South Carolina Scuttlebutt - Fleet Reserve Association · MADAM PREZ’S TIDIT Hi Auxiliary Members, Hope your 2017 is going well and enjoying this crazy weather. Sunday March 5th

Branch President’s Corner Are all your trees and flowers blooming with color and promise of an early

spring? Are you experiencing a feeling of wanting to get out of the house and enjoy the day, the sun on your face and the passing of time with your friends and family? Of course it does! I look forward to spring as a chance to not only renew your yard but a chance to renew your friendships and relationships with others. I have found these friendships with the FRA organization from branch, regional and national level. These people are extra special and they are working hard to ensure that as an organization we will continue to survive and serve you. We are adding a new column to this newsletter called “Meet the Shipmate” where we will feature one of our 938 shipmates each month so you can get to know them. We will have a picture of this shipmate and a few general facts about them. If you want to be featured, submit the following facts by e-mail or letter to me at [email protected] or send to the FRA address on this newsletter last page care of: Laurie Bailey. Send these facts: Rate and Name, Service, Commands and Dates of Service, and short paragraph of memories of the time served. Our monthly meeting will be 1900, 16 April 2017. If you are a new member, please come so we can welcome you properly. See you at the Fleet!

Laurie Bailey, FRA Low Country Branch 269, Branch President

BRANCH OFFICERS

President – Laurie Bailey Vice-President - PRPSE Larry Cox

Treasurer - Gerald Korinek Secretary - John Tharp

Jr. Past President – PRPSE Fred Bolz

BRANCH BOARD OF DIRECTORS

PNP Don Mucheck John Autrey Tim Bailey Cindy Bryan Skip Chilton Kieth Deliteris

Trish Gallagher Howard Hogue John Lookabill Joe Lunn Larry Pepper Ray Phillips

Bobbi Sutton

Chaplain - Bobbi Sutton Ways & Means - Cindy Bryan

Master-at-Arms-Tim Bailey Historian - Mike Sparks

Amer/Pat - PRPSE Larry Cox Youth Activities - Patricia Gallagher

Membership - Laurie Bailey Essay Contest – PRPSE Larry Cox

By-Laws – PNP Don Mucheck Parmiamentarian – PNP Don Mucheck

PRelations – John Tharp Legislative Affairs - PRPSE Fred Bolz

VAVS-PRPSE - Fred Bolz WEB Master - James Sparks

LOW COUNTRY HOME, INC.

99 Wisteria Road

(843) 569-2692

Home Chairman – Nate Nathan

Bobbi Sutton - Admin Secretary Gerald Korinek - Financial Sec.

Director – PNP Don Mucheck Director PRPSE Larry Cox

Special Events – Linda Cox Director - John Lookabill

Director – Rick Sparger Membership/Sec – John Tharp

Director – Marilyn Tharp Director – Cindy Bryan

Trustees: PRPSE Fred Bolz- 1st Year

Darlene Hines - 2nd

Year

Chuck Hines - 3rd Year

Home Manager – PNP Don Mucheck and S/M Larry Pepper

Hours of Operation

Mon-Thur 1000-2200 Fri 1000-2400

Sat 1000- 2000 Sun 1000 – 2000

Happy Hour – 1600 – 1900 Monday - Friday

Fleet Reserve Association, Low Country Branch 269

http://www.fra269.org (Branch)

http://www.fra.org (National)

Branch 269

Goose Creek

South Carolina

April 2017

Scuttlebutt

LAFRA UNIT 269 UNIT OFFICERS

President – RVPSE Gail Bolz Vice President – Linda Cox Secretary – Marilyn Tharp Treasurer – NC Gale Nathan

Jr. Past President – Roz Mathis

UNIT BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Kathy Sorenson Trish Chilton Annie Bain Benita Kinlaw JrPRPSE Pat Suckow Mary Lopez Maggie Morin

LAFRA UNIT 269

APPOINTEES & COMMITTEE CHAIRS

Chaplain – Kathy Sorenson Amer/Pat – Linda Cox Sergeant-at-Arms– Roz Mathis VAVS – RVPSE Gail Bolz, Roz Mathis Welfare – Benita Kinlaw Parliamentarian- JrPRPSE Pat Suckow Youth Activities – Mary Lopez Merry Widows-Esther Ellisor Audit –Mary Lopez, JrPRPSE Pat Suckow and Trish Chilton

Unit Activities – Linda Cox Publicity – JrPRPSE Pat Suckow Hospital – Trish Chilton

MADAM PREZ’S TIDBIT Hi Auxiliary Members,

Hope your 2017 is going well and enjoying this crazy weather.

Sunday March 5th was a beautiful sunny day. PRP Pat Suckow, myself, Gale Nathan and

Theresa Milligan set off for The Citadel to attend the Massing of Colors. This is a

colorful, dignified, patriotic ceremony dedicated to the Flag of our country and the

Colors of participating organizations. I carried our Unit flag and Gale carried the

American Flag. I would like to tell you all went well without a hitch but not so. We all

went together in Pat’s van. We were assembling the flags and Pat, God bless her, she

locked the keys in the van but no worries the back of the van was open. Oh wait now

one of us had to climb in over the seat and get the keys. Gale Nathan was the only one

of us who could and it was so funny, I wished I had my cell phone to take a video.

We then walked down to the field to find where we needed to be.

Three o’clock they started the parading of flags. We were next to last and there were at

least 20 organizations. That was fine because as I said it was a beautiful sunny day and a

beautiful ceremony. The speaker was great and we sang several songs. If you get the

chance plan on going next year, I am sure you will be moved.

When it was over they had a reception with punch and cookies but we decided to head

for home. Now you might think this is the end but no.

We started walking to the van and one of us asked Pat if that was her van with the trunk

open. Oh yes, we all started to run when we got there thank heavens our purses and all

were good. Yes this is The END.

Until next time. Please stay safe and healthy!!

Yours in Loyalty, Protection and Service, Gail Bolz

843-797-3515 or 843-696-5789 Email: [email protected]

LOYALTY -- PROTECTION -- SERVICE

BRANCH & UNIT CHAPLAINS’ PEW

Deepest Sympathy is extended to the family of Cwo4 Fred Aldridge, HMC Lewis E. Steed, RMC Wendall Calloway, PRPSE

Frank Smith, PNP J.C. Eblen Who transferred to the Staff of the Supreme Commander.

Several Shipmates were in the hospital-Jerry Farr, Joe Hayes, Don Mook,

George Scharf, Darlene Hines and Jimmy Kimbrell

Anyone knowing of any illness or death among our Shipmates or Unit

members please contact:

Branch Chaplain Bobbi Sutton @ 879-9473 or

Unit Chaplain Kathy Sorenson @ 568-7668.

BRANCH & UNIT CHAPLAINS’ PEW

There are other Shipmates with health issues and they need our

prayers for continued healing: S/M Rick Sparger had back surgery;

S/M Don Petersen has throat cancer; S/M Stacy Powers is home and

doing well; S/M Rober Lebel has throat cancer; Keep Unit member

Roger “Tex” Nelson in our prayers. Tex had a stroke

Anyone knowing of any illness or death among our Shipmates or

Unit members please contact:

Branch Chaplain Bobbi Sutton @ 879-9473 or

Unit Chaplain Kathy Sorenson @ 568-7668.

BRANCH TREASURER’S REPORT

Operations $ 2,786.71 Savings $ 4,593.00

Certificate of Deposit $10,215.98 Total $17,595.69

FRA HOME TREASURER’S REPORT No Report Available

RENEWAL LIST Ready to Renew by 30 April 2017: Lawrence Becker, Richard Bishop, Edward

Bowles, Charles Calas, Richard Cox, Ralph Deeter, James Delaney, Michael

Dellenbach, Allen Downs, Lewis Flader, Edward Fretschel, III, Charles Gaines,

Marly Gavin, Charles Gravley, Herbert Hiatt, David Horton, Danny Hunt, Rick D.

Jones, Lynette Jordan, Bob Karth, Roy Kingdom, Robert Laird, Benjamin Larvie,

M. Keith Laster, Jimmy Legg, Billy Lewis, Howard Luper, Ray Marshall, Paul

McFall, Mitchell Nappier, Walter Scott, Jr., Dale Shepperd, Cecil Skipworth, Phil

Smith, Jr., Olin Thomas, Michael Welch, Richard O. Wise, Jack Wrbanich.

Past due: Ellen Bassett, Trever Brown, Leonard Chapman, Christopher Cottle,

Jack Feeney, Rodney Gattie, Kenneth Gray, William A. Haney, Dana Kaeser, Jon

McCain, Janeth K. Vega

BRANCH 269’s DINK LIST

Suspended: Rickey Gobert, Kimberly Knapp, Charles R. Smith, II, David L.

Whaley

MERRY WIDOWS LUNCHEON Luncheon will be at the FRA Home on Tuesday, April 11th

beginning at 11:30

WELCOME ABOARD SHIPMATES

William Adams Hugh Graham Deborah Crismond Laurice Holland Mary Lewis Robert Lewis John Manaffey Gregory Saylor Michael Sparkman Robert Withers Lee Young

BRANCH MEMBERSHIP REPORT

New or Reinstated Members 11

Transferred into Low County Branch 269 2

Transferred to the Staff of the Supreme Commander 2

Suspended members 4

Members past due 11

Transferred from Branch 269 0

Ready to Renew 41

TOTAL MEMBERS IN GOOD STANDING AS OF 3 January, 2017: 938

UNIT 269 LUNCHEON Unit luncheon will be on Tuesday, April 18

th, at the Olive

Garden, 2156 Northwoods Blvd, North Charleston

WEEKLY DRAWING at THE HOME Names drawn lately: 2-21 – Randolph Turner, signed, not present; 2-28 – Barbara Aler, present; 3-7 – Donald Donofrio, not signed; 3-14 – Arthur Robinson, not signed. You must be a member of the Branch or Unit in good standing and you must be signed in the log. You can sign up until 1800 hours, the day of the drawing. The drawing is held every Tuesday night at 2030 hours.

There is no cap on the Weekly Drawing

UNIT 269 RENEWAL LIST

To be Renewed by April 30: Joan Acosta, Gail Bolz, Dorothy Coggins, Eva DuPree,

Lori Marshall, Therese Masterson, Bogdana Nemeth, Elizabeth Norris, Sandra

Rader, Marie Schuessler, Kathleen Smith, Catherine Wiands

UNIT 269 DINK LIST

Past Due. Raymond Fischer, Patricia Hair, Anthony Pyatt, Danielle Everwein,

Barbara Rogers, Cheryl Antley, Jon Antley, David Butler, Sharon Cherry, Ira

Monnig, Kathleen Strock.

Suspended: Charlotte Johnson, Doris Rash

MOTIONS FROM THE SECRETARY’S DESK --

[email protected] Motion: S/M PNP Don Mucheck, seconded by S/M Nate Nathan

to accept the Branch Audit from PNP Don Mucheck. Voice vote

and carried.

Motion: S/M PNP Don Mucheck, seconded by S/M Nate Nathan

to endorse PRPEC Bob Washington for National Vice President.

Voice vote and carried.

Motion: S/M PNP Don Mucheck, seconded by S/M Trish

Gallagher to endorse James P. Richmond for Regional Vice

President Southeast. Voice vote and carried.

Motion: S/M Trish Gallagher, seconded by S/M Joe Lunn to

donate $500 for the USS Hobson Memorial Service and reception

at the home after the ceremony. Voice vote and carried.

FRA NATIONAL STANDING RULES REVIEW Article II

ARTICLE II - MEMBERS AND GUESTS Section 201. Members 1. To be a member in good standing, annual dues must be paid to the Fleet Reserve Association or the Ladies Auxiliary of the Fleet Reserve Association at the amount set within the Constitution & By-Laws of the FRA or LAFRA. 2. All members in good standing of Branch 269 and Unit 269 shall be members of the Home and shall be entitled to a voice and vote at meetings of the General Assembly. 3. Members in good standing of other branches and units, and Members-at-Large of the Fleet Reserve Association shall be accorded the privileges of the Home. Such members may also attend meetings of the General Assembly and may be granted the floor, but without vote. 4. There is a 24-hour waiting period on new application. Section 202. Guests 1. All non-members entering the Home must be sponsored by a member. 2. All guests will be signed in the Guest Log. 3. Guests will leave the FRA, Low Country Home when their sponsor departs. This bylaw does not apply to contracted events in the banquet room. 4. Number of guests per member is unlimited, provided bylaws Section 202, #1-#3 is obeyed.

SPOTLIGHT ON A SHIPMATE Meet Branch 269 Secretary John Tharp Branch of Service: United States Marine Corps Rate and Rank: Master Gunnery Sergeant (Retired) NEC or MOS: 2591 (Operational Communications) Commands: Recruit training MCRD San Diego; 3

rd Shore Party Bn; 1

st

Battalion, 3rd Marines (Vietnam), MCAS Cherry Point; 1

st Marine Aircraft

Wing, Iwakuni, Japan; Communications-Electronics Battalion (San Diego and 29 Palms, CA); 3

rd Force Service Regiment, Camp Foster, Okinawa;

Marine Air Base Squadron 32, MCAS Beaufort, SC; 9th MAB Okinawa,

Japan; Marine Wing Communications Squadron, Detachment “B”, MCAS Beaufort, SC; Communications Chief, Marine Corps Communication Detachment, USS Blue Ridge, Yokosuka, Japan; Landing Force Training Command, San Diego, CA. Memories: Great tour on the USS Blue Ridge!! Not a Submarine!!!

RENEWAL NOTICES – PLEASE READ IMPORTANT

WE HAVE 42 RENEWALS THIS MONTH!

If you received a hard copy newsletter this month, this is your

renewal month. The front of your newsletter will have a sticker that

says “***REMINDER – THIS IS YOUR RENEWAL MONTH - PLEASE

RENEW YOUR MEMBERSHIP

BEFORE 31 APRIL 2017***. This is very important month to renew as it is end of membership year and determines our standing in

membership nationally. Thanks in advance for renewing your membership before 31 March. It will help us at the branch level

tremendously!

NEW ARTICLE ---“Meet the Shipmate” We are adding a new column to this newsletter called “Meet the Shipmate” where we will feature one of our 933 shipmates each month so you can get to know them. We will have a picture of this shipmate and a few general facts about them. If you want to be featured, submit the following facts by e-mail or letter to me at [email protected] or send to the FRA address on this newsletter last page care of: Laurie Bailey. Send these facts: Rate and Name, Service, Commands and Dates of Service, and short paragraph of memories of the time served. Our monthly meeting will be 1900, 16 March 2017. If you are a new member, please come so we can welcome you properly. See you at the Fleet!

Laurie Bailey, FRA Low Country Branch 269, Branch President

YOU SAY IT’S YOUR BIRTHDAY IN APRIL, 2017! If you are a Branch 269 or Unit 269 member, come on in to the Low Country Home on your birthday for a FREE BIRTHDAY LUNCH. It’s

your choice from the lunch specials of the day. If your birthday falls on a weekend, stop by Friday or Monday.

Donald Cady 04/01 Gordon Gingras 04/11 Gordon Stevenson Sr. 04/17 George Bradstreet 04/24

Dianne Carroll 04/01 Major McNair 04/11 Edward Westlake 04/17 Karen Hightower 04/24

Linda Jones 04/01 Edward Mulrey 04/11 Paul Misuraca 04/18 Susan Lee 04/25

Roger Gibson 04/02 Johnny Pearce 04/11 John Priest 04/18 William Peterson 04/25

Mathilda Greeawalt 04/02 Perry Randall 04/11 Ronald Redondo 04/18 Elsie Sexton 04/25

Lucinda Johnston 04/02 Marvin Smith Jr 04/11 Terry Sahlbom 04/18 Richard Thompson 04/25

Maureen Williams 04/02 Richard Sparger 04/11 Tereance Blankenship 04/19 Duane Henricksen 04/26

Linda Zauner 04/03 Marion Hall 04/12 Kelly Price 04/19 Patricia Scott 04/26

Charles Ivey 04/04 Theodore Martin 04/12 Ron Workman 04/19 Robert Thomson 04/26

Larry Pepper 04/04 Marlene Ray 04/12 Phillip Nunnally 04/20 Jay Duncan 04/27

Jimmy Sauls 04/04 Charles Davidson 04/13 Tammy Robinson 04/20 Richard Jones 04/27

Richard Brown 04/05 Lisa Berezny 04/14 Ken Ealy 04/21 James Mastin 04/27

Lillian Kurtz 04/05 Lee Heiter 04/14 Glenn Little 04/21 Raymond Montminy 04/27

Lori Beier 04/06 Margarita Beneventano 04/15 Randy Reed 04/21 Joseph Brace 04/28

Joseph Giannetto 04/06 Richard Carlson 04/15 Margaret Benjamin 04/22 Marilyn Tharp 04/28

Darryl Allen 04/07 Joseph Gimenez 04/16 Arnold Borowsky 04/22 Catherine Wiands 04/28

Richard Grant 04/07 Tim Herold 04/16 Mary Anna Chinners 04/22 William Matin II 04/29

Donnie Robinson 04/07 Daniel Montgomery 04/16 Bette Garrand 04/23 Benny Samson 04/29

Donald Detwiler 04/08 Kenneth Sorenson 04/16 Anna Moulden 04/23 Clyde Miller 04/30

Brenda Kraus 04/08 Kevin Sorenson 04/16 Michael Roth 04/23 Kathleen Smith 04/30

John Steele 04/09 Jimmy Kimbrell 04/17 Connie Singletary 04/23 Larry Walton 04/30

Frank Potts 04/10 Barbara Rogers 04/17 Robert Block 04/24

Branch Continuous Memberships – April, 2017

Robert Stancik 55 yrs Alan Lincoln 21 yrs Phil Smith Jr 17 yrs Charlest Snyder 8 yrs

Robert McNeish 53 yrs Dale Shepperd 20 yrs Lawrence Becker 16 yrs Danny Hunt 7 yrs

Herbert Hammer 49 yrs Charlie Calas 19 yrs Marty Gavin 16 yrs Roy Kingdom 7 yrs

Donald Cady 46 yrs Robert Clements 19 yrs John Kelle 16 yrs Jaqueline Brooks 6 yrs

Herbert Hiatt 42 yrs Harold Crawford 19 yrs Terry Trump 16 yrs Robert Laird 5 yrs

William Peterson 42 yrs David Graminski 19 yrs Michael Welch 16 yrs John Blanchard 4 yrs

Richaerd Koehler 37 yrs Lynnette Jordan 19 yrs Larry Cox 15 yrs Howard Luper 4 yrs

Thomas Seay 35 yrs Thomas Jordan 19 yrs David Horton 14 yrs John Autrey 3 yrs

Roanld Brunner 33 yrs Edward Smith Jr. 19 yrs Paul McFall 13 yrs Thomas Boyd III 3 yrs

Eugene Lemieux 33 yrs Robert Benjamin 18 yrs Tommy Wilbanks 12 yrs William Guptill 3 yrs

Charles Gravley 32 yrs Richard Bishop 18 yrs Gerald Ott 11 yrs Ray Marshall 3 yrs

Gary Crozier 30 yrs Rick Jones 18 yrs Edward Bowles 10 yrs Randall Riley 3 yrs

Ralph Deeter 29 yrs James Mastin 18 yrs Fredrick Daughtery 10 yrs Michael Roth 3 yrs

William Freligh 28 yrs Richard Moore 18 yrs Benjamin Larvie 10 yrs Richard Cox 2 yrs

Bob Karth 27 yrs Steve Obermann 18 yrs Jimmy Legg 10 yrs Charles Gaines 1 yr

Lewis Flader 26 yrs Cicil Skipworth 18 yrs Richard Wise 10 yrs Mitchell Kessler 1 yr

Gerald Monnat 24 yrs Jack Wrbanich 18 yrs Roy Brosseau 9 yrs Billy Lewis 1 yr

Walter Scott Jr. 24 yrs James Delaney 17 yrs Robert Cragg 9 yrs Mitchell Nappier 1 yr

Frederick Bolz 21 yrs Gerald Farr 17 yrs Michael Dellenbach 8 yrs Olin Thomas 1 yr

Marvin Chandler 21 yrs Edwward Fretschel III 17 yrs Louis Goehring 8 yrs Robert Yancey 1 yr

Allen Downs 21 yrs Ralph Lange 17 yrs Robert Massey 8 yrs Joseph Whinihan 1 yr

Unit Continuous Memberships – March, 2017

Nancy Sandefer 27 yrs Deloris Cox 13 yrs Holly Gordon 6 yrs Louise Wells 5 yrs

Linda Harris 25 yrs Erin Gianneto 13 yrs Christine Guarino 6 yrs Martha Fulmer 4 yrs

Karen Keohane 18 yrs Kathleen Mactier 13 yrs Mary Horton 6 yrs Maryln Mucheck 4 yrs

Cynthia Clark 17 yrs Nancy Rosen 9 yrs Barbara Hathaway 5 yrs Holly Bishop 3 yrs

Margaret Campbell 15 yrs Linda Newey 8 yrs Mary Johnson 5 yrs Diane Bahr 1 yr

JrPRPSE Patricia Suckow 15 yrs Gloria Bolyn 6 yrs

Unit Continuous Memberships - January, 2017

Dorothy Grooms 35 yrs Georgia Cathcart 10 yrs George Wach 7 yrs Joseph VanBrincken 5 yrs

Tina Bohannan 15 yrs Sara Collins 10 yrs Maria Luisa Gulick 6 yrs Roz Mathis 4 yrs

Vicky Bilhar 12 yrs Esther Ellisor 10 yrs Karen Kopczynski 6 yrs Darlene Beck 1 yr

Mary Lopez 12 yrs Patricia Hair 10 yrs Mary Korinek 5 yrs Margaret Benjamin 1 yr

Dianne Carroll 10 yrs Anthony Pyatt 7 yrs Teri Korinek 5 yrs Raymond Fischer 1 yr

Some of the ladies

enjoying the St Patty’s

day lunch

John Tharp placing the Southeast

1st

Place Public Relations on the

Branch 269 flag

Sea Story by Charles (Chuck) Verbanic WWII Veteran and Pearl Harbor Survivor Submitted by Shipmate Robert Hudspeth

Charles VerbanIc enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1939 at age 17 and advanced to Seaman First Class U.S. Navy and survived the Pearl Harbor Attack on Dec 7, 1941. He was assigned to the Battleship USS Tennessee tied up in Pearl Harbor in “Battleship Row” between two other ships, the USS Arizona and the USS West Virginia. It’s this fortunate position that helped saved his life on the morning of the attack. The following was taken from an interview that he did with a newspaper in Hollister, California for Pearl Harbor Day in 2006: (Up until this interview, he never talked with anyone outside the family about his experience. I talked him into the interview because I explained that people want to know about his first-hand experience during the war). “It was business as usual aboard and we were working below deck washing bulkheads when the call came over the ship’s intercom system, ”Man your battle stations, this is no drill” he remembers hearing over the loud speaker. It was Sunday, so all the ammunition was locked in the supply rooms.” “By the time we were able to break into the storage rooms and find ammunition, we were unable to get to the towers where the heavy guns were situated on the ship and had to settle for positions at about deck level. However, had I made it any higher I would have become an easy target for enemy fire.” No one was stopping them, so the Japanese were real low and you could see their faces and they were looking down right at you” “We were too scared to think and there wasn’t anything we could do to stop the attack. While the Arizona took serious damage from aircraft fire and torpedoes, he said the smoke from neighboring explosions concealed the Tennessee and prevented the Japanese from securing any real targets on his ship. “Oil was burning everywhere and we were scared of burning up, but we were so scared that we were three times as strong as usual.” After the attack, the sailors stayed at their guns all night and into the next day. Things were still smoking and people walked around in a kind of dazed shock. It took two weeks to clear the debris from the harbor so the Tennessee could get out and meet with other American battleships in the fleet. They missed the battle at Midway by just days. Compared to other ships, the Tennessee didn’t lose too many men. Four Tennessee sailors were killed in the attack, 22 were wounded and one went missing. Charles Verbanic spent the next two years at sea in the Philippines. Mr. Verbanic says the most scared he felt wasn’t during the Pearl Harbor attack. His moment of terror came later, off the coast of Saipan, when the Japanese opened fire, sending bullets flying just above his head and watched bullets hit his fellow crew members only a few feet away, killing them. He said “It was something that could only happen to you once in a lifetime and it’s something you never forget, no matter how hard you try, but I believe that the country learned an important lesson that day at Pearl Harbor, and I still think the Navy is a great experience for anyone, war or no war.” Mr. Verbanic is still living at age 97 and lives in Hollister, California and is the uncle of my wife, Joyce Hudspeth and my hero.

Trish Gallagher placing the

Southeast 1st

Place Youth

Activities on the Branch 269 flag

Bobbi Sutton placing the

Southeast 1st

Place Hospital,

Welfare and Rehabilitation on the

Branch 269 flag

President Laurie Bailey placing the

Southeast 1st

Place Americanism

on the Branch 269 flag

Nancy Vella and Elsie Sexton

received their Board of

Directors Pins

Nancy Vella received her 10 year

continuous membership pin

Some Loyal Members enjoying

the St Patty’s day lunch

UP COMING EVENTS

Mark your calendar, watch for details, watch for additions.

Friday nights – 1930 hrs – Scotch Doubles, 8-ball Tournament

Saturday nights – 2000 hrs – In House 8-ball Tournament

April 4 Sons of the Confederate Veterans 1900 April 10 Vietnam Veteran’s Association meeting 1800 April 11 Widow’s Luncheon 1130 April 11 Purple Heart meeting 1900 April 13 Submarine Veteran’s Meeting 1900 April 15 Field Day at the Home 0900 April 17 Home Committee 1900 April 18 Unit 269 monthly meeting 1830 April 20 Branch 269 monthly meeting 1900 April 23 USS Hobson Memorial Service (Downtown) 1330 April 25 Sojourners 1900 April 27 Marine Corps League meeting 1900

ALL EVENTS SUBJECT TO CHANGE

USS Hobson Memorial Service will be Sunday, April

23rd

at 1330 downtown on the Battery at the USS

Hobson Monument. Key Note speaker will be

National President Donald Larson. This is a

Memorial Service for all that perished on April 26,

1952 after colliding with the USS Wasp.

Reception will be at the FRA Home following the

Memorial Service

*****The Auxiliary is running a food drive*****

How it works is that every month you donate an item like a can of fruit, corn, peas, paste, etc.

The month of April will be Green Beans. Everyone can participate. All donations must be

submitted by the 28th

of each month. You can leave it in the container by the juke box or bring

it to the Auxiliary meetings.

All donations will be going to the food bank. So please help us raise a lot.

Beginning Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11th

military exchange

online shopping privileges will be extended to all

honorably discharged veterans of the U.S. Military.

Prior to Nov. 11th

, honorably discharged veterans may

go to http://www.myNavyExchange.com/veterans for

information and announcements. The Defense

Manpower Data Center (DMDC) will be the sole source

for verification data of authorized exchange shoppers

US Navy Blue Angels will perform at

the Marine Corps Air Station

Beaufort Air Show on April 29th

and 30th

. Website is

mcasbeaufortairshow.com

for more information

National Chaplain Gale Nathan, President Gail

Bolz, JrPRPSE Pat Suckow and Theresa Milligan at

the Massing of the Colors at the Citadel

Justin (our cook) is checking on

the Corned Beef and Cabbage

at the St. Patty’s Day Lunch

New members initiated at the March

meeting:

(R to L) Jeffrey B. Kirksey, Jake Kirksey and

Adam Treen

April, 2017

Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

1

2

Free

Pool

3

4

Sons of the

Confederate

Veterans

1900

5

Pizza Night

6

Submarine

Eboard

Meeting

1800

7

2000

Karaoke With

Nancy Gentry

8

9

Free

Pool

10 Vietnam Vet

Chapter 780

meeting 1800

11 Merry Widows

Luncheon 11:30

Purple Heart Mtg

Meeting 1900

12

Pizza Night

13 Submarine

Vet Meeting

1900

14

2000

Karaoke with

Red Fraley

15 Field Day

0900 at the

Home

16

Free

Pool

17 Home

Committee

1830

18

Unit 269 GA

Meeting

19

Pizza Night

20 Branch 269

GA meeting

1900

21

2000

Karaoke With

Nancy Gentry

22

23

Free

Pool

24

25

Sojourners

1830

26 27 Marine

Corps League

28

2000

Karaoke with

Red Fraley

29

30

Free

Pool

NOTIFYING THE BRANCH WHEN A SHIPMATE PASSES AWAY Our Chaplin, Bobbi Sutton is very good about searching for the passing of shipmates on the internet and arranging for our Two Bell

Ceremony with the family. We want to honor our departed shipmate but sometimes we don’t get the notification from the family until there isn’t enough time to arrange the ceremony and get the word out to all our members. We are just requesting our branch members as they make their final arrangements to advise their wives or husbands to make a note in their wishes to notify our branch Chaplin as soon as possible our their passing so we can arrange for this honor to be performed at the church or funeral home. You can leave a note for her at the Home or call her at (843) 879-9473.

WE NEED MORE SEA STORIES - DO YOU HAVE A SEA STORY OR FIELD STORY TO TELL? Are you enjoying our shipmate’s sea stories we are putting in our newsletter each month? We have had a great response in our

request for sea stories but have come to only having a few left to use. Please send in your sea stories (your own experience, a military tale, poem or song) so we can have plenty to use in our future newsletters.

Please send us a story or two of your best memories and we will print them in our newsletter. Write a short paragraph or two and e-mail them to [email protected] with the subject line SEA/FIELD STORY FROM (NAME). You can also mail the stories to our home address (FRA Low Country Branch 269, Attn: Laurie Bailey, 99 Wisteria Rd, Goose Creek, SC 29445) or leave in the pass down log at the FRA Home in an envelope marked Attn: Laurie Bailey. These stories are history and we want to honor your memories by preserving them.

Low Country Scuttlebutt

Vol. 20, No.4, April, 2017

202 Towhee Drive

Summerville, SC 29485

ELECTRONIC SERVICE REQUESTED

WE’VE GONE GREEN!!!!

NEWSLETTERS ARE ONLY MAILED IN APRIL & OCTOBER UNLESS YOU REQUEST YEAR ROUND MAILING Shipmates AND auxiliary members, If you WISH or MUST have the monthly newsletter by “pony express” you MUST request it.

The Branch has voted to cut printing and mailing expenses. Our monthly newsletter is available online at www.fra269.org. If you don’t own a

computer, you obviously cannot see the newsletter online. To receive it via “pony express”, you MUST submit IN WRITING your request to

have it mailed.

What is IN WRITING? Put your name on the sign-up sheet on the bulletin board at The Home or mail your request to the Branch Secretary.