Jacksonville Reunion Recap
The USS Yancey and USS Rankin held their third joint reunion at the Double Tree Riverside Hotel on the St. John River in Jacksonville, Florida. Thursday afternoon the well stocked hospitality room opened and everyone began registering and receiving their name tags and tickets for the various events. Many arrived early and used the time before dinner to have a few drinks and snacks while getting reacquainted with old friends and making new ones. At 6:00 everyone was directed to the Amelia room for dinner and the official start of the 2016 Yancey/Rankin Reunion. Ray Casey from Military Reunion Planers greeted everyone and went over the itinerary and other good to know information. After dinner most returned to the hospitality room for a night cap.
Friday was a nice hot and sunny Florida day for our first tour of the reunion. The bus was loaded and we headed over to Blount Island a U.S. Marine facility dedicated to maintaining equipment for use in confrontations worldwide. We received a briefing on how the operation works and then got to go aboard the USNS Sacagawea. The Sacagawea just returned from Her three years deployment and was mostly empty and rusty. She will be cleaned up, reloaded and redeployed sometime in the future for another three year tour. We had lunch on the base and returned to the hotel for an afternoon and evening on our own.
Saturday was once again a nice hot and sunny day and since our tour didn’t begin until afternoon everyone had the morning to relax by the pool, explore the area or just hang around the hospitality room. At least until 10:00 when the Yancey and Rankin business meetings were to convene.
At 1:00 PM we again boarded the bus for the hour trip to St. Augustine, the oldest city in America. Upon arriving we picked up a guide for a two hour tour of the city starting with a trip across the bridge to Anastasia Island and the St. Augustine Lighthouse. We returned to the city of St. Augustine to continue the narrated tour including sights such as the fort Castillo de San Marcos and the Fountain of Youth. After the riding tour we were on our own for the next four hours to explore St. Augustine on our own and have dinner before our return trip to the hotel.
Sundays tour began with a trip to the Budweiser brewery. The tour included a trip through the brewery with a guide explaining the history behind the Anheuser Busch company and their variety of beers. The tour concluded with a stop in the Tap Room for a sample of one of their many products. Our next stop was a short visit to the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens then returning to the hotel to relax and get ready for the reunion banquet.
At 5:30 people began lining up to have their pictures taken for the Memory book and then adjourning to the hospitality room for cocktails prior to the Banquet dinner. Both ships crews gathered for group pictures before being seated for dinner. Skip Sander acted as MC and requested all rise for the presentation of the colors by the Marine Guard and the Pledge of Allegiance. Once everyone was seated Ed Gaskell from the Rankin presented a toast followed by Gene Hill from the Yancey singing “I’m Proud to be an American.
Once dinner was completed we held our Memorial Service. John Karlis acting as chaplain read the invocation and led in the prayer recitation. This was followed by the Bell Ceremony to honor the departed shipmates. Ed Gaskell assisted in ringing the bell after each name was read. Skip Sander read the names of the Rankin shipmates deceased since the last reunion and George Clifton read the names of the Yancey deceased shipmates. The service was concluded with the playing of Taps and a moment of silence. This officially ended the 2016 Jacksonville reunion . Many retired to the hospitality room to say their goodbyes until next year.
The USS Yancey and USS Rankin held their third joint reunion at the Double Tree Riverside Hotel on the St. John River in Jacksonville, Florida. Thursday afternoon the well stocked hospitality room opened and everyone began registering and receiving their name tags and tickets for the various events. Many arrived early and used the time before dinner to have a few drinks and snacks while getting reacquainted with old friends and making new ones. At 6:00 everyone was directed to the Amelia room for dinner and the official start of the 2016 Yancey/Rankin Reunion. Ray Casey from Military Reunion Planers greeted everyone and went over the itinerary and other good to know information. After dinner most returned to the hospitality room for a night cap.
Friday was a nice hot and sunny Florida day for our first tour of the reunion. The bus was loaded and we headed over to Blount Island a U.S. Marine facility dedicated to maintaining equipment for use in confrontations worldwide. We received a briefing on how the operation works and then got to go aboard the USNS Sacagawea. The Sacagawea just returned from Her three years deployment and was mostly empty and rusty. She will be cleaned up, reloaded and redeployed sometime in the future for another three year tour. We had lunch on the base and returned to the hotel for an afternoon and evening on our own.
Saturday was once again a nice hot and sunny day and since our tour didn’t begin until afternoon everyone had the morning to relax by the pool, explore the area or just hang around the hospitality room. At least until 10:00 when the Yancey and Rankin business meetings were to convene.
At 1:00 PM we again boarded the bus for the hour trip to St. Augustine, the oldest city in America. Upon arriving we picked up a guide for a two hour tour of the city starting with a trip across the bridge to Anastasia Island and the St. Augustine Lighthouse. We returned to the city of St. Augustine to continue the narrated tour including sights such as the fort Castillo de San Marcos and the Fountain of Youth. After the riding tour we were on our own for the next four hours to explore St. Augustine on our own and have dinner before our return trip to the hotel.
Sundays tour began with a trip to the Budweiser brewery. The tour included a trip through the brewery with a guide explaining the history behind the Anheuser Busch company and their variety of beers. The tour concluded with a stop in the Tap Room for a sample of one of their many products. Our next stop was a short visit to the Cummer Museum of Art and Gardens then returning to the hotel to relax and get ready for the reunion banquet.
At 5:30 people began lining up to have their pictures taken for the Memory book and then adjourning to the hospitality room for cocktails prior to the Banquet dinner. Both ships crews gathered for group pictures before being seated for dinner. Skip Sander acted as MC and requested all rise for the presentation of the colors by the Marine Guard and the Pledge of Allegiance. Once everyone was seated Ed Gaskell from the Rankin presented a toast followed by Gene Hill from the Yancey singing “I’m Proud to be an American.
Once dinner was completed we held our Memorial Service. John Karlis acting as chaplain read the invocation and led in the prayer recitation. This was followed by the Bell Ceremony to honor the departed shipmates. Ed Gaskell assisted in ringing the bell after each name was read. Skip Sander read the names of the Rankin shipmates deceased since the last reunion and George Clifton read the names of the Yancey deceased shipmates. The service was concluded with the playing of Taps and a moment of silence. This officially ended the 2016 Jacksonville reunion . Many retired to the hospitality room to say their goodbyes until next year.
Reception Dinner and hospitality room
Blount Island
St. Augustine
Budweiser Brewery and cummer Gardens
Reunion Banquet
aTTENDEE pHOTOS
From left. Tim Boyd, Norm Boyd, Gene Hill, Elton Fauber, Walt Gillespie, JW Young, Paul Dunn, Mike Norman, George Clifton, Paul Smith, Russ Gleason and John Karlis. Seated Duane Malme. Not pictured Doyle Clark.
2016 Reunion attendees
Shipmate Spouse/Guest Years Aboard
Norm Boyd Connie Boyd 1961-1963
Doyle Clark 1953
George Clifton 1963-1967
Paul Dunn 1966-1969
Elton Fauber Ada Fauber 1952-1956
Walt Gillespie Toby Gillespie 1961-1963
Russ Gleason 1962-1964
Gene Hill 1966-1968
John Karlis 1966-1968
Duane Malme Betty Malme 1955-1957
Mike Norman Nancy Norman 1964-1966
Paul Smith Jr. 1966-1968
JW Young Virginia Young 1951-1954
Shipmate Spouse/Guest Years Aboard
Norm Boyd Connie Boyd 1961-1963
Doyle Clark 1953
George Clifton 1963-1967
Paul Dunn 1966-1969
Elton Fauber Ada Fauber 1952-1956
Walt Gillespie Toby Gillespie 1961-1963
Russ Gleason 1962-1964
Gene Hill 1966-1968
John Karlis 1966-1968
Duane Malme Betty Malme 1955-1957
Mike Norman Nancy Norman 1964-1966
Paul Smith Jr. 1966-1968
JW Young Virginia Young 1951-1954
2016 memorial service
