Twentieth Reunion Newsletter

Florida has long been

America

’s playground - - at least since the invention of air conditioning. Florida is the World Capitol of Golf. Here’s a thought: If you are driving down I-95 past St. Augustine...and you love golf...stop at World Golf Hall of Fame and Village. As Gary Player says: “You’ve got to go!” (If you want tee times around the reunion dates, call Ben Maguire).

With more than 1,800 miles of sunny coastline (Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico) and 2,276 miles of tidal shoreline (includes the Keys and Islands) Florida is great for boating. The salt and fresh water fishing is superb. Bring your gear and we’ll point you in the right direction to hook the big one. Florida is our 4^th largest State (population) behind CA/TX/NY.

And then there’s Orlando! Orlando is the “family paradise.” It is known as “The City Beautiful” and Walt Disney bills it as “The Happiest Place on Earth.” It just may be. Orlando’s weather is absolutely perfect in the month of October. Average temperatures for October range from a low of 65 to an afternoon high of 85 degrees. Papa Bear says “Not too hot!” Mama Bear says “Not too cold!” Baby Bear says “Just right!” Humidity returns to a normal (50%) comfortable level. But that’s not the only reason we picked October in Orlando for our 20^th reunion:

Did I mention that this is the best time of the year for weather? Think about it. We sure have, by the grace of God, had favorable weather for all our recent reunions. I took over as Reunion Coordinator (and Host) for the 1999 – San Francisco Reunion. The biggest complaint I heard...about San Francisco...was... “It’s too hot!” We have had one night of rain (2001 – Nashville) in the last nine reunions. Better than the Fleet Average.

Thinking about the Navy, some of you may have gone through Boot Camp in Orlando. Perhaps you attended an “A” or “C” school at Naval Training Center (NTC) Orlando. Sorry, don’t come looking for your old barracks. NTC is now an up-scale residential area called Baldwin Park. You can still get there on Maguire Blvd, but Navy’s last vestige in Orlando is the Navy Exchange (NEX) down by the airport. I mention this because the NEX has a Special Services desk where you can purchase discounted tickets to parks and attractions. Likewise, contact Ben Maguire with any special requests to see if we can help out either through AAA or Special Services.

I grew up in Brooklyn, New York. When the turncoat Dodgers moved to Schwarzenegger-Land, I became a Yankee fan. (It was tough to go to the Boston Reunion in 2003). Nevertheless, in those days, when somebody said “Mickey” you said “Mantle #7” These days, since I live near Orlando, when they say Mickey, they are talking about The Mouse. So let’s outline the Parks and Attractions easily available to you in the Orlando area.

WALT DISNEY WORLD...is made up of Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Animal Kingdom, and re-named Disney Hollywood Studios. Disney has a major water park called Typhoon Lagoon and another called Blizzard Beach. Downtown Disney is made up of West End (we’ll go there Thursday evening for a performance of Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba); Pleasure Island (night clubs and restaurants); and The Marketplace (guess what that’s about!). Go to www.disneyworld.disney.go.com for everything you want to know about Disney’s parks. We’ll talk about tickets later.

UNIVERSAL ORLANDO RESORT...has Universal Studios Florida and Universal’s Islands of Adventure. If you are looking for a great place to dine, visit Universal CityWalk®, Orlando's hottest spot for dining and entertainment, offering everything from a night of family fun to a great place to hang out with friends to romantic fun for couples. Go to www.universalorlando.com for park info, ticket prices, maps and more.

SEAWORLD ADVENTURE PARK...is a good outing, has nearby Discovery Cove, and there now is a new water park - - Aquatica. My kids tell me it’s quite nice. This is a Busch Corporation park, so find your fun at: www.seaworld.com/orlando especially if you are bringing youngsters.

We are going to the best attraction in the area -- Kennedy Space Center -- as our tour on Friday. We also have three great optional excursions:

Web sites will tell you ticket prices. Best discounts are through AAA (Auto Club). Some may offer AARP rates. All Parks have Florida Resident Rates. However, most parks thrive on (a) multi-park or (b) multi-day packages. For example, Disney offers 1-day Adult admission for $71 and Children (3-9) for $60. Multi-Day Passes are:

Orlando really is in Central Florida. Go East 60 Miles on the Beachline SR-528 to the Atlantic Ocean at Cocoa Beach. Drive South 230 Miles on the Florida Turnpike to Miami. To the West about 90 Miles on I-4 and I-275 you arrive at either St. Petersburg or Clearwater Beaches on the Gulf of Mexico. And Saint Augustine is North 125 Miles via I-4 and I-95.

Here’s a little geography lesson. The reunion is in the Orlando Area. Disney calls its location Lake Buena Vista. Our hotel is in Kissimmee, Florida (Osceola County) and only 10 minutes to the Disney main entrance. For area information, you can go to:

There are three good ways to come to the reunion. The Orlando International Airport (Code “MCO” for McCoy Army Air Base) is voted the country’s best business airport. All major carriers serve MCO. See the site: www.orlandoairports.net for best info on everything from airlines to local transportation.

Nobody took us up on our offer (last Newsletter) for special rates from Enterprise Rent-A-Car...but every car agency serves Orlando. Some are “off property.” The hotel is about 22 miles from the airport. (Current) Taxi rates are $3.50 for the first mile and $2.00 per mile thereafter.

You can get here by train - - AMTRAK, and also The Auto Train from Lorton VA to Sanford FL. Sanford is about 45 miles from Kissimmee. See www.amtrak.com for train info. Use the Kissimmee Station as closest to the Ramada Plaza Hotel.

Now don’t tell me about the price of gasoline. I bought a damn Cadillac when I heard I had cancer. It’s an STS-V, gets 18 MPG, and requires Premium Fuel. But I love it...and I love driving. Our reunion hotel is right off I-4. The roads all around are great. You can get to the Orlando Area via I-75 and the Florida TPKE and/or I-95 or I-4. We are in Central Florida, and the hotel is centrally located. I will drive to Memphis next year.

So, are you coming to the 20^th Reunion? Are you going to Disney World? Who will you bring with you? Suggest you consider the kids & grand kids!

We have chosen the Ramada Plaza Hotel & Inn for several reasons, not the least of which is their great group rates...in the “off-season.” There are two types of rooms available: $59/night for the traditional, two-story, courtyard rooms around the pools; and $69/night for the high-rise, plaza tower rooms. We blocked 50 rooms per night 23-26 OCT, can probably get more, but you are encouraged to reserve now. Rates are good +/- 7 days.

Reservations can be made by calling the hotel @ (800) 327-9170 between 0900 – 1700 (EDT). Identify yourself as: USS Lyman K. Swenson Sailors Association 2008 Annual Reunion. The other way they know us is Group Code: G/SWEN/1028. Our Sales Manager is Holly Moine. Or, call Ben Maguire if you have any problems. (Phone # on Registration Form)

A hotel brochure is included with this Newsletter. Last page shows map/location...no kidding...< 5 Miles; just about 10 minutes to Disney World! Address is 7470 Highway 192 West...Kissimmee, Florida 34747. Highway 192 is also known locally as Irlo Bronson Parkway. This is Tourist Mecca. If you can’t find a great place to eat, drink, or shop within minutes of the hotel...you just aren’t trying. Alternate hotel phone number is

(407) 396-4400. Check their web site: www.ramadagateway.com for more details, including area information, a link to the Airport Site for local transportation, and pictures of the property and rooms. Make your reservations NOW. Our room block expires on 23 September 2008.

As you drive or walk around the area surrounding the hotel, you will see that Kissimmee has placed Mile Markers along Irlo Bronson Parkway. Our hotel is situated between MM #5 & MM #6. You can’t miss it. The Plaza Tower just might be the highest point in Florida! And the Orlando Area is 111 feet above sea level. If you believe in Global Warming, come to Florida now before High Tide puts us under the sea.

Our hotel does not have a shuttle to the airport, but it does have two courtesy shuttles which are an ideal way to get to Walt Disney World. Subject to availability, the shuttle may also provide short-hop transportation to nearby restaurants and shopping. Tips seem to keep the shuttle moving!

You will get the firm agenda with times and places at your Registration which will be held in the hotel lobby from 1200 – 1400 Thursday, 23 October 2008. These events are designed to shake up the routine we have followed by adding a new gathering, and offering three (count ‘em...three) OPTIONAL events.

1400 – 1700...Registration shifts to Hospitality Suite #254 with “Welcome Aboard” Reception...Cheeseboard...Crudités...Fresh Fruit Presentation...Deli Assortment...Deviled Eggs...and our traditional, All You Care To Drink, full bar and snacks.

1715 – 2145...OPTION - - Board Bus for Downtown Disney and enjoy the 6:00 P.M. show of Cirque du Soleil – La Nouba - - with special effects, resounding music and stage wizardry creating an entertainment dream world in which aerialists, acrobats, gymnasts and other gravity defiers perform. And there are clowns! This is the only Cirque troupe outside Las Vegas, where tickets go for $150 and up. Your price: $85 for discounted CAT-2 seating, including R/T coach transportation. Following La Nouba, depending on how many people sign-up, we will either arrange dinner for all at a Downtown Disney restaurant, or allow sufficient time for dining on your own before boarding busses for the 15 minute return trip to the hotel. We have 50 advance-purchase (discounted) tickets for the first 50 takers.

0700 – 0800...All Hands Meeting...with Wives, Guests, Everyone invited...for “Bagels, Bagels Everywhere” Continental Breakfast. We will elect officers, vote on our By-Laws, and select future reunion locations.

0815...Board Coaches for the 68 Mile, 75 minute excursion to Kennedy Space Center. We will clear SECURITY as at an airport, so leave the guns and knives in the hotel. Cameras and phones should be “ON” so they can be checked. We’ll get a group photograph, and proceed to the IMAX Theater for some celluloid entertainment. We then tour (on foot) the “Rocket Garden” (a true Kodak moment!) as we proceed to the Conference Center. We are signed up for Lunch With An Astronaut. I know they have real food, because I saw it myself. And, I’m told, we get a Real Astronaut (having already flown) to make a presentation to our group.

The lunch room holds 250 people. General George Patton’s “Fighting Bridge Builders” of WW-II will be our lunch-mates. They booked 125 seats...so I booked 125 seats (115 Adults & 10 Children) so don’t let me down. Lunch is a nice, orderly (I hope) buffet with Chicken (what else?).

We allow an hour for lunch (1215 – 1315) and then board the Kennedy Space Center busses for guided transportation and tour for about 2.5 hours through the space complex. Returning to the Visitor’s Center by 1600, we should have about a half hour or so for Great Souvenir Shopping and a chance to enter the brand new Shuttle Launch Experience ride. We’ll leave KSC by 1700, returning to the hotel by 1815.

The attentive reader will note, we shall have rented motor coaches from 0815 – 1815...a period of 10 hours. They will have driven about 200 miles each when all is said and done, even though we take the 68 mile (each way) route from Ramada to Kennedy. That’s where our money goes. To do a reunion RIGHT (I do not know any other way) you see the best things, travel in luxury, include lunch, throw in an Astronaut for good measure, and don’t rush. This tour is the best thing we can be doing with our Friday. It is pricey (included in your Registration Fee) but more than worth it.

1900 – 2000...Board Of Directors (BOD) Meeting in “Board Room” #260 (adjacent to Hospitality Suite). Board Members only; Mr. President will publish agenda in October.

0900 – 1800...OPTION - - Board Bus to Port Canaveral and SunCruz Casino (Ship) for legal off-shore gaming. Players must be 18 to sail and 21 to drink/gamble. But this could be fun...for all of you who wanted a Reunion Cruise (albeit a dinky one) and everyone who had so much fun in Reno – 2002. You pay us $15 which covers our private coach. SunCruz gives you $5 in Match Play Card or Slot Tokens...plus lunch...plus free drinks while gaming. The ship sails at 1100 and returns to port at 1600. You’ll board the charter bus and be back at the hotel by 1730...an hour+ before the banquet. Note: Trip will be cancelled and refunds made if we receive fewer than 30 reservations. What the heck? Let’s take a chance!

1800 – 1900...Memory Book Photography by Glen & Jo Ingram...in Covered Garden Patio, outside Banquet Salons. A Special Tribute is in order. Our Memory Book gets better by the year, thanks in no small part to the dedication of Glen & Jo Ingram and Bob & Daisy Emrich who produce the document. Daisy has advised me to lower the cost of the Memory Book to $15 this year. What a bargain! Sign up on the Registration Form.

1900 – 2300...Reunion Banquet...with Disc Jockey “Babe Plante’s Wonderful World of Music.” You may select either Prime Rib or Chicken Cordon Bleu as your meal. A bar and wine will be available for purchase. Door Prizes will be awarded (if the Treasurer does not figure out in advance how much all this is costing us). Professor Magico will be performing his tribute “Remember Me?” If you wish to bring special guests (not full registrants) to this event only, price is $50 per person.

Door Prizes will include the Ponce de Leon, Fountain of Youth Award for the most Senior Shipmate. Our DJ will pick our Fred Astaire & Ginger Rogers winners right off the dance floor. We’ll also plan a raffle for some nice prizes. If you wish to contribute to door prizes, note it on registration.

0800 – 1000...Memorial Breakfast...conducted by Association Chaplain, Joe Richardson, calls to mind our fallen Shipmates, and celebrates our camaraderie in a shared experience. We are Tin Can Sailors. Breakfast is “The Works” buffet...Juices, Eggs, Bacon & Sausage, Hash Brown, Pastries, Fruit & Yogurts, Cereals, and good old Navy Coffee...with Tea for the Ladies and Milk for the Kids.

1000 – 1800...Explore Parks & Attractions on your own. Find some shopping...take a nap.

1815...OPTION - - Board bus for Sleuths Mystery Dinner Show. We would arrive at the Theater by 1845 to start dinner. Showtime is 1930. Dinner is a choice of (a) Honey Glazed Cornish Hen (b) Four Cheese Lasagna with or without Meatballs or (c) Prime Rib. We must have minimum of 15 people...booked for 25 people...and could handle up to 55 members. If you will still be in Orlando...you gotta eat anyway...so why not join us for some fun. We are offering this OPTION with R/T bus transportation for $45 (includes “partial” (10%) tip...more is up to you at your table). This show runs 2.5 hours, and lets out @ 2200; we would be back at the hotel by 2230 hours.

Florida is a casual place. People are either Tourists or Retired. The Tourists do not dress up. And the Retired people...well, you know! So we are planning a “casual” dress code for the entire Reunion. You should look like Tiger Woods (with some exceptions) most of the time. Golfers always look sharp. For the La Nouba and Mystery Theater shows, long pants probably work best as the events are in the evening. For Kennedy Space Center and the SunCruz sailing, shorts are in order. Let’s wear our Souvenir Shirts to KSC Friday.

How about Aloha Attire for the Saturday Banquet? Not required; just suggested. And for the Memorial Breakfast, coat & tie not needed, but look sharp!

v BIG Time Name Badges - - We have invested in conference-style lanyards, clips and badge holders. You will be able to read these name tags from across the room. There’s a place on the Registration Form for your Nick Name, Dates served aboard DD-729, Your Job or Billet or Rating (Stewburner or Weather Guesser is OK with me), and How many Reunions you have attended. Mine will say 14. Glen Ingram’s will say 20 (out of 20). We will identify our STARS: Gold for Plank Owners; Red for First Timers; Blue for All Reunions (20); Green for your Hosts; and Silver for Association Officers. If you have any complaints this year...seek out the Silver Stars; if you have compliments, find the Green Stars.

v BIG – BIGGER – BIGGEST Hospitality Suite ever...at 34’ X 38’ we’ll have all the room we need to socialize, reminisce over ship’s memorabilia, and share a drink or two. We will open the doors for about 24 hours for your comfort and convenience.

v BIG (also Small, Medium, and Plus Sizes) souvenir shirts...so look at the sizing chart and be sure to mark your correct size on the Registration Form. We suggest everyone wear their DD-729 Twentieth Anniversary Shirts to Kennedy Space Center on Friday. Show the Bridge Builders how the Tin Can Sailors party!

v BIG savings this year on the Memory Book thanks to the Ingrams and Emrichs. Be certain, such a memento would cost $50 if we had to hire photographers and graphic artists...nobody would buy it...and there would be no Memory Book. Thanks, Glen & Jo; Bob & Daisy!

Registration Fee this year is $200 per person. The Treasury supports certain expenses like Souvenirs, Door Prizes, and Name Tags. We are saving a bundle in 2008 with our Reunion Hotel priced at $59/$69 with a vacation rate good +/- 7 days. We know airfare is up and gas is high. So is everything else we buy for your Reunion - - food, busses, tours, attractions, admissions, even astronauts. But we hope you will find “Best Value” in what we offer you. Hotel Food (with 18% Gratuity and 7% Sales Tax on top) for Welcome Aboard Reception; All Hands Meeting; Dinner Banquet; and Farewell Memorial Breakfast comes to $100. The trip to Kennedy Space Center and Lunch With An Astronaut and bus transportation, comes to $85. The All You Can Eat & Drink Hospitality Suite costs us $10. And miscellaneous things like tips, administrative fees, shipping & handling of memorabilia costs about $5. So when you add them up...that’s your $200 registration fee.

This year, to streamline handling of the complicated registration process and to assure accuracy in tracking who is coming to town and which tours and events you select, your proper sizing for souvenir shirts, meal choices for the banquet and the optional dinners...

Ben will: (a) keep all registration information on a spreadsheet for accuracy and accountability; (b) contact registrants directly with any questions or for cancellations and refunds; (c) promise to clear all payment checks within five (5) business days of receipt. Bottom Line...Make checks payable to”

Are you in arrears on your annual dues? We ask only $20 per year for full membership. Our “comparison shopping” at reunion gatherings shows we are well below the Fleet Average with rates of $25 and $30 common. Your reunion Registration Fee is partially offset by dues. So, in good conscience, you should (must) be current and paid up to sign up for each reunion. On the bright side, we have gotten about 165 paid dues for 2008...meaning most of you reading this are in good standing. But if you wish to cover your dues payment with your reunion registration, use the last line of the form; set the record straight with the Treasurer and Secretary.

Orlando will be our 20^th Annual Reunion; we have five more on the drawing board. Without volunteer hosts, our reunions will fizzle out.

Our rotation - - West – Central – East - - is designed to help all Shipmates find a reunion in their vicinity. Locations, without fail, have been driven by choices of willing hosts offering to throw a big party in their home towns. Can we count on you to host one of our future reunions?

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SIZE	S	M	L	XL	XXL
MEN-CHEST	36	40	44	48	52
WOMEN-BUST	36	38	43	47	51

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The 2009 annual reunion will be in the middle of this great country in Memphis, TN. Our hosts will be Lee and Jean Aldridge, and co-hosts Don and Lolita Snider, who had so much fun hosting our reunion in Nashville a few years ago (2001) that they could not pass up the opportunity to bring us back to Tennessee. I can tell you first hand that Tennessee is a beautiful place and encourage you to plan this 21^st reunion. More info will be forthcoming in the newsletter and posted on our Swenson web-site at www.DD729.com .

The 2010 reunion is on the drawing board but I must say there has been a great deal of interest in the Swenson Sailors and their better-half’s and other family members and friends in taking a cruise. A cruise can depart many different ports (just like Swenson) and visit many places from Hawaii to

Mexico

to the Caribbean. Now is the time to start thinking about whether you would like a cruise, and if so, from where to where? I have been told that a cruise can be relativity inexpensive since the food and lodging can be less than $100 per day. That sounds like a bargain to me as I usually spend at least that much just on lodging. Also there was strong interest in having a reunion in Hawaii. It can be done but we must be reasonably certain that is what the majority want and will attend.

This will be a discussion topic at our all-hands meeting in Orlando so give this some thought and come prepared to vote your choice, whether it be a cruise, Hawaii or some other city in this great land. In our 2006 membership survey 25 of you responded that you would like to take a 5 to 7 day cruise. Your reunion committee is listening so now is the time to state your preferences. And in case you are wondering we will need someone who can host this and all future reunions wherever they may be. Pres Spalding and Loren Lew have tossed their names in the hat for left coast cruises but we may need someone to host for the right coast if that is the coast you choose.

Do you have Internet access? Sure you do! If you don’t have a computer in your home then ask the kids or grandkids-go to your local library. Set your pointer to www.DD729.com and review the hours and hours of historical data and pictures that have been posted by web master Gregg Smoyer (LKS 1968-71, MM2). Gregg has done a fantastic job putting the web site together and is in a constant process of updating. Go there and look at the pictures of past reunions, and all the eras of our Ship’s history. There is a good chance you will see a picture of yourself (hopefully not while the ship was in WESTPAC)!! You will need a password to be able to view the roster and that password is; snipe Give me a call or email if you have trouble getting in.

The following Shipmates have been located and have become members of our association since the last newsletter – WELCOME ABOARD (Again)!!! If I have missed any names please accept my apology and let me know so I can list your name in the next newsletter.

The Association learned of the following Shipmate’s and/or spouse’s death since our last newsletter. Every member of the Association sends his heartfelt sympathy to the family and friends of the deceased. Please remember it is our policy to carry the Widow as an honorary member for as long as she chooses, and no membership dues are required or expected. If we missed anyone, please notify the secretary and we will publish it in the next issue.

JOHN “BOB” BOODT 1946-47 SN

I spoke with Walter Brown, Jr. from West Virginia a few nights ago. Walter is a Plankowner (LKS 1944-45) and is interested in becoming a member. I ask Walter to attend our Orlando reunion, but his doctor said NO!!! He has several health issues that are not going away. Walter’s mailing address is in your 2008 roster if you want to contact him.

I received this email from John “Berky” Berkheimer (LKS 1946-47). To my friends. Just got out of the hospital Friday as they removed a cyst from my throat. The biopsy showed that it came back positive. They say that it is lucky I caught it in the early stages. I’m going for a cat scan to find out if it traveled any further. I feel good and I hope everything turns out OK if it didn’t travel any further I will get radiation for six weeks. At least I won’t lose my hair. Keep your emails coming, love to hear from all of you. Regards Berky

While going thru my files and preparing to write this newsletter I came across the William “Bill” Barnes file which is about one inch thick now. If you will remember at our Springfield (Branson) reunion back in 2004 we had addressed, stamped postcards to sign and mail to President Bush. These were prepared by Bill and done in hopes of getting our Navy Unit Commendation (NUC) for the “Sitting Ducks” changed to the Presidential Unit Commendation (PUC). Well he has yet to be successful in doing this but has not tossed in the towel either. I talked with Bill several times in the last few months and told him about the author who wrote “Murder On Pratas Reef” a fictional story based on USS Frank Knox (DDR-742) running aground in July 1965. I have talked with the author, Rick Ainsworth, suggesting he and Bill get together sometime and see if writing about the “Sitting Ducks” would be something to keep the ball rolling. I am waiting to see what this outcome maybe. I hope to finish reading this novel before our reunion and will offer it as a door prize at our Saturday evening banquet.

This is a question I am asked about every week of the year. The short and Patriotic answer is you will never get what you deserve for putting your life on the line while serving in Lyman K. Swenson regardless of what time frame you served.

However, I believe most of the questions are monetary in nature and I will answer it in this way. Initially, all “new” members receive a printed Ship’s history, a printed reunion summary, the most current roster which includes APPENDIX A (the most current Association by-laws) and APPENDIX B (the most current Association Tap’s list). Printing and postage costs about $12.00. The newsletters you receive (usually two per year) cost about $5.00 for printing and postage. The yearly updated roster costs about $4.50 for printing and postage.

So at the end of the first year of your membership you make a “profit” of about $1.50. Each year after that you “lose” about $10.50 because you do not receive the Ship’s history or reunion summary again. But this is not the final answer. There are numerous re-mailings, as some members do not keep the Secretary updated with their new mailing addresses. There are also phone calls in trying to locate you not only by the Association Officers, but also by your Shipmates in many instances.

Then according to our Association by-laws (Appendix A of your roster, ARTICLE 2 – PURPOSE C, a contribution is made “To help support the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Fund through donations in memory of departed members”. The donation is currently $10.00 and each Widow/next of kin receives a “thank you” letter acknowledging the contribution. Additionally, the Widow/next of kin also receives a letter from our Association Chaplain. Then in accordance with the Association by-laws ARTICLE 3 – MEMBERSHIP 3.3 states that “Widows and children of crew members who served, transient