[Light Speed]

I must admit SAM..I was blown away at the Reunion.
They rented the Marine Memorial building in Downtown San Fran...the building was purchased by the U.S. Marine Corp..which converted this theatre to a hotel...still kept the theatre too.
Admiral Tadetchy of the Pacific cruiser squadron brought the Color Guard from Alameda allong with other reps.
Some one grabs me and says..."Theres an Admiral who would like to meet you"...gulp.

They hired a videographer ..its great to see all there faces from time to time.
Later on in the evening..when everyone was tanked to the gils..a lady is cruising around trying to get everyones personal testimony on video...
That part was riotous...as the men slurred their words...jumped in on others interviews unanounced..telling emberassing stories..[Like the panty raid on Market street in 1944 during Liberty.]

The reunion had its sad moments though...many of the crew had not come to previous reunions...the past memories of the Kamikaze impact.
The ship survived...but she lost 42 dead and 40 wounded,,some were killed on the hospital ship a few days later when a kamikaze bore into the ships operating theatres.

So alot to tears and hugging...by the time the reunion ended it seemed a real healing had occured with many.

Alot of the wives I met were very happy their husband chose to go..face these things.

Brave men...

[SAMWolf]

Thanks Light Speed. Describing that reunion brought back some memories of the Vietnam Veterans reunions I attended. Some things never change.