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April 2001
Operation
Reunion - July 26-29, 2001 San Diego
Registration
Packets Have Been Sent!
July 26,27,28 and 29, 2001 we will be in San
Diego, California! Reservation
packets went out this month that detail the packages that you can customize
to fit your budget and your interests. Please return yours as soon as
possible so we can start to get a feel for how many people will be
attending. If you previously signed up as On Line Crew but have not been
sent a packet, please call Dina at 828-256-6008.
One
More Speaker Added:
 We
have added one more speaker for the reunion, Captain (ret) Peter J.
Gaskin rounds out our list of speakers for the 2001 reunion. Other
speakers are Adm (Ret) Henry H. Mauz, RADM (Ret) Hugh Webster, CAPT
(Ret) Coenraad van der Schroeff, Former
USS England Chaplin Mark Allison and CWO4 George "Gunner"
Evans (USN, Ret.).
A
native of New York City, Captain Gaskin attended the University of
Pennsylvania through the NROTC program, In 1974, he received an MBA from
Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.
His at sea experience includes tours in Destroyers: USS STICKELL (DD 888) as
ASW, NAV, GUNS, and DASH; USS LYMAN K. SWENSON (DD 729) as OPS; Battleship
USS NEW JERSEY (BB 62) as OPS; Anti-Submarine Fast Frigate USS MEYERKORD (FF
1058) as CO; Guided Missile Cruiser USS ENGLAND (CG 22) where he served
three tours as OPS, XO, and CO. In Vietnam, Captain Gaskin was Senior
Advisor to the Vietnamese River Patrol (PBR) Division 62 and the
Advance Tactical Support Base at Phouc Xuyen. At sea, staff tours included
ACOS OPS/Plans and Surface OPS in Cruiser Destroyer Group TWO with two
deployments on USS AMERICA (CV 66) - - the last being Operation Desert Storm
and Chief of Staff, Carrier Group THREE on USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (CVN 72).
Ashore, Captain Gaskin served in Washington as a Financial Manager in BUPERS
Officer Distribution Branch (PERS 4) and in the office of Assistant
Secretary of the Navy (Manpower and Reserve Affairs). He was the ACOS for
OPS/Plans at COMNAVSURFPAC prior to assuming command of USS ENGLAND (CG 22).
In July 1996, he assumed duties as Commander, Military Sealift Command
Far East, Yokohama, Japan. Captain Gaskin retired in July 1999 and he and
his wife returned to San Diego.
Personal
decorations include three Legions of Merit, Bronze Star with Combat
"V", five Meritorious Service Medals, and three Navy Commendation
Medals.
Captain Gaskin is married to the former Marilyn Monia Davis of Beverly
Hills, California.
Sign
Up For More information:
 To
receive reunion information, you must have signed up as On
Line Crew. This will ensure that the Military
Locator & Reunion Service and the people here have your address and
other data so you can receive all the information about the reunion and
other events. If you or other shipmates cannot fill in the form, send me the
information at: Dennis
O'Brien, 254 Allegheny Way, Placentia, CA 92870 or e-mail dennis@ussengland.net.
The
most important thing for you to know is that this is going to be a great fun
event! We expect a great turn out for a fun time in San Diego. You do not
want to miss the first USS England DLG/CG-22 reunion. We very much need
every one of you there to enjoy the event and plan for the future! This
is the USS England, lets show San Diego how it is done!
Mini-Reunion
- Success!
 On
April 21, 2001 a Mini-Reunion was held at Seau's Restaurant in San Diego,
CA. Approximately 30 to 40 shipmates attended the impromptu event including RADM
(ret) Webster, who will also be speaking at our reunion in July. With
all the socializing and fun not enough pictures were taken! This will be
remedied at the reunion in July.
 Lots
of attendees brought cruise books and other memorabilia. They shared all
sorts of sea stories and old friends were reunited. Seeing RADM (ret)
Webster and Lt (ret) William J. Cornwell reunite after many years
was wonderful! The smiles on their faces and the excitement was
contagious. Moments like that made the event worth while and serves as a
precursor for what we can expect in July!
A very
special thank you to Ed Vanguild who made all the arrangements with Seau's
and communicated everything back to me so I could send out the fliers.
Without Ed this event would not have been pulled off!
RADM
(ret)Webster
reports that he has run into Captain Hogg from time to time and will
get him the information about our group. Claude Darden and Richard
Coleman want to hear from Plank Owners, friends and their families!
Please write to them at richard1124@webtv.net
so that they know you are "alive." Carlos Luna
came the farthest, all the way from Burbank, CA.
You
can see the pictures by clicking
here!
Looking
ahead we might try to have an LA area Mini Reunion
in May or June. Those who are interested, please e-mail me at dennis@ussengland.net.
Let me know when you'd like this to occur and where.
Book
Report
 Forgotten
Fleet, The Mothball Navy by Daniel Madsen, 1999, Naval Institute Press,
Annapolis, Maryland is an extremely interesting book that describes the
history of the mothball fleet, the more famous ships that have occupied it,
including USS England, and the changes that have taken place in the
management of these ships.
The
book is written with a nostalgic flair, mournfully discussing the ships in
their final years as forgotten warriors. Details are provided on how ships
were preserved, especially after World War II and how some where reactivated
for the Korean War, Vietnam and other conflicts. It also tells the stories
of many of the ships and the reserve fleet program.
The
book does jump from place to place and time to time, sometimes seemingly at
random. It also misses some details and though is has a large number of
pictures, most reveal nothing new. Regardless, I could not put it down and
therefore it is acceptable reading entertainment. Having a picture of USS
England in it helped!
The
book is recommended and can be purchased on Amazon.com.
Where
are they now?
David
True sent these pictures of his beautiful new
truck! Check out the license plate! That little touch really completes the
look!
Web
Updates!
Many
new items have been added along with this newsletter. Look at these new
additions:
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