18 Remembering Iwo Jima - Fleet Reserve Association

F R A’ s 2 0 0 7 L e g i s lat i v e P r i o r i t i e s
6
Remembering Iwo Jima
18 Two combat veterans recall their role in the historic battle
11 N
ES Perspective
A look at a WWII example of Loyalty, Protection and Service
14 H
onoring those who serve today
FEBRUARY 2007
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Communications
FRA Today
February 2007
You will see many examples of
the values of loyalty, protection
and service throughout this issue of FRA Today. Of course, this
month we salute those who fought
valiantly at Iwo Jima, 62 years ago
(see feature article page 18). In
doing so, we also remember and
honor all who have served or serve
today. On page 14, you will read of
the Sailors and Marines FRA has
recently recognized for their outstanding performance. In his NES
Eileen Murphy
Perspective (page 11), Joe Barnes
Director of Marketing and
Communications
recalls the dedication of shipmates
to each other during wartime, assuring clothing and needed supplies reached those in need. News From
the Branches (page 26) has many other examples of shipmates remembering those who have gone before, and bringing donations to those
serving today. It is also the dedication to loyalty, protection and service
that shapes the legislative priorities which you will read in On & Off
Capitol Hill (pages 6–9).
The FRA commitment to service to others is also exemplified in
the FRA Scholarship Program. This program not only helps shipmates
and their families achieve educational goals, it shows the difference a
group of people can make in the life of an individual. The letters of
appreciation we receive from scholarship recipients are testimonials to
that. If you are interested in learning more about the FRA Scholarship
Program, please join Vince Cuthie on Wednesday, 14 February at 1200
EST by calling (toll-free) 1-877-746-9514 and entering the code 1924
when prompted. You will be able to hear about the process, ask questions and get great guidance on the process of applying. If you would
just like to listen in, call the same number and enter code 1400. Space is
limited to 25 speaking participants and 75 listeners.
The FRA tele-conferences are held on the second Wednesday
monthly to update shipmates on a topic of interest. Invite prospective
shipmates to the 14 March call, when we will discuss the importance
of membership in FRA. A special personal thank you to PRPSC Don
Larson for getting the word out each month (see page 15).
On a final personal note, it has been two years since I joined the
FRA Headquarters staff. It continues to be one of the greatest honors of my life to serve in the capacity of Director of Marketing and
Communications. Next month, FRA Today celebrates the 65th anniversary of the Seabees — an issue that will be near and dear to my heart,
as my Dad, Jack Kinney, was a Seabee in the Pacific Theater in World
War II. We look forward to the communications from shipmates who
were Seabees about their experiences — and of course, if you knew my
Dad, let me know!
Eileen Murphy is the Director of Marketing and
Communications and serves as the Managing Editor
of FRA Today. Please contact her at eileen@fra.org.
National Officers/Board Of Directors
Nat’l President
Nat’l Vice President
Nat’l Executive Sec.
Finance Officer
Junior PNP
Jerry L. Sweeney, Navy Dept. Branch 181
Lawrence J. Boudreaux, Hangtown Branch 275
Joseph L. Barnes, Navy Dept. Branch 181
Paul Rigby
Edgar M. Zerr, Poway Valley Branch 70
Regional Presidents
New EnglandPaul F. Loveless, Jr., Pine Tree Branch 156
Northeast Francis D. Tyson, Anthracite Branch 288
East Coast Delbert L. Herrmann, Wilmington Branch 299
Southeast Tony Cassata, The Delbert D. Black Branch 117
North Central Leon J. Zalewski, Milwaukee Branch 14
South Central Leo V. Vance, Space City Branch 159
SouthwestCharles F. Smedley, Poway Valley Branch 70
West CoastCharles R. McIntyre, San Jose Branch 140
Northwest John Ippert, Pearl Harbor-Honolulu Branch 46
Nat’l. ParliamentarianPNP J.C. Jim Eblen, San Diego Branch 9
Nat’l Chaplain Vincent W. Patton, III, Navy Dept. Branch 181
Active Duty Advisory Council
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Joe Campa
Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps John Estrada
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Charles Bowen
Reserve Advisory Council
Force Master Chief of the Naval Reserve David Pennington
USMC Reserve Force Sergeant Major Jimmy D. Cummings
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Reserve Force
Jeffrey Smith
FRA TODAY Magazine
Publisher FRA
Managing Editor Eileen Murphy
Contributing Editor Lauren Armstrong
Design and Art Direction
FIREBRAND, Alexandria, VA www.firebrandstudios.com
Design Director Scott Rodgerson
Production Manager Sandy Jones
fra today (ISSN 0028-1409) is published monthly by FRA, 125 N. West St.,
Alexandria, Va 22314-2754. A member’s subscription is covered by the member’s
annual dues. Periodicals postage paid at Alexandria, VA and additional
offices. Publication of non-sponsored advertising in fra today does not
constitute an endorsement by the FRA or its representatives. Postmaster:
Send address changes to: Member Services, FRA, 125 N. West St., Alexandria,
VA 22314-2754. fra today is published in the interests of all current and
former enlisted personnel of the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard.
Eligible non-members are not entitled to subscription rates. Established
1 November 1923. Title registered with U.S. Patent Office.
FRA Administrative Headquarters: 125 N. West St., Alexandria, VA 22314-2754
Phone: 703-683-1400, 800-FRA-1924 • Fax: 703-549-6610 • E-Mail: fraTODAY@fra.org
www . fra . o r g
FEBRUARY
Number 2
18
February 2007
1 8 Remembering Iwo Jima
This month marks the 62nd anniversary of the
battle of Iwo Jima, one of the bloodiest battles of
World War II. Two combat veterans recall their
roles in the historic battle.
Departments
2 COMMUNICATIONS
5Shipmate Forum
6On & Off Capitol Hill
FRA’s legislative priorities, and an overview
of the 110th Congress
1 1NES PERSPECTIVE
A look at a WWII example of Loyalty,
Protection and Service
14
13ONWATCH
Professional development from a
historical perspective
15 m embership matters
An increase in active duty members during 2006
FRA Today
Featured
Volume 86
2007
26
26 NEWS FROM THE BRANCHES
29Reunions
31Looking for…
33 Taps
36LA FRA News
On the cover
This dramatic photo and several others throughout
this issue are from Leatherneck Magazine and were
provided to FRA by Ron Lunn at the Marine Corps
Association.
We were there when you landed on the northern coast of France.
We were there when you returned to the Philippine shore.
We were there when you fought in Korea and Vietnam.
We were there when you rolled across the deserts of Iraq.
We were there then.
We will always be there.
Proudly serving those who serve.
1-800-MILITARY
(1-800-645-4827)
Shipmate forum
Federal Employment After Retirement
Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)
SPECIAL BRANCH LISTING SECTION
DECEMBER 2006
From FRA: FY 2000 National Defense Authorization Act
repealed the reduction of retired pay for military retirees employed in government positions. Employment by the DoD is
prohibited for a period of 180 days following retirement.
Employment During National Emergency
Several of you have asked questions about the hiring of retired military members during a state of national emergency. I thought it might be useful to summarize the answers.
The ability to hire military members within the 180-day
period after retirement, during a state of national emergency, is not a delegation. It’s an exception provision that
is part of the law (5 USC 3326(b)(3)) and does not require
any additional delegation to be used.
During this state of national emergency, the waiver procedures we normally follow are not necessary. Those procedures are designed to ensure compliance with a different
section of the law (5 USC 3326(b)(1)) and are not required
when using 5 USC 3326(b)(3).
The proclamation declaring the national emergency was
signed by President George W. Bush and dated 14 September
2001. A copy can be found at www.whitehouse.gov. It does
not apply just to the special appointing authorities that we
have recently received from OPM. It can be used with whatever appointing authority is being used to hire the individual.
Although the special 180-day provisions no longer apply,
merit system principles and prohibited personnel practice
restrictions are still in effect and must be followed. Activities
must use whatever advertising and evaluation procedures
are appropriate for the appointing authority being used.
At this point, there are no reporting requirements on
use of this authority during the state of national emergency
and neither OPM, nor DoD has indicated any intention to
establish them.
Hope this helps my shipmates get jobs.
Chuck Mayberry USN ETCS (DSW/SW) (Ret.)
F R A’ s 2 0 0 7 L e g i s L At i v e A g e N d A
6
JANUARY 2007
18
11 Appointed National Officers
Meet FRA’s Parliamentarian and Chaplain
13 OnWatch: MGIB —
What’s in it for you?
14 Representative Gene Taylor
receives FRA’s Pinnacle award
Be Proud of FRA’s Loyalty, Protection and
Service
I enjoy and learn so much from
FRA Today since I am a widow. Bob
Rutherford’s letter brought back memories and prompted me to comment
on how the times have changed. It was
September of “61” and we were staThe DigiTal
RevoluTion
tioned in Galveston, Texas when hurricane Carla hit. The ship was in Norfolk,
Va. at that time and families had to prepare by themselves.
Along with two other families, I and my three small children left the Island in the morning before the draw bridge
was raised and Carla hit. The men who owned a place were
flown back and also given orders to move to Norfolk, Va. We
lost everything and the Navy gave us five Army cots, blankets and pillows. That is all we had to rebuild our lives with
no other help.
One of the ladies went to the Red Cross and was told if
she had taken two sets of clothes for each when she left the
island, they couldn’t help her. This is all a far cry in comparison of what I read and see with Katrina.
Thank you and keep up the good work of keeping us
informed.
Kathy Classen
SPECIAL BRANCH LISTING SECTION
DECEMBER 2006
10
Recruit, Retain, Reinstate! 26 – 28
Submissions Send Shipmate Forum letters to: Editor, FRA Today, 125 N. West St.
Alexandria, VA 22314. E-mail submissions may be sent to fratoday@fra.org. Please
include “Shipmate Forum” in the subject line. FRA reserves the right to select and
edit letters for publication. Letters published in Shipmate Forum reflect the opinions
and views of FRA members. They do not necessarily reflect the official position of
FRA as a whole. FRA is not responsible for the accuracy of letter content.
February 2007
10
Recruit, Retain, Reinstate! 26 – 28
Many details about the SBP were
not known to me when I enrolled 24
August 1973 and designated my wife as
only inheritor.
After 33 years of enrollment, I am
convinced that the SBP (for me) wasn’t
the best choice of alternate insurance plans. I estimate my cost at over
$30,000.
My comments on SBP:
a) eliminate the tax on annuity received as a death
benefit
b) where the wife pre-deceases the retired member, that
member be considered eligible survivor to receive the
annuity.
I doubt the total amount of any annuity received will
exceed the cost. My wife is 80 years old, I am 84.
Albert Dell Angelo
FRA Today
United States Code actually allows Active
Duty on Terminal Leave (within 60
days of retirement) to be appointed to,
and work for, the Federal Government.
Translation: for 60 days while collecting
your final four Active Duty paychecks,
The DigiTal
RevoluTion
an individual can be working as a government employee collecting a paycheck. I believe the 180-day cooling off period restriction
was rescinded almost four to five years ago. I went to work as
a GS employee while on terminal leave in November 2004
and transferred to the retired rolls on 1 February 2005.
Thanks for your great work and magazine.
Craig Remig
On & off capitol hill
FRA Today
February 2007
110th Congress Off to a Fast Start
The First Session of the 110th Congress convened in
will benefit active duty, Reserve, retired and veteran shipJanuary, with Senator Harry Reid (Nev.) as the new Senate mates and their families.
Majority Leader and Representative Nancy Pelosi (Calif.)
A total of only 131 Members of the new 110th Congress
as the first female Speaker of the House.
have military experience — 102 in the
Some Committee leaders have been
House and 29 in the Senate. This continchosen (See the story: New Committee
ues a gradual decline in the number of U.S.
Chairman Selected on page 8), and other
Senators and Representatives who have
Committee leadership and members are
served in the military. Of the previous
still being finalized. These will be reported
109th Congress, 31 Senators served and
in future issues of FRA Today.
only 25% of our Representatives had miliIn the early days of the Session, legistary experience. This of course translates
lation (H.R. 89) was introduced by freshto an increased importance of presenting
man Florida Representative Gus Bilirakis
the perspectives of current and former en(Fla.), the son of retired Representative
listed personnel. You can continue to help
(and FRA Pinnacle Award Recipient)
by using the FRA Action Center. More
Michael Bilirakis, expanding combat rethan 19,000 letters went to elected offiJohn Davis
lated special compensation (CRSC) to
cials via the FRA Action Center in calenFRA’s
Director of
personnel compelled to retire short of
dar year 2006, an 88 percent increase from
Legislative Programs
twenty years of service.
2005. The Action Center is your grassroots
In the January issue of FRA Today,
advocacy resource that can have a direct
we outlined the entire FRA 2007 Legislative Agenda. In this influence on the Association’s effectiveness in representing
issue, you will see our priorities for the year. These have your concerns before Congress. As the 110th Congress conbeen selected based on the concerns of our members, the siders legislation that impacts you, please take the time to
number of personnel affected, and the potential for legis- send a message to your elected officials. There are prewritlative action during the Session. In addition to these, the ten letters on specific bills or issues, or you can compose
Association continues working to advance other issues that your own. Please visit www.fra.org often for updates.
FRA’s 2007 Legislative Priorities
Because healthcare affects every facet of FRA’s membership,
its top priority is to ensure adequate funding for Department
of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veteran’s Affairs (VA)
to meet readiness needs, fully fund TRICARE and improve
access for all beneficiaries regardless of age, status, or location. The Association calls for adequate funding for DoD
and VA healthcare resource-sharing efforts to deliver seamless, cost effective, quality services to all beneficiaries. FRA is
particularly concerned about the quality of care for personnel wounded while participating in Operations Enduring
Freedom and Iraqi Freedom.
The Association strongly believes that DoD must investigate and implement other options to make TRICARE more
cost-efficient as alternatives to shifting costs for TRICARE
Standard and other healthcare benefits to retiree beneficiaries
under age 65.
Also of high importance is ensuring members of the
military are receiving the pay and benefits they deserve. FRA
will work to secure additional active duty pay increases that
are at least .5 percent above the Employment Cost Index
(ECI), along with additional targeted increases for midcareer and senior enlisted personnel to help close the pay
gap between active duty military and private sector pay. The
Association is concerned about the 15-month lag between
the compilation of pay data and implementation. FRA will
also maintain a close watch on pay and benefits for Coast
Guard personnel to ensure they are consistent with their
DoD counterparts.
For retirees, FRA seeks to shift the effective date for
Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) paid up coverage from 2008 to
2005 for SBP participants who are over age 70 and have paid
SBP premiums for at least 30 years. The Association also supports legislation authorizing full concurrent receipt of military
retired pay and veteran’s disability compensation for all disabled retirees. FRA will work for the introduction and enactment of legislation to eliminate inequities in the Uniformed
Services Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA).
The Association continues to advocate reform of the
Montgomery GI Bill (MGIB) to provide increased funding
to keep pace with rising college costs and to improve benefits
for Reservists. In addition FRA will push for an open enrollment period for active duty personnel who did not enroll
in the Veterans Education Assistance Program (VEAP) or
MGIB.
In addition to these priorities, the Legislative Team continues to work on other 2007 Legislative Agenda issues.
On & off capitol hill
administrative requirements and fewer patients. FRA thanks the Shipmates who used
the FRA Action Center to contact their elected officials to help advance this issue.
“The Veterans Benefits, Health Care and
Information Technology Act of 2006,” (S.
3421), sponsored by Sen. Larry Craig (Idaho)
was also signed into law with provisions that
include:
• Allowing veterans to hire an attorney to
represent them after a notice of disagreement is filed in pursuing a VA compensation or benefit claim.
• Prohibiting lawyers from filing frivolous
claims and charging excessive fees.
• Establishing a VA computer security
program for personal information to report breach notification to individuals,
reports to Congress, and credit monitoring
services.
• Allowing families to receive education assistance before the service member’s discharge for a total and permanent disability
and restores certain education benefits for
those who stop their education because of
a Reserve or Guard call-up.
• Authorizing VA health care facility construction in Charleston S.C., Denver, Colo.
and replacement of flood-damaged facilities in New Orleans, La. and others affected by the Gulf Coast Hurricanes.
• Increasing the number of clinicians treating post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
and improving their training, and increasing funding for collaboration in PTSD diag-
nosis and treatment between VA and DoD,
and expanding mental health treatment
options for veterans.
• Establishing an office of rural health to
improve care for veterans in rural areas.
• Extending provision that allows family
members to receive headstones at marked
graves in private cemeteries.
• Requiring additional training for disabled
veterans outreach program specialists and
local veterans’ employment representatives, and allowing VA to hire more rehab
specialists for blinded veterans.
In addition, the President signed legislation (S. 4042) sponsored by Sen. Dick Durbin
(Ill.) that expands recently enacted limits on
demonstrations at military funerals. The previous law, signed into law on Memorial Day,
bans demonstrations at military funerals at
national cemeteries including Arlington
Cemetery. Durbin’s bill covers any funeral
of a current or former service member, and
makes intentionally disrupting a funeral a
criminal misdemeanor punishable by a fine
or up to one year in jail.
The President also signed “The Stolen
Valor Act of 2005” (S. 1998), sponsored by
Sen. Kent Conrad (N.D.), that makes claiming
unearned military decorations a felony, and
would impose imprisonment and fines for
any false claim of an award or decoration for
service members. The bill closes a loophole
in current law that allows phony recipients
to avoid prosecution as long as they do not
physically wear the unearned awards.
FRA and DoD Discuss Reserve Issues
FRA Staff met with DoD Assistant Secretary for Reserve
Affairs Thomas Hall to discuss Reserve issues for the next
Congress. FRA welcomes the opportunity to express its concerns and recommend changes to the Assistant Secretary
to improve the nation’s Guard and Reserves to meet the
national security needs of the United States. Because of
increasing demands on Reservists to perform multiple missions abroad over longer periods of time, it is essential to
improve compensation and benefits packages to attract re-
cruits and retain currently serving personnel. Secretary Hall
addressed several issues including:
• The strain on Guard and Reserve forces and their equipment brought on by the protracted war in Iraq and
Afghanistan;
• Concerns that the current size of the services (Reserves
and active) allows for the proper rotation of troops; and
• Desire to work closely with FRA and The Military Coalition
to achieve mutual goals during the 110th Congress.
February 2007
In the closing days of the Second Session of
the 109th Congress, the Senate passed “The
Veterans Benefit Extension Act of 2006”
(H.R. 6342) sponsored by House Veterans
Affairs Committee Chairman Rep. Steve
Buyer (Ind.), which was then signed into law
by the President. The legislation includes an
FRA-supported provision to allow spouses
and children of military personnel wounded
or killed in combat to have access to the VA
education benefits. Previously, only service
members qualified for these benefits. The bill
was introduced and passed the House the
first week of the lame duck session. Spouses
and children of service members who have
service-connected permanent disabilities
are eligible for VA education benefits immediately while the service member is undergoing treatment prior to discharge. Under
previous law, beneficiaries only qualified for
education benefits once the service member
was discharged. The bill would also extend
healthcare for veterans exposed to chemical
(Agent Orange) and nuclear toxins.
In the final moments of the 109th
Congress “The Tax Relief and Health Care Act
of 2006 (H.R. 6111) passed both chambers
and was subsequently signed into law by the
President. Among its many provisions is halting a 5.1% cut in physician reimbursements
from Medicare and TRICARE that would have
taken effect 1 January 2007. Doctor participation is an even greater problem for TRICARE
than for Medicare because low reimbursement rates are compounded by additional
FRA Today
President Signs Five Important Legislative Proposals into Law
On & off capitol hill
FRA Today
February 2007
New Majority Looks at Old
Budget
As FRA Today goes to print the new
Democratic Majority is expected to extend
the Continuing Resolution (CR) on the uncompleted FY 2007 appropriations, which
excludes the Department of Defense (DoD)
and Homeland Security (DHS), for the entire fiscal year or until 30 September, 2007.
This mandates spending levels based on
FY 2006 appropriations level for affected
departments, agencies and programs. The
“flat-lining” at FY 2006 levels is having a
negative impact on many agencies including the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA) that anticipated increased healthcare funding. In addition, funding for the
Defense Health Program is funded via the
same spending bill (military quality of life,
VA and independent agencies). There will be
an attempt to add up to $3 billion in the
new CR for the VA healthcare system. House
and Senate appropriators attempted to add
that amount for veteran’s programs before
adjournment last December, but were unsuccessful. The problem of adding funding for one agency is that it may open up
a floodgate of requests for other agencies,
and the new Democratic Majority has indicated that they do not want to be working
on the FY 2007 appropriation process when
the next budget (FY 2008) is sent to the Hill
in early February for the beginning of various annual oversight hearings. The current
CR allows the VA to transfer up to $684
million to the VA Healthcare program from
other VA accounts, and the Department
has already transferred $250 million from
other accounts to try to deal with the budget
shortfall. This “robbing Peter to pay Paul”
approach cannot be sustained indefinitely.
FRA strongly supports increased funding for
both VA and DoD healthcare programs, and
is committed to working with Congress and
the Administration to achieve this goal.
FRA Testifies at DoD Mental Health Task Force
FRA testified at the Department of Defense (DoD) Mental Health Task Force
meeting in December stressing the urgent need for adequate funding and improved oversight of the DoD and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) treatment programs for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other mental
health conditions. DLP John Davis spoke on behalf of FRA at the meeting.
Established last June at the request of Congress, the Task Force is a 14-member
panel that will report its assessments and recommendations for the military’s
mental health system to the Secretary of Defense in May. The task force members expressed concerns that facilities cannot afford to treat people at TRICARE’s
rates, and that there are not enough TRICARE-approved providers to cover the
needs of war fighters and their families.
The VA Office of Inspector General (OIG) concluded that veterans’ access to
PTSD treatment at the VA is woefully inadequate and needs improvement in its recently released report. Due to an FRA-supported executive order, Federal Agencies
that handle health care must work together to implement a standardized electronic
health record starting 1 January 2007. The agencies, including VA, will coordinate
with DoD so that clinical information is shared efficiently, a concept that is more
cost effective for everyone and eliminates the cost of record duplication.
New Committee Chairman
Selected
Congressman Bob Filner (Calif.)
won an election contest within the
Democratic Caucus for Chairman of
the House Veterans Affairs Committee,
defeating Congressman Mike Michaud
(Maine) by a vote of 112-69.
Rep. Filner has served on the House
Veterans Affairs Committee since his
1992 election, and has been a vocal
advocate for Veteran’s rights. This is
a popular cause in his district, which
includes parts of San Diego with a
large population of veterans (12.2%).
He was born and raised in New York
City, obtained a Ph.D. in History from
Cornell and is a former instructor at
San Diego State University.
The new Chairman of the House
Armed Services subcommittee on personnel issues is Rep. Vic Snyder, (Ark.)
who served in the Marine Corps and
volunteered for service in Viet Nam, and
holds both medical and law degrees. He
was previously the panel’s ranking member and has been active in improving military healthcare benefits, particularly in
stopping fee increases for military retirees
and expanding coverage for Reservists
and their families. Snyder is also a strong
proponent of modernizing the GI Bill, especially for Reservists.
FRA Meets
with
Freshman
Senator and
his Staff
FRA was invited to
meet
with
newly
elected Senator Jim
Webb (Va.) and his staff to discuss the
Association’s legislative priorities for the
110th Congress. DLP John Davis represented
FRA at the meeting, and learned that the
Senator planned to introduce legislation to
significantly enhance the MGIB. He also assured the Senator that FRA’s legislative team
is a source for information and expertise on
enlisted military personnel benefits and
quality of life issues for active, Reserve,
retired and veterans of the Navy, Marine
Corps and Coast Guard and their families.
Webb served in the Marine Corps and as
Secretary of the Navy and has been appointed to both the Senate Armed Services and
Veterans Affairs Committees. FRA was the
first military/veterans association to meet
with the Senator and his staff in anticipation
of the convening of the 110th Congress.
On & off capitol hill
BAH Rates Increased
Service members received an average 3.5 percent boost in their basic allowance
for housing compensation benefit (BAH) starting 1 January 2007, which works
out to about $300 million more than in 2006. Military housing allowances are
computed according to median current market rent, average utilities (to include
electricity, heat and water/sewer costs) and average renter’s insurance.
BAH rates also are based on dwelling type and number of bedrooms in a
given area and then calculated for each pay grade, both with and without family
members. For service members with family members, average increases in the
BAH are approximately $44 per month. An E-4 with family will receive about
$34 more per month in BAH, an E-8 will receive about $42 more per month. FRA
continues to advocate for reform of current enlisted housing standards under
which only E-9 personnel qualify for detached single-family housing.
A group of divorced current and retired
military personnel has challenged the
constitutionality of the Uniform Services
Former Spouses Protection Act (USFSPA).
The group failed to get a re-hearing in the
4th Circuit Court and will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court. FRA will keep
you up-to-date on developments in this
litigation.
Unified Medical Command
Rejected
The DoD does not endorse the concept
of a single Unified Medical Command
supported by the Army and Navy,
due to Air Force opposition. Instead,
Deputy Secretary of Defense Gordon
England announced a more modest
“new governance plan” for the healthcare system that directs joint oversight
over four key functional areas which
are medical research, medical education and training, health care delivery
in major markets and shared support
services.
The new entity is to oversee
shared support services, and report to
Assistant Secretary of Defense (Health
Affairs) Dr. William Winkenwerder.
Just as the Army will control medical
research, a single service will be responsible for medical education and
training, and for health care delivery in major markets. The TRICARE
Management Activity remains, but
focuses on health insurance, support
contractor management and benefit
delivery. Details are to be determined
by a yet to be named transition team
that will review options and recommend steps to implement the plan
over the next two years.
The FRA legislative team contributes to On & Off
Capitol Hill and includes: Joe Barnes, National
Executive Secretary; John Davis, Director of Legislative
Programs; Ed Dockery, Assistant Director of
Legislative Programs; Bob Washington, Health Care
Advisor and Director of Membership Development and
Chris Slawinski, National Veterans Service Officer.
February 2007
A GAO (Government Accountability
Office) report released in December
indicates that veterans’ disability benefits claims could be processed faster
if the VA had better access to military
records.
An example in the report underscores the differences in handling
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
for veterans. Processing PTSD claims
for Army, Air Force, Navy and Coast
Guard personnel takes up to a year
longer than for Marine Corps veterans. The difference is due to the
Marine Corps’ electronic records library, which identifies who has served
in combat, an essential fact when applying for veterans’ benefits.
If VA regional offices cannot find evidence of combat service in a veterans’
record, they turn to historical records. The Marine Corps electronic library can
be searched right away, but VA must request the records of veterans of other services, a process that the report said takes up to a year. The Joint Services Records
Research Center (JSRRC) that maintains historical records has only 13 full-time
employees and a “steady” backlog of 4,000 requests for personnel files. Eightyfive percent of the requests are related to benefits claims. Most of the records that
JSRRC may search are voluminous, are not stored electronically, and must be
searched manually.
The opportunity may exist for the Veterans Benefits Administration to establish an electronic library of Defense Department military historical records for
the other service branches and significantly reduce the time required to process
the PTSD claims of many veterans.
In a written response to the report, the VA stated that it is committed to providing accurate and expeditious claims processing and is working with DoD to
give a few VA employees direct access to the historical personnel records. The VA
also is trying to determine if there are other approaches to provide key information needed to process a claim.
USFSPA Court Challenge
FRA Today
GAO – VA Needs Better
Access to Military Records
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Loyalty, Protection and Service During Wartime
NES Perspective
11
ingly denied the FRA’s request to convene its 18 National
principles and serve as the basis for long-standing tradi- Convention in Chicago in 1945. The panel did however, intions within the Association and its Branches — particu- dicate that the denial “did not preclude holding a meeting
larly during wartime.
attended by not more than 50 persons from out of town
This issue of FRA Today focuses on the 62nd Anniversary plus local attendance without numerical limitation.”
of the World War II Battle of Iwo Jima in
The subsequent meeting was schedthe Pacific, which ended on 16 March
uled on 2 September 1945 at the Statler
1945 and is known as one of the bloodiest
Hotel here in Washington, D.C. Ironically,
and most difficult battles ever waged. The
this was the date that General Douglas
raising of the American Flag on Mount
McArthur, Japanese General Yoshijiro
Suribachi is now synonymous with our
Umezu and others met on the deck of the
magnificent United States Marine Corps,
USS Missouri in Tokyo Bay to sign the
the subject of a famous photo by Joe
Potsdam Declaration, the formal Japanese
Rosenthal and subsequently the Marine
surrender document. During the dual
Corps War Memorial adjacent to Arlington
meetings of FRA’s outgoing and incomNational Cemetery in Arlington, VA. —
ing Boards of Directors that day, a report
and reflected more recently in the design
from the Special National Committee
of the National Museum of the Marine
appointed to assist with the rehabilitaCorps, Quantico, VA. (See November, 2006
tion of FRA Branches located in enemy
Joe Barnes
issue of FRA Today.)
territory in the Pacific lauded incredible
FRA’s National Executive Secretary
The experiences of Ed Terella and Lloyd
support from shipmates and ladies. FRA
Keeland are chronicled by Contributing
Branches and LA FRA Units pledged to
Editor Lauren Armstrong in our feature story, Remembering donate clothing, household supplies and other items as well
Iwo Jima. While this and other battles raged in the Pacific as financial donations to assist with their recovery.
theater and elsewhere, FRA shipmates stateside were workA letter was sent to all stateing to provide much needed assistance to their fellow FRA side Branches and Units requestshipmates and their families in the war zone in the Pacific ing that donations be sent to the
theater.
home of Committee Chairman,
As chronicled in FRA’s Brotherhood of the Sea, “By 1945, Shipmate (then NVP) Robert W.
the U.S. Government established a policy for issuing or de- Allen in Long Beach, Calif. He
nying permits to organizations desiring to meet in national volunteered his home as the depot
conventions.” The War Committee on Conventions accord- for what would become tons of
donated items to be sent to various FRA Branches with assistance
from the Navy via the Navy Supply
Robert W. Allen
Depot, San Pedro, and the Naval
FRA
NP 1945-1946
Base, Terminal Island, Calif.
Within weeks, shipmates and their families in Guam and
the Philippines received clothing, non-rationed shoes, sewing supplies, household goods, toys, reading material and
other items essential to their recovery from the war.
Today the tradition of helping shipmates in need during wartime continues within our great Association with
Branches and Units providing much needed support and
assistance to local bases, commands and activities — and to
individual requiring disaster relief or welfare grants.
Joe Barnes is FRA’s National Executive Secretary and Chairman of the National
Committee on Legislative Service. A member of Navy Department Branch 181, he is
also an advisor to the National Committees on Budget and Finance and
Membership and Retention.
February 2007
Gen. Douglas MacArthur signs the Potsdam Declaration
as Supreme Allied Commander during formal surrender
ceremonies on the USS MISSOURI in Tokyo Bay.
FRA Today
Photo by: Lt. C. F. Wheeler
Loyalty, Protection and Service are FRA’s fundamental
th
For Info. About The Videos Go To
www.MilitaryVideo.com
Or Call
1-800-277-1977
February 2007
12
New Video Release!
FRA Today
• USS Essex (CV-9), 1940s-1960s, 60 min.
Aircraft Carrier Action:
We Carry Hundreds More Titles!
For A Complete List Go To Our
Web Site or Send $3.50 For Our Catalog.
Ships Of The Fleet:
• Iowa Class Battleships, BB-61-64, 1940 & 1950s, 120 min.
• Heavy Cruisers: Queen Of The Seas 1930s-1960s, 90 min.
• Light Cruisers Go To War: 1930s-1950s, 70 min.
• Naval Gun On Iwo Jima & Okinawa, 40 min.
• Underway Replenishment Ships 1940s-1960s, 100 min.
• Destroyer Escorts of the 1940s and 1950s, 50 min.
• Destroyers & Their Sailors, WWI-Vietnam, 100 min.
• Shipboard Living Conditions 1940s-50s: Destroyers, 65 min.
• Minesweepers WWII, Korea & Vietnam, 100 min.
• Suicide Attack In The Pacific In WWII, 93 min.
• Navy Gun 1950s, Firing the Big Guns, 90 min.
• Damage Control 1960s & Abandon Ship In WWII, 90 min.
• Fleet Ocean Tugboats 1960s, 40 min.
• Hospital Ship: USS Repose & Corpsmen, 50 min.
• Navy Action In The 1930s, 45 min.
• Operation Highjump 1946 (Antarctic Journey), 70 min.
Silent Service & ASW Ops:
• Tench Class Submarines, 75 min.
• Submarine Warfare In WWII, 110 min.
• Submarine Service in the 1940s & 1950s, 104 min.
• Submarine Training 1960s & Pride Runs Deep, 60 min.
• FBM Submarines & Their Sailors, 85 min.
• Polaris To Poseiden & Countdown to Trident, 60 min.
• ASW Operations In the 1960s & 1970s, 85 min.
• ASW Operations In The 1950s, 50 min.
• USS Robert E. Lee & USS Lewis & Clark 1960s, 50 min.
Navy Aircraft:
•Navy Trainers: T-28, T-34 & T-2J 55 min.
•A-4 Skyhawk: Attack Bomber, 55 min.
•A-6 Intruder/Prowler & A-7 & A-7E Corsair, 75 min
•F6F Hellcat Goes To War, 60 min.
•F8U Crusader, Recognition & How To Fly, 60 min.
•F9F Panther/Cougar & F4D Skyray, 65 min
•PBY Goes To War, 60 min.
More Navy Titles:
• USN Armed Guard &
Merchant Marine WWII, 80 min.
• Seabee & USMC Ops Pacific WWII, 70 min.
• Adm. Nimitz &Adm. Burke Story, 80 min.
• Rigid Airship History &
How To Fly A Blimp, 90 min.
• King Neptune Ceremony
1930s-70s, 60 min.
• Small Boat Warfare In Vietnam, 90 min.
• USS Hannibal Victory in WWII, 60 min.
• Coast Guard Operations In WWII, 45 min.
• MSTS Arctic Operations 1950s, 90 min.
• USS Roosevelt (CVB-42) 1940s-50s, 45 min.
• USS Roosevelt (CVB-42) 1960s, 90 min
• USS Philippine Sea, (CV-47) 1940s-50s, 50 min.
• USS Wasp (CVA-18) 1944-1972, 60 min.
• USS Hancock (CV-19) 1940-50s, 60 min.
• USS Ranger (CVA-61) 1956-1983, 70 min.
• USS Randolph (CV-15) 1945-1967, 45 min.
• USS Valley Forge (CV-45) 1949-1966, 60 min.
• USS Shangri-La (CV-38) 1944-1968, 45 min.
• USS America (CVA-66) 1965-1968, 60 min.
• USS Midway (CVA-41) 1945-1970, 60 min.
• USS Constellation (CVA-64) 1964-1970, 45 min.
• USS Enterprise (CVAN-65) 1960-1970, 90 min.
• USS Coral Sea (CVA-43) 1965-1970, 50 min.
• USS Kitty Hawk (CV-63) 1961-1979, 75 min.
• USS Boxer (CV-21) 1950s, 70 min.
• USS Ticonderoga (CVA-14) in Vietnam, 30 min.
• USS Bon Homme Richard (CVA-31) 1950s-60s, 45 min.
• USS Franklin (CV-13) in WWII, 90 min.
• USS Oriskany (CV-34) in Vietnam, 40 min.
• USS Hornet (CV-8, CV-12) & Torpd Sqd. 8/ WWII, 60 min.
• USS JF Kennedy (CVA-67) 1970s-’80s, 70 min.
• USS Independence (CVA-62) in Vietnam, 60 min.
• USS Forrestal (CV-59) 1950s-60s, 90 min.
• Langley To Enterprise/ Hook Down, Wheels Down, 90 min.
• Carrier Pilot Training Pensacola 1970s, 60 min.
• Essex Class Carriers WWII (“Fighting Lady”), 60 min.
• Carrier Action Off The Coast Of Korea, 75 min.
• Escort Carrier CVEs 1940s & 1950s, 75 min.
• Light Carriers: Heavy Hitters 1940s & 1950s, 70 min.
•Carrier Crashes & Landings 1940s-60s, 60 min.
Gulf Of Tonkin Fires:
•USS Enterprise Fire 1969: 45 min.
• USS Forrestal Fire 1967: 72 min.
• USS Oriskany Fire 1966: 60 min.
Amphibious Craft:
• LCS(L)(3) & LSMR, 50 min.
• LSD, LCI(L), 45 min.
• Landing Vehicle Track (LVT), 30 min.
• LST Training In World War II, 80 min.
• LSTs In The Pacific: WWII, 65 min.
• LSTs In World War II: European Theater, 72 min.
Historic Boot Camp:
Naval Training Center Great Lakes: 1940s, 45 min.
Naval Training Center San Diego: 1940s, 50 min.
Naval Training Center San Diego: 1950s, 75 min.
N.T.C. San Diego: 1960s & Advanced Training, 60 min.
N.T.C. San Diego: 1970s & Advanced Training, 50 min.
$34.95
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Calling Active Duty
and Reservists!
FRA’s OnWatch page of FRA
Today is especially for you!
Each month we feature an article with
the information designed for those
who currently serve. Recent OnWatch
articles have discussed changes in
TRICARE, and FRA’s Legislative
agenda for active duty personnel.
Each quarter, FRA produces an
online version of OnWatch found
at www.fra/onwatch. This publication includes interviews with the
MCPON, MCPOCG and Sgt. Maj.,
Marine Corps. You will also have access to a discussion board where you
can share your opinions on the latest
issues or post questions for FRA’s legislative team and health care experts.
Additionally, FRA posts a quarterly
OnWatch survey, the results of which
help FRA’s legislative team voice your
priorities on Capitol Hill.
FRA continues to do such things
as; fight for adequate BAH rates and
high priority quality of life issues,
work to improve education benefits,
and work to ensure a seamless transition for active duty service members
to veteran status. Every service member today is benefiting from FRA initiatives — and we continue to fight
for you!
The larger our membership, the
louder your voice is heard on Capitol
Hill. If you are not yet a member of
FRA, join today! With your $25 a year
membership ($40 for two years), you
will receive FRA Today each month,
so you are always informed about
legislation and news that is important to you and your family. Members
also receive discounts on rental cars,
airfare and much more!
Visit www.fra.org/join to start
your membership today or call 800372-1924 and talk with Member
Services.
Professional Development
onwatch
13
FRA Today
February 2007
Professional Development from a Historical Perspective
Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Mullen
recently challenged Sailors to take an active role in their
own professional development by reading to expand
awareness and understanding. His words apply, not only
to Sailors, but to all military personnel: “Reading fosters
critical thinking, and critical thinking makes us better leaders and better war fighters.”
Each of the sea services has developed a list of reading materials that focuses on leadership, management,
cultural awareness and military history. The complete list
for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are available
at one convenient website — www.navyreadinglists.com.
Many of the history-oriented titles are action-packed
best sellers and provide riveting first-hand accounts of
epic battles and heroic events. Here’s a brief overview of
each service’s program and a few books from each reading list that focus on leadership lessons from a historical
perspective.
The Navy Professional Reading Program
The Navy revamped its reading program in October of
2006 and replaced CNO- and MCPON-designated reading
lists with a broader Navy Professional Reading Program.
The books were carefully chosen by a panel of Navy leaders and scholars and are grouped in collections geared
toward varying experience levels; however, Sailors are
encouraged to read anything that interests them from the
entire list.
Books from the Navy’s reading program are available at
discounted prices at Navy Exchange bookstores or online
at www.navy-nex.com/misc/mpr/navy-reading.htm.
D-Day, June 6, 1944: The Climactic Battle of World War II,
by Stephen E. Ambrose
The Caine Mutiny, by Herman Wouk To the Shores of
Tripoli: The Birth of the U.S. Navy and Marines, by
A.B.C. Whipple
Eagle Against the Sun: The American War With Japan, by
Ronald Spector
The Golden Thirteen: Recollections of the First Black Naval
Officers, by Paul Stilwell
The Second World War, Volume 1: The Gathering
Storm, by Winston S. Churchill
Two Souls Indivisible: The Friendship that Saved Two
POWs in Vietnam, by James S. Hirsch.
The Commandant of the Marine Corps Required
Reading Lists
In 2005, the Commandant made some major changes to
the professional reading lists for the Marine Corps. While
the Navy’s list is broken down by experience level and
responsibility, the USMC reading list is divided by rank,
with a relatively small number of books required for each.
Marines are reminded, however, that they are expected to
have read the books in their own rank category as well as
those required for ranks below their own.
With the Old Breed at Pelelieu and Okinawa, by
E. B. Sledge
Flags of our Fathers, by James Bradley
We Were Soldiers Once ... And Young: Ia Drang
— the Battle that Changed the War in Vietnam,
by Harold G. Moore
The Forgotten Soldier, by Guy Sajer
Band of Brothers, by Stephen Ambrose
No Bended Knee, The Battle for Guadalcanal, by
Merrill Twining
The U.S. Coast Guard Reading List
The Coast Guard publishes its reading list annually to
provide a starting point from which members can expand
existing knowledge and skills. It is a tool for individual
professional development and leadership growth and, like
the other services’ lists, draws from a variety of genres.
In addition to the lists for different experience levels,
the Coast Guard also provides a sectional listing on Coast
Guard history and culture (available at www.uscg.mil/
LEADERSHIP/lead/reading.htm).
Shackleton’s Way: Leadership Lessons from the Great
Antarctic Explorer, by Margot Morrell
The Coast Guard at War: Vietnam, 1965-1975, by
Alex Larzelere
Rising Tide: The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 and How
it Changed America, by John Barry
The United States Coast Guard, 1790-1915: A Definitive
History (With a Postscript: 1915-1949), by ADM
Stephen Hadley Evans, USCG
Read our latest issue of OnWatch, at www.fra.org/onwatch. The focus is on quality
of life issues, and you’ll see FRA’s survey results, learn about the latest legislative
initiatives and read interviews with senior enlisted leaders.
Recognition
Honoring Those Who Serve Today
14
FRA Today
February 2007
FRA Honors Marine Corps Personnel
Marines Honored at the Combined
Awards Ceremony with Sgt. Maj. Estrada
FRA continued a long-standing annual tradition of recognizing excellent performance by enlisted Marine Corps personnel by co-sponsoring the Combined
Awards Ceremony and the Non Prior Service and Prior Service SNCOIC of the
Year Awards. Each candidate was presented with a special certificate of achievement and a challenge coin on behalf of FRA National President Jerry L. Sweeney.
“These Marines are the very best in the country, and are a tribute to the
Corps,” said Sgt. Maj. of the Marine Corps John L. Estrada during the Combined
Awards Ceremony after presenting the awards and meritoriously promoting several of the recipients. He thanked FRA and the other sponsors for supporting the
mission of these brave men and women and the Marine Corps as a whole.
2006 Award recipients
Brigadier General R. T. Tryon presenting
awards at the NCOIC Ceremony
NES Joe Barnes with SgtMaj USMC
John L. Estrada at the Combined
Awards Ceremony
Career Retention Specialist of the Year
Staff Sergeant Casondra A. Smith, HMLA 169
Camp Pendleton, CA
Marine Security Guard of the Year
Staff Sergeant Charles P. Speitel MSG Det.
Frankfurt Germany
Drill Instructor of the Year
Winner: Staff Sergeant Anthony J. Loftus, MCRD
San Diego, CA
Runner Up: Gunnery Sergeant David E. Compton,
MCRD Parris Island, SC
Marine Combat Instructor Of the Year
Winner: Staff Sergeant Richard Choquette, SOI
Camp LeJeune, NC
Runner Up: Sergeant Steven D. Oldham, SOI,
Camp Pendleton, CA
Recruiter of the Year
Winner: Staff Sergeant Manuel Palos, 12th
Marine Corps District
Runner Up: Sergeant Mark C. Avery, 6th Marine
Corps District
Prior Service Recruiter of the Year
Winner: Sergeant David R. Butters, 1st Marine
Corps District
Runner Up: Staff Sergeant Mario N. Atkins, 8th
Marine Corps District
Non-Prior Service SNCOIC of the Year
Winner: GySgt. Terry D. Love, USMC
Runner-Up: GySgt. Andrew L. Comrie, USMC
Prior Service SNCOIC of the Year
Winner: GySgt. Paul T. Schloss, USMC
Runner-Up: GySgt. Robert P. Whitis, USMC
All photos by: Vince Cuthie
FRA Honors Navy’s Top Recruiters of 2006
RADM Joseph Kilkenny (front right)
stands with the Navy Recruiters
of the Year.
FRA continued a 34-year tradition of recognizing the Navy’s 2006 Recruiters of the
Year, hosting a Capitol Hill luncheon for the honorees and their family members.
During the event, RADM Joseph Kilkenny, Commander of Navy Recruiting
Command, thanked FRA for the Association’s ongoing efforts to support Sailors.
“When I think FRA, I think conscience. FRA is the conscience that consistently
asks Congress, ‘Did you think of this? Did you think of that?’ It’s particularly
important to have a conscience when speaking to those who are less inclined to
understand the challenges of military service.”
Kilkenny cited some of the unique challenges facing today’s recruiters. “It’s
an extremely tough market right now. Two-thirds of America’s youth never envisioned themselves serving their country. Our command’s most recent numbers
show that 72 percent of our prospect pool is ineligible for service because they
do not meet the Navy’s academic, physical or legal requirements. And our Nation
is experiencing the lowest unemployment rates in years,” said Kilkenny. “It takes
continued on page 36
Our Recruiting Efforts for 2006
membership matters
15
Here’s a quick look at what our recruiting efforts were for
FRA NHQ Staff
A big thank you to PRPSC Don Larson for his
PROFILE: Rod Kennedy
tireless recruiting efforts to monthly for the FRA
tele-conferences. These calls are held the second
free to FRA shipmates. He has been instrumental
in bringing dozens of people to the calls over the
months by e-mailing reminders and calling Branch
Secretaries and asking them to get the word out to
the branches. “It’s a great way to keep informed
about what is new in the Association and interact
with the staff,” says Larson. During the December
call, shipmates all expressed their appreciation by
asking if he could be highlighted in FRA Today as
a great example of dedication to promoting FRA.
Thank you, Don, for all you do!
To participate in the February 14th teleconference on FRA scholarships, please dial
1-877-746-9514 at 1200 EST and enter code
“1924” when prompted. To just listen only, enter
code “1400.” Vince Cuthie will be the host.
Photo by: Vince Cuthie
Wednesday of each month at 1200 EST, and are
Rod Kennedy joined FRA’s staff 31
years ago when he moved to the
United States from Australia. Rod
grew up in a town called Lismore,
which he jokingly refers to as “the
sticks.” He was quite surprised when
he got a call one day from an FRA
member from his same hometown!
Over the years, many members have
come to know Rod well for his great personality, attention
to detail and interest in helping shipmates with whatever
they need. Of course, in his time at FRA, Rod has seen
many changes. The headquarters building is in Alexandria,
Va. now, rather than Washington D.C., member records
are no longer kept on index cards but in iMIS, and the
invention of e-mail has certainly changed much of Rod’s
day. In 31 years, Rod has certainly grown in understanding of technology and computer programs. Recently FRA
brought the fundraising function in-house, rather than using an outside vendor. Rod stepped up to take on yet another new function of scanning donations that come to the
Association. His flexibility and willingness to learn makes
him a very valuable member of the Headquarters team.
When you call Member Services and talk to Rod, please be
sure to greet him with a great big G’day Mate!
February 2007
Bravo Zulu
FRA Today
membership as a gift. Think of those who are bravely serv2006. There were approximately 3,619 new members recruited ing our country in far-off lands. Along with these brave
since 1 January 2006. Here is a breakdown by category:
men and women, let us also remember their families at
home, worrying for the safety of a father, a mother, a son or
daughter at war. Let us also remember the veterans of wars
Retirees
1377
gone by who might be lonely or hospitalized. We can remember them with the
Active Duty
877
gift of belongingness, with a membership
in one of our Branches.
Reservists
98
A gift membership may brighten the
day
of anyone, from the active duty serVeterans
596
vice member to the patriotic veterans. An
Didn’t include status
affordable gift membership creates an
671
on application
opportunity to bring families together all
year long, through the events and activiThat means at least 27% of our new
ties of the local branches in their areas.
members were active duty and Reserves,
Look at your family and friends. Is an
(double the percentage of last year)
eligible member missing out? If so, sign
16.5% veterans, 38% retirees. It’s great to
him or her up, let’s continue our growth,
see a large percentage of active duty and
Bob
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FRA Today
February 2007
18
19
FRA Today
February 2007
{ Remembering Iwo Jima }
Two combat veterans recall their roles in the historic battle.
The small island in the Pacific didn’t look like much from the air — only eight
square miles of rock and sand with a dormant volcano at one end — but in
February of 1945, Iwo Jima was the centerpiece of the Pacific campaign strategy for defeating Japan. And the month-long battle waged there proved pivotal
to the Allies’ success and defined the lives of the young men who fought there.
by Lauren Armstrong
FRA Today
February 2007
20
Ed
Terella was one of six
brothers who fought in
World War II, but the only Marine. “I was
only 17 when I decided to join up,” recalls
Terella. “I wanted to go to medical school
and was told the Navy had the best one. A
buddy and I were going to join together,
but I couldn’t get into the Navy because of
my eyesight. We went to the Marines and I
got in, but my buddy didn’t.”
Terella served at Guadalcanal after
it had been secured to some degree and
then went on to participate in the assault
and capture of Bougainville, Guam and
Iwo Jima. He was 20 when he landed on
the shores of Iwo Jima as part of the 3rd
Marine Division, a couple days after the
first wave. He was a radio operator who
often went with forward observation units
to relay situation reports to the battle wagon and direct fire.
Lloyd Keeland was a Marine private
when he hit the black sands of Iwo Jima
as a member of a machine gun company
that was part of the third wave to attack
the island. At 24, he was the oldest member of his outfit, earning him the nickname
“Pops.” Keeland proudly reflects on his
service with the 4th Marine Division, saying, “The Fighting 4th saw more combat
than any other outfit in the Pacific…the
best fightin’ outfit in the world.”
{An Island of Strategic Importance}
The Japanese launched fighters and kamikaze missions from airstrips on Iwo Jima,
providing a measure of defense against
the Allies’ daily bombing raids on the
Japanese mainland. If the Allies could take
the island, it would not only compromise
Japan’s defenses, it would also provide a
strategic air base from which Allied forces
could conduct their own air attacks.
Before the first Marines ever set foot
on the island, Iwo Jima endured the longest and most intense shelling of any island in the two-year Pacific island-hopping
campaign. Initial carrier raids against Iwo
began in June of 1944, followed by air attacks from B-24 bombers. The Marines
requested ten days of sustained naval bombardment before the invasion, but because
of the prolonged air assault that had already
been conducted and other operational commitments, the Navy only authorized three
days of sea-based fire support.
In the end, the sea and air assault made
little impact on the enemy stronghold.
Nearly 30,000 Marines from the 3rd, 4th
and 5th Marine Divisions (under the 5th
Amphibious Corps) landed on Iwo Jima
early on 19 February 1945, many loaded
with 70 to 100 pounds of equipment. As
they hit the shores in the opening hours of
Operation Detachment, they were met with
intense enemy fire. Although there was little initial resistance, when the naval bombardments subsided to allow the Marines
to advance, the enemy emerged from a network of underground fortifications to wreak
heavy damage on the landing forces. Some
2,300 Marines were killed or wounded in
the first 18 hours of the battle.
The island’s sophisticated network of
interlocking caves and tunnels, concrete
blockhouses and pillboxes made Iwo Jima
one of the most impenetrable defenses encountered by the Marines in the Pacific.
These underground defenses, coupled with
the island’s geographic terrain, proved to
be a powerful ally to the Japanese. The
black volcanic sand made it difficult for
Marines to get their footing or dig foxholes.
Iwo Jima, which means “Sulphur Island,”
belched steam and heat from the churned
up soil. The previous air and sea attacks had
(above) “H-Hour” on “D-Day”: Waves of amphibious tractors (LVTs) approach the Iwo Jima
invasion beaches in the first moments of the U.S.
Marine amphibious assault on the island, 19
February 1945.
(left) Fourth Division Marines begin an attack
from the beach on Iwo Jima, as another boatload of men is disgorged onto the beach by an
LCVP, 19 February 1945. Note the amphibious
tractor (LVT) burning in the right center, and
men taking cover ashore. Photo by T/Sgt. Neil
Gillespie, USMCR.
(inset left) Ed Terella (inset right) Lloyd Keeland
21
Mount Suribachi, the island’s volcanic
mound, also aided the Japanese defenses.
Corporal Charles Lindberg, combat veteran
of the Guadalcanal and Bougainville campaigns and the last surviving member of
the initial Iwo Jima flag-raisers, said, “The
Japs had the whole beach zeroed in. Most
of the fire was coming from Suribachi.”
Because of its strategic position, taking
Mount Suribachi would be critical to the
eventual capture of the island.
The assault on Mount Suribachi took
four torturous and bloody days. Marines
drove the enemy from the high ground that
would come to be called “The Meat Grinder,”
and reached the summit of Suribachi on
23 February. At the top, they raised the U.S.
flag over Japanese soil for the first time on
an island that had been in Japan’s possession for more than 600 years.
The image of American troops raising
the flag over Iwo Jima was captured by
Joe Rosenthal in his Pulitzer Prize-winning photo and has become a national icon
for the Marine Corps and the strength of
American spirit. But the moment captured
by Rosenthal’s lens was not the action that
inspired the men fighting on Iwo Jima that
February morning. The famous photo really
captures the second flag-raising of the day.
The first flag raising occurred hours
earlier, when six members of the 40-man
and mortars were fired to celebrate,” said
Terella. “I thought the battle was over, but
then all hell broke loose.”
“The first flag raising was for the
Marines on the island…the second flag raising was for the morale of the people back
home,” said Raymond Jacobs, who helped
raise the first flag. The second flag raised
over Iwo Jima and Rosenthal’s famous photo would stir a nation, but went unnoticed by
many of the Marines on the island.
“I never even saw the second, larger
FLAG-RAISERS
The men who raised the first flag over Iwo Jima
aren’t as well known as those who raised the
second flag, but they were captured on film
nonetheless by USMC photographer Sgt. Louis
R. Lowery. As Lowery was shooting the events
with his camera, the enemy flung a grenade at
him. To avoid injury, he leapt over the edge of
the crater, damaging his camera and lens, but
preserving himself and the film.
Research by Dustin Spence has revealed the
names of some of the young men captured in
those photos: Phil Ward, John Bradley (who also
participated in the second flag-raising), Raymond
Jacobs, and Charles W. Lindberg. To learn
more, read Spence’s Unraveling the Mysteries
of the First Flag Raising, which appeared in the
October 2006 edition of Leatherneck magazine.
(Copies of the article are available for purchase
($4.00) at www.mca-marines.org/leatherneck.)
Spence has also produced a film entitled “Flags
over Iwo Jima, A Documentary Honoring the
First Flag Raisers, Dustin Spence’s Journey Into
History.”
A photo of the first flag raising taken by
USMC Staff Sergeant Louis R. Lowery.
The men who raised the second flag raised over
Mount Suribachi are the subject of Flags of Our
Fathers, a book by James Bradley, whose father, John, was among the team celebrated in
Rosenthal’s photo. The book and recently released movie highlights Bradley’s search to learn
more about his father and the other five men in
the photo.
The second flag is on display at the National
Museum of the Marine Corps in Quantico, Va.
(See November 2006 FRA Today, page 16.)
A photo of the second flag raising taken
by Joe Rosenthal.
February 2007
{ Flags Over Suribachi }
platoon first secured the crater atop Mount
Suribachi. (See sidebar about photos of
first flag raisers.) Men all over the island
and on ships off shore were thrilled to see
their nation’s colors atop Mount Suribachi,
and there was cheering from all quarters.
“The Japs were in tunnels four and five
layers deep, but I bet they heard our whoops
and hollers at the very bottom,” said Keeland.
“It had to be demoralizing for them.”
“When the first flag went up, the
battle wagons and cruisers were honking
FRA Today
stripped the island of its foliage, leaving the
Marines with little to no cover.
When asked what he was thinking
when he hit the beach, Lloyd Keeland’s response was, “How the hell did I get in this
situation?” Looking back, he says, “There
was so much metal flying through the air, it
was a wonder anybody made it out without
getting hit. I think your life expectancy was
about 20 seconds. The fear made me fight
harder. I knew I had to fight hard if I was
ever gonna get out of this mess. It helped
that we were well trained.”
Ed Terella also has vivid memories of
the Iwo shoreline. “I remember the bodies
— the Americans and the Japanese. There
was so much action on the shore. We flooded the bottom of the island.”
FRA Today
February 2007
22
flag go up. And I certainly had no idea it
would become such a defining moment,”
admits Terella.
“When I saw the first flag come down, I
thought the enemy had retaken Suribachi,”
remembers Keeland. “I was damned glad
to see the second flag go up.”
{ “All Hell Broke Loose” }
The worst fighting on Iwo took place after the
flag raisings. Japanese leaders knew the island
was destined to fall and its airfields would be
taken, but they would make the Marines fight
for every inch of real estate they captured.
The enemy stayed hidden in their underground bunkers and tunnels, shrewdly
emerging to make swift and lethal attacks on isolated Marines. Numerous Iwo
veterans have been quoted as saying the
Japanese weren’t on the island of Iwo Jima,
they were in it. American Marines rarely
saw the Japanese who shot at them. “I
know I’m going to heaven,” says Keeland.
“I spent 36 days in hell.”
“We were getting shelled hard on the
beach,” recalls Lloyd Keeland. “One of
my most vivid memories is of a Japanese
fighter who’d holed up in a beached ship
that was comparable to an American LST.
Enemy mortars were hitting close to the
ship, but not hitting it. I discussed going into the LST with three guys I was in
charge of, but we decided not to. Later we
learned there was a Jap in there, directing
enemy fire. We could have saved a lot of
lives if we’d gone in,” he says regretfully.
Japanese fighters’ aim was to kill ten of the
enemy before they died, and many were successful. Iwo is the only Marine battle where
American casualties exceeded the Japanese.
Iwo Jima would be the most densely
populated battlefield of the war with more
than 100,000 combatants on a tiny island
about one third the size of Manhattan, ensur-
ing that the fighting would be up-close and
personal. The death toll was high on both
sides. The 36-day battle resulted in nearly
26,000 Allied casualties, with 6,800 deaths.
One of every three Marines called to duty on
Iwo Jima would be killed or wounded, including 19 or 24 battalion commanders. Of
the 22,000 Japanese defenders on the island,
only 1,083 survived and were captured.
{ Victory }
The battle ended on 16 March 1945, but
small pockets of Japanese resistance remained. The U.S. Army 147th Infantry
regiment took control of the island on 26
March, when Iwo Jima was officially secured. By the end of the war, Iwo Jima had
fulfilled its intended purpose as a U.S. airbase from which bombing missions were
launched against the Japanese mainland.
The island also served as an emergency
Iwo Jima – Hollywood Style
The valor and sacrifice of the men who fought and died in the battle of Iwo Jima has been celebrated by numerous Hollywood filmmakers.
Sands of Iwo Jima
Letters From Iwo Jima
Premiering in 1949, Sands of Iwo Jima was
a huge hit for Republic Pictures and John
Wayne, who earned an academy award
nomination for playing Sergeant Stryker,
a role that propelled him to stardom and
many believe defined his career. When the
Duke left his foot and fist prints in the sidewalk outside Grauman’s Chinese Theater,
black sand from Iwo Jima was used to create the cement. The three surviving men
who raised the second flag over Iwo Jima
(John Bradley, Ira Hayes and Rene Gagnon)
made cameo appearances in the film.
Also directed by Clint Eastwood and filmed
in conjunction with Flags of Our Fathers,
Letters from Iwo Jima tells the story of
the historic battle from the Japanese perspective. Filmed entirely in Japanese with
English subtitles, it was released in Japan
in December of 2006 and will play in selected U.S. cities. In a letter to the Japanese
people, Eastwood wrote, “From whichever
perspective, soldiers who sacrifice their lives
in battle are worthy of respect. By telling the
stories of these men from both perspectives,
it is my hope that the films will illustrate the
things in common that both sides shared,
and allow us to look at that difficult time in
our history with entirely new eyes.”
Flags of Our Fathers
Flags of Our Fathers is about a son’s quest
to learn more about his father’s experience
during the battle of Iwo Jima. The film,
released in October 2006, is based on a
book of the same name by James Bradley,
son of Navy corpsman John Bradley.
Directed by Clint Eastwood and produced
by DreamWorks, the movie follows the lives
of the six Americans (three were killed in
combat at Iwo Jima) immortalized in Joe
Rosenthal’s award-winning photo as they
reluctantly became American heroes.
23
FRA Today
February 2007
(above) Fourth Marine Division cemetery on Iwo Jima, March 1945. Note DUKW and other trucks passing
by in the background, with wrecked Japanese airplanes beyond. Photo by a member of the Steichen unit.
(right-top) Marines of the 5th Division inch their way up a slope on Red Beach No. 1 toward Surbachi
Yama as the smoke of the battle drifts about them. Photo by Dreyfuss, Iwo Jima, 19 February 1945.
(right-center) Marines of the 27th Regiment, 2nd Battalion storm ashore on Iwo Jima in the afternoon
of 19 February 1945. Photo by Bob Campbell.
(right-bottom) Up in flames. With a burst of flames, a direct hit smashes a Marine amtrac as Japanese mortarmen get their range during the battle for Iwo Jima on D-day. Photo by Warrant Officer Obie Newcomb.
landing field for some 2,400 B-29 bombers carrying nearly 27,000 crewmen. U.S.
forces occupied Iwo until September of
1968, when it was returned to the Japanese
government. The U.S. Coast Guard operated a Loran transmitting station on the
island until September of 1993.
Those who secured victory and survived
the nightmare of Iwo Jima returned to the
States, transitioning to a more sane existence. Ed Terella was back in the U.S. by
V-E Day (8 May 1945), but hadn’t completed his four-year hitch with the Corps. He participated with other Iwo vets on a Bond Tour
— traveling around the country, riding on
floats, shooting blanks into the air and “scaring the hell out of neighborhood folks.” He
left military service in June of 1946, went to
carpentry school and started Terella Drywall
and Acoustical, Inc., a company that is now
owned and operated by his son.
Lloyd Keeland was wounded twice on
Iwo Jima and still carries a piece of shrapnel
in his arm. He finished his military service
in Guam, which “was good duty after Iwo.”
He then returned home to Oregon where
he continued the family logging business.
He was instrumental in starting a chapter
of the Iwo Jima Survivors Association, a
group that meets regularly “to have lunch
and tell lies,” Keeland jokes. “The group
started with six of us, but we’ve grown to
25 or so now. We’re all Iwo survivors, but
it’s not all Marines. Some are Navy guys
who served aboard destroyers.”
{ Remembering Heroes }
Admiral Chester W. Nimitz, commander in
chief of the U.S. Pacific Command, would
later say, “Among the Americans who
served on Iwo Island, uncommon valor
was a common virtue.” Over 25 percent of
the Medals of Honor awarded to Marines
in World War II were presented for conduct
in the invasion of Iwo Jima. Twenty-seven
Marines and Navy corpsmen would earn
Medals of Honor; 13 would be presented
posthumously.
Keeland and Terella dismiss the notion
they are heroes. Both are quick to define
the heroes of Iwo Jima as those who gave
their lives to secure the island. “The heroes are the ones who are left on Iwo, the
ones who are buried there,” says Keeland.
“I hope Americans will remember where
their freedom comes from.”
Terella echoes Keeland’s thoughts. “I’d
like Americans to remember the men who
are buried on Iwo Jima. Nobody shows
pictures of the graves or remembers them.
Those graves are way more important than
any monument.”
Lauren Armstrong now serves as the Contributing
Editor for FRA Today.
FRA membership Benefits
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FRA Today
February 2007
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News from the branches
FRA Today
February 2007
26
BRANCH 363 Kelso, Wash.
Lower Columbia Branch 363 of the Fleet Reserve Association
recently participated in the Cowlitz County annual Dictionary
Project by presenting each third grade student of Barnes
Elementary School in Kelso, Wash. with their own Dictionary.
If your branch is interested in creating such a project, contact fra363@yahoo.com. (left to right) Ted Bryan, Dictionary
Chairman, Bob Otteraaen, Branch President, Mary Pierce, LA
FRA Unit 363 President. Photo by Ray Hegr.
BRANCH 11
Kennedale, Texas
Branch President Arthur
McAvoy presents a 40-year
continuous membership pin
to Shipmate James Long.
BRANCH 229 New Windsor, N.Y.
Congratulations to Tom Hoey (left) who received a 50year continuous membership certificate and Donald
Morton (right) who received a 40-year continuous
membership certificate. The awards were presented
by Secretary Norman Siversten (center) at a branch
meeting at the Marine Barracks at Stewart Field.
News from the branches
27
FRA Today
February 2007
BRANCH 208 Jacksonville, N.C.
PRPSE F. Donald Mucheck, from FRA Branch
50 (Charleston, S.C.), candidate for National
Vice President, spoke to shipmates assembled
at a recent branch 208 meeting, seeking their
endorsement and vote. Shipmates pictured
(left to right) Bill Hemmingway, Calvin Melvin,
PRPSE Don Mucheck and Bob Allison.
BRANCH 085
Glendale, Calif.
BRANCH 099 Virginia Beach, Va.
Kempsville Branch 99 members presented
a permanent memorial stone with bronze
plaque inscribed “In memory of our
departed shipmates” during the Virginia
Beach Veterans’ Memorial Service.
Shipmates Ed Adams and Tom James were
the presenters. They are pictured with
Branch 99 President Charlie Baldwin.
John San Marco (Branch 85)
assisted his wonderful wife
Mary in distributing many
toys to Navy, Marine Corps
and Coast Guard families for
Christmas presents.
BRANCH 94
Corpus Christi, Texas
BRANCH 22 Pensacola, Fla.
RPSE Tony Cassata (third from right) and Branch 22
President Bob Hall (far right) presented shipmates (from
left) Tom Bulger, Leo Halpin, and Wallace Goss with their
30-Year Continuous Membership Pins.
Juan Garcia (left), Texas
State Representative
District 32 (Elect) was the
keynote speaker at Branch
94’s flagpole dedication ceremony at the new
branch home. Guests were
treated to the talents of
The Patriots Band & Honor
Guard of America, Inc.
who performed during the
ceremony.
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Reunions
29
MCB-9 Seabee Association
27–30 September 2007, Las Vegas,
Nev. Contact Bobby Fletcher 1758
Golden Vista Drive, Las Vegas, NV,
702-897-6613, Ichibanseabee@aol.com.
USNAVCOMMSTA Londonderry, N.
Ireland
30 July–3 August 2007, Londonderry,
N. Ireland. Contact Jim Sullivan, 1340
Bloomingdale Drive Cary NC 27511,
919-467-2342, jvsullivan@ipass.net.
USS Albany (CA-123/CG-10/
SSN-753)
11–16 September 2007, San Diego,
CA. Contact Bill Sperberg, 760-7216504, AlbanyReunion@ussalbany.org.
USS Atka (AGB-3) Icebreaker and
USCG Southwind (WAGB-280)
Association
26–28 April 2007, Savannah, Ga.
Contact Carl Brown, 6503 Fricke Ct.,
Rockford, MI 49341, 616-874-9913.
USS Boston (CA-69, CAG-1,
SSN-703)
12–15 July 2007, Memphis, Tenn.
Contact Art Hebert, P.O. Box 816,
Amherst, NH 03031-0816, 603-6728772, Secretary@ussboston.org.
USS Cambria (APA-36)
19–22 April 2007, Milwaukee, Wis.
Contact Dina Coffey, P.O. Drawer 11399
Hickory, NC 28607, 828-256-6008,
DinaMLRS@aol.com.
USS Chicago (CA-14, 29, 136;
CG-11; SSN-721)
18–22 April 2007, San Diego, Calif.
Contact J. E. Flynn, 7238 San Miguel
Ave., Lemon Grove, CA 91945,
edzeetravlers@hotmail.com.
USS Dogfish SS350
5–9 September 2007, Boston, Mass.
Contact Herb (Hank) Saunders, 203
Rogers Dr. Stoughton, MA 02072,
781-344-5647, hanklyn@comcast.net.
USS General W.A. Mann (AP-112)
27–29 April 2007, Baton Rouge, La.
Contact Walter Baker, 2960 Ranchette
Square, Gulf Breeze, FL 32563-2614,
850-934-1671, wbake99@aol.com.
USS King (DLG-10/DDG-41)
14–17 June 2007, Branson, Mo.
Contact Dave Nesbitt, 321-259-7560,
nesb7870@bellsouth.net.
USS Lawrence (DDG-4) 2007 Reunion
21–25 June 2007, Herndon, Va.
Contact Craig Bernat, 814-322-4150,
fcddg4@atlanticbb.net.
USS Magoffin (APA 199)
5–9 September 2007, Colorado
Springs, Colo. Contact Mike Stein,
2010 Santa Ysabel Glen, Escondido,
CA. 92026, 800-621-5950,
mpstein1@cox.net.
USS Manatee (AO-58)
3–6 May 2007, Myrtle Beach, S.C.
Contact Bill Cress, 361-547-6938,
wcress@stx.rr.com.
USS Manitowoc LST 1180
9–11 March 2007, Norfolk, VA. Contact
Annette Carpenter, 925-813-2597.
USS Philippine Sea (CV/CVA/CVS-47)
3–8 October 2007, Washington, D.C.
Contact CPO Chuck Davis, USN (Ret.),
USS Philippine Sea Association, Inc.,
P.O. Box 496412, Port Charlotte, FL
33949-6412, 941-743-5460,
chuckdavis1@earthlink.net.
USS Richmond K. Turner DLG/CG-20
2–5 August 2007, Branson, Mo.
Contact Phil Habib,843-569-0981,
habibp@bellsouth.net.
USS Sam Rayburn (SSBN-635)
14–18 May 2007, San Diego, Calif.
Contact Dennis Mortensen, 8658
Double ‘M’ Rd. Santee, CA 92071,
619-820-9215.
USS Whitehurst (DE-634)
27–29 June 2007, Knoxville, Tenn.
Contact Jim Lawrence, 843-553-1908.
VC-35/VA(AW)-35
8–12 October 2007, Myrtle Beach,
S.C. Contact Ruben Escajeda,
7664 Le Conte Dr., El Paso, TX 79912,
915-585-3468, REscajeds@aol.com.
VP-44/VPB-204/VP-204/VPMS-4
1–3 September 2007, Indianapolis, Ind.
Contact Gene Toffolo, 317- 897-4745,
genejanjay@aol.com.
Members can post reunions online at www.fra.org,
submit to reunions@fra.org or mail to: FRA Reunions,
125 N. West St., Alexandria, VA 22314.
Semper Fi!
Show your
faithfulness to the
USMC and USA!
Donate $35 to FRA and receive a custom
designed, made in the USA FRA cap!
This high-quality hat has USA and USMC
flags embroidered on the front, and FRA’s
swoosh on the side. You’ll be wearing it
within a week of your donation!
Go to www.fra.org/support today
or call 800-FRA-1924 and ask for
Member Services.
Thank you for your generosity.
Donations help fund FRA’s legislative
and membership outreach programs.
February 2007
USS DeKalb County (LST-715)
7–9 May 2007, Corpus Christi, Texas.
Contact Ron Lewis, 3391 W. Colorado
St., Pahrump, NV 89060-3589,
702-277-0974,
maryandronlew@yahoo.com.
USS Rasher (SS/SSR/AGSS-269)
5–8 October 2007, Manitowoc, Wis.
Contact Bob Bidon, 34130 Serendipity
Rd., Cannon Falls, MN 55009,
ribdonsr@rconnect.com.
FRA Today
USS Cony (DD/DDE-508)
7–11 May 2007, Pigeon Forge, Tenn.
Contact Ken Cox, 863-307-3187,
kecox@yahoo.com.
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Looking for…
31
AK-Aviation Storekeeper Ernest Gay,
USN (Ret.) originally from Petersburg,
Va
Served shore duty with him at Port
Isabel, Texas. Shared last known assignment in the early 1960s on USS
Kersarge for 2-3 years. Please contact
“Bud” Swearingen at 480-966-4130
(Tempe, Ariz.).
H. H. Hopkins NCCS (Ret.)
Served with him in V-3 Div. USS
Forrestal 1960-1964. Was an AB but I
heard he changed to NC. Please contact Ellis W. Fox ABCM USN (Ret.)
442 Summers Creek Dr. Merritt Island,
FL 32952 or abcm@intergate.com.
BTCM Roger Hanson, USS Ajax (AR-6)
in 1978 and BTC Billy R. Lewis, USS
Hancock (CV-19)
Please contact BTCM Arthur P. Calvert,
4316 Arrecife Way, San Diego, CA
92154 or 619-980-5553.
PNCM Michael L. Hurt
Last know assignment BUPERS,
Millington Tenn. Contact Steve
Miciak, YNC, USN (Ret.) at
Meechuck3@aol.com or
813-259-4826.
MMI Eugene Mahr
I served with him during 1963-1965 on
USS Atlanta (IX-304). Please contact
Larry Boitnott MSCS (Ret.) at
P.O. Box 92, Ruskin, NE 68974 or
402-226-2368.
GMG2 Tom Rogers and GMG3 Jerry
Miller from USS Simon Lake (AS-33)
Please contact YNCS(SW) Steve
Dougherty, USN (Ret.) scary@gvtc.com
or 830-438-8122.
Arthur L. “Pete” Schmitz, Jr. SP4
Please contact Forest H. Marquez, Jr.
1045 Gerard Street, Mandeville, LA
70448 or 985-626-3443
Frank Smykowski (or Symkowski)
Enlisted in the Navy in Buffalo, N.Y. on
11-7-1939, (the same day I did) went
to training in Newport, R.I. and we
went to Hospital Corps School together
in January, 1940. He transferred to
U.S. Marine Corps in 1940. Last seen
by me in New Zealand (Wellington) in
1942. Any information you have about
him would be appreciated. Anthony F.
Pergolizzi, 200 Kidd Castle Way #204,
Webster, NY 14580
Shipmates of the U.S. Naval Mobile
Exhibit 1949-1952
Contact Don Wachs, TDCS (Ret.) at
269-429-5244 or bdwachs@prodigy.net.
Shipmates from Recruit Company
198–60, NTC San Diego
Shipmates from Sonarman A Class
C560-21-60, FASWS San Diego. Please
e-mail hpalmer16@cox.net with school
or company in subject line.
Shipmates from Recruit Company
131, (April, 1946)
NTC San Diego, Calif. Please contact
Capt. J. N. Broussard, USMC (Ret.) at
brewbuz@wm.connect.com.
I am looking for anyone that served
in NABU-12 during WWII in the
Miline Bay, New Guinea and Samara
Philippines Bases
Please contact Richard L. Le Blanc,
BMC (Ret) at jadikjt@webtv.net or
760-369-0453.
ICCA(SS) Clarence Sturgill
Last known duty station was NPTU,
Windsor Locks, Conn. in 1963. Contact
ICCS(SS/DV) “K.C.” Owen, USN (Ret.)
kcusnretired@yahoo.com.
Shipmates who served aboard USS
Stokes (AKA-68) during WWII.
Please contact Ken Brown, DKCS, USN
(Ret.) P.O. Box 45, Sandy Ridge, NC
27046 or scpo17@yahoo.com.
Shipmates from Boot Camp, Norfolk,
Va. December, 1940 – February, 1941
Contact Andrew J. Farrall, HMC, USN
(Ret.) at ajf1240@aol.com or 460
Weeping Elm Road, Mt. Juliet, TN
37122
These notices are published on a space available
basis. Notices must be submitted in writing.
E-mail fratoday@fra.org or mail your request to: FRA,
Looking for…, 125 N. West St., Alexandria, VA, 22314.
February 2007
ML3 Arnold J. Phillips
Last known duty station was USS
Hector (AR-7), San Diego, Calif.
in 1959. Please contact Hugh
Massengale, 68 Abbey Ct., Griffin, GA
30224 or 770-228-6438.
Shipmates from Boot Camp Co.
437 NTC, Great Lakes, October
– December 1958
Please contact Mark Burns, ISCS, USN
(Ret.) 7 Hilltop Lane, Sheridan, WY
82801.
FRA Today
PN1 Vern Mouser
Last known duty station was Naval
Station, Long Beach, Calif. Contact
MCPO Jim Dawkins at 912-573-9377
or james.dawkins@navy.mil.
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In Memoriam
TAPS
33
NAMEBRANCH
Preston, Leonard G., EMC
MAL
Prussinski, Michael C., AE1
261
Pullen, John W., CDR USN
MAL
Irwin, Charles C., 1STSGT
126
Babbitt, Arlene K., ADCS(AP)
Baker, Jimmy R., HMC
Bennitt, Melvin E., RMCS
Bolinger, Clinton A., POCM USN
Bowens, Andrew, SDC
Brooks, Harry A., LT USN
Brown, Gaines J., BMC
Brown, Giles E., MMCS
Burchett, Cois G., CSF
192
186
104
061
257
MAL
033
289
009
Jones, William T., ETCM
303
Kasper, Eugene A., GMG1
Kingston, George W., CDR USN
Knox, Lester D., TMC
Kotschi, Edward G., HMC
Kuptz, John G., MSGT
124
MAL
061
014
MAL
Rawlinson, Harold S., BTCS
Rayfield, Julius M., AEC
Rogers, Thomas E., Sr., BTCS
Rose, William A., HT1
Royal, George W., ABHC
210
047
MAL
MAL
MAL
Cadieux, Robert R., Sr., ENC
Capps, Talmage V., AOC
Carter, Harman R., RMC
Carwile, James H., ENC
Cassell, Robert B., BMC
Catlin, Calvin A., ET1(SS)
Cherry, J. S., STCM
Christensen, Lon N., ADRC
Collins, Lew A., MGYSGT
Colton, Robert B., RMCM
Conner, Phillip R., RET USN
Cooper, Marvin, GMG1
Coquia, Manuel P., MS1
Cousins, Robert C., BTCM
Creeden, W. F., CWO2 USN
246
052
MAL
219
106
085
326
185
313
MAL
MAL
MAL
302
MAL
066
Langston, Thomas J., ICC
Lapoint, John H., CPO USN
Larson, Wallace R., ENCM
Ledyard, Donald H., RMCS
Lewis, Arron, AK2
Lillich, James, PO1 USN
Lizada, Don, AS1
Long, Durwood T., BMC
Lynch, John E., EMCM
061
MAL
237
112
MAL
261
099
096
MAL
316
MAL
312
MAL
MAL
182
MAL
312
MAL
052
181
192
MAL
060
298
120
047
311
042
068
181
MAL
MAL
327
101
298
MAL
261
162
MAL
099
117
010
377
MAL
041
159
MAL
Darter, Joseph M., HMCS
Decker, Ellis, GMGC
Domingues, Paul H., CMM
Donnelly, William A., AMSC
Dotson, James T., GMGC
Mackey, William H., HM1
Marcom, James C., LCDR USN
Martinez, Jose L. G., SD1
Mathena, Bobby, PO1 USN
Matthews, Robert F., HMC
McCall, Ralph, CDR USN
McCoy, Jack C., GMC
McKnight, James, BMCM
Meier, Gene N., PN1
Menger, Richard N., ADJC
Miller, Leroy A., EQCM
Moebus, Howard G., GMM1
Molloy, Robert L., EO1
Moore, William R., SWC
Sagi, Andrew J., ETC
Santilli, Anthony S., YNCS
Scherr, Russell E., RMCS
Schumaker, Richard W., GMM1
Seard, Preston L., PN2
Sedlar, Frank Joseph, CWO4 USN
Sharp, Perry C., LT USN
Shea, Daniel, RMC(SS)
Shoemaker, Robert F., MSGT
Simmons, James U., II, ACCS
Skelton, Wallace A., LCDR USN
Slider, James M., BMCS(SW)
Smith, Marvin L., POC USN
Solversen, Myron A., ADRC
Stader, Billie R., AK2
Stephenson, William E., MMC
Stinson, John A., CSC
Strait, Billie J., ICC
Stuart, James L., MSGT
Thogmartin, Leonard D., ETCS
Thorsen, Thomas N., CPO USN
Tower, Maurice E., LCDR USN
048
MAL
166
Enders, William L., EM1
Evans, Fred W., ADCS
106
004
Farragut, Floyd F., AFCM
Fillyaw, William L., EOC
Frank, Jerry L., ATC
Friend, James D., AKC
From, Bert H., SKC
126
120
274
094
261
Neidl, George W., ADRC
Neild, Arthur, LCDR USN
Nelson, Gordon E., FTC
Nooney, Jack W., RMCM(SS)
Nosek, Lawrence T., ETCS
MAL
MAL
MAL
MAL
093
Olivares, Candido, SDCM
Olson, James T., AEC
Opp, Jacob E., EMCS
Orap, Juan S., DKC
036
MAL
101
140
PRPSE Page, Donald V., GYSGT
Piazza, Peter, ENC(SS)
Piper, Hugh W., PC1
Portillo, Antonio, PO1 USN
Pratt, Robert W., GYSGT
022
020
118
064
313
Gnau, Thomas F., AKCS
327
Green, Fred P., ADRC
229
PRPNW Green, Robert D.,
CWO3 USN382
Handler, Frank S., LCDR USN
Haugen, Russell E., RMCS
Helms, Paul C., HMC
226
136
230
Von Saunder, Raymond, CDR USN MAL
Walters, George C., HMC
Ward, John M., LTJG USN
Watson, Robert F., LCDR USN
Whetstone, Lester H., ENC(SS)
Williams, Ernest B., CSC
Wilson, Vaughn, BTC
Wingate, Louis G., CDR USN
Wink, Lynn A., HMCM
MAL
022
147
MAL
018
097
024
120
Yarbrough, Carvel D., POCS USN 096
Yost, Jacob J., ADC
009
Young, Neal R., HMCM
303
Names in blue indicate 50 year continuous members.
Names in bold indicate a Past National Officer.
February 2007
NAMEBRANCH
Henderson, Virgil H., YNC
126
Henline, Harold E., BM1
060
Huju, John I., LCDR USN
136
FRA Today
NAMEBRANCH
Aaron, Kenneth L., ADJC
282
Agar, John R., WO1 USN
MAL
Anderson, Robert L., AEC
MAL
Arata, Thomas W., BM1
018
Auchu, Robert J., CPL
291
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LA FRA news
36
Thanks to all the members of the New England Region for their confidence
in electing me to serve the New England Region for a second term. It has been a
pleasure to have the opportunity to visit Units, to renew friendships and make
new ones.
The members of the New England Region are very busy working in the VA
hospitals. They assist with parties for the veterans and help with various other
activities as needed. Members do wellness visits to their members who are in
nursing homes keeping them informed on what is happening in their respective
Units. They provide transportation for those widows and senior citizens who
have doctor appointments. They help by taking them shopping if needed. Unit
members also collect toiletry items and donate them to either the VA or to local
battered women’s shelters.
Many members visit the schools, reading stories to the students. They also
donate books which can be used by the students in the various grade levels.
When Unit 66 heard that a flag which was to be for a veteran’s grave site was
stolen, they donated a new one.
The members of the New England Region can and should to be proud of all
the charitable work that they do. Although the region may be small, it is strong
and dedicated. Keep up the good work and I look forward to learning more about
what the members do as I visit with the Units.
In Loyalty, Protection and Service.
Fran Hoadley is the editor of LA FRA News and the FRA Today Liaison.
Recognition
(continued from page 14)
human interaction to bring Sailors into the Navy and, in spite of all these
challenges, these recruiters are getting it done.”
National Executive Secretary Joe Barnes presented the awards on behalf of
National President Jerry L. Sweeney. Other FRA leaders attending the event included National Vice President Larry Boudreaux, Ladies Auxiliary FRA National
President Sandy Robbins and Regional Presidents Tyson and Herrmann from the
Association’s North East and East Coast regions respectively.
2006 Recruiters of the Year
Officer Recruiter of the Year (Active)
DCCS(SW/AW) Patrick Zimmerman
Officer Recruiter of the Year (Reserve)
LCDR Shelly M. Taylor
Diversity Officer Recruiter of the Year
LT Victor M. Delatorre
Medical Officer Recruiter of the Year
HMC(FMF) Joseph Williams III
Enlisted Recruiter of the Year (Active)
CTR1 Brian W. Davison Jr.
Enlisted Recruiter of the Year (Reserve)
NC1 Francisco J. Freeman
Diversity Enlisted Recruiter of the Year
Challenge Program Recruiter of the Year
FC1 Michael A. Benavidez
Zone Supervisor of the Year
NCC(SW) James M. Masino
Recruiter in Charge of the Year (Active)
CTO1(SW) Jon M. Hammond
Recruiter in Charge of the Year (Reserve)
NC1 Kacy B. Akins
Nuclear Field Recruiter of the Year
ETCM(SS) Brian L. Venters
Classifier of the Year
GSM2(SW) Antony S. McCracken
Photo by: Vince Cuthie
FRA Today
February 2007
A Message from Regional President New England Jean Dane
Jean Dane
LA FRA’s Regional President
New England
Log into iMIS
The LA FRA database will be fully
converted to iMIS the beginning of
February 2007. If you aren’t a computer user, this change will not impact
you at all. If you are a computer user,
the conversion to iMIS means you
have an option of updating your own
contact information, using the LA FRA
discussion board, reading FRA Today
online, and more in the future.
To login to your record online,
please go to www.fra.org and on the
top right hand of the page, next to
Username enter your last name and
next to Password enter LAFRA and
your membership number without
any spaces. (example: LAFRA012345)
Click the
button to the right of
Username and you are in.
Please reference pages 16–17 in the
December 2006 issue of FRA Today for
a full website tour.
If you have any questions, please
call Member Services at 1-800-FRA1924 or e-mail mserfra@fra.org. Stay
tuned for a teleconference to discuss
future website enhancements.
Asbestos
Cancer Hits
Former
Sailors
Many sailors who served their country proudly aboard
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are now being diagnosed with asbestos-related cancers.
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164099_6-11(16_x_6-1(8.qxp
11/16/06
3:56 PM
Page 1
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Postmaster: Send address changes to:
Member services
FRA
125 N. West Street
Alexandria, VA 22314-2754
PERIODICAL