Alligator Symposium 2003

	USNLP members (left to right) Lt. Cmdr Jim Mathews (VP, NMLHA), Lt. Chuck Veit (President, NMLHA), and Chief Roger Kuchera take part in the presentation to Cdr. Sides (Commanding, SubForce Museum) of copies of the original blueprints of de Villeroi's Alligator by Alexandre Sheldon Duplaix of HMS Vincennes and NOAA researcher Catherine Marzin (far left).
	VP Jim Mathews describing the role that NMLHA will play in our partnership with NOAA and ONR. Jim Christley on the far left, Admiral Cohen, and Cdr. Sides look on.
	View of some of the many USN officers, NOAA officials, researchers, and archaeologists who attended this first Alligator Symposium. Author Mark Ragan is seated to the left of Catherine Marzin (standing next to flag). Others in the audience included Dr. John Broadwater (Monitor), Dr. Bob Ballard (Titanic), and Dr. Robert Neyland (Hunley).
	VP/LtCdr Mathews, Lt Mike Flint (ONR), Cdr. Frank Sides, and President/Lt Veit after the NMLHA presentation of cherry belaying pins to Cdr Sides and Jim Christley in recognition of their efforts leading to the Symposium--and our participation. Chief Kuchera added brass stars to the heads of the pins as well as some fancy knotwork around the base of the handles. Fairly certain they are not standard issue aboard any sub, but nothing else says 19th century Navy quite as well.
	Chief Kuchera manning one end of our row of tables, showing some of the gear we lugged to the Museum for discussion with the public on the day of the Symposium and the weekend immediately following.
	Our set-up looking in the other direction. Jim handled most of the sub questions at the far end, Roger handled the surface Navy discussion at the other end, and Lt. Veit floated in between helping with overflow from both sides. Turnout for the weekend was about 1500 visitors.
	Some of the many posters we drew up and displayed for this event.

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