Reunions

2022 Wilmington NC

Dates are Tuesday September 20 to Friday September 24, 2022. He mid-week reunion will allow us to keep prices in line. However, should you want to stay longer you will need to contact Anthony in guest services to retain our low mid-week rate. Our hotel, the Marriott, is on Wrightsville Beach, a popular destination.

The Cape Fear River is a major feature in this area. The city’s River Walk is lined with sights and restaurants. Smugglers, pleasure boats and rebel forces used the river. Over 200 shipwrecks are in the area including one of the richest shipwrecks in history the SS Central America. Maybe some of that gold will appear on the beach for us to find. Closer to us, and more accessible, is the most decorated battleship in WWII, the USS NORTH CAROLINA. We’ll visit there.

Wilmington is the home of basketball great Michael Jordon. Three excellent museums are in town. Historic Fort Fisher dates back to Civil War time, finally falling to Union troops and Navy forces in 1865.

Wilmington airport welcomes American, Delta and United airlines, among others, connecting from Atlanta, Boston, Charlotte, Dallas, NYC, Newark, Philadelphia and Washington DC. You can’t go wrong including Reunion 2022 into your travel plans.

Marriott Courtyard, Wilmington/Wrightsville Beach, NC

Reserve your hotel today. The reunion dates are Tuesday, Sept. 20th (check in) through Friday, Sept. 23rd, 2022, check out Saturday. The banquet is on Friday Night. Tours are on Wednesday and Thursday. It does not cost you anything to reserve your room (just a credit card to hold your room). If you need to cancel your reservation, you may do so by 4:00pm two days prior to arrival. $109.00 per night reunion rate (+tax), single/double occupancy, traditional room. Please call the hotel direct at 910-395-8224 or the Marriott Reservation line (888)236-2427 to make your reservations now and lock in your rate. Be sure to tell them you would like to make reservations for the USS Frank Knox 2022 Reunion in September 2022. Give them the reservation rate code: FKRS. Rates apply 2 days before and 2 days after the reunion (pending availability, no breakfast). If you prefer you may also book online (click on the link or copy and paste the following into your browser): https://www.marriott.com/events/start.mi?id=1644002843467&key=GRP . If you have questions or need help with the link, please do not hesitate to ask. Also, let Bill Atkinson, Reunion Coordinator, know if your rate for nights before or after the reunion dates are not quoted at $109.00 (email mrb1ll50@aol.com or phone (713) 645-8147). The hotel sales manager will make a manual adjustment.

Please note: Cutoff Date is Friday, August 19, 2022. Reservations by attendees must be received on or before the Cutoff Date.
Your stay includes:
▪ Complimentary Breakfast Buffet for up to 2 guests in the hospitality room, Wednesday through Saturday
▪ Complimentary fitness room and outdoor pool, subject to covid restrictions
▪ Business Center
▪ Complimentary guestroom Internet and parking
▪ Wilmington airport is less than 6 miles from the hotel. Airport shuttle is available to and from airport only, subject to covid restrictions. Please plan for alternative transportation to and from the airport.

2021 Albuquerque a success

Great hotel and meals, friends new and old, plus a super tour package! Thursday tour took everyone along the TURQUOISE TRAIL and historic route 66. Historic buildings along the way and in SANTE FE. The tale of a mysterious wooden spiral staircase captivated everyone. Lunch in historic Santa Fe plus the Georgia O’Keefe museum and the Palace of the Governors. Groups gathered after for small dinner groups at several restaurants within walking distance of our hotel. Then back to our hospitality room for more stories.
Friday, our breakfast buffet was ready before heading out to tour the National Museum of Nuclear Science and History. Fascinating exhibits inside and a complete Air Museum outside. Members viewed a B-52, B-47 and B-29 bombers. Full scale rockets and actual casings of recovered A-bombs from “Broken Arrow” events. Lunch followed in historic Old Town Albuquerque. After lunch the group took time for remembrance and reflection at the New Mexico Veterans Memorial. New Mexico is a very respectful and patriotic state. This memorial, inside 7 acres of dedicated ground, celebrated every aspect of service from the call to duty to the home coming. A fitting end to our tours. Dinner groups formed again for wine and food. Two restaurants across from our hotel provided fine food for all.
Saturday – we finished our annual business meeting knowing our finances remain the third week in September. [More information as our hotel search narrows down.] The annual white elephant auction netted a new record $2400 for the treasury, including the drawing for the 4-day room prize.
Our final banquet included an annual tradition newly named for Piper Jim Healy who passed away in 2021. The tradition will continue – including the piper leading us into the banquet room. This banquet food and service will be hard to beat. Pictures before and after show how much everyone enjoys our reunions. New attendees echoed “I can’t wait to sign up for next year.

2020 VIRTUAL REUNION EVENTS
Below is the schedule for the Final 2020 Reunion events

Virtual Reunion Social on line

November 8th - 1944-1955 Crew, relatives from– Sunday afternoon,
1pm Pacific, 2pm Mountain, 3pm Central and 4pm Eastern time.

November 9th - 1955-1965 Crew, relatives from– Monday afternoon,
1pm Pacific, 2pm Mountain, 3pm Central and 4pm Eastern time.

November 10th - 1965-1971 Crew, relatives from– Tuesday afternoon,
1pm Pacific, 2pm Mountain, 3pm Central and 4pm Eastern time.

2020 Reunion Social: Join your shipmates for a Zoom meeting by phone. Please call on your assigned group day .

Call: 1-669-900-9128, When prompted, enter the meeting ID number: 972 962 3283. There is no participant id required, so just press the # sign. You will then be notified you are in the "waiting room".
Your host, Steve Cross, will identify himself and welcome the group. He will then call on individuals to speak for a few minutes.

If you are having trouble entering the meeting, please call Harry Chandler at 928-925-9490.
THIS IS A CHANCE TO JOIN SHIPMATES IN THE COMFORT OF YOUR HOME!

Our annual WHITE ELEPHANT AUCTION is on line this year.
Auction opens Sunday November 8th at 12pm Eastern time and
goes through Saturday, November 14th, 5pm Eastern time.

2019 Reunion in San Diego, CA. Sept 18-21

Hello Albuquerque; Good bye San Diego!!
   Our largest turnout in several years enjoyed three days of events highlighted by the 75th Anniversary of the launch and commissioning of the USS Frank Knox – the first of the Gearing class destroyers to launch and be commissioned. Final banquet seated 75! Spectacular fall weather held throughout the events. Our hotel was centrally located in OLD TOWN, surrounded by shops, restaurants and museums Little Italy, Naval Training Center and Harbor Drive. Some took advantage of the 100’s of
world class restaurants to enjoy dinner and a view.
   Thursday featured a tour of restored and vibrant NTC San Diego and Little Italy followed by the harbor cruise and lunch. Everyone received a FULL tour of San Diego Harbor from nuclear subs to the new Zumwalt class destroyer. Every minute there was a new view of San Diego sights and sea life including sea lions, harbor seals and other marine life. Following the cruise members split their time between the USS Midway CV-41 (with complimentary tickets provided by Steve Cross), the Maritime museum and Veterans Park with the Kissing Sailor Statue and Bob Hope Memorial. A day to remember!
     Friday the group departed early to see the beaches, surf sites and parks that make San Diego the site to visit – 35.8 million folks visit the city annually keeping prices reasonable and the choices infinite. From La Jolla beaches to Mt. Soledad National Veterans Memorial took just a few minutes. Mt. Soledad is the highest point inside the City. We celebrated the view. Then as the piper called, we mustered to start the dedication ceremony. President Harry Chandler started the program and introduced Captain Larry Eddingfield, USN to give the invocation. Steve Cross, reunion organizer, introduced RADM Denny Conley who spoke about the ship that carried us all safely and followed by Captain Jerry Harken USN who reviewed the history of the ship. CDR Jim Lasswell spoke of the special teamwork on the ship. RADM Conley then unveiled the plaque along with the oldest attendee, LCDR Russ Judah to applause from the crowd.
     Friday’s lunch followed at beautiful Kate Sessions Park under shade trees (Kate Sessions is the founder of San Diego’s famed 1450-acre park, Balboa Park). After lunch, it was over to Coronado Island via the famed San Diego Bay Bridge. Coronado is the site of the famed Hotel del Coronado, NAS North Island and the famed US Navy SEAL training site. On the way over the bridge we were saluted by the USS Coronado passing under us. Back over the bridge to Balboa Park, Little Italy and home to our hotel where dinner plans took groups to different restaurants within walking distance.
     Saturday’s business meeting selected ALBUQUERQUE NM as the site of the 30th Annual USS Frank Knox Reunion in mid-September 2020. If you like hot air balloons, spectacular scenery, native American crafts and the famed Turquoise and Santa Fe Trail then make your plans for Albuquerque.
   Our final banquet seated 75 for dinner and hung spell PIPER JIM HEALY FRANK KNOX VETS AT MT. SOLEDAD PLAGUE DEDICATION bound as WWII veteran Art Webster talked about adventures and sinking ship recounted in his book “Down to the Sea”. The glorious evening ended with friends spinning stories and affirming plans to meet again in Albuquerque.

2018 REUNION IN BUFFALO, NEW YORK
“REUNION 2018 FRIENDS, FAMILIES AND FELLOWSHIP”

AMAZING BUFFALO NY – The host of our 28th Reunion last September. WEDNESDAY evening a group of early arrivals walked to Pearl Street Brewery for sunset drinks and a meal overlooking Lake Erie. We discovered that Pearl Street Brewery would “Tap the Pumpkin” the following evening where we could taste the famous fall beer selections. THURSDAY morning, we boarded our tour bus for to visit Niagara Falls State Park, Bridal Veil Falls, Horseshoe Falls, Maid of the Mist and Cave of the Winds. The park was immaculate, crowds light and there was a mini-bus transportation throughout the giant park for those who had difficulty walking. The weather was perfect and the falls truly spectacular. We returned to our hotel to meet new arrivals and several first timers. Members from the ’62-’65 years welcomed their medic and traded stories the rest of the evening. A group of four returned to the Pearl Street Brewery to “Tap the Pumpkin”; two sailors and two skeptical wives. The brew master and owner met the group, gave us a short tour before the tasting began. “OMG this is so good!” exclaimed the wives. The four left happy and headed for the original home of “Buffalo Wings, world famous Anchor Bar”. We weren’t disappointed. Fat, juicy wings, lean beef, local rolls and more local beer! We returned to report the results and the rush was on to sample the best wings ever! FRIDAY morning our bus dropped us at the Erie Canal (the original) where it empties into Lake Erie. We took a two-hour narrated tour of historic Buffalo River and surrounding area including the famous General Mills plants that make all those famous cereals. One story caught everyone’s attention – the story of an unmanned freighter breaking loose in the dead of winter, drifting into another large freighter. The two freighters joined and continued down river and smashing into the railroad drawbridge. The ice dam created by the freighters flooded 22 square blocks of downtown Buffalo. Following the river cruise our group entered the Naval and Military Park along Lake Erie, where we gathered for a group picture under the nuclear submarine sail for a group picture and toured the light cruiser LITTLE ROCK and destroyer SULLIVANS. SATURDAY – our annual business meeting decided on SAN DIEGO, CA as the location for the 2019 Reunion and 75th Anniversary celebration. Our “white elephant” auction netted over $1590.00 for our Association.
HUNTER-KILLER – Our 2018 Reunion speaker was CDR George Wallace, USN (Ret.). George accepted our invitation to come to Buffalo NY. CDR Wallace commanded nuclear submarines and has operating knowledge of Special Warfare (SEAL) operations with nuclear subs. George became an author after his retirement from the Navy. George also has a day job in the defense consulting industry. Among other awards he was awarded the CIA Meritorious Unit Citation. George authored four books to date – Dangerous Grounds, Firing Point, Final Bearing and Operation Golden Dragon. Firing Point became the basis for the script Hunter Killer and later a major motion picture of the same title. The movie was in theaters October and November 2018. George’s journey from sub skipper to author and then seeing one of his books become a major motion picture is an amazing story well told at our final banquet. George brought copies of his books to the reunion and returned to Washington with empty boxes. IF YOU MISSED THE MOVIE “HUNTER-KILLER” IN THEATERS, Amazon has the DVD available as of January 15, 2019 for $15.95. My wife and I planned to take George and his wife, Penny, to dinner after they arrived and checked in to our hotel. After sharing cocktails with our reunion group George’s wife learned of our trip to the ANCHOR BAR – home of the “original “BuffaloWing”. Off we went! At dinner my wife and I settled for “mild” heat on our BullaloWing” order. Penny and George ordered “hot heat” spices on their wings. They devoured their order with a blink of an eye. We powered through some of the best menu items following Penny’s top priority to experience “BuffaloWings” in their original birthplace. Our guests were not disappointed – original “BuffaloWings” are the best! George made the drive with wife Penny, Washington DC to Buffalo in one long day. This delightful couple made many new friends during their visit to Buffalo and the USS Frank Knox Reunion.

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