Don t forget to renew yours

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1 FALL, 2007 MESSAGE FROM THE ASSOCIATION PRESIDENT Summer is officially over (although you wouldn t know it by the temperature outside), and schools are back in session. It is the time of year when the Association begins to focus on planning our final event of 2007, the annual Holiday Dinner Dance. The winter holidays are just around the corner, and the Dinner Dance is just the place to get you in the holiday spirit. The event will be held Saturday, December 8 th, at Spate Hall on Fort Myer. This Association tradition is a great way to start the holiday season. Invitations will be mailed mid-november. It s not too early to start making plans to attend now. This newsletter is packed with important information so please be sure to read every page. On September 27 th, WHCA held its 18 th Annual Awards Ceremony, at the Bolling Air Force Base Officers Club. This is a great ceremony where the WHCA elite are honored (details reported herein). On October 4 th, a dedication ceremony was held at building 91, in honor of CSM Rickey Witcher and officially named CSM Rickey Witcher Training Academy. The ceremony was well attended and very fitting. Details on page 5. IN THIS ISSUE Camp David Picnic Scholarship Winners PSB Stickers Contact Info WHCA Annual Awards Ceremony WHCA Training Academy Dedication Giving Back Upcoming Events Treasurer s Report Membership Info More WHCA Firsts This year, we had a record number of participants in the golf tournament, Shrimp Feast, and a high turnout at the Camp David Picnic. The profits generated from these events allowed the Association to make honorary donations to the Fisher House and the Wounded Warrior Project in the name of CSM Rickey Witcher. Additionally we were able to provide phone cards to the wounded service men and women returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, who are now receiving medical treatment at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. We also offered $5,000 dollars in scholarships to Association family members. The annual Camp David Chapter picnic was held on September 8 th and a great time was had by all who attended - beautiful scenery, plenty of good food, and excellent company. Buck Trammelle and Warren Suker grilled most of the meats the night before and they were cooked to perfection. There were several first-timers (including myself) and plenty of senior former WHCA members. Some pictures are included in this newsletter, or you can visit to view more photos. Thank you to Warren and Carol for continuing to host this annual event. Finally a reminder about membership: Don t forget to renew yours. The membership year runs from January to December, and the cost is still just $20.00 per calendar year. Lifetime memberships are available - if you are interested, please contact any Board member. Looking forward to seeing you at the Dinner Dance. Helen Pennington President Page 1

2 CAMP DAVID PICNIC (Helen Pennington) Another successful Camp David Chapter picnic thrown by Warren and Carol Suker on September 8 th. The weather was perfect and the turnout was great. Buck Trammelle and Warren were up the previous night grilling some of the biggest turkey legs I ve ever seen! In addition to the turkey legs, the food spread consisted of pulled pork, barbecued chicken, hamburgers, fruit salad, potato salad, and much more. The Same Old Buddies were there in force, as well as several first-timers. Peter Fedak, who worked in the Communication Center in the late 1960s, was surprised by the number of former WHASA/WHCA personnel in attendance, especially someone from his era! Peter Fedak had another surprise when he won the 50/50 raffle and donated $ to the Scholarship fund. Also Warren donated $ that was raised in the donated items raffle. Dan Antinozzi was the senior serving member (from 1956 to 1968) and Maj Chuck Daly, WHCA Special Missions Command, Commander, who was the newest member attending the picnic (less than one year) did the honor of cutting the beautifully decorated cake. Warren, Carol and Buck did an outstanding job. I can definitely say that a good time was had by all who attended. Take a look at just some of the photos from the picnic below. The rest will be posted on the website. If you haven t already done so, take a moment to thank the Sukers for all their hard work, and thank Buck Trammelle for his culinary support of this annual event! Page 2

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4 SCHOLARSHIP WINNERS ANNOUNCED Congratulations to the winners of this year s scholarship awards. This year, the Association gave away $5, in scholarships to Association family members. Phillip Goff, the grandson of Luther Goff, received a $2, scholarship. Philip is currently attending the University of Florida (Honors College) studying Science Chemistry/Physics/Engineering). Joshua Kuch, the grandson of Orris Gilmore, received a $1, scholarship. Joshua is attending Florida State University, seeking a Masters Degree in Criminology/Criminal Justice. Fallon Michelle Bailey, the granddaughter of John Dowling, received a $1, scholarship. Fallon is attending Florida Community College seeking a degree in the Nursing field. Shante Potts, the daughter of Steven Potts, received a $ scholarship. Shante is a student at Florida A&M University seeking a degree in Criminal Justice. Samantha Easter, the granddaughter of Charles Easter, received a $ scholarship. Samantha is attending the University of Arizona seeking a Bachelor of Arts degree in journalism. Congratulations to all of our scholarship honorees! PRESIDENTIAL SERVICE BADGE (PSB) STICKERS We still have more to sell, so if you haven t purchased yours yet don t worry. As a friendly reminder, these decals/stickers are for use by PSB recipients only. You can obtain them from Ron Thomsen by contacting him via or regular mail and making a request. These four-color stickers measure approximately 3½ inches in diameter and are available for $5.00 each. If paying by check or money order, please make them payable to Ron Thomsen and mail them to Mr. Thomsen at 311 South Columbus Street, Alexandria, VA ASSOCIATION CONTACT INFORMATION 1600 B O A R D President Helen W: helenp@1600commassoc.org Pennington H: Vice President Floyd Hepler W: floydh@1600commassoc.org H: Secretary Laura Hill W: laurah@1600commassoc.org H: Treasurer Glenn Arnett H: glenna@1600commassoc.org At Large Gordon J. Aitken W: H: gordona@1600commassoc.org At Large Ron Thomsen H: ront@1600commassoc.org Page 4

5 WHCA ANNUAL AWARDS CEREMONY WHCA held its 18 th Annual Awards Ceremony on September 27 th at the Bolling AFB Officers Club. Helen Pennington, Association President, represented the Association at the ceremony, where the Agency once again did an outstanding job of recognizing its top performers. The ceremony recognized the WHCA persons of the year in four individual categories, the WHCA All Star Team, and the WHCA Hall of Fame inductee. The WHCA Joint Service Color Guard posted the colors and SrA John Hamilton sang the National Anthem. Colonel James Lien, Commander of WHCA, welcomed everyone and introduced the guest speaker, Defense Information Systems Agency and Commander, Joint Task Force-Global Network Operations, Lieutenant General Charles Croom, Jr. The ceremony then turned to recognition of the awardees. The WHCA persons of the year who were formally recognized were: SGT Benjamin E. Carter, Enlisted Person of the Year TSgt Joshua Kahney, Noncommissioned Officer of the Year SFC Thomas Pacheco, Senior Noncommissioned Officer of the Year LT Douglas Bean, Company Grade Officer of the Year Presentations were made to each of the awardees by LTG Croom and Colonel Lien. Each honoree received recognition from the various sponsor groups. The Association presented the awardees each with a $ gift card and a one-year complimentary 1600 Association membership. Twenty-three individuals from the various WHCA Commands received recognition as WHCA All Stars for The 2006 Hall of Fame inductee was COL (Ret) Howie Cohen, WHCA Commander from July 2004 to August A presentation of WHCA unit coins was made to CSM Michael Terry, Command Sergeant Major of the United States Army Signal Center and Fort Gordon and the Signal Regimental CSM. SGM Lionel Scatliffe (acting WHCA CSM) provided closing remarks congratulating the honorees and thanking the many personnel who worked so diligently to organize a truly fitting ceremony. WHCA TRAINING ACADEMY DEDICATION On October 4, 2007, the WHCA dedicated its newly reconstructed training building (building 91) to Command Sergeant Major Rickey Witcher, WHCA CSM from The ceremony began with posting of the colors by the WHCA Joint Service Color Guard, followed by a very rousing and moving rendition of the National Anthem by SMSgt Mark Fletcher, and the invocation by Mr. Darrell Williams. A video presentation, compiled by WHCA Visual Information Command personnel, played showing the destruction of the old training building and construction of the new building in various stages. COL Lien acknowledged the visiting guests, especially the Witcher family, which was about 20-plus strong. He remarked about the importance of training and how critical it is for Agency personnel operating in such a fast-paced travel and fixed operating environment. Ms. Barbara Renfroe, mistress of ceremony, read CSM Witcher s biography, after which the building plaque was unveiled and the ribbon cut by COL Lien, Mrs. Liz Witcher and her children, Nikia and DeMar Witcher. The entire ceremony was absolutely superb. The WHCA Training Division develops and maintains the professional and technical skills of the WHCA workforce. In 2001, WHCA initiated a major upgrade to the existing suite of telecommunications and audiovisual systems. Dubbed the Pioneer Project, the initiative took advantage of many technological advances, enabling WHCA to provide an even greater level of telecommunications and audiovisual support to the President. Along with the material advances came the need to train WHCA personnel to a different standard. The new facility boasts 11 classrooms, 8 laboratories, a 24-position computer lab, and an auditorium seating 240 personnel. It houses a twostory equipment elevator, provides two equipment closets, an instructor s suite, and a student break room. It is also equipped with environmental climate controls for each classroom. Page 5

6 GIVING BACK Fisher House Donation in Memory of CSM Rickey Witcher The donated $ to Andrews Air Force Base, Malcolm Grow Medical Center, and $ to the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in honor and memory of CSM Rickey Witcher. The Fisher House program is a unique private-public partnership that supports America's military in their time of need. The program recognizes the special sacrifices of our men and women in uniform and the hardships of military service by meeting a humanitarian need beyond that normally provided by the Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs. Wounded Warrior Project Donation in Memory of CSM Rickey Witcher The Association also made a $1, donation to the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) in honor and memory of CSM Rickey Witcher. The WWP assists those men and women of our armed forces who have been severely injured during conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, and other locations around the world. From the battlefield to their bedside, WWP is there to meet the needs of our wounded heroes. Calling Cards Donated to Wounded Soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center The Association donated $ to purchase telephone calling cards for distribution to the wounded soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center to assist them when contacting their family and friends. The number one request from wounded service members at WRAMC continues to be for phone cards. It is often difficult for service members to communicate with their loved ones since many of them are not from the Washington, D.C. area. UPCOMING EVENTS First Tuesday of each month SOBs (Same Old Buddies) lunch, Holiday Inn, Rosslyn, VA. held the first Tuesday of each month at the Holiday Inn, Rosslyn, VA. The next scheduled lunch should take place on 6 November, Election Day. Association Dinner Dance - 8 December, Spate Hall, Fort Myer, VA. Planning is underway for the 39 th Annual Holiday Dinner Dance, and we hope that you will attend. The evening begins with cocktails at 1900, followed by dinner, the official program, and dancing into the night. Our guest speaker this year will be COL (Ret) Lawrence Schumann, WHCA Commander from January 1984 September A flyer with the details, as well as your invitation, will be mailed by 15 th of November. Hope you will join us. Page 6

7 TREASURER S REPORT (Submitted by Glenn Arnett) Bank Account Balances as of October 5, 2007 Checking $ 6, CD1 $ 5, CD2 $ 5, CD3 $ 3, Scholarship Working Account $ 3, Scholarship CD $15, SCHOLARSHIP FUND DONORS Two raffles were conducted at Warren and Carol Suker s Camp David Chapter Picnic raising $ (one raffle was for Camp David souvenirs donated by Warren and Carol, the other was a 50/50 cash raffle). WELCOME TO NEW MEMBERS To all of our new members, welcome! We look forward to your presence and your participation. A roster update is included and should be made a part of your annual membership roster. MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL We have processed 132 membership renewals and 37 new members as of this writing. To save postage we do not mail a special dues invoice. Our plan is to remind everyone in the newsletters that the dues year is January to December. Please remember that dues are $20.00 annually and are due in January. Below is a small form to fill out and send with your dues. Also please let us know of any address, address, or other information change. ========================================================== Membership Renewal NAME: SPOUSE NAME: ADDRESS: HOME PHONE: WORK PHONE: ADDRESS: Please make check payable to and mail to P.O. Box 160, Washington, DC Please allow 4 to 6 weeks for reply. ===================================================================== Page 7

8 MORE INFO RE: WHCA FIRSTS I received the following from Karen Lindsey, helping to shed further light on the topic of the first female members in WHCA. Hello Helen, I am not a member of the 1600 Association, but I do read the newsletters occasionally. I was in WHCA, stationed in the photo lab, from 1979 until I wanted to respond to the information gathering effort about the WHCA Firsts. I believe I know who the First Enlisted Females were. Jerry Wilcoxen was mostly right. He reported that Debbie Gibson, Lois Poswiatowski, and Karen Lindsey were the first three enlisted women in WHCA. He was right about Debbie and Lois. I am Karen, and I know I arrived several years after Debbie and Lois. Debbie and Lois arrived at WHCA on the same day in August of They were both recruited from the Army Photo School at Ft. Monmouth, NJ, and assigned to the photo lab. They rented a house in Alexandria that became the temporary home for many of the incoming women for the next year(s). Debbie and Lois served as sponsors for most of these women when they arrived at WHCA. There were times when women slept on the living room floor of their house because so many new arrivals had no place else to stay. They arrived at the Photo Lab to find there was NO women s restroom and had to share with the men. Debbie and Lois took it in stride and kept their sense of humor about it all. Eventually someone put up a cardboard sign on a string on the door that said Men on one side and Women on the other. Sometimes people flipped it to the right side, and sometimes they didn t. The point is Debbie and Lois did what was necessary to just go with the flow because they knew how they were received was dependent on whether any other women ever came to WHCA. They were very cognizant of the groundbreaking responsibility that their arrival in WHCA represented to women in the future. Both Debbie and Lois served admirably in the photo lab for the next years, working for Presidents Nixon through George Bush Sr., playing a part in the documentation of several historical events -- Nixon s resignation, the Camp David Accords, Reagan s assassination attempt, the tearing down of the Berlin Wall, and many others. They each worked as section leaders, shift supervisors, and eventually as NCOIC of the Photo Lab in addition to working on the road as Operations NCOs and Mobile Photo Lab Leaders. Debbie and Lois were commended many times over the years by WHCA Commanders and White House Staff. Debbie stayed at the WHCA Photo Lab until her retirement in February She returned to WHCA in June 1994 as a civilian. She was hired as the Asst. Lab Manager working for DISA as the White House Photo Office Liaison to the Photo Lab. From June 1999 until June 2005 she worked as the Lab Manager. She left WHCA when the White House Photo Lab was suddenly and permanently closed and outsourced to a private contractor in June A very sad day in WHCA history. Debbie decided to leave Federal service and now has a successful career in the private sector in Baltimore, MD. Lois left WHCA in 1991 when she voluntarily transferred to the Pentagon. She served with distinction and was highly commended as the NCOIC of the Pentagon Photo Lab from March 1991 until her retirement in February of Since Debbie and Lois opened the doors for other women to follow into WHCA, they also decided to celebrate their military careers with a joint retirement ceremony and have remained good friends to this day. Lois returned to the WHCA Photo Lab as a civilian from April 2003 until November She served as the Photograph Production Supervisor during that time. She moved back to the west and now lives and works in beautiful western Montana. Thank you for the opportunity to recognize these two individuals. They paved the way for the many successful women who have served and will continue to serve WHCA. Page 8

9 P.O. Box 160 Washington DC Place postage here Page 10