USS Thomaston LSD-28 | Landing Ship Dock Guestbook

Rod Sanderson ( Sandy) [ email ]

March 22, 2007, 10:14

Rate/Rank : EM/3
Address: 29 Kramer St. 585-354-4192
Great Site, I served on the old girl from 1967 to 1971.

Stan McDaniels [ email ]

March 22, 2007, 06:42

Rate/Rank : FMMM
Address: 6640 Akers Mill rd Atlanta Ga. 30339
Greatest time I ever had. 82-84 decommmissioned her. Keep your head up Shipmates. Miss you all. Didn't get to know you all, but had a super time on our WestPAC's

Curt Brady [ email ]

March 17, 2007, 13:49

Rate/Rank : E2 Yoeman
Address: po box 61 ST. Bernice, IN
I served aboard from Summer of 81 until Spring of 82. Would like to hear from Dave Mayo, Ron Wilson, and Joe Redd. It's really cool to see the ships history....

Alan Norbryhn [ email ]

March 05, 2007, 20:19

Rate/Rank : na
Address: 4910 Rivergrade Rd. Building 3, 3rd Floo 626-543-6093 x01
Hi, hello, just checking the site

Rod Stockton [ email ]

March 04, 2007, 08:19

Rate/Rank : DK2
Address: 1789 E. County Rd E. White Bear Lake, Mn 651-773-0006
Served aboard Thomaston 1971-1972. Man, did we ever go places! Crossed the equator twice so got my "revenge" the second time. LOL.

When I got out of the Navy I went to College majoring in Broadcasting. Worked at various Radio Stations up and down the coast of California for the next 14 years. The music in the 80s really started to turn me off so got out of radio, and moved out to Minnesota to work for Best Buy.
Retired a few years ago. So how's everybody doing?

I still have my cruisebook "Westpac 71" if anybody wants some pictures.

Favorite moment, sailing home from Japan...when Captain Hodge called me up to his cabin. It was scary, though, and the guys were saying "What'd you do Stockton?". Gulp, knocked on his door, and he said come in.

"Congratulations Sailor, You have a brand new baby daughter". I jumped in the air, and yelled "YAHOO!". Then realizing where I was I saluted, and said "I mean Yahoo, SIR! :-)

mallam garuba [ email ]

February 20, 2007, 05:14

Rate/Rank : no rank
Address: 15 boil street london 0044 784596325
please my guy live this site for me iu don land here mugu

Mark Thomas [ email ]

February 19, 2007, 07:28

Rate/Rank : ETN2
Address: 505 West Meadowlane (641)753-0876
I served aboard the USS Thomaston 1966-1969. I got on this website because of a call I received from a shipmate yesterday. I hadn't heard from him in 40 years! I did a quick scan through the guestbook and only recognized a couple of names and thought that maybe there could be a search by decade to narrow the search scope for folks that might want to contact old (and a lot of us are there)shipmates. Thanks for the site.

Chuck Fleming [ email ]

February 16, 2007, 23:19

Rate/Rank : HMC(SS)
Address: 805 Judah Logan Rd, Bedford IN 47421 812.279.3463
Just revisited the web site and the photo pages. Sure are some great memories there. High points of my tour of duty on Thomaston were the WestPacs, Crossing the Equator, The sinking of the Captains Gig in Hong Kong harbor, the flooding of the engine room at pier 5 in San Diego and the attempt to tow the abandoned Japanese merchant ship off a reef. We failed at this, but later picked up many or all of the surviving crew members. There was a contest to design a ship's emblem. I drew up the Tom Cat and gator and won. There were better entries. I am still in contact with (then) HM2 Jerry Melvin, Bob Kuykendal. Captain's yeoman John Wesley Andrews died a few years back. Ship's Serviceman Broderick still lives in Santee CA. I have lost contact with HM2 Howard Snyder. I was a steaming buddy with A J Barney who died in a car collison in Tijuana. HM1 Charley Guy retired in San Diego. I read a submarine war novel the other day that mentioned Ben Jarvis. Ah, memories...

Joe Moore [ email ]

February 12, 2007, 03:21

Rate/Rank : MRC

I was aboard during the short yard period in long beach in 73 or maybe it was 74? Just looking for some of the crew that I served with

Steven Grant [ email ]

February 06, 2007, 18:29

Rate/Rank : FTG2
Address: San Leandro, CA 510-357-5429
Served '69 to '72.

I remember "Lizard", "Sugarman", "Breeder", "Mumbles" "Hippie", "Lance Link secret chimp" "The mighty Quinn". Have seen the old bucket in the bay. Labeled as "Gooby" or "Goob" by Oakley.

Jesse Hartley [ email ]

February 05, 2007, 12:45

Rate/Rank : GMG3

I served on the Thomaston in 1971 and 1972.
Good to see this web site, brought back good memories.

Bruce Ryan [ email ]

February 03, 2007, 22:42

Rate/Rank : BMSN

I was onboard for the Todd Shipyard in Seattle time frame, and the cruise to Vancouver I think. Around 78-79-80. I made some great friends and then transferred to the Cleveland LPD-7. A short but memorable stay!

Robert Hoch [ email ]

January 30, 2007, 11:31

Rate/Rank : ETR2

Just a change of e-mail address.

Franlin Andrews [ email ]

January 29, 2007, 20:05

Rate/Rank : RM2
817.558.1354

mike shaw [ email ]

January 28, 2007, 15:17

Rate/Rank : MR3
Address: 2909 n,e 102 ct. vancouver wa.98662
Served aboard Thomaston 71-75 in the machineshop (A"GANG)

Mike McCaslin [ email ]

January 27, 2007, 18:57

Rate/Rank : L/CPL
Address: New Smyrna Beach,FL
I served with the 1st Marines in Vietnam and was researching the ship for a lighter I am selling on ebay.What an amazing ship and such a history.I hope you don't mind my borrowing your ships picture for my ad.Go Navy & Semper Fi,Mike McCaslin ebay oldlighters4u

RONALD HILLSTROM [ email ]

January 24, 2007, 20:03

Rate/Rank : ETSN
Address: 425 PULASKI ST SPRING VALLEY IL 61362
I ENJOYED MY SHORT STAY ON THE THOM-JULY 58 TO JAN 59 WOULD LIKE TO HEAR FROM HOWARD OLSON OR FRANKLIN ROOSEVELT--WE HAD GREAT TIMES IN SAN DIEGO

MERVIN BACHEMIN,JR. [ email ]

January 24, 2007, 19:13

Rate/Rank : BT/E-2

I SERVED ON THIS SHIP IN '74-'75,VIETNAM ERA,ENJOYED THE PHILLIPINES.I WAS A BOILER TECH,HAD GOOD TIMES

ANGEL MORALES [ email ]

January 22, 2007, 12:16

Rate/Rank : SN-SK3
Address: 124 DEERFIELD RD CANDIA,NH 03034
HELLO MY NAME IS ANGEL MORALES SN MORALES THEN SK3 MORALES.
I SERVED ON THE THOMASTON FROM 1983-85. WAS ON THE DECOMMISIONING CREW. TILL THE END. I WAS IN THE DECK DEPARTMENT WE I ARRIVED THEN I TRANSFERED TO SUPPLY.I REMEMBER SK1 LOPEZ. SK3 ALDANA,
MANY OTHER SHIPMATES. I REMEMBER THE LAST WEST PAC. EMAIL ME IF YOU WANT TO TALK ABOUT THE PAST. WILL ANY SHIPMATE FROM THIS ERA BE AT THE REUNION? LET ME KNOW.
THANKS,
MORALES

John Rumer [ email ]

January 21, 2007, 14:50

Rate/Rank : MM2 1959-1992
Address: 49 Douglas St Apt 21 352-382-0246
The following email was sent to me today Sunday the 21 of Jan and I would like to pass it along Karl was a big supporter of the Thomaston and its reunion and will be greatly missed. The memorial service for Karl Kretschmar who passed away on Saturday, January 21, will be held on Saturday, January 27th, at the Immanuel Lutheran Church, in Mellen, WI. Visitation will begin at 9:00 a.m., with the service beginning at 10:00 a.m.

Bill Crum [ email ]

January 05, 2007, 14:02

Rate/Rank : SM2 1981-1984

Just wanted let everyone know my new e-mail. Served on Tommy-T 81-84. First as a Bosun Mate with Mike Kashat, Bill Evers, Gibby, etc. Then struck to Signalman and skated with Al Valenti, John Smosna, Chris Johnson (where r u ), Joe Hammonds and Brian Tribble. Was on Decommission crew as well.

Carl Grammer

December 30, 2006, 19:35

Rate/Rank : JOSN

I served on board from Todd ship yard, Seattle in 79 to Nov 81. Ran the on board tv station (SITE) My partner was IC3 Dave Kunz. Made alot of friends on Thomaston, but let every damn one of them slip through the cracks of memory. Miss them all.

Carl Grammer [ email ]

December 30, 2006, 19:19

Rate/Rank : JOSN

Just wanted to see the old girl one more time.

Bill Boswell [ email ]

December 27, 2006, 06:51

Rate/Rank : BM3 2div 76-80

First West Pac (76) San Diego, can't remember Cap's name, Graduated close to the bottom of class at Navel Academy, we always sailed the northen routes, Korea, Japan ect; no Austrail. We pulled alongside a burnning ship in the pacific one time, some crew members set off distress flairs from a beached cargo ship after a bad storm in the port of Guam, Port Authorty's cought them.

Scott Gotsch [ email ]

December 25, 2006, 09:11

Rate/Rank : MS2
Address: Coon Rapids, Minnesota
Served 1980 thru 1982.

Stewart Burniston [ email ]

December 22, 2006, 12:24

Rate/Rank : EM2
Address: Kansas
Hello all! Just reliving some old memories...

Jan Kenneth Herman [ email ]

December 21, 2006, 16:10

Rate/Rank : Civilian
202 762-3248
I'm the Historian of the Navy Medical Dept. in the Office of the Navy Surgeon General. We are currently looking for any medical personnel who may have served aboard Thomaston during "Operation Frequent Wind" in April 1975 and cared for evacuated Vietnamese refugees. We would like to interview these personnel for our Vietnam War oral history project.

John Rumer [ email ]

December 17, 2006, 10:48

Rate/Rank : MM2 1959-1962
Address: 49 Douglas St Apt 21, Homosassa,Fl 34446 352-382-0246
Hi Shipmates its time to start thinking about and planning for the 2007 reunion.Its being held in Seattle on Sept 13th-14th-15th 2007 at the Red Lion Airport Hotel and there will be a newsletter coming out after the first of the year and also your dues will be due and they are staying the same,which is $25 for your and your wife or friend. And the dues can be sent to me at the above address anytime and we all know thats what keeps this great organization going. Please keep the sick shipmates in your prayers and Hope to see you all in Seattle. Our biggest reunion was the one held in Bay St Louis Mississippi, 52 shipmates with 7 plankowners, lets try to top that in Seattle.

Chuck Schufer [ email ]

December 14, 2006, 20:47

Rate/Rank : SN/BM
Address: 23644 Gravino Road, Valencia, CA 91355 (6610 259-1441
Was on the Big Tom from Feb '59 to Dec '62 in 2nd Div. as a boat coxswain, among other things. Did three WestPac trips and the Cuban Missle crisis. Was a "short-timer" with a month to do and was extended a year for the Cuban thing. Was let go when it all blew over. Great ship, with many good times.

USS Thomaston Message

December 11, 2006, 20:41

Rate/Rank : For all crew members

Hello fellow crew members, one of our crew members sure could use your prayers. Many of you know Bob and Faye Kuykendall. Bob maintains the crew muster list and contacts or tries to find crew members. Faye sent an email that Bob had a stroke on the 8th and was in the VA hospital where they were going to do some more tests. He was having trouble walking and talking. Lets all hope and pray for a fast recovery...

Randy

Edward R. Burroughs [ email ]

December 11, 2006, 12:42

Rate/Rank : Rm2
Address: 4109 Woodfall Lane, Modesto, CA 95354-84
Served aboard the Thomaston in 1973 and 1974. Still trying to find RM2 George Otto or RM3 Rick Hudson.

James B. Fetters [ email ]

December 06, 2006, 19:18

Rate/Rank : Ship\'s Serviceman 2nd Class
Address: 209 Alabama Ave, Greenwood, SC 29646 864-538-0451
I served as Ship's Barber from 1968-1971 and it was the most rewarding tour of duty I ever experienced. The men on the Thomaston have always been looked at as the BEST and the comradeship was none better. I am proud that I was fortunate enough to be a member of the USS Thomaston and I wish all that served during my tour, before and after, a happy life and God's Blessing to all.

John Baeza [ email ]

December 05, 2006, 10:18

Rate/Rank : EM-2

Would like to hear from anyone who served from 65-66. Good times

Robert Elizarde [ email ]

December 01, 2006, 11:38

Rate/Rank : ETN3
Address: Bristol, Vermont
I served on the Tomcat from 8/69 after my first in-country tour Viet Nam till 6/70 when I began training for my second and final in-country tour. The gator-navy was a great experience. I was also a R/T on one of the LCVP's

Len D. Rieck [ email ]

November 27, 2006, 14:35

Rate/Rank : Already on Muster List

Was on USS Thomaston 1965-1969.
Please contact via email if you remember me.
Len

John McKeag

November 23, 2006, 18:25

I wanted to add that Pete Backer had made a ring from a nut off of one of the condensers that my son now has. I just wanted to say that I made it off with a piece of the ship.

John McKeag

November 23, 2006, 17:55

Rate/Rank : 1957-1960 MM3

I miss you guys & missgoing to the reuions. Thanks for the lifetime membership. June passed away in April of this year 1 day short of our 43rd anniversary. I will get my son to do what he can to get more pictures sent in to the site.

Marcos Acosta [ email ]

November 11, 2006, 22:11

Rate/Rank : ET2 (E5)
Address: 2026 La Mesa 210-675-0185
1981-1985

Marcos Acosta [ email ]

November 11, 2006, 21:25

Rate/Rank : ET2 (E5)
Address: 2026 La Mesa 210-675-0185
On board from 1981 to 1985
Drunk Captain ran aground on my shift.
wooohooo!

Tom Zumann [ email ]

November 09, 2006, 13:58

Rate/Rank : IC3

Changing my email address back to "Home Port". Was on the Tomcat 67-68 for WESPAC Cruise Feb-Sept 1968. Great times in Subic, Hong Kong, and observing the inside of a Shore Patrol paddy wagon in Japan. Jeeze, we must have had fun that night!! We live in Denton Texas at this time. Great fun reviewing the guest book.

George Billy [ email ]

November 08, 2006, 14:41

Rate/Rank : RM2

Went aboard the TOM in 57 as a seaman just prior to 1st Westpac Cruise. Sailed with the TOM for 3 Westpac Cruises 57, 59, and 60. Left the Ship early Jan 61 as an RM2. Some of the best times of my life, both at sea and ashore, with good friends and shipmates during those years.

Bob Gaeth [ email ]

November 04, 2006, 05:57

Rate/Rank : RMC Ret

Changing email address. Was onboard the Thomaston 72-73. Reported as an RMSN and left as an RM2 in Nov. 73. Retired in 1990. Am enjoying life on Guam.

Les Bates

October 30, 2006, 00:53

I was on the USS GUNSTON HALL (LSD-5) in 1961-62. We deployed to WESPAC with the THOMASTON and others. The THOMASTON and an LPH were state of the art at that time and were usually called out to respond if any emergency came up. The rest of the Amphib Squadron were too slow so I guess we would have been the "backups" and got there when we could. It was my first WESPAC though and I had a great time. We never put out a Cruisebook that I know of, so that was my biggest disappointment of that period. I believe I have some pictures of some of the ships that were with us. I'll try to find them and if anybody is interested let me know.
DK2 Les Bates

James E. Hall [ email ]

October 26, 2006, 14:23

(717) 840-0150
Was crew member of Thomaston for a very short period of 1964 (May-Oct). Short tour because I had just finished 7 years of continuous sea duty and was there only for a billet to open in NorVA (not a good place for shore duty).

My Navy career was from 6/56 to 7/86, serving in 7 ships and ashore 4 tours.

After retirement I worked as an Investigator/Special Agent for the Defense Investigative Service in Sacramento, and finally retiring from there in 1/2000.

Now just growing old gracefully up here in PA.

Curtis W. Gibson (Gibby) [ email ]

October 21, 2006, 09:16

Rate/Rank : BMSN
Address: 515 S. Spruce St. Arthur,Il. 61911 217-543-4086
Hello to all former Thomaston crew. I put my information on here once before,but now i can't find it. I served from '81 to '84 with some of the best sailors the gator navy ever had. This site is great! Hi to Bill Crum,Brian Phillips,Tim Flarety,Ron Wells,Mike Wiley,Les Ross,Gary Baumgartner,Terry Wolfe,Steve Halleron,Dean Benson,Mike Kashat,and Duane Baumert. I know I left some guys off,but I will never forget my time on the USS Thomaston(LSD-28)

Louis Hudson,III [ email ]

October 20, 2006, 20:30

Rate/Rank : E-1
Address: 1566 william switch Rd, Ripley, Tennesse 731-635-7161
Hello to the crew of the Tommy T. It is good to know that so many who served are still here. I was one of Chief Head's "deck apes" in 1974-76. I also did two west pacs and served in Frequent Winds operations during the fall/evacuation of Saigon, Vietnam. God, I,m so proud I did now. I think I remember RM3 Smitty. God bless you all shipmates. Holler
Louis, Country Preacher from Tennessee

Jeff Bisson [ email ]

October 17, 2006, 19:04

Rate/Rank : MM
Address: 5110 Whitman Way #210 Carlsbad, CA 92008 760-203-2516
Wow nice web site!! Just found it when I decided to google USS Thomaston. I was on board in '81 worked forward engine room and did a westpac. I will look through the list of site visitors and get ahold of those that I knew. Anybody remember me call or email.

John Rumer [ email ]

October 12, 2006, 08:57

Rate/Rank : MM@ 59-62
Address: 49 Douglas St Apt 21,Homosassa,Fl 34446 352-382-0246
We just got back to Florida from the Duluth Reunion which was great Thanks to Mike-Diane-Bill-Vickie Dorry,Lee-Janet Geronime,and Karl-Gina Kretschmar. After returning home I received a call from Vivian Mettler, the wife of Robert Mettler,a plankowner, telling me had has lung and liver cancer and only is expected to live for maybe a year.Please keep them in your prayers and if you can find time call or send Robert a card at 204 Elm St P O Box 115,Charlevoix,Mi 49720, Phone 616-547-9751. Any questions or updates to address's or email please phone me or email me. Thanks

Gordon Menzies [ email ]

October 10, 2006, 11:57

Rate/Rank : 3d Class Midshipman
Address: Vinton, VA
I served on the USS Thomaston for about 6 weeks in the summer of 1964. I was a 3d Class Midshipman out of the University of Nebraska NROTC program. I was in the Deck Div and ended up in the Aft Bosun's Locker when the Chief learned that I could make coffee and could do some splicing (beat the daylights out of chipping paint). To make a short story long, I was less than a serious student and ended up in the Army, retiring after 22 years as a CW4.

Maybe someone can answer a question for me. Just forward of the well deck and kind of between the cranes was a small structure, like a minature control tower. Do you happen to know if it was for coordination of the welldeck activities or if it was for flight operations? I just got back from Key Largo and did a SCUBA dive on the USS Speigle Grove (LSD-32) which was scuttled as an artifical reef. During the dive, I realized that someone had placed and american flag on a staff that was attached to the "control tower" and the current made it wave. The Dive Master gave it a salute in passing and so did I. In any case, he and I were talking about it and I wasn't sure of the function of the "tower'.

ALFRED L. GLOVER

October 08, 2006, 15:37

Rate/Rank : HTC DECEASED
Address: PO BOX 6392, AMERICUS, GA 31709 229 924 5134
HTC GLOVER RETIRED ABOARD THE USS THOMASTON IN APR 1976. CAME ON BOARD 1973. ALFORDS WIDOW WOULD LIKE TO HERE FROM ANY ONE THAT HIM. THEY WERE MARRIED FOR 50 YRS.