October 2009, Restoration Report for USS Joseph P Kennedy Jr DD850

October 2009 Field Day :

Our Crew :

Don Furlong
Bobby Young (USS Patterson FF-1061)
Ed Zajkowski (USS Keppler DD765)
Rich Angelini (NAVSEA)
Rob Angelini (NAVSEA)
Ronald Almeida (USS Franklin D. Roosevelt CV-42)
Bill Rader (WW2 Vet, USS Compton)
Phil Martorano (USS Miller DD535)
Bill Strause (USS Miller DD535)
Carl Swanson (US Navy Sea Cadet)
Harold Swanson (USS Brownson DD868)
Bill Hamilton (USS Barry DD933)
Bob Washburn (USS William R. Rush DD715)
Dave Stawicki (Shipkeeper)
Tom Publicover (USS Robert Owens DD827)
Al Lundgren (USS John Paul Jones DD932)
Jim Mulvihill (USS Waldron DD692)
Owen Hayes (USS Waldron DD692)
And 10 NAPS Students led by Phil Solt


Total Crew aboard USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr DD850 for the October Mini Field Day:
28

Field Day work Projects taken on by our CREW:

-- Tour guides for the USS Myles C Fox DD-829 CREW
-- Assisted with boiler repairs for ship's heating system
-- Recorded and photographed draft marks on ship for US Navy documentation
-- Winterized the ship by installing exterior vent openings
-- Moved ice cream machine to permanent location in steam line for display
-- Manned storeroom and supported organization of such.
-- Authored disaster prevention/recovery plans for fire, flooding + storm
-- Cut sheet metal, drilled bolt holes and fixed it to the plenum chamber opening in the Mk 25 Fire Control Room to help winterize the ship. This is a permanent repair to stop moisture and cold air from building up in this soon to be restored space.
-- Completed Plexiglas display in Steam line with the addition of metal trays, utensils, and glasses. Still on lookout for original Bakelite style US military cups and bowls used by DD850 crew for drinking. Also, looking for tray dispenser rack for steam line as current setup looks great for display but would never have held up at sea.
-- Opened Destroyer artifact display case in Burke Museum and placed the last flag of the USS Wilkes DD441 on display.
-- Made a new Plexiglas cover for the TV in the Burke Museum with a pilot hole to allow the TV to be manually turned off.
-- Misc Plumbing repairs

NAPS Report for Saturday, September 17 Mini Field Day by Bob Washburn, Volunteer Coordinator:

Ten NAPS midshipman candidates (M/Cs) reported aboard, to continue their work helping to restore and preserve USS Kennedy.
Bill Hamilton cooked and served snacks and lunch for the combined volunteer and NAPS crew.

Bobby Young led a four person team continuing his multi year effort to bring the ship's boatswain's locker to finished status. M/C's chipped paint and primed bulkhead and frame surfaces from 0815 to 1430.

Al Lundgren and two NAPSters finished the restoration of after diesel generator space, painting the deck.

Two NAPSters cleaned the overhead of the mess deck, getting the space ready for further cleaning, masking and paint prep, for Dave Stawicki to spray paint the mess deck late in November.

Once painting is done, we plan to restore the naugahyde seats and seatbacks to their original color and condition. After this project, they bolted down teletype machines in radio central for Maury Crouteau.

Finally, several NAPSters painted railings, Pelorus stand from the USS Thorn DD647, a K-gun, and other equipment; and cleaned the plastic display cover surfaces in the Burke National Destroyermens Museum.

Notes on Projects:

1. The After Diesel Emergency Generator space has been restored. Please see the enclosed photos sent in by Al Lundgren. It looks great.

2. The MK 25 Fire Control Room is coming along nicely. All loose paint has been removed, the bulkheads primed, and the plenum chamber cutout has been sealed. Rob Angelini mentioned that he is going to put insulation over the cutout as well as use a special primer for some metal surfaces.

3. The US Navy Sea Cadets stationed aboard DD850 have repainted all the furniture in the Supply Office to the correct light navy gray as well as began the process of putting all the artifacts back out for display. Since some might not know, our offices spaces on DD850 --though used-- are restored to their 1960s appearance and any modern or non-relevant items to that space must be hidden from view from the public. We await the arrival of a Mimeograph machine from CA to go in to Supply. Thanks to the Levesque family for all their work!

4. As mentioned above, Bobby Young has continued his quest to restore the Bosun Locker on DD850 with the help on NAPS. A second coat of white paint was put in the locker itself while the chipping and cleanup of the Windlass Room began.

Upcoming and Continuing Projects:

1. Touch up paint in B-4 After Engine Room
2. Complete Steam line (Almost finished)
3. Complete Prep/Prime of 01 Torpedo Deck and Tubes
4. Complete MK 25 Fire Control Room
5. Continue CIC restoration
6. Move Welder in ASROC Magazine and load up remaining 6 missiles received from the US Navy
7. Detail Port side main deck
8. Complete BOSUN Locker

Notes: As always, Special thanks to the increased helping hand from cove employees Rui Moniz and Dave Stawicki.

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Special News:

1. The USS Myles C Fox DD829 had their annual reunion in October 2009 that coincided with our 16-17-18 October Mini Field Day. The DD829 Association donated a total of $1050 to restoration projects on the ship with Mike Matthews donating another $300 in maintenance supplies. They hope to be able to provide us future grants and we plan on putting their money to good use aboard! Thanks to the Myles C. FOX DD829 crew and their support of KENNEDY. As I mentioned to this great group, this Gearing is your Gearing and what we do aboard represents all the ships!

2. The New England Tin Can Sailors Bull Session for 2009 was hosted at Battleship Cove and at the Tin Can Sailors Office in Somerset, MA. Volunteers gave tours and opened up our ship.

3. Its is with great pleasure that I announce that two members of the volunteer crew of the USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr DD850 have been recognized and presented awards for 2009 by the Historic Naval Ship Association. One has yet to be presented so we will recognize that individual later but I am pleased to announce that the:

HNSA Ship Maintenance/Preservation/Exhibition Award was presented to our own, Al Lundgren. This award is for a Fleet Member staff or volunteer person who has provided exemplary work on a daily basis toward the long term maintenance and preservation of an historic naval vessel and/or toward the proper exhibition of that vessel to the general public.

Al Lundgren , a Radioman on the USS John Paul Jones DD932, spent 2 to 3 days a week for the past year painstakingly preparing, cleaning, and painting the Combat Information Center (CIC), SONAR, and Undersea Battle Space aboard USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr. DD850 at Battleship Cove. Along with the cosmetic painting, Al reinstalled missing equipment, added sound powered phone headsets and battle lanterns, and detailed all compartment signage and brass to bring this space back to its original late 1960s appearance. To further highlight this outstanding achievement, Al used photos from USS Steinaker and strip trip acquisition items to develop plans to duplicate the missing Command Control Monitor in SONAR. Once the plan was developed, Al utilized a local machine shop at his cost to duplicate the item, which he then installed in a completely restored SONAR room. Al's achievement in CIC is paralleled with his participation in the completion of the restoration of the Pilot House aboard DD850 in which he took on the task of painting the overhead and bulkhead, sandblasted various metal components at his own cost, mounted original signage and minor missing pieces of equipment, and detailing out the space. Over the past few years, Al's multiday visit to KENNEDY has also seen the completion of the Bridge foyer, touching up Radio Central, and many other projects. We respectfully submitted Al Lundgren for this award based upon his tireless work to restore compartments on USS Joseph P. Kennedy Jr DD850 to exhibit and preserve these areas to the Public in their original 1960s appearance.

Congrats Al!

4. Our field day listing for the whole year can be found by going to http://jpkennedyjr.webs.com/field.html <http://jpkennedyjr.webs.com/field.html>

5. The 20-21-22 November Mini Field Day is fast approaching and the NAPS students will be aboard. Please email us to let us know who is coming. Any food services for those staying overnight will need to be coordinated with Battleship Cove so please send us a email.

6. Peter Papadakos is arriving on 7 November to offload a shipment of artifacts from Vietnam era ships that were moored in Suisun Bay, CA. Any help from volunteers is appreciated. We hope to start work around 0800!

7. Courtesy Reminder: If you plan to work in a space aboard ship that has already been restored/painted, please use extreme caution. Try to get any mechanical or electrical work done before painting has taken place. As someone who paints I can tell you that no one wants to redo the painting of an area or space they already have completed. Your shipmates will appreciate it!

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"Don't Miss the Boat!"
History and this ship depend on You! Join the effort.
Fair winds and following seas,
Rich Angelini
Asst Curator, JPK DD850