The Savannah Steamer Savannah Council Navy League of the United States Volume 26, Issue 1 - January 2005 John C. Snedeker, Editor 897-4764 E-mail: JohnCSnedeker@cs.com                                              Council Web Site: http://savannah.navyleague.us

 

     The January membership meeting will be held at the Hunter Club on Tuesday 25 January. Social hour starts at 1800 (6:00 pm); dinner will be served about 1900 (7:00 pm) followed by the Speaker, who will be Dan Flynn, Chief of the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department.

     We must have an accurate count of the members and guests planning to attend so that the club can set up enough tables and prepare enough food. If we don’t know you are coming there may not be room for you. If you come late, you may not be able to sit at the table of your choice. So please call Sybil Cannon at 964-5366 or respond by e-mail to gary.john@comcast.net. Checks ($16 per person) are preferred over cash because they speed up the check in.

     MENU: Tossed salad with ranch & vinaigrette, sliced roast beef, gravy, mashed potatoes, fried chicken, macaroni and cheese, candied baby carrots, buttered broccoli, assorted rolls and butter, apple crisp and vanilla ice cream, coffee, iced tea and water.

 

CALENDAR (“TBD” means To Be Determined, check the Council web site or see next issue of the Steamer)

Date	Day	Time	Event	Location
14-15 January	Fri & Sat		Annual meeting of Councils in the South Atlantic Coast Region Training for Legislative Affairs VPs	Wilmington NC Best Western Coastline Inn 503 Nutt Street
25 January	Tuesday	6 pm	Dinner meeting and Change-of-Command ceremony	Hunter Club
20 January	Thursday		Inauguration of G. W. Bush	Washington DC
03 February	Thursday	5:30 pm	Board of Directors	Naval Science Bldg, SSU
22 February	Tuesday	6 pm	Dinner meeting	Hunter Club

* Ship-board receptions are sponsored by the Council in cooperation with the ship’s force and the City of Savannah. The Council provides beverages. Members attending are asked to bring finger-food or covered dishes. Guests are $5.00 each.

 

 

STROKE AND HEART ATTACK LIFESAVING ACTIONS

Sometimes symptoms of a stroke are difficult to identify. Doctors say a bystander can recognize a stroke by asking three simple questions:

     * Ask the Individual to smile.

     * Ask him or her to raise both arms.

     * Ask the person to speak a simple sentence.

If he or she has trouble with any of these tasks, call 911 or other emergency assistance immediately and describe the symptoms to the dispatcher.

HOW TO SURVIVE A HEART ATTACK WHEN ALONE Since many people are alone when they suffer a heart attack, without help, the person whose heart is beating improperly and who begins to feel faint, has only about 10 seconds left before losing consciousness. These victims can help themselves by

     * Cough repeatedly and very vigorously.

     * Take a deep breath before each cough

     * Repeat the cough and deep breath about every two seconds

     * Continue until help arrives, or until the heart is felt to be beating normally again.

Tell as many people as possible about this. It could save their lives!

2005 COUNCIL DUES are now payable ($15 per person). Invoices are being mailed, together with a questionnaire to up-date your contact information. Please mail your check to Treasurer Snedeker as soon as you receive the invoice.

 

THE STEAMER BY E-MAIL? Starting in March 2005, the Steamer will be sent by E-mail to those members with e-mail addresses. Those who do not an e-mail address will continue to receive a printed copy by mail. One of the advantages of an electronic Steamer is that you will see pictures in color!

 

NOTABLE EVENTS IN NAVAL HISTORY IN THE MONTHS OF JANUARY & FEBRUARY

16 January 1942            German submarine U-123 sinks tanker Coimbra within sight of the Long Island (NY) shore

19 February 1945          US Marines land on Iwo Jima. The famous flag-raising on Mt. Suribachi was on 23 February. The island was not fully secured until 16 March.

22 February 1865          RADM David Dixon Porter’s Union fleet captures Wilmington NC.

 

IN MEMORIAM Long-time Savannah Council member Bill Hodges died on 11 December at the age of 77. He served in the Navy aboard USS Iowa and USS Mount Rushmore in WWII and Korea.

 

NAVY LEAGUERS IN THE NEWS: Peter Liakakis, a member of the Savannah Council, was elected Chairman of the Chatham County (GA) Commission on 2 November 2004 and was inaugurated on 4 January 2005. Pat Farrell, Phyllis Farrell’s son, was elected County Commissioner for the 4^th District.

 

RHUMB LINE. . . a straight line drawn between two points on the navigation chart .

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Hugh Robinson, President

There is no better time to reflect on the administration of your Navy League Chapter than the start of a new year. Our monthly speakers for our meetings have met every expectation, and yet I feel the member turn out could be better. Is it the food or the location of our meetings? The member questionnaire that was given indicates that the hassle of entre into Hunter Army Air Force Base is a downer, but what could we expect in wartime? We have a committee working on ease of entre. Our Sea Cadets have finally jelled with the addition of member Russ Parmerter easing into the position of Commander and has two of his own children in the program, and at this point of writing, twenty-two enlisted young men and women. We give thanks to the support of Captain Hawkins, USMC and his NCOs.

      The real success measured by excellent turnout of members and guests at the ship receptions. Always a favorite among members, we have made those sailors visiting Savannah for rest and recreation a favorite port-of-call among the Navy. They are made to feel at home and welcomed. Proof of this, we will have both the Cruiser USS Philippine Sea and the destroyer USS Sullivans visiting for St Patrick’s day. This represents 731 officers and crew entering the city and their visiting families adding to the economy of this City for this holiday. They will be represented in the parade for that day with their marching units.

      If I were to grade myself, the only real failure might be in the area of legislative affairs. The Navy League of the United States was founded to support our sea services, and one of the Navy League’s missions has always been to provide legislative support in Washington. Though we had US Congressman, Max Burns, as our speaker at a meeting last year (with Jack Kingston’s military aide in the audience), we never took the opportunity to push the agenda of the Navy League on them. At the January Board meeting, we took a step toward enhancing our legislative affairs activities by appointing Gene Buttle Vice President, Legislative Affairs. Gene’s new responsibilities are in addition to his services as a member of the Board. He will assist the Navy League’s national staff and John C. Snedeker, VP, Legislative Affairs for the South Atlantic Coast Region (GA, SC and NC) in educating members of Congress about issues of importance to the Sea Services, using position papers developed by the National Legislative Affairs staff and the Region Vice President. In coming months, Gene will be asking members of the council to write, call or e-mail our congressmen and senators and will arrange face-to-face meetings with our council’s assigned Members — John Barrow (12^th District) and Jack Kingston (1^st District) — at their local offices.