Many cruisers have active organizations with dedicated and loyal members (look in the mirror). However, some are in a position where their membership is steadily declining due to the ravages of time and the lack of a replacement ship carrying their ship's name. For the crews in this situation it becomes harder to carry out the logistics of keeping an organization alive, much less set up and run a reunion.
In our case, we are particularly fortunate to have the SSN703 crew steam forward to continue the proud tradition of BOSTON. Their youthful vitality and pride in BOSTON will serve us well for years to come. These men are one reason for our continued growth.
For the organizations with dwindling resources, the U.S. Navy Cruiser Sailors Association (USNCSA) steps into the breech. The USNCSA augments the individual cruiser organizations. They're U.S. based (in New England, in fact), and their membership is primarily made up of men who served aboard one or more U.S., Australian, British, Canadian, and New Zealand cruisers. They publish a quarterly newsletter that is growing into a magazine. They contribute to the support of the three cruisers that are in museum ship status: OLYMPIA, LITTLE ROCK, and SALEM, two of which we have visited as part of previous USS BOSTON reunions. The USNCSA annual convention moves around the country. For example, in 2001 they'll be in Seattle, and 2002 in Annapolis.
If you're interested in more information about USNCSA, their address is:
Their web site is at
http://www.navycruisers.org
USNCSA
21 Colonial Way
Rehoboth, MA 02769