USS Abraham Lincoln SSB(N) 602

NEWS & REUNION INFO

2004 REUNION NEWS
 


    USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (SSB(N) 602)

    USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (SSB(N) 602)

    2004 REUNION in GROTON, CT

    May 28, 2004

    Dear Shipmates and Family Members,

    The fifth USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN REUNION will be held, October 21, 22, 23, 24, 2004 at the Groton Inn & Suites (GI&S). The Home Port location will be at the GI&S located on Route 184 just off I-95 on the Groton side of the Gold Star Memorial Bridge. Check it out at www.grotoninn.com. Registration will be in the Amber Room (the hospitality room) starting on Thursday at 1130.

    You can call the GI&S for reservations any time. When calling for reservations tell the Desk Clerk that you are with the USS Abraham Lincoln Reunion and you will get the reunion rate. You can arrive early or stay longer but you have to check with the hotel to see if you can get the same rate for the reunion. Make your reservations as soon as possible if you want to stay at the reunion hotel. Those of you arriving by plane should consider using the "T. F. Green Airport" in Providence, RI, because it is far more convenient than "Bradley Airport" Hartford, CT airport.

    I continue to solicit items for the auction & raffle. If you have an item that you would like to donate to the 602 Boat auction or raffle, please contact me ASAP. I have started to put the auction and raffle items list together and need to know before the reunion if there are any items that you would like to donate, however, I will accept donations when you arrive.

    The cost for the listed reunion activities is $75.00 per person. The price includes the hospitality room and refreshments, "Channel Fever Night" with a 50/50 raffle (Thursday evening) at the Groton Base Sub Vets Clubhouse, welcome aboard cash-bar cocktail party, auction, and dancing (Friday evening), Reunion Banquet and 50/50 raffle (Saturday evening), and Sunday Brunch (Sunday a.m.).

    I am accepting payment now and I am requesting that all who plan to attend to send your check by not later than September 1, 2004 (this is a change from last letter). Please make your check payable to the USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN REUNION FUND. It is requested that you complete and submit the attached registration form wit remittance, as this will help the planning committee to get a good handle on how many shipmates, family and friends will be attending.

    WHY SHOULD I ATTEND THE 602 BOAT REUNION

    If you don’t attend the reunion you will miss all of the following great activities!

    • Listen to more sea stories and lies than you have ever heard (even while on active duty)
    • Acey-Ducey (Backgammon), Pinochle, Cribbage, and Golf Tournament. Tournaments end Saturday afternoon prior to the banquet. There will be "Grand" prizes for the tournament winners. (Please submit your plan to participate in the tournaments on your registration form.)
    • Thursday evening visit the Submarine Veterans Club, Groton Base, for chili and beer (all are reunion attendees are invited).
    • Friday morning attend a Basic Sub School Class Graduation, Tolling of the WW II Lost Boats ceremony, Tour Sub School Trainers and lunch at the Sub Base Galley (~$4.00) per person.
    • Visit the Historic Ship Nautilus (SSN 571) & Submarine Museum located at Goss Cove where we will convert the 598 Boat Sail (the upper 25% of which is from the 602 Boat) to the 602 Boat (Saturday morning) for a photo op.

    Leisure time (On your own):

    • Visit a casino (Mohegan Sun or Foxwoods)
    • Visit Mystic Seaport
    • Fort Trumbull State Park
    • Golf at any of six or seven local golf courses
    • Leaf Peeping along I-395 toward Worcester, MA or your favorite spot
    • Visit a Russian Submarine in Providence, RI

    Ed Jocque now has the Ship’s Store with USS ABRAHAM LINCOLN (SSBN 602) baseball hats, patches, jackets, golf shirts, embroidered "T" shirts, sweatshirt, denim shirt, and belt buckles. There are a couple of sets of mounted brass dolphins and a couple of mounted brass 602 plaques available. All items will be available during the reunion. Most of these items can be purchased at any time through the mail or via the web site. All profits go to support the Lincoln Association Fund and support the Ship’s Store.

    If you have not joined the Lincoln Association, please consider doing so. The association supports the efforts of our crewmembers in maintaining our web site, our ships store, and our reunions. To join, contact Ed Jocque. The initiation fee is $10.00 and dues are $5.00 per year. It is not a requirement to be a member of the association to participate in all 602 Boat activities.

    It is time to start thinking of who will coordinator the 2006 reunion. If you are interested in hosting the next reunion please let me know.

    The reunion planning committee is looking forward to seeing all of you at this great celebration of a great ship and crew. The Committee members are Marge & "Howie" Booth, Paul & Pauline Brosig, Anna Louise and I.

     

    Warm regards, Your Shipmate and Reunion Coordinator,

     

    W. T. "Doc" McCance
    16 Chapman Lane
    Gales Ferry, CT 06335
    Telephone: (860) 464-6758
    E-mail address: 11doc@comcast.net

     

    Enclosures:
    Registration Form
    Hotel/Motel & Campgrounds List

     

    REUNION ACCOMMODATIONS

    You can make your room reservation beginning October 22, 2003.  Ensure that you tell the desk clerk that you are with the USS Abraham Lincoln Reunion Party for the quoted rate.  All reservation requests for rooms regardless where you are planning to stay have to be made directly with the hotel and must to be made by not later than September 20, 2004.  The rooms that have been set-aside for us will be returned to the hotel/motel inventory on September 21, 2004.  Price is based on at least a minimum stay two nights.  You can negotiate a longer stay if interested and the rates probably will remain the same.

    REUNION REGISTRATION FORM

    HOTELS/MOTELS/CAMPGROUNDS

     

                Hotel                        Cost per Night                   Phone Number             No. Rooms Avail.

     

    Groton Inn & Suites            $99.00 - $125.10                   (860) 445-9784                       43

    Weekly Rate: (Larger Suites) $100.00/day                        (800) 452-2191

     

    Olympic Inn                        $79.00 Thursday/Friday          (860) 445-8000                       20

    (Best Western)                   $139.00 Saturday                   (800) 622-7766

     

    Bestway Inn                       $109.00                                  (860) 448-3000                       20

    Hotel is across the parking lot from the GSI

     

    Hampton Inn                      $119.00 Thursday/Friday        (860) 405-1585                       15

                                              $129.00 Saturday

     

    Please check other hotels in the area for rates, i.e., Supper 8 (Groton) and the Radisson (New London) and if retired Navy you can call the Navy Lodge (Groton).

     

    REUNION REGISTRATION FORM

    CAMP GROUNDS:

    FREEBIES 

          WALMART - GROTON ACROSS FROM GI&S

          WALMART - WATERFORD 5-7 MILES FROM GI&S

     

    CASINO'S

          FOXWOODS, LEDYARD, APPROX 12 MILES FROM GI&S

          MOHEGAN SUN, UNCASVILLE, APPROX. 10 MILES FROM GI&S

     

     CAMPGROUNDS

          SEAPORT, OLD MYSTIC, 9 MILES FROM GI&S, WE APPROX $30 PER, PROPANE & DUMP STATION.  CLOSES

          HIGHLAND ORCHARDS, NORTH STONINGTON, 15 MILES FROM GI&S, FULL HOOK  UPS $40 HAS WE SITES ALSO PROPANE.

          ODETAH, BOZARA NEAR NORWICH 19 MILES FROM GI&S, WE SITES ONLY APPROX $30.  

     

          SEAPORT & HIGHLANDS HAVE GOOD SAM DISCOUNTS.

     

    If any questions on campgrounds please contact Paul Brosig at: BRORUD@aol.com, by telephone at: (860) 572-0699

    REUNION REGISTRATION FORM

     


    2002 Reunion Wrapup

     USS Abraham Lincoln SSB(N) 602

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