Location: [USS Holder Homepage]   [USS Holder - Reunions]   USS Holder - USS Holder nnth Annual Reunion 2003

USS Holder Association's 25th Annual Reunion

04 October 2003 through 08 October 2003

The shipmates of the ships named USS Holder DE401, DD819, and DDE819 came together in Baton Rouge at the Sheraton Baton Rouge Convention Center Hotel for their 25th reunion.

Events of the 25th USS Holder Reunion

Saturday, 04 October 2003

Welcome Aboard!

Hospitality room opened at 1500 and our welcome aboard get-together was held at 1800. We were given a brief presentation of the available shopping, sightseeing, and restaurants in the area. We were pleased, and honored, to have in attendance Annette & Jim Bowen. Annette is the niece of Randolph M. Holder, for whom the USS Holder was named.

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Sunday, 05 October 2003

This was a full day!

After an early breakfast, we gathered at the Nautical Center & Memorial Plaza for a presentation of the history of USS Kidd and for group photographs. We were allowed to fly an ensign, which was flown on USS Holder in 1968, while we had a Memorial Service on the fantail led by our Chaplain, Dan Minton. After touring the ship, and lunch, we went on to the Cajun Festival at Port Vincent.

We had a great time at the Cajun Festival at Port Vincent. There was Cajun food, music, dancing, live alligators to see, and touch, and a boat ride to view the bayou.

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Monday, 06 October 2003

We were out early again, and on buses to Nottoway Plantation where two guides explained everything to us including the history, construction, and furnishings while we went through the mansion.

We took lunch at The Cabin, which was once a slave cabin.

After returning to the Sheraton, we had the rest of the day free to do what we liked.

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Tuesday, 07 October 2003

This morning we took a bus tour of the city of Baton Rouge and the State Capitol Building, where we took the elevator to the observation area for a different view of Baton Rouge.

The annual business meeting was held in the Nautical Center Auditorium.

Our group began our evening by donating over 100 items of canned goods to the Baton Rouge Food Bank. Our annual banquet kicked off at 1800 with raffles, a speech by Maury Drummond (Director of USS Kidd) titled "What the American Flag means to me", and a prayer by Chaplain Dan Minton. After dinner we were entertained with a cultural presentation in the Cajun dialect by Ed Taylor.

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Wednesday, 08 October 2003

This was the day for all the farewells and the shipmates' departures.

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We were pleased to welcome the niece of Randolph M. Holder, Annette Bowen and her husband Jim, as well as the following first time attendees:

  • Larry Buckley
  • Robert Campbell
  • Lige Dunaway
  • Eugene Lower
  • Steve Pappamihiel
  • Curtis Ritter
  • Loyd Smith
  • Dean Troxell
  • Robert Valois
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Shipmates in attendance included:

Last Name First Name Rate/Rank On Board Holder
Absetz Ronald    C. YNC 1960-1962
Adams Ralph    B. RD3 1946-1947
Adams Robert    MM3   1960-1962  
Bernacchi Raymond    P. EM3 1946-1948
Bisson Malcolm    L. SD3 1964-1966
Bortle Jack    YN3 1955-1957
Buckley Larry    C. LTjg 1955-1957
Burke Thomas    L. TEM3 1954-1956
Byrd James    R. GMG1 1964-1967
Campbell Robert    T. ETSN 1958-1960
Cannon John    RM3 1946-1948
Churchill David    L. RD2 1955-1958
de Barrios Jim    Reyna MM2 1959-1961
Dixon Douglas SN 1953-1957
Dombrowe Don    BTG1 1950-1952
Dubyak Paul    A. MM2 1955-1957
Dunaway Lige    MM1 1951-1954
Garrett John    S. RDC 1954-1958
Gilbert James    C. LCDR 1958-1960
Gill Doug    FT3   1957-1959
Gilmore R.   J. END3 1956-1957
Goggans Wayne    W. EWC 1964-1967
Grant Ulysses    S. MM3 1959-1961
Harrison Fred BTCM 1964-1967
Irvin Charles HMSN 1960-1963
Jackson Donald    A. AMSC   1957-1958
Johnston George    SM1 1944
Kea J.    C. MMCM 1960-962
Kenton Francis    "Pat" FN2 1952-1953
Le Fevre Charles    Y2c 1946-1948
Lower Eugene    R. ME2 1957-1959
Maloney Francis TM3 1950-1953
Marcom James    C. LCDR 1957-1960
Mc Gaha Huey    P. TM3 1952-1954
Minton B.    Dan SFP3   1956-1959
Oman John    BT3 1958-1959
Pappamihiel Steve    C. SO3 1956-1958
Quinn Harvey    BTFN 1959-1960
Rambo M.   Bruce MMCM 1955-1957
Randall Donald    MM1   1959-1966
Reed Allen BTC 1948-1955
Ritter Curtis    L. MM3 1961-1964
Seal Leon BT2 1953-1954
Skinner George    MM3 1960-1961
Smith Loyd    V. RM3 1963-1965
Stigall Ronald    W. BT3 1957-1961
Stoffa George    SO2 1954-1957
Tabing Richard    R. MM1 1954-1957
Troxell Dean    E. LTjg 1955-1957
Valois Robert    A. IC2 1957-1959
Wiesbeck Gene    BT1 1975-1976



 

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