Excellent link pv.
I know there's a pic in there somewhere.
Due to lack of rhyme or reason with military numbering schemes means having to wade through every one of those pics in the library.
They make it tuff but by god, now that I know where to go, I will find it.

I must have put 10 miles on my mouse wheel since I got the link from pv (Georges) and my index finger hurts right now.
I'll give it a rest for a day.
But I'll be back and I'll find it.

I want to thank everybody for assistance in tracking down the history of my camera.
If anybody has anymore ideas or links please keep them coming.
I also want to give a special thank you to Bruce (bruiser) for giving me a page on his website to feature my camera. It's not up yet but he's going to work on it tonight after work.
This is truely an excellent and helpful forum with a great group of guys (gals included) and I'm glad to be part of it.
Ok my finger is even more sore now from typing so gotta go rest it.

Well Bruce is truely a man of his word.
This camera is up on his website now so please give it a look at the link below.
Be sure to check out the rest of his stuff while you're there.
Bruce has some rather interesting cameras.
And sign his guest book while you're there.
Again thank you everybody and please keep those links coming.

Bruse you did an outstanding job. THANK YOU VERY VERY MUCH.
http://graflex.coffsbiz.com/guest.html

I'm still looking.
I have found some pics that are within a week of the date.
I have been researching individual contributors of the pics now.
I got one response so far and he didn't have it.
I'm still waiting for the others to respond.

I did it folks, I found the pics.
There's about 16 pics from that roll of film.
Check it out at this link they're in color too.
All the 1954 Midshipman cruise pics page 4 and 5.
The first one verifys it.
That's the EXACT criteria I was looking for.
Cherbourge, France during the 1954 Midshipman cruise.
I saw that pic first and I knew I had done it.
I just about died, I finaly did it.
I swear to you guys, I had done so much searching, I must have put 50 miles on my mouse wheel.
The first task was to verify that the info slide numbers were genuine. DID THAT!
The second task was to find those pics. DID THAT TOO!
Now that it's done I feel sad.
It's really true what "they" say about a quest or task. It's not that you complete it that's satifies you, It's the journey.
And now that I've said that there is one last challenge I can do that would really seal this up.
That is to see if I can contact PH3 John W. Grim and ask him if that is indeed his writing on the slide. (I hope he's still alive)
That would be the icing on the cake.
OMG! I really did it.
God Bless Graflex.org and all of it's fine members for their assistance.
Especially Bruce (bruiser), he's been my main man throughout.
Well it's off to my next quest, to find PH3 John W. Grim.

here's the link to the pics.
http://www.bb63vets.com/Photos.asp?e=1951-55&p=4

I came across this pic during one of my searches.
This has to be the biggest hand held camera ever made.
While it's probably not as heavy as it looks, I cant imagine using this thing on a regular basis.
It's slightly off topic, I know, but I just couldn't resist sharing it with everyone.
If anybody has any specifics on this camera please enlighten us.

Well my quest has come to an end.
The photographer, John Grim, died of cancer on October 2, 2007.
I would have loved to have seen the expression on his face when telling him that his camera was looking for him.
I am eternally grateful that he put the pictures up on the internet before he passed. He must have known.
The pics were in his private collection and probably would have got tossed out if he hadn't taken the time to scan them and put them on the internet. The website that they're on is not a US Military website. That's why it took so long to find them. But all in all not that long.
I'm also glad he didn't erase the slide otherwise all this never would have happened. The camera would be just another one of a hundred or so left over from the war years.
I tried doing this search a few years ago but nothing came of it.
It was finding this forum and all the great people in it that was the breakthrough.
Thanks for all your help.

...and God Bless you John Grim, where ever you are.

Hi Mitch,

Sad end but a beautifull story.
You own a real piece of Navy history, I hope webmasters of BB63-related pages will open them to you, the story deserves it.

Regards from Belgium.

Georges

I totally agree with Georges.

I'm sure those of us who followed your quest feel touched by the ending but at least you've gained the knowledge that led you there.

Best regards,
Bruce

Knowledge, yeah I learned a lot about searching the internet.
Let me give you a quick example of what I was up against.
The reason I didn't find the website with the pics I was looking for right away was because the name of the website was not what was in the address bar. For example, if you were to look for Graflex.org you would find it right away because the name also appears in the address bar. Look at it right now and see. I know you're thinking "well duh what else would be there?" at which point I laugh and say "hold on, not so fast".
Thinking logicaly while searching for military information can be counter productive as Bruce and I found out early in our posts. The name of the website where the pictures are at is called "USS MISSOURI ASSOCIATION". The address bar says http://www.bb63vets.com. Why? I don't know or care really but I will cataloque that info in my head for future reference.
The way that I did finally find the website was by looking at the links page on a related website.
I don't want to go on a rant here but I feel I must say a few words about searching for pictures on military websites. I mean government sanctioned websites.
First off remove the logic chip from your brain.
Then know that number schemes have nothing to do with picture subjects, locations or dates, you have to open it to find out what it is.
It's about 50/50 chance that the pictures will have captions or discriptions but again you have to open it to find out.
If photo archives are moved to a different location they are renumber with the numbering scheme in use at the new location with no reference to the previous number scheme.
For these reasons I'm so glad that John Grim kept the photos himself. Then when the time was right or in John's case running out he scanned them, uploaded and labeled them.
Oh wait, that's the logical thing to do.
Oh yeah he was out of the military by then.
Ouch! that hurt my brain, I gotta stop.

Good luck to anybody attempting the same thing. Don't give up and have fun with it. Even if you don't find what you're looking for, YOU WILL LEARN SOMETHING.
Remember, It's the journey..............

Mitch

Mitch

You've now acquired the skills to research Graflex.

ROFLMAO!

I have Les, what do you want to know?

Mitch