Austin, Texas Chapter
Companions, Our
next meeting is two days after Veterans Day, November 11th. Other
countries call it Remembrance Day.
It celebrates when the Germans signed the armistice on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the
11th month in 1918. Woodrow Wilson proclaimed Armistice Day for
November 11, 1919, and Congress passed a concurrent resolution seven years
later. In 1953, Al King, a shoe store owner in Emporia Kansas, started the
ball rolling to celebrate all veterans. President Eisenhower made it official on
May 26, 1954, and Congress changed the name to Veterans Day. I hope you can celebrate this honorable
occasion. The Parks and Recreation Department is planting 150 trees
to honor the US military veterans. Why not join them on November 8th by calling
440-5162. www.treefolks.org
J. Robert Howard
Holiday Inn Northwest (Mopac & Hwy 183) Quotes to Ponder
Psalm 136:1-3 and 25-26 "A Hymn of Thanksgiving" 1. Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good; his love is eternal. 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.
Ernest Dean
Legislative Update MEDICARE PREMIUMS 2009 UPDATE 04: Medicare has
announced that the JAN 09 Part B premiums and annual deductible ($135) will
remain at the current 2008 rates. This one-time relief from annual premium
increases was possible because of an accounting change that shifted a piece of
the Medicare budget from Part B (doctor visits) to Part A (hospital treatment). CONTINUING
RESOLUTION: None of the 12 annual appropriations bills have been enacted into
law this year so Congress has provided a Continuing Resolution (CR) for the
President to sign. A CR is a type of appropriations legislation used by the
United States Congress to fund government agencies if a formal appropriations
bill has not been signed into law by the end of the Congressional fiscal year.
Speaker
directed into the financial management field, serving as the
Comptroller for four major commands/organizations before retirement in 1985.
Currently, he does bookkeeping and taxes for business from Washington to Florida.
Paid-up Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) - As of this month, SBP payments ended for
retirees who are at least age 70 and have paid 30 years (360 cumulative months) of SBP premiums.
Chapter Officers John A Miterko McCormick & Schmick’s Tribute to Veterans Golden Corral's 2008 Military Appreciation "Thank You" Dinner
The Battle of Belleau
Wood. Aisne Offensive: Beginning on May 27, German storm troopers broke through
the French lines in Aisne. Striking in an area that lacked substantial
defenses and reserves, the Germans forced the French Sixth Army into a full
retreat. Moving quickly, the Germans advanced to the Marne River and were
intent on pressing on to Paris. At the Marne, they were blocked by American
troops at Chateau-Thierry and Belleau Wood. The Germans attempted to take
Chateau-Thierry but were stopped by US Army troops on June 2.
2nd Division Arrives: On June 1, the US 2nd Division, including the 4th
Marine Brigade took up positions south of Belleau Wood near Lucy-le-Bocage.
As the Marines dug in, a French officer suggested that they withdrawal. To
this Captain Lloyd Williams of the 5th Marines famously replied,
"Retreat?
Hell, we just got here." Two days later elements of the German 347th
Division from Army Group Crown Prince occupied the forest. With their attack
at Chateau-Thierry stalling, the Germans launched a major assault on June 4.
Supported by machine guns and artillery, the Marines were able to hold,
effectively ending the German offensive in Aisne.
Marines Move Forward: The following day, the commander of the French XXI
Corps ordered Brigadier General James Harbord's 4th Marine Brigade to retake
Belleau Wood. On the morning of June 6, the Marines advanced, capturing Hill
142 to the west of the wood. Twelve hours later, they frontally assaulted the
forest itself. To do so, the Marines had to cross a wheat field under heavy
German machine gun fire. With his men pinned down, Gunnery Sergeant Dan Daly
called "Come on ya sons-of-bitches, ya want to live forever?" and
got them on the move again. When night fell, only a small section of forest
had been captured.
In addition to Hill 142 and the assault on the woods, the Marines attacked
into Bouresches to the east. After taking most of the village, the Marines
were forced to dig in against German counterattacks. All reinforcements trying
to reach Bouresches had to cross a large open area and were subjected to heavy
German fire. When night fell, the Marines had suffered
1,087 casualties making it the bloodiest day in the Corps' history to date.
Clearing the Forest:
On June 11, following a heavy artillery bombardment, the Marines pressed
hard into Belleau Wood, capturing the southern two-thirds. Two days later, the
Germans assaulted Bouresches after a massive gas attack and almost retook the
village. With the Marines stretched thin, the US 23rd Infantry extended its
line and took over the defense of Bouresches. On the 16th, citing exhaustion,
Harbord requested that some of the Marines be relieved.
His request was granted and three battalions of the US 7th Infantry moved
into the forest. After five days of fruitless fighting, the Marines retook
their position in the line.
On June 23, the Marines launched a major attack into the forest, but were
unable to gain ground. Suffering staggering losses, they required over two
hundred ambulances to carry the wounded. Two days later, Belleau Wood was
subjected to a fourteen hour bombardment by French artillery. Attacking in the
wake of the artillery, US forces were finally able to completely clear the
forest. On June 26, after defeating some early morning German counterattacks,
Major Maurice Shearer was finally able to send the signal, "Woods now
entirely -US Marine Corps." from About.com: Military History
The Association for all Military Officers
Companion
Bulletin-November 2008
Talk about a fast lady. Our speaker last month was
Naomi Gilbert and she had a two hour story to tell in 30 minutes. And she
did. Her quick slide show of her recall, war training and on duty with the
Army was enlightening. I had no idea that there was such a school that
simulated the environment that a person would face in Iraq. Building a moral
Iraqi intelligence operation is not an easy task.
Then at 9 am on the 11th, attend the parade from the Congress Ave. bridge to the Capital.
Watch the fly over and attend the ceremony at the Texas Capital Building on the
south steps. The theme will honor women of the military past and present.
Col Leon Holland has conducted an audit of our books and found them
in good order.
Chapter Commander
Meeting. November 13th 2008
The cost for the evening is $18.00.
If you are not called by November 10th, contact J. R.
Howard at 848-0285
Schedule:
1830-1900 - Social
1900-1905 - Invocation & Salutes
1905-1945 - Dinner
1945-2000 - Break
2000-2045 - Speaker
2045-2100
- Adjourn.
Gerald Ford once declared, "A bronco is something that kicks and bucks,
twists and turns, and very seldom goes in one direction. We have one of
those things here in Washington---it's called the Congress."
Inspiration Selection
2. Give thanks to the greatest of all gods; his love is eternal
3. Give thanks to the mightiest of all lords; his love is eternal
25. He gives food to every living creature; his love is eternal
26. Give thanks to the God of heaven; his love is eternal.
110TH CONGRESS SCHEDULE UPDATE 01: The House stands adjourned until 11 a.m. on
Saturday, 3 JAN 09. The Senate remains open but only plans to conduct pro forma
sessions until the General Election is completed. During a pro forma session,
the Senate is called to order for literally about 30 seconds, but no business is
conducted. The Senate Majority Leader called the pro forma sessions to prevent
the President from using his Constitutional authority to appoint people to his
administration when Congress is adjourned. They are scheduled to reconvene for
normal business on Nov. 17. Indications are that legislators - election winners
and losers alike - may be called back to work in mid-November. Starting in
January, we'll have to get new bills introduced on our key issues and work to
get our legislators to renew their cosponsorships. [Source: NAUS Weekly Update 8
Oct 08 ]
Wes Lokken graduated from Concordia College, Moorhead, Minnesota in May of 1960 with a
course of study in Mathematics and Business Administration. Joined the USMC
Platoon Leaders Class program in December 1956, and was commissioned during
graduation ceremonies at Concordia.
Duty assignments included command of Infantry platoon, Company and Battalion
units, and assignments on battalion thru division staffs, and at Headquarters,
Marine Corps. Subsequent to the completion of the GWU program, assignments were increasingly
Army personnel officials are launching an outreach program as part of a push
to hire more wounded warriors and their spouses as civilian employees. In the
past four years, 43 Soldiers wounded in action have been hired as civilian
employees Army-wide, G-1 officials at the Pentagon said. But they emphasized
that new initiatives have the potential to bring many more veterans and their
spouses into federal service
Staff Meeting
The next staff meeting will be at the call of the Commander.
Commander - LtCol J. Robert Howard
1st Vice Cmdr. - Maj. Stan Bullard
Adjutant - Patricia Eagan
Treasurer - Col. Andrew McVeigh
Chaplain - LtCol Ernest Dean
Youth Leadership Conference Coordinator - LtCol Tom Anderson
ROTC Coordinator - Col Leon Holland
Veterans Advocate
Sunday, Nov. 9, is the date that McCormick and Schmick’s Seafood
Restaurants around the country will salute veterans. They will be offering a
free entrée from a special menu. Veterans are encouraged to make reservations
and bring proper ID to present to your server. Proper ID includes retired
military ID cards, membership card in a veterans organization like NAUS or a
copy of your DD-214 discharge papers. Most restaurants will not be able to seat
parties over six people in order to accommodate more veterans. McCormick & Schmick’s restaurants
are at 401 Congress Ave (236-9600), 11600 Century Oaks (836-0500), and 10000
Research Blvd (241-1051)
On Monday, Nov. 17, 2008, from 5 to 9 pm, all 485 Golden Corral restaurants
across America will offer any person who has served or is serving in the United
States Military (including National Guard and Reserves) a free "thank
you" dinner buffet and beverage with no identification required.