USS Coronado

Welcome to My Web Site | home

Updated 07/10/09

PLANKOWNER'S "VIRTUAL REUNION"

PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE REUNION!

You're invited to use the guestbook on my Diego Garcia webpage!

Send me a current headshot and I'll post it beside a scan of your cruisebook photo.

Pre-Commissioning Crew in San Diego prior to boarding

the USS Coronado at Bremerton Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington

(Email me to request a 1MB High Quality 8x10 image file of the above photo)

Checkout these USS CORONADO (LPD-11) links!

For all sorts of USN info...from naval reunions to ship status

USS Coronado (LPD-11) Air Department patch...circa 1971

USS Coronado (LPD-11) Air Department Mini-Reunion...June 2005

I recently met up with some old shipmates from 35 years ago while

passing through southern N.J. on my return from visiting family in N.C..

L-R...Me, Dave Scott, Tony Dipasqua, Doug Lidy and Gary Caldwell.

Many thanks to Scotty and his wife, Diane, for having us!

"Vidge"...Carl Villanueva

"Scotty"...David Scott

"Butch"...Anthony DePasqua

"Boats"...Douglas Lidy

"Caldwell"...Gary Caldwell

Others who couldn't make the reunion...

"Mr. Gache"...LCDR M.A.Gache,USN

Our illustrious Air Officer...LCDR M.A. Gache (wearing his bagpiping hat).

The link below is an account of a daring mission that LCDR Gache flew in Vietnam.

"Baucom"...Dennis Baucom

"Awk"...Paul Aucella

"Gilbert"...Eddie Gilbert

"Cortesini"...John R. Cortesini

John was a "live wire" that always kept the Air Department entertained.

Unfortunely, John passed away in 2004. We miss him.

Scotty and John in Norfolk, Virginia...1997

"Bones"...Marty Goodman

Marty was in the Air Department, then tranferred

to 3rd Division as a Gunner's Mate

"Tom"...Averil Thomas

"Andy"...Cris Anderson

"Day"...Charles Monroe Day, III

Charles was a member of the original plankowner crew but

for medical reasons (tonsilectomy) had to catch up to the ship.

He still wonders what the Executive Officer thought when he politely asked

him to stop smoking on deck next to the fuel head and handed him an ashtray.

According to Charles, the Commodore accompanying the XO couldn't help but smile.

"Randy"...Jack R. Elder

Capt. Walker...Commanding Officer

"Recent" photo dated 2001

Jake...SK3 Jake Bliek

Ralph...GMG2 Ralph Pinegar

"Smitty"...John Smith

"Wolfy"...ETR3 Bob Weiten

Wayne...SK2 Wayne Portlock

This photo was submitted by John "Smitty" Smith in 2007.

He and Butch got together and Smitty snapped his photo.

I don't have a "before" shot to post and am not sure

when Butch served aboard the Coronado.

Here's a photo I found on the internet of Dr. Roediger around 2004.

Dr. Roediger was a plankowner and served as ship's doctor around 1970,

but I don't have a photo of him from back then.

Michael Vandervort, right, was in the Air Department.

He made the Navy his career and retired in 2007.

He is pictured at his retirement ceremony with his father.

Hey guys...send me a recent photo and watch this "reunion website" grow!

By the way...if anyone has a photo of the "Gator Navy" flag that was flown

on our way to Gitmo, could you please send me a copy to post? Thank you!

"Red/Animal"...Robert Farrington

Robert "Red/Animal" Farrington, Anthony "Butch" Dipasqua

and Doug "Boats" Lidy off the coast of Italy...1972

Heinen and Thomas on the flight deck

in front of the Pettibone Tilley/Crash Crane

Averil "Tom" Thomas...cool as ever, with toothpick

Paul "Awk" Aucella...(LSE) landing signalman

Hanging out in the compartment

Baucomb, "Whale" and "Animal"

Yes, Whale's finger had been partially amputated.

Fooling around between Flight Operations

Air Department "Department of the Month" photo taken while on 1971-1972 Med Cruise

LCDR Gache (Air Officer) cuts the cake in celebration of

Department of the Month as Pough, Caldwell and Elder look on.

Scott, Pressley and Cortesini...Bremerton, Washington

Butch, Boats and Scotty...Athens, Greece

At anchor in Port Au Prince, Haiti

"Bum Boats" alongside selling wooden ware

Crooks and Reilly playing cards

Gunners Mates Goodman and Pinegar

Marty Goodman submitted these shots

of the Ship's Armory...circa 1972

Here's an email I received from an ex-Marine about his memories of the USS Coronado

I remember having some pretty good times aboard The USS Coronado during her 71-72 Med Cruise. Wish I still had my Cruise Book. Know where I could get one? It was not long outta Parris Island when I was assigned to ship's platoon to ready the ship for loading troops once we arrived in Morehead City. I was then assigned to the "Spud Locker" for a little night KP with a sailor I only remember by the name "Frenchie". I had been on board about a month when I ran into an old friend who was a sailor aboard by the name Jimmy Plummer. Not sure if he was a plank owner or not. Would you know either?

As for the first beer blast, I remember being on the isle of Crete when an LST (USS Suffolk I believe) sailed onto the beach (it was amazing to see) and her cargo doors swung open to reveal cases and cases of beer! Would have been Nov 1971 I guess (for the Marines anyway).

My most memorable experience I recall was racing outta the Well Deck in an AMTRAC off the rear of the ship while she was cruising forward at sea, splashing into the ocean and water rushing into the less than water tight doors and praying the steel coffin as we called it would boob back to the surface. Man I know the Sailors were spending their day laughing at them dumb jarheads! Guess we had it coming laughing at them dumb squid boiler techs and airheads...they were some HARD working guys for sure!!!!

Don Bordeaux...one of the first Marines to board the USS Coronado (LPD-11).

Hey guys...send me a recent photo and watch this "reunion website" grow!

By the way...if anyone has a photo of the "Gator Navy" flag that was flown

on our way to Gitmo, could you please send me a copy to post?


	Welcome to My Web Site \| home Introduction \| North Adams Airport \| Diego Garcia \| USS Coronado \| Family Photos \| Family News \| North Carolina Trip \| Friends \| Steve Sauvé \| Religion \| Weird Stuff \| Humor \| Links \| Interests \| Contact Info USS Coronado (LPD-11) Updated 07/10/09 PLANKOWNER'S "VIRTUAL REUNION" PARTICIPATE IN AN ONLINE REUNION! 1970-2006 You're invited to use the guestbook on my Diego Garcia webpage! Send me a current headshot and I'll post it beside a scan of your cruisebook photo. 1970 Pre-Commissioning Crew in San Diego prior to boarding the USS Coronado at Bremerton Naval Shipyard in Bremerton, Washington (Email me to request a 1MB High Quality 8x10 image file of the above photo) = = = Checkout these USS CORONADO (LPD-11) links! History and Information about USS CORONADO (LPD-11) USS CORONADO (LPD-11) Crewlist and Message Board http://www.usnavylinks.com/LPD-11 For all sorts of USN info...from naval reunions to ship status http://www.lonesailor.org http://www.usnavylinks.com = = = USS Coronado (LPD-11) Air Department patch...circa 1971 USS Coronado (LPD-11) Air Department Mini-Reunion...June 2005 I recently met up with some old shipmates from 35 years ago while passing through southern N.J. on my return from visiting family in N.C.. L-R...Me, Dave Scott, Tony Dipasqua, Doug Lidy and Gary Caldwell. Many thanks to Scotty and his wife, Diane, for having us! What a trip! "Vidge"...Carl Villanueva "Scotty"...David Scott "Butch"...Anthony DePasqua "Boats"...Douglas Lidy "Caldwell"...Gary Caldwell Others who couldn't make the reunion... "Mr. Gache"...LCDR M.A.Gache,USN Our illustrious Air Officer...LCDR M.A. Gache (wearing his bagpiping hat). The link below is an account of a daring mission that LCDR Gache flew in Vietnam. http://www.seawolf.org/comops.asp "Baucom"...Dennis Baucom "Awk"...Paul Aucella "Funk"...Jim Funk "Gilbert"...Eddie Gilbert "Cortesini"...John R. Cortesini John was a "live wire" that always kept the Air Department entertained. Unfortunely, John passed away in 2004. We miss him. Scotty and John in Norfolk, Virginia...1997 "Bones"...Marty Goodman Marty was in the Air Department, then tranferred to 3rd Division as a Gunner's Mate "Tom"...Averil Thomas "Andy"...Cris Anderson "Tom" "Day"...Charles Monroe Day, III Charles was a member of the original plankowner crew but for medical reasons (tonsilectomy) had to catch up to the ship. He still wonders what the Executive Officer thought when he politely asked him to stop smoking on deck next to the fuel head and handed him an ashtray. According to Charles, the Commodore accompanying the XO couldn't help but smile. Click here to order Charles' new book entitled Thoughts of the Transplanted Mississippian "Randy"...Jack R. Elder Capt. Walker...Commanding Officer "Recent" photo dated 2001 Jake...SK3 Jake Bliek Ralph...GMG2 Ralph Pinegar "Smitty"...John Smith Arlyn Moots "Wolfy"...ETR3 Bob Weiten Wayne...SK2 Wayne Portlock Gary "Butch" King This photo was submitted by John "Smitty" Smith in 2007. He and Butch got together and Smitty snapped his photo. I don't have a "before" shot to post and am not sure when Butch served aboard the Coronado. Here's a photo I found on the internet of Dr. Roediger around 2004. Dr. Roediger was a plankowner and served as ship's doctor around 1970, but I don't have a photo of him from back then. Michael Vandervort, right, was in the Air Department. He made the Navy his career and retired in 2007. He is pictured at his retirement ceremony with his father. Hey guys...send me a recent photo and watch this "reunion website" grow! By the way...if anyone has a photo of the "Gator Navy" flag that was flown on our way to Gitmo, could you please send me a copy to post? Thank you! "JD"...J.D. Gaither "Red/Animal"...Robert Farrington Robert "Red/Animal" Farrington, Anthony "Butch" Dipasqua and Doug "Boats" Lidy off the coast of Italy...1972 Heinen and Thomas on the flight deck in front of the Pettibone Tilley/Crash Crane Averil "Tom" Thomas...cool as ever, with toothpick Paul "Awk" Aucella...(LSE) landing signalman Hanging out in the compartment Baucomb, "Whale" and "Animal" Yes, Whale's finger had been partially amputated. Fooling around between Flight Operations Air Department Air Department "Department of the Month" photo taken while on 1971-1972 Med Cruise LCDR Gache (Air Officer) cuts the cake in celebration of Department of the Month as Pough, Caldwell and Elder look on. Scott, Pressley and Cortesini...Bremerton, Washington Butch, Boats and Scotty...Athens, Greece At anchor in Port Au Prince, Haiti "Bum Boats" alongside selling wooden ware FTG3 R. Zalebny GMG3 W. Casselberry GMG3 B. Reilly Crooks and Reilly playing cards Gunners Mates Goodman and Pinegar Marty Goodman submitted these shots of the Ship's Armory...circa 1972 = = = Here's an email I received from an ex-Marine about his memories of the USS Coronado I remember having some pretty good times aboard The USS Coronado during her 71-72 Med Cruise. Wish I still had my Cruise Book. Know where I could get one? It was not long outta Parris Island when I was assigned to ship's platoon to ready the ship for loading troops once we arrived in Morehead City. I was then assigned to the "Spud Locker" for a little night KP with a sailor I only remember by the name "Frenchie". I had been on board about a month when I ran into an old friend who was a sailor aboard by the name Jimmy Plummer. Not sure if he was a plank owner or not. Would you know either? As for the first beer blast, I remember being on the isle of Crete when an LST (USS Suffolk I believe) sailed onto the beach (it was amazing to see) and her cargo doors swung open to reveal cases and cases of beer! Would have been Nov 1971 I guess (for the Marines anyway). My most memorable experience I recall was racing outta the Well Deck in an AMTRAC off the rear of the ship while she was cruising forward at sea, splashing into the ocean and water rushing into the less than water tight doors and praying the steel coffin as we called it would boob back to the surface. Man I know the Sailors were spending their day laughing at them dumb jarheads! Guess we had it coming laughing at them dumb squid boiler techs and airheads...they were some HARD working guys for sure!!!! Don Bordeaux...one of the first Marines to board the USS Coronado (LPD-11). = = = Hey guys...send me a recent photo and watch this "reunion website" grow! By the way...if anyone has a photo of the "Gator Navy" flag that was flown on our way to Gitmo, could you please send me a copy to post? Thank You = = = USS Coronado links http://www.coronado.navy.mil http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Coronado_(AGF-11) http://www.reference.com/browse/wiki/USS_Coronado_(AGF-11) http://www.jestertrek.com/coro2400/bodies/siminfo/support.html http://experts.about.com/e/u/us/USS_Coronado_(AGF-11).htm http://navysite.de/crew.php?action=ship&squad=false&starty=&endy=1986&ship=AGF%2011 http://www.usswaddell.com/Crew/COs/Capt%20Walker.htm http://members.tripod.com/coronado_lpd11/coronado http://members.tripod.com/coronado_lpd11/coronado/LPD-11-2.htm http://members.tripod.com/coronado_lpd11/coronado/LPD-11-5.htm http://members.tripod.com/coronado_lpd11/coronado/LPD-11-1.htm = = = Introduction \| North Adams Airport \| Diego Garcia \| USS Coronado \| Family Photos \| Family News \| North Carolina Trip \| Friends \| Steve Sauvé \| Religion \| Weird Stuff \| Humor \| Links \| Interests \| Contact Info