Does anybody know who published the "Anchor" yearbooks that we got when we were in bootcamp? Mine was stolen 35 years ago and I would sure love to find or buy a copy of it. I was in boot at San Diego in 1972 Company 369.
Please let me know where to get a copy of my Anchor Yearbook...I was in boot camp on July to September of 1974...I was belong to Company 215 and my company commander was MMC Hendrix...thank you.
As the RTC Orlando Historian, I can confirm what Jon Yim is saying. I have been buying Rudders off sites that are selling them to build our collection as well as accepting scans from shipmates who have theirs. Wadsworth / Josten, none of them saved any copies, nor did the Navy.
I spent 3 days at the College Park, MD NARA location and the do NOT keep Rudders, nor do they have any.
You may check with the Naval Historical and Hertiage Command. They have some Anchors that were donated either by service members or their families. It does cost a few bucks to get a CD copy of the Anchor (as it does for the Rudder / Orlando and the Keel / Great Lakes).
The Navy Museum at the Wash DC Navy Yard also have a few, but not as many as NHHC. I believe it's 10 dollars for a CD Copy.
Just for RTC Orlando, 11,515 companies graduated... that is approximately how many Rudders I am trying to locate just from 1968-1994. About 72-74, not all female companies received one, so that brings the total down, but not by much. I am approaching 300 Rudders (hard copies) and almost 200 scanned from shipmates.
Also, if you do not remember your company number, if you have any pages from your first enlistment of your service record, like a page 4 or 3 something like that... on the bottom left where your signature is.. next to your name is your company number. At least that is what RTC Orlando did.
Since there are NO RECORDS of our recruit training, it is up to us to restore the history. RTC Orlando has had one reunion and our second is in 2018.
San Diego was open 20 years prior to RTC Orlando and RTC Great Lakes, even longer.
Search eBay, Amazon, Bonanza, Etsy,.... just google RTC San Diego The Keel and see what hits you get. You might get lucky! :) Good Luck!
As a retired JO1 that published a few command cruisebooks over the years (The Anchor falls into that category), here's how it works:
Getting a replacement copy of boot camp memory book some years down the road isn't much of a high-priority item in every Sailor's mind. The unfortunate part is, when you want to reclaim a piece of your recruit past, you've gotta do a LOT of scrambling to find it...it's on the same level as finding replacement high school yearbooks and class pictures.
Contrary to popular belief, recruit company graduation photographs (group and individual) were never archived by the Navy, nor were they ever "official" Navy photographs (recruit graduations, recruit training evolutions and recruit company group photos were just too routine in the Navy's eyes). It's like standing in line for chow, sweepers, taking out the trash, buffing floors, or shots -- it happens every day, nothing really spectacular or special.
Those photos were taken by civilian concessionaire contractors to the Navy Exchange. The average Anchor book usually consisted of 75% stock photos (updated as necessary by the contractor) and 25% of pictures shot specifically for each company's copy.
The contract to produce RTC San Diego's recruit souvenir memory book; and similar books for RTC Bainbridge, Orlando and Great Lakes; as well as group and individual graduation photo packages, changed hands many times over the years. New contractors were never under any obligation to maintain or archive photos from the previous contractor...nor was the Navy ever obligated to archive them -- if they did, it would probably require a very large warehouse and a staff of employees to maintain it over the years -- and it would make subsequent recruit souvenir photos/memory books prohibitively expensive due to overhead maintenance costs.
The pictures were destroyed after the training units departed their respective RTCs. No permanent records were ever kept of who was in what company, or of the photos that were taken.
Quite often, the publisher would donate unclaimed, slightly damaged and production overrun copies of recruit memory books to public libraries and recruiting offices just to keep their inventory clear. The chances for "return customer" sales some 5, 10 or 50 years after they graduated from boot camp were pretty slim.
Sad as it sounds, that's business in the yearbook/memory book industry.
A project is underway through the San Diego Navy Historical Association to digitally and physically archive donated Anchor memory books for future reference. From what I understand, they have several hundred from different eras.
So, where to look? eBay is always a good start...along with swap meets, garage and estate sales...also military book collector sites...Copies of The Anchor in the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) has in their collection were DONATED -- they DO NOT copy or lend their books...you may find them in some public libraries in their reference collections.
Hi guys. Thanks to everyone who have given me info on our yearbooks. I have contacted Jostens and they say they have no way to find my company book anymore. My Company was 72-369. For 1972 Company 369. If any of you ever run across that yearbook, I would sure be interested in it. Thanks again everyone. And thank You Leonard for checking yours.
Trevor...pulled out my anchor...was published by Jostens Military Publications...address in 1961 was 266-B Exchange Park, Dallas 35, Texas. Again...my Anchor was in 1961 and that's the info from the back page. Hope it helps
Their web site doesn't seem to want to directly acknowledge anything to do with the American military, but if you find your way to their military ring section, there is an e-mail link for military publications:
I found this information while researching the company to see if they maintained a backstock of cruisebooks or still had the paste-up boards for them available.
The company's web site is mainly oriented towards civilian graduations and sports rings, so it is very difficult to find any information about their military division. I suspect there may be web access to their military division, but so far it seems like it is on a need-to-know basis.
If anyone finds the URL for Jostens military division, please let the rest of us know.
Meanwhile, copies of The Anchor often pop up for sale on the web at such sites as Alibris Books.
P.S. If you want to get your blood pressure up, go to the Home & Garden TV web site and see how they used an American flag for a Fourth of July tablecloth.
Trevor, Mine was published by American Yearbook Company, Military Division. The only address in my book is the R4 Building at NTC. ( My book dates from 1971)
Comments
Please let me know where to get a copy of my Anchor Yearbook...I was in boot camp on July to September of 1974...I was belong to Company 215 and my company commander was MMC Hendrix...thank you.
As the RTC Orlando Historian, I can confirm what Jon Yim is saying. I have been buying Rudders off sites that are selling them to build our collection as well as accepting scans from shipmates who have theirs. Wadsworth / Josten, none of them saved any copies, nor did the Navy.
I spent 3 days at the College Park, MD NARA location and the do NOT keep Rudders, nor do they have any.
You may check with the Naval Historical and Hertiage Command. They have some Anchors that were donated either by service members or their families. It does cost a few bucks to get a CD copy of the Anchor (as it does for the Rudder / Orlando and the Keel / Great Lakes).
The Navy Museum at the Wash DC Navy Yard also have a few, but not as many as NHHC. I believe it's 10 dollars for a CD Copy.
Just for RTC Orlando, 11,515 companies graduated... that is approximately how many Rudders I am trying to locate just from 1968-1994. About 72-74, not all female companies received one, so that brings the total down, but not by much. I am approaching 300 Rudders (hard copies) and almost 200 scanned from shipmates.
Also, if you do not remember your company number, if you have any pages from your first enlistment of your service record, like a page 4 or 3 something like that... on the bottom left where your signature is.. next to your name is your company number. At least that is what RTC Orlando did.
Since there are NO RECORDS of our recruit training, it is up to us to restore the history. RTC Orlando has had one reunion and our second is in 2018.
San Diego was open 20 years prior to RTC Orlando and RTC Great Lakes, even longer.
Search eBay, Amazon, Bonanza, Etsy,.... just google RTC San Diego The Keel and see what hits you get. You might get lucky! :) Good Luck!
As a retired JO1 that published a few command cruisebooks over the years (The Anchor falls into that category), here's how it works:
Getting a replacement copy of boot camp memory book some years down the road isn't much of a high-priority item in every Sailor's mind. The unfortunate part is, when you want to reclaim a piece of your recruit past, you've gotta do a LOT of scrambling to find it...it's on the same level as finding replacement high school yearbooks and class pictures.
Contrary to popular belief, recruit company graduation photographs (group and individual) were never archived by the Navy, nor were they ever "official" Navy photographs (recruit graduations, recruit training evolutions and recruit company group photos were just too routine in the Navy's eyes). It's like standing in line for chow, sweepers, taking out the trash, buffing floors, or shots -- it happens every day, nothing really spectacular or special.
Those photos were taken by civilian concessionaire contractors to the Navy Exchange. The average Anchor book usually consisted of 75% stock photos (updated as necessary by the contractor) and 25% of pictures shot specifically for each company's copy.
The contract to produce RTC San Diego's recruit souvenir memory book; and similar books for RTC Bainbridge, Orlando and Great Lakes; as well as group and individual graduation photo packages, changed hands many times over the years. New contractors were never under any obligation to maintain or archive photos from the previous contractor...nor was the Navy ever obligated to archive them -- if they did, it would probably require a very large warehouse and a staff of employees to maintain it over the years -- and it would make subsequent recruit souvenir photos/memory books prohibitively expensive due to overhead maintenance costs.
The pictures were destroyed after the training units departed their respective RTCs. No permanent records were ever kept of who was in what company, or of the photos that were taken.
Quite often, the publisher would donate unclaimed, slightly damaged and production overrun copies of recruit memory books to public libraries and recruiting offices just to keep their inventory clear. The chances for "return customer" sales some 5, 10 or 50 years after they graduated from boot camp were pretty slim.
Sad as it sounds, that's business in the yearbook/memory book industry.
A project is underway through the San Diego Navy Historical Association to digitally and physically archive donated Anchor memory books for future reference. From what I understand, they have several hundred from different eras.
So, where to look? eBay is always a good start...along with swap meets, garage and estate sales...also military book collector sites...Copies of The Anchor in the Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) has in their collection were DONATED -- they DO NOT copy or lend their books...you may find them in some public libraries in their reference collections.
Hi guys. Thanks to everyone who have given me info on our yearbooks. I have contacted Jostens and they say they have no way to find my company book anymore. My Company was 72-369. For 1972 Company 369. If any of you ever run across that yearbook, I would sure be interested in it. Thanks again everyone. And thank You Leonard for checking yours.
Trevor...pulled out my anchor...was published by Jostens Military Publications...address in 1961 was 266-B Exchange Park, Dallas 35, Texas. Again...my Anchor was in 1961 and that's the info from the back page. Hope it helps
Here is a screen grab of what Home & Garden TV has posted on their web site:
Hi everyone,
Our San Diego boot camp Anchor "cruise books" were published by:
Jostens American Yearbook Company
military division
5501 Norman Center drive
Minneapolis, Minnesota 55437-1088
(612)-830-3300
http://www.jostens.com
Their web site doesn't seem to want to directly acknowledge anything to do with the American military, but if you find your way to their military ring section, there is an e-mail link for military publications:
http://www.jostens.com/rings/custom_rings_jewelry_cp_military.html
I found this information while researching the company to see if they maintained a backstock of cruisebooks or still had the paste-up boards for them available.
The company's web site is mainly oriented towards civilian graduations and sports rings, so it is very difficult to find any information about their military division. I suspect there may be web access to their military division, but so far it seems like it is on a need-to-know basis.
If anyone finds the URL for Jostens military division, please let the rest of us know.
Meanwhile, copies of The Anchor often pop up for sale on the web at such sites as Alibris Books.
( www.alibris.com )
Happy independence day,
-- Pat Henderson (AW1-ret)
04 July 2011mon
P.S. If you want to get your blood pressure up, go to the Home & Garden TV web site and see how they used an American flag for a Fourth of July tablecloth.