A NEWSLETTER SERVING FORMER CREWMEN OF USS BRYCE CANYON Volume 12, Issue 4 October 2007 Points of Special Interest Learn about what to expect at the 2007 reunion in October. Coordinator Michael Nesbit has the details in the cover story. Two new members have been located. See who they are under Welcome Mat on page two. Pages three through five have photos of the Bryce Canyon sent in by John Elliott. We know you ll enjoy them. See how many famous military leaders you can identify in the quiz on page six. AHOY Bryce Canyon Sailors, the Reunion is upon us. We have quite a few Sailors and their wives signed up for the Oct 18-21 Reunion to be held in San Antonio, Texas. I hope you re part of that group. We have some great things planned and are staying at the Holiday Inn on the River Walk. Check-in will be Thursday afternoon (or whenever you get there). We ll have a reception at the hotel to discuss the upcoming events for the weekend. Don t forget to pickup your City Tags for your Bryce Canyon Badge. During the day on Friday we will be touring Fredericksburg, the Nimitz Museum and the COORDINATOR S MESSAGE western shops of the Old West. Friday night we ll be going to the River Walk where we can dine on whatever your heart desires, go shopping or ride the boats down the river. There are many shopping and eating places along the river and they re all GOOD. Saturday we will be touring the town of San Antonio where you ll get to visit the Famous Alamo where Davy Crockett made his last stand. Saturday night will be the Big Western Night Dinner. Be sure to wear your best Cowboy/Cowgirl outfit. There will be a nice prize for the best male/female outfit. We ll also be doing the gift exchange, so bring something nice that you might like to win. NOTE: There will be a nice raffle gift that all BC members will love to have, so buy a lot of tickets. At the end of the Saturday evening program we ll be doing a short Memorial Service to honor those that are not with us anymore. Next year we will be doing something different to help out with Reunion expenses. Those that choose option A or B when coming to the reunion will have the Banquet Dinner on Saturday night paid for by the Bryce Canyon Association. This will be made possible by your annual $20 Association Dues. (Thank you.) We ll (Continued on page 2)
BRYCE CANYON UPDATE PAGE 2 (Continued from page 1) be looking for more ways to get you Swabbies to attend a Great Annual Event, YOUR BRYCE CANYON REUNION. Please e-mail me or call with any suggestions you might have to make your reunions better, easier to attend or save you some money when you get there. Don t forget to send in your Annual Dues when they re due and keep those Swabbie Stories coming. We always like to hear about your experiences aboard the Bryce Canyon. After all, the ship would be nothing without the Great Men that served on her. My name is Michael Nesbit ( 69 71) and I am your Association President and Reunion Coordinator. E-mail: thenezz@cox.net Phone: 619-562-5690 Address: 9605 Derald Rd Santee, CA 92071. Published By: Military Locator & Reunion Service, Inc PO Box 11399 Hickory, NC 28603 828-256-6008 (voice) 828-256-6559 (fax) dinamlrs@charterinternet.com karenmlrs@charterinternet.com Web site: www.mlrsinc.com/ brycecanyon Our Reunions Work So You Don t Have To WELCOME MAT Manuel Espinosa (1970-72) EM3 E Div 303 Field Crest St Canton, GA 30115 770-479-0913 Pete Medina (1969-70) 641 Leal St San Antonio, TX 78207 210-896-2434 TAPS The Bryce Canyon Update learned of the following shipmates deaths since the last newsletter. Every member of the Association sends his heartfelt sympathy to the families and friends of the deceased. Jack Lysaker Died November 18, 2005 Milt Larsen (1951-55) Radio Operator Died February 21, 2007 2007 USS BRYCE CANYON REUNION OCT 18-21 SAN ANTONIO, TX HOLIDAY INN RIVERWALK STATEMENT OF PUBLICATION The UPDATE is the official publication of the USS BRYCE CANYON Association. From now on it will be published quarterly in January, April, July and October, subject to receiving sufficient funding. The Newsletter is funded by voluntary contributions from the membership. All members are encouraged to support the voice of the BRYCE CANYON. A financial statement appears in each issue of the newsletter. The newsletter is intended to be a vehicle for the members to express opinions, make suggestions and especially share experiences. Unless otherwise stated, the views and opinions printed in the newsletter are those of the article s writer, and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the Association leadership or the Editor of the Newsletter. All letters and stories submitted will be considered for publication, except unsigned letters will not be published. Letters requesting the writer s name be withheld will be honored, but published on a space available basis. Signed letters with no restrictions will be given priority. Letters demeaning to another shipmate will not be printed; letters espousing a political position will not be printed. ML&RS, Inc. is not responsible for the accuracy of article submitted for publication. It would be impossible to check each story. Therefore, we rely on the submitter to research each article. The editor reserves the right to edit letters to conform to space limitations and grammar. You are encouraged to actively participate in the newsletter family, by submitting your stories and suggestions. This newsletter can also be accessed at the web site www.mlrsinc.com/brycecanyon.
BRYCE CANYON UPDATE PAGE 3 SWABBIE STORIES Greetings, My name is John Elliott. I served aboard the USS Bryce Canyon AD- 36 from 1958 to 1960. I was a Dental Tech and worked in D Division. I have included some photos from the ship and our WesPac Cruise of 1959. During that cruise our ship was awarded a Gold E battle efficiency award for winning the award for five straight years. (Photo included.) This was the first time any Navy ship had accomplished that feat. We were told at the time all crewmen who had served on the Bryce Canyon during the 5 year period could wear that gold E on their uniform forever. To my knowledge nothing ever came of that officially. I have additional photos of ship s spaces and a few others. Thanks for your interest. John W. Elliott Chairman of the Board ROEL Const. Co. Inc 619-297-4156 john@roel.com ALL OF THE FOLLOWING PHOTOS ARE COURTESY OF JOHN ELLIOTT
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BRYCE CANYON UPDATE PAGE 6 FAMOUS MILITARY LEADERS ANSWERS TO QUIZ See how many of these famous men you can identify: 1. This man was born in Denison, TX and was a graduate of West Point. He served as the Supreme Commander, Allied Expeditionary Force, Europe and lead the Allied invasion of Europe in 1944. 2. A brigadier general placed in charge of the 4th Armored Division of France, this man operated from North Africa while representing the Free French movement. He accompanied Allied troops as they liberated Paris on August 25, 1944. 3. When his men of the 101st Airborne Division found themselves surrounded by scores of advancing German soldiers, this man s one word response to a demand for surrender was, NUTS! 4. This man was one of the ablest and most controversial US commanders in World War II. He distinguished himself during the invasion of North Africa, the capture of Sicily and the Battle of the Bulge. He be- The five star general rank was created in the midst of World War II to address the fact that several American commanders found themselves in the delicate position of supervising Allied officers of higher rank. Initially, the new rank was to be called Field Marshal, after the British military, but this was nixed due to stern (and quite understandable) objections from General George C. Marshall. When General of the Army Omar N. Bradley died in April of 1981, the five star ranking was consigned to history. In all, four Army generals, four Navy admirals, and one Air Force general have held the rank of Five Star General. The Army s five star generals were General George FIVE STAR GENERALS came a four-star general, but was removed by Eisenhower from his leadership of the Third Army for his remarks concerning the denazification policies. 5. Distinguishing himself by leading troops to victories in North Africa and Sicily, this man was chosen by Eisenhower to command the 1st US Army during the D-Day invasion of Normandy, France. Under his direction, American forces liberated Paris, turned back the German counter-offensive at the Battle of the Bulge, took control of the first bridgehead over the Rhine River, and linked up with Soviet forces advancing from the east to drive the final nail into the Nazi coffin in 1945. 6. A close associate of Hitler, this man was dubbed the Desert Fox. He was made commander in chief of all German armies from the Netherlands to the Loire River, but was unable to stop the Allied invasion of France. Implicated in a plot to assassinate Hitler, he was forced to commit suicide by ingesting poison. C. Marshall, General Douglas Mac- Arthur, General Dwight D. Eisenhower, and General Omar N. Bradley. The Navy s five star fleet admirals were Admiral William D. Leahy, Admiral Ernest J. King, Admiral Chester Nimitz, and Admiral William F. Bull Halsey. And General Henry Arnold was the Air Force s five star general. Who beats a five star general? A General of the Armies of the United States the highest military rank of all time, hands down. To date, only George Washington and John J. Pershing have held this position. 6. Erwin Rommel 5. Omar Bradley 4. George S. Patton 3. A. C. McAuliffe 2. Charles de Gaulle 1. Dwight D. Eisenhower FINANCIAL STATEMENT Balance from 07/07 issue $3255.14 Funds received since 07/07 $125.00 Funds available for 10/07 issue $3380.14 Funds expended 10/07 issue $883.38 (6 pages/780 copies) Postage: $304.20 Paper: $117.00 Envelopes: $ 39.00 Copies: $327.60 Labor: $ 96.00 TOTAL: $883.38 Balance Remaining for 01/08 $2496.76 Dues of $20.00 are due in January of each year. Send dues to ML&RS at address on page two. Be sure to indicate that it is for the Bryce Canyon Update.