Shipmates:
Good Day to you all. We want to update everyone on the plans for the reunion being held at Great Lakes Naval Base on July 25-28, 2024. We have been able to block 35 rooms at the Navy Lodge. There is a possibility more can be blocked at a later date.
These are standard rooms with two queen beds each. The price is $100 per night total, no taxes. Rooms have been renovated in 2023 and all of the amenities are shown on the web site. They include a small fridge, microwave, coffee maker, tv and WiFi.
To view amenities and photos of the facility go to https://www.navy-lodge.com/Great-Lakes. There is a continental breakfast in the mornings and a nice lobby area in addition to an outdoor patio area where folks can sit and visit.
The sponsor for these rooms for the reunion is AD1 David E Butts. Those who do not have retired ID cards, VA Medical ID Cards or VA ID Cards can still book these rooms. To make a reservation, call the phone number listed below and mention VP60 Reunion to get the group rate. Dates are Thursday July 25, 2024 arrival – Sunday July 28, 2024 Departure. If you need to check in a day or so earlier, that is OK. Also if you don’t check in till the 26th, that is OK too. Cutoff date for booking reservations is June 25, 2024
Contact Information is:
Navy Lodge Great Lakes
2500 Meridian Drive
Great Lakes, IL 60088
847-689-1485 press “4” for the front desk
Gateway Inn & Suites reservations cannot be made until 25 June, 2024 because this is considered “leisure” travel. July room rate will be $137/per night. Must have a retired military ID or a 100% Disabled VA ID. At this time we are unable to secure a block of rooms at Gateway Inn. Reservations can be made by calling Navy Gateway Reservations at 877-NAVY-BED (877-628-9233). For information regarding the Great Lakes Navy Gateway Inn & Suites you can call 224-637-2104 or visit their website https://ngis.dodlodging.net/propertys/Naval-Station-Great-Lakes
Address:
Naval Station Great Lakes
For those of you who have an RV, there is an RV Park on the base. They have 30 sites with 30/50 amp electric at the site with central water and rv dump available. Price is $26/per night. For information about the park you can call (847) 688-6675. Authorized users: Active/National/Guard/Reservist/Retired/DAV/PH/MH/POW/DoD Civilian
These can be booked through Navy Gateway Reservations, (877) 628-9233.
Events we are working on:
Thursday July 25
Meet and Greet 1600-1900 Site TBD (may be off base) Cost may be about $25/per person
Friday July 26
Pig Roast at/ Nunn Beach on base.1300-1700 Cost approx $35/pp
Pig Roast Menu:
Whole Roasted Pig
Chicken – Bone-in BBQ Chicken
Baked Beans
Corn on the Cob – Butter
Garden Fresh Tossed Salad
Fresh greens served with your choice of three dressings.
Tomato, Green Pepper & Onion Salad
Fresh Fruit Salad
Grandma’s Potato Salad (not sure whose grandma’s recipe)
Cole slaw
Assorted Beverages (including beer, wine, sodas and water)
Saturday July 27
Dinner site TBD 1800-2100 Cost will be approx $45/pp Menu TBD. Guest speaker will be CNSTC RDML Craig Mattingly who also served as a P3 and P8 NFO.
Sunday July 28
Farewell Breakfast/Brunch 0800-1100 location TBD
We are also working on several other possible events such as a golf outing, river/lake cruise, museum visit and Battle Station Tour.
Lastly, to better plan we would like to get an understanding of how many participants we can be looking at for these events. For a link to a survey please send an email to admin (at) VP60.com, we will reply with a link. Please complete and submit the survey so we can get a better headcount. Reservation forms will be sent out at a later date.
We will continue to keep everyone informed as we progress with the reunion planning and look forward to seeing many of you in July. Please feel free to send us feedback or recommendations to make this a most memorable reunion.
Regards,
VP60 Reunion Committee