There are shipmates who have belonged to our association since as early as 1988, and there are a number that have only belonged for a few years. Let's remember that the older members were recruited by writing letters, telephoning and scanning lists and lists of names that were available from the Navy Department after the war...

(Thanks to the Bogue Reunion Association Group, and particularly to Omer Olson, for the information and photos.)

1988 – Pensacola, Fla.

VC-42 group invited those that they knew of to their reunion in Pensacola, Fla. It was at this reunion that we formed The Bogue Reunion Association Group. It was a great get-together.

1990 – San Diego, Calif.

1992 – Harrisburg, Pa.

Our group of 12 included Bookbinder, Jones, Soden, DeRocher, Lechner, Stengel and their wives.

1993 – Nashville, Tenn.

We piggybacked with ECSAA. About 28 of us. They included Pat Ryan who was our President and also Secretary of ECSAA and Jim Priestly who was one of the Governors.

1994 – Reno, Nev. (3–6 October), and Virginia Beach, Va. (22–25 October)

We met with the VC-42 group in Reno (24 men, 5 not in photo). Later we held another piggyback reunion with ECSAA in Virginia Beach. Jack Bookbinder was elected President of the Bogue Reunion Association.

1995 – Dearborn, Mich. (16–20 September)

We took the "bull by the horns" and went alone in Dearborn, Mich. We had a great response: 31 men. It was also the time that "Jack" brought the Bogue's bell to Michigan. What a guy! Carried that bell in the trunk of his car for months after retrieving it from somewhere in Washington, D.C.

1996 – Charleston, S.C. (13–16 September)

With the ECSAA group. The highlight of the reunion was a ceremony aboard the Yorktown. We placed our ship's bell and other artifacts aboard in their Museum.

1997 – Las Vegas, Nev. (6–8 October)

Las Vegas, Nev.—it was a gambler's holiday! Forty-six men, 15 of them plankowners. Six signalmen reunited for the first time since the end of the war.

1998 – Williamsburg, Va. (18–21 October)

Twenty-nine men. Bill Lakin was elected our new President. He became ill while in Williamsburg, recovered enough to make the trip back to California, but he met an untimely death in June 1999.

1999 – New Orleans, La. (17–19 October)

2000 – Cape Cod, Mass. (15–18 October)

2001 – Pigeon Forge, Tenn. (21–25 October)

Twenty-seven men.

2002 – Seattle, Wash. (12–16 September)

Nineteen men.

2003 – Alexandria, Va. (17–20 September)

Fifteen men.

2004 – Toledo, Ohio (16–20 September)

2005 – Jacksonville, Fla. (13–17 October)

2006 – Pigeon Forge, Tenn. (12–15 October)

2007 – Nashville, Tenn. (7–11 October)

2008 – Bremerton, Wash. (reunion canceled)

2009 – Branson, Mo.