We had a great week together, visiting Norfolk Harbor for a tour of the river and the USS Wisconsin. Later that week we hit Colonial Williamsburg and Jamestown. Our yearly meeting and banquet on Saturday night allowed us to pay tribute to Jim Merriman, the face of the DD 467 for so many years. Andy Hoder delivered a heartfelt and sweet tribute to our lost sailor who will not be forgotten. We miss you Jim and you will always be with us!

On to plan for next year in Annapolis, Maryland!

​Tammi

Another warm and beautiful day in Virginia! The group first spent about half the day at Colonial Williamsburg soaking up history and spending money in the shops. The bookstore at the College of William and Mary took a chunk of my change, and it was worth it. I visited here in 2003 and was so thrilled to come back, but never had enough time to really go through the area and see everything. We need to come back and spend a couple of days taking everything in. The photos above are of a period tavern and a young Captain Innes who regaled us mightily with his tale of defeating the British at sea and thanking our brave Navy men for their service and sacrifice.

​Next, on to Jamestown settlement where again there needs to be more time spent in the spectacular and huge museum and visitor center they have set up there. At the pier are replicas of the three ships that brought the settlers to Jamestown, including the mothership the Susan Constant pictured above. When I asked the guide about the authenticity of the ships, the Susan Constant is closest to reality. Evidently there were some legal issues involving the ship back in England and 400 year old insurance records had details about the ship that aided in her recreation. Incredible!

​We have the board meeting and raffle tomorrow that raises money for the STRONG Association scholarship fund. Tomorrow night is the banquet, and then we go home for another year. Seems the time passes quickly, but it's always a good time. I'll post more photos later from home. Thanks to all for tuning in!

Tammi

Hello and welcome from Virginia Beach/Norfolk! People are arriving and getting ready for the 2017 reunion. We are right on the beach here with an amazing view. Hurricane Irma is making her presence known with some back winds and rough surf, churning the waters. We are so looking forward to the week and seeing old friends. Lots of interesting places to go and things to do. I'll post more updates as the week proceeds. Again, we truly miss the presence of big Jim Merriman. He's here in spirit, I know for sure. 

​Lots of fighter jet flyovers from the Norfolk Naval Base close by and they rattle the windows. As loud as it is, it's good to feel safe with them close by. Below is what we woke to this morning. More later!

Tomorrow the hubby Greg and I head to Virginia Beach/Norfolk for the 2017 reunion. We're really looking forward to seeing everyone again. Before we head out though, I wanted to post some information about an on line event happening this Wednesday. 

A couple of weeks ago Paul Allen's Vulcan Inc. group announced they found the wreck site of the USS Indianapolis. The Indy was the ship that delivered the bomb parts that once assembled was dropped on Hiroshima by the Enola Gay. She was hit and sunk on her way back to port. There were nearly 2000 men on board. 316 men survived after 4 days in the ocean, wounded and fighting shark attacks. The wreck is located in the Philippine Sea. Allen's group will have a live internet broadcast on Wednesday evening of September 13th at 10:00 pm EST. If you are on Facebook, use this link to access the broadcast: https://www.facebook.com/PaulGAllen.Ideas/?hc_ref=ARTWoZ2SL7P7LdLn8vVx3arEZJvCPj-xmUe8UbL29KHevIQfjUOXtiD7lwcOP9R27v0&pnref=story

​If you are not on Facebook, you may be able to access the broadcast from Paul Allen's website here: https://www.paulallen.com/

I'll be posting updates through the week. If you are in the path of Irma, please stay safe. Thoughts and prayers are with you!

​Tammi