FRAtoday April  2019
COMMUNICATIONS
FROM THE fANTAIL
sHIPMATE FORUM
ON AND OFF CAPITOL HILL
FEATURE  STORYs
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS18
SHIPMATE NEWS19
TAPS21
REUNIONS/lOOKINGFOR…24
AUXILIARY OF THE FRA26
FINANCE MATTERS27

COMMUNICATIONS

Salute to say, Happy Birthday Chiefs!
In the days of cannons, it took as long as 20 minutes to load and fire a gun. When a ship fired its guns in salute, it rendered itself powerless for the duration. By emptying their guns, the ship’s crew showed shore batteries and forts that they were no threat. Over time, this gesture became a show of respect, with both shore and ship gun batteries firing volleys. While many people like to say the 21-gun salute was a tribute to the American Revolution, a number determined as a result of adding together the numbers 1+7+7+6, the truth is the 21-gun salute was an effort to cut costs. The habit of firing salutes became wasteful, with ships and shore batteries firing shots for hours on end. This was particularly expensive for ships, which had a limited space to store gunpowder (it went bad quickly in the salt air). The British admiralty first dictated the policies now in place as a practical matter to save gunpowder. The rule was simple: for every volley fired by a ship in salute, a shore battery could return up to three shots. The regulations limited ships to a total of seven shots in salute, so the 21 gun-salute became the salute used to honor only the most important dignitaries. Today, the U.S. Navy Regulations prescribe that only those ships and stations designated by the Secretary of the Navy may fire gun salutes. A national salute of 21 guns is fired on:
•	Washington’s Birthday
•	Memorial Day
•	Independence Day
•	To honor the President of the United States
•	To honor heads of foreign states.

Additionally, ships may, with approval from the office of the Secretary of the Navy, provide gun salutes for naval officers on significant occasions. All gun salutes are fired at five second intervals. Gun salutes will always total an odd number.   

I propose we all send out a salute to all the chiefs of the present as well as the past. Happy Birthday Chiefs.      FRA

In Loyalty, Protection & Service,
William Stevenson, Editor-in-Chief

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FROM THE FANTAIL

This Month Is A “Potpourri” of Topics

First off, Happy 126th Birthday to all Navy chief petty officers, on April 1, 2019.  The traditions of the CPO community, since 1893, have led our Navy during some of our most challenging times. We have sustained both operational, and personnel discourses, to ensure a quality continuum of leadership styles and to stay on course with our rich authenticity, both in and out of the Navy. Later, this community grew with its senior and master chiefs rounding off the senior enlisted “trident capstone.” The Navy’s sister service, the Coast Guard, shares the same professional and valued stamina in making a difference at all levels as chiefs. “Ask the chief” has, and always will be, the key direction chosen by our enlisted and officer communities to direct those looking for the know-how to getting things done.

On the subject of great chief petty officers, we wish the traditional, “fair winds and following seas” to CMDCM Del Terrell, director of the senior enlisted academy and a “Welcome Aboard” to CMDCM Matt Harris, who will assume this position.  Since 1981, this academy has enhanced the outpouring of upper ended awareness and involvement for our Navy Senior Enlisted, as well as their service counterparts and International Senior Enlisted. The small-group approach is distinct and causes a more productive discussion, not only among themselves, but also at the senior officer level—working toward enhanced fighting and mutual leadership forces. Again, Master Chief Terrell, thank you for your continued leadership that supports the FRA.

“Be Prepared!” is a traditional and long-standing Boy Scout motto that can be used in our daily lives. It seems quite appropriate in the times that we are living in. The partial government shutdown took its toll and forced many of us to reassess the steadfastness of the anchors in our own lives. We all have personal limitations, which are important, but we need to be prepared for the next wave of challenges. Consider the following points:
•	Financial Access.  Do I have a plan for my personal finances?  Have I considered or reviewed my banking/credit union resources? Do I have the financial reassurance I might need?
•	Personal Liabilities. Recently I met with some Fairfax County, Virginia, personal planners who asked, “Do you have a plan?”  Our homes, food, transportation, medical, and family contacts are all important; however, getting across that castle’s moat in life, can be challenging.
•	Medical Plans. This is big regardless of age. Your prescriptions and supply of everyday medicines, should be current. Check on medical, pharmaceutical and even base accesses in case you are limited. More importantly, make sure that you or a family member can refill your supply of medicines as needed.
•	Weather & Rain. Snow, floods and fires: they all have a direct impact upon us. How would you get cash if the power that runs the ATM suddenly went out?  Know your limitations and surroundings. Know who you can depend on for help such as family, friends or neighbors.

Many community resources provide free support and assistance to their citizens.  You just need to know where and how to make contact before something happens. BE PREPARED—write it down and post it.  The current political environment can make us anxious, but know that you can maintain and control your own life. We live during a crazy time, but we can make it work with a little pre-planning.  Be that “tipper” shopping cart and send positive ripples to others. It just may come down to YOU. You be the “potpourri” in your life. BE PREPARED and PRESS ON.     

In Loyalty, Protection & Service 
NED Thomas J. Snee

Tom is the FRA’s National Executive Director at NEDFRA@fra.org
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sHIPMATE FORUM

Preferred Veteran Parking at Lowe's
In a hope to put to rest what Lowe’s does and doesn’t do for veterans, I took this picture at the parking lot at my Lowe’s in Macedon, New York. They have four of these spots. My military discount is attached to my “My Lowe’s” card and I never have to show other proof of service. I get 10% off everything, even sale items. They are the most veteran friendly organization I have found. Not only does the staff thank me for my service every time I check out, so does the self-serve checkout register. 

Maybe all the Lowe’s don’t do this, but they could certainly learn from this one.
Joseph Carder, HM3, USN(Veteran)

VA Compensation Deduction
As a suggestion to R. A. Williams CWO USN (Ret.) regarding the VA compensation that is deducted from his retired pay: check out the “Combat Related Special Compensation.”  I was in the same position as he, and I applied for the above mentioned program and was awarded the same amount that was being deducted from my retired pay.
D.R. Beutien, CPO USNR (Ret.)

2019 Tricare Co-pays
As a military retiree, I find the increase in TRICARE co-pays for 2019 unconscionable. The rise from $12 to $20 for a primary care manager visit and the rise to $30 for a specialty care visit are huge. I was recently referred for physical therapy due to a neck injury and found that I will have to pay $30 per visit, 2-3 times a week. Yet, I don’t see much press on the topic of these co-pay hikes. All I see is news about the battle to keep the TRICARE enrollment fees in check. And I haven’t seen much clamoring about the co-pay increases from under age 65 retirees like myself. While I must try to afford to pay the $240-$360 a month, it’s certainly not nothing. If I was fully retired, it would put a significant dent in our monthly budget. It is, after all, about as much as a car payment. So, my question is, how did this happen, where’s all the complaining from members like me and what actions to lower the co-pays are being taken? I feel like Congress and the DoD believe if they can’t exact huge Tricare enrollment fee increases on everyone, they’ll ding us with co-pay increases. I find this an affront to everyone that has served as “they” keep chipping away at one of the reasons I chose to do so. Forcing these yearly increases on us is not only disingenuous, it’s downright insulting to those that faithfully served. 
Jonathan E. Richter, (Branch 24)

A Bad February Design
This is the worst laid out edition of this magazine I’ve seen in 35 years. Pages 16 and 17 are very difficult to read because of type over type over pictures. On page 19 could the photographer ask the one young sailor to tuck in his shirt?  Then again on page 25, more type over more pictures. The magazine should be easy to read if you want us to get the message.
Jim Thomasson YNC(Ret.)

I think someone needs to try to read the Taps page, particularly the bottom of the page. It is almost impossible to read the names in black ink on the dark grey and black at the bottom of the page. 
I noticed it last month but thought someone at FRAtoday would catch it then.
Thanks,
John S. Townsend, RMCM USN (Ret.)

FRAtoday: Yes I agree the layering of type over a photograph can really make it difficult to read. Both your comments were addressed and we changed the design in the March issue on pages 28, 29 and then again on page 43. Moving forward, we will avoid the layering of small type over dark images. Thanks for pointing these design and legibility problems out.
 
Submit Shipmate Forum letters to FRAtoday, 125 N. West Street Alexandria, Virginia 22314. 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 individual 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. 
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ON AND OFF CAPITOL HILL

Pressure Grows to Slash Defense Budget
By the time you get this issue of FRAtoday the administration’s FY2020 budget should have been submitted to Congress. It is very clear that pressure to slash defense spending is intensifying as key congressional oversight committees begin to work on the FY2020 Defense Authorization and budget. Automatic sequestration cuts, which began in 2013 as a result of the 2011 “Supercommittee” failing to pass deficit reduction measures, are set to resume in 2020, requiring a $54.5 billion cut in the FY2020 defense budget. This $54.5 billion represents 50 percent of the required cuts, even though defense spending makes up only 16 percent of the federal budget. The FRA advocates that defense should be excluded from across the board sequestration budget cuts and supports efforts in Congress to exclude or reduce defense sequestration cuts. Additional pressure to slash spending emanates from concerns about the national debt, which now surpasses $22 trillion, and continues to grow.  

The FRA thanks all the members who participated in the FRA’s pay and benefits survey. The results have been shared with Capitol Hill staff, legislators and the House and Senate military personnel subcommittees. It helps bolster the FRA’s position on issues.  

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Postponed Arguments on Agent Orange Case and More
The U.S. Supreme Court postponed oral arguments scheduled for Feb. 25, 2019 in the Gray vs. Wilkie case. The case decides if the Department of Veterans Affairs’s definition of service in Vietnam as service on its landmass and in its inland waterways, but not in its open, deep-water coastal ports and harbors, is arbitrary and capricious.

The hearing was delayed due to the lower court decision in Procopio vs. Wilkie in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington, D.C. The FRA is listed as a “Friend of the Court” by the petitioner, Blue Water Navy Veteran Mr. Procopio, who never stepped foot on land in Vietnam but was exposed to Agent Orange during service off the coast of the Republic of Vietnam. Due to this exposure, he developed medical conditions consistent with veterans who served on land and were exposed to Agent Orange. Procopio argued he should be entitled to a presumptive category and eligible for benefits. 

In related news, Military.com reported that the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the Defense Department’s ability to prosecute military retirees for crimes they commit, even after retirement. The court recently chose not to hear the case of a retired Marine who was court-martialed for a sexual assault he committed three months after leaving the service in 2015. By not accepting the case, Larrabee vs. the United States, the court upheld current law: military retirees are subject to the Uniform Code of Military Justice. The court’s rationale is that retirement is simply a change of military status and retired personnel are subject to recall should the need arise.

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Agent Orange Reform Bill Introduced
The Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, Rep. Mark Takano (Calif.) introduced the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act (H.R.299). He has indicated that he will not have a committee vote on the bill until it has at least 218 co-sponsors. Last year’s House bill had 335 co-sponsors and passed with a unanimous vote of 382 to 0.

The bill would clarify service members serving off the coast of the Republic of Vietnam during the conflict have a presumption for filing claims with the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for ailments associated with exposure to Agent Orange herbicide. The bill would also extend the presumption of herbicide exposure to veterans who served on or near the Korean DMZ between Sept. 1, 1967 and Aug. 31, 1971. Additionally, the bill would provide health care, vocational training, rehabilitation and monetary allowance to a child who was born with spina bifida, if at least one of the child’s parents served in Thailand between Jan. 9, 1962 and May 7, 1975, and the VA determined at least one of the parents had been exposed to an herbicide during that time. The bill also now includes changes and improvements to the VA’s home loan program.

The FRA believes Congress should recognize veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange and authorize presumptive status for claims associated with this exposure. Now is the time to contact your representative, to urge him or her to co-sponsor this legislation. Members are urged to weigh in on this issue using the FRA Action Center on the website (www.fra.org).

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The State of Veterans Affairs
The U.S. House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies held a hearing with VA Secretary Robert Wilkie, to discuss the state of the VA. Subcommittee Chairwoman, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Fla.) expressed concerns that community care might be used as a “backdoor effort” to move the VA towards privatization. She stressed that implementation of the Electronic Health Records (EHR) system needs to be done properly and expressed concern that 14 percent of job vacancies at the VA have yet to be filled, including two undersecretaries. Lastly, she discussed mental health and its connections to sexual trauma, PTSD, TBI and suicide.

Wilkie said the three biggest challenges for the VA are: mental health, suicide and veteran homelessness. He pointed out these three issues are often linked. Wilkie stated the VA was in the middle of major modernization and the EHR system is at the center of the effort. His testimony described the four current priorities of the VA: 
•	Improving customer service and making veterans’ positive VA experiences a measure of success. 
•	Implementing the MISSION Act so veterans have access to the best possible care, including caregiver support and telehealth. 
•	Transforming VA business procedures, including modernizing the appeals process and implementing 
•	the Forever GI Bill. 
•	Collaborating with the DoD on the EHR transition, suicide prevention, and transition assistance. 

Wilkie said, “14 out of 20 veterans who die by suicide are not in the VA health care system.” The VA will continue to look for new ways to provide care for those most at risk for suicide, which continues to be a major priority for the VA.

Wilkie assured that veterans who did not get full GI Bill funds due to IT issues, “will be made whole.”

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FRA Discusses Issues with HASC and SASC Staff
The FRA’s Director of Legislative Programs John Davis participated in two separate meetings with staff from the Military Personnel Subcommittees of the House Armed Services and Senate Armed Services committees staff to discuss issues impacting FRA members. The SASC meeting focused on the reported cuts to Defense Health Agency staff and its potential impact on access to quality health care. Staff was asked about TRICARE fee increases in the soon-to-be-released FY2020 budget request. Staff claimed they had not seen the request. The HASC meeting concentrated on concurrent receipt reform, SBP/DIC offset repeal and commissary benefits.  Capitol Hill staff were provided a copy of the FRA’s 2019 Legislative Agenda.

Later, NED Thomas Snee, DLP John Davis, NSD Chris Slawinski and other Military Coalition Policy Committee co-chairs met with the SASC staff off-the-record to discuss upcoming congressional issues. They discussed concurrent receipt expansion, Coast Guard and reserve issues, commissary and exchange reforms, expected burial limitations at Arlington National Cemetery and the need for oversight of privatized military housing.     

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VA Begins New Appeals Process
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) made significant progress on reducing the disability claims backlog, but the process itself is backlogged. The VA has begun implementing the Veterans Appeals Improvement and Modernization Act (H.R.2288–Public Law 115-55), which was enacted in August of 2017. The law, supported by the FRA and sponsored by Rep. Mike Bost (Ill.), created three appeal lanes: 
•	Local Higher-Level Review Lane: an adjudicator reviews the same evidence considered by the original claims processor.
•	New Evidence Lane: the veteran could submit new evidence for review and have a hearing. 
•	Board Lane: jurisdiction for the appeal would transfer immediately to the Board of Veterans’ Appeals.

The lanes were established Nov. 1, 2018. It also allows some veterans, already going through the appeals process, to opt into the new system. The FRA is thankful for the oversight hearings that kept pressure on the VA bureaucracy to implement the law in a timely manner.  

Also, the VA hired four additional Veterans Law Judges to the VA’s Board of Veterans’ Appeals. The VA’s FY2019 budget includes funding for 605 additional employees, which the VA used to establish two new Decision Review Operations Centers. In FY2018, the board added approximately 242 individuals that included judges, attorneys, law clerks and administrative staff.

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DoD/CDC Look at Water Contamination at Bases
The Department of Defense announced it will team up with the Centers for Disease Control to review the water contamination on military bases that is expected to continue through 2020. The study will look specifically at the levels of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in 10 affected locations. PFAS are chemicals that were used in firefighting foam on bases and are also present in many household products. PFAS have been linked to various cancers and developmental delays in babies and children. 

This study comes in the wake of a Pentagon report released in 2018 that found dozens of defense installations and surrounding communities had PFAS-contaminated groundwater and well water. Sites being reviewed include: Naval Air Warfare Center Warminster, Francis S. Gabreski Air National Guard Base, Shepherd Field Air National Guard Base, Peterson Air Force Base, Eielson Air Force Base, Barnes Air National Guard Base, Reese Technology Center, Stewart Air National Guard Base, New Castle Air National Guard Base, and Fairchild Air 

Force Base. More information is online at:
https://partner-mco-archive.s3.amazonaws.com/client_files/1524589484.pdf. 

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Make Sure Your TRICARE Information is Current 
The Defense Health Agency (DHA) has informed beneficiaries that due to the many recent changes to TRICARE those beneficiaries may have outdated TRICARE, reference publications. Visit TRICARE Publications (https://tricare.mil/Publications) to get started updating your information.

TRICARE publishes handbooks, newsletters, brochures, fact sheets and more. You can download a variety of resources. To find what you are looking for, select a category from the drop-down menu (for example, TRICARE Plans, Life Events, Newsletters) and then select the search button. Or, find a resource by “Publication Title” or “Date Posted.” Select either to begin your search. You will find products covering a wide range of topics, like retiring from active duty, Medicare, and maternity care. TRICARE resources are continually updated and added. For additional information go to: https://tricare.mil/CoveredServices/BenefitUpdates/Archives/1_22_19_Benefit_Resources.

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FRA Expresses Concerns about Military Resale Consolidation
The FRA signed onto a letter sent to the chair and ranking members of the House and Senate Armed Services Committees. The letter responded to the proposal to merge the various elements of the defense resale system, which could pose a threat to its viability. The letter requests further study and oversight by Congress.

In January 2019, a task force convened by the Department of Defense chief management officer recommended consolidating exchanges and commissaries. While the military service branches concurred with the report, they expressed concerns that consolidation would take longer and cost more than anticipated, while failing to result in efficiencies. The FRA is concerned that if these predictions are accurate, the defense resale system may be unable to provide services such as low-cost groceries and support for Morale, Welfare and Recreation (MWR) programs. These services are relied on by service members, their families, retirees and survivors. The FRA wants to ensure funding for the Defense Commissary Agency (DeCA) and opposes privatization or consolidation. The objective is to preserve the value of the benefit and provide access for all patrons.

The letter recommends an independent review by the Government Accountability Office and requests Congress conduct a hearing on the recommendations included in the The Budget Control Act (BCA). A hearing provides those committed to preserving the resale system and protecting the earned benefit with the opportunity to express their concerns.

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Burn Pit Legislation Introduced
Reps. Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii) and Brian Mast (Fla.), both veterans, and Sen. Klobuchar (Minn.) introduced the Burn Pits Accountability Act (H.R.663/S.191). It directs the DoD to provide service members in Iraq and Afghanistan periodic health assessments during deployments and military separations. The assessments would include an evaluation to determine if a service member has been exposed to open burn pits or toxic airborne chemicals. If they reported being exposed, they would be enrolled in the Burn Pit Registry unless they opted out. 

The bill seeks to address the widespread exposures of service members to airborne toxins during post-9/11 deployments. These toxic exposures could potentially impact millions, and many post-9/11 veterans believe this could be the Agent Orange issue of their generation.

The VA estimates 3.5 million veterans are eligible to register in the VA’s Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry, which tracks exposures. Veterans expressed deep concerns these exposures could result in cancer, respiratory issues and birth defects. 
FRA Members are urged to use the Action Center to weigh in on this issue. (https://www.fra.org/fra/Web/Content/VotervoiceFullInfo.aspx)

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Concurrent Receipt Bills Introduced
Sen. Jon Tester (Mont.) introduced the Retired Pay Restoration Act (S.208), a concurrent receipt legislation. It would immediately authorize the payment of concurrent receipt of full military retired pay and veterans’ disability compensation for all disabled retirees.

Rep. Gus Bilirakis (Fla.) also introduced the Retired Pay Restoration Act (H.R.303), which would make retirees with disability ratings less than 50 percent eligible for disability rating to receive service-connected disability from the VA and full retirement simultaneously, as currently allowed for Concurrent Retirement and Disability Payments (CRDP). Currently, only CRDP disability disabled retirees with a disability of 50 percent or more are eligible.

Rep. Sanford Bishop (Ga.) also introduced concurrent receipt reform (H.R.333) that would make retirees with a disability rating of less than 50 percent and medically retired service members (who have served less than 20 years) eligible for CRDP. Sanford’s bill is similar to the Senate bill and would have the same impact. 
Please use the Action Center (www.fra.org) to ask your legislators to support these proposals.

Military Housing Concerns Discussed
The Readiness and Personnel subcommittees of the Senate Armed Services Committee held a joint oversight hearing on allegations of substandard housing. The Military Family Advisory Network released a survey of active duty personnel that showed 56 percent of the more than 17,000 respondents, reported a “negative” or “very negative” opinion of their living conditions. The Network concluded the survey shows a “systemic problem.” Many families claim health concerns and repairs have become “all-consuming” for them, diverting their focus from military duties and deployments. 

Much of military base housing was privatized in the mid-1990s due to deplorable conditions in government-managed military housing. As several senators noted, we have come full circle with this. Concerns included mold, lead paint, raw sewage and other toxic exposures that have health impact for all residents, many of whom are young children. Also, termites and rodents were reported. 

Members of the House Armed Services Subcommittee on Readiness hosted a roundtable with families who shared their experiences with privatized military housing. Recent reports from families to the media have raised concerns about conditions in some military housing. 

Reps. John Garamendi (Calif.) and Doug Lamborn (Colo.) chairman and ranking member of the Readiness Subcommittee respectively, made the following statement at the conclusion of the roundtable:
“Today we heard directly from military families about the conditions in some privatized military housing. The concerns they raised about hazardous housing conditions are very troubling. Providing our service members and their families with the quality housing they deserve has always been a bipartisan priority for this Committee. Today’s roundtable was an important part of our oversight of this issue, and will help inform our next steps. Our work is not yet done.”

The spouses, who testified, believe military families impacted by substandard housing should have the ability to withhold Basic Allowance for Housing payment until there are improvements. The FRA believes service members and their families should have the best housing available and will continue to support increased oversight and accountability of private companies that provide base housing.

Senior Enlisted Go to Capitol Hill
Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy (MCPON) Russ Smith, Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps (SMMC) Ronald Green and their Army and Airforce counterparts testified before the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. They addressed quality of life issues for active duty enlisted personnel. MCPON Smith told lawmakers that sailors and their families need more child care services, improved infrastructure and funding to modernize the personnel system. “While we currently have the most capable ships and leading-edge technology, our greatest edge in battle against any determined adversary will always be the asymmetric advantage that is provided by our people,” Smith said.

SMMC Green added that housing and infrastructure are a top priority for his service, as more than 1,000 Marine families are displaced because of two hurricanes last year.

“The need to get their facilities up and running; the resources they need to have safe homes is paramount,” Green said.

Partial Government Shutdown Avoided 
Lawmakers passed a more than 1,100-page appropriations bill (H.J.Res.31) to fund 25 percent of the government and avert another partial government shutdown. The bill included appropriations for nine departments, including the Department of Homeland Security, which provides funding for the U.S. Coast Guard. The Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs were already fully funded. Three weeks earlier, Congress had passed a Continuing Resolution to end the 35-day partial government shutdown, the longest in history. During that shutdown, active duty Coast Guardsmen went without pay, but were paid after the government reopened. If the shutdown had continued Coast Guard retirees would have also been impacted. President Trump immediately signed the appropriations bill into law.

The FRA has been reminding legislators that during shutdowns, members of the Coast Guard continue to safeguard our waterways, and they block attempts to smuggle illegal drugs and contraband into the country, all without pay. 

The FRA supports the “Pay Our Coast Guard Act” (S.21/H.R.367), which provides continuing appropriations to the Coast Guard during any period that interim or full-year appropriations are not in effect. Members are encouraged to use the Action Center on the website (www.fra.org) to ask their legislators to support this bill.

FEATURE  STORY

The Unsung Underdogs of WWII: The Navy Armed Guard
By Elise M. Howard

On Nov. 8, 1940, the crew of the MS CITY OF RAYVILLE watched from lifeboats as the stars and stripes painted on the side of their ship slid into the dusky waters off the coast of Cape Otway, Australia. Only minutes before, a routine cargo trip to Melbourne had been interrupted by a burst of flames and an explosive bang, leaving the merchants on deck scrambling to avoid the hail of water, ship planks, hatch covers, and lead ingots now falling from the sky. The RAYVILLE had stumbled upon one of the 110 mines laid off the coast of Australia by the German raider PINGUIN. As the RAYVILLE disappeared, its crew waited for their last shipmate to emerge from the wreck. But the unfortunate engineer never would; he would go down in history as the first American casualty of WWII.

The Origins of the Armed Guard
Although the MS CITY OF RAYVILLE’s loss could have been an accident, the repeated sinking of clearly marked American shipping vessels throughout 1941 made Germany’s intentions clear. Although Congress was not ready to commit to war, on Nov. 17, 1941, they repealed Section 6 of the Neutrality Act, which had forbidden the arming of merchant ships while foreign nations were at war. This ushered in the revival of the Armed Guard, which the Navy had already begun training at Little Creek, Virginia in April 1941, in anticipation of U.S. involvement in the war. 

The U.S. Navy had originally established the Armed Guard during WWI, in response to the highly effective anti-commercial campaign waged by Germany’s new fleet of “unterseeboots.” Over the course of WWI, these U-boats claimed 5,708 merchant ships, over 11 million tons of cargo, and nearly 15,000 sailors.1  But the Armed Guard proved to be an effective defense for American shipping vessels, losing only 36 ships of the 227 attacked during the United States’ official involvement in the war.2 
A Suicide Assignment

Despite this distinguished history, few Navy recruits in 1941 had heard of the Armed Guard, and those who had dreaded their new orders. 

“Early in the war ... it was considered a suicide assignment to be on a [merchant] ship,” said Ron Carlson, who served as a merchant mariner on the liberty ship JOHN W. BROWN. Sailors who had enlisted to hunt down enemies on warships were disappointed by their assignment to slow-moving merchant vessels that fled conflict when able. Many felt that, as Armed Guard veteran Robert Baxter put it in an interview with the Warfare History Network, “we were sitting ducks ... and we weren’t going to be coming back.”  

Unfortunately for many sailors and merchant mariners, this was indeed the case. Early on in WWII, the Axis dominated naval warfare, and the Armed Guard and Merchant Marine experienced heavy casualties. In contrast to the German navy, which had two years of war experience under its belt and a steady manufacturing process underway, the U.S. Navy was suddenly thrust into war by the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor and was comparatively unprepared.

“Liberty ships were being rapidly mass-produced,” said Armed Guard veteran Robert Fitz in an interview for the Memorial Military Museum in Bristol, Connecticut. “The ships were built to last about five years ... Even if we were sunk on the return trips, it would be the opinion of the high command that, as long as supplies had been delivered, the voyage was a success despite the loss of the ship. No doubt we were expendable.”

As had been their strategy in WWI, Germany continued to target Allied merchant vessels with the hope of leaving troops in Europe hungry and unarmed. Within the first six months of 1942, 397 Allied merchant ships and hundreds of lives were lost to U-boat fire off the coast of North Carolina alone, which quickly earned the nickname “Torpedo Junction.” Over the course of the war, the Merchant Marine suffered more casualties than any branch of the U.S. armed forces.

Outdated Guns and Inexperienced Officers
The naval fleet was given first priority in weapons distribution and personnel assignment, leaving the Armed Guard to make do with a small supply of outdated guns and inexperienced officers. A handful of vessels early in the war were not armed at all, bearing only long poles painted like guns. Other ships set sail with relics from the Spanish-American War and WWI, which could not be aimed high enough to hit attacking aircraft. 

Two guns commonly issued to Armed Guard vessels were effective against the enemy, but problematic to use. The 3-inch / 50-caliber gun fired with an ear-splitting crack that damaged gunners’ hearing and discharged spent shells so forcefully that sailors catching them were injured. The other 20 mm Oerlikon, needed a new magazine every 60 rounds—every 12 seconds in the heat of battle—and risked overheating if the barrel was not replaced every 120 rounds—every 24 seconds. Although the availability of modern weaponry improved throughout the war, the shortage was not entirely resolved until 1945.

The dearth of guns also affected the Navy’s ability to train armed guards. One training center had only one antiquated gun for every 500 trainees, and many armed guards could not practice firing on actual targets until they encountered them at sea. Early in the war, some armed guards received no training at all.
“After completion of boot camp, 500 of us new graduates ... were told we were going to be Navy Armed Guard gunners,” Fitz recalled. “I asked, ‘If that’s the case, when do we go to gunnery school?’ We were told not to worry; we would learn all we needed to know on the job.”

From 1942 to 1943, Armed Guard training improved significantly, increasing from five weeks to eighteen weeks, and officers received additional training, including fire control, aircraft identification, and simple surgery. 

The Daily Routine of an Armed Guard
Navy armed guards were commanded to fire upon any unidentified plane flying towards, or within 1,500 yards of, their ship, as well as any attacking submarine, even if it could not be seen. During conflict, armed guards were to remain on board and fire upon the enemy as long as the ship remained afloat—even if the merchant mariners aboard had abandoned ship. These orders aimed to prevent enemies from crippling, then boarding a vessel to raid its provisions, often killing the crew and sinking the ship afterwards. 

Armed Guard crews usually consisted of 28 men: 24 gunners, three communications experts (signalmen and radiomen), and one commanding officer, typically an ensign or lieutenant junior grade. Although armed guards and merchant mariners worked closely together—especially during battle, when merchant mariners served as loaders for Navy gunners—they had separate messes and quarters.

Armed guards took turns standing four-hour watches with eight-hour breaks in between. In addition to their assigned watches, all hands were ordered to general quarters around dawn and dusk, U-boats’ favorite times to strike. One Armed Guard commander noted that his men were “endlessly under strain” from long hours of vigilantly watching an empty ocean. Between watches, armed guards painted guns and tubs, checked and cleaned guns, monitored powder magazine temperatures, cleaned quarters and heads, studied training materials, and listened to records in the mess. 

A Legacy in Lives
Despite the limited resources available to them, armed guards made the difference between life and death for many merchant mariners and Allied troops at the front. Although they are not often thought of as war heroes, armed guards made Allied victory possible by bringing tanks, aircraft, provisions, ammunition, and weapons to troops around the world. They bravely faced typhoons, icebergs, dense fog, and, of course, the enemy.
In one instance, the S.S. STEPHEN HOPKINS stumbled upon the German destroyer STIER in the South Atlantic, which began to fire on the liberty ship as it attempted to escape. In a naval battle that decimated the gun crew and sank the ship, the armed guards and merchant mariners of the HOPKINS returned fire so skillfully that they sank the STIER and damaged the German supply ship it had rendezvoused with—“the only instance in the entire war in which a merchant ship sank a warship,” said Ron Carlson, former webmaster for the U.S.N. Armed Guard WWII Veterans Association. The STIER’s captain insisted throughout his life that the HOPKINS must have secretly had more guns aboard than reported to do so much damage.

Remembering the Armed Guard Today	
The threat to merchant vessels ended with WWII, and the Armed Guard was dissolved. Some armed guards continued their service in the regular Navy, and others returned home to waiting families and interrupted careers. 	
Today, the stories of these often overlooked sailors live on in books and museums. The liberty ships JOHN W. BROWN and S.S. JEREMIAH O’BRIEN now serve as “living museums” that still sail the Chesapeake and San Francisco bays, respectively, giving visitors a taste of the Armed Guard experience. As recently as December 2018, a group of WWII merchant mariners in Florida opened the U.S. Navy Armed Guard & Merchant Marines National Headquarters Museum. The volunteer-operated museum houses a variety of WWII artifacts donated by veterans and their families.

Museums such as these continue to inspire current and future sailors, and teach new generations about the sacrifices made by those heroes not seen in the movies. They remind us that each member of a war effort matters—whether they’re flying the planes or delivering them.  FRA

1. Clodfelter, Michael. Warfare and Armed Conflicts: A Statistical Encyclopedia of Casualty and Other Figures, 1492–2015, 4th ed., McFarland, 2017, p. 428
2. Corder, Russell. “Hazardous Duty with the Naval Armed Guard,” Warfare History Network. Nov.12, 2018. Retrieved from: https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/daily/wwii/hazardous-duty-with-the-naval-armed-guard/Return to Table of Contents

FEATURE

The USS COD Submarine Memorial:
A Perfect Restoration, at Home on the Lake Erie Shore
By: Ann Norvell Gray

Where the city of Cleveland meets the Lake Erie shore, the WWII submarine USS COD lies tucked between the Port of Cleveland and the Burke Lakefront Airport. This honored veteran has been in Cleveland since 1959, when it was sent to serve as a training vessel. Thanks to the citizens of Cleveland who organized a coordinating committee to save and preserve it, the ship is now the USS COD Submarine Memorial, and a National Historic Landmark. But before we get to the story of this beloved resident, a brief diversion to introduce the city that gave it a new life. 

Cleveland: From Steel to Tourism 
The story of the city of Cleveland illustrates much about the creation of the nation. It is named for Moses Cleaveland, a land agent for the Connecticut Land Company, who arrived in 1796 and spent three months surveying and pacing out a new settlement on Native American territory before going home to Connecticut for good. The “a” in Cleaveland’s name was edited out in 1831 by a local newspaper because its proper spelling did not fit neatly onto their masthead, and so the change to the spelling stuck. 

The city roared into the Machine Age on the wave of industry growth fueled by the Civil War. Money poured in, the population doubled in 10 years, and fortunes were made. Early in the 20th century, the Great Migration from the American South and the troubles in Eastern Europe brought more population growth, and with it more urban change. Cleveland played a central role in the burgeoning steel and automotive industry, and its expansion brought both prosperity and increasing urban pressures. Racial inequities erupted into violence in the late 1960s, and the city struggled to find solutions with mixed success. Stability and creativity in the city administration brought some improvement, but the days of traditional American manufacturing prosperity were numbered. 

With the arrival of the 21st century, the decline of the U.S. steel and automotive industries hit the city’s economy hard. But in recent years, it appears that Cleveland has remembered its entrepreneurial legacy, hooked its fingers into its bootstraps once again, and brought new life and optimism to the city.

Cleveland’s energy is evident in the attention being paid to the area along its Lake Erie shoreline. The lake is bisected lengthwise by the U.S.-Canada border and fed by the Detroit River, flowing east-northeast for 241 miles into the Niagara River and over Niagara Falls into Lake Ontario. Summers are short in northern Ohio, and the waterfront and beaches are clearly appreciated during the warm months. Cleveland is making the most of the affection for the shore with its burgeoning list of restaurants, lodgings, parks, and interesting attractions. Which brings us back to the meticulously restored USS COD, a Gato-class submarine built for service in WWII, and one of the shore’s most interesting and popular spots to visit.

The USS COD’s arrival was a fitting homecoming, as the submarine’s five massive diesel engines were built at the General Motors plant on the city’s west side. Its keel was laid down in July of 1942 by the Electric Boat Company in Groton, Connecticut, which has been the primary builder of submarines for the United States Navy for more than 100 years. During WWII, a submarine rolled out of that plant every two weeks.

This workhorse submarine completed seven patrols, all of them successful, and received seven battle stars. During its two years of active service, the COD was strafed by Japanese planes, was attacked by concentrated depth charges, and suffered a fire in the aft torpedo room, necessitating the manual launch of its last torpedo to protect the sub from explosion. Two sailors were washed overboard while freeing the torpedo room hatch. One was rescued, but one was lost during the night. He was the ship’s only wartime fatality.

The submarine’s history includes a fine example of determination and valor near the end of its active duty. On July 8, 1945, the USS COD responded to a message that O19, a Dutch submarine, had gone aground on a reef in the South China Sea about 200 nautical miles from the USS COD’s  position. After two frustrating attempts to dislodge O19, she took all 56 members of O19’s crew on board with air cover from a U.S. Consolidated (PB4Y-2) Privateer, and blew up everything that could be useful to the enemy. With 153 sailors now stuffed into it, the COD arrived three days later at Subic Bay, near Manila in the Philippine Islands, the nearest point of safety. 

From there, the Dutch crew “hitchhiked” to Fremantle, Australia, home port to both vessels, aboard whatever ships and planes were able to take them, and the USS COD continued its patrol. When their rescuers returned to Fremantle in August, the Dutch crew threw them a three-day party. During the festivities, they heard the news of the Japanese surrender. The moment was memorialized with the addition of “O19” and a martini glass to the COD’s battle flag, where it remains.

The USS COD Submarine Memorial
This exceptionally preserved WWII vessel is the real thing. The COD is the only submarine museum with no stairways or doors cut into its pressure hull. Visitors enter by way of the same vertical ladders and hatches that were used by its crew, which makes it difficult or impossible for some to get inside. Once you see it, however, you understand immediately that the ship is so compact that any re-engineered means of entry would compromise a significant part of its intricate interior fitting.

Topside, you see that the COD is armed as it was, with one 5-inch / 25-caliber wet-mount deck gun on the main deck just aft of the bridge. There are two 40 mm guns (forward and aft) on the bridge, and gun mount posts used when necessary for its .50-caliber machine guns. 

Below, there are eight major hull compartments separated by watertight doors. The forward battery just aft of the forward torpedo room includes officers’ quarters and showers, a pantry, and the ward room. The conning tower is next, and houses one search and one attack periscope, and the sonar console. The control room below the conning tower is the heart of the operation, with the pump room below it. The after battery, housing the crew galley, mess area, and berthing area, is next. The engine rooms, the maneuvering room, and finally the after torpedo room make up the rest. The interiors of these compartments are lined with an astonishing array of controls and devices original to the vessel, each of them with historic significance in the timeline of warfare.

For everyone who is interested and unable to visit in person, the USS COD website offers a comprehensive digital tour. Each page includes fine photographs and detailed descriptions of the purpose and operation of the equipment in each functional space and reveals how sophisticated the mechanical technology was for its time. One very good example is an engineering marvel located in the conning tower. This ahead-of-its-time device is the electro-mechanical torpedo fire control computer also known as the Torpedo Data Computer (TDC). When it was fed data about a target’s position and course, it used information about the submarine’s own course and speed, to accurately track the positions of both vessels. This was known as “position keeping.” The TDC also computed the course a torpedo must take from either end of the submarine when launched.

The sophisticated intricate mechanical systems that predated the digital equipment we rely on now are humbling. The precisely machined and meticulously organized elements of the USS COD’s interior are also beautiful, in a way that is missing from much of the digital universe. Follow the link to the tour in the sidebar below to see for yourself what a treasure this museum is. Here’s what some of its visitors have said:

“You can walk through yourself, but make sure you take every opportunity to hear the stories from the volunteers on board. … Fascinating!”

“I have visited many WWII ships over the years but this may be the best maintained one I've ever seen. It does look as if it could be operational.” 

“Great way to teach kids about the sacrifices submariners make. My father-in-law was in a submarine in WWII … this shows his grandson …what it looked like to be in these vital ships.

The USS Cod Submarine Memorial stands as a fitting tribute to the service of America’s submariners past and present. It gives meaning to the word “shipshape,” and is right at home in the city of Cleveland, whose history is intricately connected with the kind of industrial and engineering mastery that first brought prosperity and growth to the nation. 
Return to Table of Contents

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

Dear FRA Members, 
As we are now well into 2019, I have found myself considering what it takes for our voices to be strongest, to be clearest and to have the most impact on Capitol Hill. Our basic charter says we are to support the men and women of the enlisted sea services. One of the crucial advantages we have as a service organization is that we have some notion of what waits for service members as they move through their military careers and, for some at least, transition into civilian life.

Our members cover a wide, diverse spectrum of experience. Some joined early, stayed 20 or even 30 or more years, and retired without joining the private sector.  Others served for four years and then leveraged their experience into other careers. Still, others served in combat positions and were honorably discharged following tours of duty or service-connected injuries.  Every one of those voices is important because they collectively define a range of experiences when collecting the nation’s gratitude in the form of earned benefits for military personnel. 
For the FRA to be most effective, it must represent all those needs and still make decisions on which policy recommendation will maximize the benefits of all our stakeholders. While most members can only relate personally to their own experiences, it is likely their extended network of family and friends will bring an amalgam of experiences, such as those of the member profiles I mentioned above.  Taken together, diverse members’ needs become more complex, and their perceived values of all their service benefits are ever more intertwined.

The changing nature of a typical military career is also an important consideration. Unlike their parents and grandparents, young adults joining the sea services today are likely to have second careers after their military service—even if they serve for a full 20 years. Retirement at a young age is not a luxury many of our current enlistees are likely to enjoy; they must plan for themselves and their families, and the FRA provides critical assistance for their financial planning from the very beginning of their service.

We continue to promote the importance of a diverse and vocal membership base, from all types of backgrounds in the sea services, and look forward to supporting their needs through 2019 and into the years beyond.    FRA
Yours in Loyalty, Protection, and Service,
Christina Hitchcock

Christina is the FRA’s Director of Membership. She can be reached at ChristinaH@fra.org or 703-683-1400 (Ext. 123)

SHIPMATE NEWS
1. Branch 49, Denver, Colo.
(L to R) Branch President Bill Hanzel presents Shipmate John Clements with his 65 years of service award.

2. Branch 197, Modesto, Calif.
Branch President Dale Wild, wearing his dress blues with Naval Aircrew Wings and Combat Aircrew Wings about his ribbons, standing in front of an M-37 weapons carrier at the Modesto Veterans Day Parade. Wild does not ride in the M-37, but rather walks the entire parade route in front of it.

3. Branch 194, Knoxville, Tenn.
(L to R) National Vice President Donna Jansky presents Shipmate Gallop with his 65 years of membership award. Gallop, along with his father, joined the FRA when he was 20 years old. 

4. Branch 269, Goose Creek, S.C.
(L to R) JrPRPSE Gail Bolz and Mary Lopez delivered several Tide Laundry detergents to the Fisher House in Charleston, S.C. The Tide was donated by Unit 269 Low Country, Goose Creek, S.C.

5. Branch 146, Johnsville, Pa.
Shipmate Tom Mahoney, with his wife Maryann, was presented a certificate & pin in recognition of his 25 years of continuous membership. Tom Concannon and Joe Millman visited Mahoney at his senior living quarters to make the presentation.

6. Branch & Unit 294, Crossville. Tenn.
Branch & Unit participated in Crossville’s first ever Veterans Day Parade and were the first trailer to be entered in the parade. The trailer was disassembled, stripped of rust and paint, primed and repainted. It has custom benches along with mounted 3D FRA signage. The service emblems were made of painted and powder coated steel. The trailer was completely rebuilt by the membership.

7. Branch 295, San Angelo, Texas
(L to R) Branch President CTI1 (Ret.) Robert Mistishen, Lucy (Robert Mistishen’s granddaughter) EMC (Ret.) Dave Yearwood (WWII-Korea-Vietnam Campaigns), Branch Secretary CTMC (Ret.) Terry Cook, and CTIC (Ret.) Ed Zabecki. The Branch Float was re-built in 2017 and has a gangway entrance where Lucy is sitting. The driver was Robert Mistishen’s wife Eva.

8. Branch 171, Southern Luzon, PHL.
The branch held its first meeting for 2019 this past January, located in Southern Luzon, Philippines. Photo by SKC (SW) E. S. Ortega (Ret.).

9. Branch 268, Oklahoma City, Okla.
Shipmates Jim Perinovic, Les Arnold, Sheridan Marquardt, Mark Sterling and Lloyd Seitz listen to the 2 Bell Ceremony performed in front of the USS Oklahoma (BB-37) Memorial at the Oklahoma State Capitol on Dec. 7, 2018. Photo by Branch Secretary Susan Frederici, MCCS (Ret.).

10. Branch 57, South Jersey, N.J.
Branch Vice President Charles Baltozer and Shipmate Mary Rauch present 25 $100 gift cards to Food Bank Coordinator Jessica Manfre at Coast Guardsmen Base Cape May, New Jersey.  The food pantry distributed daily living necessities to Coast Guardsmen and federal employees who were affected by the partial government shutdown.

11. Branch 118, Cape Coral, Fla.
During a Branch breakfast meeting, Branch President Hans Seebo presented a branch donation to BM1 Kenny Tucker, U.S. Coast Guard station Ft. Myers Beach, Fla. Guardsman Tucker brought his daughter.

12. FRA Staff, Alexandria, Va.
During the Recruiter of the Year ceremony held at the Navy Memorial in Washington, D.C., are (L to R) Veronica Blay, Admin. Assistant Debora Tshiovo, RPEC Randy Phillipp, PRPEC Penny Collins, National Service Director Chris Slawinski and NVP Donna Jansky.
TAPS
 
Name 	Rating	Branch
Acosta, Elbert S.	SMC, USN	101

Bakley, John C.	AMH1, USN	248
Becht, Robert P.	EMC, USN	 MAL
Blay, Lawrence L.	TDC, USN	210
Brand, James A.	DCC, USN	60
Brennan, Joseph F.	ENC, USN	57
Bridgeford, Gail D.	DSC, USN	 MAL

Chastain, Gerald D.	YNC, USN	112
Chavez, George C.	UT1, USN	28
Cheesebrew, Tony M. 	CWO4, USN	117
Clark, Willard R.	GMTC, USN	269
Cleghorn, James	USMC	 MAL
Cook, Charles	USN	 MAL
Cottrell, Keith W.	FTCS, USN	382

Dacey, Ronald J.	HM1, USN	234
Darag, Ray G.	SD2, USN	127
Dial, Harold B.	RMC/Ret, USN	 MAL
Douglas, Fred A.	MMC, USN	53

Fair, Vernon D.	RMCS, USN	98
Ferrer, Juan J.	SD1, USN	46
Field, Robert W.	CTRCM, USN	212

PRPNE/NENG, 
Gallagher, Robert J.	GMTC, USN	156
Gibson, Fredrick A.	AMSC, USN	97
Goodwin, Myron A.	ETC, USN	178
Grantham, William B.	ADC, USN	94
Graver, Barton W.	HMC, USN	106

Hamadyk, Jeanne A.	MSGT, USMC	 MAL
Hamilton, Barry W.	USNR	 MAL
Hayden, Jerry L.	PO1, USN	106
Henderson, Keith	EN1, USN	24
Henniger, Donald	AECS, USN	 MAL
Hoaglin, Donald W.	ASCS, USN	94
Hobart, Stanley L.	SM2, USN	285
Hobokan, Andrew	CAPT, USN	159
Horner, Thomas A.	AXCS, USN	51
Howell, James D.	ATC, USN	101
Hughes, Everett P.	ABEC, USN	124

Jones, Johnnie F.	QMC(SS), USN	 MAL
Justis, William F.	QMC, USN	161

Keating, Joseph T.	UT1, USN	 MAL
Ketcham, Edward J.	ETCS, USN	70

Lamorticelli, Frank T.	MCPO, USN	 MAL
Lassalle, Fermin V.	SM1, USN	 MAL

Main, Lyndell R.	USN	 MAL
McClellan, Richard B.	AMHC, USN	99
McDermott, Charles H.	FTCS, USN	61
McIntosh, Morris Gene	RMC(ET), USNR	67
Mesch, Clement P.	RMC, USN	 MAL
Miller, Joseph P	Cpl, USMC	147
Molloy, Earl W.	MMC, USN	 MAL
Morgan, Ralph W.	BMCS, USNR	234

Nester, Forest R.	PNCM, USN	99

Oneyear, Thomas C.	BMCM, USN	293

Pasqualone, Danny E.	BM2, USN	17
Pendergast, Derrel E.	ADRC, USN	094
Pickett, Richard H.	ATC, USN	 MAL
Purdy, Randolph S.	LCDR, USN	24

Randall, Perry A.	TMCM	269
Rathman, John J.	ADRC, USN	136
Ratke, Joseph W.	BMC, USN	23
Rochefort, James A.	ADRC, USN	97
Rodriguez, Antonio B.	LCDR, USN	 MAL

Schreiner, David J.	BTC(SW), USN,	40
Scott, Jefferson L.	GMCS, USN	307
Seppala, Wallace F.	GMG2, USN	06
Shane, Ronald C.	GYSGT, USMC	109
Singletary, Rowland	RMCM, USN	269
Smith, Robert W.	FTCS, USN	 MAL
Smith, Walter T.	PFC, USMCR	61
Soldan, Robert W.	AMS1, USN	358
Steinmetz, Joseph A.	AMHC, USN	70
Stoneberger, Allen E.	PO1, USN	 MAL

Takacs, Gene N.	MSGT, USMC	161
Temple, Adolphus T.	SHC, USN	223
Thompson, Robert F.	PN2, USN	24
Tilley, Roy D.	YNC(SS) USN	 MAL
Trainer, Robert C.	MSGT, USMC	371

Verburgt, Edward M.	ADRC, USN	94
Voita, John R.	AWCM, USN	136

Wadsager, Herbert H.	AECS, USN	 MAL
Weekley, Howard K.	AMHC, USN	42
White, Harry B.	MMCM(SS), USN	 MAL
Wilson, Leon L.	ETCS, USN	 MAL
Wyckoff, George T.	LCDR, USN	 MAL

Zaleski, Peter B.	SN, USN	 MAL
Zuern, Robert L.	LTCOL, USMC	 MAL

Any names in red indicate 50 year continuous members.
Any names in bold indicate past national officers.

To report the death of a Shipmate, please contact us via email at mserfra@fra.org or by telephone at 703-683-1400 ext 1. 

Return to Table of Contents

REUNIONS/lOOKINGFOR…

Reunions

USS Carpenter (DD-825)
5/16/2019-5/20/2019
San Antonio, Texas
Contact: Jimmie Kennedy
Telephone: 714-776-0419
Email: kennjd3@gmail.com

Naval Air Station Atlanta
5/17/2019-5/18/2019, Dillard, Ga.
Contact: Jane Lear
Telephone: 678-313-7575
Email: jbhl203@aol.com

Coast Guard EMTel-TT-IT
5/17/2019-5/19/2019
Chincoteague, Va.
Contact: Curtis Leary
Telephone: 919-270-2136
Email: gssi36@earthlink.net

USS Graybacks (SSG/LPSS/SS 574)
5/7/2019-5/9/2019, Reno, Nev.
Contact: Mike Dimmick, CDR, (USN)(Ret.)
Telephone: 702-810-8052
Email: madimmick@cox.net
Website: ussgrayback574.com

USS Duluth (LPD-6)
6/12/2019-6/16/2019, Duluth, Minn.
Contact: John Adams
Telephone: 610-213-6379
Email: john.adams@ussduluth.org
Website: ussgrayback574.com

USS Boston
7/4/2019-7/7/2019, Burlington, Vt.
Contact: Barry Probst
Telephone: 508-580-3808
Email: president@ussboston.org
Website: www.ussboston.org

USS Bausell (DD-845)
7/17/2019-7/21/2019
Washington, D.C.
Contact: Dave Reason
Telephone: 256-443-1969
Email: ussbausellreunionplanner 
@gmail.com
Website: www.ussbausell.com

USS Des Moines Association
7/24/2019-7/26/2019
Hermitage, Pa.
Contact: Arthur J. Weeks, Jr.
Telephone: 401-439-1660
Email: w1agw@comcast.net
Website: ussdesmoines.com

USS Vogelgestang (DD-862)
8/2/2019-8/4/2019
Seekonk/Fall River, Mass.
Contact: Ron Savino
Telephone: 703-474-3185
Email: Ldobb@aol.com
A comprehensive list of Reunions can be found on www.fra.org/Reunions. All Reunions/lookingFor… must be submitted online, via email to reunions@fra.org or in writing to FRA Reunions/LookingFor…to 125 N. West St. Alexandria, VA 22314. Please include your FRA Member ID and a daytime phone number. For questions regarding submissions, contact FRA Member Services 1 800-FRA-1924. 
Return to Table of Contents

AUXILIARY OF THE FRA

Message from the West Coast Regional President
It has been a great honor for me to be elected as regional president for the West Coast Region, as it is a privilege to serve our outstanding Officers and Units. The first six months have been a pleasurable experience as I have visited, talked, laughed, shared stories and made many friends. I look forward to the coming months.

The Units of the West Coast Region are progressing forward with a sense of motivation to increase the Units’ membership, and to identify new projects. Some of the Units are small in membership numbers, but this has not prevented them from going forth to fulfill the goals of the LA FRA. 

Unit 185 of Ogden, Utah, has assisted in completing the project of erecting a three-quaters scale Vietnam Memorial Wall in Layton, Utah by spending countless hours soliciting funds for this project. While there for my visit, I was able to view their achievement and it is awesome. Many of the Units provided supplies, clothing and toiletry items to local VA hospitals. During my visit with Unit 101 in Santa Clara, Calif., I heard of similar donations.  Unit 197 in Modesto, Calif., continues to equip housing units with appliances and goods for veterans. A member of Unit 274 in High Sierra, Nev., sought monetary donations to provide Thanksgiving dinners to the recent California fire victims.  Unit 230 in Roseville, Calif., donates funds to many worthy causes in their community. Unit 8 in Vallejo, Calif., is co-hosting the West Coast Region 2019 Mid-Year Convention. Unit 137 in Sierra Tahoe, Nev., has volunteered to assist the Nevada Department of Veterans Services by scanning DD214 forms for easy accessibility when applying for fee reductions by state entities. 

The tales of the efforts and projects from each Unit keep coming in. They continue to be a viable resource of efforts and contributions that assist the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fleet Reserve Association.

Each Unit has extended a warm “Welcome” to me and has greatly assisted in working toward the achievement of our 2018-2019 goals of recruitment, compliance with LA FRA procedures, and increased communication amongst the Region, Units, and members. Thank you for your hospitality, the great meals and especially the camaraderie you have shown me.
In Loyalty, Protection and Service,
Brenda Horton, RPWC 
 
Brenda Horton is the LA FRA Regional President for the West Coast Region.
FINANCE MATTERS

Your Estate Planning Checklist: 10 Documents to Get Started
If you’ve been dragging your feet when it comes to estate planning, you aren’t alone. According to a 2017 survey by Caring.com1, nearly six out of 10 American adults lack even basic estate-planning documents. Even if you’ve put some documents together, are you sure you have what you need? 

“Anyone who has assets needs to get organized and engage in estate planning for the benefit of those they leave behind,” says John F. Padberg, Planning and Life Events Specialist at Wells Fargo Advisors. “While each person has unique circumstances to plan for, there are some key documents that can form the foundation for most estate plans.” 

The following 10 documents can serve as that base set. Six of the 10 are best kept as signed hard copies; the remaining four can be stored digitally if you wish. 
Signed documents to safeguard as hard copies:
1.	Will. This important set of instructions directs assets that you own individually (with no beneficiary designation), can designate a guardian for minors, and appoints an executor to administer your estate after you pass. You may opt to send copies to certain individuals, but keep the signed original in a secure place, like a safe deposit box, that’s known to people who will need access to it, such as an executor or close family members.
2.	Power of attorney (POA) for financial matters. This POA names someone you trust as the person to help manage your financial affairs. It could be structured to become effective at the time you sign it or could be triggered to take effect upon you becoming incapacitated. 
3.	Durable power of attorney for health care. This POA appoints an agent to make medical decisions for you if you can’t make them yourself.
4.	Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) release authorization. As a stand-alone document or as part of other documents, such as a durable POA for health care, this privacy-related document allows you to declare who should have access to your medical information.
5.	Living will. Also called an advance directive, these instructions dictate your wishes about prolonging your life in cases like a terminal illness or if you’re in a permanent incapacitated state. 
6.	Revocable living trust. Like a will, this document also directs how your assets will pass to your beneficiaries, but it may be funded during your lifetime and can provide for incapacity planning, as well. A revocable trust can provide some benefits that you wouldn’t typically get with a will, with more privacy and without the costs and hassle of probate court.
7.	Documents that you can keep in a digital format:
8.	Current net worth statement. This lists all of your assets and liabilities and what they’re worth. You could even include how various assets are titled. A net worth statement can be a big help in the process of getting organized, reveal the true scope of your estate, and provide your advisors with a very useful tool as they work to put together a customized plan for you. It can also save your successors significant work in figuring out all that you have. Keep this document updated so that it reflects current information about all of your accounts, real estate, liabilities, and other items. 
9.	List of professional advisors. Includes contact information for important advisors, such as your financial advisor, attorney, CPA, insurance agents, and doctors.
10.	Medical condition record. This is an informal way to let your trusted agent know about your health status when there’s a need. 

A guide to these documents (both physical and digital). Those you will leave behind will appreciate a simple catalog of all the estate-planning documents you have prepared and their locations so they can find them without hassle.

“This list is a good place to start, especially for those who have not prepared any estate-planning documents at all,” Padberg says. “But remember that each plan is different, and there certainly could be a need for other items, especially as the level of planning gets more sophisticated.” 

With the assistance of your financial advisor and estate-planning attorney, you can get a basic estate plan put in place, and, as appropriate, discuss other strategies for preserving wealth. A financial advisor can talk you through options that can save you time and money when you sit down with an attorney.
One final important tip: Set a time on your calendar for a regular review to keep all these documents up-to-date.   FRA
1.	https://www.caring.com/articles/wills-survey-2017

This article was written by/for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Carl M. Trevisan, Managing Director-Investments and Stephen M. Bearce, First Vice President- Investments in Alexandria, VA at 800-247-8602.
Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE
Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.