NAVY NUCLEAR WEAPONS ASSOCIATION

                                                                                       “KEEPERS of the DRAGON”  ©TM

President’s Message 

Ahoy Shipmates,  

Well, some of you know and some of you are just finding out that I have become your new NNWA President as of Oct 2024. I’d like to thank Kris Hobbs for his role as your past President and hope to see him at our future reunions. A lot has happened since anyone spoke to you last. We launched a totally NEW website thanks to a lot of work by our NEW webmaster Ron Shirley (I have almost daily phone conversations with him) he is working diligently to iron out the bugs. And a big shout out to Ray Margeson who kept the wheels turning in our old webpage all these years. You will notice many changes to the new website as it comes online (shakedown cruise). One is the ability to pay dues and make purchases from the ships store. We have the next three reunions lined up for you to attend and enjoy. In October 2025 we will be in Nashville, TN (hosted by John and Bethany Gray) for those that remember we were supposed to have one there in 2010 but got flooded out. The 2026 reunion will be in good ol’ Albuquerque, NM in November hosted by my ME. If you have had the opportunity to visit the NNWA Facebook site, you will see that I have started a GoFundMe page to raise monies to erect a Memorial Obelisk in Albuquerque as Sandia Base (KAFB) was the birthplace of the NW/GMT/WT community. If you wish to donate to the Memorial and are not computer suave and just want to write out a check, mail it to me at 1057 Historic Route 66, Santa Rosa, NM 88435 in the pay to line write NNWA Memorial. I tried to get it installed at the Nuclear Museum, but they were a little outrageous, So I contacted the New Mexico Veteran’s Memorial which is just outside KAFB, and they were very helpful in my request, so after jumping through a few hoops I was able to get it started. The Obelisk is going to be black granite about 66” tall and will display a photo tile of the wooden Plaque that John Gray had made for the NNWA a few years ago, it will also incorporate all three symbol’s NW/GMT/WT and the dedication date. I hope to have this done in time for 2026 reunion. The 2027 reunion is planned for New Orleans, LA dates and host to be determined. We also had a turnover of NNWA Secretaries John Gray handed over the Quill and Ink to Tony Pass (some big shoes to fill) We also have a returning board member Guy Clemens. By the time you read this 2024 will be just a memory and there is hope on the horizon. We read off quite a few names at the two-bell ceremony at the last reunion, some members and some not but shipmates none the less, so as we look into the future the Memorial Obelisk will be the only thing that people will be able to look at and remember our sacrifice to Our Country.   

Vice-President’s Message

Fellow Members,

I am honored to be your Vice President and would like to welcome our new board members Guy Clemons and Tony Pass.

As a reminder it is the Vice President’s responsibility to maintain the SOP/PDL document, keeping it accurate and current. If you have any recommended changes to this document, then forward them to any board member for consideration. If approved by the Board, I will update the SOP/PDL with the change.

We normally use a reunion planner to set up our reunions, but we need a host to work directly with the planner and Board to make our reunions successful. We are looking for volunteers from our membership to host future reunions with assistance from a reunion planner and the board.  We have reunion hosts for Nashville and Albuquerque; however, we are looking for a host for New Orleans in 2027. Please contact a member of our board if you are interested.

See you all in Nashville at our next NNWA Reunion this October!

Happy New Year!

Bethany Gray, NNWA Vice President

Secretary’s Message

Let me introduce myself, I am your new secretary, Tony Pass and as Richard mentioned above, I have some big shoes to fill. I can only hope to do as good of a job as John did over the last 10 years. I can say I am glad John has recovered from his shoulder surgery. I will probably be riding his shoulders for a few months until I get familiar with all the secretary duties. I look forward to working with the BOD and members as we move into this new year. 

If I can be of assistance to anyone just let me know.

                        Happy New Year!!! 

Tony Pass

Secretary, NNWA

434-250-6578

Treasurer’s Message

As treasurer and keeper of the roster, let me welcome our new and Reinstated members since the last newsletter.  They are:

 James Norman                      David Greene

Bryan Heady                         Steven Haynes

Vernon Watts                        Buren Knight

Geoffary Beatty                    Nathan Mcilkaney

William Mullins                    Jim Uhlik

 We currently have 911 members on the membership roster; 310; members in good standing; 81 life members (spouses of deceased members); 389 past members (members with unpaid dues for three years); 115 members with dues in arrears; Past members can be reinstated by sending the $10.00 reinstatement fee plus $15.00 annual fee, for a total of $25.00. They will then be reinstated as a new member.

 If you are unsure whether your dues are up to date and you receive your newsletter by mail, look at the date in the upper right corner of the mailing which shows the month and year to which your dues are paid.  If you receive your newsletter electronically, log onto our website and check your membership status there in the membership roster.  The dues date will be listed in the date column to the right of your name. 

The current membership roster is posted on our website.  Members not on-line can request a hard copy of the roster by calling or writing:

                     Donald Schultz

                     573 Beaulieu Loop

                     The Villages, FL 32162

                     Phone 352-259-1403    

Please review the roster at your leisure and notify the Treasurer or any board member of any changes in your status.

Currently, we have $12,713.18 on deposit with Wells Fargo Bank. 

When making a payment to the NNWA, please make checks payable to NNWA Treasurer or Donald Schultz NNWA Treasurer or Donald Schultz.  The bank will not accept checks made out any other way.  Please ensure that when sending checks to the NNWA that it is for the correct amount. 

                                          Donald K. Schultz

                             Treasurer and Keeper of the Membership Roster

Webmaster Message

As most of you already know, we have inaugurated a new NNWA Website with me at the helm.  It’s been an experience…I wish to thank several folks for their support: First and foremost, Ray Margeson for his help and all the insight and for 22 years of diligent moderation of the old site. BZ Ray. Then there’s the VP Bethany and Secretary John Gray for “atta boys” and patience with the “new guy”.  I would be amiss if I didn’t mention the developer, Justin Reid. Simply put, INVALUABLE!  I hope you all enjoy the new venue and remember if there is something in error, please let me know and I will try to correct it. This endeavor is still a work in progress, but we are moving forward.  Until next month, fair winds and following seas to all… 

Ron Shirley, Webmaster

Historian’s Message 

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year Shipmates! 

I found it interesting looking at the history of the first nuclear bombs on US carriers. And the problems the navy faced in implementing that plan much to the dismay of the Air Force. This is just a short snapshot of that time in history.

 The First Nuclear Bombs on US Aircraft Carriers

 Following World War Two and the successful bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the United States Navy knew it would be imperative to come up with a method of delivering a nuclear payload from an aircraft carrier and in turn be part of the US nuclear strike force. The only aircraft in the navy inventory at the time that was capable of carrying a Mk4 nuclear bomb, and taking off from a US carrier, one of the new Midway class battle carriers, was a P2V Neptune.

A dozen P2V Neptunes were modified to the P2V-3C configuration to carry nuclear weapons; they could take off from but not land aboard carriers. It was with that in mind that the design of a large carrier-based bomber to carry conventional weapons that in turn was found to fit the nuclear bomber role the navy needed.

The AJ-1 Savage was an all-weather attack aircraft with folding wings and tail fin to facilitate shipboard handling. It could carry six tons of weapons in an internal bomb bay; the design subsequently was modified to accommodate a MK-4 atomic bomb and later a MK-8. It had an unusual configuration with twin R-2800 piston engines mounted in wing nacelles plus a turbojet engine for burst speed mounted in the aft fuselage. Wingtip 300-gallon tanks were normally fitted.

The prototype XAJ-1 first flew on 3 July 1948 and the AJ-1 entered service with Composite Squadron (VC) 5 in September 1949 although no nuclear weapons were available for the planes until late the following year. In February 1951, six of the

new AJ-1 Savages and three P2V-3C Neptune bombers flew across the Atlantic to Port Lyautey, Morocco. Beginning the next month, the Savages periodically flew from the large aircraft carriers Midway (CVB-41) and the Franklin D. Roosevelt

(CVB-42), then operating in the Mediterranean.

Nuclear components for atomic bombs were not put aboard aircraft carriers until at least 1953. In the interim, an elaborate scheme code-named Daisy Chain was developed to fly nuclear components in Air Force B-47s from Savannah, Georgia, to a Mediterranean airfield where modified TBM-3R Avengers were waiting to fly the components to the carrier. Aboard ship, the bombs were assembled in a process that required up to 48 hours.

 The Mk-8 bomb was conceived and manufactured at the initiative of the Navy for the arming of the strategic deck bombers Lockheed P2V-3C Neptune and the AJ-1 Savage carrier bomber. The Mk 8 was an early earth-penetrating bomb or bunker buster, intended to dig in deep and then detonate. It was the first tactical bomb ever

deployed by the United States. Developed by the Navy, the Mk8 was a simple design based on the Mk 1 Little Boy bomb and could be carried externally or internally by aircraft. It was for use against hardened or underground targets, such as bunkers, command centers and submarine pens.

 Navy, the Mk8 was a simple design based on the Mk 1 Little Boy bomb and could be carried externally or internally by aircraft. It was for use against hardened or underground targets, such as bunkers, command centers and submarine pens.

The Mark 8 was 14.5 inches (37 cm) in diameter across its body, 116 to 132 inches (290 to 340 cm) long depending on the sub-model. It weighed 3,230 to 3,280 pounds (1,470 to 1,490 kg) and had a yield of 25-30 kilotons. A total of 40 Mark 8 bombs were produced.

MK8 Bomb

Future Reunions

The 40^th reunion of the NNWA in 2025 will be held in:

Region:              Eastern US

Location:           Nashville, TN

Host:                  John & Bethany Gray

The 41^st reunion of the NNWA in 2026 will be held in:

Region:              Western US

Location:           Albuquerque, NM

Host:                  Richard Gurule

The 42^nd reunion of the NNWA in 2027 will be held in:

Region:              Central US

Location:           New Orleans, LA

Host:                  TBD

Upcoming Reunion Information

NNWA 40th Annual Reunion

Nashville, TN

27 – 30 OCT 2025 

We are well into setting up the 2025 Reunion. We have signed the contract for the hotel.  The reunion will be held at: 

The Inn at Opryland

2401 Music Valley Drive

Nashville, TN 37214 

Room rates range from $169 – 189 plus tax depending on whether it is an Exterior Room or an Atrium/Interior Room. The hotel is about 10 miles from the airport. Unfortunately, at this time the hotel is not running transportation to and from the airport. As the reunion gets closer maybe the association can make pickup arrangements like we did in Tucson and Branson. 

The proposed tours are: 

27 OCT – guided city tour of Nashville. Tour sites include Nashville downtown area, State Capitol, Fort Nashborough, Riverfront Park, The Ryman Auditorium, Centennial Park & the Parthenon, and the Ryman Auditorium, which is the original Grand Ole Opry. $140 per person. 

28 OCT at 1100 – General Jackson Showboat cruise.  The General Jackson is 300-foot-long, styled in the grand tradition of the paddlewheel riverboats that cruised the great Southern waterways in the 1800s.  Immerse yourself in the proud tradition of the great showboats of yesteryear and delight in the panoramic sights of the scenic Cumberland River as you enjoy a leisurely lunch cruise which includes live entertainment. $164 pp. Includes lunch. Return to hotel approximately 3pm. 

28 OCT at 1630 (430pm) – Family-style dinner at Paula Deen’s Family Kitchen. At 1900 (7pm) you will have reserved seats to a performance at the world-famous            Grand Ole Opry, Nashville’s must-see attraction and the world’s longest running live radio show. As the home of country music, the Opry offers an incredible mix of talent to create an American experience like no other! $227 pp for the dinner and show. 

29 OCT – 1200 approximately.  Tour of historic RCA Studio B, the home of 1,000 Hits, where music legends recorded timeless songs.  You’ll be inspired as you stand right where Elvis himself stood to record over 200 songs. Followed by a tour of the Country Music Hall of Fame, where you can hear rare recordings of country’s legendary performers, see behind-the-scenes films by today’s stars, along with costumes, instruments, and personal treasures from country music’s past and present. $140 pp 

Minimum attendance is 30 people for each tour. 

We decided to focus on the music aspect of Nashville rather than the historical part such as Andrew Jackson’s Hermitage. One reason is that many of the historical sites are a longer ride to get to, plus they involve a lot of walking once you get there. 

The prices for tickets are not what we would call inexpensive – but all tickets include transportation, this is Nashville – hitting the highlights of what makes the city popular, and inflation over the last four years is over 19%. So, the prices are the prices. And while we are pretty sure these tours are set to run, with anything this far out, all are subject to change.   

Also, at the Dinner Dance on 30 OCT, remember that we routinely do a Gift Exchange and try and keep the cost around $25 or so. 

Let us know if you have any questions. Hope to see you all in Nashville! 

Regards,

John & Bethany