2014 MOBILE
5 - 9 October 2015
JIM AND DOT BEASON

On 5 October 2015 we gathered at the Holiday Inn/Airport Hotel in Mobile, Alabama for our 2014 reunion.  Sunday the 5th was registration and relaxing before three days of activities: including holding our memorial service on the USS Alabama (BB60) followed by a tour of the ship and lunch in the wardroom, dinner at the Mobile Mystery Dinner Theater, tour of the Naval Air Museum in Pensacola, trip to the 5 Rivers Museum, lunch at seafood restaurant on the beach, and our closing banquet and auction.

  Monday morning we boarded our bus and traveled to Battleship park on Mobile bay for our Memorial Service on the USS Alabama, a M  (BB60).
Departed Shipmates - 2013-2014
BRADFORD BUCKNER, 1967-69, GM3
DEAN PIEPER, 1945-46, QMS3 PLANKHOLDER
BOB DAVISON, 1946
DURANGO "RANDY" YOUNG, 52-54, NAVIGATOR
GARY FIELDS, 58-66, BT2
RICHARD "DICK" BONN, 62-64, BOAT GROUP COMMANDER
JAMES PURDY, 1945, BOAT COX, PLANKHOLDER
RODGER CLARK, 61-63, 1ST&34D DIV, BOATS
AFTER THE NAMES WERE READ, THE WREATH WAS DROPPED OVER THE SIDE

FOLLOWING THE CEREMONY WE TOURED THE ALABAMA AND FINISHED WITH LUNCH IN THE WARDROOM.
WE THEN RETURNED TO THE HOTEL TO GET READY FOR THE EVENING ADVENTURE AT THE MOBILE MISTERY THEATER.  I T WAS QUITE AN EVENT.
AS PART OF THE EVENING WE WERE ABLE TO TOUR THE MARDI GRAS MUSEUM TO SEE SOME MARDI GRAS COSTUMES FROM PAST YEARS.  ACCORDING TO OUR GUIDES, MARDI GRAS ORIGINATED IN MOVILE, NOT NEW ORLEANS.  THE COSTUMES WERE VERY FANCY (AND QUITE EXPENSIVE).  AFTER THE MEAL AND TOUR, WE WERE TREATED TO A MYSTERY THAT PRESENTED A MURDER BEFORE OUR EYES AND CHALLENGED TO SOLVE THE CRIME.
 IT WAS A THRILLING END TO A LONG DAY.

EARLY TUESDAY MORNING WE TRAVLED PENSACOLA, FL. TO TOUR THE NAVAL AIR MUSEUM

THE MUSEUM CONTAINED MUCH MORE THAN IT WAS POSSIBLE FOR US TO SEE IN THE TIME WE WERE THERE SO IT WAS WITH RELUNCTANCE WE RETURNED TO MOBILE FOR A RELAXING EVENING ENJOYING LOCAL RESTURANTS.

WEDNESDAY MONING WE MADE ANOTHER TRIP OUT OF TOWN, THIS TIME TO THE 5 RIVERS MUSEUM FOR A TOUR OF THE SECOND LARGEST RIVER DELTA IN HE US.
IT WAS A INTERESTING TOUR.   FOLLOWING  THE TOUR WE TRAVLED TO A SEAFOOD RESTURANT FOR LUNCH BEFORE RETURNING TO THE HOTEL TO GET READY FOR OUR BANQUET.
NE THE WAY BACK WE PASSED  ALABAMA AGAIN.
WE GATHERED FOR THE "OFFICIAL" GROUP PICTURES BEFORE THE BANQUET - IT WAS QUITE AN UNDERTAKING.
AFTER THE PICTURES WE MOVED TO THE DINING ROOM TO EAT, THANK JIM AND DOT FOR THE GREAT REUNION, AND HAVE OUR AUCTION.  WE GOT MORE THAN WE BARGINED FOR.
AS WE WRAPPED UP THE EVENING IT WAS ANNOUNCED THAT FARRELL AND MARY MORROW HAD AGREED TO HOST 2015 BACK IN BRANSON - LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EVERYONE THERE.