From: Subject: Date: Fri, 21 Sep 2007 11:19:27 -0400 MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: multipart/related; type="text/html"; boundary="----=_NextPart_000_0000_01C7FC41.45C85860" X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V6.00.2900.3138 This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0000_01C7FC41.45C85860 Content-Type: text/html; charset="Windows-1252" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Content-Location: file://C:\Documents and Settings\nnichols.OFBC\Local Settings\Temp\eud36.htm

Vol.=20 3, No. 3 &nbs= p; = ; = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; &nbs= p; = ; = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; =20 March 2007

Newsletter of Charleston Base, United = States=20 Submarine Veterans,=20 Inc.

&nbs= p; = ; = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; &nb= sp; =20 &nbs= p; = ; = &= nbsp; &n= bsp; =20

&nbs= p; = ; = =20 USSVI=20 Creed

=93To=20 perpetuate the memory of our shipmates who gave their lives
in = the=20 pursuit of their duties while serving their country. That their dedication, = deeds, and=20 supreme sacrifice be a constant source of motivation toward = greater=20 accomplishments. = Pledge=20 loyalty and patriotism to the United States = Government=94

Base web = page: = http://www.ussvicb.org/

National web = page: www.ussvi.org

Base = Meeting:=20

Thursday, = March 8,=20 2007

Social hour = 1800,=20 General Meeting 1900

Location:

Fleet = Reserve=20 Association Branch 269, Low Country Home

99 Wisteria=20 Rd.

Goose Creek, = South=20 Carolina. Phone=20 843-569-2962

Base=20 Officers

Phone=20 Number

Commander

Steve=20 Nelms

843-563-7115

Vice=20 Commander

Carl=20 Chinn

843-875-3098

Secretary

Ronnie = Kerstetter

843-367-1026

Treasurer

George = Lisle

843-559-4242

Special=20 Officers

Phone=20 Number

Chief = of the=20 Boat

Marty=20 Sessler

843-871-1536

Public = Affairs

Richard=20 Cleeve

843-899-4563

Sub = Vets=20 WWII

Barnwell=20 Chaplin

843-762-6945

Nuclear=20 Historian

Ed=20 Simokat

843-873-1709

Veterans=20 Affairs

John=20 Nichols

843-873-5897

Chaplain

Bill = =93Friar Tuck=94=20 Kennedy

843-875-3109

Membership

Carl=20 Chinn

843-875-3098

Holland=20 Club

Bob=20 Lowe

843-573-9045

Little = David=20 Project

Rick=20 Wise

843-875-5559

Roving = Reporter

Rick=20 Wise

843-875-5559

Scholarship

Jim=20 Yates

843-873-0246

Newsletter

Carl=20 Chinn

843-875-3098

Storekeeper

Paul=20 Viering

843-797-2623

Alcohol &=20 Gaming

Dave=20 Mueller

843-553-2775

Minutes=20 of the February 2007 meeting

Opening = Ceremony: Base Commander, Steve = Nelms,=20 called the meeting to order. =20 A quorum was present and the meeting was commenced at = 1900.

Introductions: New persons were = introduced; Larry Cox, Jim Keller, = Jerry=20 Yates, Joey Forbes, Joe Fuller, Eric Martinson, Mike Slattery, = Daniel=20 Hudson, Jim Lewis, Kevin Schirmer, Ernest Fisher, Wayne Farrell, = and=20 Robert Delconte. = Welcome=20 aboard.

Treasurer: George Lisle gave the = treasurer=92s=20 report. George = reminded=20 everyone to continue their support of the depth charge drawings = and After=20 Battery social nights. = This=20 is how we finance our organization. =20 George also cautioned us to be careful how we spend our = money.

Secretary: Ronnie Kerstetter asked = for a=20 motion to approve the meeting minutes from last month. A motion was made and = seconded; no=20 discussion. Minutes = approved.

Storekeeper: USSVI calendars are = available for=20 purchase cost is eight dollars each.

USS=20 Silversides SS236

Paul=20 held up a mounted piece of teak decking from the USS Silversides = (SS236),=20 this will be displayed in the After Battery. Paul is continuing to = take=20 donations that will be used to haul her out of the water and=20 refurbish.

SILVERSIDES was = commissioned into the U.S. Navy on December 15, 1941, just eight = days=20 after the attack on Pearl Harbor. =20 She left for the first of her 14 war patrols on April 30, = 1942.=20 SILVERSIDES sank 30 ships and damaged 14 ships. She ranks third highest = among all=20 World War II U.S. submarines in ships sunk, totaling 90,080 tons. = None of=20 the boats scoring more sinkings or tonnage sunk exists today, = leaving=20 SILVERSIDES as the nation's most famous surviving WWII = submarine.

The=20 war's most publicized operation was performed on board = SILVERSIDES. Pharmacist Mate Thomas = Moore=20 successfully removed a gangrenous appendix from crew member George = Platter. Moore had = never=20 performed an operation before, but armed with makeshift = instruments and a=20 volunteer surgical team, he performed the operation = successfully. The patient recovered = admirably=20 and was standing regular watch duties just six days later. The operation was = reenacted in the=20 movie Destination Tokyo.

Award = Presentation: Buddha presented a = plaque to=20 TMC(SS), USN Retired, Richard Sparger. =93Best cook in the = world=94 in=20 appreciation for all you do for Sub Vets Charleston Base. Many thanks Richard.

Chaplain: Bill Kennedy presented = the=20 binnacle list as follows: =20 Mike Smith has been diagnosed with prostate cancer, he may = go to=20 Michigan. Demetria = C. Votta,=20 wife of Alan Votta, has passed away, she was suffering from acute=20 leukemia. Please = keep Alan=20 and his family in your prayers. =20 Arthur O=92Meally has some bleeding blood vessels in his = brain &=20 will need surgery. = Bill Roup=20 is recovering and may be moved to Health South. Please visit Bill if you = get a=20 chance as he is bored to death. =20 Keith Schnebel is home and out walking. Al Addington had a = triple by-pass,=20 received blood and is doing well. =20 If anybody is sick or needs help contact either Bill = Kennedy or=20 Marty Sessler.

If=20 anybody is sick and needs help contact either Bill Kennedy or = Marty=20 Sessler.

Public=20 Affairs: = Richard=20 Cleeve has the Christmas Party pictures on the website. See Richard for any = changes or=20 additions to our web site.

Sub Vets = WWII: Lee Allison reported = that the next=20 Swamp Fox Chapter meeting will be at Ryan's Family Steak House = 1314 North=20 Main Street in Summerville, SC on Thursday February 15, at 1200 = (noon). Any Sub Vets member can = join the=20 Sub Vets WWII as an associate member and are encouraged to do = so. They hold a lunch = meeting every=20 other month at Ryan=92s.

The=20 USS Amberjack (SS219) Memorial Ceremony will be held 11 am, = Saturday,=20 March 24th at the monument in White Point Gardens (The Battery) in = downtown Charleston.

The=20 H.L. Hunley/USS Housatonic Anniversary Memorial, February 17, 2007 = at=20 Sunrise Presbyterian Church, 3222 Middle Street, Sullivans Island = by=20 Breech Inlet.

Veteran=92s = Affairs: No report.

Membership: Carl Chinn is on = vacation. Bob=20 Chinn standing in for Carl tonight. =20 Bob says that we have 239 Charleston Base members in good = standing=20 (dues paid). Six = new members=20 joined tonight, we still have 21 dink=92s. If you change your home = address,=20 phone number or e-mail notify Carl Chinn our membership chairman = so that=20 he can make the revisions.

Scholarship: Jim Yates was present = and thanked=20 everyone for all the donations to the scholarship fund. The Admiral James B. = Osborn=20 Memorial Scholarship is funded by the Charleston Base Submarine = Veterans=20 Incorporated. The = scholarship=20 is awarded to a Tri-County high school senior and disbursed as a = one-time=20 $500 award payable to the recipient. =20 A Summerville High School student is the latest = recipient. Greg plans to study = computers at=20 Clemson and will receive the award on May 2, 2007, in the evening = at an=20 award ceremony. See = Jim if=20 you would like to attend this award presentation. Thank you to Joe = Lookabill for=20 donating part of his depth charge winnings from last meeting to = the=20 scholarship fund.

Fleet Reserve = News: No report.

Alcohol & = Gaming: =93No Neck=94 encouraged = members to=20 check out social night held each Wednesday night at the After=20 Battery. Thanks to = Jon Sutton=20 for the donation of knives to the After Battery.

Chief of the = Boat: Marty Sessler presented = the=20 following: Thanks = for the=20 good support to all who responded to the wheel chair request from = Alan=20 Votta. Oyster Roast = on=20 Saturday afternoon Feb 24th. =20 Please RSVP Marty if you plan to attend. USS Trout Reunion, March = 12-16,=20 2007 Holiday Inn, Mt. Pleasant, SC. =20 See Buddha for details. =20 Andrew Jackson (SSBN 619) reunion cruise. Capital Base is having = their=20 annual memorial service 19 May at 11:00. See the COB for = details. February 24th is the = oyster roast=20 to be held at the after battery. =20 Bring desert only. =20 Thank you to Curly for the new podium.

2007=20 Eastern Region District 4/6 & Sub Vets WWII Conference = Wednesday April=20 25 =96 Sunday April 29, 2007, Daytona Beach, FL at the Holiday Inn = Express=20 Speedway Resort. = (If you=20 would like to attend let Buddha know as he is trying to get a = group=20 together to make this trip). =20 Registration forms and information for the convention = available on=20 the national website http://www.ussvi.org/Conventions.asp

Base=20 Commander: Buddha had some things to = say to=20 the group. =20

=B7 =20 If=20 the shoe don=92t fit don=92t worry about it

=B7 =20 Anyone who = joins an=20 organization normally abides by the majority = rule

=B7 =20 A=20 lot of people do a lot of work to make this group what it=20 is

=B7 =20 I=20 don=92t make decisions on my own that affect the entire = organization. It is up to you people = to make the=20 decisions for the whole organization

=B7 =20 Everyone has = a right=20 to their opinion

=B7 =20 No=20 one has the right to cut down anyone who volunteers their time to = make=20 this organization work

=B7 =20 There has = been a lot=20 of flack and e-mails going around from people. The executive board is = not a=20 clique. We do not = always=20 agree

=B7 =20 If=20 you don=92t like the way things are going, run for an office and = then work=20 with the board to make changes

=B7 =20 Bring a = solution to a=20 problem and not just the problem

=B7 =20 When you = give a gift=20 to this organization, it is with no strings = attached

We=20 had an offer from the FRA to change our meeting location. Willy at the VFW was = informed of=20 the proposal. It is = my job to=20 put the proposal out to the troops, I can=92t make this decision = on my=20 own. Buddha read a = letter=20 from William Campbell commander of the Walter C Fulda Post 3433 = Veterans=20 of Foreign Wars. = Willy says=20 that every Sub Vet will always be welcome here regardless of the = outcome=20 of the voting tonight on the meeting location.

District = Four: No report.

Old = Business: Rick Wise made a motion = to vote on=20 the proposal to move the monthly meeting location. Motion was = seconded. A discussion = followed. Everyone that wanted to = speak was=20 allowed an allotted time with the COB monitoring. At the end of the = discussion=20 voting was conducted by paper ballots on whether to meet at the = FRA or the=20 VFW. The secretary = (Ronnie=20 Kerstetter), Bob Chinn, and Ed Simokat counted the votes. The result was that the=20 organization majority voted to move the monthly meeting to the = Fleet=20 Reserve Facility, Lowcountry Home, in Goose Creek.

The=20 military museum will move from downtown to North Charleston. There is a good = possibility that=20 we can get two Mark 14 torpedoes, we are working with the mayors = office to=20 help with transportation, etc.

A=20 memorial is being planned for Waterfront Park. Don Wolfe is selling = bricks for=20 the memorial.

Several = programs are a=20 possibility for us to be involved in:

=B7 =20 Lazy eye test for school kids

=B7 =20 Giving hats to little kids that loose hair due to=20 chemotherapy

When=20 we find out details will put this out.

New = Business: None

Good Of The = Order: The depth charge drawing = was=20 held. The winner = was George=20 Lisle. Bill Roberts = suggested=20 that we inventory everything that Charleston Base owns. Buddha has already = started a title=20 =93B=94 list of Sub Vets Charleston Base items. Carl Chinn is in process = of up=20 grading our by-laws. = We will=20 vote on any changes. = Von=20 Stuben Reunion March 22-25 at the Airport Radisson. Social night menu for = St. Patty=20 Day will be corn beef with Irish bacon, etc. James K. Polk 645 boat = reunion in=20 Reno, Nevada, July 19-22. =20 Movie CD=92s are needed for the Veterans Home in = Walterboro. L Mendel Rivers reunion = May 17-20=20 in Mt Pleasant. = Please let=20 Carl Chinn know about any up coming boat reunions so he can get = the word=20 out.

The=20 Base Commander adjourned meeting at 2045.

**=20 End of the minutes for February 2007 **

"Don't tell mom I'm = a=20 submariner, she thinks I play piano in a = whorehouse."

New meeting=20 location

Starting in = March 2007,=20 Charleston Base will begin meeting at the Fleet Reserve = Association Branch=20 269 Low Country Home. = The=20 home is located at 99 Wisteria Rd., Goose Creek. It is off Redbank Rd. = directly=20 behind the Wendy=92s restaurant near 84 Lumber.

Non=20 FRA members are required to sign in as guests. As a reminder, there is = no smoking=20 allowed in the meeting room.

Allegretto

Anderson,=20 H.

Baciocco

Corcoran

Dale

Deschaine

Giddens

Hix

Hodges

Johnson,=20 D.

Kopacka

Luther

Martinson

McLuskey

O'Saben =

Rosselot

Sanders

Schirmer

Sessler

Smith,=20 M.

Snyder

Spear

Wieland

Yates, = G.

Membership=20 and Dues Information:

We=92re up = to=20 270 = members! We are still hanging as = number 3=20 in base size, and less than 100 fewer than number 2. Groton and San Diego are = larger. Keep on=20 recruitin=92!

Only = problem is we=20 have 19 dinks! We = need them=20 to keep growing. = Check with=20 your buddies and make sure they have paid their=20 dues.

If you = haven=92t yet=20 paid, when you read this newsletter your 2007 dues are past = due. If you are unsure of = what you owe=20 (regular base and/or national) please ask me! See me at the meeting, = e-mail or=20 call.

If you=20 have not renewed your dues by March 31, you will be dropped from = the Base=20 and National sailing lists. =20 If you are a National Life member you will be transferred = to=20 Member-At-Large status.

We dropped = 8 members=20 last year=85This year looks like 19!

Annual dues = are $20=20 for National and $15 for Charleston Base.

If you have = any=20 changes to your membership info (address, phone, e-mail, etc.) you = can now=20 make those changes directly on-line in the Sub Vets national=20 database. If you = make=20 changes, please let me know at chasbasemembernews@sc.rr.com = or carlc@sc.rr.com or call = 875-3098. This is = so we can=20 keep our local information current and accurate. If you want, I can make = the=20 changes for you...just let me know.

Membership=20 Drive

Target: New=20 Members

Started in = November=20 was a membership drive for 2007. =20 We have the potential of becoming the second largest base = in the=20 country with just a little bit of work. It will be easy to be = number 2=20 =92cause we=92re less than 100 behind them. Who knows, we might = someday=20 surpass Groton Base!

Here=92s = the deal: Recruit as many new = members as you=20 can. The guy who = recruits the=20 most new members before 1 April 2007 will get 2 years Charleston = Base=20 membership dues paid. = If that=20 guy is already a Charleston Base Life member he will get $30 = cash. In case of a tie, there = will be a=20 random drawing for the winner. =20 Make sure that you let me know when you recruit a new = guy,=20 if he joins you get credit and I can track the=20 numbers.

Carl

March 24 = =96=20 Amberjack Memorial Service, 1100

White = Point=20 Gardens

Terminology = Trivia

=93Hunky=20 dory=94

OK;=20 satisfactory

Derived from = Honki-Dori,=20 a street in the port of Yokohama, Japan, where many a pleasure = awaited=20 visiting sailors.

=93Learn the=20 ropes=94

Gain=20 a skill

Young sailors = were taught=20 what each rope, rigging and knot was for aboard a ship. After =91learning the = ropes=92,=20 sailors would then 'know the ropes'.

TRICARE USER = FEES=20 UPDATE 17: The Pentagon=92s top = health official=20 reiterated 30 JAN the need to increase Tricare fees because=20 across-the-board cuts have not been enough to decrease the Defense = Department=92s health care costs. Dr. William Winkenwerder Jr., = assistant=20 defense secretary for health affairs, said there is no way to cut=20 operating enough to prevent higher fees. =93That is a false = hope,=94 he said.=20 =93It is not possible.=94 During a roundtable at the annual = Military Health=20 System Conference in Washington, Winkenwerder said the health care = budget=20 was at $18 billion in 2000. In 2007, he expects it to grow to = about $40=20 billion. =93We don=92t see an end to that, in the absence of some = appropriate=20 adjustments and changes. We haven=92t made any change in the = benefits=20 structure in 13 years. The rate of growth, especially with new = benefits=20 and the expansion of Tricare for older military retirees and = reservists,=20 is twice the rate of inflation and higher than private-sector = growth.=94 He=20 reiter!

ated a list of all the = things the=20 Defense Department has done to cut costs: changes to the = prescription-drug=20 formulary that saved $5 million in two years, changes in the = payment=20 process for care that saved $1 billion, and the conversion of = military=20 positions to civilian positions to save several hundreds of = thousands of=20 dollars. In spite = of this he=20 noted doing all of these things still does not get DoD anywhere = near the=20 amount of savings needed to have a lower-cost growth. Congress rejected last = fall a 2006=20 proposal to save $11 billion through increased fees for retirees = younger=20 than 65 or increasing what they spend out-of-pocket for doctor = visits met=20 with strong opposition. The Defense Department had planned to save = $735=20 million this year by increasing Tricare fees. The House defense=20 appropriations subcommittee demanded that Winkenwerder solve the = problem=20 by asking the White House to present a request for more=20 money.

TRICARE USER = FEES=20 UPDATE 18: The defense budget the=20 Administration submitted to Congress on 5 FEB significantly upped = the ante=20 in the Pentagon's campaign to raise Tricare fees. It assumes even bigger = fee hikes=20 for FY2008 than last year's budget submission assumed for FY2007. = Last=20 year's budget proposed tripling Tricare Prime and Tricare Standard = fees=20 for retired officers and their family members and survivors over a = two-year period, and more than doubling them for most enlisted = retirees.=20 It also would have increased retail pharmacy fees for all Tricare=20 beneficiaries of all ages by almost 70%. The Administration = projected that=20 those fee hikes would save the Pentagon $735 million in FY2007 and = $1.86=20 billion in FY2008, and cut last year's defense health budget by = $735=20 million on the assumption that Congress would accept them. Fortunately, Congress = did not and=20 barred the Pentagon from increasing fees in FY2007, pending review = of=20 alternative options.

This year, = the=20 Pentagon hasn't published any specific fee increase plan, = indicating they=20 are awaiting the results of a DoD-appointed Task Force on the = Future of=20 Military Health Care, which is supposed to provide interim = recommendations=20 on cost-sharing and pharmacy copays in May. But that's = disingenuous,=20 because the budget submitted to Congress this week assumes $1.8 = billion in=20 savings from Tricare fee increases. =20 That's almost three times the savings assumed in the FY2007 = budget=20 -- and happens to be precisely the amount of savings associated = with the=20 second year of last year's fee hike plan. So the budget puts = enormous=20 pressure on the Task Force (all of whose members were appointed by = the=20 Secretary of Defense and half of whom work for the Secretary) to = propose=20 at least the same fee hikes the Pentagon pushed last year - and = assumes=20 that Congress will implement them all immediately, without any = two-year=20 phase-in. In essence, the Administration has underfunded the = defense health budget by = presuming the=20 task force's outcome, and has challenged Congress to either change = the law=20 to implement fee increases high enough to save $1.8 billion or to = find=20 another $1.8 billion from another source to make up for the=20 underfunding.

The Military = Officers=20 Association of America thinks it's wrong to play this kind of = budget=20 "chicken" with the defense health program - especially in time of = war.=20 They believe strongly that Congress should establish clear = guidelines in=20 law about the unique role of military retirement benefits, = including=20 health care, as the primary offset for the extraordinary demands = and=20 sacrifices inherent in a military career. They must recognize that = military=20 members and families who serve two or three decades under those = conditions=20 are making a substantial, in-kind pre-payment for those = benefits. The cash deductibles, = enrollment=20 fees and copays that they pay in retirement are only a small = portion of=20 their very large personal contributions toward their benefits. To = help=20 make this case, MOAA is asking their members and all others in the = military community member to do the following as=20 applicable:

=20 Sign, stamp and mail the four tear-out letters in their = February=20 issue of Military Officer magazine (two at page 32 addressed to = the House=20 and Senate Armed Services Committee Chairmen and two at page 52 = addressed=20 to the Committees' senior Republican). Similar tear-out letters = last year=20 helped turn the tide in Congress when Committee leaders stacked = them on a=20 witness table at a TRICARE hearing. =20 Even more participation is needed this year, now that = Congress is=20 facing a far greater budget challenge.

=20 Use MOAA's Web site to urge your U.S. representative to = cosponsor=20 Rep. Chet Edwards' (D-TX) and Rep. Walter Jones' (R-NC) Military = Retirees=20 Health Care Protection Act (H.R. 579).

=20 Pass the word about the proposed increases to all of your=20 TRICARE-eligible friends and urge them to send the message = available at=20 = http://capwiz.com/moaa/issues/bills/?bill=3D9275676

Two=20 of our members, Dave Rein and Carl Chinn recently in Key Largo, = FL,=20 playing at the American Legion.

March=20 Submarines Lost:

USS Perch

SS=20 176

March=20 3, 1942

USS=20 Grampus

SS=20 207

March=20 5, 1943

USS=20 Triton

SS=20 201

March=20 15, 1943

USS=20 Tullibee

SS=20 284

March=20 26, 1944

USS=20 Kete

SS=20 369