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USS Oklahoma City

**CL-91 * CLG-5 * CG-5 * SSN-723**

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Dedicated to the brave men who served aboard
the USS Oklahoma City CL-91, CLG-5, CG-5 and SSN-723.
This page was last updated on

USS Oklahoma City
Shipmates Found To Date

1290

If you served aboard any of the ships named
USS Oklahoma City please enter your name
and other information in the Deck Log.

REUNION CENTER

2010 Reunion - Washington, DC

LOOK FOR SHIPMATES UPDATE MY INFO

GUEST BOOK ARCHIVES #1 #2 #3 #4 #5 #6 #7 #8 #9 #10 #11 #12 #13

STORY ARCHIVE

New to the USS Oklahoma City Crew
for October, November, December 2009 and January 2010

William "Bill" McHugh, RM2 70-72
Terry O'Brien, BT2 61-64

Richard W Marsh, FTM1
Nicholas W. Farley, SN1C 43-46
George R. Davis, BMSN 76-78
Kenneth A. Wisenbaker, YN3 69-70
Richard E. Oster, CPL {USMC} 77-79
Charlie E Pike, EM3 73-77

William A Roberts, CS3 59-64
Fredrick H. Walton, LTjg 73-75
Fred Meadows, CX3 1945

Joe Caruso's OK City News Notes

Reunion 2009

Additional photos are on the PHOTO page.

Two Crews, One Name

CL91 Plankowner Ralph Alfaro was both surprised and honored when he recently visited the museum at the Portsmouth, NH Naval Shipyard. SKCS(SS) Jason Dinkel, Chief of the Boat (COB) of the USS Oklahoma City,(SSN723), presented Ralph with a plaque and a baseball hat from the Submarine. The boat is presently going through an overhaul at the shipyard.

Taps

John E. Grigsby dead at 89

John E. Grigsby 89, of Shelbyville died Thursday, January 21, 2010 at his home. Born July 13, 1920 in West Baden, IN, he was the son of Floyd and Eva Grigsby.

While attending West Baden High School, he played on the varsity basketball team for 4 years and the American Legion baseball team. He represented WBHS at the first Hoosier Boys State held in 1937 at Butler University. Upon high school graduation in 1938, he with his family moved to Bloomington where he attended Indiana University graduating in 1942 with a BS degree in accounting.

After marrying Louise Armstrong of Paoli on Feb. 1, 1942, he joined the US Navy where he served 3 years in the Atlantic during WWII as a first class storekeeper on a destroyer escort and in the Pacific on the cruiser USS Oklahoma City. Obituary courtesy of INDYSTAR.COM

Retired Chief Jim Kemmerling, RMC 69-70 James Norman Kemmeling, 70, a resident of Pine Bluff, Arkansas, died Tuesday June 9, 2009, at his home. Born September 6, 1938, in Evansville, Indiana, he was a son of James and Juanita Bernice Prince Kemmeling, who preceded him in death. He was reared and graduated from high school in Evanston. Mr. Kemmeling was a highly decorated United States Navy Veteran. He proudly served his country for 22 years including a lengthy tour of duty in Viet Nam. He then worked for several years as a police officer in Saint Louis, Missouri, and then Little Rock, Arkansas, where he attained the rank of Captain. After his retirement from Little Rock, he worked for the Garland County Sheriff’s Office in Hot Springs. He was a member of Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Pine Bluff, and a member of the Knights of Columbus. He was also an accomplished gunsmith and marksman and a member of the National Rifle Association. He served aboard the USS Oklahoma City (CLG-5) from 1969-70 and was captain and coach of the ships pistol team. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law Tammy and Larry D’Amico of Pittsburg, Kansas; daughter Michelle Wolthius of Orlando, Florida; six grandchildren and nine great-grand-children. Burial was at Arkansas State Veteran’s Cemetery in North Little Rock. Memorials may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church, 412 W. Sixth Avenue, Pine Bluff, AR 71601. Special thanks to Paula Kemmeling, Jim's ex-wife, for gathering the obit and photo and sending it along.

Lone Sailor Award Goes To
Yogi Berra

This Sept. 1963 picture shows Yogi Berra during his days as catcher for the New York Yankees
Harry Harris / The Associated Press.

By Philip Ewing Navy Times Staff writer Monday Jul 20, 2009 14:24:41 EDT

It’s déjà vu all over again: More than 60 years after baseball legend Yogi Berra served as a sailor in World War II, he’s being recognized by the Navy Memorial with this year’s Lone Sailor Award.Berra, famed for his exploits as a New York Yankees catcher and a distinctive manipulator of the English language, exemplifies the Navy’s core values, according to an announcement Monday from the Navy Memorial.

“Our honorees are living examples of how service to country changes lives and helps develop leaders — whether it be in the world of sports, politics, government, the private sector or the arts,” said retired Rear Adm. Edward Walker Jr., president and CEO of the Navy Memorial, in the announcement. “The common theme they all express is that their public service has given them a solid foundation for their careers and instilled in them the enduring values that propels them to continue to ‘serve’ their communities.”

Berra interrupted his baseball career during World War II to enlist in the Navy, and he served aboard a missile boat during the Allied invasion of Normandy in 1944. When the war was over he began playing in the Major Leagues, where he went on to a Hall of Fame career with the Yankees.Also to be honored at the Navy Memorial’s Lone Sailor ceremony in September are Leonard Lauder, chairman of the cosmetics giant Estée Lauder., who is a former Navy supply officer; and Frederick Smith, CEO of FedEx, who is a former Marine officer. Reprinted from Navy Times with permission

New Photos

Additional photos of the 2008 Reunion Cruise aboard the Norwegian Pearl. Thanks to shipmate Dennis Teremi, EN3 74-76, for sharing these with the crew. Go to the Photos page.

Some new shipboard photos from the 64-65 Westpac Cruise have been added. Thanks to shipmate Tom Sales, BMSN 64-66, for sending them along. Go to the Photos page.

8mm Memories

Two home grown videos of the Okie from Subic Bay in 1975. Wow, I would love to go back for another ride. Okie Boat Video #1 - In The Navy Okie Boat Video #2 - Cruisers Thanks to honorary shipmate and webmaster of our sister ship's website Sam Villa of the USS Providence (CLG-6), for passing this along.

Humor In Uniform

Thumbin' a ride home

Chief Dillon's Sub Topics

RMCM Paul Dillon USN (Ret) on behalf of the Association recently presented $50 checks to the USS Oklahoma City SSN723 Sailors of the Year (SOY). Pictured with Dillon are MM2(SS) Gary Penzien Junior SOY and MM1(SS) Dustin Rushing Senior SOY.

Both Sailors were in Groton, CT for the annual Commander Submarine Group Two and Navy Northeast SOY competition. The USS Oklahoma City Association is pleased to support these outstanding sailors of the SSN723.

Quote of the Month

"The democracy will cease to exist when you take away from those who are willing to work and give to those who would not." Thomas Jefferson

SSN-723 Westpac Cruise 2004
Photographed & Compiled by
Shipmate Todd Selby, MMC(SS) 03-05

Click on the link below to see all the photos from the cruise. Allow from one to five minutes for the pictures to load. When you see the green arrow in the upper right hand corner, click on that to start the show. Slide Show

1971-72

Shipmate Roger Hanthorn, RM3 (71-73) was kind enough to post the 1971-72 Cruise Book.
Eventually, we'll get around to posting the rest of them.

The USS Oklahoma City website is published daily for the benefit of the crewmembers of all ships named Oklahoma City. Editor and Publisher, Joe Caruso; Graphics Editor, Phil Gerini; Editorial Contributors, Jack Kemejuk, John Baker, Paul Dillon, Frank Zacarro, T.C. Lamson & Jim Blackburn. All rights reserved. Copyright 1997 to date.

Your Webmaster is ETN-3 Joe Caruso, 1969
© 1997-2009 Joseph L. Caruso webmaster@ussokcity.com
No animals were harmed during the production of this website.

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