Newsletter Special for 3/11/2009
	Last week, Rex Mills, nephew of Gunner Carl Burbank visited the website and left a very complimentary message.    I responded with an email message.     This is his answer.    The letter is so long and interesting, I decided it was worth a Special Newsletter.    Rex poses several questions in his email which I will endeavor to answer.     Yes, there are many interesting stories about Carl Burbank.     He and Bill Gillie transferred from PC 1133 at the same time.    Bill was one of our finest officers.     In our Bulletin 10 of 1999, Bill provided a story he called "Squall Aboard" about some ship's adventures on the Brisbane River in 1944.   "Guns" was a prime character in the story.   I had it from Bill Gillie himself that "Guns" was Carl Burbank.    The story can be read at the website.    In Bill's own terminology, Carl was built "like an oak tree" and it is not surprising that Carl became logger.    A recent TV series called "Axmen" offers the life and times of axmen, although it was probably more axe than chainsaw in those days.   If I remember correctly, another of our shipmates had a career in the forests; Tom Buntin of Oregon.    PC 1132 and PC 1133 worked in tandem on several occasions, and notably were paired in the invasion of Noemfoor Island.    After the war, PC 1133 got its PR department working, early as Bill Veigele will attest .    Rex mentions service numbers.    I remember mine clearly.   Records say 625-27-45 but my memory says 62-52-745.    We thank him for his service also.      Ed Sidebottom =========== Hi Ed,  I really enjoyed looking at the pictures....a nice historical record...I love old pictures.  I remember Uncle Carl talking about Geep.  I enjoyed seeing the several pictures that Carl was in.   Check me out on this.   If I remember right Carl was on PC 1133 before coming to the Gray Ghost 1132.  Do  you recall anything about that?  When Carl got back to Oregon he stayed with us for awhile.  He cut timber on Prairie Mt just west of Monroe OR.  He worked for Pope and Talbot.  When that job finished Carl moved to Yachats due west of Prairie Mt where he lived for several years and continued cutting timber.  He and Bobbie were married during this time.  In the early 1950's they  moved North to central Lincoln Co. to the little Indian town of Siletz.  He fell timber for Georgia Pacific while there.  When they cut out there they moved to Shelton WA(around the late 60's) and began cutting for Simpson Timber Co.  By the time most of their old growth had been cut, Carl decided to retire from the woods, moved to Orchard Point WA, and got back to the Navy where he finished his working days as a rigger at the Bremerton Ship Yards.  He seemed to love Bremerton and the Navy connection just like he did falling timber.... Oh, the stories he had to tell about life in the woods.  He let me know when my ship ended up Bremerton in 1994 after 40 years of active duty with the US Navy.  She was the USS Conquest MSO 488...the most decorated US wooden ocean minesweeper.  I was a plank owner. We put her in commission  in 1955 (Tacoma WA) then took her to Long Beach CA where she was home ported most of her career.  She spent a few years in Hawaii and Seattle near the end of her run. She had many trips to the western Pacific and the Gulf as well. We sold her and 4 other MSO to the Republic of China where they still serve today!   Boy that's a long run! I have been going to write before now.  I got myself involved in down scaling to a smaller house.  The move really cut into my free time!!  Started Aug.1 and finished Nov. 7....Now all I have left is a bunch of boxes in the garage that won't fit in the small house.  I'm waiting for some warm weather before I start dealing with all that material wealth.    Thanks for the quick response! I got a kick out of the comment in the Newsletter where you or somebody couldn't remember their service number.  I still remember mine...4951462. I joined the Naval Reserve when I was a senior in high school in 1953...did my 2yrs of active duty 55-57 got out, went to college...and taught high school Biology (some Earth Science, Chemistry, and Forestry)  I finished my 30 years of teaching in 1992.  Then worked for my wife as her Real Estate Gopher for 12 years. (a big part of which was part time). If you have any Carl stories I would like to hear them. Thank you for your Service! Rex Mills