Groton — U.S. Submarine Veterans Groton Base held a Holland Club ceremony on June 2 at the Naval Submarine Base to honor 67 members who qualified in submarines in 1962 or earlier.

The Holland Club is an exclusive group within the Subvets organization that recognizes members who reach the milestone of a minimum of 50 years qualified in submarines.

Forty five out of the 67 members being recognized were present, along with more than 400 family members, friends, current club members and active-duty personnel.

Of the group, one member, William O. Allread, of Terryville, qualified in 1950, and the rest qualified between 1958 and 1962. Their ranks ranged from seaman to admiral, and their qualification boats ranged from the USS Grouper (SS 214) to the USS John Marshall (SSBN 611).

There has never been such a large group of Subvets Groton members put into the Holland Club at one time. The biographical information for each man was read as pictures of his qualification boat and personal pictures from their time in the service flashed on the screen. They were given congratulatory letters from top submarine officials and personally congratulated by the Submarine Group Two Chief of Staff Capt. Mike Bernacchi.

Two of the members, Vice Adm. James Zimble and Machinist’s Mate First Class Thomas E. Farnon, were recognized posthumously. They were fully eligible for the Holland Club when they died earlier this year.

The following individuals were put into the Holland Club: Allread; Peter H. Andersen, of Casco, Maine, who qualified in 1962; John Paul Anderson, of Bristol, Va., who qualified in 1962; Michael Angelo, Jr., of Manns Choice, Penn., who qualified in 1962; Alexander M. Angus Jr., of Lynnfield, Mass., 1962; T. Michael Bircumshaw, of Temecula, Calif., 1962; Sterling L. Blankenship, Jr., of Danielson, 1962; David Harry Boyd, of Gales Ferry, 1962; Kenneth Brannin, of Milford, 1962; Frederick L. Briggs, of Camp Hill, Penn., 1962.

Also, Karle L. Butler, of Mystic, 1960; Robert P. Carl, Jr., of Fredericktown, Penn., 1962; Robert M. Cloupe, of Forked River, N.J., 1962; Frank Conahan, of Ledyard, 1962; Martin E. Davis, of Mystic, 1962; David D. Dlugo, of Seven Hills, Ohio, 1962; Andrew J. Elnicki, of Okeechobee, Fla., 1962; Farnon, of York, Maine, 1962; David G. Ferrell, of Groton, 1962; Robert M. Folks, of Roan Mountain, Tenn., 1962.

Charles Franklin, of Hampton, Va., 1962; Edwin L. Gibbons, of East Lyme, 1962; William J. Glueck, Jr., of Rockfall, 1959; Philip E. Griffith, Sr., of Lecanto, Fla., 1962; Nicholas Gudz, Jr., of Niantic, 1962; Robert J. Haff, of Wayne, N.J., 1962; Aubrey G. Hall, of Gales Ferry, 1962; Wayne M. Harding, of Barefoot Bay, Fla., 1962; Carl D. Hill, of Ledyard, 1962; Richard F. Hillman, of Milford, N.H., 1962.

Carl H. Hochstetler, of Ledyard, 1962; John E. Hogan, of Niantic, 1962; Norman Holiman, of Narragansett, R.I., 1959; Eugene Holubek, of Union, N.J., 1958; Dennis W. Hopkins, of Pomfret Center, 1962; Rolland B. Jackson, Jr., of East Hampton, 1962; James E. Jinks, of Plainfield, 1962; Ronald Kadlecik, of Waterford, 1962; Diederick E. Kanning, of Sanford, N.C., 1962; Jerry A. King, of Mexico, 1962.

Richard J. Kvietkus, of Bethlehem, 1962; David W. Lane, of Old Lyme, 1962; Robert MacGregor, of Oakdale, 1962; Norman A. Main, of Niantic, 1962; Peter W. Martin, of Middletown, R.I., 1962; Stephen Mitchell, of Wareham, Mass., 1962; Abraham Mozeak, of New London, 1962; Thomas F. Obrien, of Woonsocket, R.I., 1962; Gerald J O’Neil, of Myrtle Beach, N.C., 1962; Thomas O’Shea, of Hellertown, Penn., 1962.

William H. Oswald, of St. Petersburg, Fla., 1962; Walter A. Patrick, of Norwich, 1962; James H. Patton, Jr., of North Stonington, 1962; Robert D. Perdue, of Titusville, Fla., 1962; Michael G. Riegel, of Preston, 1962; Abraham Sanchez, of Mexico, 1962; David R Seavers, of Rhinelander, Wisc., 1962; Charles J. Sladky, of Lisbon, 1958; Dennis C. Staley, of Geneseo, N.Y., 1962; William J. Tobin, of Toms River, N.J., 1961.

Richard E. Tomac, Sr., of Live Oak, Fla., 1962; Peter J. Toppa, Jr., of Voluntown, 1962; Philippe Turgeon, of Lewiston, Maine, 1962; Earle B. Van Camp, of Bozrah, 1962; James C. Weitlauf, of Stonington, 1962; Russell J. Woodworth, of Citrus Springs, Fla., 1962; and Zimble, of Salem, 1961.

For additional information about the Groton Base, contact John Carcioppolo at commander@subvetsgroton.org, call (860) 514-7064 or visit http://subvetsgroton.org.