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 Author  Topic: PT Boat Trip #2: Mosquito Fleet Exhibit
newsnerd99

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message   Posted on: Jun 18, 2008 - 2:36am
After the amazing tour of Fleet Obsolete, it was a bonzai run to Springfield, MA to meet up with message board bud Frank Andruss. With this being the last month of the current exhibit, this whole trip started with me wanting to see his collection before it went back into storage.

After realizing Google was trying to send us down a street that had been bricked over and turned into a walkway, my dad and I found the museum complex. There, at the top of the stairs of the CV History Museum, was Frank and his most-impressive display. After exchanging pleasantries and introductions, it was off to the display cases!



I really have to compliment Frank - there was such a wide variety of relics and memorabilia AND it was displayed in such a professional and fluid manner. I was so excited to see what was next I found myself jumping ahead, which then caused me to go back through the exhibit three times so I could see everything. I was kidding with Frank that he even made room for Higgins PT's! Seriously though, his ELCO items are incredible, especially the coveralls coated in "PT dirt."



With my love being the 78-footers and the fighting men of Ron 15, I was instantly drawn this beautiful scratch-built model of PT 213 - SPITTIN' KITTEN:





There were details on the boat I never even thought about before - rolled up tarps on the deck for covering the guns after patrol, crew art on one of the torpedoes, the guns at rest - it was incredible. Frank started talking costs and contacts...that got my dad doing the math in his head and trying to figure out how he'd get one built and smuggle it past mom. Here's the two of them plotting (Dad on the left, Frank right):



The exhibit has some truly fascinating items that are either one of a kind or extremely rare. I seemed to be drawn to a lot of the smaller items; little keepsakes or nicknacks that tell the PT story almost as much as a uniform or pennant. The other part of the exhibit that made the trip worthwhile was the man himself - Frank Andruss. Other than the great conversations that a trio of PT fans get into, Frank has so many stories on the items in his collection that it makes them even more impressive. Frank, I think the award for best anectdote goes to you cutting up your hand while rescuing that Ron insignia from ELCO (Bldg 21?). I would have done the same thing!



After the shortest two hours in recent memory it was time to say goodbyes and thank you's. Frank - you've got a great exhibit! I can only imagine what else you've got squirreled away. I appreciate the hospitality and the reason behind the entire PT weekend! I look forward to the next time we meet...

Around four Saturday evening, my dad and I started off for the last stop of the day, MTBSTC Melville, RI

Grandson of James J Stanton
RON 15 PT 209 and RON 23 PT 243
Check out: www.pistolpackinmama.net

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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Jun 18, 2008 - 12:16pm
Jim

Thank you so very much for your Kind and thoughful words. It was a very special day for me as well. Your descriptions of your day and photo's are wonderful and I am sure all of us on the message board apprciate it very much. It was so very nice to see such a young man interested in the boats.........


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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Jun 27, 2008 - 8:40am
Just for the record guys and gals. This Exhibit will be over on Sunday. Yes, after one year on display, it will all be coming down, packed away in Museum Boxes and Containers. It has been a wonderful Exhibit, viewed by hundreds from all over Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey,and even England.

I have enjoyed meeting some of you on the message board who took the long trip to visit. I have met new PT BOAT VETERANS and made new friends, which I hope will last a lifetime. New contacts have been made, so I hope to be on display in another Venue soon. If any of you can think of where I might be welcomed, give me a shout. I am giving a talk on PT BOATS in August for the WWII VETERANS MEETING. They usually get anwhere from 400-500 people at this event, so it should be nice. I will bring a boat, and some artifacts for those to view. Thanks again to all who visited me and supported my Exhibit. Special thanks to Alex Johnson for making me that wonderful PT 41 model, and to Dick, who runs this message board, for his wonderful cut away poster of the 80 foot Elco...............


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Will Day

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Will Day   Send Email To Will Day Posted on: Jun 27, 2008 - 9:10am
Good luck, Frank. Hope you can exhibit on the West Coast someday....

Will

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  TED WALTHER

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of TED WALTHER   Send Email To TED WALTHER Posted on: Jun 27, 2008 - 10:02am
FRANK;
WHAT SCALE IS PT 213 - SPITTIN' KITTEN? 1/20TH? GREAT MODEL!! WHO BUILT IT? I WILL USE IT WHEN I START BUILDING MY PT 308 MODEL.
TAKE CARE,
TED


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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Jun 27, 2008 - 11:06am
Ted

The Kit was made and donated to my Exhibit by JOHN HAYNES. My good friend Stan Pienkowski built it to my specs of the original SPITTEN KITTEN. Yes, it is a 1/20th scale boat. The John Haynes fittings are just awesome. Only thing with this kit is that it comes with no decking, you have to make that yourself. Only drawback to this model, everything else is great. I highly recommend using John Haynes fittings. They are superior to just about anything out there ( just my opinion here ).........


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Frank J Andruss Sr

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of Frank J Andruss Sr   Send Email To Frank J Andruss Sr Posted on: Dec 13, 2010 - 6:38am
I have been in contact with the Museum over the pas week and there is an outside chance that they may be willing to do another Exhibit in 2011. Because of the popularity of the firs one, they felt it might be a good way to kick off the new year. I will keep you all posted................


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EARL RICHMOND

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Post a Reply To This Topic    Reply With Quotes     Edit Message     View Profile of EARL RICHMOND  Posted on: Dec 13, 2010 - 11:22am
U HAVE NOT HAD THE PLEASURE OF SEEING YOUR EXHIBIT BUT FROM THE PHOTOS AND REMARKS I HAVE SEEN IT MUST BE A WONDERFUKL SIGHT.THABKS TO YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD EFFFORTSD IN BRING THE PUBLIC AND US PT VETS A LITTLE CLOSETR TO KNOW WHAT THE "BOATS" ARE ALL ABOUT.
MAYBE SOMETIME AT CONVENTION HALL IN OCEAN CITY,MD.PEOPLE COME THERE FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY AND SOME OF THE BOATS WERE IN THE AEREA AT ONE TIME

earl richmond

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