Source: November Aerograph 2023
The Pensacola Chapter of the Naval Weather Service Association met at Nick's Boathouse Restaurant on September 7, 2023. Those in attendance included Ed and Patti Straten, Pat and Libby O'Brien, Larry and Nancy Warrentfeltz, Gerrie Marsh, and Walt Kindergan.
Dave and Jerrie Dunlap were supposed to join us but had to cancel at the last minute. Denny and Helen Maljevac couldn't make it due to another commitment. Al and Helen Atwell and Dale Grages are battling health issues and are not able to attend our meetings any longer.
Meeting was called to order at 1:10 PM.
Minutes and Treasurer's reports were
transmitted to attendees prior to the meeting, and there were no additions
or deletions required. Both reports were accepted as sent.
Old Business: There was no old
business to discuss.
New Business: Larry reported
on Al and Helen Atwell's health.
Al just celebrated his 94th birthday, and he received a number of phone calls
from members wishing him a Happy Birthday. Helen is suffering from
dementia, and she and Al are unable to join us at meetings. Keep them in
your prayers.
Pat
& Libby O'Brien reported on their visit with Dale Grages. Dale is
battling bone and prostate cancer and is pretty much bedridden.
However, he is very positive about his fate, and talking with him you
would never know there was anything wrong with him. He was in great
spirits when the O'Brien's visited with him.
Walt
Kindergan passed around
a ‘Thinking of You’ card
for all of us to sign. He will mail it to Dale. Keep Dale in your
prayers.
Ed
Straten reported he'd received a telephone
call from a gentleman from Montana thanking him for including his story in the
last Aerograph. It turned out that this gentleman was xAG2 Earl Griffith
who helped save the lives of two scientists while serving in Operation Deep
Freeze in Antarctica many years ago.
Libby reported that Lloyd and Daisy Corbett were recovering from the damage
resulting from Hurricane Idalia. They were without power for two
weeks. Pat reported Rose and
Arthur Frazier are doing well and cruising around Europe. At
last report, they were headed to Amsterdam. Well, we can rest assured the
ship is not haze gray. Pat reported he tried to contact Elspeth Lloyd, Marion Hawks, and Barbara Overholt with little
success. Marion did get back with him, but his emails and phone calls to
the other ladies went unanswered. Walt
Kindergan reported he delivered church flowers to Elspeth's house
a few weeks ago, and they were accepted by Elspeth's daughter at the front
door. Walt was told Elspeth was resting and was due to have a medical
procedure done the next day. Gerrie
Marsh offered to do a follow up visit to Elspeth's to see how she's
doing.
The Chapter will
meet again 3 December at Larry and Nancy's home.
Meeting adjourned
at 1:22 PM, and a wonderful dinner followed.
We are saddened to report that Dale Grages and Dave Dunlap passed away shortly after our Chapter’s meeting at Nick’s Boathouse Restaurant. Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families. The O'Briens attended the Chapel Service for Dale in Alabama. The service was conducted by Walt Kindergan. Walt worked for Dale years ago when they were stationed at N.A.S. Whiting Field. Walt also conducted Dale's interment at Barrancas National Cemetery at N.A.S. Pensacola. The O'Briens, Paul Belt and the Warrenfeltzs were in attendance. The obituaries for Dale and Dave are included in the ‘In Remembrance’ section of this edition and at Necrology Announcements.
We are saddened to report that Dale Grages and Dave Dunlap passed away shortly after our Chapter’s meeting at Nick’s Boathouse Restaurant. Our heartfelt condolences go out to their families. The O'Briens attended the Chapel Service for Dale in Alabama. The service was conducted by Walt Kindergan. Walt worked for Dale years ago when they were stationed at N.A.S. Whiting Field. Walt also conducted Dale's interment at Barrancas National Cemetery at N.A.S. Pensacola. The O'Briens, Paul Belt and the Warrenfeltzs were in attendance. The obituaries for Dale and Dave are included in the ‘In Remembrance’ section of this edition.
Ed and Patty
Straten are aboard another
cruise ship after spending a week in Hawaii visiting with
old friends, they are now headed to Australia and New Zealand.
Pat & Libby
O'Brien continue to travel
and play golf. They went to Cordele, Ga., for a 3-day golf
tournament in September. While there Libby celebrated her 39th
birthday for the 43rd time. Their golfing wasn't that great,
but they had a great time. In case you didn't know it, Cordele
is the watermelon capital of the world. They didn't
see any watermelons, but there were signs proclaiming Cordele's
fame. Pat continues to fish once a week with his son, Patrick Jr, in
Bayou Grande or the Intracoastal Waterway. They also meet once
a week for dinner. Libby does dinner on Tuesday with her two
daughters as well. Pat continues to work at their church as a
member of the green team, while Libby works on the accounting
team. In an attempt to lose weight, the O'Briens went on
Nutrisystem for about six months. They are very happy with the
results. Pat got down below 190, and Libby doesn't divulge
what she's lost. It's a female thing. Ha! Pat and Libby
headed to Tempe, AZ, in late October to attend a USS Nimitz Association
Reunion. Jim Futtner flew in
from Hartford, Ct, and joined them there. From Tempe, the O'Briens
traveled to Colorado Springs to visit with two grandsons and their
families.
Nancy and Larry
Warrenfeltz traveled to Dublin to watch
Navy take on Notre Dame in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic. See pic below. Over 39,000 Americans
“invaded” Ireland for the game — the majority of them Notre Dame
fans. Even though Navy lost the
football game, they crushed Notre Dame 78-0 in a rugby match
played on the pitch at Trinity College. A week of enjoying
some of friendliest people in the world, along with good pub
grub, Guinness, and Smithwick's Red Ale, made for a most memorable
trip.
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Rose and Arthur
Frazier did a 19 day Tour and River
cruise with Scenic River Cruises in August/September. The first 4 days
were touring Switzerland then they boarded the Scenic Jasper for a 15 day trip
up the Rhine and down the Mosel Rivers. They ended their trip with a 2 day
visit to Amsterdam. It was very enjoyable but long. Their next cruise is on MSC
for Christmas! They are looking forward to trying out a new cruise line!
Otherwise, their health has been fairly good and they are trying to stay
active. They enjoy living in Ocala and are looking forward to cooler
weather and getting together with others for Christmas.
Paul Belt had no news to report, but Pat says he's doing well;
especially when it comes to hitting golf balls.
Submitted by Pat
O’Brien, Sec/Treas
Editor’s
Note: Speaking of Jim Futtner, I’d like to share a little from a
letter he sent me along with an awesome photo from his Honor Flight to
Washington D.C. earlier this year. In
it, he mentioned something about being welcomed by a very special WWII General,
ha!
“In
May I had the honor of joining 50 other Veterans (2-WWII, 12-Korean, and
36-Vietnam) on an Honor Flight to Washington D.C. It was an amazing experience and one that I
shall never forget. As they kept
reminding us, this was the welcome we never received upon returning from the
Vietnam Conflict. My tour of duty in the
Vietnam Conflict was onboard the USS Kitty Hawk (CVA-63) for a nine month
deployment. No matter where we went
[during our time in Washington D.C.] we had large groups welcoming us. I get chills just thinking back to that day!”
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Jim Futtner and that
“Very Special WWII General” at the Vietnam Memorial
Washington D.C.
Great picture Jim and
love your smile!
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Navy WX Quarterly luncheon at Nick’s Boathouse! Always fun to spend time with friends!
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Source: Aerograph August 2023
The Pensacola Chapter held its quarterly meeting at the Fishing Hole Restaurant in Pensacola on 8 June. The following members were present: Larry & Nancy Warrenfeltz, Ed & Patti Straten, Dave & Jerrie Dunlap, Paul Belt & Cheryl Alter, Walt Kindergan, Gerrie Marsch and Pat & Libby O'Brien.
After the minutes and treasurer's report were read and approved, Larry Warrenfeltz had the pleasure of turning over the NWSA President's Gavel to Ed Straten. Ed is to assume the position of President of the National Chapter come 1 July. Congratulations Ed. The local chapter wishes you all the best. Also, thank you Larry for a job well done.
Larry led us in a discussion of all the positives of the Reunion #47 Cruise. Everyone who sailed agreed that we had a great time. Our sincere thanks to Ed and Patti Straten for all the hard work it took in putting Reunion #47 together. The
Pensacola Chapter held its quarterly meeting at the Fishing Hole Restaurant in
Pensacola on 8 June. The following members were present: Larry
& Nancy Warrenfeltz, Ed & Patti Straten, Dave &
Jerrie Dunlap, Paul Belt & Cheryl Alter, Walt
Kindergan, Gerrie Marsch and Pat & Libby O'Brien.
After
the minutes and treasurer's report were read
and approved, Larry Warrenfeltz had the pleasure of
turning over the NWSA President's Gavel to Ed Straten. Ed
is to assume the position of President of the National Chapter come 1
July. Congratulations Ed. The local chapter wishes you all the
best. Also, thank you Larry for a job well done.
Larry
led us in a discussion of all the positives of the Reunion #47 Cruise.
Everyone who sailed agreed that we had a great time. Our sincere
thanks to Ed and Patti Straten for all the hard work it took
in putting Reunion #47 together.
Pat
O'Brien reported Dale Grages could not attend the meeting, and
he may not be able to be with us at future meetings. Dale says he is
pretty much home bound. Our best wishes go out to Dale.
Next
meeting will take place on 7 Sept. at Nick's Boat House.
The Chapter's Christmas party/meeting will be
held at the Warrenfeltz' home on December 3rd at 1 PM.
Pat
& Libby O'Brien traveled
to Cobourg, Ontario, in Canada to visit with friends before heading to Niagara
Falls to enjoy the 4th of July fireworks display celebrating our country's
independence. From there, they traveled to Niantic, Ct, to visit with
Pat's daughter and family and to attend the wedding of Pat's oldest
grandson. The pre-wedding party took place in New York, and the wedding
took place in New Jersey. Both venues provided stunning views of the
New York skyline. Thanks to Pat's daughter, Pat didn't have to drive into
or out of New York. Following the wedding, Pat and Libby were taken
back to Niantic and spent another couple of days there. They then
traveled west to visit with Jim Futtner in
Hartford. Jim is still having trouble with his back and was scheduled for
a doctor's appointment following the O'Briens' visit. Jim hosted a pizza
party at his house, and Pat and Libby got reacquainted with other members
of Jim's family, Jim also played Uber driver for the O'Briens during
their stay. From Hartford, the O'Briens drove south
to Gettysburg. They visited the National Park. Pat last
visited the Park when he was on a field trip with his 6th grade class from
Baltimore. This was Libby's first trip to Gettysburg. From
there, they drove to Friendship, MD, and visited with Pat's nephew for a
few hours before heading to Soloman's Island where Pat recalled many
childhood memories. Their trip ended after 3 weeks and 3,798
miles. All in all, the O'Briens are doing well.
Walt
Kindergan visited Dale
Grages at his home in Foley, AL, and reports Dale is no longer
able to leave home. Dale is upbeat, alert, and has a very good
attitude about his condition, and that's good news!
After
a fantastic trip to North and South Dakota with their son Craig,
daughter-in-law Melissa, and two grandchildren, Jordyn and Ryan, Patti
and Ed Straten brought the kids to Florida for a week
at their condo. Sun, pool, beach, hot tub and a little shopping; nothing
like being with the grandkids for summer fun! That trip to the Dakotas and
Montana, leaves Ed with just the state of Idaho to complete his
goal of seeing all 50 states. They'll see that one in
the near future! Patti and Ed have planned a fall adventure .
They will fly to Honolulu and spend a week at the Hale Koa, the Hawaii military
hotel. They plan to meet with some old friends from their tour in Hawaii
(1984-1992). Then they'll board the Celebrity Solstice for a 17-day
cruise to Tahiti, French Polynesia, New Zealand and Australia. They are
already getting excited, and Patti has started to pack! Sounds like fun to
me. Enjoy!
The Fraziers, Rose and Arthur, have
been active as usual. They stay busy with their weekly meetings for TOPS
(Take Off Pounds Sensibly) and with their state positions. Rose just
became the State Treasurer
and Arthur is an Area Advocate, overseeing 30+ chapters from Leesburg to
Tallahassee. They have maintained their weight loss for 5 years
now. The Fraziers are also cruise lovers. They spent half of
May with their daughter and family in Oklahoma, then took their oldest
grandson on a cruise for his graduation present. They have been home for
all of June and July dealing with some health issues. In late August,
they will be flying to Switzerland for a 4-day tour before going on a 15-day
cruise up the Rhine and down the Moselle. They will spend 2 days in
Amsterdam at the end. Then at the end of September, they will be in
New Orleans for a USS Fox reunion for Arthur and friends. TOPS will
again keep them busy in October, and then the Christmas season will have
them doing their Santa Arthur and Mrs. Claus events before taking another
cruise over Christmas with some friends.
Nancy
and Larry Warrenfeltz spent
much of June driving from the white beaches of the Florida
Panhandle to join up with family on the brown beach of Kill Devil
Hills, NC, and the gray beach of Wildwood Crest, NJ. They were able
to get all five grandchildren together in NC for a couple of days,
giving them a chance to take the family to their all-time favorite restaurant
— The Colington Cafe. See pic below. After a week
in NC, they headed north via the Cape May - Lewes Ferry to spend
another week with son Jim, his wife Liz, and their kids at their Wildwood
Crest home.
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Click Image to Enlarge
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Source: Aerograph May 2023
The Pensacola Chapter met at South Market Restaurant in Pensacola on 3 March. Those in attendance included Larry and Nancy Warrenfeltz, Ed and Patti Straten, Paul Belt, and Cheryl Alter, and Pat and Libby O'Brien.
Our biggest item of business was the upcoming reunion. Patti Straten gave us an update on the number of expected attendees (55) and the latest news from Celebrity. You would never know Patti had a foot operation. She's in a boot, but it doesn't seem to slow her down one bit. Great job!
The Chapter's next meeting will be at the Fishing Hole Restaurant on 19 June.
Pat and Libby O'Brien are doing well. Ha. Pat is recovering from a fall on St. Patrick's Day. Yes, imbibing had something to do with the fall. Bruised ribs were healing until he went and played golf a week later. After four holes, he had to quit. His ribs were killing him. CT Scan showed no breaks or fractures. He's been limited in what he can do, but his rib contusion didn't stop him from going on the reunion cruise. Libby is having knee issues. She's been getting shots, and some shots work while others do not. It's hit and miss. Pat said it was great seeing Rick and Flo McKay. He hadn't seen them since he and Rick were stationed together at NAVEASTOCEANCEN Norfolk in the late 70's. See- ing old shipmates, and meeting others we never met, made for a great reunion. Jim Futtner flew down from Connecticut and spent a couple of days with the O'Briens before they all headed down to Miami in Libby's suv. Jim has been fighting leg and back issues, but he managed to deal with the pain using meds. Jim wasn't sure if he would enjoy the cruise, but when it was all over, he said he had a great time. The one bad part of the return trip to Pensacola was the 3-hour delay due to standstill traffic on the Florida Turnpike. A major accident occurred a few car lengths ahead of them. After three hours of sitting in one spot, the police turned them, and all other automobiles, around and sent them back to the nearest exit.
Paul Belt and Cheryl Alter did not make it to the reunion. They were headed to various destinations in Europe.
Ed and Patti Straten enjoyed NWSA 47 on the wonder-ful Celebrity Summit, meeting and talking and laughing with shipmates, excellent meals, the Bridge Tour and the great shows. The 47th reunion was enthusiastic and well attended, and the Stratens are looking forward to the Villages Reunion in 2024. They are currently planning a family trip with their son, Craig, and his family to South and North Dakota including Mount Rushmore. They will return to Pensacola with their two youngest grandchildren, Jordyn and Ryan, for a week of fun in the sun, pool, and beach! What could be better?
Rose and Arthur, really enjoyed the NWSA Reunion Cruise. Hope there will be another one soon! They have been busy with TOPS (Take Off Pounds Sensibly) and doctors all year so far. They will be spending a few weeks in Oklahoma in May for their oldest Grandson's graduation and visiting relatives. They will be heading to Switzerland later this summer for a tour and a river cruise to Amsterdam to celebrate their anniversary. They are still enjoying Ocala and hope to meet up with others again soon! Nancy and Larry Warrenfeltz had a wonderful time on their first cruise when the NWSA Reunion #47 was held on Celebrity Summit. (Well, it certainly wasn’t Larry’s first cruise — but gray ships don’t really compare). See pic below. It was a break from the busy high school softball season for Larry. He did spend some of his relaxing Key West time answering emails and texts from coaches and umpires.
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Source: Aerograph February 2023
The Pensacola Chapter held its quarterly meeting / Christmas Party at the O'Briens on 16 Dec. Those in attendance included Larry and Nancy Warrenfeltz, Ed and Patti Straten, Paul Belt & Cheryl Alter, Marian Hawkes, Gerrie Marsh, Dale Grages and his nurse Rosa, Walt Kindergan, and Pat & Libby O'Brien.
Following Christmas dinner, Ed Straten called the meeting to order at 1540.
Minutes were read and approved.
The treasurer reported an expenditure of $104.25 for flowers in honor of Dave Driggers. That leaves
$27.01 in the treasury not counting seed money from the National Treasury. Dues were collected for
the upcoming year.
Patti Staten briefed on the upcoming reunion cruise. Everything is done except for final payments
that are due no later than 30 December. Payments are required on 14 staterooms.
The next cruise committee meeting will be held the last week of Feb. Date will be forthcoming.
The Chapter's next meeting is to take place at the South Market on March 3rd. Libby O'Brien will
check with personnel at South Market concerning our proposed date. After the meeting ended,
attendees played a game of Secret Santa. Everyone left with something they wanted or something
they were stuck with taking. Ouch.
NEWS FROM THE CREW
Ed and Patti Straten are still on Cloud 9 after their 35-day cruise to Olympia, Santorini, Crete, Athens,
Mykonos, and Zakynthos, Greece; Sicily, Naples, Portofino, Pisa, Rome, Venice and Ravenna, Italy;
Ephesus, Turkey; Kotor, Montenegro; Palma, Cartagena, Spain; Toulon, France and the Azores, Portugal where they celebrated their birthdays and toured and walked through history. The adventure included amazing sights at every port, shows (including a fabulous Flamenco Show in Palma), delicious local food and wine, and gorgeous weather. Highlight of the trip was a tour of the House of the Holy Virgin Mary in Ephesus. The tour also included the open air museum of Ephesus, Odeon Fountain of Trajan, Temple of Hadrian, Library of Celsius and the Grand Theatre where St Paul preached to 24,000. The Celebrity Constellation provided fabulous food and entertainment every day. They met so many new friends, and said this trip was a Trip of a lifetime! Following the trip, Patti had foot surgery and is still recovering. Even with all this at sea time, the Stratens are so looking forward to our NWSA Reunion Cruise in March!
Pat & Libby O'Brien took a 9-day Caribbean Cruise at the end of December. It was their first cruise in quite awhile due to COVID restrictions. They welcomed in the new year while cruising to Ocho Rios, Jamaica. From Jamaica, they headed to Grand Cayman, then to Roatan, Honduras, then to Harvest Caye in Belize, and finished up at Cozumel, Mexico. Now they're looking forward to the NWSA Cruise in March. Pat continues to play golf and fish when he's not seeing doctors. He says he feels like a bionic man. He's had two trigger finger surgeries, carpal tunnel surgery, a heart catherization, and another surgery to remove a mass from his left breast. Pat thanks God the mass proved to be benign. All this and Pat thanks God for his good health. Ha. Libby has had cortisone shots in her left knee to relieve pain she's been having. The last shot seems to have helped considerably. Pat's been in contact with Jim Futtner up in Hartford. Jim had a back operation to relieve pain and numbness in one of his legs. Jim says, he's not a 100 pct, but he's better than he was prior to his surgery. He's looking to go down to Pensacola and visit with the O'Briens for a couple days before heading to Miami for the NWSA Cruise. Paul Belt is showing off his golf game. He was the top golfer in the Sandcrabs Senior Golf Association in 2022. The Chapter is sorry to report the deaths of Dave Driggers , Ken Overholt, and Paul and Maria Lyon May they rest in peace. Paul Lyon was not active in the Chapter, and Pat was shocked by this news as he and Paul became good friends when they were stationed together at Fleet Weather Central Suitland, Md, in the early 60's. They were also stationed together as instructors at NATTC Lakehurst in the early 70's. Bernie Bauer continues to enjoy ice hockey games with Pat and Libby. He also enjoys driving around town in his new Audi. Nice wheels Bernie.
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