Hal Gross, Founder, Deceased

In 1984, Hal Gross had a dream; he wanted to rediscover long-lost friends that served with him aboard the USS John W. Weeks, during World War II. He put together a plan, then for over two years he searched for his shipmates.

After locating many of his former World War II shipmates, he organized the first Weeks reunion, which was held in September 1986 at Downingtown, Pennsylvania.  This reunion was so successful he and the members decided to hold another; and the rest is history. At the second reunion in Downingtown, a shipmate drove by the Downingtown Inn and saw a sign advertising the Weeks reunion. He ran into the hotel, found Hal and explained that he served aboard the Weeks in the sixties. He asked about the reunion, and was told that it was open to World War II vets that served on the Weeks.

This event gave Hal an idea, he went back to the Archives in Washington, DC and the Bureau of Ships; he found that the Weeks was in service for twenty-seven years and over four thousand sailors served on her. He also realized that if the association was to survive, it had to enlist new members from the later years. He went back to searching and found shipmates from Korea and Vietnam. In1988, the Association opened its doors to Post World War II shipmates.  I might add that a lot of searching was done using his monies. Today our association has members that span from when the Weeks were first commissioned till up to just before she was sunk in 1970.

Hal served as president of the Association from 1986 through 2003. Hal passed away on January 10, 2009 at the age of 85. He served aboard the Weeks 1944 - 1946.

My wife Aida and I are a Navy family having a combined service of almost 50 years to the US Navy.  I entered the Navy in July 1965 as a seaman recruit. After boot camp at Great Lakes I reported aboard the USS Yosemite AD-19 home ported at Newport, RI for my first real Navy job as a mess cook before reporting to Deck Department to work as a Deck Seaman and First Lieutenant’s yeoman.  My second tour was aboard the USS Valcour AGF-1 home ported in Bahrain in the Persian Gulf. The John W Weeks was my third ship.  I reported aboard the Weeks in December 1968 and was a Boatswain’s Mate Third Class in First Division. Aboard the Weeks I went on the Westpac cruise to Vietnam and was part of the task force to Korea in 1969 to secure the release of an American aircraft and crew after the plane was shot down by North Korea.  After release from four years active duty in November 1969, I affiliated with the Naval Reserve and served an additional over 35 years.  I was enlisted for my first 20 years in the Navy and attained the rank of Senior Chief Boatswain’s Mate.  My Naval Officer career begin in 1986 when I was Commissioned a W-2 Warrant Boatswain.   I was later promoted to W-3 and selected for promotion to LTJG (LD0) Operations Line Officer in 1989.  I served aboard several ships, DESRONS, and shore stations, including two years attached to the Marines followed by two years with Naval Special Forces Group 1 and Group 2 before retiring as a Commander in 2005.  It was an honor to have served as Ship’s Boatswain, Communications Officer, Operations Officer, Gunnery Liaison Officer, Amphibious Operations Officer, Division Officer, Department Head, Executive Officer, and Commanding Officer of one shipboard unit, one DESRON unit and two Naval Special Warfare Commands before retiring.     
It was a privilege to have served as a BM3 in First Division aboard the USS John W Weeks.  The Weeks was the ship I loved most.  I worked hard to take care of her when I was onboard.  I never liked hearing her called the “Leaky Weeks” even though it may have been true. I had some really wonderful times when I was on the ship and we went through some very difficult times together, but we loved one another and worked hard together. I had the best crew in the world working for me in the Division and on the bridge.  We not only worked together on the ship, but we were on liberty together. The friendships we developed on the cruise are still there after 50 years.   The bonds of friendships that we developed have lasted a lifetime.
My wife, Aida, begin working for the Naval Hospital in Subic Bay, Philippines in 1962 after graduating from the University of the East.  She worked at the Naval Hospital until April 1972 when we moved back to the United States from the Philippines.  Aida worked at the Oak Hill Hospital and Freeman Hospital in Joplin, Missouri until she retired.  We have been married 47 years and have one daughter, Kimberly.  Kimberly has lived and worked in Japan for the past 17 years and takes care of the computer systems for Burberry company in Japan as well as some other parts of the world.  As a civilian, I worked in research and development for the Electronics Division of Eagle Picher developing special purpose batteries for space, medical, military and industrial applications. I was also the manager of research and development for Eagle Picher Chemical Division, Environmental and Chemical engineer for Teledyne Industries and I taught physics, chemistry and science in high schools.

Dave Kurtz, Director and Newsletter Editor:

Dave served aboard the Weeks 1964-66. He was initially assigned to First Division where he worked with some of the craziest and unique sailors in the universe. This assignment allowed him duty at the helm and also a GQ station in Mount 51 where he progressed from a hot caseman to mount trainer. After four months as a deck ape, Dave was asked by the XO/Navigator to join the quartermaster crew. I thought it wasn’t too smart to turn down the XO but he was leaning towards a request to be a personnel striker in the ship’s office. After agreeing to the latter offer, the XO required him to type 40 words per minute accurately. Dave thanks his high school for requiring every student to take one year of typing. While in the ship’s office, Dave made 3rd class and passed the test for 2nd class. He attended Personnel Accounting Machine Installation (PAMI) School and eventually was the lead personnel specialist in the office.

Dave, for the most part, liked the opportunity to do many different assignments while aboard the Weeks. He did two rotations of mess duty in the Chief’s Quarters, served on the Honor Guard as needed, was stationed on the Bridge for sea and anchor detail, was a reveille PO in the OC Division and pulled shore patrol duty in a Caribbean port. As most of us, Dave was appreciative of liberty call in over 30 ports stateside and in the Caribbean, Mediterranean, Middle East and Northern Europe when he was barely 21 years of age.

Dave received some interesting incentives to reenlist that were difficult to turn down. The Vietnam Era GI Bill was passed in 1966 and Dave had his sights set on attending college as a civilian. He did participate in the active naval reserve where he was immediately promoted to second class. After being released from active duty, Dave attended personnel classification school while in reserves earning a final grade of 99.6 that brought offers of going active duty in the naval reserves. Dave stuck to his initial plans and attended college with his GI Bill after eight years of active duty and reserve time.

Upon graduating from college, Dave worked with Vietnam and Cold War veterans at three state agencies and the community college in Harrisburg (HACC). While at HACC, Dave was appointed as the first alumni affairs officer of the college and also taught government and politics courses on a part-time basis for two years. 1979 brought on a career change for Dave when he became a budget analyst for the Governor’s Office and later the Pennsylvania Senate Appropriations Committee. Dave retired from the Pennsylvania Senate in 2005.

In addition to Dave serving in his current positions, he held the office of vice president of the Association for eight years and served as the assistant chaplain as needed. Dave and his wife Judy have been together for over 30 years. Judy serves in an unofficial office of the Association as chief proofer of the newsletter. They have two daughters, seven grandchildren, five step grandchildren and one step great grandson. “Serving aboard the USS John W Weeks and being a member and officer of the Weeks Association has been an exciting and fun ride.”

I Joined the Navy in October 1961 and was given the choice of boot camp in either the Great Lakes or San Diego.  Considering my options and with winter on the horizon it was a no brainer to pick San Diego.  After about a year at the NTC for boot camp and Electrician Mate A school I reported aboard the Weeks as a fireman apprentice in August 1962.  I was subsequently assigned to R Division as an electrician mate striker. 

Highlights of my time on the Weeks included the Cuban missile crisis, Gemini 5 astronaut recovery operation, three Med cruises with two deployments via the Suez Canal to the Red Sea, Indian Ocean and Persian Gulf during one of which we crossed the equator to patrol Zanzibar (now known as Madagascar) located off the southeast coast of Africa.  This crossing allowed us pollywogs to be indoctrinated into King Neptune’s Brotherhood of Shellbacks. 

During these years I worked my way up to Electrician Mate 2nd class and for a time was in charge of the electrical gang. The last 6 months or so of my time aboard ship was spent as Master at Arms.  I was originally due to be discharged in October of 65 but there was a fleet wide four month extension imposed on all active duty personnel as the Vietnam crisis was heating up.  I eventually discharged from the ship in February 1966 at the Norfolk Naval Shipyard following a short cruise to the Caribbean.  I worked in the communications industry initially with Western Electric for ten years before transferring to Verizon Communications.  I retired from Verizon in 2005 after 39 years of service.

I treasure my time spent in the navy and on the Leaky Weeks and look fondly back on the places we visited and the experiences the navy afforded me during my four plus years of active service.  I am fortunate today that I able to relive those experiences through the John W Weeks Association’s annual reunions and after all these years still maintain contact with past crew members.

Phil served aboard the Weeks from December 1962 until May 1966.  Soon after boarding he was transferred to B Division, forward fire room.  Phil obtained the rank of BT 3.  Like many other shipmates his enlistment was extended by 4 months.  His favorite Captain was Captain Fitzgerald. By the time Phil left the Weeks in May 1966 he had acquired enough fond memories and sea tales to last a life time. Phil returned home to the Pittsburgh area and he obtained a job with the Olivetti Corporation as a repairman.  After 21 years of numerous technical courses, long term assignments, and transfers to Cleveland, Boston and Philadelphia, he was recruited by Xyquad, Inc. to help establish a service center in the Philadelphia area.  The plan worked to Phil's favor the company expanded and he became a Regional Manager over a 4 state area.  He remained with Xyquad until their closing in 2001. Phil was immediately recruited by Excellence Shock Wave Therapy as Technical Director responsible for maintaining Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy medical devices and operating the equipment during patient treatments.  He created a Mobile treatment center (state of the art treatment office in a converted Winnebago) allowing the procedure to be provided to patients as far as 100 miles away.  He received extensive medical training to allow him to work with the Doctors in providing the procedure, and training Doctors, and additional technical personnel.  In April 2015 he went into semi-retirement and only works when the patient load requires extra help. Phil and his wife Lynn have been happily married for over 46 years.  They have been living in Wenonah, N.J. for the past 12 years.  They have 3 daughters.  Denise and Andrea live with their husbands in near-by communities of N.J.  Dianne, the youngest lives with her husband in Florida near Tampa.  Phil’s favorite past time is still boating and watching happy people smile!

A few of us 'boots' joined the Weeks in GTMO after a long flight on a prop plane from Norfolk.  I served in the deck force and then supply from November of 68 until two weeks before decommissioning.  I was transferred to the USS Cascade AD16 for about a year and after making 3rd I was transferred to the Naval Weapons station Yorktown Va. for the remainder of my enlistment.  I left the Navy and began a career in the construction trade, working on Chicago's 'deep tunnel' project for 12 years and after an injury I changed careers to driving a truck over the road.  After two years of that nonsense, I started working for a redi mix company as a concrete truck driver and retired from that after 30 years.  My wife and I have 3 all grown up kids with 7 grandchildren and now travel all over the country with our camper. Charleston will make the 9th reunion my wife and I have attended and we truly enjoy the friendships and stories of old. 

Bob joined the Navy in 1967 after graduating from California State College with a BS in Education. He came aboard the Weeks in 1967 and worked in engineering department as the MPA and was the ships education and testing advisor.  During the Mid-East cruise he was responsible for developing the Mid-East 1967 cruise book.  Bob left the Weeks in August 1968 for Patrol Boat River (PBR) training in California with assignment to River Division 532 in Vietnam.  After Vietnam, he was assigned to the Defense Contract Administration Service Agency in Pittsburgh PA as assistance Chief of the Northern Operation Branch. Bob left naval service one day and started working as a DOD Army civilian the next day at the Army Continuing Education System (ACES) office Fort Lee, VA.  During his 10 year stay at Fort Lee he was assigned as a Counselor, Curriculum Developer for the Quartermaster School, and Education Service Officer.  During this period he married Kathleen and graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a MS degree in Adult Education. In 1981 Bob was transferred to Heidelberg Germany working for the Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations in the ACES program and served as the Project Transition Officer and the Budget Officer. In 1988, he was transferred to the Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Monroe, Virginia working with ACES as a budget officer and informational technology specialist.  During his tenure in ACES he served as Chief of the Joint Committee on Computer Based Instruction and Acting Director for the ACES program for the North East Region Office.  In 2008, Bob retired after 41 years of government service with the Navy and Army. Bob’s decorations include: Bronze Star Medal w/Combat “V”, Presidential Unit Citation, Navy Unit commendation, Vietnam Service Medal (4 stars), National Defense Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal w/date bar, Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry w/bronze star.

Bob joined the Navy in 1967 after graduating from California State College with a BS in Education. He came aboard the Weeks in 1967 and worked in engineering department as the MPA and was the ships education and testing advisor.  During the Mid-East cruise he was responsible for developing the Mid-East 1967 cruise book.  Bob left the Weeks in August 1968 for Patrol Boat River (PBR) training in California with assignment to River Division 532 in Vietnam.  After Vietnam, he was assigned to the Defense Contract Administration Service Agency in Pittsburgh PA as assistance Chief of the Northern Operation Branch. Bob left naval service one day and started working as a DOD Army civilian the next day at the Army Continuing Education System (ACES) office Fort Lee, VA.  During his 10 year stay at Fort Lee he was assigned as a Counselor, Curriculum Developer for the Quartermaster School, and Education Service Officer.

As our Chaplain her primary duty is to be the point of contact for notification of illness or death of any Association Member or the Member's immediate family and take appropriate action. In addition, conduct the devotional and memorial services Association events if required.