The Association for all Military Officers Companion Bulletin-November 2016
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Words from the Commander: Hello, Companions! The calender tells us it is Fall, yet the accompanying temperature hasn't gotten the word. But it is November and, in addition to honoring our Veterans, we also celebrate Thanksgiving. Last month, we held our first luncheon meeting of this session. Thanks to Companion and Mrs. Bush for organizing the event at The County Line. We had a nice turnout, and it was an excellent venue to reconnect after our summer recess. In addition to a few administrative topics discussed, it was agreed that once again we would have two evening meetings at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in 2017. We will contract with the hotel for our February and May meetings. Please submit your recommendations for other meeting locations and times to round out our session to me or to any of our officers. We have not planned a meeting for this month, but we encourage you to attend the Austin Veterans Day Parade and Ceremony on Congress Avenue beginning at 0930 hours on 11 November. The parade will be followed by the annual ceremony on the Texas Capitol grounds. Also, I trust that you received information regarding the Book Talk held on 1 November by author, Linda Hervieux about her book: Forgotten: The Untold Story of D-Day's Black Heroes, at Home and at War. We were honored to partner to host the event with several other local organizations and the Texas-Exes. The Region VIII Annual Patriotic Education Conference was held in Waco last month. Companion Howard and I represented our Chapter. Companions Howe and Perry also attended the conference representing the National Sojourners. Remember, the Annual Holiday Dinner Dance sponsored by the Austin Military Officers Association of America (AMOAA). This year the chapter's Christmas Gala will be held 7 December at the Austin Club. If you plan to attend, please submit your RSVP early! Kudos to Companion McVeigh for our chapter receiving "Congratulations" and a Supplemental Perpetual & Memorial Dividend as a result of our chapter having successfully submitted our IRS forms on a timely basis and certification of our actions to the MOWW Treasurer General. Thanks to the McVeighs! |
In closing, remember our responsibility to actively pursue MOWW's five Strategic Goals. Also, we wish each of you a very Happy Thanksgiving! As Companions and Patriots, we have much to be thankful for as we reflect on the many events and activities for which we are individually and collectively thankful, grateful and blessed. ---Leon Holland, COL(R), USA
SG-1: Increase membership by four percent (4%) and increase Companion participation Proton Torpedoes Bill Gates and Intellectual Ventures have developed a Photonic Fence. With the Photonic Fence, if a malaria-carrying mosquito flew within the device's range, a laser would shoot it down. The mosquito zapper has three subsystems: tracking, lethal and safety. The virtual fence uses an optical system with lenses and cameras to track what's flying by - the goal is to take out the "bad bugs" like mosquitoes but not the good guys like bumblebees. They expect deploying it around field hospitals. The device could also be used to catalog insects in its field of view. ." [Source: Army Times | Charlsy Panzino | October 22, 2016 ++] At Creditcatds.com. The financial data site analyzed data on every card offered by the top 100 retailers in the U.S., a total of 68 cards. |
(Chaplain Ernie Dean)
1. Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good; Every day is a day of thanksgiving! Every day is the Lord's day! Any time is a good time to give thanks. Do we believe this? Do our lives reflect this faith? God calls us to be intentional about our faith and our gratitude. This psalm, and actually all of scripture, invites us to live by the truth that God is love and this love is steadfast, forever, eternal. This is wonderful news. It is truth. So let us strive to live by truth. To give thanks to God daily is the right thing to do. We may feel we are not this devoted or pietistic, yet this Thanksgiving month is filled with reminders to be thankful, grateful, and generous. With family and friends, may we be thankful and gracious. In our sharing with God, may we be thankful and gracious. May we, may the world, be thankful and gracious with one another. This is the life to which we are called. VA Leadership Alleged 'New' Are Transferees From Within VA Although Veterans Affairs Secretary Bob McDonald has asserted that more than "90%" of the VA's medical centers have "new leadership" or "leadership teams" since he took over the troubled agency in 2014, a USA TODAY investigation found the VA has hired just eight medical center directors from outside the agency during that time. The rest of the "new leadership" McDonald cites is the result of moving existing managers between jobs and medical centers. " New Zealand Ban. A U.S. Navy warship will visit New Zealand in NOV for the first time since the 1980s, ending a 30-year-old military stalemate between the countries that was triggered when New Zealand banned nuclear warships. | Steve McQueen's legacy as the "King of Cool" began early in his acting career and carries on to this day. He loved racing, frequently got in trouble, had three wives, and donated to the California Junior Boys Republic. Born to a stunt pilot and an alleged alcoholic prostitute, his childhood was tumultuous. His father left both he and his mother after six months, and McQueen lived with his grandparents until he was eight. His step-father beat him and his mother which drove McQueen to live on the streets for a time. He was later sent to the California Junior Boys Republic where he began to mature. "It was all very pleasant just lying in the sun and watching the girls go by, but one day I suddenly felt bored with hanging around and went and joined the Marines." After drifting from job to job, he decided to join the Marines in 1947. He was promoted to Private First Class and served with an armored unit, but he was demoted back to private seven times. His rebellious nature came to a head when he let a weekend pass turn into a two week tryst with his girlfriend. Shore patrol apprehended him, but he resisted and spent 41 days in the brig; the first 21 were spent living off of bread and water. His time in the brig served to reform as he attempted to improve himself and embody Marine values. Later on his unit was performing a training exercise in the Arctic which turned disastrous. When their ship hit a sandbank, several tanks and their crews were thrown into the water. Many drowned immediately, unable to get out of their tanks, but McQueen jumped in and saved the lives of five men. In recognition of his actions, McQueen was chosen to partake in the Honor Guard protecting Harry S. Truman's yacht. McQueen stayed with the Marines until 1950 when he was honorably discharged. "The Marines gave me discipline I could live with. By the time I got out, I could deal with things on a more realistic level. All in all, despite my problems, I liked my time in the Marines," McQueen said. After leaving the Marines, McQueen used the G.I. Bill to study acting at Sanford Meisner's Neighborhood Playhouse. He began entering races at the same time and brought home about $100 home per week in winnings. McQueen became steadily employed on the show "Wanted: Dead or Alive". Later on his Hollywood break came by way of Frank Sinatra who hired him for the part of Bill Ringa in "Never So Few". McQueen's career was prolific -- he starred in numerous roles and maintained his star status up until his untimely death in 1980. McQueen suffered from mesothelioma and underwent surgery to remove multiple tumors in his neck and midsection. Doctors had warned him that his heart could not withstand the surgery, and hours after the tumors were removed, McQueen died of cardiac arrest. [Source: Military.com | May 2016 ++] |