1972 Mini Reunion       

By: Chuck DeKay

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Friday, April 26, 2002

Chuck DeKay, email:  fishnphool@home.com

From Chuck" DeKay: Tue, 14 Nov 2000 13:18:37

Last week five old officers from Balch met for a reunion. They were; Ray Dunn (chief engineer), Arnold Vezzani (torpedo officer), Jack Carsten (supply officer), Leonard Simons (don't remember his job), and I, George "Chuck" DeKay (communications officer). We had lunch at Jack London Square in Oakland, California, then had a tour of USS Hornet CV12, now a permanent museum in Alameda. When they learned that Balch had served with both Hornets (CV8 and CV12) in WWII, we were given the red carpet treatment for a special tour of the old flat top. We then retired to my house in Lafayette for cocktails with our wives before going out to dinner. I had not seen Jack Carsten since leaving the ship in July, 1945! We really had a great time, with every other sentence started with, "Do you remember when...?". Arnold Vezzani produced a letter I had written in August, 1944, telling the story of five of us touring the Casbah in Tunis. My, how much water has gone under the bridge since those days.

1972 Reunion and Memorabilia from the USS Balch DD363

                          

              

        

   

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USS Balch DD363 / USS Porterfield DD682 Reunion Association