USS Sealion 2009 Reunion
LAST UPDATE 8/13/09: With the convention and reunion only a few weeks away, I'll make this our last update. Ben & Olivia Aquino will also be at the reunion having signed up last week. To date it looks like we will have only about 20 out of the over 200 contacted. But no matter how few show up, it will still be great seeing the faces again after more years have gone by. I'll be in San Diego from Monday, Sept. 7th through Sunday the 13th - see you there!
UPDATE 7/9/09: Greg Smith (FTG3 '64-'66) from Oceanside, CA has been added to our reunion and will be joining in on the convention activities before hand as a USSVI member. Looking forward to seeing you Greg!
UPDATE 6/29/09: Pat McQuade (EN2 '61-'63) has just reregistered with us and is coming in for the reunion... An interesting point being made here: his first mailing was one of the (only) thirteen returned, yet he still caught up with all this - tell you anything? ANYONE on our roster who wishes an email copy of the master crew list sent to him (about 450 names, addresses, phone, email etc. contacts), send me an email to webmaster@usssealion.com - you MUST be a verifiable past crew member - we do not help spammers!
UPDATE 6/27/09: We have now filled up one of three tables that I have reserved at Kelly's Steakhouse (3 tables with 10 seats). Besides myself (I'm always hungry), I have Bill Arata, Chris and Cathy Cunha, Harold and Helen Hanselman, Ivan and Lois McElhiney and Mike and Carol von Radesky - - - "IF" (for some old age thing) I have omitted your name (has been known to happen), PLEASE email me ASAP with your details (again)... If you haven't yet committed to the reunion, please do so NOW, the convention is filling up fast (over 700 now) and I expect rooms in the area will be in very short supply.
UPDATE 6/7/09: Of the over 240 envelopes mailed out (1st class) only thirteen (as of 6/27) have been returned for lack of a current, correct address. That's less that 3 percent of you who did not get this six page informational mail out! We spent over $200 out of pocket for postage, printing & materials to bring you up to date! Out of all that, I've received only SIX answers with a total head count for our reunion dinner of eight now (including me!). Come on guys, this is like herding cats, getting you to communicate. How about this as a minimum, you could acknowledge your mail and say you can't come - if that's the case! At least I'll know these letters weren't buried somewhere in the desert!
UPDATE 5/20/09: Our 2009 USS Sealion Reunion information and registration mailings to 241 past crew members were posted this date. We now have 445 names on the USS Sealion roster - with more being added daily! The "dress" for all is casual and any and all payments should be made to John Clear (I have set up a separate reunion fund at the bank for all checks coming in).
This year our 3rd USS Sealion reunion will be held in conjunction with the annual United States Submarine Veterans, Inc. (USSVI) convention to be held at the Town & Country Resort & Convention center in Mission Valley, San Diego, CA. This convention will also include the International Submariners Association and Submariners Association of Canada membership (a triple showing). For information regarding this overall gathering and things to do while in San Diego go here: http://www.ussvisandiego.org/Convention2009/index.htm
For information regarding USSVI membership read here: http://ussvi.org/home.asp
We will have the "Manchu Suite" in the main tower, 2nd floor of the resort reserved for the entire time frame - from the afternoon of Tuesday September 8th through the evening of Saturday September 12th with an open/honor bar and finger food for your enjoyment. Many items, pictures and records of Sealion memorabilia will be on display. Our "official" dinner gathering will be on Friday the 10th at 7:00 p.m. on the grounds of the resort at Kelly's Steakhouse (website here: http://www.kellyssteakhouse.com/ . We will only have seating for the first 30 (maximum) who sign-up as this restaurant does not have a separate private room - therefore, the first THIRTY confirmed "signed up AND paid" for dinner will have guaranteed seating, the rest of you are more than welcome to join us for all other activities and be a "walk-in at the 7:00 p.m. dinner as room permits!
If you are already registered as a past USS Sealion crewmember you will be getting detailed information and your sign up form in the mail during the last week of May 2209. If you are unsure of your registration status please email me IMMEDIATELY with you full name, mailing address, phone number, what years aboard, and spouse's name, I will forward a package to you along with everyone else... "See You In September" - John Clear EMC (SS) USN Ret.
email = webmaster@usssealion.com