DDG 101Sea Trials August 2007

DD 380 At Sea WWII

DLG 21 Sea Trials 1964

South Beach

The February 10th commissioning of the next GRIDLEY at the Port of Miami is fast approaching.  The sections below provide important and TIME SENSITIVE information upon which you will need to act promptly to ensure participation at the level you may desire.   

Please carefully read all of the text below, and take action NOW.   Putting these important details off until later may preclude you from full participation in the reunion activities many of us have worked so hard to produce.  Action NOW is important to ensure your VIP access to all commissioning related activities and your choice of hotel accommodations.   

PLEASE RESPOND NOW.

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The first important thing is that we must have your full postal address in our database so that the Navy can send you an official invitation to the commissioning.  Once you get that, you fill out the clearance form and return it to get your tickets.  This is the point at which you tell them how many guests you will have.  Without these special tickets you will not get VIP seating, no special tours of the ship nor invitations to some crew events.  Check the roster.  If your name and address are there, your name has been sent to the Navy.  If not, get the info to pwcarter@ix.netcom.com as soon as possible and we will send names in as long as they will accept them.  Anything sent after December 29 will be a problem so get your info in.

IMPORTANT – Make sure we have all your info 

So, in order to make sure you are on the list and up to date on events: 

1.  Go to http://home.nycap.rr.com/pwcarter/working%20roster.html   This is the working roster with all updates and changes that have been made recently.  Make sure your postal address and the rest of the info is present and correct.  If not send the info to pwcarter@ix.netcom.com .  

We need name, complete postal address, e-mail, rate and rank and years on GRIDLEY.  You can give your phone number if you wish.  

2.  If you are not already registered, go to http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ussgridley/   this site requires approval so you must request access and choose a password.  These are approved on a daily basis.  This is where you will get all of the latest info and be able to reconnect with long lost shipmates. 

Proposed Agenda 

Wednesday, 07FEB07

0900 – 1700                  Registration and Badges (Location TBD)

1500-1600                     Ship Tour for former Gridley sailors

1400-1800                     Crew, Family Reception - Bayside Marina - We are invited.

Thursday, 08FEB07

0900 – 1700                  Registration and Badges (Location TBD)

1500-1600                     Ship Tour for former Gridley sailors

1800                             Reunion Reception and dinner – South Beach  Details TBD

Friday, 09FEB07

TBD                              Golf Tournament - Cost not determined yet

TBD                              Business Meeting, Web Site etc.

1800                             Host Reception at Viscaya – Former CO’s and senior          officers 

Saturday, 10FEB07

1100                             Commissioning Ceremony

1200                             Post Commissioning Reception (location TBD)  

Sunday, 11FEB07  (Underway in AM)

TBD                              Underway before or at dawn.  

As you can see, there is plenty of time for smoozing, dinner with pals, era get togethers, rate get togethers business meeting, web site meeting.  We need some of you to volunteer to do event planning.  Just make sure you leave time for pool and beach time.  Remember much of South Beach is topless! 

Hotels 

The special rates at the South Beach Group have expired but if you go to Hotels.com you will find some of the same hotels at just about the same price.  Actually, its a better deal if you intend to come in Thursday and leave Saturday after the ceremony.  There are quite a few places available for  under $200 a night. 

Our events and registration areas will probably not be in the hotels anyway.

 http://www.southbeachgroup.com/index.shtml  

Parking and Cars 

Parking is at a premium on South Beach although there are municipal lots.  You can get almost everywhere on foot or by taxi and that might be an option.  These hotels provide transportation to and from Miami International and we hope to be able to afford busses to take you to and from the commissioning events.  Consider going in with shipmates on a minivan if you must have a car.   There will be special parking for the Commissioning Ceremony.

Where can I sign up? 

In order to register, you will need to send a check in the amount of $100 per person attending.  This money will be used to defray the costs of the banquet, transportation to the commissioning, receptions etc.  We will also ask those who can to sponsor a current crew member for the reunion dinner for $75.  The contact address for registering to attend the reunion portion of the event will be gridleyreunion@sbcglobal.net    That address is monitored by Bob Hallead and Marv Flanders, both retired CPO’s who were on GRIDLEY in the late 60’s.  Checks should be made out to Philip W. Carter, with Gridley Reunion in the memo space.  Mail the checks to Robert Hallead, 2400 Filer City Road, Manistee, MI  49660-2524.   If you need to cancel for any reason before December 1, we will refund the entire amount. 

Lastly, 

Make sure you are on the database. 

Sign up for the Yahoo site. 

Make a hotel reservation. 

Send your commitment money. 

As a teaser, we have located all of the former Commanding Officers still living and they are being personally invited by the CO of DDG 101.