1943 – 2023 Kent Ledlow passed into eternity on October 29, 2023 in Lakewood, Colorado. The last years of his life were spent at the Westlake Care Community in Lakewood, where he was lovingly cared for.Kent was born on November 10, 1943 to Elaine and Carl Ledlow of Denton. Kent studied at the University of North Texas from September 1961 …
1937 – 2023 Clarence Richard Bergfeld, who served on the USS Yorktown from 1954 to 1958 as a Metalsmith Petty Officer 3rd Class, passed away November 20, 2023 at the age of 86. Clarence was born May 18, 1937. He was living in Sun City, AZ with his wife Karen.
Edward Kent Drumeller of Florissant, MO passed away at his home on August 8, 2023. Kent was a Communication Watch Officer on the USS Yorktown (CVS-10) from 1962 to 1964, before he was reassigned to a Navy shore communications station in Alaska. He was a fellow with an enormous heart for his fellow shipmates, notwithstanding his own failing heart that …
1940 – 2023 Peter F. Beckschi III, 83, of Jamison, passed away Friday, November 16, 2023. He was the beloved husband of Gertrude A. “Trudy” (Colbert) Beckschi. Born June 25, 1940 in Philadelphia, he was a son of the late Peter M. and Hedwig T. (Gutowicz) Beakschi. Peter served proudly in the United States Navy on the Yorktown and USS …
1933 – 2023 On October 2, 2023, Charles “Chic” Hedberg died peacefully at home at the age of 90. Hedberg, the youngest of four, was born in Brooklyn on January 28, 1933 to Marie (Mueller) and J.O. Viking Hedberg. He attended Poly Prep in Brooklyn for high school and studied mechanical engineering at Stevens Institute of Technology. He was a …
1922 – 2023 Carleton Warner Davis, Sr., passed away at 101 years of age on Friday afternoon, November 17, 2023. Carleton was born in East Braintree, MA on November 8, 1922 and graduated from Braintree High School. Following high school, he was employed at the Fore River Shipyard before enlisting in the United States Navy and training to be a …
1947 – 2023 David Schultz, 76, of Terryville, Connecticut passed away Wednesday, November 15, 2023, at home. He was born September 23, 1947, in Hartford, son of the late Edward and Nellie (Kucirka) Schultz.David proudly served in the US Navy on the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown. Prior to his retirement, he was employed by Waterbury Printing. David was very active …
1937 – 2023 Leo Eugene “Sonny” Simants, 86, of North Platte passed away Nov. 2, 2023 at Great Plains Health. He was born May 22, 1937 to Albert and Lucille (Konruff) Simants in Tryon. Sonny attended Whitehorse school and entered the United States Navy at 17 years old. He served on the USS Yorktown in the far East. After being …
1942 – 2023 On October 26, 2023, Michael Leroy Stevens, 81, passed away at his home in Atlantic Beach, FL, surrounded by his loving family. He was born to John and Jean Stevens, who raised him in Olean, NY. After graduating high school in 1959, Mike joined the US Navy and served for 3.5 years where one of his first …
1946 – 2023 RYDERWOOD, WA—William George Vining, 77, of Ryderwood, WA, passed away on October 20, 2023, at his home in Ryderwood. He was born on January 15, 1946, in Tacoma, WA to Ward and Bernice Cromwell. He was adopted by Albert and Alta Vining on January 15, 1946. William served in the Navy during Vietnam War and was on …
1941 – 2023 Don Lee, 82 of Hampton died Sunday October 22, 2023. Don Lee lived a life largely defined by service. He loved to remember years of service to community and country.The military service of Don Lee includes the ships Don served aboard with Hull Numbers and Ship’s Motto or Nickname:USS Ticonderoga (CV-14) Essex-class Carrier“On Sea & On Air”USS …
1939 – 2023 Jan. 15, 1939 – Sept. 1, 2023Frank Raymond Pettet beloved husband and father passed away at his home in Milwaukie Sept. 1, 2023.Frank was born in Coeur d’Alene, Idaho to Mabel and Hugh Pettet.He graduated from Tekoa High School in Tekoa, Wash., in 1957 and enlisted in the Navy on the USS Yorktown 1957. He was a …
1941 – 2023 Stanley (Stan) Dawkins was born in Kennewick, WA, to Glen and Harriet Dawkins. Stan had two brothers, Jean and David; and three sisters, Betty, Jerilea and Dixie. Stan graduated from Fort Vancouver High School and enlisted in the United States Navy on June 12, 1959, and served until March 30, 1964, serving on board the aircraft carrier …
1932 – 2023 Robert Joseph Rawley, born in Orange, New Jersey, on November 3rd, 1932, the second son of William and Mary Rawley’s four children, died peacefully at Doylestown Hospital’s Hospice Center, on October 12, 2023, a few weeks before his 91st birthday. He is survived by his wife Madeline, his daughter, also named Madeline, and her son Declan, and …
1928 – 2023 Frank Borman, a NASA astronaut who commanded Apollo 8, the first crewed mission to orbit the moon and return safely to Earth, and later as chief executive of Eastern Air Lines piloted the carrier through a turbulent business climate that led to its takeover and eventual demise, died Nov. 7 at a medical center in Billings, Mont. …
1943 – 2023 Bruce F. Neidl, 80, of Rome, NY passed away on Veteran’s Day, Saturday, November 11, 2023 with his loving family by his side at Betsy Ross Nursing and Rehabilitation Facility. Born in Rome on February 2, 1943, he was a son of the late George and Rosemary (Joynt) Neidl. He was a graduate of St. Aloysius Academy …
1921 – 2023 World War II Yorktown veteran, Fred N. Springs passed on October 25, 2023. A Memorial Service will be held Saturday, November 11, at 10am, at Northwest Covenant Church, 300 N. Elmhurst Ave., Mt Prospect, IL 60056. The service will be live streamed on YouTube at www.youtube.com/@northwestcovenantchurch3929 Below is an account of Fred’s life in his own words: …
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 …
A USS Yorktown Plankowner in Engineering Department has a humorous run-in with Captain “Jocko” Clark (Above) Harry at 17 and fresh from bootcamp (Below) A tight fit through the Panama Canal for the Yorktown It was during this time [1943 in Newport News, VA] that we had the opportunity to meet our captain of the Yorktown. His name was Captain …
Ahoy shipmates!Hope all is well and troubles are few. Just returned from Hawaii, where I wore my white hat again. This time aboard the “Arizona”. Quite moving. May we all enjoy good health. The trip was to celebrate my 75th.I remember so vividly the site of the Arizona when we steamed up the channel in ’68 and anchored across from …
These things are important to know when you give to the USS Yorktown (CV-10) Association: We are a 501(c)(19). As a veterans non-profit, all donations made to us are tax deductible. Simply keep your receipt for your taxes. We are the veterans who served on the USS Yorktown and their families – and we’re proud of it! Let’s just say …
November 11 – 13, 2022 Celebrate veterans this Veterans Day weekend aboard the USS Yorktown! Patriots Point will offer free admission to Veterans and active duty military from November 11 – 13. Admission to the museum includes access to the warships USS Yorktown and USS Laffey, and the three-acre Vietnam War Experience. In addition to offering free admission to veterans, …
US Navy personnel all over the world will mark the 247th birthday of the US Navy at 9:00 am (wherever they are). They will ring a bell nine times – 8 to signal the end of the watch and the 9th to represent the start of a new watch. The “watches” in this case are the past and present years …
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. …
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 …
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.” …
The best part of our Association Member group so far has been getting to see everyone interact and tell their stories. Since the group started, Phil Elsner has been such an enthusiastic and highly involved group member. Curious about his story, and what drives his love for the ship, we talked with him about his time in the Navy and …