It always comes as a shock when I discover that one of our shipmates has passed on. I know it should be expected because many of us are approaching that age, some more rapidly than others, but it is a shock none the less.
Now that I’m heavily involved in the Master Sailing List Missing Shipmate project, poring over personnel records, often for several hours a day, it is even more disappointing when I discover that our shipmate has passed on before he ever had a chance to reconnect with his shipmates through the www.ssn-680.org website. After all, reconnecting is what the website is there for.
So it is with a heavy heart that I report to you the passing of MMC(SS) Gary R. Morrison, 1942 – 2012, and YNC(SS) Guss G. Pappas, 1934 – 2017.
Chief Morrison arrived onboard the Bates on May 21, 1974, and retired from the Navy after 20 years. He passed away on May 12, 2012, and is buried in New London.
Chief Pappas was one of the first Yeoman on the Bates, arriving just after Christmas in 1971. He passed away on November 8, 2017 and was buried with full honors in the Fort Indiantown Gap National Cemetery in Annville, PA. The photo above is Guss’ casket prior to interment, with gratitude to his son Matt, who is an active member on the website.
You can read the obituaries of Gary and Guss on their Honors pages, following the links from Honors >> Eternal Patrol.
Not just one, but two of our shipmates have crossed the bar without them being reminded of what they meant to us. Don’t waste any time if there is someone you need to reconnect with. All of us know the certainty of our fate, and there is not a moment to lose. Find their profile on the www.ssn-680.org website, and take advantage of the information we make available to help you track them down.
You will not regret making the effort.
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