USS Charles F. Adams DDG-2

ACVA Member/Association Update
May 10, 2008

This is an update on the status of our Donation Application submission to NAVSEA PMS-333 for the berthing of the ex-USS CHARLES F. ADAMS (DDG-2) in Jacksonville, FL. In preparing the Application, the eight core ACVA team members expended over 2100 hours of in-kind work in three months to complete the 826 pages of the 3-Volume Application. Thanks to the efforts of Pete Mansel, Jim Aldrich, Bob Rumney, Bert Watson, Wayne Misenar, Craig Bernat, and Tom Crosser, the Application was completed on March 28. The Application was submitted to NAVSEA on March 31 by the joint team of ACVA and our "sister” organization, the Jacksonville Historic Naval Ship Association (JHNSA). A summary of our Application is currently available on the ACVA web site, http://www.adamsclassddgvets.org/.

We have expended the majority of donated support from ACVA members and Ship Associations to pay for the marketing and engineering services required to prepare the Donation Application. We still need additional financial support to complete payment for a portion of the berthing design work that was done in support of the Application. We ask all DDG-2 Ship Associations to encourage their members to join the ACVA in its effort to save CHARLES F. ADAMS, the surviving ship of the class. When you look at the summary of the Donation Application that is now posted on our web site, it is obvious that the whole focus of the ADAMS class museum in Jacksonville will be to memorialize all 23 ships of the class. Planning for local fund raising events in the Jacksonville area is in progress. We have received several corporate donations and we are contacting other potential corporate sponsors. But to continue our efforts to get the Ship Donation Application approved by the Navy and to begin planning for the restoration effort, the continued support of DDG-2 class veterans will be essential in the short term. Since the beginning of 2008, we have had 150 new members and over 125 new ACVA Plank Owner Donors join ACVA. We would appreciate your help in raising the additional funds we require, and especially in locating more of our shipmates who can join the ACVA and help us in this important effort. New ACVA members and donors can follow instructions on the ACVA web site for credit card or mail submissions to ACVA Secretary Dave Myerly for membership or donations.

Thanks to all for your continued support, Bob Branco, ACVA President.