Veterans Day 2024 Plan of the Day

 USS Orleck Association news
Oct 082024
 

MAJOR CHANGE 

PLANS FOR ACTIVITIES THIS November 11th, 2024

Veterans Day | PNG All

Thank you for what you did back then to keep our country safe and secure.

Lt. Joseph Orleck represents well, all of you who served.

Watch  and Watch as his sacrifice in WWII was commemorated at Arlington National Cemetery and at the Navy Memorial,

On November 11, 2023, at 1100 hrs., 35 sailors, family and friends reported aboard and had a fine time together.  A special service, prepared and delivered by Larry McConnell and a dinner at The Village Cafe celebrated the day.

Let’s do it again!  

See you aboard the USS ORLECK DD 886

at 11 AM, November 11, 2024!

(THIS IS NEW INFORMATION)

PLAN OF THE DAY

(check back regularly – subject to minor changes)

MAKE SURE TO SHARE THE LINK TO ANY SHIPMATES YOU HAVE IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK

TO GUARANTEE WE DO NOT MISS ANYONE.

(November 11th, 2024)

  • 9 AM-2 PM -The USS ORLECK DD 886 will open for tours. (There are some great new exhibits-9 Mt 52 short video, Pilot house short Video train buster, CIC short video ASW ops.)  At some point in the day, Captain Allen will share details with group on other ship updates.
  • 10:00 AM -Ceremony (chairs, podium and tents will be placed on the beautifully renovated pier facing USS ORLECK).  There will be program that will include welcoming remarks from Captain Allen, speakers, a special remembrance of those shipmates no longer with us-carnations will be provided, a time for remembrance, Taps played and opportunity to cast your remembrance carnation into the water.  A bell will be rung at 11 AM in recognition of special nature of Veterans Day.  Upon ringing of the bell, the ceremony will be complete.
  • 10:45 AM -Street to USS ORLECK will be closed for parade so, if driving, you will need to be in the ample parking area at the pier.  Since our ceremony is at 10:00 AM, most will already be at the ship.
  • 11:00 AM-11:45 -At the end of the ceremony, please move to the roped area (chairs will be provided) to view the Jacksonville Veterans Day Parade as it passes on the street where USS ORLECK docked.
  • 11:45 AM -Make your way back to the area next to USS ORLECK where we held the earlier ceremony for lunch.
  • 12:00-1:00 PM -Catered lunch provided at no cost to you! Will include BBQ pork slider chicken sliders, seasonal fruit veg tray, pasta salad, dips and crackers, tea lemonade. Important Note: I will need to know who is attending so there will be sufficient food provided.*
  • 1:00-2:00 PM -Tour USS ORLECK (docents will be present to answer questions)
  • 3:30-4:30 PM River Taxi Tour (This is being provided at no cost to you).  Presently there is no docking area for the Taxi at the ship so boarding will be at the Hyatt Hotel boarding area. **
  • Early evening-Dinner on your own.
  • Evening Fireworks Event at the USS ORLECK is being presently considered and you will be updated on that as to time.

OTHER MATTERS:

  • There will be a welcome banner for our group.
  • During your time in Jacksonville, there is a desire to have USS ORLECK sailors video interviewed.  Accomplishing this will require planning in advance by contacting those responsible for the interviews.  Details will be sent by email so if you are coming to Jacksonville and did not get the email, contact Bob Orleck (see below for contact information) and ask him to send you the information. A number of the Orleck Veterans participated last year, and you will see their oral histories on the kiosk on the ship.
  • Thanks to the JAX Naval Museum staff for proving a welcoming banner, for providing the area, chairs, podium, and tents as well as the roped off parade reviewing area with chairs for our staff and other thoughtful things I may have failed to acknowledge.
  • * **Your Destroyer USS ORLECK DD 886 Association has some money in the treasury that will be used to provide the catered lunch and River Taxi Tour. That being the case, you will need to advise Bob Orleck either by phone (text or talk) at 802-565-0340 or by email to reunion@ussorleck.com of the number of people in your party who will be eating lunch and those enjoying the River Taxi Tour.  If you would like to leave a comment, click here.   Then go to the bottom of the page and submit your comment.
  • When contacting Bob Orleck, please let him know your arrival and departure information, where you will be staying, your name as you would like to see it on your name badge.  For USS ORLECK sailors, include your last rate/rank and the years you served aboard USS ORLECK.
  • Now don’t forget!  Share this link with shipmates you have in your address book.
  • Also, click to comment at the bottom of the post that you open to and leave an encouraging message for others to come and make this 11/11/11 a big success.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Veterans Day

 USS Orleck Association news
Nov 112023
 

Veterans Day | PNG All

Thank you for what you did back then to keep our country safe and secure.

Lt. Joseph Orleck represents well, all of you who served.

Watch  and Watch as his sacrifice in WWII was commemorated at Arlington National Cemetery and at the Navy Memorial,

A PLAN FOR FUTURE REUNION GATHERINGS ABOARD THE USS ORLECK DD 886

To leave a comment CLICK HERE, go to the bottom of the article below other comments and enter your comment.

At the business meeting at our Veterans Day 2023 reunion in Jacksonville, Florida, permanent home of our beloved USS ORLECK DD 886, the eligible voters unanimously responded positively to my suggestion that we dissolve our Destroyer USS ORLECK DD 886 Association but only if we replace it with a new way for USS ORLECK sailors, family, and friends to continue to meet at their ship in Jacksonville each year.

While we have ended the Destroyer USS ORLECK DD 886 Association and while there will be no more organized reunions for the group, we are far from done. We have had a long run of successful three- and four-day events over the last thirty years but the time has come to change the way we continue. It has been wonderful to have done these reunions for you over these decades but I will be unable to continue doing them and being that no one else would or could take them over, the time had come.

The vote was for a plan that would set up a way those interested can meet aboard the USS ORLECK and to go out to dinner together every year into the future on Veterans Day as well as build the rest of their stay around that. You might want to arrange for a mini reunion with shipmates or treat it as an extended vacation and build the other events around it. Veterans Day in Jacksonville will be chockfull of many local activities from a massive parade, many events in and around USS ORLECK, now in her special and permanent mooring at Pier 1, as well as many other exciting things to do throughout this welcoming US Navy town. The possibilities are endless!

We picked Veterans Day for a good practical reason. Our last official reunion was on Veterans Day, 2022. Now on each Veterans Day into the future, we will continue to meet. It is a special day for our military. The Armistice that ended World War I happened on November 11 and the guns ceased firing at 11 AM. Setting the date and time to coincide with the Armistice has the added advantage of having a time and date that will be easy to remember and it will be the same year after year. 11/11/11. 11 AM on the 11th day of the 11th month.

Beginning in 2023 and every year thereafter, USS ORLECK sailors, family and friends will converge on Jacksonville, Florida, meet on the USS ORLECK at 11 AM, and have dinner together that evening. As mentioned above, the rest is up to you. The plan gives flexibility to meet everyone’s needs and desires even if you just plan to come for the day.

There will not be any organized events except the meeting at the USS ORLECK and dinner that evening. Kelly Harris, owner of the Village Café right on the St. Johns River, and good friend of our organization, has agreed to do that dinner each year and Heather Surface, owner of the River Taxi has agreed to be available to transport you between your river front hotel, the USS ORLECK and Kelly’s restaurant.

Nadia, the Director of Events for the USS ORLECK DD 886, has calendared your coming on November 11, and will have a special place designated for you to meet and discuss your plans for the day and weekend.

If you have any questions about this plan, you can contact Bob Orleck at 802-565-0340 (talk or text) or email him at reunion@ussorleck.com.  You can also leave comments (see below post).

So many have experienced immense joy at our reunions and getting together with their shipmates, some who they had not seen for 40 or 50 years. Let’s keep things going in this way!

I hope to hear from many of you that you will be planning to come this upcoming Veterans Day, November 11, 2024, at 11 AM aboard USS ORLECK DD 886. Easy to remember 11AM on the 11th day of the 11th month each year from now on.

Thank you for allowing me to associate with you all these years, to organize and execute the wonderful reunions we have had. It has been the greatest honor of my life.

Please let me know your thoughts on attending and any other matters on your mind.

Best to you all.

Bob Orleck

USS ORLECK JACKSONILLE REUNION STARTS TOMORROW THROUGH SUNDAY MORNING

 USS Orleck Association news
Nov 092022
 

Plan-of-the-Day has been updated.  Main update involves the change on Friday, Saturday and Sunday mornings with the breakfasts, Saturday’s business meeting and Sunday’s church service, all of which will take place in the hotel ball room on those days. The hospitality room will be used solely as a hospitality room. Updates in red. Request: Due [Read more…]

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