201 West Bay Street Savannah, GA 31401 ANNUAL USS HANSON NEWSLETTER April 2013 USS Hanson DD/DDR 832 Annual Reunion Will Be Held In Savannah, Georgia 19-22 September, 2013 All crew members, family, friends and widows of former crew members are cordially invited to attend our annual reunion to be held in Historic Savannah, Georgia. Where: Inn at Ellis Square, 201 West Bay Street, Savannah, GA. The hotel is located in the heart of Savannah's picturesque Historic Riverfront District and is known as the Grand Lady on Bay Street. This historic hotel in the recently renovated Guckenheimer Building (circa 1851) is steeped in the tradition of Southern hospitality and elegance. The hotel is located across Bay Street from River Street and just steps from the City Market and other local attractions. Reservations: For room reservations you must call the hotel at toll free direct (877) 542-7666 or the hotel switchboard at (912) 236-4440.When you call make sure to request a room from the USS Hanson room block. All reservations must be received by the hotel no later than Monday, 19 August, 2013. Please make your room reservation direct with the hotel; we do not receive credit against our block of reserved rooms if you use third party services such as Expedia, Travelocity etc. for your room reservations. Campers / Motor Homes are welcomed but you must make arrangements when you register for your room. Special request for vegetarian meals must be made when you register for your room, however the buffet meal includes many vegetables. Transportation from the airport to the hotel via taxi cab is currently $25.00 for one (1) person and $5.00 additional for two (2) persons. This Newsletter was prepared by: Lou DeLancey and Bill McLay. And formatted by Edith McLay Hotel Room Rate: The following special room rates include room taxes: Double and King $124.17 per night King Suite $146.77 per night These special room rates will apply two (2) days prior to the event and two (2) days after the reunion, based on a space available basis only. 1
Inn at Ellis Square Amenities: General Complimentary newspapers in the lobby. Marketplace Breakfast Room to enjoy complimentary continental breakfast served daily. Dominique s Lounge and Bar for a relaxing evening with your friends. Air conditioned public areas. Room Amenities- Room service, smoke free rooms, mini bar, refrigerator, cable TV, room movies, coffee / tea maker, complimentary toiletries, wheel chair access, complimentary weekday paper, free WI-FI. Activities- Fitness room / gym, swimming pool, Tour Desk to assist you in selection of local tourist attractions. Parking- Self parking at $11.00per day. Payment Types- Credit cards accepted include American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa. Driving directions to the Inn at Ellis Square in Savannah, Georgia: From the North: Traveling south on I-95, merge onto I- 16 N/GA-404 E via Exit 99A toward Savannah. Travel 8.8 miles and take the ML King Jr. Boulevard exit (#167A). Travel.1 miles and turn left onto ML King Jr. Boulevard. Travel.7 miles and turn right onto W Bay Street. Look for the Inn at Ellis Square at 201 W Bay Street. From the West: Traveling east on I-16, take the ML King Jr. Boulevard exit (#167A). Travel.1 miles and turn left onto ML King Jr. Boulevard. Travel.7 miles and turn right onto W Bay Street. Look for the Inn at Ellis Square at 201 W Bay Street. From the South: Traveling north on I-95, merge onto I-16 N / GA-404 E via Exit 99A towards Savannah. Travel 8.8 miles and take the ML King Jr. Boulevard exit (#167A). Travel.1 miles and turn left onto ML King Jr. Boulevard. Travel.7 miles and turn right onto W Bay Street. Look for the Inn at Ellis Square at 201 W Bay Street. For additional directions to the Inn at Ellis Square in Savannah, Georgia, please contact the hotel at: infor@innatellissquare. com. For Map of the Area see Page 6. 2
Scheduled Events for the Reunion Thursday 19 September, 2013 Registration for the reunion will commence at 1500 hours in our Hospitality Room, Magnolia A. Beverages, snacks and coffee will be available. This room will be secure and it is ours through Sunday, so bring your raffle items and Hanson memorabilia. There are no planned activities in the evening, and dinner will be on your own. Friday 20 September, 2013: Enjoy your complimentary breakfast at the hotel and assemble in the lobby at 0845 hours to board the Historic Savannah Trolley for a ninety (90) minute overview presentation of selected sites in Savannah s Historic District. We will be given a decal sticker to wear so we can freely spend the remainder of the day getting on and off the trolley at squares, restaurants, museums, shops and areas you want to further explore on your own. Trolleys come to 17 stops every 20 minutes until 1700 hours. Lunch will be on your own. At 1700 hours, assemble in our Hospitality Room, Magnolia A, for our business meeting. All attendees are invited. Dinner will be on your own. Saturday 21 September, 2013: Enjoy your complimentary breakfast at the hotel. At 1030 hours, begin a six-block walk to the Riverboat Landing, or walk one block to the City Market to catch the free DOT bus. If you have difficulty with this walk, transportation can be arranged to and from the Riverboat. We board the boat at 1130 hours, and sail at 1200 hours for a narrated cruise of the Savannah River which includes a buffet lunch of pork tenderloin, fried chicken, vegetables and something for everyone. We return to the hotel at 1330 hours and catch the free DOT bus back to City Market. The bus runs at 20 minute intervals. At 1730 hours we will hold a memorial service for our departed shipmates in our Hospitality Room, Magnolia A. Following the memorial service, pictures will be taken and we will have an open cash bar for cocktails and fellowship starting at 1800 hours. The Emcee will introduce, recognize, acknowledge and greet all the guests, followed by the blessing and Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag. Paula Deen s Lady and Sons will serve our buffet dinner starting at 1900 hours followed by our traditional raffle of gifts donated by attendees at the reunion. Be sure that your raffle gifts are available in the Hospitality Room, and that you ve bought some tickets to the raffle. The cash bar closes at 2200 hours. Sunday, 22 September, 2013 at 0800 hours assemble in the Hospitality Room, Magnolia A, for the complimentary Farewell Breakfast. Tourist Attractions in the Historic Savannah Area: The following activities in the Historic Savannah area are suggestions for your consideration in planning your free time in Savannah. Ships of the Sea Museum: The Scarbrough House, built in 1819, is the setting for ship models, paintings, and maritime antiques, as well as the largest garden in the Historic District. Savannah History Museum and Welcome Center: Everything you want to know about the history of the area and more. Battlefield Park and the Roundhouse: Scene of the 1779 Battle of Roundhouse is the home of the Georgia State Railroad Museum, with rolling stock, working turntable, and much more. Juliette Gordon Low Birthplace: Founder of the Girl Scouts in 1912, her childhood home is restored to the Victorian Era, and contains information about scouting. Savannah is proud of her, and everywhere you go, you ll hear, Welcome to Savannah, home of the Girl Scouts, hostess city of the South Andrew Low House: Juliette s father-in-law, Andrew was a wealthy prewar cotton merchant, who was instrumental in bringing railroads to Savannah. His home is restored to the time it was built, in 1849. Colonial Park Cemetery: This is the final resting place of many of Georgia s founding fathers. General Sherman quartered men (boys) and horses there in 1864-65. River Street: Home to bars, restaurants and shops of all kinds, it sits on the Savannah River, just downriver from the second largest container port in the U.S. City Market: Art galleries, shops, bars and restaurants.it s a restored four block area on the site of the original commercial and social center of the city since the early 1700 s. Carriage Tours: Take a romantic horse-drawn carriage ride from City Market around the Historic District. Deep sea fishing and dolphin watching tours. Numerous Public Golf Courses are available. 3
Policy Statement: As an inducement to encourage increased attendance at the Savannah, George reunion, we have reduced the quoted price for the River Cruise and Dinner by $25.28 per person. The difference in cost for this activity will be absorbed by current funds in the Reunion Committee treasury. (Refer to the Financial Statement on the right.) Attendance at recent reunions has been declining due to a variety of reasons. The Steering Committee is making every effort to improve the quality of the reunion activities and to make them more interesting for participation by our younger crew members and their guests. USS Hanson DD / DDR 832 Reunion Committee Financial Statement: Year Total Bank Balance April May 2006 $5,215.00 $5,698.00 2007 $4,841.00 $4,654.00 2008 $4,782.00 $4,650.00 2009 $5,733.47 $6,704.50 2010 $6,952.00 $6,950.00 2011 $9,142.00 $8,194.00 2012 $9,929.00 $9,477.00 These months are chosen as they best represent our surplus funds. They contain no reunion receipts for the next reunion and there are usually no unpaid bills. This financial statement was prepared by Dennis McGill, Treasurer. For You re Information: USS Hanson Website: For information about former shipmates, e-mail addresses and updates on crew members who have Sailed Beyond please access the Hanson website at: www.usshanson832.org. To make corrections or additions to the information on the website please contact Bill McLay at e-mail address: wjm304@verizon.net. Also contact Bill to add your email address to our crew roster, if you are still receiving your newsletter by USPS mail. Banquet Raffle: Please remember to bring your contribution to the raffle which will be held during the Saturday evening banquet. The raffle is an important money generator that helps maintain the solvency of our treasury. Membership Dues: Crew dues are $20.00 per member, per year. Crew members, who have not paid their year 2013 dues, please forward your payment to: Dennis McGill, 4 Country Lane, Califon, NJ 07830. Make checks payable to: USS Hanson DD/DDR 832 Reunion Committee Special video of Savannah, Georgia For a picturesque video look of the Savannah area, control-click the website address below. Many thanks to Roger and Mary Ellen Austin for taking the time to make this video for us. https://skydrive.live.com/? cid=21d33f5ec4312937&id=21d33f5ec4312937% 21141#cid=21D33F5EC4312937&id=21D33F5EC4312937 %21141 4
ALERT: Exposure to Agent Orange in Vietnam Duncan Hinds, former crew member from The Dalles, Oregon served onboard the Hanson during the Vietnam War from 1965-67. He was recently awarded monetary compensation from the government for his medical related issues when exposed to Agent Orange while serving on the Hanson. He strongly suggested that crew members check with their Veteran s Affairs Director and let them know the Hanson has been listed as one of the ships that was in country and was listed as being affected by Agent Orange. If you believe you have medical issues related to exposure from Agent Orange don t let veteran representatives claim the Hanson was only a blue water ship. They can Google the issue that the ship was in country by looking for USS Hanson/Agent Orange that indicates the Hanson (DD-832) was Anchored in Saigon River on September 13, 1966. If you need further information on Duncan Hinds experiences when dealing with the various government agencies when applying for compensation due to exposure to Agent Orange, he can reached via e-mail at texasboy640@hotmail.com or by cell phone (903)-975-0074 from 9:00 a.m. to 12 midnight Pacific Coast time. Thinking Ahead Cleveland Ohio Reunion 2014 The Hanson Year 2014 reunion in Cleveland is set for Wednesday 27 August, 2014 thru Saturday 30 August; 2014.Our hotel is the Wyndham at Playhouse Square. This beautiful hotel is in a great location very close to the center of the downtown area. The reason for starting the reunion on Wednesday, a day earlier than usual, is the Cleveland National Air Show www.clevelandairshow.com will be taking place on the weekend of 8/30/14 through Labor Day 9/1/14. The hotel has extended our special rate for Saturday and Sunday for those who wish to stay in town for the show. The Air Show is a major world class event. If at all possible we strongly recommend that you arrange your stay to include one or two days of the weekend. Reservation information will be included in the next newsletter. Also, last year and possibly in 2013, the week prior to the Air Show was Navy Week in Cleveland. There were ships in port including USS Hurricane PC-3 and USS DeWert FFG-45. The City of Cleveland is trying to make Navy Week an Annual Event to take place the week before the Air Show so let s hope the third annual Navy Week will be in 2014 during our stay. Hospitality Room on top floor facing out on the curved part of the building with an exceptional view. Wyndham Hotel, Cleveland, Ohio The Navy Blue Angels are a part of the Air Show and as an added bonus we will be able to see (and hear) them practice during the days of our reunion. Our hotel is less than a mile from the lakefront where the Air Show takes place. Our hosts for this reunion will be Bob & Rosemary Beiter. Be sure to mark your calendars! 5
Directions from Airport to Inn at Ellis Square Head north on Airways Ave toward Patrick S Graham Dr Take the 1st right onto Patrick S Graham Dr Turn right onto Gulfstream Rd Continue onto William B Wilson Dr Continue onto Crossgate Rd/Gulfstream Rd Continue to follow Crossgate Rd Turn right onto GA -21 S/Augusta Rd. Continue to follow GA-21 S Continue onto I-516 E Take exit 7 for GA-25 Bay St toward downtown Merge onto W Bay St Destination will be on the right Map and Pictures of Downtown Area Nearby Points of Interest A. Savannah Civic Center B. Telfair Museum of Art C. Johnson Square D. Lucas Theatre E. Savannah College of Art and Design F. Forsyth Park G. Wright Square I. Calhoun Square The following pictures are courtesy of The Austin's. Checkout the attached web site address on page 4 to view the entire video 6
Meal & Tour Costs for the Year 2013 Savannah Reunion (All prices include applicable taxes and gratuities) Listed below are the costs for meals and tours for this reunion. Please enter how many persons will be attending each event and the total amount. Add the total costs for all events plus the cost of the Annual Reunion Dues for shipmates only. Make checks payable to: USS Hanson DD/DDR 832 Reunion Committee and forward to our Treasurer, Mr. Dennis McGill at: 4 Country Lane, Califon, NJ 07830 by no later than Monday, 19 August, 2013. EVENT Price Each Number Total Amount Annual Reunion Dues $20.00 Friday-20 September Guided 90 minute trolley tour of sites $20.00 - In the Savannah Historic District Saturday 21 September Narrated cruise on the Savannah Riverboat Including a buffet lunch with your choice of Pork Tenderloin, Fried Chicken, vegetables $30.00 Buffet Dinner will include your choice of Meats: Fried Chicken, Pork Chops or Meat Loaf Sides: Butter Beans, Macaroni and Cheese, Tossed Salad Desserts: Peach Cobbler, Banana pudding $15.00 Sunday- 22 September Farewell Breakfast Included in Room Cost Total Amount Enclosed $ Name, Rate / Rank, Year on Board: (To be on your name tag) - Spouse or Guest Name: -- Home Town (City and State) - -- 7
MARK YOUR CALENDAR USS HANSON DD/DDR 832 ANNUAL REUNION SAVANNAH, GEORGIA 19 TO 22 SEPTEMBER, 2013 William J. McLay 13304 Ann s Choice Way Warminster, PA 18974