November 2016

USS JOHN W WEEKS DD-701 ASSOCIATION

NEWSLETTER
Alan Cutcher, President
Another successful reunion was held
in Buffalo in September. I think
everyone had a good time . . . I know
I sure did.
This newsletter will be devoted to
reviews of the reunion and lots of
pictures so I will try to limit my
message here so we can include as
many pictures as possible for you to
enjoy.
During the reunion we had a new
member, Rodney Ski Leskowski and
his wife Phyllis, attend the banquet. Ski
served aboard the Weeks 1968-70 as an YN2. He brought with him a
number of items from his time on the WEEKS during the Vietnam War.
One of the items was a surprise to all of us. He brought a life ring that he
took from the WEEKS prior to her being decommissioned! He said he
had permission to take it off
the ship since the Weeks
decommissioning was to occur
shortly. I think everyone got
their picture taken with it. In
October, he donated the Life
Ring to our Ships Museum in
Lancaster, NH. I have asked
Ski to work with his fellow
shipmates to put together a
display for the years 1968-1970
for use at our future reunions.
I am looking for a shipmate to put together a display board for
the 1966-1967 era. I am putting a display board together for 1963-1965.
We have great displays for most of the other years. If you want to help
with the 1966-1967 board please let me know.

Now Hear This!

Please remit your 2017
association dues by
March 31. Thank You!
The Mini reunion will be
held in the vicinity of
Annapolis MD. Dates are
4/26 to 4/30/2017.

Shipmates!
Information on our
association founder Hal
Gross and the history of
the USS John W Weeks
Association can be
found on our website.
www.ussjwweeks701.org.

Also underway is a proper display to honor Bruce Biggar who is the only sailor killed in action aboard
the WEEKS. I started out with a small picture of Bruce and one short write-up. Now I think I have enough
information on him to fill a full display board.
While looking for information on Bruce, I called one of his shipmates, Lou Bianco, who served on the
WEEKS 1944-1946. He is 91 now and he remembered Bruce. He said he and Bruce were sitting on their racks
talking about what they were going to do after the war. Suddenly, the GQ alarm went off. They reported to
their battle stations and Bruce was hit by friendly fire. He died the next day. Lou is going to go through his

WEEKS materials to see if he can find Bruces hometown. Lou said that he would also see what he has for the
WEEKS Museum.
I also talked with Hiram Carr (1953-1956) at about the same time. Hiram has been our photographer
at almost every Weeks Reunion. He is sending me all of his albums of reunion pictures for me to take to the
Museum.
Each year, I visit the Museum to deliver materials from our shipmates. If you have anything you want
to donate, please send them to me and I will deliver them along with your name, rate and years on the
WEEKS so you can be acknowledged with your donation.
As usual, I probably said too much. In the next newsletter, I will talk about some special projects your
Board of Directors have been working on.

Reunion 2016 Buffalo NY

By Ray Goodmuth
This years reunion was held in Buffalo NY at the Millennium Hotel. The event took place September
14th to the 18th. It was attended by 24 crew members and 23 guests. Mother Nature was kind enough to
bless us with pleasant weather as most of our tour activities were outdoors.
Our Welcome Reception was held Wednesday evening in the
hospitality room. An introductory talk was given by John Branning.
Subject matter was the Buffalo Historic Naval and Military Park which
we were scheduled to visit on Friday. John is a Senior Chief Petty
Officer (Ret.) and is currently serving as the parks superintendent.
His informative overview on the background of the historic ships
berthed at the park, especially the USS The Sullivans, gave us good
ideas of what to expect on tour.
Thursday was spent at Niagara Falls State Park located just north
of Buffalo. We enjoyed perfect weather in which to take in the
various venues that the park has to offer. Some folks opted to board
the Maid of the Mist to experience a close up and wet view of the falls while others chose the Cave of the
Winds. Many of us enjoyed the hop on-hop off bus that enables one to take in the spectacular view of the
Niagara River and both the American and Canadian Falls. Also included on the bus tour were scenic Goat
and Three Sisters Islands. Several hours of sightseeing and walking resulted in some hearty appetites.
Included in our tour was a meal voucher for the Hard Rock Caf that we took advantage of for a satisfying
lunch.
Friday morning we left the hotel by bus for the historic Erie County Naval Park. Along the way our tour
guide gave a very informative talk on the history of Buffalo while pointing
out some of the distinctive architecture. Once at the park we broke into
groups of eight and an assigned guide gave us a tour of both the USS The
Sullivans and the Cruiser the USS Little Rock. Also on display and available
for boarding was the submarine the USS Croaker. Following the tour we
enjoyed a hot lunch on the fantail of the Little Rock. Our stay at the park
concluded with a brief ceremony honoring the memory of the Sullivan
brothers. A photo shoot of all shipmates who toured the ships took place
on board The Sullivans after the memorial service. We left the park shortly
thereafter and boarded the tour boat Grand Lady for a scenic cruise on the Niagara River. The captain
pointed out and commented on some of the interesting sights along the rivers edge. It was a warm but

pleasant afternoon to be out on the water. The evenings entertainment following dinner was the movie
The Fighting Sullivans which was shown in the hospitality room.
Saturday is traditionally a toned down day for all. We held our membership business meeting at 0900.
The rest of the day was spent touring on our own or hanging out in the hospitality room swapping tales. That
evening before our farewell dinner, Chaplain Kathy Michaels conducted a memorial service honoring crew
members who had passed since our last reunion. Dinner was followed by a lively auction to raise funds for
the USS John W Weeks Room which is a part of the Weeks Museum in Lancaster, New Hampshire. After all
the evenings events, it was tearful farewells with a promise to see each other again next year in Pittsburgh,
Pennsylvania, the site of our 2017 reunion.

NOTES FROM YOUR EDITORS

It was great to see a good representation of shipmates who served aboard the Weeks 1967-70. Nine of
the 24 shipmates who attended the Buffalo Reunion served in that era. We hope to see that trend continue.
We also had our two loyal plank owners and another loyal shipmate who served in the 40s attend the
reunion. These three shipmates plus our youngest shipmates made up 50% of those who attended the
reunion. All shipmates are special but it is so unique and heartwarming to see this range of ages come
together for a time of sharing and enjoyment.
Even though our reunion attendance has been decreasing for reasons out of our control, we have
found at least one big advantage of a smaller group. With the smaller group there is more personal
interaction among all the shipmates, spouses, friends and family than when our attendance was larger. We
also get some immediate feedback on what some like and dislike about the reunion planning. We also find
that we cannot make everyone happy but we do try to please as many as we can.
In reference to the above paragraph, if you want to share your opinions on the Buffalo Reunion or our
reunions in general or anything else on your mind, please phone, email or write to any of the officers.
Billy Pinyan asked at the Buffalo Reunion where our members live. Rather than doing it on our total
membership, we took a look at that base of 30 shipmates who are likely to attend a reunion. While we will
keep trying, it is our realistic opinion that it is unlikely we will see the other 75% on our membership rolls. Keep
in mind that our roles include widows, other family, Weeks descendants and many who can no longer drive.
Of the 30, thirteen live in the Midwest, eight in the Mid-Atlantic, four in New England, three in the South and
two in the West.
Special thanks to Walt and Nancy Hyde for traveling to the reunion
from their home in Rohnert Park, California. Walt served on the Weeks
1953-55. Normally the Hydes would get the award for traveling the
furthest to the reunion but that recognition went to Kimberly Dalton
whose home is in Tokyo. She was visiting with her grandparents Fred
and Aida Dalton.
We also wish to thank board member Phil Varner for accepting the
assignment of Reunion Coordinator for the Association. Dave did the
work on the hotel contract and tours but Phil was brought in to work on all the reunion details after that. We
all think that Phil did a good job under the circumstances and we know that he has already started working
on the 2017 Pittsburgh Reunion.

2016 Buffalo Reunion Attendance

Shipmate
Larry Blakeley
Dave Connelly
Jack Coughlin
Alan Cutcher
Fred Dalton
Richard Dudley
Ray Goodmuth
Frank Gratton
Walt Hyde
Jim Kletz
Dave Kurtz
Rodney "Ski" Leskowski
Robert Mauger
Bob Michaels
Robert "Bob" Miller
Steven Oakes
Chris Oxner
David Parent
Billy Pinyan
Norman Strauss
Don Thatcher
Jim Tracy
Phil Varner
Jerry Wester
24 SHIPMATES
47 TOTAL

Spouse/Family/Guests
Janie
Linda
Elaine and Donna
Pauline
Aida and Kimberly
Mary Jane
Harriett
Marian
Nancy
Judy
Phyllis
Kathy

Diane
Bill & Sally Faircloth
Edna Sickler
Andy and Rachel
Sue
Lynn
Shirley

Current City/State
Clio, MI
Bristol, VT
Bellmore, NY
Port Huron, MI
Joplin, MO
Newcastle, IN
Centreville, MD
Saratoga Springs, NY
Rohnert Park, CA
North Brunswick, NJ
Elizabethtown, PA
Londonderry, NH
East Earl, PA
Yorktown, VA
Lost River, WVA
Athens, VT
Marshfield, MA
New Lenox, IL
Black Mountain, NC
Fort Lauderdale, FL
Columbia, NJ
Onalaska, WI
Wenonah, NJ
Little Canada, MN

Attendance numbers from past reunions

Year
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016

City and State

Washington, D.C.
San Antonio, TX
Valley Forge, PA
St. Louis, MO
Charleston, SC
Warwick, RI
Nashville, TN
Jacksonville, FL
Norfolk, VA
Harrisburg, PA
Port Huron, MI
Buffalo, NY

Shipmates
69
46
30
45
59
33
40
32
29
26
23
24

Total
105
85
59
86
113
58
79
54
50
55
41
47

NOW ACCEPTING 2017 DUES

$25 FOR CALENDAR YEAR 2017
DEADLINE: MARCH 31, 2017
Name___________________________________________
Address__________________________________________
________________________________________________

Telephone No's ________________________________________________

Email ___________________________________________

Amount Enclosed ___________________________________

REMIT CHECK MADE OUT TO THE JOHN W

WEEKS ASSOCIATION TO:

JERRY WESTER
2590 N. SYLVAN STREET
LITTLE CANADA, MN 55117

Intentionally Blank

Mini Reunion
This years mini reunion will be held in the Annapolis /Eastern Shore area of Maryland. Please note that
although the mini reunion is primarily for the board to meet and discuss association business all are welcome
to attend. Be aware that there are no planned tours or activities. You may want to make your own
arrangements to visit areas of interest. Information will be provided for those sites. Please call or email Ray
Goodmuth if interested in attending.
Home 410-758-6596
Cell 410-991- 8467
Email raygoo@live.com

Taps
George Shinbrot-We were notified in August by his son, Rob, George Shinbrot died on 16 Mar 2016. George
served from October 1944-August 1946 as a Seaman First Class. He then attended Officer Candidate School
and served as an officer during the Korean War 1950-1952. The family believes he attained the rank of
Lieutenant. During his first assignment aboard the Weeks it was hit with a torpedo. George and several
shipmates were blown into the sea.

Sick Call
Hiram Carr-days before our Buffalo Reunion, we received word that Hiram Carr was ill and not able to
attend. Hopefully he is feeling much better. He served on the Weeks from 1953 and 1956 as a Sonar man.
Over the years, he was our official photographer at many of our reunions. Hirams telephone number for
anyone who would like to give him a call is (806) 337-5411. If you want to send him a note, his address is 1300
South Jackson St. Apt 411 Amarillo, TX 79101-4142.
Richard Russell-Dick and Sandy Russell attended the Port Huron Reunion in October 2015. Dick had just been
informed by his medical team that he has a serious medical issue and would begin chemo therapy
treatment upon his return home the following week. If you would like to drop him a note his address is 519 S.
Locust St. Wayland MI 49348-1344. You may also give him a call at 269-792-2956.
If you know of any shipmate who is ill or has passed away, please contact one of the officers listed on the
back page.

USS John W Weeks

Association
1118 Lincoln Ave.
Port Huron, MI 48060

We are on the WEB!

www.ussjwweeks701.
org

President:
Alan Cutcher - (810) 984-4670 wc1996@aol.com
Vice President & Assistant Chaplain:
Dave Kurtz - (717) 366-4610 davejudy55@gmail.com
(Dave is currently on sabbatical)
Secretary/Treasurer:
Jerry Wester - (651) 483-4252 shirjer99@juno.com
2590 N. Sylvan Street Little Canada, MN 55117
Chaplain:
Kathy Michaels - (757) 898-1650 kfmichaels@cox.net
Directors:
Bob Michaels - (757) 898-1650 remichaels@cox.net
Phil Varner - (856) 464-1727 tobosopv@yahoo.com
Ray Goodmuth - (410) 758-6596 raygoo@live.com
Director Emeritus - Earl Thomas (301) 987-6347 ewtpearl@aol.com
John W. Weeks Museum Contact:
Rachel Bruce - 1-603-788-4004 Rachel.bruce@dred.nh.gov
Newsletter Editors:
Dave Kurtz & Ray Goodmuth
Web Master:
Len Budzynski

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