The 9th USS Lynde McCormick DDG 8 reunion was held in San Diego, California.

All Hands Reunion – September 26th – 29th, 2013 – San Diego, California

This reunion was hosted by LT Joe Mayer (1964 – 1966)

The reunion hotel was the Kona Kai Resort at Shelter Island. – A hospitality room with food and refreshments was provided at no additional cost. – Activities included a trip to the 32nd Street Naval Station for an active US Navy ship tour, USS WAYNE E. MEYER DDG 108, and a trip to the Navy Seal Base. – There was an excursion to Hotel Del Coronado for shopping. – There was a Saturday night banquet which included a guest speakers. – There were members of Lynde D. McCormicks’ family attending the banquet dinner. Lynde McCormick II honored us with his presence and was our first speaker for the evening. – There was a meeting of the USS LYNDE McCORMICK (DDG-8) Unincorporated Association to chose new officers and decide on the next reunion location and year. The next reunion will be held in San Diego in October of 2016. – On Sunday, the last day, shipmates, spouses and guests met for coffee in the hospitality room to said their “Goodbyes” until the next reunion!

Schedule of Events for USS Lynde McCormick DDG 8 Reunion 2013

Day – Date – Time – Event – Place Wednesday 9/25/2013
– starting 8:00 AM – Hospitality Room – Point Loma III – relax, hang out, visit with shipmates – snacks and soft drinks available. Arrivals – guaranteed check in by 4:00 pm (earlier check in if room is available) Breakfast is complimentary for Kona Kai Resort registered guests, otherwise breakfast on your own.
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Reunion Registration & Tours Check-in  – Hospitality Room – Point Loma III
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Reunion Registration & Tours Check-in  – Hospitality Room – Point Loma III lunch and dinner – on your own

Thursday 9/26/2013 – all day – Hospitality Room – Point Loma III – relax, hang out, visit with shipmates –  snacks and soft drinks available.
Breakfast is complimentary for Kona Kai Resort registered guests, otherwise breakfast on your own.
Arrivals – guaranteed check in by 4:00 pm (earlier check in if room is available)
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Reunion Registration & Tours Check-in  – Hospitality Room – Point Loma III
4:00 PM – 5:00 PM – Reunion Registration & Tours Check-in  – Hospitality Room – Point Loma III lunch and dinner – on your own

Friday 9/27/2013 – all day – Hospitality Room – Point Loma III – relax, hang out, visit with shipmates – snacks and soft drinks available.
Breakfast is complimentary for Kona Kai Resort registered guests, otherwise breakfast on your own.
Arrivals – guaranteed check in by 4:00 pm (earlier check in if room is available)
8:00 AM – 9:00 AM – Reunion Registration & Tours Check-in – Hospitality Room – Point Loma III –
9:00 AM – 5:00 PM – On your own to visit or explore. Lunch – on your own
5:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Kona Kai Resort beach BBQ (cash bar)

Saturday 9/28/2013 – all day – Hospitality Room – Point Loma III – relax, hang out, visit with shipmates – snacks and soft drinks available.
Breakfast is complimentary for Kona Kai Resort registered guests, otherwise breakfast on your own.
9:00 AM – 11:00 AM – Tour of the USS Wayne E. Meyer DDG-108
10:50 AM – 1:10 PM – Shopping at Hotel Del Coronado
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Tour of the Navy Seal Base
5:00 PM – 6:00 PM – All hands business meeting & board elections. Hospitality Room – Point Loma III
6:00 PM – 7:00 PM – Reception & Cocktails – Hospitality Room – Point Loma III
7:00 PM – 10:00 PM – Banquet Dinner – Dining Room – Point Loma I & II

Sunday 9/29/2013 ending 1 PM – Hospitality Room – Point Loma III – Breakfast is complimentary for Bali Hai Resort registered guests, otherwise breakfast on your own
8:00 AM – 12:00 AM – Visiting and Goodbyes – Hospitality Room – Point Loma III

Remarks from our association president – Bob Wefald

10-14-2013
Dear Shipmates:

If you weren’t there, you missed a great reunion!

Our September 26th – 29th ALL HANDS reunion in San Diego at the Kona Kai Resort at the seaward end of Shelter Island was our most well attended ever –

THANKS to the tremendous efforts of LT Joe Mayer!  Joe truly deserves the credit for single handedly building up this year’s record attendance.  If you did not personally hear from Joe at least once you weren’t reading your emails or answering your phone.

A highlight of our reunion was the presence of five of Commanding Officers. They are as follows:
Vice Admiral Bill Rowden March 18, 1968 – November ___, 1969
Captain Harris Sperling – June 18, 1973 – July 2, 1975
Captain James David Fontana – July 29, 1979 – July 3, 1981
Captain  Sheldon Lee Margolis – August 23, 1983 – January 9, 1986
Commander Fred Joseph Mallgrave III – January 25, 1990 – June 28, 1991

And what was even better is that when at our banquet we read the names and the dates of their Command tours in order we had anyone who served with that Commanding Officer stand, and there were at least two or three shipmates standing for every one of our Commanding Officers!  It was just great that at our ALL HANDS we had shipmates present from LYNDE McCORMICK’s commissioning in Boston on June3, 1961 through her decommissioning at the 32nd Street Naval Station in San Diego on October 1, 1991!  This was truly an ALL HANDS Reunion!

Another highlight was the presence of Captain Lynde McCormick, Jr. who served in World War II.  He is the son of Admiral Lynde McCormick for whom our ship is named.   Also attending our reunion were several McCormick family members including his daughter, Carol McCormick, her daughter and his granddaughter Trisha McCormick, Admiral McCormick’s great granddaughter Lindsay A. McCormick and her guest Brock Mitchell, and Admiral McCormick’s great grandson J. Jett McCormick and his guest Sheena Kensak.

  On Friday evening, on the Kona Kai beach, we all enjoyed an excellent Bar-B-Que.

We availed ourselves to a few drinks, wonderful conversations with shipmates and some songs sung by Captain Doug Jeffords who accompanied himself on a guitar.  He has published a great CD of songs he has sung entitled – “West of the Pecos.”