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Newsletter
June 2015 ** 25 Years of Squadron Reunions ** A Blast In The Past For 25 years Squadrons 102/14 and 106 have been gathering at
reunions every 2 or 3 years. 2008
began the joining of both squadrons for their reunions which are now
held every year. Here are
the cities and the dates these reunions where held.
A PERSONAL
STORY
Iwo Jima 1945 Iwo
Jima 1945 From left: David Hal Fisher, William Bryson, Lloyd Cantrell, William Jurew, David Behunin
Tid
Bits The Kuentai Group is a nonprofit Japanese organization whose mission is to locate remains of one million Japanese soldiers killed in war and return them to their families for a proper burial. The group has recovered remains of more than 17,000 Japanese soldiers since they began digging in the Philippines in 2006 and has now expanded its search and is working in Saipan, Guam and Tinian. While scouring caves in Saipan, the group's excavators stumbled across mass graves and buried in them, dog tags and remains of several American soldiers. The Kuentai Group is dedicated to finding the families of these American soldiers. To see the complete unedited article and the story of how they found one of these families go to: articles.sun-sentinel.com/keyword/dog-tags
Keith
Ciancio,
grandnephew of AOM2 Anthony N. Cortese (102) I am researching the disappearance of his PB4Y-1 crew on March 5, 1943
while assigned to VB-102. I am
hoping to learn about his last known whereabouts and the circumstances of
his mission and disappearance. My
grandmother, Mary Jane Ciancio (Cortese), was a Navy hospital corpsman in
the pacific at the time and went to her grave not knowing what happened to
her brother. I appreciate any
information anyone might share. (The
rest of the crew were G. T. Granat, H. O. Moore, F. P. Spadoni, A. J.
Valhusky, W. B. Webber, G. C. Wilson, and V. Martinez) If anyone has any
information, contact Keith: E-mail: keith.ciancio@navy.mil
| Phone:
(360) 509-4052 Mabel
Baker,
wife of Sherman Fred Baker (106), - Thank
you for the newsletter. It was
very interesting. Sorry I will
not be at the reunion. Im
sure it will be great fun. Im
enclosing a donation for the fund. Russ
Hoff,
(102) We enjoyed reading the
recent Newsletter. Though the
two of us are not up to attending the next reunion, we look forward to
reading about it, including photos, in the next Newsletter. Hal
Fisher,
(106) Received the newsletter
today and was reading the scuttlebutt section.
If you are in touch with Grissom Miller of 106, tell him you know
of 3 more original 106 crew members; David
Hal Fisher, J. P. Fisher, and Todd Mabry. We
call each other every month. I
live in Florida, J. P. lives in Virginia and Todd lives in Oregon.
As you know, Crew 8 of Squadron 106 was the 1st to ditch
a PB4Y-2 and the 1st to take them into combat.
In the stories and information they got from our crew members, they
came up with the ditching platform they put in PB4Y-2 for possible crashes
at sea. After retirement, I
started playing softball with the Kids & Kubs, the worlds oldest
softball team. I have been
playing with them 16 years. Just
a little scuttlebutt for you. I
am almost ninety and going strong. P.S.
We beat Japan in all game. James Woods, son of Thomas H. Woods (106) - Tom died February 24, 2015. He was 92. He served in the Navy for 30 years and retired as Chief Petty Officer. He served in World War II, Korea, and Viet Nam. He only recently related being a tail gunner on a B-24 for seven months during the Second World War. He recalled sleeping underground in giant metal containers on one island and having to run the birds out before laying down mattresses. He voiced that his pilot related that their mission was to get back home safely and they weren't looking for trouble but they weren't running from it. His only mishap was when his plane ran off the runway into the water on landing at one time. I am his son and I served during Viet Nam in the Navy. My mother, his wife of 68 years, would like to receive the newsletter. Lisa
Kirk,
reunion volunteer Many thanks to
the following people who have made donations to the reunion fund to help
enhance your reunion: Mabel
Baker, Russ Hoff, Kathy & Joe Rottmann, Steve & Vicki Theroux,
Brian Gniadek DDS, Billy & Andie Howeth. If
you would like to make a donation to the Reunion Fund to add some special
touches or help off-set some of the costs, please mail your check to:
Lisa Kirk | 4426 Maple Ave |
La Mesa, CA 91941 **Your
Scuttlebutt
will gladly be accepted at the same address or by email at hollingskirk53@aol.com
http://www.flickr.com/photos/sdasmarchives VPB-106
& VPB-102/14
https://members.tripod.com/~vpb_102
VPB-102/14
http://vpb106.com/index.html
VPB-106
http://www.navalaviationmuseum.org/archive
VB-106
Harold Warnimonts (102)
movie film during his tour is on You Tube VP/VPB-102 Video, From Crew #9, July 44- May 45, HW ...
Also, check out these websites for information on our squadrons and
members:
Come
join us in the largest preserved historic district in the U.S.
The Embassy Suites Savannah Historic District is within a year
old and is close to all the sites we will want to explore.
If you have not made your
room reservations, please do it today.
This is important to help us determine if we have enough or too many
rooms blocked which we need to adjust by 6/10/15.
Group
Blocked Rooms Check-in Sunday, 8/16, 4pm | Depart Thursday, 8/20, 12pm
$159 nightly for a standard 2-room suite, 1 king or 2 queens
Reservations:
OR
The Hotel Web Page for our group block:
Deadline is 7/16/15
for our group rate and guaranteed availability | 24 hour cancellation
policy Extended
dates are NOT in our block of rooms.
Reserve NOW to insure availability of your desired dates.
*Std Suite - Friday 8/14 & Saturday 8/15,
$229 | Thursday 8/20, $159
Use phone# or website above
*2 bedroom, 2 bath suites are sold out
** For any reservation
issues, call Mindy Shepard - Embassy Suites: 1-912-721-0577 Ready
Room will be in the Presidential Suite, Room #537 Complimentary:
5:30-7:30pm nightly Managers Reception with drinks and snack buffet
In-room and
public internet
**HHonors members receive points for free rooms/travel.
Sign up before making reservation. Parking: $15 self park | $20 valet Check
in 4pm | Check out 12 noon The
following members have already made their hotel reservations and will be
attending the reunion.
Keith Birks and guests
R.D. Carroll and guests
Bob Kirk and guests
Casey Kuklinski and guests
Lucy Leon and guest
Bob Sausen and guests
Marvin Theroux and guests
Reunion Activities SCHEDULE Sunday: 4pm - Hotel
Monday: 8:30am
-12 noon Fort
Pulaski, Tybee Island & Lighthouse
Tuesday: 8:30-11:30am
Historic District and Surrounding Area
Wednesday: 9:30am-1:30pm
Mighty Eighth Air Force Museum with Lunch
6-10pm - Banquet at
Embassy Suites, Salon A
Thursday: 12 noon - Hotel
check out
Monday:
FORT
PULASKI, TYBEE ISLAND AND LIGHTHOUSE -
Fort
Pulaski National Monument, a fine example of historic military architecture,
located on Cockspur Island between Savannah and Tybee Island;
Tybee Light Station, one of America's most intact having all of its
historic support buildings on its five-acre site, originally constructed in
1736, and Georgias oldest and tallest lighthouse; and tour Tybee Island, a
quaint and quirky seaside getaway. Included:
hotel pick up/drop, entry fees, snacks and water.
4 hours. Cost:
$35
Tuesday:
SAVANNAH EXPERIENCE - A
narrated bus tour of Savannahs Historic District which roughly corresponds to
the city limits of Savannah prior to the American Civil War.
The area was declared a National Historic Landmark District in 1966, and
is one of the largest districts of its kind in the United States.
In addition we will see other points of interest in the surrounding area.
Included: hotel pick up/drop,
snacks and water. 3 hours.
Cost: $30
Wednesday:
MIGHTY EIGHTH AIR FORCE MUSEUM
- The
Eighth Bomber Command (Re-designated 8th AF in February 1944) was activated as
part of the United States Army Air Forces January 28, 1942. During
World War II the 8th AF became the greatest air armada in history. By mid-1944,
it had reached a total strength of more than 200,000 people. At
its peak, the 8th AF could dispatch more than 2,000 four-engine bombers and
1,000 fighters on a single mission. For these reasons, the 8th AF became known
as the Mighty Eighth. Included:
hotel pick up/drop, guided museum tour, lunch, snacks and water.
4 hours. Cost:
$45 Wednesday
Night:
BANQUET Salon A @ Embassy Suites.
REGISTRATION FORM Navy
Squadrons 106/102/14 Association Embassy
Suites Savannah Historic District (
)
I am unable to attend the Reunion. Please
send in scuttlebutt or any changes to Lisa Kirk. ( )
I am attending the Reunion.
Please read
this form carefully, complete all pertinent information, and keep a copy for
yourself.
Make checks payable to:
Navy Squadrons 106/102/14 Assoc.
Mail registration & check
to: Lisa
Kirk | 4426 Maple Ave | La Mesa, CA 91941
Deadline for your registration is Tuesday, June 30,
2015. Name____________________________________________________
Total # of people registering for _____
first
last
Guests name
______________________________________ Relationship
_________________ first
last
Guests name
______________________________________ Relationship
_________________ first
last
Guests name
______________________________________ Relationship
_________________ first
last
*Check here (
) if you have additional guests and list on a separate piece of
paper attached to this form. Complete the following
for all activities you plan to participate in.
1) Registration fee
required for each attendee
...
... $20
X ________
= $______________
(programs, name tags, Ready Room & supplies, misc.)
2) Fort Pulaski,
Tybee Island and Lighthouse Tour
..
..
$35
X ________
= $______________
3)
Savannah
Experience Bus Tour...
.
.
$30
X ________
= $______________
4) Mighty Eighth Air
Force Museum with Lunch..
..
... $45
X ________
= $______________
5) Banquet
@ Embassy Suites
...
$75
X ________
= $______________
Grand Total
$ __________ - Tax, gratuity, entry fees, lunch with #4, and
transportation are included in the above costs. - All the above are private bus tours for our
group. -
Your timely registrations will help me a lot!!! If you have NOT made your hotel reservation or cancelled rooms you are not going to use, PLEASE do so now.
Dozens
of U.S. veterans, many in their early 90s and some in wheelchairs, gathered on
the tiny, barren island of Iwo Jima in March 2015 to mark the 70th anniversary
of one of the bloodiest and most iconic battles of World War II. More
than 30 veterans flown in from the U.S. island territory of Guam toured
the black sand beaches where they invaded the deeply dug-in forces of
the island's Japanese defenders in early 1945. They
were bused to the top of Mount Suribachi, an active volcano, where an
Associated Press photo of the raising of the American flag while the
battle was still raging became a potent symbol of hope and valor to a
war-weary public back home that was growing increasingly disillusioned
with the seemingly unending battle in the Pacific. For
some of the veterans, the return to the island where many of their
comrades died, and which is still inhabited only by a contingent of
Japanese military troops, brought out difficult emotions. Speeches
at the Reunion of Honor ceremony held near the invasion beach were made
by senior Japanese politicians and descendants of the few Japanese who
survived the battle. Also speaking were U.S. Secretary of the Navy Ray
Mabus and Gen. Joseph Dunford, the commandant of the Marine Corps, who
noted that the battle for Iwo Jima remains the "very ethos" of
the Marine Corps today. "We
should never forget that the peace and prosperity of Japan and the
United States at present has been built on the sacrifice of precious
lives," Japanese Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said in his remarks. This
was the first time that Japanese Cabinet officials attended the
anniversary ceremony, now in its 16th year. And while the presence of
veterans able to make the grueling trip has been steadily dwindling, the
number of participants - about 500 - was double that of last year
because of the significance of the 70th year since Japan's surrender
ended World War II. After
the joint memorial, the U.S. and Japanese dignitaries and guests went
their separate ways to visit the parts of the island that were of the
most significance to their own troops. The Japanese have erected several
memorials to their dead, and in a traditional way of placating their
souls poured water and placed flowers on the memorial sites. The
Marines invaded Iwo Jima in February 1945, and it was only declared
secured after more than a month of fighting. About 70,000 U.S. troops
fought more than 20,000 Japanese - only 216 Japanese were captured as
POWs and the rest are believed to have been either killed in action or
to have taken their own lives.
YOURE
VOLUNTEERS Cheryl
Carlson (Reunion)
Lisa
Kirk (Reunion/Newsletter/Funds)
Bob
Kirk (102 Website) 2804 N. Augusta Dr.
4426 Maple Ave.
4371 Logrono Dr. Wadsworth, IL 60083
La Mesa, CA 91941
San Diego, CA
92115 phone: (847) 293-9097
phone: (619) 462-7229
phone:
(619) 582-6485 email:
crb4433@aol.com
email: hollingskirk53@aol.com
email:
bobkirk@aol.com Kathy
Rottmann (Reunion)
Suzanne
Ghosn (Reunion/Welcome Bags)
Carol Zito
(Mailing list) phone:
(224) 304-3685
phone: (619) 857-5816
phone:
(516) 375-2054 email:
crzyrdhd49@gmail.com
email: ysghosn@sbcglobal.net
email: czit0@allstate.com
Susan Hayes (106 Website) Terry Dell (102 Webmaster)
susanhayes@optonline.net
REUNION
VOLUNTEERS:
Carol Zito, Steve Theroux, Suzanne Ghosn, Rick Sausen, Libby Leon,
Cecilia
Leach, Mike and Debby Kirk, Debra Zeit, Shannon Hardege,
Ken
and Diana Clark, Andie Howeth, Steve Carlson The
volunteers intend to represent the squadron members in the best way possible. Please consider volunteering. We
can still use more people to spread the tasks around.
Memoriam With sincere regrets we wish to report that since our last
newsletter we have received information that the following shipmates have
passed away. The great bond these
men had that tied them together with their squadron members can never be
broken. They served their country,
their squadron and their families in the highest tradition of the Navy.
May they rest in peace. VB/VPB/VP 106 Donald H. Broderson
died 3/24/15
VPB 102/14 Glenn W.
Cummings
died 1/16/15
There
may be more of our members who have passed on *******AS ALWAYS YOUR NEWS, COMMENTS, UPDATES, ETC. ARE WELCOME******* If you do not want any further newsletters please help us avoid the guess work by letting us know. Send your name and
address Mail to: Lisa Kirk
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