DD 102 DD 364 DLG 11 DDG 42 DDG 72
1 July 2007
May I open with the request that each and everyone of you say a prayer for our country and for our men and women in uniform. It seems that everyday they are in bad need of all the help they can get. It leaves me wondering how in a time of war, whether it be wrong or right in everyones mind our servicemen and women need our backing, so I say please God be with them.
That said and done it seems that our association is gathering steam. One by one we are picking up our fellow Mahan sailors.
To each and everyone of you a hearty WELCOME ABOARD. We will be looking forward to rejoining all of you in Charleston at the reunion.
I spent a little time in Texas this last winter and decided that I would look up Margarito Gamboa in Hondo. We had quite a visit and he wanted me to say hello to each and everyone of you 364 people. He and his wife Rosa are doing pretty well considering their age.
A short message from our President:
Greetings,
It's time to think about the reunion in Charleston this year. I've checked out the hotel and talked to the tour folks. This should be a spectacular time. Details are on the USS Mahan website, ussmahan.org, and Jerry will have a mailing included in the newsletter. We are trying out the services of a reunion organizer this time and if things work out, we won't be restricted in the future to locations where there is a host. I encourage you to make the effort to come to Charleston, the last homeport of DDG 42 for a superb reunion.
All the best.
Jeff
This came in a Board of Directors e-mile, Jeff didn't include it in his comments. I don't know but myself I thought it was newsworthy.
Our President, Jeff Sweet, was confirmed by the Delaware Senate as a Magistrate and was sworn in by a Justice of the Delaware Supreme Court. I personally wish to congratulate Jeff and wish him all the best.
Here is some nice to know information from our Treasurer:
As we approach the end of this fiscal year, I'd like to take a moment to give all of you a brief recap of some of the year's accomplishments. First, I'd like to thank the members of the association for allowing me to serve as your secretary-treasurer. My special thanks go to Bill Sumner for all his assistance in making a smooth and painless transition of the financial records and accounts. Now some of our highlights for the year:
> The Association added an additional Three Thousand dollars to the MAHAN Association Scholarship administered by the Navy League.
> Two generous donations by Colonel John Mahan Brooks allowed us to design and fund the purchase of a New USS MAHAN ASSOCIATION reunion banner to be displayed in Charleston and subsequent reunions.
> Our ship’s store continues to add merchandise and remains profitable.
> Our website continues to expand in content and showcase our association.
> We have added over forty new members and still have one month to go.
> The association remains financially healthy with donations slightly ahead of last year.
To all who so generously sent a donation this year; please accept the heartfelt thanks of the trustees and members of your association. To those who have not yet made a donation please remember this. We have no dues and depend on the generosity of our members to maintain the financial strength of our organization We ask all members to donate fifteen dollars or more per year, allowing your association the necessary funds for maintaining our website, paying the deposits and other up-front costs of our reunions and adding to the MAHAN ASSOCIATION Scholarship. Regardless of the amount, any donation is greatly appreciated and should be sent to:
USS MAHAN Association
10534 Rippling Fields Dr.
Houston, TX 77064-4298
All donations are acknowledged
It has been my pleasure to serve the Board of Trustees and the membership of our great organization this year. I look forward to even greater success in the coming years.
See you in Charleston!
Gary White.
A note from the Tin Can Sailors website that would concern our 364 Sailors:
Sir Max Hastings, a decorated British war correspondent and renowned military history author is working on a new book about WWII in Southeast Asia and the Pacific. He is looking for veterans of the entire Asian war who served in the area from July 1944. Included in his areas of interest are Burma, China, Leyte Gulf, and Okinawa. Hastings is looking for individuals to interview and/or first-person accounts to read, including those that were privately published.
He says of his writing, "When I first started writing books on this period nearly 30 years ago, I was often interviewing ex-generals. Nowadays, of course, it's privates and lieutenants, and at sea I shall be grateful for anybody with a good tale to tell. I shall also be delighted if I can find letters they wrote home, which are immensely helpful and often vivid."
Hastings is looking for any and all information available to paint a broad picture of the war.
If You or a family member served in these areas during this time and are interested in having your part of the story considered, contact
Sir Max Hastings
Hayward House,
Hungerford, Berks RG17
OPZ England
or contact his secretary by e-mail at
rachlawr@hotmail.comI am quite sure there are some Mahan stories that would fit into his book.
Since our last newsletter someone brought up that we should include the names of the new members enrolled. Might bring back some memories and get you in touch with some old friends. So here we go.
Michelle L Jones, DDG 72 Norfolk, VA
Kurt M Roth, DDG 72 Yorktown, VA
Eric Kelly, DDG 42 Hernando, FL
Doug McComas, DLG 11 Burbank, CA
Scott Hall, DDG 72 Rockport, TX
Daniel Windsor, DDG 42 Cheboygan, MI Richard Floody, DDG 42 Lake Worth, FL
John D. Larsen, DLG 11 Sioux Falls, SD William Richards, DDG 42 Jacksonville, FL Rodney Blake, DLG 11, Clarksville, TN
David R. Lougher, DDG 42 Waverly, NY Raymond D'Aloisio, DDG 42 Valparaiso, IN
Edward Petrocy, DLG 11, Rimersburg, PA Gordon Riley, DLG 11, Spring Hill, KS
Jeff Robinson, DLG 11, Parkland, FL
Rebecca Gant, DDG 72, Norfolk, VA
Ben Blevins, DDG 42, Albertville, AL
Karl McCarthy, DDG 72, San Diego, CA Theodore Varney, DDG 42, Ridgeville, SC James Hale, DDG 42, Centralia, WA
Arturo Davila, DDG 72, Tyler TX
John Carls, DDG 72, Dayton, OH
Stephanie Hansen, DDG 72, Halethorpe, MD John Stanley, DDG 42, Orlando, FL
Timothy L. Kepler, DDG 42, Manahawkin, NJ
While I am thinking about it, there are a lot of our people who have changed e-mail addresses and snail mail addresses and have not notified the web-master or myself about this. I get back on an average, 25 newsletters by snail mail, as not deliverable. When I get them back I search the web and if I can find an address I re-mail them. This is an additional cost of about $50 per mailing. Any help to this would be appreciated.
Greetings, Members.
For those of you who are not on the email list, and who did not attend the 2006 reunion in San Diego, we have Association polo shirts in Navy blue with gold artwork and silver ship's silhouette. My inventory left over from last year is low, and the cost of a mass replenishment is prohibitive. I would appreciate it, if anyone who does not have one, and would like one, to let me know their size, and is attending, I will be sure to have them along. I will have a limited supply of them, but to be sure you get one if desired, please order in advance. Also, all shirts ordered will have the logo on the left side, over the pocket. Since I will be driving, I will have the whole store inventory along. I do have two of the yellow version with blue lettering, with the silhouette of DD 364, if anyone is interested. All new shirts, unless ordered otherwise, will have the silhouette of the 11/42.
Thank You, and see you in October!
Russ Owens
Vice President and Storekeeper
USS MAHAN Assn.
DLG 11 1/64-3/66
Charleston, SC - October 31st - November 4th,
2007In closing I would like to again remind all of our membership that we are a non-profit organization that operates on member donations. Please give what you can afford and mail it to Gary White.
Also remember our scholarship fund and your donations can also be made through Gary.
In closing, all take care and will see you in Charleston.
Jerry