Thursday, May 17, 2007

The weather has turned cooperative for the reunion with a very pleasant 75 - 85 forecast for the rest of the week.

18:00 this evening we had our "Welcome Aboard" Reception for all attendees of the Site 1 Holy Loch, Scotland Reunion being held at The Grand Plaza Hotel here in Branson.

Pam Brown from Gatherings Plus, who was contracted to coordinate and put on the reunion, hosted the reception. We went over the reunion schedule. Tomorrow we will first take a driving tour of a few places such as Branson Landing then visit the Veteran's Memorial Museum. Then back to The Grand Plaza Hotel for lunch with entertainment by Kenny Parrot. After lunch we take a bus over to Table Rock Lake for dinner and entertainment on a cruise aboard the Showboat Branson Belle and a cruise on Table Rock Lake.

After discussing Friday's itinerary for the reunion we were all then free to swap sea stories.

Rolland Kitterage had various items such as patches, ball caps, golf shirts, books etc. available from the ship store. Anything he did not have with him can be ordered through the Site 1 Holy Loch Reunion Association online ships store.

I found many of the attendees were stationed at Holy Loch during the early years of Site 1. Some were surprised to learn that the Refit Site had been consolidated.  When they were there the Tender and the Dry Dock were anchored separately about a 1/4 mile apart. I don't know exactly when the Site was combined into one complex but when I arrived in 1979, for my first tour of duty, the Tender was anchored on one end and the YFNB-31 was moored behind the Tender and the Dry Dock was moored on the other end of the YFNB-31. They were particularly amazed to learn that you could walk from the bow of the Tender to the stern out rigger of the Dry Dock.  When they were there you had to take a boat from the Tender to the Dry Dock and back again.  In those days many of the Tender personnel never made it over to the Dry Dock during their tour of duty.

I left about 20:00 and about half of the members were still sitting around discussing their various years in the Holy Loch.

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