CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE:
by James Voorhies
Ahoy Veteran Sailors and Families of the USS Enterprise.
This month marks the 57th Anniversary of the USS Enterprise fire, that occurred on January 14, 1969. This was a sad and devastating time in US Navy history and specifically, in Enterprise history. The tragedy took 28 young shipmates, 314 were injured, and a countless many more suffer from the memories of that fateful day. I can attest, that there was not just one hero, but rather, there were over 5,000 heroes, the entire ship’s company and airwing. Without the bravery of all the crew, this “Trial by Fire” could have been even more catastrophic.
I wish to honor those we lost by saying, “Fair Winds and Following Seas”, my fallen shipmates. To those who served during this time of tragedy and heroism, “BRAVO ZULU” for saving the ship and protecting those who served with you.
I have no further words to express my gratitude, other than to say, “THANK YOU”. God has blessed you.
James (Jim) Voorhies
Chairman, USS Enterprise Association jamesvco@cs.com
TREASURER’S DESK
by Brian Heck
Ahoy Shipmates. Your friendly Treasurer here. Before I get into financial stuff. I would like to thank all of you for our very
successful launch of the new system. If you have not received our emails, check your spam folders and add us to your trusted senders list. If that doesn’t fix it, contact me and we will see what the problem is.
Considering our recent obstacles, I want to assure everyone that all donations to our Scholarship fund are going into a separate bank account fully controlled by the Association Board.
2025 ending balances
CD $40000.00 total Income for 2025
Checking $15369.05 total Expenses
Scholarship Fund $1665.65 Net
$9261.11 $4285.53 $4975.58
The largest of the expenses were Mailing of $883.04,
new software $1540.00, web hosting tools $478.99
The final numbers are in for the 2025 reunion, the association spent for the USS Alabama tour $1235.00, flyer mailing $300.00
Shirley and Doug had a total income of $21600.00 and a total expense of $21894.95 leaving a deficit of $294.95, Shirley and Doug are refusing reimbursement, so I am proposing, with the board’s approval, that we donate to the Scholarship fund in their name. Thank you Shirley and Doug, for an outstanding week.
Scuttlebutt from THE EDITOR
by Dave Trumble
As most of you probably noticed, on the front page for this newsletter, I used a picture of the Enterprise fire. Prior to
doing this newsletter, I had just finished the book “Trial” Ordeal of the USS Enterprise by Joe Carlin, which was loaned to me by Enterprise plank-owner William O’Neill. Since this fire happened 57 years ago on January 14, 1969 I felt it was appropriate for this issue of the newsletter to honor and remember those twenty-eight shipmates that died, as well as the over three-hundred that were injured. I also wanted to pay tribute to and salute all of you that served on board, and had to experience that horrific event. The courage and leadership shown that day, has proven to me once more, that the “Big E” was truly one of the the best ships ever to serve our country.
In this issue you have an updated list of officers of the Association. In the previous newsletter there were some omissions and incorrect data. As always we strive for accuracy in the newsletter.
At this time, I want to thank all of you that have sent me stories to use in the newsletter. I have included a few of them in this issue. Others have been saved for future newsletters. I can always use more, so keep them coming!
If you have any questions regarding anything in this Newsletter, please reach out to James Voorhies or myself. You can always reach me via email at: Newsletter@cvan-cvn-65.org
Until next newsletter, take care!
CHAPLAIN’S CORNER
by Travis Mathews
Psalm 103: 1-2 “Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise His holy name. Praise the Lord, my soul,
and forget not all His benefits—”
Ladies and gentlemen, do you see the goodness of our God in everything? We often lose focus on His goodness when things aren’t going just the way we want them to go!!
I was listening to the song “10,000 Reasons”, by Matt Redman this morning for my praise song, which led me to our passage today!! We have sooooo much to praise Him for!! 10,000 reasons don’t even come close!! But when we start listening to our adversary, Satan, instead of God we start derailing!! He slithers in and causes us to lose focus on what we have, while trying to convince us on how we are missing out by what we don’t have!! That has been his strategy from the beginning in the garden!! It started out with the ONE tree that God told Adam not to eat from!! Causing him to forget about all the others that were there for him to enjoy!!
Look at the verse again of Psalm 103: 1-2 “forget not ALL of His benefits.” From the Sunrise to the Sunset, His goodness is poured on to us!! He is faithful to us, even when we’re not faithful to Him!!
2 Timothy 2:13 Sing with me, “For all Your goodness, I will keep on singing, 10,000 reasons for my heart to find!!! So bless the Lord, O my soul!!” Have a blessed day !! Jesus loves you !!
Philippians 1 : 6 Joshua 24 : 15
My Memories and Experiences
by Ron Stutesman ADJ2 VA-94 1964/67
I was five years old when my WW2 Navy Veteran Uncle took me on board the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise CV-6 shortly before her dismantling which, I watched in strobe light fashion, while riding many times across the bridge heading for Bayonne, NJ. I had no idea then, of her glorious history and could not know my destiny was to serve in USS Enterprise CVAN-65 as a member of the Air Group on her first combat tour to Vietnam. I was privileged to attend her fiftieth birthday celebration in 2011, not having seen the ship in person for 46 years. I further, was in the crowd on pier 12 at Norfolk Naval Base to stand honors for her inactivation. Both visits were emotionally fulfilling, as any shipmate can attest regarding their own ship. More special was the opportunity to bring my children and grandchildren to see my ship. My story was published in the Enterprise Association’s Oct-Dec Newsletter. I recommend the association website www.cvan-cvn- 65.org to anyone, who is interested in learning about and preserving the memory of the “Big E”. At the time of my visit, I met a former crewmember of CV- 6. He was as happy to claim walking the decks of both ships named Enterprise as I was. Of course, I deferred to his seniority and shook his hand feeling I got the better part of the deal by meeting him. I expressed my sincere wish that he and I should meet again to walk the decks of Enterprise CVN-80. I did leave a card in the time capsule, remembering those from my Squadron who were lost in Vietnam as well
as all whom we left behind. There is sadness in my heart that neither CV-6 the most decorated ship in the Navy, nor CVN-65 iconic and record-breaking in her own right, could be memorialized as museums. Events on behalf of both suffered from a lack of funds: CV-6 for no other reason which is shameful, and CVN-65 because a strong argument regarding the cost of rebuilding from the damage incurred due to removal of the nuclear reactors.
I first served on USS Ranger CVA-61 which at the time, beginning with USS Forrestal CVA-59, was considered a super carrier and prepared me for the grandeur that was USS Enterprise CV AN- 65. USS Hanncock CV-19 was my last cruise and gave me a taste of WW2 vintage carriers, like Enterprise CV-6. Visiting the preserved museum ships, USS Yorktown CV-10 and USS Intrepid CV- 11 many times has for me, reinforced the argument for preserving our history, for those not fortunate enough to have lived it as I have. I look forward to walking the decks of Enterprise again someday. The good news is: The person responsible for the demolition of CV-6 had the foresight to preserve the name-plate, saving the actual piece of the fantail. I enclose a picture of my visit to Riverdale, NJ where the actual name-plate of CV-6 has been preserved.
An Enterprise Memory
by Leonard E. Churilla
While in high school in Madison Heights, a Detroit suburb, in the early 1960’s I decided to take typing in school. I also wrote a few articles for the school paper. I joined the Navy right out of high school and went to boot camp at Great Lakes, Illinois. Thereafter my first duty station was at Skiffe’s Creek Annex, Naval Weapons Station, Yorktown, Virginia during the Cuban missile crisis. I had the opportunity to work in the Information and Education Office.
Thereafter I served aboard the repair ship USS Ajax out of Sasebo, Japan, Far East Network, Tokyo, and USS Isle Royale, out of Long Beach, California. I was advanced to Journalist First Class then served in
DaNang, Vietnam, COMSERVPAC and COMFOURTEEN, Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, USS Enterprise (Jan 1976-1979), Naval Air Station Brunswick, Maine and Naval Air Facility, Atsugi, Japan where I retired, after receiving a bachelor’s degree in History.
Aboard the Enterprise I was editor of the daily Ledger at sea, and the monthly Big E magazine. One story I covered was of shipmates who practiced musical instruments while underway, despite all the noise. Newsmen from Japanese National TV were impressed. They were on board doing a documentary to convince their public that it was safe for the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier to enter their ports. We were en-route to Melbourne, Australia. Because “Cup Day” (horse-racing) was coming up, the Australian government directed us to Hobart, Tasmania instead. The local population were very thrilled to have us visit and we were welcomed with open arms. It was a very rewarding experience.
My Experience Off the “Big E”
by John Miller Attack Squadron 97 (1971-72)
I had orders off the Enterprise at a moment’s notice to rescue one of our planes and pilot that was forced to land at the Fleet Air Support Unit (FASU) DaNang, in August 1971. I departed the Enterprise without so much as a tooth brush. I was given the bums rush to the COD, with tool box in hand while my shop chief was stuffing papers (orders and Geneva convention I.D.) and I had only $20 in my pocket. The “Big E” was headed north and my CO wasn’t about to leave the A7 and pilot in harm’s way.
A month previous, the VC had launched a rocket attack in DaNang destroying 5 aircraft, leaving 5 KIA and 38 wounded. I had 45 minutes tops to get the plane up and out of harm’s way. Unfortunately the A7 airplane only had one seat for the pilot, so I got left behind.
After I corrected the aircraft problem, my Gunny contact shepherded me to a Quonset Hut full of Marine issued fatigues and he said “pick yourself out three sets of greens you’re going to be here for a few days”. Those fatigues came in handy. I could not spend my $20 bill as they were using MPC military currency. So as an industrious sailor, I found my way
to the line shack’s coke mess, dropped in my $20 and filled those big green fatigue pockets with change, so I could by a 15 cent can of beer at the EM club.
I did not sleep well with the memory of the TET offensive when the VC had overrun DaNang in 1968. So when that 20 second warning for incoming went off, I thought I would be the first to the bunker. Well there were two Marines in their scivies, one with an M-16 and another with a helmet full of clips. They addressed my concerns when they put me at ease as they explained their job is to get there first, to clear the bunker of rats before everybody else shows up. Those rats were as big as small dogs.
My ride back to the Enterprise was via the ships angel going out of DaNang at tree top level, which was a bit concerning. Under my feet were some long green ammo boxes. Over the gulf, they were thrown over board. They told me they were fuses taken out of 500 pound bombs, that were removed from planes flying back to the carrier. They could only be used once.
When I landed back aboard the Enterprise with beard and fatigues, my shipmates didn’t recognize me as I walked by. I reported to personnel and received my official orders and they actually paid me perdium. Go figure? They found out I was under fire and said I might get a combat action medal. That was a no-go as they said “because you didn’t shoot back”. In lieu of a medal, I was given a commendation from the skipper at quarters for my efforts.
Fair Winds and Following Seas