2014 USS Yancey Reunion Recap
This year the USS Yancey had a joint reunion with the USS Rankin AKA-103 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Providence Rhode Island. Although the reunion didn’t officially start until Thursday evening many boarded a bus at 11:00 AM for an early bird tour of Providence and the Culinary Museum. Once registration began at 3:PM the hospitality area began to fill up with attendees looking for refreshments and greeting friends from the past. Thursday evening shipmates from both ships and guests gathered in the hotel Atrium for a buffet dinner and drinks which officially kicked off the 2014 reunion.
Friday morning we left early for the Newport Naval Base and our first stop at the Naval War College Museum. The War College Museum contains exhibits of the history of the Naval War College, the history of naval activities in Narragansett Bay from colonial times and history of naval warfare.
Our next and I think most interesting stop was Surface Warfare Officers School or SWOS. After breaking up into smaller groups we were taken to various training areas and saw firsthand some of the hands on training the officers receive. One of the simulators provided training for piloting an LCS, Literal Combat Ship. These are high speed small crew ships that can maneuver close to shore and can be used for a variety of missions from destroying mines to hunting submarines. They operate without a propeller using powerful water jets. Most impressive was the high tech bridge simulator used to teach ship handling to surface ship officers from Ensigns to Captains. It provides a full view as if you were on the ship’s bridge. They can change the ship location, weather and other ships in the area. The experience is so realistic you actually feel as if the deck is moving. The lone officer on the bridge controls the ship using voice commands. It’s amazing what our new Navy is doing and almost makes you wish you could go back in.
After stopping in Newport for a quick lunch we went on a riding tour of the famous Newport Mansions along Millionaires Mile and Ocean Drive. We stopped for a 45 minute self guided tour of the Breakers Mansion that was owned by the Vanderbilt family who used it as a summer cottage. It is the most famous of the mansions and we learned a great deal about how the rich lived back then.
The final event of the day was a trip to Francis Farm in Rehoboth, Massachusetts for a New England Clambake. Unfortunately this was not the highlight of the weekend. It was very expensive and the promised clam chowder and clam cakes were not provided. No coffee was available and the desserts were few.
Saturday would be a shorter day as we headed out for Battleship Cove in Falls River Massachusetts. Battleship cove has the largest collection of preserved Navy ships in the world. Upon our arrival we boarded the USS Massachusetts (BB59) for our Memorial Ceremony. Ed McLaughlin acted as chaplain for the ceremony and the names of the deceased from each ship were read by John Karlis for the Yancey and Skip Sander for the Rankin. The bell ringers were Paul Smith Jr. and Richard Lacy respectively. Once the ceremony was completed with the playing of TAPS we headed for the Mess Hall and lunch. Now everyone was free to spend the rest of their time at Battleship Cove touring the Massachusetts, the USS Joseph P. Kennedy, (DD850), the submarine Lionfish (SS298), a Russian built German Navy ship and other exhibits available at the cove. At 2:00 we headed back to the hotel for our separate business meetings and to get ready for the Reunion Banquet.
The reunion officially ended with the Saturday evening banquet. With over 70 in attendance it was larger than we have had In many years. That is one of the many advantages of having a joint reunion and I look forward to enjoying many more in the years to come starting with Nashville next year.
This year the USS Yancey had a joint reunion with the USS Rankin AKA-103 at the Crown Plaza Hotel in Providence Rhode Island. Although the reunion didn’t officially start until Thursday evening many boarded a bus at 11:00 AM for an early bird tour of Providence and the Culinary Museum. Once registration began at 3:PM the hospitality area began to fill up with attendees looking for refreshments and greeting friends from the past. Thursday evening shipmates from both ships and guests gathered in the hotel Atrium for a buffet dinner and drinks which officially kicked off the 2014 reunion.
Friday morning we left early for the Newport Naval Base and our first stop at the Naval War College Museum. The War College Museum contains exhibits of the history of the Naval War College, the history of naval activities in Narragansett Bay from colonial times and history of naval warfare.
Our next and I think most interesting stop was Surface Warfare Officers School or SWOS. After breaking up into smaller groups we were taken to various training areas and saw firsthand some of the hands on training the officers receive. One of the simulators provided training for piloting an LCS, Literal Combat Ship. These are high speed small crew ships that can maneuver close to shore and can be used for a variety of missions from destroying mines to hunting submarines. They operate without a propeller using powerful water jets. Most impressive was the high tech bridge simulator used to teach ship handling to surface ship officers from Ensigns to Captains. It provides a full view as if you were on the ship’s bridge. They can change the ship location, weather and other ships in the area. The experience is so realistic you actually feel as if the deck is moving. The lone officer on the bridge controls the ship using voice commands. It’s amazing what our new Navy is doing and almost makes you wish you could go back in.
After stopping in Newport for a quick lunch we went on a riding tour of the famous Newport Mansions along Millionaires Mile and Ocean Drive. We stopped for a 45 minute self guided tour of the Breakers Mansion that was owned by the Vanderbilt family who used it as a summer cottage. It is the most famous of the mansions and we learned a great deal about how the rich lived back then.
The final event of the day was a trip to Francis Farm in Rehoboth, Massachusetts for a New England Clambake. Unfortunately this was not the highlight of the weekend. It was very expensive and the promised clam chowder and clam cakes were not provided. No coffee was available and the desserts were few.
Saturday would be a shorter day as we headed out for Battleship Cove in Falls River Massachusetts. Battleship cove has the largest collection of preserved Navy ships in the world. Upon our arrival we boarded the USS Massachusetts (BB59) for our Memorial Ceremony. Ed McLaughlin acted as chaplain for the ceremony and the names of the deceased from each ship were read by John Karlis for the Yancey and Skip Sander for the Rankin. The bell ringers were Paul Smith Jr. and Richard Lacy respectively. Once the ceremony was completed with the playing of TAPS we headed for the Mess Hall and lunch. Now everyone was free to spend the rest of their time at Battleship Cove touring the Massachusetts, the USS Joseph P. Kennedy, (DD850), the submarine Lionfish (SS298), a Russian built German Navy ship and other exhibits available at the cove. At 2:00 we headed back to the hotel for our separate business meetings and to get ready for the Reunion Banquet.
The reunion officially ended with the Saturday evening banquet. With over 70 in attendance it was larger than we have had In many years. That is one of the many advantages of having a joint reunion and I look forward to enjoying many more in the years to come starting with Nashville next year.
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Naval War College, SWOS and The Breakers mansion
New england clam bake
Battleship Cove
Memorial Service
