USS Rochester (CA124) Association

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.

Hotel is located in the Gaslamp District of San Diego. This is in the downtown section of the city with an abundance of restaurants and activities. Plan to come and join your shipmates for one of the most gratifying experienced you can have. The February News Letter will have all the information you will need to book your trip. Stay tuned for further details. Your committee is hard at work to make this an experience to remember. Information contact Gordon Cargill.

The Histories Branch researches and writes the multi-volume Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships, available in many libraries in the United States and abroad. Compiled like an encyclopedia, each volume includes summary histories of U.S. Navy ships from certain sections of the alphabet. The volumes also include an assortment of appendices on small craft, dictionary entries for Confederate Navy ships and various essays related to naval ships.

Although digital versions of DANFS entries have been available on non-government websites for some time, the Online DANFS Project makes the official version of all 10,000+ entries available for the first time.

Milwaukee Reunion Highlights

When I first began to assemble activities for our reunion in Milwaukee, I thought this will be easy. As I moved along and began to explore the possible activities that would be enjoyed by the attending shipmates, it became clear that my task would be a daunting one. The details that needed to be dealt with were almost overwhelming. One of my daughters reminded me that, in an event of such scope “Murphy’s Law” will surely apply.

That reminder was in the back of my mind throughout the event. If there were any missteps, I was certainly not made aware of any such thing. Thankfully, the members of the planning committee, Dick and Raejean Becker, Merle and Shirley Scheller, Bill Berkely, and Larry and Mary Stone were on the front lines solving any minor problems that may have arisen. At one of our meetings, it was decided that I would be available to deal with any major issues. Thankfully everything went as planned. I would like to thank my wife Janet for putting up with my grumpy moods for the last two years, Joe and Judy Hill, Pete Russell, Ed Willis, Gordon Cargill and Chip Chipley as they were all instrumental and more than willing to help in making our reunion a success.

At the business meeting, it was decided that San Diego will be the site of our 2012 reunion. The Wyndham Hotel was most accommodating of my many requests for free use of hotel facilities for our hospitality room, the ship’s store, and reception/banquet rooms. A proclamation plaque by the City Council of Milwaukee was presented to the association thanking us for visiting their city, but most of all for the service to our country aboard the USS ROCHESTER.

The reception was well attended and everyone seemed to have partaken of the fine bar potables and the scrumptious Hors d’ Oeuvres. All tours seemed to have been enjoyed by all, although the Friday city tour was unable to witness the spectacular opening of the Brise Soleil at the Milwaukee Art Museum, due to high winds. Kay Collins, our tour guide, showed her deep knowledge of the interesting history of the city of Milwaukee and the old ethnic neighborhoods, and the fact that the Miller Brewing Company brews many beers sold under different labels. One very interesting fact was the rivalry between two Milwaukee Settlers, Solomom Juneau and Byron Kilbourn, which resulted in many angled bridges spanning the Milwaukee River.

The report on the “RIVER CRUISE”: Visibility of the city was somewhat obscured due to darkness. The food was acceptable, but not outstanding, because it had to be prepared off site. “San Diego Planning Committee Take Note”! No visit to Wisconsin would be complete without the sampling of “Beer and Brats” and these were enjoyed during the city tours and of course, “Octoberfest at the Bavarian Inn”. The Midwest hospitality became evident when one of our shipmates misplaced his wallet. After a couple of phone calls, the wallet was found and was delivered to the hotel by one of the Bavarian Inn’s employees with it’s contents intact including cash.

The banquet turned out to be a truly gala event. The Presentation of Colors by the local chapter of the Sea Cadets, followed by a stirring rendition of our National Anthem and the recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance was followed by the tolling of the bell, as the names of 45 shipmates who have passed since our last reunion was read. This brought tears to my eyes as this reminded me, why so many who have given so much to make America, albeit not perfect, the greatest country in the world. The banquet room was festively and patriotically “Red, White and Blue” decorated by the hotel staff. The food, in my opinion, was on a par with that of a four star restaurant, expertly prepared and exquisitely presented.

You may view many candid pictures of the reunion, see a short video clip and place orders if you wish. Please log on to www.RSVPvideo.tv or you may call John or Kathy Hall and place your orders by phone at (847) 249-4122.

As for me, and hopefully all who attended the reunion, this was a most gratifying event. The reminiscing of times spent aboard our beloved ship USS ROCHESTER with my old friends and making new acquaintances is something I will treasure forever. A fact of life “WE ARE GETTING OLDER”. Because of many different reasons, whether it is for reasons of health, economy, or travel distance, please consider visiting SAN DIEGO in 2012 and hopefully you too, upon your return home, can say “WHAT A GREAT TIME WE HAD”.

SEE YOU IN SAN DIEGO IN 2012

John Rigoni

Rochester Model

[Note: Mr. Lamm recently won the Model Warships Underway photo contest with his model of the USS Rochester. The winning photograph is below, and we've added additional photos from the contest]

From Charles Lamm: I have built a 1/8 scale model of the Rochester if you would like to see some photo's? It is radio controlled. If interested you can put them on your website for the other guys to see as well. We had a dedication in honor and memory of all crewmembers, in October, the weekend after your trip to DC. It was in North Carolina at our fleet run.

For the story and many more pictures

I thought you might be interested in the attached picture from The Oregonian (newspaper) of the Rochester as it headed for dismantling at the Ziddell Explorations yard in Portland, Oregon. Sorry the copy isn’t better but it is the best I have been able to do copying a newspaper article.

I was stationed on the Rochester from 1956-58 in both X and OI Divisions.

You have done a nice job on the website. Keep up the good work!

Ward Kent

Click on picture for larger version

A second news article showing the ship tied up at the dock

2012 USS Rochester Reunion

COME JOIN US at the USS ROCHESTER REUNION in San Diego

Information to come

New Resource for Veterans - National Resource Directory

An online partnership of "shared care" providing information on, and access to, services and resources for wounded, ill and injured Service Members and Veterans, their families and families of the fallen, and those who support them from recovery and rehabilitation to community reintegration.

It is maintained by the Departments of Defense, Labor and Veterans Affairs. The information in the Directory is from federal, state and local governmental agencies; veteran service and benefit organizations; non-profit community-based and faith-based organizations; academic institutions, professional associations and philanthropic organizations.

To learn more about the features and capabilities of the National Resource Directory, please click here.

From Shipmate Randy Steffen:

Ahoy,

This may not be of interest to many in the assn. but thought I would pass it on. Aboard Rochester, I was taught how to make a Boson’s Pipe (call) Lanyard using a waxed cord called Belfast. The company that made Belfast went out of business several years ago and after the Navy Exchange sold the last of their stock, no replacement material was ordered in. Several other BM’s and myself had been looking for a material like Belfast but until recently, no luck. Finally, I located a good waxed cord suitable for making lanyards can it can be obtained from: Fire Mountain Gems.

Their Email address is – www.firemountaingems.com The sizes I ordered are 0.5 mm and 1.0 mm black and white. The price and shipping is very reasonable.

Thank you, Randy Steffen

Letter received:

My dad- John V Pospiel served as Quartermaster, on Rochester's shakedown cruise along with Bob Hoot Gibson (US Astronaut from NC) from Boston, MA to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba and served for four years. Some of you may recall the story he once told me about the ship mechanics who were on board and then let out at or near Provincetown, MA in a small boat and were nearly lost at sea due to bad weather. The Rochester was the flagship of Admiral Forrest B Sherman in the Mediterranean.

You can contact John at pospielg@yahoo.com if you would like to discuss the early years of the ship. I believe he also has the original cruise book and or a hand drawn map of the ships route for the first four years at sea.

thanks,

Greg Pospiel

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.

Visit the site

Correspondence received:

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.

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

Welcome Aboard.......