The sierran - USS Sierra AD

The sierran
Service to our
country
1944 to 1993
A newsletter for the
U.S.S. Sierra Veterans Association
Volume 16
August 2015
Next Port Of Call For USS SIERRA
Norfolk Reunion
President
Joseph Strecker
1312 Country Club Road
Concordia, KS 66901
785-243-3533
Vice President
Herb Price
31 Owego Street
Spencer, NY 14883
607-589-6163
Treasurer
William Skillin
5408 NW Crooked Road
Parkville, MO 64152
816-584-0055
Secretary
John Eberhardt
25 Maple Road
Iselin, NJ 08830
732-548-9808
Governor
David DelPizzo
131 Belmont Avenue
Trooper, PA 19403
610-630-0129
Governor
Rodney C. Wallace
350 N State Hwy 360 #4101
Mansfield, TX 76063
407-579-3405
Governor
Henry J. Harden
1048 N. 6th Street
New Hyde Park, NY 11040
516-775-6932
Governor
James Kane
15 Addison Avenue
Lynn, MA 01902
751-599-0462
Webmaster
Mark Fenley
200 Deer Run Drive
Windor, GA 30680-3909
678-863-4160
This is it folks . . . Last Call for this year’s reunion. Anyone shipping out
to the Norfolk reunion needs to submit their orders by August 31, 2015 at the latest.
For those who served on board the Sierra while she was docked in Norfolk,
here is a chance to see just how much the old D&S piers have changed. For those who
were on board her in Charleston, here is a chance to see her other main home-port.
This year’s reunion should prove to be a great experience. Each year our
reunions get better and better, and this year is no different. This reunion should prove
to be one of the best. We’ll start the journey with our registration and welcome on
board to all our shipmates. President Joe Strecker will welcome the crew and we’ll
start our voyage of Reunion 2015.
TOUR 1 (Thurs)
Nauticus & USS
Wisconsin
Berthed at Nauticus, the
USS Wisconsin BB-55 is one
of the largest and few
remaining battleships ever
built. We’ll explore this
majestic ship and experience
her glory years. During her
service she earned five battle
stars.
TOUR 2 (Thurs)
Victory
Rover
Cruise
Departs from
Nauticus, the cruise will sail
the smooth waters around
Norfolk where we will see
numerous sights including the
US Navy base in Norfolk.
news from the fleet
US Navy Status - July 2015*
Total Force =
326,404
Officers =
54,644
Enlisted =
268,435
Total ships =
273
Ships deployed =
89
Aircraft =
3,700+
 USS Theodore Roosevelt will be leaving the
Persian Gulf. There will be no US carriers in the
Gulf for two months
 Admiral Richardson before the Senate stated
that “In any situation . . . in any fight, America
expects their Navy will find a way to win; and we
will.”
 Officers on board the USS America (LHA-6) will
train with Surface Warfare’s “Top Guns” and will
focus on new warfare tactics to include surface
and submarine operations in one-on-one
scenarios.
* Note there were no figures given for August
TOUR 3(Friday)
MacArthur Memorial
Tour Memorial Service
This year marks the 70th anniversary of the
elcome Aboard
campaign to liberate the Philippines. The
Welcome to our newest shipmates of the
MacArthur Memorial will mark that
anniversary with a 5,000 square foot temporary USS Sierra (AD-18) Veterans Association.
exhibit.
Wayne Mills (70-72)
HT1
Edward
M.
Porter
(44-46)
SN2
SIERRA BANQUET(Friday)
Welcome Aboard!
W
Banquet on board
Spirit of Norfolk
A treat this year - we will be having our
annual banquet while out at sea. We’ll enjoy a
fine dining, fond memories, and great
conversation with our shipmates
WANT AD
Life Members
Congratulations
to
our
newest
Life
Members:
Bobby J. Allred
Donald Governo
nyone interested in an exciting and Captain Joseph J. D’Amato
rewarding job, please contact John Eberhardt.
The position of Secretary of the USS Sierra
Veterans Association is all of the above plus
more, and will be opening this year. Please see
the By-Laws on our website at for an overview
of the job:
t is with deep sadness that we wish safe
http://www.uss-sierra-vets.com
For more information about the passage in heavenly waters to our departed
position either email or call John at the shipmate:
following:
Kenneth Aldbridge . . . . . . . February 9, 2015
JohnEb7@comcast.net
(732) 548-4187
A
Taps
I
Uss sierra veterans association
needs all hands
As you know it takes money to keep the USS Sierra Veterans Association afloat. Just like
any undertaking there are expenses to keep the engine of the association running. The only source
of income to the USS Sierra Veterans Association is your dues. Those dues support everything
that the association does.
For the most part each and every crew member is carrying their weight. There are a few
whoever that are delinquent in their dues for several years.
If you have not paid your dues since 2014 you are delinquent.
page 2
News From Our Sister Ships
USS Tidewater AD-31
USS Dixie AD-14
USS Grand Canyon AD/AR-28
USS Shenandoah AD-26
The USS Tidewater (AD-31), USS Dixie (AD-14), USS Grand Canyon (AD/AR-28), and the
USS Shenandoah (AD-26) send us their Newsletters filled with information about their crew and some
interesting stories of the adventures on board those ships. They also send information about their
veteran association’s goings-on such as dates and places of their reunions and regular scuttlebutt about
their ships
Upon the completion of each issue of our Newsletter we proudly send it to our counterparts so
that they can see what the USS Sierra Veterans Association is up to.
There certainly is a pride in the ships that kept the fleet operational.
Copies of their newsletters will be available at the 2015 Reunion in Norfolk.
US Navy Initiative to
Feed The Starving Children
Surface-to-Surface Missile
Tests on LCS Successful
T ests
in
mid-June proved
successful for the
“Longbow Hellfire” surface-to-surface missile
system on board the Navy’s new Littoral
Combat Ship. The tests off the coast of
Virginia helped prove the capabilities of the
24 shot missile module with a seven out of
eight shots fired.
The Longbow Hellfire system will be
added to the existing armament on board the
LCSs. The current weaponry includes the
57mm gun, SEARAM missile system, and the
M H - 6 0
h e l i c o p t e r .
First launched in 2008, there are two
types of LCS operating.
They are the
“Freedom” variant and the “Independent”
variant.
DUES
$25.00
DUES
More
than 25 sailors
from the Training Support Center
at Great Lakes joined volunteers
from the surrounding area to pack
more than 18,500 meals to be
distributed to 70 countries worldwide.
The
volunteers from the TSC Petty Officers
Association and Chief Petty Officer 365 worked at
the Libertyville Feed My Starving Children
facility.
The meals on July 29, 2015, were being
prepared and shipped to Haiti, Peru, Swaziland,
and the Philippines. The sailors have been
volunteering with Feed My Starving Children
since the Libertyville site opened in 2012. Facility
members appreciate the effort noting that they are
the perfect volunteers that continue to give in yet
other ways.
$25.00
page 3
DUES
$25.00
DUES
page 4
October 7, 8, 9 & 10, 2015
Sheraton– Norfolk Waterside Hotel
777 Waterside Drive, Norfolk, VA 23510
Reservations: (888) 627-8042 Front Desk: (757) 633-6664
__________________________________________________________________
DAY AND DATE
TIME
ACTIVITY AND LOCATION
Tuesday, October 6
1600
Governors arrive
Wednesday, October 7
0700 - 0800
0830 - 1200
1430 - 2300
1700 - 1730
Governors breakfast Waterside Restaurant
Governors meeting - Greenway 4th Floor
Registration & Hospitality Room/Claremont 4th Floor
President’s Welcome - Hospitality Room/Claremont
Thursday, October 8
0630 - 1030
0930 - 1230
1230 - 1345
1400 - 1600
1700 - ? ? ?
Breakfast – Waterside Restaurant
Tour - Naticus & Battleship USS Wisconsin
Lunch on your own
Victory Rover Cruise - Departs from Nauticus
Icebreaker BBQ - Riverwalk
Friday, October 9
0930 - 1030
0900 - 0945
0945 - 1200
1330 - 1400
1430 - 1800
1800 - 2300
Breakfast - Waterside Restaurant
Memorial Service MacArthur Memorial
MacArthur Memorial Tour
Group Picture - Hotel Lobby
Banquet on the Spirit of Norfolk (Otter Berth)
Hospitality Room/Purchase Photos - Claremont 4th
Floor
Saturday, October 10
0630 - 1030
Breakfast Waterside Restaurant
Checkout
Until we meet again at our 2016 Reunion.
* * * * * All tours depart from the hotel lobby * * * * *
NOTES
1. The deadline is August 31, 2015 for reunion registration and tour sign up. Sheraton Norfolk
Waterside Hotel reservations deadline is September 6, 2015.
2. The charge for the reunion, including hospitality room, BBQ & banquet, is $85.00 per person.
3) Also, please bring a gift for the gift drawing. Suggested spending is $10.00 to $15.00. Select some
thing from your state or hometown.
4) NOTE: All times are subject to change. Hospitality room daily hours will be determined by
Participation.
page 5
For additional information visit our website at www.uss-sierra-vets.com contact Bill Skillin:
913-683-1423 (cell).
page 6
The Final Section of the
US Naval Academy exam
page 7
Uss sierra ad-18 veterans association
25 maple road
Iselin, nj 08830
To:
SIERR
AN
Your
Newsletter
President’s
Message
I’d like to once again remind you that
On behalf of the officers, governors,
this is your newsletter. It exists for you and
about you. With that in mind please send in
your stories, pictures, anecdotes, or
reminiscences.
In addition, please check out our new
website that contains updated information that is
not in the newsletter, news about future
reunions, and pictures from past reunions.
and USS Sierra shipmates, I want to extend a
warm welcome and a huge THANK YOU to our
current webmaster Mark D. Fenley.
Mark joined the Navy on 1986 and
received his discharge in 1994. He was stationed
aboard the USS Sierra from 1988 until 1992. He
was an electronics technician second class ET2.
Mark is also host for one of the Facebook
groups for the USS Sierra and accepted the role
of webmaster after the death of former webmaster
Rick Keough.
Thanks again for doing a great job. The
new website looks great and is easy to navigate.
http://www.uss.sierra-vets-com
Joseph Strecker
Joseph Strecker, President