Distinguished Alumnus Awards (Continued from Page 1)

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1 The official message board of the University of Texas NROTC Alumni Foundation Volume 14, Issue 2 June 2009 UT NROTC Distinguished Alumnus Awards Ceremony in La Grange (Printed, in part, from an article in the Fayette Country Record) A group of family and friends of three University of Texas Alumni gathered at the Frisch Auf! Valley Country Club on the evening of March 6, 2009 to witness the presentation of awards. Receiving awards were (from left to right) CAPT John W. Hitchcock, W. Robert Brown, and RADM J. Weldon Koenig. Koenig was the fifth NROTC Alumnus to receive the Distinguished Alumnus award. Hitchcock was the first NROTC Alumnus to receive the Distinguished Service award and Brown was the first to receive both the Distinguished Alumnus and Distinguished Service awards. These men all have devoted their talents to the organizations that support the University of Texas NROTC Battalion. These three men all served their country with honor and have reached personal achievements that bring credit upon the University of Texas NROTC program as well as the University of Texas. Those in attendance had the opportunity to read a brief sheet providing the numerous achievements of each candidate. The Commanding Officer of the University of Texas NROTC Unit at Austin, CAPT James M. Spence, was in attendance as well as the color guard from the NROTC Battalion. Those in attendance witnessed an impressive posting of the colors and a great rendition of the National Anthem sung by the audience as it was led by the St. James Episcopal Church Choir. The Dean of the College of Natural Sciences, Dean Mary Ann Rankin, represented the University of Texas and was the special guest of honor speaker. She brought special wishes from the University of Texas at President, William Powers, and congratulated the men receiving awards. Awards were presented by Edwin W. Mergele, President of the UT NROTC Alumni Foundation, and emcee for the night s festivities. The following are brief biographies of the three recipients. Born in La Grange, Texas, Weldon Koenig graduated from UT in 1958 with a Bachelor of Business Administration degree and was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy. He enjoyed an active naval career for 31 years, retiring as a Rear Admiral in While in the navy, he was primarily a submariner but held a wide variety of command and staff positions. He successfully navigated his personal interview with Admiral Hyman Rickover and went on to command the USS Simon Bolivar (SSBN 641)(Blue Crew) and later Submarine Squadrons Six and Eight. Other significant duty assignments include Director of Navy Military Personnel Command Submarine Assignment Section, Director Logistics and Security Assistance, United States Pacific Command. His final command assignment was Commander Naval Training Center, Orlando, Florida. His military decorations include the Defense Superior Service Medal, three Legions of Merit, Navy Meritorious Service, Navy Commendation, Antarctic Service and others. He is most proud of the Legions of Merit. Continued on Page 2 1

2 Alumni Foundation Officers Edwin W. Ed Mergele (1975) President Michael Waldron (1967) Vice President Spencer H. Smith (1973) Secretary Dan O Neil (1980) Treasurer Robert W. Bob Looney (1962) Editor/Publisher James D. Brotherton (1968) Historian Alumni Foundation Board of Directors James D. Brotherton (1968) W. Robert Brown (1952) John Engstrom (1966) R. Glenn Looney (1961) Robert W. Bob Looney (1962) Edwin W. Ed Mergele (1975) Fred Moon (1970) Dennis Olson (1969) Dan O Neil (1980) Gabriel R. Salazar (1979) Spencer Smith (1973) Michael Waldron (1967) David Wells (1969) Ex-Officio Members CAPT James M. Spence, USN Professor of Naval Science Jack Ritter (1955) Navy League Liaison Regional Directors Ray Adams (1980) DFW (H) Keys Curry (1958) Houston (H) Robert Hancock (1967) West (H) K. J. Moore (1964) Eastern (H) Rudy Kruger (1963) Central (H) Henry Harper (1965) Mountain (H) Midshipmans Foundation Directors Clay W.G. Fulcher (1955) Robert L. Gartner (1965) John Hitchock (1965) J. Weldon Koenig (1958) Max Miller (1957) Midshipmans Foundation Advisory Directors Donald S. Inbody Jefferson D. Howell (1961) Chairman, Gifts Committee W. Robert Brown (1952) Printing of the UT NROTC Alumni Log generously donated By Raytheon Company McKinney, Texas Distinguished Alumnus Awards (Continued from Page 1) For ten years after retirement Weldon pursued a very successful career in management consulting. In 1999 he returned to his roots, the K Bar K Ranch in La Grange. This has been the Koenig family homestead for generations. Weldon was born in a house on the ranch he has now returned to and from which he now runs an active, demanding ranch operation. In La Grange today, Weldon devotes much of his time to the Fayette Library and Museum, St. Mark s Medical Center, and the St. James Episcopal Church choir. He is a member of the La Grange Lions Club, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Navy League, the United States Naval Submarine League and the Naval Order of the United States. At the University of Texas he serves on the Advisory Council for the Dean of the College of Natural Sciences. His philanthropic interests include the above organizations and The UT Longhorn Foundation, Texas Exes, The UT School of Business, The UT NROTC Alumni Foundation, The UT Chancellors Council, The UT Presidents Association, The UT Littlefield Society, Swiss Alp Lutheran Church, and The Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo. Weldon and his wife Nancy have been blessed with three adult children: Christopher who is married to Cristina; Jennifer, and Andrew, who is married to Dawn. Their two grandchildren are Andrew Jr. (Drew) and Kelsey Koenig. John Hitchcock was born in Houston, Texas and attended Sam Houston High School there. He graduated from the University of Texas in 1965 with a major in Accounting and received his commission in the United States Navy. In 1967, he married Sandra Kay (Grassel) Hitchcock in Houston, Texas. John was first assigned, as a new Ensign, to the USS Sproston (DD 577), Pearl Harbor, HI and made two WestPac deployments to South Vietnam, where he participated in numerous support missions of shore military and at-sea support of carriers. John received Naval Aviator Wings in 1968 in multi engine aircraft at Corpus Christi, TX. Hitchcock returned to Training Squadron VT-1 as a primary flight instructor, Saufley Field, Pensacola, FL, then to Air Antisubmarine Squadron VS-24, Quonset Point, RI, in September 1970, flying off the USS Intrepid (CVS 11). He made several deployments to the Mediterranean and North Atlantic. John left active duty in 1972 and immediately affiliated with the Naval Reserve. John was employed in 1973 by the IRS as a Special Agent, Criminal Investigation, and was posted in Austin, Texas. While in Austin, John attended and graduated from St. Edward's University, with a Masters Degree in Business in He taught Intermediate Accounting at Huston-Tillotson College for nearly ten years. He became a Certified Public Accountant in In 1985, he was selected as Chief, Criminal Investigation Branch, Austin IRS Service Center. In late 1987 he became the Chief, Criminal Investigation Division, of the new Austin Compliance Center. Two years later John became a Certified Fraud Examiner, establishing himself as an Expert Witness in the determination of income and related taxes in criminal trials. He retired from the IRS in In his parallel career in the Naval Reserve, John continued to serve his country for nearly 30 years of combined active and reserve service. He held numerous commands including the Naval Intelligence Command Operations Management Unit 031, Austin, TX, the Naval Investigative Service Regional Office Unit 2210, NAS Corpus, Corpus Christi, TX, the Intelligence Voluntary Training Unit, NAS New 2 Continued Next Page

3 Dintinguished Alumnus Awards (cont d) Orleans, LA, Defense Intelligence Agency Unit 310, Austin, Texas, and was the Commander, Reserve Intelligence Area Seven, NAS New Orleans, LA. John retired from the Naval Reserve in 1993 as a Captain. John has been a director, secretary, treasurer, vice president and president of the UT NROTC Alumni Foundation since its establishment in He has been a trustee and treasurer of the former UT NROTC Trust Foundation and is currently a director and secretary of the Midshipmans Foundation. W. Robert Bob Brown was born in Andalusia, Alabama, where he attended Andalusia High School. He won a NROTC scholarship to attend the University of Texas. At that time the scholarship program consisted of tuition, books, uniforms and $50.00 a month for expenses. At the University of Texas, Bob was active in NROTC activities. With other Midshipmen from various classes he helped establish and became president of the Crows Nest Co-op. The Crows Nest was designed to help Midshipmen grapple with the problem of room and board which, at the original Crows Nest, was $50.00 per month. The Crows Nest became a UT NROTC institution before its demise decades later. Bob was also on the Buccaneer drill team in its early days after it was organized by members of the class of It remains an institution at the UT NROTC. In his senior year he served as Battalion Commander. Brown graduated in 1952 with a BA Degree, majors in Chemistry and German, and was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps. Following graduation from the Marine Corps 15th Special Basic Course for young officers at Quantico, Virginia, Brown was assigned to duty with the 2 nd Marine Division at Camp Lejeune, NC, where he served as an infantry platoon leader. After his tour of duty with the 2 nd Marine Division, he was transferred to the 1 st Marine Division in Korea where he served as an infantry platoon leader. When his Marine Corps service commitment was completed, Brown returned to the UT Law School, graduating in He entered the practice of law in Houston and has since practiced law as a name partner in three major Houston law firms as a lead trial lawyer. He still practices, solo, on selected cases. Although he handled hundreds of lawsuits during his career, two were especially notorious. Pennzoil vs. Texaco was a hostile corporate takeover fight involving Getty Oil Company that produced national headlines. Hill vs. Robinson was a wrongful death action in which he represented Ash Robinson, a prominent Houston oilman. Robinson was accused of hiring a gunman to assassinate his son in law, Dr. John Hill, because Dr. Hill had allegedly caused the death of his wife, Joan Robinson Hill, Ash Robinson s daughter. Ash Robinson s life is chronicled in the best selling novel, Blood and Money. Brown has been very active in scholarship activities of the UT NROTC Alumni. In 1970 Brown created the Midshipmans Foundation to assist the Crows Nest Co-op. In the years since then, and with the help and leadership of many dedicated Alumni, the Midshipmans Foundation has become a strong source of financial support through scholarships for members of the Battalion of the UT NROTC. The scholarship program has helped many members of the Battalion to fully realize their potential for leadership in the military service and thereafter. Bob serves today as Chairman of the Gifts Committee to help raise the funds necessary to create the scholarships awarded annually by the Midshipmans Foundation. Through the Law School Foundation and the Keeton Fellows, Brown continues to support the UT Law School. He is also a member of the Chancellor s Council, the President s Associates and Littlefield Society. Bob loves four part harmony and is a member, and two-time President, of the Houston chapter of the barbershop Harmony Association. In his spare time Brown enjoys flying his light sport aircraft, fishing and farming. He and wife Judy live in Houston. His daughter Helen and husband, Tim Kay, live in Kyle, Texas. His granddaughter, Cicely, is a senior at the University of Texas. Matt and Doug are his two sons. The lives of these three awardees have, indeed, been extraordinary, as have their contributions to the UT NROTC unit. Following the ceremony, guests enjoyed a special dinner at the club and enjoyed the company of the young men and women who today are preparing to serve our country. The event concluded with the singing of the Marine Hymn, Anchors Aweigh and the Eyes of Texas. 3

4 President s Corner Ed Mergele (1975) UT NROTC Alumni Foundation and the Midshipmans Foundation The AF and the MF, for short. Both organizations exist to help the Battalion. Your contributions to both are tax-deductible. The AF works with an annual budget of roughly $8,000, all from voluntary dues paid by you the alumni. The AF organizes and facilitates the Annual Reunion each fall. It has also taken on supporting the Battalion with whatever funds it can muster to help them with group activities (e.g. pistol and drill meets, formals, etc.). The MF manages the endowment that finances the giving of scholarships. They have also taken on supporting the Battalion with attendance at seminars that promote professional and academic development. We work together to represent you and help the unit. Both organizations need your financial help and participation to survive. Strongly consider paying the $25 dues each year to the AF, more if you can afford it, and get your classmates to do the same. If you think our mission is a worthy one, just make it an annual ritual to give to both the AF and MF. And last, but not least, timing is important. In ramping up to each year s reunion, we have a large cash outlay for food and football tickets, based on our best estimates of attendance and participation. The sooner you can let us know about your plans each year the less waste we will experience. And less waste is just as good as a contribution. Also sending in your dues early helps us with this cash flow problem. I hope to see all of you at the Reunion! Heritage, Scholarship, Leadership, Camaraderie Some months ago I was looking for something to plug into our letterhead. There was a big white space there and I thought it might be a good place for a slogan or quote or something. I started thinking about what the Alumni Foundation is all about. Why are we here? What makes us do what we do? What is our purpose? What motivates us? I came up with these four words and, although, anyone with a thesaurus may want to debate me, I think they embody the essence of this organization. As a senior in the spring of 1975, I tried to get underclassmen interested in starting an alumni group on my way out. I had spent my time at UT in a unit that didn t have much in the way of a unit history. I had no idea of who came before me and didn t see much point in caring about who would come after me. I thought an alumni group might help fix that, but it was to be years before a group of men living in the Austin area put enough critical mass together to finally get it done. I hope one day soon we will have a well documented unit history that will reveal all those that made the Alumni Foundation and Midshipmans Foundation a reality. Heritage is not only the history of our alumni organization, but the collective history of the men and women who were graduated/commissioned before us and had a positive impact on the Navy and Marine Corps. It s those alumni who have given their lives in defense of this country. It s also their civilian accomplishments after leaving the service. We have over 65 years of history in the UT NROTC program to document and pass along to future generations. If we don t, as the philosopher George Santayana, once wrote, Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it. Camaraderie and Scholarship were the two original purposes in forming the alumni association. From the very beginning, as I recall, there was a desire to help the unit and the midshipmen, not just get together once a year and reminisce. Almost single-handedly, Bob Brown ( 52) has been the driving force behind building an endowment of $1 million to sustain the giving of scholarships in perpetuity. We are indeed fortunate to count him as one of our own. Scholarships are what distinguish this alumni group from virtually every other ROTC alumni group. The camaraderie is probably the single most important reason many of you come to the Reunion each year, but it is the giving of scholarships that attracts and keeps good officer candidates in the unit. It provides us a way to ensure this unit s future and a way to feel like we re giving something back to an organization that contributed so much to our careers and character. Lastly Leadership is what the NROTC program seeks, cultivates and improves upon every year with each new and graduating class of officers. Your alumni association helps that process with its monetary support of the Battalion and an historical perspective that can t be found in any text book. You, its members, are important to the process. Your donations and your sea stories will shape future leaders who pass through here. Make a difference. Give some of your time as well as your treasure, get involved. It s another way of giving something back to the program. 4

5 Vice President s Corner Mike Waldron (1967) Last month my wife and I had the pleasure of traveling to San Diego for a wedding. The son of my old roommate from WESTPAC cruise days was getting married. We had been roommates aboard the USS Oriskany CVA34 flying the F8 Crusader off Vietnam back in the early 70 s. From those days we have shared a lot, as comrades in arms do. I was his best man and he was mine. Interestingly, it was his daughter who chose to follow those naval aviator footsteps to become an F/A-18 Weapons System Officer. And, by the way, she is also Blue Angel 8, the team Coordinator. At the wedding there was a table set aside for all the old Navy guys. What a time we had swapping lies and recounting stories from long ago. Later that weekend an old friend from Navy Reserve days whom I haven t seen in twenty years showed up. It s like time stood still. We laughed about all the same things that made life interesting years ago. We are not going to lose track again. What all this is leading to is the value of friendship. Most of the best friends I have in this world are from my old fighter squadron and other Reserve units I was a part of. There is something endearing about comrades you serve with. I believe that a primary reason we have an alumni group is to nurture and promote those friendships. That is why we have a UT NROTC Alumni Foundation (AF). In addition, we have a lot of projects in the AF, all of which have their importance. Supporting the battalion budget so that our midshipmen can take advantage of leadership growth opportunities is a primary function. Collaborating with the Midshipmans Foundation to insure that excellence is recognized and rewarded likewise is paramount. But the Alumni Foundation also exists to promote the value of our shared experience. Regardless of how long and far our Navy or Marine Corp careers took us, it all began back at UT. There is ample opportunity to rekindle those old kinships by becoming involved with the alumni group in your area. The Board here in Austin is committed to revitalizing the regional network. We have begun by establishing a UT NROTC Alumni Group at LinkedIn, the professional networking site. This can bring together middies from across the spectrum of year groups and professional backgrounds, though there is nothing that works better than one-to-one personal contact. If each current member could reach out to just one old classmate; that is what will make this group come together. Another possibility is to link the AF with the Texas Exes so that their events throughout the country could be a good spot to meet. I know there must be other great ideas out there on how to make this organization more inclusive, not just the guys from around Austin. Please reach out and let me know. 191hellcat@gmail.com Open Board Meetings Our next UT NROTC Alumni Foundation board meeting will be on Saturday, July 18, 2009 at 10:00 a.m. in the Russell A. Steindam Hall (ROTC Building). It generally lasts two hours. As all our meetings, it is open to anyone with an interest in this Foundation. Our proceedings are governed by an agenda that generally goes out to board members a week or so before the meeting. Our meetings are documented by the Secretary through the taking of minutes. We publish highlights from each meeting in our newsletter, The NROTC Alumni Log. Parking for the meetings is a bit problematic. Texas Exes can typically park in the Alumni Center parking garage. Many of us park near Sholtz s and walk over. If you are going to be in town that weekend or would like to attend for any reason, come and sit in on a session. We have several attendees each session who are not board members who just want to enjoy that extra dose of camaraderie and help however they can. I would ask that if you do plan to attend, that you give me advance notice so we can work with the unit to provide enough room and seating. If you have an issue you would like to bring before the board, please contact me well enough in advance so I can put it on the agenda and ensure time is allocated for it. This is your Alumni Foundation in as much as you want to donate your time and other resources to it. If you are interested in being a board member, this would be an excellent way to try before you buy. Try it. You ll like it. 5

6 WWII Alumni Reunion Thu-Fri (24-25 Sep) More sea stories a warmup for the General Reunion Like last years WWII Alumni Reunion non-stop series of events with numerous opportunities to catch up and recount old memories, this year s WWII Alumni get-together will be a continuous social hour! We ll start gathering on Thursday afternoon 24 September at the Doubletree Hotel North (same Reunion location as last year) in our Hospitality Suite we re working to open it up a couple of hours early at 1 where we ll have refreshments. Thursday evening s dinner will be like our Friday lunch last year all together, casual in the Courtyard Café. We ll seat large groups of us together. We ll be able to order off a menu that evening with a choice of 5-8 entrees that we ll pre-select before the Reunion. Pay as you go or bill to your room. And then, we ll retire to the Hospitality Suite for another round of sea stories! We ll still have the Hospitality Suite to gather in Friday morning to continue swapping lies. And we can gather for a large group lunch like last year. Should a large number of Alums stick around Friday evening for the general Reunion Dinner at the Austin Country Club, we ll see about being able to keep the hospitality room going Fri afternoon. If you want to go the Friday evening dinner but don t relish making that drive, we ll get you and those with you a ride to and from the dinner with another alum. Want to go to the Saturday morning Alumni General Business Meeting and need a ride?.we ll work on that also. Dr. Tom Hatfield, Director of Military Studies for the UT Center for American History and David Zepeda will be conducting personal history interviews again on Thursday afternoon and/or Friday. If you haven t been interviewed, we want you to come so that your story can be told and captured! Our rates at the Doubletree for a king or two doubles room will be $119 per night for 1-2 persons a big savings over the usual $189 single/$209 double rate. Phone for reservations and refer to the group name UT NROTC World War II Alumni. So that we can get that information to you as it develops, we need all WWII Alumni to contact our Reunion POC, Ivan Elmer s reunion right-hand man Fred Moon and let him know if you intend/plan/hope to be there or won t be able to make it, need to be interviewed, if you can be a caller in the phone tree, and your contact info. Please, contact Fred at lunarock@sbcglobal.net or Class of 69 Makes Plans for Fall Reunion Believe it or not it will have been 40 years since the class of '69 graduated. The fact that any of that crew actually got commissioned is remarkable enough, so this reunion we hope to have as many of our classmates attend as possible to honor the 40th anniversary. David Wells will be leading the effort for the Class of '69. Of the 67 classmates on our roster we have contact info for all but 18 and are working on locating everyone. We plan to have an informal get together on Friday night, place to be determined, and of course the reunion business meeting, game and BBQ on Saturday. We will have some rooms available, probably at the Drury Inn and Suites. Details will be promulgated in next newsletter and by David via /phone. Hope to see all of you there. Get Linked Up with LinkedIn At our April board meeting it was suggested by Dan O Neil, our Treasurer, that we make use of LinkedIn, a free internet service that allows individuals to link up with each other and stay in touch. It also provides a nice way of getting information out to a group in a hurry. The Naval Academy has a similar group setup to help coordinate class communications and events. We're going to borrow some of their ideas for our group. We ve established a group on the site called University of Texas NROTC Alumni. If anyone wants to join, they can contact Dan O Neil by (dtoneil@austin.rr.com) and he will help you get set up. Right now Dan is the only group manager. Once we start getting significant enrollment we will open it up to additional managers. This may turn out to be an excellent way to grow the regional organizations as well as graduating class subgroups. As of this writing, we have about 15 signed up. Drop Dan an today and get started with LinkedIn. 6

7 University of Texas NROTC Alumni Foundation P.O. Box Austin, TX Alumni Reunion Registration Form Please return this form by 18 September From: Year Group: Address: Phone: (H) (C or W) Address: Yes!! I ll be there!! Reserve the following for me: Friday night dinner x $35 each = $ Football tickets x $75 each = $ BBQ dinner tickets x $20 each = $ Speedway Parking x $10 each = $ Total amount for Reunion: $ I can t attend this year. Please enter the updates provided above. Please, accept my tax-deductible (voluntary) dues for 2009 (check one): Regular Member: $25 Sustaining: $50 Patron: $75 Other: $ I have already given! Make all checks payable to: NROTC ALUMNI FOUNDATION. Reunion events payment and annual dues may be combined into one check. Mail to address shown at the top of this form. Only dues amount is tax-deductible Make reservations for the Navy League Distinguished Speaker Dinner with: Glenn Looney at and rglennl@alumni.utexas.net 14 Chapin Ln Austin TX

8 Now Hear This! - Challenge 2009 is Underway Have you answered the CHALLENGE for 2009? Here s the deal. If we can raise $50, before December 1, 2009, one of our dedicated Alumni has promised to match that amount! He did it last year with the help of your support. With this additional $100,000 added to the Midshipmans Foundation Scholarship Fund, we will be very close to our goal of a $1 million dollar scholarship endowment. We need your help. Please use the form provided below and send your check or pledge to Bob Gartner, Treasurer of the Midshipmans Foundation, today. Donation Form for Midshipmans Foundation Scholarship Fund Name Commissioning Class: Address City State Zip Phone: Home Fax: Business Suggested Donation Levels: $100 $500 $1,000 $2,500 $5,000 (or more) Amount Enclosed: Please make check payable to: Midshipmans Foundation (if not using matching gift program) or to the University of Texas (if using the matching gift program). Also enclose your company form Mail all donations for the Midshipmans Foundation Scholarship Fund, to the following address: Bob Gartner, Treasurer Midshipmans Foundation 6908 Bayridge Terrace Austin, TX We look forward to hearing from you. Don't forget to include your address!! Exes for Texas XXXXXXXx xxxxxxxx XXXXXXXx xxxxxxxx XXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXX xxxxxxxxx XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX XXXXXXXXX xxxxxxxxx XXXXXXX 8

9 Make Your Reunion Plans Now Wow! How time flies. It s already that time of the year again to start making your plans for attending the annual Reunion to be held the weekend of the UTEP game on 26 September. Our Reunion agenda is full of activities that give us the opportunity to kindle new and renew old friendships, learn the latest about the Battalion and the status of our Foundations, and attend our social events. Remember that the purpose of the Alumni Foundation is to support the Battalion and promote camaraderie amongst the Alumni! Come back and join us for a really memorable weekend. At the Reunion General Business Meeting Saturday morning, you ll receive an update on the Program from the new PNS, CAPT Spence, and an update on the Battalion from the Battalion Commander, witness the awarding of scholarships and other awards to members of the Battalion, receive the presentation of the financial summary reports of the UTNROTC Alumni Foundation Operating Fund and the Midshipmans Foundation Trust Fund, and have the opportunity to make new or additional commitments to contribute to these two Funds. Your donations provide the vehicle with which our membership can provide financial support for selected members of the Battalion in good record and often in need, Battalion leadership development and team building activities, and the day to day administrative expenses of the Foundations. We ll complete our Saturday activities with our BBQ, time and location TBA, and I m sure there will be a Saturday evening impromptu social gathering UT NROTC Alumni Foundation Reunion Activities Hotel Accommodations are available for all attendees at the Drury Inn & Suites Austin North, 6711 IH-35 North, Austin 78752, For reservations, call and tell them the hotel name Drury Inn & Suites Austin North and group name "UT NROTC Alumni". Group number is Reservations must be made no later than Thursday 10 Sept for the group rate. Same amenities as last year with complimentary breakfast buffet, manager's reception daily, free parking, cable TV with HBO, etc. Go to for more info. You can also book your rooms online by clicking on Book it Fast on their website. Room rates per night for 1 to 4 persons are 2 doubles or king deluxe $92. Suites with single king or two queens is $130. City hotel tax is an additional 15% (subject to change without notice). Check-in is 1500 and check-out is Thursday 24 September Navy League Dinner and Program. The Greater Austin Council (new name) will kick off the 2009 reunion weekend with a dinner and distinguished speaker program on Thursday, 24 September This is the Council's signature events each year as it honors The University of Texas NROTC midshipmen, officer candidates, staff, and alumni. Rear Admiral John D. Butler, United States Navy (Retired), Vice-President Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company for Fleet Ballistic Missile Program Requirements, will keynote the week's activities as the Council's Distinguished Speaker and Guest of Honor. Following custom, he is an alumnus of the University of Texas. His two sons were also recently commissioned in the United States Navy out of the University of Texas. John D. Butler, Rear Admiral, U.S. Navy (Retired) commenced his current assignment at Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company in September From September 2005 to August 2008, he served as Vice President of Programs and Senior Naval Advisor for Lockheed Martin Maritime Systems and Sensors (MS2), which included 18 months as the on-site Lockheed Martin Executive in charge of Littoral Combat Ship (LCS) production in Marinette, Wisconsin. He joined Lockheed Martin MS2 in September 2005, after having completed a 31 year career as a Submariner and Engineering Duty Officer. A native of Texas City, TX, he received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the University of Texas at Austin in 1974 and his Masters of Science degree in Engineering Acoustics from the Naval Postgraduate School in Butler was commissioned in the Navy via the Nuclear Power Officer Candidate Program in His complete curriculum vitae may be found at this link: The meeting will be held at the Austin Woman s Club (1st Floor) located at the corner of San Antonio and 8th Street. 9 Continued on Page 10

10 Reunion Activities continued from Page 9 Access to the entrance and parking area is from the rear on Nueces Street between 7th & 8th Streets. Parking is freeignore the signs. Social hour begins at 1815; Dinner is at 1915; Program begins at 2015; Adjourn at All Navy League meetings are open to the public. Your family and friends are all welcome. Reservations are required by Tuesday, 22 September 2009 (may pay at the door $25 per person with reservation). For more information and reservations call Glenn Looney (rglennl@alumni.utexas.net). Friday 25 September Golf Outing. For those of you interested in a reunion Golf outing we will be gathering at Star Ranch on Friday September 25th in the morning. Currently we have a promise from Star Ranch for 4 tee times (16 players), starting at We can get more, if there is group interest. As in previous encounters we will face off Navy versus Marine. The Star Ranch offers both a Breakfast Buffet and a Lunch Buffet as part of the green fee. Star Ranch is located at 2500 FM 685 in Hutto, Texas (NE Austin just north of the new toll road 45 East). The current rates for green fee/cart/range balls/buffet are $52 (seniors $37). We will pay when we get there. Notify Jim Brotherton if you are interested in playing. Home Phone: or cell or jdbrotherton@att.com. Directions: From Austin Take IH 35 North exit Louis Henna Blvd (Toll 45/Loop 1) Travel 1.4 miles on access road to Toll Road 45 East Travel approx 2.7 miles and take 130 North Exit Gattis School Road/685 North Travel approx 1 mile North on FM685 and turn left at second stop light Go 0.6 miles South on FM 685 and Star Ranch will be on your right. UT NROTC Alumni Dinner. This year s UT NROTC Alumni Dinner will be held at the Austin Country Club with cocktails at 1830, followed by dinner at The tentative cost is $35, but is subject to change. Dress will be business casual (i.e. sport coat or dress shirt/slacks). Directions: Go one mile south of the Loop 360 bridge over Lake Austin and take Westlake Drive east. Go about 200 meters and turn left onto Long Champ Drive and go to 4408 at the end. Call if you get lost. Informal Gathering. All year-group class members may also gather at Scholz Garten (1607 San Jacinto) at 1900 for socializing. Be prepared to contact others to make plans to meet at an alternate location if Scholz s ends up being reserved for a private party. Telephone for Scholz Garten is Saturday 26 September Board of Directors Meeting in the Library on the 1st deck of the RAS ROTC building. Alumni Reunion Business Meeting , Location TBA we are looking into an auditorium near the ROTC Bldg with multi-media presentation capability, probably Welch Hall again. The morning business meeting is the main reunion event, and it will provide an opportunity to learn of all the latest unit activities, plans, achievements, etc., and also that of the Midshipmans Foundation. It is a great opportunity to meet with Midshipmen, staff, and alumni. Tickets that have been ordered for the UTEP/Texas football game will also be distributed at the meeting. Football Game: UT El Paso vs. Texas. Start time is 2:30 p.m. Tickets are $75. You can reserve your tickets on the Reunion Registration Form (Page 7) Reunion BBQ. The UTEP/Texas game will start at 2:30pm, so we will have our BBQ right after the Business Meeting at the ROTC Bldg. This should give us ample time to eat and visit before the game. Those who don t go to the game are welcomed to stay and visit all you want. Watch the August issue for any changes to these plans. The cost for the BBQ is $20 per head. Reservations should be made on your Reunion Registration Form (Page 7). Sunday 27 September Breakfast. At 0800, an informal breakfast will be held at Cisco s on East 6th Street. You may show up at your convenience, but the earlier the better, so you can see your friends one more time before they hit the road! 10

11 Scholarship/Award Recipients Thank You for your Support! Excerpts from their thank-you letters to our contributors... " I am the last of four children in my family to go to college I entered the NROTC program to help pay for school the NROTC Scholarships don t pay for everything. Your gift will help not only me but my entire family the scholarship gives me some financial relief in order to concentrate on my studies in Chemical Engineering. Thank you." " I feel very honored to receive this award my older brother has already been to college this scholarship is a relief for my parents your support assists my journey toward my ultimate goal, earning my commission in the United States Navy." " I am the only one of my four siblings to attend college the NROTC Scholarship doesn t pay for everything Your Scholarship will lighten my financial stress and allow me to better focus on my studies in Aerospace Engineering Thank you." " I am the son of a retired Army Colonel and brother of two Army officers who went to the Citadel I am the last in my family to go to college This scholarship allows me to take one step further in becoming a Navy doctor. Thank you." " I am from the state of Washington recently finances have been tight due to the number of doctor bills my parents have had to pay for my mother This money will help alleviate that stress and allow me to travel home and visit my family for Christmas. Thank you." " thank the Foundations for awarding me the LtGen D Wayne Gray and MajGen Fred Haynes Scholarship. I have used the money to pursue EMT certification which should pay huge dividends as a Marine in the fleet, should there be a medical emergency. Thank you." " thank the Foundation for awarding me the LtGen Dwayne Gray Scholarship and Mameluke Sword Having served in the Marine Corps for over 12 years, I am anxious to finally transition to the Officer Corps. This sword is a symbol of strength and tradition throughout the Corps and I will always remember where it came from. Semper Fi!" " thank the Foundation for awarding me the CAPT H. Malcolm MacDonald Scholarship I am the first in my family to voluntarily go into the Naval Service and this award means so much to me and my family. This award comes at an especially crucial time as I work on both my History Honors degree and my History thesis. Thank you." From the President of the Midshipmans Foundation Your foundation continues to move forward in their goal of reaching a corpus of one million dollars to support the men and women of the University of Texas at Austin NROTC unit (Read about the Challenge 2009 on page 9). Part of this effort is to recognize men and women who have reached special achievements during their careers following graduation from the unit. I ask you to continue to nominate individuals who have achieved significant success and contribute in a major way to assist the men and women of our NROTC unit. We will keep you informed as we continue our efforts and provide significant assistance to our men and women. You should be proud of what is being accomplished and participate as best as you can in furthering our efforts. The UTEP-Texas Game will be televised by the Fox Sports Network on Saturday, September 26, 2009, starting at 2:30 p.m. Tom Bowman COL USMC (Ret), Class of '69, was named to the 2009 Secretary of the Navy Retiree Council. 11

12 Naval ROTC Battalion Hosts Awards Ceremony Max Miller, Outgoing Battalion Commander, MIDN Cody Hoffman, and CAPT Mike Spence On Thursday, May 7, the University of Texas Naval ROTC Battalion had its change of command and annual spring awards ceremony at the University Training Center. Twenty awards were given out to members of the battalion who have shown outstanding character, performance, and leadership potential. Representatives from many military organizations; such as the Military Order of the Purple Heart, the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Reserve Officer Association, Sons of the American Revolution, Daughters of the American Revolution, Military Officers Association of America, the American Legion, the Midshipmans Foundation and the UT NROTC Alumni Foundation; were present to give the awards and honor these midshipmen and officer candidates. Max Miller awards scholarship to MIDN Karin Pooser 12 The following Midshipmen and Officer Candidates received awards from the other organizations that were represented, some receiving more than one award: MIDN Drew Anderson MIDN Christopher Cardinal MIDN Alexander Darst MIDN Colin Doherty MIDN John Goodrich MIDN Eric Guerra MIDN Wes Holzapfel MIDN Matthew Mayo MIDN Christopher Olander MIDN Elizabeth Page MIDN Jordan Penland MIDN Timothy Pierce MIDN Karin Pooser MIDN Sciore MIDN Christopher Smith MIDN John Woodward MIDN Clye Zimmerman. MIDN Erick Zuber The UT Midshipmans Foundation, represented by CAPT Max Miller, USN (Ret) (Class of 57), presented the Crawford and Hattie Jackson Foundation Scholarships in the amount of $2,500 each to MIDN Bryne Martin and MIDN Karin Pooser. MIDN Bryne Martin is a senior, Navy Option, Nursing major from Copperas Cove, TX (Copperas Cove H.S.). MIDN Martin transferred to UT from Texas A&M where she was a scholarship midshipman after her Freshman year to enroll in the UT Nursing program. During the Fall 2008 semester she was ranked number 1 of 17 1/C midshipmen and earned a 4.0 GPA and a 4.0 Military Aptitude Score. Sensing a gap in the battalion staff structure she developed a plan for creation of a billet, Battalion Medical Officer, to assist with first aid training and to mentor the younger nursing option midshipmen in their progression through the program. As the Battalion Medical Officer she created an alternate drill period for all nurse option midshipmen ensuring their professional Naval training did not suffer due to their heavy school of nursing requirements, which often times requires their absence from regular battalion events. MIDN Karin Pooser is a junior Chemical Engineering major from Fredericksburg, TX (Fredericksburg H.S.). During the Fall 2008 semester she attained a 3.5 GPA and was ranked 4 of 15 2/C midshipmen. She is extremely active in the battalion and is always lending a hand behind the scenes despite not being assigned an official billet. She will definitely be on the short list of nominees for a battalion level billet for the Fall 2009 semester. MIDN Pooser is a solid performer and team player who is one of our most improved students in GPA. She desires to enter the nuclear power program upon commissioning.

13 CO s SITREP This has been quite an eventful first semester as Professor of Naval Science and Commanding Officer. I could not have been more proud of the effort put forth by the Midshipmen and Navy and Marine Corps Officer Candidates. The past four months since the Change of Command have been marked by one significant accomplishment after another. In March, our Drill Team took First Place in Platoon Inspection competition at the Tulane University drill meet. Next, the Battalion bested the other UT-Austin ROTC units by winning its second consecutive President s Cup. This competition consisted of a series of athletic and military performance events conducted in both the Fall and Spring semesters. President Powers presented the trophy to Midshipman Hoffman, outgoing Battalion Commander, at the base of the Tower in an early morning ceremony in May. Finally, our Pistol Team took first place in a competition hosted by the University of Colorado NROTC Unit. The original meet in Boulder, Colorado was cancelled due to a heavy snow storm in the Denver area. At the suggestion of GySgt Kiernan, UT-Austin Assistant Marine Officer Instructor, each of the competing teams shot on their own home ranges and mailed their targets to Boulder. One of the principle reasons for the success of the Battalion was the outstanding leadership of the Battalion Commander, Midshipman 1/C Cody Hoffman, and his staff. Leadership of the Battalion transferred to Midshipman 2/C Christopher Olander in early May at the Battalion Change of Command and Awards Ceremony. Midshipman Olander is an Aerospace Engineering major and served the year as commander of the Drill Team. Additionally at this ceremony, the winners of the Crawford and Hattie Jackson Foundation Scholarships were announced. Max Miller was on hand to present $2500 scholarships each to Midshipman 1/C Bryne Martin and Midshipman 2/C Karin Pooser. As the academic year comes to a close, I want to acknowledge the significant contribution to the unit made by LT Blythe Blakistone. LT Blakistone departs after a three year tour as Surface Warfare Advisor including a sixth-month stint as a Navy Individual Augmentee in Baghdad. Her next assignment is as the Weapons Officer on the USS Wayne E. Meyers (DDG-108), a new-construction Arleigh Burke AEGIS guided-missile destroyer. This is one of the best assignments in the Surface Navy and is well deserved. Major Ron Lobato, UT-Austin NROTC Marine Officer Instructor, has been working hard with the UT-Austin Administration to identify land and resources to establish a facsimile of the Marine Officer Candidate School obstacle course at Quantico. Successful completion of the obstacle course is a major hurdle for all of our students desiring a commission in the United States Marine Corps. It is imperative that they practice both the technical and endurance aspects of this difficult test prior to arrival at the Officer Candidate School-phase of summer training. Currently, we are forced to drive to College Station to use the Aggie NROTC obstacle course. Major Lobato has tentative approval to locate our own obstacle course at the J.J. Pickle Research Center. Funding and construction resources have still to be identified but we hope to have the course up and available for all central-texas Marine Corps units by next Fall. This summer, Midshipmen and Officer Candidates will fan out across the globe for exposure to the various Navy and Marine Corps warfare specialties as part of Core Training for Midshipman (CORTRAMID), individual summer deployments, and Marine Corps Officer Candidate School. As I mentioned to the guests at the Awards Ceremony, the future of our Navy and Marine Corps, exemplified by LT Blakistone and the many outstanding midshipman of this Battalion who have accomplished so much this semester, is in very good hands. 13

14 Highlights of the April Board Meeting On Saturday, April 18, 2009, your board of directors met on campus at the RAS (ROTC) building. The Thank You letter from the Buccaneer drill team was passed around, along with photos from their meet in Tulane. They beat out A&M and the Naval Academy to take first place in inspection. Also a copy of a letter of thanks was passed around. The letter was to Frank Sager, who works for NASA and is primarily responsible for publishing of our alumni directory each year. He was also given a commemorative bronze coin with our logo on it as a reminder. After these preliminaries we got down to going through reports. Dan O Neil gave the Treasurer s report and money is getting tight. Our commitments to help the Battalion with drill meets and pistol matches have put us at a lower level than what we would have expected at this time of year. Cost cutting measures and cash management issues were discussed. The Reunion always requires up front cash to get tickets and food. Some of that can be relieved by alumni getting their Reunion checks in sooner than later. The issue was raised about the cost of the newsletter. It is sent out to around 800 alumni three times per year. Only about one tenth that number ever pay any dues. Do we stop sending it out to those who do not pay or not, was the question on the table. Attendees from the Midshipmans Foundation said that the newsletter is also our most effective way of prospecting for donors. Others agreed. Cutting down on our support of Battalion activities was also considered distasteful. So the emphasis shifted from cutting expenses to finding new sources of income. The pie needs to be increased with more alumni giving. Monetary gifts to the Alumni Foundation are tax deductible, just like your donations to the Midshipmans Foundation. It was emphasized that each of us needs to consider giving to both each year. A committee was formed to explore how we can improve our communications and get our alumni more involved. Regional and Class groups may be the key. Dan also suggested we make use of a free online networking service called LinkedIn. We were all intrigued by his report of what it can do and asked him to look into setting up a UT NROTC Group on it. See the article on page 6 about this free service. To underscore the fact that donations to the AF are now tax deductible, Dennis Olson proposed two paragraphs be added to our by-laws to define what a member is and classify us as primarily a war veterans group. It will mean UT NROTC ALUMNI FOUNDATION OPERATING FUND INCOME AND EXPENSE STATEMENT (AS OF 4/18/2009) Continued Next Page Buccaneers at Tulane Drill Meet (See CO s SITREP on Page 13 for details) Pistol Team firing for Colorado Competition BEGINNING BALANCE (11/08/08) $7, INCOME Member Checks (Operating Fund FY09) $ Member Checks (Book/other) $ TOTAL INCOME $ EXPENSES PNS Retirement Gift $ Battalion Spring Expenses $2, PNS Discretionary $ Newsletter Expenses $ Printing Supplies $ TOTAL EXPENSES $ 3, CURRENT BALANCE $ 4, UPCOMING LIABILITIES (by next meeting) Midshipman s Foundation (Dist Alumni) $ Newsletter (Summer Edition) $ TOTAL PROJECTED LIABILITIES $ 1, PROJECTED BALANCE $3,