NUCLEAR ESCALATION TALK BRINGS BACK MEMORIES FOR KOREAN VETS
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Betty Burns
(816) 679-4074
Pat Frew, Director of Communications
859-655-4163
E-Mail: Pressroom@nkycvb.com | www.nkycvb.com
NUCLEAR ESCALATION TALK BRINGS BACK MEMORIES FOR KOREAN VETS
Fort Mitchell, KY/October 13, 2006—Recent nuclear weapons testing threats by North Korea probably bring back memories for some Korean War veterans preparing to meet in Northern Kentucky.
Veterans who served aboard the USS Bairoko will meet October 18-21 at the Drawbridge Inn. The ship was commissioned as World War II was ending in July, 1945 and served in the Pacific throughout its 16 years of duty. As a result, there are a few World War II vets among the 46 sailors expected to attend the reunion but most like Tom Marck of New Richmond, OH served in the Korean War.
“The ship was a 10,000-ton aircraft carrier. Its primary role was to support nuclear weapons tests in the mid-Pacific. As a matter of fact, the crew took part in and witnessed the first above ground hydrogen bomb test in March, 1954,” recounted Marck.
While catching up with old comrades will be the highlight of the reunion, a lunchtime BB Riverboats cruise and a dinner at Hofbräuhaus Newport are planned. This is the 19th time the group has held a reunion but it’s the first time they’ve returned to the same locale. They met at the Radisson Riverfront in 2001.
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