Fall 2016 Congratulations CSC/ss Saavedra

Transcription

1 NERD-1 News Fall 2016 The official newsletter of United States Submarine Veterans, Inc Northeast Region District One Congratulations CSC/ss Saavedra

2 Front Cover On 2 August 2016, Chief Culinary Specialist Dominique Saavedra was awarded her Silver Dolphins aboard USS Michigan SSGN-727, becoming the first female enlisted sailor to join the Brotherhood of the Phin. The View from the Bridge Summer 2016 was exceptionally busy in Northeast Region District One, as you will see in our quarterly Photo Recon, from multiple parades and civic events to Base meetings, Awards, Holland Club Inductions, and of course, the USSVI National Convention in Reno, Nevada! For those of you who do not know, the only contested election in our district this year was that of Northeast Regional Director. The candidates were incumbent Michael Naughton, who has been the Northeast Regional Director since the Norfolk Convention of 2012, and District 2 Commander Les Altschuler. It was a very close race, but Mike narrowly won re-election. Unfortunately, within days of being informed of his re-election, Mike received some bad news healthwise and decided it would be best for the organization to tender his resignation. As a result, Les Altschuler has been appointed the Northeast Regional Director. More regarding this and related events later in this newsletter issue. Fall is now upon us, and with it one of the most important events that occurs annually in our district the Annual USSVI Groton Base Thanksgiving Caring and Sharing Event! Again, if you are not already aware, every year Groton Base spends months planning and procuring for the annual Thanksgiving Dinner event. Thanks to donations from local businesses and USSVI members across the country, Groton Base is able to provide and deliver traditional Thanksgiving meals with all the trimmings to military and emergency services personnel who are not able to be home with their families because they are on duty that day, along with the elderly who are unable to get out to enjoy the holiday with friends and family. They also invite Sub School students and anyone who comes to the Groton Clubhouse to enjoy a free meal and comradery! My wife and I have volunteered for the last 12 years and plan on being there again this year, dishing out food and passing on wisdom to the next generation of submariners. If you have the opportunity, I recommend you help out in some way by either volunteering at the clubhouse (set-up, serving, clean-up) or donating money or supplies to help this worthy event! Contact me or Groton Base Commander Jeff Walsh for more information on how you can help. If you have any Base News, photos, announcements, or events you wish included in the next issue of NERD-1 News, it to SubGuySS@verizon.net

3 Northeast Region District One Upcoming Events and Activities November Saturday 5 November 1000 Hrs USSVI Marblehead Base Veterans Day Memorial Service Lynch Square, North Beverly, MA Open to all USSVI Members and the Public Saturday 12 November 1100 Hrs USS S-4 (SS-109) Memorial Service St Mary of the Harbor Church Provincetown, MA Open to all USSVI Members and the Public Wednesday 23 November Afternoon/Evening USSVI Groton Base Thanksgiving Caring & Sharing Set-Up Groton Base Clubhouse 40 School St, Groton, CT Thursday 24 November All Day Event USSVI Groton Base Thanksgiving Caring & Sharing Event Groton Base Clubhouse 40 School St, Groton, CT December Saturday 10 December Step-off 1700 Hrs Stoughton Holiday Parade of Lights Muster at Stoughton High School Pearl Street, Stoughton, MA NLT 1600 Hrs All USSVI Members invited to participate! See the MHB Website at or contact NERD-1 at subguyss@verizon.net for more details!

4 District Photo Recon July-September 2016 Sunday 03 July 2016 Fishtown Horribles Parade Gloucester, MA Above and Below: Members of USSVI Marblehead Base participate for the first time in the annual pre-independence Day Parade and Town Celebration.

5 Left: The USS Thresher Memorial Parade Float wins its biggest prize yet Almost 4 feet tall! during the Fishtown Horribles Parade. Below: The Fishtown Horribles Parade was followed by fireworks over Gloucester Harbor.

6 Monday 04 July 2016 Independence Day Parades Chelmsford and Wakefield, MA Above and Below: The Thresher Memorial Float and NERD-1 Peter Koester muster at McCarthy Middle School in Chelmsford for the morning parade.

7 Great crowds line the road into downtown Chelmsford. Thresher and the Jeep are joined in the Wakefield Parade by Dan Crovo and his Corvette.

8 Saturday 16 July th Anniversary Parade, Lee, NH On July 16 th, the town of Lee, New Hampshire celebrated the 250 th anniversary since its founding. United States Submarine Veterans (Thresher Base and Marblehead Base) were on hand help celebrate the occasion. Above and Below: Photos by Robin Galeaz.

9 Saturday 30 July 2016 USSVI Thresher Base Summer Lobster Bake & Holland Club Induction The USS Thresher (SSN-593) Memorial Float and its many awards on display at the American Legion Post in Seabrook, NH.

10 Above: NERD-1 Peter Koester reads the history of the Holland Club. (Photos by Robin Galeaz) Below: USSVI Groton Base Commander Al Kinsall, USS Providence EDMC Senior Chief Dominick Grimaldi, NERD-1 Peter Koester, Thresher Base Commander Kevin Galeaz, and USS Providence CO Commander Jason D. Grizzle induct new members into the prestigious Holland Club, including Thresher Base member Bob Lucier.

11 Above: Groton Base Commander Al Kinsall passes the Traveling Dolphins on to Thresher Base Commander Kevin Galeaz, continuing the tradition. (Photos by Robin Galeaz) Below: Submarine Veterans of every era gather around the USS Thresher float for a photo op.

12 Above: USS Providence crew member MMN2 Philip Curran is awarded his Submarine Qualification by Commander Grizzle. (Photos by Robin Galeaz) Below: Petty Officer Curran is pinned with his Dolphins by World War II Submarine Veterans Bill Seaward and Bill Tebo. Congratulations PO2 Curran! We await your application to USSVI!

13 Sunday 31 July 2016 USSVI Marblehead Base Summer Cook-Out, Peabody, MA Marblehead Base Vice Commander Frank Harrington prepares the food for the day s festivities. Above: Some guests gather in the porch for the summer cook-out. Right: While others enjoy the patio or take a dip in the pool.

14 Saturday 06 August 2016 Jeep Fest, Norwood, MA Surprise appearance by the USS Thresher Memorial Float at Jeep Fest 2016!

15 Sunday 07 August 2016 Yankee Homecoming Parade, Newburyport, MA The USS Thresher Float was the lead float in this year s Yankee Homecoming Parade. Marblehead Base members Doug Bryant, Dan Crovo, George LeBlanc, Peter Koester, Tom Shannon, and Frank Hood represent Sub Vets in Newburyport!

16 USSVI National Convention 2016 Reno, Nevada Awards Banquet Congratulations to USSVI Marblehead Base for being awarded the Golden Anchor Award (Class III Base) and Northeast Region District One Commander Peter J. Koester for receiving the Silver Anchor Award! Additionally, congratulations go out to the other District One National Award Winners: Robert Link Award (Individuals): William E. Follett, Sr. USSVI Rhode Island Base Paul W. Orstad USSVI Groton Base Robert Link Award (Base Awards): USSVI Thresher Base Meritorious Award (Individuals): John Riley USSVI Groton Base Bravo-Zulu to all our District One Award Winners!

17 Saturday 27 August th Birthday Celebration for Submarine Veteran of World War II Doug Bryant (Qualified 1944 aboard USS Sea Dog SS-401)

18 Happy 90 th Birthday, Doug!

19 Saturday 10 September 2016 Veteran s Appreciation Celebration Kittery Historical and Naval Museum, Kittery, ME USSVI, Historical Re-Enactors from the Revolutionary, Civil War, World War One, and World War Two eras, and crew members from boats currently undergoing overhaul at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard were on hand to celebrate veterans of every era at the Kittery Historical and Naval Museum.

20 Saturday 17 September 2016 Navy History Day, Albacore Park, Portsmouth, NH USS Albacore (AGSS-569) sitting in her newly renovated basin, her lower planes exposed to sunlight for the first time in more than 25 years!

21 Above: The USS Thresher Float and her awards on display once again at Albacore Park. Below: The 85 th Commander of Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Captain Dave Hunt, swears in three new Navy recruits during the Navy History Day event.

22 Above and Below: Albacore Park Executive Director Jim Craig cuts the History Day Cake, with the first pieces going to the Navy s newest recruits.

23 Sunday 18 September 2016 USSVI USS Maine Base Holland Club Induction Ceremony, Augusta, ME Left: USS Maine Base Holland Club recipients Harlan Brown and Daniel McGovern. Below: NERD-1 Peter Koester present the Holland Club certificate to Daniel McGovern.

24 And to Harland Brown. USS Maine Base Holland Club members.

25 Saturday 24 September 2016 Sandown Historical and Railroad Museum NERD-1 Peter Koester and his wife Michele recently purchased a new home located in Sandown, New Hampshire. On a recent weekend they made an impromptu stop at the local town museum and found some interesting and unexpected items on display The Sandown Historical and Railroad Museum, located in the former Sandown Rail Station. Amongst the various items on display in the museum, which helps depict life in the region during the 1920 s, are a ship s patch from USS Thresher (SSN- 593) and the souvenir ribbons of almost every submarine launched from Portsmouth Naval Shipyard during World War II, including USS Sea Dog, sewed together almost like a quilt.

26 Sunday 25 September 2016 (Gold Star Mother s Day) Vettes to Vets Fundraiser Event Bedford VA Hospital, Bedford, MA Every year the New England Corvette Caravan gathers at the Bedford VA Hospital to raise funds and collect supplies for the everyday needs of the Veteran patients of the hospital. Hundreds of Corvettes gather at a local hotel before parading through Bedford and onto the grounds of the Bedford VA Hospital.

27 Above and Below: USSVI Boston Base member Bill Magsum and USSVI Marblehead Base member Dan Crovo arrive at the Bedford VA in their Corvettes.

28 Above and Below: Veteran s Choice Award Winner!

29 2016 marked the 13 th Annual Vettes to Vets Fundraiser. There were 474 Corvettes of almost every era parked on the grounds of the Bedford VA, and the event collected $28,000 in cash and $40,000 in required incidentals that the government does not provide to the VA patients, such as toothpaste, toothbrushes, towels, slippers, robes, etc. enough to fill the tractor trailer that was parked on site for the event! Bravo-Zulu to everyone involved with this worthy fundraising event! 474 Corvettes parked on the grounds of the Bedford VA Hospital.

30 2016 Annual USSVI Northeast Regional Meeting On Saturday, 08 October 2016, the annual Northeast Regional Meeting was held at the Hyatt Place Hotel in Malta/Balston Spa New York, hosted by USSVI Albany-Saratoga Base and Northeast Region District Five.

31 Among the events that took place, the swearing in of new Northeast Regional Director Les Altschuler and his replacement, the new Northeast Region District Two Commander Mike Bost. Les Altschuler and Mike Bost are sworn in by Past National Commander Al Singleman. Les passes his District Commander pin on to his relief, Mike Bost.

32 Some of the items discussed at the Regional Meeting: -Upcoming USSVI National Conventions: -2017: 31 August through 5 September 2017 Rosen Shingle Creek Hotel, Orlando, FL -2018: Late-October 2018 East Caribbean Cruise on Holland America Line Departing Fort Lauderdale, FL. -Bonefish Restaurant Initiative: -USSVI has begun an initiative to have a framed picture of USS Bonefish (SS-223) painted by USSVI Official Artist Tom Denton presented to and hung in each of the many Bonefish Grille Restaurants across the country. -National Limited Liability Insurance Policy: -The current status of the USSVI National Limited Liability Insurance was discussed by Past National Commander Al Singleman. The policy covers all USSVI Bases for any USSVI-related event, including Base Meetings, Parades, Memorial Services, and other gatherings. Due to the cost of the insurance (apx $10,000 per year), it was decided by the National Executive Board in 2016 to assess each USSVI Base a $25 yearly contribution toward the policy premium. Considering it would cost individual bases anywhere from $100 to $300 for an insurance policy to cover a single event (some towns and/or parades and events require participants to provide proof of insurance before issuing a permit or allowing participation) this yearly assessment to each Base is a bargain by comparison! The National Policy does NOT cover privately owned vehicles and/or floats during transit to/from events. Member s personal auto insurance should cover any incidents relating to auto accidents. To have a specific event covered, the Base must submit a form as soon as possible prior to the event. New insurance forms will be available on the USSVI website around 22 October. The base will then receive a form back that can be submitted as proof of insurance coverage where required.

33 -New Treasurer s Report Requirements: -Due to the fact it has now been recognized that USSVI must be operating under the laws of a Connecticut Corporation (USSVI was incorporated in the state of Connecticut in 1964), all Bases are now required to include the amounts reported in their Base Treasurer s Report in their Base Meeting Minutes. This is an IRS reporting requirement, in case your Base is audited for any reason. -We are trying to determine if those Bases that publish their meeting minutes as part of their Base Newsletter are allowed to redact the financial numbers within the Newsletter only. I will inform the District-1 Bases what is allowed to be done as soon as I receive the word from higher up the chain. -Base Constitutions and Bylaws: -Also due to the realization we must abide by the Connecticut Corporate laws, all USSVI Bases must combine their Base Constitution and Bylaws into a single document to be called the Base Bylaws. -New Base Bylaws are required to be approved and filed by early Guidance for re-writing the Base Bylaws will be provided on the new USSVI website. -To be included in the new Bylaws: Every USSVI Base must have a designated Point of Contact (POC) and a designated Tools Manager. ALL Base reports required by USSVI National must be submitted through the Tools program on the USSVI Website starting with 2017 reports. -New USSVI Scholarship Chairman: -USSVI Scholarship Chairman Paul Orstad has stepped down from his position after 25 years. He has been replaced by USSVI Groton Base member Robert Frick (RDML, USN, Ret). Finally, I m sure many of the District One USSVI Bases participated in parades and civic events over the last several months besides Thresher Base and Marblehead Base. But if your Base does not submit pictures and reports on the events your Base participates in, I can t put the pictures into our quarterly newsletter! Submit photos, event reports, listings for upcoming events, or anything you think your fellow New England Submarine Veterans would like to know or hear about to me at SubGuySS@verizon.net If I don t know about it, they can t see it! ~Peter NERD-1

34 Links: UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS National Homepage USSVI THRESHER BASE USSVI GROTON BASE (First and Finest) USSVI RHODE ISLAND BASE (Home of the USS Providence (SSN-719) Parade Float) USSVI BOSTON BASE USSVI MARBLEHEAD BASE (Home of the USS Thresher (SSN-593) Parade Float) USSVI USS MAINE BASE (Home of the USS Skipjack (SSN-585) Parade Float) NORTHEAST REGION DISTRICT ONE on YouTube Various You Tube videos posted by USSVI Bases located within USSVI Northeast Region District One UNITED STATES SUBMARINE VETERANS, INC. Northeast Region District One Our Creed: To perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives in the pursuit of their duties while serving their country. That their dedication, deeds, and supreme sacrifice be a constant source of motivation toward greater accomplishments. America and its Constitution. Pledge loyalty and patriotism to the United States of