USS ROBERT L WILSON TRIBUTES, RECOLLECTIONS AND FOND MEMORIES

CO-FOUNDER OF THE USS ROBERT L WILSON ASSOCIATION This is Ryland Garris the co-founder of the R. L. Wilson Association twenty years ago. Ryland was an MM3 on the Wilson 1948 to 1952. The first reunion was held in Norfolk, Virginia. The association members have met every year since except in 1984.

CO-FOUNDER OF ROBERT L WILSON ASSN

Shipmate Leon Paquette on the occasion of the Association's reunion in Baton Rouge.
Seen leaving the museum ship USS Kidd.  Leon is co-founder of the Robert L. Wilson Association celebrating its twenty-second year in 2004.  He served in the Wilson form 1948-56.  He retired as MMC. You may not have noticed, he is wearing the reproduced patch on his hat, that is available in the Ship"s Store. ------------------------------------------------------------------ 
In recognition of his many years of exemplary dedication to the:
USS Robert L. Wilson DD/DDE 847 Association
We gratefully present Leon E. Paquette with this certificate as an expression of our admiration and gratitude.
 
Jack Scully and Frank Esposito
President and Secretary

TRIBUTE TO A FALLEN SHIPMATE AT 2000 REUNION

Secretary/Treasurer Phil Dilloway along with shipmate Bernie Cadden holding the wreath to be laid at the USS Thresher Monument for our lost shipmate, John Hilary Billings who was aboard when she was lost at sea. The Tribute: September 18, 1999 Albacore Park, Portsmouth, NH Thresher Memorial, Portsmouth, NH John Hilary Billings was born March 13, 1928, in Jamaica, NY. He entered the naval sevice as a midshipman at the Naval Academy, Class of 1950, commissioned an Ensign and assigned to his first sea duty aboard the USS ROBERT L. WILSON DD847. He served in various capacities during his tour of duty, ranging from First Lieutenant to Main Propulsion Asst. He was qualified Officer-of-the-Deck underway and helped train and qualify many of the recalled reservists and Junior Officer replacements who were assigned to the Wilson during the Korean War of 1951 to 1952. Ltjg Billings left the Wilson for Submarine School and qualified as a Nuclear Submarine Officer. After earning his "Dolphins" and subsequent sea duty submarines, he went on to graduate school at the University of Maryland. In 1960 he was awarded a doctorate in Mathematics for his research in Extension of the La Place Cascade Method. At the time of the Thresher tragedy, he was Assistant Planning and Estimating Superintendent for new construction at the Portsmouth Navel Shipyard. He was on board that ill-fated day as an observer, not a member of the ship's crew. He had attained the rank of Lieutenant-Commander. His obituary indicated he was survived by his widow, the former Dolores W. Welsant of Baltimore, Md. and five children, Vicki, John Jr, Mary, Catherine and Blake. WE REMEMBER: Written and Read by: Phil Dilloway, USS Robert L. Wilson DD/DDE847 Association

WREATH LAYING CEREMONY AT ALBACORE PARK

The Site is the USS Thresher Memorial. Attending the Ceremony Left to Right: Phil Dilloway, Don Karaus, Henry Plummer(deceased), Dick Hamlin(laying wreath), Bernie Cadden and Bob Bollinger. These men were all shipmates of J. Hilary Billings

USS THRESHER MEMORIAL

This first picture is a three panel display created to remember shipmate Ens. John Hilary Billings who served in the Wilson, 1951-52 after graduation from the US Naval Academy. 
It was on display at the Ship's Crew Reunion in Portsmouth, New Hampshire.  
The second picture below is the Thresher Memorial. LCDR Billing's name is the ninth one down.  He was Deputy Superintendent for new construction at the time of the ill fated Thresher deep dive trial and not part of the ship's company.  

FORMER SHIPMATE "AUTHOR OF THE YEAR" SHIPMATES MAY BE INTERESTED TO KNOW THAT ONE OF THEIR OWN, JERRY O'CONNOR SO3, 1956-58, is a journalist and recognized as "Author of the Year" for his discovery and description of five, intact, and undamaged former U-boat bases along the Bay of Biscay in France.  The award was given in a special ceremony by the US Naval Institute in Annapolis.  A descriptive web-site with exclusive photos of the bases and their intricate 7-layered roofs is on; WWW.Historyarticles.com

OUR SHIPMATE ADDS INTEREST ABOUT THE COLD WAR DURING 1958 E-mail message From: JeromeOConnor@aol.com Date: Mon, Apr 28, 2008, 10:59am (PDT+3) To: DD847@webtv.net Subject: Local historian to lecture aboard the Queen Mary 2 http://www.mysuburbanlife.com/elmhurst/homepage/x914615574 Hello Gerold:  This may be of interest to shipmates.  In addition to the attached interview, I am planning an article about the cold War; in particular a small role I played in 1958 as SO3 aboard the Willy Boat.  We had been searching for Soviet subs in a cat and mouse typical during those days, both at sea, on surface, and in the air.  On my watch, and when I was on the sonar stack, I pinged on what was classified as a Russian sub.  With other Desron 8 ships, we trapped it.  To give the Ivan's the "message" a gunny dropped a hand grenade from the fantail.  The sound must have been intense inside the sub.  Are there others who can add their stories to this one?  This would include spaces including conn to radar to bosun and gunners mates.  If enough of interest develops from this query I may write a story for publication.  Thanks for spreading the 'word.'  Jerry WWW.Historyarticles.com

BUD GOTTESMAN (45-46) ROBERT L WILSON CREWMAN...RELEASES FIRST BOOK AFTER 58 YEARS!!

Bud Gottesman 
First time Author/World War II Veteran
 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
 
First Book Only Took 58 Years to Write!
 
Join Jupiter resident, Bud Gottesman, Friday, November 28, 2003 beginning at 10:00am for a book signing and cruise on The Palm Beach Princess to celebrate the publication of The Reluctant Sailor, his first book.  Fifty-eight years in the making, this 184-page paperback is a collection of thoroughly entertaining remembrances of coming of age in the Navy during WWII.  The Reluctant Sailor is heartwarming, poignant and laugh-out-loud funny.
SAMPLES OF HIS WRITINGS CAN BE READ ON THE SECOND PAGE OF THESE PAGES BELOW........

LIBERTY PARTY IN ORAN, NW ALGERIA

This was a Liberty Party in Oran, a City and Port in North West Algeria during the Jan - March 1952 Med Cruise. Not all Shore Liberty was a "Sailor's Delight". The ship carried beer on board for consumption ashore. Here is a "Consumption Ashore Detail" with "Off Duty Wilson Sailors" preparing to go on a hike and picnic. It was a spontaneous event. No one really dressed for the festivities. They departed the ship with the usual picnic delicacies; cheese, bologna, (Home Cooked) bread and of course Navy Approved Beer. If there ever was such a thing as a "Rinky-Dink" Navy, these sailors looked the part. A few Officers went along. To keep the group together and stay in contact with the ship we carried Walkie-Talkies. The voice call for the leader up front of the pack was "Big Bear" and the lowly Ensign bringing up the rear was "Little Bear". Fifty Years later at reunions they still refer to each other by these call signs. "Great Memories"

REMEMBER THE SHIP'S SHERIFF !!!!

Received This Trophy from an old shipmate who served aboard in the Sixties. This is a real great find Gordon and we all would like to Thank You!!

REMEMBER THE OLD ZIPPO LIGHTERS/??

From: david_mccloud@rcpls.com(David McCloud) Date: Wed, Feb 8, 2006, 10:33am (PST+3) To: DD847@webtv.net Subject: Zippo lighter
I saw my uncle a couple of weeks ago, Thomas R. Hawk, and he gave this to me to put with the many other items he has given me from his days on the Robert L Wilson and thought you might like to see a photo of it.  I'm thinking of taking my belt, patches and this lighter and making a shadow box to put them into.  Keep up the great website! 
David McCloud

PLEASE VISIT THE NEXT PAGE AND READ SOME GREAT LETTERS OF EXPERIENCES FROM OLD SHIPMATES