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James R. Kelly 704 Vauxhall Street Extension Waterford, Connecticut 06385-4327 23 January 2003 The Vance Association %John Prideaux 26 Waterview Avenue North Billerica, MA 01862-1527 Dear Mr. Prideaux, On the back of the November 2002 VANCE newsletter, there is a photo of the CGC Vance on the day she was recommissioned as the WDE-487. I don't know the exact date of the photo but it was probably late June, 1952. I reported on board VANCE for duty in early July, 1952, probably two weeks after the date of the photo - my first assignment as an Ensign, following my commissioning in the Coast Guard. 
I don't know if you know the names of the officers in the photo's forground. I was shipmates with most of them for a year or so. In case you haven't had them identified before, they are: (L-R) ENS Charles Donohue, LT Robert Von Elm (Ops Boss), LT George Cooper (EO), LT Norman Sheer (XO), LCDR James Waters (CO), ENS Richard Hodges, ENS Edward Yost, ENS Robert Stancliff, CHPCLK Joseph Lavasseur, WO Wilber Jaynes. All, of course are Coast Guard officers.You are doing a great job with the VANCE newsletter. Keep up the good work. Best wishes for a healthy, happy and prosperous year 2003. Sincerely, [signed] James R. Kelly (former VANCE officer) |
