San Diego Reunion Deadline is August 26th
Hopefully, all reunion attendees have made their hotel reservations and our reunion registration (and enclosed check) is in the mail. If you have not done the above, then now is the time if you’re plan-ning to join us in San Diego! While the registration can slide a few days, the hotel reservation cannot. Unless, of course, you wish to pay a lot more for your room. We have enough rooms blocked for all to come, but the leftover rooms revert back to the hotel after the 26th and they then sell the rooms at a higher rate.
Registrations have been coming in every few days and it appears we’re going to have a great turnout. We also have some new faces again this reunion as this will be their first one. About the only change in our events is the ASW school tour. They are having a change-in-command about the time of our scheduled tour and it appears that tour will fall through. However, we are working on “plan B”, which is a trip on the water taxi (nickel-snatcher for you old salts) which leaves on a regular basis from the end of Shelter Island, about a mile from the hotel. The water taxi travels to Coronado and to the foot of Broadway in San Diego. We just have to work on transportation to and from the hotel and the water taxi, as it’s too far to hike. We’ll have that information and any other changes when you register in the hospitality room at the hotel.
During this year’s annual business meeting, we’ll be discussing and planning our 2011 reunion. To be fair to all, we should probably have it on the East coast. We were last there in 2006, so it’ll have been 5 years next year. In the last few years, I have been to Norfolk, Jacksonville and Cocoa Beach, so we have a few destinations from which to choose. I’ll have information on all these cities at the business meeting. For after 2011, we also have information on other choices which include Chicago, Dallas, Albuquerque and Baton Rouge. All would be great reunion sites and the research has been completed. Another reunion coordinator I met recently stated that their group does not care where they meet every year, as long as they have a reunion. Good way to look at it.
Now some memos for the coming reunion: First one is our annual raffle: Don’t forget to bring a small raffle item (small, as most folks fly in) and something indigenous to your region of the country. We’ve had great success with our annual raffle and it raises the extra dollars, which we always need. The raffle usually brings in enough to pay for much of our hospitality room geedunks. In addition to that, we some-times run short on our “mini-mum” banquet bar-bill. We did in Reno last year and the raffle bailed us out on that one.
Lastly, a note about our custom lanyards, whose mission is to carry our name badges and all those previous reunion souvenir dog tags. This is not to mention the importance that we need those stink’in baadges to identify others to us, as a few, very few, of us have changed since serving aboard Brooke. So, pack those lanyards and raffle items in your luggage now and bring them to San Diego. The reused (experienced) lanyards save our association about 2 bucks each, every year. It adds up.
This is our last newsletter until the post-reunion wrap-up.
Come early and stay late…
See you in San Diego!
Your Secretary/Treasurer,
Steve
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“Word to the Wives”
By Linda Hun
Well, it won’t be long now! I’m really looking forward to seeing everyone again…the ones who are there every year, the once-in-a-whiles and the newcomers.
We have a lot of good attractions planned—some we’ve done before (the Luau) and some new ones (Camp Pendleton, USS Midway, etc).
If you do the active-duty ship tour and go to Old Town, you’ll find many interesting shops, some of which you may not see anywhere else. There are also many different restaurants, but our favorite is the “Rockin’ Baja Lobster” in Old Town. We took some people there last time and all were favorably impressed. Buckets of lobster, clams, or other seafood, served on a patio, with “entertainment”—live birds flying through and looking for crumbs. Provides for a lot of atmosphere—but be sure to have someone at the table to shoo them away at all times!
If you’re coming early, or staying after the reunion, you may want to go to Little Italy. Lots of places to shop and, of course, several fine restaurants. Our favorite, dating back to when the Brooke was first stationed there, is Fillipi’s. I go there every time I’m in San Diego, if nothing else, to buy the 2 foot long spaghetti, which is very hard to find in the Northwest. They have pizzas, salads, sandwiches, and all the usual Italian fare, including my favorite, Veal Parmesan. (Here I go, talking about food again!)
Better sign off now—I’m hungry!! See you soon!
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“Why We Call a Ship a She”
By Rear Admiral Francis D. Foley, U.S. Navy (Retired)
Naval History, December 1998
A salty retired U.S. Flag officer shuns the current trend toward political correctness. Ships are referred to as “she” because men love them, but this encompasses for more than just that. Man-O’-War or merchantman, there can be a great deal of bustle about her as well as a gang of men on deck, particularly if she is slim-waisted, well-stacked and has an inviting superstructure.
It is not so much her initial cost as it is her upkeep that makes you wonder where you founder.
She is greatly admired when freshly painted and all decked out to emphasize her cardinal points.
If an aircraft carrier, she will look in a mirror when about to be arrested, and will wave you off if she feels you are sinking too low or a little too high, day or night. She will not hangar around with duds, but will light you off and launch you into the wild blue yonder when you muster a full head of steam.
Even a submarine reveals her topsides returning to port, heads straight for the buoys, knows her pier, and let her breast-lines out promptly if she is single-screwed.
On departure, no ship leaves port asleep, she always leaves awake. She may not mind her helm or answer to the old man when the going gets rough, and can be expected to kick up her heels on a family squall. A ship costs a lot to dress, sometimes blows a bit of smoke, and requires periodic overhauls to extend her useful life.
Some have a cute fantail, others are heavy in the stern, but all have double-bottoms which demand attention. When meeting head-on, sound a recognition signal; whistle! If she does not answer up, come about and start laying alongside, but watch to see if her ship is slowing…perhaps her slip is showing? Then proceed with caution until danger of collision is over and you can fathom how much latitude she will allow.
If she does not remain on an even keel, let things ride, feel your way, and do not cross the line until you determine weather the “do” point is right for a prolonged blast.
Get the feel of the helm, stay on the right tack, keep her so, and she will pay off handsomely.
If she is in the roaring forties, however, you may be in the dangerous semi-circle, so do not expect much “luff”, especially under bare poles. She may think you are not under command or control and shove off.
If she edges aweigh, keep her steady as she goes, but do not sink into the doldrums. Just remember that “to furnish a ship requireth much trouble, but to furnish a woman the cost is double!”
To the women who now help us “man” our ships, my apologies for the foregoing. Only the opening phrase presents my true feelings. After all, a ship’s bell(e) will always remain her most prized possession, and every good ship has a heart, just like yours.
A trick at the wheel, like you, would have been welcome aboard when I was on “she” duty for 40 years.
May God bless you all, sweetheart!
Admiral Foley is a long-time contributor to Naval History and the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings. He lives in Annapolis, Maryland.
Good Point! At Naval History’s editorial offices, in the presence of the author, the editor reacted to the above with a resounding: “Most of our readers will love it; the women will hate it!”
Coincidentally, the U.S. Naval Institute’s chief financial officer, obviously sensitive to such statements, overheard and inquired: “The women will hate what?” She then heard of plans to publish “Why We Call a Ship a She.” Unaware of the author’s presence, she asked: “If they call ships she, then why do they name them Arleigh Burke?”
To that, Admiral Foley responded, “Good Point!”
Contributed,
YNCS Don Harribine, USN (ret)
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Any man or woman who may be asked in this century what they did to make life worth-while in their lifetime…can respond with a great deal of pride and satisfaction, “I served a career in the United States Navy.”
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San Diego Reunion Registration
September 29th – October 3rd, 2010
Name____________________________________ _________________________
Name for Badge
Spouse and/or
Guest Name_____________________________ __________________________
Name for Badge
Address:
Street________________________________City__________________State_____Zip______
Phone____________________________Cell____________e-mail_______________________
Room(s) reserved at Holiday Inn Bayside Hotel? Yes or No___________
Arrival Date:_________________Departure Date:___________________________
Special Note: Do you have any special needs concerning Tour Transportation, Hotel or Dietary requirements?
IF YES:____________________________________________________________________________________________________
[ ] Please reserve_________seats for “Welcome Aboard” Party
Wednesday 1700 to 1800 (Harborview Room) 1800 – 2100 (Point Loma Room) No charge.
[ ] Please reserve ________seats for USS Ship Tour & Old Town (Thursday, Sept 30th) @ $15 ea.________
Includes transportation in a Deluxe Motor Coach, water and snacks.
Departs hotel at 0900 and returns by 1700. Approx. 8 hours
[ ] Please reserve________seats for PIZZA NIGHT on Thursday @ 1800 No charge.
[ ] Please reserve_________seats for Camp Pendleton and USS Midway/
Seaport Village Includes transportation in a Deluxe Coach, snacks/water.
Friday, Oct. 1st. Departs hotel at 0800 and returns by 1600. Approx. 8 hours. @ $15 ea.________
[ ] Please reserve________ seats for Hawaiian Luau Dinner and live entertainment.
Poolside. (Friday @ 1800, Live Show @ 1930) (See Luau menu on page 2) @ $45 ea.________
[ ] Please reserve_________seats for Saturday Night Banquet @ $40 ea.________
Holiday Inn’s Deluxe Buffet! (Dinner menu listed on Page 2)
[ ] Reunion Registration Fee: Number of attendees __________ @ $20 ea._______
Registration fee pays for hospitality beverages and snacks throughout the reunion, the traditional
Brooke Reunion Cake, Pizza night and any short-falls for our scheduled tours and dinners.
TOTAL OF ALL EVENTS AND REGISTRATION FEES _______________
To help your reunion hosts plan our reunion, please check off the events you wish to attend
And send this form along with your reunion total as soon as possible. Deadline is August 25th, 2010
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Steve Hunt P.O. Box 1692 Tacoma, WA 98401
More details/questions Call Steve @ 253-471-7766 (day) e-mail: thehubbahubba@clearwire.net
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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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