FRAtoday April 2020
comunicaitons
FROM THE BRIDGE
SHIPMATE FORUM	5
On & Off captol hill	7
FEATURE  STORies
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS17
SHIPMATE NEWS18
TAPS19
Reunions	22
AUXILIARY OF THE FRA24
FINANCE MATTERS25

COMMINICATIONS

Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo

Seventy-eight years ago this month, one of history’s most significant air attacks, the Doolittle raid was pulled off. As a youngster, one of the first books I choose to read for my English class was “Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo.” 

The story captivated me then as it does now.

Within a four-month period, Japan had decimated the U.S. fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, and had conquered Southeast Asia, the oil-rich Dutch East Indies and the islands of the Central Pacific. They were also about to force the last battered U.S. defenders in the Philippines to surrender.

The U.S. needed to change the momentum of the war with a victory. President Roosevelt decided days after the attack on Pearl Harbor to bomb the Japanese mainland. But how? Heavy B-17 bombers would not work because the Philippines’ air bases were gone and all land-based planes were out of range. 

Lt. Col. James Doolittle suggested a carrier-based attack. The U.S. Navy had carrier-launched planes with a 250-mile range, but it didn’t dare sail its remaining carriers that close to Japan.  The new twin-engine B-25B Mitchell medium bombers could perform the mission, but they would have to launch from a carrier. They couldn’t land on a carrier. If they were stripped down and overloaded with fuel, B-25s could deploy from a carrier several hundred miles off the coast of Japan, bomb their targets and land on airfields in China.

The USS HORNET (CV-8) along with the carrier USS ENTERPRISE (CV-6), four cruisers and eight destroyers all under the command of Admiral “Bull” Halsey deployed. The HORNET’s flight deck had 16 B-25s, which left only the ENTERPRISE’s fighters and bombers to provide air cover. If they had run into Japan’s Combined Fleet — especially the six carriers that had attacked Pearl Harbor — the battle would have been short.
On April 18, 1942, at about noon over Tokyo, Japanese air defenses were extremely weak. Tokyo’s air-raid sirens didn’t even blare until after the attack was over. A few industrial sites were lightly damaged, as were a few schools and a hospital, killing or injuring about 450 people. The most damage was inflicted by a B-25 that struck the carrier RYUHO under construction, which delayed its launch. Most of the American airmen were saved by Chinese soldiers or civilians. But three crewmen died while bailing out, and eight were captured by the Japanese — three of these faced a firing squad.

The Doolittle Raid barely qualified as a military nuisance. But it gave America back a sense of pride, reinforced our can-do attitude and was a great book for my English assignment.  FRA

In Loyalty, Protection and Service,
William D. Stevenson, Editor-in-Chief

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FROM THE BRIDGE

Protecting Yourself from Scams
Recently, I received an email from what appeared to be the president of my Branch 181, where I am also the secretary. The email stated: “Do you have a moment? I need a favor from you. The Hospice Care Valley home needs our help with some gift cards. The cards I bought aren’t enough can you help and get some today? You will be reimbursed.”
I have a great relationship with my branch president so if there was a need for “gift cards,” he would have called or brought it up during our monthly meeting. 
A few weeks back, our IT director asked me about the “favor” I needed his help with.  I looked at the email; it had my name on it but was not my email signature.  
I knew these were both scams.
Nobody is exempt from these schemes. “Shark Tank” star Barbara Corcoran lost nearly $400,000 in an email scam that tricked her staff. Corcoran said someone pretending to be her assistant emailed an invoice for a renovation to her bookkeeper. She had no reason to be suspicious because Corcoran invests in real estate, so the bookkeeper wired $388,700.
The scammer imitated the assistant’s email address and misspelled it by one letter. The mistake wasn’t caught until the bookkeeper sent a follow-up email to the correct address.
Phishing scams all work in similar ways. The scammer utilizes a trusted name or organization to ask for help, usually by making a purchase, sending money or paying an invoice. The unknowing individual, familiar with the name, follows through just to find out they have been scammed!
The FRA occasionally asks for donations, but these emails will always come from an official “fra.org” email address. We take every precaution to protect our members’ personal information, and we would never ask you to purchase gift cards. Any correspondence from the FRA HQ will have “fra.org” at the end of the email address. If in doubt, call HQ at: 703-683-1400.
Here are some tips to protect you from scams:
- Always verify the request is valid.  If you know what the sender’s email is, mouse over the name in the “From” line and verify the email.
- Call the person making the request.
- If you suspect an email is a scam, DO NOT RESPOND and delete the email.
Call Out to Blue Water Sailors and their Survivors
On June 25, 2019, the president signed into law the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2019, which went into effect on Jan. 1. It extends the presumption of herbicide exposure to Blue Water Navy Veterans who served in and offshore of the Republic of Vietnam.  Survivors and certain dependents may also be entitled to benefits if the veteran was exposed.
Under the law, certain veterans who served offshore of the Republic of Vietnam and Cambodia or who had service in the Korean Demilitarized Zone may be entitled to disability compensation for conditions that are related to exposure. The law also provides benefits for children born with spina bifida if a parent was a veteran with verified exposure in Thailand. 
To be entitled to VA benefits, veterans must have served between Jan. 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975, and have one or more of fourteen identified conditions. 
Veterans with questions about benefits or filing a claim can visit the VA Agent Orange website at: www.va.gov/disability/eligibility/hazardous-materials-exposure/agent-orange/ and Survivor and Dependent Compensation (DIC) website at: www.va.gov/disability/dependency-indemnity-compensation. 

You can also call 800-749-8387.  FRA

In Loyalty, Protection and Service,
Chris Slawinski 
Chris is the FRA’s national executive director and can be 
contacted at NED@fra.org.

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sHIPMATE FORUM

Pendleton Rescue and the Artist Who Captured It
The U.S. Coast Guard Academy Alumni Association class of ‘62 came up with the idea of the Historical Murals Project and commissioned artist Tony Falcone for the project’s 10 large paintings. Many of your readers will recognize the (February FRAtoday) cover. The original hangs in the lobby of Waesche Hall, the library, at the Academy. Tony's other paintings are exhibited around the campus. If the project was never commissioned, Falcone would not have met Bernie Webber and been inspired to complete the murals.
Judith Andrews, 
Business/Project Manager, Falcone Art Studio

Branch 46 and the Arizona Memorial
I was extremely disappointed in the December article regarding Pearl Harbor and Ford Island. Branch 46 has had a symbiotic relationship with Pacific Historic Parks and specifically the Arizona Memorial. Branch 46 was instrumental in raising the funds that created the Memorial as it exists today. The original Arizona Memorial Museum Association Board of Directors included several Branch 46 Shipmates, including PRPNW Noel Bragg, whom many of you older Shipmates probably know. 
Due to brevity, I won’t get into our many endeavors regarding the Memorial, Bowfin Association and others, but suffice it to say, it was obviously a boiler plate article that did not include any input from Branch 46. In the future, I would advise that whenever you pursue a site-specific article, that you reach out to local branches regarding their perspectives and insights. After all, this is the “FRA-today.” 
I remain yours in Loyalty, protection and service,
PNP John D. Ippert, Pearl Harbor-Honolulu Branch 46

Burial at Sea
The item in the most recent issue of FRAtoday (on page 6) concerning burial at sea, reminded me of an incident that occurred when I was the Commanding Officer of the USS WALDRON (DD-699) operating out of Mayport, Florida. On one occasion, WALDRON was tasked to conduct a burial at sea. The coffin was delivered to the ship and placed on the fantail. We posted an honor guard and sailed out past the 100-fathom curve as was required. The sea was flat calm. We put on our dress uniforms and gathered around the coffin on the starboard quarter. I read the burial service and we played taps and slid the coffin into the water. It floated for a few minutes. Suddenly, a school of porpoises burst through the surface all around the coffin and leaped and swam around it and then followed it as it slowly sank. We were stunned and the hair on my neck stood out. 
David E Williams, Commander USN (Ret.) MAL

Good Deeds Shared
Your article (March 2020) about what does the FRA does, was good. For my part, I am an accredited Veteran Service Officer, who is very active near Allentown-Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. It is time consuming to put a successful claim together, proper research and gathering all materials for the VA. But it is very rewarding to see the relief on the Veteran's face when I help solve his situation. When a veteran gets relief, that in and of itself, is the most reward any human can receive. 
This year, I have worked on 11 claims, one appeal and five [claims] in progress. The few claims still in progress are just about “crossing the T’s and dotting the I’s.” I have a good feeling that they will all be approved.
The work of a VSO is to logically compile the case material for electronic submission. You need the Power of Attorney from your veteran, as well as all their medical records and past forms, to best represent them in case you need to file an appeal.
So when asked this question about what WE do, the answer is: We provide continued work on the behalf of all veterans and their families. I want to make sure that the promise given by all veterans, for the blank check they signed when they joined, is upheld to its fullest.
In Loyalty, Protection & Service
Dave Sharp, Veteran Service Officer, PRP NE/NEng.

Letters published in Shipmate Forum reflect the opinions and views of individual FRA members. They do not reflect the position of the FRA. The FRA is not responsible for the accuracy of letter content. Submit letters to FRAtoday, 125 N. West St., Alexandria, VA 22314 or to fratoday@fra.org

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ON AND OFF CAPITOL HILL

FRA Ready to Storm the Hill
As you get this issue of FRAtoday, the FRA Legislative Team will be doing final preparation for our National Board of Directors (NBOD) to “Storm Capitol Hill” and award Rep. Mark Takano (Calif.), Chairman of the House Veterans Affairs Committee, the FRA’s Pinnacle award on Thursday, Aril 23. The Hill visits are timely since Congress is under increasing press to reduce the budget deficit may start looking at military pay and benefits. Thankfully the Administration’s budget request does not include any kind of TRICARE fee increase for FY2021. However, the majority of FRA Members (68%) are very concerned about DOD plans to restrict retirees and dependents from using certain Military Treatment facilities. Shipmates already got hit with a pharmacy co-pay increase that was enacted in 2017, allowing for future increases scheduled to take effect in 2021. 

The DOD Announces Plan to Downsize Nearly 50 Hospitals and Clinics
A delayed report to Congress, mandated by the FY2017 Defense Authorization Act, recommends that 50 Military Treatment Facilities stop seeing retirees and their dependents. FRA Director of Legislative Programs John Davis and staff from several other TMC members met with senior Defense Health Agency officials about the report’s suggestion the “rightsizing” of MTF utilization. In the FY2017 NDAA, Congress mandated a rightsizing, realignment and restructuring of the direct care system. The DOD claims these changes are needed to ensure the DHA has focus on combat readiness of the military.

The Pentagon plan, if fully implemented, would significantly restructure the military health system’s responsibilities in the continental U.S. over the next several years. The list includes 50 existing MTFs whose services would change in some way. In the FY2021 Defense Health Program budget proposal, the Pentagon estimated a $36 million savings during the first transition year by moving some patients (retirees and families) from MTFs to private providers in the DOD’s TRICARE system. The focus of these changes is to improve troop readiness. The DOD wants to remove care that doesn’t contribute to the readiness mission and move it into the TRICARE civilian network. The Defense Health Agency estimates that 84,000 active duty family members and 110,000 military retiree beneficiaries will be impacted by military treatment facility downsizing proposed. 

The FRA provided an online survey to ask Shipmates if they are concerned. Sixty-eight percent of respondents oppose the restrictions. Many TRICARE beneficiaries are worried about the impact these changes will have on their pocketbook. Retirees and their family members who are switched from MTFs to the TRICARE network care would face out-of-pocket cost increases because they would have a co-pay fee for most of their covered services. 

A copy of the report is also available online .  https://www.health.mil/About-MHS/OASDHA/Defense-Health-Agency/Congressional-Relations/Reports-to-Congress

SVAC Approves Veterans Suicide Prevention Bill
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee amended and approved the FRA-supported Commander John Scott Hannon Veterans Mental Health Care Improvement Act (S.785) sponsored by Sens. Jerry Moran (Kans.) and Jon Tester (Mont.), SVAC Chairman and Ranking member respectively. The bill is a comprehensive and aggressive approach to connecting more veterans with the mental health care they need and earned. Their bill seeks to improve VA care by bolstering the VA’s mental health workforce and increasing veterans’ access to VA care in rural or hard-to-reach areas. The objective is to make sure veterans have access to alternative and local treatment options such as; animal therapy, outdoor sports and activities, yoga and acupuncture. The bill now goes to the full Senate for consideration. 

It is estimated that more than 20 veterans die by suicide every day. Of those, 14 did not receive treatment or care from the VA. The bill will improve outreach to veterans about their mental healthcare options in five major ways:

1. Bolster the VA’s mental health workforce to serve more veterans and placing at least one suicide prevention coordinator in every VA hospital.
2. Improve rural veterans’ access to mental healthcare by increasing the number of locations at which veterans can access VA telehealth services. Offering grants to non-VA organizations that provide mental health services or alternative treatment to veterans.
3. Strengthen assistance for service members transitioning out of the military by automatically giving every service member one full year of VA healthcare when they leave the military. Improving services that connect transitioning veterans with career and education opportunities.
4. Study and invest in alternative treatment options by expanding veterans’ access to animal, outdoor, or agri-therapy, yoga, meditation and acupuncture. 
5. Hold the VA accountable for its mental health and suicide prevention efforts by examining how the VA manages its suicide prevention resources and how the VA provides seamless care for veterans seeking mental healthcare from both the VA and community providers.

Members are urged to use the Action Center to urge their Senators to support this important legislation. 

The VA Asks for Delay of New Presumptive Conditions Related to Agent Orange Exposure
The Department of Veterans Affairs recently sent a report to the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committees. It explains their concern with the scientific evidence behind the link between bladder cancer, hypothyroidism, parkinsonism, hypertension and exposure to Agent Orange herbicide. The VA claims that the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine did not identify any “definitive causal links” between Agent Orange and the diseases. The VA is now waiting on the results of its own study. The National Academy of Medicine has already established an association between Agent Orange exposure and these four diseases. The FRA is supporting the Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act (H.R.5610), which would increase the presumptive conditions linked to exposure of the Agent Orange herbicide to include parkinsonism, bladder cancer, hypertension and hyperthyroidism. FRA Members are strongly urged to use the FRA Action Center to weigh in on this important legislation. 

The FRA has signed onto a letter to President Trump, with several other associations, requesting that he intervene and add these ailments to the list of Agent Orange presumptive conditions for disability benefits immediately. 

HVAC Subcommittee Discuss Privacy Concerns at VA
The House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Technology Modernization held a hearing on data privacy for veterans who are using the Department of Veterans Affairs’ vendors. The VA explained during the hearing that they have a process for vetting third party vendors who are part of the Community Care Network. Committee members expressed concern that privacy data should be protected by these third-party vendors. The committee focused on the security of the integrated electronic health record, record sharing and data collection and permissions from apps the VA offers for smartphones. The VA health care information from veterans falls under the jurisdiction of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) and their personal information falls under the Privacy ACT. A third-party vendor must follow VA procedures when gaining access to veteran information. The VA often performs compliance audits to ensure their agreements and polices are upheld. The VA claims that they have policies in place to immediately rectify an incident during a data breach.

CCN Payment Delays Discussed in House and Senate
Assistant Director, Legislative Programs Theo Lawson recently attended a joint oversight hearing of the House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittees on Health and Oversight and Investigations. The hearing was about the status of the Community Care Network program provider networks. Attention was paid to the backlog of claims—2.5 million claims out of 3.8 million are older than 30 days. The Department of Veterans Affairs testified that this will be remedied by the end of the fiscal year this September. 

The Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee also held an oversight hearing on the implementation of the CCN program that was part of the VA MISSION Act. Senior officials of the Veterans Health Administration and the CEOs of both CCN providers testified at the hearing. All the witnesses claimed that the implementation of CCN is progressing smoothly. There were questions about the pace at which providers are being reimbursed as well as the backlog of provider payments on the VA’s books. The VA is working on new processes to speed up the turnaround time for reimbursements. They expect to be caught up by the fall. Currently, 30 percent of veterans obtain health care through the CCN. 

VA Gets Big Budget Boost, DoD Gets Small Increase
FRA Director of Legislative Programs John Davis and Assistant Director of Legislative Programs Theo Lawson attended the Department of Veterans Affairs budget briefing on the agency’s proposed FY2021 budget. It includes a $22.6 billion increase (10.2 percent) from the current budget. The proposed budget provides for 14,000 more employees, of which 7,000 are medical staff. The VA anticipates more than 33,000 veterans to enroll in VA healthcare. 

The VA budget also provides for $1.2 billion increase ($485 million more than 2020) for the Caregiver program, which includes the expansion of the FRA supported program. The budget also includes $137 million to support the processing of Blue Water Navy disability claims. Since the first week of January, the VA has received 14,000 BWN claims and has paid $7.5 million in retroactive benefit payments to 218 veterans and their survivors. The VA expects a total of 70,000 BWN claims. The proposed budget provides $2.6 billion to modernize the electronic health records (EHR). The process will provide a seamless transition to the VA for injured or wounded service members. 

The DOD budget request for FY21 is consistent with the bipartisan budget agreement Congress passed in 2019. The agency’s resources are essentially unchanged from last year’s amounts. To compensate, Secretary Esper and our military leaders are implementing reforms and repurposing resources from lower priority functions to programs essential to the National Defense Strategy. The DOD has again requested a 18,000-billet cut in military medical staff. 

President Signed Bill to Enhance STEM Careers for Veterans and Military Spouses
President Trump signed into law the Supporting Veterans in STEM Careers Act (S.153), which was sponsored by Sen. Marco Rubio (Fla). The act will assist veterans who are re-entering the workforce by directing the National Science Foundation to encourage veterans to pursue careers in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). The act mandates the NSF’s Office of Science and Technology to establish an interagency working group to increase veteran and military spouse representation in the STEM field.  

House Passes PAWS Act
The House unanimously passed the Puppies Assisting Wounded Servicemembers (PAWS) for Veterans Therapy Act (H.R.4305). It is intended to assist veterans struggling with PTSD and other mental health challenges through service dog training therapy. Committee testimony on the measure, noted that mental wellness does not have a one-size-fits-all solution, which is why the VA must provide innovative and out-of-the-box treatments to help veterans combat these invisible illnesses. There is no question that the companionship and unconditional love offered by man’s best friend can have powerful healing effects on men and women from all walks of life, including our men and women in uniform.  The bill now goes to the Senate for further consideration. 

Deputy VA Secretary Dismissed
Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Robert Wilkie revealed in a brief statement posted on the VA website, that he terminated his next in command at the VA, Deputy Secretary James Byrne, due to loss of confidence. Byrne was confirmed by the Senate on Sept. 11, 2019 (81-11). He served as acting Deputy Director prior to his Senate confirmation when previous VA Secretary David Shulkin resigned after questions arose about taxpayer funded travel. Before Byrne served as acting deputy secretary, he served as general counsel for the VA. Before coming to the VA, he served in the Office of the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction. Earlier, Byrne was a Marine Corps infantry officer.

DOD Provides Updated List of Agent Orange Storage Sites and Dates
The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs recently released an updated Department of Defense list of locations outside of Vietnam where tactical herbicides were used, tested or stored by the United States military. The DOD conducted a thorough review of research, reports and Government publications in response to a November 2018 Government Accountability Office report. 

“DoD will continue to be responsive to the needs of our interagency partners in all matters related to taking care of both current and former service members,” said Secretary of Defense Mark T. Esper. “The updated list includes Agents Orange, Pink, Green, Purple, Blue and White and other chemicals and will be updated as verifiable information becomes available.”

“This update was necessary to improve accuracy and communication of information,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “VA depends on DoD to provide information regarding in-service environmental exposure for disability claims based on exposure to herbicides outside of Vietnam.”

The list of locations in the U.S. include Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Maryland, Mississippi, Montana, New York, Tennessee, Texas, and Utah. Specific sites are available online. 
https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/locations/tests-storage/index.asp

Veterans History Project
The Library of Congress, Veterans History Project is an effort to preserve oral histories, memoirs and collections of historical documents of U.S. veterans from World War I to the present. The FRA wants to provide an opportunity for Shipmates to share and preserve their stories for future generations of Americans. The Veterans History Project no longer accepts online registrations. Please submit your historical materials along with the required forms found in our Veterans History Project Field Kit. Be sure to follow the provided guidelines. The kit and additional information on the project are online.
http://www.loc.gov/vets/kit.html
FEATURE  STORY

Fighting for a New Homeland: The Immigrant Experience in the U.S. Navy
By Elise M. Howard

Since its founding, the United States’ armed forces have contained a significant number of immigrants and first-generation Americans, children of foreign-born parents. Although these new Americans have fought courageously for their adopted homeland, they have often been treated as outsiders, scapegoats and security threats. How much has the immigrant military experience changed over the past 230 years? Five active duty sailors agreed to share their experiences of what it is like to be an immigrant or first-generation sailor today.	

Getting Family on Board Before Going Aboard
For many, the unique challenges of being an immigrant or first-generation sailor begin with gaining their families’ support for their decision to join the U.S. military. Aviation Machinist Mate 1st Class Jairo Briñas recalls the difficulty of convincing his parents, who immigrated from Columbia as young adults in the 1980s, that the Navy was a promising career path.

“They weren’t happy because the image of military in Columbia is very brutal and that’s just not a life that they wanted for me here,” he says. Despite being born and raised in the U.S., Briñas still found himself held to Columbian standards for success. As a 22-year-old eldest son, the pressure was on for him to either get married or begin a clear career path. With no Mrs. Right in sight, he saw the Navy as a route out of “failing” in his family’s eyes.
Aviation Machinist Mate 2nd Class Matilda Aidoo had also struggled to find career success in the civilian world. Despite having a college degree in her home country of Ghana, the 29-year-old found herself living paycheck to paycheck in the U.S. and sought the financial stability of having a military career. But she would have to sell her family on it first.

“Where we come from, it’s not all about you. It’s about your family, also. So I sought their permission,” Aidoo recalls. “In 2013, it was a time of war, so I wanted them to know that this is what I want to do: I want to be a better person; I want to be able to do something for the family. ... If I die, hey, I just want you to know it’s for a worthy cause. And they supported me.”

In Aviation Machinist Mate 3rd Class Austin Mollard’s case, he had been encouraged to join the military from childhood — at least, by his American father and grandmother. His Taiwanese mother, on the other hand, was less enthusiastic.

“As a Buddhist, she wasn’t exactly all for it. She was afraid I was going to get hurt or I was going to kill somebody, and that negative karma would affect me in this life or my next,” Mollard recalls. “I just reassured her all I wanted to do was work on engines.”

Becoming a Citizen
Once they finish basic training, eligible sailors who are not already U.S. citizens complete naturalization testing and paperwork. For some, like Aidoo and Lithuanian immigrant Simona Kaminskaitė, obtaining U.S. citizenship means giving up citizenship in their country of origin, which can be a significant emotional loss. 
“I heard someone say that I joined the military to get my citizenship, and I was like, ‘No,’ because I am proud to be Lithuanian,” says Kaminskaitė, an aircrew survival equipmentman 2nd class. “But if I have to give it up to serve military, then I’ll do it.” 

But becoming a U.S. citizen does not equate to becoming like everyone else. 

“I got my citizenship five months after I joined, but I still feel like I’m still an alien because of my accent, because of language barriers, sometimes,” says Aviation Machinist Mate 1st Class Ahmadou Diallo, who has served for 10 years. Diallo moved to the U.S. from Senegal at age 24 seeking educational opportunities. Since enlisting in the Navy, he has earned degrees in petroleum engineering and aviation maintenance. A speaker of four languages, Diallo had wanted to enlist as a cryptologic technician interpretive, but knew that it would be “almost impossible” for him to get the required security clearance as an immigrant. 

The Consequences of Having an Accent
Although the United States has come a long way toward embracing diversity in the military, some of today’s immigrant sailors still face prejudices as old as the military itself.

Like Diallo, Kaminskaitė came to the U.S. for educational opportunities, leaving friends and family behind to live with her immigrant father and stepmother. She struggled to talk to potential friends at her new high school for fear of revealing her accent, and six years later, she still finds that her Lithuanian accent garners “Russian jokes.” 
“It’s definitely really stressful already to serve the military. As an immigrant, you always get the jokes,” she says. “It’s something you have to get used to. You know, grow thick skin. Laugh, too, because people will always have some kind of comments about you being foreign, or about you having a language barrier or about you eating, as they say, ‘weird stuff.’”

Diallo has certainly heard his share of such comments.

“I got used to someone asking like, ‘Do you used to wear clothes back home?’ Or ‘Do you live in a tree?’” Diallo sighs. “Or people question you, asking ‘Why you come to this country?’ ‘Why are you here?’ … Just because of your accent, you get all those questions.”

Kaminskaitė reports that some of the attention crosses the line to discrimination. Aidoo notes that she has had “some conflicts with people” over offensive ethnic jokes or impressions of her accent. One incident from her first deployment still stings.

“I made rank on that deployment. … Somebody said he couldn’t believe that I could make rank, that I could pass the test,” she recalls. “And the only reason this guy said that was because I was an immigrant. Because I had an accent, and so he thought I was stupid.”

While not labelling it as discrimination, Diallo also remarks that immigrants face additional obstacles when it comes to succeeding socially and occupationally in the Navy.

“I’ve seen, in my ten years’ career, a lot of people from different countries, they have a problem fitting in,” he says. “You have to fit in in order to be able to do your job right, and you feel like you have to prove yourself, you have to go that extra mile to be accepted as part of the groups.”

Mollard and Briñas, who speak English without an accent, note that they have never had an issue in the Navy with discrimination or not fitting in.

“I haven’t really seen people being racist or prejudiced against other people from other countries because you take a walk through the command, and there’s plenty of people from different backgrounds, different ethnicities and whatnot,” Mollard says.

Briñas says that for him and others who grew up with little family in the U.S., the Navy can provide “a sense of home that you find eventually. I just feel I fit in, honestly.”

The Long Journey Home
One of immigrant sailors’ greatest sacrifices is making going home a process that involves months of paperwork, multiple online safety courses, and redundant meetings with higher-ups. 

“I thought it would be easier because I’d have more of a stable income, unlike what I was doing before as a civilian,” says Mollard, who left Taiwan at age four. “I just look at all the requirements and I think, ‘Oh my God, is this even worth it to go for like two weeks?’”

For Kaminskaitė, the answer to that question was “yes.” She spent almost a full year planning her Christmas 2019 trip to Lithuania, and it took two months to get her paperwork completed and approved.
Diallo notes that the unfortunate truth is that if one of his family members in Senegal were to die, “it’s a guarantee that you will not make it to the funeral, because in Africa probably the funeral is about two or three days after the death. So just to get through the process, the fastest time I’ve seen is probably three weeks.”

Finding Personal Meaning in the Daily Grind
Despite the jokes, the difficulty of going home, and the rigors of Navy life, these immigrant sailors ultimately find satisfaction in their work for reasons that are deeply personal. All five say that serving in the Navy is an honor and has made them feel more connected to the United States.

“I feel as though I have been a part of it. I feel like this is home,” Aidoo says. “It is a huge honor and it comes with a lot of respect among other Ghanaians, and then even other Americans.”

Mollard explains that because of America’s alliance with Taiwan, serving in the U.S. Navy allows him to defend both of the places he calls home. For Kaminskaitė, who is preparing for her fourth deployment, Navy travel feeds the adventurous spirit that has helped her adapt to life in the U.S. Diallo notes that he has also enjoyed the opportunities to travel, as well as the excitement of “learning something new” and meeting “some great people.” Although it was a difficult adjustment at first, he now reflects on it as “one of the best experiences I had in my life.”
Ever the elder brother, Briñas serves as a command financial specialist and appreciates the opportunities he has to give financial and life advice to junior sailors.

“I can see the dramatic impact that I’ve made to people, not even just work-related-wise, but in their personal life, also,”  he says. “I find a great reward in that.” 

Although they represent different nations, languages and immigration experiences, these five sailors walk in the footsteps of the hundreds of thousands of immigrant service members who have gone before them. They embody the melting pot that America is and has always been, and set a precedent of excellence for the next generation of sailors who will follow them.    FRA

FEATURE

The Virginia War Memorial
The Commonwealth Remembers All Virginians Lost
By Ann Norvell Gray

Richmond, Virginia, is a distinctly Southern city, sited at the headwaters of the James River, and steeped in history. Although its Confederate monuments have taken center stage most recently, Virginia’s appreciation of generations of fighting men and women has not stalled at the Civil War. The commonwealth’s official commemoration of its war dead is expressed in two sites within 3 miles of each other. The first honors those who died in World War I. The second began as a memorial to all Virginians lost in World War II and has continued to expand with every subsequent action around the world.

Reverence Expressed in Architecture
Virginia’s monument to its 3,700 WWI casualties is a 240-foot Georgian Revival tower, sited in William Byrd Park and dedicated in 1932. It stands alone at the end of a long lawn flanked by trees. Known simply as the Carillon, the tower houses an enormous musical instrument made up of 53 bronze bells inside a steel chamber, which are played with fists and feet on a baton keyboard, where each key moves a mechanism that strikes one bell. Those bells were cast by John Taylor & Co. of Loughborough, England, the largest bell foundry in the world, which has been in continuous operation since the middle of the 14th century — a fact to warm the hearts of traditionalists everywhere.

The “war to end all wars” turned out instead to be the prelude to the Second World War. In 1950, Virginia’s legislature authorized a memorial to all Virginia members of the U.S. armed forces who had died in defense of the nation. Five sloping acres on a hillside overlooking the James River and the downtown skyline were allocated for the project. Virginia architects Samuel J. and Richard E. Collins won the architectural competition. The resulting Shrine of Memory is a streamlined interpretation of a classical temple, its open pavilion created by soaring limestone columns. A stone block wall along the western side protects the interior from traffic noise and motion. The columns frame massive sheets of glass on which the names of the dead are inscribed. These names are organized into groups by the city or county that each of the fallen called home. Seeing them arranged as neighbors makes their presence in a terribly long list seem suddenly much more personal.

Inside the southern end of the pavilion stands “Memory,” an immaculate 22-foot statue of a grieving woman with an eternal flame at her feet. Her serene modern form is clearly visible through the glass from the highway leading down and across the James along the western side of the memorial. The sculptor chosen for the statue was Leo F. Friedlander, creator of “Valor” and “Sacrifice,” the two massive bronze fire-gilded Art Deco horses and riders flanking the end of the Arlington Memorial Bridge that leads into Washington, D.C. 

While the memorial’s original design was being built, the U.S. entered the Korean conflict. Plans were adjusted to include the casualties of that action. Included in that plan were the addition of a small auditorium and some office space, both of them useful, but neither of which added much to the architectural context. In 1981, the Shrine was expanded to include Vietnam’s fallen heroes. In 1996, names from the Persian Gulf war were added. Plans remain underway to accommodate the names of all Virginian service members who have been lost and who must continue to be called to make the ultimate sacrifice as conflict in the 21st century continues. 

The Paul and Phyllis Galanti Education Center
By 2008, overwhelmed by the number of visitors, the growing collection of artifacts, and the need for ceremonial and educational event space, the memorial’s foundation turned to Richmond’s Glavé & Holmes Architecture for a solution. The firm responded with an 8,000 square foot addition that provided new space and new technology, including an amphitheater cut into the hillside below. The new wing, which opened in 2010, respects the existing materials and scale of the Shrine while retaining the open feeling and the views of the river and city beyond. 

The new facility is named in honor of retired Navy Cmdr. Paul Edward Galanti and his wife, Phyllis Eason Galanti. Paul was an A-4 Skyhawk pilot who, after 97 combat missions, was shot down over Vietnam in 1966 and held as a POW until 1973. 

Mrs. Galanti was a young wife whose campaign to marshal the energy of other POW wives put unrelenting pressure — first on the North Vietnamese delegation in Stockholm and then on our president and congress — to identify, improve the treatment of, and obtain the release of prisoners of war being held in terrible conditions in Vietnam. Her husband was among the first group freed. 

For his steadfast courage, Paul Galanti was awarded the Silver Star. Of Mrs. Galanti’s untiring efforts throughout those seven years, former Virginia’s Gov. Mills E. Godwin said, “One dedicated woman and a handful of others had more influence on the communist world than legions of armies and diplomats,” and called both Galantis “examples of raw courage, of faith that sustains us all, of a spirit that is undaunted and a life that is well-lived.” The power of their story, their years of service on the memorial’s board, and their belief in a living memorial focused on education made them the obvious choice for the center’s name.

Exhibits and Education
Around the wide oval entrance lobby with its high glass walls, quotations from notable Virginians are cut into tablets high on the walls. One engaging example comes from Lt. Gen. Lewis B. “Chesty” Puller, still the most decorated Marine in the nation’s history. It reads, “All right, they’re on our left, they’re on our right, they’re in front of us, they’re behind us … they can’t get away this time.”  A plaque recalls the contributions of James Madison and Thomas Jefferson to freedom, and expresses the memorial’s call to “enter this shrine with reverence and respect” for “Virginians’ eternal vigilance, expressed in the selfless sacrifices of their treasure, their blood, and their lives.” 

All the documents and artifacts in the war memorial’s collections are connected to Virginia in some way.  The exhibits throughout the galleries are compact and artfully presented. They include a collection of iconic WWII bomber jackets, a chunk of the west wall of the Pentagon demolished on Sept. 11 and the Omori Flag, an American flag made secretly by American POWs held by the Japanese near Yokohama until their rescue by the Navy in 1945.

In the center of the Virginia American Legion Exhibit Hall, there is a group of extraordinarily lifelike mannequins. Each is placed in a particular historic context, representing every war since the American Revolution with precise re-creations of the appropriate weapons and uniforms. The physical vignettes surround a grouping of heavier weaponry arranged as if for action. The surrounding walls display more of the memorial’s large collections of military ordinance and memorabilia. Also worth mentioning is an astonishing display of hundreds of meticulous miniature Navy ships’ models sculpted over a 50-year period by John L. “Sonny” Edwards. He is a military historian and beloved long-time volunteer researcher, mentor and teacher at the memorial. 
Along one long wall, letters home to Virginia from service members deployed all over the world are mounted. Their messages have been enlarged to make them easier to read. In 1943, Clendon Pleasants posted this letter to his family back home:

Dear Daddy and Mama, 
I feel unusually good tonight. Maybe it’s because Italy has fallen, the weather seems cooler, the chow seems better and whole world looks brighter. The army isn’t as bad after all. ... When I think back over those two years, I seem to forget the tough days, and just remember the good times I’ve had. Its one thing that I can’t forget; that’s the pals that we lost here in Africa. We only have about twenty of the old boys left in the Co.  … I got your letter today saying Karl has gotten a purple heart. I’m just glad that he wasn’t hurt that bad. I know he will come out all right. … Next fall I hope we will all be home, but I guess I’ll have to go by Berlin if I want a date with one of those German dames. … Ever, Clendon

These letters, full of love and longing, are an exquisitely personal expression of the mission carved in stone on the wall of the shrine: “Tell all who enjoy freedom of the deeds and sacrifices required for freedom to flourish.”
Spend some time looking around the websites listed to the left to learn more about the memorial’s public spaces, archives, and educational projects. You can also learn about the films, programs and events presented and hosted in the war memorial’s theaters. Of particular interest is the “Tour of Grounds” included in the “Plan your Visit” menu of the Virginia War Memorial’s website.
As this issue of FRAtoday went to press, another expansion of the site was about to open. The memorial’s website explains that “the addition [features] a shrine to those killed in action in the 21st century, a long-distance learning and oral history studio, a veterans art gallery, a Medal of Honor Gallery, a lecture hall, and a parking deck. … This public-private project will allow the Memorial to better serve the thousands of students, veterans, and guests who visit annually and greatly enhance our ability to reach across Virginia and beyond.”    FRA

Return to Table of Contents

MEMBERSHIP MATTERS

Being a Shipmate

Even the briefest reading of materials from the FRA will clearly convey our most collegial collective term — that of “Shipmates.” We gladly use it freely, and it is perhaps the one word which, more than any other, distinguishes us from other nonprofits that provide services to enlisted, veterans and their family and friends. If you look at all the other military service organizations that span other branches or other classifications, you won’t find a single term more evocative than “Shipmate.” 

Shipmates are those people who understand what it means to spend long periods with each other in very close quarters. Shipmates know how important it is to preserve communal space, to follow orders and to precisely do their jobs on time. Shipmates know the value of their time in the bunk, and how crucial it is to keep everything on board in good working condition — just how they would like to find it themselves. 

There is no luxury of having spare or wasted space on board. Every square foot has a purpose and is for the benefit of the whole crew. Shipmates understand that compromise is necessary because there is no alternative. Every deviation from Standard Operating Procedure means someone else gets shorted somehow, and in times of active deployment, that puts lives at risk. 

It doesn’t matter whether your job was in the galley, in the engine room or at the radar console. Shipmates, one and all, learned about the importance of staying on task and on schedule, because every action they took had an immediate and direct effect on every other crew member. One Shipmate told me a story about baking bread and positioning the vents so that the scent would get into the air circulation system to let everyone else know they had something to look forward to in the mess. 

Tank drivers and airplane pilots may have tight quarters during a mission, but they climb out when they’re done. Folks working on base or in offices have huge amounts of elbow room compared to people deployed at sea. You can’t go for a walk to work out your tensions and frustrations when you’re in a submarine or cruising at sea in a supply vessel — there simply isn’t anywhere you can go to get away.

So instead, Shipmates learn to find a way to coexist. They build their own brand of trust, and loyalty, and develop a fierce sense of protection as they perform their service. At the FRA, we want to preserve those sentiments, harnessing all that energy to benefit our advocacy and recruitment efforts while looking out for the next generation of Shipmates.

It’s that single defined experience that binds every member of this organization, and it’s precious because there is no other way to understand it than to experience it first hand. 
We at national HQ are proud to work for all of you and to hear your stories, help with your needs and advocate for your interests.      FRA

We are 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.

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 89, Atlanta, Ga.
Shipmates and friends assembled at the national cemetery in Canton, Georgia, on Wreaths Across America day. Afterward, the branch gathered for their Christmas party and donated to the Toys for Tots program.  
(L to R) Branch Secretary Denise Watkins and Branch Vice President Ted Rambo.

2. Branch 221, Peoria, Ill.
(L to R) Veteran Outreach Coordinator Peoria county Mike Grow, Branch President Harry Zillion and Cmdr. of Navy Club Ship 34 Tony Grow laid a wreath for WWII Navy Veteran Darwin W. Downing. Tony got a wreath from Wreaths Across America for Downing’s daughter, Judy Tyrling, because she lives in Texas and wanted a wreath for her father.

3. 
Branch & Unit 269, 
Goose Creek, S.C.
(L to R) Trish Chilton, Theresa Milligan, NFS Pat Suckow, Branch President Nat Nathan, LA FRA RPSE Gale Nathan, FRA RPSE Laurie Bailey, Branch VP Harry Nettles, Lee Nettles and Unit President Linda Cox bought 372 toys for the Marine Corps Tots for Tots program using money donated by the branch and unit.

4. Branch 294, Crossville, Tenn.
Senior Chief Jack Fogel, USN (Ret.), provided a presentation to Martin Elementary School fourth graders during the annual historical downtown tour.  Fogel brought a large brass ship‘s bell for each student to ring. The students joined Fogel in saying the Pledge of Allegiance.

5. Branch 146, Johnsville, Pa.
Branch President Otto Blavier and Shipmates celebrated 35-year FRA member Tom Concannon‘s birthday during their December branch meeting.  

6. Branch 15, Walhalla, S.C. 
On Nov. 16, 2019, Southeast Regional President Laurie Bailey awarded branch members their pennants for winning 1st place for Hospital/Welfare at the regional Level and 1st place for Hospital/Welfare at the national Level.
7. Branch 295, San Angelo, Texas
Shipmate Norm Fountain pulled the branch float during the San Angelo Veterans Day Parade Nov. 9, 2019. (L to R) Ed Zabecki, Junior Past Branch President Robert Mistishen, Mistishen’s Granddaughter Lucy, Branch President Dan Patridge, Glenda Mathews, Terry Cook, Norm Fountain and Ralph Mathews.

8. Branch 301, Greenville, N.C.
Shipmates awarded local essay contest winners during a Wayne County School Board meeting. Three brothers won this year. (L to R) Bill Schroeder, ninth grader Isaac Strickland, 10th grader Billy Strickland III, ninth grader Jack Strickland and Branch Secretary Jerry Leatherwood.

9. Branch 126, Jacksonville, Fla.
Eagle Scout Tyler Sarra was presented an Achievement Certificate by PRPSE J. J. Thomas during Clay County‘s Eagle Scout Recognition Dinner on Feb. 1. Forty-one scouts achieved their Eagle and they all received a certificate from the branch.  

10. Branch 226, Staten Island, N.Y.
(L to R) Shipmates Bernard Eldredge, Al Klingele, Edmund Squire, James Haynes III and Jim Brown. Branch President Brown presented a plaque to Andrew Butcher who was selected as Enlisted Person of the Quarter by Capt. Jason Tama, N.Y. Sector commandant. Edmund Squire received the Four Chaplains Honor Award for his service to the community.

11. Branch 94, Corpus Christi, Texas
(L to R) Shipmate Bienvenido C. Guerrero receives his 40-year Continuous Membership Certificate and pin from Branch President Ricardo Hankerson.

12. Branch & Unit 163, Phoenix, AriZ. 
National President Donna Jansky visited on Dec. 14, 2019. (L to R) Lupe Mann, Virginia Ginter, Marti Stanton, PRPSW Claudia Goldner, FRA NP Jansky, Carole Curtis, Joanie Katzenberger, Ron Curtis, LA FRA NP Bea Parco, Stella Reyes and Ted Murphy.

TAPS
 
Name	Rating	Branch
Anthony, James A.	GMC, USN	166
Arellano, Rafael N.	PHC, USN	MAL
Ashbaugh, Wilford L.	YNC, USN	216
Ault, Larry	AMH1, USN	MAL

Baird, Arthur W.	POC, USN	105
Barnes, Horace F.	EO1, USN	MAL
Bartimus, Gwendolyn D.	GYSGT, USMC	105
Bickel, Donald C.	LTCOL, USMC	61
Bonavida, Thomas P.	CTACM, USN	268
Budd, Arvil E.	PO1, USN	91

Campbell, Robert G.	AMS1, USN	24
Carmody, Thomas J.	EMCM, USN	91
Cericola, Joseph M.	MSCM, USN	01
Cortero, Pedro	SH1, USN	127
Crabtree, John R.	PO1, USN	274
Crippen, Jack E.	CAPT, USMC	208
Cunningham, Robert D.	PNC, USN	117

Daniel, Edward D.	YNCS, USN	115
Davis, Tillman C.	POC, USN	91
Demerchant, Clayton M.	GMGC, USN	MAL
Dodge, Richard H.	ETCS(SS), USN	MAL
Droeger Jr., Stewart G.	RM1, USN	14
Dukellis, Nicholas E.	MSCS, USN	MAL

Emerson, Raymond A.	AKC, USN	MAL
Erickson, Sander G.	ADCS, USN	136

Farley, Kevin B.	MA1, USN	290
Feeney, Richard	PH2/LCDR, USN	24
Flynn, Gerard	PH1, USN	302
Frazier, Donald G.	AT1, USN	46

Garner, Alvin C.	ADJC, USN	146
Gilmore, Washington B.	MS1, USN	161
Goldstein, Harry	SK1, USN	146
Goodreau, Clement	 USN	MAL
Gustafson, Marvin C.	CPO, USNR	136

Hackstedt, Donald G.	TMC, USN	MAL
Hall, Claude W.	BMC, USN	MAL
Harl, William H.	AN, USN	105
Hatcher, Billy G.	CWO4, USN	40
Hendrix, K.C.	OSC, USN	281
Henry, Richard	USN	MAL
Herber, John D.	ADRC, USN	219
Hitchner, Edward C.	SHC3, USN	260
Hord, Edward	PNC, USN	251
Huxoll, Larry R.,	ADCS, USN	49

Iglesias, Bacardi D.	DK1, USN	84

Johnson, Charles F.	FTGC(SS), USN	244
Jones, Weldon R.	POCM, USN	269
Jones, Carl D.	GMTC, USN	70
Jubb, William	RM2, USN	57

Key, Curtis E.	CPO, USN	201
Kovach, George	AE1, USN	292

LaSala, Vito W.	HM3, USN	124
Lawson, Benjamin R.	CSC, USN	268
Lay, Lawrence L.	GM1	MAL
Leonardis, Milano	YNC, USN	01
Linster, Henry	SKC, USN	181
Long, Bill G.	DTCS, USN	251
Loughridge, Everett A.	CAPT, USN	162

Manning, William A.	EMC(DV), USN	60
Martello, Herbert P.	SGTMAJ, USMC	162
Martin, Lowell A.	EMC, USN	60
Mascho, Mark H.	HMC, USN	104
McKinney, Johnny L.	BT1, USN	MAL
McKinney, Walter V.	JOC, USN	55
Melichar, Edward F.	SK1, USN	216
Miller, Everett E.	BRCS, USN	61
Morrison, John J.	OS1, USN	136
Moseley, Oscar	YNCS, USN	MAL
Nichols, Jessie T.	EN1, USN	382

O'Leary, Miriam V.	SKD2C	62
Overacker, Willard H.	ADJ1, USN	136

Palmer, John A.	HMC, USN	311
Perron, Robert R.	MMC, USN	53
Peterson, Evander	CPO, USN	MAL

Reno, William F.	SMCS, USN	MAL
Rhodes, William B.	HMC(SS), USN	59
Richards, Lloyd	PO2, USN	24
Robinson, William J.	TM1(SS), USN	269
Roby, John E.	BMCS(SW), USN	293
Ryan, Michael	ENFA, USN	MAL

Santos, Roland L.	EMC, USN	104
Scharnitzky, William A.	MAJ, USMC	269
Shaw, William L.	ATC, USN	MAL
Short, George R.	ADCS, USN	MAL
Shouse, Larry	CPL, USCG	105
Sims, Don J.	ACC, USN	MAL
Smith, Robert W.	AWC, USN	91
Soderland, David V.	OS1, USN	109
St. Pierre, Robert V.	GYSGT, USMC	MAL
Stephens, Rudolph A.	ETC, USN	MAL
Stewart, Paul C.	MMCM, USN	MAL
Stoddard, Charles W.	AD2, USCG	293
Sullivan, Walter L.	1SGT, USMC	MAL

Taber, Delvin L.	AG1, USN	 364
Trothier, Ronald P.	QM3, USN	263
Tryon, Kenneth I.	HTC, USN	MAL

Upton, Carl	PO2, USN	MAL
Upton, John R.	SH2, USN	22

Van Kirk, Robert M.	ABHC, USN	MAL

Washington, Hosie	ENCS, USN	109
Whitten, James	CDR, USNR	268
Whitworth, Harry A.	AGCS, USN	124
Williams, Clarence R.	LT, USN, 	261
Williams, John P.	ADC, USN	MAL
Wilson, George C.	PRC, USN	263
Wine, Ann M.	HM2, USN	177
Wittmer, Louis A.	EMC, USN	46
Worley, William T.	ETC, USN	MAL
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 Ticonderoga 
(CV/CVA/CVS-14, CG-47)
5/13/2020-5/18/2020
Portland, Ore. 
Contact: Bill Spanbauer
Telephone: 920-410-7500
Email: ticoht2sw@gmail.com

Naval Cryptologic Veterans 
Association (NCVA) Reunion
6/16/2020-6/21/2020
Milwaukee, Wisc.
Contact: Jim Taylor
Telephone: 920-988-3810
Email: jim@videoterm.com

NAS Sanford: All Units and Squadrons, 1942-1968
6/25/2020-6/28/2020
Sanford, Fla.
Contact: Debbie Ely
Telephone: 407-314-0201
Email: leasmom81@aol.com
USS Sutter County (LST-1150)
8/11/2020-8/13/2020
New Orleans, La.
Contact: Guy Simmons
Telephone: 978-476-3895
Email: guysimmons@aol.com

USS Trepang (SSN-674)
8/13/2020-8/15/2020
Groton, Conn.
Contact: Charles Tucci
Telephone: 518-398-1117
Email: rg_sharpe@yahoo.com

USS Alaska Plank Owners & Shipmates (R35)
8/16/2020-8/23/2020
Bremerton, Wash.
Contact: Syd Nunez or Robert Cutrer
Telephone: 747-225-1375 or 601-347-7545
Email: IntegrityRulesMyLife@gmail.com

USS Raton (SS/SSR/AGSS-270)
8/24/2020-8/28/2020
Tucson, Ariz.
Contact: Larry D. Kramer
Telephone: 360-697-2842
Email: ldKramer43@hotmail.com

Looking For... 
EMI P. Dominguez, USN (Ret.) Last known to be stationed as recruit company commander at RTC/NTC San Diego, California, from 1979-1982. Please contact MCPO AW/SW Jorge P. Navarro, USN (Ret.) at 858-774-7964 (cell) or 858-780-9947 with any information.

A list of Reunions is at: www.fra.org/Reunions. All Reunions/lookingFor… must be submitted online, via email to reunions@fra.org or in writing to FRA Reunions/LookingFor…at 125 N. West St. Alexandria, VA 22314. Include your Member ID and a daytime telephone number. For help, contact FRA Member Services at: 1-800-FRA-1924.

AUXILIARY OF THE FRA

A Note from the LA FRA West Coast Regional President

As the winter season has reached its cusp these past few months, the West Coast Region LA FRA units have been busy with activities that involved branch Shipmates, auxiliary members, active duty military, veterans and the youth of their communities. 

Many of the West Coast units participated in memorial services by replacing flags at veterans’ grave sites. One unit even purchased some new flags to replace the 48-star flags at their local cemetery. The units often invite youth groups, such as the Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts and U.S. Naval Sea Cadets, to assist with these events. Their involvement provides a sense of patriotism for the youth groups. 

Unit members stay in contact with their elderly members by visiting them at care facilities and sending them greeting cards. Often, it is just a friendly telephone call that lets the member know that they are not forgotten. LA FRA members visit military bases to plan joint activities that will benefit the military troops and their families. 
Some units often plan social events that involve their associated branches or different homeless shelters. VA medical facilities are always in need of items, funding or just volunteers to assist in providing quality care to the veterans. Our units donate countless hours and funds throughout the West Coast Region. 

One community event that many of our unit members, along with branch Shipmates, participate in each year is the Toys for Tots program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve. There are numerous other holiday events, such as parades, tree lighting occasions and tree trimmings, just to name a few that come to mind.
Some units conduct no-bake bake sales, which brings in revenue so that they are able to continue with their involvement. 

As spring approaches, units are developing recruitment events for new members. This greatly assists in continuing the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fleet Reserve Association and has increased the regional membership totals. The units each have different activities that help them accomplish the LA FRA’s goal to “aid, assist and promote in all matters pertaining to welfare, social and patriotic work, for the benefit of the Fleet Reserve Association, its members and their families.”   FRA

In Loyalty, Protection and Service,
Brenda Horton

Brenda is the LA FRA West Coast regional president.
FINANCE MATTERS

Five Ways to Run With an Aging Bull Market

After a decade of reaping the benefits of a bull market in U.S. stocks, today’s investors face a volatile market — and proper positioning of your portfolio in the face of mixed economic signals has become increasingly important. 
In the “2019 Midyear Outlook Report: Eyes Forward — Opportunities and Obstacles,” Wells Fargo Investment Institute, or WFII, strategists detail opportunities and obstacles in an aging bull market that could help you maintain a forward focus — and stick close to your long-term strategic target allocations. 
Here, WFII strategists offer five tips for positioning your portfolio:
• Rebalance when volatility strikes. Take steps to maintain the strategic or long-term target allocation designed to help achieve your long-term goals. As markets rise, the positions may need to be trimmed and the cash held or reallocated to markets where valuations are better. As markets fall, the opportunity may arise to restore the target allocation.

• Use cash to your advantage. If your portfolio already holds a sizable amount of cash, consider investing your cash in case markets correct themselves in the coming months. Another potential strategy is dollar cost averaging, which involves investing cash over time to take advantage of market fluctuations.*

• Consider greater exposure to emerging market equities and sectors that represent higher-quality earnings. Investing in international assets can help you further diversify your portfolio. Valuations in many emerging markets look attractive, and recent economic data point to stable economies in China** and other developing countries. As for U.S. equity markets, WFII strategists favor sectors such as information technology and industrials, areas of the market with higher-quality earnings. 

• Help reduce price volatility with income-generating assets. Income is a sometimes overlooked component of portfolio returns. To potentially improve the income-generating ability of a portfolio, you can lengthen the duration of your high-quality bonds. Dividend-paying stocks and real estate investment trusts offer additional streams of portfolio income. 

• Add strategies that can benefit from various market conditions. A bear market can occur with little warning. Adding assets that can profit in both up and down markets may help prepare your portfolio for possible downturns.     FRA

*A periodic investment plan, such as dollar cost averaging, does not ensure a profit or protect against a loss in declining markets. Since such a strategy involves continuous investment, the investor should consider his or her ability to continue making purchases through periods of low price levels.
** This article was written prior to the coronavirus news.

There is no guarantee that dividend-paying stocks will return more than the overall stock market. Dividends are not guaranteed and are subject to change or elimination.

All investing involves risk including the possible loss of principal.  Asset allocation and diversification do not guarantee investment returns or eliminate risk of loss.  Each asset class has its own risk and return characteristics. The level of risk associated with a particular investment or asset class generally correlates with the level of return the investment or asset class might achieve. Stock markets, especially foreign markets, are volatile.  A stock’s value may fluctuate in response to general economic and market conditions, the prospects of individual companies, and industry sectors.  International investing has additional risks including those associated with currency fluctuation, political and economic instability, and different accounting standards. This may result in greater share price volatility.  These risks are heightened in emerging markets. Exposure to the commodities markets may subject an investment to greater share price volatility than an investment in traditional equity or debt securities.  Bonds are subject to market, interest rate, price, credit/default, call, liquidity, inflation, and other risks. Prices tend to be inversely affected by changes in interest rates. Cash alternatives typically offer lower rates of return than longer-term equity or fixed-income securities and may not keep pace with inflation over extended periods of time.
Wells Fargo Investment Institute, Inc. is a registered investment adviser and wholly-owned subsidiary of Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., a bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Co..
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, Virginia 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 & Co.
© 2019 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.