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    Ahoy shipmates. It has been about two months 2004 reunion ended. We miss all of you. This reunion was the best one to date. Why? Because of you. The friendship you brought with you was at its best. The food and hospitality extended to us by the hotel was par to none. Jennifer Hodges and her staff deserve a hats off hearty thank you from us. It sure was hard saying goodbye to each and everyone of you. Ben says it all in his recap.

 2004 D.C. REUNION RECAP

      According to those who attended, if you missed the D.C. Reunion you were absent from “The Best Reunion we ever had”. A total of 38 shipmates plus wives, companions, 2 Mills widows, and even a toddler were present. 10 crewmembers attended for the first time, and we had 9 WWII Coast Guard Millsmen, Most to ever attend a reunion together. Jerry O’Shaughnessy who, although he doesn’t claim the title, I think is the oldest Mills Father to be at 62, brought his 18 month old daughter, Gina, and wife Gina who is carrying a son due to be born in January. Gina Senior promised to bring all four family members to New Orleans in 2005.  We are holding her to that promise. The Holiday Inn Eisenhower was all it promised to be and then some. Jennifer Hodges, our hostess never failed us, everything went so seamlessly we only had to say “Thanks so much for a job that was beyond expectations”. Our Hospitality room was the coziest and most full one we’ve ever been assigned and everyone was there at one time or another. Just about the entire crew attended the tours planned for Saturday. Adjustments had to be made to avoid as much of the horrendous traffic as we could and some plans were changed. The General consensus is that Cochita, our lead driver did a better job of planning than I did.  We had lunch at Union Station, the old D.C. main Rail Station that dates from the late 1800’s. It turned out to be a highlight of the day. The food court held many mini restaurants that offered a wide variety of American and ethnic foods. The station itself was beautifully restored and still in operation. Our stops at the WWII memorial and the Navy Memorial downtown were the most emotional. There is a picture of {Our} Coast Guardsmen with the “Lone Sailor” at the Navy Memorial that will just become more important to all of us as time goes on. Banquet night was a treat. We finalized the “Silent Auction” had a great meal, and were entertained by a Frank Sinatra tribute singer named Steve Flynn, who had a wonderful repertoire that included enough old songs that those of us who could remember back far enough teared up from the pure nostalgia. Steve and our group bonded so well that he extended his time free, just because he was so appreciated.  

     A new tradition was begun in D.C.  The Silent Auction was very successful in helping the Ships Kitty and added a measure of fun and competition to the reunion. Think about an item that is especially made or grown in your state that a shipmate would like, and bring it to New Orleans. You will have a blast looking the items over and bidding on those which interests you. One More Thing!!! Everyone who was in D.C. promised to attend the New Orleans Reunion in 2005. The City is only so large, so when signups begin, please commit early so we can get the entire crew in, you won’t want to miss your next family get together.

 2004 REUNION PICTURES:

      Look for pictures on the this website to see a photo of our group. Thank Hank Morris for the picture. It was the best one I had access to.

     Also see the picture of the crew that started this reunion. They began giving the heart felt family spirit to our reunion and have carried it through to present day. We give them a heartfelt salute for what they have done for all of us. They are our World War Two shipmates standing in front of the Lone Sailor Statue at the Navy Memorial. For those who do not know, the Navy Memorial honors all who have served and will serve on the high seas. That includes the Coast Guard, Navy Merchant Marine and Marine Corp. We will be sending some pictures of the USS Mills to the Navy Memorial because they do not have any.

USS MILLS WEBSITE 

     Shipmates, log on to http://www.ussmills.net. Bobby Gaboury has been and is still working hard to give us a beautiful website. There are pictures of our ship and its history along with a guestbook and roster of shipmates who have logged on and a Roll of Honor of our departed shipmates. Bobby has set up a chat room so you can talk in real time. There are also links to other nice sites there to.

 
NEW ORLEANS 2005 REUNION

      The dates for the New Orleans 2005 Reunion are October 13 thru 17 {Thursday thru Monday a.m.}.

Our Hotel contract is complete and the place is Gorgeous. We have a large Atrium for the Hospitality Room, Free American Breakfast every morning {eggs and bacon etc}, not Croissants and margarine. FREE PARKING, and the rooms are exceptional. All this for substantially LESS per night than we paid in D.C. The itinerary is still being worked out, but plans are for a Riverboat ride which includes a   Buffet lunch and live New Orleans Jazz, free time in the French Quarter, a City Tour and of course the D Day museum. Details will be sent in the next newsletter, please plan to sign up as soon as you receive all of the info. There will be a limited number of rooms available.

 2004 ANNUAL MEETING

      The meeting started with a get acquainted session. Where everyone introduced themselves and told each other what they have been doing since their days in the service to their country.

     Results of the survey on when and where to have our reunions left us with no changes in the way we do things now.

     Roger Garner and Ben Laurens changed positions on the executive board. Ben will be our executive officer and Roger will be the administrative officer. Both will carry their present duties to their new positions.

     Shipmates, give Marge and Vern Jensen a heartfelt salute and thank you for their donation of a Coast Guard flag to our reunion group ( see photo on website ). We will display it proudly at all future reunions.

 SCUTTLEBUTT

     We would like to thank Jerry O’shaughnessy for donating an official union jack from the USS Mills to our reunion memorabilia.

     We also want to thank Sterling Giannotti for the pictures and newspaper articles from the Otago Daily Times dating back to the 1966 to 1967 Deepfreeze cruise. They have been included in the Mills history file.

 A BIT OF HUMOR 

     A trucker came into a truck stop café and placed his order. He said, “I want three flat tires, a pair of headlights and a pair of running boards. The brand new waitress, not wanting to appear stupid, went to the kitchen and said to the cook “ This guy out there just ordered three flat tires, a pair of headlights and a pair of running boards”. What does he think this place is? An auto parts store? “No” the cook said. Three flat tires means three pancakes, a pair of headlights is two eggs sunny side up and running boards are two slices of crisp bacon. “ Oh! OK!” she said. She thought about it for a moment and spooned up a bowl of beans and gave it to the customer. The trucker asked “What are the beans for”? She replied “I thought while you were waiting for the flat tires, headlights and running boards you might want to gas up”!!!!

 IN SUMMARY

      Shipmates we have just come out of our best reunion ever. The World War Two Memorial was an awesome site to see, as were the Korean and Vietnam War Memorials. They are a sad but beautiful reminder that freedom does not come free. 

     Don’t miss attending our 2005 reunion. New Orleans has a lot to offer. The food there is excellent and so is the hospitality. Thank Ben and Paula and John and Kathleen for all the work they have and are putting forth on our behalf.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO ALL

      Shipmates and families, we wish you the happiest of holidays. Please keep warm and stay healthy through the winter months. We dearly want to see you at the 2005 reunion.

     Please keep our departed shipmates families and our service men and women in your prayers. Pray to keep them safe and to bring our service men and women home as soon as possible.