May 10, 2013
Greetings Fellow Seabees;
As we approach the mid-year 2013 and our June issue of Can Do I have been working on getting information together to provide all of you with an update prior to the National Convention August 21-25, 2013 Warwick, RI. Most of the Convention information was included in the March issue and there are some modifications to the daily schedule in this June issue for you to review. The modifications were necessary in order to provide enough time for our General membership and the NSVAA to meet and to accommodate members that want to participate in the tours being offered.
There is a report in this Can Do provided by our VDNC Representative Pavlos Kaltsas that detail the first Veterans Day National Committee meeting in early May 2013. He has provided us with information that we were not aware of and that will be useful and available to all Veterans. He is doing a good job for us and we welcome him and appreciate his involvement.
A couple of highlights of the Mid-Year Executive Committee meeting were the turn out for the Annual Memorial Ceremony, we were blessed with a bright sunny cool, but dry,day at the Navy Seabee Memorial on Memorial Drive at Arlington Cemetery. The mid-day dedication of the new memorial plaque honoring the Seabees, at the Navy Memorial on Pennsylvania and 7th Avenues in Washington, DC. I want to express our appreciation to those NavySVA members that contributed to the fund raising for the new Memorial Plaque. There was a good deal of information discussed and recommendations made too, for consideration of those that attend the 67th Annual Convention. There was good attendance at the Annual Seabee Ball on Saturday evening and the Navy Seabee Veterans were well represented. The guest speaker of the evening was Mrs. Joan Bennett, widow of Marvin Shields. Her presentation alone was inspirational and informative and worth the time to attend the meetings in DC.
There were meetings of the Seabee Memorial Scholarship Association and the Historical Foundation attended as well at the Mid-Year meeting and ceremonies. The fundraising of both organizations takes up much of the content of the meetings. There was an excellent presentation by one of the graduating Scholars from her Nursing School in Erie, PA. She already has a job in a hospital in PA and will do a fine job of honoring our SMSA program. The fundraising continues for adding to our funds, to complete the Seabee Museum at Port Hueneme, CA with displays that will adequately recognize the historical achievements of our Seabees.
That brings me to the Guest Speaker at the 67th National Convention. We will be honored to have RADM Katherine L. Gregory Chief of the Navy Civil Engineers and Naval Facilities Engineering Command. Introducing Chief of NAV FAC will be Ret. Admiral Jack Buffington, who served with NMCB 9 and others with great stories and exceptional service to our Country. The Force Master Chief Ray Dickey will also be in attendance to share with us some of his experiences as he visited with Seabees around the world. The Convention Committee has done a great job making arrangements for our visit to Warwick. RI
You may be aware that we have elections during our upcoming 67th National Convention and Reunion. We have individual offices that need to be filled. One is that of Master at Arms and we all have a good idea of the duties. If you have an interest in overseeing the security and preserving good order at two or more meetings a year let me know by, by email. I will provide you with specific information on the position. Secondly, we have the position of National Publicity Chairman. This job consists of providing verbal and printed information to potential members and working with the Membership Chairman and the Executive Committee in producing informative and accurate brochures for use in our Membership and educational efforts. For the past three plus years we have worked with the Welcome Centers in Maryland and Virginia to provide a quadfold, full color brochure introducing our Navy Seabee Memorial at Arlington, VA. The continuation of the awareness project will also be part of the tasks of the Publicity Chair. There will of course be the required annual elections of all officers that hold elected office and appointments of the appointed offices.
I encourage all Officers and members of the Navy Seabee Veterans of America to come prepared to support our National organization and be part of the working leadership of this great organization.
We will consider a number of special items that I will share with you not in any particular order but I hope to encourage you to participate in the activity to consider supporting the following:
· Proposal to encourage the Department of the Navy to allow all Seabees from our 1942, beginning to a date that coincides with the date set for the current standard requirements for the Combat Warfare Device that have served in a Combat Area to submit an application to an NavySVA Committee for review to be qualified to wear the Seabee Combat Warfare Device. Specific details to be provided at a time set by those organizations participating. Patrick Guarnieri will make a presentation.
· Proposal to Department of the Navy to allow 100% disabled Veterans to travel Space A.
· Navy Seabee Veterans of America Ritual and Procedure Manual have been revised and contain a number of changes and updates. These include the wearing of a specific POW/MIA patch on the uniform shirts, wearing of a Life Membership Pin on the shirt below the left pocket flap. Specific use of a laser cut logo patch on the Garrison Caps and the shoulder of the Uniform Shirt.
· There are some modifications to passages of Prayers and some corrections to spelling that you may consider and you have the opportunity to vote for the recommendation of approved items by the Executive Committee.
· There is a recommendation from the Executive Committee to modify the Life Membership dues structure. It includes a schedule for paying the schedule of payments of a period of ten months.
I was contacted by a representative of the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford, Virginia. Their Memorial can be visited on their web site at www. http://www.dday.org/ the goal for this year and next is construct a Quonset Hut Camp that will be a replica of the facilities that were used in Great Britain to accomplish the planning for D Day. It will consist of four Q Huts grouped as they were on the site in GB. They are asking for our assistance to construct the huts. They will provide a ready to build site and materials on site to accomplish the addition to the Memorial. It is hoped that we will have a presentation during the Convention. The person that is leading their project has yet to confirm the resources of funding for the project. We will be looking for Seabees from across the Country to commit to accomplish this project.
Take a look at the existing D Day Memorial and consider coming to the site during an upcoming construction season and joining a crew to accomplish the project. Lots of details remain unanswered but we will work with as many of you that have an interest. Send me an email and let me know if you are interested and want to be kept updated on the progress and potentially come to Virginia to work on the project.
We are currently looking for a project manager and staff that they can count on to see the project to completion. Send your contact information, name, address, phone numbers and email address to: Jerry Landcastle, National Commander gl5711@cox.net cell number 360 410 7708. I refer you all to the Volunteer Employment Advertisement in this June issue of Can Do.
Complete reservations for attending the 67th Annual National Convention and Reunion of the Navy Seabee Veterans of America, and reunions for NMCB 1, NMCB 9, and NMCB 10.
Jerry Landcastle, National Commander
Navy Seabee Veterans of America
March 11 2013
Greetings My Fellow Seabees,
February has crept up on us all and we working our way to our Mid-year meeting at the Pentagon Sheraton Hotel in Washington, DC. Since our last Can Do there have been some new names added to our NavySVA support persons; Pavlos Kaltsas, Life Member of our Navy Seabee Veterans of America has filled the position for PNC Bear Holland. Welcome Aboard Pavlos, it is a pleasure to have you on board as our representative to the Veterans Day National Committee (VDNC). The Committee meets 3 times each year to plan for the Veterans Day Memorial activities at the Arlington National Cemetery. Pavlos resides in the immediate DC area and is very familiar with the city of Monuments and will be a great support person for our functions and participation in the Veterans Day activities.
Since our last communication I have attended several Navy Seabee activities one in Sacramento, CA to support Island X-8 in their dedication of a monument at the Dixon National Veterans Cemetery. That would be the 15th Monument dedicated since the project was supported by the NavySVA by PNC Dave Buchanan. Thanks Dave for the great idea and the support that you have from all of our Seabees.
It was a very wet day in Sacramento but the turn out of dedicated members of NMCB 18, DET Sacramento, members of Island X-8, a number of Retired Seabee Veterans from the area made a great showing of support for the Island Commander Dennis Modin who lead the fund raising effort for the Monument. Guest speaker was the Cemetery Director, and District Commander of the America Legion and yours truly, National Commander of the NavySVA.
I have also attended a number of meetings of the Arizona Islands X-3 and X-5,met with Southwest District Commander Ken Ward who is doing a fine job of making connections with the Islands in the District. The Island activities in Arizona have impacted the Communities with a number of supportive functions such a Christmas party for Blind Veterans in the Tucson area and fundraising and support for two WWII Veterans who journeyed to Washington DC with the Honor Flight program organized in the West Valley/Phoenix area. Up coming activities are the Mid-year meeting of the Executive Board to prepare for the 2013 National Convention and Reunion that will be held in the Davisville area August 21-24, 2013. Island X-1 of Davisville, RI is hosting and we encourage all Seabees to attend. Members of MCB 1 are also hosting a reunion of their members and all Seabee are invited to attend.
Seabees Can Do, Jerry Landcastle, National Commander Navy Seabee Veterans ofAmerica
November 12, 2012
Members of the Navy Seabee Veterans, Inc // Seabees and Supporters // Members of the National Island at Large // Navy Seabee Veterans Auxiliary // Islands across this great Country and around the world
Greetings:
This is my opening communications through our outstanding publication “Can Do” (Thank you Andy) it gives me great pleasure to be your National Commander and I will strive to keep you all informed and will respond to your personal communications to me on the same day that I receive it. I have a number of things on my agenda this year that I will offer to the membership and hope to gain support for and complete in a timely manner.
First let me say that I admire and appreciate all the work that Commander Carl Barrett put into the Navy SVA over the past two years. He has completed his term as Commanders and has us in great shape to move forward with our membership projects under the leadership of Danny West. Thank you Carl and we look forward to your coming service to our NavySVA, as the Chairman of our Board of Directors.
Second let me welcome all of the new list of Officers ( see the complete list on the inside cover of Can Do that were recently elected or appointed to their offices at our National Convention and Reunion at Gulfport, MS in early October. Great organizational Committee and activities, for the National Convention and Reunion by Island X-1 Gulfport and their Auxiliary. The Navy Seabee Veterans of America is proud of and thanks to the reorganized NSVAA for all the support and effort by your organization and their growing membership. Keep up the good work. We honor and appreciate your efforts and dedication.
Some of the duties of the National Commander are to be a participant in the memorial Ceremonies at Arlington National Cemetery for the wreath laying at the Navy Seabee Memorial and at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. I had the honor of fulfilling both of those duties this past weekend on Veterans day November 11, 2012. It is a great honor to be able to participate in both of those ceremonies.
That brings me to one of the items on my list of “to do” (by the way I do not publish my entire list as I want others to share with me what they want to see accomplished and we will work on all of them together”. We have opportunities for our Seabees to participate in the Ceremonies at the annual Veterans Day Program sponsored by the Veterans Day Committee. We have openings for two persons to carry our National Ensign and the Seabee Flag into the Amphitheater. We need to create a list for those interested in being available to participate in that honor program. Additionally, we have openings for persons that would like to participate in presenting a wreath to be laid at the Tomb of the Unknown on that same Veterans Day If interested please contact me for details.
We are now the proud recipients of a set of Flags, the National Ensign and the Seabee Flag, offered and accepted from Past Commander Bear Holland Island X-1 North Carolina. The Flags will be turned over to our National Master at Arms Patrick Lyons for safe keeping, maintenance and delivery to all functions as required for our national meetings and functions. Thank you to Past Commander for his service and dedication to our NavySVA.
For a number of years Bear Holland has been our representative to the Veterans Day National Committee (VDNC) that meets three times each year in Washington, DC. Bear is stepping down as it consumes a great deal of his time for the three trips to DC, a one day enroute, hours for the meeting and hours home. He has recommended that we search for a Member that lives in the DC area that could make the meeting for one day three times each year. We have a complete list of functions and duties as that person coordinates our activities with the VDNC and NAVFAC for the NavySVA. I am soliciting a volunteer for the task and hope that we can fill the spot early this coming year. Please contact me directly.
Our year has started off with many projects underway and we are making great progress to fulfill our commitment to place a Navy Seabee Monument in each National Cemetery across the country. This project was brought to us by Past Commander David Buchanan and supported by a membership vote. The number of Monuments placed at this time are 14 and we hear monthly of new ones being prepared and made ready for installation. Great project, lets all participate. Contact David for details and design that has been approved by many of the directors of the cemeteries. Arrangements have been made for the monuments to be picked up and delivered to the area where the new Memorials are to be installed.
I want to thank all of our members for their support and their dedication to our NavySVA. I look forward to working with all of you and will provide support for your projects and requirements as I learn of your needs. We can do this together,” Seabees Can Do”.
Looking forward to a busy, productive year, and I am eager for your proactive comments and support.
Jerry Landcastle, National Commander Navy Seabee Veterans of America