Highlights!
Maine Reunion, 2008
Where to begin?...first thanks Don Rickel for your wonderful work in putting on the reunion. Fantastic. Hotel comfortable, inexpensive, and good food. Thanks also to Don's friend Vaughan, Maine Tourism Bureau, for the freebies! So...Monday, waiting in the lobby for everyone to arrive...hugs, kisses, "Hi, how are ya! Great to see y'all!" Welcome Aboard--new people, good fellowship, scrumptious food. Tuesday--tour of Portland, bigger than I thought, wide sidewalks, hilly, but everyone walks. Excellent tour guide and bus drivers. Much of Portland was burned down twice, but you'd never know it. Lots of parks. Trip to Cape Eliz. light, but it was closed. Awesome scenery, windy but pleasant. Boat ride...wind and salt spray in your face, long winded Captain, with lots to tell. Casco Bay is grand and dotted with islands. My favorite of the tour--reminded me of home. Ralph and his ubiquitous camera--wouldn't shut it off. I was tempted to give it to Davy Jones. Tasty box lunch. Tour of Longfellow House most interesting. Wed. business meeting and auction. New treasurer--Don Rickel, and new secretary--Beth Perry. (She's new?) Joe Q. kept ship's stores. Unusual items...an intricate woodcut made by Marcel and cement stepping stones cast by newcomer Lionel Belanger. Sandy Adams pitched the Phoenix area for our next reunion and won us over for the fall of '09. He's already working on it. Half and half drawing netted us and the winner $138 each. Afternoon free and we did some walking. Must not forget that the weather was absolutely perfect, and you can thank Gerlinde Rickel for that--Don said she prayed!! Fun mustering all those "Yo-yos" on the bus! Thursday, Maine Maritime Museum. Extensive display of different boats and pictures of sailing ships, old buildings with old photos and tools. Another place to tire out old legs and backs while standing listening to knowledgeable tour guides. Lunch was excellent, again. (Ask Pat Z???) Next ... Freeport and L.L. Bean. Shirley Q. knew how to find the bargains. (She also got her first whole lobster one night, complete with bib and pix by Joe. Pat A., did you get enough lobster?) Bill S. read a book, while Dave R. and Frenchy Poirier sat in comfortable chairs and caught up on the past, on which they didn't always agree. For the guys, Friday was the crowning jewel. Couldn't beat our trip to NAS Brunswick. Everyone in VP8 welcomed us with open arms. Officers and all the crew who showed us around were extremely knowledgeable and hospitable.. First stop the training room where CO CDR Pete Garvin and a number of petty officers explained operations, along with video, with as much information as they were allowed to, although some of our guys expected a little more detail. Shame on you guys; you know that they can't divulge military secrets, and by the way--remember to "uncover" next time.! Tour of the shops and a P3; Ralph presented an original painting for VP8 to hang in the ward room of their new quarters when they move to Jax. Lunch in the galley took some of the guys back, I'm sure, and I was surprised by the quality of the food. Big day, but not over, as the banquet was still to come.. A number of new guys attended and we recruited all of them for VP8, along with 3 officers! About 90 in attendance plus disc jockey. Nice music for dancing. Special guests--Real Cyr and wife Therese, Marcel's cousins. Real served in the Canadian, British, and US Navies...told of his capture by the Germans and his harrowing escape. Still difficult for him and very moving for us all. Makes you appreciate the hardships and sacrifices that were made by so many. The food was delicious, again and again! Ralph was there with that dang camera. Sandy Adams found out that Carolyn owns a real slip, something we don't think Ralph filmed! (Ralph will make a DVD again to go on sale a little later in the year. You can email him at address at top of newsletter for info. Send him any pictures that you might want included.) Farewell breakfast in our hospitality room--coffee and pastries. So good. Didn't Hope Trevino look great--86 and all the way from San Diego by her lonesome! We all hated to leave--so much fun, such good company, and too soon over. Sadly, things happened that we couldn't control. Gerry and Terry Doyle were called back to RI because their daughter had a heart attack. Al Shiller ended up in the hospital because of an infection in his leg, but they did make the banquet. The Pyataks were affected by the storms that ran up Chesapeake Bay, lost power at home, and had to cancel. The storm also kept Edwin Stewart from flying his own plane from FL to visit the Holmblads and attend the banquet. All in all, it was better than great. Countin' on Sandy and his crew to match the experience, as we know they will!!! A bientot, mes amis.
o VP-8 Alumni Officers
o Roster
o Changes and/or Other Additions
o Binnacle List/Mail Call
o Taps
o Change of Command
o Mail Call
o To All of You Veterans
o Civilian Friends vs. Veteran Friends
o Main Reunion Attendees
o Letter from a Chaplain in Iraq
o TRICARE Information FYI
o The Report Card
o Just for Laughs
o Reunion Photograph's
o And More!
