Hello shipmates,

The reunion in Beaumont, TX is just 2 ½ months away. We’ve received signup sheets from several of you, and now is the time for those who are planning to attend the reunion to send in your sheets. Bob Sipole needs head counts so he can contact the coach company, the casino, Johnson Space Center and the hotel. Once he has the head counts, he can give us start times for each event. Please remember, the deadline is September 1.

Hopefully by now, you have your hotel reservations for the reunion. If not, you should make them as soon as possible. Even if you’re still not sure you can attend, you should make your reservation. If you have to cancel, that’s OK.

Wed. November 1 – Sat. November 4

(depart Sun. November 5)

Holiday Inn Beaumont Plaza

3950 I H 10, Beaumont TX

Local Tel: 409-842-5995

Toll Free Tel: 800-315-2621

Group Rate: $89.00 per night plus tax

If booking online, use Group Booking Code 2-USH

Web Address: http://www.holidayinnbeaumont.com

If you will be coming to the reunion in an RV, several of the shipmates will be staying at Gulf Coast RV Resort in Beaumont. It is about two miles from the hotel.

Gulf Coast RV Resort

5175 Brooks Rd.

Beaumont, TX

Local Tel: 409-842-2285

Toll Free: 866-410-7801

Rate: $30.00 per night

Passport America Rate: $15.00 per night

Please fill out the signup sheet included in this newsletter. Note that all events must be signed up and paid for in advance. We cannot accept walk-ins. We have to provide headcounts to the coach company, the hotel for banquet and breakfast buffet, the Johnson Space Center and the casino. Deadline for sign-up sheets and payments is Sept. 1. Please contact us if you can’t make the deadline so we’ll at least know which events you plan to attend. If you live nearby and don’t plan to attend events, you are welcome to “walk-in” to the hospitality room at any time during the reunion to visit.

Bob highly urges people flying to go to one of Houston’s airports, rent a car and drive to Beaumont. The main terminal at Beaumont’s airport was badly damaged in the hurricane and isn’t expected to be operational by the time of the reunion. It might be a good idea to coordinate your arrival time with friends so you can share the cost of a car and ride together.

Bob informs us that Continental Air Lines is the dominant carrier at Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH). Southwest Air Lines is the dominant carrier at Hobby Airport (HOU). Both airports are approximately 85 miles from Beaumont.

Enterprise Rent-A-Car has given us a special rate for the reunion. They will provide a 10% discount off the best published rate available in the Greater Houston/Beaumont area. Reservations for cars can be made by phone or on the internet. Call 1 800 RENT A CAR or any local rental branch in the US. Enterprise’s website address is http://www.enterprise.com. We will soon have a direct link on the Tucker website to the Enterprise website as well. When making your reservation, use the special Enterprise code number: 0690219.

Managing a reunion is a lot of work, especially once the reunion begins. We will need volunteers to help with getting people signed in, selling baseball caps, selling raffle tickets, etc. As they always do, Ronnie and Jerry Ann Holt have offered their services. Hopefully, many more will come forward so no one person has to do it all. We will be preparing a program booklet for this reunion and it will have assignments (by groups of years aboard ship) for who will be in charge of the hospitality room each day. We hope everyone will step up to the plate on their day and help out. With many hands helping, all will be assured of plenty of time to relax and enjoy the reunion. If you’d like to volunteer, you can contact us and we’ll let Bob know.

There will be a bus trip to the L’Auberge du Lac Casino/Resort in Lake Charles, LA on Wednesday, Nov. 1. In addition to the casino, there are a large shopping center and restaurants. People planning to go on the casino trip might want to plan their arrival for Tuesday since the coach will be leaving in the morning on Wednesday.

There are a couple of golf courses in the Beaumont area for those who wish to play golf. This will not be an organized outing but Bob will be able to provide information and there will be a signup sheet in the hospitality room. If anyone who is a golfer would like to coordinate a golf outing during the reunion, please let us know.

On Thursday, Nov. 2, we will have an all-day trip to the Johnson Space Center, including lunch. There are many exhibits to see, including all the different types of space suits used over the years, photos of all crews, some interactive exhibits, and a tram trip to the original Mission Control Center (the one we always used to see on TV, with the tiny computer monitors).

On Friday morning there will be a tour to museums in the Beaumont area, which will include Spindletop, the original petroleum exploration area for Texas, and a Memorial service aboard one of the ships docked in Beaumont. The banquet will be held Friday night.

On Saturday morning, there will be a breakfast buffet. Then in the afternoon will be the business meeting, followed by a raffle. Please bring a small, inexpensive ($5-$10) or hand made item for the raffle.

As usual, we will raffle a model of the ship, but it will be a bit different this time. The model will be built after the reunion to the configuration it was when the winner served aboard. Also, the model will be larger this time by 11”. It will be in a display case (wood base with clear plastic cover). Tickets will be $10.00 and you may purchase as many as you like. If you would like tickets, please make a check payable to the Henry W. Tucker Reunion Fund and mail it to us at the address on the last page of this newsletter. Previous winners have been thrilled with their models. The builder really does a good job and pays close attention to detail. Tickets purchased by mail will have to be sent to us no later than October 1, and tickets will be available for sale throughout the reunion. So far, ticket orders have been slow. We hope to receive more orders and sell a lot of tickets at the reunion.

Jack London sent us a replica of a British Naval Compass to raffle off as well. We will be selling raffle tickets for $5.00 each at the reunion (no mail orders please). The compass is in a wooden box. Se photo below.

Dayton Powell, BT2, 51-55, makes wonderful walking sticks. He has made one to be raffled off at the reunion. We thank Dayton for all his work. It has the ship name on it and the shipmates at the reunion will be asked to sign it, so it will be a wonderful memory for someone to take home from the reunion. Raffle tickets will be sold at the reunion only and will be $1.00 each and 6 for $5.00. We are sure there will be a healthy rivalry over this walking stick. Here is a picture, just to “whet your appetite”.

Chuck Kass and the committee who ran the Charleston reunion two years ago inform us that they will have prepared documents regarding incorporating as a nonprofit. This was discussed and voted on at the Charleston business meeting. These documents will be discussed and voted on at the business meeting. If it is ratified, we will then elect a board of directors and officers as required for a nonprofit. This is an important undertaking and we hope for a large turnout at the business meeting. An immediate impact of becoming a nonprofit is a significant reduction in postage costs. Since postage is our largest expense, this savings would be a boon to the association.

If your address or email address has changed, please be sure to let us know as soon as possible. We are charged for each piece of mail that is returned as undeliverable or returned with a new address. So please be sure to notify us as soon as you move or change your email address.

We hope to see a large turnout at the reunion and are looking forward to visiting with old friends and making new ones.

Fair winds and smooth sailing.

Bill Siler

Please fill out the form below and return with a check payable to Henry W. Tucker Reunion Fund and send to:

J.W. Siler, Jr.

835 Claybanks Dr.

Callaway, VA 24067-4524

Date	Description	# People	Amt. Encl.

Nov 1, Wed.	Hospitality room open Check in, pick up name badges and information packets Trip to Casino $15.00pp Registration/Hospitality fee (snacks and beverages) $20.00pp Free evening

Nov 2, Thurs.	Hospitality room open Trip to Johnson Space Center All day trip including lunch $37.00pp Free evening

Nov 3, Fri.	Hospitality room open Memorial Service/Museum Tours $10.00pp Cocktail Hour Banquet Buffet (with cash bar) $35.00pp Includes entertainment by a Cajun comedian and a Cajun band.

Nov 4, Sat	Hospitality room open Breakfast Buffet $20.00pp Business Meeting and Raffle (please bring an inexpensive item for the raffle, $5-$10) Free evening

Nov 5, Sun.	Depart Hotel – Fair Winds and Smooth Sailing!

	Total # People and Total Amount Enclosed

Name: # Persons

Address:

Phone Number: Email address:

Names of spouse and/or guests

Please remember, we cannot accept walk-ins for any of these events. We must have headcounts and payment in advance. However, if you live nearby and don’t plan to attend events, you are most welcome to be a “walk-in” at the Hospitality Room at any time.

Deadline for signup sheets is September 1, 2006.

At check-in you will receive a program booklet with times for all events.

Contact Information

J.W. "Bill" Siler, Jr. BTC USNR Ret

835 Claybanks Dr.

Callaway, VA 24067-4524

Tel: 540-483-5727

Email (Bill): jwsilerbtc@earthlink.net

Email (Pat): silerpugs@yahoo.com

Website

http://www.hwtucker2000.com

Baseball Caps

We have baseball caps for sale. They are Navy Blue with the ship's name and hull number in gold. Ship profile is in white.

The caps come in solid cloth or mesh back. Please specify which you prefer when ordering.

To order, send a check for $12.00 per cap (covers postage) payable to:

Henry W. Tucker Reunion Fund

Send the check to the address at the left.

USS Henry W. Tucker DD/DDR 875

Reunion Association

Mission

The mission of the USS Henry W. Tucker Reunion Association is to bring together shipmates from the entire time the ship was in commission, 1945-1973 as the USS Henry W. Tucker (DD and DDR 875) USN and 1973-1993 as the Marcilio Dias (D25) of the Brazilian Navy.

All shipmates of all rates and ranks and their families are considered to be part of the Tucker Family and all are welcome at reunions. This includes widows and children of our departed shipmates.

The mission is also to honor those who have gone before, our deceased shipmates.