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MOBOAT NEWS 02MAY07
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Bob Behm
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May 02, 2007 21:41 PDT
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MOBOAT NEWS - VOL. 4 NO. 5
A newsletter for veterans of the “USS Monticello LSD 35"
Our website has had over 14,200 visitors since it was launched.
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Inside This Issue:
02 May 07
1: WHAT'S NEW?
2: REUNION
3: OPERATION BEACON HILL VIDEO
4: DRAWING
5: WEBSITE OF THE MONTH
6: NATIONAL ARCHIVES
7. REUNION REGISTRATIONS
8. USS SAIPAN LHA 2
9. SMILE
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1: WHAT'S NEW?
At last count, 447 crew members signed into the online Deck Log.
31 Officers
4 Skippers
35 Plank owners
365 Enlisted
90 Life Members
5 Annual Members
25 Chiefs
13 Marines
1 Attached (Australian)
1 Midshipman
The monthly drawing for a MoBoat item began in November.
To be eligible for the drawing, you must have your member's dues
current and your reunion registration sent in by the date of the
drawing.
Monthly Winners will be drawn from a list of those that have submitted
their completed Branson reunion registration forms.
Our last drawing will take place July 1st, 2007.
So, get those reunion registration forms in ASAP and be eligible
for the next monthly drawing.
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2: 2007 REUNION DEADLINE IS APPROACHING
URGENT!! Only 30 days left to get those registrations in!
The preparation of the reunion and the maitenance of the website
takes a lot of our spare time, usually every evening. My wife and
I make a honest effort to make things as perfect as humanly possible
for our attendees. Our disappointment only comes when the response
is so minimal. We're having the event in the middle of the U.S. for
a reason, so that you won't have so far to travel. The respone to
this year's reunion has been disappointing to say the least.
My only hope is that most of you are just procrastinating and will
register this month. A low turn-out only means that the reunion is
of little interest to you all and hosting future events must
be reconsidered. We hope this isn't the case.
If you are concerned about not knowing anyone at the reunion, let
me put that concern to rest for you. I personnally knew two men and
knew of two others at the Las Vegas event. My wife knew no one.
By the time it was over we knew everyone. The MoBoat is what drew
everyone together. Although we may have been aboard at different times,
we all did basically the same jobs, lived in the same spaces, ate on the
same mess deck, visted the same ship's store, barber shop and library.
You have to trust me about this, by the time the Branson reunion is
over, you'll know everyone and you'll be glad that you took the time
out to attend.
Please get those registrations in ASAP! Meals and rooms have to be
reserved and we need an accurate number of attendees for the hotel.
We hoped to have over 100 attendees but it looks like we will fall
far short of this lofty goal.
The dealine for reunion registrations is May 30, 2007. Those wishing to
register after that date will be subject to a $50 late registration fee.
The dates of the reunion are 1 - 5 August 2007 at the Grand Plaza Hotel
in Branson, MO.The Branson Grand Plaza is a beautiful hotel and is all
enclosed so that you won't be exposed to the humidity of the midwest.
It boasts an indoor swimming pool, hot tub, workout room and they have
just replaced the beds with sleep number beds. The hotel offers a full
breakfast for it's guests. Register today to insure you have a room in
the same hotel as our functions.Here's the hotel website:
http://www.bransongrandplaza.com/
The reunion registration forms are available online in PDF format at:
http://www.ussmonticello.com/reunion_update.htm
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3: OPERATION BEACON HILL VIDEO
I've loaded one of the films that we purchased from the National
Archives.
It's Operation Beacon Hill of March 1967. The color film is 7 minutes
long.
http://www.ussmonticello.com/operationbeaconhill1.swf
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4. DRAWING
Each month until the reuinon will be having a drawing from those that
have sent in their reunion registration and have current dues paid.
This month's winner will receive a MoBoat Ball Cap.
And the lucky winner pulled from the official "MoBoat" ballcap by my
lovely wife, Maria, is:
Chandler James
Congratulations Chandler! We'll get that MoBoat Ball Cap off to you
ASAP.
If you are planning to attend the reunion in Branson in August '07,
be sure to get those reunion registrations in soon to be eligible for
all the monthly drawings preceding the reunion.
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5. WEBSITE OF THE MONTH
http://kepler.pratt.duke.edu/USNRibbons.html
Here's a website where you can check your ribbons to make sure that they
are in coorect order of precedence.
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6. NATIONAL ARCHIVES
Three rolls of the microfilm that we purchased is at the vendor's being
tranferred to digital format. The cost of conversion is $70 per roll. I
was only able to send 3 rolls.
With the information on the crewslists, we are able to locate some of
the former crewmembers. James Campbell has done an outstanding job
contacting folks from the lists I transcribed from lists I was able to
extract with the local library's microfilm reader. I found that this
process is way too time consuming and inefficient. That's why I chose a
vendor. James has contacted about 45 former crewmembers from his time
period and I have added them to the Crewmember's List.
I have offered documents from other LSDs that appear on the film to
their respective webmasters. I only ask that they assist us in paying
for the coversion of the film to digital format.
We'll see how it goes.
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7. REUNION REGISTRATIONS
Here is the list of those that are now registered for the upcoming
reunion in Branson, MO. Thanks for registering promptly it really helps
with the planning!
2 John F. and Lori Barry MM2 1961-1964
4 Michael & Cathy Battisti BM3 1965-1969
6 Robert & Maria Behm BM3 1969-1971
7 Lawrence M. Braun EM2 1980-1984
9 James and Frances Campbell MM3 1961-1964
11 Earl & Maria Cecero MMC 1966-1970
12 James A. Chandler IC3 1958-1962
14 Wayne & Lenora Chapman CS3 1962-1964
16 David and Betty Clifford BT2 1957
17 Robert (Bob) Dean RD3 1957-1959
19 Jack & Lydia Dover SN 1957-1958
21 William (Sonny) & Cathy Gaines EMFN 1966-1967
23 Gerald R. and Carrie Helgeson ME3 1957-1958
25 Keith & Debbie Kaighen BT2 1973-1977
27 Samuel & Nilda Kinne IC2 1974-1978
27 Paul Lindauer & Bonnie Armes ME3 1957-1959
29 Larry D. Lynch EM3 1958-1960
32 George and Bonnie Mitchell EN2 1963-1967
34 Thomas J., Jr and Claire M. Moran MR2 1957-1958
36 Lawrence & Helen Osborne SN 1960-1963
40 Steven J. and Glenda Sakry BT2 1973-1976
42 Daniel J. & Eileen Sullivan SN 1957-1968
44 Jerry M. and Karen A. West BM3 1958-1960
45 Charles R. Wood HMC 1977-1979
46 R. Brent York MR2 1977-1979
I will post this list monthly until the reunion.
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8. USS SAIPAN LHA 2
29 Years Later Saipan is Decommissioned
Navy News | PO2 Joseph R. Wax | April 24, 2007
Norfolk, VA. -- The Navy bid farewell to the amphibious assault ship USS
Saipan (LHA 2), April 20 in a decommissioning ceremony at Naval Station
Norfolk.
During its 29 year career, the ship’s primary mission was to transport
Marine Corps forces. However, Saipan was also involved in providing
evacuation and disaster relief when needed.
“We are here today to honor the history and legacy of this fine ship,
but more importantly the people who served on it,” said Saipan
Commanding Officer Capt. Richard Fitzpatrick. “The decommissioning
signals the end of an era. We honor the men and women who gave their
time, service and in some cases, their lives.”
Saipan was commissioned Oct. 15, 1977, and made the first Mediterranean
deployment by an amphibious assault ship in 1980. The ship deployed
eight more times to the Mediterranean and deployed to the Persian Gulf
multiple times in support of operations Desert Storm, Enduring Freedom
and Iraqi Freedom.
In 1990, Saipan participated in the evacuation of approximately 1,600
civilians from Liberia in support of Operation Sharp Edge. Saipan
provided a presence in the Adriatic Sea during the 2000 federal
elections in Yugoslavia, and gave support to the first ever
U.S.-Croatian exercise. In 2005, it deployed to Haiti where it offloaded
Seabees from Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB) One, and nearly
1,200 tons of equipment used to rebuild schools and wells in the
hurricane-ravaged country. In December 2006, Saipan returned from its
final deployment.
“As the world continues to evolve so too must the Navy,” said Rear Adm.
Michael Nowakowski, former Saipan commanding officer and current
President, Board of Inspection and Survey. “This evolution of continual
change drives the process of commissions and decommissions.”
Saipan was the second U.S. ship to bear the name. Its predecessor, the
carrier Saipan (CVL 48), served from July 1946 to January 1970. The name
Saipan was taken from an integral WWII battle on the island of Saipan.
Saipan and its Sailors received numerous awards during its 29 years of
service, including six Battle “E” awards, three Armed Forces
Expeditionary Medals and the Humanitarian Service Medal.
“Without its crew it is just 40,000 tons of welded steel,” said
Fitzpatrick. “Saipan’s legacy is going to live on through these fine
professionals.”
Saipan will be used for weapons effect testing, providing vital
information on structural integrity and survivability which will assist
in the designing and planning of future ships. After the tests have been
conducted it will be transferred to the inactive fleet.
“You have served your nation and the Navy well,” Nowakowski said during
his closing remarks. “The Sailors from your 19 crews will keep alive
your legacy; Fair Winds and Following Seas.”
Sent in by BM3 John Huard
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9. SMILE
Are you TRUE Navy Blue and Gold?
Me and Willy were lollygagging by the scuttlebutt after being aloft to
boy-butter up the antennas and were just perched on a bollard eyeballing
a couple of bilge rats and flangeheads using crescent hammers to pack
monkey sh*t around a fitting on a handybilly.
All of a sudden the dicksmith started hard-assing one of the deck apes
for lifting his pogey bait. The pecker-checker was a sewer pipe sailor
and the deckape was a gator. Maybe being black shoes on a bird farm
surrounded by a gaggle of cans didn't set right with either of those
gobs.
The deck ape ran through the nearest hatch and dogged it tight because
he knew the penis machinist was going to lay below, catch him between
decks and punch him in the snot locker. He'd probably wind up on the
binnacle list but Doc would find a way to gundeck the paper or give it
the deep six to keep himself above board.
We heard the skivvywaver announce over the bitch box that the
breadburners had shit on the shingle ready on the mess decks, so we cut
and run to avoid the clusterf**k when the twidgets and cannon cockers
knew chow was on.
We were balls to the wall for the barn and everyone was preparing to hit
the beach as soon as we doubled-up and threw the brow over. I had a
ditty bag full of fufu juice that I was gonna spread on thick for the
bar hogs with those sweet bosnias. Sure beats the hell out of brown
bagging. Might even hit the Acey-Deucy club and try to hook up with a
WESTPAC widow. They were always leaving snail trails on the dance floor
on amateur night.
If you understand this, you're true Blue and Gold!
- ET1 Kelly Orozco
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Well... that's all for this Issue of the MoBoat News.
I truly hope this newsletter found you well.
Please 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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