Source: Aerograph February 2023
The Pensacola Chapter held its quarterly meeting / Christmas Party at the O'Briens on 16 Dec. Those in attendance included Larry and Nancy Warrenfeltz, Ed and Patti Straten, Paul Belt & Cheryl Alter, Marian Hawkes, Gerrie Marsh, Dale Grages and his nurse Rosa, Walt Kindergan, and Pat & Libby O'Brien.
Following Christmas dinner, Ed Straten called the meeting to order at 1540.
Minutes were read and approved.
The treasurer reported an expenditure of $104.25 for flowers in honor of Dave Driggers. That leaves
$27.01 in the treasury not counting seed money from the National Treasury. Dues were collected for
the upcoming year.
Patti Staten briefed on the upcoming reunion cruise. Everything is done except for final payments
that are due no later than 30 December. Payments are required on 14 staterooms.
The next cruise committee meeting will be held the last week of Feb. Date will be forthcoming.
The Chapter's next meeting is to take place at the South Market on March 3rd. Libby O'Brien will
check with personnel at South Market concerning our proposed date. After the meeting ended,
attendees played a game of Secret Santa. Everyone left with something they wanted or something
they were stuck with taking. Ouch.
NEWS FROM THE CREW
Ed and Patti Straten are still on Cloud 9 after their 35-day cruise to Olympia, Santorini, Crete, Athens,
Mykonos, and Zakynthos, Greece; Sicily, Naples, Portofino, Pisa, Rome, Venice and Ravenna, Italy;
Ephesus, Turkey; Kotor, Montenegro; Palma, Cartagena, Spain; Toulon, France and the Azores, Portugal where they celebrated their birthdays and toured and walked through history. The adventure included amazing sights at every port, shows (including a fabulous Flamenco Show in Palma), delicious local food and wine, and gorgeous weather. Highlight of the trip was a tour of the House of the Holy Virgin Mary in Ephesus. The tour also included the open air museum of Ephesus, Odeon Fountain of Trajan, Temple of Hadrian, Library of Celsius and the Grand Theatre where St Paul preached to 24,000. The Celebrity Constellation provided fabulous food and entertainment every day. They met so many new friends, and said this trip was a Trip of a lifetime! Following the trip, Patti had foot surgery and is still recovering. Even with all this at sea time, the Stratens are so looking forward to our NWSA Reunion Cruise in March!
Pat & Libby O'Brien took a 9-day Caribbean Cruise at the end of December. It was their first cruise in quite awhile due to COVID restrictions. They welcomed in the new year while cruising to Ocho Rios, Jamaica. From Jamaica, they headed to Grand Cayman, then to Roatan, Honduras, then to Harvest Caye in Belize, and finished up at Cozumel, Mexico. Now they're looking forward to the NWSA Cruise in March. Pat continues to play golf and fish when he's not seeing doctors. He says he feels like a bionic man. He's had two trigger finger surgeries, carpal tunnel surgery, a heart catherization, and another surgery to remove a mass from his left breast. Pat thanks God the mass proved to be benign. All this and Pat thanks God for his good health. Ha. Libby has had cortisone shots in her left knee to relieve pain she's been having. The last shot seems to have helped considerably. Pat's been in contact with Jim Futtner up in Hartford. Jim had a back operation to relieve pain and numbness in one of his legs. Jim says, he's not a 100 pct, but he's better than he was prior to his surgery. He's looking to go down to Pensacola and visit with the O'Briens for a couple days before heading to Miami for the NWSA Cruise. Paul Belt is showing off his golf game. He was the top golfer in the Sandcrabs Senior Golf Association in 2022. The Chapter is sorry to report the deaths of Dave Driggers , Ken Overholt, and Paul and Maria Lyon May they rest in peace. Paul Lyon was not active in the Chapter, and Pat was shocked by this news as he and Paul became good friends when they were stationed together at Fleet Weather Central Suitland, Md, in the early 60's. They were also stationed together as instructors at NATTC Lakehurst in the early 70's. Bernie Bauer continues to enjoy ice hockey games with Pat and Libby. He also enjoys driving around town in his new Audi. Nice wheels Bernie.
|
Source: Aerograph November 2022
The Pensacola Chapter met at Carrabba's Italian Restaurant in Pensacola on 8 Sept.
Those in attendance included Ed & Patti Straten, Pat & Li bby O'Brien, Larry & Nancy Warrenfeltz, Ken & Barbara Overholt, Paul Belt & Cheryl, Denny and Helen Maljevac, Dale Grages & his nurse Rosa, and Gerrie Marsch.
The meeting was called to order at 1:25 PM
Minutes from the 30 June meeting were read and approved.
Treasurer reported there were no deposits or withdrawal this quarter, and our balance continues at $1627.01
The next meeting will be at the O'Brien's on 9 Dec. beginning at 1 o'clock. Libby reminded everyone to bring a white elephant gift. Menu will be forthcoming via email.
Pat O'Brien reported he received an email from Jim Romano, and Jim says we should be receiving our cruise magnets and bill any day now. We ordered 50 magnets, and Jim ordered 5 additional magnets that he will take responsibility for paying.
Patti Straten reported we will receive cruise credits valued at $2,324.00. How these credits will be disbursed will be decided at the next cruise committee meeting. That meeting will be held at Larry & Nancy Warrenfeltz's house on 1 Dec. Nancy will get back to us with the meeting time. Patti also informed us that there are now 66 individuals registered to go on the cruise. We lost one couple that had to drop out. Any individuals who have not been vaccinated for COVID, must be tested 3 days prior to cruising.
Denny Maljevac reported he visited Al & Helen Atwell at their home. Denny said it was a nice visit. Based on Al's past service, Denny recommended he apply for the Korean Service Medal through the South Korean Embassy in Alabama. Denny will assist Al with this endeavor. Al will be celebrating his 93rd birthday this month. Happy Birthday Al.
Meeting adjourned at 1:55 PM.
Al Atwell reports he had cataract surgery on both eyes in May and June and can now see great. He visited the local VA Office, and he will be receiving new hearing aids. He is scheduled to get them on 10/26. When he came home, he was cleaning up some yard limbs/branches and fell hard on his left knee. The fall separated the upper tendon from the patellar. He called Santa Rosa ER, and they quickly came and put his leg in a brace and scheduled him to see an orthopedic surgeon. The knee operation took place on 10/12/22. He is scheduled to see his knee surgeon again on10/27 to see how the knee surgery recovery is going. Meanwhile Al is hobbling around on a walker and firmly convinced that any day you can get up and get out of bed is a great day, Cheers Al, and best of luck with your recovery.
In other news, Pat & Libby O'Brien spent 5 days in Key West, FL, with Libby's oldest daughter Sandy, and Sandy's two children and their spouses. Pat believes Duval St. gets longer every year, ha. He and Libby also spent 3 days in Statesboro, GA, playing in a golf tournament at Georgia Southern University. Libby is recuperating from a torn meniscus in her right knee, so the golfing was supposed to help the knee. It helped her golf game. She won her flight, while Pat made it all the way up to last place in his. Ouch! Pat joined 11 other gentlemen on a 3-day guys only golf outing in Orange Beach, Alabama. He says his golf scores didn't get any better. Pat celebrated the 40th anniversary of his 40th birthday in October. Libby surprised him by renting a home at Pensacola Beach for a few days. On top of that, all three of Pat's children joined them there. Pat says, "It was more of a shock than a surprise." He and Libby plan on traveling up to Cheaha State Park in northern Alabama in November to spend a few days viewing the fall foliage.
Nancy and Larry Warrenfeltz (pic below) enjoyed a packed weekend in Pennsylvania in October. They drove into town just in time to see a high school cross-country meet. Nancy’s 50th high school reunion coincided with their oldest granddaughter’s Homecoming weekend and their second granddaughter’s 11th birthday. Nana baked a tiara cake. They also managed to squeeze in a fantastic Italian dinner with Nancy’s two sisters and her brother.
|
Denny and Helen Maljevac are doing well. In October, they joined Bernie Bauer, Marion Hawks,
and the O'Briens at Elizabeth Tokryman's funeral and burial. May Elizabeth rest in peace. Pat reports that Jim Futtner is recuperating from knee and back issues which have hobbled him for the last few months. Ed and Patti Straten are currently on a thirty-five day cruise to Greece, Italy, France, Spain and the Azores. Their last report had them in Sicily. Life is tough, but somebody has to do these things, ha. Smooth sailing my friends. Rose and Arthur Frazier have been very busy traveling over the last year. They have been on 7 cruises since it restarted. They have also been more active with TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) this year, maintaining their weight loss for another year. Arthur is an Area Advocate and has 29 chapters to oversee. In March they went on the Mardi Gras ship and rode the BOLT! The roller coaster on top of the ship! So much fun. Rose's Navy friend, Debra Burt, and daughter, Lisa, also joined them on that cruise! In May, they went to Oklahoma for a Frazier family reunion. In June, Rose helped with her 45th class reunion events and cruise. In July, Rose had some serious surgery and developed complications. Three weeks later she developed COVID (second time!) In August, they went to Costa Rica to visit and help some missionary friends in San Jose, the capitol. In September, they started the process for Rose to get a service dog through the K9 Partners for Patriots in Brooksville, FL. It's a great organization, and they help so many veterans. This month they fly to Venice to catch a ship and sail around the Med and back to the states for 28 days! They are enjoying retired life in Ocala! Sure sounds like FUN.
|
Source: Aerograph August 2022
The Pensacola Chapter met at the Agapi Restaurant on 30 June. Those in attendance included Larry and Nancy Warrenfeltz, Ed and Patti Straten, Pat and Libby O'Brien, Gerrie Marsch, Paul Belt, Walt Kindergan, Elspeth Lloyd, Ken and Barbara Overholt and Denny and Helen Maljevac
Pat O'Brien reported the Chapter received seed money ($1500.00) toward the 2023 reunion from the National Chapter. Patti Straten reported we have 69 people signed up to cruise.
The O'Briens volunteered to host this year's Christmas party, but the date will not be set until our September meeting.
Denny Maljevac reported he'd spoken with Al Atwell. Al and Helen are doing well. Al is recovering from cataract surgery, and Helen still finds time to work in her garden. Based on Al's Naval Service, Denny told him he is eligible for the Republic of Korea Service Medal. Denny will provide Al with the necessary paperwork to get the project started.
By way of Tim Kenefik, Bruce Glaes is still struggling to fully recover from his stroke. News is he no longer uses his computer, and any future correspondence with him will have to be made via snail mail (USPS).
Ed and Patti Straten traveled to Alliance Ohio for a terrific Straten family reunion. Great times,
wonderful food (the Straten family has some excellent cooks!) and lots of hugs, laughs and old stories.
Everything a reunion should be! This summer they are relaxing and preparing for their Med cruise this fall.They will cruise for thirty-five days to Greece, Italy, France, Spain and the Azores. Expect plenty of pictures! They are also excited about our 47th Reunion Cruise in March.
Pat and Libby O'Brien traveled to Virginia Beach to spend a week with Pat's youngest son Sean and his family. They also spent some time with Libby's grandson's wife. Her grandson is an OS2 and was at sea aboard the USS Gravely (DDG107) while we were there.
After returning home from this trip, Pat and Libby flew to Hartford, CT. They spent a day with Jim Futtner. Jim was hard down with back and leg pain and had a great deal of difficulty getting comfortable whether sitting or lying down. I'm glad to report he is now doing much better.
From Hartford, the O'Briens drove down to Niantic and spent a week with Pat's daughter and husband. While there, Pat's oldest grandson, and his future wife, were given an engagement party. They are to be married in one year.
The O'Brien's next trip was to Evansville, IN, to see Libby's grand-daughter and family. Libby's 12th great grandchild, Charlotte, who is just 3 months old, was the hit of the trip. Memaw O'Brien couldn't get enough holding the baby time, ha.
The O'Brien are back home and will be heading to Key West in August. In October, they planned on going on a cruise with the USS Nimitz Association, but COVID shots are required and that stopped that trip. When home, Pat continues to play golf, fish, and do yard work at his church. Libby has suffered with a bum knee for the last couple of months, and cortisone shots haven't provided a lot of relief.
|
Source: Aerograph May 2022
The Pensacola Chapter met on Friday, 11 March at
the Fin & Fork Restaurant in Pensacola. The luncheon and meeting were
well attended. It was good to see everyone getting together again after
so long! See picture of the group below. Those in attendance included
Ed and Patti Straten, Pat & Libby O'Brien, Ken & Barbara Overholt, Dave
and Jerrie Dunlap, Marion Hawks, Gerrie Marsch, and Dale Grages and his nurse
Rosalina Stanislawski.
|
Click Image to Enlarge
We welcomed Dale Grages and his nurse Rosa to
our chapter. This was their first meeting, and it was a delight listening
to Dale relate stories of old shipmates. Larry and Nancy Warrenfeltz were not
in attendance as they were on a road trip to Pennsylvania to visit
family. This was done at the absolute height of the gas prices. They
noticed the traffic on the interstate was noticeably lighter than normal, and
people were NOT traveling long distances unless they had to. With that
being said, they related, "When your granddaughters are on stage in The
Little Mermaid Jr., you’ve got to be there!" With tickets in hand
for the Saturday matinee, a look at the weather forecast caused them to trade
for the Friday night show. It was a good call, because the snow began Saturday
morning and dumped a good six inches on Zionsville, PA by sunset. Larry
says, " Florida tires are good for getting heavy rain out from under them,
but they aren’t good in snow and ice. With the snow falling on Saturday, it was
a great day for movies, popcorn, and hot chocolate with the grandkids.
The two photos show the aftermath of the snowstorm and Larry and Nancy with Madeline (King Triton) and Chloe
(the Seahorse).
|
Photo Album Gallery Place Holder - Please wait while the Photo Album loads.
If the album does not show, please refresh the page to try again.
|
Paul Belt was also absent from our meeting as he
and Cheryl were also traveling. The highlight of the meeting was Patti
Stratens's briefing on the 2023 NWSA Cruise/Reunion. She reported that on
3 Feb. the 2023 reunion cruise committee (Ed and Patti Straten, Larry and Nancy
Warrenfeltz, Paul Belt, and Pat and Libby O'Brien) met at Lost Key Golf and
Beach Club for lunch and to discuss cruise options and pricing. Following
lunch, the committee moved over to Ed and Patti's condo, and a phone call was placed to Celebrity Cruise Group
Reservations. As you know by now, we were given an incredible deal,
and we booked it. Patti was extremely excited to report how everything
was going. She told us she had initially asked for 8 staterooms, and they
were quickly gobbled up. She then asked for 15 more, and the same thing happened. She reported 62 people have signed up for the
cruise, and the room rate is good until the end of March. Ed and Patti
Straten are seasoned cruisers, and they have been instrumental in arranging the
2023 reunion cruise. Thank you, Ed and Patti. Prior to our March meeting, Ed
and Patti were off on another cruise. This one aboard the Celebrity
Summit. They used their time exploring onboard bars, restaurants, and
entertainment as this will be the same ship we cruise on in 2023. They report it's a beautiful ship with
fantastic food, drinks, and crew. They experienced gorgeous weather and
scenery, and they can hardly wait till March 2023 and our reunion cruise!
Pictures of Ed and Patti appear below. At last report, our WX Reunion now
has 64 reservations!
|
Photo Album Gallery Place Holder - Please wait while the Photo Album loads.
If the album does not show, please refresh the page to try again.
|
The O'Briens have opted not to have the COVID-19 vaccine, and they thank God they live in Florida. They are hoping travel restrictions will be lifted so that they will be able to attend Reunion #47. They were supposed to go on a cruise this coming October with the USS Nimitz Association but were told by Royal Caribbean the unvaccinated may not board. Bummer. Pat had the coronavirus back in 2021 and lost his taste and smell for a month or so. He quarantined with Libby, and she never got the virus. Go figure. Pat and his oldest son, Patrick, have taken one day a week to go fishing. They used to rent two Old Town Kayaks from N.A.S. Pensacola, but Pat went and bought one along with a kayak trailer. Pat must think he's pushing 40 instead of 80. He had two successful operations to correct trigger fingers on the ring fingers of both hands. He is now awaiting two more surgeries to correct carpal tunnel problems in both wrists. He says, "I love being OLD." In March, he and Libby took a trip to Savannah, Georgia to celebrate St. Patrick's Day. Pat bought a shirt that says, "I got Riverfaced on Shit Street." Sorry to say that didn't happen, Libby beat him to it. He said it was fun getting her from River Street back to the Army-Air Base where they were staying (Now that’s Pat’s story not mine) lol! They did the Savannah Queen luncheon-cruise the next day. That was a nice relaxing trip. The O’Brien’s continue to golf, attend Pensacola Ice Flyers hockey games, and Blue Wahoo baseball games. Bernie Bauer attends these games also. He is doing fine. Paul Belt plays in the same golf association as Pat and Pat says Paul is playing extremely well.
|
|
