What is new

What's New on the Whetstone Web

Updated as of: July 5, 2010

Newsletter for July 2010

The July 2010 Newsletter is posted! Time is getting tight for the 2010 Reunion. Don't forget, submit your "Registration" for the "Reunion" today! All lists have been updated if the information is available. Please inform us if you do not see your listing in the Membership pages. Also, use the Registration page if you have any updates to your membership information. This is the easiest way we have for updating address changes.

Newsletter for April 2010 - Updated Lists

The April 2010 Newsletter is posted! This edition is one of the better. Kudos to John, Kay and Marion as well as the members who submitted articles! We could sure use more input from the membership detailing their memories from their onboard stint. The "In Memoriam" page has been updated and the "Association Members" pages are up to date with the removal of Departed Members. The addition of new members will be completed when I receive the data from Kay. Don't forget, submit your "Registration" for the "Reunion" today!

Newsletter for January 2010 and Reunion Activities

The January 2010 Newsletter is posted! 2010 Reunion Activities Schedule and fees is listed in the newsletter. We will add this to the site shortly. The "In Memoriam" page has been updated and the "Association Members" pages are being processed. We would like to encourage everyone to visit the Reunion Hotel website at www.astoriahie.com. The hotel provided us with a video detailing events of the upcoming Astoria bi-centennial which we are unable to host on the Whetstone site but may be viewed on the hotel site. The site opens with the video playing and it may be enlarged to play full screen. Visit and enjoy

Newsletter for October 2009

The October 2009 Newsletter is posted!
Dates are set! The 2010 Reunion is taking shape.
REUNION DATE AND HOTEL
THE USS WHETSTONE REUNION in ASTORIA, OREGON will be held:
September 12, 2010—September 16, 2010
Holiday Inn Express & Suites

Newsletter for July 2009

The July 2009 Newsletter is posted. All lists have been updated where necessary. The format of this Newsletter will be carried forward as is. While I believe we can enhance readability by providing a muted background this then makes it costly for a member to print. As stated in our April notes your responses will determine the direction. To this point, I have not received any response pro or con.

Newsletter for April 2009

The April 2009 Newsletter is posted. All lists have been updated if the information is available. To this point, we have received no responses to the preference of the members with regard to the discontinuance of the use of color in the Newsletters. Photos will be in color where possible. However, even though it was to facilitate ease of reading, there will no longer be a background color unless we receive sufficient response indicating a desire to have this version. At which time we will provide an easier to read version and an acceptable printable one. In this, the April "Rolling Stone" we have introduced what we hope will become a featured column. It is titled; "Track of the Stone" and its purpose is to provide our members with a special area for them to recount their memory of events that occurred during the many transits by the Whetstone. Lets all join in!

Newsletter for January 2009

The January 2009 Newsletter is posted. You will note that the use of a background color and color in various column headers as well as some columns has been discontinued. This has been done so that those receiving an electronic copy may print any page or the entire Newsletter without the need to use color ink. Please let us know which you prefer and we will attempt to provide both options if the color version is preferred. The Memoriam and Association Members pages remain intact for the moment. The Ship Store page has been updated. The "Newsletter" page had a form to be used to opt-in with a choice of receiving their PDF copy by email or an email notice to alert them that the Newsletter PDF has been posted to the site. However, due to the number of false submissions, we have discontinued this feature. If you would like to join us in this ongoing effort, instructions are posted on the "Newsletter" page. You are encouraged to use this option. We would like to reduce the printing and mailing costs as these are large part of the expenses we have.

Newsletter for October 2008

The October 2008 Newsletter is posted. The Memoriam page, Association Members pages and the Links of Interest page have been updated. If you find an error in the Links of Interest page, please notify the Webmaster. A reminder: To help the Association go "Green" we are asking those members who are able, to opt-in to receive their copy electronically instead of a hard copy by mail. The "Newsletter" page has a form to be used to opt-in with a choice of receiving their PDF copy by email or an email notice to alert them that the Newsletter PDF has been posted to the site. We would like to reduce the printing and mailing costs as these are large part of the expenses we have. Also, we have delayed the pages dedicated to the 2008 Reunion. Thus far, I have not received any pictures or comments from the members. I am ready to process and only await your input.

Newsletter for July 2008

The July 2008 Newsletter is posted. John really packed this edition with pictures from the Reunion. From all reports, the attendees had a fantastic few days. Lots of good food. Again, we have lost more shipmates. Most noted being former CO Cdr. Rabun and the last of the Harrelson brothers. The "Memoriam" page has been updated. We will be posting a page dedicated to the 2008 Reunion. All that is required are a few words from the attendees about their experience and lots of pictures. Contact the Webmaster by email to provide your views and for information on how to send pictures. We have also begun a new initiative with regard to distribution of the Newsletter. To help the Association go "Green" we are asking those members that are able to opt to receive their copy electronically instead of a hard copy by mail. The "Newsletter" page has a form to be used to opt-in with a choice of receiving their PDF copy by email or an email notice to alert them that the Newsletter PDF has been posted to the site. We would like to reduce the printing and mailing costs as these are the greater of the expenses we have.

Newsletter for April 2008

The April 2008 Newsletter is posted. We have placed a notice on page 12 of the Newsletter to the effect that the Videographer has cancelled and that this option will no longer be available. It was unfortunate that the Newsletter was completed and printed prior to the cancellation. Also, we have updated and revised the "Memoriam" page. Please take a few minutes to visit and say a prayer or goodbye to our departed shipmates. Also, advise us if there are any missing or misspelled names. The Association Members pages are being updated and should be completed shortly. Advise us if you do not find your listing after April 20th. It may be a good idea to visit the "Registration" page and complete an updated registration. If you have yet to complete your plans to attend the 2008 USS Whetstone (LSD-27) Association Reunion in Charleston SC, time is tight. Please get the reservations in as soon as possible.

Newsletter for January 2008

The January 2008 Newsletter is posted. All the Reunion News that is fit to print is included. Plus! I have also added an Event and Registration Page to the site for the Reunion. If you should misplace your hard copy of the newsletter, you can go to this page to obtain the registration form (s). If you copy and paste the Registration Form to Microsoft Word, you can fill in the blanks before printing the form out. To prevent the lines from expanding while you type, press the "Insert" key. For the Event Price List, copy and paste this section next. Here, you will be able to fill in the blank attendee and total cost sections without any special functions being required. All of the lists have been updated. Please take the time to visit the "Memoriam Page". The Association is attempting to verify that the email addresses we have on file are current. Email Kay or Marion with yours whether or not it has been changed. Or, click to the "Registration Page" and fill out the form. Make sure that you select the Status option of "Current" at the bottom before submitting. You will receive a confirmation that you submission has been successful.

Newsletter for October 2007

The October 2007 Newsletter is posted. Again, the delay is primarily in my corner. At first it was a communications problem with getting the newsletter from Kay and Marion. I was burning a couple candles at both ends and somehow must have deleted the message with the file. Eventually, I had the "Duh" moment and emailed Kay for a replacement. Then, there was the editing on my part for the PDF version. The biggest hang up was my having upgraded to a different software package for the administration of the entire site. Several attempts to complete the editing and posting to the site resulted in some scrambled pages. However, if you are reading this, all is good and I have learned some valuable lessons. The October Newsletter contains the Reunion Events Order form on Page 11. If you lose your mailed copy, you can print out this page and use it. Filled in of course. We have also updated our membership and Memoriam pages.

Still working to complete the Videos. One of the candles I mentioned.

Newsletter For April 2007

The April 2007 Newsletter is posted. This time the delay is mostly on me. I spent the better part of May studying and cramming for a Microsoft Certification Exam. (I bombed) This will be the last Newsletter posted to the site as web pages. In part, it is because of the difficulty of converting the Newsletter to web pages coupled with the ease of posting it in PDF format and the simple fact that as the software improves, it seems to be more difficult to do the conversions. One would think this should be otherwise. Unfortunately, it hasn't seemed to work this way. For the PDF versions, I will attempt to make them as nearly colorful as the web pages. I will also be removing the web page versions as I complete and post the PDF version. Another reason for the change is, to clear some space on the hosting server for a future project.

There is a new "Webmaster Bulletin" that I urge all member to read.

I also lost some time practicing with the editing software for the video taken at the last reunion. It is trial and error but progressing. My hope is to complete the project by the end of this month. I appreciate your continued patience.

Newsletter For January 2007

The January 2007 Newsletter is posted. All lists have been updated to reflect the latest available change information. We invite you to visit the Departed Members Page, "In Memoriam" and remember your former crewmembers and shipmates. Also, if you have not already done so, visit the Webmaster Bulletins Page for the important information regarding Daylight Saving Time and how you will be impacted.

Newsletter For November 2006 with Reunion Photos

The November 2006 Newsletter is posted. Also, the pictures of the 2006 Reunion taken by the Webmaster are ready for you to peruse. As of this update I will attempt to post a PDF copy of the latest Edition of the Rolling Stone Newsletter as soon as I receive the file from Kay. This includes the January 2007 issue which can be viewed from the Newsletter Archive page. I apologize for the delay in these updates. They were ready on the 3rd of January. However, when I tested the changes, a few problems cropped up which entailed some extensive revision in some areas. Hopefully, all of the bugs have been ironed out.

To those members waiting for the Portrait CD's and Video DVD's I ask for your patience. The Portrait CD's should be in the mail shortly. The Video DVD's will be a bit longer. I was finally able to obtain the software necessary for some semblance of editing. And, as there are many hours to work with, it may be more than several months.

Early Bird on the Newsletter

Didn't quite make Labor Day but the September 2006 Newsletter has been published and distributed. And, it is now posted to the site. (Might be a new record for me) All Lists have been updated. See you in Corpus Christi!

Now We are Smokin

I believe I have gotten my sea legs with the Newsletters. The June 2006 Newsletter is up and available. Please read page 16 for a notice I have posted in regard to the 2006 Reunion. It is also viewable in PDF format from the Newsletter Archives page. All lists for which I have data have been updated. In addition, because it was taking too long for the 2004 Reunion Pictures page to load, the entire section has been revamped. Now, each Photo section has its own page. I hope this will prove to be easier, quicker and more enjoyable. I also noticed that some photos were not loading. Hopefully, this has been corrected. Let me know if you have a problem.

I have been advised that the intent for the September Newsletter is to have it completed and released by Labor Day.

Almost caught up

During the last week or so, I was able to get much done. The Newsletters for 2005 have been converted to PDF and added to the site. These are accessed from the Newsletter Archive Page. For those members who use Windows XP there is a Webmaster Bulletin which covers the "Windows Genuine Advantage" initiative which Microsoft began implementing this month. Last, and MOST important; All of the pictures I had taken at the 2004 Reunion are finally edited and posted to the site. There are 385 pictures so expect to spend some time viewing them. If you find any that are not displaying, please let me know which of any group is not working. The first picture in each grouping begins with 1 and continues to the last. To view these pictures begin in the Reunion Page. Or click here.

The faster I go, the behinder I get

First, my apologies. Most of the delay should be lain at my doorstep. Getting the March 2006 Newsletter edited went along smoothly for a change. A few difficulties but, nothing serious. Then, I had a monitor malfunction. I was able to complete some phases using an older one. It took about nine days to replace the bad one and I immediately found that more edits were required. However, these were completed in short order. Flush with success, a few new wrinkles were added to the site. One, I am sure will be appreciated. The Newsletters have been converted to Adobe PDF format for viewing. The link (s) will be found in the Newsletter Archive page, accessible from the Newsletter page. Unfortunately, when I posted these and a form for selecting Reunion Events, the site crashed. I hope nobody was inconvenienced during this short period. Fortunately, I was able to repost from a backup as of the last update. The Reunion form was intended to do most of the input and totaling for you. All that would have been required was the insertion of the number of persons attending any selected event. Looks like it is back to the drawing board on that one. With respect to PDF versions of the Newsletter, to forestall any further malfunction of posting, only the current March 2006 PDF Newsletter is available. The remainder will be added during the next week or so. I appreciate you patience. The Reunion 2006 Event Schedule has also been posted.

As in the past, some is done, more to do.

The December 2005 Newsletter is complete and has been posted. With each edition it is becoming a bit easier to remember my mistakes from the previous edition. With luck, this will continue as we progress in the coming year. There is still much to do. Several lists still need to be updated and should be completed shortly. As you have seen in your hard copy of the Newsletter, things are beginning to firm up for the Reunion. With a bit of luck and fortitude, we will be able to bring any information to you as soon as it is available right here. Hopefully, by doing so, we will assist you in making your decision and plans. (* Note to our Reunion Co-Chairmen, "Don't forget to give us a heads up as things progress".)

There is a new Webmaster Bulletin with Windows updating information. And, a note regarding the complexity of reaching a real person when making a service call to many business. There are ways to avoid the lengthily menu options and we provide the avenue.

Progress in fits and starts

The September 2005 Newsletter is complete and has been posted. There were fewer glitches this time. Most were mine I am sad to say. Bear with me, I am getting better at it. Also, we have begun posting information on the 2006 Reunion. To this point, only the Venue has been selected for the particular dates and location. However, as additional information becomes available, we hope to have it for you on the site ASAP. For now, we would all like to Wish You and Yours a Very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

Things are coming together.

Finally made it with the June 2005 Newsletter. Just in time for me to begin on the Sept. issue which was received the other day from Marion. If I have mastered the changeover required to enable a copy on the web site, things should be much faster. We are all working together to make it happen quicker. I missed it the last time as I became involved in trying to make the changes as outlined below. In the end, I decided to leave matters as they were for the time being. All email links work as intended. The Hotel has been selected for the 2006 Reunion in Corpus Christi. I will post this information shortly. IMPORTANT: There is a new Webmaster Bulletin for those who have Whetstone.net email addresses. If you do not have yours, there are still a few more available.

Some is done....More to do

The March 2005 Newsletter is up and running. There are still quite a few to-do's in the offing. I am hoping to get the June, 2005 Newsletter completed and posted sometime next week. Following that, there are some important changes that are required. I recently discovered that there are programs called Email Web Spiders or Crawlers. They visit various web sites and mine for email addresses. Their key is to look for links in the pages that say "Mail to:". Any they find are reported to their originator. I am going to have to clear all of these links from any and all of our pages. You will still be able to see the relevant email address for an Individual. However, you will have to initiate any email from your email client. It will no longer be possible to initiate an email by clicking on the address as is done presently. Of course, there is still the matter of the photos from the Seattle Reunion. They are coming! Promise. And, I will also be redoing the Ships Store page so that you will again be able to fill out an order and send it to Marion. Enjoy!

Now we are getting somewhere

Things are beginning to move at a more brisk pace. As many of you are aware, our site hosting company has moved us to faster, updated servers. All went well with this transition until I attempted to upload more than one page at a time. The upload of the December 2004 issue caused major problems and the site was down for awhile as I attempted to correct the errors. Most all have been fixed. Please notify me if you find any links that do not work. The March and June, 2005 Issues should be posted shortly. Today, I have posted a revised list of our Departed Members as of the June, 2005 Newsletter. Also, the Navy News section has been upgraded and, there is something cool to see there, as well as an article about a new Navy craft. I will attempt to maintain updates on these pages on a weekly or bi-weekly basis. Last but not least; The REGISTRATION PAGE is again functional. You may now use the Registration form to submit updates to your personal information as well as register as a new member. (PS...I hope)