USS Bunch DE-694 / APD-79

Fall 2009 / Winter, 2010

Fall 2009/Winter 2010
News and Happenings of the
USS Bunch

Paula Hickey Sothman
816-550-4957
psothman@st-tel.net
or
Curtis Bunch
503-984-4708
cwlbunch40@msn.com

Taps

    These are the deaths that I have been notified of. If I have missed someone, please contact me so their name can get on the “Taps” list.

Dartha Henderson - 3/1/09
William Vance - 5/16/09
John E. Renn - 7/17/09
Jimmy Gwaltney - 11/21/09
Ray Hanbury - 1/4/10
John Parzyk - 1/6/10

    You may also report the death of a shipmate or spouse at the DESA newspaper website www.desausa.org/contact_desa_taps.htm or by calling 386-738-6900.

MyFamily Website

    To see photos or catch up on news, check out the website that you have been invited to or contact Paula or Curtis if you did not get an invite.

Answering All Bells
USS Bunch Under way!

USS BUNCH
2010

    Curtis and Paula have been working on the 2010 reunion. They are checking out the Eugene, Oregon, Memphis, Tennessee, and Charleston, South Carolina. We have received some terrific options from these sites and will be deciding in the near future where the 2010 reunion will be held and when. Please watch for a postcard or email in May to let you know when and where the reunion will be held in 2010 and possibly 2011.

Transitional Year
    This has been a transitional year for Paula. If she has missed getting a death posted or an address change missed, please let her know. She is going to try to have a notebook handy for noting these changes.

Corrections and Donations

    If there are other corrections that need to be made, please email or call Paula Hickey Sothman or Curtis Bunch at the addresses in the upper left hand box. Due to the rising cost of postage, I will be emailing to as many as possible. Any donations to offset the cost of postage are greatly appreciated.

Norfolk, Virginia

    What a great time we had in Norfolk!!

    Wednesday evening, we were blessed with the company of Ray Hanbury and his son, Billy. Jimmy and Dottie Gwaltney brought along Dottie’s sister, Connie and her husband, Tipton. Genevieve Wallace whose brother was KC Bunch attended from Oregon and brought her daughter, Linda Tuhy. Also attending were Alice Bunch and her daughter Dorlee Leder from Oregon, Gerald and Joyce Hickey from Iowa, Ray Beebe and Betty Loomis from Michigan, George Fryberger from Ohio, Guy Rich and Francis Livesay from Virginia, Paula Sothman from Kansas along with her best friend, Terri Hanke and Terri’s mom, Elda Hanke. All in all, we had a nice group of 18 attend the 2009 reunion.

    Thursday, we spent a beautiful morning on the Victory Rover touring the Elizabeth River and observing the ships that are docked along the it. During the tour, we were given descriptions of the ships that we saw from when they were built to how big they were to what their function is. We were able to see ships from dredge ships to aircraft carriers. After eating a lunch at the Nauticus, we toured the museum and the USS Wisconsin.

    Colonial Williamsburg was our destination on a cooler and wetter Friday. It was interesting to see establishments that had been around for a few hundred years. There were demonstrations showing how meals were prepared and tours of many of the homes and other buildings.

    We stood in awe at the memorial General MacArthur and his wife on Saturday morning. The memorial houses more than the burial sites of the general and his wife. There are many artifacts he collected during his lifetime of service to his country. One of the most special things is a plaque on a piece of wood flooring where the desk stood that held the document that the Japanese signed that ended World War II. his country. One of the most special things is a plaque on a piece of wood flooring where the desk stood that held the document that the Japanese signed that ended World War II. Ray, Gerald, and Guy were so interested that they asked to return to the museum after our lunch at Rowena’s.

    Lunch was at Rowena’s Tearoom but it was unknown to most of the group that it would be a tearoom. Our lunch was served on individual 2 tiered tray and consisted of a variety of sandwiches and cakes and served with a variety of teas. It was highlighted by having lunch with the owner of the business. It was something different and was enjoyed by most.

The final meal together was at The Grate Steak where you were able to pick your own steaks and grill it to suit your taste. After opening our gifts, we had a discussion of where to hold the next reunion or whether a reunion should even be held. It was decided to continue with the reunions at this time.

    A final breakfast was held in the hospitality room and then we were headed for home.

Return to What's New