Annual Reunions
Annual Reunions
USS Block Island Association
Welcome Association Ships Reunions Memories News Photo Gallery
Year Location # Annv Count Hosts
---- ------------------- -- ---- ----- ---------------------------------------
2014 Charleston, SC 35 70 Tish and Ray Ward
2013 Pensacola, FL 34 69 61 John Struck, Sr. Family
2012 Fargo, ND 33 68 72 Vietnam Vets of America, Chapter 941
2011 New Orleans, LA 32 67 Bob & Lee Mathis, Diane & Massie Hughes,
and Bill & Judy MacInnes
2010 Bettendorf, IA 31 66 67 Bob & Martha Border
2009 Spokane, WA 30 65 91 Sally & Larry Hattamer
2008 Bloomington, MN 29 64 102 Ken Bruce
Block Island, RI 28 63 141 Ben Hruska & Ken Bruce
2006 San Antonio, TX 27 62 84 Ray & Ruth Warden,
Bob & Lee Mathis
2005 Branson, MO 26 61 100 Ken Bruce
2004 Annapolis, MD 25 60 145 Ken Bruce
2003 San Diego, CA 24 59 121 Bill & Judy MacInnes, John & Pat Woods,
Bill Davis, John & Gloria Supancik,
Paul & Gwyneth Hoff
2002 Memphis, TN 23 58 196 Ray & Dottie McMillan
2001 Duluth. MN 22 57 161 Ken Bruce
2000 Lafayette, LA 21 56 186 Bob & Lee Mathis
1999 Reno, NV 20 55 154 James & Marilyn Lenfesty,
Anne & Ralph Olsen
1998 Roanoke, VA 19 54 169 Walter Burnette, Mackey & Lew Vaughn
1997 Daytona Beach, FL 18 53 192 Bob & Florence McCann
1996 San Antonio, TX 17 52 191 Ray & Ruth Warden, Rayleene Morris,
Eddie & Muncey Kolhoss
1995 Colorado Springs, CO 16 51 218 Russ & Elzora Nielsen,
Charles & Virginia Wilhite
1994 San Diego, CA 15 50 232 Wayne & Shirley Lee, John & Pat Woods
1993 Memphis, TN 14 49 326 Ray & Dottie McMillan
1992 Lafayette, LA 13 48 180 Bob & Lee Mathis
1991 Norfolk, VA 12 47 246 James & Ruth Cochrane
1990 St. Louis, MO 11 46 260 Loren & Dorothy Hewitt
1989 Reno, NV 10 45 280 Eddie & Muncey Kolhoss,
Ralph & Anne Olsen
1988 St. Paul, MN 9 44 260 Unknown
1987 Seattle, WA 8 43 236 Louis & Verly Hellwig
1986 Nashville, TN 7 42 223 Unknown
1985 Las Vegas, NV 6 41 200 Wayne & Shirley Lee
1984 Cambridge, MA 5 40 111 Al & June Dulman
1982 Randolph, MA 4 38 88 Al & June Dulman
1965 Dedham, MA 3 21 53 Al & June Dulman
1963 Dedham, MA 2 19 39 Al & June Dulman
1962 Dedham, MA 1 18 19+ Al & June Dulman
For information on an individual PAST Annual Reunion click the appropriate year.
“We came to renew friendships and to make new friends. We came to meet the family members of our shipmates. We came to remember those who were lost on May 29, 1944 and in the 1945 battles in the Pacific and all of those who have
later departed this life. We toured San Diego and broke bread together. We reminisced about sad and happy moments of times past and left with happy memories of our San Diego Reunion.
God willing, we look forward to seeing our shipmates, their spouses, loved ones and families next year in Annapolis!”
From 1947 to 1962 some of the shipmates for both CVE 21 and CVE 106 would meet from time to time in different locations throughout the country to maintain friendships and personal contact with their shipmates. Each year more and more contacts took place. In 1962 those attending these meetings made the decision that there was a common bond over and above just being shipmates. Initially, the common bond was that they were all survivors or shipmates present during the sinking of CVE 21 or the attack on DE 576 USS Barr. Crews of the DE 575 USS Ahrens , DE 686 USS Elmore and the DE 578 USS Paine were also involved in the event. While many of the CVE 21 survivors went aboard CVE 106 as the original operating crew, many of those attending these reunions actually were transferred off the ship when the Marine Squadrons were brought aboard for air operations. CVE 106 went on to make naval history. It was only a short time when everyone involved recognized that all the personnel serving on the ships and squadrons (being Navy or Marine), serving with either CVE 21 or CVE 106, were very much a part of the history of the two Block Island escort carriers. The Bylaws of the Association established these facts and as many as 2000 Sailors and Marines were made a part of the USS Block Island Association.
Note: With the interest shown and the Association Membership increasing yearly, as shipmates became aware that in fact there were yearly reunions, maintaining records of the mini reunions by the Board was discontinued in 1984.
A history of the reunions folllows. For photos and information on a PAST annual reunion click the appropriate year.