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MOBOAT NEWS 11/12/05 Correction
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Bob Behm
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Nov 13, 2005 20:41 PST
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MOBOAT NEWS 11/12/05 Bob Behm
Nov 13, 2005 20:38 PST
MOBOAT NEWS 11/12/05
MOBOAT NEWS - VOL. 2 NO. 10
A newsletter for veterans of the “USS Monticello LSD 35"
Our website has had over 6100 visitors since it was launched.
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Inside This Issue:
12 Nov 2005
1: WHAT'S NEW?
2: MOBOAT BALLCAPS AND POLO SHIRTS UPDATE
3: WHERE IS SHE NOW?
4: 1985 CRUISE BOOK
5: SHIP'S BELL
6: SUBIC BAY, RPI
7: INFORMATION SEEKING
8: IF I COULD...
9. PAST ISSUES
10. SITE OF THE MONTH
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1: WHAT'S NEW?
At last count, 321 crew members signed into the online Deck Log.
24 Officers
3 Skippers
27 Plank owners
292 Enlisted
79 Life Members
7 Annual Members
23 Chiefs
5 Marines
1 Attached (Australian)
1 Midshipman
I hope this newsletter finds you in good health and sprits.
The month of October was very busy at the Behm house. After our trip to
the Carribean, we had our son come home on leave from the Army to spend
some time with us before he ships out to Iraq.
I'll be sending this newsletter out every two months from here on out
until 2007 and it will return monthly.
Keep spreading the word. If you know someone who served on the
MoBoat, and they're not listed on the Deck Log, please forward this
newsletter to them.
I've placed ENS. James Monnett's 1960-1961 diary on the "History" page.
Be sure to
stop by and spend a few minutes to read it.
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2: MOBOAT BALLCAPS AND POLO SHIRTS UPDATE
The polo shirts, hats and windbreakers are now in just in time for
Christmas. Stop by the ship's store and order a few things. The 2006
ship's calendar is now available also.
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3: WHERE IS SHE NOW?
Hi all!
I have just finished my web report of the fleet visit.
I still have to work up the photos taken aboard the J.O.
I am mailing out 20 more paper reports tomorrow, 15 more to go.
See: http://navy.memorieshop.com/BayArea/
Click on any row! MoBoat is in row "K"
Nancy Meiring
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4: 1985 CRUISE BOOK
Hello Beamer,
Sorry it took me so long to respond. I don't use this e-mail very
often.
I will be glad to send you the book to copy. I am not set up with a
scanner right now.
Send me your mailing information, and I will send it to you right away.
Thanks again for the site. It meant so much to me to see the names of
friends I have not seen in years. The next reunion is much closer to
home, and I hope to attend.
Thanks,
Danny
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5: SHIP'S BELL
Historic Ship Bells Ring the Navy's Past
By Joanna Navarro, Naval Historical Center Public Affairs
WASHINGTON (NNS) -- One of the most numerous and
symbolic artifacts in the Navy Historical Center's (NHC)
collection are the more than 2,000 ship bells.
Started before WWI, this collection is also one of the most
utilized, with the bells being found on display or in use in many
interesting places.
The NHC's Curator Branch preserves the bells, one of the many
artifacts removed from decommissioned ships. They may be
provided on loan to new namesake ships; naval commands with
a historical mission or functional connection; and to museums and
other institutions that are interpreting specific historical themes
and displays of naval history.
However, the bells remain the permanent property of the U.S.
Government and the Department of the Navy.
Bells have been lent out to a diverse array of organizations, such
as USS Shangri-La's (CV 38) bell, which is housed at the Naval
Medical Center, San Diego; USS Wisconsin's (BB 64) bell,
currently residing aboard the preserved ship moored outside the
Hampton Roads Naval Museum, Norfolk, Va.; and even USS
Richard B. Russell's (SSN 687) bell, located in West Mason
High school, Albuquerque, N.M.
Recently, the bell from USS Worden (DD 352) was dedicated
at the Carderock Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, in
West Bethesda, Md.
Initially commissioned in January 1935, and considered at the
time the "best sea boat", it was wrecked in a 1943 storm. Its
bell, however, had been taken off previously to lighten the ship.
Fitted to a new USS Worden (DLG 18) in 1963, the bell
continued in service until 1993.
Robert J. Cressman, head of the NHC's Ship History Branch,
made the dedication speech at Carderock. He recounted the
history of the ship and its loss, and quoted one of the original
captain's description that Worden was "the product of years of
technological development and skilled labor, but only a ship's
hull until manned by a trained and dedicated crew. Worden is the
assembly of nearly 400 men who operate the complex systems
installed to make Worden an effective unit in our country's desire
to preserve the peace."
Cressman concluded his remarks by saying, "We honor those
officers and men who made Worden the ship she was, and
particularly those 14 men who perished in the ship's battle with
the elements on that sad day 60 years ago. We salute them
today, and those who sailed with them."
Today, historic ships bells serve to inspire and to remind our
naval forces and personnel of honor, courage, and commitment
to the defense of our nation, and will continue to do so in the
future.
For related news, visit the Naval Historical Center Navy
NewsStand page at www.news.navy.mil/local/navhist.
(We have photos of the MobOat's bell on our home page thanks to BM3 John
Huard.)
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6: SUBIC BAY
THIS WEB SITE COVERS THE PAST AND PRESENT HISTORY OF THE FOLLOWING.
SUBIC BAY Ship Repair Facility - CUBI POINT Naval Air Station - SUBIC
BAY Naval Magazine -
GRANDE ISLAND - OLONGAPO - SUBIC CITY - BARRIO BARETTO
http://www.subicbaypi.com/index.htm
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7. INFORMATION SEEKING
Our shipmate John Huard has been relentless in his attempts to find more
information about our ship.
Mr. Huard,
I am the Public Affairs Officer for the Navy Supervisor of Shipbuilding
(SUPSHIP) Gulf Coast, the successor command to the Supervisor of
Shipbuilding Pascagoula. Your letter to Northrop Grumman Ship Systems
- Ingalls Operations requesting additional information on your former
ship, USS MONTICELLO (LSD 35) was referred to me for response,
suggesting that the company has nothing. I suspect that this is the
case, in view of the time that has lapsed and the fact that the
Pascagoula yard was flooded by Hurricane Katrina. However, my inquiries
to the company for much more recent historical material prior to the
storm have also been fruitless. I am not optimistic.
My office is in New Orleans but I visit Pascagoula at least once a week.
I will ask in person next time I'm over. In addition, I will check the
SUPSHIP files to see if there's anything of interest left. Regulations
don't require retention of many records for very long and because
MONTICELLO was decommissioned so long ago, there would have been little
need to retain anything. If you're lucky, I may find a "pack rat" who
kept some material longer than required. (I know that my public affairs
files don't go back that far and my predecessor(s) kept things long
after they were needed.)
Thank you for directing me to MONTICELLO's website. It is very nicely
done and you are fortunate to have found so much after so many years. I
was interested to note that the commissioning Supply Officer was LT E.
W. "Dub" Nunn, SC, with whom I served over 30 years ago on the Eighth
Naval District staff when we were both CDRs. He retired from that tour
as CDR and I doubt that he is still living. I looked at a few of the
Monnet diaries and particularly enjoyed them. When time permits, I hope
to get back to them.
I'll get back to you as soon as I find any answers (or not) at
Pascagoula.
Regards,
Duncan McCarthy
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8. IF I COULD...
If I could, I'd enlist today and help my country track down those
responsible for killing thousands of innocent people in New York City
and Washington, DC but, I'm over 50 now and the Armed Forces say I'm too
old to track down terrorists. You can't be older than 35 to join the
military. They've got the whole thing backwards. Instead of sending
18-year-olds off to fight, they ought to take us old guys.
You shouldn't be able to join until you're at least 35. For starters:
Researchers say 18-year-olds think about sex every 10 seconds. Old guys
only think about sex a couple of times a day, leaving us more that
28,000 additional seconds per day to concentrate on the enemy.
Young guys haven't lived long enough to be cranky, and a cranky soldier
is a dangerous soldier. If we can't kill the enemy we'll complain them
into submission. "My back hurts!" "I'm hungry!" "Where's the remote
control?"
An 18-year-old hasn't had a legal beer yet and you shouldn't go to war
until you're at least old enough to legally drink. An average old guy,
on the other hand, has consumed 126,000 gallons of beer by the time he's
35, and a jaunt through the desert heat with a backpack and M-60 would
do wonders for the old beer belly.
An 18-year-old doesn't like to get up before 10 a.m. Old guys get up
early every morning to pee.
If old guys are captured we couldn't spill the beans because we'd
probably forget where we put them. In fact, name, rank, and serial
number would be a real brainteaser.
Boot camp would actually be easier for old guys. We're used to getting
screamed and yelled at, and we actually like soft food. We've also
developed a deep appreciation for guns and rifles. We like them almost
better than naps.
They could lighten up on the obstacle course, however. I've been in
combat and didn't see a single 20-foot wall with rope hanging over the
side, nor did I ever do any pushups after completing basic training. I
can hear the Drill Sergeant now, "Drop and give me...er...one."
And the running part is kind of a waste of energy. I've never seen
anyone outrun a bullet.
An 18-year-old has the whole world ahead of him. He's still learning to
shave, to actually carry on a conversation, and to wear pants without
the top of his butt crack showing and his boxer shorts sticking out.
He's still hasn't figured out that a pierced tongue catches food
particles, and that a 400-watt speaker in the back seat of a Honda
Accord can rupture an eardrum. All great reasons to keep our sons at
home to learn a little more about life before sending them off to war.
Let us old guys track down those dirty rotten cowards who attacked our
hearts on September 11. The last thing the enemy would want to see
right now is a couple of million old farts with attitudes.
-- Author Unknown
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9. PAST ISSUES
Past issues of the MoBoat News can be found here:
http://lists.topica.com/lists/ussmonticello/read?sort=d&start=0
To sign-up for future issues of the MoBoat News, please log-in here:
http://www.ussmonticello.com/newsletter.htm
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10. SITE OF THE MONTH
When I was in grade school, we did a time capsule. When it was opened, I
was amazed to see how much had changed.
I've been fascinated with time capsules ever since. It gives you a
greater appreciation for the passage of time. Today, things are a little
different because everything is going digital.
Well, Forbes has devised a digital time capsule. Write a letter to
yourself, and decide when you want to receive it. It could be one year
from now or 20 years from now.
I recommend you read how Forbes addressed the project's challenges. A
lot of thought and planning went into it.
Today I'm going to sit down with my son, Ian, and write a letter. If you
have children, this is a great way to spend a few hours together. Just
remember that you'll need to keep your e-mail address for the next 20
years!
TO VISIT TODAY'S COOL SITE, GO HERE:
http://forbes.codefix.net/capsule
www.KimKamando.com
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Well... that's all for this Issue of the MoBoat News.
Continue spreading the word about ussmonticello.com. Feel free to
forward this Newsletter to anybody you think will find it interesting.
If this Newsletter was forwarded to you and you'd like to subscribe,
just visit http://ussmonticello.com/newsletter.htm. All back issues of
the MoBoat News are also available there as well.
So long for now!
Bob Behm (Beamer)
USSMonticello.com Webmaster
Former BM3
USS Monticello LSD 35 '69-'71
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