We’re Going To Buffalo in 2009
The
membership of the USS Tarawa Veterans’ Association voted at Dayton’s
reunion to meet in Buffalo,
New York, in 2009. Buffalo has been the site of choice of the Board of
Directors for several years but has been defeated primarily because of the
mistaken impression that Buffalo
is under snow until mid-summer. To allay fears of bad weather at future
meetings the Board instructed our reunion organizer to schedule them later in
the spring. Larry Eckard, president of ML&RS,
said that he would try to date them between May 1 and Mother’s Day, beginning
with our reunion next year in Charleston,
South Carolina. Other contenders
for the 2009 meeting were Chattanooga, Tennessee, and Pensacola,
Florida.
Although
several Board positions were open at the Dayton
gathering, there were no nominations from the floor and the current Board was
reelected. Several Board members have asked to be relieved of their duties
because of poor health but no volunteers have come forward to take their place.
Dayton attendees were urged to consider taking
on leadership roles when elections come up again in Charleston.
Our
numbers continue to dwindle. The chaplain announced that he had learned of the
deaths of 32 shipmates since our meeting in Albuquerque, New Mexico,
last year. He said that eight of them were dues-paying members. As usual, tape
recordings of the reunion Memorial Service will be sent to the widows.
Our
merchandiser is trying to inject new life into our struggling Small Stores
offerings. He was given a budget to work with and a free hand in disposing of
excess inventory now on the books.
The
Board of Directors has not held a fall meeting in a couple of years and it was
decided to do away with them entirely.
We
were told that fund-raising for the project to save the USS Saratoga as a
museum and educational center is closing in on its goal. The organizers need
another $500,000 to reach their $11 million ambition. It is expected the Sara
will be moved from Newport, Rhode
Island, this fall to her permanent site at Davisville,
near Quonset Point, the Tarawa’s home port for
many years. She should be up and running in 2009. Tarawa
will have a compartment on the vessel to display our memorabilia.