SHIPMATES, MEMBERS, FAMILY & FRIENDS...SEND US YOUR NEWS!!!!!

USS FRANK E. EVANS (DD 754) Association, INC.

Newsletter 52First Quarter

2014

Remember Virginia.....Think Seattle!

PRESIDENT ANNOUNCES NEW & IMPROVED WEBSITE - Ahoy Shipmates and Friends of the USS FRANKE. EVANS (DD 754)Association. It is my pleasure to welcome you to our updated website! Several members have worked hard toproduce a variety of information for your viewing pleasure. Several new links can be found throughout the website. Please take thetime to check them out. From “the 74" tab, you can now click on a specific “lost 74 Sailor” and see a copy of the display board we use during our reunionmemorial ceremony. As new information becomes available we update these story boards. The Ship Store is also back online. Welimited the items available for immediate online purchase. At the request of our members we are in the process of ordering new items,which, will be added to the online inventory. Payments for orders are made electronically. We have added the opportunity for thoseinterested in joining our association to do so online. Go to page 4 and meet Bill Thibeault, our new web administrator.

J. C. Campbell, President Steve Kraus, Vice President

USS FRANK E. EVANS (DD 754) - 18 & LAST COMMANDING OFFICERTH

CDR ALBERT SYDNEY MCLEMORE 26 MARCH 1968 - 3 JUNE 1969

Change of Command - At sea, off the coast of Sasebo, Japan, CDR

CARL T. HANSON, relieved by CDR ALBERT S. MCLEMORE.

Albert Sydney McLemore was born 5 June 1929, at Toledo, Oregon.

He was commissioned 17 September 1949, upon graduation from the

California Maritime Academy as a merchant marine engineer, with

a third engineer’s license. From 1950 - 1955, Mr. McLemore

served aboard USS TITANIA (AKA 13), USS SUISUN (AVP 53), and

USS ARNOLD J. ISBELL (DD 869), all in the engineering

department, going from assistant engineer to chief engineer. In

1953, he qualified as OOD. He also served aboard USS BON HOMME

RICHARD (CVA 31)as chief engineer. Mr. Mclemore went to General

Line School and then became Officer-In-Charge Radarman School.

In 1956 he was XO of USS ALUDRA (AF 55), then staff of

Commander Cruiser Destroyer Squadron 25 Pearl Harbor as CSO and

Operations Officer. CDR McLemore assumed command of USS FRANK

E. EVANS (DD 754) 26 March 1968. He was almost 40 years old.CDR

McLemore lived with his wife at 2654 Mariner Ave. in San Pedro,

California. They had five sons. The oldest, Albert Jr. went

away to school at the California Maritime Academy, and another

was at Coronado, in high school. His significant awards include the Republic of Vietnam

Distinguished Service, Navy Commendation (2), Navy Unit Commendation, China Service, American

Defense, Navy Occupation, National Defense, Korean Service (5 stars), Vietnam Service (5

stars), Vietnam Gallantry Cross, Korean Presidential Unit Citation, UN Service, and Republic

of Vietnam Campaign.

A collision between USS FRANK E. EVANS (DD 754) and HMAS MELBOURNE occurred about 0315 on 3

June 1969, in the South China Sea, about 650 miles south-west of Manila, Philippine Islands,

(240 miles south-east of Saigon) when FRANK E.EVANS ran under MELBOURNE’s bow in the course

of changing station from ahead to astern of MELBOURNE. FRANK E. EVANS was cut in two. The

forward part sank shortly afterwards while the after part of the ship swung around and was

secured to MELBOURNE’s starboard side aft. Seventy-three U. S. sailors were lost at sea. One

body was recovered. FRANK E. EVANS had a 278-man crew with 273 aboard. U. S. Navy personnel

were rescued from the water or were removed from the fantail for transfer aboard MELBOURNE.

After a search confirmed no one remained in FRANK E. EVANS, she was let go by MELBOURNE to

later be secured to USS EVERETT F. LARSON (DD 830) until being towed to Subic Bay. MELBOURNE

suffered no personnel injuries. On 11 September 1969, LTJG Ramsey, the Officer of the Deck,

entered a plea of guilty to charges of dereliction in the performance of duty and negligently

hazarding a vessel before a general court-martial. He was sentenced to be reprimanded and to

lose 1,000 numbers of the unrestricted line. Ramsey subsequently resigned his commission.

Commander McLemore entered a plea of not guilty but was found guilty of the same charges as

Ramsey. McLemore was sentenced to be reprimanded. CDR McLemore was transferred ashore. He was

never promoted to Captain. He left the U. S. Navy in 1976, and in 1998 was living in

retirement in Nevada. CDR Albert Sydney McLemore died 30 September 2001. He was 72 years old.

WELCOME NEW MEMBERS

A hearty welcome and warm wishes to all new members. Interested in joining? Contact

Donna Kraus at kruasdf@cox.net or 760-941-8184, or go to the website www.ussfee.org

NAME RELATIONSHIP CITY STATE

Gale Dale Daughter/Burton F. Latham ‘45 Houston Texas

Robert E. Mitchell Friend/Association Arlington Hts Illinois

“Bob” was a RT2c aboard USS ALBERT T. HARRIS (DE 442) 43-46. Bob learned about USS FRANK

E. EVANS and became interested in the ship and our cause to get the “Lost 74” names on

the Wall. Bob has contacted the DOD and asked hard questions about why the names are not

on the wall, response pending. “Welcome aboard Bob,” our newest Second Watch member.

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CORRECTIONS & ADDITIONS - In the previous edition of the newsletter,2009 was listed as the year of CDR C. T. Hanson’s death; it should read

2008. Thanks to MM1 Charles Caroll 66-68 for his keen observation.

Yet another correction... The photo of Mrs. Frank E. Evans, identified

as Esther Caldwell Townsend Evans Stewart is in fact Alleen Fisk

Lambert, Frank E. Evans’ second wife who he married 16 Jun 1937. So

Alleen is the one who christened the ship back in 1944, and who stood in

the front line next to CDR Christie when our ship was recommissioned in

1950. Thanks to Louise Esola for the information.

During the 2011 reunion in Waterloo, IA, the association placed a

temporary monument in Waterloo Memorial Park to memorialize all who

served aboard FRANK E. EVANS. Since then, the permanent monument has

been placed. An unknown shipmate took this picture of it. “Thanks

unknown,” for your continued interest and participation.

IN MEMORY OF ALL VETERANS, especially our “74 Lost.” Thank you for your service!

"If you can't accept death, you'll never get over it.... So what

the Memorial's about is honesty... You have to accept, and admit

that this pain has occurred in order for it to be healed, in order

for it to be cathartic... All I was saying in this piece was the

cost of war is these individuals. And we have to remember them

first." Maya Lin....designer... Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall

She remained ruthlessly focused on her objective... like a

blade.... It was one of the most bitterly disputed public monuments

in American history. Only 21 when her design for the Vietnam

Veterans Memorial was chosen in 1981, Maya Lin has never shied away

from controversy. Her starkly simple slash of polished black

granite inscribed with the 57,661 names of those who died in

Vietnam was viciously attacked as "dishonorable," "a scar," and "a

black hole," but Lin remained committed to her vision, and the

Memorial, a moving tribute to sacrifice and quiet heroism, was

built as planned. The word for Maya is courage ..........WE MUST

BE LIKEWISE TO GET OUR 74 NAMES ON THE WALL!

Maya Lin: A Strong Clear Vision (NETFLIX)...Highly recommended!

Alleen Fisk Lambert

Mrs. Frank E. Evans #2

Univ of Georgia 1933

Before After

Maya Lin

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NEW WEB ADMINISTRATOR - Survivor BillThibeault, our association’s troubadour, is

our web administrator. Bill has worked with Jen

Kraus to modify the appearance of our website:

www.ussfee.org He started by consolidating some

links on the home page.

The goal is to keep the site fresh and

interesting. We will have a link to each of the

Lost 74, kind of like with the birthdays on

Facebook. Another long overdue change will be

updating the ship store. We intend to make

this the best web site around and it will be

because you shared your “stuff.”

If you notice the History tab, the 50’s guys

are the most represented. You WWII and Vietnam

guys need to be added too. Please send me, (johnjudyc@gmail.com), or Bill

(bill_thibeault@yahoo.com) your stories about anything and everything....adventures,

experiences and – since the statute of limitations has run out – your fun times on liberty.

Tell us about the night of 3 June. Tell us how you, as a family, learned the news. This is

a history of our ship, made up from guys and gals like you. Let your family...the world know

your story. If you have trouble putting it into words, call me at 706-335-0724, and I will

help you get it on paper. Send your pictures

too, to me or Bill. We will add them to the

web site and/or the newsletter and put them in

the archives. Also, to be kind of morose, we

are running out of time and your legacy needs

to be placed where others can honor you and…

in my case… laugh at you... Send the stuff,

Mates. When changes or additions are made, I

will let you know so you can go check it out.

“Lest We Forget” John Coffey

MEETING WITH CONGRESSMAN ADAM SCHIFF

On 4 October 2013, Association members Steve, Donna, Jess, Gary

and Meredith Kraus had the opportunity to meet with Congressman

Adam Schiff in his Washington D.C. office. As planned,

Congressman Schiff was going to provide a tour of the capital

however due to the government shut down he was unable to make the

arrangements. In lieu of the tour, Congressman Schiff and his

military staffer, Cameron Gallagher talked future strategies to

get the names of the “Lost 74” on the Vietnam Memorial Wall.

Congressman Schiff indicated he wanted to make another run at the

Department of Defense. He believes Secretary Chuck Hagel might be

more receptive to our story than the previous Secretaries. Steve

Kraus explained to Congressman Schiff about a recent radio

interview between Bill Thibeault and Del Francis with a local

station in Connecticut wherein it was mentioned that in 1999, at the rededication

ceremony in Niobrara, Nebraska then Senator Chuck Hagel had mentioned he supported

getting the names on the Wall. Congressman Schiff asked if the FEE association could

obtain affidavits from the attendees as to what they heard Senator Hagel say, then he

would address it to Secretary of Defense Hagel.

Steve agreed to contact the people who attended the ceremony and obtain affidavits.

Congressman Schiff is arranging a meeting with Secretary Hagel. In the meantime all

association members and interested parties should continue applying pressure on their

congress person to support Congressman Schiff’s efforts.

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USS KIDD (DDG 100) DEPLOYS TO WESTPAC 7 January 2014

On a crystal clear San Diego morning FEE Association members Randy Martin and Steve Kraus

attended the deployment ceremony for USS KIDD. They arrived early in the morning in time to

meet Captain Varela and Executive Officer Zerr. The captain suggested we all meet on the

bridge to witness preparation for getting underway. As always, the officers and crew were

professional by extending thanks and appreciation to the USS Frank E. Evans Association for

all the kindness and support throughout the years.

The Arleigh Burke-class destroyers USS

KIDD (DDG 100) and USS PINCKNEY (DDG

91) departed Naval Base San Diego

together on independent deployments to

WestPac. Both ships have crews of more

than 300 Sailors and are designed to

operate independently or with an

associated strike group. Both ships

will conduct theater security

cooperation and maritime presence

operations with partner nations.

"USS KIDD spent the last year

preparing for our upcoming

deployment,” said CDR Gabriel A.

Varela, commanding officer. "KIDD is

looking forward to a deployment in the

7th Fleet area of responsibility and

working closely with our friends and

allies in the region."

KIDD is named in honor of Rear Adm. Isaac C. Kidd who was killed on board USS ARIZONA (BB

39), during the attack on Pearl Harbor. You can follow KIDD’s deployment by logging ontoKIDD’s Facebook page. She is expected to return to San Diego late this summer.

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SIGNAL FLAGS & CALL SIGNS - From time to time, shipmate FT3 Nolan Craig 55-57, hascontributed to this newsletter, e. g. 4 Qtr 2010 and 3th rd

Qtr 2011, wherein the topic has included signal flags. Here

is another tidbit...

I liked the display of November Tango Kilo Bravo (sometimes

I get the kilo and tare flags reversed) the flag

representation of DD 754, at the hotel in Virginia Beach

during the last association meeting. I was particularly

happy to see the display in San Diego and Dallas too. This

display, and for any ship in the world, can be looked up

in a navigation identification manual, and identify NTKB

as FRANK E. EVANS.

USS KIDD (DDG 100) has a yellow flag with a black ball

(forgot that one) [I or India,] but this is an example the

design can determine the letter.

The flags can be identified even if you are color blind or

at a distance because of the distinct patterns. The

November, or Nancy, flag is a checker board of blue and

white, the flag that begins all U. S. Navy Ships’ visual

identification. The checker board pattern can be observed

even if the colors cannot be distinguished. Flying from

starboard yardarm means going to sea; flying from port

yardarm, coming in to port.

The Baker Pennant is flown by itself on a separate halyard

any time danger such as refueling at sea, when firing

weapons, and of course the smoking lamp is out any time

Baker is flying.

For a period of time at least through the 50's, and part of

the 60's, the radio call sign was Swallow. I wondered how

EVANS had come up with that designation when I noticed the

order of flags in the visual call sign; the “B” Baker

(Bravo) “flag” was at the bottom. Baker is actually a solid

red colored “pennant.” Not only that but the Baker or Bravo

is a swallow tail pennant (double pennant), hence the radio

call sign “Swallow.” I suspect EVANS was the only ship in

the squadron with Bravo/Baker and hence this is how I

believe the call sign became Swallow; don't know but this

is my speculation. I was told but forgot the call sign of

EVANS after the Fram conversion in 1962. [“Assault”]

For the record, USS FRANK E. EVANS (DD 754)'s visual call

sign always has been NTKB. The phonetic alphabet used

during WW II, was changed to the present system in 1957.

Nolan is more familiar with the WW II system.

Nolan, thanks for your continued support and accolades.

AMERICAN BOYS - The True Story of the Lost 74 of the

Vietnam War...Louise Esola’s Web site and blog are up! As some

of you know, the countdown is on for the release of her book

American Boys, coming fall of 2014. The goal of the book is to

raise awareness about the 74 men who were killed aboard USS

FRANK E. EVANS (DD 754) on 3 Jun 1969--and to convince the

world they did, in fact, die in the Vietnam War. It's a story

that's been obscured for 45 years. Louise became a journalist

a long time ago because she wanted to tell these kinds of

stories. Please help spread the word! www.louiseesola.com

USS FRANK E. EVANS (DD 754)

NTKB

USS KIDD (DDG 100)NKID

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

EMMETT & MUGGS STILL GOING STRONG -On 6 October 2013 members Steve and Donna Kraus

visited Annapolis, Maryland to see Vice Admiral

Emmett Tidd and his wife Muggs. They live in a

lovely retirement center on the outskirts of

Annapolis. The day was very special as Emmett

celebrated his 90th birthday. Donna and Steve

visited for a couple of hours and went over old

times. Emmitt was an advisor to the Associations

Board of Directors and they both attended many

reunions.

Emmett and Muggs are so proud of their children,

VADM Kurt W. Tidd, assistant to the Chairman of the

Joint Chiefs of Staff, the Pentagon, Washington,

D.C., and RADM Mark Tidd, Chief of Navy Chaplains.

See the details below.

On behalf of Emmett and Mugs, they miss being able to attend reunions but traveling is

no longer something they are able to do. They are proud of the association’s progress

and has truly developed into a very fine patriotic military organization.

3 JUNE 2014 SIDNEY AUSTRALIA MEMORIAL CEREMONY - Several former

shipmates of HMAS Melbourne (R 21) have formed an organizing committee to host a 3 June

Memorial Ceremony to pay tribute to the “Lost 74” and the crew of USS Frank E. Evans.

Several events are being planned for the week of 1 June through 6 June 2014. The host

city is Sidney. In addition, the Australian National Maritime Museum is planning a display

of USS Frank E. Evans (DD 754) and HMAS Melbourne (R 21) memorabilia. It is anticipated

the artefacts and other information will be on display for about nine months. The

Australian National Maritime Museum is located in Darling Harbor, Sidney.

Anyone who has ever considered a trip to Australia should take advantage of this

opportunity. So far,a few members have indicated they will attend. Interested?

Contact Rear Admiral Tony Horton (Primary Organizer) or Ron Baker (Association Liaison

to Australia).

Tony Horton Ron Baker

thorton@bispond.net.au bakschae@optusnet.com.au

19 McLeod Avenue 9 Holmes street

Roseville Raymond Hill

Sidney, NSW 2069 Queensland, 4305

Australia Australia

MAJ Carl M. Phillips VADM Kurt W. Tidd RADM Mark L. Tidd

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CHAPLAIN MAJOR CARL M. PHILLIPS - We were first introduced to U.S. Army Chaplain MajorCarl M. Phillips in the 1st Quarter 2012 Newsletter. Nephew to Association member Ed

Holsopple, he was one of the first active duty servicemen featured in the newsletter. He has

been deployed to South Korea, along with his wife, Deanna, for almost two years, soon to

return stateside. His next duty station is unknown. Major Phillips has served in Iraq,

Afghanistan, and many stateside locations. He began his military career in the USAF.

VICE ADMIRAL KURT W. TIDD - the son of Emmett and Muggs, is the assistant to theChairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. In this capacity,

he serves as the Chairman’s direct representative to the Secretary of State. He is also the

designated U. S. roadmap monitor for the Middle East Peace Process.

As the former director for Operations (J3), Joint Staff, Kurt assisted the Chairman of the

Joint Chiefs of Staff in fulfilling his responsibilities as the principal military advisor

to the President and the Secretary of Defense in developing and providing operational

guidance, and in fostering clear communication between the President, Secretary of Defense,

Unified Commanders, and Services.

Vice Admiral Tidd graduated in 1974 from Porter Gaud School, Charleston, South Carolina and

was commissioned from the U. S. Naval Academy in 1978, with a degree in Foreign Area Studies.

Selected in 1984 as an Olmsted Foundation Scholar, Tidd has a master's degree in Political

Science from the University of Bordeaux, France. He has been awarded the Legion of Honor by

the government of France. He is a French linguist, and a proven sub-specialist in Strategic

Planning and Europe/Russia area studies. He is a graduate of the Armed Forces Staff College

and was a federal executive fellow at the Atlantic Council of the United States.

REAR ADMIRAL MARK L. TIDD - the son of Emmett & Muggs Tidd, is Chief of Navy Chaplains,Chaplain Corps. He is a graduate of Williams College in Williamstown, Massachusetts. He

received his Master of Divinity from Fuller Theological Seminary and a Master of Theology

from Princeton Theological Seminary. Mark is a graduate of the National War College in

Washington, DC, with a Master of Science in National Security Strategy and a graduate of the

Marine Corps Command and Staff College and the Armed Forces Staff College.

Rear Admiral Tidd’s Navy tours include Naval Air Station Moffett Field, California with

Patrol Wing 10 and the light cruiser USS REEVES (CG 24), home ported Yokosuka, Japan. During

his time aboard, REEVES he visited Qingdao, China, as part of the first port visit by U.S.

warships to that country in 39 years. He went on to serve as deputy command chaplain aboard

the nuclear powered aircraft carrier USS THEODORE ROOSEVELT (CVN 71).

Rear Admiral Tidd has served in leadership positions on the chief of Chaplain’s staff as the

branch head for Professional Development and Religious Programs and as the Advanced Training

officer at Navy Chaplain School. Tidd was assigned as the force chaplain for U.S. Naval

Forces Central Command and the fleet chaplain for U.S. 5th Fleet, headquartered in the

Kingdom of Bahrain. After serving as command chaplain for the U.S. European Command, he

became deputy chief of Navy Chaplains and Chaplain of the Marine Corps.

AIRMAN 1 CLASS EVAN M. WHITE - son of ST

Anne Messier-White, recently enlisted in the Air

Force Reserve at the Quonset Point Naval Air

Station in North Kingstown, Rhode Island. After

successfully completing Basic Training at

Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, Evan is

currently enrolled in Cyber Security Training in

Biloxi, MS. He is expected home at the end of

February. As a younger man, Evan had hoped to

join the Marines along with his long time buddy

right after high school in 1997. Anne was

vehemently opposed to it and he abandoned his

dream out of respect for the anguish the family

went through after Dick’s death. Anne knows now

that the resentment in her heart caused her son

to give up the plans he had carefully made for

his future. Finding the USS FRANK E. EVANS

(DD754) Association changed her life. She now has

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peace knowing her brother Dick did not serve and die in vain, which in turn gave Evan the

determination to pursue his dream once again. Anne says she is glad Evan has gone forward

with his dream, albeit down a slightly different path. She knows this new chapter in his life

will be fulfilling and thankfully, finally, she is delighted and proud to support and

encourage his decision. “Lest We Forget” ...Thanks Anne for your kind words.

ANNOUNCING THE NAVY GARDEN,THE NATIONAL VIETNAM W ARMUSEUM - Mineral Wells, Texas...

Completed and opened to the public on 30 May

2009, is the 300-foot long, 1/2 scale

replica of the Vietnam Memorial in

Washington, D.C. The Wall is permanent,

unique, and updated annually to ensure

everything is accurate.

We have identified Con Wesley Warnock with

Texas roots. The Association has been

working to place and dedicate a stone

memorial and tree in his honor at the War

Museum Park which is located about

45-minutes west of Fort Worth. The site is

where the majority of helicopter pilots who

flew in Vietnam were trained.

The main museum building has not yet been built. Its construction awaits the completion of

an ongoing fund-raising effort. Needing about $25 million, over $1 million has already been

raised and has funded the construction of the first three gardens, two parking lots and the

new Visitor Center. The fourth and fifth gardens are now under construction.

On 7 June 2014, the Museum will be dedicating and opening a new section of the park, the U.

S. Navy Garden. We anticipate setting the memorial stone at this time. In addition, we are

seriously considering the placement of a “missing panel,” similar to the one in Mt.

Washington Forever cemetery in Independence, Missouri. The panel may be the centerpiece of

the Navy Section. The cost is in excess of $5,000.

The Association had a successful reunion auction in 2013, collecting a little more than

$3,000.00. We have established a “project fund” titled Lost Panel for Texas with $1,595.00

seed money to start this fund, with the balance going to the “general fund.” We will not

make a firm commitment to the National Vietnam Memorial Park until the funding is within

sight, hopefully after the 2014 reunion. In the meantime, you can get more information about

the museum by visiting their website at www.nationalvnwarmuseum.org

ZIPPO - the Sound Heard ‘Round the World

Open the lid, listen to the "clink," close it and listen to the “clunk.” It’s the

unmistakable sound of a Zippo!

Zippo - a reusable metal lighter manufactured by

Zippo Manufacturing Company of Bradford,

Pennsylvania. The design was inspired by an Austrian

lighter of similar design. George Blaisdell founded

Zippo Manufacturing Co. in 1932, and produced the

first Zippo in early 1933. Blaisdell liked the sound

of the word "zipper" and "zippo" sounded modern;

therefore, “Zippo.” On 3 Mar 1936, a patent was

granted for the Zippo “windproof” lighter, able to

stay lit in harsh/cold weather and high altitudes,

due to the windscreen and adequate rate of fuel

delivery. The basic mechanism of the Zippo has

remained unchanged although thousands of different

styles and designs have been made in the eight

decades since its introduction. Since 1933, over

500,000,000 Zippo lighters have been produced. With

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pressure on people not to smoke, production has changed from 18 million lighters a year in

the mid-1990s to about 12 million lighters in 2012.

In Wallace Terry's book, Bloods: An Oral History of the Vietnam War by Black Veterans, he

describes the use of Zippo lighters in Search and Destroy missions during the Vietnam War.

"When you say ‘level a village’, you don't use torches; it's not the 1800s. You use a Zippo!

That's the way we did it. That's why people bought Zippos. Everybody had a Zippo. It was for

burnin' shit down."

A museum called Zippo/Case visitors center is located in Bradford, Pennsylvania at 1932 Zippo

Drive. This 15,000 square foot building contains rare and custom made Zippo lighters, and

also sells the entire Zippo line. The museum was featured on the NPR program Weekend Edition

Sunday 25 Jan 2009. In 2001, a 1933 model Zippo was purchased for $18,000 at a swap meet, and

in 2002 the company bought one valued at $12,000 for its own collection. During the 2007,

75th anniversary celebration, Zippo sold a near mint 1933 model for $37,000. A classic Zippo

costs about $20.00 and is still made in the USA, complete with an unlimited lifetime

guarantee. "It works or we fix it for free."

CHALLENGE COINS - During the reunion inVirginia Beach, Jerry Reilly, Chief Larry

Reilly’s son, a fire fighter with the Bexar-

Bulverde Volunteer Fire Department, San Antonio,

Texas awarded a “challenge coin” inscribed

“Office of the Fire Chief” to various officers of

the USS Frank E. Evans (DD 754) Association.

Soldiers in active combat originally popularized

the tradition of the challenge coin, which served

as an identifying token signifying membership in

an elite combat or flying unit. Now, nearly every

squadron or unit possess such coins. The

tradition spread to many fire departments, police

departments and elsewhere as a natural extension

to express pride and belonging. Unlike other

types of gifts, a coin is a permanent and

valuable object that will remain prized for

generations. It can appreciate in value and be

sought by collectors.

For your information, our Association has two

similar coins/pins available for sale in the ship

store for a nominal cost.

CHAPLAIN NAMESAKES The bravery of four Catholic chaplains in the line of duty hasbeen recognized by U. S. Navy ships named in their honor.

Father Aloysius H. Schmitt - USS SCHMITT (DE 676) [1943]

Aloysius H. Schmitt was born in 1909. As LTJG, he was appointed chaplain in 1939. He was

hearing confessions on board the battleship USS OKLAHOMA (BB 37) when the Japanese attacked

Pearl Harbor. The ship capsized. Father Schmitt was entrapped along with several other crew

in a compartment with only a small porthole to escape. He assisted others, giving up his own

chance to escape, so more men might be rescued. LTJG Schmitt received the Navy and Marine

Corps Medal posthumously for his courage and self-sacrifice. The destroyer escort USS SCHMITT

(DE 676) was commissioned 24 Jul 1943, and was struck from the Navy list 1 May 1967.

There were three others: Father Joseph T. O'Callahan from Boston, Massachusetts - destroyer

escort USS O'CALLAHAN (DE 1051) [1964]; Father Vincent R. Capodanno from Richmond County,

New York, destroyer escort USS CAPODANNO (DE 1093)[1973]; and Father John Francis Laboon,

Jr., from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania guided missile destroyer USS LABOON (DDG 58)[1995].

Contributed by Association member Gail Muranyi; thanks Gail!

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IN MEMORIAMGrief is not a problem to be cured...but simply that you have loved someone...

Nettie Vejr Mother of Terry Vejr Portland, OR Deceased 9/21/2013

Nettie Vejr, age 86, mother of association member and survivor Terry Vejr, died September

21, 2013. Besides Terry, there is a daughter Roberta. A memorial service will be held in

Michigan this spring.

Stephen Coffey Brother of John Coffey Commerce, GA Deceased 9/27/2013

Stephen Coffey, age 65, brother of association’s communications director, John Coffey died

on Thursday September 27, 2013. John was at the reunion in Virginia Beach when he

received notice. Ironically, Stephen died on John’s birthday. Stephen was a 30 year

utility employee who was medically retired due to Parkinson Disease. He also was a member

of the Atlanta Symphony Chorus, and traveled the world singing with them. Stephen never

married and is survived by his only sibling, John.

Gary Etheridge Grandson of Frank & Terri Jablonski Aurora, IL Deceased 11/28/2013

Gary Wayne Etheridge Jr., age 36, passed away unexpectedly on Thanksgiving Day November

28, 2013 in Aurora, Illinois. As reported by his roommate, Gary had gone to bed on

Wednesday evening. When he failed to awaken Thursday morning his roommate found him not

breathing. An emergency call was made to 911 but he was DOA. Preliminary reports from the

coroner’s office indicate Gary died from diabetic coma. Gary is survived by his

grandparents Frank & Terri Jablonski, Mother Dominee Rompel, two sisters Shauna and

Taylor, several aunts, uncles, nieces and nephews.

We all die twice...when our soul leaves the body...and then when no one ever

utters our name again..Lest We Forget

REUNION — 2014 — SEATTLESAVE THESE DATES OCTOBER 1 THROUGH 4

DOUBLETREE SUITES HOTEL16500 SOUTHCENTER PARKWAY, SEATTLE$99.OO (w/Hot Buffet Breakfast)

FREE PARKINGFREE AIRPORT SHUTTLE

DETAILS WILL BE MAILED OUT BY 1 MAY 2014

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USS FRANK E. EVANS (DD 754) ASSOCIATION, INC.4587 BLACKWELL RD.OCEANSIDE, CA 92056WWW.USSFEE.ORG

FORWARDING SERVICE REQUESTED

1965 - USS FRANK E. EVANS (DD 754) returningfrom Westpac..Thanks to Chuck Huber

LEST WE FORGET...

OUR “LOST 74" EARNED THEIR PLACE ON THE VIETNAM MEMORIAL WALL

WWW.USSFEE.ORG

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