FRAtoday April 2022
comunicaitons
FROM THE FANTAIL	3
SHIPMATE FORUM	4
On & Off captol hill	7
FEATURE  STORies	
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS18
SHIPMATE NEWS20
TAPS21
AUXILIARY OF THE FRA23
FINANCE MATTERS24

COMMINICATIONS

There’s Still Time to Apply for FRA Scholarships! 
The FRA believes that educating our service members, veterans and their families is important. Along with the FRA’s long-standing advocacy for Shipmate benefits, the FRA Education Foundation was established to support military-affiliated students pursuing higher education, which may be a great opportunity for you.
The foundation awards scholarships of up to $5,000 to students at trade schools, community colleges, and four-year colleges and universities. Recipients are selected based on their financial need, academic standing, character and leadership qualities.
Students may apply for scholarships if they are affiliated with the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps or Coast Guard through their own service or that of a spouse, parent, grandparent or great-grandparent. Members in good standing and their spouses, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren are eligible for a wider range of scholarships, but they must be U.S. citizens and full-time students at an accredited trade school, community college, or four-year college or university.
The complete list of scholarships and eligibility criteria is online at www.FRA.org, under the “Events & Programs” tab. Hover over the tab until a drop-down list appears, then select to “FRA Education Foundation Scholarships.”
All applications must be turned in before April 15. The applications are posted at the bottom of the webpage as PDF files. Any applications that are not completely filled out will not be considered.
All eligible applicants will be considered for any scholarship for which they meet the eligibility requirement. All recipients will be notified by email during the summer for the school year that begins in the fall. The FRA only notifies the applicants who have been selected to receive a scholarship. After recipients respond with additional information to determine if they still qualify to receive the scholarship, they will receive a notification letter.
The FRA Education Foundation has also partnered with several institutions of higher learning that offer college courses, degree programs and credits for military training to FRA members at discounted rates. For more information visit www.fra.org/fra/Web/Web/Content/Education_Resources.aspx. 
I can honestly say that higher education opened doors of opportunity for me, my children and my wife that would have otherwise been closed.             
In Loyalty, Protection and Service,
William D. Stevenson, Editor-in-Chief       

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FROM THE fantail

Convention Awards
The FRA National Convention concludes the association’s year and is where the committees recognize the branches and individual Shipmates who have demonstrated excellence in community involvement and participation. Congratulations to all branches and Shipmates!

Americanism-Patriotism Committee Chair: PRPNC Norman G. Combs, Branch 161 (Kansas City, Kan.)
The committee recognizes:
First Place			
Group I - Branch 269 (Goose Creek, S.C.)
Group II - Branch 22 (Pensacola, Fla.)
Group III - Branch 115 (Lehigh Valley, Pa.)
Group IV - Branch 226 (Staten Island, N.Y.)
Group V - Branch 98 (Shreveport, La.)
Second Place
Group I - Branch 24 (Annapolis, Md.)
Group II - Branch 20 (Groton, Conn.)
Group III - Branch 293 (Elizabeth City, N.C.)
Group IV - Branch 17 (Cleveland, Ohio)
Group V - Branch 15 (Walhalla, S.C.)
Third Place
Group I - Branch 289 (Imperial Beach, Calif.)
Group II - Branch 70 (Poway, Calif.)
Group III - Branch 316 (Springfield, Mo.)
Group IV - Branch 112 (Birmingham, Ala.)
Group V - Branch 42 (Quonset Point, R.I.)

The Walter “Step” Rowell Award for the first-place overall report goes to Branch 98 (Shreveport, La.)

The Leonard “Swede” Nelson Award for Shipmate of the Year goes to Shipmate Kim Biggs, Branch 24 (Annapolis, Md.).
The committee determined the theme for the 2022-2023 Americanism Essay Contest will be, “What the United States Flag Stands For.”

Honorary Membership Committee Chair: PNP Marvin “John” Johnson, Branch 104 (Puyallup, Wash.).
FRA delegates awarded honorary membership to Christina Hitchcock, sponsored by Branch 22 (Pensacola, Fla.) and also Bill Simons, sponsored by Branch 210 (Milton, Fla.).

Hospitals, Welfare and 
Rehabilitation Committee 
Chair: Donald L. Kelley, Branch 289 (Imperial Beach, Calif.) The committee recognizes:
First Place
Group I - Branch 269 (Goose Creek, S.C.)
Group II - Branch 20 (Groton, Conn.)
Group III - Branch 126 (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Group IV - Branch 298 (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Group V - Branch 34 (Tallahassee, Fla.)
Second Place
Group I - Branch 24 (Annapolis, Md.)
Group II - Branch 22 (Pensacola, Fla.)
Group III - Branch 316 (Springfield, Mo.)
Group IV - Branch 182 (Bethesda, Md.)
Group V - Branch 223 (Benton, Ky.)
Third Place
Group I - N/A
Group II - Branch 99 (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Group III - Branch 40 (Chesapeake, Va.)
Group IV - Branch 251 (Mt. Home, Ark.)
Group V - Branch 301 (Greenville, N.C.)	
The committee selected Lucille M. Vogel, Branch 293 (Elizabeth City, N.C.) as National Shipmate of the Year.  

Public Relations Committee 
Chair: PRPNW Pete Lazzaretti, Branch 18 (Seattle, Wash.) 
The committee congratulates:
First Place			
Group I - Branch 269 (Goose Creek, S.C.)
Group II - Branch 22 (Pensacola, Fla.)
Group III - Branch 117 (Orlando, Fla.)
Group IV - Branch 182 (Bethesda, Md.)
Group V - Branch 294 (Crossville, Tenn.)
Second Place
Group I - Branch 24 (Annapolis, Md.)
Group II - Branch 20 (Groton, Conn.)
Group III - Branch 115 (Lehigh Valley, Pa.)
Group IV - Branch 31 (Peabody, Mass.)
Group V - Branch 13 (Atlantic City, N.J.)
Third Place
Group I - N/A
Group II - Branch 99 (Virginia Beach, Va.)
Group III - Branch 293 (Elizabeth City, N.C.)
Group IV - Branch 197 (Modesto, Calif.)
Group V - Branch 185 (Ogden, Utah)
Shipmate of the Year was awarded to Shipmate Laura Bush, Branch 293 (Elizabeth City, N.C.) as well as Leonard Churilla, Branch 197 (Modesto, Calif.)

Youth Activities Committee 
Chair: Paula D. Falu, Branch 99 (Virginia Beach, Va.) The committee selects:
First Place			
Group I - Branch 269 (Goose Creek, S.C.)
Group II - Branch 22 (Pensacola, Fla.)
Group III - Branch 161 (Kansas City, Kan.)
Group IV - Branch 17 (Cleveland, Ohio)
Group V - Branch 294 (Crossville, Tenn.)
Second Place
Group I - N/A
Group II - N/A
Group III - Branch 126 (Jacksonville, Fla.)
Group IV - Branch 59 (Cheyenne, Wyo.)
Group V - Branch 185 (Ogden, Utah)
Third Place
Group I - N/A
Group II - N/A
Group III - Branch 293 (Elizabeth City, N.C.)
Group IV - Branch 112 (Birmingham, Ala.)
Group V - Branch 98 (Shreveport, La.)
Congratulations to Shipmate of the Year Russell Beaty, Jr., Branch 293 (Elizabeth City, N.C.).

Veterans Service Committee 
Chair: Noelle Freeland-Huffer, Branch 24 (Annapolis, Md.)
The committee selects:
First Place			
Group I - N/A
Group II - Branch 22 (Pensacola, Fla.)
Group III - Branch 115 (Lehigh Valley, Pa.)
Group IV - Branch 382 (Nampa, Idaho)
Group V - Branch 281 (Redding, Calif.)
Second Place
Group I - N/A
Group II - N/A
Group III - Branch 161 (Kansas City, Kan.)
Group IV - Branch 31 (Peabody, Mass.)
Group V - Branch 295 (San Angelo, Texas.)
Third Place
Group I - N/A
Group II - N/A
Group III - Branch 117 (Orlando, Fla.)
Group IV - Branch 298 (Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Group V - N/A
PRPNC Rosemary Posekany Memorial Award was awarded to PRPNW Tom Flanik, Branch 382 (Nampa, Idaho).

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sHIPMATE FORUM

FRAtoday, December 2021 Shipmate Forum
I may have missed or, more likely outright went through and forgot, your August article “Planning a Veteran’s Funeral.”

The December 2021 Shipmate Forum contained a submission regarding the above article and mentions further interest. Whether or not you previously did, you should link FRA to the VA’s Planning Your Legacy (VA PAM 27-18-1). I hand these out to nearly every veteran I meet with, along with a lot of other relevant materials.
I also link my American Legion Post website to it, too at: VA Booklet: Planning Your Legacy (Pre-Decedent Affairs) www.cem.va.gov/cem/docs/factsheets/Planning_Legacy_Booklet.pdf.
Take care, be safe.
Respectfully,
RDC / LCDR David Jelin, USCG (Ret.) 
FRA Life Member
American Legion Commander, 
Post 3 Price Commander, 
Dist. 5 SE Utah Helper Veterans Monument Memorial

Thanks for the Book Referral 
Dear FRA Team, Thanks so much for the article about Louis A. Conter. I purchased his book based upon the article. The book was a home run in my opinion.  I read the book in about two days and loved his life story. The title of the book is “The Lou Conter Story From USS Arizona survivor to Unsung American Hero.” Authors are Louis A. Conter, Annette C. Hull, and Warren R. Hull. I strongly recommend the book if you love to read.  
Also, can your team do an article about a military reunion in a future issue?
A Proud Navy Vietnam Veteran, 
Craig D. Horton

FRAtoday: Hi Craig, I’m so glad you enjoyed the feature about Lou Conter! Thank you for taking the time to send us your thoughts about both the article and the book. 
I agree that the book was a challenge to put down! Due to space limitations, the December feature had to stay focused on Lou's experience at Pearl Harbor, but his contributions to the SERE program are incredible, and I wish I could have written more about them. I'm glad you were inspired to read the rest of Lou's story and found it as fascinating as I did!
Thank you for your readership, your membership and your service to our country!
Elise Howard, FRAtoday Managing Editor

Chesty Puller Story
It was a great story on Gen., Puller. I was at the Naval Hospital in Danang when his son was brought in via medivac following his injuries out in the bush. Our great OR staff worked miracles to save that young marine. His injuries were horrendous. I read the story last week when we received our extra copies via FEDEX. Keep up the good work.

By the way great news, I received my February issue of the FRAtoday on February 1, 2022. 
It arrived two whole weeks ahead of last month. I thought you would like to know.
In Loyalty, Protection, and Service,
Branch President JrPRPNW Danny Hunt
Gem State Branch 382

Clocks advertised from Bradford Exchange
Beautiful clocks! Price too high! Plus $20 for shipping! Seiko makes great wall clocks that chime, play different musical tunes, etc., sell for $100 thru Sam’s, et al.

If you can’t get Bradford to give Vets discounted price on their clocks perhaps you could authorize Seiko to make them for us with same works & emblems, make more units available for sale, make you more money from sales?
Retailers say you can sell 5 times more product @ $100 than you can @ $145?  Is that not worth making an effort for the membership?
In Loyalty, Protection and Service,
SCPO Hugh T. Crawford, USNR (Ret.)
Life Member, Branch 89

FRAtoday: Hi Hugh,
Thank you for taking the time to send us your thoughts on the advertisement in our recent issue. Although the FRA does partner with some companies to provide our members with products and services we think are valuable (you will see the FRA seal or a direct statement of our endorsement in the ad), we also allow companies not affiliated with the association to advertise their products in our magazine. 

This funding helps us to keep high-quality magazines arriving at your door every month. While we hope the products will be relevant and interesting, the association is not involved in creating the products or setting the prices, and readers should approach these ads with the same level of careful consideration that they would give to any other advertisement. If you want to support the FRA directly with a purchase, you can check out the Ship Store online at www.frashipstore.com. 
Thank you for your readership and your Navy service!

Latitude/LiveLife Mobile Alarm device 
Dear sir, I enjoy reading the magazine and sharing it with friends. I especially enjoy the stories like the one this month on the USS Palos.

I am sure you look closely at the folk who advertise in the magazine, but on page 36 of this month’s edition (January) there is an ad that is at best misleading. We contacted our VA coordinator, and they had no idea what we’re talking about. 

Once we reached the Latitude folk, we were told to contact the VA and have them contact Latitude to discuss a sponsorship. I hope I am relaying the information correctly. The device they advertised is for sale on Amazon.
Regards,
Sam Jackson

FRAtoday: How Can a Veteran Obtain This Device?
To obtain the Latitude / LiveLife Mobile Alarm device for free, veterans must follow a designated procedure. First, they’ll visit their VA doctor, nurse or other VA medical provider to communicate their needs and ask for medical alert device approval. Veterans should communicate to their medical provider that they risk falling and would benefit specifically from a device with fall detection and GPS tracking.
The medical provider then needs to issue a written consult for a LiveLife Mobile Alarm device with automatic fall detection and send it to the VA’s prosthetics department. From there, the VA sends LiveLife Mobile Alarms a purchase order and the company contacts the veteran to arrange for device programming and delivery.
Thanks!, C. Osmond Seangsuwan, CEO and Founder at Latitude USA. 

FRA Membership
Christina, Since you are the Director of FRA Membership, I would like to pass on a couple of things that affect FRA membership; at least from my perspective.

One. In the last few months, my wife and I watched a few videos. In a number of videos that included pictures of military personnel, there were military with VFW hats in the pictures.  None of the videos showed any military with an FRA hat or symbol or mentioned the FRA. The last video we watched was the rerun of the 2011 movie, “The Lost Valentine” with Betty White. The VFW was shown in the video.  What has to be done to get the FRA in more movies or newspapers? When we talk with local military personnel, most admit they have not heard of the Fleet Reserve Association, or they think the FRA is for the Reserves. I do not know if the FRAtoday is sent to the various bases. If not, maybe that is a possibility to spread the word.

Two. Back in 2017, 2018 and 2019, FRA Branch 070, Poway Valley, submitted a couple of resolutions to expand FRA membership by proposing to amend CBL article 2 and CBL article 3. A copy of each proposed resolution is attached from the submission in March 2019. Shipmate Bruce Davis was instrumental in putting the resolutions together and we even received the help of a shipmate from the East Coast. If more information is needed about the proposed resolutions, I recommend contacting Shipmate Bruce Davis who is very articulate on the matter.  However, in my opinion, both resolutions were denied for “political” reasons. Please take a look at the resolutions and see if someone from the East Coast FRA would be willing to review, amend and re-submit the resolutions to increase the FRA membership.  Especially now in these times where membership is decreasing and gatherings are discouraged, you would think people would want to do something to enhance the possibility of increasing the membership of the FRA. I was told to try submitting the resolutions again.  However, after three (3) submissions being denied from FRA Branch 070 really without an explanation or interest in resolving the issues, maybe someone else can carry the torch.
In Loyalty, Protection and Service,
Branch Secretary Jerry Miranda
Branch 70, Poway Valley

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. To Submit letters to FRAtoday for consideration, please send them to: 125 N. West St., Alexandria, VA 22314 or to fratoday@fra.org.

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ON AND OFF CAPITOL HILL

Member Participation Critical to FRA Success
As you read this issue of FRAtoday, Capitol Hill staff, legislators and others are working on a major veterans’ toxic exposure bill. The FRA Legislative Team continues to work on concurrent receipt reform as part of the FY2023 budget, which has not yet been submitted to Congress. The FRA is concerned that with the difficult budget climate, tough fiscal choices will have to be made with the FY2023 defense budget, and people programs are often the first to get sacrificed. An obvious cost-cutting measure would be to shift more TRICARE health care costs to retirees in lieu of cutting other Pentagon spending programs.  

Members should use the FRA Action Center at www.fra.org to contact their elected officials on these important issues. The FRA congratulates and thanks Shipmates who made their voices heard in 2021. By using the FRA’s Action Center, they sent more than 51,000 advocacy messages to their elected officials in 2021. The Action Center provides pre-written messages that Shipmates can edit and send to their elected officials in Washington. Member participation in the legislative process is critical to success and complements the efforts of the FRA Legislative Team advocating on behalf of the association membership.  

FRA Coin Bill Introduced
At the request of the FRA, Reps. Gus Bilirakis (Fla.) and John Garamendi (Calif.) proudly introduced legislation (H.R.6663) that would create a 100th anniversary commemorative coin for the Fleet Reserve Association. This bipartisan legislation would direct the Department of the Treasury to mint a coin to commemorate the centennial of the founding and chartering of the FRA in 1924, all at no cost to American taxpayers. 

“For one century, the FRA has served as a strong voice in Washington,” Bilirakis stated in a press release on his website. “The organization has been instrumental in advocating for Sea Service Members and their families, including successfully fighting back against proposed cuts to benefits and supporting enhanced eligibility and benefits for Veterans. The organization has been a valued partner in my fight to rectify the injustice of concurrent receipt. Together, I am optimistic that we will be able to ensure all Veterans finally receive the full benefits they’ve earned and deserve. I am honored to help commemorate this prestigious organization’s tireless work and legacy of success.”

Members are strongly urged to go to the FRA Action Center at www.fra.org to ask their representatives to co-sponsor this legislation.  

Veterans’ Toxic Exposure Bill Passes Senate
The Senate unanimously approved the FRA-supported Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act (S.3541) sponsored by Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (Mont.) and Ranking Member Jerry Moran (Kan.). The bill offers Post-9/11 combat veterans who are suffering from conditions caused by toxic exposures access to Department of Veterans Affairs health care. The bill would create a multifaceted approach to assisting current and future veterans by expanding access to health care for exposed veterans, establishing a new process through which the VA would determine future presumptive conditions, and providing overdue benefits to thousands of toxically exposed veterans who have been long-ignored or forgotten.
  
The legislation would allow Post-9/11 veterans who were at risk of toxic exposure, including 3.5 million Iraq and Afghanistan veterans, to obtain immediate and lifelong access to health care from the VA — one of the largest expansions of health care eligibility in the VA’s history. The bill would provide presumptive care for numerous conditions for veterans sickened by exposure to burn pits and other toxic substances.

This past year, the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee also approved the Comprehensive and Overdue Support for Troops (COST) of War Act (S.3003) sponsored by Tester. This legislation and a similar bill in the House (H.R.3967) have both stalled due to the cost. As FRAtoday goes to press, the House has scheduled a vote on the House measure, which is estimated to cost $300 billion over 10 years. 
In the meantime, the Health Care for Burn Pit Veterans Act will go to the House for further consideration. Members are strongly urged to ask their representatives to support the bill at: https://www.votervoice.net/FRA/campaigns/91309/respond 

FRA Presents Sen. Tester with Pinnacle Award
FRA National President James Campbell presented the 2021 Pinnacle Award to Sen. Jon Tester (Mont.). Due to pandemic restrictions and the FRA National Board of Directors being scheduled to meet when Congress was not in session, the award was presented to Tester in his Senate office on Capitol Hill. NED Chris Slawinski, Director of Legislative Programs John Davis and Assistant Director of Legislative Programs Theo Lawson attended the award presentation.

In the 116th Congress (2019-2020), Tester successfully gained support for the inclusion of the Fair Care for Vietnam Veterans Act (S.3444) in the FY2021 National Defense Authorization Act, which became Public Law 116–283. The amendment established Parkinsonism, bladder cancer and hypothyroidism as conditions presumed to be related to Agent Orange exposure. He also introduced two concurrent receipts bills (S.208 and S.3393) while co-sponsoring more than 87 bills aimed at improving the lives of veterans, service members and their families. 

In the current session of Congress, Tester serves as chairman of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. He has reintroduced the Major Richard Star Act (S.344) and another concurrent receipt bill. He has also introduced a bill to include hypertension in the list of presumptive diseases under the Agent Orange law, a bill to provide care for veterans exposed to toxic substances while they served, and a bill to expand vaccine access to all veterans and their families.

HASC Turns Attention to Substandard Walter Reed Barracks
As FRAtoday goes to press, the House Armed Services Committee is considering holding hearings on substandard living conditions in barracks housing for military personnel located in Bethesda, Maryland. Press reports indicate the barracks are without hot water or air conditioning, and some rooms have doors without locks. Many residents are Navy corpsmen and other medical personnel assigned to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.

The Navy Times reported in February that the lack of hot water has been an ongoing issue in these barracks since 2015. Following the Navy Times investigation, Navy leaders moved hundreds of sailors and soldiers out of the barracks and established a website to keep sailors updated on progress made to remediate hot water issues and other problems in the two barracks buildings, Comfort and Sanctuary halls. When Defense News asked why the Navy appears to have only started moving with urgency to fix the issues after they were made public, Naval Support Activity Bethedsa spokesman Jeremy Brooks blamed “an environment with limited resources and budgetary constraints.” The FRA wants to ensure service members have safe and comfortable housing, and will continue monitoring this issue. 

HVAC Hearing on Vet Centers
The House Veterans’ Affairs Committee’s Subcommittee on Health held an oversight hearing on the Department of Veteran Affairs’ vet centers. The focus of the hearing was a VA Office of Inspector General report on vet centers, which included the following findings:
• Only 4 of the 20 vet centers inspected had fully completed suicide and military sexual trauma training.
• Substantial noncompliance was documented in the timely assessment and reporting of veterans at high risk for suicide.
• Only 3 of the 20 vet centers had a standard procedure for communicating with suicide prevention coordinators at the Veterans Health Administration.
• Most counselors at the vet centers met productivity expectations but complained this led them to change their practices in ways that negatively impacted client care. 
• Leadership needed to be more engaged in vet centers’ daily activities. 
It was noted at the hearing that vet centers have been important in meeting the needs of service members, veterans and their families. The vet centers are moving to the Cerner platform to provide secure and confidential reporting via the Electronic Health Record Modernization program.

UCMJ Now Includes Sexual Harassment 
President Joe Biden signed an executive order that implemented key recommendations from the Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military by strengthening the response of the military justice system to gender-based harassment and violence. The executive order implements provisions of the recently passed FY2022 National Defense Authorization Act (P.L.117-81) and establishes sexual harassment as a specific offense under the Uniform Code of Military Justice. It also fully implements changes to the UCMJ that criminalize the wrongful broadcast or distribution of intimate visual images and further intensifies the military justice system’s prosecution of domestic violence cases. 

SVAC Pushes for At-Home COVID-19 Test Kits for Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs has reported that COVID-19 cases among the veteran population have reached an all-time high. As of Jan. 19, the VA recorded 55,202 veterans with active COVID-19 infections — 3,175 of whom were hospitalized at a VA facility. Reports also showed that nearly 13,000 VA health care employees were unable to report to work due to COVID-19 infection, which was more than double the amount recorded at last winter’s peak.

Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee members are leading a bipartisan push to provide veterans nationwide access to no-cost, at-home COVID-19 test kits from the VA. Key SVAC legislators have dispatched a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough, which states: “[We] must ensure veterans are not left behind in this effort to expand testing access. … [They] deserve to have every available tool to protect themselves and their families from COVID-19, and at-home tests are one useful approach for limiting the spread within communities and VA facilities.”

Currently, the VA is not providing at-home coronavirus test kits to veterans due to the increasing demand. Although VA medical facilities do offer free in-person tests to those enrolled in VA health care, getting to a VA facility can be a significant hurdle for veterans living in rural or remote areas, veterans with limited access to transportation or child care, and veterans with mobility limitations. Thanks to the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (P.L.116-127), the VA is required to cover FDA-authorized COVID-19 testing with no cost-sharing for the duration of the public health emergency, meaning that any at-home test kits VA made available would have to be free. 

In their letter, the senators pointed out that the VA has received abundant funding for its COVID-19 response throughout the pandemic, and argued that some of that funding should go toward free at-home test kits for veterans. The VA received $60 million from the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, nearly $20 billion from the CARES Act (P.L.116-136) and more than $17 billion from the American Rescue Plan Act, or ARP (P.L.117-2). 
“Of the nearly $14.5 billion appropriated for VA medical care in the ARP, the Department has only obligated $458 million of this funding, as of January 18, 2022,” the senators wrote. “With this level of resources, VA should be able to fulfill its statutory obligation to provide veterans with at-home COVID-19 testing with no cost-sharing.” 

Update on Hawaii Fuel Leak
The Navy has begun pumping almost 5 million gallons of water each day from a contaminated well in Hawaii through a carbon treatment system to remove fuel from the water. As noted in the March 2022 issue of FRAtoday, the well supplying water to on-base military housing was contaminated by a jet fuel leak from the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, sickening military families on the island of Oahu and forcing many to spend the holidays in hotels.  More than 9,000 military families have been affected. 

During a House Armed Services Readiness Subcommittee hearing, the Navy pledged to work with Hawaiian state agencies and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) on cleaning up the leakage from the underground storage tanks. Hawaiian health officials said it was critical to pump water out of the well so it does not migrate to other parts of the groundwater aquifer. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has begun surveying residents about the health impact of the leak. 

HVAC Subcommittee Reviews Programs for Survivors and Dependents  
The House Veterans’ Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs held an oversight hearing to review the effectiveness of Department of Veterans Affairs services for dependents and survivors. It was noted at the hearing that surviving family members are often unaware that the benefits they may be entitled to receive are significantly less than the amount veterans receive in disability compensation, resulting in unanticipated financial hardship.

The FRA is supporting the Caring for Survivors Act (S.976, H.R.3402), which seeks to increase payments to Dependency and Indemnity Compensation, or DIC, recipients (currently 43% of retired pay) to be equal with payments made to surviving spouses of other federal employees (55%). The rate of compensation paid to survivors of service members who die in the line of duty — or veterans who die from service-related injuries or diseases — has been minimally adjusted since its establishment in 1993. The result is DIC payments that are only 78% of the amount given to similarly situated survivors of deceased federal employees. 

The FRA is also supporting the Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act (H.R.2214, S.1669), which would authorize the retention of the full final month's retired pay by the surviving spouse (or other designated survivor) for the month in which the member was alive for at least 24 hours. 

And for other dependents, the FRA is supporting the CHAMPVA Children’s Care Protection Act (H.R.1801, S.727) to extend coverage from age 23 to age 26 for dependents whose veteran parents are disabled or have died due to a service-connected disability. The FRA is also supporting the Health Care Fairness for Military Families Act (H.R.475, S.1972), which would allow young adults to stay on TRICARE health plans until age 26. The bills mentioned above are listed on the FRA Action Center at www.fra.org. 

Veteran Homelessness Declining
The Department of Housing and Urban Development released a report on homelessness on Feb. 4. The report is based on data collected in January 2021. Each year, HUD releases a point-in-time count of unhoused people across the United States, including veterans. However, this survey was interrupted due to the pandemic, with HUD unable to conduct a full count of unsheltered homeless individuals. The annual report informs how Congress legislates and allocates resources to best respond to and prevent veteran homelessness.

This report found a 10% decrease in sheltered veteran homelessness since 2020 — the biggest single-year decrease since 2016. Data also showed that Black veterans continue to be overrepresented among veterans experiencing homelessness, making up 36.6% of sheltered homeless veterans, but only 12% of the veteran population overall. Black veterans also saw one of the highest rates of decline in homelessness last year, with a 13.9% drop. Overall, the number of veterans experiencing homelessness in the U.S. has declined by nearly half since 2011, with more than 920,000 veterans and their family members permanently housed or prevented from becoming homeless, according to the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The FRA has supported initiatives for the VA and other agencies to enhance and invest in efforts to ensure that veteran homelessness is rare, brief and nonrecurring. Although progress has been made, more still needs to be done. That is why the FRA supports the Improving Housing Outcomes for Veterans Act (S.612, H.R.876), sponsored by Sen. Rob Portman (Ohio) and Rep. Anthony Gonzalez (Ohio) respectively, which would provide needed care for veterans experiencing homelessness. The bills are listed on the FRA Action Center at www.fra.org.  

Senate Confirms Top Navy Lawyer
The U.S. Senate confirmed John P. "Sean" Coffey as General Counsel of the Department of the Navy. Coffey, a retired Navy captain and former federal prosecutor, was nominated as the Navy’s general counsel by President Joe Biden in August 2021. A U.S. Naval Academy graduate, Coffey served as an active-duty naval flight officer during the Cold War. He was also a junior officer intern at the Strategy Division of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in the Pentagon, at which time he entered the evening J.D. program at Georgetown Law. While earning his law degree, he also served as the special military assistant to Vice President George H.W. Bush. Coffey left active duty to pursue his legal career but remained in the Navy Reserve for 18 years, retiring in 2004. In his new position, Coffey will provide legal advice to top Navy and Marine Corps officials while leading a team of over 1,100 attorneys and support staff working at 140 offices around the globe.

FEATURE  STORY

Crawford v. Cushman, 1976
The Long Fight to End Involuntary Discharge for Pregnancy

By Elise M. Howard

In May 1970, Marine Stephanie Crawford completed some routine bloodwork prior to a minor surgery. The results were anything but routine: she was about two months pregnant. Despite being assigned to administrative work, which experts later noted she could have performed until at least her seventh month of pregnancy, Crawford was promptly discharged on May 27, 1970, “for the convenience of the Government,” as the Marine Corps put it. The unmarried expectant mother faced the abrupt loss of her income and housing at the very time in her life when she needed them most. And to add insult to injury, it was also the Marine Corps’ policy to inform the 23-year-old’s parents that she had been discharged due to pregnancy. Although Crawford was eligible for free prenatal care at Navy treatment facilities, she ended up moving to a home for unwed mothers in Vermont.

Crawford recovered well from childbirth and was able to work six weeks later. Still wanting to serve her nation, Crawford applied for reenlistment in the Marine Corps the month after her daughter was born, but her application was denied because she was the mother of a dependent child. Having exhausted administrative avenues for returning to the Corps, Crawford brought suit against Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Robert E. Cushman Jr. Through the District Court of Vermont, Crawford sought reinstatement in the Corps and — most importantly — a declaration that the Marine Corps’ discharge policy was unconstitutional. 

Bringing the Military to Court
The military branches’ regulations requiring the involuntary discharge of pregnant women stemmed from Executive Order 10240, signed by President Harry Truman in 1951. Drafted on the heels of a 1950 DOD report concluding that “childbearing” was a woman’s “primary social function,” the order gave each military branch the authority to discharge women who became mothers through pregnancy, marriage or adoption. At the time, women were also allowed to end their enlistments early due to marriage, as it was believed that a woman’s primary responsibilities were to her family. Although Executive Order 10240 simply gave military branches the option of discharging these women, it was interpreted as a mandate, and each branch created regulations requiring the involuntary discharge of any woman who became a mother. 

Crawford was far from the first woman to fight against these regulations in court. In the late 1960s, women discharged due to pregnancy began seeking reinstatement and back pay through civilian courts, bolstered by changing societal views about the role of women in the workforce. They argued that the policy constituted sex-based discrimination, violating their 14th Amendment right to equal protection under the law. Several also argued that their Fifth Amendment right to due process was being infringed by the rapid and automatic nature of the discharge process. 

These women failed to win their cases again and again. In Reed v. Reed, 1971, the Supreme Court made the critical ruling that sex-based discrimination did not violate the 14th Amendment as long as there was a rational basis for the policy that was significantly related to its purpose. In the 1974 case of Geduldig v. Aiello, the Supreme Court concluded that discrimination based on pregnancy did not even constitute sex-based discrimination because it did not necessarily affect all women. In Struck v. Secretary of Defense, 1971; Gutierrez v. Laird, 1972; and Cook v. Arentzen, 1976, courts sided against pregnant women fighting to prevent their discharge. In the first two cases, the Air Force prevented the women from appealing by suddenly providing waivers for their retention, which rendered the cases moot. Similarly, the 1973 case of Anna Flores — who was involuntarily discharged even after a miscarriage early in her pregnancy — was decided in favor of the Navy because the new deputy chief of naval personnel was able to demonstrate that the Navy had altered its policies since Flores’ discharge.

These women had to fight a two-front battle. Not only did they have to prove that their constitutional rights had been infringed, but they also had to fight against the “nonreviewability doctrine,” the age-old judicial practice of not intervening in military affairs. The belief that the military operated within its own realm of jurisprudence had been inherited from England and dated back to at least 1071. American courts had a long history of refusing to pass judgment on the executive actions of both military and government officials, going as far as to argue that the Bill of Rights did not apply to service members.

These womens’s trials were not in vain, however. As the end of the draft loomed on the horizon in the early 1970s, military leaders were desperately trying to recruit women and felt the pressure of these repeated lawsuits. In 1971, most branches transitioned to a waiver system that allowed women to apply for an exemption to the involuntary discharge policy. A few years later, the DOD overruled a cacophony of objections and ordered that all of the branches create and comply with a voluntary separation policy by 1975. 

Crawford’s Unique Case
Like many women before her, Crawford argued that her constitutional rights to due process and equal protection had been infringed by the Marine Corps’ mandatory discharge policy. And like many women before her, Crawford lost her case in district court in 1974. Second Circuit Judge James Oakes summarized the decision in her case as follows:
“The United States District Court for the District of Vermont, James S. Holden, Chief Judge, held that the regulation in question has a rational basis in terms of military readiness and mobility in addition to other practical, administrative considerations and did not operate against women as a class generally, reaching only women who became pregnant, so that it was constitutionally valid.”

With help from the ACLU, including a brief co-authored by Ruth Bader Ginsburg, Crawford appealed to the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals. Luckily for Crawford, the Second Circuit had been leading the charge for a more liberal interpretation of the nonreviewability doctrine, with two of its three judges arguing that the rights of the Constitution applied to civilians and service members alike, and that the judiciary did indeed have a role in protecting these rights. In Crawford’s case, the court took the unique step of considering the nonreviewability issue separately from the content of the case itself, deciding that judicial intervention was necessary because the infringement of constitutional rights was involved. 

The court also took a new perspective on the classifications involved in the case, dodging the questionable reasoning of Geduldig v. Aiello by not viewing the case as purely an issue of sex-based discrimination. Rather than comparing “temporarily disabled” expectant mothers with nondisabled expectant fathers, Oakes wrote, the true question was “whether it is rational to classify pregnant personnel differently from personnel with all other temporary disabilities.”

Applying the standards set in Reed v. Reed that the different treatment of these two groups be rational and substantially related to the Marine Corps’ objectives, the court ruled 2-1 against the Marine Corps on equal protection grounds.

“Why the Marine Corps should choose, by means of the mandatory discharge of pregnant Marines, to insure its goals of mobility and readiness, but not to do so regarding other disabilities equally destructive of its goals, is subject to no rational explanation,” Oakes wrote for the majority. “We can regard the regulation here only as one based on unsubstantiated generalizations about the sexes, in the class of those ‘archaic and overbroad’ premises which have been rejected as unconstitutional in a host of recent decisions.”

On the matter of due process, the majority found the Marine Corps’ discharge policy unconstitutional because it presumed permanent disability without any individualized consideration of a woman’s medical history or job assignment.

“The area appears to be one where the military policy formulation and application is constitutionally required to take the form of individual decision making since the ability of the individual employee to cope with the needs of the job is dependent upon her individual abilities,” Oakes wrote.

Because it was impossible to determine in 1976 whether or not the Marine Corps would have retained Crawford based on an individual consideration of her case in 1970, the court did not award her reinstatement in the Marine Corps. However, she was compensated equivalent to the pay and benefits she would have received during the remainder of her enlistment minus her civilian earnings in that time, the usual compensation given to wrongfully discharged service members. And most importantly, the Marine Corps’ involuntary discharge policy was officially declared unconstitutional. Although all DOD branches had already shifted to a voluntary discharge policy for pregnancy, this declaration ensured that the old regulations would never return.  

A Legacy of Support and Inclusion
Today, the military continues to allow pregnant service members to request separation due to pregnancy, although the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard deny these requests except in cases of extreme personal need. Thanks to Crawford and the many other women who have fought for change since the 1960s, pregnant members of the modern-day military can expect a level of support unimaginable in 1976: easy access to maternity uniforms, free perinatal care, paid maternity convalescent leave, on-base child care, designated breast-pumping areas in the workplace and, beginning this December, up to 12 weeks of paid parental leave. Every day that these women report for duty ready to play their part in our nation’s security, they prove that the shortest path to readiness is the retention of trained, willing and capable service members, regardless of their maternal status.

FEATURE STORY

Admiral Elmo Zumwalt
A Life of Service, Confidence and Change 

By Ann Norvell Gray

An iconoclast is, according to Merriam-Webster, “a person who destroys religious images or opposes their veneration.” In modern usage, it is applied to a person who scrutinizes popular beliefs, established customs or long-standing traditions with a critical eye, and sees that changes must be made. There is no doubt that Adm. Elmo Zumwalt personified the modern definition. His intention in everything he did was to see clearly what the job required, and then to dig into the improvements he could make and the problems he could solve.

Shaped by Family History
Elmo Russell Zumwalt Jr., known to everyone as “Bud,” was born in San Francisco in 1920, and raised in Tulare, a predominantly  agricultural city in central California’s San Joaquin Valley. The city is surrounded by the enormously productive farmland that lies between the majestic Sierra Nevada  to the east and beautiful coastal ranges to the west. Unusually for their generation, both of  his parents were doctors. Both his older sister Saralee and his  younger brother Jim worked as schoolteachers after serving as a nurse’s aide and in the Marine Corps, respectively, during the war years. Another brother, Bruce, died in childhood. 

Bud’s mother Frances was born in Lithuania at a time when Jewish families like hers were fleeing the pogroms of the Russian Empire. On his father’s side,  Zumwalt’s great-grandfather was born in Missouri, migrated to California and was likely related to a large clan of Zumwalts, many of whom came to the U.S. from Switzerland in the 18th  century and moved steadily westward with the expansion of European settlement. 

What makes this digression into the admiral’s family tree interesting is the evidence that the Zumwalt pioneers moved in gently to the Native American territories they encountered, living in peace and mutual respect with those tribes. Could it be that this cultural history, combined with the experiences of his mother’s family, helped inspire  Zumwalt’s personal commitment to service and his professional goal of eliminating racial and gender-based discrimination in the U.S. Navy?

Serving in World War II
The young Zumwalt was an Eagle Scout and valedictorian of his Tulare high school’s graduating class. After a short stint at a prep school in Long Beach, California, he left behind his original plan to follow his parents into medicine. In 1939, he entered the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where he was a leader in the military structure, active in extracurricular societies, and honored as a polished debater and public speaker. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, he applied to finish ahead of schedule, graduated cum laude and was commissioned as an ensign. 

The following year, he was sent to San Francisco for training at the Operational Training Command for the Pacific, and then reported for duty on the Fletcher-class destroyer USS ROBINSON (DD-562). For his performance as evaluator in the combat information center during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in October of 1944, he was awarded a Bronze Star, the first of what would be a long list of honors and awards. He was not quite 24 years old.
 At the end of the war, Zumwalt reported for duty as prize crew officer of the Japanese river gunboat HIMJS ATAKA, and took it up the Yangtze River to Shanghai, clearing mines along the way. At a party in Shanghai one evening, a young woman named Mouza Coutelais-du-Roche walked into the room. She was the daughter of a French businessman and a Russian mother whose family had escaped from Siberia. She was tall, graceful and stunningly beautiful — and the young sailor was a gone goose. 

She spoke very little English and he had only rudimentary Russian. He asked if he might come to her for language lessons. Three weeks later, they were married. It was one of the best decisions of his life. Throughout their long, happy marriage, she was his steadfast support, his elegant hostess and one of his most trusted advisors.

Cutting Casualties in Vietnam
Between 1945 and 1967, the young officer rose steadily through the ranks, serving ashore and at sea in a range of executive capacities, and excelling at virtually everything to which he turned his attention. His combination of intelligence, dedication, administrative agility and compassion earned him the respect of both his superior officers and the people under his command, and he applied his creative critical faculties to improving  the execution of every role to which he was assigned. His work in the offices of Secretary of the Navy Paul Nitze and Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara earned him the Legion of Merit.

Then at the beginning of 1968, the situation in Vietnam escalated, and the launching of the Tet Offensive changed the game. In September, Zumwalt went to Vietnam as Commander of Naval Forces Vietnam, and was promoted to vice admiral in October.  He saw very quickly that the problems exacerbating the vulnerabilities of the brown-water  Navy patrolling the country’s interior waterways were the lack of any effective air support and the thick foliage concealing the attacking enemy forces. He responded to the first of these threats with the establishment of Light Attack Squadron 4, a small group of Navy pilots known as the “Black Ponies” piloting OV-10A Bronco aircraft borrowed from the Marines. They flew “low and slow” to provide protection from the air. The solution to the second problem was lethally effective, with unanticipated, tragic results for the Zumwalt family.

Zumwalt felt the urgency of reducing the number of river patrol boat deaths — his son Lt. j.g. Elmo Zumwalt III had also gone to Vietnam in the summer of 1968, serving as a swift boat commander. After being assured that the herbicide would not be harmful to humans, Bud Zumwalt ordered the use of Agent Orange to eliminate the riverside foliage that had been concealing the enemy so well. At the time, the chemical was hailed as a godsend; the admiral would later write in his book “My Father, My Son” that using Agent Orange reduced the annual casualty rates in his riverine units from 70% to less than 1%. It wasn’t until much later that the younger Zumwalt would have his own son with significant birth defects, and would ultimately develop Agent Orange-related lymphoma.
 
Modernizing Navy Ships and Attitudes
In 1970, Zumwalt’s particular record of achievement came to the attention of President Richard Nixon. At the age of 49, Zumwalt became the youngest chief of naval operations in history. The Naval History and Heritage Command describes the period of his Navy career following this surprising promotion thus: 
“His tour was one of sweeping changes within the Navy. Entering office as defense spending declined and with a steadily aging fleet, he saw it as his job to ensure the Navy remained capable of meeting the Soviet threat. That included a program of retiring, sometimes ahead of schedule, obsolete fleet forces, in order to improve capability and maintenance elsewhere. He had to do so while enabling an overextended Navy to continue to meet mission requirements, acquire affordable equipment, and ensure lifecycle costs made it possible to adequately man, train, equip, and maintain the force. The result was a number of new programs that had lasting impacts on the warfighting readiness of the Navy.” 

His determination to make living conditions better for what was then a tired and understaffed branch of the service, and for their families, was shared and supported by his wife Mouza. During the Cold War, her Russian accent subjected her to the effects of prejudice firsthand. That experience strengthened her wholehearted support for Bud’s determination to eliminate racial prejudice within the Navy. Zumwalt had no patience with the senior officers who clung to unreconstructed attitudes that undervalued black and other minority sailors. Many of the changes he insisted on were famously controversial, and infuriated many members of the entrenched Navy leadership. One has to wonder whether the similar experiences of their mothers’ families had something to do with Elmo and Mouza’s mutual understanding of the world, and reinforced their shared commitment to the elimination of discrimination in what Zumwalt perceived to be the most culturally outdated of the U.S. armed services.

Serving After Retirement
In 1974, Bud Zumwalt retired from the Navy. When his son’s cancer was discovered  in 1983 and attributed to his exposure to Agent Orange, a different father might have been incapacitated by grief and guilt. But characteristically, this father, with the support of his wife and his son, who never blamed him for an outcome he could not have predicted, turned his family’s tragedy into an opportunity for service. He lobbied Congress tirelessly to develop a national bone marrow transplant registry for patients with no suitable donors among their own families. The result was the establishment in 1986 of the National Marrow Donor Program, a nonprofit based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Their “Be The Match” registry reports that over the past 30 years, it  has become the most diverse marrow registry in the world.  Zumwalt was its board of directors’ first chairman. Despite a transplant from his sister Mouzetta, Elmo Zumwalt III died of his cancer in 1988 at the age of 42.

Lt. Cmdr. John F. Lehman was Secretary of the Navy under the Reagan administration, and served on the 9/11 Commission during the administration of George W. Bush. In his 2012 review of Larry Berman’s biography “Zumwalt: The Life and Times of Admiral Elmo Russell ‘Bud’ Zumwalt, Jr.” for The Washington Post, he called it “an engaging book about an extraordinary sailor and human being who had an inspirational faith in the strengths of America, its people and its Navy. … Many of the naval leaders of the past 30 years, including me, decided to stay with the institution because of the new spirit Zumwalt sparked. The Navy benefited greatly from his legacy, and he continued to provide valued advice to his successors and to me. He was a true American hero.”

Return to Table of Contents

 

MEMBERHSIP MATTERS

Opportunities to Get Involved: Branch, Regional and National

The most common question about membership in the FRA is “What are the benefits of membership?” Each month in FRAtoday, you can read about benefits and programs that save money or offer preferential arrangements from our partners. These partners recognize your commitment to our country and want to give something back in recognition of your efforts. We study member engagement with those programs and look at how to maintain or even increase the value of those benefits. The Sparkfly Perks program for Shipmates was launched in 2021 as an example of those studies.

Another benefit — one which we try to emphasize as much as possible — is the opportunity to get involved. Volunteer or accept a leadership role and give back to the FRA yourself. The FRA is a structured organization, with the national entity being only one part of the equation. There are a total of 152 branches throughout the United States, along with seven international branches. Each domestic branch is affiliated with one of eight regional groups. 

With the need for branch, regional and national leadership, there is no shortage of opportunities for you. We encourage Shipmates like you to consider leadership positions at any of these levels. Every voice adds to the richness of the dialogue that is needed. That diversity keeps us in touch with the sea services, and drives the ability to expand and strengthen our membership.

For the next three months, I will be highlighting nine national committees. Any Shipmate, whether affiliated with a branch or a Member-at-Large, can be appointed to any of these committees. Some start their leadership journey there, while others work at the local branch level to be close to their branch members. Just as you could have served your nation in any branch of the U.S. military when you enlisted, there is no wrong answer to the question of where to begin serving as a leader in the FRA. The biggest benefit is the number of different paths you have, once you make that decision to help.

If you are interested in a committee, please reach out to the points of contact. You can find their contact information by logging into your FRA account on our website or contacting a regional officer. Committee descriptions are also updated on the website at www.fra.org/committees. Here are three committees to consider:

Americanism-Patriotism 
Its duties as a national committee are to encourage the regions and branches to honor the flag of the United States of America, to observe the anniversary of distinguished persons and events in our history, participate and encourage others to participate in civic programs; and to foster the principles of our Founding Fathers as expressed in the Constitution of the United States of America. The committee conducts the annual Americanism Essay Contest. The committee also encourages the regions and branches to honor our departed Shipmates in the manner so eloquently expressed in the preamble to the constitution of the FRA and in the appropriate rituals provided for such solemn occasions. The committee chairman for 2021-2022 is PRPNC Norman G. Combs.

Legislative Service
The primary duty of this national committee is to study legislation pending in the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate that may affect active-duty, reserve and retired members of the Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard and their dependents. The committee shall pursue the legislative agenda approved by the national board of directors during the national convention. The chairman for 2021-2022 is NED Chris Slawinski.

Membership and Retention
The primary duty of this national committee, which works in conjunction with the FRA Director of Membership Development, is increasing FRA membership, improving retention, and publicizing the aims and purposes of the FRA among potential members. The chairman for 2021-2022 is NVP James “Robbie” Robbins.

Christina is the director of membership development and may be reached at ChristinaH@FRA.org

Shipmate News

1. Branch 126, Jacksonville, Fla.
During the general membership meeting on Nov. 18, 2021, two Shipmates were recognized for their continuous service to the FRA, which totals 90 years. (L to R) Branch President and PRPSE J.J. Thomas has 30 years of membership and Shipmate Don Rodely has 60 years.  

2. Branch 70, Poway, Calif.
Christmas baskets were given to two military families in need by Branch 70. One family was represented by HM3 Joanna Doyle (L). Also present were (L to R), Branch President John Schlitz, Branch Director Lou Irvin and Gunnery Sgt. Ricky Smith.

3. Branch 89, Atlanta, Ga.
Wayne Barron (L) received his 40-Year Continuous Membership Certificate and Pin from his wife. The pin was first presented to the late Shipmate Thigpen before he passed. Thigpen was Mrs. Barron’s husband when the pin was first presented to him.

4. Branch 216, Cedar Rapids, IOWA
Hawkeye Branch Secretary Shirley Niedermann presented Shipmate and Life Member Donald Heck from New Hampton, Iowa, with his 50-Year Continuous Membership Pin and Certificate.

5. Branch 14, Milwaukee, Wisc.
RVPNC and Branch President Marcia Cunningham (R) presented George Davenport (L) his 60-Year Continuous Membership Certificate and Pin.

6. Branch 230, Roseville, Calif.
An honorary Life Member Certificate and Card were presented to Lou Conter on his 100th birthday. Conter is one of two living survivors of the attack on the USS ARIZONA at Pearl Harbor. (L to R) Branch President Don Goard, Lou Conter, Branch Chaplain Harold Hayek and Branch Secretary Jerry McColley.

7. Branch 226, Staten Island, N.Y.
An FRA plaque was presented at the third-quarter U.S. Coast Guard Sector New York Enlisted Person of the Quarter. (L to R) Command Master Chief Robert Reimer, CS1 Keith Scott and Branch President and PRPNE/NEng. James Brown.

8. Branch 261, Lemoore, Calif.
Branch members presented Cub Scout Pack 425 Lemoore a donation to help further the development of its young members. Branch President Doug McCann (R) presented the donation on behalf of the branch to Cub Master Cody Dale (L).

9. Branch 166, Virginia Beach, Va.
PRPEC S.D. Martin (L) was sworn in as the FRA representative to the Virginia Department of Veterans Services’, Joint Leadership Council of Veterans Service Organizations. The 3-year appointment was made by the governor.

10. Branch 14, Milwaukee, Wisc.
During the December branch meeting, RVPNC and Branch President Marcia Cunningham (R) presented George Cavros (L) with his 40-Year Continuous Membership Certificate and Pin. Cavros is a retired Marine and recently was branch vice president. 

11. Branch 208, Jacksonville, N.C.
Camp Lejeune Branch 208 held their annual Christmas party on Dec. 14, 2021, at the Golden Corral, in Jacksonville, North Carolina. Branch members brought plenty of toys and food items to donate to local charities.

12. Branch 216, Cedar Rapids, Iowa
Hawkeye Branch Secretary Shirley Niedermann presented Shipmate and Life Member Larry Unash from Marion, Iowa, with his 50-Year Continuous Membership Pin and Certificate.

TAPS

Name	Rating	Branch
Adams, Freeman E.	CTRC, USN	22
Adams, Robert E.	CS3, USN	53
Adolph, Ralph J.	ENCS, USN	207
Almquist, Robert W.	MS1, USN	238
Artrip, James B.	HMC, USN	61
Atteberry, Ronald C.	ATCS, USN	68
Atwood, Philip	USN	01

Bacsik, Richard B.	QM2, USN	MAL
Bailey, Floyd F.	YNC(SS), USN	MAL
Baird, Harry E.	DPCM, USN	60
Banks, Louis G.	PO1, USN	166
Beal, Robert E.	YNC, USN	258
Bent, William	ATC	MAL
Besler,  Ralph E.	MM1, USN	MAL
Bevis, William F.	ENC, USN	269
Bundrick, James F.	YNC, USN	269
Burkhard, Nancy A.	SGT, USMC	293
Bussey, Robert F.	PN1, USN	276
Butler, Jerrald M.	MMC, USN	MAL

Caldwell, Thomas D.	EN1, USN	MAL
Carroll, Gary	PO1, USN	MAL
Carson, John M.	ADR2, USN	94
Carson, Lawrence	EM2 (SS), USN	382
Childers, Oral S.	MGYSGT, USMC	MAL
Collier, Robert H.	AT1, USN	MAL
Cook, Guy H.	CPO, USN	MAL
Cowart, Homer C.	ADC/TAR, USNR	89
Cumbee, Jesse J.	USN	269
Cummings, John N.	NWC, USN	289
Curameng, Ruben	YNC, USN	04
Curry, Donald W.	CPO, USN	MAL
Custis, Harold E.	SCPO, USN	MAL

Daniels, Larry M.	LT, USN	MAL
Dantin, Clifton J.	CPO, USN	162
Dauz, Onofre D.	DKC, USN	84
Demarco, Vito S.	USN	MAL
Dhillon, Dharam S.	HMC, USN	230
Dill, Richard L.	ABCM, USN	166
Donaldson, William H. 	MRC(SW), USN	230
Dowell, Jack S.	ETCM(SS), USN	91
Dozier, William D.	YNC, USN	MAL
Drinkwater, Bruce M.	EMCM, USN	290
Dryer, Walter D.	DPC, USN	309
Duncan, Donald G.	MNCM, USN	184
Dunworth, William T.	PRCS, USN	117
Dymond, John W.	LCDR, USN	263
Dziewit, Joseph S.	CPO, USN	93

Emielita, Leo J.	GM1, USN	67
Evans, James P.	SKC, USN	166

Farrar, Ernest	JO1, USN	MAL
Feo, Amaury R.	HMC, USN	24
Finnegan, William H.	GYSGT, USMC	161
Fowler, Warren L.	OSCM, USN	60
Franklin, James E.	ADJC, USN	97
Frasch, Robert W.	AVCM, USN	MAL
Freda, Ferdinand	AD1, USN	MAL
French, Richard E.	MMCS(SS), USN	29

Gauthier, Kenneth J.	MMCS, USN	MAL
Green, Lenwood	SKC, USN	MAL
Greenawalt, Donald R. 	RMCM, USCG	302

Harrison, Gale D.	ADRC, USN	MAL
Harvey, Robert D.	AMSC, USN	161
Haught, Harold B.	HM1, USN	183
Heffner, James R.	ADCS, USN	MAL
Heifner, Jay C.	AOC, USN	18
Heller, Owen E.	AT1, USN	124
Henderson, George	BTC, USNR	MAL
Hendricks, Jack M.	CWO2, USN	302
Henninger, Archie V.	1STSGT, USMC	18
Holt, James M. 	MMCS(DV), USN	MAL
Horvath, Jack R.	MSCM, USN	290
Howard, Gary E.	PNCM, USN	MAL
Huber, Alfred J.	CSCS, USN	289

Jackson, William E.	BTCM, USN	MAL
Jakcsy, Ronald A.	STG2, USN	289
Jirovec, Daniel G.	SCPO, USN	238
Johnson, Roosevelt	YNCM, USN	MAL
Johnston, Homer E.	ADJC, USN	126
Jones, Curtis F.	ADJC, USN	22

Kennedy, Leon J.	ENC, USN	MAL
Kracker, Edward H.	CWO, USN	37
Kratz, Warren S.	TMCM(SS), USN	269
Kriedler, John P.	AO2, USN	70
Kuras, Paul T.	GYSGT, USMC	201

Labrie, Ronald M.	YNC, USN	MAL
Larvie, Benjamin D.	GMC, USN	269
Lauderdale, Murray J.	AMSC, USN	251
Lee, Harold S.	DC1, USN	MAL
Lemoine, Joseph D.	CPO, USN	264
Liberatore, John J.	BMC, USN	70
Luzier, Chester C.	ADC, USN	166
Lyons, Charles	SKC, USN	 MAL

Maclean, William B.	PO1, USN	MAL
Mantta, Lawrence E.	ENCS(SS), USN	238
McAteer, Robin J.	MT1(SS), USN	20
McCoy, David N.	MUC, USN	MAL
Mejia, Ricardo	PO1, USN	MAL
Mersino, Robert J.	MMCS, USN	289
Metzler, Robert T.	STC, USN	90
Millis, Thomas B.	GMG1, USN	MAL
Mockapetris, Joseph V.	AT1, USN	124
Moge, Frederick C.	AT1, USN	126
Moore, Willet	BM1, USN	66
Moss, Alvin B.	SKCM, USN	08

Nelson, George S.	ENC, USN	53
Nill, Harry J.	YNC, USN	42

Odlin, Hugh V.	YN3, USN	275
Oliver, Donald R.	MRC, USN	334

Pace, Joseph	AEC, USN	166
Paczowski, Edward J.	USN	334
Palmer, Leo E.	CPO, USN	334
Pass, Walter D.	LT, USN	91
Payne, Terry L.	ET1, USN	289
Pearl, Sidney	OMCS, USN	166
Podlaski, Frank R.	DK1, USN	146
Powell, Jesse C.	BM1, USN	41
Puhlick, Joseph J.	YNC, USCG	126

Queen, Marion D.	AMSC, USN	MAL

Ramirez, Michael L.	AZC, USN	261
Rau, Paul F.	ATCS, USN	MAL
Reinmuth, Donald E.	ATCS, USN	MAL
Remshe, Edward J.	BTC, USN	MAL
Roach, Robert R.	AE1, USN	91
Roberts, Roy D.	FTMC, USN	37
Robichaud, Joseph A.	TMC, USN	117
Robinson, Vernon D.	BMC, USN	11
Ross, Edward A.	LCDR, USN	274

Sandor, Ronald G.	BT1, USN	293
Sasso, John C.	HMC, USN	182
Sawyer, Albert L.	LCDR, USN	MAL
Schwaderer, Darwin L.	LT, USN	MAL
Scidmore, Robert E.	ENCS, USN	263
Sellers, Lloyd G.	SOSN, USN	MAL
Shuping, Stanford J.	SMC, USN	163
Small, Kenneth L.	ETCM, USN	20
Smith, Marvin O.	SCPO, USN	269
Stephenson, Joseph H.	MMC, USN	91
Stevenson, Barbara J.	PO2, USN	230
Stoeffler, John A.	LCDR, USN	106
Sutherland, Hubert A.	AMCS, USN	261
Sypult, Kenneth S.	SHC, USN	166
Szydlowski, Jack G.	CMC, USN	MAL

Teague, Donald P.	ICCS, USN	MAL
Thompson, Harmon E.	USMC	54
Turley, David P. 	CPO, USN	MAL
Turner, Randolph V.	ENC, USN	269

Vossbrink, Douglas	USN	29

Walters, Robert W.	FTCS, USN	MAL
Warder, Richard G.	HTC, USN	40
Weilbacher, Robert G.	MSGT, USMC	302
Wellman, Clyde W.	MMCM, USN	156
Williams, Billy W.	AECS, USN	MAL
Williams, Kenneth H.	USN	15
Williams, Leroy	SK1, USN	01
Williams, Mabron E.	ENC, USN	022
Winslow, Robert W.	RMCS, USN	MAL
Wooldridge, Louis	PO2, USN	302
Workman, Willard L.	EMCM(SS), USN	MAL
Worthington, Gerald C.	BTCS, USN	60

Zahler, William	SSGT, USMC	290
Zahn, Richard H.	GMGC, USN	136
Zapanta, Rodolfo S.	DKC, USN	289

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LA FRA Auxiliary

A Message from the Northeast/NEng. Regional President

Hello from the Northeast/New England Region. We are a small but mighty region. The auxiliary and the FRA work together to make this region a cohesive little nook. The units of the Northeast/New England Region are active in the Department of Veterans Affairs Voluntary Service, or VAVS. We currently are working with a veterans nursing home in Bayville, New Jersey; volunteering at the Lakehurst Historical Museum located in Lakehurst, New Jersey; donating to homeless veterans; and, most importantly, helping fellow members when needed.  
The planning committees for our midyear meeting and regional convention are working hard to ensure that each meeting is successful. I am looking forward to successful meetings for both the auxiliary and the FRA. 

I couldn’t do my job as LA FRA regional president without the help and support of FRA RPNE/NEng. Neil Ross. In the Northeast/New England Region, we are very fortunate that the FRA and LA FRA work very closely together — from the national and regional presidents to the branches and units. Many branches have been very welcoming to me, even when there isn’t a unit attached to their branch. 

The auxiliary needs the branches’ help talking about membership in the auxiliary with those eligible for membership. Branches need to help the auxiliary reactivate old units or start new ones so that the branches and units support each other. Remember to keep talking about the LA FRA to people so they know we are here! Carry membership applications with you at all times so you are able to give them to people interested in joining our auxiliary.
To everyone celebrating a birthday or anniversary, I wish you the best!       

Yours in Loyalty, Protection and Service,
Laurie A. Starkey, RPNE/NEng.  

Laurie is the Northeast/New England regional president.

FINANCE MATTERS

It’s Time to Create or Update Estate Plans

If you haven’t created an estate plan or have one but the documents may be outdated, you might be putting yourself and your family at risk if the unthinkable, such as becoming incapacitated or passing away, should happen to you. As you get started on creating or updating your plan, it helps to understand these five important documents that are part of many estate plans: 

1. Will 
A will provides instructions for when you die. You appoint a personal representative, or “executor” to pay final expenses and taxes and distribute your assets. Remember that beneficiary designations on 401(k) plans, IRAs, insurance policies, etc., supersede what you have in your will. If you have minor children, a will is the only way to designate a guardian for them. 

2. Durable Power of Attorney
A power of attorney lets you name an agent, or attorney-in-fact, to act on your behalf. You can give this individual broad or limited management powers. Choose this person carefully because he or she will generally be able to sell, invest and spend your assets. 
A traditional power of attorney terminates upon your disability or death. However, a durable power of attorney will continue during incapacity to provide a financial management safety net. A durable power of attorney terminates upon your death. 

3. Health Care Power of Attorney 
A durable power of attorney for health care, also called a health care proxy, authorizes someone to make medical decisions for you in the event you are unable to do so yourself. This document and a living will can be invaluable for avoiding family conflicts and possible court intervention if you’re unable to make your own health care decisions. Remember to review this document regularly to ensure the right person is designated to make any necessary medical decisions. 
If you are a parent, be aware that once a child turns 18, you need a health care power of attorney for them so you can engage with their medical professionals. 

4. Living Will 
A living will expresses your intentions regarding the use of life-sustaining measures in the event of a terminal illness. It expresses what you want but does not give anyone the authority to speak for you. 

5. Revocable Living Trust 
By transferring assets into a revocable trust, you can provide for their continued management during your lifetime (including while you’re incapacitated), at your death and even for generations to come. Your revocable living trust lets trust assets avoid probate and reduces the chance that personal information will become part of public records. 

Along with working with an attorney to create or update these, and possibly other, estate planning documents, remember to: 
•	Make sure your loved ones are able to access your documents or know whom to contact (such as your attorney) when they need them. 
•	Go over account titling, powers of attorney and successor trustee provisions to be certain the right individuals have access to funds. 
•	Determine who should have information on electronic passwords and online banking access so they can access information, update automatic payments, etc.
•	If you have a spouse or partner or adult children, you should talk to them about their estate plans along with creating or updating your own.     

Trust services available through banking and trust affiliates in addition to nonaffiliated companies of Wells Fargo Advisors. 

Wells Fargo Advisors does not provide legal or tax advice. Be sure to consult with your tax and legal advisors before taking any action that could have tax consequences. Any estate plan should be reviewed by an attorney who specializes in estate planning and is licensed to practice law in your state.

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.
Investment and insurance products are:
• Not insured by the FDIC or any federal government agency.
• Not a deposit or other obligation of, or guaranteed by, the bank or any bank affiliate.
• Subject to investment risks, including possible loss of the principal amount invested.

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