March 2003

2003 Reunion Update:
USS ENGLAND DLG/CG-22 REUNION II JUNE 12 - 15 2003! Planning for all tours, packages and all of the event are completed and the registration packet was made available in the last newsletter.  RADM Hugh Webster USN (Ret.)  has agreed to speak at the reunion. You’ll remember that in 2001 he gave a wonderful talk which made us laugh and remember. He'll definitely be a great speaker for us this year and we're honored to have him.

Letters to former commanding officers and previous speakers went out two weeks ago. Hopefully there will be some more response. Also, consider this an official call for speakers going out to the former officers and crew of USS England.

Last reunion’s Chaplain Mark Allison is in the National Guard and will either be drilling or deployed at the time of our reunion. He continues to serve as do so many! We are lucky to have these men and women, our fellow citizens.

However, we are in need of a Chaplain for the event! If you've experience in this areas, step up, speak up and volunteer.

You can reserve now for one, two or all three big nights of fun at the USS England Reunion! Thursday night we'll have a welcome reception, Friday night we'll have a Western BBQ Dinner with entertainment (bring your boots) and Saturday we'll have our banquet and speakers.  There will also be a Hospitality Room, tours (ASW Base, Navy Ship and the San Diego Zoo) and before you leave, breakfast on Sunday and a memorial service. You do not want to miss this event!!!! You can custom tailor the event to you needs and you can reserve today!

• USS England 2003 Reunion Registration

The registration is in Portable Document Format (PDF). To view, download a copy of Adobe Acrobat Reader.

Please know that the registration packet will only be mailed you On Line Crew members who've either requested that it be mailed to them, or do not have working e-mail addresses in the On line Crew database. If you cannot use the on-line registration packet, then e-mail DinaMLRS@aol.com and request the USS England 2003 Reunion Registration Packet. Alternatively you can call 828-256-6008. You can also use that number to make any special requests.

Please get your registration in now!!!

Mini-Reunions
Mini-Reunions can get us ready for the main event and be a lot of fun!  These are very informal gatherings!   We need coordinators for such events who will step up, find a location and call a mini-reunion.  I’ll host the next one in Orange County on  April 26, 2002 1300 (that's 1:00 PM) BJ’s Grill and Brewery,  600 Brea Mall Drive Brea, CA 92821, (714) 990-2095.  

Please plan on attending one of these events. If you’d like to host a Mini-Reunion, it is easy. Pick a place and a time. We’ll announce it on the web site!

URGENT CALL: We need a coordinator or at least someone to assist for the Mini Reunion in San Diego for the beginning of May. All you have to do is find an appropriate place and time, call them and ensure they'll have space and write to dennis@obriens.net to coordinate and announce the event. Please, someone, step up and help on this.

History Corner: USS Slater DE-766
Would you like to get a feel of what life was like on the USS England DE-635? One of the only World War II era Destroyer Escorts (DE) on display as a museum is in Albany New York as the Destroyer Escort Historical Museum. Volunteers there are working hard to restore the ship to its World War II configuration.  You might also recognize her from her role in the movie "The Guns of Navarone."

  The Cannon Class Destroyer Escort USS Slater is named for Frank O. Slater of Alabama, a sailor killed aboard the USS San Francisco during the Battle of Guadalcanal in 1942. The USS Slater was "laid down" 9 March 1943, launched 13 February 1944 and Commissioned 1 May 1944. She operated in both the Atlantic and Pacific. She was placed in reserve in May of 1947.  On March 1, 1951, SLATER was transferred to the Hellenic Navy under the Truman Doctrine. Renamed Aetos-01, the ship served as a Hellenic Navy Officer Training Vessel until 1991 when Greece donated the ship to the Destroyer Escort Sailors Association.  A Russian tugboat brought the vessel back to New York City from Crete on August 27, 1993 where it was docked next to USS Intrepid and restoration began. On Sunday 26 October 1997 she arrived in Albany, New York.

The Cannon Class is very similar to the Buckley class. Therefore one can get a good feel for what life was like on USS England DE-635 and learn about here weaponry and pother systems first hand.  She spends her summers in Albany but winters in Renssalaer, NY where tours are not available. Tours are given in the summer only (April through November) at  Broadway, foot of Madison ("Snow Dock" adjacent Dunn Memorial Bridge), Albany, NY,  Wednesday through Sunday,10:00 am to 4:00 pm with ticket sales and the gift shop being in the parking lot.

Funding for USS Slater is from donations and also generated from fees for tours that are given by volunteers. Much of the work on board is performed by volunteers.  They also have a “wish list” of items for the ship that includes electronics, manuals, weapons and personal items.  This list can be found on their web site.  If you’d like to volunteer you time and expertise to the effort, call (518) 431-1943! In Summer (April through November) work crews are Monday through Wednesday at the Albany location.  In winter work crews gather Monday through Saturday,  40 Riverside Avenue, Port of Renssalaer (one mile downriver from the Albany location, East bank), Renssalaer, NY. If you can, get down there and help!!!

Recently they’ve been denied a $200,000.00 turned down by the Interior Department for our 2002 Save America's Treasures Grant and therefore donations would certainly be welcomed and encouraged (don’t forget to write “from USS England” on your check and DEHF from so they know what groups is stepping up to help). Donations are tax deductible and a form to join the DEHF can be found at http://www.ussslater.org/dehm.html#form.

Complete details about the ship, tours, donations, and more can be found at http://www.ussslater.org! The Slater Signals Newsletter is great so sign up for that!

USS ENGLAND WEB FORUM
A great way to get in touch with shipmates, talk about the ship, share sea stores or discuss the reunion is to us the On Line Forum!  Signing up take only a few seconds and the forum is easy to use. Check it out at:

Try it today!