Legacy Join-Up, August 6, 2008

SEEKING NAMES AND ADDRESSES OF TAFFY III SURVIVORS

June 25, 2008

Ma'am,

I am an officer on the staff of Rear Admiral Cullom, Commander Carrier
Strike Group EIGHT.

We have an event in early AUGUST that showcases veterans from the TAFFY
III and those who fought in WWII Pacific campaigns.

In addition to Samuel B Roberts, Gambier Bay, ST LO and others, I am
trying to contact survivors of USS DENNIS so that the Admiral can send
them personal invitations to our Officer Join-up. Here are the details:

When: 06 AUGUST 08, 1500
Where: Officer's Club, Oceana Naval Air Station, Virginia Beach, VA

Rear Admiral Cullom is co-hosting this event with Captain Stearney,
Commander Carrier Air Wing SEVEN. The third in a series of similar
events, this "Legacy Join-up" is designed to promote camaraderie among
younger generation Officers and Senior Enlisted leaders in a venue that
features the Navy's rich warrior tradition. This join-up will host a
special guest speaker, Mr. Evan Thomas, who is a senior editor with
Newsweek Magazine and author of "Sea of Thunder".

Rear Admiral Cullom will open the event with a happy hour, then
introduce Mr. Thomas, who will speak about the events surrounding the
battle of Leyte Gulf and importance of the actions of the men who fought
it. Following Mr. Thomas, RDML Cullom will introduce the WWII veterans
in attendance, citing their achievements and involvements in the WWII.
The following time will be open for the Veterans and Mr. Thomas to
interact with the Officers and Senior Enlisted leaders in attendance.

Ma'am, RDML Cullom is a dedicated leader and warrior in his own right
who knows the importance of the impact that veterans and their heroism
can have on today's warfighters. By connecting WWII veterans such as
you and others of your organization with Navy leaders of today we can
make strides toward helping turn our current generation into the next
"Greatest Generation".

Lastly, spouses and family are welcome to accompany Taffy III veterans
to this event if their presence makes traveling easier.

I have attached biographies on both RDML Cullom and Mr. Thomas. Also
attached is a NY Times review of the book, Sea of Thunder.

Any assistance you can provide to get a list of living survivors would
be most helpful. I would be happy to discuss this over the phone to
answer any questions you may have.

Please feel free to contact me at (please write for these numbers if you can assist
with names and addresses. Webmaster)

My best,

Robert

LCDR Robert Stover
Staff Officer
Commander Carrier Strike Group EIGHT

Rear Admiral Philip Hart Cullom
Commander, Carrier Strike Group 8

A native of Flossmoor, Ill., Rear Admiral Philip H. Cullom graduated with distinction from the U.S. Naval Academy with a bachelor's degree in Physics. He also holds a master’s in business administration with distinction from Harvard Business School.

At sea, he has served in various operational and engineering billets aboard USS Truxtun (CGN 35), USS Jesse L. Brown (FF 1089), USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN 69), and USS Mobile Bay (CG 53), participating in numerous exercises and counter-narcotics patrols as well as Operations Desert Storm and Southern Watch. From 1998 to 1999 he commanded USS Mitscher (DDG 57), deploying to the Mediterranean, Adriatic and North Sea during the Kosovo crisis. As Commander, Amphibious Squadron 3, he served as Sea Combat Commander for the first Expeditionary Strike Group (ESG-1) in support of Operations Iraqi and Enduring Freedom (2003-2004). He assumed his current position as Commander, Carrier Strike Group 8 on June 7, 2007.

Ashore, he has served in various staff, policy, strategy, and technical positions to include: Shift Engineer & Staff Training Officer of the A1W nuclear prototype at the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory, Special Assistant to the CNO’s Executive Panel (OP-00K), and Branch Head for Strategy & Policy (N513). Joint assignments have included Defense Resource Manager within the J-8 Directorate of the Joint Staff, White House Fellow to the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, and Director for Defense Policy and Arms Control at the National Security Council. He also held a personnel assignment, serving as the Head of Officer Programs and Placement (PERS 424/41N) for all Surface Nuclear trained Officers from late 2001 until 2003. After completing major command, he served as the Chief of Staff for Commander, 2nd Fleet/Commander, Striking Fleet Atlantic until September 2005. Flag assignments ashore included Navy Staff positions as Director, DEEP BLUE and the Director for Strategy & Policy (N5SP).

Rear Adm. Cullom's personal awards include the Defense Superior Service Medal (two awards), Legion of Merit (four awards), Defense Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards), Joint Service Achievement Medal, and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.

Mr. Evan Thomas

Evan Thomas has been assistant managing editor at Newsweek since 1991. He is the magazine’s lead writer on major news stories and the author of many longer features. He has written more than a hundred cover stories for Newsweek, on subjects ranging from war to politics to celebrity profiles. Thomas was pivotal in spearheading Newsweek’s award-winning coverage on the war on terror from the Washington, D.C. bureau. His reporting and writing on the tragic terror events of September 11 and the aftermath contributed to Newsweek’s being honored with the most prestigious award in the magazine industry -- the National Magazine Award for General Excellence for 2002. He was the magazine’s lead writer on the Iraq War and continues to write major stories on intelligence and national security issues.

For ten years, 1986-1996, Thomas was Newsweek’s Washington bureau chief. From 1977-1986, he was a writer and editor at Time magazine. He has won numerous journalism awards, including a National Magazine Award in 1998 for Newsweek’s coverage of the Monica Lewinsky scandal.

Thomas has been a regular weekly panelist on the syndicated public affairs talk show, “Inside Washington,” since 1992. He is a frequent guest on the nationally-syndicated morning radio show, “Imus in the Morning.” He has appeared on numerous television shows as a commentator, including: NBC’s “Meet the Press,” “TODAY,” CBS’s “Face the Nation,” ABC’s “Nightline,” “Good Morning America,” CNN’s “Larry King Live,” PBS’s “Charlie Rose,” and “The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer.”

Thomas is the author of five books, all published by Simon & Schuster: “Robert Kennedy: His Life” (2000); “The Very Best Men: The Early Years of the CIA” (1995); “The Man to See: The Life of Edward Bennett Williams” (1991); and “The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made” (with Walter Isaacson, 1986), and a biography of John Paul Jones published in May 2003. “John Paul Jones” was a New York Times bestseller.

In 2003-2004, Thomas was Ferris Visiting Professor of Journalism and Stuart Professor of Media and Public Policy at Princeton University. He is also a fellow of the Society of American Historians and a trustee of the Thomas Jefferson Center for the Protection of Free Expression at the University of Virginia. He is a graduate of Harvard College (1973) and the University of Virginia Law School (1977). He lives with his wife and two children in Washington, D.C.

MENU FOR U.S.S. DENNIS (DE 405) PAGES
USS Dennis Home	Pearl Harbor Report	1 February 1942 Final Battle Dennis/Fogg		St. Lo Survivors	Edward Cafferty's DE405 Scrapbook Photos \| 1 \| 2 \| 3 \| 4 \| 5 \| 6 \| 7 \| 8 \| 9 \| 10 \| 11 \| 12 \|
Christening Box/Plaque Jeff Von Holten	Christening Letters	"Dusty" Kleiss on Fogg/Dennis Final Flight		Rescue at sea
Blackburn Photos	Men Who Served Roster - DE405	Dusty_Kleiss'_book	DE 405 Reunions	Vernon Kennedy	Misc Pictures	Crossing The Line	H.G. Kelly Letter
	Otis Dennis Pict Letters Page 1e 1	Otis Dennis Pictures and Letters Page 2	Otis' Last Letter Home	Cafferty Diary	Legacy Join-Up, 2008	Sea of Thunder by Evan Thomas