|
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
I often think back and marvel at "The Little Gentle Man with the Submarine Museum by the side of a busy highway". People give you gifts, some you value...some not so much, but that old curmudeon John Wynn...Old Niantic John gave me the gift of knowing Gentle Ben. No man ever handed another man a greater or more wonderful gift. To those who never met Ben, it would be damn near impossible to describe the man or the house he lived in. Every inch of his home was dedicated to the perpetuation of the history of American submarines...even his kitchen and bathrooms. Plaques, patches, WWII memorabilia, a full set of hard hat diving dress, a mannequin dressed in WWII era thirteen button dress blues complete with flat hat....ship models, most of which were made by Ben...letters, wartime posters, photos...captured memorabilia sent to him by active duty wartime boatsailors wearing the Submarine Combat Patrol pins or by their wives on their instructions as to how to dispose of after their death, their WWII memories and evidence of what they were, where they went and what they did to secure total and absolute victory over Italy, Germany and Japan in 1945. Yes sir, we owe Ben a debt impossible to repay. I hope that Saint Peter offers Ben a "seventy two" every now and then so his spirit can sneak down to 40 School Street and let Wynn and Gumba buy him a beer (maybe two) and tell him how his treasures...the ones he assembled over a lifetime, are inspiring lads who might find themselves one day stepping down from the buses that picked em' up at the train station...and dropped them off in front of Dealey Center at the Basic Enlisted Submarine School at SubBase New London. Ben Bastura you are missed, kind and gentle sir, and it would be impossible for this old wornout coot to forget you. DEX |
|
| |
|
Senior Crew
Posts: 157
Location: Clarinda, IA | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
Fortunately Ben won't be forgotten as John Crouse has Ben's museum down at St. Mary's where it is an important and much viewed part of the Museum. Also one of the most prestigious awards given each year in USSVI is the Ben Bastura Historical Achievement Award. This award and it's criteria was put together by some Lockwood Internet Members on purpose so that people who have worked as Ben did to honor and remember our submarines and crew, would be recognized in a small way by receiving an award in Ben's name. Ben was a LIFE member of LIB and one of our most valuable members. People such as Jim Christley, John Crouse, Paul Wittmer and Greg Zonner have been honored by receiving the award. Ben will live on in the memories of those who live the creed as he did. The winner that the judges, picked this year is just as deserving and will be announced at the convention. Viejo |
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
Viejo, So beautifully put. What the Lockwood Base has done is a most appropriate and a well deserved tribute to this wonderful man. They should be deservedly proud of themselves. To have one's name connected with the name of this absolutely dedicated individual...a small man with a heart the size of Kansas, should make any boatsailor proud as punch. John Wynn, Jim Christley, John Carrciapolo and others who comprise the "Hole in the Wall Gang" of 40 School Street were among his strongest supporters. I never have heard ONE critical comment regarding this highly regarded and universally loved gentleman. Thanks Viejo, a wonderful post. As long as I'm around Ben Bastura will have one deeply devoted fan and supporter. DEX |
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
Viejo, When you go to the HOME PAGE of this site, you will see what I call a click-on entitled TRIBUTES go there and scroll down to the bottom category and select BEN BASTURA and read the tributes. I don't think that I have ever known anyone that had those kind of things said about them....ALL DESERVED. DEX |
|
| |
|
Senior Crew
Posts: 157
Location: Clarinda, IA | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
Dex, can't find the site you have mentioned. Please post it again and I'll go look. I have lots of pictures of Ben and his museum, but hopefully will see some new ones. It's been quite some time, but just so others know, it was a post by Dex several years ago stating that Ben should have something done for him to be remembered by that led to the idea of putting up an award in his name. Art and I talked for quite sometime and I was pretty adamant about some of the things that anyone receiving this award would have to have done. We have been fortunate that so far we have been able to find people who meet those standards so that their being designated as a winner of the Ben Bastura Historical Achievenment Award also lets others know of how outstanding Ben's work was. I am quite prepared to suggest the award not be given in a year that those being considered don't meet those standards. Viejo |
|
| |
|
Great Sage of the Sea
Posts: 590
Location: Colton, NY | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
Dex,
Don't know if you recall this section from the old USSVI website but if
you go HERE and scroll down to the Ben Bastura link you will find
the archived pages.
Sid |
|
| |
|
Senior Crew
Posts: 157
Location: Clarinda, IA | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
Sid, thanks. I had seen that quite some time ago, but forgot where it came from. I'll save it this time. Viejo |
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3670
Location: Kansas City Missouri | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
This is the page Dex was referring to http://www.submarinesailor.com/InMemorium/BenBastura.asp |
|
| |
|
Senior Crew
Posts: 157
Location: Clarinda, IA | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
Thanks, Gary. That one I do have in my files. Somewhere I might still have pictures of when Gumba and John W. took Ben the copier we bought for him. He was always appreciative of anything anyone did and so surprised that someone would think about him. Really a very humble person who knew a lot more about subs and their crews than most of us every will. Viejo |
|
| |
|
Admin
Posts: 2297
Location: Renton, WA | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
Many don't know but when an icon of the submarine world received their final orders, I always try to do a tribute to them and my standard procedure is to ask Dex to do the opening dialog or keynote address. I've asked numerous times and Dex has never let me down to date. Thanks for Ben's Dex... there was NO doubt it came from the heart! |
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
At some point I had heard that someone was considering issuing an award in Ben's name. A lot of things that are under consideration die in the incubation process. Thi award in Ben's name and the strict criteria outlined by Viejo is an OUTSTANDING WAY to honor this gentleman. I apologize for not knowing the others but I do have the honor of knowing Chief Christly and being part of any company he's a part of, tells volumes about the others. Viejo, when I visited Ben's Roadside Submarine Museum he had just gotten the copy machine you, Prince John of Niantic and Gumba had gotten for him. Wynn told me how Ben (at his own expense) would get a call from some author, old crew member, interested person, requesting information regarding a particular boat....and Gentle Ben would go out to his file cabinet crowded kitchen and find his file on that boat...get in his car and BACK OUT onto a highway where traffic moved at the speed of sound...(Imagine backing an old "seen better days" car out on the track while the Daytona 500 was taking place. He would drive to the Post Office and pop quarters into one of those Jesse James Xerox machines, buy an envelope...put in the copied material, pay the postage and mail it off. The recipients never knew that the material was supplied at no cost by a dear little man, living on a severely limited income, funded out of his own pocket. If the Submarine Force could be empowered to confer sainthood on worthy individuals, Ben should head the list of candidates along with Cowboy (G. McLaulflin), Sid Harrison, Tom "Old Gringo" Parks, Don Gentry, Ron Martini, Conlon,Householder, Wynn, Gumba.Jim Christly..Oh hell you get the idea....if I keep going, at some point I'm going to leave some very worthy individual out and find myself snorkeling in the manure pile (to be continued) |
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: (To be continued....continued)
If it hadn't been for the courtesy and concern shown to me by John Wynn, I would NEVER have met Ben. I'm a person who feels that we all, to include myself go through life packing seabag loads of mostly unnecessary crap...When in the final analysis the only thing you collect in life that has ANY true value and meaning, is the friendship of good people and their remembrance of you is the only after death legacy that you have by which your worth can be measured. If so, Ben Bastura died an extremely rich man. Viejo, I feel much better knowing how you and your mates chose to honor this man. Very well thought out. I also like the fact that you didn't concoct some bulls**t homogenized "everybody gets one" CrackerJack handout...but a true honor to be inducted into the circle of tribal elders who join Ben around the campfire and pass around that cigar box whose meager contribution contents once funded the loving operation of Ben's Beside the Highway No Charge Submarine Museum. Bless each and everyone of you. DEX |
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
I hope you guys don't mind but from time to time, I'm going to toss another log on the fire, so my old dear friend's memory won't start to fade to glowing embers and go out. There are a lot of submarine icons I never had an opportunity to meet and get to know, that have awards given in their names. (Hey, There's a project for the AMERICAN SUBMARINER...doing biographies of the founding fathers, the Big Kahunah's, Behind the Scenes Shoemakers Elves, Operational Sparkplugs and Duly Ordained Saints.) I want people to know Ben...who and what he was. In short I want everyone in USSVI to share in the gift, John Wynn gave me and my little blue-eyed blond Norwegian...My Solveig. DEX |
|
| |
|
Senior Crew
Posts: 157
Location: Clarinda, IA | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
And John Wynn is another gentle giant that has done a lot for years that many don't know about. It is the people like this that don't get in the news that keep organizatoins like USSVI going. Viejo |
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
Viejo, NOBODY thinks more of John and Lynn Wynn than me and my late bride do and did. I know, first hand, of John's dedication, loyalty and friendship. John is a true shipmate in the truest sense of the term. John and Lynn's hospitality, goodwill and ability to make strangers comfortable, is legendary. Solveig was a wonderful judge of people and she loved John and Lynn and recognized the kindness that flowed from their generous hearts. No, I don't take a backseat to anyone when it comes to love and respect for both of them. As for knowing what John did and still does for ALL of us, I know...I've been the beneficiary of more than my share of it and have driven to New London to do things for USSVI simply because he asked...nobody has given more of themselves to the submarine community. Ben Bastura would do catwheels through the streets of Heaven if you guys awarded your Ben Bastura tribute to "his" wonderful friend, benfactor and number one supporter. You can still see the smile in John's eyes even today when he speaks of Ben. How you guys have missed Gentle John in that list of awardees, escapes me. Do you have any idea how many folks such as myself, John shephered out to Ben's house...a boatload, I can assure you. He personally gave me an opportunity to shake Gumba's hand, Jim Christly's hand, Conlon's, Householder's hand...give my dear friend Tommy Cox a long overdue hug...meet folks I had heard about but never had the honor of meeting. Speaking of Ben's award....How about Tommy Cox, a man who has given more to the men who wore Dolphins than any other ten men. Yes, I know about the Crown Prince of 40 School Street and shared communion with him at that wonderful altar they call the bar. DEX |
|
| |
|
COMSUBBBS
Posts: 3202
Location: Alexandria, Virginia | Subject: RE: Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
Oh yes, How about the shaggy rascal who runs this chicken ranch and herds these unsalvagable reprobates on this perpetual cattle drive? Don Gentry? The kind of shipmate who picks up drunken shipmates from seaport gutters and packs them into taxis, pays the fare back to their boat and returns their wallets to their Duty Officers? You couldn't do better...Ben would approve. DEX |
|
| |
Let's Never Forget Ben Bastura
