|
...and a wonderful time was had by all!
With our special USS
Cusk room rates, we all stayed at the Wyndham Riverfront Hotel in downtown
Little Rock.
This is a beautiful hotel right on the river and it's just a five minute walk to the USS Razorback
(SS-394) and the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum. Our very special hostess
with the AIMM, Camille, was super beyond words. She gave us full access to
the Razorback, the museum and the huge barge to which the Razorback was moored.
The Razorback is a Portsmouth built Balao Class submarine that is very much like
the Cusk inside. We were all allowed into areas that are normally off
limits to the general public like the Conn, Sonar, and my personal favorite, the
bilges under the engine rooms.
As we reminisced during
the week, it was pointed out that many of us were aboard the Cusk when she
returned from her last war patrol in early 1969...50 years ago! Hard to
believe so many years have gone by. Some of us arrived on Saturday, but
most came on Sunday afternoon. Others arrived later in the week and we all
had a terrific time together.
We quickly settled into
a fairly regular routine. Every morning we all met for a great breakfast
in the hotel to plan our day. The restaurants and the staff in the Wyndham
were outstanding! On Monday night, we toured the Razorback and some
downtown areas around North Little Rock. Early on we established a
tradition of happy hour every afternoon around 4:00 P.M. followed by dinner
together. This first night we had dinner at Benihana's, a terrific sushi
and Japanese restaurant where the food is cooked and served in front of you by
some very talented chefs.
Tuesday was spent
touring some of the sites around Little Rock. Many of us toured the
MacArthur Museum of Military History, which was also General MacArthur's
birthplace. Then there was the usual happy hour in the hotel bar, after
which we went to a dinner show at the Murry's Dinner Playhouse to see a great
and entertaining comedy play, "A Bad Year for Tomatoes". On Wednesday we
rode the Little Rock Trolley, a free and entertaining tour of Little Rock
stopping at various sites and points of interest. Every trolley conductor
gave a running, and quite comical description every interesting location.
There were also visits to the Clinton Presidential Library, the Old Mill and
various sites around Little Rock.
Thursday was pretty much
free time for everyone during the day. We met at the Arkansas Inland
Maritime Museum for drinks and snacks that evening and for more touring of the
Razorback and the museum. At 6:00 we were served a catered catfish and
chicken dinner. Back at the hotel after dinner we had one last happy hour
together before we started our goodbyes. Most of us had a final breakfast
together before leaving on Friday morning, although some had a long way to
travel that day and left early. Everyone agreed that we must do this again
soon!
Click on any photo to see its full size: |
|
After dinner picture where we had a great meal at Benihana's
(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland) |
Joe Sedtal, Gary Wood, Walter Allen
and Sherry Sedtal at
breakfast in the hotel
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Breakfast & dinner area in the hotel
(Online
photo) |
|
Tom & Patrice Roseland
at Happy Hour
(Photo courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
USS Razorback (SS-394)
at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum
(Online photo) |
Joe & Sherry Sedtal
with Gary Wood
at our
Benihana's Dinner
(Photo courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
|
Wyndham Hotel Lounge
(Online
photo) |
Joe Sedtal & Gary Wood
at Happy Hour
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Entrance to the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum
Even though the museum was closed for several
days, we were graciously given full access daily.
(Photo courtesy Tom Roseland) |
Yvette and Stevie & Jack Dunaway at Happy Hour in the hotel
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
John Gardner, Charlie Tinkle & Richard Bowman
aboard the Razorback
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Alan Kallas coming out of the Forward
Torpedo Room hatch on
the Razorback
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
USS Cusk veterans aboard the USS Razorback (SS-394) at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum
(L to R) Joe Sedtal, Alan Kallas, John Gardner, Bill Foreman, Gary Wood,
Walter Allen, Don Birch, Tom Roseland, Jack Dunaway,
Doug McQueen & Richard Bowman
(Photo courtesy of Tom Roseland) |
Charlie Tinkle & Tom Roseland chatting
on the AIMM barge
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
"Jack Sam" Dunaway & Alan Kallas
on the Razorback
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Jack & Stevie Dunaway, Kay & John Gardner &
Alan Kallas at the Old
Mill
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Group Selfie enroute to the Old Mill
Jack Dunaway, Yvette
Kallas, Kay & John Gardner
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Jack Sam & Cal at the Old Mill
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Don't go shopping with this guy!
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
John Gardner, Alan Kallas & Jack Dunaway
at the Old Mill
(Photo courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Kay & John Gardner
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
An artistic Selfie....nice job, Yvette!
Alan & Yvette Kallas
at the Old Mill
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Thursday night dinner on the AIMM barge
Tom & Patrice
Roseland, Richard Bowman, Alan Kallas,
Don Birch, Doug
McQueen, John Gardner & Jack Dunaway
((Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Dinner on the barge
Don Birch, Kay & John
Gardner, Jack & Stevie
Dunaway, Joe & Sherry
Sedtal & Becky Birch
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Dinner on the AIMM barge
Bill Foreman's family
with Walter Allen & Gary Wood
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Ready to order dinner at
Murry's Dinner Playhouse
Jack & Stevie Dunaway,
Becky Birch &
Sherry & Joe Sedtal
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Thursday night dinner cake
(Photo
courtesy of Tom Roseland) |
Oldest & youngest Reunion attendees
Doug McQueen (1968 &
1969) &
Jack Sam Dunaway (1949
- 1952)
(Online
photo) |
Gary Wood really likes this art!
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Selfie enroute to the Old Mill of
Jack Dunaway, Yvette
Kallas,
Kay & John Gardner
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Riding the Trolley around Little Rock
(Photo
courtesy of Tom Roseland) |
Yvette, Becky, Stevie, Jack & Don on the Trolley
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Yvette is really good at Selfies!
She's with John Gardner at
the Old Mill
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
Night picture of the USS Razorback (SS-394)
at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum
(Photo courtesy of John Gardner) |
Patrice & Tom Roseland at breakfast in the hotel
(Photo
courtesy of Yvette's Creations, Inc.) |
 USS Razorback (SS-394)
at the Arkansas Inland Maritime Museum
(Online photo) |
