The Big Nickel Forums

I have just put up the January, 2010 Newsletter on the website.  It contains lots of information about the upcoming reunion in Norfolk as well as information about saving the USS Charles F. Adams DDG-2.  You may also be getting an email from our newsletter editor, Carl Slack, with either an electronic copy of the newsletter or a link to the post on the website. 

  Thanks and hope to see you at the reunion,
    Kirk "VJ" Neuman
    Webmaster/Owner of The Big Nickel

I would like to have copies of any photos someone may have of the Ricketts with Gibraltar in the background.
Thanks

welcome home Re;
I hope to meet you at the reunion
in April
keebler---em1

Just wanted to introduce myself. I was an IC3 aboard the BIDDLE. We were at rellief angorage in Malta when President Kennedy was assasinated. After returning from our Med cruise the Biddle was decomissioned and recomissioned the Claude V Ricketts. I remained on board during the crew transition. I was then transferred to the USS Dalhgren DLG-12 and made another med cruise. In Jan 1965 I was discharged and returned home. After a year I decided I missed the Navy and joined the Navy Reserves as a CB. I remained in the the reserves until I retired in 1993 as an EOC(SCW). I lived in Louisville, Ky until 1991 then moved to West Palm Beach, Fl. In 2002 I moved to Ecuador, South America with my wife Vicky. We remained there until Jan 2009 when we moved back to the States. We now live in St. Augustine Florida.

Greetings shipmates,

If you haven't visited the web site lately, there are a couple of things happening that relate to the effort to save and restore the USS Charles F. Adams DDG-2.

Firstly is a special Adams Class Commanding Officer and DDG Crew Veterans Commemoration coming up the first of November.  If you're in the area or even if you're not and are interested in attending, you can get more information by going to the high-lighted page above on the web site.  You'll have to hurry though since reservations need to be in by October 22 to receive the event discounts.

Secondly is the ongoing fundraiser to sponsor the hull plate number 5 of the USS Charles F. Adams as a tribute to the USS Biddle DDG-5 and the USS Claude V. Ricketts DDG-5.  The full sponsorship is $2500.  As of this email, $900 has already been donated towards that goal and I'm hoped that you will get on board and make a donation.

Additionally, for those that aren't aware, the original classification of our ship was to be DD-955 until the classification was changed to DDG-5 in April of 1957, two years before her keel was laid.  Given that we are able to sponsor hull place #5, there is a plan in place to also sponsor hull plate #955.

On a personal note, I'm very proud of the time I spent on board the USS Claude V. Ricketts as I'm sure all of you are, whether you served on board when she was the USS Biddle or the USS Claude V. Ricketts.  I would love to see our ships memory kept alive in the form of the USS Charles F. Addams DDG-2.  So I'm asking that if you can, please make a donation towards this sponsorship by visiting The Big Nickel Hull Plate Sponsorship page.

Thank you all for your support.

 Kirk "VJ" Neuman
 Webmaster/Owner of The Big Nickel

welcome Barry
Im keebler---EMI turner
I hope you can make it next spring to the reunion,in Norfolk.
I stil live in southern Va.
i bought the farm when we came home from Beiruit, in 84
rich

I worked in "air aft", WDE and missle plot...just a bit later than you! 

Hey!  I was in Fox division during the timeframe above.  Love to hear from some old shipmates!

I served on Ricketes  Jan 72 until May 74 in OI div. as an OS2 Great time.