Yorktown plankowner Mike Hirsch and I were on the same train of though last weekend. Mike called me tonight and said why not have a reunion on July 4th, 2009? I told him Bill Kivlan and I were just talking about that very thing last weekend. So. . . what do you think? Ready for a reunion of all Yorktown sailors? Want to join a committee to put a reunion together?

I told Mike I would post this idea on the site, so, here 'tis. We are certainly open to any suggestion for the reunion next year. We want to see ALL YORKTOWN CG48 SAILORS!

Mike and I will interject some of our thoughts on the location and time and these are only suggestions, we will go along with the majority :

The 4th of July 2009 will be the 25th year of the commissioning. We thought a reunion in Tidewater might get a large attendance. Yorktown is just up the road and Mike thought we could collaborate with the citizens of Yorktown for some celebration and festivities.

Another thought: I have had some discussions with other Yorktown sailors and they thought a reunion with the USS Yorktown sailors from CV 10 might be feasible and worth looking into. In fact, the CV10 web site has a CG48 page on their site which can be seen at this link: http://www.ussyorktown.net/main/index.php I recall talking to some members of the CV10 association at the decommissioning ceremony in Pascagoula, MS they would be interested in CG48 sailors joining their association. That might be happening today. I'm not sure but it wouldn't surprise me.

So, I hope to see a reunion of the Yorktown on July 4, 2009. Until then, let's see what the sailors from Yorktown think about this future event. Contact me at maldenite@gmail.com

Mike said he would utilize his mailing list he saved from the decommissioning ceremony. Hope this reaches plenty of Yorktown sailors and I am looking forward to another great time with my shipmates.

After everyone arrived in Pascagoula in 2004, it seemed like yesterday since the last time we met. It was a great time!

Stay in touch and smooth sailing. OS1(SW) David Black-1983-1986

I still have some copies of the shouldering incident if anyone is interested. I have changed ISP's and have a new Email. It is waltx4@charter.net Please send me your address. For Cliff Serano (OS3) please email me back, I lost all info when I changed and can not retrieve it...
Thanks
Darin Walter

This information was mailed to by GunnermateM@aol.com on September 12th. So perhaps they have changed their mind about sinking Yorktown.

From: "Dunnigan, Katie A CIV NAVSEA"
To:
Date: Tue, 12 Sep 2006 09:44:23 -0400
Subject: RE: USS Yorktown CG-48
Mr. Watts,
Below are the responses to the questions submitted in an e-mail dated Aug. 30. Please let me know if you have any other questions.
Thanks,
Katie

Katie Dunnigan
Public Affairs Officer
Naval Sea Systems Command
202-781-3350
katie.dunnigan@navy.mil


Q1. Can you tell me about the status of the ship? How will it be disposed and when?
A1. The ex-USS Yorktown is a decommissioned inactive ship at the NAVSEA Inactive Ship Maintenance Office (INACTSHIPMAINTO) in Philadelphia, Pa. The ship is designated to be sunk as a part of a fleet sinking exercise. The date and location have not been set yet.

Q2. What is the current state of the ship? Has everything been stripped off already? Are the missile launchers and the guns still onboard?
A2. The Navy is in the process of preparing the ship for sinking. Most of the weapons systems have already been removed from the ship.

Q3. Is there any way we can some souvenirs off the ship?
A3. Unfortunately, the Navy cannot permit veterans, or any individuals, to remove material from the ship. The Navy is only authorized by law to donate material to eligible non-profit organizations for educational display purposes at no cost to the government.

Q4. Do you have any current pictures of the ship that we can have?
A4. Unfortunately, the Navy does not have current pictures of the ship available.

Thanks to Mr. Watts for sending that information.

Received this article from Mike Hirsch.



Aegis ship sunk on target range

The first Navy Aegis ship to be sent to Davey Jones' locker now rests on the bottom of the Pacific, done in by a combination of missiles and gunfire.

The decommissioned cruiser Valley Forge was sunk as part of a Nov. 2 target practice on a test range near Kauai, Hawaii, according to the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

The fourth Ticonderoga-class Aegis cruiser to be built, it was in service for only 18 years, from 1986 to 2004. The ships were designed to serve at least three decades, but the Navy decommissioned the first five Aegis cruisers in 2004 and 2005, citing their older missile systems.

The Navy could not say whether the Aegis combat system was on board at the time of the sinking, although Naval Sea Systems Command said Nov. 17 that "various components of the Aegis weapon system have been removed."

Topside items such as missile directors, radars and gun mounts were removed prior to the sinking. None of the other decommissioned Aegis cruisers are currently scheduled for sinking, the Navy said.

Sinking ships at sea, usually for target practice, has become a regular method of disposal. Of 31 decommissioned Spruance-class destroyers, 19 already have been sunk and three more are scheduled. Only two ships have been scrapped, and two more are scheduled to be broken up.

Hello
I have a DVD of the incident at Sea in the Black Sea if anyone is interested. It also contains the Christmas special of1987.
You can Email me at waltx4@intergate.com
If you can, please send $5.00 to cover transfer and DVD cost as well as shipping.
Thanks

or snail mail @

Darin Walter
11253 West Second Street
P.O. box 225
Fowler, MI. 48835

Thanks to Mike Zimmerman and Mark Jeffcoat for the generous donations for running the Yorktown weblog! I hope some of us can begin think about a reunion in 2006 and NLT 2007. I know you are busy with Christmas and New Year holidays with family and friends but it would be great to have another reunion. Where and when is the big question.

If anyone wants to post photographs or holiday greetings on the site and have a little trouble figuring the ins and outs of posting on the website, let me do it for you. Just e-mail me your message and photograph to post on the site and I will be more than happy to upload them. There is a link on the site to contact me but just in case you need a quick link in this posting write to: maldenite@gmail.com and I will get your information posted.

I am still trying to get some photographs uploaded that Kenny Zimmerman sent in June, so you can see that my schedule has been loaded with starting a new business and developing sites for other clients. I will get back to the Yorktown this winter.

Thanks so much for any help with expenses and being patient with uploads.

KATRINA ASSISTANCE   more »

Good Luck Thunders! Watch out Katrina! is a tribute the many fine people in Pascagoula, Mississippi. Affectionately known as "Goula" to many, our thoughts for their safety during the hurricane. What is now called the largest hurricane in the last 500 years will surely cross near the city of Pascagoula and many sailors of the Yorktown will pause and remember those who live in the city.

I have been absent from publishing on the web site and regret that I have not been able to update the site like I want to but I have plans for becoming more active since some of the summer business on my end has slowed. Perhaps this winter, I can have some new design and ideas to share with you on the site development.

Mike Zimmerman recently made a wonderful donation and for that we can all be happy that Mike will keep the lights turned on for the site. I have been in contact with some Yorktown sailors and they have been kind enough to donate their photographs. I promise to find time to upload them to the site soon.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to visit the site and please stay in touch with me and return to see more information about site development. Good luck and smooth sailing and especially for citizens that must deal with the wrath of Katrina.

I served aboard the Yorktown for 4 years as an OS and the ships Photographer. If anyone is interested I ...   more »

Am looking for photos or videos of "Precom" and "Commissioning"!
Attemptuing to put together a scrapbook of the Yorktown's birth and life!
Any and all photos/videos would be greatly appreciated!
If anyone knows where I might obtain these, please let me know, either on this website or at my home address

My address: DCC(SW) Gary S. Getman, USN Retired
2237 Hoss Road
Utica, Ohio 43080

Email: GSGETMAN@ECR.NET

I am looking for video and pictures of the USS Yorktown's decommissioning. I will be producing a decommissioning DVD for all ex Yorktown sailors.   more »

Mike Hirsch, a driving force behind the success of the Yorktown decommissioning ceremony in December 2004, was kind enough to send me the current  list for Yorktown plankowners. Please respect the wishes of members that have offered their e-mail for public viewing.

If you desire to have your name removed from the list, please let me know by e-mail.

Mike and I were discussing the growth and potential of the Yorktown site and we feel that it belongs to any Yorktown sailor. So, if you sailed with the Yorktown, write me and I will add your name to the mailing list.
In the interest of Yorktown Plankowners who have requested the contact page be removed from the site, you can contact me and I will verify that it is a valid request with e-mail verification. Once I am comfortable that it is a Yorktown friend looking for someone, I will reply.

Today I created another link to help new users join the site. At the center of our heading, just click the Yorktown seal and it will take you to the site to join. What's the advantage of being a member of the site? Well, it allows you to post and upload photographs if you desire. You can be notified of postings by using your e-mail program is another good reason for joining the site. No need to keep checking back on the site, just use RSS feeds on the site and you will be automatically notified when the site or your special interest is updated. You can subscribe to a specific article that might be in progress and updated. Again, thanks for keeping the site going with donations and continued support.

Mark Watts

It's been an interesting conversation with Mark Watts. He is just another example of the type of sailors that roamed the decks of Yorktown. Always willing to give of themselves for the betterment of the crew and memory of Yorktown.

Mark wrote that he first became acquainted with Nick and Mary when his father was stationed at Fort Eutis in the summer of 1970. It was the first time they visited Nick's Seafood Restaurant and they immediately fell in love with Nick and the great sea food he served. He said, "Until my dying days, I will always believe it was the best seafood ever."

In 1988 Mark's parents came on board the Yorktown for a dependants cruise, and of course, Nick's was on top of the list for dining with the family. That first night Mark and his parents dined at Nick's. When his father was checking out and paying the bill you might guess what Ms. Mary did for the family. Yep, like so many other sailors from the Yorktown, she refused to accept their payment. In fact, much to Mark's father's insistence, Ms. Mary refused to accept payment during their stay the second night. How many times have sailors from Yorktown experienced the complete unselfish love Ms. Mary demonstrated time and time again for Yorktown families. Mark said his Christmas tape has lots of footage about Mary and some day I hope to have that on the site.

Mark mentioned that he would like to see our Yorktown berthed alongside Yorktown CV10. That would be wonderful and a huge undertaking. Not to forget the political clout that would be needed to keep her alive tied next to CV10. You never know, that could happen. As time passes, perhaps CG48 could find a home in Charleston. If you are looking for a great site about CV 10, check out Patriots Point. It's a great site with lots of Flash and interaction.

Although Mark was unable to attend the decommissioning ceremony last December he remarked that he is definitely excited about the next reunion. I believe he has lots to add to the Yorktown story. There are thousands of stories from Yorktown sailors and it's a keyboard stroke away. Send e-mail to me and I will make sure it gets posted.

Now, for some more good news. Richard Daigle honored the website tonight with a wonderful donation to keep things rolling. I look forward to hearing more about what Richard is doing today and what Yorktown adventure he might share on the site.

A BZ to all of you that have shared your donations and many others that have taken time to visit the CG48 website! Captain Rick Easton recently wrote that he enjoyed visiting the site and really appreciated the work put into the ceremony last December.

My good shipmate friend, Mike Hirsch, deserves a lot of credit for pulling us together in Pascougla. My heart is yearning for another reunion and I hope it is soon. Here's wishing smooth sailing for all of you.

If you take a glance to the right of the website, I have created two links that you can use to keep up with the Yorktown site. I use RSS news feeds on my favorite sites and it keeps me posted when new information is uploaded.

If you use Yahoo! then the link will give you a choice if you want to add Yorktown to your site news feeds.

Any questions about how to use RSS news feeds this site gives some excellent information: Fagan Finder.

Naturally, you can always Google RSS and find tons of sites explaining the use and future of RSS on the internet. Many  writers of technical advances on the web, say that RSS is making waves in the world wide web. Keeping up with avalanches of information on the internet is at times daunting.

I find it a big time saver and nothing is more a thief of time than computers. So, any edge to stay close to my favorite site is an advantage. Hope it helps you manage your time. Thanks for taking the time to visit the Yorktown site.

Mark Watts
GMM2 (SW)
USS Yorktown CG-48  1988 1989

Thanks to Mark's very generous donation and uploading his photographs for Yorktown crew members to enjoy.

Mark wrote and said he has more than 500 photographs. I wrote back and said, bring them on and I will upload the historical images. Truly historical, now that she is not on active duty today.

He added that he had tons of memorabilia from the ship and expressed a desire to see items available today. I will get busy building a store for purchases of Yorktown collectibles.

Mark just e-mailed me and said he had some videos. He owns some videos of the ramming incident with the Soviet Union and a Christmas party by Norfolk television crews. I asked him to send them to me and I would upload the movies to the website.

Stay in touch for more photographs and information about the Yorktown activities. One day we will have to decide when we hold the next reunion. Any ideas, let me know and I will do my best to arrange it for the website. Smooth sailing for now to all Yorktown sailors. Thanks Mark!

OI Division, from left, Marty Martinez, Pat Joy, Brian Dean, Dan Persse, Jim Limric, David Black, Jim Mauhler, and Mike Zimmerman.



After the ceremony, OI Division took one last tour of the ship. It was filled with many memories and a some final poses and  smiles on the bridge.

It was hard to describe how one felt. This was it. She was going to be hauled back to the fleet in Philadelphia and it was sad. The Yorktown we remembered was full of life, high spirits and great adventures to come.

She was quiet this day and the vacant spaces were indeed filled with just our memories of the past. I am sure each of us were thinking our own private thoughts of how another chapter of our own lives was closing this day.

One thing is for sure, we will never forget the Yorktown and the crews that served her well during a prestigious and honorable career.

Jim Hutchinson gave a copy of his CD with photographs and scans of Yorktown memorabilia while at the de-commissioning weekend ceremony.
Unfortunately, like I explain in the album on the site, I don't know the names of everyone in the photograph. So, if you know who is in the photographs, e-mail me the name and I will change the album captions.