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USS HECTOR ASSOCIATION ANNOUNCEMENTS:
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SEA STORIES ARE ALWAYS WANTED FOR OUR NEWSLETTER:
We can't put out our newsletter without YOUR help & we are running short of stories for the newsletter.
Everyone has had some interesting stuff happen to them, or at least seen some funny stuff during their time aboard Hector,
so how about sharing it with your shipmates?  Don't just assume your stories aren't worth reading about.
If you have anything that might be interesting to tell us about, please email our newsletter editor: Leon Ennis

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SUBIC BAY 1969 & LONG BEACH, CA
My Fellow Shipmates:  I'm making a personal request.  I received this really big boat from Uncle Sam on my 20th Birthday in August of 1969.
I'd really be pleased to see a nice photo of Hector at the Pier in Subic Bay, as I first saw her, in 1969.  If you've got one, would you share it with me?
I really wish I'd taken more than just a handful of photos around the ship after just coming aboard, but I did not.

I also never took any pictures around the city of Long Beach, and I don't believe any of my close shipmates did either.  Anyone out there
with photos from around the early 1970's of the Pike (the amusement park) & some of the downtown area?

If you've got any photos, please contact the webmaster: dvstahl@gmail.com

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THE ASSISTANCE OF SAN DIEGO SHIPMATES IS NEEDED

Association members who live in or around San Diego area where majority of the DRMO (Disposal area) for military equipments are located.

I guess you heard or saw the news in CNN about the flood in the Philippines as we speak ( visit: http://www.philippinestyphoon.org/ ), the 4th STORM in 2 months hit the Philippines. We are trying to get INFO on how we can get these RUBBER INFLATABLE LIFE RAFTS Tthe military are using and ready to disposed off.

The Valenzuela Association USA is soliciting some assistance from anybody who can help us find the availability in acquiring some Inflatable Life Rafts that the US Armed Forces are in the process of disposing because of its’ shelf life value has expired. Upon acquiring the Inflatable Life Rafts the Valenzuela Association USA will be responsible for pickup and delivery to each Town (Baranggay) and to use these life rafts in rescue mission of stranded members of the community during the FLOOD season and other calamities as necessary.

 Here is a list of Inflatable Life Rafts with their Federal Stock numbers and descriptions.

We would appreciate if you can help us find from the Defense Reutilization & Marketing Office (DRMO) all over USA the following information:
DRMO Location
Point of Contact (Names, Phone numbers, Fax number, mailing address, email if possible)
Availability of type of Life Raft
Procedures on How can the raft be Donated to a Third Country (Philippines) for use by each Town during Flood Rescue and other calamities
Other requirements, rules and instructions if required by the Federal government

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The Hector Herald Goes Digital
Ladies, Gentlemen and Shipmates of all ages:  The Hector Herald is going to follow the nation’s other great newspapers
and offer you the option of having the Herald delivered directly to you email Inbox.  This is an optional service.  If you wish to continue
receiving your Herald by mail via the USPS, fear not, your Herald will be mailed as always, with no further action on your part.

 If you chose to receive it by email, you will have to notify the association secretary Norris Long <nlong_wvmr@yahoo.com>
by email, with your correct email address and your desire to receive the Herald as a pdf file.
This file can be opened with the Adobe Acrobat Reader which is available free online.

Receiving your Herald by email will have several advantages for the reader:  You will save a tree and have less in your recycle bin.
 The color pictures will be in color, alas the b&w pictures will not be in color but they will be clearer.  The association will save some money
on printing and postage.  The fellow who folds, addresses and stamps them will have less to do, that’s me.

 Click on the following link to email Norris Long,  nlong_wvmr@yahoo.com

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NAVY DAYS ON VIDEO
Many of you may have noticed that awhile back Charlie Atkins 71-74 (HT2) shared some movies he took during his days aboard Hector.
We placed the movies on YouTube with a link to them for our shipmates to enjoy.  It's hard to believe that Charlie was the only one to
take movies while on Hector.  If any of you have some movies on VHS or DVD, but have "personal stuff" on them you don't want shared,
I can edit them and share only what you wish.  I cannot convert super 8 films to digital, but may be able to refer you to a reasonably priced
company which can do so.  If you've got any movies from your Hector days, lets talk.  Contact the webmaster: dvstahl@gmail.com

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2 of our Shipmates do a Radio Show
Charlie Atkins (our former Ship's Storekeeper) and Charlie Meder (our Hector Historian)
did a live broadcast on a Northern CA (Santa Cruz/Monterey Bay area) radio station
for the Hector Association on Saturday May 23, 2009.  For additional info go to KAPU RADIO
and scroll down the page to find the link to the audio files.  To go directly to the audio files, CLICK HERE.

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HECTOR'S  INVOLVEMENT  IN  WWII
We now have more "lost" details of Hector during the waning years of WWII.  Go to the USS HECTOR WAR CRUISE
Our Plank Owners might find this particularly interesting

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USS HECTOR WEBSITE VISITORS
Some of you may have noticed the new "counter" at the bottom of the main page, and it shows that we've had
over 3,000 visitors since late Nov 08.  I thought you might be interested in knowing where these visitors are, exactly.
While I can't share the "counter account" with you, I thought I'd show you a map that I have access to which shows me
the locations of our visitors.  I'll try to update it occasionally for you, at least for awhile, if there is any interest in this.
CLICK HERE  for the latest visitor map.

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ONE OF OUR PLANK OWNERS IN A TV ADVERTISEMENT
One of our sharp eyed Shipmates caught one of our Plank Owners,
Wesley Niccolls (RT1) 43-45, in a Clint Eastwood advertisement for The Honor Flight Network.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Honor Flight Network, and to see the adverstisement.
43 seconds into the Advertisement you'll see Wesley and the AR-7 on his ball cap.
He is on the screen very briefly, so keep a close eye out for him.
A slightly larger screen size of the advertisement is also on YouTube, CLICK HERE

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Volunteers Needed

     The success of our ship could be attributed to the spirit it instilled in us.  Carpenters, electricians, enginemen, machinists and professions of all sorts working together is what kept our ship afloat for 43 years. Our motto, Through Work - The Victory still applies tand every one of us in our daily lives.

    During these hard economic times many of us have had to change our way of living and resort to doing without or doing it ourselves.  Unfortunately, many of us are physically capable but lack the knowledge and must resort to outside help.  Those who need to hire outside help are sometime apprehensive out of fear of being charged too much for work not needed.  Bottom line is we need to work together by offering our services to our fellow shipmates to help keep them afloat.

    I need volunteers to help in the formation of a Free Question and Answer service.  You're only requirement is that you have a working knowledge in your field.  Fields would include but not limited to: construction, automotive, basic home repair or hobbies.

The Court of Veterans Appeals ruled August 16 in the case of a Navy veteran who had appealed an earlier decision by the Board of Veterans' Appeals on his Agent Orange disability claim.  The veteran, Mr. Jonathan L. Haas, had claimed service connection for diabetes mellitus and other conditions due to exposure to dioxin (Agent Orange) while serving aboard a Navy vessel during the Vietnam War.  The Board denied his claim, since VA regulations limited potential service connection due to presumed exposure to herbicides only to veterans who actually set foot in Vietnam.  "Blue Water" sea service veterans have long maintained that the "on-shore only" rules were arbitrary and unfair.

The Court essentially swept away the VA's rule.  In reversing the Board's decision in Haas' case, the Court said the law was "not clear on its face concerning the meaning of the phrase 'service in the Republic of Vietnam'" [emphasis added].  It said the law doesn't "limit [application of the] presumption of service-connection for herbicide exposure to those who set foot on the soil of the Republic of Vietnam."

Specific diseases the VA presumes to be service-connected for qualifying Vietnam service include diabetes mellitus (Type II), Hodgkin's disease, prostate cancer, multiple myeloma, certain birth defects such as spina bifida in the children of Vietnam veterans, and chronic and lymphocytic leukemia.  Click here for a complete listing and related information.

The Court did not actually award a disability to Haas, but sent his case back to the Board for that determination.  If the Board rules in his favor, the Court directed that his other Agent Orange-related medical conditions also must be compensated.

What does the ruling mean for others?  The implication of the court ruling is that all who received a Vietnam Service Medal and who contract one of the listed diseases could expect the VA to rule that disease as service-connected.

However, the VA can appeal the Court's decision.  MOAA recommends that members and other veterans like Mr. Haas who served offshore but did not set foot in Vietnam, and who suffer from diseases or conditions that they believe to be caused by exposure to Agent Orange should consider filing a claim for disability.  Members who have had such claims denied may wish to re-file based on the Court's decision.  We strongly recommend that veterans seek the advice and assistance of an experienced veterans' service organization before proceeding.

There are many ports of call that Hector made during her 43 years, but if you folks don't send me some pictures, these ports can't be represented.  Does anyone have any Decommissioning Photos?

Photos of stuff going on aboard or nearby the ship is interesting, too.  If need be, you can mail them to me for scanning & I will return them to you.  Please don't send "buddy" pictures.  Over 16,000 served aboard Hector in her 43 years.  Photos with people in them are OK, but individuals will not be identified.  Please, on reunion photos - don't send several photos of the same group of folks.  Posting several photos of one group isn't fair to others.

When I took over the role of Webmaster in Jan 2003, I had almost no experience in creating or maintaining a website.  I guess Bob Lea, co-host of the 2002 reunion and creator of the fledgling website, figured I had the pride and enthusiasm to do right by it.  Those of you who have been with us since then will have noticed the many changes & hope you will feel they have been improvements.  I don't receive a nickel for doing what I've done (nor do any of the other volunteers who make everything happen).

Our dues are $15 for 2 years, which helps support everyhing that goes on, from newsletters, to website, to reunions.  How many of you belong to the VFW or American Legion and are paying $20-$25 each year to support them?  Don't worry.  There will be more wars and more members to support these organizations.  They even take non-veterans now.

It is believed that over 16,000 served aboard Hector during her 43 years in commission.  But there will never be any more new Hector crewmates.  In fact, our numbers get smaller as the years go by, as our shipmates pass on.  So, you see, we are all members of a very Special Organization, and one you should take pride in.  The USS Hector has reunions with at least twice the numbers of attendees of our sister ships, Ajax & Jason.  Isn't that proof we are the best & deserve your support?  Won't you help support your Organization?

Dennis Stahl 69-72 (HT3) DC Shop