USS LOWNDES APA-154

Vol.3 No.3 ---------------- AUGUST 1992 ------------------- BUD KAUTZ, EDITOR

USS LOWNDES APA 154
Wm. "Bud" Kdutz
34782 Hiawatha Trail
McHcnry, 1L 60050

I believe I can "speak" on behalf of our shipmates, spouses, friends
and relatives who attended the "FOURTH ANNUAL USS LOWNDES REUNION"
in Harrisburg, PA. Our compliments to Bill & Amelia Taylor and Cliff
& Mary Schaffer for the outstanding job they did in organizing
activities at the hotel plus arranging for two very interesting tours.
The Schaffers never give up, they provided souvenir cups (more on
this in the News Letter). They sold 20 additional cups at the reunion
and INSISTED that the proceeds plus added income from future sales
be donated to the Bowman/Richards Memorial Fund. Fellows - we owe these
individuals a debt of gratitude. THANK YOU!

The Boston Delegation - Leo O'Brien, Art Rauseo & John Vernale reported
on their progress in arranging the "FIFTH ANNUAL USS LOWNDES REUNION"
in Boston in 1993. As details develop they will be passed on in future
News Letters. Just be sure to mark July 12th week-end on your calendars.
-SEE ENCLOSED FLYER-

The following were in attendance:

Ed. & Agnes Bensie - Jim & Maggie Frieden - Jim & Ina Mae Ross
Fred & Roberta Brinkman - Bud & Jean Kautz - Cliff & Mary Schaffer
Harold Brunner - Don & Shirley Lorenzi - Dallas & Lorane Stratton
Jim & Carol Bussard - Clark & Eve Martin - Bill & Amelia Taylor
Sally Gary & Son + - Connie & Jerry Michalski - *George & Glenda Tuppan
Howard & Lois Chappell - Chuck Munson - Walt & Jackie Utebarger
Jim Chiloote - Leo & Margaret O'Brien - John & Sally Vernale
Pete & Ercilia Cisneros - Art & Marjorie Rauseo - Otto & Ruth Walker
E. Max Cole - Al & Jane Resetar - Bob Warnberg & Son
John & Lebby Dyer - Bill & Virginia Robinson
David Frederick - Joel & Mary Rodriquez

* Traveled most miles to reunion.

• • HAPPY BIRTHDAY-,! ;A

August ------------------------------------ September
Gene Engles Bill Ramsey ------------ Buell Binney Leo O'Brien
Fred Gideon Bill Taylor -------------- Walt Karson Elliott Pilchard
Ed King Dan Wisdom ----------------- Me too

69 year old Dallas Stratton looking like 39 playing for the Tone N'Trim
baseball team in Florida banged out 5 hits including a home run?

If you can spend a perfectly useless afternoon in a perfectly useless
manner, you have learned to live.

Max Cole has a 33 minute video he shot at the Harrisburg reunion, anyone
desiring a copy contact Max. He did a terrific job on this tape.

Fred Brinkman - Retired from South Carolina Dept. of Parks, Recreation
& Tourism Dec. 1991 after 18 years. Now what Roberta?

Thanks to John Cary for providing name tags for our reunion. After
all, how else would we know who we're talking to?

It's easier to get into trouble than out of it.

Harold Brunner holds the distinction of being the first Lowndes crew
member to make reservations for the Harrisburg reunion, for that Bill
Taylor presented him with a great big kiss (Hershey).

Received the notes and letters from the following shipmates stating
reasons for not being able to attend the Harrisburg reunion.

Don Macpherson - Previous commitments make it impossible to be at the
fourth Lowndes reunion. Do look forward to attending the fifth Lowndes
reunion, so please keep me advised of the time & place.

Joe & Loreta Freitas - We are unable to get someone to look after our
interests here in California, we are both fine and hope to make the
1993 reunion in Boston. Hello to everyone. (Note: They sent packages
of walnuts for our auction.

Franklin & Dora Judnitsch - Planned on attending but Franklin's health
dictated the trip would be too much in addition to a trip to Salt Lake
City to visit their son & daughter - haven't seen them for several
years.

Frank & Allice Wanits - extend their good wishes to all. Real estate
transactions prevent them from attending but look forward to Boston
in 1993.

Elliott Pilchard - Previous commitment prevents attending Harrisburg.
Have a great time, my best to the greatest crew ever - (we made it
back - didn't we?)

Buell & Mildred Binney - Deaths in family prevented attending.

SICK BAY

Ed McKellar - Mary had 2 weeks of radiation on 2 tumors that returned,
they are staying close to home for the present. They both send their
"Aloha" Enjoyed the first reunion & want to be kept informed.

Jim Davenport - Reports that his wife Midge was in the hospital after
a cardiac arrest. She also is a victim of Parkinson's.

Erie Niemi - Canceled the Harrisburg reunion, found out recently that
he has cancer (no details). He and Ellen send their best.

Bob Hail - Had a total hip replacement May 6th this year. He's doing
fine but the trip across country would be quite a strain on him.

Goldie Johnson - Reports John's condition has changed somewhat.

Bunnie Jones - Had a stroke last year & was paralyzed on one side.
No further news as of this date.

MORE NEWS

The Bob Warnberg's grandson graduated from Annapolis on May 27, 1992.
He will serve 5 years and has been assigned to the USS Portland a Troop
transport that is larger than the USS Lowndes. Good luck to him.

ENTERTAINMENT

To all shipmates and their spouses who did not attend the "Fourth Annual
USS Lowndes Reunion", you missed a terrific performance by Bill Taylor
& Cliff Schaffer giving their rendition of "Schnitzelbank". They
deserved & received a tremendous round of applause. Thanks Bill ft Cliff.

(3)

OTTO & RUTH WALKER - Please accept our appreciation for the work you
all did for that woderful reunion at Harrisburg, everyone of you that
did so much to make it possible, we enjoyed the tours, all the get
together with everyone. The banquet and breakfast couldn't have been
better and a wonderful crowd of people to enjoy it with - Thanks again.
P.S. Special hello to Mrs. Bill Taylor, she made me (Ruth) feel so
welcome.

LEO & MARGARET O'BRIEN - Dear Bud & Jean: It was nice to see both of
you again, and thanks for the late nite champagne, it' s too bad there
wasn't more time to,en joy the company of all of our shipmates and wives.
But then I'm thankful that GOD didn't make a 26 hour day or an 8 day
week. The New England delegation had a great reunion and we all enjoyed
the tours and thank GOD we all arrived home safe, as we hope everyone
else did. Thanks to all for the special way of making everyone feel
welcome. Looking forward to a great '93.

Max Cole - Was really great seeing all the guys & their wives at the
gathering...also Munson, my old cabin mate. The location was great,
too. Want to go back & check out more of the Gettysburg battle.

CHARLES & CAROLE ROBBINS - We really enjoyed the "reunion" and all
of the people as well as the activities. It was so nice that Don &
Shirley Lorenzi invited us. They're great people and fun to be with.

On August 12th Ed & Agnes Bensie will be off to Australia & New Zealand
for 3 weeks celebrating their 45th wedding anniversary. Time passes
quickly when you're havin' fun. Have a safe trip. Expect a report
on the excursion.

More anniversaries in August: Judnitsch's, Tuppan's & O'Brien's in
Sept. The Longs in July. "Happy to youse"

The Bowman/Richards committee have proceeded with the procurement of
the Memorial Plaque to be installed at the Admiral Nimitz Museum in
Fredericksburg, TX. A check in the amount of $350.00 has been sent
to the Superintendent of the museum. Date of the dedication is still
to be determined. As progress is made, details will follow in future
News Letters. As of this date $433.00 has been contributed to the fund.
The Memorial committee consists of: Martin, Michalski & Kautz.

Now comes the sales pitch: Cliff Schaffer has more USS Lowndes souvenir
cups.The price is $5 each plus postage - $3 for 1 & $4 for 2. For those
who have not seen them, they're really nice. They are blue with a
sketch of the ship in white. As stated on page 2, all proceeds are
to go to the Memorial fund. Order cups from Cliff Schaffer.

BY THE WAY - We still have USS Lowndes cookbooks available. The cost?
A mere pittance, $5.00 ea plus $2.00 postage. All recipes were submitted
by shipmates or their spouses. A good buy. Route orders to me (Bud).
Jean & I - thanks to all who took the time to contribute to our book.

At no time is freedom
of speech more precious
than when a man hits his
thumb with a hammer.

(4)

RECOLLECTIONS

GEORGE TUPPAN - A time in the past to remember aboard the USS LOWNDES.
I do not remember the day or month (Ed. note: It was Sept. 2, 1945)
but it was mail call. We all had our letters and packages, which we
read and opened. Bud Kautz came by with a large can of tomato juice
(28 oz.) that Jean had sent him. I think most of us wondered why she
would send a can of tomato juice, at least I did. Bud had punched holes
in the can and offered us in the engineering compartment a taste. He
said it's special so I took a swallow (1st one not too large), then
another, low and behold it was whiskey (brand unknown) then passed it
back to Bud. If memory still holds true, Jean's father knew someone
who canned it for her. One of the engineering (McNamee) fellows tool<
a swallow, sensing it was not what he had hoped for, he sprayed 1 oi
2 of us. Three guys hit the deck and tried to lap it up. Never got tc
thank you Jean, so thanks.

DAVE FREDERICK - I had my appendix taken out nine days before the
invasion of Iwo Jima (I was in the Beach Party) so I missed the landing.
I was on the boat deck when the Beach Party was loading and Don Bowmar
said to me "Here Dave I don't think I'm coming back" He gave me his
billfold, keys to his locker and penknife. When I found out what happened
on the island I turned in his possessions to my division officer. I had
my mother have a mass for him at home. (Ed. note: I helped Bowman
administer aid to some of the fellows who were injured, to me this is
a very hairy tale and it gives me goose bumps, just found out about
it at the reunion in Harrisburg.

LEO O'BRIEN - I remember someone in our bunking section confiscated
a canned ham that should have been refrigerated. Needless to say, when
the heat got to it, it swelled up and became jammed in their locker
- this required a block & tackle to extract it and did it smell.
My hat goes off to "Pappy" Banks - Chief warrant
Boatswain Mate for his idea in implementing a hoisting system for
bringing the wounded on board from the landing crafts. Even the hospital
ships did not have it this good. The poor wounded had to be handed from
the landing craft to a wide gangway while both were rocking up and down.

JIM DAVENPORT - Something you probably didn't know. Jerome Frieder
who died recently was with Bowman & Richards when they were killed,
in fact, he was standing between them and didn't get a scratch. I was
in a foxhole with two boys from Houston (AllAN "Tex" Collier & Coleman).

WALTER L. CLARKE - This happened while the Beach Party was stationed
at the Marine base in Oceanside, CA. on maneuvers with the marines before
being assigned to the USS Lowndes. I had a 1929 Chevy, about 4 of us
decided to take a ride up to Los Angeles, gas was rationed and all we
could garner was 3 gallons. We pulled into a gas station for the 3 gals.
and tried to talk the attendant out of more, uh uh, so I had him put
in 3 gals. of kerosene. It smoked a bit but we made it to LA and back.

LEO J. WINTER - One day I was called upon to give Capt. Perdue a
haircut, after I finished was passing thru officer's country whistling
soitly to myself when I was accosted by one of the Lts. and informed
(hiit I was out of order by whistling, and from now on "Allow the bos'n's
pipe to furnish the whistles" (Leo passed away Nov. 2, 1991 - see taps).

(5)

Bill Ramsey - Submits this report of Capt. Perdue's post-Lowndes carper:
The United States hospital ship Repose is one of the unsung heroes
of the Korean War. The sleek, 15, 000 ton vessel inched 30 miles thn
a dangerously shallow channel, took aboard more than 750 wounded Unitec
Nations troops & carried them out safely before they could be trappec
by a surprise Chinese offensive. The gigantic rescue operation was
conducted so smoothly & swiftly it went virtually unnoticed. Capt.
Perdue "We couldn't use the main channel because it was heavily mined.
The channel we used was only 26' deep in places at high tide. The Repose
draws 25'6". At times our fathometer reading was about the same as
the draw. A helicopter hovered just above the water in front of the
ship looking for mines and helping guide it." "We can do most everything
aboard this ship that any modern big city hospital can." Needless tc
say, this was a very ticklish undertaking.

My hands have no fingers, my face has no nose. I run in circles though
I have no feet or toes. What am I?

FINANCIAL STATEMENT - JULY 31, 1992

Balance Dec. 31, 1991 $1854.79
Income

Contributions - 1992 $443.00
Interest 33.34
Bowman/Richards Memorial Fund 388.00
Texas Memorial 20.00
Cookbooks 161.00
Ship Photos 4.00
Auction 382.50
Autobiographies 20.00

$1451.84

$3306.63

Expenses

Printing $494.35
Postage 158.38
Bowman/Richards Memorial Plaque 350.00
Refreshments - Harrisburg 193.50
Photos 13.89
Printing Supplies 25.54
Error - July 9th withdrawal

$1235.66
.01

Savings Account Balance - July 31, 1992 $2070.98
Number of contributions received 90 (59% of shipmate membership)

We have had several suggestion as to the use of this money for certain
worthwhile causes. These suggestions will be put to the membership
for finalization and approval. More details in future News Letters.

The way to avoid criticism - "Say nothing, do nothing, be nothing".

(6)

Fred Brinkman - My wife Roberta and I attended our first reunion of
members of the USS Lowndes in Harrisburg. It was an enjoyable occasion
to see 24 shipmates with whom I served during our Navy days in 1944-
1946. Fred Has also contacted 18 members of the Beach Party (4 attended
the reunion. Finally after several years of attempting to identify
the members of our Beach Party Fred has done it. However, have heard
from Jim Ross and he informs us that he is not No. 21 but that is Ernie
Ross.

BACK TO 1945

Iwo Jima means "Sulphur Island" and the rotten-egg reek of the volcanic
vapor pervades the air. On Feb. 19, 1945 a desperate battle began,
raging across the 8.5 square miles of the island until mid April too
many brave men perished on this tiny dot of land in the Pacific,
including 2 members of the Beach Party attached to the USS Lowndes
- Donald W. Bowman & Norman R. Richards.

So many tons of shells & bombs rained down on every square mile that
the shape of the island was actually transformed. The lopsided battle
for this barren but strategically located island - site of an airfield
that American forces would use to mount air strikes against the Japanese
mainland was one of the war's bloodiest engagements. Of the 20,932
Jap casualties, a staggering 19,900 were deaths. We also suffered
terrible losses: 6,831 dead & 19,217 wounded, the highest in Marine
Corps history. There was no safe place the attacking forces, whose
advance was measured in yards rather than miles as Jap fire poured
from hidden caves and bunkers. But advance we did, behind bayonets,
battle tank-mounted flame throwers and artillery barrages.

Ed. note: Little known facts of this battle was the part the Navy had
in it. There were many Navy personnel involved other than those aboard
ships such as Beach Parties and Navy corpsmen attached to the Marine
Corps. In fact, there was a Navy pharmacist's mate 2c who was one
of the six men involved in "The Flag Raising on Iwo Jima". Jean's
uncle was also one of the Navy corpsmen with the Marines. He suffered
injuries to his arm and leg. Eventually he had part of one leg
amputated. But he never lost his sense of humor. Now you know something
about the family I married into.

TAPS

Leo John Winter - Born August 12, 1991 in Glencoe, MN.
passed away November 2, 1991 while clearing the yard
of the 25+ inches of snow during the blizzard that week
end.Leo was the ship's barber aboard the Lowndes. Upon
his discharge from the Navy he joined his family in the
Winter Barber Shop (Est. 1898) He had many interests
- archery, electronics & photography to mention a few.
Our sympathies to his family.

(7)

HARRISBURG, PENNSYLVANIA
Dear Shipmates:

JULY 26, 1992

We've had four (4) reunions of your war time shipmates on the APA 154, The USS LOWNDES. They aren't complete without YOU! They were asking about you and wondering how you are and what you are doing.

Won't you plan on attending your next reunion in Boston July 12th week-end 1993? We
guarantee you a bargain plus a learning experience you'11 treasure long afterwards.
Let's support the Boston reunion committee for the 1993 reunion. Please put these dates
on your 1993 calendar and join us and share your war time experience with us.

Chuck Munson