ERA OF CAREER MILITARY SERVICE MAY BE ENDING 8 JULY 2015 The Places Nobody Knows page 18 16 A Shipmate Survives the Sinking of the USS Yorktown 28 FRA’s Americanism Essay Contest 32 Meet New NHQ Staff Member Ben Young July 2015 Volume 94 Number 7 1 Featured 18 FRA TODAY 18 THE PLACES NOBODY KNOWS 2015 JULY There are millions of hidden gems scattered across this great nation of ours. This month’s feature highlights just a few offered by the National Park Service — beautiful natural treasures to excite your senses and soothe your soul. Find yours this summer! Departments 2 COMMUNICATIONS 4 FROM THE FIELD 16 Leadership Resources 6 SHIPMATE FORUM 8 ON & OFF CAPITOL HILL Era of Career Military Service May be Ending 14 MEMBERSHIP MATTERS 28 16 HISTORY & HERITAGE A Shipmate Survives the Sinking of the USS Yorktown (Part II) 28 FRA’S AMERICANISM ESSAY CONTEST 30 TAPS 31 REUNIONS 32 LOOKING FOR… 34 NEWS FROM THE BRANCHES 36 NEWS FROM THE AUXILIARY OF THE FRA Message from Southeast Regional President Pat Suckow ON THE COVER LOYALTY, PROTECTION AND SERVICE Fort Jefferson is the centerpiece of Dry Tortugas National Park in Key West, Fla. Constructed FRA IS A CONGRESSIONALLY CHARTERED, NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION between 1845 and 1876 to protect shipping lanes ADVOCATING FOR CURRENT AND FORMER ENLISTED MEMBERS OF THE that converge at the juncture of the Gulf of Mexico, U.S. NAVY, MARINE CORPS AND COAST GUARD ON CAPITOL HILL. FOR the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the fort MORE INFORMATION ON THE BENEFITS OF MEMBERSHIP, PLEASE VISIT occupies the majority of Garden Key and is open for WWW.FRA.ORG OR CALL 800-FRA-1924. tours. Photo by Varina and Jay Patel/Shutterstock. COMMUNICATIONS 2 NATIONAL OFFICERS/BOARD OF DIRECTORS National President John D. Ippert, Honolulu Branch 46 National Vice President Virgil P. Courneya, High Sierra Branch 274 JULY 2015 JULY National Executive Dir. Thomas J. Snee, Navy Department Branch 181 A Wanderer is Finance Officer Stephen R. Cox Always at Home Lauren Armstrong Junior PNP Mark Kilgore, Pensacola Branch 22 PNP J. C. “Jim” Eblen, Imperial Beach National Parliamentarian FRA TODAY I ADMIT IT; I’m a self-proclaimed travel junkie. As a military brat and Branch 289 bride, my feet start to itch when I’ve been in one place too long. My National Chaplain William H. Hall, GEM State Branch 382 travel bucket list expands by the day, not only in the number of desti- REGIONAL PRESIDENTS nations I want to visit, but also the scope and distance of the journeys I want to undertake. Many are far-flung adventures like walking along Northeast / New England Floyd G. Hunt, Iroquois Branch 214 the Great Wall of China and witnessing the Great Migration across East Coast John J. Willis, Ocean View Branch 60 Southeast Larry L. Cox, Low Country Branch 269 the Serengeti Plains. My father joined the Navy to “see the world,” so I North Central Curry Sanders, Mo Kan Branch 161 guess the apple didn’t fall far from the tree. South Central Michael D. Oliver, Old Naval Home In recent months I’ve started adding some of closer-to-home desti- Branch 307 nations to my wanderlust list — learning more about my ancestors at Southwest Agustive A. Hermes, Jr., Chula Vista Branch 61 Ellis Island, whale-watching off the Pacific coast and visiting the natu- West Coast Larry S. Briggs, Jr., Silver Dollar Branch 192 ral wonders of Yellowstone and Yosemite National Parks. Researching Northwest Michael H. Archer, Cheyenne Branch 59 this month’s feature story made my soul strain to also explore some of our lesser-known national treasures. I sincerely hope it inspires our ACTIVE DUTY ADVISORY COUNCIL readers in a similar fashion. Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy Michael Stevens As our nation celebrates 239 years of independence, I hope you’ll also Sergeant Major of the Marine Corps Ronald Green take a moment to celebrate the splendor and majesty of this great country. Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Steven Cantrell There’s a different glimpse of America down every backroad and around RESERVE ADVISORY COUNCIL every corner, just waiting to be discovered. Find your special place — Force Master Chief of the Navy Reserve Clarence “CJ” Mitchell whether it is near or far — and be extra proud to call it your home. USMC Reserve Force Sergeant Major Anthony Spadaro Master Chief Petty Officer of the Coast Guard Reserve Force Lauren Armstrong is FRA’s Director of Communications and serves as the Managing Editor of Eric Johnson FRA Today. Please contact her at [email protected]. FRA TODAY MAGAZINE CORRECTIONS: The monthly membership publication of the Fleet Reserve Association Corrected Dates for the Southwest Regional Convention Publisher Fleet Reserve Association The dates for the 2015 Southwest Regional Convention published National Executive Director Thomas J. Snee on page 30 of the June issue of FRA Today were incorrect. The con- Communications Director Lauren Armstrong Managing Editor William Kohudic vention will be held on August 14 and 15 (not August 8 and 9 as Contributing Photographer Paul Gunther printed). The remainder of the information we published about the Design and Art Direction Southwest Region’s convention is correct: FIREBRAND, Alexandria, VA www.firebrandstudios.com Dates: August 14 and 15, 2015 Design Director Scott Rodgerson Location: Riverside Resort, Laughlin, Nevada Production Manager Sandy Jones Host: Branch and Unit 70 Contact: RSSW Darvin Dalrymple at 619-992-9886, FRA TODAY (ISSN 1935-7192) IS PUBLISHED MONTHLY BY FRA, 125 N. WEST ST., ALEXANDRIA, VA 22314-2754. A MEMBER’S SUBSCRIPTION IS COVERED BY THE MEMBER’S [email protected] ANNUAL DUES. PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID AT ALEXANDRIA, VA AND ADDITIONAL Unit VP Michelle Caston at 760-803-5656, [email protected] OFFICES. PUBLICATION OF NON-SPONSORED ADVERTISING IN FRA TODAY DOES NOT CONSTITUTE AN ENDORSEMENT BY THE FRA OR ITS REPRESENTATIVES. POSTMASTER: SEND ADDRESS CHANGES TO: MEMBER SERVICES, FRA, 125 N. WEST ST., ALEXANDRIA, We apologize for any inconvenience that this misprint may have caused. VA 22314-2754. FRA TODAY IS PUBLISHED IN THE INTERESTS OF ALL CURRENT AND FORMER ENLISTED PERSONNEL OF THE U.S. NAVY, MARINE CORPS, AND COAST GUARD. ELIGIBLE NON-MEMBERS ARE NOT ENTITLED TO SUBSCRIPTION RATES. ESTABLISHED USS Chivo Reunion Correction 1 NOVEMBER 1923. TITLE REGISTERED WITH U.S. PATENT OFFICE. The reunion listing for USS Chivo (SS-341) in the May issue of FRA FRA ADMINISTRATIVE HEADQUARTERS: 125 N. WEST ST., ALEXANDRIA, Today included a critical typographical error (the phone number VA 22314-2754 • PHONE: 703-683-1400, 800-FRA-1924 • and e-mail address got partially combined). The reunion informa- FAX: 703-549-6610 • E-MAIL: [email protected] • WWW.FRA.ORG tion should read: VOLUME 94 NUMBER 7 USS Chivo (SS-341): October 4–8, 2015, Myrtle Beach, SC. Contact Stan Pollard, 3016 Bayberry Cove, Wooster, OH 44691, 330-749-7151 or e-mail [email protected]. Further information is available at www.usschivo.org FROM THE FIELD 4 JULY 2015 JULY Leadership Resources Virgil P. Courneya FRA TODAY I WANT TO START by thanking the as well as taking care of your respec- many facets of membership recruiting National President and members of tive region. It is essential that you stay and retention. the National Board of Directors for the involved with each branch in your Problems inevitably arise and each opportunity to serve as the National region and assist them when they are branch should know that assistance is Vice President for the remainder of having hardships. This starts by ensur- available. Branch leaders and mem- the 2014-2015 Association Year. With ing each branch is in good working bers should not wait to advise their that being said, there is much to con- order and it may be necessary for you regional president that they are strug- sider for the remaining months of this to be there to help in recruiting mem- gling. Turning in the branch charter Association Year, including ways to bers or assisting in establishing a slate should be the last resort, not the only address our shrinking membership, of officers when needed. Assistance option. There are tremendous re- how to motivate our members to get sources, including the vast experience out and educate the public about the of past regional and national officers, Fleet Reserve Association and what we that can help when difficult situations can do for prospective members. There are tremendous arise. I’m hearing all too often that Past branch and regional officers branches want to turn in their char- resources, including the can also provide information and as- ter or merge with another branch. sistance when branches are doing their The common reason is because many vast experience of past annual reports. It is not a requirement branch officers have held their posi- for each officer to be computer liter- tions for a number of years and are regional and national ate, but it does help. When in doubt, tired or in ill health; and nobody else remember that support is just a tele- is willing to step up to hold office or officers, that can help phone call away, whether it is to the do what’s necessary to hold the branch regional president or a past officer of together. Getting out the word to the when difficult situations the branch. younger generation that we are indeed As we move towards our upcom- here for them is to their advantage as arise. When in doubt, ing national convention, I believe we much as ours.