MOORE MEMORIES
USS BELL
ASSOCIATION (DD587)
DECEMBER, 2003
IN THIS ISSUE:
HAPPY
HOLIDAYS
2004
REUNION – COVINGTON, KY
MAILBAG
BEST WISHES
IN SYMPATHY
RETURNED MAIL
THE ORIGIN OF “TAPS”
WORLD WAR II
TRIVIA
HAPPY HOLIDAYS
TO ONE AND
ALL!
Our Las Vegas reunion was again a wonderful time
for all the members and family and friends who attended. My thanks to Jack and Roseann Ogden for
all the errands they ran for me in supplying our hospitality room. They really were so helpful and I greatly
appreciate it. Las Vegas is place of many activities. Visiting the many hotels and just looking
and browsing along the shops is time consuming.
You can just lose yourself in the lobbies and along the avenues attached
to the hotels. It is also fun just
to people watch. A lot of us took
some of the tours that are offered.
Some of my friends and I took a tour through the Valley of Fire
and we enjoyed it so much. Our tour
guide was a walking historian. His
great grandfather had come to Nevada in the
eighteen hundreds and had explored all the desert region and settled in Las Vegas, so the guide
learned as a child all there was to know about the desert and the life in the
desert. We were treated to a nice
lunch along the way at Lake Mead. We also took a tour that included Hoover
Dam, and a drive through a portion of the Hualapai Indian Reservation on Route
66 on our way to the bottom of the Grand Canyon along the
Colorado River where the rafters stop for a short rest. We then left that portion of the Grand Canyon and traveled to the West Rim of the Canyon
for a breathtaking view of the walls.
It was almost sundown so the colors were so beautiful. Leaving the Grand
Canyon
we stopped in the Joshua Tree Forest to make some pictures. .
Wednesday morning we assembled for
a business meeting. Jimmy Faith
began our assembly by delivering a brief message and prayer. His daughter Gina graced us again with
her beautiful voice with the song “America”. All the shipmates were asked to stand and
introduce themselves and their family members and friends. Shipmates attending were Mario Capitanio,
Russell Haberle, Eddie Kleek, Tom Gutierrez, Ralph Marino, Maurice Moe, Mike
Diveronica, William Cavanaugh, Jimmy Faith, and Jack Ogden. Jon Diulas, son-in-law of Mario & Marion
Capitanio was awarded an Honorary Shipmate status. Jon has been so helpful with assisting in
the activities of the Bell
reunions. Mike DiVeronica presented
a package from the City of Covington, Kentucky, inviting us to come there for
one of our reunions. The shipmates
met to discuss the package that was presented and they voted in favor of the
City of Covington for 2004
reunion. After the business meeting,
we had our raffle for the gifts. We
also had an auction for a few items and it was one of the highlights of the
reunion. We had so much fun and so much laughter
with it that anyone who would like to bring an extra gift for the auction, we
will do it again next year.
Wednesday night was our farewell banquet.
The hotel had decorated the dining room in red, white and blue and it really
looked pretty. We had a lavish
banquet and I thought the food was really good.
It was also noted that some of our members had just had some big birthdays and
anniversaries, so we put our best voices forward and sang Happy Birthday. Door prizes were awarded and a special
gift was presented to our host and hostess, Jack and Roseann. Everyone is looking forward to our 2004
reunion.
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2004 REUNION – COVINGTON, KENTUCKY
The 2004 reunion will be held at
The Drawbridge Hotel & Suites beginning with check-in on Wednesday. September
29, and checkout on Sunday, October 3rd. A block of rooms have been reserved for
the USS Bell and every one attending will be responsible for making their own
reservations. The room rate will be
$68.00 per room plus tax for Single, Double, Triple or Quad occupancy. This rate is also extended to the three
days before and three days after the reunion dates.
The toll free number for reservations is 1-800-354-9793 if you live
outside Kentucky. Those people living in the State of Kentucky should dial
1-800-352-9866. Reservations must be
received by August 30, 2004 to ensure room availability. Any cancellations must be make before
6:00 pm on the arrival date or you will be billed for the first night.
Check-in time is after 3:00 pm.
Check out time is no later than 12:000 noon.
The hotel will make every effort to accommodate those arriving earlier than 3:00
p.m. Baggage storage is available for guests
who arrive and depart at times other than those listed here. Parking at the hotel is free. The Drawbridge Hotel operates regularly
scheduled airport transportation for hotel guests on a complimentary basis.
The hotel will also extend to each person a 10% food discount in Chaucers and
Josh’s Tavern & Grille.
Covington is known as “The Southern Side of Cincinnati” and is located
just across the Ohio River from
Cincinnati.
Covington
has a nice waterfront with many restaurants and shops. I will be sending out additional
information early next year. Please
mark your calendars with the dates September 29 – October 3rd, 2004. It is less than a year away!
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MAILBAG
…..I am sending you a copy of our
Destroyer. I have a granddaughter in
the Navy, Lt. J.G. Lacey Hillman so I decided to keep the original for her and
get some copies. I have been wanting
to do this for some time. Also, a
great big thank you for the cap. I
defend it and wear it to places where I believe no harm can come to it. Many thanks once again.
…..S. I Class Maurice Hillman
…..What a happy surprise in my
mailbox yesterday. The shirt is
beautiful. Dates brought back
memories. George was so proud he was
with the Bell
when she was commissioned and when she was decommissioned. Thank you so much. You are very kind. Are shirts still available to purchase? If so, I’d like one medium and one large.
Let me know cost of shirts and mailing.
God Bless You.
…..Penny Atkinson
…..I received the USS Bell shirt
and was pleased to get it. Thank you
for your thoughtfulness. It was nice
to hear from you and to be thought about.
Francis is having cataract eye surgery September 16th, but
otherwise has good health. He enjoys
visiting and reminiscing with friends and relatives about his years of service
in the Navy and looks forward to receiving the Moore Memories. Thank you for all your good work for the
Association. We will not be
attending the reunion in Las Vegas
this year, perhaps another time. Our
weather is hot and have dry conditions due to lack of rain. We live in the country, 30 miles SW of
Des Moines, Iowa and the corn and soybean crops are suffering from the drought
and the yields will be low. Thanks
again, Ann. Keep up the good work. We appreciate it.
…..Maxine & Francis Harpole
…..Enclosed find our dues. We had plans to be at the reunion in Las Vegas, but something
has come up and we aren’t going to be able to make it. Sorry to miss it, but do have fun. Keep in touch.
…..Al & Pauline Lewis
…..I will not be attending the
reunion, but I do want to let you know that Joe passed away June 18, 2002. Joe & I both enjoyed reading the Moore
Memories and now since he is gone I hope I can keep on receiving them. I am
enclosing a check for membership dues.
I miss him so much. We enjoyed 60
years of happily married life.
…..Mrs. Joe (Bessie) Schwarz
…..Many thanks for card and good
wishes on behalf of Bell Association.
And thank you for sending reunion information to my relatives in Wisconsin. We were so hoping to come to this reunion
and to get together with my sister and cousin (both widows) in such a fun place
as Las Vegas. It sounded great but we just can’t do it.
It’s too bad because the original “plank owners” on the
Bell
(like my husband) are departing this world, unfortunately. Of the original gang, only Doug & Terri
Wetherby and Mike DiVeronica are left that we know well. We hope you have a good turnout though
and know it will be fun. We haven’t
been to Las Vegas for a couple of
years and loved the arrangements you had made, but unfortunately we can’t be
there. I’m recovering ok, but age
(old) does slow me down. I also have
admiration for anyone who donates a kidney because the surgery itself is rough.
Gord was a wonderful caregiver after I came home from the hospital.
We’re getting along ok now and I’m back to the cooking (which never was
his forte). Thank you again for good wishes and you all have a wonderful
reunion. We’re with you in spirit.
…..Mrs. Gordon (Mary Jane) Schley
…..I really appreciate getting the
Moore Memories as it brings back a lot of memories of the wonderful times we had
at the reunions we attended. Alex
passed away September 14, 2001 from lung cancer and I am not able to come to any
reunions myself because of handicap.
I was happy when reading the last Memories because I discovered that
Harold Hughes is ok and still communicating with you. Also, the one before Bette Hope had a
note in. Chad Hope was such a good
friend of Alex that our son was named
Chad
when he was born. We also have a
daughter Bette. Here are my dues for
the Memories. Best of Luck to
everybody.
…..Marian Burchardt
….. Your consideration and welcome
thoughts were much appreciated in our time of illness. We look forward to seeing the crew as
well as you and your helpers at the next reunion.
…..Arthur & Dolores Arbogast
…..Found you home page and
suddenly realized that name sounded familiar to me. I served aboard in 1946, until I was
discharged in early 1946. I
prelisted on May 22, 1946. Jobs were
hard to come by for Hospital Corpsman.
I then served aboard the USS Gordius, ARI-36, the USS Gyatt DD712, the USS
Philippine Sea CV-47. I made a trip
with Admiral Byrd to the South Pole, Operation High Jump (There is a home page
for this ship’s sight). Last ship
assignment was on the USS Wisconsin on her last days in the Navy.
I am still very active for an 81-year-old ex-sailor. After retiring I ran a medical laboratory
for a large group of doctors for thirty years.
I like to tell all young men that don’t know what to do with their lives
to try the NAVY and you may have a life long career. I was recalled for the Korean War and was
injured and retired with 30% disability.
…..Lawrence Howard HM2C US Navy Ret.
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BEST WISHES
…..to Arthur Arbogast who suffered
a heart attack the week before our reunion. He and his family were coming to the
reunion but instead he had to visit the hospital.
He is doing very well and looks forward to next year’s reunion.
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IN SYMPATHY
Robert “Bob” Turner of Cocoa, Florida dies Sunday July
13, 20003 He would have turned 82 on July 17, 2003. Mr. Turner was born in Greenville, Ga.
He graduated from Woodlawn
High School in 1941. He worked for Tom McCann Shoe Store when
he was transferred to Miami. He joined the Navy while living in Miami. During one of his leaves from boot camp,
he met and later married Florence Juanita “Nita” McLendon on September 23, 1942.
He spent more than three years in the Navy, mostly aboard the USS Bell DD487 in
the South Pacific. He moved to Orlando, Florida
in 1946 with Atlantic Chemicals. In
1953 he started Bry-Turner, Inc. with Bud Bryan.
He stayed with the company until he moved to Cocoa in 1959. He then started Bob Turner Sanitary
Supply, Inc. He sold the business in
1985 to retire. Mr. Turner was a
Rotary member from 1960 to retirement.
He was a dedicated member of the Central Community Church of Cocoa for many
years. Funeral was July 17th at Florida memorial Funeral with interment at Florida Memorial Gardens.
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RETURNED MAIL
Mail was returned from John &
Faye Chandler, Jr. If anyone knows a
new address for John and Faye please let me know.
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THE ORIGIN OF “TAPS”
We have all heard the haunting
song “Taps”. It’s the song that
gives us that lump in our throats and usually creates tears in our eyes. But do you know the story behind the
song? If not, I think you will be
interested to find out about its humble beginnings.
Reportedly, it all began in 1862
during the Civil War, when Union Army Captain Robert Ellicombe was with his men
near Harrison’s Landing in Virginia. The Confederate Army was on the other
side of the narrow strip of land.
During the night, Captain Ellicombe heard the moans of a soldier who lay
severely wounded on the field. Not
knowing if it was a Union or Confederate soldier, Captain Ellicombe decided to
risk his life and bring the stricken man back for medical attention. Crawling on his stomach through gunfire,
the Captain reached the stricken soldier and began pulling him toward his
encampment. When the Captain finally
reached his own lines, he discovered it was actually a confederate soldier, but
the soldier was dead. The Captain
lit a lantern and suddenly caught his breath and went numb with shock. In the dim light, he saw the face of the
soldier. It was his own son. The boy had been studying music in the
South when the war broke out.
Without telling his father, the boy enlisted in the Confederate Army. The following morning, heartbroken, the
father asked permission of his superiors to give his son a full military burial
despite his enemy status. His
permission was only partially granted.
Captain Ellicombe had asked if he could have a group of Army band members play a
funeral dirge for his son at the funeral. The request was turned down since the
soldier was a Confederate. But, out
of respect for the father, they did say they could give him only one musician.
The Captain chose a bugler. He asked
the bugler to play a series of musical notes he had found on a piece of paper in
the pocket of the dead youth’s uniform.
This wish was granted. The haunting
melody, which we now know as “Taps,” used at military funerals and at the end of
each day on US military
bases, was born.
Day is done…..Gone the sun…..From
the lakes…..From the hills…..From the skies…..All is well…..Safely rest…..God is
nigh.
Fading light…..Dims the
sight…..And a star…..Gems the sky…..Gleaming bright…..From afar…..Drawing
nigh…..Falls the night.
Thanks and praise…..For our
days…..Neath the sun…..Neath the stars…..Neath the sky…..As we go…..This we
know…..God is nigh
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A LITTLE WORLD WAR II TRIVIA
Aaron Ward, U.S.S. – U.
S. Navy destroyer (DM-34) that was hit by five kamikaze aircraft in May 1945 --
and survived! It was stationed off Okinawa as Radar Picket Ship #10 and was commanded by W.
H. Sanders.
ABC-1 – Designator of the
most important conference in World War II.
The meeting was held in
Washington,
D.C. from January to March 1941,
between American and British staff officers.
It was decided that if the United States
and Britain were involved in
WWII as allies, their main effort should first be directed toward defeating Germany.
Abucay Line – Name given
to the first line of defense set up by General Douglas MacArthur’s forces across
the Bataan peninsula in 1941.
A Card - U.S. gas ration card. It indicated the lowest priority of gas
rationing and entitled the holder to three gallons of gas per week.
Acuff, Roy – Country and
Western singer voted the most popular singer by GIs overseas during World War
II. (Frank Sinatra was second).
Adam and Eve – Nickname
of the 1st. Pursuit Squadron of General Claire Chennault’s American
Volunteer Group in China,
more commonly known as the Flying
Tigers. The Adam and Eve were
primarily former U.S. Army pilots, although form Marine Gregory (Pappy)
Boyington was also a member.
A TRIVIA QUESTION FOR ALL YOU MEMBERS – The first five people that can send me the answer to the
following question will win a prize.
Here’s the question: What was the name of the Soviet spy captured by the
FBI and exchanged for U-2 pilot Francis Gary Powers. He was a spy behind German lines during
WWII for the Russians.
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MEMBERSHIP DUES ARE STILL ONLY $10 PER YEAR!
