13^th REDFIN Reunion
Norfolk, Virginia
September 30 - October 3, 2010

 

The 13^th REDFIN Reunion was held at the Holiday Inn Select in Norfolk, VA. We had The Landings room for the Hospitality Room and Concourse B room for our Buffet Dinners.  The pizzas that we had on Thursday evening were prepared by the Hotel and were great.  Chef Brian Anderson planned 2 very good buffet dinners for us.  The staff that handled the serving of the food did an exceptional job. 

The Breakfast Buffet was one of the biggest and best that we have ever had, and Loren watched over us like we were her own family. 

We were supposed to make a trip to the Jamestown Settlement on Friday but opted out because of all the rain and flooding that took place between Tuesday and Friday.  Some of us went to Fort Monroe while others went shopping. 

On Saturday we went to the Navy Base to tour the submarines, USS Newport News (SSN-750) and USS Norfolk (SSN-714).  It really felt good to be back “home” for that short time.

We were also lucky enough to be able to tour the Norwegian submarine, HNoMS UTVAER (S303).  It is a Royal Norwegian Navy Ula Class submarine that came to Norfolk on September 20, 2010.  It is the first Norwegian submarine to come to the United States.  We were shown through the boat by LT Vilhelm Storeboe who is the XO of the UTVAER.  He is a young man of 27 years and very enlightened about the submarine world.  The UTVAER is a diesel electric boat with a crew of 26 men.

We had a pretty good turnout at the reunion. Those present were; Baldy & Pauline Baldwin, Charley & Janet Bassford, Lloyd & Mary Boucherie, Dick & Pepper Buscher, Steve & Sammi Buski and their daughters, Melanie and  Nancy Inman with son Gabriel, Steve Chordas, Ken & Gay Chubb, Erich & Emily Cramer, Don & Lynn Crouch, Cliff Delahanty, Ken Dorn, Dave Edwards, Chuck & Eileen Franklin, Dan & Ann Gilson, Jim & Marianne Gradeless, John & Wendy Hummel, James & Natalie Hutton, Jeff & Marge Jones, Jack & Joanne March, Fred & Kathy Poorman, Larry & Maxine Rash, Frank Reisinger (WW II), Bob & Judy Ruppel, their grandson Vaughn Ruppel and his Mom & Dad, Tara & Brent Ruppel, Gerald Schoemann, John Schweitzer, Danny & Laura Scoville, Walt & Barbara Sealy, Tom & Helene Shea, Frank & Bernie Sklodowski, Mike Taccardi & sister, Nancy Fanelli, Roger & Marie Wiedl and George & Ruth Williams. 

Tom & Fran Hess and Rick Fulton had to cancel out of attending the reunion. 

We had one World War II crewman, Frank Reisinger from Scoppoose, Oregon.  Frank rode REDFIN for the 6^th & 7^th War Patrols and then put her out of commission. He came across the country in his 35’ mobile home and pulling his Jeep Cherokee.

One of our guests, Tom Shea, is the Great Nephew of Maurice Shea who was the first Executive Officer of REDFIN.  Tom and his wife Helene are friends of John & Wendy Hummel and it so happens that Tom is a Deacon and he offered to give our Prayer before both meals.