Association News

A Special Guest

WWII veteran Bryce Thornton

Time stands still when a World War II veteran steps onto the decks of the Fighting Lady.

 We were blessed, today, to take Bryce Thornton of the Army’s 104th Infantry Division on a special tour of the ship. As it happens, Pat Waters (grandson of General Patton) was here for a meeting and able to speak to him as well. Mr. Thornton (age 97) was 19 when he stepped onto the shores of Utah Beach in July 1944 as an ordnance specialist. His job after the invasion of Normandy was to clear mines and booby traps ahead of troop movements. He was at the Battle of the Bulge. Out of 36 men in his platoon, 5 made it out of the war alive and not wounded. “I’m just glad to have made it out okay,” he said. He remarked on how cold it was in Europe during winter. He’d heard of a guy’s feet freezing to the mud in a foxhole in Holland.We couldn’t help asking Mr. Thornton his secret to longevity (we could barely keep up with him on the gallery deck). He said it’s important to stay active. He cuts the grass and cleans house, among other things. His other words of wisdom for the rest of us came from his own father, “try to look at the positive,” he said, “we focus on the negative too often.”

USS Yorktown to be Permanent Structure

The US Coast Guard this month has requested that Patriots Point Development Authority register the USS Yorktown as a Permanently Moored Vessel. This certification will mean that the Coast Guard would not need to inspect the Yorktown, since it was removed from navigation years ago. Of course, it has been common knowledge that the Yorktown is permanently moored, but the formal paperwork was apparently not completed with the Coast Guard.

Examples of PMVs like the Yorktown include showboats, theaters, hotels, gaming sites, restaurants, museums, and business offices on a barge.

Remediation Plans on USS Yorktown

On Monday, July 11th, SC Governor Henry McMaster announced his intention for “a complete remediation and removal of hazardous materials from the hull of the USS Yorktown, including hundreds of thousands of gallons of old petroleum, polluted ballast waters, and polychlorinated biphenyl compounds, or PCBs that were not removed from the ship’s 428 vessel tanks and compartments by the Navy.” First steps will be a cost study.

McMaster requested the funds for the project during his address to the state assembly in January as part of a $300 million budget recommended for the Office of Resilience for environmental mitigation and remediation. The budget also includes projects like reconstruction after natural disasters.

Yorktown Day 2022

Yorktown Day commemorates the victory of General George Washington’s Allied American and French troops over Lord Cornwallis’ troops at Yorktown on October 19, 1781. This victory essentially ended the American Revolution and paved the way for our freedom from Great Britain.

Yorktown Day 2022 occurs on Wednesday, October 19 in historic Yorktown, Virginia. The agenda for the 18th and 19th day events has not yet been completed. However, past festivities have included wreath-laying ceremonies at the graves of French and American heroes, a patriotic parade down Main Street, and a formal ceremony celebrating the American and French alliance.

Crew, families, and friends of the USS Yorktown CV-5 Association, USS Yorktown CV-10 Association and USS Yorktown CG-48 Association would be most welcomed guests at Yorktown Day 2022. During our nation’s history, five Navy ships have been named USS Yorktown after the Battle of Yorktown. Crews from these ships have valiantly protected our freedoms for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Your legacy lives on in Yorktown and across the nation. Come to Yorktown Day 2022 and celebrate the history of your ship’s’ namesake battle!

We would like to have a group of USS Yorktown CV-10 Association members attend and participate if possible. If you are interested in attending the Yorktown Day Celebration, please let me know and I will keep you informed of future details.

Ron Meacham (C 484-888-1958) or ronaldrgmklm@aol.com

USS Yorktown CV-10 Association: Past Chairman – Event Coordinator

/ Association News

Save the Date

Our Next Reunion: October 5 – 7, 2023

Grab the family! Call your shipmates! Plan to gather again in the fall of 2023. It’s only the best time to be in Charleston, afterall. The flowers are blooming, the humidity is low, and the temps are just right for exploring our favorite aircraft carrier.

Be on the look out for more information in the coming months.

/ Association News, reunion

Reunion Discount in Gift Shop

Attendees wearing their reunion name tag/badge will get 20% off merchandise in the Patriots Point Gift Shop (landside by the parking lot) during the reunion. There will be lots of fun items to bring home to friends and family!

/ Association News