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Our 2011 Reunion was held in Jacksonville, Florida The dates were September 8th thru September 10th On Friday, 9-9-11, we boarded a bus and were taken to the Jacksonville Wall of Honor. The wall is dedicated to those military that died in all of America's wars. We again boarded the bus for the ride to Mayport Naval Base. We had hoped to go aboard one of the ships on the base but due to a heightened state of alert, we were not able to board a ship, although one of the highlights of the tour was a 2nd class petty officer who talked at length and answered questions. We than were treated to a great meal. This ceiling tile will be displayed in the visitors cafeteria on the Mayport Naval Base in our honor. We then boarded our bus for a short drive to the Budwiser Brewery for a tour an some samples. On Saturday, 9-10-11, we had a short meeting to decide when and where the location would be for our next reunion. The largest number of votes were for the 325-LST at one of its 2012 tour locations. While the men were at a meeting, the wives were having their annual High Tea and wishing they could have joined the Navy back in the day. Following the meeting and tea, we enjoyed our banquet at the hotel. The Colors were advanced by the Jacksonville Coast Guard Aux. The F.A.V.S. (Filipino American Veterans Society) conducted an American flag folding ceremony. The F.A.V.S. then conducted a 6 place Missing Man POW ceremony. They were one of the highlights of the banquet. The speaker of the evening was Capt. Michael Jacobsen. Capt Jacobsen is the Chief of Staff of the 4th Fleet of Mayport Naval Base. We then had a very nice meal. An auction of donated items was conducted by Cindy Fisher, Cindy Robinson, and Joyce Leister. We ended the evening with music and dancing. On a very sad note: During the Riverboat Cruise, Grady Stein learned that his brother had passed away. Grady went to be with his family the next morning. On Sat. during the banquet, Larry and Cindy Fisher got a call that their sons were in a very serious racing accident. Please keep Grady and the Fisher family in your prayers. Mr. Bontilao writes: I want to extend my personal appreciation for the wonderful gift you have donated to FAVS. It will surely go to our Scholarship Fund which we boost annually. If you or your colleagues have any good pictures of our group's performance, kindly send me a copy so I can feature them in our upcoming newsletter. Again, thank you and your organization for the generous donation. Sincerely, Bob Bontilao robontil99@juno.com Chairman, FAVS Honor Guard Committee 904-382-6439 Filamvetsociety FAVS Newsletter 
 
 2008 York County, Pennsylvania Reunion Details can be seen here. 2010 Muskegon, MI Reunion Details During the final night of the 2010 reunion, I'd like to thank everyone for the recognition I was given as the Web PO, and for the donations from passing the hat to help pay for the York County page. I'm very glad that this web page has helped so many shipmates find their buddies and friends who they served with during their years on our ship. I'd also like to thank those who bought a NAVY hat from me to recoup the costs for this web site. Thanks to Joe Sharland for his support to pass a hat during our final night for the financial support. If you didn't happen to attend the reunion this year, I still have some of the high quality Navy hats that I was selling at the reunion for $20. Let me know if you'd like to buy a very nice NAVY hat to help support the USS York County web site. (cookt@ohio.edu). It was great meeting old friends again. One was Russ Veccia who often acted as a DJ with me on the York County ships entertainment system by introducing music. He had an open and close for his programs and I asked him this year to relive those times so he recorded cuts for old times sake. Here's the two audio cuts made during the reunion of his Open and the Close he used during his broadcasts. He also brought his old ID card and I snapped a picture of him and his wife BJ during our dinner boat ride. During our reunion, Roy Conley EN2 from LST-1174 provided everyone attending with a certificate for their LST-1175 service. Thanks Roy! Below in the first group are random images from our reunion. If you would like me to correct or add a name to the images and or the people in them, make note of the image number and email me the names or descriptions you'd like to see when you move your mouse over the small pictures (cookt@ohio.edu). |
 
 
 
I believe Muskegon was selected for the 2010 reunion location because of the LST-393 museum ship along with the Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum where both the USS Silversides SS-236 and the USCGC McLANE – a 1927 Coast Guard Cutter. I personally also enjoyed Muskegon for Muskegon, and will share a few images from around town following the reunion information. Most of the attendees stayed at the downtown Holiday Inn which gave everyone a special rate. Many of us stayed on the 8th floor where our suite was located and where we hung out between the tours and other activities. On Thursday morning some of the group toured Hot Rod Harley, one of the largest Harley dealers in the midwest. While there, we were allowed to visit the basement meeting room displaying a school bus that was cut in half and used as a food counter. The meeting area was like a mini museum, with even a coin operated motorcycle ride. The main showroom had the normal displays, but with a large collection of Harley Hummers over the counter area. Later that day, many of us took a dinner cruise aboard the Port City Princess where everyone had a meal :( and dessert :). During the cruise, we were also able to observe a beauitful sunset before returning to Muskegon for the night. Below are a few images during our dinner cruise on the Port City Princess. |
 
 On Friday morning we took a bus to see the Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum where the USS Silversides SS-236 and the USCGC McLane are tied up and open for self guided tours. During the time when the crew members toured the Museum, Submarine SS-236 and the Coast Guard Cutter McLane, wives, girlfriends and partners stayed at the hotel and held a tea, had a small gift exchange and got to know each other. For more information about the museum ships in Muskegon, I wanted to list the links for both the LST-393 and the Great Lakes Naval Memorial and Museum. The Pizza Party On Friday night we gathered in the tank deck on LST-393 for a pizza party. It was planned to have music and dancing, but most of the group began to leave, so when the pizza was gone, most of the people were too! Cindy Fisher and Debbie McKenney helped organize and sell tickets for the Chinese Auction held after the dinner on Saturday night. Below are a few pictures taken during the pizza party. |
 The Saturday Muskegan Tour I was glad Muskegan was chosen for our 2010 reunion. On Saturday, we toured the downtown area including the Hackley and Hume historic homes that must be seen to be believed. The homes are located on W. Webster Ave and as we walked back to the hotel, a few decided to stop and visit the Hackey Public Library that was built and given to Muskegan by Mr. Hackley in 1888. The pictures displayed below are a few random pictures of the historic homes and his library. 
 
 
 As we walked back to the hotel, I stopped at an art store called Jilly's and talked with the artist Jill Barnes who showed me several pieces that she was selling. I was really impressed with her driftwood plaque and her glass jewelry that was really amazing. She told me she also sold her items on the web and I have linked her site here. I also visited the Lakeshore Museum Center and saw a fluroscope machine that as a kid, I often visited the local department store to view the bones in my feet, of course I was always being chased away by the sales people. Seeing that fluroscope machine really brought back the memories. Saturday Night Dinner and Program At around 1730 we started assembling in the lower level of the restaurant where we planned to have dinner and the after dinner program. As we found our seating, we viewed some of the Chinese auction items that were to be awarded and up for bid later. Some of us bought more tickets as we viewed the gifts which would give us more of a chance winning what we liked. We'd like to thank John Schlagel (site) for the items he shipped to the hotel for our auction. Also, to Roy Conley EN2 from LST-1174 for the clock. The Harley shirts were donated by Carl Miskotten from Hot Rod Harley, and ofcourse to Ron Robrahn who brought some of the most popular items up from Florida. Ken Robinson acted as the MC, and introduced Carl Miskotten who spoke about sponsoring a car for a military man who was wounded in Afghanistan that was a double amputee, then he introduced his special guest Joe Walker, who writes songs for Toby Keith & Lee Greenwood. Joe then sang two patriotic songs. The color (honor) guard was from the VFW Post 9, Steve Allen Commander of the Veterans of Foreign War, Muskegon County Council spoke about and provided the missing man table settings (link). Mr. Allen urged everyone to return to their home towns and consider joining organizations such as the VFW, American Legion or AMVETS, and mentioned they need your participation for their support so they can keep honoring our fallen comrades. Earl Nickleson also led the group in prayer followed by the pledge of allegiance. Later, Cindy Fisher and Cindy Robinson organized the auction by pulling the tickets, then passing out the winning auction items. If you would like to support this web site, feel free to send a payment via PayPal to cookt@ohio.edu. Thank You! Here are a few 2007 reunion pictures provided by Ron Robrahn, Verlyn Schalow and Minzie Leister Jr. 
 
 
 
 Ron Robrahn tried to keep track of everyone attending the reunion in Evansville. Below is his list and a 2007 reunion York County partial group picture that fills the screen, but here's a even larger size for those with larger monitors or for a closer look, just click on the picture. In the picture, from left to right first row kneeling is Bill Evans †, Earl Nickelson, Fred Card, Gene Alan, Leo Kinville, Ken Robinson, Ron Robrahn, and Pat Minton, the next row standing is Alan Schultz, Jim Marders, Verlyn Schalow, Minzie Liester, DonMcLaughlin, Phil Stevens, John Schlagel, and Sam Peters, in the last row is Ben Ferguson, Larry Fisher, Jim Talent, Tom McKenny (red hat), George Pantzer, Tim Cook and Jim Kellogg. Not pictured in the group picture are Harvey Johnson, Harris Cotter, Willis Holiday, Joe Sharland, Julius Atchley, Charles Brown, Mike Croxton and Robert Leininger. With 21 wives and other guests by Ken Robinson's count, making a grand total of 52 attendees. The feedback we're getting from those who attended the reunion has been very good. Tom Mckenny writes "Hi Ken. I still have a smile on my face from the wonderful time we had in Evansville. Great to hear from you. On Wednesday some of us boarded a bus which drove us to the ship where we had breakfast in the tank deck because of the rain. As we approached the ship, we took a few pictures of the 325 next to the pier and a few inside the ship after eating. I thought I'd also post this picture of Jim Kellogg and Fred Card talking together in the lobby of the hotel, and a picture of a image from Willis Holladay EM3 who brought his photo album with him to the reunion. Most of the images that we tried to take from his album didn't turn out. We have received some 07 reunion pictures from Ron Robrahn, Verlyn Schalow and Minzie Leister Jr., and some are posted below. On Thursday, we took a short cruise aboard the 325 along the Evansville shoreline. Most everyone had a good time including these four (Phil Stevens, Ken Robinson, Ron Robrahn, and Earl Nickelson). Here's also some movie footage of the LST-325 leaving port, cruising down the Ohio river, returning and one of a LCVP riding along with us. These are large files and best viewed using a high speed internet connection. FYI... Evansville, IN was a major ship building town during world war two, and while the men were overseas fighting the war, the women went to work and built LSTs. Also, between 1942 and 1945, the Missouri Valley Bridge and Iron Company, Shipbuilding Division, constructed 167 LST's at the Evansville shipyards using mainly women welders. |
