Navy Reunions

These are items of interest to military reunions including reunions that have already happened so others can find their own reunion groups. If you have military reunion news, e-mail us. If you are listing your reunion, send the reunion name, date and place and the name, address, phone and contact person's e-mail address.

USS Colorado Vets Reunion
The USS Colorado battleship appeared in 10 World War II battles, traveled nearly 162,000 miles in the Pacific, shot down 11 aircraft, fired more than 60,000 rounds and lost 83 members of its crew before being decommissioned in 1947.
Sixty years later, 53 ship veterans, six widows and more than 60 family members met at the University of Colorado to share stories and look at some of the ship's memorabilia, permanently housed in the university's Veterans Lounge.
The group gathered at the Air Force Academy Chapel for a memorial service for crew members who died on the ship and veterans who have since passed away. And they received an unexpected visit from Governor Bill Ritter at the State Capitol and a speech from CU President Hank Brown in Boulder.
In 1921, the $27 million ship was christened with a bottle of Colorado river water. Katie Krahn, 11, Dallas, Texas, whose great-grandfather was aboard the USS Colorado, created a research project about the ship. She spent Friday filming and interviewing veterans to make an online montage for them.
From a story by Laura-Claire Corson in the Daily Camera, Colorado.

USS Indianapolis sailors remember
   Only minutes after a Japanese submarine attacked the heavy cruiser USS Indianapolis in July 1945, about 900 men were floating in the water - on rafts, in lifejackets, some clinging to others with lifejackets. They watched the ship slide into the ocean with about 300 men trapped inside. Of the 1,197 men aboard, only 317 survived; one of the nation's worst naval disasters.
   The Indianapolis was a fast ship chosen to deliver parts for the atomic bomb to be dropped on Hiroshima, though no one aboard the ship knew what the secret cargo was. Survivors credit themselves with helping end World War II. Eleven days after they delivered bomb parts to Tinian, the atomic bomb was dropped on Hiroshima.
   Sixty years later, about 60 of the roughly 90 remaining survivors from the USS Indianapolis recently had a reunion in the ship's namesake city. Speakers at their four-day event included Navy Secretary Gordon England, Lt. Col. Oliver North, Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and US Representative Julia Carson. Reunions, once held every five years, now take place every two because there are fewer survivors.
From a story by Kelly Cuculiansky in the Courier-Journal, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Navy tours remain unchanged
    More than 1.5 million people tour the US Naval Academy (30 miles from Baltimore and Washington DC) every year. Even with the attacks on America, people can visit the facilities like years past.
Although only authorized vehicles are allowed to drive onto “the yard,” visitors are walking to the yard in herds. Many patriotic Americans have been anxious to support and learn more about the Navy. The stop includes a walking tour, the US Naval Academy Museum and recommended lunch at the Drydock Restaurant or Officers and Faculty Club. Contact US Naval Center Visitor Center, 410-263-6933 or www.navyonline.com.

Navy toots its own horn
    The Navy Office of Information Midwest, located in Chicago, is offering informational presentations about today’s Navy to community, school and veterans groups. The presentation covers the “who, what, when, where, how and why” of the modern US Navy. Given current world events, many groups find the presentation timely.
    “Americans enjoy hearing about their Navy,” said Captain Bruce Cole, the office’s director. “Most people have very little, if any, contact with the military. I have found them very appreciative to see the presentation and very inquisitive in the question and answer period that follows.”
The presentation can be tailored to a group’s needs. The presentation is adaptable for younger school children, including a short exercise demonstrating how the Navy is an important protector of our nation’s economy.
    The Navy Office of Information Midwest serves the states of Ohio, Indiana, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, Minnesota, Iowa, North and South Dakota and Nebraska.
For more information or to schedule a presentation, Navy Office of Information Midwest, 55 East Monroe Street, Suite 1402, Chicago IL 60603; 312-606-0360; navinfo_chi_1@earthlink.net.

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