2015 Auburn Veterans Day Parade Reminder

Seattle Base will be participating in the Auburn Veterans Day parade on Saturday, November 7, 2015.

We are joining members from Silent Service Motorcycle Club, Bremerton Base, and South Sound Base . In addition to the Bonefish and Seattle Base floats, there will be a couple cars for people to ride in.

Check-in starts at 9:30 and we expect to meet at the staging area near K St. NE and Main St by 10:00 AM. The parade starts at 11:00.

There is plenty of parking available at the parking garage on 2nd St. in Auburn (near the Transit Center on the map below, click on the map for a larger view).

This is the 50th Auburn Veterans Day celebration and as part of the anniversary there are events planned for the entire week of November 2 through November 8, including movies, a Veterans Talent show, and much more.In addition to the parade on Saturday, there is a breakfast at the American Legion (from 7:00 to 9:30 am), a static display area, lunch at the Auburn Noon Lions Club, and other events throughout the day.See the Auburn city community calendar web page for more information.

We hope to see you there!

Tahoma National Cemetery Veterans Day Ceremony 
For those of you not participating in other events on Veterans Day, Wednesday November 11th, plan on attending the Veterans Day ceremony at Tahoma Cemetery at 11:00.

The Keynote Speaker for the ceremony will be Vietnam Veteran Jim Martinson and the guest speaker will be the Canadian Contingent Commander. 

Tahoma Nation Cemetery is located at 18600 SE 240th St, Kent, WA 98042

November - December 2015 Dolphin Brotherhood Posted

The November – December issue of the Dolphin Brotherhood has been posted to the Seattle Base website.

This issue has information about the 2015 Auburn Veterans Day Parade and the Seattle Base Holiday Luncheon, including the registration form, along with the usual base news and other submarine related articles.

Submarine Veterans at the 2014 Auburn Veterans Day Parade

The Holiday Luncheon will be at the Meydenbaur Bay Yacht Club in Bellevue and you can find a copy of the registration form at this link. Don’t forget to get your registration form in before the end of November.

Hardcopies of the newsletter will be in the mail shortly. I hope you all enjoy it.

As always, don't forget to check back here on the blog for base updates and other articles of interest. You can find old issues of the newsletter at: Dolphin Brotherhood Archives, which is also a link on the right side of the blog.

Dave Schueler
Seattle Base Newsletter Editor

October 2015 Meeting Notes

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

Yakima Base CO John Dominguez accepts the Traveling Dolphins from John Roberts

During the introductions we found that half a dozen members of the Yakima Base were in attendance with the intention of capturing the Western District 4 Traveling Dolphins. Seattle Base had captured them from Bremerton Base in April and now it was time to turn them over.

John tells his sea story with time-honored gestures

Yakima Base Commander John Dominguez provided the sea story to seal the capture, talking about his time on USS George Washington Carver (SSBN-656).

Old and New Business:
Meeting Facility Update – As discussed at our last meeting, we will continue to meet at VFW Post 2995. The Post leadership has settled on charging us $40 per meeting, which will work out to about $400 per year, since we usually skip meetings in August and December.

Auburn Veterans Day Parade – The 50th annual Veterans Day Parade in Auburn is set for Saturday, November 7 and Seattle Base will be there. We will meet near the intersection of K and Main streets around 10 – 10:30 AM. The parade starts at 11 AM. There will be numerous events before and after the parade, be sure to check the Auburn Community website for more information.

Holiday Luncheon Update – The Holiday Luncheon is set for Saturday, December 5 at the Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club. We will have more information on the menu and prices shortly, but both are expected to be similar to last year. Be sure to watch the newsletter and here on the blog for more information.

Other Upcoming Events – In addition to the Auburn Parade, we will be at the Veterans Day ceremony at Tahoma National Cemetery on November 11. Remember our last business meeting of the year will be on November 18. We also were informed that the date for the 2016 Tolling the Boats ceremony will be August 20.

Base Elections – Seattle Base elections will be this coming January. Our base needs members to stand for the positions necessary to keep the base running. Especially the Base Commander, Sr. Vice Commander, and Jr. Vice Commander positions. Even if you aren’t ready to be a Base Officer, you can still help out as one of the committee chairs or appointed officers for the base. Committee chairs and appointed officers are really needed to handle the necessary base functions that make our base valuable to us all. If you are interested in running for an officer position or chairing a committee, please contact one of the Base Officers for more information.

National Dues Increase – If you are a year-to-year member, you should note that the USSVI National dues are increasing to $25 per year on January 1, 2016. However, if you renew before the end of the year the dues are still only $20. Note that Seattle Base dues are not increasing.

October Program: 
The speaker for October was Seattle Base member Kerry Ryan. As many of you know, Kerry served in the Air Force and was part of the Honor Guard detachment and his presentation was all about this organization. Kerry told us about the history behind the ceremonial units and their establishment by President Harry Truman. He covered the mission of the Honor Guard and the vision that each branch of the service has for their ceremonial units. He told us about the changes the units have undergone since their establishment and the duties and responsibilities for the units and the men serving in them. He also covered the qualifications and requirement to become an Honor Guard member.

After covering the units, Kerry shared his experiences during his time with the Honor Guard. He told us about the different events he was involved with from ceremonies to burial duties. He had several interesting anecdotes from his time in the guard. Kerry also told us about his experiences after the assassination of John Kennedy.

Kerry Ryan had some support from his family for his presentation

It was interesting to hear the history of the ceremonial units and Kerry did a great job telling stories from his time with the Air Force Honor Guard.

Good of the Order: 
Lockwood Base donated $100 to the Seattle Base treasury. We want to thank them for all their support.

Base Closures – South Sound Base will be closing their doors after their next meeting in November. We are hoping some of the members will join up with the Seattle Base. Additionally, we were told that Central Oregon Base will also be closing down.

October 2015 Meeting Reminder

The next Seattle Base meeting is this coming Wednesday, October 21. 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 start with our usual business meeting, where we will cover the upcoming events for the rest of the year, along with some other subjects.

For the November program, our speaker will be Kerry Ryan, one of our Base associates. Kerry served with distinction as a Senior Airman in the USAF serving as a “Ceremonial Guardsman” from 1962 -1966.

Kerry’s duty station was Bolling Air Force Base Washington DC. His primary duty was to serve in an elite and exclusive team with high visibility. He supported and engaged in the sacred and solemn burial services at Arlington National Cemetery.

Kerry’s team participated at various national sites and monuments like major White House events, the Pentagon, and the Lincoln Memorial to name a few. His team often met and escorted arriving diplomats, religious leaders like Pope Pius VI, and provided security escort services to notable world leaders.

Kerry has developed a power point presentation with YouTube videos and will elaborate on his remarkable experiences in an exclusive arm of the US Air Force. Don’t miss this meeting! We know you will appreciate the services the US Air Force Ceremonial Honor Guard provides for major high visibility national events.

We hope to see you on Wednesday!

October 2015 Commander's Corner

Shipmates,

As the holiday season approaches, we can say it has been a great year. We have maintained a solid membership and, in the process, added a few new members. We always have a good turnout during our monthly meetings, we have fun, we talk about future plans, and vote on important issues. We always make it a point to invite knowledgeable and dynamic speakers offering some great material.

By years end we will have participated in at least sixteen base activities including fund raising events, parades, and field trips; like those to the Museum of Flight Restoration facility and the recent outstanding Portland trip to see the Blueback. The last trip was punctuated by a stop at the Chehalis Veterans Memorial Museum. I had previously seen the building while driving by on I-5, but had no idea of its scope and size. It provides tours given by knowledgeable docents. It has superb displays and tributes to all who served throughout our history, including the US Submarine Service. I recommend it in the event you haven’t had the chance to see it.

Approaching Blueback on the recent trip

The planned activities and other events we enjoy help to consolidate this Base. To a large extent, these activities and events are the result of so many selfless shipmates and volunteers who continually step up to make it work. When you have an opportunity take a minute to thank them, you know who they are.

Finally, we are again actively negotiating, planning and organizing another outstanding Holiday Luncheon at Meydenbauer Yacht Club. When completed we will provide details, selections, and a sign up sheet sometime later in the fall, standby.

Incidentally, remember to mark your calendar for the revised date of December 5th.

Dick Gonzalez
Seattle Base Commander.

Winston Churchill said; “Success consists of going from failure to failure without loss of enthusiasm.”

September 2015 Meeting Notes

We started the September meeting by Tolling the Boats lost in September followed by birthday wishes for our members, officer reports, and introductions. We also had a quick recap of the Base events for the last month, including the Tolling the Boats ceremony, the field trip to the Chehalis Veterans Museum and Blueback, and the Black Diamond Labor Day parade.

1st Place plaque from the Black Diamond Labor Day Parade

 

Old and New Business:
Meeting Facility Update – At the July meeting we were informed that the VFW post was going to charge additional rental fees for the meeting room. We had started looking for new meeting locations, and got some interesting offers, but the VFW post decided to rescind their decision. So for the foreseeable future we will continue to meet at VFW Post 2995.

Auburn Veterans Day Parade – Planning has started for the 50th annual Veterans Day Parade in Auburn. The parade will be on Saturday November 7 and Seattle Base will be there. We will put out more details as time gets closer to the parade.

Salmon for Soldiers – Earl Greening gave a report on the Salmon for Soldiers fishing outing. Earl also passed along the organization’s thanks for the donation Seattle Base had made to the event earlier this year.

Holiday Luncheon – We are making plans for the Holiday Luncheon and the first change has already happened. The event will now be on December 5. Be sure to update your calendars. We will have more information on the menu and prices shortly.

Base Elections – Seattle Base elections will be this coming January. John Roberts is stepping up to run for Base Commander, but his impending move to Texas means that he will not be able to complete the term. Our base needs members to stand for the positions necessary to keep the base running. Especially the Base Commander, Sr. Vice Commander, and Jr. Vice Commander positions. Even if you aren’t ready to be a Base Officer, you can still help out as one of the committee chairs or appointed officers for the base. Committee chairs and appointed officers are really needed to handle the necessary base functions that make our base valuable to us all. If you are interested in running for an officer position or chairing a committee, please contact one of the Base Officers for more information.

Good of the Order:
Bill Lightfoot requested that we ask if anyone could give him a ride for the October meeting. Bill’s normal ride, Steve Shelton, will be on vacation during the meeting. So if you have some extra room in your car, please contact Bill or let one of the officers know so arrangements can be made.

Ric Hedman let us know about a new submarine book, Seventeen Fathoms Deep, is out. The book covers the loss of the USS S-4 and the author got input from Ric and other submarine veterans on the book. Ric reported that it is a good read!

September Program: 

September Program

The speaker for September was second-generation Navy veteran Greg Emerson. His father was a submariner, serving on many different submarines in the 50s and 60s, and Greg served on 18 different ships during a 21 year naval career and has published numerous naval analysis articles. Greg is also a member of the Sons of the American Revolution where he serves as Captain of the Color Guard and the Veterans Coordinator. Greg’s presentation was on George Washington’s spy ring during the American Revolution. He talked about how Washington’s spies were relatively unknown by the general public and their exploits have only come to light recently. Greg told us about the events that led up to the establishment of the spy groups and talked about the different people involved in the groups and spying during the war, including Nathan Hale, John Andre, and Benedict Arnold. We also learned about spycraft during the era, including the different encryption methods used. It was a very interesting program on a little known subject.

Seattle Base Commander Dick Gonzalez presents a certificate of appreciation to Greg Emerson, along with a photo of one of the submarines Greg's father served on

Seattle Base trip to Chehalis Veterans Museum and Blueback

On Saturday, September 5 Seattle Base took a short excursion to the Veterans Memorial Museum in Chehalis WA. and to the Blueback exhibit at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry in Portland OR.

It was a fun outing and a great opportunity to see some near-by veteran and submarine related locations.

Here are a few photos from the Blueback portion of the trip.

View of Blueback from the pier with one of Portland's many bridges in the back

USSVI memorial plaque

An old five-bladed screw (note the USSVI memorial plaque is in front of the screw)

Submarine Veterans of World War II memorial

The first stop on the tour is the wardroom, where they had some nice size comparison models

Then it was off to Control to see the helm and plane controls

And the "Christmas Tree" all lit up

Then back through the galley to Maneuvering and the diesel controls

Then it was back out the hull cut for a quick group photo

We hope to do more Seattle Base outings like this one. If you have ideas for other trips, be sure to bring them up to the Base officers.