NATIONAL SONAR ASSOCIATION HISTORY

In 1982, Frank Crawford, STCS, USN (Ret.) organized the National Association of Sonarmen (NAS). He stated, "Time has a bad habit of separating people and dimming old memories," and so he formed a national group to link all Soundmen, Sonarmen, and Sonar Technicians together whether surface, sub or air and without regard to time in service or career status. Frank had prior experience with organization of Navy people. He was the founder of the Destroyer Escort Association. But Sonar was Frank's long time devotion and it led him to organize the association.

Frank created a newsletter, appropriately named "The Ping Jockey" which went out for the first time in July of 1982. He set the tone for all issues to follow by encouraging his readers to submit articles and stories. He initiated the routine of publishing the names duty stations of all newly recruited members.

Frank worked to improve each edition of the newsletter by adding such items as columns titled "Do you know where they are?" Many shipmates found long lost friends through the use of this service long before the Internet supplanted this effort.

The first Sonar reunion convened in San Diego on July 18, 1983 with 37 members in attendance. In successive years, Frank carefully organized the reunions, alternating them between the east and west coasts in an effort to make the 3 day event easily accessible to all members. For the last few years, the reunions have been in conjunction with the USS Brooke association.

Frank died in 1994. The members assembled and decide to continue on with his original objectives, however after 20 years of effort the association has been finally disbanded due to lack of interest.