Association News
Meet the Veterans of the USS Yorktown
Saturday, October 12th
9am to 12pm
The veterans of the USS Yorktown will reunite on their beloved aircraft carrier “The Fighting Lady” to share stories of their service from World War II through the Vietnam War. And this year, they will be joined by USS Bennington (CV-20) veterans celebrating their 80th anniversary. Visitors to Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum will have the opportunity to participate in a Meet and Greet with these veterans. Posters will be given to those who would like to get autographs from the veterans while learning about life on board an aircraft carrier.
The Meet and Greet is included in the admission to Patriots Point. Get your tickets in advance HERE.
Remembering V-J Day and the Release of POWs
North of Asakusa, where the Sumida River makes a hairpin turn before flowing south to Tokyo Bay was Tokyo POW Camp 10-B. This is where VT-5 pilot James Willoughby “Pop” Condit found out the war had ended. Pop, radioman Gordon H. Marshal, and gunner Kenneth O. Kalberg had been shot down and captured during the attack on Marcus Island in 1943. Until the Japanese surrendered in August 1945, they labored in camps with fellow POWs from the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Holland, and other allied nations. Throughout the war, the main thing they wanted from new POWs coming into camp was news of what was happening in the war. Meanwhile, for two years their families had hoped and prayed for any news that their loved ones were still alive.
News was the first thing Condit and the other POWs asked for from Yorktown pilots dropping barrels of supplies at the end of the war. One POW camp posted a sign on the roof, “Enough, thanks. Any news?” The photo above shows the building Condit climbed onto to paint his sign.
At 1045 on August 30, 1945 Admiral William F. Halsey hoisted his 4-star flag at his headquarters in Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan (the location of the first POW camp Condit, Marshall and Kalberg were taken to). On September 2nd, USS Yorktown launched 79 aircraft as part of the force that paraded over the USS Missouri (BB-63) following the signing of the peace treaty. A horrific and brutal war had finally ended. After two years of no one knowing for sure what had happened to them or if they were alive, Condit, Marshal and Kalberg came home at last.
For more information on POW camps in Japan, click here.
Reunion Registration
Dear Shipmates:
We are well underway planning our 2024 Reunion. This one will be exciting and a little different than our past reunions. First, we are very pleased to announce the USS Bennington CV-20, CVA 20, CVS-20 Association Members will be joining us – so it will be a reunion of “The Lady & Big Benn”. Their Association visited the Yorktown on their 50th Anniversary and will now be celebrating their 80th with us.
This year we are utilizing the services of Armed Forces Reunions. They are a national company devoted to planning and executing military reunions. Their services will streamline our process and ease the workload on our reunion organizing team. I mention this because you will be seeing their name, or AFR, on various documents we will be mailing to you, as well as making some of your reunion reservation online thru them if you choose. You will receive a Reunion Registration packet in the mail the beginning of May to complete and return to AFR. You can also register online by going to our reunion page (see link below).
Our reunion plans include: 2 optional tours, our one of a kind “Visitor Meet & Greet”, three meals on the ship and of course our very moving Memorial Service. We are planning as many activities as possible to be celebrated with our Bennington shipmates.
We look forward to seeing you at our 76th Reunion.
Best wishes,
Ron Meacham
Reunion Coordinator
2024 Yorktown Reunion
Yes we just completed our 2023 Reunion and a mini recap is in this issue. And, yes we are talking about “2024”. As you’ve probably seen in your everyday life, things are moving faster – it seems; and planning events takes longer. So here’s a snapshot.
October 9 – 12, 2024. Write the dates on the calendar. Tell all your shipmates, your family, the VFW, the American Legion, and the clerk at the supermarket. We’re starting the planning and will keep you posted on the details. But I can tell you it will be a very special reunion – the USS Bennington CVS-20 has asked to join us for their 80th Commissioning Reunion. We think it will be a great time seeing crew from another Essex Carrier. We’ll plan some events together and of course have our own. More to come.
Ron Meacham – Reunion Coordinator
‘The Fighting Lady Turns 80’ celebration
April 15th, 10 am – 3 pm
As you know, the USS Yorktown (CV-10) was commissioned at Norfolk Navy Yard in Norfolk, Virginia on April 15, 1943. That was eighty years ago, this year. So, the leadership and staff at the Patriots Point Naval & Maritime Museum in Mt. Pleasant, SC are preparing an 80th Birthday celebration of the USS Yorktown on Saturday, April 15th. Included here is a letter to our membership from the Interim Executive Director of Patriots Point, Mac Burdette:
We are very excited to celebrate the upcoming 80th anniversary of the commissioning of USS Yorktown and are looking forward to having former crew members join us for the occasion during the upcoming work party.
On April 15, we will host a “The Fighting Lady Turns 80” celebration for the 80th anniversary of the ship’s commissioning. We will have family-friendly events aboard the Yorktown from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. and invite you, her crew members, onboard to participate in a Meet & Greet with visitors throughout the day.
Meet & Greet events of past reunions have been very popular and well-attended. We expect the same for this event.
At 1 p.m. on April 15, we will introduce participating crew members and toast USS Yorktown’s “birthday.” Following Navy tradition, we will celebrate with cake.
Also as part of the celebration, the Collections and Curatorial Affairs Department is excited to launch a new exhibition entitled “All Who Served: The Uniforms of World War II”. The exhibition features uniforms from all branches of the military, with loans from the Charleston Museum, the National Museum of the Marine Corps, the National Museum of the US Army, and the Charleston Air Force Base.
We look forward to a great day on the Fighting Lady at Patriots Point. We hope Yorktown Association members will consider joining us!
PPDA Employees Deck the Halls
Click the image above to view the contest
2022 Holiday Decorating Contest
“Merry Christmas to all!
We had a Holiday Decoration contest here at Patriots Point and supported by the USS Yorktown Foundation.
There are some really creative peeps on staff. The Attached pdf show all that participated and a sample of their decorations. Take the time to go see them before the end of the holidays.
Have a Merry Christmas & a Happy New Year to all.
Ho, Ho, Ho.
Jim Vickers, PPDA Graphics Department”
