SEA POACHER ASSOCIATION DEDICATED TO THE MEN WHO SERVED ON THIS SUBMARINE! VOLUME 12, ISSUE 4 OCTOBER 2014 EDITOR: LANNY YESKE LTJG 61-63 PUBLISHER: BILL BRINKMAN EM 60-62 ____________________________________________________________________ SEA POACHER’S NEXT REUNION BRANSON, MO 8-12 NOV 2015 Here we go again for our 8th Official Reunion! It is being set up as we speak by Joe and Stella Mur- doch who wrote most of this. Our Hotel is The Grand Plaza at 245 North Wildwood Drive, Branson, MO 65616. Call 417-336-6646 to make hotel reservations and advise them you are Sea Poacher (Group Code SEAPOA) for the reduced rate of only $90 plus tax per night that includes a hot buffet breakfast for two. This rate is good for three days prior and three days after our reunion. Rooms not reserved by 8 October 2015 will be released from our group block with higher costs. You are encouraged to use the Upper Hill en- trance as it leads directly to the second floor. If that parking lot be full, there is valet parking. Our Activity Package is organized by Pam Brown of Gatherings Plus (just like 2010 which went very well). We will start on Sunday November 8 with a noon Hospitality Room and a Welcome Aboard Deli Buffet at 1800. On Monday November 9 at 1030, there will be a guided tour and lunch at the Keeter Center followed by the Tolling of the Bells at Veteran’s Grove. Dinner will be on your own followed by the 2000 Clay Cooper Show. On Tuesday November 10, we have a 1000 Brett for Vets Show followed by lunch on your own. Then at 1600, we take the Showboat Branson Belle for dinner, show, and cruise on Table Rock Lake. Then on Wednesday November 11 we will RIDE THE DUCKS in the Veteran’s Day parade with lunch on your own. At 1400 our Business Meeting, 1830 the group photo, and at 1900 the Banquet with entertainment. Look for a silent auction, major auction, Peru Sapo games, ship’s store, and a ton of Sea Poacher memorabilia. So you are encouraged to invite your family, old shipmates, and friends for this major event. Novem- ber is a wonderful metamorphosis in Branson. Most all shows honor veterans and it starts the Christmas Season. There will be over 125,000 persons here this week. It is a heart warming experience to see the love, honor, and respect shown to our veterans and military. You will return a proud American, singing songs, and filled with the Christmas Spirit. At the reunion there will be a short video and presentation of the outstanding effort by WREATHES ACROSS AMERICA whose motto is to Remember-Honor-Teach. These are placed at veteran graves at over 900 locations in the US. To fully enjoy Branson, you might want to extend your stay at the Grand Plaza. There are over a hundred more shows and can be found at bransonshows.com or call the tourist center 1-800-960-3006. If ar- riving early, note that on November 7 at 1100 Pam Brown will hold a Special Vietnam Lunch Event. Many local merchants and entertainers will be there with a lot of door prizes. Any questions on this contact Joe at [email protected] or Bill Brinkman at [email protected]. We will list attendees in the next issue. This is going to be another great reunion. SEA POACHER OFFICIAL REUNION BRANSON, M0 8-12 NOVEMBER 2015 REGISTRATION FORM NAME________________________________________________________________________________ SPOUSE OR GUESTS___________________________________________________________________ ADDRESS_____________________________________________________________________________ CITY___________________________________STATE______________ZIP_______________________ TELEPHONE__________________________EMAIL__________________________________________ ANY PHYSICAL OR DIETARY DISABILITIES?____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________ OUR HOST HOTEL: THE GRAND PLAZA, 245 NORTH WILDWOOD, BRANSON, MO 65616 Please call the Hotel at 417-336-6646 for room reservations. Be sure to mention the group code of SEAPOA to get the reduced rate of $90 per room per night plus tax. This includes a hot buffet breakfast for two. This rate is good for three days prior and for three days after the reunion based on hotel availability. Rooms not reserved by 8 October 2015 will be released from the group block. WE HAVE A GREAT ACTIVITY PACKAGE THAT INCLUDES: Hospitality Room and Welcome Aboard Packets with Name Badges, Welcome Aboard Deli Buffet in the Hospitality Room Guided Tour and Lunch at Keeter Center followed by Tolling of the Bells at Veterans Grove The Clay Cooper Show and the Brett for Vets Show The Showboat Branson Bell Dinner, Show, and Cruise on Table Rock Lake Ride the Ducks in the Veteran’s Day Parade Final Banquet with Entertainment Transportation to all Group Activities, Reunion Website, and all Taxes and Gratuities. Activity Package: # of Attendees____ times $290 per person = Total Due $__________ Fifty percent of the Total Due must be received by 8 September 2015 with the balance due on 8 October 2015. There will be no refunds after 1 November 2015 on the Activity Package. MAIL THIS REGISTRATION FORM WITH CHECK PAYABLE TO GATHERINGS PLUS AT: Gatherings Plus P.O. Box 1023 Branson West, MO 65737 417-338-4048 Check out the reunion details at website www.reunionpro.com. Then click on the reunions link, type in USS Sea Poacher, click apply and then click on the second Sea Poacher logo. PRESIDENT’S REPORT-BILL BRINKMAN 1. Dues: We have 214 Life and 28 Regular members (including 29 widows). If you’re a Life Member or have paid your 2014 dues, thank you. If not, please pay $10 for each year or become a Life Member for $100. Life Members no longer get annoying letters from me or our Treasurer Hubert Jackson, receive a free patch, and we continue Life Membership status for your widow. Make checks payable to Sea Poacher Association and mail to me at 4500 Tiffany Nicole Street, Round Rock, TX 78665-9466 or email me at [email protected] with questions. Byron and Margaret Lennox FN62-64 attended their first reunion in Charleston and became Life Members shortly thereafter. As a result, in June I asked our annual members to consider Life Membership rather than yearly dues. 2. Address and e-mail changes: Please send us changes. Remember, we do not show your mailing address and tele- phone number on our newsletters or our website. When shipmates request them, we do put them in touch with you. 3. Sea Poacher Memorial Fund: When a shipmate passes on, we present to the next of kin a Memorial Plaque. The framed and matted picture of Sea Poacher underway at sunset includes a Final Prayer and service years. Funding for this stands alone, so we appreciate check contributions made out to Sea Poacher Association and mailed to me. Please indicate “Memorial Fund” on your check. 4. Thanksgiving Sharing: Your Board has again approved a $100 donation to the SUBVETS Groton, CT Base to support their free Thanksgiving dinner for their members, other veterans, and local First Responders. Over 1,000 per- sons were served last year at their clubhouse. For those handicapped and homebound, deliveries were made. 5. Branson Non-Official Sea Poacher Gathering November 2014: Joe Murdoch organizes this every year. It is a fun group of shipmates, family, and friends from various military branches who come together to celebrate Veteran’s Day in Branson, Missouri. Always a great time. For information contact Joe at [email protected] or check out the website www.reunionpro.com, click on reunions, type in USS Sea Poacher, and then our first logo. Do not confuse this Gathering with our Official Reunion discussed earlier in the Newsletter. They are totally different. 6. New Sea Story Book: There were no objections to James Schenk, Chaplain USSVI Nathanael Green Base, pub- lishing some of our Sea Poacher book sea stories, so we have given him the okay to print what is in our book. 7. Navy Status June 2014: From JJ Lynch. There are now less than 324,000 personnel on active duty. We are down to 288 ships with 102 deployed. Editor’s Note: Back in June 1960, the Navy had 630,000 personnel on active duty with 817 ships with another 3,200 that could be called up. There was concern about the U.S. dropping to 600 ships. 8. Gold or Silver Dolphin Plaques: While some of you may have one, others may not. There are excellent high quality ones on eBay that are very reasonably priced. We gave one to Major General Mike Regner at the Charleston Reunion (see photo last Newsletter) and another for Dante Marsano in Peru (see Lanny’s article on the 406 Hull Sal- vage next issue). These can be ordered directly on eBay from Captseadawg for $39.95 plus shipping of about $15. Search eBay on USN Submarine Warfare Enlisted Plaque or Officer Plaque. You will not be disappointed. 9. Salvage of the 406 Hull: Yes, it has finally happened. Lanny and I have worked closely with Director and CEO of Fundicion Callao S.A. Dante Marsano for months on this. The salvage was not done by the Foundry, but by local squatters. Lots to report but no room in this issue. In any case, it was the Hull that was removed from the resting site this year and not Sea Poacher or La Pedrera. Sea Poacher and La Pedrera were always the crew for over 52 years and nothing can ever change that. The next issue will provide details and photographs. While most of the Hull has been removed, some parts could remain. However, the area is not safe and it would be risky to enter. Do not go there! 10.