The USS Calvert Associates has announced that a 2021 USS Calvert and USS Harry Lee Reunion is scheduled in Wichita, Kansas with arrival on Thursday, November 4th and Departure on Sunday, November 7th.

Please download and review each of the following three documents below:

• Reunion itinerary and details
• Hotel registration form – The deadline date for hotel reservations is October 7, 2021. Hotel reservations should be made directly with the hotel. A clickable link is available in this document to making online reservations.
• Reunion registration form – The registration form is due, per the instructions in the form, no later than October 7, 2021.

I have been actively working on converting a lot of details from the USS Calvert’s 1960s deck logs into a chronological historical record to be posted on the website later this year. As such, I have not posted anything new in a while. … So, I figured I’d ask if anyone can share any memories or information in the topics below. If you have anything to share, please either add a comment further below, or email me directly (usscalvertwebmaster@gmail.com) if you don’t want your information to be made public on this site.

Some random questions and areas of interest:

• 1950s and 60s information on the Aiji-no-ie Orphanage (aka, Home of Affection) in Tokyo. In late 1956 the Calvert’s crew began supporting Orphanage with a $100 monthly donation. For the next decade, an item on the Calvert’s far east cruise itinerary, while in Yokosuka and time permitting, included work party visits to the orphanage. Several of the Calvert’s cruise books mention the orphanage and also show photos of work parties at the orphanage. Are there any details or stories that can be shared about visits, experiences, memories of the orphanage? For example, any connections made with the kids? Anyone keep in touch with anyone from the orphanage over the years?
• Does anyone remember bag piper, Signalman MacCaulley, aboard the Calvert in the late 1950s or during early 1960?
• Early 1960s movie, The Sixth Man, staring Tony Curtis. I am looking for details about the Calvert’s landing craft and crews’ involvement in the filming of this movie. The filming likely occurred the summer of 1960. I found a new paper article from the fall of 1960 which referenced the Calvert’s landing craft used as part of filming, but am unable to find any reference to the movie itself as a released movie.
• 1958 collision between the USS Calvert and the USS Magoffin (APA-199). I am looking for any details on a collision between the Calvert and the Magoffin, circa 1958. The Calvert lost a boat or two from what I understand, but I have no other details.
• Frequent electrical fires in the Calvert’s soda fountain, circa late 1950s and early 1960s: I see multiple references to fires breaking out in the ship’s soda fountain, in the 1960s deck logs. Does anyone have any memories of these fires, and the reason for them happening?

Appreciation to Warren L. Burch, RMC (retired Navy, 1982) for commissioning a limited run of the the patch shown below. There are three available, at $30 each (shipping included). Please email Warren directly at wlburchsr@q.com if you are interested in ordering one.

I recently acquired this photograph of the Calvert from Ebay. On the back of the photograph there is a hand-written note: “B?ker 3948 3 – 3/3/43 – TQM School – USS Calvert at Solomons Is., MD Operation.” I believe that TQM School is short for Transport Quarter Master School.

The Calvert, her crew and Army troops were training in the Chesapeake Bay, near Cove Point and Solomons Island, at this time in preparation for the invasion of Sicily. On this day, March 3rd, the following details are available from the Calvert’s daily war diary: “Light Snow; Rough seas; At night, commenced ‘dry debarkation’ drill of troops”

I have also made updates and organizational improvements to the Calvert’s Ship Photograph page, here.