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Our Hosts: John (RM 68-70) & Darlene Kraft
We will be celebrating BANG's 83nd anniversary in Milwaukee, WI, from Monday, July 27 through Thursday, July 30, 2026 with departure on Friday, July 31, 2026. Present-day Milwaukee was inhabited by various Algonquian peoples. The first recorded inhabitants of the Milwaukee area were various Native American tribes: the Menominee, Meskwaki, Mascouten, Sauk, Potawatomi, and Ojibwe (all Algic/Algonquian peoples). Many of these people had lived around Green Bay before migrating to the Milwaukee area at about the time of European contact. French missionaries and traders first passed through the area in the late 17th and 18th centuries. Alexis Laframboise, coming from Michilimackinac (now in Michigan), settled a trading post in 1785 and is considered the first resident of European descent in the Milwaukee region. After the Black Hawk War in 1832, the Native Americans in Milwaukee signed the 1833 Treaty of Chicago with the United States. Following the 1833 Treaty of Chicago, European settlers established the city as a hub for trade and industry by capitalizing on its location as a port. Milwaukee was incorporated in 1846. The city attracted immigrants from Germany and elsewhere in Europe, and Milwaukee remains a center of German American culture. In the late-19th and 20th centuries, Milwaukee became known as a national leader in beer production led by the Miller, Pabst, and Schlitz breweries. The city also became known for its strong labor movement.
TRAVEL: If traveling by air its the Milwaukee Mitchell International Airport (MKE). The hotel is about 25 miles or 30 - 45 minutes from the airport. Taxi fare is approximately $60-85 and Uber approximately $56.
HOTEL:
Holiday Inn Pewaukee-Milwaukee West, N14 W24140 Tower Place, Pewaukee, WI 53072
Room Rates: $129 + tax, A complementary breakfast is included in the room rate and parking is free.
RESERVATIONS: Call the hotel direct at (262) 506-6300 and be sure to mention you're with the Bang Gang! HOTEL WEB SITE: Holiday Inn Pewaukee, WI, N14 W24140 Tower Place, Pewaukee, WI 53072
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Click For Schedule
****** The block of rooms will continue to be held until the cutoff date of July 13, 2026. Reservations received after
July 13, 2026 will be provided at the group rate on a space available basis.******
The hotel has two restaurants and of course room service. Thunder Bay offers upscale yet casual dining, and is a 2019 winner of a Wine Spectator Restaurant, serving a variety of food, including omelettes made to order. Steaks, seafood, Cajun, and more. The Fireside Lounge is open Monday - Wednesday from 5pm - 10pm. Kick back and relax in our cozy lounge while enjoying food and drinks.
REGISTRATION FORM:
Click For Registration Form
Please feel free to contact John if you have any questions about the reunion.
John Kraft (RM 68-70)
jkraftus@gmail.com
(414) 975-5951
N49 W28619 Chardon Drive
Hartland, WI 53029
Click for Past Bang Reunion Photos
BANG GANG REUNION COMMITTEE
The Bang Gang Reunion Committee oversees annual Reunions which are open to all shipmates who served aboard USS BANG (SS385) during the years of her commissioned service in the U S Navy, 1943 to 1972.
PRESIDENT - Bill Fenton / 4422 Organ Mesa Loop / Las Cruces, NM 88011-8403 / (575) 532-5830 / ss385@ussbang.com
VICE PRES - Paul Schramm / 3402 Onondaga Street / Kalamazoo, MI 49004-1636 / (269) 345-0859 / inkazoo@hotmail.com
SECRETARY - Alan Thole/ 11337 205th Ave NW / Elk River, MN 55330 /(612) 281-3333 / alanthole@yahoo.com
TREASURER & Storekeeper - Isaac Cohen / 22 Rossetti Court / Brick, NJ 08724-2425 / (908) 334-0027 / ikecohen415@gmail.com