The OKANOGAN ASSOCIATION


USS Okanogan APA 220

Our upcoming Okanogan reunion will be held this Fall in Omaha, Nebraska. The Reunion will be held at the Doubletree Guest Suites Hotel located in mid town Omaha, Nebraska, from Thursday afternoon, Sept. 20 thru Monday morning Sept 24, 2012. Details about this reunion will be in the next edition of the Ship's newsletter - The New Rendezvous. But, a highlight of these four days will be a trip to the A.J. Higgins Memorial Park, located just west of Omaha. Andrew Jackson Higgins was born in Nebraska, and invented the Higgins Boats; known affectionately by Okanogan sailors as simply "Papa Boats". A memorial brick wall dedicated to all who fought in each war since WW I is in that Park; and, the Okanogan will have three bricks placed in that wall during our visit to the Park in September; representing all of the men who served aboard ship between 1944 and 1969, when she was decommissioned. A ceremony will be held in the Park that all who served won't want to miss.


Picture of shipmates at the 2011 reunion in Reno, NV

Front Row (left to right) - Verle Stucker, Joe Marchand, *Maurice O'Brien, Ed Collins, Bob Casoli, *Pete Lenmark, *Joe Palermo, *Tom Nott, Ed Janek, Ted Dobson, *Burt Hogue
Middle Row (left to right) - *Jack Donnell, *Rich Gorte, Dick Coakes, Harv Hochhalter, Bob Anderson, *Steve Lenarz, Larry Cleveland, Bob Parker, *Hank Taylor, *Chuck Haglund, Dave Meierhoff, Bob Christopherson
Back Row (left to right) - Colin Carney, *Jim Imming, Dick Palazzolo, Dan Foster, *Larry Sandoval, Tom Schaefer, *Mike Hender, Fred Keller, Terry Staples, Dick Smith
*New Member/First Time Attendee
Attendees absent from picture - *Bob Clemo, Jim Barr, Dale Hickle, *Lyle Hiegl, Paul Keller, Jim Koss, Leo Lackner, Bill Scott, Milt Watchers

Picture of everyone at the 2011 reunion in Reno, NV

The 2012 Reunion will be in Omaha, NE.

First Row (left to right) - Jim and Bernadette Imming, Tom Nott and Darlene Hall, Bob, Marie, and Mary Ann Casoli, Dick and Margie Palazzolo, Bob Christopherson
Second Row (left to right) - Joe Marchand, Maurice and Joyce O'Brien, Ed and Katie Collins, Carolyn and Dave Meierhoff, Chuck and Joan Haglund, Dick and Jackie Smith
Third Row (left to right) - Verle Stucker, Rich and Sherry Coakes, Tom and Mary Ann Schaefer, Jackie and Terry Staples, Pete and Jacqueline Lenmark, Betty and Joe Palermo, Shirley Risse
Fourth Row (left to right) - Joe Marchand's Niece, Joe Marchand's Niece, Jack and Nickie Donnell, Steve and Laurie Lenarz, Ed Janek, Sandy and Larry Cleveland, Betty Gorte, Donna and Hank Taylor, Bev Keller, Sharon Hogue, Lisa Risse Cooper
Fifth Row (left to right) - Ted and Bobbi Dobson, Colin and Beth Carney, Bob and Sally Parker, Bob Anderson, Helen and Harv Hochhalter, Rich Gorte, Ronda and Larry Sandoval, Mike and Jan Hender, Fred Keller, Burt Hogue
Attendees absent from picture - Jim Barr, Bob Clemo, Dale Hickle and Jemi ?, Lyle and Lyla Hiegl, Paul and Valerie Keller, Jim Koss, Leo Lackner, Marie & Perry McDaniel, Walt Polinski, Bill and Betty Scott and Sheila Andrews and Dan Ehrlich and Amanda Dalessandri, Mike Stucker, Milt Watchers
We apologize to Joe Marchand and his nieces for not having their names to identify them in the group picture

Click here for pictures of previous reunions


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