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Reunions

 

Reunions.......

Rochester Reunion 2008: A Capital Event

 

USS Rochester shipmates and spouses and guests will convene in Washington, DC on October 2-6, 2008 for the 10th reunion of the ship’s company.  Holiday Inn-Rosslyn in Arlington, Virginia (703-807-2000) will provide lodging and headquarters facilities for the reunion. 

Hotel rate is $109/day + and applies to the period starting two days before the reunion starts and extends two days after it ends.

Rochester Association officers will kick off the reunion with a dedication ceremony at the U.S. Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington on Friday morning, Oct. 3rd.  The event hosted by RADM Richard Buchanan features anecdotes by crew members, taps for the departed, photo opportunities, and the dedication of the USS Rochester Memorial Plaque on the Commemorative Wall.  Following the ceremony, members may access entries of shipmates in the computerized Navy Log and browse the Ships Store.  In the plaza outside the statue of the Lone Sailor provides an excellent backdrop for additional photographs.

As buses return from the ceremony, some will choose to stop off at the International Spy Museum nearby.  The museum has been immensely popular with visitors to Washington.  It features exhibits on several levels depicting spying from the time of Caesar to the Cold War.  As visitors enter they are offered a covert identity to get into the spirit of spying.  The World War II exhibits are in an underground bunker and include actual German and American equipment.  Russian devices illustrate spying during the Cold War.  One fanciful item is James Bond’s Aston Martin auto with machine guns and appropriate light and sound effects.  The gift shop sells replicas and mementos.

On Friday evening the group will go aboard MV Spirit of Washington at Pier 4 in the Washington marina for a 3-hour dinner cruise on the Potomac River.  The ship sails up and down the river for good views of several national monuments, old town Alexandria, Reagan National Airport and the Woodrow Wilson Bridge.  The six-year old vessel features luxury dining facilities with DJ music and dancing.

On Saturday morning shipmates will gather in the hotel ballroom for the Association business meeting.  One important agenda item regards the venue for the 2010 reunion.  During the meeting, wives and guests may take an escorted trip by metro (three stops) to the Pentagon City indoor mall for shopping.  

That afternoon the reunion program offers choices of two tours.  One will take participants out to the Udvar-Hazy Air & Space Museum near Dulles Airport.  The museum, operated by the Smithsonian Institution, contains a dazzling array of aircraft from the earliest days of flight to the present and with American and foreign craft from several wars.  There’s the B-29 Enola Gay that dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, a U-2 that filmed Soviet installations, a Blackbird reconnaissance plane, a Concorde passenger plane and various rockets and space craft.  The optional IMAX Theater features three excellent films. 

Another Saturday bus tour will take participants to several national war memorials located on the federal mall in Washington.  The newly opened World War II monument memorializes the contributions of every  U. S. state and the major engagements of the war.  The Korean War memorial has a platoon of soldiers on patrol and a wall with pictures.  The famous wall of black marble at the Vietnam memorial has the names of all 50,000 plus who died.  An index permits one to find any name inscribed there.  Nearby statues of three soldiers looking toward the wall and statues of service women aiding a wounded soldier add to the impact of the monument.  Nearby is the magnificent Lincoln Memorial.  The larger than life statue of Lincoln looks out over the federal mall flanked on the walls of the building by excerpts from his most famous speeches that refer to the Civil War. 

Saturday evening is left clear to enable couples or informal groups to schedule their own dining and entertainment.

On Sunday one tour will duplicate the trip to war memorials on the federal mall in Washington.  The other tour will take participants to Mount Vernon, George Washington’s mansion and farm.  The guided tour enables all to “Discover the real George Washington.”  The recently opened Ford Orientation Center and Reynolds Museum feature short movies and exhibits portraying episodes in the life of the General and President.  In one movie, depicting Washington crossing the Delaware River, it “snows” on the audience and when guns go off the seats shake.  At the mansion docents explain each room as people go through.  Outside, visitors view slave quarters, farm buildings and animals, Washington’s tomb, and several surviving trees that Washington had planted.  A large gift shop is most tempting.

The headquarters hotel will provide the reunion banquet on Sunday evening.  A color guard from the Washington Navy Yard will present the colors followed by officers’ call and announcements.  The president will recognize members of the Association sponsored USS Rochester Sea Cadets who will offer comments.  As keynote speaker the committee has invited Joe Campa, Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy.  Should he be unable to attend, the Association president Garry Phillips will speak on his experiences with the State Department in Baghdad, Iraq.  Following dinner, staff will distribute the traditional reunion cake.  A DJ will provide golden oldies music throughout dinner and for dancing afterward.  There will also be a raffle and door prizes. 

At the farewell breakfast on Monday morning the Association chaplain will speak and shipmates and spouses may take leave of friends until the reunion in 2010.

The Reunion Committee estimates that a couple will spend just under $1,500 (singles just under $1,000) not counting transportation to and from the area.  That should cover hotel accommodations, food, tours, dinner cruise, and other scheduled events for the four full days of the reunion.  It’s important to make your own hotel reservations early in order to get rooms at the group rate.  Any overflow should try the nearby Marriott Key Bridge hotel where the rate will be 40% higher.  It’s also important to return registration forms and checks to Joe Hill not later than August 1st to enable the Reunion Committee to make final arrangements. 

The Committee needs volunteers to man the registration desk for short periods, and to act as bus captains on the various tours.  The schedules are as follows; please submit preferences for registration desk duty to Joe Hill at NiteCrawl@twlakes.net.  or (931-432-4848) or 4011 Ditty Road, Cookeville, TN 38506-7663.

            10/2 Thu                                                                  1400-1630_____

            10/3 Fri                        0800-0900_____                     1400-1600_____

            10/4 Sat                       0800-0900_____                     1400-1600_____

            10/5 Sun                      0800-0900_____                     1300-1500_____

Bus captains (the Committee will provide instructions—not very complicated—mostly be a contact person and trouble shooter—bring a cell phone).  Please submit preferences for bus captain duty to Ed Willis at willis885@verizon.net or (703-683-8885) or 505 E. Braddock Road, Alexandria, VA 22314-2164.

            10/3 Fri            Bus 1  (to Navy Memorial and return 0930-1300)

                                    Bus 2              

                                    Bus 3              

                                    Bus 4              

                                    Bus 5              

            10/3 Fri            Bus 6  (to MV Spirit of Washington & return 1800-2300)

                                    Bus 7              

            10/4 Sat           Bus 8  (to Air & Space Museum, 1330-1800)

                                    Bus 9              

                                    Bus 10  (to national war memorials, 1330-1800)

            10/5 Sun          Bus 11  (to Mount Vernon, 1000-1500)

                                    Bus 12            

                                    Bus 13  (to national war memorials, 1000-1500)

                                   

Schedule

 

USS Rochester (CA 124) Association

National Reunion

Holiday Inn-Rosslyn, Arlington, Virginia 22209

October 2-6, 2008 

Thursday, 2 Oct 08

1500  Arrivals and check-in

The hotel is located in the Rosslyn section of Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac River from Washington, DC. Complimentary parking for those who drive.  National Airport is close by; take a taxi to the hotel ($12-$15) Dulles Airport is an hour out by Super Shuttle, $35 each; and BWI Airport is even farther, about $65.  The hotel does not provide shuttle service to airports.

1400-1630 Rochester registration desk open

1200-1630 Ship’s store open

1700-1900 Reception in hospitality suite

Announcements by Garry Phillips or Dick Becker & reunion committee

Friday, 3 Oct 08

            Breakfast available in hotel café or restaurant (on your own)

            0800-0900 Registration desk open

            0800-0900 Ship’s store open

            0930 All hands (and spouses) bus to Navy Memorial in Washington, DC

            1100 Dedication ceremony for Rochester plaque; Taps for the departed

               1200 Photographs at the Lone Sailor statue in the plaza

            1300 Buses return to hotel.            Lunch on your own.

            1300  choice of events from list below (return to hotel by metro)

                        e.g., 1300-1600 International Spy Museum recommended (buses will swing by on their return from the Navy Memorial) return to the hotel on your own—metro, taxi.

            1400-1600  Registration desk open

            1400-1700  Ships Store open

            1400-1600 Hospitality suite open (coffee & snacks)                   

               1800-2300 Dinner cruise aboard MV Spirit of Washington

 

Saturday, 4 Oct 08

          Breakfast on your own

          0800-0900 Registration desk open

          0730-0845 Ship’s store (last call)

            0900-1100 Business meeting (selection of reunion site for 2010)

            0930-1200  Ladies shopping trip to Pentagon City Mall via Metro

          1330-1800  Tour A:  Air & Space Museum (Udvar-Hazy) at Dulles Airport

            1330-1800  Tour B: Memorials (WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Lincoln)  

          1400-1600  Registration desk open         

          1400-1600  Hospitality suite open                       

          Evening: dinner and entertainment on your own

 

Sunday, 5 Oct 08

          Breakfast on your own

          Ships store closed (see Larry Stone if needed)

          0800-0900 Registration desk open

          1000-1200  Hospitality suite open

            1000      -1500 Tour C: Mount Vernon (George Washington’s home & museum; lunch on your own in the Mount Vernon restaurant)

           1000-1500 Tour D: Memorials (WWII, Korea, Vietnam, Lincoln)

            [same as Tour B]

         1300-1500  Registration desk open

         1300-1500  Hospitality suite open                  

         1900-2300 Reunion banquet

                        Color Guard from Navy Yard, Washington

                        Cutting of the reunion cake

                        Recognition of USS Rochester Sea Cadet detachment

                        Speaker (to be announced)

                        Music by DJ from Fort Belvoir

  

Monday, 6 Oct 08

            Hospitality suite closed

            0700-0900 Farewell breakfast

               0800 Chaplain’s remarks at breakfast

            1100 Check out

            Fair winds and a following sea!

 

Reunion Committee: Ed Willis (willis885@verizon.net), Chip Chipley, Pete Russell

 

 

 

 Reunion Forms
 
Registration Form (PDF)
 
Tour Registrations
 
 

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