Silicon Valley Chapter Military Ofcers Association of America

Volume IX Issue 9 September 2017 SEPTEMBER LUNCHEONThe SPEAKER Bulletin Sir Ernest Henry Shackleton was a polar Luncheon explorer who led three British expeditions 21 September 2017 to the Antarctic, and one of the principal figures of the period known as the Heroic Age of Antarctic Exploration. More recently CAPT Scott E. Shackleton, USN, a descendent of that family, made a historic voyage to Antarctica and the South Pole. The extreme environment had a huge impact on the operation; the ice and cold created a very treacherous and dangerous working environment. Safety had to be the number-one concern.

CAPT Scott Shackleton, USN Social Hour: 11:00 AM A very dangerous environment…. Luncheon: 11:45 AM The chapter’s September luncheon speaker will be CAPT Scott Shackleton, Luncheon is $26.00 USN, Commanding Officer, Office of See Back Page for Reservations Naval Research (ONR) Reserve Unit, Navy Form and Directions Operational Support Center (NOSC) San Jose. A licensed Third Assistant Engineer in the US Merchant Marine and Navy Reservist assigned to the Military Sealift Command at the time, he served as a Ships CALENDAR OF EVENTS Operations Officer. He will provide an illustrated presentation about OPERATION 7 Sept Board Meeting 10:30 AM DEEP FREEZE, the Defense Department’s 21 Sept Luncheon 11:00 AM Cont'd pg 3 5 Oct Board Meeting 10:30 AM 19 Oct Luncheon 11:00 AM PRESIDENT’S PERSPECTIVE

Hi All, Football season is starting and it reminds us that it is time to prepare to elect a new Board. As you are aware, the average age of our membership is about 80 years old. Yes, old. We need to get younger members and younger Board Members. Several times I have asked for members to volunteer for the Board and to let a Board Member know your desire to contribute. To date, to the best of my knowledge, only one member has expressed their desire in OFFICERS, BOARD, AND CHAIRS joining the leadership of the Chapter – sad; very sad PRESIDENT: CAPT Gil Borgardt USN 650-342-1270 response. The attendance at the Aug lunch, held at the 1st VP: CDR Ralph Hunt USN Morgan Hill Winery, may have been the highest lunch 650-967-8467 2nd VP: CWO5 Robert Landgraf USMC attendance in recent times. Mike and Maryclaire hosted a 408-323-8838 catered lunch that was enjoyed by all. Great comradeship! Secretary: COL Warren Enos AUS 408-245-2217 Juanita Morales-Euresti, director, VA Vet Center, San Jose, Treasurer: CAPT Keith Ott USN 530-219-2404 gave a very informative coverage of the benefits and Past President: Lt Col Mike Sampognaro USAF activities of the Vet Center. She also was able to assist 408-779-7389 several attendees with their concerns. If you have any DIRECTORS & COMMITTEE CHAIRS questions/needs regarding vets, she has offered to assist CALMOAA CAPT Gil Borgardt USN 650-342-1270 you. Two of our Board members, Keith Ott and Neil Miles Chaplain Col Don Bradley USAF 650-592-0915 contribute their volunteer time at the center. Chapter Outreach Again, we need new members on the Board. ASAP, contact CWO5 Robert Landgraf USMC 408-323-8838 Commissary/Exchange Advisory a Board member for info!! CDR Ralph Hunt USN 650-967-8467 Directors at Large Lt. Col. Jesse Craddock USAF 650-968-0446 Gil CAPT Lloyd McBeth USN 408-241-3514 Friends-in-Need (FIN) Program CDR Al Mouns USN 408-257-5629 Navy League Liaison LCDR Tom Winant USN 650-678-7120 Membership/Recruitment CWO5 Robert Landgraf USMC 408-323-8838 Personal Affairs WELCOME NEW MEMBERS CAPT Robert French USN 650-363-1188 Programs CDR Ralph Hunt USN 650-967-8467 ROTC CWO4 Patrick Clark USA 831-402-8548 Surviving Spouse Liason LtCol Charlene Lee USA 510-427-7145 Colonel John Fontana - USA (Ret), Scholarship CAPT Paul Barrish USN 408-356-7531 Travel (Space-A Advisory) vacant Veteran Affairs Lt Col Neil Miles USAF 408-929-1142 Capt Peter Klaus Yorck USA Web Master Lt Col Mike Sampognaro USAF 408-779-7389 See page 4 Sergeant at Arms Capt Chris Kachulis USAF 408-395-2853 Strategic Planning Capt David Down ARNG 408-202-9360 Legislation Capt Refugio "Joseph" Picazo USAF (Ret) Capt Charles McDougald USA 415-722-4009 See page 7 The Chapter Board meets at the Moffett Air Traffic Control Tower, Moffett Federal Airfield

RETIREE ACTIVITIES OFFICE (RAO) Bldg 587 on Wescoat Court, 650-603-8047

Bulletin Editor Lt. Col. Mike Sampognaro, USAF [email protected] 408-779-7389

- 2 - September LUNCHEON cont'd support of National Science Foundation research in Antarctica, details of his mission to the Antarctic, and some of unique challenges of living and working in that part of the world.

McMurdo Station…. The Endurance… In August 1914, polar explorer Ernest Shackleton boarded the Endurance and set sail for Antarctica, where he planned to cross the last uncharted continent on foot. In January 1915, after battling its way through a thousand miles of pack ice and only a day's sail short of its destination, the Endurance became locked in an island of ice. Thus began the legendary ordeal of Shackleton and his crew of twenty-seven men. Scott Shackleton says, “I have strong family ties to Antarctica, being a distant relative of Sir Ernest Shackleton, the famous The South Pole today…. Antarctic Explorer. I have heard the stories of his During the mission, Scott also visited a hut that great adventures since I was a small child… I have Sir Ernest twice called home - first as part of always wanted to venture down to Antarctica and explorer Robert Scott's 1902-1903 Discovery experience it for myself.” expedition and again during Sir Ernest's own 1907 CAPT Shackleton was selected to participate in -1909 Nimrod Expedition. Sir Ernest is most the Department of Defense‘s annual delivery of fuel, remembered for his famous Endurance Expedition equipment and supplies required to sustain the of 1914-1916. During that unsuccessful attempt to scientist and support personnel conducting vital the South Pole, he and his crew of 27 were stranded research across the Antarctic continent. The on the ice for nearly 15 months. Remarkably, all of descriptions of travel to McMurdo Station, efforts to the Endurance crew survived. Sir Ernest died of a sustain life in a very unforgiving environment, and a heart attack in 1922 during his third lead expedition continuation to the South Pole will be both to Antarctica. enlightening and entertaining. In McMurdo Shackleton’s assignment in part was to serve as the "I've always felt a kinship with Sir Ernest," said liaison between the Military Sealift Command Scott. "It's been an honor for me to have this tie to vessels (United States Naval Ship Paul Buck, and the him and the name Shackleton." cargo ship American Tern), the Navy sailors ______offloading the vessel and the scientific support staff SOURCE: DoD Armed With Science Blog receiving the materials.

- 3 - New GI Bill Vocational Rehabilitation and The Harry W. Colmery Veterans Employment (VR&E) benefits, to Educational Assistance Act of 2017, "pause" their eligibility so their time H.R. 3218, passed by the House and under the VR&E program is not Senate was signed by the President negatively affected while called up on August 16, 2017. Also known as for active duty orders. This provision the Forever G.I. Bill, the legislation takes effect immediately. improves provisions in the existing G.I. Bill and provides more To see the complete text of the flexibility for using educational Forever G.I. Bill benefits. The measure contains a https://www.votervoice. number of provisions that net/BroadcastLinks/cISqLJ2H9aHlr1 specifically impact disabled AHgAf7ig veterans and their families, including: WELCOME NEW MEMBER

• Increases monthly Capt Peter Klaus Yorck Dependents Educational Assistance (DEA) payments by about 40 National MOAA Member, 11/01/2015 percent effective October 1, 2018 5 years active duty - (note: effective August 1, 2018, DEA -2 years 101st Airborne Division (PL/XO), decreases from 45 to 36 months to Deployment to Afghanistan, 2013 be consistent with other VA -2 years 3rd Ranger Battalion (PL), educational programs); Deployment to Afghanistan, 2014 • Eliminates the 15-year limit for using the G.I. Bill, allowing 2 years, HFF San Francisco, Commercial for the use of the educational Real Estate benefits for life, for those who were -Analyst, 2016 discharged after January 1, 2013; • Grants full G.I. Bill -Associate, 2017 benefits to Purple Heart Recipients, regardless of total time in service effective August 1, 2018; Only in This • Provides G.I. Bill eligibility for reservists undergoing medical care for active duty injuries Stupid World effective August 1, 2018; • Restores used G.I. bill .....do people benefits to enrolled students whose school permanently closes after order double January 1, 2015, effective November 14, 2017; and cheeseburgers, • Allows veterans who are National Guard members and large fries, and a Reservists who are receiving diet Coke. - 4 - SPACE A MILITARY FLIGHTS HERMAN THE GERMAN Since 2002, MilitaryHops.com has been Gerhard Neumann (October 8, 1917 – dedicated to being the premier index of information November 2, 1997) was a German-American about space available military flights (Space A) that aviation engineer and executive for General qualified people can travel on. Our goal is that if the Electric's aircraft engine division (which today is information you seek on this subject is on the World called GE Aviation). Born and raised in Wide Web then you can find it from here. Here’s Germany, as a young man he went to China the link http://www.militaryhops.com/ shortly before World War II and ended up being an aircraft mechanic for the United States Army Air Forces there. He became an American citizen by an Act of Congress and went on to a career with General Electric.

Next stop Hickham AFB, Honolulu… It should be noted that while flying on U.S. Military aircraft is usually without cost, it is not a reliable means of travel. Unlike a commercial airline there are usually no backup flights if the plane is diverted or if there are not enough seats. Your ability to fly to a destination depends on the plane actually arriving at your destination, the plane is needed at the other destination, which would cause the plane to be canceled or diverted, space-A seats An extraordinary man… being available on the flight, and your flight category being high enough to qualify for on the Leaving Germany he flew to Hong Kong and available seats. then Kunming, capital of the remote Yunnan province; there he contacted the Chinese Air Force. He worked as an auto mechanic until the Pearl Harbor attack, when he accepted an offer from Colonel Claire Lee Chennault, who had established the Chinese Air Force with Madame Chiang Kai-shek, to work in support of that Air Force. As the war with Japan progressed, the Chinese Air Force became the American If qualified, take the whole family… Volunteer Group (AVG), nicknamed the "Flying It is highly recommended that space-A travel on a Tigers." Neumann was part of the Headquarters military hop be limited to true leisure travel for those Squadron as a Propeller Specialist and while with time to spare. Backup tickets can be purchased with the Flying Tigers, Neumann was nicknamed from VetTravel.com. "Herman the German". ______Neumann helped the effort against the SOURCE: Military Hops.com Japanese in many important ways. He led dangerous supply convoys, he performed all types of mechanical repairs on P-40 aircraft, he cont'd pg 6

- 5 - Herman the German... translated to and from Chinese, he assembled a working enemy Zero fighter from crash parts to assess its flight characteristics, and he even Leisurely drive to Washington D.C. directed bombing attacks from the ground while disguised as a Chinese coolie. He traveled to Palestine. Most border crossings were dangerous, Washington, D.C. during this period to brief because by 1948 most countries in Asia were William Donovan, head of the OSS, where he undergoing political turmoil. Finally, after a journey met his future wife Clarice. of many thousands of miles on poor roads by Jeep, Gerhard, Clarice and their dog "Mr Chips" arrived in Tel Aviv during the first Arab-Israeli war and were able to travel by aircraft to New York City. ______SOURCE: Archives

Propeller Specialist… In late 1946, Chennault offered Neumann an engineering position with Chinese National Relief and Rehabilitation Airline, a new airline Chennault was forming using war-surplus C-46 transports. Neumann accepted, and on their way to China he and Clarice were married. In the year that followed, the Chinese Civil War was raging and the Communist People's Liberation Army was taking over China. The Neumanns had no choice but to attempt to return to the United States. They chose an unusual route. Instead of flying or sailing across the Pacific, Clarice suggested that they drive over the Asian continent towards North Africa. They constructed a jeep from parts and thus began their incredible and quite dangerous journey to the Mediterranean Sea, via Siam (now Thailand), Burma, India, Afghanistan, Iraq, and

- 6 - New Member More about our JULY SPEAKER REPORT MEET Refugio "Joe" Picazo The photo showing a view of multiple light We’re delighted to welcome Capt Joe Picazo years into deep space was black with images of USAF (RET) to Silicon Valley Chapter effective on millions upon millions of what appeared to be or about Aug 19th! stars, except they were not stars but galaxies. The profound conclusion was made possible by the Hubble Space Telescope (HST), a device providing an unobstructed view of the universe. It has provided a dazzling array of images that have awed and inspired the public. More than just pretty pictures, the data collected has provided insight into the universe from objects as close as the moon to the most remote galaxies, with incredible photos of supernovas and nebulas in between.

Joe, a resident of Morgan Hill, started his Military career with the US Army in 1961 and Countless numbers of galaxies in the night sky became a Finance Specialist. He left the army to The chapter’s July luncheon speaker was return to school and after graduating he later was Monterey resident Mr. Ronald L. Sheffield, who commissioned in the US Air Force, serving as a had as a Lockheed senior manager a key role in Health Services Administrator. In 1986 he left HST development, consultant on Servicing active duty and joined the Air National Guard as a Mission 4, and astronaut trainer. He provided an reservist with the 129th Rescue Wing at Moffett extensive and detailed illustrated presentation on Field. He retired in 1997 and continued to serve by the telescope’s history, description, joining the California State Military Reserve. characteristics and dimensions, missions, and His civilian career is Education, teaching, scientific discoveries, as well as out of the administration and counseling. ordinary and out of this world images. The Joe recently served the community by photos of the space vehicle itself, the launch, spending a year on the Civil Grand Jury. astronaut equipment and training at Houston and Welcome, Joe. We're very pleased to have beyond, a spacewalk, viewing a sunrise on orbit, you with us! and crewmembers living and surviving and even ______sleeping in strange positions were all instructive. SOURCE: Biography The evidence was clear: Hubble Space Telescope has changed our fundamental understanding of the universe. According to Mr. Sheffield, “the HST is 43.5 feet in length, 14 feet in diameter at the front and 10 feet in the rear, about the size of a typical cont'd pg 8 - 7 - yellow school bus. It is positioned 325 nautical to intercept the telescope in orbit and carefully miles above the earth, which is roughly the retrieving it with the shuttle's mechanical arm. The distance from San Francisco to Los Angeles, in necessary work was then carried out in multiple order to take photos as far out as 14 billion light tethered spacewalks over a period of four to five years. Its pointing accuracy is .0000019 degrees days. After a visual inspection of the telescope, +. astronauts conducted repairs, replaced failed or degraded components, upgraded equipment, and installed new instruments. Once work was completed, the telescope was redeployed, typically after boosting to a higher orbit to address the orbital decay caused by atmospheric drag.

Ron Sheffield… And, it has been designed for servicing while in orbit. In 26 years it has made 140,000 trips around the earth. Its external temperature range is -150F to +200F. Power is provided by 2 solar Astronauts at work… arrays and 2 batteries. The telescope is in The big advantage of Hubble or any other space operation 24/7.” Once the contract to build the telescope is that it doesn’t have to deal with Earth’s telescope was signed in October 1977 instructions atmosphere distorting light. Mr. Sheffield were given that components would be made to be described some of the telescope’s scientific serviced in orbit and by the time the telescope was discoveries: the age of the universe is launched in 1990 94 types of electronic boxes approximately 14 billion light years; data indicate could be serviced while in space. the expansion of the universe initially slowed down before speeding up under the influence of dark energy; the night sky shows thousands upon thousands of galaxies dating back to within 500 million years or so of the big bang birth of the cosmos; the enormous velocity of gas at the core of a galaxy implies the existence of a black hole with a mass of 3 billion suns crammed into a volume no larger than Earth's solar system. He also showed some of the greatest photos taken by Hubble. Mr. Sheffield displayed a number of the telescope’s top photographs including the Eagle HST exploded view… Nebula—Pillars of Creation. “This is one of the Hubble was designed to accommodate regular iconic images,” said Jennifer Wiseman, senior servicing and equipment upgrades while in orbit. project scientist, Hubble, NASA Goddard Space Instruments and limited life items were designed Flight Center. “You see the columns of gas that as orbital replacement units. Five servicing signify a region where stars have recently formed missions (SM 1, 2, 3A, 3B, and 4) were flown by and are still forming. We have a marvelous newer NASA space shuttles, the first in December 1993 image with a newer camera, which gave us a visual and the last in May 2009. Servicing missions were clue as to how young stars that have recently delicate operations that began with maneuvering cont'd pg 9

- 8 - formed are interacting with the dense gas United States Space Corps remaining behind.” Sheffield also provided By print copies of three images including CDR William Andersen USNR Retired Supernova Remnant SNR 0509 showing an Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN) and Explosion Creating a Bubble of Light and Star- Mike Rogers (R-AL) of the House Armed Services forming Nebula NGC 3603 Stellar Evolution Committee drafted legislation to form “the “Space Revealed in a Giant Nebula. Members were Corps,” a new branch of the US military that would also offered a bright, shining aluminum coin come under the command of the Air Force and deal depicting the HST and a very brief description with threats to American national security of development/launch. occurring outside of Earth’s atmosphere.” Cooper and Rogers stated that there was “bipartisan acknowledgment that the strategic advantages we derive from our national security space systems are eroding.” They are “convinced that the Department of Defense is unable to take the measures necessary to address these challenges effectively and decisively, or even recognize the nature and scale of its problems.” “The Air Force currently has its own Space Command wing, but should the new legislation become law, it would require the creation of the Space Corps ‘as a separate military service responsible for national security space programs for which the Air Force is today responsible.’ ’’ The Space Corps would likely carry on The Pillars of Creation some of the secretive projects that Air Force Space Design, development, and deployment of the Command is currently undertaking in the upper Hubble Space Telescope provided the kind of reaches of our atmosphere and could theoretically information outcomes guaranteed to stimulate be called upon to defend Earth against the quest for discovery. One of Mr. Sheffield’s extraterrestrial threats one day. last comments prior to a brief Q & A session: If the idea of a Space Corps survives pre- “Omega Centauri is a globular cluster located in congressional travail, it will collide with the Air the direction of Centaurus constellation. Force which is against the formation of a new Hosting about 10 million stars within a region branch. The Air Force argues that a new branch about 150 light years in diameter, Omega would cause organizational confusion and delay Centauri is the brightest, largest, and most existing projects. Air Force Chief of Staff General massive globular star cluster in our galaxy, the David Goldfein said in May. “I would say that we Milky Way.” keep that dialog open, but right now I think it ______would actually move us backwards. SOURCE: Luncheon Speaker

New U.S. Air Force Space Badge Reference: The Verge Rich McCormick

- 9- Before Their time alert the ships of their position. They also by could not alert them that they were CDR William Andersen USNR-Ret overestimating the flying boat’s drift and The PN-9, a Navy flying boat, were searching ever further away towards CDR John Rodgers in command, flew at Hawaii. By the second day on the ocean the 70 knots from San Francisco, California crew realized they would not be rescued. to within 450 miles of the 2,400 miles to Rodgers, the commander of the Honolulu, Hawaii. When its gas tanks Naval Air Station at Pearl Harbor, who was emptied, its twin engines stopped. The also a sailor and surfer, realized with the flying boat dropped to the Pacific Ocean Trade Winds behind them they could sail splashing down along wave tops, then the flying boat the remainder of the way to floated with the waves. Neither the last their destination Hawaii. He and his crew Navy support ship positioned nearby nor fashioned a square sail with the fabric from the flying boat were able to find each the aircraft’s lower wings and later made other with the limited navigation and side boards from the aircraft’s floor boards communication of 1925, but the flying to reduce lateral drift. Nine days after boat’s crew of five hoped for an early ditching, thirsty and hungry, they reached rescue. Hawaii at the island of Kauai and were Losing an aircraft at sea was not rescued by a U.S. submarine. CDR Rodgers what the Navy Department had in mind and his crew were celebrated as heroes by when it organized a non-stop publicity the Hawaiians. Though the flight of the PN flight from San Francisco to Honolulu to -9 was unsuccessful reaching Hawaii, it demonstrate that naval aviation required demonstrated how badly the Navy needed a an effective fleet air arm. The flight good aviation arm. would consist of three flying boats. Predicted favorable tail winds would be necessary for success, but Navy ships were stationed every 200 miles to provide communication, navigation, and fuel. Only two PN-9’s departed San Francisco; the third, an experimental model, was unready. Three hundred PN-9 flying boat miles out the second aircraft suffered an engine oil-leak, landed at sea, and was towed back to San Francisco. Rodgers and his crew were on their own. Even the planned favorable winds proved unfavorable. The flying boat adrift, the crew received transmissions from the armada of CDR John Rodgers and Crew in Hawaii searching ships, but the flying boat’s transmitter failed making it impossible to Resources: Dave Trojan & Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum - 10 - Your questions answered about the those who are authorized to shop at the new veterans online shopping exchange websites: www.shopmyexchange. com; www.shopcgx.com; www.mymcx.com; benefit and www.mynavyexchange.com. By: Karen Jowers July 10 Military Times and the exchanges More than 95,000 people visited the continue to get questions about the VetVerify military exchanges' VetVerify.org website in website and the new shopping benefit. Here its first month, seeking to register for the new are a few frequently asked questions, and veterans online shopping benefit that starts some answers, supplied by AAFES. Nov. 11, officials said. All honorably discharged veterans will Q. Is this site a phishing scam? have access to the online exchanges as of that A. No. VetVerify.org is a shared service for all date. VetVerify is the first step in the the military exchanges with the sole purpose eligibility process. of supporting the newly approved veterans Some veterans will be chosen as "beta online shopping benefit. VetVerify.org uses testers" and will have access to the online data from Defense Manpower Data Center, stores before Nov. 11; the earlier veterans which holds the most comprehensive dataset complete the verification process, the better on veterans, to verify eligibility. their chances of becoming beta testers, according to officials with the Army and Air Q. Do I qualify if I served for four Force Exchange Service, which administers years, or if I was in the reserves, or if the verification for all the military exchange I'm on disability? services. A. All honorably discharged veterans and Veterans who register through those with a general (under honorable) VetVerify.org will receive notification of their discharge can shop their military exchanges, acceptance as eligible online shoppers or, if through the veterans online shopping benefit, their records are incomplete, will receive beginning on Veterans Day. guidance on the steps they can take to update Bottom of Form those records. Officials were not able to provide Q. Can my spouse (or other family information about how many of the 95,000 member) shop? verification attempts have been successful. A. No. The new benefit is specific to veterans About 13 percent of the site's visitors have with honorable and general (under honorable been chosen as beta testers, AAFES conditions) discharges. spokesman Chris Ward said, and others who registered for verification already were Q. Does the veterans online shopping eligible to shop. benefit extend to shopping at the Officials started the verification commissary? process early in preparation for at least 13 A. No. million people who will be newly eligible to shop online at the exchange. Until now, Q. What if my service can't be verified? online military exchange shopping was A. There may be further information needed, available only to active-duty, reserve and so you will need to submit a digital copy of National Guard members; retirees; 100 your discharge paperwork to be reviewed for percent disabled veterans; the dependent eligibility. After you submit your verification family members of those individuals; and form through VetVerify.org, you will be certain others. prompted to upload the necessary paperwork. Online pricing can be seen only by cont'd pg 12

- 11 - Q. Who should I call if I have problems with the verification process? A. The VetVerify.org customer call center, toll-free, at 844-868-8672.

Q. Why does VetVerify ask for my entire Social Security number? A. VetVerify is required to obtain the last four digits of your Social Security number, date of birth and last name in order to validate and authenticate shoppers. If a match is not found with the minimum information, then the Social Security number is requested for a more detailed search. Social Security number is the unique identifier by Defense Manpower Data Center data. When customers visit the website of their favorite online exchanges for the first time, however, they will create a new username to be used as the unique identifier with the exchange. VetVerify has taken appropriate measures to safeguard your personal information.

Senior reporter Karen Jowers covers military families, quality of life and Rock formations in Cappadocia, TURKEY consumer issues for Military Times. Email her at [email protected].

Rock, N_E Taiwan

- 12 - "Your SVC Board, hard at work to make the Chapter the best in Northern CA"

- 13 - PEGASUS TO TRAVIS Bringing KC-46s to Travis is part of an Travis Air Force Base at Fairfield and ongoing effort to ensure that Travis gets the most McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey both advanced technology and modern infrastructure have been selected to receive 24 KC-46A possible. Travis is a base that will continue to Pegasus tanker aircraft sometime in 2020, play a crucial role in our national defense for replacing the KC-10 Extenders currently in many decades to come. The future of Travis today use. is more secure than ever. Fairchild Air Force Base and Grand Forks Air Force Base will be considered as alternatives during the environmental impact analysis process, which is required before a final basing decision is made, according to the Air Force. The environmental review is expected to wrap up in early 2018. Beale AFB is located approximately 8 miles east of Marysville. The host unit is the 9th Reconnaissance Wing (9 RW), which collects KC-46A Pegasus… intelligence essential for Presidential and Congressional decisions critical to the national "This is a big win for Travis because the defense. To accomplish this mission, the wing is enhanced refueling capability will allow a equipped with the nation's fleet of U-2 Dragon rapid projection of power anywhere and Lady and RQ-4 Global Hawk unmanned aircraft. anytime, expanding the airbase’s critical role The base is home to about 4,000 military in enabling worldwide military operations. It personnel. is great news for Travis, the Air Force, Fairfield and all of Solano County,” Fairfield Mayor Harry Price said. The Air Force said the KC-46 will give the American military extended refueling capabilities, improved global reach and enable timely joint-service response to humanitarian crises and contingency operations around the world. The Air Force recognizes the base’s strategic importance and is committed to making long-term investments so Travis Air Beale Air Force Base… Force Base continues to play a critical role in NAS Lemoore is located in Kings County and protecting the nation. Fresno County and is the Navy's newest and largest Master Jet Base, with Strike Fighter Wing Pacific, along with its associated squadrons home ported there. LeMoore has approximately 7,200 military personnel. With the arrival of the KC-46A Pegasus and its anticipated expansion Travis AFB might well become the largest military operational presence in Northern California. ______SOURCE: Air Force News

KC-10 Extender…

- 14 - THE SILENT GENERATION city playground for kids. To play in the water, we Born in the 1930s and early 40s, we exist as a turned the fire hydrants on and ran through the very special age cohort. We are the Silent spray. The lack of television in our early years Generation. We are the smallest number of meant, for most of us, that we had little real children born since the early 1900s. We are the understanding of what the world was like. Our "last ones." We are the last generation, climbing Saturday afternoons, if at the movies, gave us out of the depression, who can remember the newsreels of the war and the holocaust winds of war and the impact of a world at war sandwiched in between westerns and which rattled the structure of our daily lives for cartoons. They were one to a house, often shared years. and hung on the wall. Computers were called calculators and were hand cranked; typewriters were driven by pounding fingers, throwing the carriage, and changing the ink. The ‘internet’ and ‘GOOGLE’ were words that didn’t exist. Newspapers and magazines were written for adults. We are the last group who had to find out for ourselves.

The traditionalists… We are the last to remember ration books for everything from gas to sugar to shoes to stoves. We saved tin foil and poured fat into tin cans. We hand mixed ‘white stuff’ with ‘yellow stuff’ to make fake butter. We saw cars up on blocks because tires weren't available. We can remember milk being delivered to our house War and remembrance… early in the morning and placed in the “milk As we grew up, the country was exploding box” on the porch. [A friend’s mother delivered with growth. The G.I. Bill gave returning veterans milk in a horse drawn cart.] the means to get an education and spurred colleges We are the last to hear Roosevelt's radio to grow. VA loans fanned a housing boom. Pent- assurances and to see gold stars in the front up demand coupled with new installment payment windows of our grieving neighbors. We can also plans put factories to work. New highways would remember the parades on August 15, 1945; VJ bring jobs and mobility. The veterans joined civic Day. We saw the 'boys' home from the war build clubs and became active in politics. In the late 40s their Cape Cod style houses, pouring the cellar, and early 50's the country seemed to lie in the tar papering it over and living there until they embrace of brisk but quiet order as it gave birth to could afford the time and money to build it out. its new middle class (which became known as We are the last generation who spent childhood ‘Baby Boomers’). The radio network expanded without television; instead we imagined what we from 3 stations to thousands of stations. The heard on the radio. As we all like to brag, with telephone started to become a common method of no TV, we spent our childhood "playing outside communications and "Faxes" sent hard copy until the street lights came on." around the world. We did play outside and we did play on our Our parents were suddenly free from the confines own. There was no little league. There was no cont'd pg 16

- 15 - of the depression and the war and they threw of bright promise and plenty. We have lived through themselves into exploring opportunities they both. had never imagined. We weren't neglected but we weren't today's all-consuming family focus. They were glad we played by ourselves 'until the street lights came on.' They were busy discovering the post war world. Most of us had no life plan, but with the unexpected virtue of ignorance and an economic rising tide we simply stepped into the world and started to find out what the world was about. We entered a world of overflowing plenty and opportunity, a world where we were The last ones… welcomed. Based on our naïve belief that there We grew up at the best possible time, a time was more where this came from, we shaped life when the world was getting better; not worse. We as we went. We enjoyed a luxury; we felt are the Silent Generation; 'the last ones.' The last of secure in our future. us was born in 1942, more than 99.9% of us are either retired or dead; and all of us believe we grew up in the best of times! ______SOURCE: Author Unknown

The best of times!

Of course, just as today, not all Americans shared in this experience. Depression poverty was deep rooted. Polio was still a crippler. The Korean War was a dark presage in the early 50s and by mid-decade school children were ducking under desks. Russia built the “Iron Curtain” and China became Red China. Eisenhower sent the first 'advisors' to Vietnam; and years later, Johnson invented a war there. Castro set up camp in Cuba and Khrushchev came to power. We are the last generation to experience an interlude when there were no existential threats to our homeland. We came of age in the 40s and early 50s. The war was over and the cold war, terrorism, Martin Luther King, civil rights technological upheaval, “global warming”, and perpetual economic insecurity had yet to haunt Cave with a view of Sheep Island life with insistent unease. Only our generation at Larrybane on the Antrim coast can remember both a time of apocalyptic war and a time when our world was secure and full of Northern Ireland

- 16 - Profile in Courage: The Most before he was to retire from the Decorated Enlisted Sailor in Navy, the burly man, 5-foot-8 and Navy History 210 pounds Williams volunteered for In the history of the United combat duty in Vietnam. States Navy, only seven men have Williams arrived in Vietnam in earned all of the big three valor April 1966 as a BM1. He was assigned awards: Medal of Honor, Navy in May to the River Patrol Force, Cross, and Silver Star. Six were River Squadron Five, in command of World War II officers, including River Patrol Boat 105 (PBR-105). The one aviator. The seventh was force's mission was to intercept Viet James Elliott "Willy" Williams - Cong and North Vietnamese arms considered the most decorated shipments, supplies, and personnel enlisted man in the history of the on the waterways of South Vietnam's Navy. swampy Mekong Delta and to keep Williams, a Cherokee Indian, innocent boat traffic on the river and was born November 13, 1930, in canals safe. Fort Mill, South Carolina. Two On July 1, 1966, Williams led a months later he moved with his patrol that came under fire from the parents to Darlington, South Vietcong sampan. His deft maneuvers Carolina where he spent his early and accurate fire killed five VC and childhood and youth. He attended resulted in the capture of the enemy the local schools and graduated boat, earning Williams a Bronze Star from St. John's High School. Medal with a V for Valor. Twenty-two In August 1947, at the age of days later his crew captured another 16, Williams enlisted in the United sampan, earning Williams a second States Navy with a fraudulent birth Bronze Star Medal for Valor. Less certificate. He completed basic than a month later, he received his training at Naval Training Center Silver Star and the first of three San Diego. He served for almost Purple Hearts he would eventually twenty years, retiring on April 26, receive. 1967, as a Boatswain's Mate First On the night of October 31, Class (BM1). During those years, 1966, Williams was commanding PBR he served in both the Korean War 105 alongside another PBR searching and Vietnam War. for Viet Cong guerrillas operating in During the Korean War, was an isolated area of the Mekong Delta. stationed aboard the Destroyer Suddenly, Viet Cong manning two USS Douglas H Fox (DD-779) from sampans opened fire on the November 1950 to June 1952. He Americans. While Williams and his was detached off the Destroyer men neutralized one sampan, the and operated off the coast of other one escaped into a nearby Korea by taking raiding parties canal. The PBRs gave chase and soon into North Korea on small boats. found themselves in a beehive of From 1953 to 1965 he served enemy activity as the VC opened fire tours on a variety of naval vessels. on them with rocket-propelled In 1966, with only a year grenades and small arms from fortified river bank positions. cont'd pg 18 - 17 - Williams, who knew the area 3 "Seawolves" for air support, but well from months of patrols, as his speedboats rounded another directed his two boats in a high- bend they found themselves smack speed detour to a spot he knew the in the middle of a second staging fleeing sampan would eventually area as big as the first. Again, the emerge. Both threaded an narrow channel determined their alternative channel too narrow for fate, and both PBR's sped boldly at the boats to reverse course. At the enemy. For a second time, their nearly 35 knots they roared up the machine guns blazed and splinters twisting passage, the heavily flew from enemy sampans and NVA jungled bank passing in a green soldiers spilled into the water. And blur. Then as they rounded a bend for a second time, the two American to an area of more open water, to gunboats sliced through the enemy, the surprise of all aboard, they blasting and ramming as they went. stumbled into a major staging area Secondary explosions from several for the North Vietnamese Army. of the larger junks confirmed Thirty to forty sampans were Williams' suspicion that they were crossing the channel, each loaded ammunition and supply vessels. to the gunwales with NVA troops Despite three hours of intense and supplies. combat, Williams' crew received The enemy was equally only two casualties--one gunner was surprised and sprang to their guns. shot through the wrist, and Williams Along the shore, the familiar himself was wounded by shrapnel. "thonk" of mortars could be heard. For his conspicuous bravery above Williams had no choice but to gun and beyond the call of duty he was his engines straight at the enemy! put in for the Medal of Honor - which Tracers streaked across the water. he received from President Lyndon Williams ran his boat directly at B. Johnson on May 14, 1968, during several sampans, splitting them in the dedication ceremony of the half under the sharp bow of his Pentagon's "Hall of Heroes." rocketing speedboat. The PBR's On January 9, 1967, the Navy twisted and jinked, blazed their dredge Jamaica Bay was blown up weapons and spilled hundreds of by mines and PVR-105 arrived to dead and dying NVA troops into the pick up seven of the survivors. water. The speed and Another man was trapped in the maneuverability of the Americans rapidly sinking dredge. Williams kept them ahead of the enemy dove into the water and, with a rope return fire. They blasted through attached to a nearby tree, pulled the enemy formation and back into clear of the obstruction and swam the narrow channel beyond. through a hatch to recover the Momentarily safe, the PBR's sailor. For this, he was awarded the sped onward. Williams called in Navy and Marine Corps Medal. heavily armed UH-1B Huey Six days later Williams was helicopters from the Navy wounded while leading a three-boat Helicopter Attack (Light) Squadron patrol that interdicted a crossing cont'd pg19 - 18 - attempt by three VC heavy Marshal Service. weapons companies and 400 In the fall of 1999, he was in fighters. He and his boat accounted Florence, South Carolina where he for 16 VC killed, 20 wounded in the suffered a heart attack and died on destruction of nine sampans and the Navy's birthday, October 13th. junks. Williams was awarded the He was buried with full military Navy Cross and his third Purple honors at the Florence National Heart. Cemetery in Florence, South Williams transferred to the Carolina. The procession of Fleet Reserve in April 1967 and dignitaries at his funeral included returned to his native South seven Medal of Honor recipients Carolina with a list of awards and state and national legislators. unmatched by any enlisted man in In addition to his wife Elaine, Navy history. His awards included he was survived by three sons, the Medal of Honor, the Navy Cross, James Jr., of Darlington, S.C.; two Silver Stars and the Legion of Steven, of Dorchester, S.C., and Merit, three Bronze Stars, and the Charles, of Charlotte, N.C.; two Navy Commendation Medal. He also daughters, Debbie Clark of Palm received three Purple Hearts and Coast and Gail Patterson of was twice awarded the Navy and Florence, and seven grandchildren. Marine Corps Medal for rescue Navy Guided Missile Destroyer operations under fire. USS James E. Williams (DDG-95) He retired after 20 years of was named and christened in his service and was appointed in 1969 honor on June 28, 2003, at by President Richard M. Nixon as Pascagoula, Mississippi. His widow United States Marshal, serving Elaine was present at the more than a decade in the Marshals ceremony. Service. His initial assignment was U.S. Marshal for the District of South Carolina where he served until May 1977. He then transferred Only in This to Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia Stupid World as an instructor and National Armorer. He was called back to South Carolina in July 1979 to ...... do we buy resume his appointment as U.S. Marshal and functioned in that hot dogs in position until April 1980. His next assignment was with the U.S. packages of ten Marshal service Headquarters, Washington, D.C. as Program and buns in Manager, Health and Safety and In- District Training Officer where he packages of eight.. performed his assigned duties until his retirement from the U.S.

- 19 - will have access to more information, creativity, ACTIVE PARTICIPATION technical expertise, and member preferences; Silicon Valley Chapter has been in existence members often change their behaviors when they th since the middle of the 20 century, and if the are aware, informed, and self-convinced that a organization is to retain its vitality into the future change is needed; relationships get strengthened more active member participation will be because communication barriers are ruptured, trust needed. On that basis, members of the board of is built, and people learn how to functionally work directors invite, indeed urge, all members to together—all skills that will be critical in attend board and luncheon meetings, accept addressing future issues; finally, members will leadership roles, serve on a committee, undertake accept or support decisions that they help make, special projects, and in general help manage even when the decisions are hard. chapter affairs and efforts to support the local Successful public participation takes adequate military community. time, resources, and flexibility. Member participation is constructive when all partaking Public participation is a process where each listen to each other, make positive contributions, contributor gains a better understanding of both gain a deeper knowledge of the issue(s), and the issues and how other participants see the develop trust and respect for each other, even when there is disagreement. The board extends an issues. It is an opportunity for participants to invitation for greater involvement and member share their facts, experiences, knowledge, ideas, participation, convinced that such a move will preferences, hopes, fears, opinions, and values. It help guarantee a bright future for the chapter and its members. Members should contact is a process through which everyone's energy is PRESIDENT: CAPT Gil Borgardt combined to produce a better outcome. The USN 650-342-1270 and make their interests and "public" in public participation refers to chapter needs known. ______members—individuals who have an interest in or SOURCE: Board Discussions will likely be affected, either positively or negatively, by a decision to be made. Public participation involves people who have a stake in the issue; consequently, the term "stakeholder" often is used when discussing public participation. Only in This All chapter members are stakeholders and, particularly in a time when earned entitlements Stupid World are in jeopardy, everyone needs to help with the “heavy lifting.” Public participation is effective when each participant not only states clearly his or her own position and interests but also listens to understand those of others. Silicon Valley ...... do we leave cars Chapter is a special interest group and members must be prepared to influence legislators; worth thousands of members must present a united front. In general, members want to participate in dollars in the major decisions that are important to them and board members want to make full participation driveway and put possible. The board is working to design a process that yields the most benefits. If our useless junk in successful, and if members will participate more actively, there will be greater opportunities for education of those involved; decision-makers the garage.

- 20 - RECRUITING NEW MEMBERS You may wonder. Isn't this very slow? It may In order for the chapter to achieve its purposes it seem slow, but it gets new members --faster than needs to recruit new members and particularly anything else. It’s what works. People are so people who will take an active interest and bombarded by online information, T.V., billboards, participate fully. Every current member needs to magazines and newspapers that we think that be a recruiter and ask potential members to join the personal contact is not effective, that we need more local chapter. "modern methods." But ask yourself, how do you If you want to know how to get people to join feel when someone you know asks you to do and get involved with the chapter, you need to something? As opposed to how you feel when you understand why someone would join. The first see an ad on the T.V.? Which group will you stick thing to recognize is that most people you want to with? You are not selling toothpaste. You are recruit are like you in their willingness to join and asking people to make a meaningful commitment. get involved in an organization. So think, how did Another point about asking people is that you you get involved in with the chapter? have to go to them. The chapter can call a meeting What led you to join? What was the or send out a flyer, but we will wait a long time for immediately preceding event? Think about how people to come. We have to go to people to get you heard about MOAA and Silicon Valley them involved. You have to show up in person, Chapter, and from whom or in what way. If a face to face, look them in the eye and ask them to person asked you to join, how did he/she ask you? help, to come to the meeting and join the chapter. Was it in person or perhaps over the phone? What The chapter’s future is dependent on increasing the did he/she actually say? What else do you membership and the best path to success is for remember about what happened just before you current members to ask others to join. It’s as joined? If you are like most people you joined simple as that. Please help. because someone asked you to, and not only ______someone but someone you knew and trusted. And ____ that person asked you in person. Research shows SOURCE: Chapter Membership Committee that 80% say they joined a group because a person Experiences asked them. A smaller percentage joined after reading a flyer or newspaper ad. But most people joined because someone they know asked them face to face, eyeball to eyeball. This is an Only in This important finding. The membership committee over time has sent letters to prospective members, distributed flyers, Stupid World placed notices in the Silicon Valley weekly newspapers, sent direct mail such as copies of The .....do banks Bulletin and brochure, but what works over and over again is one person asking another person. It’s no different with the chapter. Again, if you’re not leave vault doors sure ask a few friends why they joined some group, any group. It can be a reading group, church or open and then temple group, the Marines, or even a bowling team, and chances are you’ll find its most often because someone they knew asked them to join. The most chain the pens to important lesson about recruiting new chapter members is that people join when someone asks the counters.. them to join.

- 21 - SVC WEBSITES Our Chapter website is www.siliconvalleymoaa. org, a shorter link is www.svcmoaa.org. You can also get to it from the national MOAA site: Put the cursor over Chapters and select Chapter Locator, CA, then Silicon Valley Chapter. From there you may link over to our primary website above. Our home page has links for The Bulletin and eBulletin. B

TRICARE FOR LIFE SERVICE For assistance, contact the Wisconsin Physicians Service www.tricare4u.com 866-773-0404

Members can report the death of a retiree locally through the Retire Activity Office (RAO). The phone number is 650-603-8047 You can also notify a MOAA member’s death to: MOAA, Attn: MSC, 201 N Washington St, Alexandria, VA 22314 -2539. Or: Call 1-800-234-6622 Or: E-mail: [email protected]. Notify SVC-MOAA by phoning the Membership Chair–see listing on page 2 of The Bulletin. B

Only in This Stupid World

...... do drugstores make the sick walk all the way to the back of the store to get their prescriptions while healthy people can buy cigarettes at the front.

- 22 - Membership Application and Renewal Form

Silicon Valley Chapter Military Officers Association of America Mail to: SVC-MOAA P.O. Box 2 Moffett Federal Airfield, CA 94035

Membership Application and Renewal Form Date______Enroll Me As: New Member_____Renewing Member_____Surv Spouse____ Annual Dues: $30.00 (Surviving Spouse– Dues are not charged, donations gratefully accepted) Donations to SVC Fund $______Donations to Scholarship Fund $______Donations to PAWS $______Donation to USO $______(All Donations are Tax Deductible) Total: $______Make checks payable to SVC-MOAA and mail to above address. Please complete all applicable blanks Status: Active___Reserve____ Guard___Retired____Former Officer___ Widow(er)______Are you a National MOAA Member?______When did you join SVC or PROC?______

Name:______/______/___/______/______Last First MI Rank Service

Address:______/______Number Street (P.O. Box, etc.) Apt/Suite

City______State______Zip______/______Spouse’s Name______5 Digit 4 Digit

Phone(____)______E-mail______

SVC Dues are due 1 January and are separate from National MOAA Dues. SVC Dues support the Bulletin and Administrative functions. Luncheons are self-supporting. Dues are not prorated. Donations can be made to the Silicon Valley Chapter’s general fund and/or the various funds listed above. If you are a new chapter member, please advise us how you learned about this chapter.

- 23 - Silicon Valley Chapter of the NONPROFIT ORG Military Officers Association of America US POSTAGE P.O. Box 2 PAID Moffett Field, CA 94035 SAN JOSE CA PERMIT NO. 1223

September 2017

LOCATION – BILTMORE HOTEL -- 2151 LAURELWOOD RD, SANTA CLARA, CA DIRECTIONS: Going North on Hwy 101: Exit at Montague/San Tomas, then Montague; then Right on Laurelwood. Going South on Hwy 101: Exit at Montague/San Tomas, then Montague, then Right on Laurelwood. ------Cut Here------Cut Here------****LUNCHEON RESERVATION FORM**** Deadline to reach SVC no later than 15 Sept. If you have not sent in your reservation form by the above date and still wish to attend, please call Keith Ott 530-219-2404

LUNCHEON PRICE - $26.00 Times: Social Hour 11:00 AM, Luncheon 11:45 AM

Please reserve ______places for the 21 September Luncheon A TOTAL of $______including a donation of $______for (circle one) Scholarship, PAWS, USO, or undesignated donation

Make checks payable to: SVC MOAA

Mail to: SVC MOAA, PO Box 2 Moffett Federal Airfield, CA 94035-0002

RESERVE IN THE NAME OF: ______Telephone: ______MENU: Buffet - Two hot entrees with vegetables. Assorted breads and rolls. Desserts. Coffee and tea. NAMES OF PERSONS WHO ARE INCLUDED IN YOUR PAYMENT: