U.S.S. BROOKE DEG-1/FFG-1
ASSOCIATION
REUNION
BATON ROUGE, LA
SEPTEMBER 19 - 23, 2012
SCENES OF BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
U.S.S. BROOKE CREWMEMBERS, FAMILIES AND FRIENDS
AT THE USS KIDD VETERANS MEMORIAL, BATON ROUGE, LA
SEPTEMBER 22, 2012
HOLIDAY INN AIRPORT SOUTH, BATON ROUGE, LA
The U.S.S. Brooke DEG-1/FFG-1 Association held it's eleventh annual reunion at the Holiday Inn Airport South, Baton Rouge, LA September 19 - 23, 2012. Thirty seven shipmates, family and friends attended the annual gathering and this year along with twenty five members of the National Sonar Association. With this being the second year we have had the NSA hold their reunion in conjunction with ours, we ended up with a another solid turnout. As per our standard opening night routine we held our "Welcome Aboard" reception in the Hospitality Room. The opportunity to share the camaraderie and renew friendships for the "Brooke Family", continued the tradition getting our reunion off on the right foot. On day 2, Thursday, we set off for New Orleans, LA for shopping and a tour of the WWII Museum. For many of our reunion attendees this was the first time we returned to New Orleans since 2005 and the memories of being stranded in the city by Hurricane Katrina were still fresh in our minds. The city was beautiful and there were few signs of the devastation that Katrina left in her path. When we returned to our hotel that evening we had our "Pizza Night" and annual cake cutting ceremony. By bedtime, which seems to be coming earlier and earlier as we age, most folks were quite ready for a good nights sleep.. On Friday, day 3, the gang headed over to the Bayou Swamp Tours to visit with the alligators. Those in our group who were from Florida passed on this event since they live with alligators in their backyards on a daily basis. In the evening we had dinner at Boutin's Cajun Restaurant where we sampled some great Cajun food and were entertained by live Cajun music. Some of the gang threw inhibitions to the wind and "shook a leg" as they say. On day 4, Saturday, wanting to keep the ball rolling, we visited the USS Kidd Veterans Memorial and then the Louisiana State Museum. Another solid day filled with events for our group and by the evening we were ready for our annual Saturday evening banquet..
This year we brought in some "professional" entertainment again in the form of a standup comedy routine from a gentleman who billed himself as a "Cajun Humorist". And indeed he was! A wonderful show with more jokes and stories about Boudreau and Clorice than you could stand. The evening ended with our annual raffle of prizes brought by all the attendees. With laughter and fun we ended our 2012 gathering on an upbeat note!
On Sunday morning we held our annual memorial service to remember shipmates departed and then shared farewells until next year in Portland, OR. As with each of our previous reunions old friendships continued, new friendships were made or renewed. As always, my hat is off to all of you who traveled many miles to see old friends and share your experiences of Brooke with others. We hope you had a wonderful time and that we didn't tire you out too much. As with each of our reunions we try to create a mix of events to keep our attendees engaged and entertained and this year was no exception. Once again we will try to improve our events in Portland and we hope you will be able to join us.
The following pictures are a representation of the four memorable days we spent together and I have tried to capture the best memories of that wonderful time. As with each year's photos, and the captions beneath, I take full responsibility for my attempt at wit, or lack thereof.
Tom Adametz
REUNION ATTENDEES
(In alphabetical order with their home states)
Tom and Harriet Adametz (CA)
Rita Carpenter (FL)
Robert Cook (TX)
Jack and Ginger Kirby Dewitt (SC)
Pat and Kathleen Elfrink (TX)
Dennis (Doc) and Maila Gale (FL)
Rita Giblin (CA)
Melinda-Kromray Giblin (CA)
Kemis Enright Giblin
Jerry and Estelle Hamling (WA)
Jimmy and Betty Hanna (TX)
Buddy and Julie Harris (FL)
Rick and Linda Holmes (WA)
Steve and Linda Hunt (WA)
Betty Lucas (WA)
Tony and Robin Precie (CA)
Jim and Wendy Rattigan (TX)
Alicia Rivers (TX)
Helen and John Spivey (VA)
Bill and Barb Ulmer (MO)
Larry and Nancy Whitaker (VA)
Mike and Audrey Wilson (CA)