USS SABALO REUNION  RENO, NV 4-6 SEP 2003

...To have friends close at hand in the heat of battle, It ceases to be an idea for which we fight for the flag. Rather we fight for the man on our left, And we fight for the man on our right. When all the armies have scattered, And when all the empires fall away, All that remains is the memory of those precious moments We spent side by side. from the movie, Four Feathers

PHOTOS - -  MORE LATER    Group shot      knelling l-r: Vern Shaw, Ron Gorence, John Baker, Ernie Hall; seated: Pete Lary, Terry "Auggie" Heisterman, Roy Owens, Ed Heistermann, John LeConte, Mick Ray; standing: Pete Ouellette, Bill Towery, Tom Wilhelm, Jeff Owens, Harold Losby, Gary Ferguson, Jim Braun. (photo by Rita Ouellette)   Charley Odom(rt.) & Orrin Kreps(left) - These two men served in Sabalo's engine rooms during the first commissioning period of '45-46. Kreps MoMM3 & Odom MoMM Chief.  Ages 79 & 90 when this was snapped in Reno.  Back together to reminisce after 57 years!! Odom and Kreps w/ Odom wearing his full dress CPO uniform from 1956 which still fits. Closeup of Charley's decorations. Table shot (clockwise) Paula Heistermann (Ed's wife); Orrin Kreps 45-46; Hal Barker 65-66; Jeff Owens 67-69; Roy Owens 66-68; Bill Towery; Terry Heisterman 66-69; Ed Heistermann 64-67 Group shot (l-r) John Savala 52-53; Orrin Kreps 45-46; Joe Roberts 51-53; Charley Odom 45-46; Ernie Abbott 51-55; Paul Keeler 52-53; Andre Giacomelli 53-54; J. D. Longenecker 52-54. Anyone with more photos:  please send me a scan and I'll try to get them up. HERE'S WHAT HAPPENED IN RENO - YOU'D BETTER MAKE IT NEXT TIME - GREAT TIME HAD BY ALL USS SABALO   SS-302 SHIPMATE NEWS AND RENO REUNION UPDATE FUND RAISING RAFFLE for all shipmates - 10 Bucks a chance 1st Prize  A really nice color print of the Sabalo with a small inset of the ship’s patch.  This is not a photograph, but is an out-of-water profile view which is stylized. The print is matted and framed with a brushed chrome, subdued finish metal frame which measures 8 x 18 inches.  It is produced by www.windjammer-arts.com where you can view an example.  It can be produced in the boat’s original configuration or with the sail conversion and the period appropriate patch.  Value $85.00 2nd & 3rd Prizes  A hand painted, wood plaque rendition of the ship’s patch that appears on the home page of the web site.  This is the last version of the patch.  These detailed creations are done by Don Johnson, an ex-boat sailor, of Apple Valley, CA.  Approx. 12 inches ht.  Value $25.00 ea. THE WINNERS! 1st Prize - Don Longenecker  (51-53) 2nd   -  Ron Gorence    (66-70) 3rd  -  John Baker   (64-68) SABALO MERCHANDISE FOR SALE  --  Denim Shirts -- Golf Shirts  --  Sweatshirts  --  Hats We had great participation in the items which were on hand.  Hats were sold out!   Check the  SHIP'S STORE  for remaining items.. SEARCH STILL ON  -- ALL THOSE WHO PROMISED AT THE REUNION  TO SEND INFO ON SHIPMATES, PLEASE FOLLOW UP. It isn’t too late to search for crew members still hiding in the baffles.  Many of you have provided some addresses or leads to finding shipmates.  Thanks to all of you who have helped.  Please search your memory, or old photos and mementos for clues to names or locales where more shipmates might be found.  Especially helpful is the original hometown or state.  In the majority of cases, it seems, men are drawn back to their origins. Please help us identify as many “Sabalo Survivors” as possible.  Maybe you are thinking about coming to a future get-together, or maybe you’d just like to chat with an old pal, but have lost touch.  Whatever the story, why not help find an old shipmate and keep the Sabalo fraternity alive.  The guy you help find will be grateful you thought of him, and also once he knows of the ‘crew association’ will be able to contact some of his other buddies.  DONATIONS  - Didn't record the many donations from all the generous shipmates at the reunion, but a BIG Thank YOU to all for your continuing support, and we'll all do our best to keep expanding our list of shipmates whereabouts and organizing activities for the future. PHOTOS AND SABALO MEMENTOS    There were a number of mementos in the suite for sharing among the attendees. What was enjoyed by everyone was the slide show which contained 475 images.  The show was setup in both the suite and at the main events. The organization of these pictures was a learning process and there is no where to go but better and bigger next time, so keep searching your keepsakes for more to add.  A discussion about how to best submit photos will be posted elsewhere on the site in the near future. CARSON CITY DAY TRIP FOR THE WOMEN on Friday 5 September Rita Ouellette did a nice job of setting up this up, and although more could have attended, Rita reports that the trip was very enjoyable, and Pete was duty driver. FOOD AND DRINK - was excellent in my opinion although the suite did run out of beverages for a time. Your shipmate, Jeff Owens, Reunion Coordinator

Last revision to Reno Reunion :1515, 15 Feb 2005
This web page authored by Jeff Owens using Netscape Composer and MS Front Page Express.
Email: owensjepix.net
USPS: 273 Pratt Hollow Rd, Nicholson, PA 18446
Tel.: 570-942-4622