VAW-13/VAQ-130 2008 SQUADRON REUNION 

 PLANNING COMMITTEE

Ned Lester: Overall coordinator, hotels, transportation, events Schedule, collection, Miramar Air Show (858) 536-7717,

John Marlin: Zapper Database coordinator for distributing subject Information (562) 900 6943

Ed Burbee: Historian, General overall support to Reunion and the Data Base (951) 440- 7730

Wayne Smith: Website Manager; www.VAW-13.com <www.VAW-13Zappers.com> Coordination with CVWP, VAQ-130 and VAW-13 members. (386) 767-8605

Henry Zebick: Midway event coordinator (Sat. AM event aboard USS MIDWAY); general support to Reunion effort. (858) 484-5462

Jim Glendenning: Coordinate Reunion participation with VAQ-130 and Electronic Attack Wing.  (360) 873-8558

Dave Saas: Support Jim Glendenning in coordinating VAQ-130 and Wing Participation. (702) 496-2486

 

PURPOSE:  To provided all past and present VAW-13/VAQ-130 Squadron members and their guest 2008 Reunion details.  

LOCATION/TIME:  San Diego, CA / 2-5 OCTOBER 2008 

PLANNED SCHEDULE OF EVENTS: 

            Thursday:  2 October 2008

0900 – Until: Check-in Hotel and retrieve Reunion Packet of Material

1730 – 2000:  No Host Cocktail party (hotel – light Hors d'oeuvres)   

            Friday: 3 October 2008

0700 – Until: Continue check-in

O700 – 0900: Continental Breakfast

0930 – 1000:  Travel to Air Show, MCAS Miramar

1000 – 1600:  Return to hotel after “Blue Angels” Demonstration  

1730 – 1900:  No Host Cocktail party (light Hors d'oeuvres)

1900 – 2000:  Dinner (Casual Dress)

2000 – 2245:  Theme: “VAW-13/VAW-130 Squadron History”; Host & Guest Speaker; Admiral Grady Jackson USN (Ret.)

 

            Saturday: 4 October 2008

O700 – 0900: Continental Breakfast

0830 – 1130: Tour of the USS MIDWAY

1100 – 1200: Lunch on the MIDWAY

1200 – 1230: Travel to NAS North Island

1300 – 1630: Tour/brief EA-6B/EFA-18G Aircraft @ North Island and tour an in-port             "super deck" aircraft carrier.

1630 – 1700: Return to Hotel

1730 – 1900: No Host Cocktail party (light Hors d'oeuvres)

1900 – 1945: Dinner (Casual Dress)

1945 – 2245: Theme: “Combat Employment of the “Prowler” and “Growler”; Host & Guest Speaker; CAPT Bradley Russell, USN, Commodore CVWP

 

Sunday 5 October 2008

O700 – 0900: Continental Breakfast 

Morning packup and Checkout from Hotel by 12:00 & depart

Cost:  $100.00 Deposit & Includes: Continental Breakfasts and Evening Dinners. Transportation to/from MCAS Miramar and NAS North Island provided sufficient funds are available. If sufficient funds are not available, extra money will be collected at the time of the reunion.      

      Please Make Check Payable to: VAW-13/VAQ-130 Reunion – Edwin T. Lester 

Provide the following information:

      Name Tag Name:

      Name Tag Name of Guest:

      Address:

      Email Address:

      Phone/Fax/Cell Numbers:

      Reporting/Departing Squadron dates (month/year)

      Rank/Rate while in Squadron

      Rank/Rate Current or when departed service

      Name of Roommate (if room is shared with other than guest)

     

REGISTRATION: Mail Check and Information to:     

VAW-13/VAW-13O 2008 REUNION

9696 BUSINESS PARK AVENUE

      SAN DIEGO, CA  92131-1643

       Print a PDF File /Registration FORM      you can mail 

Reservations

 The following telephone numbers may be used when making reservations (619) 544-1886 or (800) 542-1886. Reservations must be called in on or before September 1, 2008 or prior to the room block being filled to receive the quoted group rate. The block of rooms should be identified as VAW-13-VAQ-130.           

 HOST HOTEL ACCOMODATIONS:  The Horton Grand www.hortongrand.com is the host hotel for the VAW-13/VAW-130 Reunion.  The hotel is located in the middle of the San Diego Gas Lamp District and within walking distance to the USS MIDWAY.  The Reunion hotel rate is $139.00 which is below the standard Military rate of $149.00/night for the area.  The Contracted period is for Thursday – Saturday (2-4 October 2008) with three day shoulders for addition stay before and after the Reunion.  Contact www.sandiego.com for information on other activity in the area for before and after the reunion period or if you do not plan to attend the scheduled day events.

 Hotel Reservations:  Please review the Attached letter of Agreement for specific information on the Reunion Letter of Agreement.  There are 32 rooms (16 rooms on the 3^rd and 4^th floors) on Thursday Night and 48 Rooms (16 rooms on second, 3^rd & 4^th floors) that are specifically reserved in the contracted.  The hotel has a total of 140 rooms and there are now about 110 rooms remaining.  Please make your decision on attending, make your reservation and select your Dinner Entrees (below) as soon as possible.  We have made arrangements to accommodate overflow to other hotels but the more we can locate in the Horton Grand, the better it will be for all reunion attendees.  The 48 rooms (16 per floor) reserved has a central area on each floor that is centered on stairs that connect to the Bar/Lounge area on the first floor.  Rooms after the base 48 will be on wings leading away from the central floor area after the 48 are filled and/or if one desires more privacy.      

 Parking and Quick-Market.  Free Military Parking and limited shopping is located at the Navy Facility across the street from the USS MIDWAY.   The Hotel Parking is $24.00/day so recommend that automobiles and campers use the military parking area.  

BUDGET AND RV TRAVELERS:   There are many RV Camps in the San Diego Area.  For the 2-4 October period, please consider parking in the military parking area across the street from the USS MIDWAY, military bases and then commercial RV Parks with appropriate RV support.  There are many less expensive motels (super 8 quality level) close to the USS MIDWAY.  The overflow hotel rooms that we have negotiated are in the $140/night range and are equivalent in quality to the Horton Grand.  However, please know that “room sharing” at the hotel can cut your room cost in half as well as for the less expensive hotel/motels close to the USS MIDWAY that is with in walking distance to the Horton Grand.  

Dinner Menu Options: The Friday and Saturday dinners will have the following menu options. Please make you selection upon registering: 

1. Grilled Marinated Chicken Breast (Red)
2. Herb Crusted Salmon (White)
3. Sliced Tip Sirloin (Blue)
4. Stuffed Pork Loin (Yellow)

 You will receive colored tags representing your meal choice in your information packet upon check-in.  the colored tag should be placed by your plate at dinner to expedite food service.

 Dinner Seating: The dinner tables are round and seat 10 guests.  The seating will be by the first period that you were in the squadron(s).  Any special considerations will be supported as possible.  Your table assignment will be in your information packet.

 Final Comment.  This Reunion Event has resulted from a group of retired VAW-13 dedicated squadron members from the late 1950’s through transition to the EA-6B in the 1980s period that gathered in San Diego in the summer of 2007 for a mini reunion.  The reunion included a Memorial Wreath Ceremony from the flight deck of the USS MIDWAY to pay tribute to Aircraft Crew – LTJG “M.D.” McMican, LTJG Gerald Romano, ATR3 William Amspacher, ATN-2 Thomas Plants - who were lost in May/June 1965 during Combat missions over North Vietnam.  

 An action item from our group meetings was to hold a larger, more complete reunion in 2008 and Dave Saas and Ned Lester were elected to “MAKE IT HAPPEN”.  The scope of this reunion continued to expand in scope and potential number of attendees.  The proposed reunion planning is flexible and can accommodate all that desire to attend.  If one does not want to stay in the Hotel and at other locations, the $100 fee is primarily for the two evening meals on Friday and Saturday Night.  If hotel expenses are still a critical decision issue, there are many places that one can stay for less money and can join us for the day and/or evening events.

 We would like for those that can not attend to also provide us with your contact information so that we can update/maintain our data base.  It is hoped that a successful reunion this October will permit forming an Electronic Warfare Profession program similar to those of other military groups.  We have an excellent start from the planning of this reunion for 2-4 October 2008.

 I would like to express special thanks to our planning committee and especially to ADM Grady Jackson USN (Ret.) and to CAPT Brad “Plug” Russell, USN Commander, Electronic Attack wing, US Pacific fleet for you assistance by attending, providing Prowler and Growler aircraft for display and hosting the Friday and Saturday evening events.       

 

 Capt. William Nevis                                              757.426.5185

 Robert DeRosa

 Pete Sly

 John and Jean Chance

 Ken and Marlene Swanson

 Gary and Linda Jackson

 Ed Burbee

 John Sharick 

 

 

Zappers,

CAPT Brad Russell was kind enough to take time out of his busy schedule to lunch with me at NAS Whidbey today. They have just received their first Growler and are now putting the transition training program together.  CAPT Russell has flown the Growler several times at NAS China Lake, where the Navy does electronics testing and development, so he had a good idea of it's capabilities. What he told me was rather breath-taking when you compare it with what we knew. The airplane will only require a crew of two. Most of the tuning, acquisition, jamming, and other activities are automated. The pilot and NFO are there to prioritize the information, make decisions about the use of it, and , of course, act as backup when things go south.  He is an impressive leader and I'm sure his presentation at the reunion will be of interest to all hands.  He is going to do his level best to have both an EA-6B and  an EA-18G on display at NORIS for the reunion.  That will be an exciting opportunity to see those two aircraft up close and personal.

 

He also told me that VAQ-130 returned from their deployment yesterday. As with all returning units, the next few weeks will be busy for them while reuniting with family and putting the final touches on the deployment records.  I hope we will soon have final update from LT J.P. Falardeau.

 

It was like a tip toe through the tulips for me to spend some time at Whidbey, where I spent the last four years of my Navy career as the XO and then CO of  VR-21 Det Whidbey. The base looks almost the same as it did 33 years ago. They've taken very good care of it considering the weather in this neck of the woods.

 

Go Zappers,

Jim