New Orleans Registration Begins!
Reunion Registration is now underway!
Well, our hotel reservations have been very good in the past few months. we almost have our 40-room minimum and it appears we could end up with even 45 to 50 rooms at the DoubleTree.
With a room block of 40, we'll have around 80 attendees and our biggest reunion yet. As you can see by our attendee list, we have many new members coming, some of whom we haven't seen since the late 60's. It's going to be great!
It's Jazz, Jazz, and more Jazz!
Our event schedule has worked out pretty well. We've planned several events over several days---such as the Cajun Swamp Tour, the D-Day Museum, the Cajun School of Cooking, a Jazz Riverboat Dinner Cruise and a Jazz Bunch at the Court of Two Sisters.
Beginning with our Jazz Dinner Cruise, we may also have a choice of Riverboats: The "Natchez" is the most famous Paddlewheeler and easily accommodates our entire group along with the general public, however, we could possibly have our own personal Riverboat if we achieve the 75 minimum requirement.
The price is the same for either one (group rate of $45.50 (Reg. $54.00). Please indicate your preference on the registration form and majority will rule. Both provide a great Cajun Buffet dinner, a Jazz Band for entertainment and a 2 hour cruise of the Mississippi.
The main attraction of the Natchez is, of course, it is a Steamboat/Paddlewheeler and the Audubon is not. However, the Audubon's attraction would be our own private charter, and a few hundred yards closer to the hotel.
The Jazz Brunch at the world famous Court of Two Sisters is one of the "must-do" attractions. They also are providing us with a group rate of $27.50 EA. In lieu of $32.00, tax, gratuity included. Linda and I have been there several times over the last 30 years and have never been disappointed. You won't either if you choose to attend. The menu is included in this package so take a look and see if this Jazz Brunch is for you. It'll be at 10:30 either day, Thursday or Friday. Also on our schedule is the Cajun Swamp Tour. This is our only "outdoor event" and because it may be a little warm, we're scheduling it for the morning. It's great fun and I encourage anyone who hasn't seen the "Swamp" or "Bayou", up close and personal, to sign up for it. The mini-vans or buses pick us up at the hotel and it's an easy, safe Swamp tour on Pontoon Boats. Our group rate on this one saved us about 10 buck each.
We're working on some entertainment for our Saturday night banquet and, guess what....it'll probably be a Jazz Band!
If you're flying in, the taxi is the best transportation from the airport. It's a flat rate of $28.00 for two people and $12.00 for each additional person.
Now a note about the membership: You DO NOT have to be a member to enjoy the camaraderie at the reunions. Recently, I sent a letter to all non-members on our roster, reminding them that membership is NOT a requirement for attending our reunions. I hope the personal invitation to our non-members will add a few more to our New Orleans Reunion.
While on membership....we now have about 75 members and a mailing list of 150. We'll be voting on reducing the initial membership fee of $25.00 and other items such as 2006's reunion location. Hope you all attend the business meeting on Saturday morning and help with these decisions.
Those of you who attended the last reunions contributed a $20.00 registration fee to help cover our hospitality room refreshments and any short-falls we incur during the reunion. The good news is, this year we have increased our "kitty" enough thru our membership and Ship's Store sales. It's great to be in the black and not rely on the old coffee-can that started up our Association.
Guess that's a wrap for now.
Please read all the information enclosed and choose your events and days to fit your schedule. And, send in your registration as soon as possible. The sooner we have an actual head count for our events the better for scheduling.
Hope to see you all in New Orleans!
Steve
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Shipmates,
Greetings to all and I hope this “spring” edition of “President’s Corner” finds all of you having good weather and experiencing that rejuvenating feeling that spring always brings. Of course, we here in Southern California can hardly tell the difference (and I’m not rubbing it in if you have been paying attention to SoCal real estate prices lately). Out here in San Diego we say we have four seasons; Early Summer, Summer, Late Summer, and Next Summer. And for that we get to pay a cool half million for an entry level home. I better get off of that topic or the Convention and Business Bureau will be knocking on my door!
Many of our shipmates will be gathering in New Orleans in August and I have to tell you, it is shaping up to be our best reunion to date. Steve Hunt tells me that we are looking at 65 or more folks. That is outstanding when you think that we started out with a couple of crewmembers having lunch in San Diego in the fall of 2001.
One of the goals I set for myself when I had the honor of being elected President of our Association in 2003 was to contact as many Brooke crewmembers as possible during my tenure. Our success rate is reflected in the growth of our Association from a modest 24 crewmembers in 2003 to over 70 as of today. And while this is solid growth we are not stopping there. Our goal is to have 100 members by January 2006.
Speaking of the reunion (I wasn’t but it seemed like a nice segue) I was reminded of how special it is to get together with old shipmates and keep the past alive. In one of my pastimes (Education Specialist, College Professor, and Museum Curator) I run a World War II/Korean era LVT Museum on Camp Pendleton (LVT stands for Landing Vehicle Tracked). The museum is dedicated to the Marines who assaulted the beaches of the Pacific during WWII and Korea. You can check out the museum by going to Google and typing in “World War II/Korea LVT Museum” or my name, “Tom Adametz” that should get you to the site.
One of the benefits of running the museum is that I have the opportunity to meet many of the veterans of WWII and Korea. Often, they come in reunion groups and I marvel how the years just seem to dissipate when they get together and discuss the “adventures” of the past. Even though many of these vets are well up there in years, they become young men again when the meet to re-tell the “war stories”. That is who we are (not quite that old yet, but getting there…hopefully), the Brooke Association, and the years vanish when we get together to re-tell our “sea stories” and keep the memory of Brooke alive. I hope that if you don’t get the chance to get to New Orleans this year, you will try to get together with us next year (on the East coast). I assure you, you will not regret making the trip. Take care all……
Fair Winds and Following Seas,
Tom Adametz
President
USS Brooke DEG/FFG-1
Association
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USS Brooke Reunion
New Orleans
August 24th - 28th, 2005
DoubleTree Hotels
Room Rates: $89.00 Single or Dbl. + taxes
Note: Rates are honored 2 days prior and 2 days after reunion
So, come early and stay late! Hotel rates will NEVER be BETTER
For Reservations:
Call 1-800-967-6638 or 1-800-222 TREE (8733)
Space is limited......
Make your reservation TODAY!
Planned events:
Steamboat "Natchez" Jazz
Dinner Cruise
D-Day Museum Tour
Cajun Swamp Tour
New Orleans School of Cooking
Court of Two Sisters
The DoubleTree Hotel is located in the HEART of New Orleans at the foot of Canal Street. The Riverfront Walk and Mall is next door (Plenty of walking and shopping). Harrah's Casino is right next door and the French Quarter is across the street. We believe it it the BEST location in New Orleans for our reunion!
Note: Saturday Night Dinner Banquet Selections to follow...........................
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Dinner Entrees
For DoubleTree Saturday Banquet
Please indicate your choice on the Registration Form
All dinners include
Salad, Soup, Two Fresh Vegetables,
Served with Potato, Rice or Pasta
All served with Hearth Baked French rolls and Butter
Choice of one Dessert, Coffee, Tea and Decaf
Dinner Choice #1
Louisiana Gulf Catch Lafitte
The Catch of the Day Sautéed and Topped In a Lemon Cream Sauce
With Lump Crabmeat
Served with Pasta
Dinner Choice #2
Tournedoes Merchand De Vin
Twin Beef Tenderloin Medallions
Broiled to Perfection on toasted French Bread Croutons,
Accompanied by a Savory Red Wine and Mushroom Sauce
Served with Potatoes
Dinner Choice #3
Chicken Lestat
Delicately Sautéed Breast of Chicken
Topped with Sauce Béarnaise,
Asparagus and Crabmeat
Served with Rice
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NEW ORLEANS SCHEDULED ATTRACTIONS
(In Lieu of creating large pictures (that accompanied the mailed newsletter) that require an inordinate time to download I have placed one picture with the website address of the attraction)
STEAMBOAT "NATCHEZ" JAZZ DINNER CRUISE
http://www.steamboatnatchez.com/
D-DAY MUSEUM TOUR
CAJUN SWAMP TOUR
http://www.cajunprideswamptours.com/
NEW ORLEANS SCHOOL OF COOKING
COURT OF TWO SISTERS
http://www.courtoftwosisters.com/home.htm
WHERE THE EVENTS ARE LOCATED FROM OUR HOTEL
ADDITIONAL ATTRACTIONS IN NEW ORLEANS
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The Following Crewmembers Have Indicated They Will attend The Reunion And Have Made Or Will Make Hotel Reservations:
Adametz, Tom - Hunt, Steve - Witt, Richard - Schinn, Duane - Hanna, Jimmy - Harris, Buddy - Shuttleworth, Gene - Turner, Del - Morrow, Billy - Kalaf, Dave - Hamling, Jerry (2 rooms) - Wasielewski, Robert - Precie, Tony (2 rooms) - Garoutte, Michael - Smithlin, Michael - Braccamonte, Jose - Beckius, Jerry - Columbo, George - Gale, Dennis - Prisock, Jesse - Mezzacappa, Carmine - Newman, Gunther - Dawson, Dale (2 rooms) - Rattigan, Jim - Dorow, Bill - Tzope, Ron - Elfiink, Kathleen - Hunt, Darryl - Swistok, William - Harding, Terry - Smith, Brian - Alexander, Cameron - Vickers, Steve
********************APPROXIMATELY 72+ ATTENDEES ***********************
If you have not yet made your hotel reservations, then please do so in the next few weeks to guarantee your special hotel rate of $89 per night!
Our "Wannabee" Reunion Attendees
Include those members not personally contacted due to:
(1) Not home and we left a message.
(2) Number changed and new number unknown.
(3) Unlisted number.
(4) We don't have your phone number on file.
Allen, David - Apple, Cliff - Apter, Mark - Anderson, Russ - Anamosa, Pat - Atwood, Dusty - Baadte, John
Banks, Gary - Bingel, John - Bynum, Cliff - Bjelland, B.J. - Barnet, Ted - Bartlett, George - Benson, Gary
Colburn, Gary - Crooks, Bob - Daniels, Gerald - DeCastro, Victor - Dunlap, Gene - Esmele, Jamie - Eley, Duane
Farmer, William - Foster, Larry - Franck, Gene - Greybeck, Red - Grimes, Frank - Grover, Stan - Hancock, Bill
- Harvey, Jeff - Hickenbottom, C.H. - Hines, J.G. - Hixon, Frank - Hunt, William - Johnson, Bill
Kelly, Larry - Kelly, Patrick - Knight, Jerry - Lewis, Gerald - Limbaugh, John - Looker, Jim - Loveless, Jerry
Lipham, Gerald - Mahaffey, Michael - McClain, John - McLaughlin, Patty - Mercer, Douglas C. III - Newkirk,
Donald - Nugent, Ed - Peebles, Myrom - Pennington, Jesse - Pesta, Thomas - Pointer, Buck - Sarfaty, Dennis -
Schaler, Ken - Schultz, LeRoy - Scott, Rex - Shumlas, John - Sopha, Robert - Stewart, Lloyd - Tandang, Joel
Townsend, A.T. - Tremont, Frank - Ulmer, Bill - Velasco, Pete - Walters, Jim - Williams, Pharis
Williams, Wayne - Winchell, Rodney - Wilson, Ed - Whitaker, Larry - Wolfe, Terry - Woolever, Rick
Please call 253-473-6742 or e-mail thehubbahubba@aol.com if you plan to attend- Steve Hunt
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Regular Membership dues to the Association are $25 per year. Associate membership (no fee) is available for all surviving spouses of Brooke Crewmembers.
Your current membership expiration date is to the right of your name on the address label on the newsletter. To continue "Port & Starboard" please remit your dues payment in accordance with published dues schedule, payable to the USS Brooke Association and mail to our Treasurer at the address below:
Steve HuntUSS Brooke DEG/FFG-1
P.O. Box 1692
Tacoma, WA 98401
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For more information please visit our website @
