Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013 Holiday Luncheon Photos

Editor's Note: I apologize for not getting the photos up earlier. I am recovering from shoulder surgery and it takes longer to type with one hand. Thanks to Jim Harper and Pat Householder for providing the photos.

On Saturday, December 14th, World War II submarine veterans, USSVI submarine veterans, family, and guests met at Anthony’s HomePort in Kirkland for our Joint Holiday Luncheon. The weather was cloudy and chilly (a typical Seattle December day), but Anthony’s was warm and inviting.

The day started with some social time that gave us all a chance to peruse the submarine memorabilia on display and to catch up on the exploits of our shipmates over the last year.

Then it was on to lunch and presentations. Base Commander Doug Abramson presented the Shipmate of the Year Award to Andrea Geisler and Lois Mezek for the work they have done for Seattle Base this past year. Congratulations to Lois and Andrea on their well-deserved awards.

We also inducted the new Holland Club members at the luncheon. Roy Burt and John Roberts were in attendence to receive their certificates and patches. The other inductees for this year are Mike O’Byrne, Gary Flynn, Anthony Glaza, and Gary Van Dusen.

It was a fine event coordinated by Andrea Geisler. Thanks to everyone else who helped out with the luncheon.
Welcome to the 2013 Holiday Luncheon
The view from Anthony's
WWII veteran Ervin Schmidt and family arriving
The memorabilia table
Enjoying some social time
A different view of the dining area
Viewing the memorabilia table
WWII veteran Robbie and Teri Robertson arriving
Art Thompson and Ervin Schmidt
Barbara and Karl 'Dutch' Krompholz
Bob Morris and friend
Dani and Bob Haslan
WWII Vets - Ervin Schmidt and Fred Esslin
Sam Ronnie and Lois Mezek
Doug Gilman wishes everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Fran and Dick Gonzales
Tim Floresh and Ervin Schmidt
Bob Morris with another friend
Karl Krompholz and Jay Davis
Pat Householder
John and Sandra Roberts
Dorthy Holman, Gloria Christopher and Ron Alfonso
Karl 'Dutch' and Barb Krompholz and Sherry and Eric Muller
Fred and Josie Ensslin with Cliff Nutter
Robbie and Teri Robertson with daughters Sue Greenfeld and Amy Wade
Tim Floresh with Paul (WWII submarine veteran) and Aecha Christofferson
Anthony's staff getting ready for the toast
Seattle Base COB Ralph Sterley tolls the lost boats while Pat Householder reads the names
New Holland Club member - Roy Burt
New Holland Club member - John Roberts
Shipmate of the Year Andrea Geisler and Lois Mezek with the Seattle Base Honor Roll plaque

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

USSVI Seattle Base Kap(ss) 4 Kid(ss) visits Children's Hospital

Seattle Base Kap(ss) 4 Kid(ss) organizer John Roberts sent us this report from the group's first outing. 

On Monday, December 2nd, Doug Abramson, Pat Householder, Steve Shelton and I visited Seattle’s Children’s Hospital as part of the USSVI’s Kap(SS) 4 Kid(SS) program. It was a terrific and exceptionally rewarding experience.

We were split into two groups of two each and rotated between entertaining children who were in the Playroom and visiting more seriously ill children in their rooms. All in all, we interacted with 16 girls and boys between the ages of 6 and 15, all of who received Honorary Submariner certificates and Dolphin emblazoned hats, as well as photos of various subs and coloring books.

The kids were excited to see us and asked a lot of questions. A little girl in the Playroom went over to an easel and started drawing a picture of a submarine for us. One young man was connected to several medical devices and was sedated to the point that he had to struggle to pay attention to our conversation but he thanked us for our visit and gifts and insisted on shaking our hands before we left.
Seattle Base members John Roberts and Steve Shelton with the newest Honorary Submariner
When visiting the rooms we had to use sanitizing gel on our hands before entering and again upon leaving. On several occasions we were required to wear gowns, masks and gloves because of viral concerns. Some of the parents were active duty or recent veterans in their own right and thanked us profusely for our attentions to their children. We were discouraged from taking photos but are hopeful that any concerns about this will be relaxed during future visits. But one young mother and father insisted on taking our picture with their son. She graciously emailed it to us and it’s the one shown above.

As this was our initial visit, we sat down immediately afterwards to capture lessons learned and to incorporate changes that might make future visits more fluid. We also began to make plans for regular visits to Children’s Hospital and to follow up on leads to other organizations as we plan to make this program a regular part of fulfilling our purpose to "Perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in the pursuit of their duties while serving their country. That their dedication, deeds and supreme sacrifice be a constant source of motivation toward greater accomplishments.”

You can learn more about the Kap(ss) 4 Kid(ss) program on the USSVI website.