USS Lowry 

Bucket & Swab

Welcome to the Online edition of the Lowry Bucket and Swab.

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From the Chaplain:  Bill Meddings

Accomplished athletes make their sport look easy.  But for all of us who have tried to advance in a sport we know there is nothing easy about reaching a level of proficiency in athletics.  Just try breaking par on a golf course each time you play!.  Some people can make godliness look easy.  They seem to effortlessly love God and do what is right.  But the Bible I clear that like athletics reaching a level of proficient godliness requires a lot of hard work.  Paul wrote "train yourself for godliness."  (I Time. 4:7)  The word that translates "train" is a Greek word "gymnazo" from which we get the words "gymnasium" and "gymnastics".  This word carries with it the sense of strenuous, persistent, and sweaty exercise.  And that certainly doesn't sound easy.  Of course it is not physical exercise Paul is promoting as he goes on to say: "..while bodily training is of some value, godliness is a value in every way."  (v.8)  But the parallels are undeniable.  To grow in godliness we must strenuously and persistently work to establish and intensify godly habits, godly traits and godly patterns of thinking.  This is key in moving us toward spiritual maturity which the writer of the Book of Hebrews defines as "those who have their powers of discernment trained (gymnazo) by constant practice to distinguish good from evil."  Hebrews 5:14

Treasurer's Report: Fred Lowman

Presently there is $5,647.63 in the treasury.

Dues are a modest $10.00.  There have only been 17 respondents thus far from the more than 500 members.  Please send your dues payable to:

USS Lowry Association

c/o Fred Lowman

90 West Mill Street

Springboro, Ohio 45066

Telephone - 934.470.3145

Email - QM3FRED@ATT.NET

Officers for USS Lowry DD770 Assc.

President:	Bob Bishop		Vice President:	Earl Floyd
	494 Sage Ct.			P.O. Box 245
	Greenfield, IN 46140			Evington, VA 24550
	317-997-2426			540-525-0008
	rbishop133@att.net			hfloyd200@gmail.com
Treasurer:	Fred Lowman		Master At Arms:	Tim Garcia
	90 West Mill Street			516 Oak Street PO Box 646
	Springboro, OH 45066			Lewisville, NE 68037
	934-470-3145			402-234-7975
	qm3fred@att.net
Chaplain:	Bill Meddings		Historian:	Bill Mackey
	19 Kempton Lane			P.O. Box 177
	Ladera Ranch, CA 92694			Roseland, FL 32957
	949-388-5681			772-571-6600
	bill.meddings@cox.net
Newsletter:	Lance Nemanic		VP Korea:	Lew Perry
	1712 Marschall RD			150
	Shakopee, MN 55379			Moore, SC
	952-836-5433			864-574-5569
	lnemanic@comcast.net			lewperry@aol.com
VP WWII:	Paul Miller		VP Vietnam:	CJ Woody Oliver
	325 Aronimink Dr.			5417 Belle Mead Dr.
	Royersford, PA 19468			Aiken, SC 29803
	610-495-1040			803-649-4655
	millerptm@comcast.net			cnc5417@yahoo.com

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From the President:  Bob Bishop

Ahoy Shipmates,

Well we had a great planning crew when we went to New Orleans.  I want to thank Lance and Jan Nemanic, Fred and Marty Lowman, Earl Floyd, and my lovely wife Karen.  We have selected the hotel for the 2018 reunion.  We also have a few plans for tours and we are still working to finalize those.  Keep your eye on the website www.usslowry.org for more information as it becomes available.

Well once again I have found that this is a very small world and you just never know when you will run into someone that may have served on board the USS Lowry.  In November of 2016 I was in Joplin, MO.  I was with some friends talking in the parking lot, after a meal, when a car pulls up behind me and yells "Hey Sailor".  I turned to look at hime and sees my hat and indicates he was on the Lowry when it was in Philly.  So we talked for a while and I invited him to our next reunion, his name is Larry Otreba.  Then over Memorial Day weekend I was at a powwow in Copan, OK.  Once again I had my hat on and a guy walks up to me and tells me he had served on the Lowry and left the ship in 1967.  His name is Jim Jones and he worked in 1st division and knew Earl Floyd.  I also invited him to the reunion.

I would like to see as many of our shipmates that can make it to the reunion, September 19-23, 2018 in New Orleans, LA.

Bob Bishop

From the Bucket and Swab Editor: Lance Nemanic

Shipmates, it was erroneously reported prior to and during the San Antonio reunion that, "We have never collected dues for the assocation before, and we are not about to start now."  That statement was not entirely accurate.  Dues have indeed been collected and when 2 of the WWII vets stood up to correct the speaker, they were ignored as he continued to speak.  Twenty six years ago, I first bumped into Roy Kelly, (Roy was a weapons officer on Lowry during WWII) and he was wearing a USS Lowry ball cap.  I spotted it straight away on a visit to the Mall of America.  At that time Roy explained the Association to me, and all the reunions they had.  From what Roy told me later, I was the first Vientam era vet to "log on".  Roy explained the collection of dues which was a very modest $15.00 at the time.  Later on in this newsletter, you will find a copy of a page taken from the September 1993 Bucket and Swab.  The headline reads: "Wholesome Fun in Sin City" Just off to the right of that the column reads: "Association Dues."  It reads in part, "No one is required to pay dues, nor are they any penalties for failure to do so."  In the spirit of the Lowry, we would like to be able to continue.  It cost many hundreds of dollars just to mail a newsletter which is one more reason to go green.  There will be another abbreviated issue/mailing in the spring of 2018 prior to the New Orleans reunion.  It will contain reunion registration forms.

With more than 500 members and a cost of nearly $250 in postage alone, not to mention printing costs and office supplies, you can easily see why we are in trouble.  Some shipmates have graciously used personal credit cards to pay for the reunion hotel bookings, hospitality rooms, etc. in advance, only to hope that enough money is raised at the reunion to pay them back, in order for them to cover their personal credit card charges.

Like the 1993 issue of the Bucket and Swab reads: "The association is a non-profit.  None of the officers receive any pay regardless of what they do. In addition many of the men who served in the Lowry have donated their money and time far in excess of the modest dues that are suggested."

Shipmates, we would like to bring our funding back to a level whereas we could assist a shipmate in need, who may be having a tough time managing on their own, and would like to attend a reunion.  Please be sure to read the column under "Association Dues" on the next page.  Of the dues we have received thus far, several of you were most generous and for that we are most grateful.

Bob mentioned that 7 of us recently returned from New Orleans.  The 7 of us went on our own dime.  We want this to be a great reunion.  We're not getting any younger and we have a lot of events planned during the 2018 reunion for those that wish to partake.  The new World War II museum is absolutely unbelievable.  Bob Bishop had pre-arranged meetings with the New Orleans Chamber of Commerce, 5 area hotels, the WWII Museum, Mardi Gras World, a Riverboat Cruise company, a tour bus company and a local historian who offers history classes and tours as well.  We hit the ground running each morning and finished around 2000 each day.  We worked very hard on this.  Our biggest regret was that we really had no time for ourselves at the end of the 5 days.

For some of you that remember the New Orleans reunion in September of 1994 at the Marriot, well, we had a ball.  There was New Orleans coffee and pastry in the hospitality room each morning.  During the banquet, live music was provided, and a great dinner, creole optional!

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Plankowner found - We received a letter from Plankowner Frank Occhiuto in Longmont, Colorado.  Frank will be 93 in August and still gets around OK.  He writes that he drives himself to the church and store.  As long as he can see geographic places, he's OK.  If he has to slow down to read signs, he becomes a traffic hazard.  Frank would like to know if there are any other Plankowners out there.  Please respond to the Bucket and Swab Editor, Lance Nemanic if you are a Plankowner or know a Plankowner.  We will pass the information along to Frank.

SHIPMATES FOREVER