Tales of an Asia Sailor – 2nd Anniversary

Garland Davis

Monday, November 27 marks two years since I created and began posting the Crap, true and not, that wanders through my mind on Tales of an Asia Sailor. I have tried to post each day. In addition to my own ravings, I have reached out to Shipmates David McAllister, John Petersen, Okie Bob Layton, Captain Jim Barton, Captain John Wallace, Jerry Juliana, Pat Dingle, Jerry Collins, Kurt Stuvengen, and others (if I haven’t mentioned you, it isn’t because I don’t appreciate your participation, it just speaks to my ability to forget almost everything). I have borrowed from renowned Diesel Boat sailor and storyteller “Dex” Armstrong for his view of the diesel submarine world.

The title, Tales of an Asia Sailor, was taken from an association of which I am a proud plank owner and founding member. The Asia Sailor Westpac’rs Association is a membership of almost seven hundred sailors who served in Asia during World War II, the Korean Conflict, the Vietnam War, throughout the Cold War, until the present. I am proud to be a founding member of the website asiasailor.com and the Facebook group ASIA SAILOR Westpac’rs Association.

Qualifications to join either the website or the Facebook group are simple, you must have pulled at least one liberty as a member of an afloat or ashore unit in Asia. Membership is free; there are no costs or fees to join either entity.

We have conducted five extremely successful reunions in Branson Missouri since forming the Association, and plans are well underway for the sixth reunion scheduled for May 2018 at the Clarion Hotel in Branson. Sea stories abound, and many activities are available. It is the most fun you’ll ever have with your clothes on. Information regarding the reunion can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/120546611951817/

I am overwhelmed by the reception of my stories and the Blog. My stories have been viewed by people all over the world, from countries on each of the continents, even Antarctica. I am humbled by the comments from the many readers and the compliments on my inadequate attempts to tell my tales and our stories. During the previous two years, there have been over 275,000 individual viewings of articles. Overwhelmed doesn’t describe my feelings and amazement.

I wish to say Thank You to everyone who follows and reads Tales. I also extend my thanks to each of you who have shared and passed along the link to friends and shipmates.

I created the Blog as a venue for my writing. I didn’t start Tales for personal enrichment. I gain no monetary benefit from Tales and I haven’t permitted any advertising (we get enough of that elsewhere). I pay annually for the site and the domain name and am happy to do so.

Anyone wishing to contact me with a story idea, comment on something I have written, or to inquire about becoming a member of the Asia Sailor Westpac’rs Association can do so at the following e-mail address:

davisg022@hotmail.com

Thanks again and have a great Navy Day Shipmates!