July 2017 Meeting Notes

The July meeting started off with Tolling the Boats lost in July, followed by birthday wishes for our members, introductions, and the officer reports. We got the final report for the Smokey Point Rest Stop event and, after expenses, we had $411.57 in donations. BZ to everyone involved with the event.

Old and New Business:
SSMC Award -  Steve Lewis, President of the Thresher Chapter of the Silent Service Motorcycle Club (SSMC) was on hand to share news with us about the Thresher Chapter winning the SSMC Community Award for all the great work they do in the community and with Veteran outreach.

Steve showing the SSMC Community Award

Membership – Kerry Ryan gave a quick update on his efforts to get out the word about USSVI. But he is still looking for help and ideas (mostly for help) on how to bring in new members.

December Holiday Luncheon – Earlier in July we received a letter from the Meydenbauer Yacht Club letting us know that we would be unable to hold our Holiday Luncheon at the club this year. The club is cutting back on outside events and we were caught up in that change. Past-Base Commander Dick Gonzales is looking for a new venue for our annual holiday gathering. If you would like to help with the event, please contact one of the Base Officers or contact Dick directly.

2017 Tolling the Boats Ceremony – The Tolling the boats ceremony is set for August 19, 2017. It will be at the Kirkland Marina Pavilion and start at noon. There will be light snacks and drinks at the event, but we will not be doing a picnic this year. We will send out reminders as the date gets closer, but be sure to mark it on your calendar. The Tolling ceremony is an important part of our organization's creed. It is also an opportunity to honor our shipmates on Eternal Patrol.

Seattle Base Float Home – We are still looking for a new home for the Seattle Base float. If you know of a place or have some storage ideas, please contact one of the Base Officers. We really need to find a place to put the float or we might have to think about giving it up.

Ling Donation – We voted to donate $50 to the Go Fund Me campaign for the USS Ling (SS-297). Ling is currently stuck in the Hackensack River and donations are needed to save her. You can read more about the campaign, the current plight of Ling, and donate at this website: https://www.gofundme.com/uss-ling.

Photo of Ling from the WeirdNJ.com website

July Program:
The July program was a talk by DeFord Cochrane. DeFord served in the surface Navy for 24 years. He started off by talking about his family’s past. His father was on the battleship Nevada during the attack on Pearl Harbor and stayed in the Navy until 1968, retiring as a Chief. DeFord was the first of seven sons that went on to serve in the U.S. Military. He talked about his joining Navy ROTC at the University of Washington and his time with the surface Navy. He shared stories about all the good and bad leaders he served under in the Navy and talked about the lessons he learned. He has 8 children, 7 of which also serve in the U.S. military.

DeFord Cochrane being presented with a certificate of appreciation for his program

Good of The Order :
We received a thank you card for our donation to the Salmon for Soldiers event. Be sure to check their website for more information about the organization.

Reminder - the Navy Exchange has posted more information about the Veteran Online Shopping Benefit (VOSB) on their website. The benefits start on November 11, 2017, but you need to register before you can use the benefit. You can check your eligibility through a website called VetVerify.org. To use the website, your records must have been digitized by the DoD. If your records have not been digitized or you don't want to register online, you can call 1-844-868-8672 to get information on what you need to do. Be sure to check the information and Frequently Asked Questions on the Navy Exchange site. If you have questions that aren't covered on the site, you can contact the Navy Exchange program at email: VOSB@nexweb.org or phone 888-343-8672.

July 2017 Meeting Reminder

The next Seattle Base meeting is this coming Wednesday, July 19, 2017. We will meet at VFW Post #2995 (4330 148th Ave N.E., Redmond WA 98052). Social hour starts at 6PM with business meeting at 7PM.

Come to the meeting and say hi to everyone!

We should be back in the main meeting room this month. We’ll get a recap of the Kirkland parade and have an opportunity to discuss upcoming events and activities, including the August Tolling the Boats ceremony. We will also have a Navy related speaker for the evening.

We hope to see you there!

2017 Kirkland Independence Day Parade Photos

Once again the city of Kirkland did a nice job with the parade and all the festivities for celebrating Independence Day. The weather could not have been better for the 2017 Kirkland Independence Day Parade. It was sunny and warm, but not too hot, in the morning and during the parade.

As usual, veterans were presented with a boutonniere and we had some pizza before the parade. We had a good turnout from the submarine veterans and Silent Service Motorcycle Club (SSMC). The parade route was lined with a large and enthusiastic crowd.

The traditional veterans photo at Heritage Hall

Subvets meeting up at the float

Maureen and Kathy who always make sure the veterans are welcome and in the right place

Roy signing in, while Jerry gets some help with his flower

Kathy helps Pierre sign in

Cliff and Ralph enjoying the weather

Everyone enjoying some pizza in the shade

Kerry, Dutch, and Dave getting in a few bites before the parade

Seattle Base and SSMC members

Kerry and Ric ready for the parade

The parade started off with the Honor Guard, followed by some vehicles with World War II, Korean War, and Vietnam War veterans, and the veterans group from Lake Washington Technical College.

Then the Seattle Base USSVI with our submarine float and Silent Service Motorcycle Club - Thresher Chapter.

Seattle Base banner leads

And Jim towing the float

A closer picture of the float

And then the Silent Service Motorcycle Club

As usual, there were a few stops along the way

We also had a malcontent or two ...

The were a lot of parade viewers and they seemed happy to see us

And we had an interesting lone viewer too

We all had a great time at the parade. We're looking forward to next year's parade and hope to see a few more members there.

Don't forget we are planning our Tolling the Boats ceremony for August 19 at the Kirkland Marina Pavilion.

Fourth of July crowd at the pavilion

Kirkland Independence Day Parade Reminder

Seattle Base and the Silent Service Motorcycle Club will be participating in the Kirkland parade on Tuesday, July 4, 2016. The City of Kirkland goes all out for veterans and always has treats, lunch, and boutonnieres for all military members and veterans in the parade.

Veterans photo from the 2016 parade

You can start arriving around 9:00 AM. The city will start closing down streets near the parade route around 9:30. If you are arriving after that time it is best to plan to get to the parking areas from the north heading south down Market Street.

To get to the assembly area from I-405, you take Exit 18 off of 405, head west toward Kirkland. This road turns into Central Way. Follow Central until you reach Market and turn right to find parking at Heritage Park. You’ll pass Heritage Hall while looking for parking. Parking is available north of Heritage Hall in the boat ramp parking area and at Waverly Park.

Kirkland parade route, along with the parking area and assembly location

We will meet near Heritage Hall, the large white two-story building on the north side of the corner of Central Way and Market Street. The Seattle Base float will be in place in the assembly area around 9:30 and all submarine veterans and motorcycles can meet near the float. We should be near the start of the parade.

Refreshments will be served around 11:00 and we will gather for a veterans group photo shortly after that. The main parade starts at noon.

We hope to see you there!