USS Ranger Foundation

This great program is similar to the old soup can label program for computers. With this program, non-profit members & supporters, simply shop at member businesses and save the receipts. For example, if they go to Les Schwab and get a set of tires, just keep the receipt and turn it in. Those receipts turn into points, which turn into cash.

You make copies of your receipts, remove any personal info and send them to the Ranger Foundation office monthly. Each receipt is worth points and depending on the number of points, organizations receive monies at the end of the year. The more points we collect the better we do! This is a great way for you and your friends and family to help Ranger!

Check the list to find out what member businesses are offering in points. There are always new ways to collect points, and a monthly update of new businesses. Check back regularly to see if your favorite store has joined to help Save Ranger!

April Points for Profit

Bruce Pairman, of Bluffington, SC, contacted the Foundation web site about a model of USS Ranger he built from scratch. She is depicted as she was when he served in Supply and IM-1 from 1981-1984. He offered the model to the Foundation if we thought it would help in securing support for her full-size sister. Mary and I made arrangements to drive from FL to SC to take delivery.

Bruce Pairman with the Ranger Model

I saw a picture of the ship, and but I was not prepared for what Bruce actually had. The ship is almost 8 feet long, and highly detailed, cased for display complete with lighting. Though it was Bruce’s birthday, everyone who has the privilege of seeing this ship gets the present.
Check back here as I get detailed pictures of the aircraft, other features and shots of this Top Gun in action. Be sure and visit the ship’s store when you do.

Incredible Model

Bruce built her to be a radio controlled model that actually floats and is navigable. With the overhang of the flight deck, he deemed her to be too unstable to actually use it in open water, so he built a display case and removed the engines and radios (much like what the Navy did to the real one).
Construction took about 18 months, and Bruce reported the most difficulty occurred in two areas.

• First were the planes, which determined the overall scale of the model. They were only available over the internet, from China!

• The plans for building a Forrestal-class model were ordered, and they were complete – but in German, including all measurements in metric sizes. There was a lot of googling going on to translate German words and metric to inches conversion.

On a side note, the truck used to transport CV61 is a 1962 Chevrolet Corvair Rampside pickup that some old-timers might remember from the Branson reunion.

Bruce and Roxy with Model Loaded

I plan to mount the model onto a trailer and use her as an educational and promotional tool at local schools and during Memorial and Independence Day parades here on the east coast. She will then transit to San Antonio for the USS Ranger Reunion Association reunion in San Antonio TX before heading ‘round the horn’ for the west coast.
Our ultimate goal is to make this fine piece of work part of the largest floating museum in the world – aboard USS Ranger Top Gun of the Pacific Fleet. We need all hands to aid in making this dream come true. Please donate to the cause, and when you see Bruce and Roxy in San Antonio be sure and express your thanks for his patriotism and generosity.

On the Road

Larry Schmuhl DS2 OZ Division, IOIC 1971-74 Larry.Schmuhl@USSRanger.org