Welcome to the internet home of the USS
Rochester Association. The members of the association served on board
the Rochester while it was on active duty from 1946-1961. You are
invited to share their memories of this great ship and their time on it.
The Association produces a quarterly newsletter,
holds a bi-annual reunion and provides information to and from shipmates
who served aboard. Through this web site, it provides a place
where the photographic and informal history of the ship can be gathered
and viewed.
The attending membership in Branson, Mo voted to purchase a wall
plaque at the United States Navy Memorial, Washington, D.C. The plaque
is in honor of the USS ROCHESTER (CA 124). This plaque will be placed
next to a former crewmember's, Captain William L. McGonagle, USN
(Deceased). The association is in the process of raising the funds of
$2,500.00. Donations for the Memorial plaque should be made
payable to: USS ROCHESTER ASSOCIATION. Forward donations
to:
Joe Hill Sr.
Secretary/Treasurer
USS ROCHESTER ASSOCIATION
4011 Ditty Road
Cookeville, TN 38506-7663
SHIPMATES BEWARE!
Some of our shipmates have been receiving e-mail from a USS
Rochester store:
(ussrochester@jj-ent.com).
THIS STORE IS NOT AFFILIATED WITH OUR
ASSOCIATION.
It is a bogus site that is a for profit site.It would be greatly appreciated that all purchases be made
thru the official USS Rochester web site or the Ship’s Store Order
Form located on the Ships Store page
or in the Newsletter.
New Web Site to Assist Veterans
The VetAssist program is sponsored
by the
American Veterans Institute, a 501(c)(3) non-profit
organization dedicated to serving the needs of veterans and
preserving their individual histories. The information on this
site, and the services of the VetAssist staff are
free. Please use this site as a tool for educating yourself on
the Improved Pension program and your eligibility for it. You
should also contact your County Veterans Services Officer (VSO), the
VA, or a VSO through one of the national Veterans organizations,
such as the VFW, American Legion, etc. for help filing the
appropriate forms.
The picture to the right is my father, Lawrence O'Dell
Mitchell, taken in 1951 at Pearl Harbor. He passed away in 1999
and is on your Taps Roster.
I remember him telling me he was a "deck ape"
non-designated; got out after maybe two years service; had metal
plate in his head stood focsle watch along Korean coast;
remembers shelling coast in close; spent time at Pearl, boot
camp San Diego 1950? Got out of navy as Seaman Apprentice.
I do not know too much about
his time in the service, but if anyone has anything to share
please feel free to contact me at:
mitchells614@msn.com
Larry Mitchell, Jr.
2006 Reunion, Branson, MO
Over
200 members, spouses and guests attended the 2006 reunion in Branson,
Missouri (Oct., 2006). In addition to Joe and Judy Hill (picture
left), here is the list of attendees:
William E. Alexander, Bob Allen, David
C. Anderson, Billy Andrus, Orley Arneson, Jan Basham, Richard Becker,
James Biggs, Henry Box, John Brant, Jack G. Brown, Harold Buckner,
Robert Cadden, Gordon Cargill, Wayne Cherveny, Charles L. Chipley,
Jr., Bernard Clemens, Jack M. Conner, David C. Cordell, Bob Cosgrove,
Richard Cox, Paul D. Coyle, Rodger Dallmeyer, Frank Dayak, Andy
Decker, Louis DiRusso, Arthur Dobbins, Dennis Donmoyer, Wilber D.
Dutcher, Leon Engling, Jarvis Ray Everett, Richard Farrar, Donald
Faubion, Eula Brooks, Harold F. Ford, Garnet Fross, Bill Fuchs, Van D.
Gibbins, Jack H. Glazer, Verlan J. Hanson, Joseph Hill, David A.
Hodges, Horace Howell, James B. Hughes, Paul Hughes, J.J. Hunt, Walter
J. Huntington, Robert L. Huntington, Alfred L. Jaques, Jess F.
Johnson, Marvin L. Keener, Sr., Tom Kelly, Ballard Kirk, Richard
Klavanowitch, Doug Lain, Rodger Larson, Lee T. Leonard, Robert Litts,
Charlie G. Lupton, George B. Lupton, Frank Mackey, John A. Martin,
Bruce Maxey, John McAuliffe, Dale McElroy, George McFall, James P.
Mckerley, David Melton, D. Keith Moon, Donald K. Morrison, Jack
Myrick, Rod Neal, Russell Newman, Thomas Nickerson, Jimmie Norris,
James H. Outen, Garry Phillips, Dean Regot, Louis Roybal, William
Rusin, Earl W. Ryan, Clyde Sanford, Herbert Scattarelli, Merlin
Scheller, Roland Schneider, Donald Schnirel, Al Schnoebelen, Donald
Schuck, Melvin L. Schultz, Harold W. Sewell, Allan J. Smith, Ralph
Spears, Ronald Stalsberg, Alfred Stanbridge, Myron Stokes, Larry R.
Stone, Edwin F. Surface, Ray Sutherland, Winford Swedenburg, Dorothy
Tatom, Lloyd Traaen, Eugene Valla, Clyde A. VanArsdale, Joseph L.
Varney, Haskell Wade, Herman Wainright, Frank West, Steven Van
Westendorp, Dennis Winkle.
To share photos or memories of the
reunion, send them to the webmaster
The 2008 reunion will be held in the Washington, DC area. As
details are finalized they will be published here.
Shipmate James Paris sent us a photo taken
of the entire crew 18 AUG 1954. It had to be scanned and sent in
segments and then put back together. Clicking on the smaller
version below will bring up the larger one. It's a large file.
The plaque in the center says:
"COMCRUDIV 5 RADM T C RAGAN USN USS ROCHESTER CA-124 CAPT JOHN
QUINN USN CO CDR W K ROGERS USN XO" 18 AUG 1954
A Veterans and Military
News Feed has been added to the Veterans
News Page
NEW:
Ted Hobson, who has written so many of the stories in the Memories
section, sent in a video, converted from film he shot during the
1954 cruise.
Notice to USS
Rochester Association members and friends:
Shipmates are requested to send in changes
in mailing address, phone numbers and e-Mail address changes.
Up-to-date information will speed up the exchange of information
between shipmates and the association. Joe Hill, Sr. will be
glad to take the information. He can be reached at 4011 Ditty
Road, Cookeville, TN 38506-7663. Phone number 931-432-4848, FAX
931-432-2534 and e-mail
Joe Hill
Requests
Hello, my name is James Paris, I am a former U.S.
Marine and I am doing research on Capt. William Kittredge Rogers. I
have a photo of the USS Rochester with its entire crew in front of the
ship and it lists Cdr W K Rogers as the XO of the ship. the photo is
dated 18 Aug 1954. Rear Adm. T C Regan and CO Capt john Quinn are
also named and in the photo. I was wondering if your association
has any information on Wm. Rogers (ie: dates that he served
aboard, awards he received while aboard ship, and if he assumed
command of the ship at some point after this photo was taken). The
ships photo is nearly 4 feet in length I could try to scan it in
sections and email your website the photos in sections if you would be
interested in this photo for your association web site. Please
contact me if you have any information on this Naval officer and if
you would be interested in this ships photo. Thank you for your time and to all the sailors who
served their country aboard this fighting ship.
We've received a request from Shipmate Charles Gentry.
He's looking for a 1950-51 Cruise Book. If you can help contact
him at:
Charlie Gentry
32 Jefferson Ave.
Riverside, RI 02915
Ph: (401) 437-2053
We received a request from Shipmate Jims Farnsworth.
He's trying to locate cruise books for 1950, 1951 and 1952. If you
can help, please contact him at:
James A. Farnsworth
4527 Dunnbury Way
Sacramento, CA 95842-4171
Phone: (916) 331-1018
Site Awards
Ship's News
New letter about the "Rochester
Ramblers" We are looking for volunteers to work the Registration Desk at
the 2008 Reunion in Washington DC. All volunteers may contact
Ed Willis or
Joe Hill to have
their names added to the watch list.
For those who made WestPac cruises, there is an interesting
historical site for the
Subic Bay,
Philippines, base.
Association President Garry Phillips has been asked to take on a
project in Iraq, and has temporarily handed over the Association
Presidency to Executive VP Richard Becker.
The web site just won another ward. See the Golden Anchor"
at the bottom of the page.
New
photos and a PDF copy of a booklet on the Rochester
USS Rochester CA124 Division of Naval Sea Cadets
has new web site. They have a new commander: LT Kevin Cudney NSCC,
6 Lexington Parkway
Rochester, NY 14624
e-Mail:
cudman68@hotmail.com
We've added a new area - "Remembrances"
under the Taps Page where you can share memories of shipmates
who have passed on. Send photos and stories to
Webmaster
Copyright 2003 USS Rochester Association
This site is maintained in memory of Joseph West, Fox Div., (1950-52)
Site Version 5.0 by
Community
Associations Network
Welcome to the internet home of the USS
Rochester Association. The members of the association served on board
the Rochester while it was on active duty from 1946-1961. You are
invited to share their memories of this great ship and their time on it.
Over
200 members, spouses and guests attended the 2006 reunion in Branson,
Missouri (Oct., 2006). In addition to Joe and Judy Hill (picture
left), here is the list of attendees: 
