USS Spangler DE-696 Reunion
August 23, 2011
Posted in Donald Spangler, Everytown USA, Reunions, USS Spangler, World War II
Tags: Donald Spangler, Everytown USA, Reunions, USS Atlanta, USS Spangler, World War II
As most followers of this site know, the History Junkie loves unit reunions. Next week, August 28-31, “Spanglermates” from the USS Spangler DE-696 will be getting together in San Diego. A tour of the USS Midway, a harbor cruise, a silent auction and plenty of great stories are just some of the planned activities. By all means, if you’re anywhere close to the area, get to this reunion. These guys are great!
Lt. Donald Spangler - USS Atlanta
The USS Spangler, launched in July 1943, was named after Lt. Donald Hayes Spangler, who went down with his ship, the USS Atlanta, at the naval battle of Guadalcanal. The Spangler and her crew served throughout the Pacific during World War II.
In 1958, the Spangler was decommissioned and joined the Pacific Reserve Fleet. There she served until March 1972, when her name was struck from the official active record and she was sold for scrap.
Much praise and many thanks to the Spangler family and the Spanglermates for their service and sacrifice to this great nation. Have a great reunion, and I expect to hear all about it!
Mike – Thank you so much for mentioning this event! At the banquet when presenting your signed copies of Everytown USA to the Spanglermates, I received quite a reaction when I mentioned you were also “blogging” about them. They were thrilled to receive the books and your messages. The other copy of your book I donated to the silent auction was a popular item as well. A crew member, Merlin Carr, who often speaks at the banquets because of his love and expertise of history, re-told the story of Donald and the battle of Guadalcanal when the Atlanta was hit.
We enjoyed wonderful weather and great company while in San Diego. The stories were as educational and entertaining as ever. Many bring their scrapbooks filled with pictures.These men and their wives never cease to amaze me. There were about 50 in attendance including two of the plank owners. “Cooper”, one of the oldest Spanglermates at 88, loves telling the story of my grandmother trying to break the bottle at the christianing of the ship. She had to be helped because the glass was so thick. They all love to share sea tales of their time aboard the Spangler and all agree she was a happy ship while being kept in top notch condition. On the harbor cruise they reminisced about where they had attended sonar school or spent much of their time. They were celebrating their 10th reunion. As always, it was an honor to share this event with them.
On a sadder note, I recently learned that my Uncle Bob, Donald’s youngest and only surviving sibling, is not doing well. He and my aunt are both 90 and still live in Hawaii.
Thanks again for giving credit to these unforgettable heroes!
Jeannie,
Sounds like an amazing time in San Diego. I would have loved to be there, meeting all the Spanglermates, and hearing their stories. Please email some pics from the reunion and I’ll try to feature them in a future blog.
Sorry to hear about your Uncle Bob. I’ve had the pleasure of talking to him several times over the years by telephone. Our prayers will be with him, his wife and their family.
Thank you…will do!