1999 -- TO ALL SHIPMATES AND FAMILIES.

Photos

What a wonderful reunion we had in Baton Rouge!!!!!

At this reunion, October 11 - 16, 1999, our hosts Jules and Mary Ann Fryoux and Rene and Margie Broussard pulled out all the stops. They kept us busy all week and made us feel more than at home.

For those of you who missed this year, we had golfing, tours of Laura Plantation and Oak Ally Plantation, a trip down the Mississippi River on the Cajan Queen River Boat, a day in New Orleans, dinner and dancing at Mulates, lunch and more dancing at Bayview overlooking Colyell Bay which we toured in a swamp boat looking for alligators. We were piped and announced aboard the U.S.S. Kidd - DD661. We toured the ship and memorial museum. Our chaplain, Warren Brandt lead the memorial service on the fantail and in the museum garden with lunch following in Catfish Town. There was more food on this trip than I ever saw aboard ship. Then there was the Marty Graw parade Thursday night with the whole Fryoux family throwing beads. We celebrated two birthdays, Phyllis Seay and Mary Dwyer and also the 10th anniversary of Lou and Stacy Schwalbendorf, who were remarried by Madam Voodoo Fryoux in a voodoo ceremony, with two large sheet cakes. You just'can't say enough about the great time we had. Our thanks to the Fryouxs, Broussards, Shirley Fryoux, Helen Mills and all of Jules'grandchildren, nieces and nephews. Well done!!

On a sad note, Tom Bradshaw was involved in a auto accident and was unable to attend. If you would like, drop him a line at 2145 Royal Castle Lane, Charleston, S.C. 29414-5607.

Now down to business. At our business meeting, we elected officers for a 3 year term. They are as follows:

• President - Warren Brandt
• Vice President - George Krejar
• Treasurers - Jules Fryoux and Rene Broussard
• Secretary - Kevin McCracken
• Newsletter - Rich and Debby Roberts
• Auditors - Albert Chladowski and Tom Guiffrida

On the Board of Directors - Dick Gallo, Gerald Davis, Louis Capriotti, Rene Broussard. Our webmaster for our website is Ed Crowley at ecrowley@world.std.com. We also adopted a set of by-laws and we are now incorporated. Our next reunion will be Las Vegas and the date voted upon was September 10-14, however; it looks like the only available dates would be the week of September 3-8, 2000. More on this later when more arrangements are made. Our plans for 2001? We need to decide soon and we need your input. Three people have volunteered to get information and be our hosts - John Lucas, a cruise to Nova Scotia; Tom Cliff, San Diego; and Bill Page, Buffalo. Let me know your feelings on this.

James Wynn of Stamford, CT was made an honorary member for his donation of a copier for our newsletters. Also, we are looking into a bulk mailing permit in order to save the association more money.

Anyone who does not have a Cecil hat and wishes to purchase one for $15.00, you may contact Rene Broussard 4408 Monticell Street, Lake Charles, LA 70605.

Our auction brought us $1,220.00. Warren Brandt, our auctioneer, has done yet another outstanding job and we had a lot of fun. The two high bids for the night was a tie of $100.00 each, Ed Thomas and Rich Roberts. Ed bid on a wonderful blown up picture of the Cecil, which was at $70 when he put a stop to the bidding by holding up a $100.00 bill which he had just won at the casino. The poster size picture was donated by Robert Maceluch. The other $100-00 bid was by yours tr-uly, a great brass plaque of Cecil's keel laying - completion and commissioning dates. I just edged out Larry Kesselring in the bidding. Sorry, I didn't get the donator's name.

We'd also like to thank Rich and Donna Sayers, Jane Mitchell, George Motzer and Mary Dwyer for helping out with the auction and the ticket, sales. Ron Gordon won the 50/50 prize of a $123.00; ticket picked by everyone's Cecil girl Blair Roberts - 4 years old.

Ron Gordon is President of the Naval Asbestos Victims Association. If anyone has any questions concerning asbestos poisoning while you were in the navy he can be reached at: 14146 Crestview Road, Sanger, TX 76266 or by calling 1-940-482- 3641/1-888-216-6282.

Our attendance was 130. How proud Bob Dunn, Vernon Dunn and Quido Napolitani, three of our founding four would have been.

Any information or news, please contact us at (203) 847-0435 or via email. Please put 'Cecil Stuff" in the subject line if using e-mail or the message will not get opened if we don't know who it is from. Rosters will be available soon at a small price.

Saturday night's banquet wrapped up the week with speaker Dave Gibson, LTJG, DCA, CAPT USN Ret of the Cecil 58-60. We had two more raffles, one for 4 hotel rooms which raised $259.00 and the other for a hand painted picture of the Cecil which raised $197.00, then we said farewell till next year.