Reunion 2000

The Fourteenth Reunion of the U.S.S. Nassau (CVE-16) was held in Washington, D.C. from September 6-9, 2000, with 84 in attendance. Without question, this was the best reunion of the fourteen reunions held to date.

The reunion started off on Wednesday evening with pizza being served, along with coffee and cold drinks. The Hotel provided a complimentary continental breakfast that was served from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m., on Thursday through Sunday mornings.

On Thursday, September 7th, our tour took us to Arlington National Cemetery to see the lwo Jima Monument; The Wall that listed every casualty in the Foreign Wars; The Nurses Memorial; and The Vietnam Memorial. We stopped at the Lincoln Memorial, The Ford Theater and The Peterson House where Lincoln died. We went next to the Air and Space Museum, and had lunch at the Museum of Natural History. We drove by The White House, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial and Capitol Hill.

On Friday, September 8th, we went to The Museum of American History and stopped at The Navy Memorial, across the street from The National Archives Building We had lunch at the Regan Building, one of the most expensive buildings ever built in Washington. Finally, we drove out to Mount Vernon and back to the hotel.

Saturday, September 9th, was the highlight of the entire reunion. We started the tour by going to The Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. What a thrill it was to walk the same ground where so many of our Naval Heroes have walked. We took a Walking Tour around The Academy with a very knowledgeable guide. John Paul Jones is buried in a crypt close to the chapel.

We had lunch at the Drydock Cafe, and then it was on to Arlington Cemetery where the most touching ceremony, involving the members of The U.S.S. Nassau Association, was ever performed. Arrangements had been made several months in advance. Most everyone who came to the reunion was at The Tomb of The Unknown Soldier, as we watched the changing of the guard, before our ceremony. At 3:30 p.m. five of the Nassau men participated in the laying of the wreath at the tomb. The five were selected randomly, with their approval. The five were: Tony Calleo, John Duncan, Ralph Kleinspehn, Jim Rappenecker and Wilbur Zink. Upon placing the wreath on a special stand, the men stepped back and one of the soldiers that was part of the garrison at the tomb played "taps."

After the men returned to the visitors' viewing area, the chain was left down so I went as close as I could to the wreath to take a picture, much to the vocal objection of the soldier in charge. The picture I took brought out the beauty and the colorful flowers, as well as making plain the name of the Nassau on the ribbon. Ralph Kleinspehn later wrote me that participating in the wreath ceremony meant more to him than receiving his commission as an Ensign in the U.S. Navy.

We were blessed to have a Navy band and Color Guard from Washington, D.C. Every sailor in the color guard was well over six feet and the band numbered 21 men. As the colors were retired, the band played "God Bless America," along with a much deserved applause by the Nassau shipmates and their wives.

At the end of the Invocation, the Nassau Chaplain, Wilbur Zink remembered those who had passed on since our last reunion which were Rex Coen, John Paditia, Richard Van Blooys, Lee Mawhinney, H.R. Morrison, Jim Daw, Dolphus Fortier, and Harlin Hoffman.

Our speaker for the evening was Dean Frederic Davis from the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, accompanied by his wife. Shipmates in attendance at our 2000 Reunion were E. Anderson, F. Bahl with their daughter, grandchildren and friends; K. Berger, J. Booher, E. Brown, A. Calleo, D. Christensen, J. Coe, J. Duncan, S. Ferguson, W. Fry, H. Fulks, S. Gault, J. Hartzheim, J. Heagy, J. Helps, T. Hennessy, J. Holmes, C. Jordan and friends, J. Kasianowicz, R. Kleinspehn, E. Lamb, C. McAdoo, V. Manning, J. Marino, S. Moore, E. Morris, E. Norwinski, G. Oberst, M. O'Brien, W. Price, J. Rappenecker, Rich and Jim Rose, C. Ross, E. Simon, L. Svoboda, Richard White (son of Hugh White), F. Williams and Gayla Self, W. Zink, along with their wives.