USS Enterprise CV-6
The Most Decorated Ship of the Second World War

History: Prewar - 1941 - 1942 - 1943 - 1944 - 1945 - Postwar
The Ship - All Hands - Decorations - Remembrance

USS Enterprise CV-6 Association

Association Info Enterprise Association Patch, courtesy of Lee Field. Membership Exhibits Reunions Ship's Store

"The veterans of USS Enterprise CV-6 are humbly proud of her gallant record. Many have indicated that this record was made possible by the great support she received not only from her ship's company and air groups, but also from the many ships that sailed with her in various engagements and missions."
- USS Enterprise CV-6 Association

"The CV6.ORG web site is deeply indebted to the USS Enterprise CV-6 Association, who have generously provided papers, images, and other materials, contributing greatly to the content of this site. This site would not be possible without the Association's support."
- Joel Shepherd, CV6.ORG Webmaster

The USS Enterprise CV-6 Association was formed and chartered in Chicago, Illinois, in 1954 by a few veterans of service in the Big E in World War II. The Association By-Laws provide for election of new Officers at the National Reunions held every two years.

Membership in the Association is $20.00 for two years, or $100 for a Life Membership. All officers and men who served in Enterprise, ship's company or air group squadrons are issued Regular Memberships, their immediate families Associate Memberships, and all others Affiliate Memberships. All members who maintain their membership on a current basis are mailed the CV-6 Association Bulletin, issued twice a year. Only Regular Members are issued an engraved parchment Membership Certificate which provides a record of their service in Enterprise.

Regional Reunions are also scheduled for the years between National Reunions in various areas of the U.S., and are well-attended by many Enterprise shipmates. Full details of Reunion schedules are included in the Bulletins for your planning purposes.

In addition to these activities, our Association has sponsored, funded, and dedicated five major museum exhibits to commemorate the gallant history of USS Enterprise CV-6 and her air groups. These exhibits are located as follows:

• Air Museum Planes of Fame, Chino, California
• National Museum of Naval Aviation, NAS Pensacola, Florida
• Naval and Maritime Museum, Patriots Point, South Carolina
• USS Lexington Museum on the Bay, Corpus Christi, Texas
• Bremerton Naval Museum, Bremerton, Washington
• EAA Eagle Hangar WW II Museum, Oshkosh, Wisconsin

After membership is attained, a directory of the Association's members is available from the Association, as well as other Enterprise memorabilia, artifacts and information.

• Download a Membership Application

For additional membership information, please contact:

Pauline Klopfenstein
127 Lake Street
Walkerton, IN 46574

Current Elected Association Officers

• Jack Foster, President - Evansville, Illinois
• Norm Zafft, Vice President - Estelline, South Dakota
• Bill Barr, Honorary Vice President - Berkley, Michigan
• Grace Hay Neie, Secretary - San Antonio, Texas
• Pauline Klopfenstein, Treasurer - Walkerton, Indiana

Current Appointed Association Officers

• Arnold W. Olson, Public Affairs Officer - Chula Vista, California
• James C. Barnhill, Editor, CV-6 Bulletin - Georgetown, Texas
• Grace and Elvis Neie, Chief Storekeepers - San Antonio, Texas

Ship's Store

Grace Neie -daughter of former Association President Bill Hay - and her husband Elvis operate the Enterprise Association's "Ship's Store". The store carries ballcaps, golf shirts and t-shirts with Enterprise logos, as well as art prints and the Enterprise Association Cookbook.

Order forms are printed in the Association Bulletin, which is mailed twice a year to all Association members, or you can contact Grace and Elvis directly at:

Grace and Elvis Neie (email: egneie 'at' aol.com)
5011 Round Table
San Antonio, Texas 78218

Upcoming Reunions

National Reunion: San Antonio, Texas
September 19-23, 2007
The Association's 2007 National Reunion will be held September 19-23, in San Antonio, Texas: the 8^th largest city in the US. Tours of The Alamo, the San Antonio River Walk, and the National Museum of the Pacific War are planned. The reunion will be hosted by the Doubletree Hotel San Antonio. Organizers Grace and Elvis Neie did a great job with the 2005 National Reunion, and we're all looking forward to the event in 2007! Complete details on events and lodging, as well as registration forms, will appear in the Spring 2007 CV-6 Association Bulletin.

Northwest: Portland, Oregon
September 2008
The 2008 Northwest Reunion changes venue, from Eastern Washington State, to Portland, Oregon. Wallace Girst, a Signalman for Enterprise's Flag officers from 1943 to 1945, will be organizing the event. Look for registration information in the Association Bulletin as the event grows closer.

Past Reunions

Northwest: Spokane, Washington
September 14-16, 2004
Clear, cool weather greeted attendees of the 2006 Northwest Regional reunion. Tours of the Marine and Naval Training Center Museum, and Old Town Spokane, were followed by well-attended dinners in the Quality Inn Suites, which hosted the reunion. This was the third regional reunion organized by Vicki Skeels, daughter of shipment Leonard Cornelius: all three have gotten rave reviews. The next Northwest Regional Reunion will be held in 2008, in Portland, Oregon.

Midwest: Plymouth, Indiana
August 18-20, 2006
The longest running CV-6 regional reunion, the 26^th Midwest Reunion was held at the Red Rock Inn in Plymouth, Indiana.

National Reunion: Corpus Christi, Texas
October 5-8, 2005
After a close call with Hurricane Rita, the Association's 2005 National Reunion went off without a hitch at the Emerald Beach Holiday Inn, on downtown Corpus Christi's beachfront. Over two hundred attendees, including seventy Enterprise vets, toured USS Lexington CV-16, attended a dedication ceremony for a Enterprise exhibit aboard Lexington, and took part in other events. A banquet and evening of dancing closed out the reunion. Organizers Grace and Elvis Neie did a fine job with their first reunion, and have volunteered to host the 2007 National Reunion in San Antonio, Texas.