Balch Porterfield     Reunion Association    

 

    South Carolina Bulletin  No. 4    

 

South Carolina Bulletin Number 4 PDF

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This is the last bulletin before the Myrtle Beach South Carolina reunion

          

 

The following have registered so far, the deadline is August 15^th. We have committed to 50 rooms, so if you are planning on coming, please call the hotel and register.

 

Jack & Helen Spradlin Ed & Evie Bennett                   Jr & Jennie Bennett     Richard Gurnett

 

Sam & June Thomas              Fred & Patsy Fleetwood         Fred & Eileen Hegel    Jack Corcoran

 

Jim & Patricia Siler     Woody Moyle              Christ Norris    James & Jean Ormsby          

 

Pat & Claudia Fisher                Tom & Evelyn Page       Eula Rotter      Peg Miller          Precious Gregory

 

Tom & Ruth Hamilton             Earl & Doris Katan      Jack & Alice Hanley and son and wife

 

Diane Essig & some of her family      John & Cathy Louden             Tom & Geri Sammartino

 

 

THIS YEARS REUNION WILL BE DEDICATIED TO THE THREE MUSKETEER’S:

 

WOODY MOYLE,  CHRIS NORRIS

& RAY STIKELEATHER

Crown Reef Hotel at South Beach Resort,

2913 South Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach SC 29577

September 7 – 14, 2008

Registration Deadline Is August 15, 2008

All rooms are oceanfront with private balcony,

with breakfast vouchers issued for each day you stay, 

You can make reservations by calling the hotel at 1-800-405-7333 OR                    1-843-626-8077  

 To get the room rate, you need to give them the group ID # 4334 or refer to the Balch-Porterfield Reunion group.

 

Room rates are $88.00 per night plus $13.57 Tax = $101.57.

This will include breakfast vouchers for each morning. 

The room type is the queen efficiency – has two queen beds, full kitchen

They have a few handicapped rooms so if someone needs one, they should let the hotel know when they call for reservations. 

 

With your voucher, all breakfasts will be at the Crown Café

located in Tower II, 3^rd floor  from 0800 to 1000

There will not be a separate room for the Farewell Breakfast as there will be a voucher for Saturday morning.  It will cost more if a room has to be set up for our group and the cost of the breakfast will be more.  

 

 

Rick Spradlin, Jack’s son, has suggested that if you are thinking of coming to the reunion, you might get a better air fare price if you fly into Wilmington NC and rent a small car for the commute.  He also has received an email from Bryan Daylor which included an old photo of some of the men on the ship from 1945. He suggests that everyone being some old photos to share and enjoy as well as help ID some of the fellows in the pictures. 

 

We have received a box with several albums from Sig & Amy Lonczewski daughter and we are planning on bringing them. Sig was on the USS Balch.

 

Frank Koslowski, B-42-45, called us after receiving the last bulletin. He says he is not able to travel anymore and misses all his buddies. Most of them are gone. He enjoys going through the video’s he made of previous reunions and the memories of the good old navy days.

 

We got a phone call from Leo and Mildred Furstenburg, P 43-45. They are doing ok for their age. Leo’s high blood pressure gives him problems and Mildred received a good report from her last doctor’s visit. She said most of their travels are to the doctors offices.

 

William A Roe, P-58-60, is looking for SMC Bosnick, QM1 Tucker and OM3 Green. If anyone keeps in touch with these three, he would like to hear from you. 1840 Frontage Rd # 408, Cherry Hill, NJ 08034; 856-229-7227 or Email: bigboy006@comcast.net

 

Received an email from Alan Heckathorn with a photo of himself and his grandson. We only had his email address, so now we have an address, which you will find in Addresses, etc. He was a Fire Control man while on board. His wife Lurline has Muscular Dystrophy so they are not able to attend the reunions. He said he would love to hear from some of his shipmates. Has four children and 10 grandchildren.

 

We hear from Mary Hutten from time to time. She tells us Ken had more surgery (around July 12^th ) had a port put in and is doing pretty good. The chemo will start again soon.  We must keep them in our prayers. 6017 Highwood Pk Ln, North Naples FL 34110; 239-596-5542; email: mairmair@mailstation.com

 

We sent Michael Conerty some photo’s we took at the San Diego reunion in October. He sent an email telling us that they will not be coming to the reunion, as he had slipped on some steps at home and ripped the quadriceps tendon of his left knee. Had surgery and a lot of rehab and is finally able to ride his bike a short distance.  

 

Mark your choices and mail to:

 Jack Spradlin, 304 Lincoln Rd, York SC 29745    Phone: 803-684-4805

Name:                                                                                                   No. Attending:                              

 

Address:                                                                                                                     City:                                         

 

State:                                                   Zip:                                          

 

Phone:                                                  Cell:                                                Email:                                                                   

Mark your choices on this form and send with check to:  Balch-Porterfield Reunion Assn., c/o Treasurer Tom Hamilton, 17004 Doty Rd., New Haven, IN 46774  Phone: 260-632-4019    

Email: twrahamil2000@att.net.

 

Name:                                                                                       Number Attending:                                

 

 

Address:                                                                                                               City:                                          

 

 

State:                                              Zip:                                             

 

 

Phone:                                                    Cell:                                                         Email:                                                          

 

It seems this year has brought the loss of so many dear shipmates and friends

 

We received a card telling of the death of Edward Luzak, USS Balch 36-42, May 15, 2008

She said she and Ed so enjoyed the four reunions they attended. He was one of the few plank owner’s left. Carolyn’s address is 2107 Ocean Avenue, Apt 215,  Santa Monica CA 90405-2264

        

    Bob Greening died July 12, 2008, he also was on the USS Balch FC2 40-42. He and Doris were making plans to move to an Assisted Apartment when he had a stroke. Doris’s address is: 571 Albany Ave, #214 Amityville NY 11701; 631-841-6824.

       

   Tony Sidla died May 29, 2008, USS Balch YN, 43-45. His wife Peg wrote that he was in a nursing home for over a year. Tony was known as “Tony Baloney”. He always spoke fondly of Hugo Blomgren, I believe he served under him on board.

Peg’s address is 1 Mendon Rd, Apt 307, Cumberland, RI 02864.

 

      We received a forwarded email from Gloria Cuevas, sister of Gene Schneider, he was on the USS Balch 41-45, that he had passed away June 1, 1988. She has sent it to Pat Siler, whose name is listed on the website and she lives in Pasadena CA.

Mrs Otis Robinson’s bulletin was returned with a note that she died Feb. 4, 2008. Otis was on the

Balch 40-44.

NEW MEMBERS*, CHANGES OF ADDRESS, EMAIL AND CORRECTIONS

*Hakanson, Richard, 2003 Villa Pines Circle, Carbon Cliff IL 61239, 309-792-1610

Porterfield 57-59 ETSN

Hanley, Jack & Alice – phone # 607-865-8200

Heckathorn, Alan & Lurline, 17181 Shotley Rd NE, Kelliher MN 56650, eheck@paulbunyan.net

Porterfield 59-60

Kriha, John & Willa, P/60-63 EM, 320 N. Bay Ave. Columbus KS 66775, 620-429-4510

Email: wkriha @columbus.ks.com

Wheeler, Richard & Diane, P/56-67 – Email: KcOekcrlw@aol.com

Bulletins return Undeliverable:

Henry Lubet P51-55 CA; Jon Roberts P55-56 CA; Carrado Lutz P65-67 NY.

MARK ON YOUR CALENDAR FOR NEXT YEAR’S REUNION

SEPTEMBER 27 TO OCTOBER 3, 2009

IN THE CHICAGO ILLINOIS AREA

After we had taken the bulletin to the copy people, we received a call from the daughter of Vernon Albert Solem. He was on the Porterfield, a fireman on the gun turrets; he turned the guns for the gunners. He was injured when debris from a plane that was shot down and got a Purple Heart, 44-45,  not sure of years. 

Lynn said he has the start of dementia, but remembers his time on the ship. They were wondering if anyone remembers him. His daughter is Lynn Kobernat, 651-439-8842; Email:  KOBERNAT@msn.com

 

In our last bulletin, we mentioned that a family member was looking for information on his brother’s death while serving on the Porterfield around Nov. 1964.  Jim Siler remembers the incident well, as his bunk was below Clarence Wooten’s. He called and visited with his brother John, telling him what he could remember.

 

 

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 USS Balch DD363 ~ USS Porterfield DD682 Reunion Association