Perch Base held its Annual Awards Banquet on January 19, 2019, at the Pebble Creek Clubhouse. Our guest speaker was Bob Bissonnette, STSCS(SS), (ret), and now a TEMPALT Install Coordinator at the Arctic Submarine Lab.
Members and their guests were welcomed by several of our Board of Directors.
Next year's (2020) Annual Awards Banquet has already been booked at the same location on January 11, 2020, which is the second Saturday of the month, so we won't have a regular meeting that day, just the Banquet.

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The Arizona Silent Service Memorial (ASSM) had several items in the Silent Auction.

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Perch Base Holland Club and Life Member Doug La Rock displayed models of several of the boats he rode and qualified on.

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Our Base Commander, Howard Doyle, introduced our Base Chaplain, Governor Joy, who gave the invocation, and then Howard opened the meeting.

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Perch Base Holland Club Member Bob Wright's great-grandchildren Marley DeGroodt and her brother Trey DeGroodt sang the National Anthem.

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After dinner was served, our Base Membership Chairman, Jim Andrews, conducted the drawing for the Early Bird membership contest. The winner was Herb Herman.

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Western Region Director Jim Denzien conducted the Holland Club Induction Ceremony. Perch Base Life member Vic Van Horn was inducted. Vic qualified in 1969 on the USS Cusk, (SS-348). The current Holland Club members (qualified submarines for 50+ years) stood for the induction of Vic into the Holland Club.
Following the induction ceremony, Jim Denzien administered the Oath of Office to Vic as District Commander Western District 1 (WD1) and read a Letter of Commendation from David Farran for Vic's previous service to the USSVI Chicago Base prior to moving to Phoenix.

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Perch Base Member and Base Chief of the Boat (COB) Carl Miner was selected "Sailor of the Year."
Due to an error, the plaque was not ready at the Annual Awards Banquet and was awarded to Carl at the following regular meeting held February 9, 2019.

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Perch Base Commander Howard Doyle introduced the Guest Speaker, Bob Bissonnette, STSCS(SS), (ret), and now a TEMPALT Install Coordinator at the Arctic Submarine Lab.
Bob was born and raised in Chicago, IL, joined the US Navy and immediately volunteered for submarines, attending Basic Submarine Sonar 'A' and BQQ-5 Operator/Maintenance 'C' School. He received his dolphins September 1984, during an ICEX deployment, 0.6 nautical miles from the true North Pole.
Bob served on USS Gunard (SSN 662), USS Parche (SSN 683), USS Honolulu (SSN 718), USS Richard B. Russell (SSN 687), USS Pogy (SSN 647), USS Salt Lake City (SSN 716), and served as a Ship Sup for Sima Submarine Maintenance Dept. His final tour in the Navy was the Arctic Submarine Laboratory (ASL) as an Installation Coordinator for ASL TEMPALT equipment. Bob retired after 24 years of service as a Senior Chief Petty Officer.
Since December 2008, Bob has been at the Artic Submarine Lab as a TEMPALT Install Coordinator. He has participated in 6 ICE Camps in 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014, 2016 and 2018.
Bob has been awarded 3 NCM (Navy Commendation Medal), 4 NAM (Navy Achievement Medal), 2 PUC (Presidential Unit Citation), 4 NUC (Navy Unit Citation), 3 MUC (Meritorious Unit Commendation), 6 GCM (Good Conduct Medal), 2 EXP Medal (Expeditionary), 7 Sea Service, Global War on Terrorist EXP, Global War on Terrorist Service Medal and the Artic Service Ribbon.
Bob has been active in Subvets since 2000, as a Base Commander, Western District Commander, Western Regional Director and Base Chaplain.
The theme of his presentation at our Annual Awards Banquet was ICEX 2018. Bob also brought some cold weather MRE's (Meal, Ready-to-Eat) for the Perch Base members to sample.

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A Tolling of the Boats ceremony was conducted for the month of January, and the bell was tolled for each of our Perch Base Members who passed on Eternal Patrol since last year's banquet:
George Crider
George Debo

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Perch Base Holland and Life member and Arizona Silent Service Memorial (ASSM) Chairman Tim Moore discussed the progress of the ASSM Memorial at Wesley Bolin Plaza.
Tim thanked our shipmates and friends whose contributions made our 2019 Arizona Silent Service Memorial Silent Auction a huge success. Our contributors were:
Don Unser – ASM Repro of a Colt Model 1849 Pocker Black Powder Revolver
Elaine Tolsma – 100” x 88” Pin Wheel Pattern Quilt
Governor Joy – 30” x 36” Handcrafted Solid Wood American Flag
Mike Dahl – 12" Dia. Stained Glass Perch Base Logo
Vic Van Horn – 24" x 14" Stainless Steel Dolphins
Because of their generous contributions of items for our ASSM 2019 Silent Auction, we raised $625.00 for our memorial project.
Tim also announced the winners of the Silent Auction.

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In closing, our Base Chaplain, Governor Joy, gave the Benediction.

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Members, families and friends attending the banquet. Apologies to any that were up from their tables as pictures were taken.

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