Yardlines

A Publication of Newport News Shipbuilding November/December 2011

IN THIS ISSUE

Building Virginia-Class Modules

Storm Team’s Powerful Performance

Susan Ford Bales Visits CVN 78

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LOOK INSIDE FOR THE 2012 NEWPORT NEWS SHIPBUILDING CALENDAR

On Oct. 11, Susan Ford Bales, daughter of the late

President Gerald R. Ford and sponsor of his namesake

ship, visited Newport News Shipbuilding.

Bales received an update on Gerald R. Ford’s (CVN 78)

construction progress since her last visit in August 2010.

Following the briefi ng, Bales toured the ship named for

her father with shipyard leadership, ascended the

1,050-ton crane to get a bird’s-eye view of the shipyard,

and had lunch with CVN 78 shipbuilders.

“It has been more than a year since my last visit and the

ship has changed immensely,” Bales said. “Every day it

becomes a more important part of my family, especially

with the loss of my mother. It’s one more way to continue

my father’s legacy so that people will understand who he

was and what he was about.”

Bales helped erect and position a section of the aircraft

carrier’s main deck, connect instrumentation wiring and

operate watertight doors. She also observed mechanized

welding operations.

“I appreciate all the work that has been done by the

shipbuilders,” Bales said. “My brothers and friends ask

me about the ship and I feel I need to know as much as

I can. Part of visiting, touching, seeing and feeling it is

so I can learn and talk about the ship. The progress is

phenomenal.”

Master Shipbuilder and Welder Samuel Stanley attended

the lunch with Bales and thought she was great.

Dear Shipbuilders:

As the year comes to a close, I’d like to take this

opportunity to thank you for a successful 2011.

This was a special year for us, marking our

125th anniversary as well as again becoming

an independent company and taking back our

legacy Newport News Shipbuilding name. It

was also an eventful year for our shipbuilding

programs, and included in this issue of

Yardlines is a 2012 calendar that highlights in

photographs many of our accomplishments.

As Newport News Shipbuilders, it’s up to

each of us to continue our tradition of “Always

Good Ships,” and this means meeting our

commitments of safety, quality, cost and

schedule. As you read the articles in this and

future issues of Yardlines, and as you use your

calendar next year, I hope you will be proud

of the work we’re doing today to continue our

125-year tradition of building the best and

highest-quality ships in the world.

I appreciate the contributions each and every

one of you make as we work together to build

upon our distinguished past and create an even

brighter future.

Sincerely,

Matt Mulherin

President, Newport News Shipbuilding

“When she talked to us she showed great concern

about what we were doing and she asked questions. It

was really delightful to see that she was so interested in

the ship’s progress.”

Another attendee at the lunch, CVN 78 Painter Lindell Toombs, said he was “impressed with Bales wanting to

be part of the CVN 78 team.” He added, “It’s important

for the ship’s sponsor to see the progress we are making

on the ship so she will see that the taxpayers and the

government are getting a quality product and that our

workmanship is second to none.”

Ship’s SponsorVIEWS CVN 78VIEWS CVN 78

PROGRESS

Gerald R. Ford Ship’s Sponsor Susan Ford Bales views construction of the aircraft carrier named for her father from the top of the 1050–ton gantry crane with CVN 78 Construction Director Geoff Hummel. Photo by Chris Oxley.

There’s a certain rhythm that develops when you build

the same thing over and over again. And the craftsmen

who are assembling Virginia-class submarine (VCS)

modules in the three-acre Covered Modular Assembly

Facility (CMAF) never miss a beat.

This group of 250 or so craftsmen has been building

the same sails, auxiliary machinery rooms (AMR) and

habitability modules for every submarine in the class.

“As soon as we fi nish a module for one boat, we roll to

the next one,” said Pipefi tter Martha Willis. “We’ve been

able to really develop this repetitive skill.”

That repetition has allowed the team to climb the

learning curve quickly while continually fi nding ways

to produce each module a little better and faster than

the last one. As a result, they’ve shaved months off the

schedule for each module.

“It used to take us 10 months to outfi t an AMR. Now

we do it in seven months and have added hundreds of

hours of testing and inspection that originally were not

in the module-level work scope,” said VCS Construction

Director Jay Rowe.

That success has allowed the team to take on additional

work without impacting the schedule and provide

downstream customers with a product that’s as close to

100 percent complete as it can get.

Rowe said, “Experience is the key.” The same key group

of craftspeople has worked on each module and has

extensively documented its work and lessons learned.

The group is applying that knowledge going forward.

And, their work area has become a real life classroom for

the apprentices who rotate in and out. 

“We’ve watched our craftspeople come up with great

ideas and work with other departments to solve

problems,” Rowe explained. “They are proving ship

by ship that if we give them what they need, they will

provide high quality, schedule attainment, and high

levels of customer satisfaction. That’s just what the

CMAF team does every day.”

Machine Installer Wayne Horrell agrees, “Our team

has earned the reputation for delivering at 99.7 percent

complete and we are constantly fi ghting for the three-

tenths of one percent. We’re pretty proud of what we do

every day. We are Newport News Shipbuilders.”

Craftsmen building a sail for the Virginia-class submarine (VCS) Mississippi use knowledge from repeatedly building VCS modules to improve schedules, quality and customer satisfaction. Photo by John Whalen.

Hurricane Irene may not have lived up to its initial

forecast as the “storm of the century,” but it still packed

a punch. With the hurricane season over, the late August

storm will soon be forgotten and it’s the work of nearly

400 shipbuilders who helped prepare, monitor and clean

up after her that will be remembered.

“The teams of shipbuilders that worked before, during

and after the storm are unsung heroes of the shipyard,”

said Joe Dvorak, Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS)

director & deputy of Operations. “Facilities & Waterfront

Support (FWS) and all the other teams that had a hand in

this work did an outstanding job.”

A week before local news outlets began reporting on

Irene, the tropical storm was being closely tracked by a

handful of FWS employees in Building 66’s Storm Center.

These shipbuilders regularly keep an eye on the weather

to ensure NNS is prepared for any weather conditions

that could affect shipyard operations.

By the time Irene strengthened to become the fi rst major

hurricane of the season for NNS, teams of shipbuilders

from FWS, Programs, Security, IT, and many others

were 72 hours into executing the shipyard’s storm

preparedness plan. “Prepping for the storm was a

massive effort,” said Timothy Emerson, a ventilation

specialist. “Each team had separate checklists of things

to do. We started almost a week ahead of time and it was

a lot of hard work.”

Shipyard preparations included tying down storm

mooring lines, placing barges and tugs in the dry docks,

lining building entrances with sand bags, securing

cranes, removing gangways and putting away loose

construction materials and tools. “Anything that could

become windborne or damaged, we had to put away or

tie down,” said Alphonso Lovelace and Andrew Meekins,

members of the Dry Dock Operations team.

Pier 3 shipbuilders James Shepherd, Melvin Dillard,

Henry Peele and Wesley Lane said they were pulled in a

lot of different directions. They also tied mooring lines

to secure USS Theodore Roosevelt, which is undergoing

a complex overhaul and refueling at the shipyard, and

assisted the Navy.

During the storm, almost 200 shipbuilders stayed behind

the gates to monitor the shipyard and jump into action if

and when they were needed.

Though not carrying the force it was predicted to have,

the combination of its slow movement, the change of

wind from northeast to northwest as well as a high tide

and a full moon made Irene “a little more challenging and

unpredictable than past hurricanes,” Dvorak explained.

“The wind was pushing a lot of water from the river

into the shipyard,” Lovelace said. “We saw spray from

the river as high as 15 feet coming across a two-story

building. I had never seen anything like this.”

Even before Irene’s tail winds died down, shipyard crews

began picking up wood, rocks and other debris that had

been blown and deposited into the shipyard. Wet vacs

were used to remove water from roads and trailer loads

of sand bags were stored away. In less than eight hours,

the riggers and maintenance crews untied hundreds of

cranes and put back equipment, structures and fl oatables

that were safely stored prior to the storm.

“We were fortunate the shipyard never lost power and

it sustained very minor damage,” said Rich Kutchen, one of the engineers responsible for inspecting and

assessing the storm damage. “Because of all the work

the teams put in, you could barely tell that Irene was here

at all.”

Facilities & Waterfront Support Services teammates (L to R) Greenie Greenhow, Andrew Meekins, and Alphonso Lovelace were among the more than 400 shipbuilders who helped prepare the shipyard before Hurricane Irene. Photo by Ricky Thompson

Alfred Flythe, the winner of the Newport News

Shipbuilding Safety Song Contest, has been writing music

for nine years. After a committee selected four of the

nearly 30 song entries for voting, shipbuilders decided that

his song, “Safety First,” was the best.

Flythe, a shipfi tter in the Covered Modular Assembly

Facility, has worked at the shipyard for two years. He

began writing “Safety First” in September as soon as he

learned about the contest.

The hip-hop style song includes important themes of the

shipyard’s ongoing commitment to safety. On writing the

lyrics, Flythe explains, “I considered all of the different

environments in the yard. One minute we’re outside

working and then we’re indoors. Knowing all of the

different safety factors that come into play is important.”

“You gotta recognize, evaluate, control the situation

Cause that’s the best way to keep the clinic rooms vacant

No matter if you’re welding, pipefi tting or painting

Safety is the most important part of our occupation”

Excerpt from “Safety First”

“Through the lyrics of his song, Flythe clearly

demonstrates that he understands the importance of

safety,” said Flythe’s Supervisor Jim Rentz. “Our entire

team is proud of the song he wrote to reinforce the

importance of safety and to help keep our shipbuilders

safe every day on the job.”

Flythe has been inspired by rap icons such as Eminem,

Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne and Drake. While Flythe’s dream of

becoming a rapper is very much alive, he admits that

fi nding time for his music is a challenge. “Because

of work, I really don’t have time to pursue it as much

as I would like, but when I get a chance like this I take

advantage of it,” he said.

The music video for “Safety First” can be viewed on the

Huntington Ingalls YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/

huntingtoningalls.

Shipfi tter Alfred Flythe, winner of the shipyard’s Safety Song Contest, received $1,000 for penning “Safety First.” The lyrics to Flythe’s song underscore Newport News Shipbuilding’s commitment to safety. Photo by John Whalen

On Veterans Day, millions of viewers

watched ESPN’s live coverage of the

fi rst Quicken Loans Carrier Classic

men’s basketball game. And while the

game was played on the fl at top of

the Newport News Shipbuilding-built

USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the pride for

shipbuilders didn’t end there. When

Tar Heels forward Tyler Zeller and

guard Justin Watts raised the 86-pound

trophy, a few shipbuilders in particular

shared a proud moment with the

University of North Carolina.

The Carrier Classic trophy was

conceived, designed and created by a

group of Newport News shipbuilders

that led the unique project to build

it. The shipbuilders included Graphic

Designer LaMar Smith, Photographer

Ricky Thompson, Engineering

Designer Paul Evans, Pattern Shop

Supervisors Lance Pruitt and Tom Brown, as well as other craftsmen

from the Pattern Shop and Foundry.

Typically, Newport News Shipbuilding

(NNS) pattern makers work behind the

scenes. They carve wood and create

patterns for molds that eventually

manufacture elements of a ship.

“Since NNS was one of the key

sponsors of the event, it made sense for

our shipbuilders to design and build a

trophy for this event that replicated the

work they achieve on a regular basis,”

Pruitt said. “I think we let everybody in

the shop have a part in the project, so

that everybody could sit and watch the

game and say they worked on it.”

The special trophy required distinctive

materials so the shipbuilders decided

to cast it out of pewter, a metal that

had not been touched in the shipyard

since the 1980s. The Foundry most

often works with brass, steel and

other common metals. Research was

required to achieve the proper recipe

for the right levels of pewter. The

decision to use pewter also presented a

heavier challenge.

“We were hoping to keep the trophy

well under 100 pounds, but pewter is

really heavy. We were doing everything

we could to try and lighten it as

much as possible, but it was really

challenging,” Brown said.

New ideas were continuously circulated

and tested among the shipbuilders

before starting the fi nal product. The

color for the base of the trophy was

achieved by mixing multiple colors of

spray paint and wood fi nishing stains.

“It’s kind of an unusual color, but is

really hard to duplicate because you

don’t usually mix spray paints and

stains with the result of being able to

see the wood grains,” explained Pattern

Maker George LaFrance.

Upon fi nishing the trophy, there

was a great sense of pride from the

shipbuilders who played a part in the

design and completion of the fi nished

product. But the pride felt as a result of

the shop-wide project was not about

the work they had accomplished.

Instead, it was for the contribution to

the service members who have made

sacrifi ces in past and current wars.

“Sometimes it’s easy to forget that

we’re here to help our military carry on

and defend our freedom,” said Pattern

Maker Jeffery Tucker. “This is a small

part of that, but it’s good recognition

for what we do in the shipyard. It gives

you that warm fuzzy feeling inside.”

Class icTHE MAKING OF A

Pattern Maker Kenny Hill puts the fi nishing touches on the Quicken Loans Carrier Classic trophy. Photo by Ricky Thompson

AT AT CENTER CENTER COURTCOURT

Newport News Shipbuilding (NNS)

President Matt Mulherin is at center

court for the presentation of the

Quicken Loans Carrier Classic trophy

to the winning University of North

Carolina Tar Heels team. Sharing the

spotlight, on Mulherin’s right, are

shipbuilders (L-R) LaMar Smith,

Lance Pruitt and Paul Evans, who

helped design and build the trophy.

The fi rst-of-its-kind basketball game

was held on the fl ight deck of the

NNS-built USS Carl Vinson to honor

U.S. military veterans.

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Each year, Newport News

Shipbuilding (NNS) welds thousands

of steel components together to

build nuclear-powered ships for the

Navy, creating a steady demand for

highly-skilled welders. In the last

three years, NNS has trained more

than 1,000 welders at its Welding

School located in the north yard to

help meet the demand.

“The training here is really top of

the line, everything that is done is

of the highest quality,” said Mason Karafa, a student in the NNS welding

program. “There are no cutting

corners. If you do, it’s not going to

help you or the shipyard in the long

run. When you’re building aircraft

carriers and submarines, there’s no

room for mistakes.”

Trainees at the NNS Welding School

learn the art of fusing steel at high

temperatures through a combination

of hands-on and computer-based

training. To increase the number

of students being trained, NNS

has adapted its high-tech welding

curriculum to create a 10-disk,

12-week comprehensive program

for students. Donations of the

welding program and equipment are

making it possible for students in

three states to gain experience and

jumpstart their careers.

Working with Thomas Nelson and

other community colleges, technical

schools and workforce centers in

Virginia, Georgia and South Carolina

has helped NNS increase the

numbers of welders being trained in

one of the shipyard’s oldest trades.

“The training materials we donate

to schools and colleges have helped

improve the pipeline of trained

welders in the region,” said Larry Baranowski, manager, production

and maintenance training.

If we can decrease the trainees’ time

in the Welding School by providing

training prior to being hired, we

save money. By being exposed to

welding techniques and the welding

environment prior to being hired,

future employees are much more

likely to succeed on the job.”

NNS employee Terry La Point helped

coordinate a recent donation of the

Welding School program to four

colleges located near the Savannah

River Nuclear site – a facility NNS

manages and operates with partners

of Savannah River Nuclear Solutions,

LLC (SRNS). La Point said, “There is

a growing demand for welders in the

nuclear industry.”

SRNS executive vice president

Fred Dohse said, “Newport News

Shipbuilding is acknowledged as

a world leader in training welders

for the shipbuilding and repair

industry. We are pleased to have

the opportunity to be a part of this

generous effort that will create or

signifi cantly improve the welding

classes offered to interested

students throughout the region.”

Karafa sums up the pride and value

of the training he is receiving. “I’m

not only training to be a welder, but

to be one of the best welders in the

world,” he said.

WELDING PIPELINE

This is the fi nal article in the series commemorating Newport News Shipbuilding’s (NNS) 125th anniversary.

In the fall of 1960, Newport News Shipbuilding launched

Enterprise (CVN 65), the Navy fl eet’s fi rst nuclear-powered

aircraft carrier. It would sail around the world in just 64

days and would travel more than 200,000 miles before

needing its fi rst refueling – and 300,000 more before

needing another.

The advent of nuclear power forever changed the future of

the shipyard and its shipbuilders.   

It was a decade before “Big E” came to life that employees

started studying the atom. Soon after, the shipyard would

establish an atomic power design department. And

with the shipyard’s fi rst contracts for nuclear-powered

vessels, like Enterprise, the Skipjack-class submarine

Shark and the boomer submarine Robert E. Lee, hundreds

of shipbuilders would move into nuclear-power related

jobs and into departments dedicated to its development.

Employees would take classes in reactor theory. Shipways

would be lengthened, buildings erected and crane facilities

upgraded. New safety departments would spring to life

and a whole new nuclear world would be born at NNS.

theNuclear Age

Today, the yard has built entire classes of ships fueled by

the atom. From the Nimitz-class carriers to the new Gerald

R. Ford class of ships, from early fl eet ballistic missile

submarines to the new Virginia class, the future of the

shipyard, the future careers of shipbuilders and the future

of the U.S. Navy is integrally connected to nuclear power.

With Enterprise, thousands of employees have had a hand

in the ship’s construction, its overhauls and its refuelings

over the past half century since the ship was launched.

In fact, many of the shipyard’s Master Shipbuilders, who

have 40 or more years of continuous service, have spent

their careers in parallel with the aircraft carrier’s career.

In the years following World War II, when the strength

of the atom was fi rst being realized, employees couldn’t

have predicted the impact nuclear power would have on

NNS. And it’s likely that shipbuilders are working on new

technology today that will re-shape the yard’s future for

the next 50 years to come.

USS Enterprise (CVN 65), the world’s fi rst nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, is moved pier side for outfi tting in 1960. The ship is celebrating its 50th year in service. Photo from Newport News Shipbuilding Achives.

Technology All-Star Pursues Her Passion

As a child, Britta Brown Zambrana always had a special

passion for math and science. That passion turned

into a reality when she was selected to attend a high

school summer program at NASA aimed at increasing

the number of women and minorities in the STEM

(Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) fi elds. That

opportunity opened many doors for Zambrana, including

full scholarships to both Spelman College and Georgia

Tech to pursue degrees in math and engineering.

After graduation, Zambrana returned to Virginia to begin

her career at Newport News Shipbuilding as an engineer

and has continued to hold various positions of increasing

responsibility. Currently, she is an audit supervisor for the

Nuclear Engineering division.

In early November, Zambrana was recognized at the 2011

Women of Color STEM Awards Conference in Dallas. The

conference honored outstanding women from across the

U.S. in STEM fi elds. She received the Technology All-Star

award for demonstrating excellence in the workplace and

community.

“Winning this award has been a great honor and

privilege,” Zambrana said. “To be nominated for this

type of recognition from my senior management team is

a humbling experience. I am extremely appreciative and

grateful for the opportunity.”

Zambrana plans to continue her education and her

mentoring relationships with youth interested in STEM.

“It is important that women of color are involved in STEM.

Diversity is a crucial element of a team. The key to success

is understanding and accepting the differences of each

team member, and then using them to enhance the way a

team analyzes situations and makes decisions.

I appreciate every experience and mentoring moment

that every leader in this company has provided me,”

Zambrana said. “As I continue to grow and mature in

the shipbuilding industry, I will apply the lessons I have

learned and continue to build relationships, so that I can

always be part of the team that builds great ships.”

Britta Brown Zambrana received a Technology All-Star Award on Nov. 4 at the 2011 Women of Color STEM Awards Conference for demonstrating excellence in the workplace and community. Photo by Chris Oxley

Long ServiceMASTER SHIPBUILDERS OCTOBER

Frank Carroll Jr.

40 years

Eldridge Firth

40 years

Samuel Burton

45 years

Jerry Costello

45 years

Elton Cook

40 years

Dorothy Eaton

40 years

Steve Groce

40 years

Roy Hoffman Jr.

50 years

Jon Martin

40 years

Jim Lynskey II

40 years

Tom Modlin

40 years

Jerry Howell

40 years

James Worthington

45 years

Robert Willis

45 years

Alexander Williams

40 years

Bobby Womack

40 yearsEverett Wilkerson

40 years

Willie White Jr.

40 years

Michael Voglewede

40 years

Tom Thomas

40 years

Rufus Turner

40 years

Roy Walton

40 years

Shirl Thomas

40 years

Jimmy Norris

45 years

Ralph Roberts

40 years

Eddie Owens

40 years

Walter Spencer Jr.

40 years

Linwood Outlaw

45 years

Robert South III

45 years

Yardlines is published 10 times a year for the employees of Newport News Shipbuilding.

This issue of Yardlines was produced by: Jeremy Bustin, Gina Chew-Holman, Mike Dillard, Christie Miller, Eugene Phillips, LaMar Smith, Susan Sumner and Lauren Ward. Additional writing services by Barlow Communications. Photographs by: Chris Oxley, Ricky Thompson and John Whalen

Send comments, questions and story ideas to Yardlines editor: gina.chewholman@hii-nns.com or call 757·380·2627.

Look for more news at huntingtoningalls.com/nns.

Huntington Ingalls Huntington Ingalls Industries HIIndustries

Lyle Ward

45 years

Harvey Tomlin

40 years

Michael Roberts

40 years

Steve Hall

40 years

Ronald Liles

40 years

Walter Davis

40 years

Junie Bell

40 years

Thomas Callaghan

40 years

Willie Spencer

40 years

Ethelria Townes

40 years

Leon Bailey

40 years

Kenny Kilmon

40 years

Clarence Raynor

40 years

Larry Wood

40 years

Harry Fisher III

40 years

Benjamin Brokenburr

40 years

Ernest Stubbs

40 years

Larry Bridgman

45 years

Edward Hammond

40 years

Vincent Jones

40 years

Larry Simmons

40 years

Theodore Daye

40 years

Marvin Cabe

40 years

Ralph Hunt

40 years

Frank Morrow

40 years

Long ServiceMASTER SHIPBUILDERS NOVEMBER

OCTOBER50 YEARSRoy E. Hoffman Jr. E25

45 YEARSSamuel C. Burton X42 Jerry L. Costello X87 Robert L. Fish X67 James R. Norris X87 Linwood G. Outlaw A572 Robert R. South III X88 Robert L. Willis E45 James L. Worthington X36

40 YEARSFrank Carroll Jr. X18 Elton I. Cook X42 Dorothy J. Eaton O55 Eldridge P. Firth O58 Norwood S. Groce X87 Alvin W. Hamlin X33 Larry R. Harrell X11

Jerry T. Howell M53 James E. Lynskey II O43 Jon L. Martin E65 Thomas E. Modlin O31 Jerome Moody X42 Eddie G. Owens X11 Ralph E. Roberts X70 Walter R. Spencer Jr. O43 Heber E. Sullivan X88 Shirl T. Thomas O51 Thomas G. Thomas X70 Rufus D. Turner X71 Michael E. Voglewede O38 Roy L. Walton O38 Willie B. White Jr. M53 Everett M. Wilkerson X43 Alexander Williams X18 Bobby L. Womack X11

35 YEARSCharles Q. Armstrong X36

Robert L. Artis X33 Gerald M. Barnes X18 George H. Blizzard X33 James R. Blotter X36 David W. Byrum O40 Howard C. Cary Jr. X33 Samuel W. Cherry Jr. X36 Gary V. Coakley O51 Vincenzo J. Coppa X10 Sherman Evans O43 Raymond L. Faulk X36 Forrest D. Flythe O09 Charles Futrell X11 Mark E. Hageman O43 Ronald L. Hall X36 Marvin A. Johnson X33 Tyrone Jones X18 Quinton L. Jordan X76 Daniel P. LaCross X31 Merelyn M. Lee X36 David E. Long X36

George W. Love X43 Gene E. Magruder X33 Donald A. McCann M30 David H. McCarthy X82 Emmett L. Mitchell X36 Mark K. Morin E89 Karen M. Powell X67 David E. Robinson X42 Judy C. Simmons X33 Frederick D. Sparks X33 James K. Stewart X42 Ronald O. Summers X18 Bradley M. Thomas X74 David G. Tilman O22 Kevin P. Turpin X42 Richard L. Walther II X18 Kerry M. Welch X36 Janice K. Wyatte O53

30 YEARSJames R. Absher E26

Connie K. Barlow O26 Dennis K. Byrum X42 Stephen R. Cottrell E82 Reginald A. Council E12 Raymond L. Crawford E85 Karen M. Dabney E07 Brian A. Dyson E56 Albert N. Firth Jr. X32 James E. Flaim O36 John R. Gambill Jr. E22 Robert J. Goforth K07 Lionel S. Hughes E25 Michael R. Johnson O98 Kevin P. Lamb O57 Charles R. Lyon E62 Nancy L. Mazzanti O53 Timothy E. McCaw O67 Vera L. McCracken O53 John H. McCroskey E84 Hubert B. Montague Jr. X43 Donald C. Parker E73

Landon R. Pierce N960 Mark B. Prater X72 William G. Sale A572 James P. Sarvis E84 Patrick E. Scarlett E38 Sheila White E85 William L. White E85 James E. White Jr. E64 Kathleen S. Wilkins T51

25 YEARSBrian K. Depriest E12 Ramona Y. Johnson X88 Robert W. Matschke X71 Jerome Thomas X72 Anthony W. Webb O64

20 YEARSThomas W. Chappell Jr. X15 Thompson A. Sweeney Jr. X88 Tracy W. Warnick X58

NOVEMBER45 YEARSLarry L. Bridgman E12 Kenneth R. Clarke O51 Lyle D. Ward X43

40 YEARSLeon P. Bailey O53 Junie J. Bell X31 Benjamin L. Brokenburr X42Marvin M. Cabe X70 Thomas A. Callaghan E83 Yvonne Christian O14 Walter J. Davis X31 Theodore A. Daye X71 Harry T. Fisher III O53 Stephen T. Hall O22 Edward S. Hammond X70 Charles H. Hundley Jr. X11

Ralph U. Hunt O53 Vincent L. Jones X88 Asa K. Kilmon O57 Ronald C. Liles O22 Sherman W. Mizelle X43 Franklin W. Morrow O38 Clarence E. Raynor X36 Michael G. Roberts X75 Larry D. Simmons O58 Willie E. Spencer X42 Ernest A. Stubbs X42 Harvey N. Tomlin X42 Ethelria L. Townes O53 Larry B. Wood X31

35 YEARSRonnie J. Aaron E81 Frank P. Atwell X33

John F. Cheevers E51 Dean M. Clayton M53 Charlene T. Cooke X32 Thomas G. Daniel O57 Michael L. England O43 Mark D. Garrett X32 Michael G. Goeller E07 Harry R. Hogan Jr. O63 Joseph W. Maben X70 Andrew J. Moore X18 Leonard W. Morris X88 Kenneth L. Pearson O45 Jay L. Ridout X82 Royal M. Rogers X88 Michael C. Routten X32 Marvin O. Sides O39 William P. Sims X87 Melvin L. Smith X33

Alan L. Strickland X32 Roy L. Turner X32 Mark B. Tyo X36 Kevin M. Wells X32 Barry C. White X32 Evelyn J. Williams X36

30 YEARSJean M. Armstrong O51 Robert N. Balas T53 Charles R. Basey X88 Richard M. Bennett E57 Michael A. Bova E03 Neal A. Brooks X89 Brian Busin E25 Gerald R. Cady Jr. E85 David R. Cesare E56 Tina A. Chapman O14

James R. Crocker X87 Jack W. Darden O68 David E. Dentel O74 George E. Dick E81 Hercules Etheridge Jr. X71Duane T. Faircloth X71 Terry L. Ford E62 Troy E. Gross X75 Steve Jakubiak E84 Deborah H. Jordan X82 Mary L. Joyner O67 Joseph J. Kosloski E84 Curtis V. Lett III X84 Betty J. Lewis O36 Paul D. Linton O27 Robert M. Locke E25 Christopher R. McCormick E25Willie J. Meadows X33

Holly L. Milteer O51 Shelton S. Parson X89 Thomas H. Phillips O15 Timothy F. Randolph M53 Darrel L. Schrock E07 Philip J. Serio X43 Deborah B. Walker O30 Kristin A. Wallis-Thomas E90Gordon R. Weaver X88

25 YEARS James T. Breeding T54 Marshall K. Hudson X11

20 YEARSCarol A. Catoire E86 Bradford M. Hedgepeth O39Stephanie M. Libby X57

RetirementsSEPTEMBER

OCTOBER

Horace M. Askew O46Michael S. Bailey X67Melvin P. Cooper X11Glenn E. Corey O04

Thelma A. Davis X31Robert G. Donaldson E44Robert L. Gunter Jr. O11Raymond Kirk X43

Willie L. Liverman X33Carthone E. Mitchell X36John M. Moore X18Conrad E. Parker X36

William E. Pesola N940Montie Ridley X33Hampton V. Snidow Jr. E75William H. Tynes Jr. X43

Carolyn M. White O71Glenn D. Williamson O43James P. Zimmerman X75

Eddie R. Barefoot X89Moses H. Brunson O53Lawrence A. Butler M53Carolyn S. Campbell E38Barbara W. Cherry O53

Donald A. Chuyka X71Ronald A. Dziechciarz X43Rebecca L. Ellsworth O15Kenneth Faltz X33Ronald K. Heichel E58

Joan L. Hitt O09Roy E. Hoffman Jr. E25Ralph A. Jordan E85Agnes M. Manson X33Charles K. Meeks O15

Russell L. Moody X18Joan O. Neal E18Francis L. Perry X31Charles R. Randolph X15Michael C. Routten X32

Peter J. Routten E22Thomas W. Short X18Rudolph P. Smyt O53Larry L. Spady X18Harold E. Weissler II E25

Long Service

Growing up in Smithfi eld, Va.,

L.D. Joyner, a Structural Fabrication

Assembly planner, lived just across

the James River Bridge from

Newport News Shipbuilding. A year

out of high school, Joyner made

his way over that bridge to start his

career at the shipyard as a loftsman.

His fi rst job was to make paper and

wood molds.

“Back then, that’s what you cut the

steel by,” he said. “We would make

the paper and wood molds to the

geometry of the ship. Then they

were sent to the fabrication shop to

cut the steel.”

But it wouldn’t be long before Joyner

would work his way up the ladder

to supervisor and superintendent.

He would eventually fi nd his way

into carrier overhaul work, planning

the replacements of masts, towers,

island houses and sponsons on all

of the carriers that came through the

shipyard.

It’s what he has enjoyed most during

his 53 years of shipbuilding.

“It’s a challenge. A big repair

job – that’s what it is,” he says of

overhaul work. “The people are very

knowledgeable and you have certain

schedules you have to meet. It’s

something different every day.”

In between aircraft carriers, Joyner

was also busy building a family.

He and his wife Betty raised three

girls, Kim, Karen and Dee, and

today, are enjoying doting on their

grandchildren, Matthew and Brian.

Matthew has already graduated from

college and Brian will be headed

there soon to play baseball.

“My plan is to retire and watch him

play,” said Joyner. He’s thrilled

that his children and grandchildren

have had the benefi t of college

educations. “There are plenty

of college graduates and a lot of

experienced people in the shipyard.

That’s what makes us world class.”

Joyner is one of those with a lot of

experience, which he applies every

day to whatever job is before him.

“Shipyard teams are like sports

teams,” he said. “Everyone should

strive to be MVP of their section.”

And that’s what Joyner has been

doing for the last half century.

History Maker:Lloyd D. Joyner Sr.

Pho

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November/December 2011

4101 Washington Ave.

Newport News, VA 23607

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PAID EAU CLAIRE WI PERMIT NO. 366

Deck Yourself Out Spear and Gear Style Read All About It...A variety of Newport News Shipbuilding merchandise with the “Spear and Gear” logo – ranging from shirts, hats, mugs, and backpacks to baby bibs – is now available online 24/7. Visit the NNS Online Logo Store at www.huntingtoningalls.com/nns/store or call 1-800-229-4677, ext. 319 to place an order. For a specifi c item or a customized order, ask for Bob Cary at ext. 302.

The 125th anniversary edition of “Always Good Ships: Histories of Newport News Ships” by William A. Fox is now available. To order a copy of the book, visit: http://www.alwaysgoodships.com

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