USS DES MOINES ANCHOR
From: Valerie Blouin November 10, 2019
us6fleet.vsm <us6fleet.vsm@gmail.com>
Bonjour mes amis,
Today was a beautiful day!
The USS Des Moines plaques were presented by Phil and unveiled both on the anchor and aboard the USS Salem Museum by Lou.
Phil and Lou did a wonderful job and my grandmother Germaine was honored by all the sailors and families in attendance. We even had the Mayor of Quincy saying a few words!
Below are 2 articles and pictures from the Boston Globe and the Patriot Ledger:
Thank you again Phil and Lou for including me in this unique franco-american event.
Warmest wishes,
Valerie
us6fleet.vsm <us6fleet.vsm@gmail.com>
Bonjour mes amis,
Today was a beautiful day!
The USS Des Moines plaques were presented by Phil and unveiled both on the anchor and aboard the USS Salem Museum by Lou.
Phil and Lou did a wonderful job and my grandmother Germaine was honored by all the sailors and families in attendance. We even had the Mayor of Quincy saying a few words!
Below are 2 articles and pictures from the Boston Globe and the Patriot Ledger:
Thank you again Phil and Lou for including me in this unique franco-american event.
Warmest wishes,
Valerie
PHOTOS SHARED BY THOSE IN ATTENDANCE
Denise Bafi, Valerie Blouin, Barry Probst, Elizabeth Prescott, Lou Lockwood and PRESSE
Boston Globe Article - Nov. 09, 2019
The Patriot Ledger Article - November 9, 2019
INVITATION
USS Des Moines CA 134
November 9, 2019
Installation of a Plaque on the Des Moines ANCHOR
From: Phil Roberts <robertspd@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Oct 20, 2019 at 11:23 AM
Subject: Ship Tour - November 9, 2019
To: <webteam@uss-salem.org>
Dear USS Salem Tour Team,
I tried calling but your voicemail is full and not accepting messages. My son Pete and I spent an overnight aboard ship in May, participating in the volunteer work party. Our primary job working for Steve Singlar was to prepare and repaint the USS Des Moines anchor in the 3A Rotary. We found that there was no identification of the anchor, and that some locals never knew what the anchor represented. Further, there was little to discover about the USS Des Moines aboard the USS Salem Museum - the ship for which this heavy cruiser class is named. Consequently, I have caused two bronze plaques to be cast, one identifying the anchor as from the USS Des Moines, and one to be placed aboard the USS Salem alongside (or nearby) the existing plaque for the Newport News. These plaques are now paid for and will be delivered by the end of this month to Barry Probst, President of the USS Boston Shipmates Association, who lives nearby in Brockton and who has been helping me (I live in San Francisco).
In January 2017, a group of local citizens of Villefranche, France, organized an event-celebrating sailors from all the US Navy flagships, which had Villefranche as Home Port during the years 1955-67. This was the 50th year of the departure of this last flagship, the USS Springfield. More that 500 people attended, including 100 former sailors and their wives/partners. The current navies of the US and France were led by respective Vice Admirals and two currently active ships from both countries. I was aboard the first such visit in 1955 by the USS Des Moines. The local organization hosting the event was the Association Les Americains et la 6e Flotte, headed by Valerie Blouin its president.
The City of Quincy, Department of Parks & Forestry, will install the plaque at the site of the anchor in the 3A Rotary, and the plaque for the USS Salem Museum will be installed by the volunteer work party when it recommences work on the return of its supervisor Steve Singlar from his winter residence.
We have organized an unveiling event for the anchor plaque on Saturday, November 9th. Attending will be many former shipmates of both the USS Salem and the USS Des Moines, plus family members with personal attachments to these ships. Valerie Blouin will attend and represent her French association. In addition, we wish to have an official tour of the USS Salem Museum, and hopefully you can arrange for this. Tentative times proposed are 10am at the Rotary and 11am for a tour of the Museum. These times, of course, can be changed to accommodate the Museum. Further, Valerie Blouin would like to meet with Museum officials to discuss some sort of formal relationship between her US Navy Museum in Villefranche and the USS Salem Museum. We view this possibility a significant gain in international visibility that can assist in higher public profiles and future funding assistance.
At the conclusion of the Museum tour, we are organizing a luncheon for Museum executives and those attending the unveiling and the Museum tour. So, in addition to the arrangements for the tour, would you please extend our invitation to your Museum executives? These are our contacts:
Phil Roberts
robertspd@gmail.com
510-537-2068
Barry Probst
bprobst@comcast.net
508-587-1261
507 Plain Street
Brockton, MA 02302
Valerie Blouin
us6fleet.vsm@gmail.com
Very much look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Phil Roberts
USS Des Moines CA 134
November 9, 2019
Installation of a Plaque on the Des Moines ANCHOR
From: Phil Roberts <robertspd@gmail.com>
Date: Sun, Oct 20, 2019 at 11:23 AM
Subject: Ship Tour - November 9, 2019
To: <webteam@uss-salem.org>
Dear USS Salem Tour Team,
I tried calling but your voicemail is full and not accepting messages. My son Pete and I spent an overnight aboard ship in May, participating in the volunteer work party. Our primary job working for Steve Singlar was to prepare and repaint the USS Des Moines anchor in the 3A Rotary. We found that there was no identification of the anchor, and that some locals never knew what the anchor represented. Further, there was little to discover about the USS Des Moines aboard the USS Salem Museum - the ship for which this heavy cruiser class is named. Consequently, I have caused two bronze plaques to be cast, one identifying the anchor as from the USS Des Moines, and one to be placed aboard the USS Salem alongside (or nearby) the existing plaque for the Newport News. These plaques are now paid for and will be delivered by the end of this month to Barry Probst, President of the USS Boston Shipmates Association, who lives nearby in Brockton and who has been helping me (I live in San Francisco).
In January 2017, a group of local citizens of Villefranche, France, organized an event-celebrating sailors from all the US Navy flagships, which had Villefranche as Home Port during the years 1955-67. This was the 50th year of the departure of this last flagship, the USS Springfield. More that 500 people attended, including 100 former sailors and their wives/partners. The current navies of the US and France were led by respective Vice Admirals and two currently active ships from both countries. I was aboard the first such visit in 1955 by the USS Des Moines. The local organization hosting the event was the Association Les Americains et la 6e Flotte, headed by Valerie Blouin its president.
The City of Quincy, Department of Parks & Forestry, will install the plaque at the site of the anchor in the 3A Rotary, and the plaque for the USS Salem Museum will be installed by the volunteer work party when it recommences work on the return of its supervisor Steve Singlar from his winter residence.
We have organized an unveiling event for the anchor plaque on Saturday, November 9th. Attending will be many former shipmates of both the USS Salem and the USS Des Moines, plus family members with personal attachments to these ships. Valerie Blouin will attend and represent her French association. In addition, we wish to have an official tour of the USS Salem Museum, and hopefully you can arrange for this. Tentative times proposed are 10am at the Rotary and 11am for a tour of the Museum. These times, of course, can be changed to accommodate the Museum. Further, Valerie Blouin would like to meet with Museum officials to discuss some sort of formal relationship between her US Navy Museum in Villefranche and the USS Salem Museum. We view this possibility a significant gain in international visibility that can assist in higher public profiles and future funding assistance.
At the conclusion of the Museum tour, we are organizing a luncheon for Museum executives and those attending the unveiling and the Museum tour. So, in addition to the arrangements for the tour, would you please extend our invitation to your Museum executives? These are our contacts:
Phil Roberts
robertspd@gmail.com
510-537-2068
Barry Probst
bprobst@comcast.net
508-587-1261
507 Plain Street
Brockton, MA 02302
Valerie Blouin
us6fleet.vsm@gmail.com
Very much look forward to hearing from you.
Regards,
Phil Roberts