Reunions are great, but really, what do you mean?

R… really good relationships

E...every moment together is enjoyed

U...united in love and spirit N...never a dull moment I…I go for continued friendships

O...Oh! What joy. N...never want to miss one

...Was this a satisfactory explanation? Hope so!

By mutual consent, we have changed the location of our next reunion from Asheville to Hickory, NC because of the excessive hotel expense in Asheville during the fall season (beautiful fall color

makes this the prime time for visitors). We hope this is satisfactory with every-one. The travel distance between the two places is 77 miles. In fact, in Texas we just call that across town. We will be able to see all the sights in Asheville with just a little extra travel. (And it’s a

beautiful drive!) Premier Reunion Ser-vices will be able to answer any ques-tions about air travel.

Our reunion will begin on Thursday, Oc-tober 13, 2016 through Sunday morning Oc-tober 16, 2016, so be sure to put these dates on your calendar and make an effort to come. Our sight-seeing has not been de-termined, but we know that the Premier Re-union Services will recommend many beau-tiful and exciting places for us to visit. They always do such a wonderful endeavor to make our reunions the best without a doubt. If you have not been lately since we joined the Mississippi, you will find that we have a great relationship with them and now we are able to have enough people to have bus tours with cheaper rates. I know we are old-er, more feeble, have more pains and travel less, so why not leave these worries behind for a few days and join the fun. Smiling and laughter are great antidotes for your prob-lems. As always the Huntington Herald could use some donations to keep it afloat. Also if you have some good old Navy tales storied in you memory bank, share them with us by sending them to the Herald. Nothing beats a good old salty sea story. Hickory, NC… our ships have arrived...so be aboard—-you’ll come.

_________________

Volume 26, Issue 1

Coordinator’s Message 1

Taps 2

Get to Know Hickory 3-4

Do You Know These Guys?

4

Navy Jokes 4

Inside this issue:

Published Exclusively for former crewmen of USS HUNTINGTON CL-107

May 2016

Huntington Herald

2016 USS HUNTINGTON

REUNION

OCT. 13-16

HICKORY, NC

CROWNE PLAZA

HOTEL

COORDINATOR’S MESSAGE

BY GENE VOLCIK

Page 2 Volume 26, Issue 1

By Mari A. Schaefer, Staff Writer-Philly.com

POSTED: DECEMBER 26, 2015

The next time you drag a grocery item over the bar code scanner, re-member Francis Xavier Beck Jr. Mr. Beck, 89, of West Chester, who helped develop the checkout method

that made shopping much faster, died Sunday, Dec. 20, from compli-cations of a stroke. Born in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Mr. Beck was attending Rensselaer Poly-technic Institute in 1944 when he volunteered to serve in the Navy. He was assigned to the Huntington, a Fargo-class light cruiser, and he re-ceived the American Theater Medal and the Victory Medal. He was dis-charged in July 1946 and returned to college. While in the service, Mr. Beck

discovered his passion for electrical engineering, said son Fran. Mr. Beck received a bachelor's degree from RPI in 1950; married his wife, Shirley; and was hired at Radio Corp. of America in Camden. The couple settled in Woodbury before moving to Cherry Hill. He received a master's in business administration from Temple University in 1985. While working for RCA, Mr. Beck helped develop equipment to test color TV tubes. During the 1960s, he worked on the design of equipment that monitored the operation of the ballistic missile early warning sys-tem. Mr. Beck transferred from Cam-den to the RCA labs in Princeton and eventually moved to Burlington, Mass., working for Sperry Univac, his son said. Mr. Beck was proud of developing the modern supermarket checkout stand, and he coauthored the patent for the scanning system, said his son. In 1973, one of his prototypes was donated to the National Museum of American History of the Smithson-ian Institution. Mr. Beck and his wife reared six children, four of whom were adopted. "His family was really No. 1 in his life," said Fran Beck. Three of Mr. Beck's children were adopted from the Pearl S. Buck adoption agency Welcome House, and a fourth was adopted from the Love the Children agency, which the couple helped establish in 1978. They continued to serve on its board until it closed early this year, Fran Beck said. In addition to his son and wife, Mr. Beck is survived by daughters Yvonne Broyan and Michele Gross; sons Theodore, Laurance, and Jona-than; nine grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren. A visitation is to be on Monday, Dec. 28, from 10:30 to 11 a.m., at SS. Peter and Paul Church, 1325 Boot Rd., West Chester, to be fol-lowed by a Funeral Mass. Interment is to be at St. Agnes Cemetery, West Chester. Donations may be made to the American Heart Association, 1617 John F. Kennedy Blvd., Suite 700, Philadelphia 19103. mschaefer@phillynews.com

610-313-8111

@MariSchaefer

The Herald was informed of the deaths of the following former crew-members since the last newsletter. The entire crew extends our deep-est sympathy to the families and friends of the deceased.

Francis X. Beck, Jr. (1946) Died December 20, 2015

See obituary below

Carl Walker (1946-49) RD3 K Div

Died October 15, 2015

Anyone learning of the death of a former crewmember is requested to notify the Herald so their passing can be acknowledged in TAPS and also on the Honor Roll at the reun-ion memorial service.

__________

TAPS

FINANCIAL STATEMENT

Balance after 11/15 $113.00

Received from: Gib Billmeyer $100.00

Total Contributions $100.00

Available for 05/16 $213.00

Funds expended 05/16 $115.76

Ending Balance for 08/16 $97.24* *Funds will be needed for the August issue. Contributions for the newsletter may be sent to Premier Reunion Services at the address below.

Published by:

Premier Reunion ServicesPremier Reunion ServicesPremier Reunion ServicesPremier Reunion Services

PO Box 11438PO Box 11438PO Box 11438PO Box 11438

Hickory, NC 28603Hickory, NC 28603Hickory, NC 28603Hickory, NC 28603----6402640264026402

828-256-6008 (voice)

828-256-6559 (Fax)

www.mlrsinc.com/huntington

Our Reunions Work So You Don’t Our Reunions Work So You Don’t Our Reunions Work So You Don’t Our Reunions Work So You Don’t

Have To.Have To.Have To.Have To.

DOWNTOWN HICKORY, NC

Chateauesque-style mansion built by George Vanderbilt II between 1889 and 1895 and is the largest privately owned house in the Unit-ed States. After touring the Bilt-more Estate, the day will continue on to downtown Asheville where you can stroll through a vibrant entertainment hub in the heart of Asheville, brimming with independ-ent shops and a remarkably dis-tinctive mountain vibe. Another day’s activity could include a cruise on the Catawba River’s Lake Norman on the Ca-tawba Queen, a Mississippi-style riverboat. “The Inland Sea” offers 520 miles of shoreline where you can experience the breathtaking fall foliage on the surrounding banks of Lake Norman. On the return trip to Hickory, a quick tour of some of the interesting sites in Catawba County can be pointed out by the tour director. Maybe the Balls Creek Camp Meeting Grounds, Old Murray’s Mill and General Store, the Catawba Coun-ty History Museum which features a authentic Revolutionary War uni-form and other interesting items, or the Hickory Speedway where many of the NASCAR greats got their start. (Hickory is the home of NASCAR champions Ned and Dale Jarrett.) For the ladies, shopping is al-ways a necessity, and there are many opportunities in Hickory. The Valley Hills Mall is just a very short distance from the hotel. Also near-by is Hamrick’s. Hamrick’s offers name brand and high quality cloth-ing, a popular shoe department, and home accessory and gift de-partments at affordable prices for everyone in the family. It also de-signs several of its own private labels Nikki, Southern Lady, Links,

(Continued on page 4)

Page 3 Huntington Herald

for your reunion, you might want to extend your visit few extra days and visit some of the sights nearby. Since the Blue Ridge Mountains are within an hour’s drive (depending on your destination), you might want to visit some of the mountain areas. Blowing Rock is a quaint mountain town, full of charm that welcomes visitors from all over the country and is only an hour’s drive away. The Blue Ridge Parkway, near Blowing Rock, offers breath-taking vistas of the mountains. Asheville, about 1½ hours away, is one of NC’s best known areas—

home of the fabulous Biltmore Es-tate, arts and music venues, and has become one of the country’s most trendy destinations. Although not in the mountains, Charlotte, NC’s largest city, is only an hour away and offers all the big city amenities. If you’re a NASCAR fan, you can visit the NASCAR Hall of Fame or the Charlotte Motor Speedway, both in Charlotte. The Billy Graham Library is also located in Charlotte, as well as shopping and restaurants equal to any other large metropolitan area. So, come to Hickory for the re-union, enjoy what Hickory has to offer and then tour North Carolina. You won’t be disappointed!

REUNION ACTIVITY OPTIONS

Since your original plans were to stay in Asheville for the reunion, a day trip to this beautiful city will be included in your reunion agenda. You will be able to visit the Biltmore House and Estate. The house is a

ABOUT HICKORY

Hickory, NC is located between Charlotte and Asheville on I-40 in the foothills of the beautiful Blue Ridge Mountains. It has a popula-tion of around 40,000, but within the metropolitan area, the popula-tion soars to about 370,000. Hickory enjoys ideal weather and picturesque scenery with each new season. The city is located in Catawba County, which was acknowledged by Readers Digest as one of the “10 Best Places to Raise a Family.” Hickory has been named an “All American City” three times—in 2007, 1987 and 1967. Although still home to many top-

notch furniture manufacturers, much of the furniture industry for which Hickory was known has gone to foreign manufacturers. Neverthe-less, Hickory Furniture Mart still has thousands of visitors every year who come from all over the country to buy well-crafted furniture from the Hickory area. Taking the place of furniture, the cable indus-try has replaced many of the jobs formerly filled those of the furniture industry. Now 40%—60% of all the fiber optic cable is manufactured in the Hickory area. Also home to Hickory are large data-centers op-erated by Apple and Google. Shurtape, manufacturer of pres-sure-sensitive tape, is also a large employer in the area. Recreational opportunities abound in the area. Lake Hickory covers over 4,000 acres with 105 miles of shoreline and provides boating and other water sports, as well as beautiful scenery. There are multiple parks, both city and more rustic, forested parks within the county that provide hiking and pic-nicking areas. In addition to the planned tours

2016 REUNION IN HICKORY, NC

Page 4 Volume 26, Issue 1

Company Collection and N Touch. Hamrick’s has been a popular shop-ping place for many of our other re-union groups in Hickory, so we think you will like it also. The Hickory Fur-

niture Mart is just down the “main drag” from the hotel also. Here you can find the quality furniture that Hickory is so fa-mous for, all in one lo-cation. If you like to col-

lect one-of-a-kind souvenirs from your travels, you might want to check out some Catawba Valley pot-tery to take home. The area is fa-mous for its pottery—especially its face jugs. (Some are on display at the Crowne Plaza.) You can find the pottery at almost any craft shop, art studio or specialty shop in the ar-ea—especially in the downtown shopping area a few miles away from the hotel. Of course, as in any town, you can find many antique stores around which feature items unique to the south.

GETTING TO HICKORY

Unfortunately there is no com-mercial airline into Hickory. The clos-est airport is Charlotte International, about 50 miles from Hickory. From there you can either rent a car, ar-range for a shuttle service like Hicko-ry Hop or a limo service to take you to Hickory. If you would like to check into the Hickory Hop service, here is the information: Call Hickory Hop at (828) 327-2340. For limo service, call (828) 327-3364. If you are driv-ing, the Crowne Plaza is easy ac-cess right off Interstate 40.

In conclusion, we at Premier Re-union Services hope you will enjoy your stay in Hickory. We think it’s a great town, and we think we can show you a good time. Come enjoy some of our Southern hospitality.

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(Continued from page 3)

Bubba Joe’s first military assign-ment was to a military induction cen-ter, and, because he was a good talk-er, they assigned him the duty of ad-vising new recruits about the govern-ment benefits, especially the GI insur-ance to which they were entitled. Before long the Captain in charge of the induction center began noticing that Bubba was getting a 99 percent sign-up for the top GI insurance. This was odd, because it would cost these poor inductees nearly $30.00 per month more for their higher coverage than what the government was al-ready granting. The Captain decided that he would sit in the back of the room and observe Bubba’s sales pitch. Bubba Joe stood up before his latest group of inductees and stated: “If you have the normal GI insurance and go to Iraq and are killed, the gov-ernment pays your beneficiary $6,000.” “If you take out the supplemental GI insurance which will cost you an additional $30.00 per month, the gov-ernment pays your beneficiary $200,000.” “Now… Which bunch do you think they’re gonna send into combat first?”

__________

A college Professor, an avowed Athe-ist, was teaching his class. He shocked several of his students when he flatly stated he was going to prove there is no God. Addressing the ceiling he shouted: “God, if you are real, then I want you to knock me off this platform. I’ll give you 15 minutes!” The lecture room fell silent. You could have heard a pin drop. Ten minutes went by. Again the Professor taunted God, saying, “Here I am, God! I’m still waiting!” His count-down got down to the last cou-ple of minutes when a Marine, just re-leased from active duty and newly regis-tered in the class, walked up to the Pro-fessor and punched him full-force in the face. The Professor tumbled from his lofty platform, and he was out cold be-fore he hit the floor. At first the students were shocked, and they babbled in confusion. The young Marine took a seat in the front row and sat silently. The class fell silent… waiting. Eventually, the Professor came to. When he finally regained the power of speech, he glared at the young Marine in the front row. “What’s the matter with you? Why on earth did you do that?” The Marine smiled. “God was busy. He sent me.” (Okay… This one is actually a Marine joke, but we liked it anyway.)

FUN ON THE HUNTINGTON

Does this picture bring back any memories? Are you in this picture, or do you recognize any of your buddies? Did you participate in this kind of activity while you were aboard the USS HUNTINGTON? The Huntington Herald needs your stories to make this an interesting publication! Please take a minute to reply and tell us about your ship board days. Send your story to karen@mlrsinc.com or Premier Reunion Services PO Box 11438 Hickory, NC 28601.

NAVY JOKES