USCG LIGHTSHIP SAILORS ASSOC. INC. NONPROFIT ORG.

Larry Ryan, Editor US POSTAGE PAID

13 West Hwy ‘N’ CLINTON, MO 64735

Clinton, MO 64735 PERMIT #4

Phone 719-440-7280

Email: President@uscglightshipsailors.org

Website:www.uscglightshipsailors.org

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTED

MISSION STATEMENT

TO ASSIST IN THE PRESERVATION OF ALL EXISTING LIGHTSHIPS

TO PRESERVE THE HISTORY OF LIGHTSHIPS AND THE SAILORS THAT SAILED

ON THEM, TO HONOR THOSE LIGHTSHIP SAILORS THAT HAVE PERISHED IN

THE PERFORMANCE OF THEIR DUTIES

USCG LIGHTSHIP SAILORS ASSOCIATION, Inc. [ ] 2017 MEMBERSHIP DUES FORM

[ ] New [ ] Renewal Please PRINT your information (even if you submitted it before); we will then update our database.

Check all Applicable: [ ] USCG Lightship Sailor Veteran [ ] Other Associations [ ] CG Active Duty

[ ] LS Veteran’s Family Member [ ] Former CG (non-Lightship) [ ] CG Reserve

[ ] LIGHTSHIP Interest, Friend, Association [ ] CG Retired [ ] CG Auxiliary

Membership Level, and Dues Rate; [ ] Full Membership – VET or MBR. $25.00 Annually

[ ] Group / Business $50.00 Annually

[ ] Life Membership $300.00 (1x life time fee)

$_____________ Please fill in below:

LSA MEMBERS / GROUP or BUSINESS / LIFE MEMBERS Fill in as it applies to you:

We are desperately searching for pictures of our members for posting on our web site under “Then and Now” “THEN”

means when either in Boot Camp or on board the Lightship, “NOW” means recently. Return with your Dues or send to

either Lori Templeton Web Master or Larry Ryan, President.

Submit any additional information you may wish, on the back of this form, or on a separate sheet of paper.

Annual Dues period runs on the fiscal year; October 1 thru September30.

LSA Donation (Optional):

[ ] General Fund, [ ] Lightship Preservation $ ___________

Enclose this form with your check or money order, made out to the:

“USCG LIGHTSHIP SAILORS ASSOCIATION, Inc.” Total Submitted $___________

Please mail to:

Ron Janard Membership Director

Thanks, 1 Melvin Ave

Ron Janard [ e-mail rj0648@comcast.net ] Beverly, MA 01915-3923

Last Name or Group / Business Name:

First Name:

Middle Initial

Nick Name:

Street Address:

City:

State: Zip:

Spouse/Other:

E mail Address or Web Site:

Telephone Number:

Year Born:

Lightship Name

Hull #

LS Service Dates

(From - To)

Your Rank/Rate:

Aboard

Commanding Officer:

Other Info:

[ ] Family / Friend:

[ ] Lightship Interest:

[ ] Other USCG:

[ ] Other Groups, etc.:

PRESIDENT

• Larry Ryan

1st VICE PRESIDENT

• Bill Quigley

SECRETARY

• Vacant

TREASURER

• David Orszak

DIRECTOR OF MEMBERSHIP/HISTORIAN

• Ron Janard

• DIRECTORS AT LARGE:

• Dave Addicott

. Roland Holloway

SPECIAL PROJECTS

• Bill Quigley

Arts and Graphics

• Dennis Cosmo, Past Pres.

Web Master

. Lori Templeton

CHAPLAIN

• Rev. Adrian Van Houten

• Liaison Ladies Auxiliary

Founder Emeritus

Marty Krzywicki

President’s Report 2

Secretaries Report 3

Short Sea Story 4

Meeting Agenda 5

Registration form 6

For info.

General Quarters

9

THE FOG HORN Newsletter of The U.S. Coast Guard Lightship Sailors Association

I WILL NOT LIGHTSHIP NOT IN

ABANDON YOU CORRECT POSITION

VOL 7 Issue 56 Winter Edition 2017

Membership 2

President’s Mes- 3

Secretary’s Report

4

Sea Story

7,8,9

Reunion Registra-

10

General Quarters

In Remembrance

11

12

The Fog Horn Newsletter is the official membership publication of the USCG Lightship Sailors Assoc. International Inc. A not for profit 501 c(3)

Delaware Corporation. Subscriptions not for sale, provided as a service to dues paying members. Electronic distribution available for non-dues paying

interested parties. Published Quarterly: Winter, Spring, Reunion and Fall.. Official mailing address at discretion of editor.

Membership open to all without qualification or restriction

My brother Lightship Sailors, Founders, Life Members and Friends:

Greeting to one and all, with a lot to cover in this edition, let me get at it! And the most promi-

nent subject matter must be the new pending National Coast Guard Museum to be built on the

New London, CT water front. It was an honor representing the Lightship Sailors on the

MEAP, thank you allowing me to serve and play a very small part in what we all look forward

to, probably an opening in 2021.

The ideas and “what must be included” have been concluded and will now go to CG HQ for

review before a RFQ can be written. The ideas on ‘How will we tell the story’ covering 225 year

history and still incorporate current and future service is the challenge. The MEAP group then

submitted their ideas which will be written into the proposal. As you review material in this edi-

tion, please keep in mind, First the drawings and flyers are only conceptual drawings, these are

not firm.

Second: We will have a “special Mailing” shortly with a form for registering. Everyone needs to

register either on line or by using the form you will receive. This is not a fund raiser, only an

effort to keep as many on board, in the know as possible. Our obligation on MEAP has con-

cluded as we have fulfilled our obligation, which means we will not have current information as

the museum moves ahead. We need to be registered in order to get the periodic updates on the

progression of the museum.

As our reunion for 2017 will be a mirror image of what we had planned for our canceled 2016

gathering, the planning was easy and quick. There are some plans for extra activities that have

not been confirmed, as they will be a plus, not to be a concern at this time.

We are planning on a Power Point Program during the General Membership Meeting where an

up to date summary will be discussed followed with an open question and answer session.

Currently there are no plans for our 2018 gathering. We will be soliciting nominations to select

from depending on available space and costs. Should you have suggestions, please don’t hesi-

tate.

As a side note: I was hoping to be able to bring to the group information on a possible meeting

in New Orleans, with the WW ll Memorial being the focal point. I was disappointed in several

areas ( not the food or music ), such as hotel prices, hotel parking prices, room tax and security.

The memorial itself while excellent, it was nothing short of sensory overload as a result of ex-

tensive 4-D videos, cannon fire and blinding lights. Not pleasing to a 77 year old.

The information for registering is included in this issue, both for the LSA and the hotel. As

this gathering is a highpoint in the year for many of us, please plan on joining a really fine group

of old Coasties. Please plan on joining us in Norfolk in October.

Until Next time,

Keep the Light Shining,

Larry

“Be Tender with the young, Compassionate with the old, Tolerant of the weak, because someday in your life you will be all of

these”. George Washington Carver

Page 4 The Fog Horn

Secretary’s Report

Nov 1, 2016 Beginning 2017 FY

November 2, 2016 Received confirming contract with the Sheraton Waterside Hotel, Norfolk, VA hosting our 2017 annual

reunion. Overview and registration to be published in the Winter Edition of The Fog Horn.

November 25, 2016

Received official letter from the National Coast Guard Museum recognizing with appreciation our participation and service

on the Museum Exhibit Advisory Panel. Letter enclosed with a hard cover book, The Skipper and the Eagle. (Reunion

Committee plans on offering the book as a prize for our annual fund raiser in Norfolk).

Respectfully submitted as an accurate Secretaries Report, 2017 FY to date.

L. R. Ryan, Acting Secretary

NATIONAL COAST GUARD MUSEUM

To USCG Lightship Sailors Assoc.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of the National Coast Guard Museum Association, I want to thank you and your or-

ganization for the outstanding support in our efforts to build the first National museum to recognize your United States

Coast Guard.

Below you will find a copy of the recent ALCOAST transmitted by CG HQ announcing the museum project and milestones

that have been met to date. In addition, we have attached a copy of our 1/2 page ad for our registration drive. As discussed

at our offsite (New Orleans), I request that you forward the attached registration drive and ALCOAST to your entire mem-

bership.

There is no direct fundraising associated with this request; we are trying to have folks join our crew, learn about the museum,

and pass the word.

Wes

Captain Wes Pulver, USCG (ret)

Executive Director

National Coast Guard Museum Association, Inc.

Museum Report Continued Page 5

Former Commandant Robert Papp, Jr. (24th CG Commandant) addressing the assembled

MEAP group in New Orleans, LA Sept 24, 2017, in the WW ll Memorial Museum Confer-

ence Room.

Admiral Papp’s inspirational message was loud and clear, “This museum will be built”.

Also serving on the Board of Directors, Admiral James M. Loy, 21st CG Commandant.

Continued from Page 4

NATIONAL COAST GUARD MUSEUM MESSAGE

ALCOAST-CG HQ

Page 5 The Fog Horn

Page 6 The fog Horn

Page 7 The Fog Horn

A United States Coast Guard

Story As remembered by Benjamin R. Marley

And requested by the Lightship Sailors Association to show some of the duties of the

Lightships during the Second World War

Benjamin R. Marley, 563-891 USCG 1942-1945

Diamond Shoals Lightship #105/527 and

Winter Quarter Lightship #107/529

The Consolidated Shipbuilding Corp. in Morris Heights, NY built the Diamond Shoals Lightship LV 105 in 1922. This ship

was built to replace LV 71 which was sunk by a German submarine during the First World War on July 6th 1917. This Light-

ship had been stationed off of Diamond Shoals which was off of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. The 105 apparently took

the same station after 1922.During this time sometime in the 1930’s there was a severe hurricane, during the hurricane a

steam line broke inside one of the boilers. The engine was being used to keep the ship from dragging anchor. Without the

help of the engines the ship could have foundered. Two crewmen volunteered to go into the hot boiler to repair the broken

link. There was a Presidential Citation from President Roosevelt in recognition of their work under extreme conditions. A

bronze plaque was placed on a bulkhead in the engine room commending the bravery of officers and crew. One of these was

Admiral Dewey Amette. He was from Louisiana. In 1942 the Diamond Shoals LV 105 was stationed about 30 miles off of

Cape Henry, VA as an examination vessel. Dewey Amette stayed on board until it was rammed and sunk on July 20, 1944.

He then was assigned, along with most of the crew, to the Winter Quarter LV 107 which took the place of the Diamond and

stayed on until the Second World War ended.

WINTER QUARTER LIGHTSHIP LV 107

Built by the Bath Iron Works, Bath, ME: Delivered February 22, 1923. The LV 107 as Winter Quarter Lightship was sta-

tioned off the coast of Assateque, Maryland protecting Winter Quarter Shoals. To the best of my knowledge she too was

made into an examination vessel off of Charleston, SC. When the LV 105 was sunk, they brought the LV 107 up to Norfolk,

VA., staying on station as Examination Vessel until the end of the war.

My experiences on the Diamond and Winter Quarter to the best of my recollection are as follows: I was stationed in Ports-

mouth, VA in the Port Security station for about a year and a half. In Une 1944 I was transferred to the Diamond Shoals

Lightship, LV 105 which was located about 30 miles off Cape Henry, VA which is the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. From

the time I put foot on the ship the crew made me feel like one of them, there was no ‘new guy stuff’. It did not take me long

to know that the crew on this ship were good sailors. There were two 32-foot self-bailing surfboats with 6 cylinder engines.

They would not fit between the davits so were secured at the rail outside the davits. When it was necessary for a boarding

officer to go to a ship, the crew would lower a boat and take him there. This was day and night in all kinds of weather and

was going on almost all the time. This was very dangerous, especially in bad weather if you did not know what you were do-

ing. I felt sorry for the Boarding Officers climbing the Jacob’s Ladder in the rain, at night, cold weather, etc. They had no

picnic in their assignments. They were LT. JG or higher both from the Coast Guard and the Navy.

Prior to my assignment to the Lightships, one of their duties was to listen for submarines via hydrophone. They would lower

the device into the water and with a pair of ear phones try to detect the engines of the submarines. What they would do if

something was heard I don’t know, and I don’t think they knew either. There was a six-pound canon on the stern and a fifty-

caliber machine gun in a tub on the bow. Knowing the LV 71 was sunk by a German sub during the First World War, I guess

they thought the protection was adequate.

( continued next page )

Continued from Page 7

On station the ship was tied up to a big ( they said it was battleship mooring buoy ) by the anchor chain coming out of a

haws pipe on the bow of the ship. Coming from shore there was a telephone cable that came up through the buoy to a small

mast, then to the bow of the ship. There was a series of pulleys and weights to allow the cable to give as the ship would rise

and fall with the waves. The telephone was to receive orders from headquarters located in Washington, DC about ship arri-

vals and departures.

There was one thing that they told me, if the alarm bell goes off, get up on deck right away as we are to be hit with some-

thing. There were no drills. The ship had been rammed several times since it was stationed there in the beginning of the war,

due to the bay being mined and the entrance being near us, all the ships felt they had to get as close as they could to avoid the

mine field.

On July 20th 1944 a seagoing tug, the P.F.Martin was towing two large steel barges ( they looked like ships without engines )

from New England to the coal piers in Norfolk, VA. A sudden squall came up with high winds. The winds caught the barges

and both hit the lightship. This was about 2200 hours, I had the midnight to two deck watch that night so I was asleep in my

bunk which was located in what was in peace time the bilge, three decks down. I peace time the crew was only about a dozen

men, we had over sixty on board that night. So they had bunks all over the place. When the bell went off there was one other

man where I was. I heard the bell and the other man going up the ladder, so I thought I better get out of there. I got up to

the next deck and a chief by the name of Peters was coming out of his area. He had lost his glasses so I led him to the ladder.

As we started to climb, the first barge hit us: everything kind of went sideways knocking us down. The barge hit in the side of

the ship where the ammo locker for the six pound cannon and the fifty-caliber machine gun was kept. Fortunately there was

no explosion. We were told later that it put a hole four feet by six feet under the water line. We could hear the water coming

in so we took off up the ladders to the top deck. Someone hit me with a life jacket: all I had on was a pair of under shorts. By

this time the ship was listing and they were lowering all the boats (this was something they did all the time so there was no

confusion) after the boats were in the water they told the rest of us to jump. I jumped out and grabbed a fall line (heavy lines

used to lower the boats) this was all right; the only thing was they were new lines and full of splinters. Our boats picked us up

and later transferred to an 83 footer. We were taken to the Little Creek Amphibious Base Hospital where a head count was

made and found no one missing. We were told later the Diamond Shoals Lightship LV 105/527 sank in about eight minutes.

I had a couple of nurses pulling splinters out of my belly and legs. We were told that two or three men developed heart mur-

murs and were never seen again, they were apparently transferred. There were men not transferred to the Winter Quarter for

other reasons that I was unaware of.

Later after being transferred to the Winter Quarter Lightship LV 107/529, I became acting boat coxswain, there were two

boat crews and we kind of took turns with the boarding jobs. The CO Lt. Boucher wanted to rate the other coxswain Tony

Deferano and myself. First we had to take a correspondence course from the academy. We did and both passed, then they

said there were no coxswain rates available as they gave them to the Spars.

There is one other story I would like to tell:

I know all of you have been through bad storms at sea, however this was I believe a force five hurricane. This was on Sep-

tember 14, 1944, they estimated the winds at 150 miles per hour. There was a story in the VFW magazine in August 2000

referring to the loss of three Coast Guard ships, two cutters and a Lightship, the Vineyard Sound. Also the Destroyer War-

rington was loss in that storm. We were off Virginia and the cutters were south of us off North Carolina, we went through

the same storm. The VFW story stated that a ship had been torpedoed and the CGC’s Jackson and Bedloe were sent out to

look for the sub and help the ship that was torpedoed. At the time we were told there were no survivors. A day later we took

some men off a ship that had picked them up in that area. They must have been from the ship that was torpedoed, we took

care of them until an 83 footer could get out to pick them up. I was unaware of this until I read the article in the VFW maga-

zine. That answered a lot of questions we all had at that time. I think it was the men on the 83 footer that told us about the

DE Warrington also being sunk. There were a lot of sailors that lost their lives in that storm.

During the storm it was necessary to let out most of the anchor chain and keep the engine running so as not to drag the an-

chors. I don’t remember but think we did drag anchor but not far. There were some spring plates and oil was leaking out,

these were repaired at the shipyard at a later date.

Continued Page 9

Page 8 The Fog Horn

I recall some of my shipmates:

The Lightship Sailors Association found a Carl Carlson, a member who was on the same two Lightships that I had been on.

They forwarded this information to him and he called me. We had a good conversation, he was a signalman and was on the

bridge when the collision happened. He had a bird’s eye view of the whole thing.

Earl recalled Chief Machinist Mate, John Cherricks and MM Walter Stark had a lot to do with our surviving the storm by

keeping the engine running. I agreed but I would add the skipper who had a lot of experience in the Alaskan waters, and

Chief Boatswain Mate Pearly Farrow from the Outer Banks contributed to our survival. I believe Chief Farrow was on the

wheel all during the storm, this was important, as we did not want to ram the buoy, this could have been catastrophic.

September 14, 1944 was a very sad day for the Coast Guard; the hurricane took three Coast Guard ships. The Bedloe with

the loss of 26 lives, the Jackson with a loss of 21 lives and the Vineyard Lightship with a loss of 12 lives for a total of 59

Coast Guardsmen lost in that storm. All of us on the Winter Quarter knew that we were very fortunate to have come

through that storm.

I think this covers it and gives you an idea what went on with the Lightships during the war.

Ben Marley

22 Stagecoach Rd.

Pipersville, PA 18947

Page 9 The Fog Horn

EXAMINATION SHIP SURVIVORS

Every single one of the 38 Coast Guardsmen aboard the examination ship sunk Thursday night

at the mouth of Hampton Roads was saved. The ex-Diamond Shoals Lightship, used by the

Coast Guard as an examination vessel since the war began, went down in 15 minutes after being

struck by two steel barges towed by the tug P.F.Martin. The crew posed happily for Coast Guard

camermen yesterday, and creditied the rescue of all to the vigilance of the crew and quick work

of men aboard vessels operating nearby when the accident occurred at 9:15 O’clock at night.

Article and photo from Norfolk newspaper (as published). Courtesy Ben Marley

Ben Marley

Page 10 The Fog Horn

REGISTRATION FORM

USCG LIGHTSHIP SAILORS ASSOCIATION INC (501(c )(3) Corp)

2017 REUNION to be held 22-26 October 2017 at the Sheraton Norfolk Waterside, Norfolk, VA

Please check your category:

NAME____________________________ ( ) USCG LIGHTSHIP VETERAN

ADDRESS________________________ ( ) LSA MEMBER

_________________________________ ( ) LIFE MEMBER

PHONE___________________________ ( ) NEW MEMBER

E-MAIL___________________________ ( ) GROUP MEMBERSHIP

OTHER INFO:

__________________________________________________________________________

REUNION FEES Dues for 2017(Optional) Membership Levels

At $115.00/person (1 Oct— 30 Sep Annually) Full-$25 Group-$50 Life-$300

NAME: FEE: Dues: TOTAL:

_____________________ ________ ________ ____________________

_____________________ ________ ________ ____________________

_____________________ ________ ________ ____________________

_____________________ ________ ________ ____________________

REUNION FEES TOTAL $_______ DUES TOTAL $________

__________________________________________________________________________ Please fill in the registration form and enclose this form with your check or money order made out to the:

USCG LIGHTSHIP SAILORS ASSOCIATION Inc. (All dues and donations are tax deductible)

Mail to our Treasurer: Dave Orszak 7 Ridge Road Palmer, MA 01069-2258 __________________________________________________________________________ NOTE: Make all hotel reservations directly with Sheraton Norfolk Waterside 757-622-6664 __________________________________________________________________________ Reunion Committee Record: Total Received $______________ Check #_________ Date__________ Received By______________

HOTEL INFORMATION

SHERATON NORFOLK WATERSIDE 777 Waterside Drive

Norfolk, VA 23510

(757) 622-6664

Special USCG Lightship Sailors Association Group Rate $112.00

Includes two Breakfast per room per day.

NOTE: Any problem with making reservations—Please contact

Larry Ryan without delay.

GENERAL QUARTERS

Page 11 The Fog Horn

ELECTION OF OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS FOR FY 2018 - 2019 TERM In keeping with the articles of our By-Laws we will be conducting elections during our annual Business Meeting, October 23,

2017 at 2:00 PM.

All board positions will be open for nominations, and participation is encouraged.

Term of office begins with the conclusion of our annual banquet. Requirement to serve is minimal, candidate needs to be a

“Member in Good Standing”, be computer literate only to the extent of e-mail competent and willing to check for and re-

spond to e-mails every 24 hours ( as all of the LSA board business is conducted electronically except for annual meeting ).

As we will have vacancies to be filled due to retirements,

please consider standing for election, this organization is in desperate need of participants willing to serve the members.

Should you have any question, please do not hesitate to ask.

Larry Ryan, President and Board Chairman

URGENT INFORMATION NEEDED TO UPDATE OUR CONTACT LIST As evidenced by our need to be able to contact as many of the members during the cancellation of our 2016 meeting on a

short notice, we are requesting all of our members

NOT ON THE ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION OF THIS NEWSLETTER

To provide an

E-Mail contact where we can broad cast information when really needed. If you don’t have E-mail, a family member or

trusted friend will also work.

FOR THOSE ON THE ELECTRONIC DISTRIBUTION

If your mailing address has changed since being added to the electronic distribution list, please provide your new contact

information—-

Please send a short note to both Ron Janard, Membership Director (addresss on pg2)

AND ALSO

Larry Ryan

LIGHTSHIP SAILORS MEMORIAL

NEW BEDFORD, MA It was our intention to publish an update on the Lightship Sailors Memorial in New Bedford, MA. The information had to

be deleted in order to make space available for the more urgent information on the new pending National Coast Guard Mu-

seum. The proposed article contained on site photos and a description of update and changes, all in accord with the City of

New Bedford.

As we will be sending out a “special mailing” in the very near future soliciting registrations for the National Coast Guard Mu-

seum, we will publish the article in that mailing.

As a heads up, we are joining the National Coast Guard Museum in their registration drive. You will find a form in the spe-

cial mailing. This is not a solicitation or request for donations ( however, they would be most appreciated ).

When you receive the form, just fill it out and return to the museum staff.

“By swallowing evil words unsaid, no one has ever harmed his stomach” Winston Churchill

CREED OF THE US COAST GUARD

HONOR-RESPECT-DEVOTION TO DUTY

Updated January 15, 2017

CROSSED OVER THE BAR 2015-2016

Lightship Sailor Veteran Crossed Over LSA Notified

Chris Molloy Life Member #48 April 13, 2016 April 13, 2016

LV95/519 Relief 1962, LV110/532 Delaware 1963

Stuart Vorpahl January 14, 2016 January 14, 2016

LV86/511 Buzzards Bay 1958-59 118/539 Cross Rip 1959-60

Roy E. Dash February 18, 2016 May, 2016

WAL 189 Diamond Shoals 1949-1950

John Francis Kennedy May 16, 2016 May 20, 2016

LV98/521 Handkerchief Shoal 1950-1951

DUTY WELL DONE, DUTY WELL DONE, DUTY WELL DONE, DUTY WELL DONE,

REST IN PEACEREST IN PEACEREST IN PEACEREST IN PEACE

USCG LIGHTSHIP SAILORS ASSOCIATION, Inc.

2017 ANNUAL REUNION

October 22,23, 24 & 25. **NOTE; Location will again be at the Sheraton Norfolk-Waterside**

Norfolk, VA

Short & Quick Overview of Basic Reunion Information to Help in your Planning!

Sunday October 22, 2017 Meet and Greet

Monday October 23, 2017 Registration, General Membership Meeting, elections with updates

Tuesday October 24, 2017 Day out activities

Please Note: Activities not confirmed for Ladies Day Out ( working on it )

Wednesday October 25, 2017 Free time, Memorial Service, banquet with Guest Speaker and

Fund raising auction with raffle

9:45 PM Installation of Officers and Directors for the 2018-2019Term.

The Hospitality room will remain open for those unable to attend our day trips, coffee & soda will be

available.