Shipmates,
Our scheduled port visit in October has been changed from Groton CT to Chantilly VA.
Primary reason is hotel availability and cost. Average daily room rate was in the high $200’s for the weekdays and well into the $300’s for Saturday night. We were unable to find a hotel, of a decent nature, that could guarantee us a room block of 30 to 40 rooms for the 4 days, which means we would have been split up into multiple hotels. Also, per Connecticut state law, we would not have been able to have our traditional Hospitality Suite. A lot of research went into trying to make Groton work. Many thanks to Captain Curtin for trying his best to help us out as well.
Because of these factors, the Board made the decision to pivot to Chantilly VA. This is a suburb of Washington DC. Many of our shipmates have done a tour of duty in DC. We do have a volunteer Reunion Coordinator team, Gene and Naomi Canfield. Gene is a retired Captain. Way to go O Gang!! Gene and Naomi are working diligently on securing a banquet location as well as some exciting field trips for Friday and perhaps Saturday. Stay tuned as plans come together and we can put out the information.
Also, this is an election year for the Board. All five spots are up for nomination and election. So, if you feel like leading this group, step up.
Sincerely,
Gino Bovino,
President, USS James K Polk Veterans Association
SSBN 645 Gold, 1971-1972