The Association for all Military Officers Companion Bulletin- January 2013
HAPPY NEW YEAR! Companions can turn to our Preamble and the national MOWW Goals for 2012-2013 to reflect on our responsibilities for 2013. Let us to resolve to continue to direct our efforts to the support of the youth of the community by contributing to the Junior and Senior ROTC and Youth Leadership programs. This month we will meet for lunch on Thursday, 10 January, at Marie Calenders, 9503 Research Blvd, Suite 400. This meeting is a by-popular-request- return-to-Calendar's get-together! We especially look forward to seeing companions and guests who do not normally attend our evening meetings. If transportation is needed, please do not hesitate to contact a fellow companion or call me at 512-426-5146 so that arrangements can be made to get you there. Next month on Thursday, 14 February, we will return to the Crowne Plaza Hotel for a "regular" meeting which will begin with a social period at 1830 hours. More information about this meeting will be in next month's COMPANION BULLETIN. In closing, I express my sincere thanks to all companions, spouses, and friends of the Austin Military Order of the World Wars for your support and commitment and for maintaining the viability of our Chapter.
Flu season is off to its earliest start in nearly 10 years - and it could be a bad one.
Health officials on 3 DEC said suspected flu cases have jumped in five southern states,
and the primary strain circulating is one that tends to make people sicker, especially
the elderly. "It looks like it's shaping up to be a bad flu season, but only time will
tell," said Dr. Thomas Frieden, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The good news is the nation seems to be fairly well prepared, Frieden said. More than a third
of Americans have been vaccinated, and the vaccine is well matched to the strains of flu seen so far
| Next Meeting. January 10 Marie Calenders Chow call at 11:30 Enterprise. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced th at the USS Enterprise (CVN 65) inactivation ceremony that the third Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carrier will be named Enterprise. The future USS Enterprise, designated CVN 80, will be the ninth ship to bear the name. Problem Banks. A total of 694 are on the list, which the FDIC uses to keep a close eye on banks at risk of failing. That's three dozen fewer than in the spring, but still almost 10 percent of all the federally insured banks in the country. Fifty banks have foundered so far this year, way down from the 92 that shuttered in 2011 and the 157 that closed in 2010, which was the biggest number since the savings and loan crisis two decades ago |
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MOWW SCRIPTURE AND COMMENTARY January 2012, Chaplain Ernie Dean are his. He built it on the deep waters beneath the earth and laid its foundations in the ocean depths. (Psalm 24:1-2) We live in a hospitable place, the good earth. God, in his benevolence, saw to it that all we need to sustain life is available to us. Many take the obvious abundance as a sign of God's extraordinary kindness and our extraordinary worth. However, such kindness and overflowing provision should call forth from us, not thoughts of entitlement, but words and acts of praise. To be in the habit of thankfulness and praise balances our lives. Here are three excellent statements to guide us in our attempts to give thanks and praise (Christian Century, 11/14/12, p.3) Praise is the duty and delight, the ultimate vocation of the human community.<.i> (Walter Brueggemann) Grateful people are emotionally healthy people. Praise almost seems to be inner health made audible. (C.S. Lewis) When we cultivate and practice the habit of gratitude, the experience of gratitude deepens over the years. (John Updike) Notice the inclusion of acts, not simply words, by these men. Stewardship and care of our home-the good and abundant earth-is our primary calling. We are responsible! This is our God-given challenge and opportunity to please God and to enhance life for all creatures, not just ourselves and our own self-serving goals. Remember what our mothers taught us long ago? "What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you are saying." Our words are powerful, to be sure; our actions are even more powerful. As we begin a brand new year, may we all pledge to speak and act on behalf or our earth home by using its resources wisely, by ensuring all have equal access to its resources so that all may live comfortably, by protecting God's earth for the sake of the future. It is our calling! |
Wreaths Across America An iconic Christmas photo went viral six years ago
Now known as Wreaths Across America, the project has grown to include all national cemeteries.
Three friends took on the challenge to provide holiday wreaths for the veterans buried at the
Florida National Cemetery in Bushnell. They started with six wreaths in December 2006.
"We had about 40 people in attendance," said Randy Lewer, who retired from the military
after 23 years of service. "From there, we kept growing and this year
we're about 6,500
wreaths and we're probably, I think for the past couple of years, about 7,000 people
in attendance.? Lewer credits his buddy Steve Leinwand, a veteran" of Desert Storm,
with getting the project started. "Being in the military, we're all brothers in arms," Leinwand said.
"And we have to give back, if we don't, who will?" With the economy,
the only ones out here are veterans giving back to veterans.
Everything in life is temporary. So if things are going good, enjoy it because it won't last forever. And if things are going bad, don't worry. It can't last forever either. This link is to a program that shows all the airborne flights. You can mouse over the airplane icon and get speed, altitude etc. http://www.flightradar24.com .The Department of Veterans Affairs is transforming its processing system for disability claims into a paperless environment in an effort to reduce a claims backlog that has increased by about 180 percent since 2009. The time needed to process veterans' disability claims shot up by nearly 40 percent last year despite years of effort by federal officials to streamline and shorten the process, records show. A friend endured 6 months on the Ranger near the DMZ off the coast of Viet Nam, . He witnessed about 8 Ranger based planes faulter and go into the drink either going off the catapault or during recovery when the plane's tail hook missed the cable |
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SEPTEMBER 2012 - MAY 2013 (Schedule is subject to change)
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Chapter
Officers
| Schedule: 1830-1900 - Social 1900-1905 - Invocation 1905-1945 - Dinner 2000-2045 - Program 2045-2100 - Adjourn. I am starting to think I will never be old enough to know better. |
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Battle of Savo Island Moving to the
offensive after the victory at Midway in June 1942, Allied forces targeted
Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands. Allied forces under the direction of
Vice Admiral Frank J. Fletcher arrived in the area and troops began landing on
Guadalcanal, Tulagi, Gavutu, and Tanambogo on August 7. His command had
a screening force of eight cruisers, fifteen destroyers, and five
minesweepers. The carrier force left on August 8th.for replishment. Responsibility for responding to the invasion fell to Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa who led the newly-formed Eighth Fleet based at Rabaul. Flying his flag from the heavy cruiser Chokai, he departed with the light cruisers Tenryu and Yubari, as well as a destroyer with the goal of attacking the Allied transports on the night of August 8/9. Proceeding southeast, he was soon joined by Rear Admiral Aritomo Goto's Cruiser Division 6 which consisted of the heavy cruisers Aoba, Furutaka, Kako, and Kinugasa. It was Mikawa's plan to move along the east coast of Bougainville before advancing down "The Slot" to Guadalcana The allied force deployed to cover the channels north and south of Savo Island. The southern approach was guarded by the heavy cruisers USS Chicago and HMAS Canberra along with the destroyers USS Bagley and USS Patterson. The northern channel was protected by the heavy cruisers USS Vincennes, USS Quincy, and USS Astoria along with the destroyers USS Helm and USS Wilson steaming in a square patrol pattern. As an early warning force, the radar-equipped destroyers USS Ralph Talbot and USS Blue were positioned to the west of Savo. ( From About.com, Military History) |
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The Japanese Strike: After two days of constant action, the tired crews of the Allied ships were at Condition II which meant that half were on duty while half rested. In addition, several of the cruiser captains were also asleep. Approaching Guadalcanal after dark, Mikawa again launched floatplanes to scout the enemy and to drop flares during the upcoming fight. Closing in a single file line, his ships successfully passed between Blue and Ralph Talbot whose radars were hampered by the nearby land masses. Around 1:35 AM on August 9, Mikawa spotted the ships of the southern force silhouetted by the fires from the burning George F. Elliot. Though spotting the northern force, Mikawa commenced attacking the southern force with torpedoes around 1:38. Five minutes later, Patterson was the first Allied ship to spot the enemy and immediately went into action. As it did so, both Chicago and Canberra were illuminated by aerial flares. The latter ship attempted to attack, but quickly came under heavy fire and was put out of action, listing and on fire. At 1:47, as Captain Howard Bode was attempting to get Chicago into the fight, the ship was hit in the bow by a torpedo. Rather than assert control, Bode steamed west for forty minutes and left the fight Defeat of the Northern Force: Moving through the southern passage, Mikawa turned north to engage the other Allied ships. In doing so, Tenryu, Yubari, and Furutaka took a more westerly course than the rest of the fleet. As a result, the Allied northern force was soon bracketed by the enemy. Though firing had been observed to the south, the northern ships were unsure of the situation and were slow to go to general quarters. At 1:44, the Japanese began launching torpedoes at the American cruisers and six minutes later illuminated them with searchlights. Astoria came into action, but was hit hard by fire from Chokai which disabled its engines. Drifting to a halt, the cruiser was soon on fire, but managed to inflict moderate damage on Chokai. Quincy was slower to enter the fray and was soon caught in a crossfire between the two Japanese columns. Though one of its salvos hit Chokai, nearly killing Mikawa, the cruiser was soon on fire from Japanese shells and three torpedo hits. Burning, Quincy sank at 2:38. Vincennes was hesitant to enter the fight for fear of friendly fire. When it did, it quickly took two torpedo hits and became the focus of Japanese fire. Taking over 70 hits and a third torpedo, Vincennes sank at 2:50. At 2:16, Mikawa met with his staff about pressing the battle to attack the Guadalcanal anchorage. As their ships were scattered and low on ammunition, it was decided to withdraw back to Rabaul. In addition, he believed that the American carriers were still in the area. As he lacked air cover, it was necessary for him to clear the area before daylight. Departing, his ships inflicted damage on Ralph Talbot as they moved northwest. Aftermath of Savo Island The first of a series of naval battles around Guadalcanal, the defeat at Savo Island saw the Allies lose four heavy cruisers and suffer 1,077 killed. In addition, Chicago and three destroyers were damaged. Japanese losses were a light 58 killed with three heavy cruisers damaged. Despite the severity of the defeat, the Allied ships did succeed in preventing Mikawa from striking the transports in the anchorage. Had Mikawa pressed his advantage, it would have severely hampered Allied efforts to resupply and reinforce the island later in the campaign. The US Navy later commissioned the Hepburn Investigation to look into the defeat. Of those involved, only Bode was severely criticized. |