FRAtoday July 2021
comunicaitons
FROM THE Bridge	3
SHIPMATE FORUM	5
On & Off captol hill	7
FEATURE  STORies	
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS18
SHIPMATE NEWS19
TAPS20
AUXILIARY OF THE FRA21
FINANCE MATTERS22

COMMINICATIONS

National Hire A Veteran Day
Independence Day is probably the first “special day” most think about during the month of July, but National Hire A Veteran Day (July 25) is just as important. Each year, 200,000 active-duty service members leave the uniformed services, so this unique day is both recognized and promoted by federal agencies, including the Department of Labor and the Department of Veterans Affairs, just to name a few.
National Hire A Veteran Day was founded by Marine Corps veteran Dan Caporale in 2017 and was meant to be a call to action for hiring companies. That was also the year that the Honoring Investments in Recruiting and Employing American Military Veterans Act of 2017 (HIRE Vets Act) was passed. This created the HIRE Vets Medallion Program, which recognizes employers who are committed to hiring veterans.
At the Veterans Benefits Administration, there is an emphasis on hiring veterans for jobs within the organization. The VBA is not the only federal agency to encourage employers to hire veterans for their own needs. Veterans interested in jobs with the VBA can find openings at https://benefits.va.gov/BENEFITS/jobs/index.asp. 
The Department of Veterans Affairs website has established a partnership with the Department of Labor to match vets with job possibilities in the private and public sectors. The VA careers website (www.vacareers.va.gov) lists many different types of jobs and reminds visitors that you do NOT have to be a doctor or nurse to qualify for jobs at the VBA and other VA facilities. Job openings include positions in senior leadership, IT, accounting and much more. There are also public sector jobs, some specifically for veterans and those about to retire or separate at www.USAJobs.gov.
The Department of Labor’s job search website for veterans, which can be found at www.dol.gov/agencies/vets, includes the usual job boards and training opportunities, but also promotes the spirit of National Hire A Veteran Day with information to help employers understand the value of hiring veterans.
If you are a veteran who is looking for work, it is a good idea to explore government job sites during the month of July to see what job opportunities are available. You will want to explore not only federal sites like those previously mentioned, but also your state and local government job websites as well. Remember that at the state level, a federal organization may go by a slightly different name, such as the Division of Veterans Affairs or the “State VA.” We wish you the best in finding a position that will make the most of the unique and invaluable job skills you have gained during your military service.
In Loyalty, Protection and Service,
William D. Stevenson, Editor-in-Chief

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FROM THE Bridge

Memorial Day, Yet Again, Not the Same

As I write this column, we are approaching one of the most moving holidays of the year for a veteran. With COVID-19 restrictions easing all over the country and the amount of people who are getting vaccinated increasing every day, we are slowly working our way out of this. Unfortunately for most of us, the manner in which we normally celebrate Memorial Day will be lost again this year. My branch, along with the Imperial Beach, California American Legion and VFW posts, have held a ceremony honoring all who made the ultimate sacrifice in service to our country, for more than 40 years. This year, we will again have to forgo the public gathering because the city will not issue the permit to allow us to hold the ceremony. Whatever restrictions you may be under as you read this, I hope that you took a moment on the last day in May to remember the Shipmates and other service members who made the ultimate sacrifice to allow us the freedom to do what we are doing today.

We are working our way to the end of this pandemic — hopefully!  With an ever-increasing number of Americans receiving the vaccination, the daily infection rates continue to go down. This trend is driving the hospitalization rates down, and the best news of all is we are losing fewer Americans to COVID-19 every day.  My wife, Nadine, and I have received both doses of our shots, and experienced hardly any side effects from either one. If you have not received your vaccination by the time you read this, please consider getting it — it’s the sure way to put this pandemic behind us!

I recently had the honor and privilege of touring the USS CONSTITUTION while I was in Massachusetts for the Northeast/New England Regional Midyear Meeting. While the weather did not cooperate — rain, sleet, snow was the order of the day — the  commanding officer, command senior chief and a couple of dedicated sailors took the time to tell the ship’s story to the FRA Shipmates and auxiliary members who were in attendance.  
If you are ever in the Boston area, visiting the ship should definitely be on your list of things to do. I would also like to thank the Shipmates and auxiliary members who were in attendance for the meeting and especially thank Jr. Past National President Donna Jansky for her hospitality in hosting the event! LA FRA National President Jackie Scarbro was also present to oversee the institution of the new Unit 31, which was conducted by LA FRA PNP Cindy Rodham-Tuck.

Scam Membership Suspension Email
Recently, a few branch secretaries received a scam email addressing membership suspension. If you receive anything that is not sent from a legitimate FRA email address, please disregard it. You can also double check by picking up the telephone, calling national headquarters and ask to speak with membership services.

We Are Apolitical by Design
I will close out my column this month with a plea to Shipmates who wish to disassociate themselves from the FRA because we don’t voice our “official” stance on the actions of the current administration.  

The FRA has always been apolitical. We only support and endorse congressional actions that benefit the sailors, Marines and guardsmen of the sea services and speak up against any congressional actions that diminish those protections. It is not in our mission statement nor defined in our charter that we should voice our opinion on the perception of the direction of the current administration. There are plenty of organizations who will take your money to allow your views to be supported, please don’t blame the FRA for not supporting them, that is not within the principles that the organization was founded upon.       

Stay safe and keep your Shipmates in your thoughts and prayers.
I remain always in Loyalty, Protection and Service, 
Mick Fulton
Mick is national president of the Fleet Reserve Association and may be reached by email at: FRANP@fra.org.

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sHIPMATE FORUM

Coast Guard’s Role at Normandy
I enjoyed reading the “Coast Guard’s Role at Normandy” in the March 2021 issue, especially about the 83-foot cutters built at the Wheeler shipyard in Brooklyn.
I resided in Brooklyn in the late 1930s and during the 1940s. My next-door neighbor worked at that shipyard — he had a large family. During World War II his oldest boy joined the Marine Corps and his next oldest boy joined the Navy and became a pharmacist mate (hospital corpsman). The small shipyard was located on the Coney Island side of the Coney Island Creek, next to the Stillwell Avenue swing bridge. The boys returned safely home after the war.
Back then Brooklyn was a Navy town. In addition to the famous Brooklyn Navy Yard, there was a large Navy supply depot next to an industrial establishment named Bush Terminal. Bush Terminal was a system of factory buildings, warehouses and piers that went for about a mile along the waterfront. The terminal had its own railroad, a fleet of tugboats and trucks. On the south end of Bush Terminal was another navy facility that trained Navy sailors assigned to the armed guard on merchant vessels. This base was also the home of the USS SNYDER a destroyer escort and the USS LING, a submarine. It remained as a Naval Reserve base until the early 1980s. About a quarter of a mile south of that location was the Brooklyn Army Terminal, also known as Port of Embarkation. This was a major departure point for troops and supplies during World War II. Its large yard handled troop and supply trains. USNS ships consisting of transports and cargo vessels would dock at its piers. Although crewed by merchant mariners, many of the ships had a navy detachment. The Floyd Bennet Naval Air Station was also located further east in Brooklyn, near the shore of the Atlantic Ocean.
Although some of the buildings on these former installations still remain, the U.S. Navy is gone and will probably never return.
Bob Delmonico, Merrick, New York

John Cooperider Profile
The May 2021 FRAtoday issue is an interesting issue primarily because it highlighted enlisted career sailor John Cooperider YNC, USN (Ret.). Shipmate Cooperider had a unique and out-of-the-norm navy career. 
Look no further than the very interesting FRA 2020 Membership Directory for many members who briefly tell of their interesting one-of-a-kind assignments during their military service and retirement years.

Yes, a Shipmate profile is definitely a great improvement for every issue of FRAtoday. I did two MAGG tours — American Embassy Brussels, Belgium and American Embassy, Karachi Pakistan.
Sincerely,
Life Member for 60+ years, William R. Baxter, SKCS, USN (Ret.)

The DEW Line and Willie Victors
Your article in the April 2021 FRAtoday reminded me of a number of my Shipmates who flew in the “Willie Victors.” The WV-2, which was later classified as the EC-1221 during the 1950s and early 1960s. They were called “Barrier Flights” and the “Aircrew Radar Operators,” and flew long hours monitoring airborne radar scopes watching for an inbound aircraft from Russia that might be heading for the USA or North America. The rating was ACW. The W standing for airborne early warning operator.
Was it dangerous? On one particular flight that was on its return to home base, I observed a number of holes in the aircraft. I first thought the aircraft got too close to Soviet airspace and was fired upon. However, the aircrewmen said, “no,” but they had flown through some severe thunderstorms and the holes were lightning strikes. Later, the Naval Aviation News published photos of this aircraft.
Sincerely,
Ronald K. Puntanen, ACC, USN (Ret.)

The DEW Line and C-124
I enjoyed the article on the DEW line, however I found that one of the aircraft used in supplying the construction of the line was not mentioned. The C-124 was also used, I know, because I was a radio operator on one of them, in the days when they still had radio operators on aircraft. This was in the 1950s. Some of the sites, we would have to drop a small CAT in then the personnel would parachute in, and build the runway, then the aircraft could come in and drop off the supplies to build the site. There was one site that the runway was up a hill, they had a cutout at the top so the aircraft could turn around, the takeoff was like being on a carnival ride! That was part of my short career in the Air Force, the rest was in the Navy.       
Robert Tinnin, AQ1, USN (Ret.)    

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 your letters to FRAtoday, 125 N. West St., Alexandria, VA 22314 or email them to fratoday@fra.org.

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ON AND OFF CAPITOL HILL

Legislative Surge Needs Grassroots Surge
As FRAtoday goes to press, the FRA Legislative Team is closely monitoring the legislative process on Capitol Hill as an expected “surge” of legislative activity begins in earnest to get spending bills (12) and authorization legislation marked up and passed by the Senate and House before the start of the new fiscal year (FY2022) that begins Oct. 1, 2021. Now the Senate and House subcommittees are just beginning to gear-up to start the Defense Authorization process. Here are some of issues the association is working on:
• Opposing any new TRICARE fee increase.
• Supporting concurrent receipt reform.
• Supporting the Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act.
• Prohibiting forced arbitration in employment contracts for the Reserve Component.
• Enforcing Tenant Bill of Rights for military housing.
• Ensuring adequate annual pay increase for active duty.
• Passing veterans toxic exposure bill.
• Supporting adequate funding for the VA.
• Expanding TRICARE coverage for “gray-area” retirees.
• Enacting more funding for childcare on military bases.
• Opposing cuts to Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH) payments and restoring BAH to 100 percent of housing costs.

Many of these issues as well as others, have been introduced as legislation and are listed on the FRA Action Center (www.fra.org). Your participation is critical to enhancing the FRA’s legislative agenda. To successfully advocate on your behalf requires members to contact their elected officials to let them know these are important issues. A strong grassroots program complements the FRA’s Legislative Team efforts and has a direct influence on the association’s ability to effectively represent your concerns before Congress and appropriate federal agencies. Using the Action Center is very “user friendly” and members can use one of the prewritten letters on specific legislation or they can compose their own message. Shipmates are urged to visit the association’s website often for regular updates.

Veterans Issues

Veterans Toxic Exposure Bill Moves Forward with Hypertension for AO Claims
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee approved the Comprehensive and Overdue Support for Troops (COST) of War Act. This legislation, sponsored by SVAC Chairman Jon Tester, would allow for the first time all 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 Department of Veterans Affairs — one of the largest expansions of health care eligibility in the VA’s history. The bill would provide presumptive care for 11 conditions for veterans sickened by exposure to burn pits and other toxins. It would also establish a new science-based and veteran-focused process for the establishment of new presumptive conditions and would provide benefits to thousands of toxic exposure veterans who have been long-ignored or forgotten, including Agent Orange veterans who are suffering from hypertension. Although the bill passed unanimously, several SVAC members expressed concern about the cost. 

This issue was included in the FRA’s testimony by National President Mick Fulton during the March 18, 2021, joint hearing of the House and Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. In addition, the FRA provided a statement for the record for the April 28, 2021, SVAC toxic exposure hearing. The FRA is a member of the Toxic Exposures in the American Military Coalition and wants to ensure that no veteran who had exposure to burn pits or other environmental toxins goes without access to VA health care benefits. FRA National Executive Director Christopher Slawinski participated in a virtual press conference expressing support for the measure. The still unnumbered bill now goes to the full Senate for further consideration. Members can go to the FRA Action Center website (www.fra.org) to weigh in on this issue. As FRAtoday goes to press, a similar bill is expected to be introduced in the House.

NED Participates in Memorial Day Events
National Executive Director Chris Slawinski spoke during an event at the Navy Memorial in observance of Memorial Day, and later attended a wreath laying ceremony at Arlington National Ceremony where President Joe Biden and the First Lady laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. 

The Department of Veterans Affairs Veterans and Arlington National Cemetery lifted Coronavirus restrictions for those fully immunized in time for Memorial Day observances. The VA allowed mass flag placements across the U.S. to commemorate Memorial Day. The VA and ANC announced that most vaccinated visitors to their cemeteries — as well as those attending funeral and memorial services — no longer will be required to wear masks or maintain an extended physical distance from others.

However, those who are not fully vaccinated or in states with more restrictive regulations still must practice the safety procedures recommended by local authorities or the CDC, including wearing face coverings and maintaining social distancing.

All 155 VA national cemeteries were open Memorial Day weekend from dawn to dusk. Cemeteries with full staffs held brief wreath-laying ceremonies followed by a moment of silence and taps over Memorial Day weekend, but these were not open to the public. 

VA Will Review Blue Water Navy Claims for Vietnam Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs has announced it will begin immediately re-adjudicating Blue Water Navy claims for veterans who served in the offshore waters of Vietnam following a push from Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee. This review is part of the Veterans Benefits Administration’s implementation of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California order to re-adjudicate previously denied claims, per the Nehmer vs. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs consent decree.

“This review provides an entire generation of veterans with another shot at getting the health care and benefits they’ve earned. And it sends a clear message that VA is working to right a wrong perpetrated by a government that ignored their service and sacrifice for far too long.” Said SVAC Chairman Jon Tester (Mont.). As of April 30, the VA processed more than 45,000 Blue Water Navy claims and paid nearly $900 million in retroactive benefit payments to disabled Blue Water Navy veterans.

In March, Sen. Tester sent a bipartisan letter asking VA Secretary Denis McDonough to provide the VA’s estimated timeline for completing initial processing of Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act claims and the VA’s plan to adhere to the Nehmer v. U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs consent decree.

The FRA-supported Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act guaranteed that veterans who served off the shores of Vietnam could access VA health care and benefits related to their exposure from Agent Orange. President Donald Trump signed the bill into law on June 25, 2019.

Vietnam veterans and their survivors who believe that VA has not assigned them the correct effective date for the award of benefits for their Agent Orange-related disease can contact the National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP) Nehmer team at the toll-free hotline number at 855-333-0677.

Concerns Over Tightened Eligibility & Delayed Roll-Out of VA Caregivers Program
Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (Mont.) and Senator Patty Murray (Wash.) are expressing concerns over the Department of Veterans Affairs’ tightened eligibility and delayed roll-out of its Caregivers Program. 

Congress expanded the Caregivers Program to veterans of all eras under the FRA supported VA MISSION Act of 2018. Since the law’s implementation, the VA has reported more than 70,000 applications for the  Caregivers Program, 27,000 of which were denied. Data shows that the highest percentage of denials were due to the activity of daily living requirement and the 70 percent service-connection disability requirement. In a letter to the VA Secretary Denis McDonough, Senators pushed the VA to reconsider both the ADL and the 70 percent rule — requirements currently inhibiting caregivers’ ability to receive the benefits they deserve. The Senators also laid out questions regarding denials and appeals for the Caregiver Program, and resources needed by the VA to appropriately implement Phase 2 of the program’s expansion to provide critical benefits and services to deserving veterans and their caregivers. 

A copy of the letter is available online. https://www.veterans.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/2021-05-18%20Letter%20to%20VA%20re%20Caregiver%20Program.pdf 

SVAC Reviews Disability Claims Process
The Senate Veterans Affairs Committee held a hearing to discuss and review the disability claims process at the Department of Veterans Affairs. The hearing focused on claims processing during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. The SVAC also discussed the challenges the pandemic posed to the Veterans Benefits Administration, lessons learned and efforts to make the disability compensation claims process more veteran focused. During the hearing, the VA announced the centralization of all military sexual trauma claims through five regional offices to help improve accuracy in claims decisions and better support survivors.

SAC Subcommittee Holds Hearing on VA Telehealth
The Senate Appropriations Committee, Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee held their first meeting of the year to discuss the use of telehealth to care for veterans. Demand for telehealth skyrocketed during the pandemic across all settings, including urban areas. The VA responded by providing internet-enabled tablets to veterans without technology. They also set up a help line to aid veterans in using the devices and also teach them how to access a telehealth visit. For more information on VA telehealth go to https://telehealth.va.gov/.

House Passes Veterans Legislation
The House passed 12 bills, assigned to the House Veterans Affairs Committee that uphold our promise and commitment to veterans and their families. With Memorial Day coming up, these bills - passed with strong bipartisan support - honor veterans with action by building equity for all veterans, strengthening oversight of the Department of veterans Affairs and COVID-19 relief funds, expanding mental health resources for veterans and supporting veteran mothers. The HVAC bills passed out of the House this month include: 
• (H.R.958) Protecting Moms Who Served Act (Rep. Underwood).
• (H.R.1448) PAWS for Veterans Therapy Act (Rep. Stivers).
• (H.R.2704) Improving VA Accountability to Prevent Sexual Harassment and Discrimination Act of 2021 (Rep. Pappas).
• (H.R.2788) Equal Employment Counseling Modernization Act (Rep. Lamb).
• (H.R.2911) VA Transparency and Trust Act of 2021 (Rep. Bost).
• (H.R.240) Homeless Veterans with Children Reintegration Act (Rep. Brownley).
• (H.R.711) West LA VA Campus Improvement Act of 2021, as amended (Rep. Lieu).
• (H.R.2167) GI Bill National Emergency Extended Deadline Act, as amended (Rep. Sherrill).
• (H.R.2878) Native Vet Success at Tribal Colleges and Universities Pilot Program Act, as amended (Rep. Gallego).
• (H.R.1510) To direct the VA Secretary to submit to Congress a report on the use of cameras in the medical centers of the VA, as amended (Rep. McKinley).
• (H.R.2494) To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish in the VA, the Veterans Economic Opportunity and Transition Administration, and for other purposes (Rep. Wenstrup).
• (H.R.2441) Sgt. Ketchum Rural Veterans Mental Health Act (Rep. Axne).
These bills went to the Senate for further consideration.

Retiree Issues

Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act Introduced in Senate
Sens. Rob Portman (Ohio) and Elizabeth Warren (Mass.) have introduced the Military Retiree Survivor Comfort Act (S.1669). An identical bill was introduced in the House in February at the FRA’s request by Rep. Jon Garamendi (Calif.). This legislation allows for the retention of the full final month’s retired pay by the surviving spouse, or other designated survivor, of a military retiree for the month in which the member was alive for at least 24 hours.

Surviving spouses who are unaware that the Defense Finance and Accounting Services should be notified immediately on the death of the military retiree are surprised to learn of this requirement. Those who had joint bank accounts, in which retirement payments were made electronically, gave little if any thought that DFAS could swoop down and recoup any overpayments of retirement pay from such accounts. This action could easily clear the account of any funds remaining, whether they were retirement payments or money from other sources. Instead of withdrawing the payment all at once, the bill would allow a gradual repayment over 12 months and give the Secretary of Defense the option to forgive the over payment.

Members are strongly urged to use the FRA Action Center located on the website (www.fra.org) to weigh in on this issue. 

FRA Weighs in on FY2022 DOD Personnel Budget
Before the Biden Administration released a FY2022 budget proposal, the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee held a hearing on Defense personnel programs. The FRA submitted a statement for the record in conjunction with this hearing. The statement explains FRA’s opposition to more TRICARE fee increases, the need to expand concurrent receipt, and the need for an increase in accountability of military privatized housing companies. In addition, the statement also recommends adequate active duty pay increase, improved BAH and USFSPA reform. The FRA statement is available on the website. 

Active Duty/Reserve Issues

HAC Subcommittee Discusses Navy and Marine Corps Quality of Life Issues
The House Appropriations Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Subcommittee held an oversight hearing on Navy and Marine Corps Quality-of-Life issues. The Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman-Schultz noted that the Trump Administration re-directed $3.6 billion from military construction accounts that included 18 Navy and Marine Corps projects, for building the border wall. She explained that military construction includes Child Development Centers, security for military families, and good housing. The Chairwoman specifically noted concerns about Navy and Marine Corps CDC capacity and quality. Rep. Sanford Bishop (Ga.) noted the importance of improving employment opportunities for military spouses.

Master Chief Petty Office of the Navy Russell Smith and Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Troy Black, among others, testified at this hearing. This is a subcommittee long-standing tradition, to have senior enlisted testify on quality-of-life concerns. MCPON Smith noted enlisted concerns about childcare. SMMC added that the Marines are currently adding two new CDC locations.

Witnesses were also asked about active-duty suicide, sexual assault, and the need for improvements to privatized military housing. At the hearing, the Department of Defense committed to fully implementing the Tenant Bill of Rights by June 1, 2021. The FRA is working to ensure service members and their families have safe, quality homes and communities. Members can weigh in on this issue by going to the FRA Action Center located on the website at: (www.fra.org). 

FRA Supports Improvements to USERRA
The FRA has signed onto a letter of support for the Protecting the Employment Rights of Service Members Act (H.R.2195) sponsored by Rep. David Cicilline (R.I.). This important, bipartisan bill ensures our service members can enforce their rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA).

USERRA prohibits discrimination based on Reserve and National Guard military service and states they are entitled to the reemployment rights and benefits of their civilian job after serving in the military. Returning service members must be promptly reemployed as if they had they not been absent for military service. If an employer does not offer the same pay, benefits, or status when a service member returns from duty, USERRA allows the service member to hold the employer accountable for these violations in court. However, some service members have been unable to exercise their USERRA rights due to increased use of forced arbitration clauses hidden in the fine print of employment contracts and personnel policies. The FRA wants to eliminate discrimination against uniformed service members in employment by ensuring enforcement of USERRA.

Members are urged to ask their Representatives to support this bill by going to the FRA Action Center on the website (www.fra.org). 

DOD Civilian Employees Can Go to Exchanges 
The Defense Department, effective May 1, 2021, has expanded military exchange shopping privileges to nearly 600,000 civilian DOD and civilian Coast Guard employees for at least a year, according to DOD directive 21-003. “Shopping the Exchange brings convenience to civilians working on installations,” said Exchange Director and CEO Tom Shull. “They can stop by the Exchange for essentials on breaks or to and from work instead of shopping outside of the gate — and 100% of Exchange earnings go right back to the military community.”

The privilege expansion marks the third time since 2017 that the Exchange’s shopping base has grown. In January 2020, all veterans with service-connected disabilities were welcomed back to the installation to shop in person. On Veterans Day 2017, all honorably discharged veterans were welcomed home, to https://www.shopmyexchange.com/ 

FEATURE  STORY

The Legacy of the Landing Craft Air Cushion
Reflecting on 34 Years of Unparalleled Service

by Elise M. Howard

There is something undeniably cool about a hovercraft whizzing across nearly 200 nautical miles of ocean at over 40 knots with an M1 Abrams tank on its deck. Cooler still is watching it glide effortlessly onto the beach to deliver that tank to its destination on dry land. But despite its awe-inspiring capabilities, the landing craft air cushion, or LCAC, faced calls for its early retirement less than 10 years after its first deployment in 1987. How has the LCAC survived to see active service in 2021? Quite simply, by doing what no other craft in the Navy can do. For 34 years, the LCAC has delivered cutting-edge capabilities that have kept America ready for amphibious operations around the world, and its legacy continues with the Navy’s new ship-to-shore connectors.

A New Kind of Landing Craft
Based on research in the early 1970s with the Amphibious Assault Landing Craft test vehicle, two competing prototypes for an amphibious hovercraft were created by Aerojet General and Bell Aerospace. Bell ultimately won the contract to produce what would become known as the landing craft air cushion. The first operational craft was delivered in 1984, and after extensive testing, it deployed in 1987.

Although the LCAC could hold only one-third of the cargo and one-fifteenth of the personnel of its predecessor, the landing craft utility, it traveled 4 times faster than the LCU. This speed allowed the LCAC to reach land while its supporting ship was still over the horizon, out of the range of many shore-based defenses and mines near the beach. Its speed also allowed the LCAC to operate with the element of surprise, arriving on the beach 30 minutes after being visible on the horizon, a trip that took the LCU two to four hours. Additionally, the fact that the LCAC flew on a cushion of air above the water allowed it to access more than 70% of the world’s shoreline rather than the approximately 15% accessible by LCU, according to the Navy’s LCAC fact file.

Despite some complaint in Washington about the average $27 million per craft price tag, the LCAC did represent a significant savings in personnel costs. It required only five crewmen to operate instead of the LCU’s 10 and could be guided into a supporting ship’s well deck by four people while other shipboard operations, including those on the flight deck, continued uninterrupted. In contrast, to receive an LCU, a supporting ship had to cease flight operations for at least two hours to ballast the ship, load the LCU into the well deck with the assistance of 30 linehandlers and petty officers, fill the LCU with cargo or personnel, launch the LCU, and then unballast the ship.
Still, the 1980s Navy was not fully sold on the idea of a landing craft that carried significantly less than their 1960s LCUs. Tenacious insistence on the part of the Marine Corps, however, made today’s LCAC fleet a reality.
“The commandant and the leadership in the Marine Corps (were) fighting ... to not be basically sitting ducks in slow landing craft during amphibious assaults,” said FRA National President Mick Fulton, whose active-duty Navy service included working with one of the Navy’s acquisition departments while creating the LCAC training simulator. 

Little did they know how quickly the need for a fast and flexible landing craft would arise.

Proving Itself One Mission at a Time
In 1990 and 1991, the LCAC had the chance to demonstrate its unparalleled abilities during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. In an interview for a 1992 issue of Amphibious Warfare Review, Maj. Gen. Harry Jenkins Jr. described his use of the LCAC as the commander of the 4th Marine Expeditionary Brigade during operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm: “We used it during day and night transport, for the assault echelon, for logistics, for raids. … We didn’t have to land in Kuwait because our presence and our capability to strike at a wide choice of locations, at a time of our choosing, fixed Iraqi forces along the coast enabling I MEF (1st Marine Expeditionary Force) to destroy them from the rear.”
Soon after, the LCAC demonstrated its utility in noncombat operations during Operation Sea Angel. In April 1991, a catastrophic cyclone killed an estimated 140,000 people in Bangladesh and left millions of others homeless. Local agriculture was also devastated by the storm, placing those who survived at risk of starvation.

“Shallow tributaries, extremely high tides, and strong currents made conventional landing craft almost useless, but not the LCAC,” wrote Navy Lt. Cmdr. K.L. Schmitz in a 1996 analysis of the LCAC’s performance. “Four LCAC handled the bulk distribution of food and medical supplies to the devastated area, delivering 1526 tons to the outlying areas.”

These operational successes, however, came at a high financial cost. Much of the LCAC had been built like an aircraft rather than a ship, and key components did not fare well under repeated exposure to salt water. The craft also featured four engines, four lift fans, two auxiliary power units and eight gearboxes, which added significant mechanical complexity to maintenance and repairs. The LCAC’s aluminum hull was also an anomaly among a steel Navy, requiring repair by specially qualified hull maintenance technicians.

Schmitz’s 1996 analysis, “LCAC versus LCU: Are LCAC Worth the Expenditure?,” reported that each of the Navy’s LCACs cost $1 million per year to maintain, compared to the $850,000 it cost to maintain the entire fleet of 34 LCUs. For lawmakers looking to cut the defense budget, retiring the LCAC halfway through its intended service life seemed like an easy choice. However, the LCAC’s speed, over-the-horizon capability, reduced demand on its support ship and unparalleled beach access had carved out a unique role for the craft that could not be filled by any other vessel. The Navy continued to purchase them, ultimately taking delivery of 91 LCACs by 2001.

Serving the Fleet Today
In the 21st century, LCACs have been used in mine countermeasure, evacuation support and lane breaching operations in addition to Marine Corps and special warfare amphibious landings. The LCAC’s highest profile missions, however, have been those providing humanitarian aid to devastated coastal regions following natural disasters. From Indonesia, Japan and Lebanon to Haiti and New Orleans, the LCAC has gone where no other ship could to bring desperately needed relief.

Since 2001, LCACs have been undergoing a service life extension program to modernize the craft’s communications and navigation equipment, improve engine performance, and address several high-cost maintenance issues. Additionally, a Personnel Transport Module has been developed to increase the LCAC’s troop-carrying capacity from 24 to 204 people when needed. Keeping the LCAC fleet equipped with up-to-date technology has maintained America’s readiness to rapidly deploy amphibious assault units and their equipment to beaches around the world.

The LCAC Experience
Aboard the LCAC during any given mission is a tight-knit crew of five enlisted personnel: the craftmaster, who pilots the craft; the engineer, who manages the propulsion, lift and control systems; the navigator, who operates the radar, navigation and communications equipment; the deck engineer, who maintains the engines and the propulsion and lift systems; and the loadmaster, who carefully balances and secures the cargo. Redundancy in the craft’s design is reflected by redundancy in the training of its small crew. Mick Fulton, who served as an LCAC craftmaster, recalled one blustery night when that cross-training was critical as he tried to navigate into a well deck blind.

“It was probably about a Sea State 2 - high 2, maybe low 3 - 6-to-10-foot swells. … And then the windshield wiper on my position failed. … The craft was always taking spray, so … I’m basically taking verbal inputs from my engineer, who had his wiper working right next to me,” Fulton recounted. “(I) felt comfortable with him giving me directions and was able to get it into the well safely. … One of the maintenance chiefs, he was in the OIC (officer in charge) seat behind me, and he wasn’t as comfortable as I was, let’s put it that way. He was grateful when we got up inside.”

Even when not flying in Sea State 3, the most intensive weather condition in which the craft is designed to operate, piloting the LCAC is no easy task.

“Sitting in the craftmaster seat, you had a yoke assembly that was similar to a steering wheel that had your bow thruster control,” Fulton explained. “Then down below, you had rudder pedals that both your feet were on. Those controlled the rudders that were behind the propellers. And then on the left-hand side of your seat, on the console in between the craftmaster and the engineer, were pitch control levers that controlled the forward and reverse pitch on the propellers themselves. So you basically had to operate the craft using all of your extremities.”

In addition to the difficulty of mastering the controls, the LCAC also presents challenges unique to a hovercraft. Because it floats above the water on a cushion of trapped air, the LCAC is more susceptible to temperature extremes, humidity changes and external forces like wind than conventional landing craft. The craft naturally seeks the lowest terrain possible, whether on land or at sea, which requires the craftmaster to continuously look at the landscape ahead to plan how he will compensate for this unique tendency. Thanks to the efforts of Fulton and others in the 1990s, all members of the LCAC crew have time to train for these hovercraft-specific challenges in flight simulators before stepping aboard an actual craft.

Leaving a Legacy
In July 2012, Textron Systems won the contract to create the LCAC’s replacement, and last year the Navy took delivery of the first two of them. These ship-to-shore connectors, or SSCs, could not be more clearly descended from the LCAC; the first two have even been designated LCAC-100 and LCAC-101. The SSC’s dimensions and overall configuration are very similar to the LCAC’s, which will allow for seamless integration with the Navy’s current well-deck-equipped ships, expeditionary transfer docks and expeditionary sea bases.  

The SSCs meet the Navy’s primary requirement of being able to carry the heaviest equipment in the Marine Corps’ inventory, an M1A1 Abrams tank with a mine plow attachment, which totals 74 tons. Additionally, it has been designed with fewer lift fans, auxiliary power units and gearboxes, as well as longitudinally mounted engines, to reduce the mechanical complexity of repairs and maintenance. The SSC will also be more fuel-efficient and feature more composite components designed to resist salt water corrosion. Naval Sea Systems Command notes on their website that the SSC’s design will “address the top 25 high maintenance drivers of (the) LCAC.”

Although the sun is setting on the LCAC’s time at sea, for decades to come, the ship-to-shore connector will stand as a testimony to the LCAC’s legacy of speed, flexibility and access. The LCAC has proven that hovercraft are not a novelty, but a necessity to the modern Navy. The versatile craft will be remembered by the many thousands of people who have received humanitarian aid on their devastated coastlines, by the service members who have been brought safely to shore mission after mission, and of course, by the dedicated members of the LCAC’s small enlisted crews.   

FEATURE

The USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62)
America’s Longest-serving Battleship Comes Home
By Ann Norvell Gray

On Dec. 7, 1942, a year to the day after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, the Iowa-class battleship USS NEW JERSEY (BB-62) was launched by the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard. It was to be in active service for 21 of the next 50 years. This second of the four largest, strongest and fastest of the Navy’s battleships would become the most decorated of all the Iowa-class vessels, earning 19 battle and campaign stars for its service in World War II, the Korean War, the war in Vietnam, the civil war in Lebanon and operations in the Persian Gulf, it also earned a Navy Unit Commendation during its time in Vietnam.

Military historians have said that all great improvements in the technologies of one war are destined to become obsolete in the next. The massive battleships of the Second World War are a case in point. The USS NEW JERSEY went in and out of active service for half a century, and its role changed with every conflict as air power and long-range weaponry grew in sophistication and importance. Now, it serves as a museum ship across the river from its Philadelphia birthplace. 

The War it Was Made For 
The great ship was to prove instrumental in the actions against the Japanese in the Pacific, the conflict for which it was designed. This brief excerpt from the lively and complete account of NEW JERSEY’s service from the Battleship New Jersey Museum and Memorial’s website describes a dramatic turning point in the Pacific conflict, for which NEW JERSEY shared the credit:

“New Jersey began her distinguished career as a flagship 4 February (1944) in Majuro Lagoon when Admiral Raymond A. Spruance, commanding the Fifth Fleet, broke his flag from her main. … After rehearsing in the Marshalls for the invasion of the Marianas, New Jersey put to sea 6 June. … The Japanese response… was an order to its Mobile Fleet; it must attack and annihilate the American invasion force. Shadowing American submarines tracked the Japanese fleet into the Philippine Sea. ... New Jersey took station in the protective screen around the carriers on 19 June 1944 as American and Japanese pilots dueled in the Battle of the Philippine Sea. That day and the next were to pronounce the doom of Japanese naval aviation; in this ‘Marianas Turkey Shoot,’ the Japanese lost some 400 planes. This loss … was equaled in disaster by the sinking of three Japanese carriers … and the damaging of two carriers and a battleship. The anti-aircraft fire of New Jersey and the other screening ships proved virtually impenetrable. Only two American ships were (slightly) damaged. ... In this overwhelming victory but 17 American planes were lost to combat.”

After another grueling year in the Pacific, the surrender of Imperial Japan aboard NEW JERSEY’S sister ship USS MISSOURI in September of 1945 unleashed a torrent of joy in the American streets.

Serving in Korea
The capitulation of Japan and the subsequent decision to divide the Japanese Empire’s Korean peninsula between the U.S. and its Soviet allies along the 38th parallel created a fractious division between the two newly created states. Then in 1950, the army of North Korea poured across the border, and after five brief years of peace, America was embroiled in the first conflict of the Cold War. From May of 1951 until the truce in August of 1953, “Big J,” as the NEW JERSEY had come to be called, and its fearsome guns served in support of the U.N. and U.S. troops defending South Korea. It sailed for home in October 1953. Four years of service as a training and ceremonial ship in and around the Mediterranean were followed by decommissioning in 1957. 

Answering the Call Again and Again
After 11 years, NEW JERSEY was recommissioned, retrofitted and deployed to support the troops in Vietnam. It served until the spring of 1969, when it returned home to enter the “mothball fleet.” The Reagan administration’s 600-ship Navy initiative of the 1980s saw it brought out again for updating with new weapons systems, which it took into the Mediterranean in support of U.S. Marines deployed during the Lebanese civil war. NEW JERSEY was decommissioned for the last time in 1991 at the Long Beach Naval Station in California. 

Then in 1999, 57 years after its launch, the venerable warrior was returned to Philadelphia to be prepared again in the naval shipyard, this time to serve as a museum ship in the care of the Home Port Alliance on the other side of the Delaware River in Camden, New Jersey. 

A Rewarding Museum for Visitors and Volunteers Alike
It will come as no surprise to Shipmates that one of the first reactions from visitors who arrive along USS NEW JERSEY’s permanent gangway is astonishment at its sheer size. At three football fields long and 11 stories high, with a displacement of more than 57,500 long tons, NEW JERSEY and its three sister ships are the largest battleships ever built. One recent visitor, himself a Marine Corps veteran, gazed up at the 16-inch guns towering over his head and was heard to say, “Oh, man — you really don’t want to see that thing coming!” Just walking the deck of this floating fortress leaves no question that its purpose was to neutralize both the attacking and defending forces of enemy combatants with overwhelming power.

The core mission of the Battleship New Jersey Museum and the Home Port Alliance, the foundation that owns and supports it, is the restoration, preservation, exhibition and interpretation of the USS NEW JERSEY’s place in history. If you go, you may choose one of several guided tours or go through on your own, following a red path painted underfoot and supplemented by a series of well-designed, graphic “you are here” signs. Audio devices are an option with your admission and explain what you are seeing as you go. 

The ship has been open to the public for 20 years, and reactions from its many visitors seem to repeat three particular impressions over and over. The first is astonishment at its immense size and the precision of its engineering from the pre-digital era. The second is how hours aboard seem to fly by, with each functional space adding a new understanding of what it took to defend the nation and the free world. And the third is the knowledge and warmth of its welcoming docents, many of whom are veterans themselves and some of whom served aboard the ship during their active years.

The following quotes come from two people who speak with clarity and sincerity that secondhand reporting can’t begin to deliver.

On the GreatNonprofits website, a museum volunteer writes: 
“One of the most rewarding experiences in my life is the honor of serving as a volunteer on the Battleship New Jersey. Many of the volunteers served in the United States Navy and the extent of their knowledge of the ship’s systems and their ability to envision and design simulations of those systems is truly amazing. The staff … is dedicated to making the USS New Jersey a living museum with constant restoration projects underway … bringing more compartments online for viewing by the ship’s guests while always maintaining historical accuracy. … The machine and hull tech shops are still in use for ship repair overseen by a Navy Veteran who served in those very compartments. Listening to him recount stories of his years aboard as he machines a necessary part is a step back to a period when the ship was underway in the defense of our country.”

Also on GreatNonprofits, this testimonial from docent Phil Walmsley speaks for itself: 
“I have a family history with the Battleship NJ as my father was one of the approximately 5,000 men and women that built BB62 at the Philadelphia Navy Yard. My father told us, when we were kids, that he welded his initials (GJW,JR) in the ship’s hull. … When I am on the Battleship, I can feel his presence. When BB62 came back home from Bremerton WA, three generations of the Walmsley family were there to escort her up the Delaware River. My mother and daughter Kim were invited by Governor Whitman to sail with her and the other dignitaries on the ferry out of Cape May. I was on the river with the US Coast Guard Auxiliary as part of the security detail. It was one of my life’s greatest honors.”   

Resources:
https://www.battleshipnewjersey.org/
https://greatnonprofits.org/org/home-port-alliance-for-the-uss-new-jersey-inc

Return to Table of Contents

MEMBERHSIP MATTERS

“What Is the FRA?”: Donald Lape’s Story

This is the first story of a three-part series submitted by Shipmate and Member-at-Large, Donald Lape. His story is in response to my June article in FRAtoday, entitled, “What’s your story?”

“Anchors aweigh, my boys, anchors aweigh.”  My brothers and I were singing that song as our family drove down Chicago’s Archer Avenue on the first of many family trips to Chicago’s famed Museum of Science and Industry.  The museum started as part of the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition but instead of being built of plaster like a lot of other buildings in the exhibition, the museum was constructed with a brick substructure. Dad and mom were taking us to see the annual world Christmas tree display — mom told us about the farm that was there. Dad turned onto Lake Shore Drive and after what seemed like yet another very long hour of dad navigating the car, I saw 05 on the side of the museum. Our family was not a typical family. Dad did all the cooking and mom did most of the household painting.

An Inspiring Exhibit
Noise assaulted me when we walked into the museum lobby. I had to find out what the 05 exhibit was.  U505, I found out later, was a Nazi submarine that had been captured in the mid-Atlantic Ocean by the U.S. Navy during WWII.  In it’s prime, the U505 was a boat that the allies had to destroy. In June of 1944, Capt. Dan Gallery and his men did the unthinkable by capturing a man-of-war in the mid-Atlantic.

What bravery! Capturing a man-of-war on the high seas. While growing up, I knew I had to be a part of that.  

Joining the Navy
Fast forward to the Johnson administration and the Vietnam draft, when dad and my uncle helped me decide that the Navy was the service for me. Dad served at the end of WWII and my uncle served during the Cuban missile crisis.
After boot camp at Great Lakes, orders came down for me to report to Naval Support Activity Danang, Vietnam. After a tour with the Bees, I thought my boyhood dream was just that, a dream, and I wanted out of the service! No more getting up at zero dark thirty for a watch. No more SOS for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

I was wrong! I missed the late-night bull sessions and poker games. I missed the idea that I was helping people. I had to find some way of continuing that idea of helping out.

After coming home to the civilized world, I married my high school sweetheart. We met at a high school sock hop when she was 14 and I was 15. Another girl and I were waltzing around the dance floor when the DJ stopped the music and told the guys to dance with the girl to their right. I did and after a few minutes of holding her I asked her to marry me. We both laughed.  After high school and the tour with the Bees, we did get married.  

Did I say that I missed the late-night poker games and getting up at zero dark thirty for watches? Our very young son helped me remember the “fun” of getting up for a midwatch. I recall the time I went to get a pizza to eat, since we were up anyway. While at the pizza joint, I looked over and on the wall, the flyer said, “Join the FRA.”

I wondered, “What is the FRA?” 

Christina is the FRA’s director of membership. She can be reached by email at ChristinaH@fra.org or by telephone at 703-683-1400, ext. 123.
Shipmate News

1. Branch 57, South New Jersey
Branch Vice President Mary Rauch crochets scarves and donates them to a local nonprofit veterans center that then distributes them to veterans in need.

2. Branch 316, Springfield, Mo. 
RVPNC Maria Behm had an FRA information table at the Veterans Resource Day event sponsored by VFW Post 5178. The post commander, Brian Behm, is Maria’s son. She signed up a Life Member and received seven contacts from veterans. Behm is working to open a branch in the Lake of the Ozarks area. 

3. 
Branch 226, Staten Island, N.y.
Monsignor Farrell High School had four winners in this year’s Americanism Essay Contest. (L to R) Joseph Kalikas (12th grade, third place), Branch President James Brown, Principal Lawrence Musanti, Evan Harden (12th grade, first Place and NE/NEng. Region second place), Luciano Spagnulo (11th grade, second place), Jonathan Lustig (11th grade, first place and NE/NEng. Region first place), NE/NEng. Americanism Essay Chairman William McLane, Branch VP Albert Klingele, English instructor Dawn Guerriero, and CEO and Monsignor Louis Tabacco.

4. Branch 222, Slidell, La.
All three seventh grade winners of the Americanism Essay Contest were from Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic School. (L to R) Victoria Rice won first place and won third place in the South Central Region. Caden Amie won second place and Olivia Huerstel won third place at the branch level. Branch Secretary Mark Dernovsek poses with the winners. 

5. Branch 31, Peabody, Mass.
Branch 31 Shipmates volunteered to box up food for veterans at Patriot Place, in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (L to R) Pat Tibaudo, JrPNP Donna Jansky and Sandy Eynon.

6. Unit 31, Peabody, Mass
(L to R) LA FRA National Financial Secretary Brenda Horton, National Vice President Pat Suckow, National Treasurer Nadine Fulton, National President Jackie Scarbro, NE/NEng. RP Cindy Rodham-Tuck and PRPWC Kathy Goheen visited the Salem Witch Museum.

7. Branch 01, Philadelphia, Pa.
Emily Scott won first place for her 12th grade essay at the Northeast/New England regional level. FRA Branch Treasurer Thomas Groeber presented Scott with a check and the award. Scott will be attending the University of Chicago in Illinois.

8. Branch 98, Shreveport, La.
A few of the Shipmates from Branch 98, in the uniform of the day, ordered new FRA shirts from the FRA’s new Ship Store. (L to R) Rodney Longstratt, Diane Harvey, Charles Smith, Branch President Willie Hill, Reggie Coles and PRPSC Emmett Smith.

9. Branch 238, Plover, Wis.
Shipmate John J. Geiger was presented his 60-year Continuous Membershp Pin and Certificate during a recent branch meeting. Geiger has been and still is an active branch member and always has a story that brings smiles to everyone.

10. Branch 70, Poway, Calif.
(L to R) Scripps Ranch High School Air Force JROTC Senior Instructor Col. Daniel Tucker, Cadet Sabella Ibinyopakaka, Racel Ligeralde (ninth grade, branch first place and Southwest Region third place), Joshua Yang (10th grade, second place), Jovanna Sabine Daniel (12th grade, first place), Christian Yoon (12th grade,second place), and Americanism Essay Contest Branch Chairman Chuck Cross.

11. Branch 294, Crossville, Tenn.
Branch Scholarship Chairman William Rhodes (L) and Branch President Peter Dellarco (R) present Ivy Queen her $1,000 check and a Certificate of Scholarship. Queen graduated with a perfect GPA and ACT score. She also graduated from a community college with an associate degree in science. She will be attending Reed College in Portland, Oregon.

TAPS

Name	Rating	Branch
Abel, Donald C.	PHC, USN	MAL
Aydt, Roger D.	CDR, USN	MAL

Balis, Lee	USN	197
Ballard, Padgett R.	BM1, USN	MAL
Barnd, Donald F.	HMC, USN	55
Barnes, Jack	ETCS, USN	251
Barnes, Ronald D.	ATC, USN	MAL
Barnhart, Donald	1STSG, USMC	MAL
Beaty, Jennings R.	FCC, USN	MAL
Bourassa, Raymond G.	LI1, USN	24
Brannon, James W.	HTC, USN	22
Brown, Lorence F.	ET1, USN	60
Brusseau, Howard G.	MMC, USN	MAL
Bryant, Larry K.	AOCS, USN	85
Bryant, Lonzo	AWCS, USN	334

Churchill, William E.	MRC, USN	31
Cook, Charles E.	CAPT, USMC	MAL
Crawford, Monte	CWO4, USN	MAL
Crider, Marlin,	ATC, USN	126
Crumpler, Wiley F.	YN1, USN	MAL
Cushman, Charles B.	WTCM, USN	47

Dawkins, Samuel W.	HMC, USN	MAL
DeGhetto, William J.	DCCS, USN	24
Dickerson, Albert S.	UT1, USN	22
Dickerson, Robert G.	GMT1, USN	60
Dudley, Edward W.	MM1, USN	226

Emenheiser, Kenneth S.	MGYSGT, USMC	MAL
Ezell, Eugene A.	GYSGT, USMC	MAL

Finlay, William	BT1, USN	MAL
Fitchie, Joel S.	EOC, USN	44
Fournier, Craig	CPL, USMC	70
Franck, Harold W.	ATCS, USN	MAL

Gallagher, Gerald P.	PT1, USN	MAL
Garcia, Gilberto	SGT, USMC	94
Garnto, Amos E.	PNCM, USN	MAL
Grove, Charles R.	BTCS, USN	216

Hairston, Jerry F.	GYSGT, USMC	208
Hanneke, Thomas W.	LCDR, USN	295
Heroux, Joseph J.	RMC(SS), USN	60
Hess, Richard	EOC, USN	MAL
Highland, Harry B.	BTC, USN	MAL
Holder, Gary A.	MGYSGT, USMC	367
Hoth, Edward W.	GYSGT, USMC	124

Johnson, Billy J.	YN1(SS), USN	53

Kelley, Robert E.	CS1, USN	22
Kenny, William A.	HMC, USN	MAL
Korinek, Gerald L.	AK1, USN	269
Kuiken, Orville E.	CSC, USN	MAL

Legaspi, Rolando C.	POCS, USN	22
Leipold, John A.	FIC, USN	24
Lytle, George R.	SSGT, USMC	177

Mahoney, Thomas J.	ADCS, USN	146
Mayfield, James M.	AWCS, USN	MAL
McAnally, William	ADJC, USN	MAL
McGibbeny, William	MMC, USN	04
McKnight, William V.	HMC, USN	184
McNichols, John A.	POC, USN	MAL
McQuaid, William E.	AXCS, USN	269
Mentzer, Donald H.	UTP3, USN	MAL
Miller, Mack C.	USN	94
Moon, Melvin E.	ENC, USN	104
Moore, Arthur H.	AVCM, USN	174
Morse, Dennis F.	MRCM(MDV) USN	60
Murray, Lonnie J.	MSI(SW), USN	112

Nicklus, Francis	CUCM, USN	302

Parrish, John E.	AD1, USN	91
Payton, Hirbry H.	SDC, USN	172
Peck, Garrette W.	SGT, USMC	24
Peters, Jack R.	CAPT, USN	268
Petrone, Barbara J.	RMCM, USN	22
Previto, Leonard	LCDR, USN	MAL

Quinn, Felix D.	STC, USN	61

Reichardt, John R.	YNCM, USN	04
Roberts, Tex H.	ADCS, USN	289

PRPNC, Sallis, William R. RM1, USN	54
Sampson, James W.	AMCS	08
Sanders, Larry D.	CWO4, USN	269
Schenkelberg, Clayton A. TMC, USN	70 
Schlegel, David R.	AMS1, USN	161
Schneckloth, Ray D.	YN1, USN	MAL
Schwinn, Marvin W.	MS1, USN	47
Shelley, Lewis N.	CTOC, USN	22
Stout, Frederick D.	ADR1, USN	162

Taylor, Dovey W.	YNCS, USN	MAL
Tom, Sam P.	HM1, USN	182

Vincent, James	RM2, USN	54

Walker, Luise E.	HMC, USN	MAL
Wiegand, Robert E.	YNCS, USN	MAL
Wild, William J.	CTICS, USN	295
Wilson, Theodore S.	SFC, USN	293
Wright, Charles E.	MMCM, USN	MAL

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LA FRA Auxiliary

A Message from the East Coast Regional President

I cannot believe it has been more than a year since the majority of us have seen each other in person. Most of us have now mastered the art of video calls. However, due to vaccination rates increasing and the easing of restrictions, I am looking forward to some return to normal and in-person functions.

I am also excited to announce the birth of my first child, William Edward Rosser V.  He joined us on March 30 at 5:45 p.m. weighing 8 pounds even and measuring 21 inches long. We are all doing great, and I want to thank everyone for the well-wishes.

Our membership numbers are down due to nonpayment of dues this year. However, the units I have talked with have been doing more to keep in touch with everyone by checking in through cards, telephone calls or letters. I know some people are working less or not at all due to the pandemic, and this may be impacting active memberships as families are tightening their budgets. If units are able to assist these members in any way, then I would recommend doing what they can. Due to the drop in memberships, I regret to inform you that the East Coast Region is losing two units.

We have a very large FRA presence, so it surprises me how small our LA FRA organization is. We need our Shipmates to assist us in growing our ranks back up; we need to rally the troops and make a comeback. I am requesting that you think about your family members who are eligible to join and strongly encourage them to participate in our organization. If we do not ensure we have younger members joining the LA FRA, we will not have continuity of our organization. 

I would also like to remind everyone that you do not have to be a member of a specific unit or branch that has a club to access their club. If there is a unit closer to where you live, I encourage you to join or transfer to that unit. This will in no way affect your ability to access any of the other clubs. 

I hope that everyone has a safe and productive regional meeting. I am looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible at the FRA and LA FRA National Convention being held in Spokane Valley, Washington, October 2-9.        

In Loyalty, Protection and Service, 
Virginia Jorden 

FINANCE MATTERS

Six Steps Toward Your Retirement Goals 
What Should You Consider Today to Help You Move Forward?
You want retirement to be your chance to get out of the rat race and have time for the things you’ve always wanted to do. That’s great, but what exactly does that mean? Traveling? Volunteering? Spending time with family and friends? Starting a business? Simply doing nothing?
You may think your plans are just like everyone else’s, but that’s unlikely. They’re as unique as you. 
As we’ll discuss, exactly how you want to spend your time will definitely affect what you should be doing now to prepare for it. However, there are steps that everyone should consider taking today regardless of their retirement goals. Here are six of the most important steps to consider.

Have a Plan
If you haven’t gathered your ideas about retirement together and distilled them into a cohesive investment plan, that’s a great place to start. Or if you have a plan stuck in a drawer somewhere, you need to revisit it.
Whether you want to start a second career, travel the world, or just do nothing will make a big difference when it comes to what you’ll need to cover your expenses. The better you can define precisely what your goals are and which are most and least important, the better your plan should be.
Asset allocation — how your investments are proportioned across different asset classes (stocks, bonds, cash alternatives, etc.) — should be at the heart of your plan. The allocation that’s appropriate for you will vary depending on a variety of factors. Primarily, these are what you want your investments to help you achieve (objectives), how comfortable you are with market volatility (risk tolerance), and how long it will be before you plan to retire (time horizon).

Use Tax-Advantaged Accounts
Even if you don’t have a retirement plan as such, chances are you have savings in employer-sponsored qualified retirement plans, or QRPs, such as a 401(k) or 403(b) plan, or a traditional or Roth IRA. 
If that’s the case, good for you. These tax-advantaged accounts can be great ways to work toward your retirement goals because paying taxes each year on any growth, as you would with taxable accounts, can dramatically reduce the amount you end up with.
If you participate in a QRP and your employer offers a matching contribution, try to contribute at least as much as the match — otherwise, you are leaving free money on the table. If your employer doesn’t offer a QRP or you’re self-employed, look into opening an IRA.

Clean Up Your Accounts
Over the years, you may have accumulated a number of IRAs and QRP accounts with your current and past employers. Along with that, you may own taxable investments in different full-service and online accounts. And your spouse or partner may be in a similar situation.
Having a portfolio in pieces like this may make it more difficult for you to reach your retirement goals. Take time to figure out how many accounts you actually have, and consider the potential benefits of consolidating them, including helping you:
• Understand how your assets are allocated.
• Decide when it’s time to rebalance.
• Know exactly what investments you own.
• Save time.
• Manage your beneficiary designations.

Try to Stay in the Market
When the market takes a big hit, you may be tempted to sell investments with the intention of getting back in when the things turn around. This practice, known as market timing, may sound good, but as we’ve all seen, the market can be extremely unpredictable, making success with this strategy very difficult.
If you get out when the market’s down, you could miss out on significant gains if it suddenly turns around before you get back in. And that can prove costly.
Rather than attempting to time the market, try to stick with your asset allocation when there’s market volatility unless something major happens in your life (a birth, marriage, illness, divorce, etc.) that makes you want to change it. 
In addition, consider rebalancing once a year by checking your accounts to see if market activity has shifted your investments away from your desired asset allocation. If it has, you may want to sell some investments and buy others to bring your accounts back into alignment.

Prepare for Emergencies
Events like a sudden job loss or unanticipated home repair can quickly derail your retirement plans. To help protect you and your family, consider keeping an emergency fund with enough money to cover three to six months of living expenses.
These funds should be held in a liquid but stable account, such as a bank savings account, so you can access them when needed and not have to worry about fluctuations in value. 
Consider an Advisory Account
If you’re not comfortable with or interested in managing your retirement savings, consider using an advisory account.
These accounts are run by professional money managers who choose the investments, make buy and sell decisions, and periodically readjust the holdings in the account to maintain your chosen asset allocation. Instead of paying commissions for trades in an advisory account, you are charged a management fee based on the value of the assets in your account.
Investing involves risk, including the possible loss of principal. Asset allocation cannot eliminate the risk of fluctuating prices and uncertain returns. Diversification does not guarantee profit or protect against loss in declining markets. Stocks offer long-term growth potential but may fluctuate more and provide less current income than other investments. An investment in the stock market should be made with an understanding of the risks associated with common stocks, including market fluctuations.
Wells Fargo Advisors does not offer tax or legal advice.
This article was written by/for Wells Fargo Advisors and provided courtesy of Carl M. Trevisan, Managing Director-Investments and Stephen M. Bearce, First Vice President- Investments in Alexandria, VA at 800-247-8602.
Investments in securities and insurance products are: NOT FDIC-INSURED/NOT BANK-GUARANTEED/MAY LOSE VALUE
Wells Fargo Advisors is a trade name used by Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC, Member SIPC, a registered broker-dealer and non-bank affiliate of Wells Fargo & Company.© 2021 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.