USS Renshaw DD/DDE-499Reunion 2006Buffalo, NY, September 21-24, 2006
Buffalo was a great place for a Renshaw reunion. We seem to say that about all the reunions, so it must not just be the place. Renshaw reunions are great, no matter where we hold them.
Buffalo, NY, is a wonderful American city on the border with Canada, overlooking the spectacular Niagara Falls. Buffalo is home to the Buffalo Naval Park, where the USS The Sullivans, USS Croaker and USS Little Rock are displayed. And there are nearby casinos and many historic attractions. These attractions were included in some great tours.
We stayed downtown at the Adam’s Mark Hotel, 120 Church Street, Buffalo, NY. It’s a fine hotel located on the waterfront, with a complimentary shuttle from the airport. If you happened to miss out on this gathering, there’s more hotel information at http://www.adamsmark.com/buffalo/index.asp.
The Renshaw Hospitality Suite was open each day of the reunion for visiting and sharing memories. Many shipmates brought books and photos to display. We had sodas, beer, and various snacks. If you’re a newcomer or an old reunion hand, this is where to meet your buddies. We had our usual gala buffet banquet at the hotel on Saturday evening (coat and tie for the guys) and a fun Happy Hour Friday evening (casual).
ToursFriday - Spectacular Niagara Falls was our tour destination. We visited Niagara Falls Park and had a guided tour of the Falls. Then we boarded the Maid of the Mist to see the Falls from every vantage point. The Maid of the Mist is a powerful diesel-engined boat that goes to the base of the American Falls and then on to the basin of the magnificent Canadian Horseshoe Falls. Water rushes all around as you feel the thunder of the Falls. We had lunch sky-high at the Top of the Falls, where there was a beautiful view from any table in this newly-remodeled restaurant.
Saturday - This tour took us to historic Buffalo and Erie County and to the Military Park to see many of the naval ships, tour the museum, and visit the gift shop. Then we dined, as sailors of old, on the fantail of the USS Little Rock. USS The Sullivans, DD-537, was launched April 4, 1943, decommissioned in 1965, and was named for five brothers who lost their lives in the battle of the Solomon Islands when their ship sunk. The ship is an excellent example of the Fletcher class, the largest and most important of U.S. destroyers in WWII. Many of the Renshaw shipmates could find a location that matched where they slept and worked on the Renshaw.
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