HOUSTON AREA PO BOX 1082 HOUSTON TX

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1 HOUSTON AREA PO BOX 1082 HOUSTON TX Newsletter to Members Vol. XLVII No. 1 January 2009 NEXT MEETING SATURDAY, January 31, 2009 BRIAR CLUB President s Message You honored me and your other officers by electing the slate recommended by the nominating committee. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to serve the Chapter. Also I thank all the spouses and friends who consent to our service to the Houston Chapter of MOAA as officers. I particularly thank Elizabeth (My Spouse) for her consenting to my election and service obligation to the Chapter. Thank her when you see her at our functions. Attendance is a constant problem with our Chapter and similar organizations. It seems to be a problem that arises because of the other attractions competing for our attention. The only way to have and keep a solid base for attendance is for each attendee to make a point to visit with each other at our meetings so that we all have an acquaintance waiting at the next meeting. We all have something in common: we served our country or had a spouse or close friend who served. Come on out and get acquainted. You will find a fast friend before you know it (maybe in ten minutes). We all need a break, and lunch out in a fine setting, The Briar Club, is a great way to take that break. We also have great speakers, so your time will be well spent. By your attendance I (we) can get to know all of you. HAPPY NEW YEAR. James C. "Jim" Causey, President Officers President James Causey, COL USA st Vice President Program Wayne Ritter LT COL USAF Secretary Val G. Henneberg MAJ USA Treasurer Martin J. Harris MAJ USMC nd Vice President Arrangements Jeannette Evans, Auxiliary Legislative Representative ROTC Scholarship William Taylor CAPT USAR Assistant Legislative Representative George McDowell COL USAF Liaison Eugene Tulich ROTC Edward Hale CDR USCG COL USAR Chaplain Kerry Magee CAPT USN h or cell Editor Carol Ann Wilson 8902 Sunnywood Drive Houston TX ; cell fax carolwilson@earthlink.net Newsletter of MOAA Houston Area, January 2009, p. 1

2 MOAA Houston Area Board Meeting Tues. Jan. 27, 11:30 Rudi Lechner s 2503 S. Gessner Future meetings All at Rudi Lechner s 1/27 2/24 3/24 4/21 5/26 6/23 7/21 8/25 9/22 10/27 11/? 12/? MOAA Houston Area Monthly Meeting and Luncheon Sat. Jan :30 Briar Club 2603 Timmons Lane Houston, TX (713) House Salad Baked Tilapia or London Broil with Bordelaise Sauce Vegetable and Starch Coffee and Tea Rolls and Butter Crème Brûlée Cheesecake $30 Reservations to Jeannette Evans, , by Noon on Wed. 1/28/09 Speaker Zeb D. Alford During the Nation s 232 Years Only Three I Repeat Three National Policies Have Determined When We Went to War Bio of CAPT Zeb D. Alford Zeb D. Alford was born in McComb, Mississippi, in After graduating from McComb High School in January 1943, he joined the Navy the next day and attended LSU for one semester. He started his Navy career as a seaman apprentice in the V-12 program at Tulane University on July 1, 1943, and entered the Naval Academy in After graduation in l947, he served as an Ensign aboard USS Charles R. Ware, an Atlantic Fleet destroyer. After graduation from Submarine School in 1949, he served aboard three diesel submarines and three nuclear submarines. Zeb joined the nuclear Navy in 1958 when selected by Admiral Rickover, the father of the nuclear Navy. After nuclear school, his first nuclear assignment, as Executive Officer, was building and commissioning a new nuclear prototype in Connecticut. He was Executive Officer and commissioned the first nuclear submarine designed to find and kill other nuclear submarines, USS Tullibee. Every new class of nuclear attack submarines built since then has included updated versions of the active and passive sonar systems and the sound quieting methods of Tullibee. He attended Charm School (Admiral Rickover s staff) for six months; then, as a Lieutenant Commander, he reported in1962 as Commanding Officer of the nuclear attack submarine USS Shark. Shark was the first class of single screw, whale-shaped, high-speed, nuclear submarines. She was the fastest submarine ever built at that time. As a Navy Commander in 1965, he became the Commanding Officer of the Polaris nuclear submarine USS Sam Houston. He became Executive Assistant to the Undersecretary of the Navy (now Senator John Warner [R-Va.]). Zeb attended the National War College in and reported as Commanding Officer, Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, Cuba, in Zeb retired from the Navy in September Zeb s second career has been in energy. Since entering this field he has become President of three different energy companies. In 1984 Zeb married Joan Chasan of Houston, Texas, and Long Island, New York. He has four grown daughters from a previous marriage. In 1985 he started a new company, Dolphin Energy, Inc., and began to market natural gas to major utilities on both coasts. Zeb is currently active in tennis, the Navy League, the Naval Academy Alumni Association, the Naval Order, and the Republican Party. He was elected a delegate to the state party conventions in 1996, 2000, and He was elected a member of the Texas Electoral College that met in Austin, Texas, in December In 1999 Zeb became Chairman of the Cavalla Historical Foundation, which raised money to restore the WW-II submarine USS Cavalla (SSK 244) and the DE-238 USS Stewart, both located at SEAWOLF PARK, Galveston Bay, Texas. Today they both have been restored and are open to the public for visits. Future meetings All at Briar Club 1/31 2/28 3/28 4/25 5/30 6/27 7/25 8/29 9/26 10/31 11/? 12/? Newsletter of MOAA Houston Area, January 2009, p. 2

3 AUXILIARY Military Officers Wives Association January 15 Junior League 1811 Briar Oaks Lane Houston TX (713) Menu House Salad Grilled Chicken with Mushroom Sauce or Roasted Pork Tenderloin with Garlic and Rosemary Sauce Vegetable and Starch Rolls and Butter Coffee OR Tea (not both) Almond Apricot Cake $27 Reservations to Alice Alvarado, , by Monday evening, Jan. 12, 2008 Future meetings 1/15 2/19 3/19 4/16 5/21 6/18 7/16 8/20 9/17 10/15 11/19 12/17 Z Treasurer s Report Dec. 31, 2008 Income $ 1,125. Expenses $ 1,375. Balance $ 4,725. Martin J. Harris, Treasurer SHALOM! PEACE BE WITH YOU! From Our Chaplain That was the CAPT Kerry Magee greeting the 1st Century Christians used to greet each other, and I now use it to greet y all, my fellow members and families! I am honored and humbled that y all elected me as your Chaplain for 2009, and I promise to fulfill that charge as God directs. I ask for your prayers. A little info on me might be appropriate for my first article, but I will end with a spiritual note. I am second generation NAVY; my Dad was a CPO in WWII, stationed at NOB Newport, RI, teaching Gobs how to swim before being shipped out for combat overseas. Upon enlisting in 1942, he was given an E-5 Crow, due to his being a Red Cross/YMCA swimming instructor for more than ten years, made slick-arm Chief in two years, and stayed in the USNR-R for 26 years, retiring as an E-8. Dad enlisted me as an E-1 into the USNR-R when I was a Freshman at Georgia Tech in Atlanta, where I was born. After obtaining my first undergraduate degree, B.S. I.M., in 1956, I went to OCS in Newport, and was commissioned an ENS, USNR, in April I spent three years Active Duty aboard the USS Robert K. Huntington, DD-781, out of Norfolk, VA., serving as DCA, Eng. Off., Ops. Off., OOD U/W, CDO, and Protestant Lay Leader for the ship underway. Upon release from ACDU, my family of three (we had a daughter by then), returned to Atlanta, where I spent two years obtaining my B.I.E. Degree from Georgia Tech. Afterwards, my family spent almost three years in the Panama Canal Zone, while I worked as an I.E. for the Panama Canal Company. When I completed the eight years Commissioning obligation (3 ACDU, 5 USNR-R), combined with my prior four years Enlisted service, I told myself I could stand on my head for eight more to obtain 20 years! Actually, I stayed in for 26 years, got my scrambled eggs, and finally my fourth stripe before retiring. The highlights of my Reserve Service included becoming a SWO, attending PCO School in Newport, and being assigned PCO/SELRES for the NRF ship USS Owens at Pelican Island, Galveston, for three years! I retired from Dow Chemical Co. in Freeport, Texas, in 1994 after 29 years. While I was assigned to Dow s Space Support Contract in Titusville, Florida, from , I obtained my M.S.M. from Florida State University s off-site Graduate Program. I have three married daughters, and six grandsons! For the last ten years, my current wife, Solange Ann, and I have resided in Brazoria, Texas, where I have become a West of the Brazos Country Boy! We attend the Newsletter of MOAA Houston Area, January 2009, p. 3

4 Lake Jackson Bible Church, where I am the Financial Secretary and give Layman messages every five weeks in rotation with the Elders. My wife and I have been active in the Walk to Emmaus Ministry and are currently active in Kairos Christian Ministry for male prison inmates. She is also involved in prison ministry for women inmates. I am quite active in Freemasonry: Past Master of my Lake Jackson Lodge; Past District Deputy Grand Master for District 31 C; Past Presiding Officer of all three York Rite Bodies in Brazoria County Chapter, Council and Commandery (Knight Templar); KCCH in the Scottish Rite, Valley of Galveston; Legion of Honor (Veterans), El Mina Shrine of Galveston. I have been a Toastmaster for twenty five years, having attained the educational level of Distinguished Toastmaster; I am a member of three clubs. Whew! Did I say a little info? Please forgive me, I get a little verbose at times. Now my spiritual message for y all. A good Toastmaster friend of mine sent me the following which I wish to share with you: We all need some wise words to keep us focused on the good life. 1. Give people more than they expect and do it cheerfully. 2. Marry a man/woman you love to talk to. As you get older, their conversational skills will be as important as any other. 3. Don t believe all you hear, spend all you have, or sleep all you want. 4. When you say, I love you, mean it. 5. When you say, I'm sorry, look the person in the eye. 6. Be engaged at least six months before you get married. 7. Believe in love at first sight. 8. Never laugh at anyone s dream. People who don t have dreams don t have much! 9. Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it s the only way to live life completely. 10. In disagreements, fight fairly. No name calling! 11. Don t judge people by their relatives. 12. Talk slowly but think quickly. 13. When someone asks you a question you don t want to answer, smile and ask, Why do you want to know? 14. Remember that great love and great achievements involve great risk. 15. Say Bless you when you hear someone sneeze. 16. When you lose, don t lose the lesson. 17. Remember the three Rs: Respect for self; Respect for others; and Responsibility for all your actions. 18. DON T LET A LITTLE DISPUTE INJURE A GREAT FRIENDSHIP. 19. When you realize you ve made a mistake, take immediate steps to correct it. 20. Smile when picking up the phone. The caller will hear it in your voice. 21. Spend some time alone. The above from Jim Gentil's Positive People Power weekly publication (used with permission). HAPPY NEW YEAR! And as Tiny Tim proclaimed: God bless us all, everyone! Kerry B. Magee CAPT USNR-RET Newsletter of MOAA Houston Area, January 2009, p. 4

5 Hire an Attorney to Help you with your VA Claims Public Law allows you to hire an attorney after you file a notice of disagreement with your respective VA claim decision. Law Office of Robert B. Goss, P.C. Protecting those who have protected us. As a retired Air Force officer, combat pilot, and disabled veteran, my goal is to get you the benefits or disability rating you have earned including: U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims Appeals VA claims after VA Regional Office denial Board of Veteran Appeals Claims Correction of Military Records VA disability ratings VA benefits Wills & Probate - Helping Veterans protect themselves and their families 5100 Westheimer Road, Suite VET (4838) Houston, TX VET (4838) (Toll-free) bob@gosslaw.com (facsimile) Member The College of the State Bar of Texas. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed is greater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers. Except as noted, our attorneys are not Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization. We Are Excited About 2009! Join Us For a Meeting Please support our sponsors. Newsletter of MOAA Houston Area, January 2009, p. 5

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7 MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, HOUSTON AREA Houston Corps of Cadets ROTC Endowment Fund The University of Houston (Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force) Please Print Donor name: Mailing Address Phone: Day Evening My pledge of $ should be designed to support MOAA,HA Houston Corps of Cadets My gift will be made with installments of $ to be paid monthly quarterly annually. Beginning date: The Office of Stewardship will send reminders.) Enclosed is a check (made payable to University of Houston) for the first pledge payable. Please charge my credit card for the amount of my gift, as scheduled above: Visa Mastercard American Express Discover Account Number Expiration date: Name as it appears on card: Signature: I would like to be contacted about fulfilling my pledge with a gift of appreciated securities. My pledge payment will be matched by: (Please specify company for our records) Donor signature: date Donor Signature: date Thank you for your support of the MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, HOUSTON AREA, HOUSTON CORPS OF CADETS ROTC ENDOWMENT FUND, THE UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON University of Houston; Advancement Services; P.O. Box 867; Houston TX Attn: Nancy V. Clark uh.edu/giving From your editor Carol Ann Wilson As we look forward to 2009 and making it even better, despite gloomy forecasts, I hope you enjoy your newsletter. It is your newsletter, so please send me material you would like to see in print. If you have a favorite poem or article, get permission from the author and send it to me. If you want to write an article, please do so. We want to hear from all our members. I am thankful for each of you, and I am thankful for this great organization and what it means to so many. So here are a few words about Thanks: Thanks, thanks to thee, my worthy friend, For the lesson thou hast taught! Thus at the flaming forge of life Our fortunes must be wrought; Thus on its sounding anvil shaped Each burning deed and thought! Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ( ) The Village Blacksmith (l )

8 Military Officers Association of America, Houston Area Membership is available to Officers who have held a Federal Warrant or Commission in any of the seven uniformed services of the United States or to the surviving spouse of such a person. Please use this form for application for membership, renewal, or changes to the current directory of members. NAME: Last First Initial Grade Service Branch NAME OF SPOUSE: ADDRESS: Tel. Dues: Regular Membership $10 first year; annual renewal $20 Auxiliary (spouse of deceased officer) $10 Make check payable to MOAA,HA and send to MOAA,HA PO Box 1082 Houston TX For more information, call Maj. Val G. Henneberg Military Officers Association of America, Houston Area PO Box 1082 Houston TX Nonprofit Org. U.S. POSTAGE PAID Houston TX Permit # 2102 TO: