Reunion Photos 2011 Page C

Thursday October 27, 2011

                    0815

   San Diego Zoo Tour # 8

Last night's party animals are heading "home"

           0900

  Cabrillo National Park    Tour # 9











Our Founder's Dad named his only son after a famous World War II General. Here Al Wedemeyer sees a letter for the first time signed by Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer.
Letter signed by General Albert C. Wedemeyer


       What a way to end a great tour with an "All you can eat sushi buffet"

                     1600

   Welcoming Party


Kevin Kremers, Ginny Koczur, Judy Moonen & Jodi Cotton all of USS FDR could not find an empty table

Both Peacock I & Peacock II were hospitality suites for Squadrons & Shipmates
Barbara Rees & Joe Jankowski are enjoying Bud's jokes



Sandi Duvall of USS FDR made these posters for everyone to enjoy. Thanks Sandi!

                   1730

  Barona Casino Tour # 10

http://barona.com

            Many attendees still had some energy left after a very long day and visited the Barona Resort and Casino. Naturally no cameras were allowed but their web site link is above so you can see the Resort. Vilma Ross left Gary back at the hotel and won over $700.00 that evening.

Friday October 28, 2011

                    0830

  San Diego Trolley Tour   Tour # 11

                0900

Mission San Juan Capistrano/Mt. Soledad Veterans Memorial Cross  Tour # 12 & 13













Flowers and plants of Mission San Juan Capistrano





Rob where is the "Trading Post?"









                     1930

Admiral Mac McLaughlin speaks to the attendees






Eugene & Keith Litchfield




        Squadrons & Shipmates was very appreciative of Admiral McLaughlin coming and speaking at our reunion. As the CEO of USS Midway Museum, he gave all in the audience a keen insight of what the Midway Museum is achieving. The Midway Museum has been in San Diego since 2004. It continues to restore many compartments and spaces to their original condition. It doesn't matter which of the three Midway Class carriers you served on as they were all built relatively the same. You will be reminded of the time you served aboard them in every way if you ever get the chance to visit the USS Midway Museum. This is a must see for all navy veterans. Anyone can join their fine organization and receive their newsletters. Please help support a very fine US Naval exhibit when you are in Southern California. Thanks.

Saturday October 29, 2011

                 1030

Air and Space Museum   Tour # 14










                1100

2nd Midway Museum Tour Tour # 15





Annual Saturday Night Banquet
                    1900








Lt. David Batson was the first guest speaker. He and Captain Rob Doremus were flying in a F4 phantom on June 17, 1965 off USS Midway when they engaged two MiGs over the skies of Viet Nam. He shot down the 2nd MiG of the war only 3 seconds after the 1st was shot down.

Lt David Batson points to "Yankee Station" in the Gulf of Tonkin
   Everyone was riveted to their seats when Lt. David Batson gave his presentation. It was the first time most of the attendees met a fighter pilot who had been in combat, much less hear him give his account of that day, something to cherish for a long time to come.


Only one attendee didn't make it through the whole presentation
    Captain Rob Doremus was the second speaker. He was shot down in August of 1965 on the same deployment to Viet Nam. He spent 91 months at the Hanoi Hilton. He delivered a wonderful presentation to all the attendees that will not be forgotten for some time.



Both guest speakers were given a standing ovation



Deborah Flerlage won the US Flag that flew over the Capitol. Everyone wanted this prize.
Jim Klesath of Midway wins again. This time he won one the 7 FREE NIGHT STAYS, earned by the membership, that were raffled off to the attendees. No other known reunion organization has this policy. They are worth at least $115.00 for the price of a night's stay at the hotel plus taxes. Hooray for Jim.
Shellie Kremers of FDR wins a FREE night stay
Greg Koczur FDR
Roy White, of FDR won a FREE night stay, too, and also bought one for $80.00 from the winner of the seventh FREE night stay, Gerald Bos, who was not staying at the hotel.

Squadrons & Shipmates also has a very unique policy which is, if you did not win a prize in the raffle you qualified for THE LOSERS raffle. All the unopened liquor and wine that was not consumed in the hospitality suites was raffled off. Here are all the losers who won some valuable merchandise for their next party.



All the winners in THE LOSERS raffle were from USS Midway

The end of a wonderful evening

Larry Cato with the two guest speakers

Sunday October 30, 2011

  0900   Tour # 16

Bus trip to cruise ship for Squadrons & Shipmates
first post-reunion cruise and Los Angeles Guided Tour

IIOther photographs of the 2011 San Diego ReunionII



Harris (Bud) George speaking to two fully packed rooms during his annual Welcoming Party in the Hospitality Suites on Thursday

A visit to USS Midway          .                    Museum was the
highlight of the San Diego Reunion

Dennis ans Deborah Flerlage are reenacting the famous KISS on Broadway in 1945 just after the war. The same year both of these giant aircraft carriers were commissioned.      This was not even 50% of all the reunion attendees who went on the first tour of USS Midway Museum on Wednesday. The 2nd tour was on Saturday. Most of them were in the "uniform of the day" which is a "Squadrons & Shipmates" tee shirt and hat. Lt. Tom Drake, Intelligence Officer & Lt. Jack Nelson, Attack Pilot. Two war veterans of Squadron VA-172 from USS Franklin D. Roosevelt CVA-42 who were on the 1966-67 West Pac deployment to Viet Nam are reminiscing at Mission San Juan Capistrano.
Fighter Pilot Lt Dave Batson & Patracia Batson of USS Midway. Dave shot down one of the first MiGs of the Viet Nam War only 3 seconds after his squadron CDR shot down the first one on June 17, 1965. Dave was one of the guest speakers. Captain Rob Doremus who was in the F4 phantom with Dave that day was the other speaker at the Saturday Night Banquet. Rob was a POW for 91 months.

Founder Al Wedemeyer points to the names of the two guest speakers for the banquet on Saturday Night. Now a Captain, J. C. Smith, identified above, is also a member. Lt David Batson points to his own name on the F4 phantom aboard USS Midway. Al Wedemeyer and Dennis Flerlage are to Dave's left.

Squadrons & Shipmates offered a FREE buffet breakfast every morning in a private ballroom
       Whenever it is possible, Squadrons & Shipmates negotiates with the hotels to obtain a -FREE-breakfast everyday for the reunion attendees. This year all attendees were given an opportunity for a FREE breakfast even if they stayed at other hotels or lived in the San Diego area. WOW!






THE END

Please don't forget to make plans now to join

us in Branson, Missouri, September 4 to 9, 2012

    REUNION_2012_PRELIMINARY_REGISTRATION_FORM.pdf

To sign-up with Squadrons & Shipmates please visit our on-line application page - Application Form

To Join Squadrons & Shipmates please send in your Formal Membership Application Form - Printable Form

Various applications and membership fees are indicated on the page - Application Information

  Reunion Photos 2010 Reunion Photos 2011 A
Reunion Photos 2011 B
Reunion Photos 2012
Reunion Photos 2013
Reunion Photos 2014 A
  Reunion Photos 2014 B   Reunion Photos 2015   Post Reunion Cruise 2015
Reunion 2016   Reunion 2017   Reunion 2018











	Our Founder's Dad named his only son after a famous World War II General. Here Al Wedemeyer sees a letter for the first time signed by Gen. Albert C. Wedemeyer.	Letter signed by General Albert C. Wedemeyer



	What a way to end a great tour with an "All you can eat sushi buffet"


Kevin Kremers, Ginny Koczur, Judy Moonen & Jodi Cotton all of USS FDR could not find an empty table	Both Peacock I & Peacock II were hospitality suites for Squadrons & Shipmates	Barbara Rees & Joe Jankowski are enjoying Bud's jokes



		Sandi Duvall of USS FDR made these posters for everyone to enjoy. Thanks Sandi!






		Eugene & Keith Litchfield




		Squadrons & Shipmates was very appreciative of Admiral McLaughlin coming and speaking at our reunion. As the CEO of USS Midway Museum, he gave all in the audience a keen insight of what the Midway Museum is achieving. The Midway Museum has been in San Diego since 2004. It continues to restore many compartments and spaces to their original condition. It doesn't matter which of the three Midway Class carriers you served on as they were all built relatively the same. You will be reminded of the time you served aboard them in every way if you ever get the chance to visit the USS Midway Museum. This is a must see for all navy veterans. Anyone can join their fine organization and receive their newsletters. Please help support a very fine US Naval exhibit when you are in Southern California. Thanks.







Lt. David Batson was the first guest speaker. He and Captain Rob Doremus were flying in a F4 phantom on June 17, 1965 off USS Midway when they engaged two MiGs over the skies of Viet Nam. He shot down the 2nd MiG of the war only 3 seconds after the 1st was shot down.	Lt David Batson points to "Yankee Station" in the Gulf of Tonkin	Everyone was riveted to their seats when Lt. David Batson gave his presentation. It was the first time most of the attendees met a fighter pilot who had been in combat, much less hear him give his account of that day, something to cherish for a long time to come.

	Only one attendee didn't make it through the whole presentation	Captain Rob Doremus was the second speaker. He was shot down in August of 1965 on the same deployment to Viet Nam. He spent 91 months at the Hanoi Hilton. He delivered a wonderful presentation to all the attendees that will not be forgotten for some time.

	Both guest speakers were given a standing ovation



Deborah Flerlage won the US Flag that flew over the Capitol. Everyone wanted this prize.	Jim Klesath of Midway wins again. This time he won one the 7 FREE NIGHT STAYS, earned by the membership, that were raffled off to the attendees. No other known reunion organization has this policy. They are worth at least $115.00 for the price of a night's stay at the hotel plus taxes. Hooray for Jim.	Shellie Kremers of FDR wins a FREE night stay
		Greg Koczur FDR Roy White, of FDR won a FREE night stay, too, and also bought one for $80.00 from the winner of the seventh FREE night stay, Gerald Bos, who was not staying at the hotel.
	Squadrons & Shipmates also has a very unique policy which is, if you did not win a prize in the raffle you qualified for THE LOSERS raffle. All the unopened liquor and wine that was not consumed in the hospitality suites was raffled off. Here are all the losers who won some valuable merchandise for their next party.
		All the winners in THE LOSERS raffle were from USS Midway
	The end of a wonderful evening	Larry Cato with the two guest speakers

Dennis ans Deborah Flerlage are reenacting the famous KISS on Broadway in 1945 just after the war. The same year both of these giant aircraft carriers were commissioned.	This was not even 50% of all the reunion attendees who went on the first tour of USS Midway Museum on Wednesday. The 2nd tour was on Saturday. Most of them were in the "uniform of the day" which is a "Squadrons & Shipmates" tee shirt and hat.	Lt. Tom Drake, Intelligence Officer & Lt. Jack Nelson, Attack Pilot. Two war veterans of Squadron VA-172 from USS Franklin D. Roosevelt CVA-42 who were on the 1966-67 West Pac deployment to Viet Nam are reminiscing at Mission San Juan Capistrano.
Fighter Pilot Lt Dave Batson & Patracia Batson of USS Midway. Dave shot down one of the first MiGs of the Viet Nam War only 3 seconds after his squadron CDR shot down the first one on June 17, 1965. Dave was one of the guest speakers. Captain Rob Doremus who was in the F4 phantom with Dave that day was the other speaker at the Saturday Night Banquet. Rob was a POW for 91 months.	Founder Al Wedemeyer points to the names of the two guest speakers for the banquet on Saturday Night. Now a Captain, J. C. Smith, identified above, is also a member.	Lt David Batson points to his own name on the F4 phantom aboard USS Midway. Al Wedemeyer and Dennis Flerlage are to Dave's left.

	Whenever it is possible, Squadrons & Shipmates negotiates with the hotels to obtain a -FREE-breakfast everyday for the reunion attendees. This year all attendees were given an opportunity for a FREE breakfast even if they stayed at other hotels or lived in the San Diego area. WOW!



		THE END Please don't forget to make plans now to join us in Branson, Missouri, September 4 to 9, 2012 REUNION_2012_PRELIMINARY_REGISTRATION_FORM.pdf

Reunion Photos 2010	Reunion Photos 2011 A	Reunion Photos 2011 B
Reunion Photos 2012	Reunion Photos 2013	Reunion Photos 2014 A
Reunion Photos 2014 B	Reunion Photos 2015	Post Reunion Cruise 2015
Reunion 2016	Reunion 2017	Reunion 2018