ANNUAL USS HANSON NEWSLETTER

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1 201 West Bay Street Savannah, GA Wyndham Hotel Cleveland, Ohio ANNUAL USS HANSON NEWSLETTER May 2014 USS Hanson DD/DDR 832 Steering Committee The following crewmembers of the USS Hanson form a Steering Committee that assist and support the Reunion Committee in the planning of the current reunion. Roger Austin Bob Beiter Tom Givan Bob Grimm Jerry Matthews Dennis McGill Bill McLay Larry Nelsen Carl Pearson Doug Robe Jackson, GA Huron, OH Hannibal, MO Amsterdam, NY Winlock, WA Califon, NJ Warminster, PA Plattsmouth, NE Pace, FL Blue Spring, MO PLANNERS FOR THE CLEVELAND REUNION Chairpersons Bob and Rosemary Beiter We acknowledge the hard work done by Bob and Rosemary Beiter in organizing our Cleveland reunion and contributing valuable information to our newsletter This Newsletter was prepared by: Bill McLay. Bob Beiter And formatted by Edith McLay USS HANSON DD/DDR 832 Annual Reunion Cleveland, Ohio Wednesday August 27 to Saturday August 30, 2014 WYNDHAM AT PLAYHOUSE SQUARE 1260 Euclid Ave., Cleveland, OH Recipient of the 2013 Trip Advisor Certificate of Excellence Award OUR HOTEL: This absolutely beautiful hotel is a Prime hotel in down town Cleveland on Historic Euclid Ave., in the center of the Playhouse Square District. Playhouse Square is second only to NYC s Broadway for live stage entertainment. In the immediate area and just a short way down Euclid Ave. to Public Square or up East 9th St. to the shores of Lake Erie, there are more things to see and do than one can possibly take in during a two or three day stay including: The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Horseshoe Casino, Tower City Shopping Center, The Cleveland Arcade and the great restaurants of E. 4th St including The House of Blues and Iron Chef Michael Simon s Lola s Bistro and many others. All of the Wyndham Cleveland at Playhouse Square's 205 oversized hotel rooms include a wireless internet connection, as well as an exclusive Wyndham Smart Chair - perfect for charging all those gadgets or simply relaxing in after a long day. Wyndham s signature touches, including 100% cotton BeWell Bedding, True Blue Spa products and a Herman Miller ergonomic desk chair, give guests the pampering and comfort they expect. RESERVATIONS AND RATES: VERY IMPORTANT-The absolute cut-off date is July 31. Our block of 40 rooms WILL be released on August 1st and because of the Air Show these rooms will go fast. They will be quickly gobbled up by people who will be paying MUCH more than we will be paying. Please don t put off registering Please do not use third party services such as Bookings.com, Hotels.com, Travelocity, etc. for your reservations. (Cont. Page 2) 1

2 Cleveland Skyline Great lakes Science Center (Cont. from Page 1) Call the hotel direct at: Refer to USS Hanson Reunion. Call the Toll Free reservations Number: Use the hotel website: and use Group Code US Standard Guest Room - one King or two Double beds - $ including all taxes. Includes Two Breakfast Vouchers per room for the Hotel s Encore Restaurant Buffet on Thursday and Friday will be given to you upon hotel check in. (Breakfast Buffet Menu price without a Voucher is $13.00 plus tax and gratuity payable individually.) Wheel Chair Accessibility There are five rooms in our block that are fully Wheelchair accessible including roll in shower. Be sure to request when making reservations. Mini-Refrigerators are available upon request and availability, at no additional cost. Be sure to request when making reservations. Cancellation: Reservations must be cancelled by 6:00PM the day of arrival to avoid penalties. Parking: Valet $20.00 per night - Self Park one block from the hotel $12.00 per night. Pre-Arrival or Stay Over Our special room rate will be extended for up to two days prior and two days after the reunion subject to availability when making your reservations. (At the time of this writing the regular room rate is $ including taxes) Transportation from the Airport (CLE) The hotel is about 12 miles (20 minutes) from the airport. A Taxi from the airport will be approximately $ There are several Taxi Services at the airport and policies may vary for extra passengers. Driving Directions from the Airport From the airport take Highway I-71 north to Exit 172A (East 9 th St.). East 9 th St to Euclid Ave. and turn right. The hotel is 300 yards (Two blocks) down on the right. Please visit the Hotel Website at: for more details. Nearby Attractions: Points of interest well within a mile from the hotel include: East 9 th St. Lake Shore Area The Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, The Great Lakes Science Center, The William G. Mather Steamship Museum, and The USS Cod. Public Square Area - The Confederate Soldiers and Sailors Monument, The Terminal Tower, Tower City Shopping Center, and The Horseshoe Casino. Euclid Avenue to Public Square - The Historic Euclid and Colonial Arcades, Restaurants & Shopping, The House of Blues, and the very popular East 4 th Street restaurant and entertainment area. Getting Around and Local Travel - A complete list of options for local travel to, from, and between these locations will be available at Meeting Registration and in the Hospitality Room. These include walking, the hotel van, free Euclid Avenue trolley, public transportation, and taxi cabs (in a downtown area of any large US city a cab ride must be in the mix). Taxi fare between any two points in this area would be about $6.00 to $8.00. Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Cleveland National Air Show The 2014 Cleveland National Air Show is confirmed and will feature the U.S. Navy Blue Angels Jet Demonstration Team on August 30 - September 1 (Labor Day Weekend). The U.S. Navy Blue Angels will rock Cleveland on Labor Day Weekend as headliners of the 2014 Cleveland National Air Show. Each show day the six "Blues" demonstration pilots will blaze across the skies in their dark blue and yellow-striped F/A-18 Hornets. Check it out at: 2

3 PLAN OF THE DAY WEDNESDAY AUGUST 27 THROUGH SATURDAY AUGUST 30 As you will see, our reunion activities will be predominantly about Museums and Local Culture. We hope you will find your time here interesting and enjoyable. WEDNESDAY AUGUST 27 - Early arrival and registration in the Hospitality Room, the beautiful Presidential Suite on the 14 th floor. We will open the room at 3:00 PM and stay open as long as necessary. Dinner will be on your own. A listing of recommended restaurants in the area will be available. THURSDAY AUGUST 28 After breakfast in the Encore Restaurant, assemble in the hotel lobby by 8:45. At 9:00 we will board the bus for a short four mile ride up Euclid Avenue. We will travel through the Campus of Cleveland State University and through the center of the main campus of The Cleveland Clinic. The Clinic, centered in an urban community consists of 41 buildings on more than 140 acres. We will only see a small part but you will get a good idea of the size and scope of one of the largest hospitals in the country. Just past the Clinic we will arrive at the Wade Park Oval. The area is the cultural center of Cleveland and all of Northern Ohio. The bus will let us off at the internationally renowned Cleveland Museum of Art, one of the wealthiest art museums in the world. Admission to the main galleries of the museum is free and everyone is encouraged to spend some time in the magnificent building and see this large collection of famous works of art. This is probably one of the most beautiful buildings you will ever visit. While in the Wade Park area we will have time to walk or travel the area in the free shuttle and visit or see nearby places such as the Cleveland Botanical Garden, The Museum of Natural History, The Crawford Automobile Museum and Severance Hall, home of the word famous Cleveland Orchestra, or you can just enjoy the beautiful grounds. We will re-board the bus at noon for a brief ride through the campus of Case Western Reserve University on the way to Cleveland s Historic Little Italy. In this small but very popular local ethnic area there are more than a dozen authentic Italian restaurants and bakeries (Sorry, not an Olive Garden or Pizza Hut in sight). Choose your restaurant for a memorable lunch but be sure to save room for a fresh filled cannoli from one of the excellent local bakeries. We will stay in the area long enough to give everyone plenty of time to enjoy lunch and have time to shop around the many galleries in the area. After lunch we will head back to the hotel by way of the lakefront past Burke Lakefront Airport, the home of the Cleveland Air Show over the Labor Day weekend. We will also ride through the downtown locations you will have the opportunity to visit on your own on Friday. With any luck we may see the Blue Angels practicing out over the lake (or over our heads). If there is sufficient interest (We need an accurate count and the minimum is 10) we will arrange a tour of the Theaters of Playhouse Square on Thursday afternoon after we return to the hotel (it s just across the street). These specially arranged tours last approximately ninety minutes including a 12 minute video presentation before the tour. The tour includes lobbies, theater auditoriums, and backstage areas. Dinner Thursday evening is on your own. A list of the many fine area restaurants will be provided. (Cont. Page 4) Little Italy Little Italy Little Italy 3

4 (Cont. from Page 3) FRIDAY AUGUST 29 This entire day until 4:45PM is for everyone to choose whatever they wish to do in groups or on their own. The day will be open for fun and/or relaxation with plenty of visiting time, if you choose. The Hospitality Room will be opened upon request. FRIDAY EVENING 4:45 PM Gather on the 3 rd floor outside terrace across from the Roxy Room for a MEMORIAL SERVICE honoring our departed friends and shipmates. After the Memorial Service there will be a cash bar and time for visiting before dinner. 6:00 PM Enjoy the gourmet Buffet Dinner in the Roxy Room: Playhouse Square Buffet: House made Chicken Noodle Soup, Iceberg Wedges with Pickled Onions, Feta Cheese & Assorted Dressings Snap Pea & Shiitake Salad with Mandarin Oranges Seared Lake Erie Walleye with Lemon Cream Veloute Grapes & Parsley Seared Chicken Breast with Swiss Mornay Sauce & Crisp Pancetta Chef Carved Braised Beef Short Rib with Buttered Biscuits & Espagnol Sauce Yukon Smashed Potatoes & Seasonal Vegetables Desert: Assortment of Chocolate, Carrot and Lemon Cakes AFTER DINNER We will conduct our ANNUAL BUSINESS MEETING for regular business and for the purpose of selecting the site of the 2016 reunion scheduled to be held in the eastern part of the country. As soon as we can wrap up the business meeting we will start the GALA RAF- FLE. The cash bar will remain open until 9:00PM. AFTER THE RAFFLE There is night life in the area of our hotel for the young and young of heart. Enjoy the rest of the evening but don t stay out too late! The Hospitality Room will be open as long as there is interest to enjoy the lights of the Square below and the city. SATURDAY MORNING AUGUST 30 7:30 to 9:30AM Gather in the Roxy Room on the 3 rd floor for a FAREWELL BREAKFAST BUFFET. The Buffet will remain open from 7:30 to 9:30 to accommodate your schedule. Sunrise Buffet: Orange & Cranberry Juices Basket of Whole Fresh Fruits Fluffy Scrambled Eggs with Cheddar & Chives Playhouse Breakfast Potatoes Crispy Bacon & Sausage Links Assorted Muffins & Danish with Butter and Jams We wish everyone a safe trip home and we hope you have enjoyed your visit to Cleveland! Wyndham Dining Room Crawford Auto Aviation Museum Cleveland Botanical Gardens Cleveland Museum of Art 4

5 USS Hanson Web Site If you are looking for current information regarding the activities of your former crew members, including addresses; mailing addresses; information on planned crew reunions and names of deceased shipmates, contact our web site at: To make additions or to correct data on the Hanson web site, please contact Carl (Arkie) Pearson our Webmaster at Banquet Raffle Don t forget to bring your gift to Cleveland to be used in the fund raising raffle to be held at the Friday evening banquet. This is our major fund raising event of the year and we appreciate your full support for this event. Membership Dues Crew dues are $20.00 per member, per year. If you have not paid your year 2014 dues, now would be a good time mail your payment to: Mr. Dennis McGill Treasurer at: 4 Country Lane Califon NJ Telephone (908) Checks for payment of dues should be made payable to: USS Hanson DD/DDR832 Reunion Committee. Yearly dues are used to defray the cost of preparation and mailing of the bi-annual newsletter and yearly maintenance cost of the USS Hanson web site. Memorial to A.Louis (Lou) DeLancey Lou DeLancey our friend and shipmate lost his long battle with cancer on Sunday 23 February, 2014 at his home in Newport, PA. Lou was a longtime supporter and member of the Steering Committee for the organization and promotion of the annual Hanson reunions. Lou joined the U.S. Navy in June 1954 and was a Veteran of the Korean War. He served aboard the USS Midway and from 1956 to 1958 on the USS Hanson. Lou was very active in veteran affairs and at the time of his death, he was Life Member and Post Commander of the William H. Saylor VFW post #34 in Newport, PA. He was buried with full military honors by the Pennsylvania Perry County Military Honor Guard. Lou is now standing his watch in a better place. He s surely missed by all his shipmates and friends. 5

6 Year 2015 Reunion At our Savannah, Georgia Business Meeting held on 20 September, 2013 the crew members along with family members voted to hold the Year 2015 reunion in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The reunion will be held at the MCM Eleganté Hotel and Event Center located in downtown Albuquerque. The hotel is convenient to all tourist attractions, the convention center, the Albuquerque Isotopes and the Albuquerque International Sunport. Hotel accommodations include spacious guest rooms with beautiful furnishings. Dine at the in-house Mesa Grill full service restaurant including a FREE hot breakfast with eggs cooked-to-order. In the evening enjoy a relaxed experience in the Sandia Springs Lounge with complimentary cocktails each evening. The hotel also provides complimentary shuttle service to and from the airport, malls and historic Old Town. Jerry and Mary Jane Matthews of Winlock, WA agreed to act as hosts with assistance provided by Larry and Pat Nelsen from Plattsmouth, NE. If you can assist in the planning of this forthcoming reunion please contact Jerry Matthews at: 113 Latigo Lane Winlock, WA Telephone (360) We thank Jerry and Mary Jane Matthews and Tom and Rada Givan for taking the time to visit Albuquerque to provide us with this information. Ships Store- May 2014 Description Price Quantity on hand Quantity ordering Summer blue hats $18.00 each 8 Winter blue hats $18.00 each 12 XL, white golf shirts $22.00 each 3 LG, white golf shirts $22.00 each 4 XL, white t-shirts $13.00 each 5 LG, white t-shirts $13.00 each 1 XL, white t- shirts $22.00 each 1 Please make your check payable to: USS HANSON REUNION COMMITTEE and mail along with this completed form to: Doug Robe, 2520 SW Richard Circle, Blue Springs, MO Price includes shipping. Any questions about Ships Store items please call Doug at

7 MEALS, TOUR COST, AND RESERVATIONS 2014 CLEVELAND REUNION ALL PRICES INCLUDE APPLICABLE TAXES AND GRATUITIES (Please indicate the number attending each event even if there is no charge) EVENT PRICE NUMBER TOTAL EACH OF AMOUNT PERSON PEOPLE Thursday and Friday-Breakfast in the Vouchers Hotel s Encore Restaurant Provided $0.00 Full Restaurant Buffet Made to order omelets A maximum of two Wide variety of cut and whole fruits vouchers will be Yogurts, Danish, muffins, hot & cold cereals provided per room Breakfast breads Thursday & Friday Made to order waffles, bacon, sausage only Other breakfast favorites. Menu price $13.00 Thursday Morning-Bus to Wade Park No Charge $0.00 and Little Italy (Lunch on your own) Thursday Afternoon-Walking Tour No Charge $0.00 Theaters of Playhouse Square (Optional) See agenda for information. (This will be scheduled only if we get a minimum of ten.) Friday Morning and Afternoon No Charge $0.00 Open day (See Agenda) Friday Evening Dinner Playhouse Square Buffet $54.89 See agenda for menu Saturday Breakfast Buffet Sunrise Buffet See agenda for Menu $24.83 Annual Dues (Shipmates only If not paid separately) $20.00 TOTAL AMOUNT ENCLOSED > > > > > > > > > > Name, Rate, Rank, Year on Board: (For Name Tag) Spouse or Guest Name Home Town (City & State) Please make sure check is payable to: USS HANSON DD/DDR 832 REUNION COMMITTEE and mail to: Dennis McGill;, 4 County Line, Califon, NJ This information must be received No later than August 15,