USS Yancey AKA-93
2017 Reunion
Harrisburg, PA
2017 Reunion
Harrisburg, PA
HARRISBURG REUNION RECAP
The reunion began as in past years with registration starting on Thursday afternoon and everyone gathering in the hospitality room to renew old acquaintances or meet new people. At 1700 a local historian, Sheldon Munn, spoke to us about the history of the Harrisburg area. This was followed by our reception dinner.
Friday began with a buffet breakfast before the buses loaded up for a trip to Amish Country. The first stop was the Kitchen Kettle Village home of various shops where you could purchase anything from quilts, baked goods to specialty coffee. We continued our bus tour of the countryside with a stop at an Amish farm where we walked around the grounds followed by stopping at an Amish home for an afternoon snack and to learn more about the Amish way of life. We later returned to the same home for an Amish meal consisting of Chicken pot pie, roast beef and apple pie for desert. As the sun was setting we left Lancaster County for our return to the hotel and the hospitality room.
Gettysburg was our destination for Saturday so two buses departed the hotel at 0930 with Sheldon Munn as our guide. I mention Sheldon because his vast knowledge of Gettysburg and the 1863 three day battle made the tour exceptional. Our first stop in Gettysburg was at the National Park Service Visitors Center. We watched a short movie “The Birth of a New Nation” narrated by Morgan Freeman followed by visiting the Gettysburg Cyclorama. The Cyclorama a 360 painting depicting the final battle of Gettysburg, Pickett’s Charge. The Cyclorama is 377 feet long and 42 feet high. After viewing other exhibits in the Center we boarded the buses and after a quick driving tour of the town of Gettysburg we stopped at General Pickett’s Buffet for lunch before beginning our tour of the battlefield. After viewing many battle areas and monuments from the bus we disembarked at the “high water mark” on Cemetery Ridge where you can view the entire battlefield. This is where the Union Army fought the final charge from the Confederate Army. Sheldon described the final day to us with enthusiasm. It was surely one of the best guided tours I have been on. After a long day we were all happy to head on back to our hotel and hang in the hospitality room.
Sunday we stayed a little closer to the hotel as we first traveled to Hershey PA, home to the Hershey Chocolate Company. After a tour by bus of the city of Hershey we arrived for a tour of the Hershey factory. This consisted of a Disney like ride through the chocolate making and packaging process. We had time for a quick lunch and shopping in the gift shop before heading back to Harrisburg for a tour of that city. Our last stop was the Civil War Museum in Harrisburg which had 2 floors of exhibits portraying the entire story of the Civil War. Many artifacts were also on display from guns and uniforms to shaving and sewing kits. By now everyone was ready to get back to the hotel and get ready for the Annual Banquet.
The Banquet and Memorial Service was preceded by individual and group pictures in the hospitality room followed by a toast by CDR Ed Gaskell. After dinner we conducted our Memorial Service with John Karlis acting as Chaplain and Ed Gaskell as Bell Ringer. The names of the deceased were read by Skip Sander for the Rankin and George Clifton for the Baxer, Cambria, Pickaway and Yancey. The Memorial Service was followed by guess speaker Rick Campbell author of several thrillers with a submarine theme. Rick is a retired US Navy Commander with years in submarine service and a vast knowledge of their operations. This concluded the 2017 Harrisburg reunion.
The reunion began as in past years with registration starting on Thursday afternoon and everyone gathering in the hospitality room to renew old acquaintances or meet new people. At 1700 a local historian, Sheldon Munn, spoke to us about the history of the Harrisburg area. This was followed by our reception dinner.
Friday began with a buffet breakfast before the buses loaded up for a trip to Amish Country. The first stop was the Kitchen Kettle Village home of various shops where you could purchase anything from quilts, baked goods to specialty coffee. We continued our bus tour of the countryside with a stop at an Amish farm where we walked around the grounds followed by stopping at an Amish home for an afternoon snack and to learn more about the Amish way of life. We later returned to the same home for an Amish meal consisting of Chicken pot pie, roast beef and apple pie for desert. As the sun was setting we left Lancaster County for our return to the hotel and the hospitality room.
Gettysburg was our destination for Saturday so two buses departed the hotel at 0930 with Sheldon Munn as our guide. I mention Sheldon because his vast knowledge of Gettysburg and the 1863 three day battle made the tour exceptional. Our first stop in Gettysburg was at the National Park Service Visitors Center. We watched a short movie “The Birth of a New Nation” narrated by Morgan Freeman followed by visiting the Gettysburg Cyclorama. The Cyclorama a 360 painting depicting the final battle of Gettysburg, Pickett’s Charge. The Cyclorama is 377 feet long and 42 feet high. After viewing other exhibits in the Center we boarded the buses and after a quick driving tour of the town of Gettysburg we stopped at General Pickett’s Buffet for lunch before beginning our tour of the battlefield. After viewing many battle areas and monuments from the bus we disembarked at the “high water mark” on Cemetery Ridge where you can view the entire battlefield. This is where the Union Army fought the final charge from the Confederate Army. Sheldon described the final day to us with enthusiasm. It was surely one of the best guided tours I have been on. After a long day we were all happy to head on back to our hotel and hang in the hospitality room.
Sunday we stayed a little closer to the hotel as we first traveled to Hershey PA, home to the Hershey Chocolate Company. After a tour by bus of the city of Hershey we arrived for a tour of the Hershey factory. This consisted of a Disney like ride through the chocolate making and packaging process. We had time for a quick lunch and shopping in the gift shop before heading back to Harrisburg for a tour of that city. Our last stop was the Civil War Museum in Harrisburg which had 2 floors of exhibits portraying the entire story of the Civil War. Many artifacts were also on display from guns and uniforms to shaving and sewing kits. By now everyone was ready to get back to the hotel and get ready for the Annual Banquet.
The Banquet and Memorial Service was preceded by individual and group pictures in the hospitality room followed by a toast by CDR Ed Gaskell. After dinner we conducted our Memorial Service with John Karlis acting as Chaplain and Ed Gaskell as Bell Ringer. The names of the deceased were read by Skip Sander for the Rankin and George Clifton for the Baxer, Cambria, Pickaway and Yancey. The Memorial Service was followed by guess speaker Rick Campbell author of several thrillers with a submarine theme. Rick is a retired US Navy Commander with years in submarine service and a vast knowledge of their operations. This concluded the 2017 Harrisburg reunion.
hospitality room
fRIDAY TOUR TO AMISH COUNTRY
Gettysburg
Harrisburg/hershey tour
Banquet
ATTENDEE PHOTOS
Top Row - Elton Fauber, Walt Gillespie, George Clifton, Paul Smith, John Karlis, Paul Dunn. Front Row - Duane Malme, John McCune, Daryle Thornburg, Melvin Wentzel, JW Young, Norm Boyd.
2017 Reunion attendees
Shipmate Spouse/Guest Years Aboard
Norm Boyd Connie Boyd 1961-1963
George Clifton 1963-1967
Paul Dunn 1966-1969
Elton Fauber Ada Fauber 1952-1956
Walt Gillespie Toby Gillespie 1961-1963
John Karlis 1966-1968
Ruth Krok Brian (son) 1963-1965
Duane Malme Betty Malme 1955-1957
John McCune Catherine McCune 1962-1963
Jere Rettallack 1963-1965
Paul Smith Jr. 1966-1968
Daryle Thornburg Anita Thornburg 1963-1966
Melvin Wentzel Martha Wentzel 1961-1963
JW Young Virginia Young 1951-1954
Norm Boyd Connie Boyd 1961-1963
George Clifton 1963-1967
Paul Dunn 1966-1969
Elton Fauber Ada Fauber 1952-1956
Walt Gillespie Toby Gillespie 1961-1963
John Karlis 1966-1968
Ruth Krok Brian (son) 1963-1965
Duane Malme Betty Malme 1955-1957
John McCune Catherine McCune 1962-1963
Jere Rettallack 1963-1965
Paul Smith Jr. 1966-1968
Daryle Thornburg Anita Thornburg 1963-1966
Melvin Wentzel Martha Wentzel 1961-1963
JW Young Virginia Young 1951-1954
proclamation
The Board of Commissioners of Yancey County North Carolina proclaimed that the weekend of our reunion in Harrisburg be declared "Yancey Days" in Yancey County North Carolina to honor the sailors who served aboard the USS Yancey AKA-93. See copy below.
