The Search for the Grunion Blog

Posted on Friday 22 February 2008

Bruce mbabele@999info.net

Memorial

We are in the process of organizing a memorial. Here are key points:

Location: Cleveland OH at the USS Cod Museum. Cleveland is centrally located, easy to get to and is a reasonably inexpensive city. During WWII there were 52 subs lost; each was assigned to a state, the Grunion going to Ohio. The Cod is almost identical to the Grunion and has been carefully preserved.

The director of the Cod Museum, John Fakan, has been heavily involved in this project and will be a great help in organizing this effort. If you fly you will not need a car, the museum people will pick you up. There are hotels within a few blocks. John thinks he can get a special block rate.

We donâ€™t have a estimate of cost at this time. We plan to be careful with expenses.

The Cod closes for the public Sept 30th but it will be available privately for the Grunion memorial.

The probable date is Columbus day weekend 10th thru 12th of October.

Events: The plan is make adequate time for Grunion people to get to know the rest of the family. There will be exhibits from both the families and the expedition, presentations and a opportunity to meet some of the key players of this rather extraordinary experience. We are hoping that we can get some ex-submariners to explain the various functions of the crew, and that some of the relatives will be able tell their stories to the group.

Sunday morning there will be a formal Navy ceremony.

We expect this to be rather heavily attended. In order to accommodate all and keep cost in control we would appreciate an email to grunionmemorial@aol.com with â€œMemorial and crew name in subject.
List names of those likely to attend, email and phone no, type of transportation, any special needs, and the likelihood of attending.

DVD

Joe hunter has completed his DVD of the Search for the Grunion. It is available on Amazon.com (Search for the Grunion DVD) for about $18.
I am somewhat biased but as is I think it is good enough to sell to a network.

11 Comments for 'Status Report February 22'

Mary Parziale Bentz

February 22, 2008 | 4:23 pm

Bruce and John,

We are looking forward to this!

Mary
Peter Thomas Stephens

February 22, 2008 | 7:51 pm

Bruce, just read the info on the memorial services, sounds great and I am ready to go. Thanks again for all your hard work preparing for this great weekend. I attenpted to purchase the vedio thru Amazon but the message I got was that is not available at thiis.
Rhonda Raye

February 23, 2008 | 4:51 am

Don’t know yet if I’ll be able to attend, but I think Ohio is the best place due to location (of the 4 places I’ve seen named, it is the most central) and the facilities they have there. I’ve seen some pics but of course at the moment can’t seem to locate them again. With the USS Cod there too, it ought to be very interesting and informative.
Mary L. Parziale Vitarell

February 24, 2008 | 6:16 pm

I wish I were able to attend but unfortunately my health wont let me. I am hoping my daughter and son in law who is in the Navy will be able to attend . It is something that I would have to been there for.
Janet Mehall

February 24, 2008 | 11:19 pm

Bruce and John,

We look forward to the Memorial with joyful anticipation.

May the planning days ahead go smoothly.

Janet Mehall
Imelda Giglio

February 28, 2008 | 2:08 am

Dear Bruce and John,

Eleanor, Patricia, Maureen, Denise and Imelda, Billy Devaney’s sisters, will be glad to attend the memorial service for the men of the Grunion. Our husbands, children and grandchildren will also attend. In all we anticipate about 50. We are looking forward to meeting you and your brothers and also the other relatives of the men lost on the Grunion.

Out heartfelt thanks to you and your brothers for finding the Grunion and making this happen.

The Devaney sisters
Laura (Conley) Tasse

March 1, 2008 | 6:06 pm

Donald Francis Welch’s daughter, granddaughter and great grandaughter and one husband will very likely attend. (Four total).

Thank you!

Laura
Elizabeth Nobles Simon

March 3, 2008 | 7:38 pm

Hi Bruce:
I am definately intrested in attending the memorial in Ohio.My uncle:John Wesley Nobles was on the Grunion.
In order to use flight points time is of the essence to know the date as holidays are “black out dates”& difficult to obtain.
I am looking forward to sharing this special event with my cousins Charleen(Nobles) & Dale Kerkes,John Wesley Nobles & possibly Pat (Nobles)& Jim Stockfisch & Shirley (Nobles)Kitchens.
Lois Rehn

March 6, 2008 | 3:00 am

Hi

I don’t know how to tell you how much finding the Grunion has meant to my family, THANK YOU!
My Uncle John Stewart Clift was on the Grunion. I was not born when the sub went down but always will remember my father telling me about John.

I do plan on coming to the memorial. There will be two of us. We will be flying from Calif.

See you in October!
Lynne Blinco Earle

March 8, 2008 | 9:50 pm

Joe Hunter’s Search for the Grunion DVD is wonderful and very professional. I highly recommend it and suggest that all relatives and anyone interested in the story of the Grunion order it from Amazon.com. As Bruce commented, it is “good enough to sell to a network.”
Therese Marsh

March 17, 2008 | 1:36 am

The opportunity to meet other famillies in Cleveland will be one of the high points of my life.
My husband and I were blessed to be at the Punchbowl on Oahu years ago on Father’s Day. IIt was a comfort to be there with others to honor our family members lost in the service of our country. My Dad’s (Leo Bedard) place on the Memorial was too high to reach, and there was no place to leave flowers. But the experience of all of us united in love for our lost ones was very meaningful. To all the people who are working so hard to bring this gathering about - the Abele’s and the sub ladies and their families - Thank you.

Posted on Friday 22 February 2008

11 Comments for 'Status Report February 22'

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