Destroyer Escort Sailors Gather in Bay City, Honor Lost Heroes
Reunion Recalls World War II, Defoe Shipbuilding Contribution to War Effort
June 21, 2003
By: Dave Rogers
Rush Mellinger, left, and Fred Rice, set the table for their fallen comrades.
Bill Defoe, former executive of the Bay City shipbuilding firm, was on hand for the annual event
The table is set for one. The chair is empty.
On the table are a white tablecloth, a single red rose, a red ribbon tied to a vase, a slice of lemon, a pile of salt and an inverted glass.
This is the tradition of the Destroyer Escort Sailors Association (DESA) in honor of their fallen comrades.
The Memorial Service Remembrance Table symbolizes each member of our armed forces who died while defending our Country. Also, our shipmates who were not as fortunate as we and have passedaway.
It is a tender, and touching tradition, repeated Saturday, June 21 at the DESA's Michigan Chapter annual meeting at the Bay Valley Inn. Some 72 persons attended, down 10 from last year because of deaths and illness.
Rush Mellinger, 66, of Portage, Michigan, explained the tradition, which he helps perpetuate by setting the table each time the group meets.
The white tablecloth symbolizes the purity of the sailors' intentions to respond to their Country's call to arms.
The single red rose, displayed in a vase, is a reminder of the families and loved ones who keep the faith even though the missing will not return.
The red ribbon is tied prominently to the vase as a recollection of the blood shed while defending our Country and our way of life.
A slice of lemon on a bread plate is to remind the veterans of the bitter fate of their fallen comrades.
The pile of salt on the plate is symbolic of the tears shed by the families whose husbands, brothers,and sons will not return.
It is a tender tradition which few among the public are aware. A saying popular among veterans of the Viet Nam Conflict is posted on the table. It reads: "Don't cry for me, I did come home. I came home in the hearts and minds of all who served."
"We're losing 1,000 a month," notes Fred Rice, 81, of Livonia, a World War II veteran, speaking of his comrades from that era. He served aboard the USS Richey, DE 385, which guarded troop transports on convoy in the Atlantic as they braved constant threats from German submarines.
Mellinger served aboard the USS Blair, DER 147, in Korea and Viet Nam. The ship did radar picket duty and patrolled the DEW (Distant Early Warning Line) in the Cold War.
The destroyer escorts were called "hunter-killers" for their work against the Nazi subs. "We hunted 'em and sometimes caught 'em, but we didn't always get credit," commented Rice.
The group meets monthly in Howell and holds the annual meeting in various locations. They were very happy with Bay City's accommodations and remarked on the cleanliness and vibrancy of the downtown. They held a memorial service at the veteran's memorial at the county building, had lunch at Old City Hall Restaurant and took two trolley tours given by the Bay County Historical Society. The meeting was arranged by Ron Zarem, West Branch, and Dick Breil, of Riverview, skipper of the Michigan chapter. Breil, 78, is a Coast Guardsman who served aboard the USS Sellstrom, DE 255. He is one of a group of about a dozen chapter members who travel to Albany, New York, twice a year to work on restoring the USS Slater, DE-766, the last destroyer escort still afloat in the U.S. The project is similar to that being planned by the Saginaw Valley Naval Ship Museum, a Bay City group which is attempting to bring the USS Charles F. Adams here and restore it for educational purposes and tourism.
The group heard the history of shipbuilding in Bay City, including that of theDefoe Shipbuilding Co., which built a total of 28 DE type vessels during the war.
They paid tribute to one of their members, William M. Defoe, former executive of the Bay City shipbuilding firm, who was on hand for the annual meeting and dinner.
"Thanks, Mr. Defoe," said one old sailor. "Thanks for building a good ship." The tribute was heartfelt and the applause was deafening. It was a night to remember for the sailors, and the shipbuilder.
The meeting was arranged by Ron Zarem, West Branch, and Dick Breil (pictured above), of Riverview, skipper of the Michigan chapter. Breil, 78, is a Coast Guardsman who served aboard the USS Sellstrom, DE 255.