THE HELM By Stan Barnes, President Published for members of the USCGC Duane Association Get ready for the Boston 2006 Duane reunion Hello Shipmates, As we start another year, I can only wish for health and happiness for all of you and your families and a safe return of all our military forces around the world. April is here which means another trip to Baltimore for the painting party on the USCGC Taney. This year we will be there from April 19 23. If you intend to take part, please contact me so that I can make arraignments with Paul Cora. For those of you that signed onboard at the reunion, please reconfirm your intentions with me. I need to know and have a list by March 15 so Paul can make provisions on his end. Any questions, please contact me. The 70th Anniversary Celebration in Charleston is October 5 8 2006. See the posting in this issue for information. If you are planning to attend, please notify me ASAP. I need a head count so arraignments can be made. If you are going stag, try to find someone to share a room with in order to save money. If you let me know, I will make a list and make it available to whoever would like it. Make your reservations early to ensure space at the hotel. The form is provided on the posting in this issue. Any questions, please contact me. Bob Haviland has our 2006 reunion in Hull, Mass. pretty much all worked out. This has been a real chore for him due to his illness. We all owe him and Jeanne a great deal of thanks. See his article on page 4 of this issue. Over the past few months I have had contact with several new shipmates who wish to join the association. If you know of anyone who is not a member, please contact them and have them contact me or Bob for information. Also, if you know of anyone who has crossed the bar, or is ill, please let us know so that we can send condolences. Remember if you have not sent in your 2006 dues, please do so. You do not have to make up for past years that you did not pay. Your $25.00 yearly dues will keep you in good standing with the association. The Coast Guard is building seven new Homeland Security Cutters and it is the goal of the association to have one of them named the William J. Duane. I have had several very positive replies from Washington on this matter. We need all of you to contact your congressional constituents in Washington to press the issue. You may also send a letter to Commander Anthony Popiel, Congressional and Governmental Affairs Office in care of The Office of the Commandant, Admiral Thomas H. Collins, 2100 Second Street, S.W. Washington, DC 20593-0001 or phone (202) 366-4280 or fax (202) 366-7124. The more we push, the better chance we will have in this matter. Before we go ahead and plan the 2008 reunion in Seattle, I would like a head count of how many of you who live back east would commit to traveling out west. We have about thirty members who live out west that I am sure would gladly attend. Seattle is a beautiful city and there is a lot to see including the Coast Guard Museum. If I get a good response prior to the conclusion of this year s reunion, I will go ahead and have Bill Ferguson set it up. Continued on page 8
USCGC BIBB W-31 USCGC CAMPBELL USCGC DUANE W-33 USCGC HAMILTON USCGC INGHAM W-35 USCGC SPENCER USCGC TANEY W-37 W-32 W-34 W-36 Anyone who served on any of these 7-Sisters is invited to this once-in-a-lifetime event. Come One, Come All, Bring your sea stories, pictures, memorabilia, significant other, and enjoy your shipmates company. Hope to see you all there! is $94.00 per room at Mt. Pleasant Holiday Inn, 250 Johnnie Dodds Blvd, Hwy 17, Mt. Pleasant, SC 29464. is $125.00 per person includes admission to Patriots Point and all transportation PlusMemorial Service presented by the Cutter INGHAM honoring 327 sailors who have crossed the bar, followed by luncheon on-board USS Yorktown (CV10) - Grand Photo dockside-tour of Charleston Sites & Coast Guard 378's at the Navy Yard Warren Lasch Conservation Center to see confederate submarine H.L.Hunley, Hospitality Room, Business Meetings, Ladies Tea, Gala Banquet. Contact Gordon Bell -- 215-393-6195 327CuttersCele@comcast.net All seven ships Associations please notify your memberships. Thank You 2
Deepwater cutter naming This is the latest word from Washington as to naming one of the new Deepwater Cutters. This is the second positive note that I have received. You all still need to send a message to your state reps and to the address below. I wish us luck in this endeavor. Stan USCGC Duane Association Newsletter Far from shipshape (Here are excerpts from an editorial in the Columbus (Ohio) Dispatch blasting the Coast Guard s funding)...the U. S. Coast Guard s motto Semper Paratus always ready has become an ironic mockery of what the service once was... Helicopters suffer inflight power failures, each of the 378 foot cutters suffered failures of critical operating systems including engines on every patrol during the same period. Mr. Barnes, sir, I appreciate your interest in this matter. Naming the new fleet of the Coast Guard s Deepwater Program is a slow process to ensure that the most appropriate of names are chosen. Just recently we received a letter from the Honorable Judd Gregg requesting our consideration of the name William J. Duane. No new names have been chosen, but I assure you that we will give every consideration to continuing the legacy for the Duane as we determine the names for our newest cutters. LT Sara Wallace Coast Guard Community Relations Commandant (G-IPA-3) 2100 2nd ST., SW Washington, DC 20593-0001 The Helm newsletter is published by the USCGC Duane Association. Jay Schmidt, Editor & Publisher 6 Goodwin Drive Norton, MA 02766 jay.schmidt@att.net...these facts were presented in mid-july to a congressional subcommittee by Admiral Thomas Collins, Coast Guard commandant, who tried to put on a good face by saying he had enough refurbished equipment to continue the mission. Whether he was showing determined leadership or whistling in the dark is irrelevant; the Coast Guard must be battleready in the terror war, and it isn t despite the socalled Deepwater Project, a $15 billion long-range program to modernize the service that has been around since the late 90 s... Only Mexico and the Philippines have older naval forces......in 2002, a contract to manage the Deepwater program was awarded to Integrated Coast Guard Systems, which is owned by Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman, who will provide the most expensive ships and aircraft without competitive bidding. The contractor s web site www.icgsdeepwater.com provides an impressive overview of the program and offers an optimistic spin on how the Coast Guard will be modernized......if the Department of Homeland Security can get 15,000-pound, $187,000 armored vehicles into the hands of local sheriffs, for whom the vehicle s utility is dubious, it can start thinking of better solutions for the Coast Guard s more pressing needs... 3
By Bob Haviland We re going to go to Hull! Plans are well under way for the 06 Duane reunion to be held on September 21 st through the 24 th at the Clarion Nantasket Beach Hotel in Hull, Massachusetts. A lot of people are asking, Where the hell is Hull? Well, it s a little town just south of Boston, a long, skinny peninsula about ½ mile from ocean to bay at its widest and about six miles long watched over by Boston Light. There s miles and miles of beach and ocean, and lots to do in the town and the surrounding areas. (Do you remember when we sailing out of Boston, as soon as we passed Boston Light, the Ship s Store opened and we could buy our cigarettes, etc.) The town has an Old New England feeling with the hotel providing big city amenities. The Nantasket Beach Hotel is about 4 years old and very nice, right on the beach, with all rooms equipped with a fireplace, microwave, small fridge and a balcony. Thursday the 21st we ll gather to greet old shipmates and meet new members in the hospitality room for all who come in that day. Relax with liquid refreshments and snacks and then dinner on your own. We re looking for a local restaurant that could handle all of us. Fort Warren, a Civil War fort in Boston Harbor. The Nantasket Beach Hotel, Hull, Mass. Friday, we will cruise by ferry to George s Island in Boston Harbor to tour Fort Warren personally guided by our own Jay Schmidt who has written a book about the fort and its history. Nantasket Beach is directly across from the hotel. The Red Parrot restaurant the location of our banquet. 4
USCGC Duane Association Newsletter The upstairs banquet room of the Red Parrott overlooking Nantasket Beach. Saturday we will tour the nearby Point Allerton Coast Guard station, followed by a visit to the Hull Life Saving Museum, home of the original Life Saving Service. We will get a personal tour here, also, and we may get a demo of a breeches buoy. Saturday afternoon about 5:00 p.m. will be the annual meeting. The Saturday night banquet will start with Happy Hour at 7:00 and dinner at 8:00. Sunday will see us saying our good-byes until next year, unless you want to extend your vacation. The hotel will honor the $99 rate before and after the reunion and there s lots to do with ferries running into Boston from Hingham or Quincy. The Quincy ferry also runs to and from Logan Airport and stops at Hull at selected times. The shuttle from the hotel will pick you up if you give them notice. For those who are driving, parking is free. There are also local golf courses for the addicted. If you re planning to be part of the crowd please let Bob Haviland know ASAP so that he will know how many rooms to book. Also, any questions or comments will be welcome: havilandr1@aol.com. Support the Ship s Store. Duane items make great gifts for yourself and for your family. Related reunion links Hotel www.nantasketbeachhotel.com Hotel telephone: (781) 925-4500 Harbor Express boats (Logan Airport to hotel via Quincy) www.harborexpress.com Fort Warren http://jay.schmidt.home.att.net/ ft.warren Boston Light http://www.lighthouse.cc/boston Station Point Allerton www.uscg.mil/d1/units/ grubos/stationpointallerton Hull Lifesaving Museum www.lifesavingmuseum.org Hull Wind Turbine www.hullwind.org Red Parrot Restaurant with webcam of Nantasket Beach www.theredparrot.com USCG Station Point Allerton Crossed the Bar VADM Paul E. Trimble, USCG (Ret.) former commander of the USCGC Duane. November 16, 2005 in Palm Harbor, FL. Jerry R. Murray, Jan. 22, 2006, in Portland, Maine 5
The Coast Guard and Katrina Here is a link to a PDF booklet about the Coast Guard s role in Hurricane Katrina: www.laesser. org/katrina/katrina.pdf. Hull Lifesaving Museum. Former lifeboat station. 2006 Reunion Plan of the Day (tentative) Thursday, Sep. 21 Arrival at Nantasket Beach Hotel, check in. Dinner on your own. (781) 925-4500 It is an interesting 35 page color booklet that you can download from this site. Military Humor Three men are sitting stiffly side by side on a long commercial flight. After they re airborne and the plane has leveled off, the man in the window seat abruptly says, distinctly and confidently, in a loud voice, Admiral, United States Navy, retired. Married, two sons, both surgeons. After a few minutes the man in the aisle seat states through a tight-lipped smile Admiral, United States Coast Guard, retired. Married, two sons, both Judges. After some thought, the fellow in the center seat decides to introduce himself. With a twinkle in his eye he proclaims, Master Gunnery Sergeant, United States Marines, retired. Never married, two sons, both Admirals.. Friday, Sep. 22 1000 Leave for boat trip (either from Hull or Quincy) to Fort Warren on George s Island for a private tour. Catered lunch on the island. Possibly a visit to nearby Boston Light from the fort if boat transportation is available. 1700 Dinner on your own. Lots of nearby restaurants. We are looking for a place that could accommodate our gang and still order off the menu. Saturday, Sep.23 1000 We will tour the Coast Guard Station Point Allerton. They have a meeting room where we could have a slide show - Bob Dinsmore has a talk and slide presentation he gives on lightships - takes about 15 minutes. We will have plenty of private automobiles available for transportation. 1200 We may have the manager of the Hull Light Department give us a talk on the nearby wind turbine at the Hull Gut. It has been so successful that they are going to build another one. 1400 - Hull Lifesaving Museum guided tour, hopefully with a breeches buoy demonstration. 1700 - Annual meeting at the hotel. 1900 - Red Parrot Restaurant - cocktails and cheese cart. 2000 Dinner and TBA guest speaker. Sunday, Sep. 24 0800 Start departing hotel for trip home. 6
USCGC Duane Association Newsletter USCGC DUANE WPG/WHEC 33 Ship s Store Order Form Tee Shirts (Embroidered Tiger insignia) Size: S M L XL XXL XXXL $16.00 each White or Navy Blue Pocket T With round Duane Insignia $22 Quantity Color Size $ Crew Jersey (Round Duane Insignia) Size: S M L XL XXL $32 each Off white Out of stock Quantity Color Size $ Sweatshirts (Embroidered Tiger insignia) Size: S M L XL XXL $24.00 each Navy Blue Quantity Color Size $ Patches Tiger or Search and Rescue $8 each Quantity $ Hats (Embroidered) Tiger Insignia (Black with red trim) $16 each Quantity $ Duane (Blue working ballcap) $16 each Quantity $ Nylon windbreaker (Round gold insignia) Size: L XL XXL Navy blue/cotton lining $30 Quantity Size $ Fleece Zip Pullovers (Tiger Insignia) Size: X XL XXL (Royal Blue/Black collar) $30.00 Quantity Size $ Subtotal Shipping $6.00 Total amount enclosed $ Make checks payable to: Bob Haviland, USCGC Duane Assn. Name: Street: City: State: ZIP: Phone number: E-mail: Rate/Rank while on board: Years on board 19 to 19 Send to: USCGC Duane Ship s Store, c/o Stan Barnes, 381 Stage Rd., Sanbornton, NH 03269 7
Not a member? Join the USCGC Duane Assn. 2006 Membership and Renewal Application USCGC Duane Association Name Spouse name Your nickname (first name) Street City State Zip Telephone E-mail Years served on Duane: 19 to 19 Rank/rate while on board Please send a check for $25 made out to USCGC Duane Association to: Bob Haviland, Treasurer 7 Squirrel Hill Lane Hingham, MA 02043 President s message continued from page 1 If anyone has an item that they would like to put in the Helm, please send it along to Jay. The ship s store is open. We have a limited supply of jackets and sweatshirts at this time but plenty of tee shirts, hats and patches. We are out of crew jerseys at the moment but will stock up as soon as we find another vender. Please make your checks payable to Bob Haviland. We thank all of you for your continued support. USCGC Duane Association Chain of Command President Stan Barnes 381 Stage Road Sanbornton, NH 03269 (603) 286-7720 sbarnes@metrocast.net Vice President & Treasurer Bob Haviland 7 Squirrel Hill Lane Hingham, MA 02043 (781) 749-0995 HavilandR1@aol.com 8