2013 Reunion

Dates to be determined.

Chicago, IL or Seattle, WA

Click here to add your name to our Turner database

Our New Orleans reunion was a tremendous success.

Following are the comments from Eric Miller, our Reunion coordinator:

Shipmates

Wow, can you believe that another reunion has come to an end? For those that attended, I think that I can speak for us all by saying that it was another absolutely great time. Everyone that I spoke to during the reunion had a smile on their face and a story to tell of where they just came from or where they were headed next.

Bernie and I arrived on Sunday. Several attendees were already there and several others trickled in over the next few days until Thursday came along. That is when the vast majority of the crew checked in and it was officially the start of our 2011 reunion. During the days before the official start of the reunion on Thursday, we took in all that New Orleans had to offer. Casinos, French Quarter, Tobasco Plant Tour, Air Boat Swamp Tours, WWII Museum, Cemeteries, Plantations, Festivals, and lots of Gumbo, Jambalaya, Alligator, Shrimp, Frog Legs, and Crawdads.

If you have never been to a USS Richmond K. Turner reunion or for that matter, any other military reunion, it is something that you really need to experience. It is a weekend / week that you will never forget. You will rekindle friendships with former shipmates and create new friendships with shipmates from other era's that will last a lifetime.

To recap a few of the highlights from the reunion, let me try and condense it down to a few short paragraphs. The hospitality suite was set up in a large meeting room on the 1st floor of the hotel. It was the meeting hub of the reunion. It was kept stocked with beer, wine, soda, water and snacks by Ron Mock, Jim Jensen, Jesse McNear, and their fun-loving wives. We displayed past and present pictures and photos, cruise books, and other ship memorabilia. There were more sea stories told and friendships made at this location than anywhere else, and the laughter coming from the card game tables was present every night.

We had arranged several events and tours, which were attended by many of the crew and their guests. Thursday night's event was a Shuttle Bus to and from Bourbon Street. It was either a night of shopping, a night of partying it up, or both. There were more beads flying off of the balconies than we could catch. Larry Gordon looked like Mr. T when he climbed on the last bus back to the hotel.

Friday morning was the (3) hour bus tour of New Orleans. It included The French Quarter, Downtown New Orleans, St Louis Cemetery #3, Lake Ponchartrain, Mansions of the Garden District, and some of hardest hit areas from Hurricane Katrina.

Friday evening was our Dinner Cruise on the Natchez Paddle Boat. It was touch and go for a little while. Our tour company had the right night for the cruise but somehow our bus company wasn't planning on picking us up until the next night! After a lot of scrambling by our tour company, the buses finally arrived to pick us up and got us to the boat in time for a delicious buffet dinner, jazz band, and a great night of cruising.

Saturday morning, all of the men attended a ship's meeting where old and new information was discussed by Bill Kyle, John Weaver, and myself. Our committee remains the same and is as follows: Officers: Bill Kyle – President, Gene Young – Vice President, John Weaver – Secretary, Eric Miller – Treasurer, Ron Mock, Jim Jansen, Robert Toussaint – Board of Directors. After the motion to keep the current officers, someone mentioned that he would like to be on the board. We promise that we will accept all names before the next reunion and we will have a vote to add or retain committee members during that Saturday morning's meeting.

I will also be staying on as the Reunion Chairman for the next reunion, which is tentatively scheduled to be held in September or October of 2013. To keep our promise of getting to all of the corners of the country, we will be looking at prices, tours, and entertainment in Chicago and Seattle. Myself, as well as the reunion committee, will be visiting and e-mailing these cities over the next 6 – 10 months and we will make our decision sometime thereafter.

There was also a very successful Silent Auction held Saturday morning in the hospitality room. We asked all attendees to try and remember to bring something along from their home town and/or their area of the country. Several examples of items to bid on were: beautiful gift baskets filled with goodies, T-Shirts, Canvas Pictures of the USS Richmond K. Turner signed by all attending shipmates, Camp David Items, Louisville Slugger Baseball Bat, Free Condo and Fishing Trips, Maple Syrup, Prints and Pictures, Picture Frames, Bottles of Wine, Casino Items, Books, Mugs, Beer and Soda, RKT Lighters, Hats, and Patches, Free Hotel Night, and much, much more. Just like in Newport, it was a big hit and I will make sure that it is scheduled for our 2013 reunion.

Finally, this brings us to our Saturday evening banquet, which was held in the Hilton Ballroom. Jackets, ties, beautiful dresses, high heels, and lots of moussed hair and hair spray. It was truly a sight to behold. We started the evening with a reception at 5:00 pm, which included a photographer to take pictures of the attendees, as well as a Cash Bar and Butler Passed h ors d'oeuvres. The 21 piece US Navy Band began playing at 5:15 pm. They were without a doubt an incredible addition to our reunion, playing military music along with Jazz. Most attendees told me that they got goose bumps while listening to them. The band led us right into our dinner at 6:30 pm. After dinner, we had our traditional 2 Bell Ceremony and the playing of taps in memory of all of our deceased shipmates. Immediately following, I welcomed everyone to our New Orleans Reunion and began a 10 – 15 minute comedy routine, picking on several of our shipmates. I was followed by Admiral Roger Simon who told a short joke and then gave an emotional speech about his days on the Turner and what we all meant to him as crewmembers back in the 70's and what we now mean to him as friends today. He was given a well deserved standing ovation as he left the stage to take his seat. This was followed by y our 2nd Annual Joke Telling Competition which was won in a close vote by Ron Mock. Runners up were Larry Gordon, Stan McKim, and Stephen Adamowicz. I'd like to extend a big “thank you” to these guys for participating in the fun and giving the audience a few good laughs. There was also a 50/50 drawing and lots of door prizes and giveaways. We ended the evening dancing and enjoying music provided by a great DJ. The end of the night came much too quickly, but a good time seemed had by all.

Sunday morning was the day we were all hoping would never arrive. It was the day when we all had to say our good-byes. It was the day that we all made our promises of future visits, e-mails, and phone calls. A day filled with hugs, kisses, and handshakes.

On a personal note, this was my fifth USS Richmond K. Turner reunion and it was the fifth time that I left with more friends than when I arrived. It is something that is hard to explain in words, but if you attend a reunion, it is easy to understand.

In closing, I would like to say that I don't know what I need to do or say to persuade more of you to join us in our future reunions. They are more enjoyable than I could ever explain in any

e-mail. I can guarantee every one of you that if you do attend any of our future reunions, the only reason that you would not have a great time is because you did not want to have a great time. It is a time when Officers are no longer Officers and Enlistees are no longer Enlistees, we are just one large group of former shipmates of the USS Richmond K. Turner.

Take care, be safe, and above all, stay in touch.

Eric Miller

Chairman

USS R. K. Turner Reunion Committee

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