USS Cleveland CL-55 Reunion Association


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Association News







Kilroy was here

2012


  • Thank you to Steve Juhasz IV for writing to us about his grandfather and our shipmate, Steve Juhasz II.

  • Sorry to report the passing of Mary Taylor, wife of our shipmate Leonard Taylor. Our prayers and condolences to her family.

  • Thank you to Anita Jones for writing to us about her father, Robert Gittings. Our prayers and condolences to his family.

  • Sorry to report the passing of our shipmate Donald Warn. Our prayers and condolences to his family.

  • The 2012 Reunion is scheduled for September 12th-16th at the Hyatt Hotel in Deerfield, Illinois. Our hosts are shipmates John and Joan Jackson & Family.

    Please visit the Reunion Info page for details.

  • Sorry to report the passing of Rita Kremer, wife of our shipmate Oscar "Ozzie" Kremer. Our prayers and condolences to Ozzie and family.

  • Thank you to Kurt Bauman for sending us photographs from the collection of our shipmate and photographer, Anthony Hynek. Click Here to view the photos.

  • Happy New Year to all of our shipmates, family and friends of the USS Cleveland!

2011


  • Sorry to report the passing of our shipmate Harold Lukinovich on December 21. Our prayers and condolences to his family.

  • Thank you to Cherry Smith for all the 2011 Reunion photos! Click on a link below to view them.

    2011 Reunion Photos: Photos 1 to 40, Photos 41 to 74

  • USS Cleveland shipmates were honored at Cleveland City Hall for Veteran's Day and the dedication ceremony of the permanent display of the ship's bell in the rotunda.

    Click Here to view video of the ceremony at YouTube.

  • A big Thank You! to shipmate Jim Kauffman, daughter Barbara Murray, son Richard Smith along with family and friends for the tremendous job hosting our 2011 Reunion in Buffalo, New York.

    Thank you to Wayne VanDerVoort for his generosity in remembering the special bond between the USS Cleveland and the USS Norman Scott.

    Thank you also to Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson along with city officials Martin Flask and Fred Szabo for taking the time on a holiday weekend to travel to Buffalo to honor the shipmates of the USS Cleveland.

  • Thank you to Ronnie Casalmir for writing to us about the history and invasion of Panay. Please visit his website at Cabatuan.net

  • Happy New Year to all of our shipmates, family and friends of the USS Cleveland!

2010


  • Thank you to Michele Burris for writing to us about her mother's father, Third Division shipmate Emmet Lee Sutton.

  • Thank you to Ron Hartl for writing to us about his wife's uncle, B Division shipmate Earl Garrett who currently resides in Oregon.

  • Sorry to report the deaths of shipmates Ralph W. Mills and Dewey Reynolds. Our prayers and condolences in order to them.

  • Thank you to Jeff Carr, son of shipmate Robert Carr for sending us rare photographs of the USS Cleveland under construction in 1942 at New York Shipbuilding located in Camden, NJ: Photos 1 to 5, Photos 6 to 10

  • Thank you to Sandy Atherton Jones, husband Bill and sister Paula Bishop for the tremendous job hosting our 2010 Reunion in Hebron, Kentucky. Despite a serious last minute medical emergency and great stress, they made the effort for the USS Cleveland family to enjoy our time together seeing the sights of Northern Kentucky and Cincinnati, Ohio. From 2 year old William Belt, great grandson of shipmate Leonard Taylor to 92 year old shipmate Wade Gilliam.

    Thanks also to Philip "Flip" Lukinovich, son of our shipmate Harold Lukinovich for volunteering to man the hospitality room and helping us all.

  • Ed Brockett was recently interviewed by the Associated Press about shipmate and athlete Charley French.

  • Thank you to Norman Monfort for writing to us regarding the action off Tinian on July 24, 1944.

  • Our 2010 Reunion will be held at the Cincinnati Airport Marriot Hotel, located in Hebron, Kentucky, October 5th thru 10th, hosted by Sandy Cline Jones.

    Please visit the Reunion Info page for more details!

  • Thank you to Kurt Bauman, close friend of our shipmate Anthony Hynek for writing to us and remembering Tony's service aboard the Cleveland.


  • Thank you to Lane Beck, son of officer M.Linwood Beck for writing to us and remembering his father's service aboard the Cleveland. Lieutenant Beck provided the narration of the USS Cleveland as noted on page 2 of the Cruise Book.

  • Happy New Year to all of our shipmates, family and friends of the USS Cleveland!

2009


  • Thank you to Barbara Murray and Carol Yost, daughters of shipmate Jim Kauffman, for compiling the recipes of the USS Cleveland Reunion Association Cookbook. Give them a try for the holidays!

    Click here to download the Cookbook
    .pdf file requires Adobe Reader

  • Thank you to Wayne VanDerVoort for writing to us and sending us a picture of the painting he had commissioned to honor shipmates serving aboard the USS Cleveland and the USS Norman Scott DD690 on July 24, 1944 at Tinian.

  • Shipmate Harold Lukinovich presented the CL-55 Reunion Association's replica campaign flag to the National WWII Museum in New Orleans to honor the service our ship and shipmates. The flag was designed by our late shipmate Les Kreeger and was part of the reunion association's memorabilia collection for many years.

    Click to view the flag presentation photos at the museum.

    Harold also attended the ceremonies marking the grand opening of the expanded museum on November 6th and provided us with these additional photos from the event.


  • Our 2009 reunion in Grapevine, Texas hosted by shipmates Wade and Jean Gilliam was a huge success. Thanks again to Wade and Jean, Sonya Gilliam and Judy and Bill Ward for the terrific job hosting our 15 attending veterans and their families - including friends, spouses, sons and daughters, grandchildren and great grandchildren!

    Reunion Photos: Photos 1 to 30, Photos 31 to 61

    We were honored to have active duty sailors participating and taking the time to meet with us. Thanks also to all the volunteers, including Phillip Lukinovich, son of shipmate Harold Lukinovich for his help in the hospitality room.

    Thank you to Mayor William Tate of Grapevine for his presentation of the key to the city to shipmate Wade Gilliam and his proclamation making October 8, 2009 USS Cleveland CL-55 day in Grapevine, Texas.

    Thanks also to Brent Jones for taking the time to visit and presenting the attending veterans of the Cleveland with turbine blades salvaged from the ship. Brent is a historian of our sister ship the light cruiser USS Astoria CL-90. Please visit his web site dedicated to the Mighty Ninety.

  • Thank you to Daniel Lewis, son of our Fifth Division shipmate Gus Lewis for writing to us and remembering his father's service.

  • Thanks to Jeff Carr, son of shipmate Robert Carr for writing to us. Robert Carr served as a radioman aboard the Cleveland and resides in Florida.

  • Thanks to John Kovacs for writing to us and remembering his great uncle, "I" Division shipmate, Chester Borowicz.

  • The 2009 Reunion hosted by our shipmates Wade and Jean Gilliam is scheduled for October 6th-11th in Grapevine, Texas near Dallas/Fort Worth.

  • Thanks to Tim Harmon, son of shipmate William (Bill) Harmon for writing to us and remembering his father's service aboard the Cleveland.

  • Happy New Year to all of our shipmates, family and friends of the USS Cleveland!

2008


  • Our thanks again to Paul "Buzz" Smith, his wife Renee and the entire family of shipmate Jim Kauffman for the wonderful job hosting the 2008 Reunion at Hyannis, Massachusetts on Cape Cod.

  • Thanks to Patricia Demel for providing a newspaper article featuring her father's experience during the Battle of Empress Augusta Bay.

  • Our condolences to Mary Taylor and family on the news of the passing of our shipmate Leonard Taylor.

  • Thanks to Christine Warner for writing to us regarding her father, shipmate John P. Ellis (Fourth Division) and family "uncle", shipmate Sal Calandra (N Division).

  • I hope each and every one of you are planning to come to the 2008 Ship Reunion on Cape Cod this September 9-14. There are some exciting excursions planned that all can participate in. The whale watch will allow us to watch these beautiful mammals from close up as they feed on the plentiful krill in the Stellwagen Bank. We will visit the JFK Museum in Hyannis to view the pictorial history of one of our great Presidents. We will take an enjoyable cruise through Lewis Bay and Hyannisport.

    The hospitality room will be open daily for your enjoyment. The ladies luncheon will feature guest speaker Gerda Reed, the winner of several blue ribbons at this year’s Sanibel Sailors Valentine contest.

    I am overwhelmed by the effort and time Paul Smith, our host, has put into our 2008 CL-55 Reunion. "Thank you, Paul." "You have really tied it down."

    Let's all get together and have a blast. Looking forward to seeing you there!

    Your scribe,
    Harold White

  • Sorry to report the recent passing of shipmate Jim Garner and his wife Velma. The Garners attended many of our reunions and will be missed.

2007


  • Thanks to Sandy Atherton Cline for sending us photographs from the 2007 Reunion in Kansas City, MO.

  • Thanks to Vivian Braubitz for sending us photographs taken at the Buffalo and Erie County Naval & Military Park. The park and museum includes the missle cruiser USS Little Rock (CL-92, CLG-4), the destroyer USS The Sullivans (DD-537), and the USS Croaker (SSK-246). The USS Little Rock is the sole remaining example of the U.S. Light Cruiser, (CL) type.

  • Thanks to Brett Lambert and Scott Chandler for writing to us regarding "A" division shipmate William Conant.

  • Thanks to Jim Noble for writing to us and wishing all a good reunion in Kansas City. Jim served aboard the Cleveland as a radioman in C division.

  • Thanks to Lt. Charles Stewart for his generous donation of photographs to the Reunion Association. Lt. Stewart was senior aviator and photography officer aboard the Cleveland from 1944 to 1946, piloting the ship's scout planes. Many of his Cleveland service photos were recently added to the web site with more on the way. Please visit the Photo page to view these rare images.


  • Thanks to Denise Whatley Herrera for writing to us regarding her father, shipmate Clifton Whatley.

  • Shipmate Ed Brockett honors fallen veterans during Memorial Day ceremonies at American Legion Post 257 in California.

  • Our thoughts and prayers go out to shipmate Lee Tipton who is fighting a serious illness. Lee attended our reunion in Louisiana.

  • Thanks to Tim Brausch, son of shipmate Robert H. Brausch, for contacting us through the website and honoring his father's service aboard the Cleveland.

  • Jim Kauffman's family in Massachusetts will be hosting the 2008 reunion in Cape Cod, so we are still planning and moving ahead.

2006



  • Thanks to Paul Smith for sending reunion photographs along with info on the Cleveland's role in the service test of the Proximity Fuze on August 12, 1942.

  • Thanks to Thomas O'Keefe, grandson of CL-55 officer James O'Keefe, for contacting us and sending wartime service photographs for the website. Lieutenant James O'Keefe served on the Cleveland until the ship was decommissioned.

2005


  • Thanks to Alberta Robinson and John Mulshine for sending reunion photographs for the website.

  • Sorry to report the passing of the following CL-55 shipmates in 2005:

    William "Bill" Farrington, Second division
    Les Kreeger
    J. Micmillan
    J. Murphy
    Earl Willerton


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