June Meeting Reminder

The next Seattle Base meeting is this coming Wednesday, June 19.

We will meet at VFW Post #2995 (4330 148th Ave N.E., Redmond WA 98052). Social hour starts at 6 PM with business meeting at 7PM. Don't forget to review the previous meeting minutes, you can find them here on the blog or on the Seattle Base website, just click the Minutes button on the left.

On the Agenda: preparations for the Smokey Point event and Kirkland Independence Day Parade, and USSVI District 4 Commander Election.

Smokey Point: On June 28 to July 1 we will be at the coffee booth at the southbound Smokey Point rest stop. Be sure to mark the dates on your calendar. Steve Shelton will have sign-up sheets available at the meeting to pick your spot. We will post schedule information on the blog.

SSMC and other SubVets at last year's parade

Kirkland Independence Day Parade: We will be participating in the Kirkland parade on July 4. The City of Kirkland goes all out for veterans and always has treats, a pizza lunch and boutonnieres for all military members and veterans in the parade. Additionally, WWII Subvets and members of the Silent Service Motorcycle club, including the Snorkel Schnauzer, will all be there.

We will muster near Heritage Hall, the large white two-story building on the north side of the street, at the corner of Central Way and Market Street. The float will be in place before 10:15 and all members should be in place by 10:30. If you run into problems at any street barricades, just tell the police that you are marching in the parade.

DIRECTIONS: To get there, you take Exit 18 off of Hwy 405, head west toward Kirkland. This road turns into Central Street. Follow Central until you reach Market and turn right to find parking at Heritage Park. You'll pass Heritage Hall while looking for parking.

The Children’s Parade starts at 11:30, followed by the main parade at noon.

USSVI District 4 Commander Election: It is time for submarine qualified Seattle Base members to cast their vote for District 4 Commander. There is one declared candidate, Al Durkee, but write-ins are allowed. You can make your choice and let Base Commander Doug Abramson know or you can email your choice to him. Doug will tally up the votes and forward total to Western Region Director John Mansfield. Voting closes on 30 June 2013.

Brief Biography of Albert W. Durkee:

I am a member of Bremerton Base and the Barbel Base. I have held all elected offices of the SubVets Yuma – Barbel Base except Vice Commander. I have been a member of the Board of Directors of the SubVets Yuma - Barbel Base for all 10 years of its existence. I now live in White Salmon Washington, toward the eastern end of the Columbia River Gorge. I winter in Yuma Arizona.

Born 24 March 1930 in Acton Massachusetts to Albert P. and Florence White Durkee. Raised and attended schools in Acton. Upon High School graduation in 1947 worked as a clerk for a New England grocery chain for four years.

On 28 February 1951, I joined the Navy and attended recruit training in Newport R.I. followed by Machinist Mate A School at Great Lakes. Assigned to USS Cape Esperance (TCVE-88). Cape Esperance was an aircraft transport ship ferrying aircraft from Alameda California to Yokosuka Japan. We made 18 round trips across the North Pacific in 24 months. Tiring of the North Pacific, I transferred to USS Neches (AO-47). Neches was in the process of changing its homeport from Alameda to New York City. We never saw New York City, and deployed directly to the Mediterranean for a one year tour. While assigned to Neches, I was selected as a MM3 to join the Submarine Force.

While a Submariner, I was assigned to the following Commands:

• 1954 USS Pickerel (SS-524) As a MM3 I was assigned as the only underway watch stander in the after engine room on my first day aboard! A snorkel boat yet. The qualified throttleman in the forward engine room was busy keeping track of me!
• 1954 – 1961 USS Seawolf (SSN-575) I was assigned duties in both M and A division as MM3 through MMC SS. Qualified in Submarines in 1957. Detached as LDO Ensign in 1961.
• 1962 – USS Becuna (SS-319) I was assigned duties as Assistant Engineer, Assistant Ops and Sonar Officer.
• 1963 – 1964 USS Seawolf (SSN-575) Assigned duties as Communicator and Assistant Ops.
• 1964 - Instructor Submarine School New London Ct.
• 1965 -1966 COMSUBDIV 72 Engineer, Pearl Harbor Hawaii
• 1967 – 1968 Instructor, Fleet Submarine Training Facility Pearl Harbor Hawaii
• 1969 -1970 – Staff, COMSUBLANT Material
• 1970 – 1974 USS Hunley (AS-31), Assistant Repair Officer, Repair Officer, Navigator
• 1975 – 1978 - Staff, COMSUBLANT Material Officer for SSN’s prior to SSN 637
• 1979 Assistant Repair Officer for Submarines, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, Bremerton Washington
• 1980 – 1981 SUBMARINE BASE BANGOR, Silverdale Washington, Operations and Security Officer.
• On 1March 1981 I Retired upon completion of 30 years Naval Service. After retiring from the Navy, I worked for two Engineering Services Companies on various US Navy and Washington State Department of Transportation projects. I declined to accept more assignments after 1985.

I was married in 1961 to Olive Trefethern. We raised two children. She passed away in 1985. I was remarried in 1989 to Jean Ury. She passed away in 2005.

We hope to see you at the meeting and all our other events.