Hello shipmates,

2005 flew by and it�s hard to believe it is January 2006 already.� We hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas or Chanukah and wish all of you a Happy and Healthy New Year.

In just 11 short months, we will be gathering in Beaumont, TX for our fourth reunion.� We hope to have a large turnout.� Since we have a large number of shipmates living in Texas, I�m sure we�ll fill the hotel!

The Beaumont Plaza Holiday Inn sustained serious damage during Hurricane Rita in September, but they have assured Bob Sipole that the hotel will be completely renovated and will reopen in March, long before our reunion.� They are taking reservations now so you can call or book online.� If you have any problems booking online or through their toll free number, please call the hotel�s local number and they will take care of you.�

Wed. November 1 � Sat. November 4

(depart Sun. November 5)

Holiday Inn Beaumont Plaza

3950 I H 10, Beaumont TX

Local Tel:� 409-842-5995

Toll Free Tel:� 800-315-2621

Group Rate:� $89.00 per night plus tax

If booking online, use Group Booking Code 2-USH

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

The next newsletter will contain the events planned for the reunion and the prices, along with the sign up sheet.� Bob has told us of some ideas he has for tours and entertainment, and we think this will be a very enjoyable reunion for all.� He sent us a videotape of a Cajun comedian to see if we liked the idea of having one at the banquet.� We really got a good laugh out of it.�

Bob also sent us a DVD that was made by a local TV station of coverage of Hurricane Rita. Pat has watched it and said it was excellent.� We�ll probably make up an address list and send it around so people can see it.

For those of you who receive newsletters via email, you should have received an invitation from Pat to join a �Yahoo Group�.� Up to now, it has been a tedious process for her to send out email notifications when newsletters are posted on the HWT website.� Her internet service provider limits the number of email addresses she can send a single message to.� Our email distribution list is around 700 so she has to send out the message 17 times to 17 distribution lists.� With the Yahoo Group, she will be able to send the notification message out just once and it will reach the entire group.� To join the Yahoo group, you are not required to create a Yahoo email address, but if you are concerned about your email address being on the internet, you may wish to create a free Yahoo email address just for the group.� If you haven�t received an �invitation� from Pat to join the group, please email her at [email protected] and she will send you one.� This will be the last newsletter to be distributed through Pat�s internet service provider.� Beginning with the next newsletter, which will contain all the information on the Beaumont reunion, distribution will be via the Yahoo Group.� If you haven�t joined the group, you won�t receive this important newsletter.

If your address and/or email address has changed, please let us know as soon as possible.� Every time we send out newsletter notifications via email, we get 20-30 �bounces�. Then we have to send a paper copy to each person, increasing the amount of postage we are spending.� As of January 8, postage will go up to 39 cents, so this could get costly.� The more people who receive the newsletter via email, the less postage we have to pay out of the Treasury.� We also get about the same number of returns on paper copies we send out.� This adds to the total cost of mailing.� Full postage on the returns and then postage to send the newsletter to the new address, if one is available.� For each return and re-send to a new address, the postage triples.� We always get a few back with no forwarding address, so we �lose� those people.� We want to ensure that everyone receives his newsletter, but we also need to keep postage costs under control.� Please, if you move, change your email address, or have started using email, please let us know right away.� In addition to the cost, all of this is time consuming.

We received a message from Gerald Oden, STG2, 65-67.� He is looking for information on the ship�s activities during that time period, particularly dates of fire support in Vietnam.� He also would like to know of any shipmates who have had health problems related to Agent Orange during that time.� If you have information, please contact him via email:� [email protected].� If you don�t have email and want to contact Gerald, please let us know and we will put you in touch with him.

If you have any news that our shipmates will find interesting, be sure to send it to us.� We are always looking for information that will be of use to veterans.� Also, if you know of a shipmate or a shipmate�s spouse who is ill, please let us know.�

We look forward to seeing many of you at the reunion.

�� Fair winds and smooth sailing.

�� Bill Siler

*******************************************************************

Received this and thought you might like it, especially those of you who were aboard that day.

I was in the nucleus crew of the Tucker. I am Tom Brady, SoM1c.

In early summer l945, we were in Portland, ME and did some 40mm tracking drills with navy planes from a naval air base in Maine up in the Bay of Fundy. These were simulated kamikaze attacks. I was Captain's talker for these drills. The planes were not coming in close enough to satisfy Cdr Meyers, so he had me pass the word that they should come in closer. The next thing we knew one of the planes hit the radar antenna on top of the main mast and the pieces rained down on the deck. The next thing I heard was the Captain saying "not that close you s.o.b." I'm not sure whether I passed that word or not. After that we spent some time in Boston getting things put right.

When I returned home to Virginia, Minnesota after the war I was talking to a friend who had been in the Naval Air Corp and had been in Maine at the time of our incident. He did admit that someone in his squadron had done the damage but never that it was he. He died a few years ago and his wife then told me that it was indeed him. We never got to thank him for the time we got to spend in Boston.

Additions to the Crew List

Bellen, Ivan D.

SN1/c, 50-52

Bogart, Russell T. �Rusty�

FN1/c, 45

Chauvin, James L.

SFP3, 54-57

Confer, William A. �Red�

MM1, 45-46

Gaddy, Jr., Benjamin L.

SN1/c, 45-46

Gustafson, Robert K. �Gus�

MM2, 59-62

Jackson, Noah R.

SN1/c, 45-46

Marshall, Howard W. �Ho�

SA, 50

O�Neil, Richard J. �Okie�

MM3, 61-62

Poe, Sam G.

SN1/c, 50-51

Rintoul, Kenneth N. �Ken�

ET1, 67-73

Shea, James A. �Jim�

ENS, 52-53

Sherman, Albert A. �Sherm�

SO3, 48-51

Williams, Jr., Benjamin J. �Ben�

SN, 65-66

Contact Information

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

835 Claybanks Dr.

Callaway, VA� 24067-4524

Tel:� 540-483-5727

Email (Bill): [email protected]

Email (Pat): [email protected]

Websites

http://www.hwtucker2000.com

Yahoo Group

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/HenryWTucker

Baseball Caps

We have baseball caps for sale.� They are Navy Blue with the ship's name and hull number in gold.� Ship profile is in white.

The caps come in solid cloth or mesh back.� Please specify your preference when ordering.

To order, send a check for $12.00 (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.