History 2007

The Association Staff Consisted of the following:

Year 2007 started with finances in good order. Our Regular Bank Account with the Navy Federal Credit Union revealed a balance of $14,194.52, and the Ship''s Store with a balance of $850.00. The dollar value of Ship''s Store stock to be determined prior to bringing the store back on line and posted on the web site.

The Association continued to grow slowly in 2007; however, the large numbers of members that were not current in their dues on 1 January was quite large.

A campaign to bring all Members up to date was undertaken to correct this deficiency. A one-time moratorium was voted by the Board of Directors present at the San Antonio Reunion to wave any past dues in arrears and permit delinquent Members to return to Members in Good Standing by paying their 2008 dues of $20.00 by January 31, 2008.

Attendance was down dramatically at Reunion 2007. Our scheduled Host and Hostess, Joe and Peggy Brunner could not attend due to Peggy''s failing health. Regrettably, Joe has become a near full time care giver for Peggy; who had been a most cheerful addition at most all of our reunions until her health started to fail.

Although he had a full year remaining on his Term as President, Joe Brunner sent word that since he could not attend, and due to Peggy''s health he relinquished the reins of the Presidency to Vice President/PAO Ray Bigelow.

We only had 25 members in attendance at San Antonio, but the group had a great time and those not in attendance missed a good one. Attending were; sixteen members, eight wives and one father-in-law: Ray Bigelow, Henry and Rhonda Byrnside, John and Sonia Correia, Ron Davis (father-in-law of Scott Patterson), Ed and Phyllis Deats, Jim Disney, Rich Galecki, Andy and Kaye Lewallen, Tommy Moore, Father Peter Norris, Bill and Carolyn Paschall, Scott Patterson, Frank Ruesche, Myrl and Sharron Wallace, John Wilder, Marty and Gianna Willits, and Dave and Carol Wood.

We had a full days outing when we traveled to Fredericksburg to tour the NIMITZ and Pacific War Museums. All items not directly associated with Admiral Chester W. Nimitz have been moved next door to the Pacific War Museum. The current Pacific War Museum consists of about 22,000 square feet, however, plans are underway to expand to 66,000 square feet. This expansion is scheduled for completion in 2009. When we conduct our third reunion in the Fredericksburg area, we should see a totally different look.

As our hotel, Amerisuites, was located right on the Riverwalk, it was only a short stroll to the exciting events along the walk, where you had a wealth of restaurants to chose from. Our second night out consisted of a Mexican dinner at the Casa Rio, located on the Riverwalk, followed afterwards with about an hours tour of the river itself by open motorized barge. There must be at least a hundred restaurants, hotels, shops, etc. along the walk, so if you have not seen it you have missed a real treat. Our Saturday night banquet was held at The Texas Land and Cattle Company, also located on the Riverwalk. Since a private banquet room was not available, we returned to our Hospitality Room and Bill Paschall filled in as Guest Speaker, and the Two Bell Ceremony conducted by Father Peter Norris to remember those Shipmates that have passed.

Elections brought on some new team members to the Association Staff as shown above. Tim Gardiner was elected Vice President/PAO to replace Ray Bigelow who fleeted up to assume the President's billet with Joe Brunner's resignation. The ladies elected Carol Wood as the Spouses Advocate. Bill Paschall took over as Historian, with Dave Wood coming on board as Scholarship Committee Chairman for 2008.

The Board of Directors met to select the 2007 Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Scholarship Award. It was a tough selection from among several outstanding candidates and it took a lengthy period of time to score and determine the winning final winning score., The winner was Jared Gardiner, and his sponsor was his father; Shipmate Tim Gardiner.

A Silent Auction was held, with a total of $433.00 raised for the Scholarship Fund.

Joe Brunner remained as Membership Chairman in that his former shipmate data base contains over 3500 former crew members of NIMTIZ. He is making an effort to bring as many on board the Association as possible. In July, Bill Paschall sent our Reunion Notices to 2072 civilian newspapers across the nation, which resulted in an upsurge in new members.

Joe and Bill also submitted announcements to various military organization advertising the Association and announcing the 2008 Reunion in Nashville.

As of 31 December 2007, our Membership stood as follows:
Life Members: 24
Members in Good Standing: 179 (includes the 24 Life Members)
In arrears of dues: 480
Past Due: 51
Dues pending: 398
Spouses: 3
Widows: 2

Although we had a small reduction in finances, we ended the year in good shape financially:
Regular Bank Balance: $11,721.00.
Ship's Store: $983.00.
Ship's Store Inventory Value: $ 8415.00.

Of note, Myrl "Big Wally" and Sharron Wallace have taken over the Ship's Store and now have it up and running full speed. Items for sale are now posted on our web site and can be purchased and receive shipment by mail. A reminder is that ALL profits from the Ship's Store accrue to our Scholarship Fund.

All Members in Good Standing are encouraged to give our Membership Chairman, Joe Brunner, a hand in bringing members in arrears of their dues by encouraging them to take advantage of the Amnesty period that expires on 31 January 2008 whereby he or she can pay 2008 dues of $20.00 and all past dues in arrear are forgiven.

Regrettably we lost Dick Allen in December, one of our original members. Dick has lost his wife Ruth earlier in the year. We will surely miss Dick and Ruth at future reunions.

History 2006

The Association Staff for 2006 consisted of the following:

Note: Each year's History covers events that occurred during the stated calendar year. However, the Assocation Staff's terms of office run from the last day of a reunion to the beginning of the next reunion as stated in the By-Laws.

History 2005

The Association Staff for 2005 consisted of the following:

GREETINGS SHIPMATES:

The Association growth was a bit slow in 2005, only recording 30 new paid members.

The Association remains on sound financial ground, with the NFCU bank balance on 31 December 2005 at $12,117.85.

As we entered 2005, The Great Ship Nimitz was getting ready to celebrate her 30th birthday, which took place on May 3rd, 2005 and our Association President Joe Brunner was in attendance and was recognized during the official ceremony.

On May 7th, the USS NIMITZ/Carrier Air Wing 11 team left San Diego, CA on a routine WEST-PAC deployment in support of the Global War on Terrorism. Captain Branch reported before deploying that the ship and her crew are living up to her long established reputation of being the best in the fleet. By the time the Association held its August 2005 Reunion the ship had already made two successful port calls to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii and then on to Hong Kong.

Reunion 2005 (our 8th) was held at the Hyatt Regency Financial District Hotel in Boston, Massachusetts; 10-14 August. Once again we enjoyed a wonderful reunion, as Host & Hostess Tim & Lori Gardner and their Co-Host John Wilder made sure that “a good time was had by all.” Some of the places/events in which many of the reunion attendees participated in were, a Red Sox vs. Rangers night game at Fenway Park producing a 16-5 win for the home crowd, taking a walking tour along the Freedom Trail, a ride on the trolley touring Boston which included a visit to “Old Ironsides” as the USS CONSTITUTION is aptly nicknamed, a Friday night dinner cruise on the Spirit of Boston, as well as a tour of the J.F. Kennedy Presidential Library, along with maybe one or two short sea-stories being told in the Hotel’s Presidential Suite which is where our hospitality room was located. Oh yes, we were also joined again by our own Father Peter who made the trip this time all the way from the Falkland Islands, it seems nobody ever travels further to attend our reunions! On Saturday night our banquet was a huge success, with Rear Admiral Batzler, Skipper #3, once again speaking to us. Our principal speaker was CDR Ed Hafner from New Hampshire’s Manchester West High School. CDR Hafner serves as the Senior Naval Instructor for their NJROTC program. CDR Hafner also brought a select group of his students to our banquet to serve in the role of the Color Guard Detail. The Two-Bell Ceremony was held to honor all deceased NIMITZ crew and Association Members. As a special treat Captain Branch sent us a brief message on DVD from the Bridge of the USS NIMITZ while on deployment, which was a big hit with all who were in attendance. A silent auction was held for the Scholarship Fund, with over $500 being raised. New officers elected included Ray Bigelow as Vice-President/Public Affairs Officer, and John Wilder as Secretary/Treasurer. New appointments included Merle Wallace as our Memorabilia Storekeeper, Ed Deats as the Nominating Committee Chairman, and Andy Lewallen as the Committee Chairman assembled to put forth a recommendation at our 2006 reunion regarding a possible Life-Membership option for paying Association membership dues.

Also in 2005, Dan Luper was “Shipmate in the Spotlight” and winner of the 2005 College Scholarship of $2000 was Nicholas Patria, Son of Shipmate Michael Patria from Maryland.

In 2006, we are looking forward to our 9th Annual Reunion in the Seattle, Washington area where Myrl “Big Wally” and Sharron Wallace will serve as our Host and Hostess. Then we are scheduled to assemble in Texas in 2007 for reunion #10 and we recently selected Nashville, Tennessee as the site for our 11th annual reunion in to be held 2008. Exact dates are to be determined later for these upcoming reunion sites.

History 2004

The Association Staff for 2004 consisted of the following:

GREETINGS SHIPMATES:

The Association continued to grow during 2004. We recorded 108 paid new members.

The Association continued to grow during 2004. We recorded 108 paid new members. The Association remains on sound financial ground. The NFCU bank balance for regular Association Funds managed by the Secretary/Treasurer was at $10,192.13 on 31 December 2004.

Reunion 2004 (our 7th) was held in Coronado, CA in October 2004. We were to hold it in Pensacola, FL in September, where Ken & Gay Mantle were all set to welcome us to their fine city as Host & Hostess, when our plans changed due to hurricane Ivan. Captain Gilman and the Crew stepped up big time in our hour of need to co-host our 7th Annual reunion along with Joe and Peggy Brunner as our Association’s Substitute Host & Hostess. The Great Ship Nimitz took the spotlight once again as we held our make-up reunion at the ship’s homeport. With only one month to completely organize things in Coronado, they all put together what could only be described as a terrific reunion. We had a tour of the USS NIMITZ one day and returned to the ship another for a spectacular sunset reception overlooking the San Diego Skyline on the bridge.

We held our meetings and Joe Brunner was elected as our Association’s 3rd President and Peggy Brunner was elected as the new Spouse’s Advocate. The Board of Directors selected Jacob William Fowler as the 2004 Chester W. Nimitz Scholarship Award winner; Jacob is the Grandson of Beverly Scott and our late shipmate Bud Scott. The Scholarship program was amended to require three reference letters from non-family members and to eliminate the credit for applicants who worked during the year. A proposal to establish a comprehensive aid package for surviving spouses of Association members was not approved.

The banquet was held at Naval Station’s Island Club and as an extra special treat; each table was supported by their own Active Duty contingent in the form of a current USS NIMITZ crewmember and their spouse!

Rich Galecki took over the duties as Newsletter Editor and Fr. Peter Norris purchased a bell for the Association.

In 2005, we are looking forward to our 8th Annual Reunion in Boston, MA where Tim & Lori Gardner and John Wilder will serve as our Hosts. In 2006 our 9th Annual Reunion will be heading towards Seattle, WA; where Myrl “Big Wally” and Sharron Wallace will serve as Host and Hostess. We recently selected to return to Texas in 2007 for our 10th Annual Reunion where we will visit the Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Museum in Fredericksburg, TX. Exact dates are to be determined later for these upcoming reunion sites.

History 2003

The Association Staff for 2003 consisted of the following:

GREETINGS SHIPMATES:

The Association continued on a steady growth pattern throughout 2003, with Joe Brunner as Chairman of the Membership Committee, having established a database of over 9,000 former crewmembers, which he is endeavoring to recruit into the Association -- one member at a time. The Association grew its ranks by over 50 new members in 2003.

The Association remains on sound financial ground, with the NFCU bank balance on 31 December 2003 for the Ship’s Store/Scholarship Fund at $2,704.52, and a stock value of approximately $9,000.00. The NFCU bank balance for regular Association Funds managed by the Secretary/Treasurer was at $13,549.00 on 31 December 2003.

As we entered 2003, The Great Ship Nimitz had returned to her assigned homeport of San Diego, after a very successful six-month training cycle in preparation for an extended deployment to the Persian Gulf. Captain Gilman reported the ship to be in excellent shape. For you “ole timers”, the legendary CIWS system has been replaced by a modern RAM (Rolling Airframe Missile) system, a 21-cell MK 49 Guided Missile Launching System. Every sailor on board has an e-mail account, with a LAN of 500 computers - anyone remember MARS when we tried to call home from the Med? The crew is now about 15% female and the average crew age is 21. Most of “us” ole timers were over 21 when we commissioned The Great Ship Nimitz back in May 1975.

Carlton Harbaugh was “Shipmate in the Spotlight” and Phyllis Deats took over as the Spouses Advocate with a very informative article in the January Newsletter.

Don Santer was still doing his usual splendid job as Newsletter Editor, ably assisted by Nancy, continually publishing very informative and colorful Newsletters. As you may or may not know, Don is a Professor at Ferris College in Michigan where he teaches publishing. Bill Nielsen is now on the Bridge and working with newly elected Secretary/Treasurer Mike Patras and the rest of the Association Staff to keep our Association going forward to better times and great membership.

On Monday, 3 March, The Great Ship Nimitz got underway for an extended deployment (expected to be eight months) to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. A stop for a last U.S. Liberty took place at Pearl Harbor, where NIMITZ was berthed a few hundred yards from the USS ARIZONA Memorial.

The April edition of the Newsletter honored Patti Bigelow as “Spouse In the Spotlight”. Patti has contributed numerous informative articles to the Newsletter since our first newsletter in October 1957, as an Associate Newsletter.

Reunion 2003 (our 6th) was held 15-19 June at the Settle Inn Resort Center, Branson, Missouri. Host and Hostess were Mike and Maggie Patras who did a splendid job in the many events our Membership enjoyed, especially some of the over 75 shows available in Branson. Former Skippers RADM Dick Gaskill (#2), RADM Gene Conner (#5) and VADM Brent Brenner (#6) were in attendance and addressed Members, Spouses and Guests at our usual, wonderful, wrap-up Banquet. Of note, it was announced that USS NIMTIZ has relieved five attack carriers on arrival in the Persian Gulf. New officers elected included Ed Deats for another term as Vice President/Public Affairs Officer, and a new billet of Veteran’s Service Officer was filled by Jim Disney. Ray Bigelow assumed responsibility as Chairman, Scholarship Committee and Leo Mrozek is now Webmaster and Database Administrator for the Association. Winner of the 2003 College Scholarship of $2000 was Megan Welter, granddaughter of Shipmate Bill Paschall. This was Megan’s second win in a row.

Shipmate in the Spotlight in the October Edition of the Newsletter was Leo Mrozek

On 5 November, The Great Ship Nimitz arrived back in her assigned homeport of San Diego after a very successful deployment to the Persian Gulf. She steamed over 64,000 nautical miles and over 2000 missions were flown in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Port calls were made in Dubai and Bahrain, unknown to most of us. Over 1300 “Tigers” boarded at Pearl Harbor for the transit to San Diego.

2003 was a year of much sadness. Shortly after the Reunion in Branson, Shipmate Tom Murphy went on to be with the Lord, and shortly thereafter Judi Lewallen, wife of Shipmate Andy Lewallen passed away. Both had attended the reunion at Branson. Judi has contributed greatly to the Association as an Associate Newsletter Editor, and had submitted many informative articles. On Thanksgiving eve, Shipmate Bud Scott went on to be with the Lord. Bud was one of the original founders of the Association and had founded the Ship’s Store, which he managed for several years, and was holding the position of Association Auditor when he passed. All shall be sorely missed as we gather each year in the future for our Reunions.

In 2004, we are looking forward to our 7th Annual Reunion in Pensacola, Florida, where Ken and Gay Mantle will serve as Host and Hostess. We will assemble in Boston in 2005 (dates to be determined later), where Tim and Lori Gardiner will serve as Host and Hostess, followed by Seattle in 2006 where Myrl “Big Wally” and Sharron Wallace will serve as Host and Hostess. This is “Big Wally’s” second turn in the barrel in that he was Coordinator for our Reunion in San Antonio 12-15 May 1999.

History 2002

The Association Staff for 2002 consisted of the following:

The Association continued on a steady growth path in 2002, with the Association Regular Account and the Ship’s Store Account on a sound financial footing. At years end, the Treasurer reported an account balance of $18,135.37 and the Storekeeper an account balance of $5481.61, with an inventory with a value of $8,8476.63, and all outstanding involves paid in both accounts. Both Association bank accounts are with the Naval Federal Credit Union.

As year 2002 dawned, The Great Ship NIMITZ had arrived in her newly assisted homeport of San Diego, California, having been reassigned from Norfolk, Virginia. USS NIMITZ had sailed from Norfolk in October 2001, shortly after the tragic terrorist attack on the United States on September 11th. Planned port calls in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; Valparaiso, Chile and Callao, Peru were scrubbed in view of our nation being in mourning. A port visit was rescheduled for Pearl Harbor and after 42 days at sea (three short of a beer day), NIMITZ arrived in Pearl Harbor. After five days of liberty, NIMITZ sailed for her new homeport of San Diego.

In May, Captain Robert J. Gilman relieved Captain Steven E. Firks as Commanding Officer of The Great Ship NIMITZ. Captain Gilman became the 12th Skipper to Command NIMITZ.

The Association donated $1600 to purchase a plaque to honor NIMITZ dead to be affixed to the “Norfolk Monument” located adjacent to the USS WISCONSIN Memorial on the Norfolk Waterfront. The wording on the plaque reads:

“On the night of May 25, 1981, while operating off the Florida coast; a twin engine EA-6B jet aircraft crashed into the flight deck of USS NIMITZ (CVA-68) , killing 14 crew members and injuring 45 others.

Shipmates of the USS NIMITZ (CVA-68) Association dedicates this plaque to those Shipmates killed in the EA-6B crash, and all other NIMITZ Shipmates that made the ultimate sacrifice for our country.”

Shipmates Bud Scott and Mike Patras attended the dedication on behalf of all Association Members.

At our first Reunion in 1998 we established an annual Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz Scholarship Program, with the award of a Collage Scholarship of $1000.00 through competition between children of USS NIMITZ Crew and children and grandchildren of Association members “in good standing” (dues current). When our funds warranted, we agreed to increase the award to $2000.00. This was voted on and unanimously approved by the Board of Directors prior to Reunion 2002.

Fleet Admiral Nimitz’s only son, Rear Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Jr., passed away on January 2nd. The family requested that in lieu of flowers that Chester, Jr. be honored by doing “something” to enhance education of a NIMITZ crew member’s child or Association Members child or grandchild. With this in mind, the Board of Directors voted to award a second $2000 Scholarship in 2002 to honor Rear Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Jr., USN (Retired).

As a recap to date, the following awards have been made:

Reunion 2002 (our 5th) was held at the Embassy Suites Convention Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada; 7-11 July. Again, the reunion proved to be as successful as past reunions, and “a good time was had by all.” Spouses took a Monday morning tour of Las Vegas, a group attended the marvelous show “Jubilee” at Fabulous Bally’s, many toured Hoover Dam and others took a cruise on Lake Meade. Several took the Scenic Flight and others the ground tour of the Grand Canyon. It seems that Father Peter came several days early for the reunion and stayed late and made every tour available for the Grand Canyon.

Our wrap-up banquet on Wednesday night was a great success, with Rear Admiral Eugene Conner, Skipper #5, as our principal speaker. The Two-Bell Ceremony was held to honor all deceased NIMITZ crew and Association Members. A silent auction was held for the Scholarship Fund, with over $2000 being raised. New officers elected included Bill Nielsen as President, and Mike Patras was appointed by Bill Paschall as a last act as President to fill the final year of Bill Nielsen’s term as Secretary/Treasurer to ensure no conflict of interest as Bill Nielsen assumed the Presidency. Ed Deats was elected Vice President/Public Affairs Officer and the Spouses elected Phyllis Deats as Spouses Advocate. Father Peter Norris, one of our two Members living in Britain was appointed and agreed to accept the position of Association Chaplain and Bereavement Coordinator. Mike Streckert, a LTJG (CEC), USNR, our Database Administrator was called to active duty due to the conflict in Ir! aq and Leo Mrozek took over. Leo also agreed to relieve Rick Velez as Webmaster. Rick had done a superb job in building our initial web site and maintaining it for over five years. Rick also paid several hundred dollars from his own pocket to maintain the site and pay internet fees associated with the site.

USS NIMITZ scheduled a Family Cruise for August 21st, and several Association Members traveled to San Diego to "spend another day at" sea in The Great Ship Nimitz. Unfortunately, on August 18th the cruise was cancelled for operational reasons with several Association Members already in San Diego to board and several enroute. A "make-up" cruise is still pending.

Reunion 2003 was scheduled for Branson, Missouri 15-19 June. Mike and Maggie Patras agreed to serve as Host and Hostess for the Reunion

History 2001

The Association Staff for 2001 consisted of the following:

• The title of the Historian was changed to "Memorabilia Storekeeper" and a new position "Historian" established to maintain a written history of the Association.

The Association continued to grow at a steady rate during 2001, with 110 new members coming on board, bringing the total membership to 520 (Members, Associate and Honorary Members), although some are not "In Good Standing" due to nonpayment of dues.

Our financial status continues to improve as new members paid their Initiation Fee/First Years Dues.

The April 2001 Newsletter contained the names of five Association Shipmates that had passed since the founding of the Association:

In response to the tragic events of 11 September when a terrorist flew a commercial airliner into the Pentagon, killing 33 Shipmates, the Association donated $2500.00 to the Navy Relief Society's Fund to assist surviving children with a college education.

The 4th Annual Reunion: 08-12 August 2001 - Holiday Inn Executive Center, Norfolk, Virginia

Reunion 2001, held in Tidewater Virginia was an overwhelming success with the Coordinators knocking themselves out to ensure all attendees had a great time. We had 165 Shipmates in attendance, but that number increased to over 500 with Spouses, Children and Guests. Our two British Members: Father Peter Norris and Bill Oleske traveled from England to attend their first Association Reunion. Six former and the current Skippers of The Great Ship Nimitz were in attendance: RADM Bryan W. Compton, RADM Dick Gaskill, RADM Jack Batzler, RADM Gene Conner, VADM Paul Ilg, VADM Brent Bennitt and current Commanding Officer Captain Steve Firks. Our wrap-up Banquet also included: RADM Stone, CARCRU Commander and Captain Steve Firks, Nephew of Fleet Admiral Nimitz.

The winner of the 2001 Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz $2000.00 Scholarship Award was Brandon S. Fowler, grandson of Association Member Bud and Beverly Scott.

Your Coordinators planned and executed a most successfi.il reunion, with the highlight being a Family Day Cruise on NIMITZ, enjoyed by all. Also, a fantastic Pig Picking was held at Little Creek Amphibious Base was an overwhelming success. The Reunion Banquet was attended by about 500 Members, Spouses, Children and Guests. All attending Skippers addressed the attendees, with VADM Paul Ilg (Skipper #4) giving the principal address. Captain Steve Nimitz also addressed the Members. A "Passing the Flag" Ceremony was held, conducted by HMCN Don Nelson and five of his Hospital Corpsmen: MN Bryon Davis, HM3 Tayinikia Campbell, HM3 Eric Smith, HM2 Patrick Quinto and HMC (Select) Florian Rio - which culminated with the flag being presented to Association President Bill Paschall.

History 2000

The Association Staff for 2000 consisted of the following:

• The position of Spouses Advocate was established.

The 3rd Annual Reunion: 23-27 August 2000 - Quality Resort, Mission Valley, San Diego

Our Third Annual Reunion, hosted by Joe and Peggy Brunner, was held at the Quality Inn Resort, Mission Valley. San Diego, California, 23-27 August 2000. Highlights included an all day trip to the World Famous San Diego Zoo, and tours of Old Town, Tijuana, Seaport Village, North Island, Coronado and other San Diego sites. Additionally. Peter Vincent Douglas, Producer of "The Final Countdown", which was filmed on board USS NIMITZ; was a guest at our Saturday Night Banquet.

Peter is the youngest son of actor Kirk Douglas, who played the Commanding Officer in the film. Another highlight was a visit by Captain Steve Firks, USN, current Commanding Officer, USS NIMITZ on Wednesday night. He stayed to nearly midnight conversing with various Association Members. The Skipper was in town for the Change of Command for Vice Admiral John Nathman, Commander Naval Air Force, U.S. Pacific Fleet. Admiral Nathman is a former Skipper of NIMITZ (8th) and an Association Member.

Friday night's feature was a dinner-dance on board SS Lord Hornblower for a harbor cruise - a great time. Our annual $2000 College Scholarship was awarded to Cory Wayne Nielsen, son of Association Member Bill Nielsen and Mom Donna. Two General Meetings were conducted, resulting in the creation of a new elected position -"Spouses Advocate". Spouses elected Sharron Wallace, wife of Shipmate Myrl Wallace, as the first Spouses Advocate. She will be a voting member of the Board of Directors and advisor to the President to ensure spousal input to association activities.

General Elections were held and Bill Paschall was reelected for a second two-year term as President and Jim Cox was elected as Vice President/Public Affairs Officer. Nearly $2000 was raised for the Scholarship Fund from Half and Half Drawings (no one kept their half), an auction of fun items, a raffle for a paid reunion hotel room (Value $360), and a Direct TV Satellite System (Value $150). Skipper Gene Conner won the hotel raffle and donated the
$360 back to the Scholarship Fund, and Mark and Laura Baca won the Satellite System, so graciously donated by Shipmate and Association Member Hank Byrnside who was unable to attend the reunion.

Branson. Missouri was selected as the site for Reunion 2003.

The Saturday night banquet was a grand success. Pictures were made for a Cruise Book, followed by a great meal. Captain Firks addressed our group via VCR tape in that he had to return to Newport News before the banquet. The Skipper gave an overview of the current overhaul; candid shots of crewmembers working on the overhaul, and pictures of The Great Ship NIMITZ moving into dry-dock. Scheduled overhaul completion date is May 2001. Skippers Compton and Conner addressed our group, as did Peter Vincent Douglas, followed by our Third Skipper RADM Jack Batzler giving the principal address. The ladies had a ball having their picture made with Peter Douglas. An honored guest was May Ybarra and her son Richard. We lost Shipmate and Association Member Yogi Ybarra in January of 2000. Reunion Hostess and Coordinator Peggy Brunner was presented a dozen red roses by husband Joe (her assistant for reunion coordination), and a beautiful watch from the Association for all of her hard work in making the Reunion 2000 a ROUSING success.

Sunday morning saw Members and Spouses gathered outside the Memorabilia Room bidding each other so long with a promise to meet again at Reunion 2001 scheduled for Tidewater, Virginia.

History 1999

The Association Staff for 1999 consisted of the following:

• The positions of Secretary and Treasurer were combined into one position: Secretary/Treasurer.
• A new position of Webmaster was established to construct the Official Association Web Site.

The 2nd Annual Reunion: 12-15 May 1999 - Best Western, Oak Hills, San Antonio, Texas

Our Second Annual Reunion, hosted by Myrl "Big Wally" and Sharron Wallace, was held in San Antonio, Texas, 12-15 May 1999, with a great turnout. On the first night, our hotel treated us to a full Mexican Buffet, which served as our "Welcome Reception" - a tradition we started at Norfolk and would continue at future reunions.

The highlight of the Reunion was an all day trip to the Admiral Nimitz Museum and Historical Center in nearby Fredericksburg, Texas, the birthplace of Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz. We held two general meetings, elected officers to fill expiring terms, the spouses made several tours while the Shipmates met. We all toured Riverwalk in down town San Antonio, and The Alamo.

The Board of Directors met, and selected Gary Rollins, III, son of Gary and Susie Rollins as the winner of the Association's first annual Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz College Scholarship - $1000.00 at this time.

We wrapped up the reunion on Saturday night with our Cocktail Party, Banquet, Speeches and Dancing in the hotel lounge. Three members of the San Antonio Fleet Reserve Association conducted a "Two-Bell" Ceremony to honor our fallen comrades that had served in Nimitz. Read Admiral's Compton and Conner addressed the group, Rear Admiral Gaskill gave the featured address, and gave the attendees an insight into things he had learned about Admiral Nimitz in a lengthy meeting he had with Mrs. Nimitz at her home in San Francisco shortly before her death. The evening concluded with dancing in the hotel lounge. We met again on Sunday morning in our lounge provided by the hotel for coffee and "Good-byes" until next year - another tradition started at Norfolk.

As of 10 December 1999, our membership had grown to 312, and continues to grow steadily. Of significance, four of Fleet Admiral and Mrs. Nimitz children have become Honorary Members of the Association, - Catherine Nimitz Lay (the Ship's Sponsor): Rear Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, Jr., USN (Retired), Nancy Nimitz, and Sister M. Aquinas Nimitz, OP; and two nephews, Captain Stephen C. Nimitz, USN, and Mr. Charles H. Nimitz.

History 1998

The Association Staff for 1998 consisted of the following:

The 1st Reunion: 18-22 March 1998 - Lake Wright Resort, Norfolk, Virginia

In November 1996, Shipmate Bill Paschall contacted RADM Bryan W. Compton, USN, (Retired), the first Skipper of USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) with the idea to form an Association of former Shipmates that had served in the The Great Ship Nimitz. Both contacted the then Skipper, Capt Ike Richardson to solicit his support for the idea, which was immediately given. The USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) Association was “Officially” launched. By the spring of 1997, it was “full speed ahead” and ads were placed in military periodicals in an effort to locate former crew members. Shipmates from PreCom days were contacted to see if the idea was viable. It indeed was, and many responded very positively. On 8 August 1997, a group of NIMITZ Shipmates, who had served at different times during Nimitz’ twenty-two year history met at the Club, Naval Air Station, Oceana, Virginia Beach for dinner with their wives, lots of “Sea Stories”, and made preliminary plans for the first Reunion. This group included the following Shipmates and their wives: Charlie and Pattie Hogue, Chuck and Jo Blazek, Steve and Kathy Young, Larry and Laura Atkins, and Carolyn and Bill Paschall. Shortly after this first meeting, the group was joined by: Bud and Beverly Scott, and Gary and Susie Rollins. Along with RADM Bryan Compton, you might say that this group was the “Founding Fathers and Mothers” of the USS NIMITZ (CVN-68) Association. Shipmate Charlie Hogue volunteered to serve as Chairman of the Norfolk Reunion Committee. Regrettably, Charlie passed away a short time later on 11 October 1997 doing what he loved best – playing golf after retiring from a 30 year Navy Career. Steve Young stepped up immediately and agreed to take over in Charlie’s stead. Steve also purchased a wreath and attended Charlie’s funeral to represent our fledging Association. Steve had sowed the seed for what was to become the Association’s Bereavement Program, which is now in full swing under the direction of the Association Chaplain. As luck would have it, Shipmate Gary Rollins was working at the Lake Wright Resort in Engineering, so we had some inside assistance at our selected first Reunion site. Over the next six months, the Norfolk Reunion Committee worked on plans for our first Reunion, which was held 18-22 March 1998 at the Lake Wright Resort, North Hampton Blvd., Norfolk, Virginia.

When the first reunion got underway on Wednesday, 18 March 1998. Membership had grown to 190. Captain Richardson and Crew welcomed us on board on 19 March. We toured NIMITZ, and had lunch in Wardroom Two. One Association Member stationed on board in the 70s was overhead to say... "in three years on board I never saw the inside of the Wardroom, and now they are serving me lunch - what a deal!" Enroute to NIMITZ that morning, we stopped at the Naval Station Saluting Battery on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay, and conducted a "Two-Bell Ceremony" in memory of fallen comrades that had served in Nimitz. The ceremony concluded with Patti Hogue, widow of Shipmate Charlie Hogue, tossing a wreath of red roses into the harbor.

Many activities occurred during this first reunion. Shipmates held two General Meetings to get organized and adopt a Constitution and By-Laws while Spouses participated in local tours and went shopping. A large contingent participated in a Dinner-Dance Cruise on the Chesapeake Bay on board the Spirit of Norfolk, passing all the Piers of Naval Station Norfolk, including Pier 11 where The Great Ship NIMITZ was moored. Also, Shipmate Bud Scott had commissioned our Ship's Store with an abundance of Association merchandise for sale with our logo (patterned after the Nimitz Logo), e.g., baseball caps, golf shirts, coffee cups, etc., with all profits accruing to a Scholarship Fund established at this first Reunion (See the Constitution and By-Laws for details on the Association Scholarship program). Three (3) sites were tentatively selected for future Reunions: San Antonio, Texas; San Diego, California; and Norfolk, Virginia again on completion of NIMITZ's first overhaul.

We also started a Memorabilia Collection, and displayed what articles we had collected at Norfolk. This collection is significant, is growing, and is shipped for display at each Reunion. Our Historian maintains custody of the collection between reunions.

Our last night Cocktail Party, Banquet and Entertainment was a blast, when the first five Skippers to command Nimitz spoke to us about events occurring during their tour in Command, and Captain Ike Richardson presented us with a great slide presentation of the just completed Arabian Sea Deployment. Rear Admiral Compton, our first Skipper, gave the principal address, a tradition that would be followed in each future reunion - each Skipper in order of command being the principal speaker. Including spouses, about 160 attended this first reunion, and it was a complete success. On the last day, membership had risen to 220 as Shipmates in the Norfolk area discovered us and came on board as Members.

NOTE: Each year's History covers events that occurred during the stated calendar year. However, the Assocation Staff's terms of office run from the last day of a reunion to the beginning of the next reunion as stated in the By-Laws.