ANNUAL DOLPHIN SCHOLARSHIP AWARD

WINE TASTING EVENING

Friday, August 9, 2024 at 6:30 pm

at

 TOTAL WINES

4413 Town Center Parkway, Jacksonville, FL 32246 (St. John’s Center North)

Event theme:  “Vienvindo Spain Night”

We are limited to 20 spots.  Please RSVP Keith Post at: email is keithfpost@tds.net or cell is 912-674-2620.

Cost is $35.00. You can pay me the night of the event.

Above:  Offshore and Heading to the Submarine Base in Ideal June Weather

The Camden-Kings Bay Council’s annual Sunset Cruise was held on June 14.  As usual, the Cumberland Queen departed the National Park Service dock at the St. Marys waterfront at 6:00 pm for a delightful 2 ½ hour cruise on the St. Marys River, and on the waterway headed toward Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay (which you can see in the background in the picture). 

Captain Chris Bohner, Kings Bay Base Commander, gave a wonderful description of the base’s waterfront as well as some history and information about the whole base.  As he does so often, Captain Bohner reminded us that Kings Bay and the community are teammates, each supporting the other in countless ways, and each benefiting from that partnership.

We sailed the Intercoastal to much closer than shows in this picture, giving our cruise-mates a view of the remarkable and extremely important ballistic missile submarine home port that very few of us ever see – except on the Sunset Cruise!A buffet by Brimley’s Catering and beverages handled by the Chief’s Lockers from the USS Rhode Island (Blue) and (Gold) took care of any hunger and thirst needs.  The weather was perfect. With the Cumberland Queen giving us enough wind over the bow to keep us comfortable and the water calm enough so that we could see the dolphins swimming alongside.

Bob Dickman

At the Veterans Administration Hospital

Perhaps nothing in our annual schedule is more important than our visit to this VA hospital.  Our visit brings donated items and financial support to the residents, and we hope involves them in conversation for the day and lets them know that they are not forgotten.  Admittedly, it has aspects of sadness as the sight of so many veterans dealing with the problems of aging, and often sometimes debilitating conditions is difficult for visitors.  Of course, we also conduct a Bingo session, provide some funding for the game, and enjoy it as much as the players.  Our next visit will be in December, so we accept donated items and monetary contributions all year round.  Cheryl Aston filed this report.

At Lake City VA Hospital, From Left:  Cheryl Aston, Gail Glaz, Jeannie Straight, Glen Glaz with Robert Coon, a Voluntary Service Officer, and a Pile of Donated Items for Distribution to Resident Veterans

Left:  Our Team Getting Ready for Bingo; Right: Residents Assembling for the Game

Our next VA trip will be the annual holiday trip in December.  Be sure to check out our October newsletter with an updated "wish list" of donations requested by nurses and staff for the veterans. Monetary donations are always welcomed by us throughout the year and earmarked for the VA Hospital trip.  They may be sent to our Kings Bay – Camden Council Treasurer Jeannie Straight. These funds are accumulated so that we may purchase requested "big ticket" items that are not normally donated, and we also use those funds to support our local VA Clinic in St. Marys with snacks and coffee for those being treated.

We deeply appreciate your support for this important program. 

Cheryl Aston

Each year a plane departs the Brunswick airport very early on a Saturday morning, enroute to  BWI in Baltimore, with a planeload of Veterans and their guardians.  They bus from Baltimore to Washington, D.C. and spend a very full day visiting monuments (WW II, Iwo Jima, Vietnam, Korea and, of course, Arlington National Cemetary).  

Keith Post, Director of the St. Marys Submarine Museum and C-KB Past President and Director At-Large, is shown (above on the left) on this year’s trip on May 4, 2024 with Harry Lewis, a Vietnam Veteran and long-time supporter of local military organizations.  It’s easy to see that this was a very special day for Harry, and for all those responsioble for enabling him to be on this trip.  Harry Lewis was 86 years old when he passed away only six weeks after participating in this Honor Flight on June 15, 2024.

Keith handles most of the local administration and fund-raising.  He has participated in six Honor Flight trips as a guardian or bus captain.  The guardians that accompany the veterans are funded through local donations.

Speak to Keith at the Submarine Museum if you are interested in supporting or participating in this wonderful way of honoring our aging veterans.

Keith Post

Anyone who attends the major C-KB events, whether the Dessert Auction, Sea Persons of the Year Banquet or most monthly dinner events, knows that the Navy Federal Credit Union is one of our most active Community Affiliates.

On June 28, 2024, the NFCU celebrated 45 years serving the personnel of Naval Submarine Base Kings Bay with a small ceremony at the on-base branch office.  Elizabeth Ready, above on the left, is the local manager, and is presenting a $1,000 check to the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society as part of the celebration.  We are honored to have NFCU as a Community Affiliate and to be able to share events such as this with them, and thank them for all they do for our community and our  local military personnel.

Welcome aboard Admiral Wirth!

On June 10, 2024, Rear Admiral Robert E. “Bob”  Wirth relieved Rear Admiral T.R. Buchanan as Commander, Submarine Group Ten.  The ceremony was held on the deck of the USS Georgia with Vice Admiral Robert “Rob” Gaucher, Commander, Naval Submarine Forces, presiding.

St Marys welcomed the Admiral and his family, honoring him as Grand Marshal of the 2024 July 4^th Festival Parade.  The Admiral shown below, somewhat obscured in the picture, is driving his own, beautifully restored Mustang.