USS MAURY AGS16 MESSAGE BOARD

ships store

Jim Johnson — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 23:17:53 GMT

Hey guys I was forced by my health to resign as ships store operator several months ago., yet the oreder form still list me as as the operator even though all mdse has been shipped to Jim White. I appreciate the fact that Jim W, is temporary untill someone else volunteers, but it is not fair to shipmate who may still send orders to me. fortunately to date their has been only one such order, but the info needs to be changed.

It is Official - Change of name

James White — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 03:57:51 GMT

The USS Maury AGS-16 Association, a non-profit organization has a new name. The date on which the articles of incorporation were approved by the Indiana Secretary of State is October 16, 2009. Our new name is: USS Maury AGS-16 Association, INC., a non-profit corporation. Terry Gann will make the necessary changes to the web site as time permits. A copy of the new by-laws will be posted as soon as they are finalized.

VETERAN'S DAY

Ron Hill — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:09:56 GMT

Veteran's Day is always a special occasion, but this year it comes on a week that saw the commissioning of the USS New York, made from 9/11 steel debris, the commemoration of the end of Cold War symbolized in the collapse of the Berlin Wall twenty years ago on Monday, and the poignant, tearful ceremony at Fort Hood yesterday.

I had an acquaintance yesterday remark that he had served in Germany with the army in the late 60s and didn't feel he contributed much since everything was too peaceful. I reminded him that the reason things were "too peaceful", is because he and his fellow soldiers made it that way due to their very presence on a potential frontline. They and their families sacrificed a few years of their youth to serving. Whatever the activity during our individual service, we all need to be very proud of that service during the difficult Cold War of which Korea, Vietnam, and other "ports-of-call" were extensions. I salute each of you for serving -- and don't forget to salute (hug!) a loved one who kept the light on for us on the home front...Vet's Day is for them also.

Photo's

Terry D. Gann — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 16:04:45 GMT

Shipmates,

Will add some more photo's to the Web Site starting Monday. Took a few days off being's I got the Weekend off from work and my better half was complaining I was spending to much time on the computer. So we compromised and I'll do it when I get home from work and she goes to work.

Terry

Photo's

Terry D. Gann — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 18:52:57 GMT

Shipmates,

I've posted more Photo's of the re-Union on the Web site. These are at Boeing Field.

I've also posted some photo's from MM-2 Larry Badget who served on maury from 1965 - 1967. They are under the Photo Gallery 2 Tab. They have to do with a Spill when maury was taking on fuel.

I'll be posting more photo's this week,from the reunion watch for them.....

Terry

Red Barn at Boeing Field

Terry D. Gann — Sat, 24 Oct 2009 03:26:28 GMT

Shipmates,

I recieved 3 photo's form Alan Innacito taken at the Red BArn at Boeing Field. Did anyone take any more than? If so send them to me please.

Terry

The nameless

Terry D. Gann — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 12:03:41 GMT

Shipmates,

As you can see I have almost got all the names to go with the pictures for the Group Photo's. So if you can help me name the nameless we can scratch that one off the list.

Also I have started the reunion shots as well. I would like to thank all of you who have so graciously sent me their photo's either by e-mail or CD. This won't replace all the photo's my son-in-law took, but its a good start. Once again, thankyou, Shipmates.

I will post some more of the photo's once I get them ready to post. So hang in there with me. Got a lot of pictures to add to the Site.

Terry

Reunion pictures

James White — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 01:38:39 GMT

Alan Iannacito (aka Cito) has send me a CD with 117 pictures that he took of the reunion. He is willing to give a CD to anyone that requests one. I do not know his cost by I do know that the postage on my copy was $1.39. Alan's e-mail address is

alaniannacito@comcast.net. I have downloaded the pictures and will also send them to anyone that request them. James White

jmww03@cox.net

Taps

Terry D. Gann — Sat, 17 Oct 2009 05:00:51 GMT

Shipmates,

As promised the "Taps" page on the Web Site is in alphabetical order.

Terry

Peacoat

Jim Johnson — Thur, 15 Oct 2009 11:55:04 GMT

For all you old sailors, REMEMBER WHEN!!!!!!!! !!!!!

One of God's Better Inventions

You remember them: those ton and a half monsters that took the annual

production of thirty-five sheep to make. Those thick black rascals with

black plastic buttons the size of poker chips. The issue coats that

drove shore duty chief petty officers stark raving nuts if they caught

you with the collar turned up or your hands in your pockets.

"Hey, you rubber sock, get those damn hands outta them damn pockets!

Didn't they issue you black leather gloves?" So, you took your hands

out of your pockets and risked digital frostbite rather than face

whatever the Navy had in store for violators of the 'No Damn Hands In

Peacoat Pockets' policy. There's probably a special barracks in Hell

full of old E-3s caught hitchhiking in sub-zero weather with hands in

peacoat pockets.

As for those leather gloves, one glove always went missing. "Son, where

in the' hell are the gloves we issued you?" We? I don't remember this

nasty, ugly so-n-so being at Great Lakes, San Diego, Orlando or

Bainbridge when the 'jocks and socks' petty officers were throwing my

initial issue sea bag at me and yelling, "Move it!!" As for the gloves,

once you inadvertently leave one glove on a bar stool or on the seat of

a Greyhound bus, the remaining glove is only useful if a tank rolls

over the hand that fit the lost glove.

In the days long ago, a Navy specification peacoat weighed about the

same as a flat carload of cinder blocks. When it rained, it absorbed

water until your spine warped, your shins cracked and your ankles

split. Five minutes standing in the rain waiting on a bus and you felt

like you were piggy-backing the Statue of Liberty. When a peacoat got

wet, it smelled a lot like sheep dip. It had that wet wool smell, times

three. It weighed three and a half tons and smelled like 'Mary had a

little lamb's gym shorts.

You know how heavy a late '50s pea coat was? Well, they had little

metal chains sewn in the back of the collar to hang them up by. Like

diluted Navy coffee, sexual sensitivity instruction, comfortable

air-conditioned bungalows, patent leather plastic-looking shoes and

wearing white hats configured to look like bidets, the peacoat

specification has been watered down to the point you could hang them up

with dental floss. In the old days, pea coat buttons and grocery cart

wheels were interchangeable. The gear issued by the U.S. Navy was tough

as hell, bluejacket-tested clothing with the durability of rhino hide

and construction equipment tires. Peacoats came with wide, heavy

collars. In a cold, hard wind, you could turn that wide collar up to

cover your neck and it was like poking your head in a tank turret.

The things were warm, but I never thought they were long enough.

Standing out in the wind in those 'big-legged britches' (bell bottoms),

the wind whistled up your cuffs and took away body warmth like a thief.

But, they were perfect to pull over you for a blanket when sleeping on

a bus or a bus terminal bench. Every sailor remembers stretching out on

one of those oak bus station pews with his white hat over his face, his

head up against his AWOL bag and covered with his peacoat. There was

always some 'SP' who had not fully evolved from the apes, who poked you

with his billy club and said, "Hey, you! Get up! Waddya think yer

doin'? You wanna sleep, get a room!"

Peacoats were lined with quilted satin or rayon. I never realized it at

the time, but sleeping on bus seats and station benches would be the

closest I would ever get to sleeping on satin sheets. Early in my naval

career, a career-hardened (lifer) first class gunner's mate told me to

put my ID and liberty card in the inside pocket of my peacoat. "Put the

sonuvabitches in that gahdam inside pocket and pin the damn thing

closed with a diaper pin. Then, take your heavy folding money and put

it in your sock. If you do that, learn to never take your socks off in

a cathouse. Them damn dockside pickpockets pat 'cha down for a lumpy

wallet and they can relieve you of said wallet so fast you'll never

know you've been snookered. Only an idiot will clam-fold his wallet and

tuck it in his thirteen button bell bottoms. Every kid above the age of

six in Italy knows how to lift a wallet any fool pokes in his pants.

Those little locals learned to pick sailor's pockets in kindergarten.

Rolling Bluejackets is the national sport in Italy."

In Washington DC they have a wonderful marble and granite plaza

honoring the United States Navy. Every man or woman who served this

nation in a naval uniform, owes it to himself or herself to visit this

memorial and take their families. It honors all naval service and any

red-blooded American bluejacket or officer will feel the gentle warmth

of pride his or her service is honored within this truly magical place.

The focal point of this memorial is a bronze statue of a lone American

sailor. No crow on his sleeve tells you that he is non-rated. And,

there are further indications that suggest maybe, once upon a time, the

sculptor himself may have once been an E-3 white hat. The lad has his

collar turned up and his hands in his pockets. I'm sure the Goddess of

the Main Induction laughs at the old, crusty chiefs standing there with

veins popping out on their old, wrinkled necks, muttering, "Look at

that S.O.B. standing there with his collar up and his damn hands in his

pockets. In my day, I would have ripped that jerk a new one!"

Ah, the satisfied glow of E-3 revenge. Peacoats -- one of God's better inventions.

TAPS (A listing of deceased shipmates)

James White — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 17:08:12 GMT

There was a very heated discussion at the membership/crew meeting concerning the TAPs Link and the arrangement of the names and the listing of deceased shipmates. If any one has a name that they would like to add, please provide the information to Charley Howe and Terry Gann. If you can not contact them, them send me the information. There were three deaths during my time on board Maury (Feb 62- Apr 63)and these shipmates are not listed as honors were given at the time of their death. However, if anyone feels that they should be listed, please feel free to provide the necessary info and they will be listed. A new arrangement will be posted shortly.

James White

Secretary

challenge coins

Jim Johnson — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 09:24:35 GMT

Just when you thought I was going away or gone: I regret missing the reunion, sounds like everyone had a great time, with the exception of course of Terrys unfortunate incident in Vancouver, I have been crossing the border to Mexico almost monthly for the last 15 years and never had anything like this happen even there, Of course you might get shot in the drug wars, but both just go to show you what a plague drugs are. The real reason for this msg is to inform anyone who liked the pins and coins we had made for the reunion and ships store of the source for this mdse, Log onto http://store.nwtmint.com/navy for a catalog. This is a personal endorsement and has no connection to the association or ships store. I just liked the service they provided me and thought you may like some of their other mdse, Charley tried to get them to make a presentation at the reunion but they were booked up. They do have an extensive line of Navy memorabilia.

Over view of Association Meeting held in Seattle

James White — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 01:16:25 GMT

Fifty-five shipmates and their wives and guests attended the Seattle reunion. Forty-nine shipmates attended the membership/crew meeting. The main items discussed were as follows:

Incorporation. The Association will become the USS MAURY AGS 16 Association, Incorporated, a non-profit corporation. When all the paper work is complete more information as well as the corporation by-laws, will be posted on the web site and in the newsletter.

Honorary members - Gwen and Maddie were made Honorary member and received the certificate at the banquet.

Association Officers - By vote of the members, the present officers will retain their positions. There is however an open position and that is "Ship's Store" operator. Jim Johnson has given up his position due to health reasons. Anyone that would like to fill this position contact Peter Danna.

The 2011 reunion will be held in the Norfolk area. Contact Frank Burgess if you would like to assist him.

Under the new By-laws, the location of the 2013 reunion will be determined by a committee. A vote was taken however and the following three locations were presented: St. Louis (got more votes than other two), Nashville and Fredrickburg/San Antonio, TX.

Dues will be raised to $10.00 per year starting January 1st, 2010. Those that have paid 2010 dues and beyond do not have to pay the increase. This was voted on and approved by the membership.

Other minor "house keeping" items were discussed and I hope, to the satisfaction of the attendees.

Hope you had a safe trip home?

Terry D. Gann — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 23:19:00 GMT

Shipmates,

Another wonderful Reunion has came and went. Hope everyone had a safe trip home?

We weren't so lucky.... Came up to Vancouver. We had to wait until 3:00 pm to check into our hotel, so we went to the Vancouver Aquarium at Stanley Park. Our rental van had the window broken out while we were in the Aquarium and my son-in-laws camera case and gps were stolen. Unfortunately all the photo's he took at the Banquet as well as the group photo's and photo's from the Space Needle and the Downtown Market as well as the Ferry to Bremerton were in his camera case along with his chargers and some of his lenses and his spare vile of insulin.

The equipment is replaceable but not the photo cards. Soooooo, I am hoping that any and all of you that took photo's at the banquet will send me copies of your photo's. I'm hoping that the Vancouver Police Department will be able to recover some of Alan's equipment. Mainly the photo cards,

A lesson learned that if you come to Vancouver for vacation or even to the 2010 Olympics, don't leave any items in your cars that can be seen through the windows. Out of country(USA) and out of state license plates like we had (Washington) are their calling card to theft. If you have a GPS don't leave it attached to the window or in plain sight. The drugs users spot it, the items will be in a Vancouver hock shop the very same day. They may not get a lot of money but if they hit enough cars they can make enough for another fix.

The police said that if you have a GPS make sure that you put your home address in it, that way when they locate it they can push the home button and know to whom it belongs. Also make sure your photographic equipment has its serial numbers on them and you have made a list of them and what they are worth so you can at least get them replaced. And if you rent a car, take out theft insurance because the rental companies aren't responsible for item stolen out of the vehicle's....

We are heading back to Kansas City in the morning, we almost wish now we would have went back home on Monday, at least we would have our reunion photo's.

Enough crying in my beer, whats done is done. Laura, Nicholas and I are looking forward to seeing you all in Norfolk, Virginia in 2011.

Terry

Captain Monsons 90th Birthday

Terry D. Gann — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 00:55:10 GMT

Shipmtaes,

Captain Donald Monson's 90th birthday is coming up on November 4th. For those of you who served under him it would be very nice if we could send him a birthday card. I will also ask the Association if they would do likewise.

His address is: 78589 Palmtree Avenue, Palm Desert, CA 92211

Terry