changes at USS Alabama Association members. After well as anything else considered Battleship Memorial Park............. 3 many years of the very success- of relevance to Members. Changes at Independence ful “Executive Director’s Memo- Please let me know your Seaport Museum........................ 4 randum” that my predecessors, thoughts about “Fleet News,” Destroyer Barry Virtual Tour.......... 4 Cdr. Jeff Nilsson and Capt. Chan and most importantly, if you Maury Drummond.......................... 5 Zucker, wrote and distributed for have news that you believe oth- many years, we decided that it ers would benefit from hearing, LOOKING FOR A NEW HOME was time to change the format please pass that information to Gyrocompass.................................. 5 on the news and happenings me electronically at executive- Decca Radar.................................... 6 with Fleet and Associate Mem- [email protected]. I will do my LV-112’s Original Wheel................. 6 bers. So many of our Fleet Mem- best to get it out as soon as bers have moved to this kind possible. BOOK REVIEW HIGHLIGHT of communication tool for their A very special thanks goes The Mathews Men: Seven Brothers membership that we thought it to Mr. Matthew Eng of the Naval and the War Against Hitler’s U-Boats... 6 was our time, too. Historical Foundation in Washing- With color images and elec- ton, DC, and to Mr. Mike Miron of tronic links that readers can see Annapolis, MD, for their help in and connect with, the purpose this project. Their efforts could Around the Fleet of the publication is the same as not have been more valuable and it has always been; namely, to on behalf of all HNSA members, distribute the great information THANK YOU!” that Jeff and Chan had done for so long so that HNSA Members Hope you enjoy the new can keep abreast of what is go- HNSA Newsletter, “Fleet News!” ing on. Emphasis will be on an- nouncing changes in leadership Eyes on the Fleet Stay up to date with HNSA news and info Museum ship HMCS Onondaga on personnel, offers of equipment at www.hnsa.org display in Rimouski, Quebec Radio Call HNSA received a message be on the air that weekend and are 76 museum ships registered from RMC (SS) John Hummel, would be very nice if any ship for the year so far. This is a way USN (Ret.) asking if there will could join in. Given that a lot of to get lots of free press from the be any amateur radio events amateur radio operators got their event. on board any of the ships in the training in the Navy, John is invit- HNSA Fleet during the weekend ing them to come aboard. He will For those interested in joining of 4-5 June. HMCS Onondaga in be operating from the USS Becu- in, John can be reached at Rimouski, Province Quebec will na (SS-319) in Philadelphia. There [email protected] PAGE 1 USS Turner Joy Receives Grant The USS Turner Joy received a healthy grant from the State of Washington toward their efforts to dry-dock the ship. Story and Image Copyright KING 5 News, 2016 “The USS Turner Joy, docked in Bremerton, will or other state services. Young said the destroyer receive $300,000 from the state’s serves as a breakwater for the supplemental capital budget. The marina, acting as a barrier between funding will go towards repairing the “Rep. Jesse Young, the sailboats in the marina and Puget ship’s hull. Sound. He said constructing a new The USS Turner Joy was involved R-Gig Harbor, said breakwater to replace the destroyer in the Gulf of Tonkin incident during has been estimated as costing $3 the Vietnam War. preserving the million.” It has been renovated into a mu- ship will help tour- seum. The Bremerton-area lawmak- The ultimate goal/fundraising ers who helped secure the funding ism and the safe- effort is $1.4m which will get the ship said money for the project is coming in and out of dry dock and some from the state’s capital budget, used ty of boats in the other work beyond the main hull to pay for construction projects. work. With the State’s grant, they are Rep. Jesse Young, R-Gig Harbor, said Bremerton marina.” approximately half way to their goal. preserving the ship will help tourism Congratulations to Director Jack and the safety of boats in the Bremerton marina. James and the Turner Joy crew. He said the money cannot be used for education Gorizia (Italian heavy cruiser, 1930-1944) (NHHC Photo # NH 86304) PAGE 2 Changes at the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park Bill Tunnell formally retired as Executive Director Park, nineteen of of the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park in which as Executive Mobile, AL, although he will remain a member of Director. the Historic Naval Ships Association Board of Direc- Doubtless, Bill tors, having served as the organization’s President will remain busy from 2007 to 2009. but hopefully will A graduate from the University of the South in find enjoyable time Sewanee, TN, with a B.A. in History, and additional with his wife Cyn- Studies at the University of South Carolina School thia and their four of Law, Bill has had a long and notable career in the children, seven tourism, marketing and public relations world. He grandchildren, and cats and dogs. spent twenty-four years at the Battleship Memorial Fair Winds, Bill, and Thanks! Bill Tunnell Leaves a Lasting Legacy A summary of his accompishments: 2011 Named “Honorary Veteran” by South Alabama Veterans Council; 2009 Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce Community Leader of the Year; 2002 Alabama Tourism Promoter of the Year, selected by Ala- bama Restaurant Assn. & Alabama Hospitality Assn.; 1999 Citizen of the Year, Chapter 701, Vietnam Vet- erans of America; 1998 - First ever inductee of Alabama Tourism Hall of Fame; 1995 - Awarded Alabama Travel Council’s Award of Excellence; 1985 - Selected for Alabama Mr. Hospitality Award; Past Chairman, Advisory Board, Alabama Bureau of Tourism & Travel; Vice-President, Mobile Bay Veterans Day Commit- tee, Inc.; Past Vice-Chairman, Eastern Shore Chamber of Commerce & Mobile Area Chamber of Com- merce; Secretary/Treasurer, USS ALABAMA Battleship Foundation, Inc.; Past Chairman, Alabama Hospital- ity and Alabama Hotel & Motel Assn.; 8 years in banking; 10 years as Hotel General Manager with Holiday Inn; 4 years Director of Tourism & Special Events, Mobile Convention & Visitors Corporation. Eyes on the Fleet Visit the Alabama Memorial Park Website at www.ussalabama.com. MG Janet L. Cobb, USAR Janet L. Cobb Takes the Helm at USS Alabama MG Janet L. Cobb, USAR re- May 1978 from the University of placed Bill as Executive Director Alabama ROTC program, where of the USS Alabama Battleship she was named a Distinguished Commission and Memorial Park Military Graduate. She was one as the organization’s eighth ex- of the last group of women to ecutive director which coincides serve in the Women’s Army with the Park’s 50th anniversary. Corps, which was integrated into General Cobb is a graduate of the Regular Army in 1978. the University of Alabama. She was commissioned a Second Welcome Aboard! Lieutenant in the Army Reserve in USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park PAGE 3 General Cobb Biography General Cobb has commanded at the detach- ment, battalion, brigade, directorate and one and two-star levels. Her deployments include post-Des- ert Storm operations at the Ports of Al Jubayl and Ab Dammam, Saudi Arabia (1991); Operation Iraqi Freedom port operations, Port of Ash Shuyabah, Kuwait (2002-03); and Director, Central Command development and property management divisions. Deployment & Distribution Operations Center, She is the past Director of Marketing & Public Rela- Camp Arifjan, Kuwait (2011). She was mobilized as tions for the Boys & Girls Clubs of South Alabama in Commander of the Army’s active duty 598th Trans- Mobile and is a former radio news director. portation Group (Terminal), the Netherlands (2007), with oversight of military ports in Europe and Africa. General Cobb’s final assignment was as Command- ing General, 81st Regional Support Command, Ft. Jackson, SC, providing base support operations for Army Reserve units and facilities in the nine south- eastern States, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. She previously worked at Kaiser Realty in Gulf Shores, Alabama from 2005 – 2015 in the real estate New Ships Manager at Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Museum Sean Null has taken over as Historic Ships Man- ager at Philadelphia’s Independence Seaport Mu- seum. Sean grew up in Philly and apprenticed in his family’s machine shop at an early age, learning his mechanical abilities. He undertook projects on the side like building traditional cedar strip canoes with his father, restoring antique automobiles, and eventually become foreman and assistant engineer aboard Philadelphia’s Ship Preservation Guild’s Gazela and the Tug Jupiter. With a BS in Environ- mental Biology from Lock Haven University in Lock Haven, PA, Sean has over 15 years’ experience in historic ship preservation, traditional boat building, USS Becuna and USFS Olympia and managing quality assurance in corporate and nonprofit settings. Display Ship Barry Departs WNY; Virtual Tour Announced On Saturday, 7 May 2016, Display Ship Barry departed from the Washington Navy Yard in the nation’s Capitol to the Naval Inactive Ship Mainte- nance Facility in Philadelphia, Pa.