Year 2009 Reunion – Our 29th

Contact:
Art Bowne, Secretary
USS Robinson DD562, Inc.
Tel: (281) 474-0558
E-mail: ajbowne@yahoo.com

Anyone desiring copies of our USS Robinson DD562, Inc.
exemption application and supporting documents for non-profit organizations, contact:

George Schureman,
24 Miles Road
Claymont, DE  19703
(302) 798-7111

Year 2009 Reunion – Our 29th
Newport News, Virginia

Well, our illustrious site locater and trusted treasurer George Schureman, has done it again! He packed his van with reunion supplies, 300 miles worth of organic carrots and his wife Eleanor and journeyed his way to Newport News, VA to prepare for what proved to be an outstanding 29th Reunion. He even found time to pick up Art and Judy B. at the Norfolk Airport that same day. Off to the Point Plaza Suites and Conference Hotel to begin preliminary chores for ensuring a smooth and successful gathering; '" and that it was. Thank you George! We can't say enough for the VIP treatment received from the Hotel Staff, and in particular, the extent time and attention to detail afforded us by Dee Garland, Sales Manager, and Andrea Hellman, Catering Sales Manager, to overseeing that every aspect of our Reunion was to our satisfaction. Thank you.

Thursday was arrival day at the for most, time to unpack and find your way to the combined "Sandbar & Sandpiper Rooms," our designated Hospitality room, to register and Point Plaza Suites & Conference Hotelmeet up with both old and newly made acquaintances. Hugs and kisses and handshakes galore!

Tour A
Friday was an extremely busy tour day. On the agenda were visits to The Mariner's Museum. Lunch at the Mariner's Museum Cafe, Fort Monroe, the Casemate Museum and finally, a Memorial Service at the Chapel of the Centurion (at Ft. Momoe). Then back to the hotel for a Wine & Cheese Party.

Touring these facilities was magnificent. The Mariner's Museum offered the Chesapeake Bay Gallery that featured a lens from the Cape Charles Lighthouse, a Native American dugout canoe (1630), a Chesapeake Bay deadrise workboat and a working steam engine (1895). Onto the USS Monitor Center. This is a new $30-million Civil War attraction showing a full-scale Monitor replica, a high-definition Battle Theater, state-of-the-art conservation labs and numerous artifacts induding the iconic gun turret. The center's galleries are re-creations of times and places. The many displays and exhibits were awesome.

Next stop was Fort Monroe and the Casemate Museum. This is the home of the Army's Coast Artillery collection and the focal point of historic Fort Momoe which was built in 1819. Ft. Momoe's mission was to protect the entrance to the Hampton Roads harbor by mounting an impressive complement of the most powerful artillery of the time 32-pounder guns(each cannonball weighed 32 pounds). There were displays of weapons, uniforms and drawings of the times. The focal point was the prison cell where Jeff Davis was imprisoned after the Civil War. Edgar Allan Poe served here for 16 months as an enlisted man and Robert E Lee, a young officer, served with the Army Corps of Engineers.
Our concluding activity at Ft. Monroe was to assemble at the Chapel of the Centurion, where Shipmate Rev. Howard E. Wise conducted a Memorial Service honoring our fallen shipmates and those, who through many eras of history, served in our Armed Forces to maintain our freedom and coveted way of life

Ladies Meeting

The "Gals of the Robbie" met amidst protest and near riots (did you say 7:30 a.m. on a vacationing Saturday morning?) swelling to a crowd of 30 plus, enjoying coffee and pastries. A Decorated T-Shirt Contest was held, judged, applauded and the winners were announced and duly congratulated:
1 st Place: Sue West
2nd Place: Phyllis Kaczor
3rd Place: Millie Gelmini

Banquet Highlights

Rev. Howard Wise delivered the invocation, giving camaraderie we share, keeping in mind those shipmates who are unable to be with us physically, but who are very much in our thoughts and prayers.

Attention was drawn to The Table of the Fallen Shipmate, and the reading of the Fallen Shipmate plaque followed.

Tour B
The Sunday tour was a triple-phased excursion. First, a good look at the 8,000 Acre Norfolk Naval Station, part of which is the Norfolk Naval Base. It surely did not look like this in the early 50s! We rode by the 14 piers and witnessed the configurations of warships that were not at all similar to the "old" tin-can days.

Phase two took us on a riding tour of Norfolk City. Hampton Boulevard and East Main Street-WOW!-do our eyes decieve us? Whatever happened to all that ink from the tattoo parlors (aka: shacks) and the fermented and distilled liquids that frequented this strip The final tour phase of this glorious day was to board the Victory Rover and take a 2-hour cruise of historic Hampton Roads Harbor. More memories were ignited as we passed what used to be the old CE (Convoy Escort) piers as we viewed the fleet from the waterside perspective. The carriers, subs, missle cruisers and destroyers displayed their mighty awesomeness as the swabbies from yesteryear gazed upon this armanda in disbelief and appreciation.

ATTENDEES

Even with some last minute cancellations, we had 89 attendees this year. Among them and of special notoriety was Carl Bieber and his wife, Dotty. He attempted to pass himself off as a regular attendee by announcing at the Crews Meeting that this was his 14th Reunion. Yes, Carl was the 'lone virgin' among the Shipmates finding their way to Newport News!

The shipmates, first mates and guest who attended this 29th Annual Reunion and who experienced the fantastic hospitality, the historic significance and fun of Newport News/Hampton Roads area are:

Robbie Photo Captions

World War II Crew

Ralph Moore, Maurice Johnson, Dave Miller, Fred Robertson

Korean War Crew

Back Row: Art Bowne
2nd Row: Bob Ferguson, Art Schuetze, Pete Masella, Bob Welsh, Joe Sabatini,
Jim Ernsberger, Don Loder, Bobby Boyd, Tom Clegg, Roger Mustard
Front Row: Walter Vereecke, Norm Hebert, Ray Querey, Howard Wise,
Luke West, George Schureman, Gene Ferguson
On Floor: Don Hendrick, Bud Carlson

Post-Korean War Crew

Back Row: Jerry Harshbarger, Ron Kaiser, Charles Smith, Wes Shanholtzer, Vern Compton, Don Wieser, Spencer Meade, Don Griffiths
Front Row: Jim Tompkinson, John Lucas, Jim Lane, Bill Murphy, Hal Mullen, Carl Bieber, Dick Gruny

1981 South Bend, IN
1982 St. Louis, MO
1983 Denver, CO
1984 St. Louis, MO
1985 Seattle, WA
1986 Baltimore, MD
1987 New Orleans, LA
1988 San Diego, CA
1989 Dallas, TX
1990 South Bend, IN
1991 Post Falls, ID
1992 Charleston, SC
1993 St. Louis, MO
1994 Denver, CO
1995 Covington, KY
1996 Myrtle Beach, SC
1997 Harrisburg, PA
1998 San Diego, CA

1999 Covington, KY
2000 Daytona Beach, FL
2001 Peoria, IL
2002 Gulf Breeze, FL
2003 Buffalo, NY
2004 Baton Rouge, LA
2005 South Portland, ME
2006 San Antonio, TX
2007 Branson, MO
2008 Boston, MA
2009 Newport News, VA
2010 Branson, MO
2011 Myrtle Beach, SC
2012 Nashville, TN
2013 Waterloo, IA
2014 Savannah, GA
2015 Washington, DC
2016 Omaha, NE