2012 Tolling the Boats Ceremony, Part 1

Seattle USSVI Base held our annual Tolling the Boats Ceremony on August 18. We were expecting a warm (maybe even hot) sunny day for this year's ceremony, but it was a cloudy, cool (some would say a little too cool) day. There was a good turnout for the ceremony and pre-ceremony picnic. We also had a number of people at the park stop by the float to ask questions and a few stayed for part of the ceremony.

We have a bunch of pictures from the picnic and the Tolling Ceremony, so I've split them up into two blog entries. In this entry, I'm including pictures from the Tolling Ceremony. You can click on a picture to get a larger view of it.

Seattle Base float with lots of submarine photos and information.

The Tolling the Boats 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."

The Honor Guard from VFW Post 2995 was on hand to 'Present the Colors' and provide some other honors for the ceremony.

VFW Honor Guard posting the colors

Our World War II veterans were piped aboard and escorted to their seats.

World War II SubVets Ralph Sterley, Fred Ensslin, and Robbie Robertson

Seattle Base Chaplin Andrea Geisler provided the invocation for the ceremony.

Base Chaplin, Andrea Geisler delivers the Invocation

After the invocation, Master of Ceremonies Bob Opple provided some opening remarks, talking about the challenges faced by submariners during World War II, and then he showed our appreciation to Maureen and Kathy, the ladies that organize the veteran portion of the Kirkland Independence Day parade, by presenting them with corsages.

MoC Bob Opple delivering his opening remarks

Corsages being presented to Kathy and Maureen

Ric Hedman then read a poem by Fletcher Pratt about the subs built at Mare Island, while Steve Shelton rang the bell for the submarine names in the poem.

Steve Shelton rings the bell while Ric Hedman reads the Fletcher Pratt poem

I've included the poem below and you can find it on Ric's website:

“There is a poetry in ships' names. It can still be heard in the quiet watches of the night..., when mist obscures the waterfront and foghorns call mournfully through the darkness. Out across the bay, blinking lights mark the channel down which Navy ships have sailed for a hundred years, and bells sound a knell for those that never came back. There is no quiet Arlington for ships; their bones rust in unknown lands beneath the sea. The names that entered history in minutes filled with fire and thunder are soon forgotten, except in long hours of the night when the bells call the roll of missing ships —Seawolf …

There are honored names, and the ships that wore them carried them well. Some were old and some were new, but sweat and skill and steel of Mare Island was a part of each of them to the end —Pickerel ...

There are historic names, old in the naval list. Though the logs in the archives fade, their memories will live so long as the bells still toll —These are fighting names, and these were fighting ships —Wahoo, Swordfish, Tang, Trigger, Tullibee, Gudgeon, Pompano …

Such were the ships that Mare Island built, and such were the ships that made history."

We were then provided with a superb rendition of ‘Proud to be an American’ by Kami Trieder.

Kami Trieder

This year's Tolling readers were Bill Giese and Larry Abbott with Jim Harper ringing the bell. Before reading the lost boats, Keith Watson explained the significance and origins of the ceremony.

Keith Watson explains the significance of the Tolling the Boats

Jim Harper tolls the bell while Bill Giese reads the lost boat names

Larry Abbott reads the lost boat names

When the reading of the lost boats was complete, Loma Taylor placed the memorial wreath to honor the lost submariners, then VFW Honor Guard provided the gun-salute and Taps presentation.

Loma Taylor places the memorial wreath

VFW Honor Guard firing a salute

Playing 'Taps'

The VFW Honor Guard then saluted the World War II veterans, concluding this year's Tolling Ceremony.

VFW Honor Guard salutes the World War II submarine veterans

Bravo Zulu to Bob Opple and all those who helped make the Tolling Ceremony a success.

August Meeting and Tolling of the Boats Reminder

We will be having the next Seattle Base meeting this coming Wednesday, August 15, at VFW Post #2995 (4330 148th Ave N.E., Redmond WA 98052). Social hour starts at 6 PM with business meeting at 7 PM.

We'll get our normal Officer reports and an update on the final preparations for the Tolling of the Boats ceremony. The most recent information for the ceremony is included below and on our Facebook page.

Hopefully, you've all voted in the USSVI National Elections. But if not, you can contact us for information on how to vote.

We hope to see you all at the meeting on Wednesday.

The Seattle Base float at the 2011 Tolling Ceremony

2012 Tolling of the Boats Ceremony 
The Tolling ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, August 18, 2012 at the pavilion at the Kirkland Marina Park (25 Lakeshore Plaza Drive). We will again be having a picnic starting around 11:30 AM and the ceremony beginning around 1:00 PM.

This is our opportunity to honor our World War II brothers, each year we see the numbers getting smaller at our ceremony so we definitely want to be there to show our love and support for those who are there.

The VFW Post 2995 Honor Guard will be there to help us throughout the service. Please make every effort to attend this year's ceremony as we all need to do everything we can to let our World War II brothers know that we love and support them.

Handicapped parking is available near the Pavilion, contact Bob Opple by phone or at the meeting for information getting a parking pass.

If you are coming on I-405, take exit 18 west toward the Kirkland and the waterfront. The Pavilion is located at the end of Central Street on the water.

We will see you on Saturday and be sure and bring your family and friends.

Eternal Patrol: Albert R. Cox

 Submarines Veterans of WWII, Seattle Base, and Holland Club member Albert Rex Cox passed away July 12, 2012 in Seattle. He was born April 17, 1921 in Grandview, WA, the son of James and Kathryne Cox. Al qualified on USS Narwhal (SS-167) in 1943 and also served on USS Pollack (SS-180).

When he returned home from the war he found a small house that his wife had built and a 26 month old daughter he had yet to meet. Al went to work in the tent and awning business, becoming a partner in Puget Sound Tent and Awning and starting Eastside Tent and Awning. He was a Past Master of Lakeside Lodge in Bellevue and Past Potentate of Nile Temple.

Al was preceded in death by his wife of 52 years, Betty. He is survived by his daughter Carol Griffin (John) grandsons Van Griffin (Stephanie) and Jason Griffin (Ann) great grandchildren, Makena, Matthew, Emily, Cole, Taylor and Sarah brother Lee Cox (Emily) and companion Doris Conaway.

A memorial service will be held at the Nile Shrine Center at:
6601 - 244th St. SW, Mountlake Terrace, WA at 2:00 pm on July 27.

Remembrances may be sent to:
Shriners Hospitals for Children, PO Box 2472 Spokane, WA 99210-2472.

Sailor, Rest Your Oar

July Meeting Minutes

We started the July meeting with introductions followed by the Tolling of the Boats for July, birthday wishes for our members, and officer reports.

Old and New Business 
Float Appreciation - Base Commander Doug Abramson gave gift certificates to Jim Harper and Karl 'Dutch' Krompholz (Dutch was not in attendance and Jim will give him his gift certificate) for all their work getting the base float back into parade shape. It took a lot of work and they did a great job on the new trailer and float. BRAVO ZULU to Jim and Dutch. (Note: after the presentation Doug gave the bill for the gift certificates to Treasurer Jim Harper).

Doug thanks Jim for all the work he and Dutch did on the float.

Independence Day Parade Recap - We shared a few stories from the Kirkland parade and Jim Harper had pictures to show. Don't forget you can see pictures here on the blog. It was a great event and Bob Opple has invited the organizers for the veteran's portion of the parade to the Tolling of the Boats ceremony in August.

Smokey Point Rest Stop Event Recap - This year's event happened at the start of the week, so we didn't get the normal traffic at the rest stop. We did earn around $435 this year (that's after expenses). Thanks to Steve Shelton for organizing the event and to all the volunteers that helped out.

USSVI Memorial Plaque - Pat Householder reminded us that the USSVI plaque is set to be dedicated in 2014 at the Navy Memorial in Washington D.C. for the 50th anniversary of USSVI. USSVI is still looking for donations to cover the cost of the plaque and the Seattle Base will match donations (up to $250 total). Additionally, members that donation $125 or more will receive a replica plaque, pictured below, that is similar to the one being installed at the Navy Memorial.

Replica memorial plaque

Save the Clamagore - As many of you may have heard, the museum at Patriot's Point in South Carolina does not have enough funds to do maintenance on the Clamagore. If money cannot be raised for the work, the Clamagore will probably end up on the scrap heap or as a artificial reef. The Clamagore Veterans Association is working to get donations to fix up the boat. They think they will need around 3 million dollars for all the work and to set up a maintenance fund. Please think about donating to fund.

USS Clamagore at Patriot's Point

You can donate at the website http://www.savetheclamagore.com/ or by sending your donation by check or money order to:
Save The Clamagore
c/o George Bass
110 River Birch Drive
Salisbury, NC 28146.

Tom Rice Memorial - On August 8 at 1:00 PM, Tom Rice's family and friends will be gathering to spread his ashes at the Sol Duc River bridge north of Forks. If you are interested in attending or would like more information, contact Jim Harper at 425-357-6485.

New Book from Don Ulmer - Seattle Base member Don Ulmer has come out with a new book titled "Ensure Plausible Deniability" continuing the story of his previous submarine books. Base Storekeeper Bill Geise will have copies of the book for sale in the ship's store for $15.00, with a portion of the price going to the base treasury.

Don Ulmer's new book

2013 Calendars - The USSVI 2013 calendars are available for ordering. The calendar, titled "The Victors", honors the World War II U.S. submariners and their boats. You can order your copy directly from the USSVI National Storekeeper or get a copy when they come in to the Seattle Base ship's store.

USSVI National Elections - Don't forget to get your votes in for the 2012 USSVI National Elections. You can vote online through the USSVI National website or by paper with the ballot in the American Submariner Magazine. We had paper ballots available at the meeting and can bring more for the August meeting. Ballots must be received by August 31, 2012.

Seattle Base COB Ralph Sterley casts his ballot

Upcoming Events 

Lockwood Chapter Picnic - The Submarine Veterans of World War II Lockwood Chapter is having a picnic at VFW Post 2995 on Wednesday August 8 from 11:00 AM to 2:00 PM. Everyone is invited to attend.

Tolling of the Boats – The Tolling of the Boats ceremony is set for Saturday, August 18 at the Kirkland Marina Pavilion. We are planning on grilling burgers before the ceremony and everyone is invited to attend. Be sure to invite your family and friends to this important memorial ceremony. Lunch will start around 11:30 with the tolling ceremony planned for around 1:00.

 Navy Birthday Celebration - VFW Post 2995 is planning to have a dinner to celebrate the Navy's Birthday on October 13 and they have invited us to join them. We will have more information about event as it gets closer.

Holiday Luncheon - We will have our annual Holiday Luncheon at the Seattle Yacht Club on Saturday, December 15. Be sure to mark the date on your calendar. It is always a fun time and this will probably be the last year we will be at the Seattle Yacht Club.

July Presentation 
The July program was a presentation by Ric Hedman on the USS O-2, which is the submarine featured on the Dolphin insignia.

O-2 being launched at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard

Ric related how the O-2 was the only U.S. Navy submarine completely built in Bremerton. The O-class submarines had many improvements compared to earlier submarine classes and continued to serve as training boats during the early part of WWII. The O-2 is a historic Washington state boat and we discussed adopting the boat as the Seattle Base boat. Let us know what you think about the idea of adopting the O-2 (Note: USS Bonefish was assigned as the Washington state memorial boat and we will continue to share it as the memorial boat with the other Washington state bases).

July Meeting Reminder

Boy, time for the July meeting sure arrived fast.

We will be having the next Seattle Base meeting this coming Wednesday, July 18, 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.

This month Ric Hedman is giving a report on the Submarine O-2. Look at your Dolphins and you will see the O-2. We will also discuss if we want to make the O-2 our base submarine. It sounds like a good idea to me, please give this some thought.

We'll get a report from our head barista, Steve Shelton, on the Smokey Point rest stop event. If you were not there you missed a good time.

We will also have a report on the 4th of July Parade in Kirkland, a beautiful day and a lot of fun.

Finally, don't forget about voting in the USSVI National Elections. Here is the information.

USSVI National Election Voting 
Voting for USSVI National Officers and Constitution/By-Law changes is open. All Regular (US Submarine Qualified) members have several ways to vote: 

1. Go to www.ussvi.org, then click the VOTE NATIONAL ELECTION button. Follow the instructions to log in as a member, then register your vote. (Be sure to have your copy of AMERICAN SUBMARINER Magazine at hand so you can review the full text of the Proposed Amendments and the Candidate Bios.) 
2. In AMERICAN SUBMARINER Magazine, you will find a paper ballot you can complete and mail in. If you do so, BE SURE to enter your name and Base on the ballot so that I can verify your eligibility to vote before entering it into the vote tracking system. 
3. At www.ussvi.org, under the DOCUMENTS button, then the ELECTIONS button, there are downloadable documents covering the Proposed Amendments, Candidate Bios and A Ballot, all of which can be printed out for use. 

It is important to remember that Proxy Voting is not allowed. This means, each member must do his own voting, regardless of method chosen. Bases cannot vote as a bloc, and any votes received as such will not be accepted. Proxy voting can lead to a loss of membership for the person attempting to do so. 

Your vote is your voice in the future direction and operation of our organization, so please carefully consider your alternatives and vote your choices. 

I sure hope to see you all there next Wednesday, July 18th, at the Redmond VFW Hall. 

Doug Abramson 
Seattle Base Commander

2012 Kirkland Independence Day Parade

The weather couldn’t have been better for July 4 parade. Kirkland’s downtown sidewalks were filled with a sizeable crowd and we had a good turnout of submarine veterans, especially from the Silent Service Motorcycle Club (SSMC), and their families. As usual, the city of Kirkland did a nice job with the parade and all the festivities for celebrating Independence Day.

 Here are a few photos from before the parade.

SubVets at the Sign-in table

Refurbished float with the torpedo models added

Doug Abramson and Jim Harper put the final touches on the float

SSMC lines up behind the base float

Visitor from the East Patti Lynn (Miss Lumpy Bumps on Don's BBS) greets Bob Opple's dog

Lois Mezek, Kirkland Mayor Joan McBride, and Sam Ronnie

World War II Veteran Robbie and Teri Robertson

Arlene 'Ritzie' Ritzhaupt and Doug Abramson

Steve 'Diamond' Friedley and his girls

Submarine veterans on the steps at Heritage Hall

All parade veterans on the steps

  And then it was time for the parade ...

Cliff Nutter leads the way

Submarine veterans ready to march

Jim Harper towing the float

Jim Marr and Dave Goodson riding the float

SSMC follows the float

SSMC making the turn in front of Heritage Hall

The SSMC had a really good turnout

Doug Abramson in his classic car

Sam Ronnie's limo brings up the rear

After the parade, we got a few more pictures...

Larry and Nan Abbott

Bob and Dani Haslan

Ken Board and his little buddy

WWII (Army) veteran Starr Reed and friend (I didn't catch his name, sorry)

A couple more SSMC members that I didn't get the names for

Bonnie Osborn, Don Gentry, Patti Lynn, and Ric Hedman

It was great parade, we really enjoyed it.

Kirkland Independence Day Parade Reminder

The Kirkland parade is just a few days away and we hope to see you there.

VFW Flag Bearers from the 2011 parade

Kirkland goes all out for veterans and always has treats, a pizza lunch and boutonnieres for all military members and veterans in the parade. Approximately 30,000 people line the parade route, which winds through the business section of this waterfront community, and they always make veterans feel welcome.

Members of the Seattle Base USSVI, with the newly refurbished submarine float, 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. We need to get the float 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.

See all of you on the 4th. You don’t want to miss the parade!