Binnacle List

Calvin Ratcliffe, BT2 (60-63), recovering from cancer surgery at home, Franklin, MA.

James Bond, YN3 (64-67), recovering from a severe auto-pedestrian accident. He can be contacted at:

Room # 307-2
The Institute For Rehabilitation And Research (TIRR)
1333 Moursund
Houston, Texas, 77030-3405
phone 713-797-7312.

Don Cameron, LT 60-62, San Diego.

Carol Buse, LTJG 64-66, Reedsport, OR

The Editor Apologizes

In the last issue, I included an article titled "To all Veterans," which discussed a law that Congress had passed, entitling veterans a benefit on their SGLI insurance.

It was a hoax.

I truly apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused. It was provided to me by a shipmate who had clipped it from a newspaper in his area. I did not check it out, which is one of the first things taught to aspiring journalists. For a moment, I had forgotten.

Meet our new Secretary-Treasurer

Ensign Jack Timmons reported aboard Topeka in January 1964 and was assigned as Assistant CIC Officer. Formerly a Chief Radarman, Timmons was commissioned Ensign (LDO Operations) in 1963. Timmons was transferred to Flag Plot in December 1965 upon arrival in Subic Bay and was assigned as Electronic Warfare Officer for ComCruDesFlot 3. When Flot 3 scheduler LCDR Frank McGirr returned to the U.S. due to a family emergency, Jack became the flotilla scheduler.

In August 1967, he was transferred to FTC Mayport as Operations Training Officer. Other tours included duty with ComCruDesFlot 9 where he made another WestPac cruise, and a final shore duty tour in San Diego as OINC, Armed Forces Courier Station, San Diego. He retired in February, 1975 after 22 years of service.

After the Navy, Jack attended San Diego State University, graduating in June 1977 with a B.S. in Business Administration. He has worked for the County of San Diego; and, as a systems analyst for Pacific Bell, was involved in the implementation of many leading-edge technologies in the San Diego Center. He took early retirement from PacBell in 1992.

Timmons and his wife Jean, information systems manager for a small manufacturing firm, have been married for 32 years and have one son, Devin, who lives in Scotia, Cal. He maintains close relationships with his 3 sons from a previous marriage.

As a house-husband, Jack's interests in retirement include hiking, cooking, and reading, among others, and being Grandpa. He is involved in several local volunteer activities.

Timmons is looking forward to serving as secretary-treasurer of the Reunion Association, and realizes that he has big shoes to fill. He hopes that he can do the job in the same professional manner as has Dudley Cass.

Letters

Dear Ed:

I am looking for someone that knew Pat Tempel GS2, on board 1960-1962.

I wish we could have gone to Branson. That was one thing Pat had wanted to do. Unfortunately he was diagnosed with lung cancer in March and passed away August 14th. He was hoping to beat this and show up in the year 2000. I was looking forward to listening to you guys talk about those days.

Pat was very proud of his time in the service and loved talking about those days with anyone who would listen, but most of all with the guys who were in at the same time as he was. The question always came up "what ship were you on," and then they would talk about things like, "oh yeah, we joined up with the Topeka . . .," and the story's would go on and on.

I do have a request. I would like to hear from someone who knew him. If you could help, would you please pass this around.

Shelly Tempel
Wife/Widow of H. Patton "Pat" Tempel GS2 1960-1962

Dear Ed:

What an outstanding week in Branson. Enjoyed seeing old and making new friends after all these years. I appreciate all of the hard work all of you good people did and am looking forward to San Diego. Thanks again for a great reunion.

John Courtney, Charlotte, NC

Ed Note: Received a similar e-mail note from John's wife, Becky. We hope to see you guys in San Diego in 2000.

Dear Ed:

What a great week. The hotel was the best that Sandy and I have been to with the reunion and, of course, seeing all the good people again is, as usual, the highlight of the trip.

It was all that we had come to expect and more. Radarmen still had the highest number of any division attending, so old shipmates were met and old tales were re-told with even greater embellishments. Friends made at other reunions were revisited and new ones made. As Dick Walker said, it is more like a family reunion than a shipmate reunion. I agree, and each year I find more cousins than I knew were out there.

Ken Noble, 
Louisville, CO

Ed Note: And a chance for all to see the website first hand made it better. Thanks, Ken.

Dear Ed:

Bet we missed a really good one - so sorry. My father did luck out stage l cancer and think they got it all out. Senior son also got married off in fine style.

Looking forward to San Diego next year. Best wishes to all.

Paul and Loretta Ruby, 
San Francisco

Dear Ed:

I was a Seaman, assigned to the S2 Division and cooked aboard the Topeka 1967 to 1969. If anyone is interested, Gary Hershman, and Dom Porco, both aboard the same time, live in my area. Does anyone know where Bob Grant is?

Thomas Fitzsimmons, 
New York NY

Dear Ed:

Just a quick note to let you all know that we are so sorry that we were not able to attend the reunion this year. We made such wonderful friends last year in Boston when we found the reunion accidentally.

Cal had to have major surgery. The doctors found a malignant tumor at the junction of his esophagus and stomach. They removed one third of his stomach and two-thirds of his esophagus. The operation was nine hours long and really took a lot out of him. He is doing well, though, and after 10 days in the hospital, is home recuperating. If anyone has a chance to drop him a quick note, I'm sure he would love to hear about Branson. He has a six to eight week recovery so this will keep him busy.

Thanks so much to all those who have contacted Cal with their best wishes.

We hope to see you all next year.

Cal and Nancy Ratcliffe, 
Franklin, MA

It's San Diego in 2000, August 16-20

We are going to San Diego in 2000, to the Town and Country Hotel in Mission Valley, August 16-20. Our hosts will be Dudley and Ruth Cass.

Rates are $89.00 a night and are good three days either side of the reunion dates. We will have a large 1600 sq. ft hospitality room. Here's what else we know so far:

• $1.00 a day for parking which includes coming and going as much as you want each day.
• Four different places on site to eat.
• One block from Fashion Valley, a nice, large shopping center.
• One block from trolley and buses which will make it easy to get anywhere we want to go to.

More to follow in next newsletter.

Branson Artists Honorary 'Mates

Bobby Vinton closes out his Branson show wearing his Topeka ball cap after being designated an Honorary Topekaman. Seventy Topeka sailors and family attended his show which was one of the best in Branson. Vinton, who had recognized the Topeka crowd during the performance, stated that he was "deeply honored to be one of us." Roy Clark was also so honored, but we did not get a picture.

Ship's Store Report

Christmas gift time is coming soon. Our Ship's Store items make great, unusual gifts for family and friends.

The following items are available. Please add $5.00 for shipping. If you are on the internet, there is an order form on the Topeka web site.

The Topeka note pads are great for honey-do lists, telephone notes, and shopping lists. Be the only one in town to have them, or if you live in San Diego, one of a select few.

The license plate covers are a great way to let people know you were on Topeka and will help in finding "lost" shipmates.

It's football time and soon will be basketball in front of the tube. You’ll need one of those insulated holders to keep the soft drink or beer cold.

• Adult shirts Navy, Red and Green,
  L,XL,2XL $25.00
• Ball caps 10.00
• Key Chains 3.00
• Topeka Jackets, size L, XL, XXL 35.00
• Ship’s Plaque (new design, w/name) 30.00
• Cold drink holders 5.00
• Topeka note pads (5 pack) 5.00
• License Plate Holders 4.00

Moving? Moved?
Was your newsletter Forwarded?

Then drop a card to Jack Timmons and let him know your new address.

Laughlin in the Spring

Just for planning purposes, Dudley and Ruth report that it looks like the Laughlin bash will be the first week in March. Red Buttons will be there March 1-5 so they are thinking it will be during that time frame.

Baka Hachi Revision

We are receiving many inputs to include in the Baka Hachi revision. BUT NOT ENOUGH. There are a lot of untold stories out there about life on Topeka. If you know one (and you all do), put it on paper and send it to Jack Connery. If you have pictures to go along with it, even better.

Don't worry about not being a good writer. Jack will edit it and rewrite as necessary. If it is a true story (and they all are), and you don't want to put your name on it, let Jack know.

In that regard, there's a Topeka information pamphlet published years ago that lists such things as number of pounds of potatoes cooked daily, gallons of water used daily, gallons of fuel per mile, etc. etc. Jack would like to have those figures.

Names/telephone numbers

Here's who you missed in Branson