uss southerland dd/ddr 743

The Southerland Scuttlebutt

President: Craig Pankop - craigpankop @ hotmail.com
Vice President/Event Coordinator - Rick Anderson - andy743 @ bellsouth.net
Webmaster - Victoria Kosub - victoriakozub @ gmail.com


JUNE 2025


Greetings Shipmates:

We are approximately four and half months away from our reunion. The reservation process is as follows: The dates and times are set. Please make your reservation soon so activities and accommodations can be made to make our reunion enjoyable and successful. The 2025 reunion has been set for October 13 –17, 2025 at Corpus Christi, TX at the Omni Corpus Christi located on North Shoreline Boulevard. Rooms can be reserved by contacting the Omni Hotel at the following link: https://bookings.omnihotels.com/event/corpus-christi/us-navy-reunion-room-block
Or you can call (361) 886-3584. Reservations will be listed under: US Navy Reunion Room Block. Price includes breakfast each morning in the hotel restaurant, complimentary self-parking and complimentary shuttle transportation to and from the Corpus Christi International Airport. If you require transportation from the airport, please send an email to Shelby Forward at Shelby.Forward@omnihotels.com . Provide your arrival time, airline, etc. Make sure you label it as US Navy reunion block. We will also have a complimentary meeting space for daily use and for our Thursday evening banquet. Unfortunately, we will not be allowed to bring in outside food and beverages as we did at our last reunion so plan accordingly. Please do not put off on booking your reservation as we are only assured so many rooms at these rates. Finally, starting May 7, 2025, you will need a REAL ID or another acceptable form of identification to board domestic flights. You can also check if your driver’s license or ID has a star upper right corner (and/or flag) or says “Enhanced”. You can google REAL ID for additional details.

There are 6+ points of interest within 1 mile of the hotel. The USS Lexington museum, Texas State Aquarium, Art Museum of South Texas, Corpus Christi Museum of Science and History, Downtown Bayfront, and Whataburger Field. Shopping, dining and nighttime opportunities are nearby. Shoreline Boulevard offers many points of interest. A memorial service for our fallen shipmates will be conducted. We will visit the USS Lexington and plan on a boat ride one evening, hopefully. Other possibilities are Padre Island or the South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center. Maybe lunch at a two-story Whataburger? Plan on a banquet on Thursday evening with a raffle. Members are asked to provide items for the raffle.
Something nautical or something that is peculiar to your home town or state. Thank you. It is difficult to plan an outing without a good head count of how many may be attending. Feedback on possible activities are always welcome. Room reservation updates as of 06/03/2025, thirteen reservations have been made. If you have made reservations through another source, please let me know as it will count towards our room totals.



FALLEN SHIPMATES

John Harbour – SN - 11-14-2023
John Richardson – GM3 – 09-20-2017
Louie Paden – BMSN – 01-26-2025
Robert L Henry – BT3 - 04-10-2025
# If you know of other shipmates that have passed away, please let me know so the roster can be updated, Thank You.

Word for the day:

“Pollywog”. A person who has never crossed the equator (pejorative).
“Shellback” A person who has crossed the equator.

On 11 June 1973 the Southerland began operation “Charger SurfPac 1-73 with stops in Seattle, Adak, three ports in Japan, two ports in Taiwan, Hong Kong. Guam, Midway, and Pearl Harbor returning to San Diego on 30 August 1973. We were excitedly greeted by many family members and to my surprise, my parents were standing on the pier. Thanks to a couple of my shipmates. Of course, first day in I had duty. My parents enjoyed the evening meal on the mess deck. I remember my mother feeling slightly seasick. Took her up to the ASROC deck so she could calm her stomach. What fond memories.

Dues/Contact Information

In closing, I remind all that your dues are $20.00 a year, $150.00 for a lifetime. Please forward your 2025 dues to the address listed below. Maintaining this organization and moving it forward requires funding. Newsletters are sent via email as much as possible to save on mailing and printing expenses. If you have a new email/address, please pass it on. Comments/questions are always welcome. I may not answer, so please make sure you leave a message. Thank you for your continued support to this fine organization.

CRAIG PANKOP, PRESIDENT
211 Pebble Creek Drive
Seneca, SC 29678-1116
craigpankop @ hotmail.com
USS SOUTHERLAND DD-DDR 743 REUNION COMMITTEE

US Navy