Back in May 2005 I posted to this blog (in its earlier form) an article on recuiting I had gleamed from San Pedro/South Bay Chapter’s newsletter written by Chapter President Cdr Don Mitchell. Well lo and behold today it received it’s only comment and it’s a good one. You have to just click here for it - http://www.cal-moaa.org/blog/2005/05/12/san-pedrosouth-bay/#comments  The author is also the one behind the notification about the September 16th Area 8 group meeting. This is always a well attended, rotating host chapter, annual meeting. It will be even more so this year since they are having MOAA President VAdm Ryan as guest speaker. Luncheon reservation forms are available at -

http://www.cal-moaa.org/pdf/Joint-lunch.pdf 

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USS COWELL (DD547) STEAMS INTO HISTORY

“Stand by for heavy roll!”

That was the warning from the ward room speaker as the Fletcher class U.S. Navy destroyer USS Cowell moved out under the Golden Gate Bridge bound for Monterey. It was a special orientation cruise for certain U.S. Army Reserve Officers, members of the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce, and the print media.

From the starboard wing adjacent to the bridge it was easy to see the bows rise high then drop into the swell, dumping tons of seawater all the way to the gun mount. The ship would roll precipitously, making it hard to control balance and move about the vessel.

A journalist from Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, standing topside just forward of the stack was overheard to say, “Hey, buddy, I think I’m getting rather sick.” And his companion answered, “You do look a bit green.” Moving below, the situation didn’t get much better when the odors of the human body in close quarters came together with roast beef, mashed spuds and gravy, and the diesel fumes covering the ship. For some, the best answer was to return to the ward room and try to sleep.

One young sailor about 20 years old serving at his station far aft said, “This is really fun. I love it when it gets like this. I like my job and the Navy. The Cowell is a fine ship, and she can take the weather and seas.”

At one point, off Ocean Beach and well within the famed Potato Patch, an area of very rough water known to be dangerous, the ship passed a 35 foot commercial fishing boat, with the crew trying hard to fish the boat in 10-12 foot swells and brisk wind. Men and women passing aboard the Cowell gave the fishermen a hearty wave.

It was hard for the typical landlubber to understand how Navy personnel could fight a ship in such weather and sea conditions. But the ship had special equipment, gyros and such, to steady the guns and center on a distant target. And the crew apparently had iron stomachs.

It was one of the last trips for the Cowell, a ship built by Bethlehem Steel in San Pedro, CA, and launched 18 March 1943, being decommissioned in 1946, then recommissioned in 1951 for use by the Navy and Navy Reserve. much later the ship was transferred to Argentina and renamed the Almirante Storni.

The VIPs were put ashore by ships tender just outside Monterey harbor and transported to the airport for a UH1B Huey helicopter flight to the Peninsula and on to Crissy Field at the Presidio of San Francisco.

Ok, who was the actual writer of this piece? Why do you think you’re correct? (1) a Naval Academy graduate member of ROA; (2) a Coast Guard Ensign commanding a ship out of Monterey, CA and member of the Navy League; (3) an Army Reserve officer with lots of offshore salmon fishing experience and MOAA member; a retired U.S. Air Force officer with his last station Travis Air Force Base and member of Air Force Association; none of the above.

Just click on “comment”, write your answer in the field or square, and click “submit”.

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NAVY AIR TRANSPORT SERVICE

What was it like as a pilot, navigator, and air crewman flying the world as part of the U.S. Navy Transport Squadrons during the period after WWII and the beginning of the jet age?

You’ll find out in great detail if you get and read a copy of the 2003 book “Before the Jets” by Joseph Reeves, a collection of fiction short stories bound to capture your interest and attention, particularly if you flew the four engine transports during the period. The book is pure adventure.

“This is an excellent book written by someone who obviously was there and lived the life,” said Michael Morgan of Daytona Beach, Florida. “The characters may be fictional but the details and experiences seem very real. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in knowing what aviation was like ‘before the jets’.”

A lot of the action takes place at and out of Moffett Field, so much of what is seen on base and the surrounding cities and towns will be more than familiar.

How did the pilots find their way across the continent on stormy winter nights “flying the beam?”

What were the qualifications needed to pilot and navigate planes with limited power and fuel on ocean-spanning routes and in the Arctic before the era of accurate weather forecasting and satellite aids to navigation?

Experience the embassy flight out to Guam, Clark, Saigon, and on to the Middle East. Or follow the difficulties escorting a 55 plane flight of B-26s to Europe via Goose Bay, southern Greenland, Keflavik, Ayr Scotland, and into Germany. Be with the crews hauling tons of coal into Berlin during the airlift.

More than anything, experience the excitement aboard an R5D or Super Constellation when there is engine or other mechanical trouble, an all too frequest situation, or when the navigator makes an error and the aircraft drifts far off course.

See the outcomes when pilots try innovations which sometimes worked and sometimes didn’t, including trying to cross the Pacific using “pressure pattern” techniques or trying a “single heading” flight across the Atlantic.

The last part of the book which revisits the central characters a decade later for one final glimpse at how their lives had been shaped by the most memorable of their experiences is particularly revealing.

The book is often available through the local city or county library system.

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PRIVATE SECTOR INTELLIGENCE

How would you like to have high quality intelligence on specific aspects of world affairs, such as what is likely to happen in Iraq later this year? George Friedman, chairman of the private search firm Stratfor and author of “America’s Secret War,” has a lot of answers. “Even with a Shiite government,” he said, “Iraq’s future is probably bleak.”

How does he know? Friedman is the founder of Strategic Forecasting, Inc., Stratfor for short, which is a private sector intelligence firm often referred to as the “other CIA”. In today’s explosive information age, Stratfor continues to be the world’s leading private intelligence provider. Individuals, corporations, and even government agencies with their own internal intelligence resources rely on Stratfor for unbiased, accurate, insightful, actionable analysis of global activities that they can use to plan strategy, manage risk, and be more confidently informed.

Some of Stratfor’s clients include the Army Reserve Command, Naval War College, Center for Army Analysis, and the Department of the Air Force. Stratfor has dozens and dozens of important agencies as clients.

From its headquarters in Austin, Texas, founder Dr. George Friedman leads a team of analysts with an unparalleled record for accuracy and clarity in its forecasts. With its own proprietary network of on-the-ground sources around the world, Stratfor has been called “a private-quasi CIA” by Barron’s, and cited by the mainstream media for its uncanny accuracy and ability to uncover the globe’s best-kept secrets and predicts world-changing events in ways that no one else can. Friedman is a frequent contributor to Fox News.

Stratfor’s experts analyze and parse thousands of intelligence items, sifting for the gold. They put it in context for clients and deliver it in formats that let you get the actionable intelligence needed quickly and easily.

Stratfor’s services do not come cheap; at the same time, the organization provides a weekly intelligence brief for free, delivered by e-mail, and anyone can sign up at the web site, www.stratfor.com. Unlike news organizations and research firms that are set up to deliver on what’s already happened–so all you can do is react–Stratfor was founded in 1996 to deliver insights and forecasts people can use to get ahead of the competition, manage risk, and protect their interests. A valuable bundle of services.

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MOAA ENDORSES GARRETT PLANNING NETWORK

Today, honest, trustworthy, and hard-working Americans are in need of financial help. But where can you go? Whom can you trust?

These are the words of Jennifer Openshaw, CEO, Family Financial Network and Host of Public Television’s “What’s Your Net Worth?”, when introducing Sheryl Garrett, CFP, creator of the Garrett Planning Network, the only nationwide financial planning network sanctioned by MOAA. Garrett was named one of the “Top 25 most influential people in financial planning” by Investment Advisor Magazine, May 2003.

At the Silicon Vallley Chapter’s October 27th luncheon, Julie A. Schatz and Jennifer Cray of Investor’s Capital Management of Menlo Park, a local Garrett Planning Network organization, set out to answer those questions and a lot more, specifically providing an overview of the financial planning process and services.

CDR Gordon Rollman, USN-Ret, an accomplished financial planning professional in his own right, having formed G. L. Rollman and Associates, a financial services and management consulting firm, said recently, “I have been in contact with the October 27th speakers and found them to be very competent, capable of providing solid assistance, and I would even recommend that members offer a planning session to children or others as a Christmas present, money worth spent.” Rollman, who holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) degree from George Washington University, apparently knows a good deal when he sees one.

The founding principal of Investor’s Capital Management, Rich Chambers, said his firm is a fee-only organization and helps clients achieve financial quality of life and peace of mind with a comprehensive program that targets life planning and goals, and delivers long-term financial security to people from all walks of life and income brackets. “We offer ongoing, unbiased advice that incorporates goal-based investing with the many financial issues that clients confront. Our recommendations benefit our clients and only our clients.”

After outlining the basics of the personal financial planning process, Julie Schatz said, “You’d be surprised how much we can get done, how much value we can deliver, with a basic two hour session. We can’t do everything needing to be done, but we can tackle two or three of the most pressing issues.” The usual fee for such services is $200 per hour, but MOAA members receive a 20% discount. Julie, who has a B.S. in mechanical engineering from the University of Notre Dame and who worked for more than 20 years in various technical industries, is very close to being awarded the Certified Financial Planner practitioner designation. She can be reached at (650) 323-4705, e-mail: julies@feesonly.com, and website: www.feesonly.com.

Jennifer Cray demonstrated her capabilities by answering a variety of specific questions, most having to do with processes as well as contemporary financial issues. Having a B.A. degree in print journalism and an MBA from the University of Southern California, and having completed all requirements for the Certified Financial Planner certification, she has extensive experience with E*Trade Securities as a senior product manager, creating stock and option trading tools. She can be reached at telephone (650) 323-4706, e-mail: jenniferc@feesonly.com, and web site: www.feesonly.com.

MOAA provides assurance that people like Julie and Jennifer have strong capabilities to help with everyday financial management problems, and the best part is that all services are fee-only, with nobody working on commission, and nobody selling products. The only obligation is to MOAA members, the client.

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Advanced Care Directive
To ensure your desires are known all adults should execute a living will (also known as an advance directive or a health care directive). Recent events have shown the need for adults of all ages to discuss their wishes about end-of-life care with their families, and then put those wishes down in writing. If you are interested in creating a state-specific living will, visit the web site of the National Hospice and Palliative C a r e O r g a n i z a t i o n :

www.carinainfo.org

Click on the first selection, End of Life Care: Advanced Care Planning. This action will bring up a State-specific downloadable Advance Directive form, customized for your state of residence. Although it may be painfil to discuss these issues, we owe it to ourselves and our loved ones to set aside time to have this discussion, and make our wishes known. As a
recent court case demonstrated, we all need to do this. Show that you care by executing your living will today.

May 2005

Note - The form itself is 7 pages but there are 8 additional pages of discussion.

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CHAPTER PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE Under the leadership of my wife, Robin, we instituted a new program at our February dinner meeting: Comments Questions Suggestions (CQS) (Just what we needed, a new acronym) Call it what you want, the initial event provided some suggestions. They will be presented to the board for consideration. I was very pleased with this effort and offer my sincere appreciation and gratitude for those members who took the time to offer a suggestion.

NOTE: YOU DO NOT HAVE TO ATTEND THE DINNER MEETING TO PARTICIPATE.

At the meeting, arriving members were handed a 3 X 5 card and directed to a source of additional cards and pencils. Your input from home can be written on any size piece of paper. If you want to use a 3 X 5 card and don’t have any, call me and mail some to you.

Two of the inputs highlighted some actions that I hope to address during my time as Chapter President. Recruitment and the possibility of providing luncheon meetings. The possibility of having a meeting was one of the subjects that I raised at our February Board meeting. We are looking into this issue. Items to be addressed include modification of our contract with Ports help in making etc., and the level of participation from members.

The recruitment issue is a serious one and I want to do something about it but do not know what to do. Currently Paul Leo, our membership chairman, is preparing a letter to all local members of National MOAA urging them to join ow chapter. We have done this in the past with results. Ideas are welcomed.

As you consider suggestions, please do not hesitate to provide input or how or what you could do to accomplish any of the suggested changes. If you are suggesting a program such as outings, please let us know if you can implement the suggestion. While most inputs were signed, we do not want to discourage ideas if it means that the originator of the suggestion has to make it happen IF they don’t have the time to implement the suggestion.

Here is the CQS input our February meeting:
1.Have members share something unique they experienced -a travel experience or something they do. Some members suggested that we dedicate an evening to it, but my thought was -one meeting to supplement the speaker. The people or person should speak just 5 –10 minutes.
2. An alternate luncheon may bring out more of our members, those who do not drive at night. Many love the evening dinners and the port lights as we do, but we could have both.
3. Recommend meeting be changed from Friday evening to Saturday luncheon.
4. (A) Our local chapter needs to bring in younger blood.
(B) Should be doing one or two special outings as a group:
MCAS Air Show or Vandenburg for tour?

CDR Donald L. Mitchell USN (Ret)
Reading information posted by CdrBob

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