Holiday Greetings and 2019 Holiday Luncheon Photos

Happy Holidays to everyone from the USSVI Seattle Base submarine veterans. We hope you have a great finish to 2019 and wish you all best for 2020.

Santa (QMC Jack Patterson) greets the USS Queenfish at the North Pole in 1970

On Saturday, December 14 USSVI Seattle Base submarine veterans, family, and guests gathered at the Nile Shrine Center for our annual holiday luncheon.

Before lunch we had time to catch up with shipmates we have not seen for a while, share tales of our exploits from the past year, and talk about plans for next year. There were also memorabilia tables with bits and pieces of submarine and Seattle Base history. 

We then moved on to opening remarks and lunch. After lunch the floor was then opened for sea stories and holiday remembrances and we had a chance to hear some old and new stories. We even saw that Steve could still fit into his old uniform. 

We all had a good time at the luncheon and special thanks goes out to everyone who helped organize and set up the event. It is always good to see all our shipmates and get a start on the holiday season with them. We hope you enjoy the photos below (special thanks to Steve and Dick for taking the pictures).

Pre-lunch meeting at the bar

The first memorabilia table

and the second table

Slideshow showing Christmas on subs and base events

lunchtime

more lunch

After lunch stories

Time for more tales

Steve, showing he can still get into his old dress blues, and Lynda

We'll see you in 2020.

2019 Holiday Luncheon Reminder

Salty Santa from 16 Submarines

The annual Seattle Base Holiday Luncheon is this Saturday, December 14, at the Nile Golf and Country Club. The doors will open for social time at 11:00 am and lunch will start at noon.

Nile Shine Center entrance

There is still space to register, but Steve needs to have the final count by this Wednesday (December 11). Please email or call Steve (you can find his number on the event registration form) to claim your space and for more information.

Lunch will be in the Gold Room, which is on the lower floor of the center and has easy access.

As usual, there will be a memorabilia table. So please feel free to bring along some submarine related items, historical or personal, to show to others at the luncheon. Some ideas are photos, scrapbooks, models, keepsakes, collections, and more.

The Nile Golf and Country Club is located at:
6601 244th St SW,
Mountlake Terrace, WA 98043

It is one block West of Interstate 5 on the right. Use the 205 Exit. There is construction going on and the north bound exit is restricted to one lane only, take the west bound exit for State Route 104. You will see the Golf Course on the right or North side of 244/205.

We hope to see you there!

November 2019 Meeting Recap and Don Ulmer Memorial Service

We started off the November meeting with Tolling the Boats lost in November, followed by birthday wishes for our members, introductions, and then the officer reports.

We also presented USSVI 10-year membership pins to Doug and Andrea.

Andrea (left) and Doug (right) get their 10-year membership pins from Base commander Ric (center)

Old and New Business
Holiday Luncheon – Our annual Holiday Luncheon will be Saturday, December 14 at the Nile Shrine Center. We are asking you to send your registration forms to Base Secretary Steve by the November. The registration form (linked here) has been updated with Steve information.

Seattle Base Elections – We will have our base elections at the January meeting. At a minimum, we will need to elect a new Base Commander. Many of our member have done multiple terms as officers and we need fresh faces to step up too. We hope everyone will consider becoming an officer or committee chairman. If you are wondering what you can do to help or what the duties of certain officers are - please talk with one of the current or former officers.

USSVI National and Seattle Base Dues – Reminder that annual membership dues for USSVI National and Seattle Base need to be paid before the end of January.

Float Storage and Work – With the parade season over, the float and associated gear is going into winter storage. We will be looking for a work part to do some renovation on the float early next year.

Cabela’s Meet & Greets – We were not able to do any meet & greets at Cabela’s in 2019 due to some changes with their corporate polices after they were acquired by Bass Pro Shops. We are talking with them, with support from the team at Cabela’s Tulalip store, and we think we have covered all their concerns. We hope to plan a couple meet & greets in 2020.

November Program – This month we continued to show interview recordings Base Commander Ric did with Ervin Schmidt. The November recordings covered Ervin joining the submarine force, his time on USS Saury (SS-189), and assignment to new construction on USS Torsk (SS-423).

Don Ulmer’s Memorial Service
The memorial service for Don Ulmer was held on November 22. Seattle Base members participated in the service, with Dick G providing a remembrance of Don and Seattle Base members acting as pallbearers. It was a good service for a unique individual that will be missed.

Don's photo at the service

Dick providing a remembrance of Don

Seattle Base pallbearers

One last salute for Don

November 2019 Meeting Reminder

The next Seattle Base meeting is this coming Wednesday, November 20, 2019. 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.

This will be the last business meeting for 2019. We will recap the Veterans Day events and talk about the upcoming Holiday luncheon.

The Nile Shrine Center

The luncheon will be on Saturday December 14 from 11 - 2 at the Nile Shrine Center in Mountlake Terrance. The registration form was in the last issue of our newsletter. You can also find a copy of the luncheon registration form by clicking this link. Note: The form is stored on Dropbox, but you do not need to sign up for Dropbox account to view and download the form; you can just close the window asking you to create or sign in to your account.

Additionally, we will talk about Base elections and nominations for Base Officers. We will have our elections in January. Please consider stepping up to help out as a base officer or committee leader, Seattle Base only works when members are willing to help out.

We hope to see you  at the meeting!

Don Ulmer Memorial Service

The Memorial Service for Don Ulmer will be held on Friday, November 22nd at 11:00 at St. Louise Parish, located at 141 156th Ave. SE, Bellevue, WA.

Flintoff Funeral Home has taken care of the arrangements. The US Navy will serve as Honor Guard and Seattle Base Subvets will act as pallbearers. Uniform of the day is white shirt, tie, and Subvet Vests.

2019 Auburn Veterans Day Parade Photos

It was a cloudy-drizzly day for the 54th annual Auburn Veterans Day Parade.

CPO Davis and WWII Vet Ralph carried the flags for the Submarine Veteran groups

Members from Seattle USSVI Base, Bremerton USSVI Base, and Silent Service Motorcycle Club all showed up. Before things got started, we got a few group photos.

Bremerton USSVI Base

Seattle USSVI Base and Silent Service Motorcycle Club

Turnout was a little lighter than normal, but it was a good time and great to see all the veterans out for the parade.Here are some more photos from the parade.

After our group photos, there were last-minute preparations for the parade and some time to chat.

Getting the banner ready

Sharing a few tales, while waiting for the parade to start

SSMC members chatting

Then we had a flyover by the King County Sheriff helicopters and it was time to start the parade.

Helicopters come in low with the low clouds

Ric and Larry on the Seattle Base float

The Bonefish float pulling out into the parade

Seattle float and SSMC pulling into the route

The parade crowd was enthusiastic as ever and everyone seemed to enjoy the parade.

Passing some of the other parade entrants

A photo from inside the parade

We had a good time with the parade and hope to see everyone again next year!

Seattle Base members, SSMC member, and float

Eternal Patrol: Don Ulmer

Holland Club and Seattle Base member, Don Ulmer departed on eternal patrol on November 3, 2019 at Overlake Hospital Medical Center, where he was a Volunteer Chaplin for 20 years. He was surrounded by his four children, Karen, Jennifer, Monica, and Matthew.

Don joined the Navy in 1948 and qualified on USS Clamagore (SS-343) in 1949. He then went to the Naval Academy Prep School and on to the US Naval Academy, graduating in 1954. Don went on to serve on USS Halfbeak (SS-352), USS Barracuda (SSK-1/SS-550), USS Patrick Henry (SSBN-599), USS Corporal (SS-346), and then returned to USS Clamagore as Commanding Officer. Don retired from the Navy in 1979.

There will be a memorial service at a future date; we will keep you informed.

Please keep Don’s family in your thoughts and prayers.

Sailor, Rest Your Oar

November - December 2019 Dolphin Brotherhood Posted

The November - December 2019 issue of the Dolphin Brotherhood has been posted and is ready to view and download.

SubVets at a previous Auburn Parade

This issue has information about the upcoming Auburn Veterans Day Parade, the registration form for the Seattle Base December Holiday Luncheon, and the usual submarine related articles. You can also find a copy of the luncheon registration form by clicking this link.

The newsletter and registration form are stored on Dropbox, but you do not need to sign up for Dropbox account to view and download the newsletter (you can just close the window asking you to create or sign in to your account).

Hardcopies will be mailed out soon. I hope you all enjoy the newsletter.

As always, remember to check back here for base updates and other articles of interest.

Dave Schueler
Seattle USSVI Base Newsletter Editor

Reminder - 2019 Auburn Veterans Day Parade

The Auburn Veterans Day parade is on Saturday, November 9. This year Seattle Base, Bremerton Base, and the Silent Service Motorcycle Club will be participating in the parade. We will meet near the junction of Main and K Street NE in Auburn. Set up starts between 9:00 - 9:30. Please arrive before 10:30. The parade will start at 11:00.

Photo from the 2018 parade

There is free parking in the Auburn transit center garage by the train depot.You can see more about other parade and Veterans Day events on the City of Auburn website.

Veterans Day Parade Map (click for a larger view)

We hope to see you there!

Binnacle List - Don Ulmer

A photo of Don from our March 2019 meeting

Holland Club and Seattle Base member Don Ulmer, recently under went hip replacement surgery. While recovering from the surgery he suffered a major stroke.

He is currently on the do not call/visit list. Prayers are welcome. Get well wishes should go thru his wife Carol via snail mail (sign in to the USSVI National site or contact me if you need the address).

Updates will follow as status changes become available.

October 2019 Meeting Recap

We started off the October meeting with Tolling the Boats lost in October, followed by birthday wishes for our members, introductions, and then the officer reports.

Seattle Base October meeting

Old and New Business
Float Storage – After the Veterans Day parade in Auburn we will transfer the flags, bunting, and other items that need indoor storage to Sr. Vice Commander Larry for storage in his basement for the winter.

The float can remain at Al’s neighbor’s property for the next season. Because of this kind gesture, we decided to invite to our holiday luncheon and a provide a certificate of thanks.

Veterans Day Parade – The Auburn Veterans Day Parade will be held on Saturday, November 9. The float will stage at K Street around 9:30 AM, giving us plenty of time to set it up. The parade starts at 11:00. Parking is available in the neighborhood if you arrive early and at the downtown transit garage. We will send out a reminder the week before the parade.

Salmon for Solders – We got a report on the Salmon for Soldiers salmon derby event in mid-September. Over the past few years several Seattle Base members have been involved with this event and Seattle Base has donated to it. This year we voted to continue our support with another $100 donation.

Holiday Luncheon – Our annual Holiday Luncheon will be Saturday, December 14 at the Nile Shrine Center. The prices are expected to be the same as last year - $25 per person. We will registration forms out in November.

Seattle Base Elections – We will have our base elections at the January meeting. We will be looking for a new Base Commander. Many of our member have done multiple terms as officers and we need fresh faces to step up too. We hope everyone will consider becoming an officer or committee chairman. Please talk with one of the current or former officers about

Member Spotlight Video – We attempted to show the video spotlight by KING 5 news of Ralph and the Tolling Ceremony, but the sound failed. If you haven’t seen it yet, check it out in the September meeting blog post.

Watching the Ervin Schmidt interviews at the October meeting

October Program – This month we continued to show interview recordings Base Commander Ric did with Ervin Schmidt. The recordings covered Ervin’s service in World War II.

Good of the Order
Welcome aboard William (Bill) Heppner ET1 (SS) as a new Life Member. Bill qualified aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln in 1970 and served until 1980.

Jim DeMott, Western Region Dist. 4 Commander was at our October meeting. Jim had several things to discuss with us tonight. He gave a summary of the last convention in Austin which was really fun and that the next had been set to take place in Tucson, 2020 in Orlando and 2021 and Buffalo in 2022.
He also provided a run-down about his own journey of USSVI leadership starting with the Bremerton Base several years ago. He was asked to run for Vice Commander at a time when there was a chance that the Base would close if members would not step forward. He did so, then moved up to be the Base Commander for the next round. After serving as Base Commander for two years, he was asked to run for Western Region District 4 Commander. He urged any member who has not served in leadership to seriously consider running for office; first, because it was fulfilling and rewarding and second, because the base needs others to step up right now. He would be here to assist and provide help. "None of these positions were hard to do", he said.

October 2019 Meeting Reminder

The next Seattle Base meeting is this coming Wednesday, October 16, 2019. 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.

We will have updates on upcoming events in November and December. We will also be talking about Base elections and nominations for Base Officers. Please consider stepping up to help out as a base officer or committee leader, Seattle Base only works when members are willing to help out.

Unfortunately, our planned speaker had to bow out at the last minute. If we can't find anyone to replace the speaker, we will have some more of the video interviews with Ervin Schmidt,

Finally, Happy 244th Birthday to the United States Navy.

Here is a short message from Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Gilday and Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. David Berger to the fleet for the Navy's 244th Birthday.

September 2019 Meeting Recap

We started off the September meeting with Tolling the Boats lost in August and September, followed by birthday wishes for our members, introductions, and then the officer reports.

Old and New Business
Black Diamond Labor Day Parade – Thanks to everyone that showed up at the Black Diamond Labor Day parade. We had a good time at the parade and came away with an award.

Black Diamond parade award

Tolling Ceremony – Our Tolling Ceremony had a good turnout. Thanks to everyone that helped out with this important ceremony to honor our lost shipmates. Additionally, KING5 Reporter Michael Crowe did a nice report that included the Tolling and featured World War II veteran and Seattle Base member Ralph.


Holiday Luncheon – Our annual Holiday Luncheon will be Saturday, December 14 at the Nile Shrine Center. The prices are expected to be the same as last year. We will registration forms out at the beginning of November.

Seattle Base Elections – We will have our base elections at the January meeting. We will be looking for a new Base Commander. We hope everyone will consider becoming an officer or committee chairman. Please talk with one of the current or former officers about

Kaps 4 Kids – BZ to Kerry, Larry, and Steve for their successful Kaps 4 Kids trip to Mary Bridge Children’s Hospital. Steve has promised some photos from the event for the next newsletter. We are expecting this to become a regular event. If you are interested in being part of the group, contact Kerry or any of the Seattle Base officers.

September Program - This month Base Commander Ric showed a several recordings from an interview he did with Ervin Schmidt. The recording covered Ervin’s time in the Civil Conservation Corps before World War II. He then talked about joining the Navy, being assigned to the battleship California, and the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Good of the Order - We were told that the lost boat USS Robalo (SS – 273) was found. Robalo was lost in July 1944 near the Philippines. The video below is a short feature on Robalo, including video taken of her final resting place.

September 2019 Meeting Reminder

The next Seattle Base meeting is this coming Wednesday, September 18, 2019. 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.

We have a lot of information to cover and decisions to make over the next two business meetings, including upcoming events, if we will meet in November, and nominations for Base Officers. Please consider stepping up to help out as a base officer or committee leader, Seattle Base only works when members are willing to help out.

RM1 Ervin Schmidt on USS Torsk (SS-423) 1945 (courtesy or https://www.usstorsk.org)

This month's program will be the next set of recorded interviews with Ervin Schmidt (Seattle Base member on Eternal Patrol) on his experiences during World War II.

We hope to see you at the meeting!

September - October 2019 Dolphin Brotherhood Posted

The September - October 2019 issue of the Dolphin Brotherhood has been posted and is ready to view and download.

Disney designed battle insignia for submarines

This issue has photos from the Kirkland Independence Day parade, photos from the August Tolling the Boats ceremony, a short article on Walt Disney designed battle insignia, and the usual submarine related articles.

Hardcopies will be mailed out soon. I hope you all enjoy the newsletter.

As always, remember to check back here for base updates and other articles of interest.

Dave Schueler
Seattle USSVI Base Newsletter Editor

Reminder: Black Diamond Labor Day Parade

Monday, September 2 is the Black Diamond Labor Day Parade and celebration. The parade starts at 10 am and there will be booths, games, and live music all day at the school play field.

Seattle Base Float at a previous parade in Black Diamond

The Seattle Base float will be in the parade and we are looking for shipmates to join us for this event. Seattle Base has participated in this event for over 10 years. It is a fun small-town parade and the people are very welcoming.

SubVets, families, and friends can meet at the Black Diamond Museum (32627 Railroad Ave) between 8 am and 10 am for Black Diamond Bakery goodies and coffee. Use the museum door opposite the locomotive to enter.

We know it is a long way to drive, so we would like to help set up some carpools to assist folks in getting there. If you are willing to drive one or more people to the event, please contact Base Commander Ric.

We hope to see you there!

2019 Tolling Ceremony Photos

Seattle USSVI Base held our annual Tolling the Boats ceremony on August 10, 2019.

Reading the lost boats

The event was held at the Kirkland Marina Park Pavilion. 

Kirkland Marina Park Pavilion with the Seattle Base float

A closer view of the float

The Tolling the Boats Ceremony is a memorial service to honor our lost submarine brothers who made the supreme sacrifice while performing their duties with valor, integrity, and courage. This ceremony is a fundamental part our creed as members of U.S. Submarine Veterans, "To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in pursuit of their duties while serving their country."

It was a pleasant day for the ceremony. The day started off cloudy but cleared up as the day went on. As usual, the Seattle Base float drew the attention of people in the park and several stopped by to ask questions.

Seattle Base Commander Ric Hedman kicked off the ceremony, welcoming everyone and provided opening remarks.

Ric's opening remarks

Then Kirkland Mayor Penny Street welcomed us and talked about the city's relationship with Seattle Base USSVI.

Kirkland Mayor Penny Street

We then moved to the introduction our World War II veterans and recognized the wives and widows of submariners.

World War II submarine veteran Ralph

World War II Merchant Marine veteran Bill

Ric also explained the history of the Tolling Ceremony and why we do it.

Explaining the Tolling Ceremony

We then moved on to reading the names of the lost U.S. Navy submarines and ringing two bells. One for the submarine and one for the crew.The lost submarine names were read by Base Commander Ric, Sr Vice Commander Larry, and Jr Vice Commander Earl, while our Chief of the Boat, Ralph, rang the bell.

Seattle Base officers with Ric leading off the reading

Earl takes his turn

And Larry takes his turn

When the reading was complete, Chief of the Boat and World War II submarine veteran Ralph laid the memorial wreath to honor all the lost submariners and the Taps was played.

Ralph lays the wreath

After the ceremony, cake was served, and we had a little social time before cleaning up the pavilion. Here are a few photos of people at the ceremony.

One of the cakes

And the other

Serving up the cakes

Enjoying the cake and visiting time

And probably a few sea stories being swapped

Jim and Earl say that we hope to see you here next time!

That concluded our ceremony for another year. Thanks to all that attended. Special thanks to all those who helped this year's Tolling the Boats ceremony a success.