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• Fall '01

To: Members and Friends of Island MCB 7 at Large

From: John Blaisdell, Secretary/Treasurer, Island MCB 7 at Large

Subject: National Conventions and MCB 7 Reunions Fall 2001

The NSVA had a good turnout at the National Convention and Reunion in St. Cloud, Minnesota, on the west bank of the Mississippi River. The weather proved to be pleasant with only a few showers during the night. I assisted the local Island at the registration desk so I had a chance to meet people as they arrived. It was nice to see Ron and Dorothy Glasser from Nebraska, semi retired farmers, and Dave and Irene Perkins from Wisconsin. Irene was helpful with the bus tour but then she can probably operate a bus as well as their drivers since she drives a bus every day. Dave has retired except still does a few days a week, just to help out. Fred Heins came up from Iowa and John Dever came from New Hampshire. John was elected Vice Commander for life memberships.

Instead of getting married again, I'm going to find a woman I don't like and just give her a house.

One of the important matters acted upon was the increase in Life Membership dues by $50 in each age group. This will become effective July l, 2002. So, my age group will go from $105 to $155 for life membership. The reasoning of the committee was that the fund has been slowly being depleted and there is this requirement to have funds so long as there are remaining life members. I can understand this. The other reason is that the American Legion and VFW charge much more for their life memberships. This I couldn't understand. There is no realistic connection. And next year's convention will be in North Carolina. I hope my good friend, Charles (CB) Ingram, from Georgia, can attend this one.

My brother said he learned how to swim when someone took him out in the lake and threw him off the boat. I said, "Brother, they weren't trying to teach you how to swim."

Fred, John, and I had dinner with Admiral Mike Johnson's aide. He is a young LT and doing his Washington assignment. During our dinner he expressed a desire to be out with a Battalion rather than in D.C. but this was required if he is to make a career in the Navy. And it is only a one year assignment. Admiral Johnson addressed the crowd and told of the things the Seabees are doing today. Much of the effort goes to disaster relief and with the use of C-5 and C-135 aircraft, there will be people on the ground within 48 hours. The LT admitted he had never been on an LST and probably would never have the privilege. Do LSTs still exist?

I think that's how Chicago got started. A bunch of people in New York said, "Gee, I'm enjoying the crime and the poverty, but it just isn't cold enough. Lets go west."

The Friday after the National Convention I officially retired from the University of Minnesota after a total of nearly 31 years. I had a nice coffee party, and was given some very nice presents. I was introduced to my replacement, and was shown the door. I have not been back. I have not had time to go back. My family gave me a party on Saturday and we left Sunday for the cabin on the lake up north. After about ten days, we returned to the city to do up the laundry and repack. We left for Denver where I have a cousin I wanted to visit. From there we went west and south to Utah, Arizona, Nevada, back to Utah, to Wyoming, South Dakota, North Dakota, and home. It only took about three weeks. We raced the Colorado traffic through Glenwood Canyon and saw Vail and Aspen. We visited Moab and Arches Park. We visited Zion and Bryce Canyon Parks. I played golf in the desert at Mesquite, NV. We saw Salt Lake, Cheyenne, Mount Rushmore, Roosevelt Park, and lots of miles of nothing much to talk about. And I visited my little brother in Beulah, ND.

Suppose you were an idiot….And suppose you were a member of Congress….But I repeat myself.

We went to the MCB 7 reunion in New Orleans, via Atlanta, the middle of October. Ernie and Sandi Asher helped Nick Mastrocola set up the reunion and it was nicely done. John Dever and Lew Vittum assisted in the hospitality room. We had the usual hospitality room with beverages and snacks and the room was very popular. It got a little crowded and noisy sometimes but that was mostly due to the nature of the gathering. Many of the old photos came out and were displayed and there was talk of Port Lyautey, Argentia, and Guantanamo Bay. I had a chance to visit with two old friends from the West Indies days, Noel (Happy) Pachta and Patrick J (PJ) Brown. Jim Regan had a travel tape from Turks, Caicos and Provo Islands, which we all watched and determined that was the way it really was back in '58. And Jim Sorenson, NYFD, was there alive and well.

Our bombs are smarter than the average high school student. At least they can find Afghanistan.

Our trip to Gulfport CBC was cancelled due to the security increase since the September 11 attack. Instead we had a bus tour of New Orleans. We visited a couple of parks, crossed some bayous, saw the above ground cemeteries, and visited the French Quarter. We saw live oak trees, Spanish moss, and mansions. We saw Lake Ponchartrain, and shopped at the Riverwalk Mall. And we visited the D-Day museum. This museum is very well done and should you ever be in the area, seeing this is a must. The Mississippi River is a mile wide at New Orleans. It was a very nice tour and our guides were helpful and pleasant ladies.

Fact: Oak trees do not produce acorns until they are fifty years of age or older. Now don't you feel better?

That evening some of our group went to Bourbon Street to check out the night life. It is as they show on television. The music and the food are very good but some of us figured it was a little too earthy for our rural tastes. Diane (Mrs. John) Utley said it is a long way from Frederic, Wisconsin, in many, many ways. Denny Blaisdell said it is nothing more than a glorified slum. Chester and Mary Poole didn't think it smelled very good. And Roger Standke (Owatonna, MN) couldn't find a meal cool enough for his taste buds. Too many too spicy foods for him.

Old is when your sweetie says, "lets go upstairs and make love," and you answer, "pick one, I can't do both."

Our guests at the banquet were the current commanding officer of NMCB 7 and his aide. They did a presentation of what NMCB 7 has done recently and what the plans are for the future. The Battalions now are split into detachments and are used for special projects. Some of these projects are even stateside work, which is done with a special dispensation from the local political types and local unions. And of course, they still have the humanitarian duties and disaster relief assignments.

Old is when you don't care where your spouse goes, just as long as you don't have to go along.

Retired Captain and Museum Director, Bill Hildebrandt, visited us Sunday morning at our breakfast to tell us of the needs of the museums at Gulfport and at Port Hueneme. He was seeking donations to help refurbish and enlarge the museum at Port Hueneme. At the breakfast it was decided to hold the next reunion in the Seattle, WA, area. Nick is looking for volunteers to assist in locating a hotel and finding some interesting local attractions for the reunion group.

Old is when "getting a little action" means I don't need to take any fiber today.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you and your loved ones a happy holiday season and a healthy and prosperous new year. And take good care of yourself. Remember to hug your children at home and belt them in the car.