December 2015 Commander's Corner

I know you will agree that we are most fortunate to have a good number of committed board members and dedicated volunteers insuring we succeed as a Base. We appreciate them and often make it a point to recognize their work. By their example we hope others will be inspired to participate during this current election cycle.

Another major asset we may sometimes fail to recognize are the woman in our midst. They play a large roll often working behind the scenes directly or indirectly. They inspire us, participate, and provide supporting rolls in so many of our events. They are our wives, partners, and associate members. We owe them a debt of gratitude and are better off because of them.

Looking back, we had a terrific year and as I step aside to make room for a new leader. During this period, I gained a greater appreciation for the meaning of our “Brotherhood.” I met and enjoyed collaborating with other bases including the national USSVI leadership. They are inspirational and strive to insure we perpetuate our special union.

I wish to thank my shipmates for encouraging and motivating me throughout the last two years. I am honored.

I hope each and every one of you enjoyed your Thanksgiving and wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Santa arriving on USS Providence (SSN-719)

Dick Gonzalez
Seattle Base Commander

November 2015 Meeting Notes

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

Storekeeper Ralph Sterley let us know that 2016 calendars are available for $10.95. Be sure to get your copy soon.

Old and New Business:

Auburn Veterans Day Parade – We recapped the parade (you can see pictures here) and we were told that the USSVI Bases and SubVets of WW II that participated in the Auburn parade won the "Memorial Award to Harold Page - Best Veteran Service Organization Entry" award.

Award from the Auburn parade

This is the third highest award given by the city to parade entries. Congratulations on the award and thanks to Ric Hedman for organizing things for the parade.

Holiday Luncheon Update – The Holiday Luncheon is set for Saturday, December 5 at the Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club. You can find registration forms in the form in the latest newsletter and at this link. Don’t forget to get your registration form in as soon as possible and help get the word out to others.

Arizona Silent Service Memorial – USSVI Perch Base is working to establish a Silent Service Memorial on the grounds of the capital in Phoenix. To help raise money they are selling brick pavers for engraved messages. You can find out more about the project and how to buy a brick at the Arizona Silent Service Memorial web page. Seattle Base is donating $100 to the project.

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.

Reminder of 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.

November Program:
For November’s program, base members Keith Watson and Bill Lightfoot put on a presentation on Bill’s book “Beneath the Surface: Submarines built in Seattle and Vancouver 1909 – 18” along with information from Ric Hedman’s Pigboats.com website.

They started with some brief information about each of the submarines built in Puget Sound area. They also talked about the Moran Brothers shipyard, which built most of the submarines. They showed photos of the construction process and initial testing. They also talked about how some of the boats were disassembled and crated off for shipment to Imperial Russia. Including a number that were later purchased by the U.S. Navy, and reassembled in Bremerton, after the fall of the Tsarist government. Keith provided more information about the boats purchased by the U.S., including the sad fate of USS F-4, which was rammed and sunk by it ‘s sister sub. They also talked about the submarines purchased by the government of British Columbia and later Canada in 1914, which established the Canadian submarine force.

Bill Lighfoot and Keith Watson during the program

The program was an interesting look at the little known early history of submarines in Puget Sound. If you are interested in reading Bill’s book, you can borrow the copy in the base library (just contact Newsletter Editor Dave Schueler) or you can still get copies on Amazon.com.

Good of the Order: 
Ric Hedman brought a copy of the new book “Seventeen Fathoms Deep” about the loss of USS S-4. It was a great looking book and is highly recommended.

November 2015 Meeting Reminder

The next Seattle Base meeting is this coming Wednesday, November 18. 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 is the final business meeting of 2015. We recap the Veterans Day activities, cover the plans for the upcoming Holiday Luncheon, and talk about 2016.

Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club main building

Speaking of the Holiday Luncheon, we will be at the Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club in Bellevue again this year and you can find a copy of the registration form in the latest newsletter and at this link. Don’t forget to get your registration form in before the end of November.

We hope to see you at the meeting!

2015 Auburn Veterans Day Parade Photos

It was a cool, rainy Saturday for the 50th annual Auburn Veterans Day Parade. The rain showers came and went, but finally went once the parade started. However, the rain didn’t dampen the spirits of the crowd, who were as enthusiastic as ever, and everyone seemed to have a good time. Our turnout was a little lighter than normal, with members from Seattle, Bremerton, South Sound Bases, and Silent Service Motorcycle Club showing up. But it was still a good time and great to see all the veterans out for the parade.
Here are some photos from the event.

SubVets Group photo

Before the parade we had a little time to swap a few sea stories in rain.

Getting the Bonefish float ready

Swapping a few stories

Yep, it is still raining

Talking over future plans

Bonefish float is ready to go

Seattle Base float is ready to go

A B-25 flyover kicks off the parade

Bremerton Base leads off for our group

Followed by the Bonefish float

Then the marchers

And the Seattle float

Waving to the crowd

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.