From the President's Desk
Shipmates:
I am honored to have been
elected as the President of the Veteran's Association of U.S.S. Iowa. I
pledge to do all that I can do to help achieve the goals of this
wonderful organization and to continue the good work done by my
predecessors. I look forward to working with the other officers of
our association and with the board of directors in the coming year. I
believe that my most important responsibilities include:
1) Ensuring the
continuation of our newsletter, website, and annual reunion. These are
the methods by which we remain in contact and continue/renew our
camaraderie and friendship.
2) Bringing into our
organization as many new members as possible, especially shipmates from
the 80's crew. Fifty of our members went to their heavenly reward during
the past year. We need new members to ensure the longevity of our
association.
3) Staying abreast of the
situation regarding the final homeport of USS Iowa. When a decision is
made by the Secretary of the Navy, our association should be ready to
provide whatever assistance and support is necessary to the
administration/citizens of the city where our ship will become a
monument.
4) Ensuring that an
appropriate USS Iowa museum is included at the memorial site and that
all applicable Iowa records and memorabilia in our custody are properly
identified and turned over to the museum curator.
Our reunion in Rapid
City, SD was a roaring success! It was great to see so many
shipmates and their wives present. I heard quite a few good sea stories,
and told a few myself. As usual Bill Wysk did a super job of making the
arrangements. In 2006 we will meet in Portland, OR and in Buffalo, NY in
2007.
I want to close by saying
how much I appreciate the opportunity to serve our association. All of
us owe a debt of gratitude to the previous officers and board members
who served us so unselfishly. Many of the executive positions in our
organization are now filled by members of the 80's crew. We feel honored
to accept this responsibility and look forward to fulfilling our duties.
All the best,
Jerry Gneckow
|
