BUSINESS NAME Page 2 State Officers 2015-2016 National Trustee Kenneth D. Roach 860-688-8091 kingsmen18@aol.com President Ethan A. Stewart, Sr. 203-375-3087 bstew220@optonline.net 1st Vice-President Damien M. Cregeau 203-648-1730 damien_cregeau@hotmail.com 2nd Vice-President William H. Robbins 203-732-0330 whrobbins@yahoo.com Secretary Paul H. Selnau 860-651-4161 pselnau@hsa-architects.com Treasurer Daniel E. Benoit 203-323-8804 danielnca@aol.com Chaplain William J. Lane, Jr. 203-288-5863 lanewjg@comcast.net Registrar Gregory E. Thompson 203-215-1755 gthomp5749@aol.com Historian Gary S. Pitcock 860-289-5331 gary06074@aol.com Chancellor William P.Fenn 203-421-5511 williampfenn@yahoo.com Real Property Steward David H. Packard 860-848-0320 davidpackard@sbcglobal.net Color Guard Commander Todd L. Gerlander 860-872-0438 Todd.gerlander@yahoo.com Technology Manager/ Alternate National Trustee David J. Perkins 203-797-1967 Dperkins8@att.net Volume XV, Issue II June 30, 2015 United States Coast Guard Academy - Alexander Hamilton Award for 2015 Cadet Brittney Zimmerman was presented the 2015 NSSAR Alexander Hamilton Award at the United States Coast Guard Academy s Individual Proficiency Awards Ceremony on May 19, 2015 in New London, CT. The award is a cash prize for the most outstanding Senior Thesis, Capstone Project, or Directed Study in Public Policy or Government. CTSSAR President Ethan Stewart and Robert W. Rivard, CTSSAR Past President presented the award. They also presented Cadet Zimmerman with a certificate from CTSSAR for being an Outstanding Cadet. Cadet (now Ensign) Zimmerman comes from Pennsylvania and majored in Government Studies. As part of her Capstone Project she performed studies in the Arctic. Following graduation, she planned to marry and travel with her husband to their first assignments in Seattle, WA. State Annual Business Meeting was held in Old Wethersfield April 18, 2015 In addition to the election of officers for the upcoming year, the society voted to increase state dues by $5 for 2016, to cover increases in D & O insurance, Color Guard insurance, postage, and under funded committees. The highlight of the meeting were the youth essays and award presentations to members. Outgoing State President Robert Rivard was awarded the Patriot medal for his work as interim State President, 1st Vice-President, and State Secretary during the past 10 years. Tim Wilkins was awarded the Meritorious Service medal for his continued work as Chairmen of the Eagle Scout Committee. Incoming State President, Ethan Stewart, along with Dan Benoit and Ken Buckbee were awarded the Silver Roger Sherman medal for their work as state officers and committee chairmen. David Packard was awarded the Silver Roger Sherman medal for his work on the Real Property Committee the past two years and as the new Real Property Steward since last October. The Knight Essay winner was Matthew Penza of New Fairfield (Comm Chair John Morgan), JROTC winner was Kevin Pimpenelli of Naugatuck (Comm. Chair. David Perkins) and the Eagle Scout winner was Jackson Gelinas of Redding (Comm. Chair. Timothy Wilkins) each awarded a cash prize of $500 and medal with certificate. Knight Essay JROTC Eagle Scout
Event Calendar Page 2 Page 2 Sat July 18, 10am BOM Special Meeting Town Library Southbury, CT Sat July 25/ Sun July26 State Color Guard Encampment Rev. Baldwin Branch 9 Griswold, CT Tue August 4 American Revolution Children s Program Wolcott s Brigade CG Litchfield Historical Society Litchfield, CT Sun September Caption describing 6, 4pm State Color picture Guard or Event graphic. 234th Battle of Groton Heights Ft. Griswold State Park Groton, CT Sat September 12 SAR Color Guard Event Mayflower Society Conference To catch the reader's attention, place an interesting sentence or quote from Foxwoods Conference the story here. Center Mattatuck, CT Sat Sept 19, 10am BOM Meeting Luce s Restaurant Middletown, CT Sun Sept 20, 11am Wolcott Branch CG Event Woodbury Colonial Fair & Muster Hurd House Woodbury, CT Fri Sept 25/ Sat Sept 26 National SAR Fall Leadership Brown Hotel Louisville, KY Sat Oct 10 State Color Guard Event Gov. Trumbull, 305th Birthday & Change of Command Ceremony Gov Trumbull House / Wadsworth Stable Lebanon, CT Sat Oct 17, 10am New England District Meeting 1149 Restaurant East Greenwich, RI Governor Oliver Wolcott, Sr. Branch #10 The Mary Floyd Tallmadge Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution held a gravemarking ceremony at the East Street Cemetery (aka the Cartwright Burying Ground) on East Street in Sharon, CT on Saturday, May 30, 2015. The DAR asked us to join them in honoring Reuben Cartwright, a Revolutionary War patriot who is buried there. Ken & Judey Buckbee read the poem "Only A Soldier's Grave" by Sidney Alroy Jonas, and our Color Guard performed a three-volley musket salute. Gen. Wolcott's Sixth Militia Brigade Color Guard participants: Mike Bird, Derek Brockhoff, Ken Buckbee, Jon King, Dave Perkins, Paul Selnau and not in Color Guard, John Lilley. General David Humphreys Branch #1 In April, Past President Tim Wilkins attended the Yale ROTC awards program and presented two awards & medals to Air Force Cadet Carissa Silva & Naval Midshipman Matthew Smith. On May 11, 2015 Marshall Robinson presented the Law Enforcement Award Certificate and Medal with Ribbon to T.F.C. Jonathan Naples. Marshall also read a letter from Jonathan's Commander. On June 8, 2015 President Towle awarded John C. Long with the Certificate of Patriotism in World War II. In the last 8 years General David Humphreys Branch has given out 109 Outstanding Citizenship Awards and Pins to the Junior High School Classes in the New Haven County in recognition of high ideals of character & citizenship. Great pleasure is arrived for giving this award when you receive letters back from the junior recipient. The student does not know who or what we stand for and then they explain how they research the SAR. The student proceeds to tell us how proud they are to have received the award. Not all students write back only 3 or 4 a year but that is all it takes to give you the self satisfaction that you receive by giving out the Outstanding Citizenship Award & Pin. The schools are: East Haven, Notre Dame in West Haven, Sacred Heart in Hamden, North Haven, Amity Regional, North Branford, Guilford, Daniel Hand, West Haven, Branford High, Lyman Hall, Hamden High, Hamden Hall Country Day, and Morgan School Annual School Day at East Haddam Schoolhouse Sat Nov 14, 10am State All Member Caption Meeting describing picture or graphic. Griswold Inn Essex, CT For more information, send email to info@connecticutsar.org On June 5, 2015 we held the 11th Annual School Day at the Schoolhouse in East Haddam. We hosted 71 3rd grade students and 14 chaperones. Students rotated around to the following stations - Nathan Hale & Schoolhouse (Dave Packard), Ladies' clothing & activities (Pat Perkins), Soldier & musket firing (Dave Perkins), Surgery (Bob Rivard). Thank you to all who helped out!
Connecticut Line Page 3 General Samuel Huntington Branch #12 This is the first year that the Governor Samuel Huntington Branch presented the SAR Silver Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC) Medals to the University of Connecticut (UConn) programs at Storrs, CT. There are two separate detachments for Army and Air Force. Recipients are selected by the Commanding Officer of the ROTC unit for a high degree of merit with respect to leadership qualities, military bearing, and general excellence. Pete Foster attended the Air Force ROTC Detachment 115 Awards Ceremony at UConn on April 25, 2015. He was in colonial attire and presented the award to Cadet Kaelyn Huizenga. On May 8, 2015, the Nathan Hale Battalion of the Army ROTC held its Annual Battalion Awards Ceremony at the University of New Haven. The battalion is based at UConn and consists of more than 100 cadets spread over seven universities in the state. Bob Rivard attended the ceremony and presented the medal to Cadet William Malcolm. Photo: Bob Rivard (l) presents the medal and certificate to Army Cadet Malcolm (r). JROTC Award presented by Captain Nathan Hale Branch #6 On May 21, compatriot Bill Breed presented the Bronze JROTC medal and certificate to cadet Timothy Glavan of the New London High School, Naval JROTC program. New London is 1 of 10 JROTC units that participate in the awarding of this medal and certificate each year. Other high schools are Bethel, Bloomfield, Brian McMahon, Crosby, Danbury, Naugatuck, New Britain, Norwalk, and Torrington. Bronze Good Citizenship Award to United States Naval Sea Cadet Corp On March 19, Sea Cadet and Chief Petty Officer First Class, Michael J. Perry of the Barque Eagle Division, received the Bronze Good Citizenship medal and ribbon bar for his leadership as the top cadet in his unit. The unit meets in the Navy Marine Reserve Center in Plainville, CT and is one of four units located across the state. (New London, New Haven, Stamford, and Plainville). The units are open to both boys and girls aged 11 to 17. The Naval Sea Cadet Corp awards are part of the SAR National JROTC program. Cadet Glavan (l) and Compatriot Bill Breed (r) Cadet Perry (l) and JROTC Chairmen, Dave Perkins (r) Missing Email Addresses! To help us keep costs down, we ask that you give us your email address. Please send us an email at Info@ConnecticutSAR.org or Dave Perkins at DPerkins8@att.net Thanks!
Page 4 Rev. Ebenezer Baldwin Branch #9 On June 8, the Baldwin branch held its annual luncheon at the The Villa in Sandy Hook. Officers were re-elected for another term. Following lunch, Pat Hubert was awarded the Good Citizenship Pin and certificate of behalf of the state society for her impromptu talk in February at our state BOM meeting, on her book on Major Philip Ulmer of Maine. The life of Major Ulmer had taken many years for Pat to research and the results of efforts makes a good read and who knows, maybe a movie some day! We had two youth awards as well. Cadet Bryan Bornn was awarded $100 as the state runner-up in the State JROTC Enhanced program for 2015 and also received a Bronze Medallion and ribbon bar following the reading of his essay. Eagle Scout Jackson Gelinas following the reading of his essay was awarded $100 as the branch winner of the State Eagle Scout program for 2014. Eagle Scout Gelinas and his father John and brother Andrew are all Eagle Scouts and will be joining our branch as the newest members of the Connecticut SAR later this year. Pat Hubert (l) and Dave Perkins(r) And finally, Pat Perkins, was awarded the Martha Washington medal for all her support to the SAR at the branch, state and national level as a member of the National Ladies Auxiliary since 2010. Pat is the wife of Past State President, Dave Perkins. Bryan Bornn (l), Richard Hubert (c), and Jackson Gelinas (r) Pat Perkins New Children s Books on the American Revolution with a Connecticut Connection Patriots, Redcoats & Spies by Robert J. Skead with Robert A. Skead In 1777, when Revolutionary War Patriot Lamberton Clark is shot by British soldiers while on a mission for the Continental Army, he has only two hopes of getting the secret message he s carrying to General George Washington: his 14-year-old twin boys John and Ambrose. Upon discovering that their father is a spy in the Culper Spy Ring, the boys accept their mission without a clue about what they may be up against. They set off from Connecticut to New Jersey to find General Washington, but the road to the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army is full of obstacles; including the man who shot their father who is hot on their trail. Submarines, Secrets & A Daring Rescue by Robert J. Skead with Robert A. Skead To George Washington they are patriots. To loyalists they are traitors. To their older brother they are his only hope. Fifteen-year-old twins, Ambrose and John Clark, once again find themselves in the thick of things in service of the newly forming United States of America. Their new mission: help transport much-needed gunpowder to the patriots. When they end up in an even more dangerous situation manning one of the first submarines it seems the worst is behind them. Until they have to attempt a prison break to rescue one of their older brothers. Follow these brave young patriots as they continue to follow in their father s footsteps and take even bigger leaps of faith.
Volume XV, Issue II Page 5 Real Property Committee Report April 18, 2015 I would like to start with reporting the progress at the War Office. After a slow start due to the winter months, construction is back on track. The fireplaces and chimney are complete, walls and flooring are progressing. The first phase of the new wireless security system has been installed. To date we have bids for roof replacement, exterior paint, window repair and the HVAC system. Future projects at New London and East Haddam have been discussed. Both sites have the same needs, exterior trim repair, paint and window glazing. It was determined that East Haddam should be done first. Hopefully New London will be completed in time for the opening of the National Coast Guard Museum in a few years. We will be seeking grant money to cover these expenses. We are pleased to announce that Compatriot Burt Chapman and his wife have generously contributed the funds for the 3 picnic tables at East Haddam. We are having them built at the CorriganRadgowski Correctional Center in Montville at $250.00 each. We are also, pleased to announce that The Society of the Cincinnati has awarded us with $1,500.00 in support of the archives in New London. The Frank Loomas Palmer Fund for $10,000.00 has been received, allowing us to install the HVAC unit in New London. On March 14th the Real Property Committee met at the Russell Library in Middletown. The main topic focused on Museum Operations. A motion was carried to change the days of operation. Nathan Hale Schoolhouse New London Open: May 1st through Labor Day Wednesdays Sundays, 11am 4pm Open: After Labor Day through Columbus Day Saturdays Sundays, 11am 4pm War Office and Nathan Hale Open: May 1st through Labor Day Fridays Sundays, Noon 4pm Lebanon East Haddam Open: After Labor Day through Columbus Day Saturdays Sundays, Noon 4pm Last item; The Committee feels that there should be more participation from the Membership by volunteering as Docents. This would allow us to lower our expenses and put our money to better use. The plan to pay your dues for volunteering at least four times is still in effect. Last year only 8 SAR members took advantage of this, while there were 14 DAR ladies that helped out. Respectfully submitted, David Packard CTSSAR Real Property Steward General Israel Putnam Branch #4 In May, the branch held a public SAR Grave Marking Ceremony for Patriot Elisha Benton at the Daniel Benton Homestead in Tolland, Connecticut. The event was listed as part of the Town of Tolland 300th (1715-2015) Anniversary Celebration Events, and the ceremony was recorded. Compatriots Peter Faulkner and Evan Faulkner were officially sworn into the General Israel Putnam Branch and were presented their SAR rosettes. Following the ceremony, members visited the South Cemetery in Tolland where the headstone (which was moved) for Elisha Benton is located. (Elisha Benton is buried at the Daniel Benton Homestead)
Page 6 Patriot s Day in Concord, Massachusetts - April 20 The 240th Anniversary Patriot's Day Parade in Concord, Massachusetts. It was a GREAT show by the members present! The weather was better than expected, we Called to Eternal Rest in were lucky, we had 2015 a little rain but no heavy rain during the parade. Unfortunately though, because of Kenneth M. Anderson the weather, the public turnout was small Timothy F. Beard in comparison to normal. But we still had Richard H. Edwards a lot of fun! James E. Newton David A. Shugarts Edward C. Steele Carl H. Stone New Members in 2015 James D. Rooney Christopher K. Kerin Scott W. Muryasz Arthur J. DuBois, Jr. Ronald P. Brault Benjamin D. Brault Kevin G. Ferrigno Bishop R. Atwell, Jr. Bishop R. Atwell, III Jesse R. Atwell John E. Nickless Richard C. Marquette Donald T. Studley The CTSSAR had 13 members marching in the parade, and we had 16 attending our Color Guard Luncheon at the Colonial Inn following the parade. Special thanks to Corporal Dan Dudley for organizing the Patriot's Day CTSSAR Color Guard Luncheon this year. President General Lindsey C. Brock and his lovely wife Billie were in the parade, riding in an open carriage provided by the MASSAR Society. The MASSAR Color Guard marched in front of the carriage and the CTSSAR Color Guard marched behind the carriage. Those members present were Derek Brockhoff, Dan Dudley, Lee Gerlander, Todd Gerlander, Randal Gerlander, Howard Greene, George Husted, John Keeney, Jack Manning, David Packard, David Perkins, Robert Rivard, Russell Wirtalla, Richard Wright, and Doug Wood (Vice President General, New England District). VPG Doug Wood presented CTSSAR Color Guard Commander, Todd Gerlander with the SAR Silver Roger Sherman Medal from the New England District for his nearly 20 years as the CTSSAR Color Guard Commander. The presentation was made at the Colonial Inn during lunch 240th Anniversary of the Battle of Bunker Hill June 17 Editor David J. Perkins Submitters Robert Rivard Dave Packard Ken Buckbee Ethan Stewart David Perkins Todd Gerlander Connecticut SAR PO Box 411 East Haddam, 06423 ConnecticutSAR.org On June 17th, 10 members of the Connecticut Line participated in the Battle of Bunker Hill Commemoration Ceremonies at the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown, Massachusetts. Following a three volley musket salute to the Heroes of Bunker Hill, Todd Gerlander placed a wreath at the Connecticut Gate. Wreaths were also placed at the Massachusetts Gate (MASSAR), New Hampshire Gate (NHSSAR) and the United States Gate (SAR). Huzzah! The combined color guards of CT, MA, and NH posed for a photo in front of the Colonel William Prescott statue at the base of the Bunker Hill obelisk. Prior to the Bunker Hill Ceremonies, the members of all three color guards attended the Ecumenical service at the Church of St. Francis de Sales located on the top of Bunker Hill and then marched through the streets of Charlestown to the Bunker Hill Ceremonies over on Breed s Hill, the actual site of the battle.