I guess I should apologize, but SHARKHUNTERS did not send out any Christmas cards this season, thanks to the mess with the US Post Office and their ongoing anthrax situation.

We have noticed that the mail is taking about twice as long to get delivered than it did before September 11 and the follow-on problem with some idiot sending poisonous stuff through the mails.

We will wait for Christmas 2002 and hopefully, all this lunacy will be ended & we’ll again send our cards. Thanks for understanding.

Goodbye Marc Cohen

This is the time of the year when we say ‘Goodbye’ and thanks to the two Members of our Advisory Board who have served their ten years and are then listed as Former Board Members. Their advice is still highly respected and requested at various times.

So we say ‘Goodbye’ to MARC COHEN (166-A/LIFE-1986) and thanks for your ten years of dedication.

Normally we would have another outgoing Member, but sadly, this would have been Flotillen Admiral OTTO KRETSCHMER (122-+-1985) but as we all know, he was killed in a terrible and strange accident in August 1998. He was a fine man, a good friend and a strong supporter of our SHARKHUNTERS.

‘Patrols’ in 2002

On the attachments that came with KTB #157 last month, you read about our upcoming ‘Patrol in North Germany’ in September and the ‘Patrol in South Germany & Austria’ in October. This same information is contained further on in this issue of KTB #158.

Did you pay particular attention to the great money saving offer you saw on page 39 of KTB #157? Many Members did, as reservations have already been received here.

Don’t Be Left Out!

If you even think you might be going with us, we suggest you get your deposit mailed in right away. If you have to cancel out by 1 August, you’ll get all your money back - but if you wait too long, our tours might be filled up. Don’t be left out.

COFFEE MEETING

The Coffee Meeting here in Hernando was a lot of fun, and about three dozen Members & guests attended including one U-boat vet, a US Navy sub vet & a destroyer vet. They came from as far north as Charleston, SC and as far south as Palm Beach and Punta Gorda.

Our next Coffee Meeting will be Saturday evening, 23 February in Louisville, KY at 1900 hours (7pm) in the lounge of the Executive Inn at the Fairgrounds. Be there - have fun, meet other Members.

15 YEAR MEMBERS

We wish to recognize those Members who have been aboard for 15 years. These are the Members who came aboard in 1987:

MIKE WOOTEN - one of the world’s finest military artists
US Navy Submarine League
KURT REBS - He rode U-456 then U-20
MIKE SMITH
GEORG HÖGEL - radioman on U-30 and U-110
Dr. ROBERT NELSON
BUD DANA - our Videographer, and world expert on bunkers
STELLA DANA - the other half of this team
DETLEV ZIMMERMANN - veteran of U-315, Opa to my kids
PETER HANSEN - U-boat officer, Abwehr agent
Dr. WARREN BROWN - US Navy
KURT BABERG - Skipper of U-618, Deutsches Kreuz in Gold
SCRAP LUNDY
STEVE TRUAX III
HEINZ FORSCHBACK - he rode U-347 then U-1024
HAROLD GAY - chopper pilot in ‘Nam
HARRY CULLEN - US Navy, Retired
WILLIAM LEHMBECK
PAUL SAURER
MIKE KOSS
JAMES KLINE
OTTO von BÜLOW - C.O. U-404; Knights Cross w/Oak Leaf
DAVID SANDERS
J. GORDON BEGG
LOUIS CAFIERO
THOMAS OLSON
WERNER KRÜGER - he rode U-571 and U-960
WERNER HOFFMANN
OTTO WESTPHALEN - Skipper of U-968, Knights Cross
PAUL GAVELIS
JOHN SCHIMOLER - former US Army sergeant
RALPH BOBO
MIKE TORRESON
BERTON WILSON
WILLIAM ROBB
CHARLIE RICH
WALTER GIBB - 20 years Merchant Marine
SKIP MacDOUGALD
V. E. BAUER-TAPIA
Garbageman DAVID MOBLEY

SHARKHUNTERS thanks all these Members for their loyalty over these past fifteen years - and we look forward to the next 15.