2004 Reunion City To Be Selected By Members In January
DEC 31 - Paid members of the Association will be emailed the new password for Members Only and be able to vote for the location of the October 7-9, 2004 reunion. Voting will take place January 1-31.
 Subic Bay/Olongapo Photos From October 2000
 Deaths Reported in November
Warren A. Rasmus, YN3: Aboard 1946-47 on November 13, 2003
Ronald Zinkl Celebrates 50th Wedding Anniversary
NOV 15 - Ronald and Rosemary Zinkl celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary today. Don Zinkl advises, "Both Ronald and I were aboard the Kennebec in 1953. My wife and I will be attending the ceremony (and party) in Kirkwood Mo."
Reunion Group Photos Are Mailed
NOV 10 - The sets of five 4x6" group photos were mailed to all shipmates and guests who attended the reunion. They are from 35mm film and look very nice. Thanks to photographer Sadie Hawkins.
Deaths Reported in October
Ronald G. "Ron" Fitzsimmons, RMSA: Aboard 1963 in 1997.
Lloyd Howard Undergoes Skin Cancer Surgery
OCT 30 - Jerry and Gloria Coulter advised that Lloyd had extensive cancer surgery on his face and also required plastic surgery afterward. He is doing well and cheerful.
Reunion Photos Will Be Mailed First Week In November
OCT 27 - Sample prints of the reunion photos have been received and copies for attendees have been ordered. The sets of five 4x6" group photos should arrive within a week and be mailed the week of November 3. All shipmates and guests will receive a set.
2004 Calendars Mailed
OCT 16 - The 2004 Association calendars were mailed today to all members whose dues are paid through October 31. Reunion attendees received theirs October 2.
286 Reunion Photos Submitted by Anne Stawinski
OCT 14 - Reunion guest (and daughter of shipmate Steve Markovich) Anne Stawinski has submitted her reunion photos to ImageStation which may be linked to from the 2003 Reunion page. Steve, please bring Anne to all the reunions. Anne, thanks for sharing!
First Reunion Photos on 2003 Reunion Page
OCT 13 - Digital camera photos of shipmates, wives and guests have been posted without names as taken by reunion photographer, Sadie Hawkins. Her 35mm photos have not been developed yet. Feel free to submit your photos of the reunion for inclusion on the page.
We Left Our Hearts In San..... Mateo
OCT 9 - Sadie and I returned home last night from a week by the Bay. Virtually everyone seemed to enjoy getting together for the 3rd Association reunion. Attendance was slightly less than the 2001 reunion in Las Vegas but substantially higher than last year's in Virginia Beach. Shipmates from 1951-54 had a great turnout. The Radisson Villa Hotel treated us royally, the food was excellent, the tours were great and the entertainment (Robert Strong and our shipmates) had us all laughing. Our shipmates age 50-something to 80-something can still "shake their booty" on the dance floor. The members in attendance selected four finalist cities for the October 7-9, 2004 reunion. They are:
Branson, MO
Colorado Springs, CO
New Orleans, LA
Rapid City, SD
Voting by all members whose dues are paid will take place during January 2004 with the winner announced very early in February. Thank you to all who attended and helped in any way with the 2003 reunion.
Tony Otanez Undergoes Heart Bypass Surgery
SEP 30 - Received from his wife, Pam, "Tony's operation went perfectly. He feels better than he has in years. He is very blessed that there is no damage to his heart or lungs. They did do a quadruple bypass. It will take a few months for him to totally heal. He will be home from Eugene tomorrow afternoon. Thank you all for your thoughts and prayers. Tony will be answering his emails in a day or two." Tony was RD3 and aboard from 1965-68.
September 30 Reunion Updates
- Note: Be sure and check the tour schedules as the bus will board from 8:30-8:45 AM Thursday and later on Friday. The Wine Country Tour will take a free taxi downtown at 8 AM on Friday.
- September 2 is the cut-off date for Radisson Villa Hotel reservations made under the USS Kennebec (AO-36) Association block. All reservations made after that date are subject to prevailing rate conditions. We have more than 60 room reservations for October 2, 3 and 4 which means there will be six drawings for one free night's stay for those on the reservations list. There are more than 30 room reservations for October 1 so there will probably be one drawing for that night as well.
- September 11 is the last postmark date for payment of Reunion fees for shipmates or you are subject to a $5.00 late fee. I'll waive the penalty if you call me at 763-404-0966 to confirm you will still attend. Include your membership dues if they are not paid through October.
Our banquet room holds 300.
- September 15 is the cut-off date for voting for Plated banquet dinner selections in Members Only. 134 have voted. Every attendee should submit a ballot. Some entries were received without names and are invalid. I will remind everyone who hasn't voted.
- September 15 is the cut-off date for voting for Music requests for post-entertainment dancing and listening in Members Only. 84 requests have been made with "Moonlight Serenade," "Unchained Melody," "In The Mood" and "San Francisco (Be Sure To Wear Some Flowers In Your Hair)" each receiving 3-or-more requests. Some entries were received without names and are invalid. The reunion CD has been created and contains 75 songs.
- September 20 was the cut-off date for signing up for Tour packages in Members Only. You must sign up as before you only indicated your preferences without prices and days shown. September 20 is the last postmark date for payment. If you sign up AND mail payment after the 20th, I can not guarantee a ticket for you, but we will try. 73 have signed up and/or paid for their tours. Let's fill the bus so we can have our own "Kennebec bus!"
Menu Selections Determined
September 15
- Entree (three low scores win): Brochettes of Beef, 333; Chicken Wellington, 399; Salmon Filet, 406; Grilled Orange Roughy, 479; Stuffed Chicken Villa, 484; Chicken Jersusalem, 489; Roast Leg of Lamb, 546
- Dressings (two high scores win): Ranch, 81; Blue Cheese, 59; Thousand Island, 43; LaFlora, 37
- Dinner Entree Potatoes or Rice (high score wins): Potatoes Anna, 56; Baked Potato, 34; Mashed Potatoes, 11; Rice Pilaf, 11; Steamed Rice, 3
- Dessert (high score wins): Bavarian Cream Mousse, 42; Ice Cream or Sherbet, 23; Strawberry Sundae, 19; Chocolate Sundae, 18; Chocolate Mousse, 14
September 20
Polo and t-shirts will be available at reunion.
 
300th Member is SF2 Frank McPartland
SEP 12 - An amazing milestone was reached today when Frank "Irish" McPartland became the 300th member of the Association. He was aboard from 1942-43 as SF3. Congratulations, Frank!
Deaths Reported in September
Charles F. Meyerhoff, SF1: Aboard 1942-43 in 1948.
Alan R. Woolsey, YNSN: Aboard 1948-50 in 2003.
Richard J. Rader, SN: Aboard 1953 in mid-1970's
Willie L. Hatfield, BM1: Aboard 1966-68 in 2003.
- September 2 is the cut-off date for Radisson Villa Hotel reservations made under the USS Kennebec (AO-36) Association block. All reservations made after that date will be subject to prevailing rate conditions. We have more than 60 room reservations which means there will be six drawings for one free night's stay for those on the reservations list. Value of each drawing is $74.00 plus taxes.
- September 11 is the last postmark date for payment of Reunion fees for shipmates or you are subject to a $5.00 late fee. Include your membership dues if they are not paid through October. 175 probable reunion attendees so far. Our banquet room holds 300. 96 have paid their reunion fees.
- September 15 is the cut-off date for voting for Plated banquet dinner selections in Members Only. 70 have voted. Some entries have been received without names. Sorry, but they are void because I have no way of telling who they were. I will remind everyone who hasn't voted.
- September 15 is the cut-off date for voting for Music requests for post-entertainment dancing and listening in Members Only. 62 requests have been made with "Moonlight Serenade," "Unchained Melody" and "In The Mood" each receiving 3-or-more requests. Some entries have been received without names. Sorry, but they are void.
- September 20 is the cut-off date for signing up for Tour packages in Members Only. You must sign up as before you only indicated your preferences without prices and days shown. September 20 is the last postmark date for payment. If you sign up and mail payment after the 20th, I can not guarantee we can add you, but we will try. Let's fill the bus so we can have our own "Kennebec bus!"
Two New Navy Shirts In Stock
AUG 13 - I ordered two USS Kennebec navy shirts with gold lettering from Bud for myself and they arrived today. The golf/polo and t-shirt are fine additons to the Ship's Store and will be photographed over the weekend and shown on the Web site the middle of next week. Nice job, Bud!
100th Life Member is LCDR Al Jensen
AUG 6 - An amazing milestone was reached today when Al Jensen converted his regular membership to a life membership. He was aboard from 1966-68. Congratulations, Al!
Deaths Reported in August
Forrest L. "Dusty" Roades, EM1: Aboard 1951-52 in 2001.
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Deaths Reported in July
Captain Merritt D. Mullen: Aboard 1944 in 1957.
LCDR Donald G. Kirsch: Aboard 1948 in 1993.
Earl A. Allen, SA: Aboard 1948-50 in 1989.
Peter B. Chace, QMC: Aboard 1949-50 year unknown.
Starrett H. Dobson, BM1: Aboard 1950 in 2000.
Carroll R. Wilson, SK3: Aboard 1951-54 year unknown.
Floyd E. Blackburn, SH3: Aboard 1952-54 year unknown.
LCDR John A. Kron: Aboard 1961-63 in 1999.
Robert R. Wheeler, SKSN: Aboard 1964-65 in 1991.
Chester A. Milawski, ETN3: Aboard 1965.
Hjalmer A. Elpe, Jr., CSCS: Aboard 1965-66 in 1996.
CWO3 Ivan G. Mathers: Aboard 1968-70 in 1991.
Reunion Update June 30
- Tours will be offered to reunion attendees for voting from July 1-31. The most popular will be booked and offered in early August. Membership must be paid to vote.
- 161 probable reunion attendees so far. Our banquet room holds 300. Don't be shy; sign up today!
- The reunion entertainment has been booked. Magician, juggler, comedian, escape artist, pick pocket, and fire eater Robert Strong will perform after dinner at the banquet. Since 1985, he has performed on National Television, in over 15 countries, and twice at the White House. He was recently voted "San Francisco's Funniest Prop Comic." He has opened for The Beach Boys; Harry Belafonte; Ray Charles; Faith Hill; Peter, Paul, and Mary; Leon Redbone and Garry Shandling. His act includes audience participation. This should be very entertaining!
Simple Chat Room Added to Members Only on June 22
See Members Only page for details.
Members Only Question of the Week added June 21
Which item should we add to the Ship's Store?
Deaths Reported in June
Ed Montague, TM3 SS: Aboard 1942 in 1991.
Russell D. Van Tyle, SK2: Aboard 1942 in 2002.
Lionel Paquette, CGM: Aboard 1942-44 in 2003.
Richard I. Mulholland, S2c: Aboard 1945-46 in 1983.
Radford I. Sorensen, RM3: Aboard 1949-50 in 1982.
RADM Thaddeus J. Van Metre: Aboard 1949-50 in 2003.
Donald W. Lamoureaux, FA: Aboard 1951-52 in 1989.
Donald J. Obrien, BM3: Aboard 1951-53. Year unknown.
Robert D. Kindall, BT3: Aboard 1953-54 in 1987.
Claude F. LeBlanc, YN3: Aboard 1962-65 in 2003
Louis A. Downs, BM2: Aboard 1963-64 in 2002.
CDR Elbert Wheat: Aboard 1963-66 in 2000.
Captain Albert O. Morton: Aboard 1964-65 in 1982.
Captain Charles B. Almy: Aboard 1965-66 in 1987.
Jeffrey A. Price, BTFN: Aboard 1969-70 in 2002.
Deaths Reported in May
H.D. Whipple, MM3: Aboard 1952-54 in early-to-mid 1990's
Steve Campbell, FTG2: Aboard 1969-70 in 2003
Fred G. Nagel, HMC: Aboard 1948 in 1990
Frank Holden Gets Married
May 9 - Frank, a BM3 aboard 1963-66, advised he got married last December. He and his bride, Mildred, plan to attend the reunion.
We Have A "Home" For the 2003 Reunion
May 8 - The October 2-4, 2003 will be held at the Radisson Villa Hotel in San Mateo. Formerly known as the Villa Hotel, the hotel is undergoing an $8-million rennovation project since being purchased recently by the Radisson. Free shuttles run from the San Francisco airport to the hotel. Other restaurants and a nice shopping center are within walking distance of the hotel. At least three other Navy reunions are scheduled at the hotel this year. More details are in Members Only.
Dave Hawrey Doing Well Post-Surgery
May 7 - Our shipmate and friend, Dave Hawrey, aboard 1963-67 as BM3, had hip replacement surgery and his wife, Linda, reports "Just wanted to let you know that Dave came through the surgery great. He is doing very well and is ready for a speedy recovery."
Reunion Hotel Site Inspections
May 5 - Board member Earl Rupp has made preliminary site inspections to evaluate the San Francisco hotels I've been in contact with. Between Earl's report and my negotiations with hotel sales managers, we hope to sign a contract by May 9. The reunion show is once again in gear!
War In Iraq Puts Reunion Plans On Hold
With the uncertainty facing the nation and economy due to the war in Iraq, the decision was made to not proceed forward with reunion plans until it was over. Contacts with hotels were maintained and we went forward with reunion planning in late April after the downfall of the Iraq regime was assured.
Deaths Reported in March
2001 death of Philip A. Morin, S2c: Aboard 1945
1978 death of Charles C. Okula, WT3: Aboard 1945-46
2003 death of William A. Byers, PN3: Aboard 1966-70
Happy 90th Birthday to Bob Beckley
Mar 27 - Bob was Executive Officer aboard Kennebec in 1951.
Happy 83rd Birthday to Raydon Thaxton
Mar 23 - Raydon was aboard Feb 1942 -May 1943.
Tom "Ziggy" Ziegenhagen Recovering From Heart Surgery
Mar 18 - Tom, a member of the 1961 recommissioning crew, advised he recently had open heart surgery and is coming along just fine. He "finally" has a computer and his email address is tomorbon@yahoo.com.
Association Members Over 80 To Pay No More Dues
Mar 18 - The Association Board of Directors unanimously passed the following motion: "A shipmate who has reached the age of 80 and paid $15.00 or more in membership dues will be excused from paying future dues."
Kennebec VHS/DVD In Progress
Several shipmates submitted 8mm and videotape of their Kennebec experiences. The 8mm has been converted to VHS. All videos will be combined into one and offered to Association Members Only in VHS and DVD format. If there is room, the 2002 reunion banquet entertainment will also be included.
Call A Possible Shipmate, Please
Jan 8 - A Call list has been added to Members Only asking members to call possible shipmates they served with or who live by them who we have phone numbers for but not street addresses.
Ship's Store Temporarily Closed
Jan 7 - The Ship's Store will be closed for a few days while Les Blake transfers stock to Bud Bessey.
Web Site Lists 3,000 Shipmate Name
Jan 4 - Shipmates Now Has More Than 3,000 Names!
Association Treasurer Resigns
Jan 4- Due to the demands of his business, Dennis Stangle resigned as treasurer of the Association effective December 31. Dick Hawkins will become secretary-treasurer.
Newly Elected Officers Take Office
Deaths Reported in February
1989 death of Cresswell F. Laity, MM3: Aboard 1943-45.
"Fat Fox" Alive and Well... Again
Feb 13 - J.B. Orendorf, RD2, aboard 1967-70 reports, "The surgeon, along with all the kings horses and all the kings men assembled a week ago Monday and put Humpty Dumpty back together again and now 10 days later, all seems to be working well. I don't think I'll be drinking any San Miguel from the P.I. anytime soon, however. Planning on going back to work a week from next Monday."
Reunion Update
Feb 10 - We have been in contact with several San Francisco hotels. The rates are very competitive and relect a weak economy and the uncertainty in Iraq. We are proceeding cautiously until the Iraq situation is resolved or at least predictable.
January Deaths Reported
1987 death of Harry L. Carrico, BM3: Aboard 1952-54.
1993 death of Thomas R. Hambrick, SN: Aboard 1951-54
1993 death of Jack McCusker, S1c: Aboard 1942-44
2002 death of Lyle D. Rogers, EM2: Aboard 1951-54.
2003 Reunion City Announced
Jan 26 - The October 2-4, 2003 reunion will be held in San Francisco, CA, which was a 60-50 winner over Seattle, WA.
Ship's Store Reopens
Jan 15 - The Association Ship's Store is now open under the management of Bud Bessey.
Happy 80th Birthday
Jan 15 - Happy 80th Birthday to Glenn Allshouse in Sylmar, CA.
2003 Reunion City Vote
Jan 11 - The 2003 reunion will be held in ... oops, we have a tie! The voting will continue between San Francisco and Seattle through midnight, January 25. Previously submitted ballots are still valid.
Newly Elected Officers Take Office Until December 31, 2003
- President: Gary D. Schlagel (re-elected)
- Vice-president: Bud Bessey (re-elected)
- Secretary: Dick A. Hawkins (re-elected)
- Treasurer: Dennis Stangle (re-elected)
- Historian: Rex Livengood (was co-historian)
- Ship's Store Manager: Bud Bessey (replaces Les Blake)
- Les Blake and Earl Rupp will remain Board Members.
Membership Renewal Time
Jan 1 - Ballots from those who voted for the 2003 reunion location, but whose membership is not paid through at least January 31, will become invalid. They will become valid upon payment of dues.
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