USS HENRY B. WILSON DDG-7
 Reunion Photos & Booklets

2007 Cruise Reunion

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v Reunion  2007     8  - 12 October v
 

109 Attending our Cruise Memorial Reunion

The DoubleTree was selected for people arriving a day before the cruise.   The hotel is located at the San Pedro Marina and is one mile from the Los Angeles World Cruise Center in Long Beach, CA.   We negotiated a good rate including breakfast and shuttle to/from the Cruise Center.  The rate was offered to include a few days before and a few days after the cruise for those who wanted to sightsee in the area.   This was a”Park n’ Cruise” hotel. 

We choose Royal Caribbean Cruise Line as it was the only cruise to include San Diego and since that was the Wilson’s home port, we just had to include it.  Our cruise ship was The Monarch of the Seas which had excellent cabins, food, staff, and service.

We boarded on Monday at 1200 and greeted everyone in a conference room to pass out their Welcome Aboard envelopes.  A movie was playing made by Don Getz (68) while he was onboard the Wilson showed the “ceremony” crossing over the Equator.  At 1600 everyone was to report to their lifeboat stations for the safety drill.  We got underway at 1700. Then it was time for dinner! 

The following morning we were in San Diego and had a special tour arranged for that morning on the USS BENFOLD DDG-65 with 75 attending.   Buses picked us up at 1000 to take us to the 32^nd Street Naval Base.  This was a newer destroyer and the areas toured were of great interest to all.  The Captain, CDR. Andrew Hesser, greeted each deck and our one attending Captain, Captain. Eugene I Finke was rung aboard.  A reception was offered in the Mess Deck of fruit, cheese, drinks, and desserts.

The next day, we were in Avalon Harbor, Catalina Island.  Many people went ashore via tenders to shop, tour the Wrigley Mansion, have lunch, see the museum at the Casino.  Our weather was perfect with calm seas and sunny skies.  As we left Catalina, we held a brief Memorial Service for the USS HENRY B. WILSON DDG-7 and fellow shipmates that have passed, as we crossed longitude line 118° which was the closest we could get to her resting place of 031° 33' 00.0" North, 119° 53' 00.0" West, Depth: 1336 fathoms 129 Miles off San Diego.

Thursday brought us into Ensenada, Mexico.  Most went ashore to shop and sightsee for the day.  And then we started our voyage back to Long Beach to disembark on Friday morning.

Great times, great ship, and great people made this reunion a huge success.  We are busy planning our 4^th reunion for October 2008.................hopefully, on the east coast.