Dear Shipmates,

This is a letter that I had hoped I would never have to write.  The Navy has decided to scrap our ship.  Elsewhere in this newsletter you can see that the bureaucrats at NAVSEA turned down Indian River as a potential home for the ship.  The reasons given are completely bogus.  If there had to be a drydock near every ship in the historic fleet there wouldn’t be many of them.  It’s a 17 hour tow from Indian River to Philadelphia while the ships at Fall River face as much as a three day tow to reach drydock in Boston.  Other ships in the fleet are even further away from such a facility.

As much as we tried in federal court to stop the dismantling of the ship we are unable to prevail.  We have spent many thousands of dollars in legal fees for our effort, but those same bureaucrats are able to appeal, appeal, and appeal once again with attorneys using our tax dollars.  Some things in life simply aren’t fair.

Losing Indian River as a home for the ship has run us out of places to moor her.  In addition we also will have lost funds that were available through the stimulus program because of the Delaware connection of the Vice President.  Attempting to raise $10 million in today’s economy is simply out of the question.  On hind sight I guess the actions of former Mayor of Baltimore, Martin O’Malley, and present governor to renege on his written promise to moor the ship in Baltimore doomed us.  Especially since we had financing for the project at that time.  In spite of our efforts over the years to find a home for her we simply couldn’t do it.

Now what?  In spite of objections from some at NAVSEA we have been able to have a court ordered agreement between the Foundation, NAVSEA, and Maine Maritime Museum to establish a memorial to the ship at Bath, Maine with parts of the actual ship.  The agreement is printed elsewhere in this newsletter.  Not many ships have been able to do this.  It is fitting that it goes to Maine as the ship was built right across the river from the museum.

In addition to the memorial we are requesting the Curator of the Navy turn over to us for transfer to Maine Maritime all the items they removed from the ship when it was stricken from the Navy’s rolls.  This includes the ship’s bell, and many other items.  All the memorabilia that the members of the Foundation have donated over the years will also be transferred to the museum.  Maine Maritime has already received as a donation the complete construction drawings, and records, from the builder Bath Iron Works.  The complete record of the ship will be housed at the museum, and on display, for all time.  I don’t know of another ship that can claim that.

This is going to cost money.  We have agreed to stand the expense of obtaining all these objects and transporting them to Maine.  In addition we have agreed to fund the construction of the memorial as well as endowing it for future maintenance.  We have set a goal of $200,000 to accomplish all this as well as retire our legal debt.  A future newsletter will outline these plans as we obtain more details.  However, if you wish to contribute to this fund prior to the end of the tax year we are more than willing to accept such donations.

Lastly, our plans for the reunion next May are still on.  All the details are contained in this newsletter.  Over half the rooms we have on hold are already reserved by members so if you plan to come, or even think you may come, I urge you to make a reservation soon.

Best personal regards,

Kurt Wagemann

To read the references:  Donation Agreement                  Letter USS Forrest Sherman             Transfer of US Naval Vessel

09/06/2011

Greetings Shipmates

It is with a great deal of sadness, and quite frankly with even more anger, that I must report to you that the bureaucrats at NAVSEA have turned down Indian River as a possible home for the Sherman.  They did it in a press release to the Delaware newspapers, and not a letter to either us or our attorneys.  I quote "According to Chris Johnson, spokesman for Naval Sea Systems Command, the size of the destroyer and the absence of a dry-docking facility were main reasons the Navy would not recommend the vessel at the inlet. 'The ship is a little bit larger than might be useful in that position.  That's not to say it can't be done, but those are the issues that would lead us to believe it's not the best course of action' ".  Quiet frankly, that's simply BS.  If there had to be a dry-dock facility near every ship in the historic fleet there wouldn't be many of them in existence.  It's less than a day's tow from Indian River to a dry-dock in Philadelphia.  It's a three day tow for the ships in Fall River to reach dry-dock in Boston.  At least one of the ships in the historic fleet, USS YORKTOWN at Patriots Point, has sunk into the mud and can't be towed anywhere.  We have our attorney in Philadelphia trying to mediate a settlement with the Navy, but its too early to know the exact outcome.  I have held the next newsletter until we can put the full details in it.

In the meantime our reunion next May in Ocean City is still going full steam ahead.  I've attached all the details and a reservation form.  Over half the rooms we had on hold are already taken so I would suggest you make your reservations as soon as possible even if you're not sure you can attend.  You can always cancel up to 48 hours before your scheduled arrival at no cost.  You do not need to send in any money yet for the activities, but we would appreciate the reservation form so we can plan ahead.  We have moved the reunion into the latter part of May to take advantage of better weather and beach time.  It should be a great party, and I hope you can attend.

Best regards,
Kurt Wagemann
President

Greetings Shipmates, 

I'm pleased to announce that we have surpassed the matching funds challenge by over a thousand dollars.  My thanks to each of you who helped make this successful.  I apologize for taking so long to get the thank you and tax letters out, but as of this morning the rest of them are now in the mail. 

The IRS says that we must acknowledge in writing all contributions in excess of $500.00.  However, we have always felt that if someone takes the time to write a check, or donate through the home page, they deserve a letter of recognition.  It slows us down at times, but we think its the right thing to do. 

The last report I received from The Dunes Manor Hotel showed that over one half of the rooms we reserved for our reunion are now taken.  Its just a little over a year away.  The reunion is scheduled from Sunday, May 20th 2012 to Wednesday, May 23rd, 2012.  The rates for those nights are $79 per night single/double.  If you come early the rates for Friday and Saturday are $139 per night single/double.  If you want to stay a few days longer the rates remain $79 per night through Thursday.  If you've never visited the Dunes Manor you should check out their home page at www.dunesmanor.com.  This is truly one of the best hotels in Ocean City with all rooms facing the ocean directly with a balcony.  To make a reservation call the hotel directly at 800-523-2888, ask for reservations, and tell them you're with the Forrest Sherman Group.  This is a wonderful time of the year down there.  The weather should be warm and the crowds haven't arrived as yet.  So, if you even think you may want to attend, call the hotel now and make a reservation.  You may always cancel at no charge up to 48 hours prior to your scheduled arrival if your plans change. 

Best regards,

Kurt

Greetings Shipmates, 

Just to update you on the matching funds donation challenge.  As of this morning we're still several thousand dollars short of our goal.  That's the bad news as it was supposed to end by the end of March.  The good news is that our friend in New York has agreed to extend it until April 15th since I have been out of the office so much lately.  So, I want to thank all the folks who have already made a donation, and I hope to catch up on the tax letters this weekend.  To those of you who haven't donated as yet you now have several more weeks to do so.  Remember, all donations to the Foundation are tax deductible.  You may also donate on line at www.ussforrestsherman.org or send a check to the office:  USS Forrest Sherman DD-931 Foundation, Inc., 720 Reedy Circle, Bel Air, MD 21014.  We do need your support as we still have legal bills to pay. 

Best regards,

Kurt

Greetings Shipmates, 

I wanted to update you as to our efforts to locate the USS Forrest Sherman DD-931 at Indian River Inlet in Delaware.  During the past month I've spoken to 15 various fraternal and civic organizations in the area with 5 more scheduled in the next two weeks.  These include VFW's, American Legion Post's, fishermen's organization, as well as other groups.  I'm happy to report that there is no organized opposition to the project such as we faced in Havre de Grace.  That doesn't mean everyone is in favor of it, but there is no group that I'm aware of that is fighting it.  We must demonstrate to the members of the legislature that this is a project that deserves to happen.  We only have 90 days to secure a berth or the bureaucrats at NAVSEA are once again threatening to scrap the ship.  They appear to never give up! 

All of this fight costs money.  Money that we don't have, but our attorneys have not let that stand in the way.  Now comes some good news.  The economy must be getting better as our friend in New York, who still wishes to remain anonymous, has issued a $10,000.00 matching funds challenge for all donations received by the Foundation until April 1st.  He will match dollar for dollar, up to $10,000.00, for each dollar you donate.  It couldn't come at a better time.  Please mark each check as "matching funds" and send to the Foundation office at 720 Reedy Circle, Bel Air, MD 21014.  Or, you may donate on line at our home page at www.ussforrestsherman.org.  Remember, all donations are tax deductible. 

I was amazed to receive a print out from the Dunes Manor Hotel in Ocean City, MD that over half the rooms we have on hold for next year's reunion are already taken.  The reunion is May 20th-23rd 2012 which is just a little over a year away.  The rooms are $79 per night single/double.  Those of you who have been there before know that this is a full service hotel with all rooms facing the ocean directly, and each room has a balcony.  We're still waiting to announce the activities, but I wouldn't wait to make a reservation.  You can always cancel at no cost if your plans change.  The hotel's toll free number is 800-523-2888.  Ask for reservations and tell them you're with the Forrest Sherman group to get this discounted rate. 

Best regards,

Kurt Wagemann
President

Greetings Shipmates, 

Attached are two articles (Web article click here)  (PDF Article click here) about our efforts to locate the ship in Indian River, Delaware.  We are still fighting with the Navy, but so far our attorneys have kept them at bay.  Its expensive, but it also is the only way we can save the ship. 

Our membership renewal is only at about 60%.  If you have put off, or misplace your form, a new form is attached.  We need all our members to renew to keep this fight going.  Donations help also.  This has been a very expensive fight, but with your help we'll win it! 

We believe that the ship can arrive at Indian River in the early spring of 2012.  So we have scheduled our next reunion to coincide with the ship's arrival.  We're going back to the Dunes Manor Hotel, in Ocean City Maryland, which is just a few miles from where the ship will be berthed.  Its too early to announce any activities, but it isn't too early for you to make a hotel reservation.  The reunion will be May 20th - 23th, 2012.  You may come earlier, or stay later if you wish.  The rate for Friday & Saturday nights is $139 per room single/double.  The rate for Sunday-Wednesday for the actual reunion is $79 per room single/double.  We only have 75 rooms on hold.  I urge you to make a reservation as soon as possible if you even think you might attend.  You may always cancel at no charge if you find you can't attend.  The toll free phone number is 800-523-2888, ask for reservations, and tell them you're with the Forrest Sherman Group. 

In a few months we'll send out an announcement of the activities as things become a little clearer. 

Best regards,

Kurt Wagemann

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, and this year we really have something to be thankful for.  Attached is a letter from Representative Gerald Hocker, of Delaware, to NAVSEA requesting the location of the Sherman be the Indian River Inlet and State Park.  We have found a home for the ship!  Only the construction of a new bridge on Route 1 will allow the ship to fit into that location albeit there will have to be some temporary modifications to the ship to fit under the bridge.  The masts and stacks will have to be lowered, or removed, as well as anything above the 03 (bridge) level.  This can be accomplished in the shipyard while the ship is undergoing restoration, either brought down to Indian River on a barge or flat bed trucks, and reinstalled once in place.  This equipment would be modified to be bolted in place so that it can be removed at a later date if the ship needs to go into dry-dock.  Indian River is located about half way between Rehoboth Beach, Delaware, and Ocean City, Maryland.  Its one of the most highly traveled roads in the state and the ship will be fully visible from the roadway.  Millions of tourists pass over this bridge every year.  The bridge is scheduled for completion in 2011.  This means the ship could possibility be in place in 2012.  We will now look to schedule our next reunion to coincide with the ship's arrival.  I am going down to Delaware on Monday through Friday next week to start the process with Representative Hocker and various local groups and officials. 

The meeting with the Navy and the various historic agencies went quite well for us on the 22nd.  All the federal, state, and local historic groups have insisted that we receive at least another year to put this project together.  Your emails certainly helped.  It is not too late to send more emails supporting locating the ship at Indian River.  The email address is: navsea_publicqueries@navy.mil.  Several of you had troubles with that link.  However, hundreds of your emails did go through.  If the link doesn't work please open your email program and type that address in the To: header.  It is really important that you help with this. 

We are processing the membership renewals in the office.  It is taking me a little longer than I would like since I've been swamped with all the recent events, but we do appreciate those of you who have renewed your membership.  However, we have only heard from less than 25% of the current members.  I know they are not due until the first of the year, but we need a full membership to keep up this fight.  Just to clear up one misunderstanding, dues money is not going to pay our attorneys.  That money is reserved to operate the Foundation over the year.  Its is the extra contributions that come in with membership dues that goes to pay our outstanding legal bills.  Without our attorney's efforts the ship would have been in a scrapyard in Brownsville, TX by now.  They are the ones who have kept the bureaucrats at NAVSEA at bay.  Remember, all contributions to the Foundation are tax deductible.  We still have a long way to go so please renew now, and if you can please consider something extra for the fight. 

Best regards,

Kurt Wagemann

Several weeks ago the Navy had a consultation meeting in Harrisburg with numerous federal, state, and private organizations to determine what should be done with the Sherman.  Since the ship is in Philadelphia, and has now been determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, it comes under the jurisdiction of the Pennsylvania Museum Commission.  All of the agencies in attendance at the meeting were of the opinion that the ship should be in a donation hold and made a museum in Delaware.  The Navy was represented by three civilian bureaucrats.  In fact, the only Navy personnel in attendance was one of our attorneys who is a JAG Cdr in the active reserves. 

They don't give up easily.  There is another meeting scheduled for this coming Monday, the 22nd, in Philadelphia.  They are now asking for public comment.  We need to flood them with emails.   The contact is: navsea_publicqueries@navy.mil.  Click on this link and send them a few polite words on the importance to the history of this country the Sherman is.  It would also help if you send me a copy Bcc: so that I have a record of them for the meeting. 

Please do this as soon as possible.  We need your help. 

Thanks,

Kurt

We have just won a major, major victory!  As I may have told you the Foundation nominated the Sherman to the National Register of Historic Places.  This is governed by the Park Service in the Department of the Interior.  The nomination had to go through the Pennsylvania Commission on Historic Preservation, and then to the Keeper of the Record of the National Register for a final determination.  The Navy fought as hard as they could to prevent the listing.  Initially the State of Pennsylvania agreed with them.  We then were forced to have our attorneys appeal their decision directly to the Keeper of the Record.  He then inspected the ship in Philadelphia and his decision is attached.  This victory for us cannot be appealed by the Navy.  The Keeper has made the final decision.  The Sherman eventually will be listed on the National Register of Historic Places. (see document here)

We have won every single hearing to date whether it was before an impartial judge in Federal Court or the Keeper of the Record.  Our cause is just or we would not have won.  I don't expect the bureaucrats at NAVSEA to give up.  It is my feeling that what they cannot win in the courts of this country they will try to win by outspending us with the taxpayers money.  Each time they try something we must defend it with our attorneys.  They use the Department of Justice for which we, the taxpayers, must pay.  The last invoice we received from our attorneys was for $36,572.08.  We have paid $20,000.00 of that.  That means we still owe in excess of $16,000.00 plus whatever it will cost to fight the next thrust by them. 

Once again I am turning to you for help.  I know the economy isn't great in spite of what some politicians are telling us.  But, all our efforts so far to find a home for the ship will go to naught if we cannot defend our rights.  Someone asked me how long we would continue to fight.  My answer is that as long as the ship is still afloat we will fight to save her. 

As you know we take Visa/MasterCard as well as checks.  You may donate on line at www.ussforrestsherman.org or by mailing a check to the USS Forrest Sherman DD-931 Foundation, Inc. at 720 Reedy Circle, Bel Air, MD 21014. 

Best personal regards,

Kurt Wagemann
President

Apparently there's been some confusion over the status of the Sherman, and most likely its been my fault.  The ship is back into a donation hold as a result of our lawsuit.  Please see attached memo from the Assistant Secretary of the Navy.  For how long I do not know.  At this point I have very little trust in them to do the right thing! 

On July 2nd we met with Governor Jack Markell, of Delaware, in his office in Wilmington.  He had a senior staff member of his administration with him.  I was very encouraged as he had done his homework on the project and was very familiar with it.  He asked his staff member to conduct a thorough review of the entire project, and all the options we have at our disposal including various berthing possibilities.

On July 21st we are meeting with his staff to look at several sites for the ship.  More to follow after that meeting.

The Navy has declined to nominate the ship to the National Register of Historic Places so we did it ourselves.  This is a 38 page form, and if you would like a copy I'll be glad to send it to you, but you should have a high speed ISP to download it.  It now goes to the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission for review as per attached letter from Carol Lee.  For those of you who live in Pennsylvania it would not be a bad idea to write to her endorsing this effort.  The mailing address is on the attachment.  I'm not attaching a suggested letter as we don't want anything that looks even remotely like a form letter.

I hope your summer is going well.  As soon as we have located a berth for the ship we'll plan the next reunion.  Most likely in 2012.

Hopefully things are quieting down.  Our meeting with the Governor of Delaware, which had to be postponed while the Navy played its little games, is back on the schedule for July 2nd at 10:30 in the morning at his office in Wilmington.  Unfortunately the legislature is in session until June 30th so we have to wait.  At least his interest is still there!

Our attorneys, along with the government attorney, had a conference with Judge DuBois on Friday afternoon.  The judge ordered the government to settle all outstanding issues with us, and have a draft into his office by next Friday.  We are insisting that some kind of procedure be set up to guarantee that the Inactive Ships Office will not touch the ship, or make any change in its status, without notifying us in advance including our right to appeal any such action to the court before they do so.  From time to time they most move the ships around in the Philadelphia yard to accommodate new ships.  So, we can't stand in the way of that, but we want to know in advance before they touch it for any reason.  Then there's the little matter of legal fees!  The Navy is really fighting that.  So, we'll see what happens. 

As you know our legal fees for this successful fight were $20,000.00.  Between what we had on hand, and what the many members contributed, we raised those funds in a few short weeks.  My thanks to all of you who contributed.  All the tax letters have now been sent out over this weekend.  New contributions will get a tax letter as soon as I can get them out.  Right now we are trying to replenish the funds we had on hand and had to use.  As you know we added a link to the home page, www.ussforrestsherman.org, where folks could donate directly to the Foundation. 

Again, thanks to all who have supported the Foundation with donation and letter writing.  It all helped!  We won!!!

Best regards,

Kurt Wagemann

President

After being confronted with the fact that officials from NAVSEA lied to the Federal Court (see attached) the Navy caved.  Attached is a letter from the Assistant Secretary of the Navy returning the USS FORREST SHERMAN DD-931 to a donation hold immediately. 

Its been a tough six weeks, but we prevailed.  We're broke, but we still have our ship.  A number of you asked if you could donate safely on line, and our webmaster, Bob Wood, has set that up.  Visit www.ussforrestsherman.org, click on donate, fill out the form, and hopefully we'll fill the coffers back up.  My thanks to all of you who rose to the occasion to help save the ship.

Best regards,

Kurt

Greetings Shipmates,

 The Court hearing on our law suit in Philadelphia has been rescheduled to June 3rd at 10 am.  This should work to our advantage allowing us more time to contact congress.  I have attached a list of all the members of the House and Senate Armed Forces Committees.  If any of these are your congressmen, or senator, please write them to ask for help in saving the Sherman.  I've attached a suggested letter, but feel free to put it in your own words.  The important thing is to do it quickly.  You'll need to go to their home page to get contact information.  A fax or email is the quickest, but each lawmaker has a different procedure.  If just one of these folks would call the Secretary of the Navy it may end our entire problem.  The Navy is beholden to these committees.  That's where they get their money.  All of these congressmen are up for election this year, and one third of the senate is.  They should help you.

On the financial front we are still short of our goal to pay for this suit by about $2,000.  If you've already made a donation I would like to thank you very much.  All the tax letters have now gone out.  Remember this donation is tax deductible.  If you haven't made a donation yet, please consider doing so now.  If you can't afford it I understand, but you can take the time to get a letter out.  This is the last effort to save the Sherman.  Please help!

 Best regards,

Kurt Wagemann

President

Sample FAX Click Here        Suggested Letter Click Here   List of Armed Forces Committees Members

Greetings Shipmates,

 The saga continues!  On Tuesday NAVSEA reneged on its written letter not to move the Sherman from the jurisdiction of the Court in Philadelphia.  We were forced to go into Federal Court in Philadelphia, before the Hon. Jan E. DuBois, to ask for an emergency temporary injunction to force the Navy to live up to the terms of their letter.  In spite of strong protests from the Assistant U.S. Attorney, who now represents the Navy, Judge DuBois granted us relief and signed the restraining order.  He then set May 26th for a hearing in the case. 

We have to stop these idiots at NAVSEA.  This is all done in the name of the Secretary of the Navy, but it highly unlikely that he knows anything about it.  I have obtained the personal fax number of the Secretary.  It is important that we flood his office with faxes from our members.  I've attached a sample fax with his number.  It is important that you put this information in your own words as much as possible.  We don't want it to look like a form letter.  They get disposed of quickly.  Please take the time today to send SECNAV your feelings and concerns. 

On the financial front we are just $3000 short of the $10,000 goal to pay for this law suit.  Thank you to all who have responded so quickly.  You will get an acknowledgement letter shortly.  For those of you who have not made a donation yet please take a few minutes to do so.  The survival of our ship depends upon it. 

Best regards,

Kurt Wagemann

President

Greeting Shipmates, 

This has been a hectic two weeks.  On May 3rd we were informed by an inside source at NAVSEA that the Navy had requested a proposal from a scrapper in Brownsville, TX to dismantle the Sherman.  The bid was due back at 2 pm on May 7th.  After that time they were free to tow the ship away from Philadelphia, and had actually made plans to do so.  Our attorney, Rear Admiral Steven Kantrowitz, JAG, USNR (Ret) who is in private practice in Philadelphia, prepared the attached law suit.  He then called Capt. Pietras, who is in charge of inactive ships, and confronted him with it.  He informed him that he would seek an emergency order from the court stopping the Navy from moving the ship.  Pietras went off the deep end.  Steve told him to get NAVSEA's lawyer to call him within 15 minutes or he was headed to court.  The lawyer called back, and after several calls agreed not to touch the ship until June 1st so that the case may be heard in court without an emergency hearing. 

We expect to prevail, but you never know what a judge will rule.  Since NAVSEA backed off quickly from towing the ship away there is always the possibility they may want a settlement instead of going into court and losing.  I've attached the law suit and the letter from NAVSEA's attorney.  The suit is filed in Federal Court, and a hearing will be scheduled.  I do not know the date yet.  In the meantime, please keep contacting your congressman and senators.  If they get to the Secretary of the Navy that may settle the entire thing. 

In the meantime this is costing us a lot of money which we do not have.  So far we have received about $4000 from our members in donations.  We really appreciate your help, but we need more.  We need another $6000 just to cover the court costs and legal fees.  We took $10,000 from our account as a deposit on the retainer.  We need to replace that.  There is no such thing as a donation too small, or too large.  We must win this law suit to save the ship.  We urgently need your help.  And, we need it now.  Remember that we do take Visa/MasterCard as well as a check.  All donations are fully tax deductible as allowed by law.  What better way to get a tax write off than by helping to save the ship. 

Best regards,

Kurt Wagemann

President

Complaint          Response to Pietras      Response to Glen Clark

Greetings Shipmates, 

As you can see with the attached letter to Capt Pietras the Navy is intent on scrapping the Sherman in violation of the law.  In fact, they have requested bids to scrap the ship that must be returned by this Friday, the 7th, at 2 pm.  After that time they can haul the ship away. 

We have no other choice but to go into Federal Court in Philadelphia immediately to seek and injunction to stop them.  The Foundation has retained the services of Rear Admiral Steven B. Kantrowitz, JAG, USNR (Ret) to represent us.  The suit will be filed shortly.  We don't know when the hearing will be, but this will effectively stop the Navy's actions, and take it our of their hands.  The Navy will be represented by the Civil Division of the Justice Department, and the case will be heard in Philadelphia which we hope will less inclined to give the government deference. 

While this will take some time, we still can pursue the congressional side of the question.  We need your help.  I have attached a suggested letter that you can email, FAX, or send to your two Senators and your Representative.  If enough of these elected officials contact the Secretary of the Navy he may change his position which could save us a lot of money.  You can use the letter as written, or feel free to make personal changes to it as you see fit.  The important thing is to get it out quickly. 

This effort is going to cost us $20,000 that we do not have budgeted.  I have sent Steve a retainer of $10,000 and this pretty much wipes out our funds.  I will have to curtail all of the Foundation's activities to preserve what little funds we have left.  If you have donated to the Foundation in the past please consider doing it again.  If you have never donated to the Foundation now is a good time to do so.  Remember, we have to raise $20,000 immediately.  This is our last effort to save our ship.  We need your help. 

Best regards,

Kurt Wagemann

President

Greetings Shipmates, 

The bureaucrats have struck again.  As you know they have no love for our project as we went over their heads to Congress to save the ship.  Looks like we're going to have to do it again, and quickly.  I was in Tennessee for a funeral the week before last when I received the first of these attached letters.  Unfortunately they now communicate with a secure code, and I wasn't able to open it with my iPhone.  When I got back to the motel I tried to open it with my laptop, but the code was on my desktop back in the office.  When I got back to the office I opened it and was shocked.  Just as we were closing in on a location for the ship in Wilmington they pulled this. 

I spoke with my personal attorney and he believes that they are doing something unlawful.  He advised me that since the ship is in Philadelphia, and NAVSEA Inactive Ships has an office there, we need to go into court there to obtain an injunction to prevent them from disposing of the ship.  The law calls for it to be held until early in January 2011.  The folks in Wilmington have been operating under the assumption that they have until the end of this year to submit an application for donation as the law calls for.  My attorney does not know an attorney in Philadelphia, and the only member of the Foundation who is an attorney in Philadelphia specializes in asbestos case.  He is going to try to find someone as quickly as he can, but we are really under the gun.  If any of you who live in the Philly area know an attorney who could handle this please let me know immediately. 

We have face serious threats before, and we will win this one. 

Best regards,

Kurt

I just wanted to thank everyone for sending in their renewals of membership and donations.  I am way behind in getting the 2010 Membership Cards out, but I am working as fast as I can.  We are really swamped in the office with a number of things.  I hope you understand. 

Have you ever wanted to see the Sherman underway again?  The movie WINDJAMMER was filmed, in part, from the fantail of the Sherman.  Here is a 8 minute clip of the movie when a highline transfer was done between the ships at sea.  It features Capt. Crenshaw, the crew of the Sherman, and the crew of the Norwegian Sailing ship Christian Radich.  Turn your sound up and enjoy: 

YouTube - Windjammer & the United States Navy Taskforce Seaplane, Submarine and Destroyer

 Thanks to all the members who forwarded this to me. 

Best regards,

Kurt

Greeting Shipmates,

Its with a great deal of sadness that I must inform you of the passing of Leonard "Doc" McCabe after a long illness.  Doc went peacefully in his chair after watching TV.  He had been very active up until the end.  Just two weeks ago he went to a Boy Scout gathering, and had made many trips before that.  Doc knew what he faced and made the preparations that he wanted to. 

To his daughter Kathy, and the rest of the family, we send our heart felt condolences.  We will miss Doc very much.  He was a strong supporter of the effort to save his ship, and a good friend to all of us.  Doc, we wish you fair seas, and following winds!

His obituary is printed below.

Best regards,

Kurt

                                                                     McGuinness Funeral Home

34 Hunter St.

Woodbury, NJ 08096

856-845-0888

McCabe, Leonard M., 80, of Oak Valley, NJ on July 23, 2009

Legacy

Phoenixville, PA was the home of his birth.  He served 20 years in the Navy, retiring as a Hospital Corpsman Chief Petty Officer (HMC retired) aka “Doc”.  A WWII, Korean, Vietnam veteran.  His second career of 20+ years was with Keystone Automotive as a sales representative.  During this time, he met and enjoyed the company of the employees of many of the auto body shops.  Leonard was a member of the Boy Scout organization for 69+ years in the Chester Co. and So. Jersey Councils. He was an Eagle Scout, a Silver Beaver recipient, and member of the Order of the Arrow.  He was a member of the NRA, the Military Vehicle Preservation Assoc., the Greater PA. Assoc. of the MVPA; the Oak Valley Fire Co for 35+ years, member of the USS Forrest Sherman Foundation, a 2^nd Armor WWII re-enactor and participant of the Circle Trigon. A member of the Fleet Reserve Assoc.; a life member of the American Legion; a volunteer at Camp Roosevelt on the Thursday crew and a volunteer educator at Kingsway HS for 15 years.

Family

Leonard was the beloved husband of the late Barbara (nee Rich), loving father of Karen (John) Murray, Kathleen (Arthur) Latshaw, Veronica McCabe, Linda (James) Bauers and Irene (Ted) Jagielski; dear brother of Eugene, Tom and Marty; adoring grandfather of Shawn, Jennifer, Caryn, Joelle, Jonathan, Justin, and Adam, and devoted great grandfather of Alexa. 

Service

Viewing Tuesday 6:30-9 PM in the McGuinness Funeral Home 34 Hunter St. Woodbury and Wednesday 8:30-9:45AM in St. Margaret R. C. Church, 334 Beech Ave., Woodbury Heights, NJ.  Funeral Mass will follow at 10 AM.

Interment Hillcrest Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Boy Scouts of America or the Oak Valley Fire Company.

 Tributes and memories may be shared at www.mcgfuneral.com

Greetings Shipmates, 

A great time was had by all at the reunion.  The weather was perfect.   

The winners of the raffle are as follows: 

    54" scale model of the Sherman    Paul Nace

    Hand crafted desk set    Steve Hess

    Inscribed book by David Sears    Charlie Flannery

    Inscribed book by David Sears    Bill Montgomery

    Free Tin Can Sailors Membership    Frank Schweibenz

    $10 gift cards from TCS    John Sluus and Jim West

    $5 gift cards from TCS    Peter Buiak, Bruce Mackay, John Sluus, Charles Hilgendorf

    Free HNSA Guides from TCS    John Mattly, Mike Mallach, John Krizak, Herbert Katzenberg 

Those who won, and were not in attendance for the drawing, will have their prizes shipped to them.   

01/31/2009

Greetings Shipmates,

Trust me.  Spring is coming!  Along with Spring will be our great reunion in Ocean City.  There are still about 12 rooms left.  So, don't be left out.  This will be our largest reunion so far.  Make your reservations immediately.  All the information is attached.  Also attached is the reservation form.  Payment for the activities can be made now.  We accept cash, check, or Visa/MasterCard.  Payment must be made by March 15th.

Once again we are going to have the big raffle.  Another 52" scale model of the USS FORREST SHERMAN DD-931 has been made by master model builder Bob Mehlrose as the grand prize.  This model has a value of $2000.  Second prize is the wonderful hand crafted Sherman pen and pencil set made by shipmate Steve Lawless.  This set has a value of $300.  Plus there will be 8 other prizes to be announced.  You don't have to be present at the reunion to win.  Each chance cost $5 and you may send in the money to the office and we'll send you your raffle tickets.  Prizes will be shipped directly to the winners home if you aren't in attendance. 

12/24/2008

Greetings Shipmates,

On behalf of the Officers and Board of Directors I would like to wish each of you a very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a Happy New Year!  May the blessings of the season reach all of you!

It may be too late for you to do some shopping on line for Christmas, but the Foundation is now affiliated with GoodSearch.com.  This organization exists on line to help non-profits raise money by shopping at almost every major retailer in the country.  Each of these merchants will contribute to the Foundation if you purchase anything from them through this web page.  Go to www.GoodSearch.com, where you see "Who Do You GoodSearch For?"  type in Forrest Sherman Foundation, when the next page comes up click on GoodShop.  You will see a tremendous list of merchants through out the country ranging from Macy's to Home Depot.  It will also list the percentage each merchant will donate to the Foundation if you make a purchase from them through this site.  Its that simple.  Bookmark www.GoodSearch.com on your computer and when you shop on line do it through them!

Many of you have already sent in your membership renewals.  This is just a reminder that they are due on January 1st.

Another reminder is that there are just a few rooms left at the Dunes Manor Hotel in Ocean City, Maryland, for next April's reunion.  Don't be left out!  This is going to be our largest reunion yet.

Finally, I received an email from Jeana Payne McKinley trying to find out some information about her grand father, Frank H. Payne, who served on the Sherman from 1959-1961.  Paula believes that he was a yeoman.  Frank passed away in 1967 when Jeana's mother was just 1 month old.  They only have 1 picture of Frank and are trying to find out more information, and pictures, about him.  If you served with Frank please email Jeana at sunnibeach4@hotmail.com.  I know that she'll really appreciate hearing from any of you who may remember Frank.

Greetings Shipmates,

The Reunion 2009, next April, in Ocean City is filling the hotel very quickly.  There are still some rooms left, but not many.  If you think you may even want to attend, but still aren't sure, I urge you to make a hotel reservation soon.  You may always cancel at no cost if you decide you can't attend.  You also don't have to send in any money for the activities as yet, but I do want to make sure you get a room. 

Many of you asked who was coming.  I've attached the list of reservations we have so far.  If your name isn't on the list its because we don't have a reservation for you.  Don't be left out!  I've attached all the information. 

If you didn't receive the recent newsletter its because we don't have a home mailing address for you.  Please send me your address and I'll see that you get the latest newsletter and also be on the mailing list for future ones.

Greetings Shipmates,

The great news is that we have almost used up all the hotel rooms we had on hold for the reunion next April at the Dunes Manor Hotel in Ocean City, MD.  There are about 30 rooms left in the entire hotel.  They will give them to us on a first come first serve basis.  However, they won't hold the rest for us as they feel they have to make some available to the general public.  So, if you plan to go you should make a hotel reservation right away.  When the hotel fills up you will be on your own as we can't guarantee any hotel a block of rooms.  This has happened in the past and I can assure you that equal hotels cost a lot more than what we pay for ocean front rooms.  You may always cancel at no charge if your plans change.  Besides, you may be just a short drive from what may be the new home of the Sherman!

The $10,000 matching fund challenge ends July 4th.  As of today we have only raised $2655.  That is a major disappointment because $10,000 in donations will equal $20,000 in funds on hand.  Every thing we do to obtain the Sherman costs money.  We pay no salaries.  All your officers serve as volunteers.  It has cost over $2500 just to print a presentation packet for Delaware.  There are photos, engineering studies, and other information concerning the project in this packet.  By the time we are done there will be over 30 copies of this.  It is your donations that make this possible.  I know that gas is not cheap, and the economy isn't the best, but we still have a mission to complete.  It can't happen without your help.  If you haven't made a donation recently please take this opportunity to do so now.  Ask your friends to join our effort. 

I hope you have a wonderful 4th of July, and take a few minutes to reflect on just what that day represents.

 Best regards,

Kurt Wagemann
President

Have you made a hotel reservation for the next reunion yet?  There are only 20 rooms left that we had held at the Dunes Manor Hotel in Ocean City.  This looks to be the largest reunion we have had yet.  Don't be left out.  Make your reservation now.  It doesn't cost anything and you may always cancel if you're unable to attend.  The information is attached.  And, you're just a few miles from the possible location of the Sherman.

As of today we have raised $1945.00 towards the $10,000 matching funds challenge.  Remember that it ends on the 4th of July.  We have a long way to go, and a short time to do it!  All donations are tax deductible, and your donation will be doubled.  The membership dues do not cover our efforts to save our ship completely.  It is the individual donation that makes our effort successful.  Your help is needed now more than ever.

As a result of our last mailing we have received 21 new paid members.  We thank you very much, and if you've forgotten to join please take a few minutes to do so.

I hope that you have a happy summer!

The newest newsletter went out on Monday.  We've had some delivery problems with the post office for the last two newsletters.  We sent this one out in an envelope to see if it gets delivered promptly.  If you don't receive yours in about two weeks please let me know.
One exciting content in this newsletter is a matching funds challenge for all donations received by the 4th of July.  The same member, who wishes to remain anonymous, will match all donations made to the Foundation by the 4th up to $10,000.00.  Many of you wait until the end of the year to make a donation with your renewal.  However, right now your donation will be doubled.  If you've been thinking about making a donation to the Foundation, or if you have never made a donation, now is the time to do it.  Remember, all donations are tax deductible.  Why wait?
The attached information about next year's reunion is also in the newsletter.  We have 100 rooms on hold at the hotel, and because you are on our email list 63 of those rooms are gone.  The newsletter goes to almost four times as many members as this email list.  So, I would expect the rest of the rooms to go very quickly.  If you are even thinking of attending I would make a reservation now.  It doesn't cost anything to make a reservation and you can always cancel it if your plans change.  You don't even need to send in any money for the activities.  There is plenty of time to do that, but don't hesitate on getting a room!

It is with a great deal of personal sorrow that I must report the passing of Henry L. Kingsburg, YNC (Ret) on February 27th.  Kings was my Chief on the Sherman from 1957-1959, and he taught me many lessons that have lasted my entire life.  I hadn't seen him from the time I left the ship until a recent reunion.  We kept in close contact after that until last week.  I guess that's one reason these reunions are so important.  It gives us a chance to see long lost shipmates and renew a very important bond of friendship.  Kings had felt the same way as he had already made a reservation for the Reunion 2009.  He will be missed.  Our condolences go to his daughters Judy and Sonja as well as his extended family. 

Best personal regards,

Kurt

Greeting Shipmates,

Well, the time has come to pick a place for the reunion in 2009.  The vote as of today was 63-7 in favor of returning to Ocean City April 26th-29th, 2009.  Majority rules!

As you know, we usually sell out all our allotted rooms.  At some of the other reunions folks had to stay elsewhere because the hotel was full.  I would strongly suggest that you make your hotel reservation now.  You may always cancel up to 24 hours prior to your scheduled arrival at no cost if your plans must change.  But, make sure you have a room!

You don't need to send in any money now, but it is helpful to get the form returned as soon as possible.  Remember, you have to call the hotel directly for a room reservation.  The activities form comes to the address on the bottom of the form.

Greetings Shipmates,

The following are the winners in the Sherman Raffle:

1st Prize.  The ship model.  Denis Tsukalas.

2nd & 3rd Prizes.  Custom Pen & Pencil sets.  Steve Hess & Eric Reitz.

4th-10 Prizes.  Ship patches.  Jesse Hunt, Peter Buiak, Harold Taylor, Russell Crenshaw, Mike Allfrey, Bill Montgomery, and John Mattly.

Thanks you all for participating.  The winning prizes will be shipped this week. 

Happy New Year!

The newsletter is in the mail and should start being delivered tomorrow.  Two thirds of the raffle tickets are now sold, and the rest should go quickly once the members receive the newsletter.  If you want a ticket for these great prizes you should beat the last minute rush and send it in now.  As soon as they are gone we will have the drawing.  Just to remind you what the great prizes are: 

FIRST PRIZE.  A 52” handmade scale model of the Sherman by master model builder Bob Mehlrose.  This model has a value of $2000.00.  It will be shipped directly to the winner’s address by UPS and fully insured against damage.

2^ND & 3^RD PRIZES.  A hand crafted Sherman Pen and Pencil Desk Set in wooden case by shipmate Steve Lawless.  These sets have a value of $300.00 each.

4^TH-10^TH PRIZES.  Genuine Sherman patches.  Each patch has a value of $10.00.

For each $5 donation to the Foundation you will receive a chance in this raffle.  You may buy as many chances as you wish.  The number of chances are limited like the last time.  So, its first come first served.  We accept cash, checks, and Visa/MasterCard.  The drawing will be held as soon as all the chances are sold.  You may pay by a credit card by email.  If you wish to mail in a check, or cash, the address is: 

USS FORREST SHERMAN DD-931 Foundation, Inc.

720 Reedy Circle

Bel Air, MD 21014

Greetings Shipmates, 

The Fall edition of the Sherman News will be in the mail this week.  It will contain a lot of news about our new proposed location for the ship.  Some of you won't receive it because we don't have your home mailing address.  If you haven't received it in 2 weeks please send in your address to the office.

Membership renewals will be sent out by the end of the month.  Membership is on a calendar year basis.  You'll receive your card for 2008, but to be a member you have to fill out the renewal form and mail it back to the office with your check or credit card info.

When the newsletter went to the printer we still had 15 staterooms left for the 2nd Sherman Cruise to Bermuda next October.  Now we only have 7 left.  I've attached the info and reservation form to this email.  If you want to go, or even think you may want to go, fill out the form and fax it back to the numbers listed at the bottom of the form.  If we use up all our held staterooms there is a slight possibility that our travel agent may be able to get some more, but this cruise sells out quickly and there is no guarantee he can do that.

Greetings Shipmates, 

As part of process to locate the ship, we have to have a pier engineering design study done.  The cost of this will be in excess of $38,000.  We will have to pay for most of this study.  The most successful fund raising raffle for the Foundation was held at the last reunion, we are going to do it again to help raise the $19,000 we need for our part of the study.  This time on line, in the next newsletter, and with public solicitations.  Your help is really needed, and you have a great chance to win one of ten wonderful prizes. 

FIRST PRIZE  A 52" handmade scale model of the Sherman by master model builder Bob Mehlrose.  This model has a value of $2000.00.  It will be shipped directly to the winner's address by UPS and fully insured against damage.

2ND & 3RD PRIZES  A hand crafted Sherman Pen and Pencil set in wooden case by shipmate Steve Lawless.  These sets have a value of $300.00 each.

4TH-10TH PRIZES  Genuine Sherman patches.  Each patch has a value of $10.

For each $5 donation to the Foundation you will receive a chance in this raffle.  You may buy as many chances as you wish.  The number of chances are limited like the last time.  So, its first come first served.  We accept cash, checks, and MasterCard/Visa.  The drawing will be held as soon as all the chances are sold.  You may pay by credit card with an email.  If you wish to mail in a check, cash, or credit card number the address is:

USS FORREST SHERMAN DD-931 Foundation, Inc., 720 Reedy Circle, Bel Air, MD 21014

You'd better hurry.  The chances won't last very long!

Greetings Shipmates, 

It is with a great deal of sadness that I must report to you the recent passing of CDR John Fitzpatrick, USN (Ret).  Jack was the husband of the late Ann Fitzpatrick, a life member of our Foundation and the daughter of Admiral Sherman, and one of our strongest supporters.  The memorial service and internment of his ashes will be held at Arlington's Fort Myers Chapel on October 30th at 12:45 pm.  This service is open to all Foundation members. 

Recently a number of you have forwarded emails from a web site claiming they are an official site of the USS FORREST SHERMAN DD-931, and selling merchandise with the Sherman's likeness on it.  It is called Navy Emporium.  This site is not affiliated with the Foundation, and we have sent them a cease-and-desist demand.  As of today they have not responded.  If you have received such an email we ask you not to purchase items from them.  All the Sherman merchandise that is sold in our ship's store goes to help restore the ship.  If you scroll down to the bottom of their phony newsletter web page there is a way to take you off their email list.  We ask that you please do that.  We also ask that if you receive any such solicitations in the future that you please forward them to our office. 

The Sherman Cruise to Bermuda was one of the best events we have ever held.  It was so successful that we are going to do it again next year.  We only have 30 staterooms held, and they should go very quickly.  If you're interested in going you should make a reservation shortly.  Last year my wife and I decided we would give the cruise to each other as a combination Christmas/Anniversary gift.  It was the best present we have ever received.  We have already made our reservation for next year.  I hope you can join us.  The full details are attached, and pictures of the most recent cruise will be in the newsletter with more details. 

Best personal regards,

Kurt Wagemann

President

Heard about Bermuda?  Click here to find out more.

Greetings Shipmates,

I am pleased to announce that the principal speaker at our banquet during the Reunion 2006 will be Capt. Channing Zucker, USN (Ret). Chan is now President of Tin Can Sailors, but when I first met him he was Executive Director of the Historic Naval Ships Association. Perhaps no one was more helpful in guiding us in the Sherman project than Chan. He was always there with advice, and with contacts. Our project actually started with the late Tom Peltin, who at that time was President of TCS. He referred me to Chan and we were on our way. It will be great to have Chan join us.

My wife and I spent last weekend in Ocean City at the Dunes Manor Hotel. While there we made the final arrangements for our reunion. Almost all of our allotted rooms are gone. So, the hotel has closed of the rest of the rooms to make them available to us. I know that there are almost 8 months until the reunion, but if you wish to attend I urge you to make a reservation at the hotel now. All the information is attached. If something comes up to make you have to change your plans you may always cancel up to 48 hours prior to your scheduled arrival at no cost. So, don't wait and be out of luck...call today!

The latest edition of the Sherman News was put in the mail on Thursday. It contains the complete details of our most recent success with Congress, plus much more information. We don't have home mailing addresses for some of you, and you won't be receiving the newsletter. If you send your address to the office we will mail you a copy.

Shipmates,

You may have received the below email. Please be advised that this company is not connected with the Foundation, and we urge you not to purchase anything from them. We have tried to ask them to stop this practice, but they continue. It is because of them that we have removed email addresses from our home page. I would suggest that you send this jerk a message and take advantage of his offer to remove your name from his mailing list.

Best,
Kurt



From: The USS FORREST SHERMAN Store
[mailto:uss_forrest_sherman@jj-ent.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 03, 2006 4:56 PM
To: ussforrestsherman@lin-m.com
Subject: USS FORREST SHERMAN (DD-931) STORE

For the upcoming cold weather and next year's reunion the store now has
added many kids items:

Kids Baseball Jersey, Kids Hoodie, and Kids T-Shirt. Also, Jr. Baby Doll
T- Shirt, Jr. Spaghetti Tank, Mens Ringer Tee, Mens Sleeveless Tee, Ringer T-
Shirt, Women's Cap Sleeve T-Shirt, Women's Tank Top, Women's Raglan
Hoodie, and Women's Tracksuit.

These items are in addition to T-shirts, mugs, baseball jerseys, mousepads,
caps, and other items.

It also has items for infants. All have the unit's name and/or a USN
insignia printed on them..

The store offering these items for sale is a division of JJ-Enterprises.
JJ-Enterprises is not associated with the U.S. Government in any form.
Nor is it associated with any group of former or existing members of USN
units.

Advertisement. You may request not to receive future commercial
electronic mail messages at the electronic mail address where this message was
received. Send an electronic mail message to noe-mail@jj-ent.com. JJ-
Enterprises, 1610 S. 31st. Suite 102-120, Temple, Tx 76504.

Greetings Shipmates, 

Congress just passed the following legislation as part of the Department of Defense Authorization Bill for Fiscal Year 2006.  I wish you Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and a wonderful New Year! 

Best,

Kurt 

SEC. 1015. TRANSFER OF EX-U.S.S. FORREST SHERMAN.

    (a) Transfer.--The Secretary of the Navy may transfer the decommissioned destroyer ex-U.S.S. Forrest Sherman (DD-931) to the USS Forrest Sherman DD-931 Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization under the laws of the State of Maryland, subject to the submission of a donation application for that vessel that is satisfactory to the Secretary.

    (b) Applicable Law.--The transfer under this section is subject to subsections (b) and (c) of section 7306 of title 10, United States Code. Subsection (d) of that section is hereby waived with respect to such transfer.

    (c) Additional Terms and Conditions.--The Secretary may require such additional terms and conditions in connection with the transfer under subsection (a) as the Secretary considers appropriate.

    (d) Expiration of Authority.--The authority granted by subsection (a) shall expire at the end of the five-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.

Greetings Shipmates,

As we approach the Holiday Season there are many Sherman gifts that are available that make great presents as well as help restore the ship. Go to our home page at www.ussforrestsherman.org, click on Site Map at the bottom of the page, and then click on Ship's Store.

We have available for immediate shipment from the Foundation office Sherman T-Shirts @ $15 + $2 shipping, the wonderful Sherman Christmas tree ornament @ $15, the Sherman patch @ $8, and the Sherman coin @ $10. You can either send in a check or if you want quick delivery email us your Visa/MasterCard number with expiration date.

Our shipmate, Ron Taylor of Taylor Made Jewelry who crafts the solid gold Sherman jewelry shown in the Ship's Store, informs me that the price of gold has skyrocketed in the past several weeks, and that the cost of his jewelry is now on a "as quoted" basis. However, we have a few of his items left in stock at the currently advertised price for immediate shipment. The gold Sherman Tie Tac is available @ $65 and we only have one in stock. The gold Sherman pendant is $120 and there are 3 in stock. The gold Sherman pin is $65 and we have only 2 in stock. If you are interested in any of Ron's other beautiful items please contact the office for price and delivery.

The many Sherman clothing items, including the new Sherman hat, can be purchased directly from KT Creations Visit their home page at www.KT-creations.com for information or click on the link in the Ship's Store.

There are many cool items from our shipmate Rick Blackwood at the Databank that are also shown in the Ship's Store that can be ordered directly from him by clicking on each item shown in the Ship's Store. Rick says these can be shipped in 2-3 days from placing the order. The Sherman coffee cup is a must for anyone who likes a truly big cup of coffee!

Lastly, but probably most important, our shipmate Frank Rudl has been diagnosed with Asbestosis, which most probably has come from his exposure to asbestos contained not only on the Sherman, but other ship's that he served on during his Navy career. Frank has applied for a VA disability pension, and the VA is requesting documentation from former shipmates that the ship contained asbestos. Frank served on board from 1959-1961. If you served on board during that time period, and are aware of the asbestos that was on the ship during that time period, it would help Frank if you could send him a letter about the exposure to asbestos that all of us faced. Frank's home mailing address is 834 Gator Lane, Deltona, Florida 32738. You may also email Frank at PHOSPHATE@aol.com.

Greetings Shipmates,

There are a number of issues that I would like to update you. So, here goes:

CONGRESS. In the last newsletter we explained that the Department of Defense Authorization Bill for Fiscal Year 2006, which includes the language requiring the Secretary of the Navy to donate DD-931 to the Foundation, was bottled up in the Senate because of partisan bickering. I am happy to report that six months after the House passed the bill the Senate has now done the same. Now the bill goes to conference between members of the House and Senate to reconcile language differences between the two bills. While there are many contentious items in each bill, the Sherman language is not one of them. We fully expect to prevail in conference. Our language has gained the support of Senator Susan Collins of Maine who is on the Senate Armed Services Committee and is one of the conferees. DD-931 was built at the Bath Iron Works in Senator Collin's state. As of now the conference is tentatively scheduled for December 12th, but that could always change. We'll keep you posted.

MEMBERSHIP. Renewal membership forms were sent out with membership cards for 2006 at the beginning of November. We urge you to fill out the form and return to the office as soon as possible. All memberships expire at the end of December. If you did not receive your card for 2006 it is because you are not a paid member of the Foundation. We have just sent a separate letter to everyone who either failed to renew their membership in the past or have never joined the Foundation. Now. more than ever, we need you as a paid member of the Foundation. For your convenience I have attached a membership application form to this email.

REUNION 2006. I know that September 2006 seems like a long way off, but it will be here before you know it. There are only a few rooms left at the Dunes Manor Hotel for this great event. If you even think you may want to attend I urge you to call the hotel directly to make a reservation. Once the rooms are gone you will be on your own to make lodging arrangement. I have attached a reunion form that contains all the information for you convenience. Please fill it out and return to the office as soon as possible. You don't have to send any money now, but we would like to know that you are coming. Remember, you may always cancel up to 48 hours prior to your scheduled arrival at no cost if something comes up and you must change your plans.

DONATIONS. We just recently discovered that NAVSEA has changed their requirements for a mooring plan for any donated ship. This is now an extensive requirement that requires detailed engineering data as well as it must be submitted on a computer program established by the Navy. This is going to cost us $14,300.00 that we did not have budgeted. As we approach the end of the tax year this is a good time to help the Foundation with a donation as well as to get a deduction on your 2005 IRS return. The Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit corporation and all donations are tax deductible. We need your help, and no donation is too small.

10/3/2005

 Shipmates,

 It is with a great deal of regret that I must inform you that the Navy, and Northrop Grumman, have cancelled the December 10th commissioning of DDG-98.  The excuse given is that hurricane Katrina has made this event impossible to hold.  The two dates I've been given are January 21st or 28th, 2006.  However, nothing has been confirmed, and quite frankly after they changed the keel laying ceremony date on short notice I cannot in good faith trust them.  As you may know, for the keel laying ceremonies the Foundation had almost all the guests outside of the ship yard workers.  For the christening we easily had 2/3 rd's of those in attendance.

I must tell you that I have protested this to the highest levels of the Department of Defense all to no avail.  Pensacola, according to my contact with the Chamber of Commerce, received no damage from the storm, and at this point is unaware that the cancellation has happened.  They are still advertising the event on their home page.  According to the press releases the Navy sent out after the storm DDG-98 received only minor damage, and that has already been repaired.  I've attached that press release for your information.  The only excuse that I can think of is that the bureaucrats in the Navy, and Northrop Grumman, cannot get their act together in time for the event.

Last Tuesday I received an email from Sherry Boman, the bureaucrat responsible for the commissioning events, that they were back on line, the crew was moving on the ship, and asking us for the data base to send out the invitations.  The very next day I received another email from her stating that it was cancelled with no logical reasons given.  I started immediately to contact the Secretary of the Navy, and high officials with the Department of Defense.  In a phone conversation with that official today I was informed that there was nothing they could do.  I also sent emails to Ms Boman and the Prospective Commanding Officer of DDG-98.  To date I have not even had a reply.

I know many of you have made your reservations at the hotel, and paid for airline flights.  I also know that many of these flights were purchased with no refunds or transfers possible.  I further know that many of you are going to suffer a significant loss, as I am also.  I called Northwest Airlines to see if I could change my reservations, and they said no.  The almost $600 I spent is gone!  I pointed out to the Navy that these costs could easily exceed $60,000 if you all had already made, and paid for, your plane reservations.  The Navy offered to make a mailing to explain this, but I asked them to refund the money you have already paid.  I was told that the Navy has no funds to do this.

I have informed the hotel of the cancellation.  The manager is not a happy camper either.  You will need to call the hotel, 850-455-4561, and cancel your reservations that have been held by credit card.  If you do that promptly you will not be charged for the room.  Unfortunately I can do nothing about the airlines.

As you know, when the Foundation plans an event we do a good job.  Receptions, dinners, and hospitality rooms are always a highlight of any of our events including the December 10th scheduled commissioning.  We have been planning for this event since March.  As late as several weeks ago we sent out a mailing to over 1200 folks promoting this event.  At this late date, with no confirmed alternative date from the Navy, the Foundation must reluctantly withdraw its support of this project.  We will not be involved in something that is sloppy, and this very well may be.  For personal reasons I will not be attending the event if it is scheduled in January.  Our work load in the office is extremely high during October, November and December months.  We are in the midst of negotiating a long term lease for DD-931, there is our bill before the Senate, we have renewals coming up, a major fund raising drive is underway, and the fall newsletter must go out.  We simply do not have the time to deal with this.  Unlike the Navy we do not have a lot of yeomen sitting around the office looking for work.

If you have complaints, or want information, please contact Ms. Sherry Boman at BomanSM@peosnap.navy.mil.  Her phone number is 228-762-4419.  You should also copy Joseph Hanna at joseph.hanna@ngc.com who is also involved with the event on behalf of Northrop Grumman.  His phone number is 251-583-1242.  The phone number for the administrative office of DDG-98 is 228-769-4591.

I can't tell you how upset I am about this, and the financial losses you may incur.  But, as one of our Board members said "Tell them to go to hell.  DD-931 is our ship not DDG-98".  At this point I guess that sums it up best.

Best regards,

Kurt

Greetings Shipmates,

Several of you have received emails from a JJ Enterprises in Temple, Texas, offering various Sherman merchandise for sale. This company is not affiliated with the Forrest Sherman Foundation, and we ask you not to purchase anything from them. They have stolen our shipmate's, Rick Blackwood, right to sell our merchandise. Rick's address is www.cafeshops.com/databank/271541. Rick donates a portion of each sale to the Foundation. Plus, we can vouch for the quality of his merchandise. We have no idea what the quality is of the other company.

This firm tried this some months ago, and I thought we had put a stop to it. Apparently we didn't. This is the reason we took the members email address off our home page. We have turned this matter over to our attorneys as we believe this violates our copyright of the Sherman merchandise.

The Navy has requested our mailing list for invitations to the commissioning of the USS FORREST SHERMAN DDG-98. If you already receive the Foundation newsletter you are on the list. If you do not receive the newsletter you will not receive an invitation.

If you wish to be included in this great event please send your home mailing address to George Lussier at: dd931rm@verizon.net. THIS IS YOUR LAST CHANCE TO BE INCLUDED. Once we submit our mailing list to the Navy there is no way we can add folks. So, send your info to George right now.

If you even think you may attend you should make a reservation before all the rooms are gone. You may always cancel if something comes up and you have to change your plans.  For more information go HERE.

Best,
Kurt

H.R.1815 EH

National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2006 (Reported in House)

SEC. 1015. TRANSFER OF EX-U.S.S. FORREST SHERMAN.

(a) Transfer- The Secretary of the Navy shall transfer the decommissioned destroyer ex-U.S.S. Forrest Sherman (DD-931) to the USS Forrest Sherman DD-931 Foundation, Inc., a nonprofit organization under the laws of the State of Maryland, subject to the submission of a donation application for that vessel that is satisfactory to the Secretary.

(b) Applicable Law- The transfer under this section is subject to subsections (b) and (c) of section 7306 of title 10, United States Code. Subsection (d) of that section is hereby waived with respect to such transfer.

(c) Additional Terms and Conditions- The Secretary may require such additional terms and conditions in connection with the transfer under subsection (a) as the Secretary considers appropriate.

(d) Expiration of Authority- The authority granted by subsection (a) shall expire at the end of the five-year period beginning on the date of the enactment of this Act.

The battle is now half won.  We must convince the Senate to follow the House's lead.  If any of the below listed Senators are from your state we urge you to contact them by letter, email, fax, or phone call to asked them to include Section 1015 of HR 1815 when this bill comes before them in conference.  If we are successful, the Sherman will be ours by the end of this year.  This is the Senate Armed Services Committee members, and they will make the decision.

FULL COMMITTEE MEMBERS