DATES:
October 18-22
HOTEL:
Holiday Inn Bayside Hotel
4875 N Harbor Dr
San Diego, CA 92106
Tel: 619-224-3621
SHIPMATES MUSTERED:
Danny Allender 62-64 John Armstrong 58-62
Max Barbee 71-73 Darrell Barber 60-63
Peter Beshai 68-70 David Brennan 57-60
David Brooks 71-73 Bill Burns 67-71
Gary Burnett 71-72 James Buzbee 64-68
Jerald Carry 60-62 Terry F. Caven 63-64
Craig Clifton 72-73 Dan Dale 67-68
Bert Dibley 46-49 Roger Donnay 66-69
Brian Donnelly 60-62 Alvin Dunning 52-54
Robert Frasher 67-68 Kenneth Frerichs 52-54
Roger Graham 59-63 Robert Hinzmann 69-71
Daniel Hopp 68-69 Stan Hughes 58-59
Charles Joshlin 69-70 Leonard Keene 68-72
Joseph Kamberger 70-73 Gordon Lee 67-71
David MacMorran 66-67 L.C. McGilvray 58-62
Chuck Morrissette 71-73 Rocky Mulder 69
Gerald Normand 72-73 Montie Ocha 65-66
Javier Patron 69-71 Fieldon Pugh 52-56
Charles Roberts 67-71 Gary Rousello 66-69
Ralph Smith 53-55 Darwin Sietsema 68-71
Ersul Sowers 63-64 Thomas St. Aubin 71-72
John Strebel 66-69 Walter Stephens 58
Larry Swaney 68-71 Bruce Taylor 66-68
Bob Troutt 66-69 Rick Warden 67-71
George White 54-57 Don Wolfe 65-68
Richard Zidrich 67-71
Notes:
Shipmates and guests started arriving on Wednesday. Our hospitality room was
fabulous. It was located on the 5th floor, however there was easy access from
the elevator. The weather was perfect and there was a long patio outside the
hospitality room. The view of the bayside was great. There were plenty of
large tables and chairs to accomodate up to 100 people. Gift bags were handed
out to shipmates. The bags included documents, a 2017 reunion hat pin, a
USS James E. Kyes Rocker, a USS James E. Kyes patch, alcohol wipes, masks and
syringes. The last 3 items were added due to the fires in California and the
Hepatitis-A breakout in San Diego. Read this for more
info.
CDR Stephens and his wife, Virginia, attended our reunion for the 3rd time.
He is the only USS James E. Kyes commanding officer to have attended a reunion.
He is 96 years old. His life in the U.S. Navy is documented in this
presentation
created by his daughter, Jan Abrams. Seven (7) total members of the Stephens
family attended this year's reunion.
Laurel Dale, CDR Stephens daughter, created this
fabulous memoir of her family's
experience at our 2017 reunion.
Those who signed up for the Wednesday evening Pub Crawl were treated to a nice
trolley ride across the Coronado bridge to Coronado Island where we ate and
drank at a pub owned by a U.S. Navy Seal. Our driver told us some history about
the island on our trip.
Zoud Danko could not join us due to the fact that his daughter was wounded by
the Las Vegas shooter. Our association sends its best wishes for her full
recovery.
Thursday was a day in which there were no planned events. Shipmates and guests
used this day for their own user-guided tours.
Friday was a day which required a lot of walking around the Embarcadero area.
We were dropped off by trolley at the USS Midway and spent the day touring this
great museum ship and did some shopping at the Sea Port Village.
Saturday morning was dedicated to a memorial service at Rosecrans National
Cemetery. We all traveled by trolley to view the WW-II naval memorials followed
by a special dedication to the lost 74 of the USS Frank E. Evans.
On Saturday afternoon, shipmates met in the hospitality room to discuss
association business, to elect new officers, to choose a committee for the
next reunion and to choose a location for the next reunion.
Saturday evening started with a photo shoot outside the dinner banquet patio
area where we enjoyed a wonderful "Luau style" banquet on the patio.
Andy Clark (Father was Forest Clark 46-49) took the above group photo with his
camera. He also donated a spectacular book of photos from his father's time
aboard the Kyes. He was joined by his friends, Ray Bailey and Fred Verd.
Ray Bailey was a childhood friend of Forest Clark. He served aboard the
USS Franklin (CV-13) and was blown off the deck by bombs dropped from Japanese
planes.
View Wiki Page. Fred Verd served aboard nuclear submarines in the 1980's.
He addressed our group at the memorial ceremony at Rosecrans cemetery.
View video.
After the banquet, we all assembled in a room for a few presentations followed
by the 50/50 drawing and auction of items donated by shipmates. Our reunion
this year was a great financial success due to the generosity of the shipmates
and guests with donations and also due to sales from the ship's store. We should
have plenty of funds to replenish the ship's store, send out Christmas greetings
and plan for our next reunion in 2019.
Roger Donnay gave an address that was intended to be read at the Rosecrans
cemetery but due to the fact that we ran out of time and had to reboard the trolleys
he gave his address in the meeting room after the banquet.
Here is the text of the address.
David MacMorran presented the Korea Defense Service Medal to Kyes shipmates
who were aboard when the USS Pueblo (AGER-2) was seized by North Korea in 1968.
Here is the text of that presentation.
Montie Ocha entertained everyone with his "trivia contest" in which he donated
and awarded a cash prize to the winner.
David Brennan was aboard the Kyes along with CDR Stephens in 1958 when the American
Sister City Bell was presented to the city of Yokahama, Japan. David told the
story of how CDR Stephens received a proclamation that came from Japan, which
he retained in his possession until an event several years ago in Balboa Park,
where he was recognized by the Japanese Friendship Society for that "opening" of
better relations with Japan in the Post-WW II era. CDR Stephens handed it to
David Brennan. When David asked him what he should do with it, CDR Stephens said
"You'll figure it out". Well David figured out that it would be best to give
it to the USS James E. Kyes Association. Here is a
photo of the proclamation which is now in our possession.
We elected new officers:
President: Montie Ocha
Vice President: Darwin Sietsema
Secretary, Treasurer: Roger Donnay
Here are some shipmate comments:
2017 was my first Kyes reunion. I belong to four other reunion groups and I have
attended a total of 21 reunions with the different groups. The 2017 Kyes reunion
was the most enjoyable of all. To you and everyone involved with the reunion I
would like to give a big "Bravo Zulu".
Thanks,
Ersul Sowers
More information will be posted here as it becomes available.
