All Hands,
It was a cold and somewhat snowy February field day aboard KENNEDY DD850
this past month but members of the volunteer crew continued their efforts to
restore and maintain USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. DD850.
Our local volunteers continue to provide the backbone of our support on a
weekly basis. Some highlights of our weekly progress are as follows:
-- Clean Sweep? While many will think this refers to cleaning the
passageways, it actually refers to the latest radar repeater efforts of Bob
Ledoux (USAF), Bob Ledux Jr, and their in-law John. The scuttlebutt aboard
ship was that Bob and his team had recent success with a SPA-25 repeater
that was being tested at his house. I gave him a call and was quickly
invited over to his house to see what the situation was. There in front of
me was a powered up SPA-25 with all its controls and sweeping motion
operational due to the input of a test signal. Is this repeater ready for
its final installation on the refreshed Bridge restoration? Bob Jr says not
yet as he is planning to make target inputs to complete the display! With
their victory in sight over this SPA-25 for the Pilot House, they powered up
a recently acquired SPA-25 (working with Maury Crotteau, USS Harwood DD861)
in CIC to test its condition and decided to take on the SPA-4 repeater for
CIC as well. We look to have all
our radar repeaters on KENNEDY DD850 working in refreshed Bridge and CIC
compartments.
-- Maury Crotteau continues to work on RBO and radio receiver work to keep
them up and running as well as work with Owen Hayes (USS Waldron DD699) to
install a power outlet for cove staff in the utility room on DD850.
-- Al Lundgren (USS John Paul Jones DD932), Jim Mulvihill (USS Waldron
DD699), and Rich Angelini are nearing the completion of the Pilot
House/Bridge restoration. Condition Circle W signage, painted and
stenciled battle helmets (CO, XO, HELM, BMOW, etc), installation of a new
parallel motion protractor on chart table, and the installation of a
overhead portable battle lantern holder are making the final touches
outstanding. This project looks to be complete within the next few weeks as
we finish up the detail items.
-- Bobby Young (USS Patterson FF-1061) has continued in the BOSN locker and
just about has it all prepped and primed. Once this is complete, we plan to
have it painted and put our acquired deck gear on display.
-- Bobby Young and Rich Angelini began the initial prepping of FOX Division
berthing for its painting and restoration by a combined team of volunteers
and cove staff.
-- Bob Kilkelly (USS Perkins DD877) from his snowed in home in New Hampshire
is keeping his sign machine running. He recently made a Disbursing Office
sign for the ship and awaits information to recreate signs for fuse boxes,
compartments, and equipment.
-- Battleship Cove staffmember and KENNEDY shipkeeper Dave Stawicki sprayed
Fox Division semi-gloss white and painted all the trim the correct light
gray. FOX Division has never looked so good. We hope to finish up the
detail work in the next few weeks.
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February mini field day:
Attendees:
Owen Hayes (USS Waldron DD699)
Maury Crotteau (USS Harwood DD861)
Jim Mulvihill (USS Waldron DD699)
Al Lungstren (USS John Paul Jones DD932)
Bobby Young (USS Patterson FF-1061)
Mike Angelini (USS J.P. Kennedy Jr. DD850)
Rich Angelini
Bob Washburn (USS William R. Rush DD714)
NAPS students
Dave Stawicki (BBCOVE Employee)
Projects and museum support undertaken:
-- Bobby Young and Rich Angelini lead a NAPS team to entirely prep, clean,
and mask FOX Division Berthing. Bobby and Rich located and set aside
equipment to be installed in FOX once painting is completed.
-- Bob Washburn led a team to begin the painting of the Scullery.
-- Work on the restoration of the Bridge continued.
-- Electronics repairs in the ET Shop.
-- General electrical repairs, bulb and starters changes, etc.
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Notes:
1. The March mini field day is coming up this weekend! The dates are
14-15-16 March. Please let us know if you plan to attend.
2. We will have a ALL Hands meeting on Saturday 15, March at 1215 to discuss
ship projects, business, and news.
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Please consider helping KENNEDY in any manner you can..history and this ship
depend on YOU.
Fair winds and following seas,
Rich Angelini
Assistant Curator, USS JOSEPH P KENNEDY JR DD850
Addendum to the field day report for DD850
All,
A few quick other tidbits:
1. We lost a DD850 supporter recently by the name of Albert Puliz. Sent
to us by Peter Papadakos, Mr. Puliz was a Navy veteran from World War II and
served on the USS RANDALL (APA-224)
<http://navsource.org/archives/10/03/03224.htm> as a signal man. After his
Navy service, he got his Business degree in Sacramento and began obtaining
experience in the Moving and Storage business, finally opening his own firm,
Puliz Moving & Storage, in 1977 and becoming Nevada's largest business in
that field.
From Peter's words:
In 2003, when I contacted Mr. Puliz about getting packing supplies for
our West Coast Ship Stripping Project, I had no idea he was a former sailor.
He told me I could have anything I needed and with the help of his son, Tim,
our West Coast Strip Team would received countless boxes, reams of packing
paper for those juice glasses we removed, wooden pallets to stack the boxes
on and all the packing tape and plastic shrink-wrap we used to create the
shipping pallets 7' tall for truck-shipping. He was our support-man for all
those trips of 2003 through 2006 - some shots shown below. Al fought cancer
during those times but was always interested to know how the strip-team was
doing. Al died this past Sunday at the age of 80 leaving a legacy with us
all, of having been a big contributor to the vessels of Battleship Cove in
helping us get key assets to you. He was one of those donors you never hear
about until his death leaves a huge hole.
His support and help will be missed. Thank you to him and his family for
everything they did for DD850.
2. We would like to give our thoughts to one of our volunteers,Bob Kilkelly
-- USS Perkins DD877, who may be undergoing surgery soon. Get well soon Bob
and we hope to see you aboard.
3. Gene Maresca of our sister ship USS Everett Larson DD830 sent a email
notifying us that this newsletter has prompted his association to donate
$1000 dollars to our restoration fund on KENNEDY DD850. We thank him and
his association for adopting and furthering the preservation of Gearing
class destroyers. As all should know, KENNEDY represents all GEARINGs and
destroyers in general. Note: DD830 is actually a museum in Korea!
4. Our sister ship, USS Orleck DD886 arrived at a shipyard in Orange, TX for
removal of her sonar dome and propellers. It is hoped she will then make her
way to a new home. Please keep your thoughts with this outstanding combat
veteran.
Rich Angelini
Asst Curator, KENNEDY DD850