Web site update: I have finally caught up on adding pictures from previous reunions. The latest, and last one in need of updating, being the 1998 Reunion in Gatlinburg, TN with 18 pictures being added there.
    We are still receiving pictures of shipmates and cruises on a pretty regular basis with about 30 added to the 70’s Cruises and crewmembers this time. I have also revamped the History page considerably and have added links to copies of actual Deck Logs from the ship. Man, talk about a wealth of ship’s history!
    Right now we have the Deck Logs for the 1965 Med. Cruise and the 1973 period when we were getting her ready for decommissioning posted on the web site. The Deck logs for the 1966 Med Cruise, the 1972 NATO purification run, 1972 GITMO trip and the last Med cruise she ever made have also been received and are being readied for the web site.
    Now for those of you who do not have access to the internet, we will have the Deck Logs available in the hospitality room for your viewing pleasure. While these may not cover the period of time you were aboard, they do represent what is available to us IF we choose to go after it.
    Plans for acquiring more years will be discussed during the Annual Business Meeting.

Ron Zimmerman
President

From the Desk of the Vice President.  Not a lot to report at this time, but the year is half over. For those of you living in the North I know you were glad to see Winter leave. Spring all over the country has been hit with many storms and damages, if not tornado's with heavy rains, then forest fires.
    Well it is getting close to that time of the year that you need to make your decision for attending the reunion. Don and Patti McClane have worked very hard to bring you a good reunion in Corpus Christi, TX. They have a good reunion planned so break out the check book and send your application and Reunion package in early. It will make it easier for Don to finalize the plans and help everything run smoothly.
    Just a short reminder for you to bring your suntan lotion so we don't see a bunch of Red Necks at the Banquet. Don't forget we have time to renew old friendships and also make new friends, and the hospitality room is a gathering place for this purpose. Hope to see many of you there again to remember the good times we all have had at these reunions. See you in September.

Sincerely,
Doug Hauser V.P.

Membership Report: I would like to start off by thanking you all for the support you have given, without your help and continued support we would not be here.
    We are close to 230 who have paid their 2004 dues and I know with your help that we could hit the 250 mark or better without too much of a problem. So for those of you who have not joined the Active membership, now is your chance to do so. For the few of you who have paid in the past but haven't paid in a couple years, I hope you can come back. We have had many new Active Members which makes us happy and I know there are many more out there that want to join us.
    The Board has been working on a numbered lapel pin program to show appreciation for and recognize those shipmates who for a number of years have shown their continued support of the organization by paying their dues. How it works: 2004 membership must be current; Active Members who have paid dues 2 consecutive years will receive a 2 year pin, 5 consecutive years a 5 year pin and 10 consecutive years a 10 year pin. The pins are very attractive, are about 1 ¼” diameter and designate the number of years.
    We have formed a list of those eligible, when dues are paid you will receive your Membership Card and Lapel pin at the same time. We will save a little postage and also make it easier for me to track. If I make a mistake be sure to let me know, I do make an occasional error. Ron Zimmerman and I have been working on this and I believe these pins will be well received.
    The Pins are now on order and we should have them soon. In closing I want to thank you all once more .

Doug Hauser
Membership Chairman.

Repair 3 Report:  June 6^th, 1944. Allied forces stormed ashore in France, marking the beginning of the end for Hitler's German war machine. This year marks the 60^th anniversary of the “Endless Day.” I wasn’t born yet, but many of our Shipmates were. Some were already in uniform, some were working in industry. Some of them may have watched a father, brother, or friend, go off to fight in the war, perhaps even participate in the D Day invasion. As a “Baby Boomer,” I can only imagine what they felt.
    6 months after D Day, the keel of the Great Sitkin was laid in Wilmington, North Carolina. Again, I can only imagine the mood and tempo of work at the shipyard, as workers there labored together to construct yet another ship to join the battle. We know that Great Sitkin was placed in commission 3 days prior to Japans surrender, which ended World War 2. I would imagine that made her a war vet. There is so much history from that period yet to be told. Ron is leading the effort to get copies of the deck log from various years, but I’d challenge everyone of you to make sure your own Great Sitkin story is told. I would be more than happy to take your written tales of life and events on the ship, and put them in a notebook format for future generations to read. Give that some thought and write or email me with your ideas.