April 2003
R E U N I O N
September 10 thru 14
Albany, New York
Vince Goodrich and Sam Stewart have been hard at work planning our next
reunion and it looks like everything is now in place.
We will arrive in Albany on Wednesday September 10th and register at the
Ramada Inn Downtown which is within walking distance of The State Capitol,
Empire State Plaza and New York State Museum. It is also only a few hundred
yards from the USS SLATER.
On Wednesday evening, the hotel will provide a complimentary one hour
reception in our Hospitality Room with beer, wine, soft drinks, dry snacks,
pizza squares, egg rolls, vegetable tray and dip.
A bus trip to Cooperstown, New York, the home of the Baseball Hall of
Fame is the plan for Thursday, September 10 with a departure at approx. 8:30
a.m. and return to the hotel by 5:00 p.m. This will give us about five hours
to spend at the Hall of Fame and plenty of time to explore this historical
area where James Fenimore Cooper wrote ³The Last of the Mohicans².
R E U N I O N continued
from page 1
On Friday, the 12th we will depart the Ramada Inn at 9:30 a.m. Our first
stop will be the Albany Visitorıs Center for an exhibit and film. From 10:30
to noon we will tour Albany Highlights followed by a luncheon at The Albany
Pump Station. Our return to the Ramada will be at 13:45. The rest of the day
and the evening you are on your own, remembering of course that the Hospitality
Room will be open.
Saturday will be a full day, so you had better not stay up too late the
night before. Wait, I am not your mother. Scheduled for this day is the Memorial
Service aboard the USS SLATER, which as most of you know is a renovated Destroyer
Escort. There will be an opportunity to tour the Slater but we will then be
off for a cruise on the ³Dutch Apple² sailing on the Hudson River from 1100
to 1300 with luncheon included. The closing banquet will be this evening at
the Ramada Inn. Details on the programs are still being finalized.
Our Farewell Breakfast will be on Sunday morning, the 14th of September.
I realize that most of the above is a bit sketchy. As all plans are finalized,
I will send all of you the details with costs along with a registration form.
Vince and Sam (good guy, bad guy) have been working hard on this reunion
and have made two trips to Albany inspecting the hotels and making sure that
the proposed bus trips and restaurants are what we want. They have kept Dudley
Moylan and yours truly up to date on their activities and peregrinations.
(Is that a word, Dudley?)
Please plan on attending!
H o t e l I n f o r m a t i o n
The Ramada Inn Downtown has reserved 20 rooms for us at a rate of $72.00
(single or double occupancy) plus tax which comes to $79.92 per day. The rate
includes a full American Breakfast, served from 6:30 to 10:30 a.m. in their
Hudson River Cafe. The address is 300 Broadway, Albany, NY 12207 and their
telephone number is 518-434-4111. When making a reservation make sure that
you mention the name of the group (Samuel B. Roberts Survivors Association
and the guaranteed rate of $72.00).
The Inn, which is only 9 miles from the airport, provides airport pickup
at no charge but request that you notify them of your expected arrival time
so that they may coordinate proper shuttle service.
Please mark your calendars now and plan on joining us for this reunion.
We have moved the date to September because the weather in late October in
the Albany could turn very cold. We should avoid that by meeting in September.
As you know, we decided to go on our own for this reunion. We all agree
that we could not have been treated any better than we were by the Hoel and
Johnston Association and we thank Bill Mercer and Bob Hollenbaugh for all
of their courtesies and good times for the past two years. We wish them well
for their coming reunion in Cincinnati.
Kenneth W. Saunders February 12, 2003
Shipmate Ken Saunders died on the 12th of February after a four week illness.
Ken was present at most of the reunions along with his wife Eloise and a
strong supporter of our Association. We will miss Ken and hope that Eloise
will continue to join us. Please pray for Eloise and the family and I am
sure that she would appreciate a note or card.
Eloise Saunders
7290 Jesse Briggs Road
Rural Hall, NC 27045
*
B I L O X I M E M O R I E S
Our reunion with the USS Johnston/Hoel Association was one that we will
long remember. The hotel did a great job for us and we adjusted to the rigors
of being exposed to various games of chance whenever we wanted to get a
meal ³on the pier². I didnıt hear of anyone chartering a plane for the ride
home on their winnings nor did I hear that anyone had to mortgage the house
to get home. It was fun watching all those people exercising all day by pulling
on those handles of the slot machines.
The opening breakfast was followed by a whole lot of humorous Cajun stories,
narrated by comedian Ed Taylor. He did a great job! Then, Navy Captain David
Kennedy spoke about his plans of a movie about the life of Cdr. Ernest E.
Evans, skipper of the Johnston. He promised weıd hear more from him. I did
sell him a copy of ³The Spirit of the Sammy B² so that he would know ³The
Rest of the Story².
Thursday featured a bus trip to New Orleans and a visit to the National
D Day Museum and then a trip to the French Quarter. In light of the current
situation and thinking of some people, I wonder whether there will be a hue
and cry raised to change it to the Freedom Quarterı.
The battleship USS ALABAMA, berthed in Mobile, Alabama was our destination
on Friday for our Memorial Service, ably conducted by Chaplain Paul Miranda.
A color guard was present for the ceremony which was held beneath those huge
16² guns
Luncheon was served in the Ward Room which was about the size of our ship.
We then toured the ship. I really had no idea just how large they are (were).
Mel Hardenıs brother-in-law John Montgomery served on the USS CALIFORNIA
during the war and was able to tell some of us about life on a battleship.
One of my friends here in Florida served aboard the Alabama as part of the
Marine Detachment. Most of his memories are good ones but he says that he
never did get around to see all parts of the ship.
*
Saturday evening we had a very fine meal prepared by the hotel and the
wind-up was the traditional drawing for door prizes.
On Sunday morning, the SBR Survivors met for our traditional ³Farewell
Breakfast² and we went our various ways back home with pleasant memories
of another reunion.
__________
A Letter from Bob Hollenbaugh
__________
³Survivors of Taffy III Screen² (Battle off Samar)
October 25, 2004 is the 60th Anniversary of this great sea battle, of
which we all took part. More importantly it is 60 years from the date that
the demise of 525 of our friends and shipmates occurred, off the Island of
Samar, in the Philippines. Since 10-25-1944 we, the survivors, have lived
a full and valued life. Not so the 525.
We the survivors have remembered the 525 with a beautiful monument, bearing
the names of those left behind off Samar, in Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery,
bordering the entrance to San Diego Harbor. It is only fitting and proper
that we make a special effort to pay tribute to their sacrifice on the 60th
anniversary of their demise.
Would you plan on attending a tribute we are organizing, at Ft. Rosecrans
on Monday, October 25, 2004? (continued
on page 4)
Hollenbaugh Letter...............continued from page 3
This special memorial service well be part of our annual reunion of the
USS Johnston/USS Hoel Association. We are hoping the survivors of the USS
Samuel B. Roberts will also participate, inasmuch as the names of their lost
shipmates also appear on the identified monument.
There is a strong possibility that other surviving members of Taffy III
will be participating in this memorial. It is our plan to extend an invitation
to them.
Your views concerning the planning of the affair are solicited. details
of the memorial service, and other activities at the 2004 reunion in San
Diego will be forthcoming in Association Newsletters. Address views and remarks
concerning the Reunion to:
Robert R. Hollenbaugh
11669 Westview Pkwy.
San Diego, CA 62126
Tel: 619 425-6706
E-mail: rrhollen@cts.net
(Ed. Note: The Board of Directors of the SBR Survivors Association will
discuss the above proposal.)
LETTER TO SAM SAYLOR
11/11/02 Destroyer Escort Historical Museum
Enclosed is a check in the amount of $1,000 made out to DE Historical
Museum. This check was authorized by the SBR Survivors Assoc. at our meeting
October 26, 2002 in exchange for permanent Memorials for the names of our
members who are deceased, under terms of your letter of October 24, 2002.
Copies of this letter will be forwarded along with copies of yours to
all of the present Directors of our association. Memorial requests will be
sent to you until we are notified differently. In addition to the handling
of memorials as outlined in your letter it is expected that they will also
be included on any permanent memorial that may be set up in Albany in the
future.
As verbally indicated to you, the SBR Survivors will have their 2003 reunion
in Albany, probably in October.
Sincerely,
Vince Goodrich
Chain of Command
ADMIRAL: Leaps over tall buildings with a single bound. Is more powerful
than a loco-motive. Is faster than a speeding bullet. Walks on water. Gives
policy guidance to God.
CAPTAIN: Leaps short buildings with a single bound. Is more powerful than
a small engine. Is just as fast as a speeding bullet. Walks on water if the
sea is calm. Talks with God.
COMMANDER: Leaps short buildings with a running start. Is almost as powerful
as a small engine. Is slower than a speeding bullet. Walks on water in indoor
swimming pools. Talks with God if special form is provided.
LIEUTENANT COMMANDER: Barely clears little huts. Loses tug of war with small
engine. Can fire a speeding bullet. Swims well. Is occasionally addressed
by God.
LIEUTENANT: Crashes into buildings trying to leap over them. Is run over
by small engines. Can sometimes handle a gun without inflicting self injury.
Dog paddles. Talks to small animals.
LIEUTENANT JUNIOR GRADE: Cannot recognize buildings. Recognizes small engines
two or three times. Is not issued ammunition. Can stay afloat if instructed
in Mae West. Talks to walls.
ENSIGN: Falls over doorstep when trying to enter a building. Says, ³Look
at the choo-choo² when locomotive passes by. Plays in puddles. Talks to himself.
CHIEF PETTY OFFICER: Lifts tall buildings and walks under them. Kicks locomotives
off tracks. Catches bullets in teeth and eats them. Freezes water with a
single glance. He is GOD.
Officers and Directors USS Samuel B. Roberts Survivors Assın.
MORE ABOUT BILOXI
The high point of our reunion may well have been the visit by Chief Storekeeper
Doug Ferm of the USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (FFG 58). Doug was the official envoy
from the ship and brought a letter from Commander Randall C. Snyder, CO of
FFG 58. Following is the text of his letter.
On behalf of the Officers, Chief Petty Officers and Crew of USS SAMUEL
B. ROBERTS Iıd like to express our thanks for everything all of you have
done for the Navy and the country. SAMUEL B. ROBERTS is a proud name and
there have been three proud ships named for him. As members of the first
USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS you and your shipmates have left us a legacy of Honor,
Courage and Commitment that we onboard he current ³SAMMY B² always try to
keep in the forefront of our minds as we execute the missions we are assigned.
Our shipıs motto, ³No Higher Honor² truly expresses the honor and privilege
we all have to be associated with the name SAMUEL B. ROBERTS. From Leyte
Gulf to the Persian Gulf and throughout the North Atlantic and Mediterranean
deployment the ship just recently returned from, all of the men and women
who have served on of the three great ships named SAMUEL B. ROBERTS are truly
bonded together by a namesake who placed his shipmates and the mission ahead
of his own personal safety. There is ³No Higher Honor².
Sincerely,
RANDALL C. SNYDER
Commander, United States Naval Reserve
Commanding Officer
USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (FFG 58)
Included in the presentation folder is a picture of the ³Sammy B² underway
with the following note.
Mr. Rohde,
Fair winds and following seas from the officers and crew of the ³Sammy
B².
Signed: R.C.Snyder, CDR, USNR, CO
October 2002
This becomes a part of the archives of our ship.
Dear Captain Snyder,
We thank you for the greetings and kind words. We also thank you for allowing
Doug Ferm to join us for our reunion. He is the kind of young man that we
aspired to be those many years ago. How reassuring it was for all of us to
know that he represents the kind of person who makes up todayıs Navy. We
are indeed in good hands.
We all got to know Doug fairly well and learned about his wife and baby
daughter. He fit right in with us and was willing to listen to our old ³sea
stories² . While I am quick to state that he was always a gentleman, I did
notice some of our wives and widows casting longing eyes in his direction.
Enough of that.
Doug read your letter at our Memorial Service aboard the USS ALABAMA.
As you may know, we were in reunion with the USS HOEL (DD 533) and USS JOHNSTON
(DD 557), both of which were sunk along with us that October morning, 59
years ago. Your remarks were enjoyed by them and they shared in our admiration
of Chief Ferm.
From all of us with the SAMUEL B. ROBERTS, HOEL AND JOHNSTON, we return
those wishes for ³Fair winds and following seas². Please know that our thoughts
and prayers are with you and all the members of our Armed Forces who are
currently fighting for us. We pray for a speedy and decisive victory. God
bless you all!
This and That from Here and There
Don Young is back home following serious surgery and doing well. He will
have some radiation treatments but no more chemo. Don reports that his grandson
Jason will start training with the SEALS in April.
Ed Wheaton sounded very well when I spoke with him a few weeks ago. He
and his dog are living the quiet life in Ohio. He no longer has his driverıs
license and has to hoof it to the store. The world is probably a safer place
now.
Dudley Moylan has finally moved to a new apartment in Minneapolis, not
too far from where he formerly lived for 52 years. Rumor has it that the
local historical society has made some interesting digs and many artifacts
of old Mnpls have been found including a first edition of Playboy magazine.
Perry Schulze sent me an update on the Carr Family. Paulıs 8 sisters are
still going strong but were saddened this January with the death of Johnny
Woodard, Tressie Carrıs husband. Our sympathies and prayers to Tressie and
the families.
Joe Fortier keeps in touch. He is doing as well as can be expected. Marie
is in a nursing facility and Joe is with her every day. He keeps busy volunteering.
Vince Goodrich had a bit of a scare and was taken to the hospital with
chest pains. It was angina, not a coronary and so Vince was able to go to
Albany with Sam Stewart to make arrangements for the reunion.
Sam Blue, Lou Gould and Bob LeClercq keep my e-mail humming with stories
and anecdotes, some inspirational, some humorous and some just plain confusing.
Please keep them coming guys.
George Bray keeps up his usual good spirits but has been taking care of
his sister who is in very poor health. George has been coping but admits
that it has been rough. He keeps threatening to learn how to work his computer
and get back ³on line².
Bill Katsur has been in touch and sent me a video which contains footage
of ³the battle² taken from Navy footage. He has slowed down the action
to the point that you can see the shells being fired. There is also a lot
of the life of Red Harrington, including his singing and pictures of him
as a young lad.
Tom Stevenson keeps in touch. Tom and Virginia are in Florida now, with
their dog Daisy May, a beautiful cocker spaniel. I think that the first offer
will get you a dog however. When the dog ate Tomıs hearing aids, that did
it.
Leon and Flo McCoy visited us this month for an afternoon. They have a
36ı motor home and do extensive traveling in the east and midwest. Leon,
you will remember is the founder of the USS SAMUEL B. ROBERTS (DD 823) Shipmates
Association.
Jack Yusen is totally wrapped up in his work with the Bob Hope Memorial.
It was good to see Jack on the ³Today Show². He represented us well. Treasurer
Vince sent a check in amount of $200 for the memorial. I believe that Jack
and Ruth will be with us in Albany.
Leah Felt is also planning to be with us this year. Weıre counting on
it Leah. You are our ³First Lady².
I apologize for being so late in getting this edition of the NEWSLETTER
out to you. Life is getting a bit easier in the Rohde household. Helen doing
her fair share of the cooking. I think a matter of survival on her part.
Otherwise no changes in our life. Iım still chasing that little white ball.
When plans are finalized, which will be very soon, I shall send out a
registration form with all of the information.
HUG ONE ANOTHER!