April 2015 Meeting Notes

The April meeting started off with Tolling the Boats lost in April, followed by birthday wishes for our members, officer reports, and introductions. We also celebrated the 115th anniversary of the U.S. submarine force and the 16th birthday for the Seattle USSVI Base.

Old and New Business: 
Base Calendar – We set June 14, Flag Day, as the date for our appearance at the Bass Pro Shop in Tacoma. Be sure to mark it on your calendar, we will be looking for volunteers to help out on that day. We also have upcoming events on Memorial Day at Tahoma National Cemetery and we will once again be at the Cruzin’ Colby car show in Everett. Steve Shelton will have the signup sheet for our Smokey Point fund raiser on July 1st through the 3rd at our next meeting. Be prepared to join us at Smokey Point. Remember to check the Base Activities Calendar page for more upcoming events.

Cablela’s Event - We recapped the Cabela’s event on March 28 and 29 and talked about how great they are to our group. We took in over $400 in donations from the event, which helps our bottom line. Be sure to check the calendar and blog for more events at Cabela’s throughout the year.

Seattle Base float outside Cabela's at the March 22-23 event

Field Trip - Base Commander Dick Gonzalez talked about the field trip to the Museum of Flight Restoration Center. Those that went had a good time, saw some interesting planes, and enjoyed the excursion.

Getting ready for the trip to the restoration center

Base Float Update - We need to find a new place to store the Seattle Base float. After the tolling in August, the current storage location will no longer be available. We need a place that is approximately 10 feet by 22 feet for the float and its cover. If you have a spot or an idea where we can find one, please let one of the Base officers know.

Seattle Base Raffle - Pat Householder reminded us about the raffle to win a submarine cutaway. You can read more about the raffle at this blog entry. The raffle tickets can be purchased for $5.00 each or five for $20.00. The drawing will be held at our June meeting and the winner will get their choice of cutaways. They are beautiful to look at and you will be proud to own one.

April Program:
The speaker for April was our own Bob Opple. Bob took us back to when he was growing up during World War II and immediately after. He told us about what motivated him to join the Navy, even though he had a number of scholarship offers for college, and volunteer for submarine service.

Bob told us about his experiences at DC Electrician School and Submarine School. He then talked about reporting aboard USS Razorback and life aboard the old diesel submarines. He told us about an 87 day patrol on Razorback and all the friends he made. Bob finished up by talking about his trip to Turkey to see Razorback and bring her back to the U.S.

Bob at the sticks on Razorback

It was fun to hear Bob talk about his old times. He is a great speaker and we always enjoy his presentations.

Bob gets a certificate of appreciate (featuring Razorback) from Base Commander Dick Gonzalez

Binnacle list: 
Admiral Horton Smith is status quo for the moment. His memory is fading but his spirit is high. He is currently at the Aegis Living facility on Madison in Seattle and would enjoy having some visitors. But please call before going to visit to make sure he isn’t out when you want to visit.