Volume 71 Number 3 March 2018

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1 Volume 71 Number 3 March 2018 Community Affiliates AMI International Columbia Hospitality Corinthian Wealth Partners Evergreen Mayflower First Command Financial Planning General Dynamics NASSCO Kitsap Bank Kitsap Sun Navy Federal Credit Union Navy Museums NW Olympic College Foundation Our Place Pub and Eatery Pacific NW Defense Coalition Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems Safe Boats International Suquamish Clearwater Casino Emily Selph Eric Stevens Judith Johnson Naomi Evans Glen Davis New Members Derrick Crummy Penny Montminey Kristina Anderson -Younger In addition to those active in the US Government workforce, retiree donors can now participate in CFC by pledging online at cfcgiving.opm.gov or using a paper pledge form available at _CFC_Retiree_Pledge_Form_4.pdf. Our code is CFC # State workers can donate to Our Navy League Council via the the State Combined Fund Drive, using CFD # March 13th Luncheon Speaker No mystery speaker this month. In 2018 we continue a speaker theme. One of our two February speakers discussed searching for a lost Argentine boat. In March we are taking that to the next level, the search for the USS Indianapolis (CA-35), lost in the last days of World War II. Our own Will Lent, in addition to giving what we expect to be an amazing look at the USS Indianapolis story, will set up our April Speaker. The USS Indianapolis was lost at sea after delivering parts for the first atomic bomb ever used in combat. This also serves as background for our April speaker. As you may know, a Paul Allen financed search team located the wreck of the USS Indianapolis in August of Mr. David Reams from Vulcan will entertain us with the story of the location Mission. We think this is an amazing one-two punch that you should not miss. More on that next month. Our social hour will begin at 11AM with the meeting starting at 11:45 in the Bangor Conference Center, Trident Ballroom, Naval Base Kitsap, Bangor. For lunch registration, please call Realty Station at as soon as possible. For members without base access, processing can take some days. We will take that job on if you call. When registering provide your name as it appears on your Driver's License and date and city of birth. Members without an Enhanced Washington Drivers license will need to be escorted onto the base.

2 President's Corner Steve Westover We have an exciting winter/spring lineup of activities and we need your help! The Washington State Science and Engineering Fair (WSSEF) is March 23 & 24 at the Bremerton High School. There are 1000 registrants participating, and we need judges. I participated last year and was blown away at the ingenuity and detail of the exhibits. It was a very rewarding experience and I look forward to participating again this year. Sign up even if you can only judge on one of the days, that's OK. Tour are being scheduled to the Trident Training Facility and Trident submarine, Boeing Plant in Everett, Naval Undersea Warfare Center, Keyport, and the USS Seawolf, a one-of-a-kind submarine. More details are on page 7 and our web site. The USS Bremerton will return to Bremerton sometime this spring for inactivation and decommissioning. Plans are underway for a big reception for the crew and tours of the boat. The USS Buffalo will have it's decommissioning this summer. Our next two luncheon programs will be centered on the loss of the WW II cruiser, USS Indianapolis (CA-35). In March, Will Lent will give us the history of her historic mission and fate. She was torpedoed at the very end of the war and the survivors of her crew endured several days floating in the ocean, fighting for their lives. Her wreck was recently discovered by a research team funded by Paul Allen. Members of his team will detail their search and exploration of the wreckage at our April luncheon. You won t want to miss either of these. We are also thrilled to have 8 new members this month. The list is on page 1 Steve 2

3 February 13 Luncheon Our speakers were Commander Scott Smith, Commanding Officer of Unmanned Undersea Squadron One (UUVRON1) and LT Andrew Gordon, a member of his team. UUVRON-1 was established on September 26, 2017 as unit of Commander Submarine Development Squadron Five. It is a first-of-its-kind command. Per the undersea enterprise plan, UUVRON-1 is to integrate and employ UUVs into the submarine force in order to sustain an advantage in the undersea domain in direct support of the naval warfare. Standing up UUVRON-1 shows the Navy s commitment to the future of unmanned systems. The Squadron operates out of BARB HALL (USS BARB SS-220), dedicated in January 2107, and located on Naval Base Kitsap, Keyport, WA. I As aa bonus, Lieutenant Gordon gave a presentation on UUVRON1's support of the search for the missing Argentine Submarine ARA San Juan, lost late last year. He discussed the short notice impacts, how the many organizations involved coordinated to get the team and submersibles to Argentina and the search itself. Unfortunately, the ARA San Juan has not yet been located. If that wasn't enough, we recognized the Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC) Sailors of the year. Captain Douglas Munz, Commanding Officer of the Navy Operational Support Center and Command Master Chief Morrow attended to recognize HM2(SW) Hector Santillan, the NOSC 2017 Junior Sailor of the Year and QM3(SW) Jameque Baca, The NOSC 2017 Blue Jacket of the Year. QM3 Baca was accompanied by her husband, Daniel, and son, Dylan. 3

4 A Special Thank You to Past President (again) Alan Beam At our February luncheon, Helen Miller presented Alan Beam with a Statue in recognition of his service to our Council. The gift, paid for by greatful members, is to recognize Alan's efforts on behalf of Navy League. Helen read the following: "It is an honor and a privilege to present a small token of our appreciation to a very special person who is a friend to many men and women in and out of uniform around the globe. There are no bounds to his god given talents, his kindness, diplomacy and generosity, a true officer and gentleman in a world today which sadly lacks class, social graces, courtesy, integrity and decency. Captain Alan R Beam, USN Retired, has almost single handedly propelled our Navy League Council into the realm of excellence in the very competitive world of journalistic mediocrity and he has excelled. We have received accolades from across America for his web page, his face book page, and the official Navy League Newsletter, which he hand crafted each and every month." Alan is not leaving us. He continues to serve on the Board of Directors as Past President, Web Master, inspirational leader, mentor and in many other capacities. Come out to support our Sea Cadets 4

5 Dolphin Scholarship Auction - March 17th The Dolphin Scholarship Foundation was established in 1960 and currently awards scholarships to children and spouses of submarines force veterans annually. A significant portion of the funding for these scholarships comes from sales made at volunteer run Dolphins Stores across the country and from Silver and Gold Auctions hosted by the charitable associations in Hawaii, Washington, Georgia and Connecticut. Dolphin Scholarship Foundation currently sponsors 118 students, who each receive an annual scholarship of either $2,000 or $3,400. Each recipient may potentially receive a total of $13,600 for up to eight semesters of undergraduate study. The number of new awards granted each year is determined by graduation/attrition of current Dolphin Scholars and donations. The Dolphin Scholarship Foundation is proud to have awarded over $11,500,000 to more than $1,300 students attending universities and colleges throughout the United States. The Auunal Silver and Gold Auction - #ShamrAUCTION - will be help at 5PM in Bangor Plaza on the evening of ST. Patricks's Day, March 17th. To Learn more about #ShamrAUCTION and about how to make a tax deductable charitable donation to the silent or verbal auction, visit We are interested in getting a table for the auction. To register to attend the auction, please contact Steve Westover at bremertonnavyleague@gmail.com or by phone (360) Registrations at the $30/person rate are due by February 28th. 5

6 USS Nimitz Tiger Cruise In December, Navy League member David Schutz was onboard the carrier Nimitz (CVN-68) for the final six days of its 270+ day, 64,000 mile training and deployment mission. He was a Distinguished Guest of Captain Lennox and joined 500 other civilians on board for this Tiger Cruise from San Diego to Bremerton. Aside from experiencing life onboard, the Navy had a constant stream of activities, demos, and tours, for the Tigers throughout the six days. These ranged from a naval airshow, to surface weapon demos, and tours of dozens of operating departments, including the navigation bridge where Tigers could try their hand at the helm of the ship. It is an unforgettable experience to have a F-18 fighter do a touch-and-go at 160 mph, just 75 feet away. Or, linger on the navigation bridge and experience how the personnel direct the course of one of the world s largest ships. When Tigers weren t touring, there were ample opportunities to simply wander around large portions of the ship, and casually chat with some of the 4,500+ sailors that bring the Nimitz to life. It was spectacular to be perched on the upper lookout position (18 decks above the keel), as the Nimitz sailed down Puget Sound, and passed Seattle. Over 1000 sailors, in dress uniform were At the Rail, along the perimeter of the immense flight deck, an arm s length apart, as the Nimitz threaded its way through Rich Passage. In Bremerton, a couple thousand exuberant family members were dockside to greet the tired crew after their long absence. Tiger Cruises are held sporadically by the Navy on board surface ships. They are designed to familiarize families with the actual working experiences of crew members, and to instill a sense of pride among naval personnel. On a personal note, David Schutz extends special thanks to Captain Lennox, the sailors of the Nimitz, and to the Navy League, for providing him with the experience of a life@me. 6

7 Navy League Bremerton - Olympic Peninsula Information 2018 Navy League Bremerton - Olympic Peninsula Council Officers President - Steve Westover sbwestover@aol.com Vice President - David Ellingson Second Vice President - Byron Faber Treasurer - Larry Tellinghusein Secretary - Joe Hulsey JAG - Robert Battin Past President - Alan Beam 2018 Navy League Bremerton - Olympic Peninsula Council Board of Directors Upcoming Tours Tours are a popular benefit of Navy League membership. Many tours scheduled. Schedule for April 17 TTF & Trident Tour 0925: Meet at Keyport Naval Undersea Museum 0930: Depart for Trident Training Facility 0950: Group photo at Deterrent Park : Tour Trident Training Facility : Lunch at the Trident Inn Galley (lunch is $5.55 per person. Only credit and debit cards are accepted. 1230: Depart for Delta Pier 1300: Arrive at submarine : Submarine tour. 1430: Depart Delta Pier for Museum. 1500: Arrive at Keyport Museum. Pat Faber Tim Katona Ron Kirkland Patty Lent Carol Meteney Helen Miller George Rose Larry Salter Mike Spence Kevin Staub Guy Stitt Mark Westover Bremerton - Olympic Peninsula Council Adopted Units USS Washington SSN-787 USS Bremerton SSN-698 USS Henry M Jackson SSBN-730 US Coast Guard MFPU US Marine Corps MCSFB Bangor US Coast Guard Port Angeles SWFPAC Bangor Supported Youth Activities South Kitsap High School NJROTC Bremerton High School NJROTC Port Angeles High School NJROTC Scorpion Battalion Navy Sea Cadets Future Tours (Not all of these tours or dates are firm): Boeing VIP Tour with Lake Washington Council - March Alaska 7 Day Cruise - May 27th USS Seawolf (SSN-21) - June USS John C Stennis (CVN- 74) June Strategic Weapons Facility Pacific (SWFPAC) & Coast Guard Bangor - July Whidbey Island Naval Air Station - August Keyport Base - September 20th SAFE Boats - October We are working on these tours: VIGOR shipbuilding in Seattle Indian Island Naval Magazine Astoria Coast Guard sites & heavy weather training facilities Seattle Coast Guard facilities Port Angeles Coast Guard Station For the most current information and to sign up for tours, go to our web page /04/17/tour-planning-2/ or contact Byron at byfaber@centurytel.net Home:

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