Merry Christmas Shipmates - USS Firedrakeussfiredrake.com/newsletters/dec2k14.pdfPage 1 of 4...
4
Page 1 of 4 December 15, 2014 Merry Christmas Shipmates Time to mark your 2015 calendars for San Diego! San Diego, California is the site for your Firedrake Reunion 2015! We will be meeting at the Crowne Plaza San Diego Mission Valley Hotel with arrival on Sunday October 18th and departure will be on Thursday morning October 22 nd . Of course we will have many activities and loads of time to meet and greet your fellow shipmates, renew old acquaintances and make new friends as we enjoy the warmth of southern California. Our hotel is a beautiful place with very nice amenities. All rooms have balconies or lanais overlooking adjacent golf course or swimming pool area. For those who will be flying in to San Diego there is shuttle service from and to the San Diego Airport. For those who are driving they are offering us discounted (half price) self parking at $6.00 per day. We have been negotiated an excellent room rate of only $115.00 per night plus Occupancy tax and tourism assessment and fee. This rate includes their scrumptious breakfast buffet for two guests per day per room to start off your day. You need to coordinate your own room reservations with the Crowne Plaza San Diego by phoning in your reservation request to 1-888-233-9527 . It is very important that you identify yourself as part of our group. Ask for the USS Firedrake (AE-14) Reunion 2015 rate when calling. You will need to provide your name(s), requested type of room, requested bed type (i.e. king, or double queen), and your check-in and check-out dates. Normal check in should be for arrival on Sunday October 18 th and departure on Thursday morning October 22 nd for a total of 4 nights. This special rate may be extended for three (3) days prior to and following our group’s meeting dates if you wish to extend your stay to dates outside the reunion. Deadline for making your room reservation at our special reduced rate is midnight September 24, 2015, but please call the hotel and make your reservations as soon as possible.
Transcript of Merry Christmas Shipmates - USS Firedrakeussfiredrake.com/newsletters/dec2k14.pdfPage 1 of 4...
Page 1 of 4
December 15, 2014
Merry Christmas Shipmates
Time to mark your 2015 calendars for San Diego!
San Diego, California is the site for your Firedrake Reunion 2015! We will be meeting at the Crowne Plaza San Diego Mission Valley Hotel with arrival on Sunday October 18th and departure will be on Thursday morning October 22nd. Of course we will have many activities and loads of time to meet and greet your fellow shipmates, renew old acquaintances and make new friends as we enjoy the warmth of southern California. Our hotel is a beautiful place with very nice amenities. All rooms have balconies or lanais overlooking adjacent golf course or swimming pool area. For those who will be flying in to San Diego there is shuttle service from and to the San Diego Airport. For those who are driving they are offering us discounted (half price) self parking at $6.00 per day. We have been negotiated an excellent room rate of only $115.00 per night plus Occupancy tax and tourism assessment and fee. This rate includes their scrumptious breakfast buffet for two guests per day per room to start off your day. You need to coordinate your own room reservations with the Crowne Plaza San Diego by phoning in your reservation request to 1-888-233-9527 . It is very important that you identify yourself as part of our group. Ask for the USS Firedrake (AE-14) Reunion 2015 rate when calling. You will need to provide your name(s), requested type of room, requested bed type (i.e. king, or double queen), and your check-in and check-out dates. Normal check in should be for arrival on Sunday October 18th and departure on Thursday morning October 22nd for a total of 4 nights. This special rate may be extended for three (3) days prior to and following our group’s meeting dates if you wish to extend your stay to dates outside the reunion. Deadline for making your room reservation at our special reduced rate is midnight September 24, 2015, but please call the hotel and make your reservations as soon as possible.
Page 2 of 4
Guest check-in time 4:00 pm and check-out time is 12:00 noon. If you arrive earlier in the day, or need to check out later, the hotel will provide safe luggage storage. At the time you make your reservations the hotel will require a valid credit card but you will not be billed until you settle up your account upon departure.
More Information on Reunion 2015 coming soon! I am still working on arranging the schedule of activities and will be issuing another newsletter and your Reunion 2015 Registration Form as soon as those arrangements are finalized and costs are known. The registration form and information will be included in that newsletter. We will have an arrival day Reception on Sunday evening October 18rh. Our closing banquet will be at the Crowne Plaza on Wednesday evening September 21st. Look for another Newsletter soon! If you have questions or want to discuss anything about the 2015 Reunion contact Dick Tracy at 610-207-2016 or email to [email protected] .
News Flash USS Firedrake AE-14 has just been added to the list of Agent Orange
Ships for Mekong delta Exposure in 1966
The Veterans Administration just last month added the USS Firedrake to its listing of ships PRESUMED to have personnel exposed to Agent Orange for the month of April 1966. This is important to any shipmate who may have been onboard during that period and may be suffering or have suffered from any of a number of diseases that could have been caused by exposure to Agent Orange. If so there may be VA assistance that you may be eligible for. Following is the link to the ship listing.
Page 3 of 4
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/shiplist/list.asp#F
The Nov/Dec issue of the AE/AOE Sailors Association Newsletter has a front page write up concerning the Firedrake listing and suggestions on how to qualify a claim if you have suffered from Agent Orange related illnesses. A copy of that article is provided on page 4.
Firedrake Merchandise Available There are a limited number of Firedrake items available for sale. These items may be ordered by contacting Dick Tracy at [email protected] Ship’s Patches – a 5 inch diameter cloth patch (photo)- $8.50 each includes postage Firedrake Ceramic Tiles - 6”x6” with stand (photo below) - $10.00 each plus postage Firedrake Golf Shirts (Navy) – (1-Med, 4-Lg, 4-XL, 1-XXL) - $20 each plus shipping Firedrake Ball Caps – one size fits all - $10.00 plus shipping
Web Site and Information Sharing Our ship’s web site is www.USSFiredrake.org . It is being updated with photos taken during the last reunion at Charleston, SC. For those of you who were unable to make the 2013 reunion there is a copy of the group photo posted on the web site. Click here to go directly to the photo listing page, http://ussfiredrake.com/photos.html If anyone has photos that you would like to see added to our web site please contact Dick Tracy at [email protected] to arrange it. Your photos of the reunion are welcome so we can all enjoy them. Also, if anyone has any stories about times when you were on the Firedrake that you would be willing to share, and or other photos from your Firedrake days please pass them along by email or US Mail. If you have any questions or want to just chat about anything concerning the Firedrake call me at 610-207-2016.
Page 4 of 4
