GURKE NEWSLETTER A newsletter for the sailors of the USS GURKE (DD-783)

OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF THE USS GURKE (DD-783)

• Everyone had a great time at the 2008 reunion in San Diego. Read about some of the highlights in the cover story.

• A list of reunion

attendees is on page two. Do you know anyone you would like to see again?

• Welcome Mat is

on page three with four new names for the roster.

• Some memora-

bilia is on page four. Does any-one remember these events?

• Come to Rapid

City, SD for the 2009 reunion. See what there is to see in that area by reading pages five and six. Sounds like a great place to visit!

San Diego, CA, was the site for the 2008 reunion of former sailors of the USS Gurke (DD-783). Forty-two shipmates and thirty-one of their guests met from April 3 to April 6 at the Handlery Hotel and enjoyed four days of reminiscing and touring many of the area’s attrac-tions. Registration and the hos-pitality room opened mid-morning on Thursday, April 3, with William Davis being the first person to register. The hospitality room became the gathering place after reg-istration as everyone was anxious to see who had ar-rived. The evening Welcome Reception was the first for-mal activity of the reunion. The attendees were greeted by Vice President Charley Betschart and then enjoyed drinks and hors d’oeuvres served by the hotel. The rest of the evening was devoted to catching up on all the news from old friends or

making new ones. Friday morning many of the attendees participated in a San Diego city tour which included Coronado Island, home to the famous Hotel Del Coronado, Cabrillo National Monument and Point Loma Lighthouse; the historic Bal-boa Park; a visit to the USS Midway Museum whose 47-year career included serving as a flagship during Desert Storm in 1991 and whose exhibits range from aircraft to replicated berthing compart-ments. A harbor cruise was an especially favorite part of the day’s outing, as well as lunch at Bali Hai Restaurant. This restaurant is located on Shelter Island and has a mag-nificent view of the bay. The tour returned to the hotel in mid-afternoon and gave eve-ryone a chance to relax be-fore the evening’s social hour and Mexican Fiesta dinner. The dinner buffet featured, among other dishes, chicken fajitas ‘fixings’, cheese enchi-

ladas, firecracker cole slaw, Mexican pepper corn, Tosti-tos and salsa, and a variety of desserts. Immediately af-ter dinner there was sup-posed to be a Mexican hat stomp by members who dressed in Mexican attire. However, two things hap-pened: the music CD was broken and only one couple dressed up. So, Richard and Gloria Snow walked away with the door prize—two free tickets for next year’s reun-ion banquet. Thanks, Rich-ard and Gloria, for participat-ing. Hopefully next year there will be more participa-tion in Friday evening’s activ-ity! Following the awarding of the door prize, a version of the “Yankee Swap” game was played. Participants brought a gift representative of their hometown or state and everyone who brought a gift went home with one. The evening ended after the en-tertainment for some, but

(Continued on page 2)

2008 GURKE REUNION IN SAN DIEGO GOES DOWN AS A GREAT ONE

Volume 2 Issue 1 May 2008

Special Points of Interest

USS GURKE NEWSLETTER Page 2 Volume 2 Issue 1

others weren’t quite ready to call it a night and lingered over coffee or took their ‘discussions’ to the hospitality room where they solved many of the world’s problems. By San Diego’s standards, Satur-day morning was a little cool—in the high 50’s and low 60’s, but that didn’t stop the twenty-nine people who loaded up on the motor coach for a visit to the Naval Base San Diego, better known to old sailors as the 32nd Street Base. The USS Gurke crew and guests were privileged to tour the active duty ship USS Boxer LHD-4. The guide, MC1 Michael Miller, Jr., did a great job showing the group his ship. The tour included the hangar and flight decks with a detailed description of the differ-ences between Boxer and an aircraft carrier. The group also saw how am-phibious vehicles are launched for beach landings. The only ship in the US Navy with more and better medi-cal facilities are hospital ships. With a Marine Expeditionary Unit of up to 3,000 troops, the hospital is staffed to accept and treat mass casualties. Other stops included the Bridge and Combat Information Center. On the way out the tour passed through the galley. Numerous comments sug-gested that there were some notice-able differences between the mess facility on the Gurke and Boxer. Back tracking a moment, a few of the la-dies opted to be dropped off at Sea-port Village while the others “crawled over” another ship. After the ship’s tour everyone returned to Seaport Village for a box lunch. Seaport Vil-lage is located on the bay and con-sists of 71 unique shops and restau-rants, sel l ing as they say, “Everything Under the Sun.” The tour left the Village around 2:30 PM and returned to the hotel. The annual business meeting was held at 3:30 PM with VP Charley Bet-schart presiding. With the exception of the 2009 location and dates, the meeting was like Vegas—what went on there stayed there. Rapid City, SD, was selected as the 2009 reun-ion city and sometime between May 13—28 are the preferred dates. At 6:30 PM the photo session and

(Continued from page 1) social hour began. Photos of each individual or couple were made for inclusion in the Reunion Memory Book. Attending the reunion, but un-able to attend the banquet were Rus-sell and Joyce Garner. VP Charley Betschant opened the evening’s for-malities with the playing of “Anchors Aweigh”, followed by our National Anthem and the Pledge of Alle-giance. He welcomed everyone, made a few quick announcements and dinner was served. The Prime Rib dinner was excellent, well pre-sented and served. After a leisurely dinner, VP Betschart resumed the evening’s program. Three door prizes had been donated—two prints painted by Suzie Logie (donated by her) and a cruise book donated by Larry Larkins. The winners were very pleased with their prizes and appre-ciative of the generosity of the don-ars. Richard Hendryx gave a short talk on his experience on Gurke and what it meant to him. In short, he described how he saw boys become men. John Logie introduced the widow of Capt Anderson, a former CO of Gurke. John also spoke of a seaman who was a really good sailor, but could not pass the third class test. Someone finally realized that the seaman’s inability to read was why he failed the tests. With this info, the commander was able to get a waiver allowing the sailor to have the questions read to him and have his responses recorded by an officer who would attest to their accuracy. The seaman passed the test, making the highest score on record (at least up to that time). The Navy really does look after its own! Charley Bet-schart and Clarence Golden con-ducted the Memorial Service paying tribute to all deceased Gurke crew-men, but emphasizing those ship-mates known to have died or whose death was learned of since the 2007 reunion. Playing Taps ended the for-mal part of the evening. Sunday marked the end of the reunion. The hotel lobby was filled with Gurke sailors and to this day echo of the final goodbyes and “See you in Rapid City,” linger.

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Bryce & Carol Arnold Thomas & Cele Beishuizen Frank & Shirley Berger Tim Berthiaume Charley & Cherry Betschart Richard & Marcia Bruno John (Jack) & Katherine (Kay) Bundarin Thomas Cheatum George Cooper & Corrine Gallagher William & Katherine Davis Bill & Cindy Dell Nolan Flachs John & Dorothy Fox Russell & Joyce Garner Barry & Linda Gnecco Clarence Golden Alan & Kathy Haugner Bill & Ruth Hegeman Richard Hendryx Frank & Helen Hickam Larry & Nancy Hurt Ralph & Florence Jakwerth Jimmy & Sylvia Jones Marlyn Kienbaum& Pauline Kienbaum Lawrence & Lois Lewis John & Susie Logie Johnie McIntyre Edmond Melton James & Frances Metz Courtney Nason Clifford & Patricia Nutter George & Mary Lu Rasor Robert & Ann Rennard Eugene & Anita Shumski Craig & Jill Smith Richard & Gloria Alice Snow Thomas & Donna Stephenson Ron & Corinne Stout Calvin & Antoinette Betty Swart Melvin & Patricia Tynan Randy Voepel Robert Waugh Total Members: 42 Guests: 32 GRAND TOTAL: 74

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2008 REUNION ATTENDEES

Financial Report:

The cost of this issue is $165.49, mailed to 59 dues paying members without e-mail addresses.

USS GURKE NEWSLETTER Page 3 Volume 2 Issue 1

WELCOME MAT The USS GURKE takes great pleasure in announcing that the fol-lowing shipmates have been located since the last newsletter. Welcome Aboard! We hope to see you at the next reunion and that you will be-come active in the association.

TAPS The Gurke Newsletter was in-formed of the deaths of the follow-ing former crewmembers since the last newsletter. The entire crew extends our deepest sympathy to the families and friends of the de-ceased.

Thomas Wasik (1945-46) F1/c ENG

Died February 5, 2008

Richard Scott (1973-75) GUN

Died April 28, 2008

Anyone learning of the death of a former crewmember please no-tify the newsletter so their passing can be acknowledged in TAPS and on the Honor Roll at the reunion memorial service.

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Douglas Banhagel (1956)ET2

1118 Burning Tree Rd Kingwood, TX 77339

281-358-2985

Donald Shirkey (1969-70) CSCS 405 Springfield Pl

Moraga, CA 94556 925-376-3959

Eugene Shumski (1955-59)

401 Cienaga Dr Fullerton, CA 92835

714-525-0601 punkin88@gmail.com

Bill Dell

(1963-65) ET3 OE 4751 Brookway Ave

Yorba Linda, CA 92886 714-524-3990

BD7241@sbcglobal.net

Published by: Military Locator & Reunion Service, Inc PO Drawer 11399 Hickory, NC 28603-6402 828-256-6008 (voice) 828-256-6559 (Fax) DINAMLRS@charterinternet.com KARENMLRS@charterinternet.com www.mlrsinc.com/gurke Our Reunions Work So You Don’t Have To.

THANK YOU FOR DONATIONS

We wish to acknowledge and thank the following persons for their lifetime dues donation: Richard Snow, Edmond Melton, Thomas Beishuizen, John Fox, James R Jones, Craig M Smith, and James Metz. Richard Snow and James Metz also donated $10.00 for engraved names on the plaque. We also gave a donation to the Tin Can Sailors. (See letter of ac-knowledgement to the right.) Thank you, Frank Hickam, Treas.

TIN CAN SAILORS, INC

The National Association of Destroyer Veterans

April 18, 2008 USS Gurke (DD-783) Reunion Association J. Frank Hickam, Treasurer 25 Harleck Drive Wilmington, DE 19807-2507 Dear Mr. Hickam: Thank you for your letter and the generous $200.00 check from the USS Gurke (DD-783) Reunion As-sociation. This contribution will be added to the Thomas J. Peltin De-stroyer Museum Grant Program. The cost of operating and main-taining a destroyer as a museum/memorial is far greater than most people realize. Paint, metal, insur-ance, utilities, etc.; they all add up to far more than ticket sales can ever be expected to cover. The sup-port of ship associations is vital to the survival of these ships that serve as memorials to all destroyers and those who served aboard them. On behalf of the seven ships we support, I thank the USS Gurke (DD-783 Reunion Association for their generosity. Their support is greatly appreciated. Sincerely, James V. Jones President

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MAIL CALL

NOTE EXPIRATION DATE ON ADDRESS LABEL Please check the address label on your envelope or the top of your e-mail for your dues expiration date. If it is past, this is the last issue of the newsletter you will receive until dues are paid again. Send dues to Frank Hickam, 25 Har-lech Dr, Wilmington, DE 19807. Make checks to USS Gurke DD-783 Reunion Assoc., Inc. Dues are $10 for 1 yr or $50 lifetime.

USS GURKE NEWSLETTER Page 4 Volume 2 Issue 1

TO WISH

YOU AN ABUNDANT

MEASURE OF THE BLESSING

WHICH THE HOST OF HEAVENLY MES-

SENGERS PROCLAIMED ON THE FIRST CHRIST

MAS NIGHT AS SHEPHERDS WATCHED THEIR FLOCKS OUT

ON THE HILLS OF JUDEA **** ***

**** Every Good Wish For Christmas

—from—

COMMANDER A.J. LITTLE, USN COMMANDING OFFICER

LCDR. C.W. DAMPIER, USN

EXECUTIVE OFFICER

ENS. T.L. BROWN, SC, USNR LTJG A.L. GAUVIN, USNR SUPPLY OFFICER GUNNERY OFFICER LTGJ B.J. WELCH, USNR LTJG D.D. BLANCHARD, OPERATION OFFICER USN, DAMAGE CONTROL OFF. ENS R. J. MORRIS, USN LTJG R.M. MATTISON, USN COMMUNICATION OFFICER FIRST LIEUTENANT ENS J.S. WALKER, USNR ENS R.O. BASMAJIAN, ELECTRONICS MATERIAL OFFICER ASW OFFICER LT. G. H. PHILLIPS, USN SAEGERT, W.F. CSI ENGINEER OFFICER LEADING COMMISSARY MAN

USS GURKE NEWSLETTER Page 5 Volume 2 Issue 1

Rapid City, South Dakota, is lo-cated in the western part of the state and is the second largest city in South Dakota with an estimated 2005 population of 62,167. It is set against the eastern slope of the Black Hills and is known as the Gate-way to the Black Hills of South Da-kota and the “Star of the West.” The city is divided by a small mountain range that splits the western and eastern parts of the city into two. Rapid City is named after the Rapid Creek on which the city is estab-lished. It sits in the shadow of Har-ney Peak, which at 7,242 feet is the highest point east of the Rockies in the continental USA. Rapid City’s location made the city’s climate unlike both the higher elevations of the Black Hills and the Great Plains to the east. It is characterized by long arid summers and long dry win-ters, with short but distinct spring and autumn seasons. The area around Rapid City has the world’s highest concentration of public parks, monu-ments and memorials, making for something new to experience at every turn—from the otherworldly moonscape of the Badlands and the mystery of Devils Tower to more than two million acres of ponderosa forest. Throw in world-class muse-ums, private wildlife attractions, fam-ily amusement parks, fantastic shop-ping and great restaurants, and you’ve got an adventure.

ATTRACTIONS

Mount Rushmore: This epic structure, the world’s

g r e a t e s t m o u n t a i n carving, fea-tures the faces of four of our most a d m i r e d A m e r i c a n

presidents: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Theodore Roose-velt, and Abraham Lincoln. These 60-foot high faces, 500 feet up, look out over a setting of pine, spruce,

birch, and aspen in the clear western air. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum began drilling into the 5,725-foot mountain in 1927. Creation of the Shrine of Democracy took 14 years and cost a mere $1 million. The Avenue of Flags leads from the Concession Building to the Grandview Terrace. The flags of the 56 states and territo-ries fly below the memorial. The me-morial offers interpretive programs, exhibits and a film at the Lincoln Bor-glum Museum. Rangers provide in-terpretive walks and talks. This is a must see for all who visit the area! Badlands National Park:

This region showcases diverse terrain and scenery, containing of three major landforms: the Black Hills, the Badlands and the high plains, short-grass prairie. The Black Hills are a beautiful, accessible ex-tension of the Rocky Mountains. Thick forests of tall ponderosa pine, spruce and aspen alternately blanket and reveal towering granite peaks, deep canyons, cascading trout streams and clear, clean lakes. Mil-lions of years of wind, water and ero-sion have created the chiseled spires, deep canyons and jagged buttes of Badlands National Park. These years of sediment have made for a colorful landscape, which can be explored on foot, on horseback or by car as one travels from one area to another n the park. Buffalo herds, elk, deer, antelope and mountain goats make their homes in public parks. Private parks add grizzly bear, wolves and cougars to the list, dis-played in their natural environment. The balance of the region is high plains, short-grass prairie. Predomi-nately rolling upland, irregularities

such as Castle Rock, Slim Buttes and Thunder Butte rise to 600 feet above the surrounding landscape. The Cheyenne and other rivers meander through the region. The history of the region includes leg-endary figures such as Crazy Horse, Sitting Bull and George Armstrong Custer, who led his 1874 expedition into the Black Hills, starting the last great gold rush. Others such as Calamity Jane and Wild Bill Hickok shaped the wild frontier town of Deadwood, which lives up to its Old West im-age with legalized gambling. Ghost towns, nestled quietly in more re-mote areas of the Hills may still be explored. Crazy Horse Memorial:

Chief Henry Standing Bear wrote to sculptor Korczak Ziolkowski in 1939 urging him to visit the Black Hills and carve a mountain sculptor honoring Ameri-can Indians. He wanted the white men to know that “the red men has great heroes too.” Fifty-five years after Ziolkowski began carving the Crazy Horse Memorial, his family continues the dream and work pro-gresses on the world’s largest mountain sculpture. When finished, Crazy Horse will stand 641 feet long and 563 feet high. Wind Cave National Park: One of the world’s longest and most complex caves and 28,295 acres of mixed-grass prairie, pon-derosa pine forest, and associated wildlife are the main features of the park. The cave is well known for its outstanding display of boxwork, an

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RAPID CITY, SOUTH DAKOTA, SITE FOR 2009 REUNION

USS GURKE NEWSLETTER Page 6 Volume 2 Issue 1

unusual cave formation composed of this calcite fins resembling honey-combs. The park is home to native wildlife such as bison, elk, pronghorn, mule deer, coyotes and prairie dogs. The 70-mile labyrinth of passageways in Wind Cave are undeniably the park’s leading attraction. Packed with crystals, suggestive underground for-mations and chambers, the cave is full of geologic wonders such as the “Garden of Eden,” and the “Dungeon.” Five types of tours are available rang-ing in time from 45 minutes to 4 hours and cover between ¼ of a mile and½ mile by electric light, candlelight or headlamp. Jewel Cave National Monument: At 142 miles, Jewel Cave is the second largest cave in the world. It is filled with calcite crystals, delicate strands of gypsum and other won-ders that make up the “jewels” of Jewel Cave Monument. It contains large rooms strewn with boulders, tight crawlways, and dark fissures leading into the unknown. Formations in the cave include stalactites, stalag-mites, flowstone, and frostwork. A v e r y r a r e f o r m a t i o n i s “hydromagnesite balloon,” created when gas of an unknown source in-flates a pasty substance formed by the precipitation of magnesium. The most popular tour through the cave is a ½ mile loop through a paved and lighted central portion of the cave ac-cessible by elevator. Mount Rushmore Cave: Just a few miles east of Mount Rushmore you will find beautiful Rushmore Cave, where winding pas-sageways lead you 60 million years back in time. Icicle-like stalactites hang from the cavern ceilings, while spires of stalagmites rise from the smooth rock floor, some of them re-sembling familiar objects. It is the sec-ond largest cave system in the US and was discovered by gold miners who stumbled upon the cave entrance in 1876. The cave is well lit and you can easily see the fossils which are imbedded in the rock.

(Continued from page 5) Mammoth Site at Hot Springs: More than 26,000 years ago, large Columbian and wooly mam-moths were trapped and died in a spring-fed pond near what is now the southwest edge of Hot Springs, SD. Now enclosed and protected by a climate control building, the sink-hole and the in-situ exhibit of mam-moth bones attracts visitors year round. The bones are displayed as they were discovered, in the dry pond sediments for an “in-situ” ex-hibit. Walkways allow visitors a close-up view of the fossils. To date, 55 mammoths have been identified, along with the remains of a giant short-faced bear, camel, llama, prairie dog, wolf, fish, and numerous invertebrates. National Presidential Wax Mu-seum: Life-like wax figures depict our country’s most shaping experiences in dramatically historical settings. Displays include framers of the American constitution as they gather to sign the Declaration of Independence, the beginning of the Cold War with President Franklin Roosevelt at Yalta. President John F. Kennedy and his son John Jr. and the unveiling of the dramatic visit to “Ground Zero” by President George W Bush after 9/11. Recap-ture the spirit of patriotism as you witness the evolution of American democracy represented by all 43 presidents. Flying T Chuckwagon Supper & Show: This is the original family Chuck-wagon supper and show of the Black Hills since 1979. Enjoy West-ern Style cooking and an unbeat-able Cowboy Music/Comedy show. The menu offers mouth-watering BBQ Roast Beef of savory grilled chicken breast, chuckwagon pota-toes, cowboy beans, chilled apple-sauce, hot biscuits and fresh baked spice cake. After dinner you’ll be entertained by the Flying T Wran-glers as they perform a toe tapping western music show. See an Old West experience you won’t want to miss.

Please read the attached descrip-tions of some of the major Rapid City attractions, then take a few minutes to complete the survey and return it to the address at the bottom of the page. Reunion Format: Do you prefer a Welcome Reception the first evening of the reunion? ——– yes ——– no; Do you prefer breakfast all three mornings _____ or only on Sunday morning _____ ? Do you want entertainment after the banquet? ____yes ___no Please check the attractions that you would like to see on the agenda. Mount Rushmore _____ Badlands National Park _____ Crazy Horse Memorial ____ Wind Cave National Park_____ Jewel Cave National Monument __ Mount Rushmore Cave _____ Mammoth Site at Hot Springs____ National Presidential Wax Museum _____ Flying T Chuckwagon Supper & Show _____

Return by June 30, 2008 to:

Military Locator & Reunion Service, Inc

PO Drawer 11399 Hickory, NC 28603

Or fax:

828-256-6559

www.mlrsinc.com/gurke

USS GURKE 2009 SURVEY