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Puget Sound, WA

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From: Donald A. Cruse
Sent: Sunday, April 30, 2006 10:13 AM
To: NWSA Webmaster <Webmaster@NavalWeather.org>
Subject: CDR Max Jack USN(Ret)

Frank Baillie of Northwest Regional Chapter has received a request from the
daughter of Max Jack. She would like to chat with any NWSA member who
served with CDR Jack, who lived in retirement in Gilroy CA for many years
and deceased in June 1991. Since Max was one of our old-timers, he must
have had some interesting tours of duty. That would indicate that he also
had a lot of shipmates and friends. Pass any comments or suggestions to
Frank Baillie at XWXGUYNAVY@WAVECABLE.NET

.
Don Cruse

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From: Tim Toyne [mailto:ttoyne@sbcglobal.net]
Sent: Thursday, March 30, 2006 7:00 PM
To: Webmaster@NavalWeather.org
Subject: CWO James Romano

My name is Tim Toyne, CWO3, USCG retired. I am trying to get in touch with
Jim and Rosalie Romano. We lost track in the mid 80's. Now retired and am
looking up old acquaintences. We were stationed togeter in the 60's at FWC
Suitland, and FWF London. My e-mail is ttoyne@sbcglobal.net.

Any help would be appreciated.

Tim Toyne CWO3 USCG retired.
ttoyne@sbcglobal.net
501.625.3771

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Email

From: Rob Josephs [mailto:josephs@phonewave.net] 
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 1:56 PM
To: Webmaster@NavalWeather.org
Subject: Contacting old shipmates

In December 2005, I was at a college graduation party for my nephew and found myself talking to a Linda Echols. Talk about a small world! Her husband, Ray, was an Aerographer or Met Officer aboard the USS Saratoga during WWII. If you would paste the following at your web site, we may find some old shipmates of Ray's who would like to get in touch with Ray.
"Do any of the WWII Aerographers’ Mates/Met Officers remember a Ray Echols? I think he was either an Aerographer or Met Officer aboard the USS Saratoga during WWII. He spent about ten years in the Navy then switched to the Air Weather Service in the USAF. After retiring from the USAF, Ray was with the National Weather Service, for a few years, one station was on the coast of Alaska and another station was at Ely, Nevada. Ray had a stroke a few years back, an doesn’t get around now; he lives with his wife, Linda, in Arizona. If any Aerographers or members of the Naval Weather Service Association would like to contact Ray, I can relay your email messages to his wife and she will read them to Ray." Thanks.
Rob Josephs - josephs@phonewave.net (Aerographer’s Mate 1967-1981/Lieutenant Commander (6460) 1981- 1995) 

// Rob Josephs [mailto:josephs@phonewave.net] \\

From: Donald A. Cruse
Sent: Wednesday, January 11, 2006 10:23 PM
To: 'Rob Josephs'
Cc: Jim Stone; Charlie Jordan
Subject: RE: Contacting old shipmates

Hi there, ...... Nice to hear from you.

Raymond W. Echols was one of my classmates in Primary Aerographer School (Class 20) on NAS Lakehurst, from which we escaped in Jan 1941. My historical records of the "Old Carriers" show AerM2c Echols in USS SARATOGA (CV-3) during 1942-43. Will update my Class 20 records and send you a letter for Ray. Glad to hear of his wanderings because I'm trying to write a vignette about Class 20 people and their careers.
Cheers, Don Cruse

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From The Aerograph November 05

Letters For Katrina Survivors
From: "Sec-Treas": 

I received a call from Ferrell Johnson in Rosston, AR while I was away.  He is offering a house (actually a cabin on his farm) that is in excellent condition. It includes a washer and dryer. Also all utilities except phone. It is large enough for 3-4 people.  His phone number .... (See Aerograph).

Compilation of E-mails from Don Cruse and Zane Jacobs Sat. 10 Sep. 

I walked into the intensive PT wing to see Pete Pettit. As I approached the Nurses station I saw an aide pushing a fellow in a wheelchair and asked her if it was Pete. Pete said Hi Jake. I dont know if Pete had seen me or recognized my voice when I asked the aide if this was Pete Petit. The aide asked me to guide the wheelchair to the last door on the left down the west hallway and Pete using foot power propelled it to the PT room. I chatted with Pete a few minutes till the Therapist came into the room. I asked Pete if he could read.  Nope. He also cannot walk but the intense therapy is setting a goal to that end. One good thing from anyone's viewpoint, the hospital is feeding good. I mentioned Ace Trask's concern about Charlie Basset who had a home in Long Beach MS and Pete remembers them. Pete was aware of the Hurricanes effect on the Gulf Coast. Pete seems in good spirits and asked about Gloria. If any of you know anything as to the whereabouts of Charlie Bassett, pls pass info on to Zane. 

Jacobs.
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Moon’s “OK” List

Moon Mullins spent a couple of weeks determining the status of our shipmates who were in harm’s way. (Aerograph ed.)

From: Don
Sent: 9/17/05 3:41:55 PM
As for the Marine's in the area, I have contacted most of them and all are fine. Below you'll find the list.
LtCol Ray and Jaylene Brown, Lillian AB, both safe and no property damage.
GySgt Chris Denson is stationed at Keesler and is the NCOIC of the USMC Wx School and I was told he is okay but I don't know about any damage to his home.
Capt. James Dixon - informed Jim and his family are safe but may have property damage.
MGySgt Pete Ewart, Ocean Springs, MS. Pete is one of the instructors and I was informed he and his family are safe but may have property damage.
Capt. Henry Harris, Ocean Springs, MS. Henry retired in the area and informed me he and his family are all safe. No property damage just loss of electricial power.
Kit Manning, Biloxi MS. Kit is safe but I don't know about property damage.
Capt. Bill Smith, Slidell, LA. Bill and his family are all safe but unofficially I was notified he did have some property damage.
CWO-5 Michael Swosinski, Biloxi, MS. Ski took shelter on Keesler with his family and are all safe but his house was totally destroyed. Ski just retired this year.
CWO-5 Ronald Ussher, CO Schools Biloxi, Keesler AFB. Ron also took shelter on Keesler with Ski and his family is also safe. Don't have any information on property damage.
Major Scott Davis, Biloxi, MS. Scott and family safe but no information on property damage.
SSgt Patrick McClain, Moss Point, MS. I have no information on Pat and family. His e-mail is out as is his phone.
GySgt Shawn Murchison, Ocean Springs, MS Shawn is on the police force and has some really gruesome stories. He and his family are safe but not sure of property damage.
GySgt Jim Sachleben, D'Lberville, MS. Jim also on the police force and he is safe but don't know about property damage.

From: Don
Subject: Status of Keesler Marines
I hope this e-mail finds you all well. All MARDET tudents that were aboard Keesler made it through the storm with Gunners Usher and Swosinski and their families who sheltered in Atlee Hall. Most instructor staff has been accounted for. I have been in contact with GySgts Hubler,W, Hubler, K, Kubacak, Denson, and Pawlicki. Others have yet to be contacted, some lived locally, some bugged out to hinter lands yet to make contact. (…command data… ed.) Some other info: Power is not expected to be restored for at least 4 weeks. The school house sustained some wind and water damage but is intact. Lots of cars in the surrounding parking lots were damaged by flying debris.  There was 6' of water in the exchange and base housing behind the commissary. Officer housing on the back bay was hit hard, some units burnt to the ground, flooded and ripped apart by the wind.

Kenneth Boutin, MGySgt, USMC To let you know the city here took a serious hit. Hope everyone is safe there, we're trying to keep a lid on everything here though the looters are getting us. Most of the casino's on casino row are now on the north side of Highway 90 and heavily damaged. Estimated storm/wave surge 25-30 feet. I've seen the inside of the houses where we've found bodies that had 15 feet of water inside the residence. The house's were in the middle of town 15-20 ft above sea level. You won't recognize the city, it's totally devastated, we're all tired and dirty, and several of my fellow officers have lost there house's and a few families haven't been accounted for.

News says that the death toll in Biloxi is around 100, but, I can tell you it's more than that out here. Wish us well, will try to send you photos when I have a chance to take some

Monday, September 12, 2005
OK for Richard Bouchard, … last OK for the day....CDR Megehee, Lowell Webb, Max Wilken. Lotsa "busy" signals which I hope improve in days to come.

Tuesday, September 13, 2005
OK for Capt Larry Warrenfeltz, Pete Furze, Rich Kren, John Lever

Monday, September 12, 2005 6:00 PM
Fwd fm: "Fay Crossley" 
(ret Navy Chief in weather/ now NOAA Tech at a NC wea station)
Sent: Wednesday, August 31, 2005 11:33 AM
Subject: Flights INTO Katrina...received following from a friend....sounds like these guys were up close and personal with Katrina.......the writer is Cramblet GS-11....VR...FAY
Hello and thanks to everyone who has written with their concerns. I'm fine. After flying the storm Saturday night and Sunday morning we landed at Ellington Field in Houston. We hurrevac'd 15 of the 17 C-130s in our wing.  Unfortunately, one of the planes left at Keesler was one of our brand new J model birds. They were changing a prop and never got it out in time. One of our pilots, Lt Colonel Niolet, ended up stranded in Bay St Louis. He was one of the people described in CNN's "Stories of Survival" that rode out the storm on the second floor of a bed-and-breakfast on Highway 90 until the building collapsed then clung to a tree with seven others.  I still do not know what happened to my Acura (parked at Keesler Base Ops). The elevation of our flight line is 21 feet. In the big scheme of things....whatever happened to it has already happened and there is nothing that can be done now. Compared to some of my fellow-reservists I am very lucky. About half of the squadron members are full time ARTs who live in Mississippi.  Many of them are resigned to the fact that they have no home to return to.  We are re-deploying up to Dobbins in Atlanta on Wednesday. The Hurricane Hunters will probably operate out of Dobbins for the foreseeable future until the situation at Keesler is resolved.  

It was certainly a memorable flight the other night. The prior crew left Katrina at 935mb. We got there 3 hours later and found 915mb and it just kept dropping. Our last fix had 902 mb extrapolated SLP and 166 knots sustained at flight level. We recorded a one-second gust to 179 knots up at 700mb and we had several dropsondes that measured over 180 knots down below us. One of our eyewall sondes coded a gust of 234 knots down at 866mb. It will be up to the folks in Miami to determine whether that is a real value or not.  If it stands, it is about 30 knots higher than any other sonde wind ever measured in a storm. We'll see what they decide. “….” The mean boundary layer wind (average of the values in the lowest 500 meters above the water) of 070 at 166 knots is the strongest I have ever seen. BTW this is the first time we have seen Cat 5 hurricanes in three consecutive years: Isabel, Ivan, and Katrina..... 

This is a portion of an e-mail that was forwarded by Frank Baillie. It gives some data on the Bay St.Louis damage as of Sept. 04, 2005. It deals with the active duty. (ed.) 

Folks, I just wanted to share what little info I had on the effects of Hurricane Katrina to the Bay St Louis Area..
What a mess.. r/Mike K

From: "philip renaud" 
Sent: Sunday, September 04, 2005 9:30 AM
Subject: Fw: Katrina and NAVO -- Update 8
It is a very sad story all around. . . and to know several people from the area makes it even worse! Here's the latest update we received. Earlier updates revealed that RDML McGee sustained only minor damage to his house in Mandeville. Most everybody in Waveland, Bay.  St. Louis, and Pass Christian lost their homes. The ones that immediately come to mind are CAPT. Furze, CDR. Monroe, CAPT. Best, CAPT. Brown, CDR. Gurley (renting) ret. CAPT. Ranelli's house), CAPT. Titley (had a rental home), ret. CDR. Cutting and numerous civilian employees of Navo and FNMOC. I have no info on any of the folks in Slidell or Picayune. The people living in the Diamondhead home community seemed to have faired okay (they are just north of I-10). So far no deaths have been reported but only about 1/4 of the Navo employees are accounted for. …

This is section was followed by a statement that CNMOC
would remain in Bay St. Louis and the specified various plans
for recovery. (ed.)

Fm: Coniglione, Robert
Sent: Tuesday, September 13, 2005 11:35 PM
Subject: update from Long Beach (MS…ed.)
Set-up tonight comes from a laptop in Orange Beach to me on the blackberry then to you as a forward.  Strangest thing going to a real keyboard after two weeks with my thumbs.
Today had some really good parts and one not so good.  (It) started out with power guys all over my street and Richard the lawn guy at the door. He cut the grass he could get to and told us not to worry about the trees. As soon as our insurance stuff was settled, he'd be out to get rid of the trees and take the insurance money. (Went) out to the remaining walls of the shed to take (them) apart piece by piece (didn't get it all yet) and then off to the office. At the office about 9:30 (only a 45 min commute today) and began dismantling my office. Mine (was) one of worst hit since the wall from the building next door collapsed into my window. The open window and water turned the office into a washing machine and my 200 lb desk ended up blocking the door. Good news is a couple of coworkers pushed the door open slightly and climbed over the desk to get my framed Ray Nitschke jersey off the wall a couple of days after the storm.
Most of the office was a total loss which hurt but put in perspective, (It) didn't hurt real bad. Then I got to my personal draw (sic) and found some things destroyed that I should've protected better. They were letters and pictures. They ranged from a letter from Pres Bush, letters and pictures from/with 3 Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, and even some correspondence from some of you. The invitation to a PCOLA change of command will be sorely missed (ask Lawson). Then there were pictures from my early days as an Airman Recruit, some liberty photos, and worst of all pictures of the kids when I had hair (well more hair). For some reason, the house and property weren't personal, this stuff was. as badly as I felt while in the office, I realized I couldn't even imagine how badly it would feel to lose everything like so many have. Once again I was lucky and all of a sudden the house and contents seemed more important. This of course was the not so good part of the day. Looking into an office that held 6 years of my life 2 weeks ago and seeing it empty was very strange. back on to some good stuff.
(I) got home (yes I stopped for ice) and went back to dismantling the shed. Just a few 2x4's left before I had to leave for Orange Beach, AL. Tomorrow morning we'll have our first face to face managers meeting to see where we are and where we need to go. Anteon has rented 2 condos here (and sent 2 RV's to Bay St Louis) which we're using for displaced folks (Zeile is in charge of boys dorm) and transiting workers.
Shortly after I left the house, I got an email (I was at a dead stop on I10) from a friend that said he just spoke to Kathy and that we just got our power back. Two minutes later the call from a very happy Kathy about the power being back on and that she'd have an electrician there in the morning to hook-up the well. She of course reminded me that the minute city hall was opened, we'd get hooked-up to city water so this would never happen again.
(We) met all our managers and a visiting boss from Annandale at Bubba's Seafood and we talked about everything but business. (It was a) good way to get back together before we do business tomorrow. (Sic) back to long beach tomorrow with groceries and dog food. I don't have a dog, but I have a friend who thinks they're very important and shouldn't be overlooked. If they're important to her, they'll be important to me and I will deliver dog food to the shelter.
Today we have 2 lessons: 1. sometimes it takes 2 weeks to realize that you have lost something important.  Stop and think about the little things that are important to you, and take better care of them if you can.  2. When the power comes back, make sure you're out of town for the night if you're not hooked up to city water. Tonight I ask you to continue praying for those less fortunate and to start praying that the electrician gets there before I get home.

Thanks for being my outlet everyday, Bob
WebMaster Note:  See also Travel by Moon  

>> 9-20-05: NWSA Gulf Coast Chapter - Partial Status 9-20-05 (Click Here)

>> 9-18-05: From Jim Stone, Sec/Trea - I received a call from Ferrell Johnson in Rosston, AR while I was away.  He is offering a house (actually a cabin on his farm) that is in excellent condition.  It includes a washer and dryer.  Also all utilities except phone.  It is large enough for 3-4 people.  (Contact NWSA Webmaster for Ferrell's Phone number & Email address)  I tried contacting a couple of people in the area but no luck except for Neil O'Connor.   He had just gotten back into his house.

>> 9-1-05: Hi, I want to thank you for posting my information. We just
got a phone call from my brother in law...and they are all
safe.  My prayers are now for the other families whose loved ones
are missing.  Thank you again,
Donna

>> 8-31-05: People in Potomac Regional Chapter (NWSA) are still standing by to stand by. No information fron our people in Gulf Coast Chapter.
Don Cruse

>> 8-31-05: My name is Donna Martinek. My brother-in-law is retired Naval Capt. Charles Martinek. My husband and I are trying to locate Charlie and his family. We have not heard from them since the hurricane. We are very concerned about Charlie, his wife Linda their son, Mark, granddaughter Katlin and my in-laws Elizabeth and John Martinek. I have given you as much information that I can. Other then there address is in Long Beach, Ms.  

Charlie is the Technical Director of Navoceano in Ms. 

Donna

>> 8-31-05: Hi. I was wondering if there was any way to get information on how CNMOC Bay St. Louis and the NWSA Gulfport chapter came thru Katrina? Is there some way we can help? Send donations? Their web site is understandably, down. I’m sure there are a lot of my old shipmates in the area and am concerned for their welfare.

Thanks from a retired AGC.
Ken Adams

CAN ANYONE HAVE ANY IDEAS?
Email: Webmaster@NavalWeather.org

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