Hello shipmates,

�� I was going to start by saying Spring has come to the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, but after the cold and snow flurries on Sunday, April 24, I�m not so sure.� But there is hope.� The dogwoods and redbuds are in full bloom and there are leaves on the trees!� Can summer be far behind?

�� Thanks to all of you who have sent donations.� You�ve been most generous.� We now have a healthy checkbook balance of over $3,000.� We now have enough money to assure that the newsletters can continue to be sent out.�

�� Plans for the 2006 reunion are well underway.� It will be in Beaumont, Texas which is 30 miles from Orange, Texas, birthplace of the Tucker.� It is also the final home of the USS Orleck, the Tucker�s ship and squadron mate, which is being restored as a museum ship.� Bob has negotiated an excellent rate of $89.00 per night (the regular rate is $119.00).� The hotel is a full service hotel and there are several restaurants nearby.� For more information and to see what the hotel looks like, please visit the website at the address below.� Tour information will be in future newsletters.� We think this is going to be an excellent reunion and hope we have a large turnout.

Wed. November 1 � Sat. November 4

(depart Sun. November 5)

Beaumont Plaza Holiday Inn

3950 I H 10, Beaumont TX

Local Tel:� 409-842-5408

Toll Free Tel:� 877-465-4329

Group Rate:� $89.00 per night

If booking online, use Group Booking Code 2-USH

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

�� As usual, Bob Miller has been busy finding Tucker shipmates and deceased shipmates.� Please see Bob�s request for information on Commanding Officers and Executive Officers on the next page.� He also has come up with a very good idea.� If people have diaries or memories of their time aboard the Tucker, we would like to have them to post on the website.� We�d also like to begin putting excerpts from these memories in the newsletter as space permits.� There is a �Sea Stories� section of the website, but unfortunately those without computers don�t get to see them.� If we can put some in the newsletters, everyone will have a chance to see them.� Bob has also accumulated most of the cruise books and plans scan them for the website.� If any of you has a cruise book and a scanner, he asks if you could scan yours, put it on a CD and mail it to him at his address on the next page.

We also like to put humor pieces in the newsletter (see page 5).� A lot of them come from shipmates.� If you have any humorous pieces or Navy-related cartoons, please send them to us for the newsletter.� Clean ones only, please! (probably difficult for �old salts�)

�� If you have moved or changed your email address, please let us know as soon as possible.� If you receive your newsletters via paper mail and have an email address, please send us your email address.� The more newsletters we send via email, the lower the postage and photocopying costs are.� Also, if you have had difficulty opening the newsletter on the website, please try again.� Pat thinks she has found the problem and solved it.� If you continue to have problems, please let us know.

�� We look forward to seeing many of you in Beaumont next year.

�� Fair winds and smooth sailing,

�� Bill Siler

Ahoy Shipmates

Since our reunion in Charleston, we have made contact with close to 75 former shipmates, bringing our total close to 1,200 men still with us. At this time, I also intend to channel a good deal of my efforts to preserve some of the Tucker�s history.

My objective is to concentrate on Tucker�s Commanding Officers and Executive Officers. I have gathered a great deal of information and pictures of these gentlemen, so I�m well on my way. Although I have a good deal of data, I�m missing information on the below listed officers. If you have any pictures or biography-type information on the below listed officers, I would appreciate hearing from you. In fact, any and all information on them would be very helpful. Remember, no information is too insignificant. Things such as middle names, wife�s name, where they were from, where and when they were commissioned etc. will help.

Commanding Officer

CDR. Rex Beach Little�� 19 August 1948 to 17 April 1950

Executive Officers

LCDR. Orville Owen Liebschner�� �Ollie�� 12 March 1945 to 00 September 1945

LCDR. John Andrew Gommengenger ��Jack�� 00 September 1945 to 26 July 1948

LCDR. Alan C. Smith�� 26 July 1948 to 00 Xxxx 1949

LCDR. Encil Elwood Rains�� 00 Xxxx 1949 to 00 October 1950

LCDR. Kenneth F. Williams�� 13 January 1951 to 00 Xxxx 1952

LCDR. Edward W. Everett�� �Ewee�� 00 Xxxx 1952 to 10 April 1953

LT. Allen Feingersch�� (FRAM)�� 1 February 1963 to 23 September 1963

I will continue to look for shipmates, so if you have information on missing shipmates, please send me what you remember of them. We are especially missing names of many men from 1946 to 1948

Information about our Commanding Officers is almost completed and ready to be downloaded to our web page.

Thank you for your help

Bob Miller

Crew Locator

USS Henry W. Tucker

3009 W. Bryn Mawr Ave.

Chicago, Illinois� 60659-3724

[email protected]

Additions to the Crew List

Bifulco, Frank F. �Bif�

SK2, 46-49

Bloyd, Leonard C. �Len�

ETN3, 71-72

Brandon, Michael S.

RD2, 68

Butler, Andrew W. �Andy�

SK1, 57-59

Chames, Louis P.

MM3, 52-55

Chaplin, Miles M. �Chap�

BT2, 70-72

Cosper, Sammie W.

SO3, 52-53

Cota, Ralph D.

MM3, 55-57

Dam, Frank E.

RD2, 52-53

Davenport, Ronald O.

FT3, 53-54

Evans, Johnny L.

EN3, 71-73

Fogal, Donald D.

RDC, 67-68

Loupe, Irvin J. �Loup�

SN1/c, 45-46

Lynch, Paul H.

CSSN, 49-50

McKinney, Peter T. �Pete�

LTJG, 56-57

Oler, John V.

EMCA, 63-64

Paschall, Michael L. �Utah�

HT3, 72-73

Pless, George F.

MM2, 46

Raines, Troy B.

SN1/c, 46

Richards, Stewart W. �Rev�

RD1, 52-55

Rowell, Jr., Allan M.

STG3, 67-68

Schkolnick, Moe

FN1/c, 45-46

Scott, Clifford R. �Ross�

SOG3, 62-64

Shevetz, Michael J. �Mitch�

RD2, 64-67

Silvers, Ned L.

CS1, 65-67

Steinhurst, Richard S.

QM3, 64-66

Sutherland, Grover W. �Wes�

BMSN, 62-64

Tenpenny, Joseph T.

RM2, 62-63

Thomas, Ross J.

LCDR, 58-60

Ventimiglia, Michael �Mike�

MM2, 59-62

Vidmar, Robert

GMC, 50-5?

Wall, Bradford E. �Brad�

SMSN, 70

Weitzel, Richard A.

SN, 65-67

White, Donald F.

ENS, 46-47

Joseph Yager

SN1/c, 45-46

Bade, Milton C.

MMFA, 53-54

Baumgardner, Raymond K.

QMC, 59-62

Biermacher, T.J. �Burgie�

RD1, 52-55

Corson, Bernard F.

LTJG, 45-46

Embry, Bobby D.

BTCA, 60-62

Feingersch, Allen �Al�

LT, 62-64

Felder, Ferris Melvin �Mel�

BMSN, 52-55

Frei, Raymond T.

BT3, 57-59

Gardner, David L.

ENS, 47-48

Gibson, Cecil E.

BTGC, 50-51

Gillespie, Luther C.

MMC, 59-60

Gossett, Julius R.

BM1, 57-58

Hagan, Roy J.

BMCS, 60-62

Hubbs, Clifford E. �Cliff�

RD2, 59-62

Lamirande, Edward J.

FTSN, 52-54

Levandowski, A.J. �Meathead�

SN, 64-67

Ovestrud, Orval E.

MM3, 48-50

Pelletier, Donald

FN, 49-52

Rohrer, Allan W.

SM2, 63-65

Rollingson, Paul A.

SN, 68-70

Rose, Jeff W.

RM3, 62-65

Shelton, Johnny, H.

FN, 48-50

Shelton, Richard H.

FN, 48-50

Vorel, Jerome J. �Doc�

DC2, 64-67

Working, Patrick L.

ENS, 47-48

Humor Corner

Jerry Derryberry sent these to us and we thought they were worth sharing for a chuckle.

�Aim towards the enemy.� �� Instruction printed on a U.S. rocket launcher

�When the pin is pulled, Mr. Grenade is not our friend.� �� U.S. Army

�Cluster bombing from B-52s is very, very accurate.� The bombs are guaranteed to always hit the ground.�� U.S.A.F. Ammo Troop

�If the enemy is in range, so are you.� �� - Infantry Journal

�A slipping gear could let your M203 grenade launcher to fire when you least expect it.� That would make you quite unpopular in what�s left of your unit.� �� Army�s magazine of preventive maintenance

�It is generally inadvisable to eject directly over the area you just bombed.� �� U.S. Air Force Manual

�Try to look unimportant; they may be low on ammo.� � Infantry Journal

�Tracers work both ways.� �� U.S. Army Ordnance

�Five-second fuses only last three seconds.� � Infantry Journal

�Bravery is being the only one who knows you�re afraid.� �� Col. David Hackworth

�If your attack is going too well, you�re probably walking into an ambush.� � � Infantry Journal

�No combat-ready unit has ever passed inspection.� �� Joe Gay

�Any ship can be a minesweeper � once.� �� Anonymous

�Never tell the Platoon Sergeant you have nothing to do.� � � Unknown Army recruit

�Don�t draw fire; it irritates people around you.� �� Your buddies

And lastly:

�If you see a bomb technician running, try to keep up with him.� �� U.S. Ammo Troop

Contact Information

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

835 Claybanks Dr.

Callaway, VA� 24067

Tel:� 540-483-5727

Email (Bill): [email protected]

Email (Pat): [email protected]

Website

http://www.hwtucker2000.com

Baseball Caps

Baseball caps are available.� They are Navy Blue with the ship's name and hull number in gold.� The ship profile is in white.

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

�

Henry W. Tucker Reunion Fund

Send the check to the address at the left.

USS Henry W. Tucker DD/R 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.