Thirty-one members of the New England chapter of NCVA accompanied by wives and friends, mustered on October 17 and 18 for their semi-annual reunion in Providence, Rhode Island. Of those present were four first-time attendees: Tom McDermott (Newark, NY), Bob Ferreira (Harwich, MA), Dan Bonyeau (Westfield, MA,) and Carmino DeBiasio of Providence. Additionally, in attendance were NCVA member Jessie and Loraine Robinson of Wellington, FL, guests of Phil and Ree Sirmons.

Hosted by Dave Phaneuf of Gouldsboro, ME, the reunion included a general business meeting on Saturday morning, at which, chapter president Ed Carey (Litchfield, NH) presided.

Among items discussed were plans for a reunion in May 2003 in Brunswick, ME to be hosted by Larry Peterson (Nashua, NH), and a proposal by Alan Coutinho to host a reunion on Martha's Vineyard (located off the coast of Cape Cod) next fall. Given the projected expenses, a reunion on Martha's Vineyard was not considered practical. As an alternative, Phil Sirmons (East Lyme, CT) will research Mystic, CT as a possible site.

On Saturday afternoon, several members took the opportunity to tour the Russian submarine (Juliett 484) and museum located at Collier Point Park in Providence. The submarine, built in 1965 as a diesel powered boat, was designed to carry four nuclear-armed cruise missiles, and also carried up to 18 torpedoes. Her hull was covered with a "second skin" of two-inch thick hard rubber sound-absorbing tiles which made her difficult to track. When advances in technology allowed nuclear submarines to stay deployed for longer periods, the mission of the Juliett class boats was changed to that of tracking U.S. aircraft carriers. (Plans are underway to re-locate USS SARATOGA from Newport to Quonset Point, RI where she and Juliett 484 will become a a major family attraction.) This submarine was used in the movie "K-19: The Widowmaker."

Saturday evening's banquet brought together members, wives and friends. As part of the general welcome, President Ed Carey recognized Jack and Janet O'Connell of Milford, NH who were observing their fiftieth wedding anniversary that day. He then introduced the first-time attendees and invited some members to say a few words. Nuchie Carnevale (famous for his ability to speak with much gusto) related his active-duty experiences (vintage early 1950's) when assigned a job to paint the head; and how one gives a coffee urn a thorough cleaning - contrary to proven methods of taste-control. - Bob Baker spoke of his time stationed at Hakata, Japan: a tale of the "Bamboo Bunny," (whose occupants had the misfortune of almost causing an international incident). Last to speak was Dan Bonyeau, whose words to the group started as a casual tale and ended up centered around a box of Cracker Jacks which he used as a prop to contain an engagement ring, surprising most present when he proposed to his date, Rita McDonough. A hearty round of applause followed. The ring was found within the Cracker Jack box. Rita accepted.

The evening concluded with some members attending "WaterFire Povidence," a seasonal event of fire sculptures that takes place on the three rivers that pass through the middle of downtown Providence. The string of fires illuminates nearly two-thirds of a mile of urban public spaces and parks. Reunion visitors were able to stroll along the river while listening to a memorable and mixed selection of classical and world music, experiencing an event that impacts the five senses.

For more info visit their website.

To see more photos of the NCVA-NE visit to the sub courtesy of Bob Pepper & Richard Carlson, please go here.