FRAtoday August 2022
comMunicaTIons
FROM THE FANTAIL	3
SHIPMATE FORUM	4
On & Off captol hill	7
FEATURE  STORies	
MEMBERSHIP MATTERS18
SHIPMATE NEWS19
TAPS20
AUXILIARY OF THE FRA21
FINANCE MATTERS23

COMMUNICATIONS

Magazine Paper Changes
Unless you have spent time at a paper mill or printing press, you likely haven’t noticed anything different about this magazine so far. But those with discerning fingertips may have felt a slight change in the paper weight of this issue, which is printed on 40 weight #5 gloss sheet, one step less in quality than normal. Why the change? The #4 paper that I have purchased for years is now becoming unavailable due to significant changes in the paper industry. 
Canadian company Catalyst Paper sold two of its U.S.-based paper mills to Chinese company Nine Dragons Paper.
Under the $175 million agreement, Nine Dragons has acquired mills in Rumford, Maine, and Biron, Wisconsin. Although Nine Dragons has a large focus on recycled paper, both of these mills are pulp mills. According to the paper industry association TAPPI, who say this acquisition allows Nine Dragons to diversify its manufacturing base and “gain access to high quality virgin fiber, resulting in increased access to a more secure and cost-effective channel for raw material supply.”
Several paper mills in the U.S. have shut down over the past couple of decades due to fierce price competition from China and shrinking demand. The Rumford mill has seen multiple ownership changes in recent decades.
China’s recycling import ban and tighter contamination standard has sent global recycling into a tailspin, hitting fiber particularly hard. In the short term, this has led to a run on virgin pulp in China that U.S. recycling executives expect will be unsustainable. The Nine Dragons acquisition has some in the industry speculating that Chinese investors might step in to save existing or open new U.S. paper mills, which would give the foreign owners access to new resources.
Although this move will give Nine Dragons access to virgin materials, the company might decide to integrate some of its recycling-forward strategies at the U.S. plants or expand further if the acquisition turns out favorably. That could be a shot in the arm for the lagging paper recycling industry, which would be especially important as stockpiles grow following China’s import crackdowns. Such actions could have a big effect considering that fiber comprises the largest percentage of most municipal material streams, according to recycling publication Waste Dive.       
In Loyalty, Protection and Service, 
William D. Stevenson, Editor-in-Chief       

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FROM THE fantail

Happy Birthday to “America’s Oldest Maritime Defenders”
The month of August is when we celebrate the anniversary and the history of the U.S. Coast Guard.  
Founded Aug. 4, 1790, the Coast Guard was first known as the “Revenue Marine” and served as part of the U.S. Treasury Department to enforce tariffs.  
On Jan. 28, 1915, this organization — renamed the Revenue Cutter Service in 1863 — was merged with the U.S. Life-Saving Service to establish the Coast Guard. On that date, the Coast Guard was designated as “a military service and a branch of the armed forces of the United States at all times” (Title 14 U.S.C. § 1).   
In 1939, the U.S. Lighthouse Service merged into the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard became a part of the U.S. Department of Transportation in 1967, and in February 2003, it became part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
Throughout its history, the Coast Guard has been an important part of defending our nation’s coastlines and assisting the sea services around the world. During many wars, the Coast Guard has served under the operational control of the U.S. Navy. As part of the Coast Guard and Maritime Transportation Act of 2006, it states, “upon the declaration of war if Congress so directs in the declaration or when the President directs, the Coast Guard shall operate as a service in the Department of the Navy” (Title 14 U.S.C. § 3).
In 1843, the Revenue Marine Bureau was established at the Treasury Department, and its newly appointed chief, Capt. Alexander Fraser, became the Coast Guard’s first commandant.  
The first officer in permanent charge of the Revenue Marine Service was Capt. Leonard Shepard, who was appointed on Dec. 28, 1889.  Both men courageously undertook reforms that shaped the modern-day Coast Guard. Fraser abolished the use of slaves aboard cutters, established a merit-based promotion system, prohibited alcohol use, and began the service’s transition to iron and steam vessels, politically unpopular moves that eventually had him removed from his post. Shepard breathed life back into the service’s officer corps by removing aging officers — some in their 80s — who were no longer medically fit to serve, making promotion possible for younger officers. 
On June 1, of this year, the U.S. Coast Guard made history as Adm. Linda Fagan assumed her duties as the 27th Commandant of the United States Coast Guard. Fagan became the first woman to lead a military service. Fagan was also the first woman to be promoted to the rank of four-star admiral in the Coast Guard on June 18, 2021.
The Coast Guard has a rich history, and the FRA is proud to call those who serve “Shipmates.” From the Revolutionary War to the world wars to Vietnam to the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, the Coast Guard has served our nation proudly and protected our coastlines for the past 232 years.  
Happy birthday, U.S. Coast Guard!
In Loyalty, Protection and Service, 
Chris Slawinski
Chris is the national executive director of the Fleet Reserve Association and may be reached at: NED@FRA.org.

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sHIPMATE FORUM

Two Bell Ceremonies
Branch 294 has conducted numerous Two Bell Ceremonies for departed branch shipmates and its community’s Veterans who have passed. So where did this beautiful bell with its crisp sound come from? It belongs to Jack M. Fogel, GMCS, SW, USN (Ret.), Branch 294 Jr. Past President and presiding Southeast Region President.  In Jack Fogel’s own words: “I served 28 years in the U.S. Navy and was fortunate to be stationed at Pearl Harbor in 1974 on the USS BREWTON (DE-1086). The BREWTON was later designated a Fast Frigate (FF). I was on liberty in Honolulu looking around different shops and saw this bell back in a corner. I asked about the bell and the shop owner relayed to me that it had been the quarter deck bell on the USS HONOLULU. I knew I had to have it, so I purchased the bell and have had it ever since. The USS HONOLULU was damaged at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. She received only minor hull damage from a near miss by a bomb. Following repairs, she sailed on 12 January 1942. Wikipedia gives the following history of the ship: “USS HONOLULU (CL-48) of the United States Navy was a Brooklyn class light cruiser active in the Pacific war (World War II). HONOLULU was launched in 1937 and commissioned in 1938. The ship served in the Battle of Tassafaronga, the Battle of Kula Gulf, the Battle of Kolombangara and the Battle of Peleliu. She was taken out of action by serious torpedo damage just before the Battle of Leyte Gulf. She was repaired, but not in time to rejoin the Pacific war. She was decommissioned in 1947.  The USS HONOLULU received (8) Battle Stars for her service during WWII”.
This past Memorial Day the bell was once again used to honor 200 Cumberland County Veterans that have passed on to serve on the staff of the Supreme Commander.  (L to R) Retired Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Alex Alenitsch served as the ceremony script reader, retired Navy Aviation Machinist’s Mate Senior Chief Bob Adams was the bell toller, and retired Navy Gunner’s Mate Senior Chief Jack Fogel participated in Branch 294’s Two Bell Ceremony, in which the names of 200 veterans now serving on the staff of the Supreme Commander were read.  The solemn event captured the names of those who had passed from May 2020 to May 2022.
Alexander Alenitsch
FRA Branch 294 Treasurer
FRA 2022 National Convention Treasurer

Naval Affairs to FRAtoday
Shipmate Bill,
An issue of Naval Affairs from May 1991 has come my way, and when I compare the quality of that with the quality of the current FRAtoday, I would not dare complain. There has been a number of letters in Shipmate Forum over the last few months complaining about advertisements. I say, turn the page. We don’t have control over the commercials on TV/radio, nor the ads in the newspaper, nor the billboards on the side of the highway, and all we have to do is ignore, ignore, ignore.  That is, if we don’t like what we see.  The ad in our June 2022 issue selling 5 collared polos for only $6 each is one Shipmates want to take advantage of, quite a bargain.
The ad in the March 2022 issue regarding the Global Warming Hoax may be one where a Shipmate lingers, orders a book if interested, and potentially broadens their knowledge base in order to intelligently decide which side science is on. Or, a Shipmate could continue to watch CNN and believe what they say without any questions.  
Remember, without climate change, we would still be in the ice ages.
Again I say, allow the management team to make decisions regarding ads and keeping our magazine as good as it is today, even if there are ads you choose to ignore. That is much preferable to raising FRA Membership dues.
Wayne Barron, Life Member
Branch 263

Controversial Advertisement
In the June issue, I noticed another member’s concern about our FRA magazine running controversial ads (denial on climate change). I could not agree with Dan Davey’s concern more.  Then, I turn to Page 17 of the same June issue and here is a full page ad apparently promoting propaganda type literature in a book directed at our government.. from “Newsmax”…. really.
 I did not spend a military career and be a member of the FRA for the past 34 years to see such advertisements in what used to be a respectable non-biased political magazine.  Is this what I am paying my dues for, really? I know ads generate money for the magazine’s overhead etc., but this will be the last year of my support and affiliation of the FRA, if this continues.  
AFCM Terry Smith, USN (Ret.)

Political Viewpoint
Dear Mr. Williams, 
My name is Stew Margolis. I am a retired Senior Chief and lifetime member of the FRA. I would like to commend the comments shipmate Dan Davey made in the June issue of FRAtoday.  In your response to Mr. Davey, you state “When an ad is polarizing  ..... we do not accept it again...”.  
I consider myself an independent voter who has traditionally voted for the candidate and his/her views rather than the political affiliation of the individual. In short I vote for Republicans and Democrats on a fairly equal basis. As an organization fighting for their membership through our Congress, the FRA should likewise be considered apolitical.  
However in the past 6 months, based on its paid advertisements, it appears that the FRA continues to publish advertisements that are definitely polarizing including 2 in the June, 2022 issue. It appears that the FRA only supports groups that represent the Right or Far Right political viewpoints and/or bash Democrats including 2 presidents.
Here are some examples:
1. The article Shipmate Davey cited is clearly supported by Newsmax a Far Right media outlet that spreads many false conspiracy theories. 
2. In the June and February 2022 issues the same advertisement appears titled “A secret assault on the Second Amendment”. The advertisement clearly bashes our last 2 Democratic presidents.  It also contains several falsehoods and half truths. Even further based on the recent shootings in Uvalde and Buffalo it is quite insensitive.  
3. In the January and June 2022 issues an open invitation to join FOX Nation appears. FOX Nation clearly promotes Right Wing views and a few debunked conspiracy theories. 
FRA should not be perceived as only supporting one political viewpoint.  I am holding the FRA to their commitment to no longer publish advertisements that are polarizing. 
Stew Margolis

Department of the Navy
Dear Christopher Slawinski:
Thank you for donating $425 to provide support for the Fleet Reserve Association award at the U.S. Navy Academy. During the Commissioning Week Prizes and Awards Ceremony, a sword will be presented to the midshipman of the graduating class who is recognized for outstanding leadership as Commander of the First Regiment. We appreciate your support of the Brigade of Midshipmen.
For the purpose of federal and state income, estate, and gift taxes, property accepted by the Navy Academy under Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 8473 is considered a gift or bequest to the United States.
Your contribution and generosity are Greatly Appreciated.
Sincerely,
 Vice Adm. S.S. Buck, U.S. Naval Academy Superintendent

June 14 Flag Day Editorial
Dear Shipmate Stevenson,
Thank you for your informative article about Flag Day in the June 2022 issue of FRAtoday.  In the last sentence you state “There is a fabulous history behind our stars and bars.”  The term “stars and bars” refers to the flag of the Confederacy, not our national ensign.  The nick-name of our national flag is “The Stars and Stripes.”  Kindly make the correction.  Thank you.
            Karl F. Bach, MUCS, USN (Ret.)
            Life member and Former secretary of Branch 67 at the Washington Navy Yard, D.C. 
(A long time ago)

June 2022 Issue
I hope the reference to “stars and bars” on page 2 was a momentary lapse and not an endorsement of the controversial battle flag.
Respectfully,
J. Burkhart, USN (Ret.)

FRAtoday: It was definitely a lapse and a mistake. Thank you for pointing this mistake out. I am certain there are several Shipmates asking the same questions as both of you.   
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

NDAA and Veterans’ Toxic Exposure Bill Move Forward
As FRAtoday goes to press, the House and Senate are working on the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R.7900). House and Senate subcommittees and the full House and Senate Armed Services committees have approved their versions of the NDAA, and the bills have been sent to the floors of their chambers of origin for further consideration. 

Neither bill provides for any new TRICARE fee increases beyond the annual cost-of-living adjustment increase currently in law. Both bills do include important provisions related to TRICARE and other key issues that impact our members (see “Results of House and Senate NDAA Markups” below). Also, it is very likely that by the time you receive this issue of FRAtoday, the House will have approved a comprehensive veterans’ toxic exposure bill (H.R.3967) and sent it on to the president to be signed into law.  

Results of House and Senate NDAA Markups
The House Armed Services Committee marked up and approved its version of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act (H.R.7900), which would provide $37 billion more than the administration's request for defense, including a $5.2 billion increase for military construction. None of the additional funding would go toward increasing pay or benefits. Other provisions in the approved version of the bill would:
•	Not add any new TRICARE fee increases.
•	Prohibit the DOD from realigning or reducing military medical end strength until additional analysis on the impact is complete.
•	Not address concurrent receipt reform.
•	Provide a 4.6% pay increase that keeps pace with civilian pay increases.
•	Require the DOD to brief the HASC before extending the ground lease of any privatized housing project.
•	Require the DOD to report on an improved calculation of BAH rates.
•	Authorize $53 million in impact aid for schools with military dependent students and an additional $22 million to better serve students with severe disabilities.  
The HASC discussed concerns about an emerging recruitment crisis but offered no solutions. 
The Senate Armed Services Committee also marked up its version of the FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act, which would:
•	Not add any new TRICARE fee increases.
•	Prohibit reductions in military medical staff until there is an impact assessment provided to Congress.
•	Improve access to mental health counseling.
•	Not address concurrent receipt reform.
•	Increase active-duty pay by 4.6% to keep pace with civilian pay increases.
•	Waive TRICARE dental program copays for members of the Reserve component. 
•	Provide $50 million in impact aid to schools serving military families. 

The FRA submitted a statement for the record in conjunction with the House and Senate subcommittee markups. The statement expressed opposition to increased TRICARE fees, cost-of-living adjustment cuts and cuts to military medical billets. The association urged the committees to include reforms to concurrent receipt and military divorce law (including the Uniformed Services Former Spouses’ Protection Act) in their final bills. The FRA also expressed concern about Navy morale issues, such as the rash of suicides on the USS GEORGE WASHINGTON, the need for an annual pay increase that keeps pace with inflation, more oversight of military privatized housing, and increased funding for childcare at military installations. Additionally, the association asked that the marked-up bill allow survivors of military retirees to retain the full month’s retired pay for the month in which the retiree dies, and repeal the requirement for retirees to wait 180 days before becoming a civilian Defense Department employee. 

Each bill will go to the floor of its respective chamber, where floor amendments will be considered before a vote for bill approval is taken. After both chambers approve their version of the NDAA, a conference committee will be appointed to resolve the differences between the two bills. Once the differences are resolved, the final bill will be submitted to the House and Senate for approval. If approved by both chambers, the bill will be sent to the president to be signed into law or vetoed. 

The FRA is thankful that neither the House nor the Senate version of the NDAA have any new TRICARE fee increases, and that both bills delay drastic cuts to military medical staff and provide additional oversight of privatized military housing. The association is disappointed that the committee markups in both the House and Senate did not address concurrent receipt and is working to get floor amendments filed in both chambers. Members are urged to use the FRA Action Center website (www.fra.org) to ask their legislators to support these floor amendments. 

Senate Amends and Approves Veterans’ Toxic Exposure Bill
The Senate amended and approved a comprehensive veterans’ toxic exposure bill (H.R.3967) that would establish a presumption of service connection for 23 respiratory illnesses and cancers related to the inhalation of smoke from burn pits, which were used extensively in Afghanistan and Iraq to dispose of various types of waste, many of them toxic. Further, the bill would also provide new benefits for veterans who faced radiation exposure during deployments throughout the Cold War, add hypertension and monoclonal gammopathy to the list of illnesses linked to Agent Orange exposure in the Vietnam War, expand the eligibility timeline for Gulf War medical claims, and require new medical exams for all veterans with toxic exposure claims. Additionally, for the first time, veterans who served in Guam, Cambodia, Thailand, and Laos during the Vietnam War would be covered under the same Agent Orange presumptive condition policies as those who served in Vietnam itself.

The bill would also grant the secretary of Veterans Affairs the authority to add toxic exposure risk activities to the list already present in the exposure tracking record system, giving the VA the flexibility to quickly make more veterans eligible for benefits as conditions change and new data emerges. It is hoped that the bill would assist veterans with serious illnesses who have been turned away by the VA because irrefutable data of toxic chemical exposure during their service does not exist. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the version passed by the Senate would cost $278.5 billion over the next 10 years. That cost reflects the broad impact of the bill; the 3.5 million post-9/11 combat veterans who would be newly eligible for VA care represent one in five veterans living today.

The Senate-amended version of the bill would authorize the setup of 31 major VA medical clinics across America and hire thousands more claims processors and health care staff members. Since the bill was amended in the Senate, it must now go back to the House for approval of the Senate amendments before being sent to the president to be signed into law.
 
Members can use the FRA Action Center online (www.fra.org) to urge their representatives to approve the Senate amendments and send the bill on to the president to be signed into law.

Key Spending Bills Move Forward
As FRAtoday goes to press, most of the 12 House Appropriations subcommittees have marked up and passed their portions of the annual federal budget. These subcommittees include Defense, and Military Construction, Veterans Affairs, and Related Agencies. House Democrats chose to move ahead with spending bills despite the lack of a bicameral, bipartisan agreement on top-line spending. The Defense Subcommittee rejected efforts to increase defense spending 3%-5% above the current rate of inflation. 

These still unnumbered bills will move to the full House Appropriations Committee to be approved and sent to the House floor for further consideration. The FRA monitors the appropriations process to ensure adequate funding for various programs that impact members, with a special focus on ensuring adequate funding and staffing for health care programs at the Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs.
 
The current fiscal year appropriations package was signed into law March 15, 2022, even though FY2022 started on Oct. 1, 2021. This nearly six-month delay resulted in flatline funding for many current government programs through continuing resolutions, which maintained funding at the previous year’s levels without any adjustment for the value of the programs being funded.
 
The FRA hopes Congress will pass all of its appropriations bills on time this year, avoiding the need for continuing resolutions. Members can use the FRA Action Center on our website (www.fra.org) to encourage their legislators to get their work done on time. 

VA Suspends Eligibility Reassessments for Caregiver Program
The Department of Veterans Affairs has suspended all ongoing eligibility reassessments of veterans enrolled in its Program of Comprehensive Assistance for Family Caregivers while it reviews the program’s qualification requirements. The VA had previously announced that it would suspend dismissals from the caregiver program after a department review found that most post-9/11 veteran families participating in the program would be removed following the implementation of a 2018 change to eligibility criteria. Although the dismissals were stopped, annual reassessments and subsequent dismissal notifications had continued, leading to confusion among veterans and caregivers regarding their status and options to appeal.

The caregiver program provides health care and benefits, including a stipend, to individuals who devote their time to providing supervision and assistance with daily living activities to veterans who cannot live independently. The stipends vary based on location, but range from roughly $1,800 to $3,000 a month, depending on the level of care required. Under the suspension, the VA also will not reduce stipends based on a recent reassessment, and as previously announced, is not discharging anyone from the program until an ongoing review of the program is complete. However, the VA stated that it will continue to conduct reassessments associated with caregiver requests for an increase in their stipends. 

The FRA raised the alarm over the VA family caregiver program’s expansion not being properly implemented in its testimony before a joint hearing of the House and Senate Veterans’ Affairs committees in March. Despite objections from the FRA and other veterans service organizations, the VA’s revised regulation tightened the eligibility criteria substantially beyond what is required by law. These changes significantly altered the program’s eligibility criteria, the process for determining a veteran’s need for assistance, and the entire methodology for calculating the stipend paid to the caregiver. The FRA is concerned that many caregivers will be unable to obtain assistance, contrary to the intent of the 2018 VA MISSION Act.  

Supreme Court Keeps Unsafe Military Housing Lawsuit in State Courts
The U.S. Supreme Court recently rejected a bid from military housing contractors to have residents' claims of unsafe conditions heard in federal court, allowing the allegations to proceed in Hawaiian state court instead.
As we first reported in the Jan. 14 edition of NewsBytes, more than 9,000 military families in Hawaii were affected when jet fuel from underground storage tanks at the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility leaked into a well that supplied water to their on-base homes.

Several residents of military housing on Oahu have filed a potential class-action lawsuit against their property management companies in Hawaii's First Circuit Court, alleging that the companies failed to honor their residential leases by not guaranteeing their tenants potable water and habitable housing. The plaintiffs opted to sue the property management companies, which have fewer legal protections than the federal government in liability cases.

The FY2023 defense budget asks for $1 billion to cover expenses related to the fuel-tainted water in Hawaii. The money would allow the DOD to address the continuing needs of military families, drain the fuel storage tanks and provide more cleanup. The new Red Hill Recovery Fund in the fiscal 2023 budget request is in addition to the $1 billion that Congress has already provided to deal with the effects of the fuel leak. The $1 billion flexible funding would allow the DOD to start draining the Red Hill Bulk Fuel Storage Facility, built in 1943, as well as address the needs of military families.

Registering to Vote From Outside the U.S. 
The Federal Voting Assistance Program wants to help overseas citizens register to vote for the upcoming November election. Due to the time it takes to process requests and mail out absentee ballots, the FVAP recommends military and overseas voters use the Federal Post Card Application a www.fvap.gov/uploads/FVAP/Forms/fpca.pdf to register to vote and request an absentee ballot by early August.
For state-specific information about voter registration and ballot request deadlines, voters can visit www.FVAP.gov. The website also contains instructions for completing the FPCA, which is accepted by all U.S. states and territories. Those looking to further simplify the process can use the FVAP's online assistant to fill out and print their FPCA at www.FVAP.gov/fpca.

Wherever service members and their families live, the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act protects their right to vote. The FVAP reports that about 75% of the nation’s 1.4 million active-duty service members are eligible to vote absentee under the UOCAVA because they are not stationed near their voting residences. Those with additional questions about the process can email vote@fvap.gov or call the FVAP at 1-800-438-8683 or 312-425-1584 (OCONUS).

Legislators Urge VA to Improve Home Loan Program
Reps. Guy Reschenthaler (Pa.) and Derek Kilmer (Wash.) sent a bipartisan letter signed by more than 60 of their colleagues to Department of Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough urging the VA to improve its mortgage loan process to ensure veterans can effectively compete in the current housing market.    

Although VA home loans are provided by private lenders, the VA guarantees a portion of the loan against default, allowing service members to get more favorable terms than they would otherwise. VA loans do not require down payments, offer lower interest rates and typically have limited closing costs. But guaranteeing the loan requires the VA to appraise the home and complete other qualifying steps that can lengthen the time it takes to close a sale. Executive Director of the VA's Loan Guaranty Service John Bell testified before a House committee in December that VA appraisals take an average of 14.8 business days to complete, compared to just a couple days for non-VA loan appraisals. In a competitive housing market with an increasing number of cash offers and conventional loans with waived contingencies, this delay in closing time is decreasing veterans’ ability to compete with other buyers. 

In their letter, lawmakers cited key findings of the National Association of Realtors’ 2021 Loan Type Survey, in which realtors reported that only 84% of their buyer clients trying to use VA home loans in the past six months had been successful in having an offer accepted, compared to 99% of their buyers using conventional financing. Realtors also reported that 16% of buyers who were unsuccessful with VA loan offers had switched to another type of loan in order to purchase their home. The survey reported that 94% of realtors said their seller clients were most likely to accept an offer with conventional financing, compared to only 1% who said their clients were most likely to accept an offer with a VA loan. “Stricter home inspection requirements” was the top reason cited by realtors for why VA loans were less attractive to sellers than conventional financing.

Senators Ask VA to Cut Red Tape for Volunteer Drivers
Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester (Mont.) and committee members Maggie Hassan (N.H.) and Thom Tillis (N.C.) have dispatched a letter to VA Secretary Denis McDonough urging the Department of Veterans Affairs to streamline the certification process for volunteer drivers in its Volunteer Transportation Network, which assists veterans in traveling to and from health care appointments.

On Jan. 5, 2021, the  Johnny Isakson and David P. Roe, M.D. Veterans Health Care and Benefits Improvement Act (P.L.116-315) set a deadline of April 5, 2021, for the VA to establish a national policy for completing the medical exams required to certify volunteer drivers for the VTN. Over a year later, the VA has not met this requirement.

The senators expressed the frustration of veterans service organizations and volunteers who want to help veterans access the care they have earned, but are unable to do so due to lengthy delays in the certification process. The letter noted that many would-be volunteers who request certification paperwork “never hear back from VA, even with frequent follow-up,” and those fortunate enough to receive the paperwork find themselves waiting up to six months for the required physical exam. The senators called on the VA to develop a timely and straightforward certification process. 
  
FEATURE  STORY

Gung-Ho: Marine Raiders at the Makin Atoll

By Jessica Brodkin Webb

On paper, the August 1942 Makin Island raid was going to be challenging. The plan: land on a tiny island in the Makin Atoll and capture Japanese intelligence while simultaneously distracting Japanese troops from Guadalcanal. In reality, dozens of Marines would be injured, dead or captured by the enemy at the end of a nearly two-day event that was rife with problems.

Tactical Failure, Strategic Success
The objective was to capture Butaritari Island, part of what was known at the time as Makin Island or Makin Atoll, in the Pacific Ocean’s Gilbert Islands. The atoll’s ring of islands is surrounded with coral and impossible for submarines to broach. This one island used by Japanese troops as a small base was not especially important to the Americans, but forcing the Japanese to defend it would put the enemy on the defensive and require them to direct resources away from the Battle of Guadalcanal. The plan was to take control of two neighboring islands and to do that, the Americans would need a new approach: special forces that came in the form of Marine Corps Raiders led by Lt. Col. Evans Fordyce Carlson.

The Makin raid is almost as much about Carlson and his quirky approach to leadership as it is about the dubious success enjoyed by his Marine Raiders in an assault that went terribly awry and almost ended with surrender.

Gung-Ho Carlson
Carlson was an odd duck by military standards. A high school dropout, he began his military career with the Army when he was just 16 — there is no telling whether or not the recruiter believed his fib of being 22. Young Carlson was discharged for the first time in 1915 with glowing compliments but did not find civilian life as rewarding. In 1916, he was recalled into service as a trainer, then commissioned as a second lieutenant at the start of the U.S.’s involvement in WWI. The second time he was discharged, 23-year-old Carlson held the rank of Army captain but was still a misfit as a civilian.

It wasn’t until the third time Carlson donned a uniform that the choice fit his soul and his call to serve. He joined the Marine Corps in 1922, was commissioned as a second lieutenant, then rose through the ranks. In 1937, then-Captain Carlson was sent to Beijing to study the Chinese language. While there, he also studied the subcultures of the Chinese military and guerilla warfare, and the local zeal for fighting. The guerilla fighters he observed were dedicated to each other and their national cause; they were also communists, and some people later accused Carlson, who admired their ability to work together, of venerating their political ideals.

The motto of China’s 8th Route Army was something akin to “Cooperating through industry” and referred to a practical means of supply-chain-management-style effectiveness among troops. The fighting spirit they exhibited, the drive to fight for the person standing next to them as brothers in arms, made an impression on Carlson. The American interpreted their saying and their diligence as “Work together” and used the motto in his unique approach to leadership, essentially shattering rules of rank to promote a sense of unity among his troops. In 1942, he was selected to lead the Marine Raiders he had personally pushed for, a special force unit intended for challenging missions best suited to a tight-knit team. He chose as their motto the saying he had learned in China: “Gung-ho.”

Long Nights in the Pacific
On the night of the Makin attack, Carlson’s Raiders approached the atoll in two submarines based out of Pearl Harbor: the USS ARGONAUT (SM-1) and the USS NAUTILUS (SS-168). Carlson commanded the operation from the NAUTILUS. According to an account in the October 1946 issue of United States Naval Institute Proceedings, the submarines sailed eastward for eight sweltering days. The ARGONAUT held 121 troops, the NAUTILUS held another 90, and conditions were hot and humid with dozens of bodies packed inside. Troops were granted just 10 minutes twice a day on deck — even those few minutes rendered the submarines vulnerable, but it was a necessity for the special force of Marines who were expected to remain in top physical shape. By the time the two submarines reached the Makin Atoll, the morning exercise session had been eliminated for the sake of secrecy and troops were ready to greet combat as a welcome respite from the misery of being on the submarines with nearly no respite from the heat and close quarters.

The landing plan was relatively simple: Both submarines would move into position and troops would deploy in rubber boats to two separate beaches. That plan fell apart before the rubber boats even hit the shore. Although the terrain did not match earlier reports, the submarines approached the reef and supplies were loaded onto the rubber boats: weapons and ammunition, medical supplies, and motors to power the boats to shore. Unfortunately, orders were impossible to relay in the noisy surf and a water-churning storm rendered the motorized rubber boats clumsy and ineffective, with some entirely nonfunctional. The Marines were forced to use wooden paddles to get through the difficult surf; the dangerous approach tired them out before they had even started the invasion in earnest. To top it all off, most of the two-way radios were saturated and some were lost at sea entirely, so communication was limited.

Carlson made the decision to simplify the approach and land all the boats together rather than deploying to two different beaches, but the order was lost in the confusion. One boat never received the message and landed according to the original plan, right behind Japanese troops. Somehow, all of the boats made it to shore undetected. Then, a Marine accidentally fired a rifle and triggered action from the Japanese.

The enemy was prepared with snipers waiting for just such an attack, and they fired upon the Americans, who had trouble successfully counter-firing on their well-hidden opponents in the foliage. A group of Japanese troops who arrived by truck were sucked into a kill pocket; most were killed and the truck engine was destroyed. However, after the initial deadly confrontation, Japanese snipers held ground until midday at the main battle point, while the Marines from the solitary boat at the second landing point came upon the rear of the Japanese troops. They attacked the Japanese, destroyed their radio tower and killed eight soldiers on their way to joining Carlson’s main body of troops at the correct location. Natives offered what medical assistance and logistical help they could, but the Raiders were at a disadvantage with broken communication and an uncertain egress plan.

Leaving the Island
Carlson decided to gather the troops and head back to the submarines under cover of darkness. Again, the weather worked against them with rough surf conditions. By morning, only 53 men had reached the USS NAUTILUS; another 27 men had made it to the USS ARGONAUT. Carlson made the call to stay with the wounded for the day, then escort all the troops to the submarines come evening using native canoes. As the Raiders faced a second day on the island, officers on board the submarines decided to treat the situation as a rescue mission and planned to emerge from the water later that evening for a final evacuation under cover of darkness.

In the early hours of the morning, however, Carlson decided to surrender based on inaccurate intelligence suggesting a heavy enemy presence on the island. But a few hours later, the two-man party sent to deliver the surrender note returned to report that no organized enemy remained to surrender to. Leaning on his ‘gung-ho’ approach, Carlson handed out orders which were basically pointless while waiting for nightfall, but landed small wins that served to rally the troops. Patrols went on watch, a giant store of fuel was set on fire, and Japanese documents were stolen. Although the Raiders eventually made it back to the NAUTILUS and ARGONAUT, nine Raiders went missing in the shuffle, apparently left behind on the island after the raid.

Only when the Raiders returned to Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, could they get an accurate head count, listing 18 Marines as killed in action and 12 as missing. Japanese Lt. Taniura Hideo later said he and his platoon, sent to Makin as reinforcements, buried the bodies of 21 dead Marines.

The nine missing Raiders were captured, brought to the burial site so they could say goodbye to their dead, then kept captive while they were questioned. Japanese leaders decided it would be too complicated to transport the prisoners of war to mainland Japan, so the nine Raiders were executed by sword there on the island. The Army did not find their remains until 1999, and the nine Marines were laid to rest in August 2001 at Arlington National Cemetery.

A Legacy of Camaraderie
Although the strategic value of the Makin Island raid has been debated in the decades since it occurred, the victory was a welcome morale boost for American troops and their loved ones at home. Today, the deep camaraderie and tenacious fighting spirit of Carlson’s Raiders lives on in the Marines and sailors of the Corps’ three Marine Raider battalions, which perform special operations missions around the world. Just as the Raiders of WWII worked closely with the native people to fight against a common enemy, today’s Raiders train and assist foreign troops in defending themselves from current and future threats.        FRA        

FEATURE STORY

Pirates in Colonial America
Separating Fact From Fiction

By Ann Norvell Gray

When you begin to dig into the real history of pirates in the earliest days of the European colonization of the North American continent, the first thing you must do is dispense with numerous romantic myths. A lot of that mythology has itself been pirated, mashed up with tortured history, assembled with the glue of outright fiction, and turned into a roaring moneymaker for many over the centuries. The “Pirates of the Caribbean” film franchise, a spinoff of the 1960s-era Disneyland ride, is the outcome of one such expansion of creative freedom. However, entertaining those adventures may be, they have very little to do with history. The true stories of pirates are a far more mysterious, complicated and nuanced piece of the American colonies’ first decades.

Criminals, or Protectors of the Seas?
First, let’s let Brian Whitenton of the Mariners’ Museum and Park in Newport News, Virginia, sort out the difference between a pirate and a privateer. For the museum’s website, he wrote:
“A pirate is any person who uses the sea to commit theft.  Pirates could be people who use boats to attack ports or ships, and may even be applied to those people who simply escape by sea. … Above all else, a Pirate is breaking the law.
“… A Privateer is any individual granted license by their government to attack shipping belonging to an enemy government, usually during a war. … They receive a Letter of Marque from their nation’s Admiralty, which grants them permission to raid enemy ships and keep a percentage of the spoils. … A Privateer is operating legally, so long as they have the Letter of Marque.”
Then there are the corsairs, who were most often privateers and figured significantly in the strategies of the 17th-century French royal navy. In 1713, the treaties of Utrecht put an end to the activities of Louis XIV’s corsairs in the Caribbean, and they were rarely among the American coast’s troublemakers. 
A corsair was also a particular ship, typically a fast and maneuverable vessel about half the size of a warship with three masts, square rigging and a comparatively shallow draft. These ships were the mainstay of the Barbary corsairs, who operated mostly in the Mediterranean. Their design is instantly recognizable as the typical pirate ship in literature.
Now for the buccaneers. Like the corsairs, buccaneers often carried letters of marque from England or France, but usually established their home bases in the Caribbean. The name derives from the Anglicized version of the French adoption of a Caribbean Arawak word, which tells you something right away about the complicated relationships among peoples in this time and place. Their relentless hostility to Spanish ships made them effective and relatively cheap subcontractors in the struggles to control the New World in the 17th and 18th centuries. 
So the descriptions of pirates as vigilantes and scourges on the high seas are both accurate, and often depend entirely on whose side, if any, they were on at any given moment. It is probably safest to think of them as mercenaries, the independent contractors of the open ocean and the waterways that were the principal avenues of commerce in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. This era, known as the Golden Age of Piracy, was a transitional period in which these mercenaries often replaced the royal letters of marque with the support of the ranking members of colonial society.
	
Edward Teach, the Dreaded Blackbeard
Ocracoke Island is one of the fragile slivers of land that make up North Carolina’s barrier islands. Just shy of the island’s southern end, the village of Ocracoke sits in a fat bump along the landward side, where there is a sheltered anchorage that was the favorite lurking place of Blackbeard, the infamous pirate who terrorized the Virginia and Carolina coasts. His real name was most likely Edward Teach, and so the anchorage is known locally as “Teach’s Hole.” Various sources say he came from Bristol, England. Others claim he was the son of a local man with connections to the provincial governor; alternatively, he may have been raised in Jamaica by respectable English parents and trained as a mariner.
Whatever his origin story is, he was for a time a legitimate privateer, working the waters between the Southern coastal and Caribbean waterways in the mishmash of conflicts being fought in the first decades of the 18th century among British, Spanish and French settlers over whose North American colonies and trade links were whose. Whether he operated under the authority of government or for his own benefit, he became famous for making himself into a heavily armed, hairy avatar of terror. He grew an enormous black beard which covered most of his face; tied it into weird, beribboned pigtails; and strapped a great mantle of weaponry all over his torso. It’s reported that he put fuses into the pigtails and lit them for a smoky effect. Anyone who cooks knows that hair and flame don’t mix, and might be hard to convince on this point. Still, if it’s true, it conjures a powerful theatrical argument for immediate surrender.
By 1718, the legendary swashbuckler had accepted a deal from the corrupt North Carolina governor, who enjoyed sharing the spoils of the pirate’s officially sanctioned raids. Virginia’s lieutenant governor, Alexander Spotswood, however, was less keen on Blackbeard’s habit of disrupting shipping in Pamlico Sound and sent two ships down to Ocracoke. One of them sneaked up on Blackbeard’s hideout with the crew hidden below decks like a maritime Trojan horse. Blackbeard boarded what he thought was an easy capture, the crew popped up, and by the end of a furious fight, Blackbeard had bled to death on the deck. The expedition’s captain had the pirate’s head whacked off and fixed to the bowsprit as proof, but the legend prevailed, and his headless body is said to have swum three times around the ship before sinking into the sea.

What About Captain Kidd?
William Kidd was born in Scotland around the midpoint of the 17th century and raised by his widowed mother after the death of his father, who may have been a Church of Scotland clergyman. Once the English had displaced the Dutch in New York City, the young Kidd took up residence there. The stories of his rise to prominence are peppered with “may have” and “probably” and “it’s thought that,” but whichever versions you choose, there is no doubt that he learned to be both an effective privateer and a successful social climber.
His seagoing career took him to the Caribbean in the late 1680s on a pirate ship, where he led the mutiny that took over that ship from its French captain. As the ship’s new captain, he used his connections to become legitimate, defending the islands on England’s behalf and venturing up the New England coast as a pirate hunter. It appears that he took the rules governing letters of marque very seriously, and was as close as a privateer comes to honorable citizenship and social prominence. In 1691, he married a very young, very rich New York widow named Sarah Oort. Four years later, the British governor of New York sent him to London with the pirate-hunting commission that should have solidified him a respected place in history.
But upon leaving London, things began to go horribly, irredeemably wrong. Before he made it beyond the River Thames, a rude gesture toward the Royal Navy cost him a chunk of his crew, who were replaced by reprobates. Cholera killed a third of those, and as he failed to find the pirates he was after, he ran out of money. More of his crew members deserted in the next port, and he killed one in an uncharacteristic fit of temper. The rest flew the coop to join a real pirate, and Kidd was locked up for a year. In 1701, the broken man was shipped back to England, tried, convicted and hanged. His body was famously wrapped in chains and strung up on the banks of the Thames as a cautionary tale until it rotted away. 

And Then There’s Stede Bonnet
Stede Bonnet was born on Barbados in 1688. By the time he was 6, his rich landowning father had died and left him a wealthy little boy. He married at 21, had children and developed a reputation as, shall we say, peculiar. The phrase “disorder of mind” was commonly spoken of the restless man, whose records show essentially nothing in the way of accomplishment. In 1717, he walked away from his property and his family, commissioned a 10-gun sloop, named it Revenge, and announced that he was going to be a privateer or pirate hunter. Then he moved his library and creature comforts into his cabin, hired experienced officers and crew, and told everyone that in reality they would be pirates.
Off they went to pillage and plunder, at which they did not excel. Within the year, the ship was defeated and half the crew members, who never respected him in the first place, were dead. Soon after, Bonnet met Blackbeard, and Bonnet’s surviving crew begged Teach to take over the ship, which was fine by him. Bonnet stayed aboard, where he wandered around muttering in his nightgown. By the end of 1718, Bonnet had somehow regained, renamed and lost his ship twice, as well as lost his treasure and most of his crew. He was hanged after the executions of what was left of them by December. His story would be funny if it weren’t so tragic.

A Product of Their Time
These few stories are a narrow window into the intensely complicated period leading up to the stabilization and maintenance of the European colonies in North America. The basic history we learn vastly underreports the imagination, the instability, the competition, and the cruelty of the cultural and physical changes roaring through the continent. Whole tribes of long-established Native Americans, trying to work out which side to support among the interlopers, were themselves uprooted, culturally stripped and sometimes obliterated. Lives and fortunes from faraway countries were made, expanded and lost among the colonizers and those who preyed upon them. And yet somehow, a nation grew out of the combination of disarray and determination. So the American experiment continues as it began, doing the hard work of building a just and peaceful balance between cooperation and independence as we move into the 21st century.    FRA

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MEMBERHSIP MATTERS

Answering Your Questions About Membership Eligibility

At the beginning, FRA membership was only for senior enlisted personnel Navy and those in the Navy’s Fleet Reserve. You know that the oath of enlistment binds us to the Uniformed Code of Military Justice to obey the lawful orders of the officers appointed over us, whereas the Officers’ oath of office omits the phrase “officers appointed over me.” 
  
As the FRA evolved, it expanded its reach to include enlisted members of the U.S. Marine Corps in 1925 and, in 1970, the U.S. Coast Guard, as well as the women who served in these sea services. The minimum rank requirement was later dropped, and anyone in the sea services who had taken the oath of enlistment and served honorably was eligible. This oath is an example of why the merchant mariners are not eligible for membership. They do not take the oath of enlistment and they are not recognized as part of the uniformed services.
 
The FRA does welcome officers as long as their military services includes documentation of having taken the oath of enlistment. Those fondly refer to as “mustangs” provide a unique perspective, and many past leaders in the association have been among their number. Some have suggested the eligibility of U.S. Naval Academy midshipmen prior to graduation. Midshipmen are not eligible because they are required to take their oath of office before their first day of academic classes. However, there are midshipmen who took the oath of enlistment prior to receiving their appointments to the academy, and they are eligible for FRA membership.
 
Did you know that the FRA bylaws permit any FRA member’s eligibility to be called into question at any point, requiring that member to furnish proof of eligibility? While rare, there have been situations in which individuals have presented themselves as eligible and due diligence has not been performed. Circumstances outside a person’s military service can also disqualify them for membership. Not surprisingly, individuals convicted of a felony are not eligible to join. Our governing documents are clear and meant to ensure the highest standards are maintained for the integrity of our association and our members standing in the community. 
 
I hope this background is helpful. The FRA wants to provide paths of inclusion while respecting its founding goals and reflecting the changing landscape of military service. Our priority is ultimately to be a voice for the enlisted and to ensure our concerns are heard on Capitol Hill, and our fast-approaching centennial is proof positive that the association has achieved success under these guidelines.     FRA

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

Shipmate News

1. Branch 302, carson, Calif.
Branch President Ed Labao presented an FRA Americanism Essay Contest Award to seventh grader Katie Labao on April 10. She won first place at the branch level and second place at the Southwest regional level.

2. Branch 15, Walhalla, S.C.
Shipmate Harvey Spencer displays the certificate he received from The Blood Connection for donating a total of 49 gallons of blood.

3. Branch 269, Goose Creek, S.C.
Branch President Harry Nettles (R) presented Shipmate Robert Stancik (L) with his 60-Year Continuous Membership Certificate and Pin.

4. Branch 295, San Angelo, Texas
Retired Navy Construction Electrician’s Mate Chief Bill O’Ferrall received his 50-Year Continuous Membership Certificate on March 19, 2021. (L to R) Bill’s grandson Sean O’Ferrall, Bill’s wife Peggy O’Ferrall, O’Ferrall, Bill’s son Tim O’Ferrall and Tim’s wife Carol O’Ferrall.

5. Branch 70, Poway, Calif.
Shipmate Lou Irvin spoke with these eight recently arrived Ukrainian refugees during a city observance of the 80th anniversary of the WWll Bataan Death March in the Philippines. All of the refugees said they still have family members in Ukraine.

6. Branch 382, Nampa, Idaho
A joint officer installation for Branch and Unit 382 was held May 14. PRPNW Bill Hall served as the installing officer for Unit President Rose Hall, Shauna Schmitt, Mariane Healea, Jill Rhyne, Branch President Dan Hunt, Bill Sutherland, Tom Flanik, Roger Christopher, Dave Smith and Les Meade.

7. Branch 55, Portland, OrE.
During the regular meeting on May 13, retired CTCM James Burns (L) was presented with his 40-Year Continuous Membership Certificate and Pin by Branch President Roger Harr (R).
8. Branch 251, Mt. Home, Ark.
Retired Navy Electrician’s Mate Senior Chief Maynard L. Avery was presented with an FRA 40-year Membership Certificate and a Branch 251 Certificate of Appreciation from Branch President David Butts, during a branch meeting Oct. 18, 2021.

9. Branch 238, Plover, Wis.
On Saturday, May 14, Branch 238 held its election of branch officers. (R to L) Installing officer RVPNC Marcia Cunningham, President Allen Langteay, Vice President Mike Pohl, Vice President Michael Witt, Roy Granger and Secretary Mark Melton.

10. Branch 298, Grand Rapids, Mich.
Barb Duncanson is seen with her husband William Duncanson, displaying his 50-Year Continuous Membership Certificate, Pin and membership card. Duncanson was a chief hospital corpsman (Fleet Marine Force). He saw service in WWII and Korea, and is a Vietnam-era veteran. Photo by PRPNC Marty Posekany.

11. Branch 90, Las Vegas, Nev.
Las Vegas Branch Youth Activities Chairman Robert Porter (center) and Branch President Steve Haupt (not pictured) presented FRA certificates and medals to NJROTC Cadets Nyomi Barraza (L) and Julio Valesquez (R) during the Ed W. Clark High School Awards Ceremony.

12. Branch 302, Carson, Calif.
Branch President Ed Labao presented an FRA Americanism Essay Contest Award to 12th grader Amanda Giordano for first place at the branch level and third place at the Southwest regional level on April 10.

TAPS

Name	Rating	Branch
Adams, Curtis C.	AMSC, USN	MAL
Anderson, Bernard P.	QMCS, USN	MAL
Annase, Nicholas J. 	MUCM, USN	99

Ball, Joseph J.	MAJ, USN	24
Bennett, Charles B.	HMC, USN	MAL
Blaney, Ronald J.	RMC, USN	MAL
Braxton, William C.	SKCM, USN	22
Bray, Ferrell E.	ADR1, USN	89
Brixius, Merton C.	GMC, USN	61
Brown, Roland B.	SK1, USN	MAL
Bruce, Ralph D.	YNCS(SW), USN	105
Bruce, Richard D.	SHC, USN	MAL

Cholewa, Walter T.	AOC, USN	23
Coakley, Leo A.	CWO3, USCG	162
Cole, Frank W.	HMC, USN	89
Connaughton, James	PHC, USN	335

PRPWC Davidson, William O. 
	MRC, USN	275
Dean, Wayne H.	AZCS, USN	MAL

Everhart, Ted G.	MMC, USN	259

Fachko, James J.	ADCM, USCG	23
Frailey, Leon A.	PFC, USMC	115

Gilbeau, Gary L.	RMCS, USN	MAL
Gilmore, Norman C.	RMC (SS), USN	MAL
Graeff, Robert F.	RMC, USN	115
Gratto, Lloyd J.	EMC(SS), USN	117
Grigg, Roy D.	AMCS, USN	298
Hayes, James T.	CAPT, USN	40
Hill, Frank L.	EMC(SS), USN	177
Hodges, Elmer E.	1STSGT, USMC	24

Kusy, Joseph	MMC, USN	MAL

Linson, Carl L.	BTCM, USN	01

Mathes, Robert L.	GMC, USN	MAL
Mazuc, Pascal J.	AVCM, USN	250
McAnally, Robert	PNCS, USN	MAL
McCoy, Michael	MS1, USN	192
McMackin, Robert F.	USN	24
Memolo, Joseph S.	LCDR, USN	70
Miller, Joe E.	ADC, USN	115
Moochler, Frederick A.	PFC, USMC	24
Myer, Ronald C.	EWCM, USN	MAL

Nappier, James N.	ADJC, USN	161

O'Laughlin, Richard L.	HMC, USN	208
Orsulak, Edward G.	BTC, USN	335

Paraoan, Maurice B.	PO1, USN	04
Parkinson, Stanley M.	MSGT, USMCR	89
Patterson, Dwane O.	PNC, USN	MAL
Pearson, Richard A.	USN	70
Pilson, William	EN2, USN	269
Plum, Donald G.	EN1, USN	MAL

Ramsden, Darrell S.	PO1, USN	118
Rayle, William J.	BTCS, USN	298
Reagan, Lawrence T.	SN, USN	24
Rhoads, William H.	RM1, USN	294
Richard, Theodore J.	LT, USN	24
Rockelli, Frederick W.	STC, USN	24

Schnellbacher, James E.  MMC, USN	290
Setness, Marvin C.	BTCM, USN	273
Shepherd, Harold J.	YNCS, USN	MAL
Staggs, Bobby C.	AMSC, USN	89
Stoops, Morgan	BMC, USN	MAL
Sutton, James E.	ADC, USN	112
Swetland, Lynn E.	MSGT, USMC	23

Tetzlaff, Robert A.	PRCS, USN	MAL
Thompson, Kenneth L.	MSGT, USMC	161
PNC Thompson, Robert USN	MAL
Trefrey, Charles S.	USN	24
Turley, Brian D.	LCDR, USN	20

Vales, Robert	RMCS, USN	40
Vincent, Paul W.	BMC, USN	MAL
Vocelka, Joseph H.	HM1, USN	276

Ward, Elton D.	CS1, USN	MAL
Warner, Anthony	YNCM, USN	17
Westphal, Richard G.	YNC, USN	136
Wetterling, Morton H.	ADCS, USN	11
Whaley, James	CS1, USN	MAL
White, Kenneth W.	MCPO, USN	101
Williams, James D.	EMCM, USN	269
Wollmann, Ralph D.	HMC, USNR	273

Yoneda, Minoru M.	LT, USN	124

Zahm, James S.	MMCM, USN	316
Ziegler, Ronald J.	HTC, USN	40

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LA FRA Auxiliary

A Message from the Southwest Regional President

Like many other units, the units in the Southwest Region were hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic. The many restrictions that state, federal and local governments put into effect prevented units in our region from functioning at full capacity. We lost three units this year. Unit 90 in Las Vegas surrendered their charter because they were down to only three members. Valley of the Sun Unit 163 was unable to get members to volunteer as unit officers, so they are in the process of surrendering their charter. Several LA FRA members have already transferred to other units in the Southwest Region. San Gabriel Valley Unit and Branch 85 were unable to get members to accept positions as officers, so FRA national leadership granted their request to merge with Carson Branch and Unit 302. The region is now comprised of only five units, but those units are all still very active.     

     Chula Vista Unit 61 cooks a Saturday night dinner once a month at the branch home. They also have a potluck dinner once a month to honor Unit and Branch 61 members who have had a birthday during that month. Karaoke is held two nights a month, as well as following the birthday potluck dinners. They collect toys at Christmas time for the Marine Corps’ Toys for Tots program. A Christmas party and gift exchange is held. Unit 61 awarded three $1,000 scholarships to students who are attending college. One member crochets lap robes that are donated to the Veterans Home of California in Chula Vista for residents who are in wheelchairs.

Branch and Unit 61 sponsor the Memorial Day ceremony held at Glen Abbey Memorial Park and Mortuary. As part of the ceremony, Unit 61 performs a dedication of deceased veterans’ flags for the unit’s Avenue of Flags, which was started by the unit president on Veterans Day in 1977. Since then, a total of 800 deceased veterans’ flags have been dedicated — I dedicated 15 flags this year. Boy Scout Troop 895, sponsored by the Chula Vista Elks Lodge, has assisted Unit 61 with the Memorial Day ceremony for more than 20 years. This year, approximately 100 flags lined the roads throughout the memorial park during that weekend. Troop 895 assisted in putting up and taking down these flags. 

Imperial Beach Unit and Branch 289 have a fish fry on Friday nights and hold several special events during the year. They hold a Christmas party for the children of the unit and branch, with each child getting a toy. They also collect toys for the Toys for Tots. They have a fundraising craft fair and a fundraising rummage sale every year. They also have karaoke nights. They sponsor a Memorial Ceremony in Imperial Beach, California, and will be hosting our regional convention in Las Vegas this month. One couple from Branch 289 just celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary with a huge party at their branch home. Unit 289 awards scholarships to graduating high school students.

Carson Unit and Branch 302 are very active groups holding many events during the year. They have a very special relationship with the city of Carson, California and are involved with several activities held in the community.
I attended the installation of officers for Units 61, 70, 84 and 302; Unit 289 will hold theirs soon. RVP Marilyn Quesnel had the honor of being the installing officer for Unit 84 in San Diego. LA FRA NP Pat Suckow visited the Southwest Region in June. A dinner was held for her at Imperial Beach Unit 289, and she was the installing officer for Carson Unit 302.  Pat also attended the officer installation for Unit 84 and visited Unit 61 and Unit 70 while she was in our region.       

In Loyalty, Protection and Service,
RPSW Georgina “Gi Gi” Hermes

Gi Gi is the Southwest regional president of the LA FRA.

FINANCE MATTERS

Consider a Simple Investment Strategy to Help Reduce Guesswork
For most investors, the key to success is simple: Buy low and sell high. But how often have you seen this scenario played out? (You may have done it yourself.)
• When the market is up, an investor feels good and buys stocks.
• When the market is down, that same investor gets scared and sells.
Although reacting like this may feel instinctively right at the time, buying high and selling low is unlikely to result in a profit. 
Why do investors do this? The reason may have a lot to do with us making investment choices the same way we make many important decisions: by using both our heads and our hearts (i.e., logic and emotion). When there’s market volatility — including both market highs and market lows — our emotions tend to take over, and we may make illogical choices going against our best interests.
Rather than falling victim to the potential perils of emotional investing, you may want to be completely logical: Get into the market when it’s down and out when it’s up. This is known as “market timing.” While this approach sounds rational, the problem is it’s extremely difficult, even for experienced investors, to do consistently. There’s an old saying: “No one rings a bell” when the market reaches the top of a peak or the bottom of a trough. Translated, that means anyone attempting to time the market finds it difficult to know exactly when to make their move.
For example, if you think the market has reached a peak and get out and then share prices keep rising, you’ll miss out on the additional profits you could have made by waiting. And after you get out, how do you know when to get back in? If you act too quickly, you’ll forgo better bargains as prices continue to fall. If you wait too long, you may sacrifice the chance to fully benefit from a market rally.

Give Dollar Cost Averaging a Look
To avoid the potential problems of emotional investing and market timing, consider a strategy called “dollar cost averaging.”
Dollar cost averaging is the practice of putting a set amount into a particular investment on a regular basis (weekly, monthly, quarterly, etc.) no matter what’s going on in the market. For example, you could invest $500 each month. In a fluctuating market, this practice lets you purchase:
• Additional shares when prices are low.
• Fewer shares when prices increase. 
As shown in the table below, if the price is $24 per share, you’d buy 20.83 shares (keep in mind mutual funds let you purchase fractional shares). If it rises to $30, you would buy only 16.67 shares.

Using dollar cost averaging in a fluctuating market
Investing $500 per month over one year	
Month	Price per share	Shares purchased	
HJanuary	$24	20.83	
February	$25	20.00	
March	$28	17.86	
April	$30	16.67	
May	$27	18.52	
June	$22	22.73	
July	$24	20.83	
August	$27	18.52	
September	$26	19.23	
October	$29	17.24	
November	$28	17.86	
December	$27	18.52	
This example is hypothetical and for illustrative purposes only.	

In a fluctuating market, dollar cost averaging will result in an average cost per share that’s less than the average market price per share. The average market price per share in the table — the sum of the market prices ($317) divided by the number of purchases (12) — is $26.42. However, the average price per share — the total invested ($6,000) divided by the number of shares purchased (228.81) — is only $26.22.
While you’re mulling over dollar cost averaging’s potential merits, consider this: You may well be using the strategy already. If you participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan, such as a 401(k) or 403(b), and contribute the same amount each payday, you’re using dollar cost averaging.

Get Help for When the Going Gets Tough
One of dollar cost averaging’s challenges is you have to stick with the strategy even when the market declines, and that can be difficult (see our previous discussion about emotional investing). However, during times like these, dollar cost averaging can be most useful by letting you purchase shares at lower prices. 
Because dollar cost averaging can be simultaneously more difficult and advantageous when the going gets toughest, consider turning to a professional financial adviser for help. He or she should offer a voice of reason during these periods as you grapple with whether or not to adhere to the strategy.       FRA

Like any investment strategy, dollar cost averaging doesn’t guarantee a profit or protect against loss in a declining market. Because dollar cost averaging requires continuous investment regardless of fluctuating prices, you should consider your financial and emotional ability to continue the program through both rising and declining markets.

Trust services available through banking and trust affiliates in addition to non-affiliated companies of Wells Fargo Advisors. Wells Fargo Advisors and its affiliates do not provide legal or tax advice. Any estate plan should be reviewed by an attorney who specializes in estate planning and is licensed to practice law in your state.
Insurance products are offered through nonbank insurance agency affiliates of Wells Fargo & Company and underwritten by non-affiliated insurance companies. Not available in all states.

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
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.
©2022 Wells Fargo Clearing Services, LLC. All rights reserved.