April 2001 President's Corner

Bob Bush '65, USNAAA Atlanta Chapter President

As I write this letter a surveillance P-3 has been forced down in China after an encounter with a Chinese fighter. Although reports from the Chinese state that the flight crew is safe and being treated well, neither our military commanders nor our State Department have yet been allowed contact with crew members or access to the aircraft. Incidents such as these serve as constant reminders of the fact that there really are no truly “routine” exercises. So long as there are nations and peoples who bear ill will towards us and our allies, those who have chosen to accept the responsibilities of military service will remain at risk.

I am reminded of an incident that reflects this point even though the situation did not begin to compare in seriousness and, in retrospect, is even mildly humorous. While cruising the Med in John F. Kennedy, CVA-67 during the summer of 1969, we anchored off the coast of the Greek Island of Corfu for a few days. There wasn’t much for the crew to do in Corfu, but a couple of our sailors elected to rent a boat and try their hand at sailing.

By nightfall the two young men still had not returned. Apparently they had no trouble sailing on a run, but when it came time to turn around and tack home they discovered they had exceeded their skill level. They continued to drift into Albanian waters where they were intercepted and taken into custody by Albanian authorities. To complicate matters, they had left their uniforms and I.D. cards behind on the shore so they were being held as spies!

Fortunately it soon became apparent that these guys were neither a threat to Albanian security, nor a source of intelligence of any value, and their return to the ship was arranged through “official channels” the next day. They arrived sunburned and otherwise unharmed but very much believers that trouble can present itself suddenly and unexpectedly in even the most benign and pleasant environs.

Speaking of pleasant environs, last Sunday we had our first annual Members Appreciation Dinner in the Pavilion at the Lickskillet Farm Restaurant in Roswell. It was a most successful and enjoyable evening. There will be a write-up with photographs on the Chapter web site so I’ll not say no more about that event except to express my appreciation to Jim Ravenel ‘45 and Carl McCallum ’60 for putting it all together.

I recently received an email from Rick Coe USMA ’93 asking that I notify the Chapter of a networking organization he and others have started. Called the Goizuta Veterans Association, many of the members are students at the Goizuta Business School of Georgia Tech, but that is not a prerequisite for participation. The goal is to develop a network of business people for the exchange of ideas and experience as well as to assist in the career transition of veterans from all of the services. To find out more give Rick a call at (770) 352-0417.

Speaking of networking with those folks from the Citadel of the North, don’t forget the Navy-Army Golf Outing on May 4^th. I regret that I will be in Annapolis that day and unable to play – but that does improve the chances for the Navy team to add another victory to our string. Details and application are available on the Chapter web site at www.usnaaaa.com.

For another wonderful cause, use the May 4^th outing as a warm-up to the Spina Bifida Celebrity Golf Classic on Saturday, May 19 at the Georgian Resort. Steve Frederick ’72 helps organize this event each year and can provide more information at (770) 419-9224.

Finally, it isn’t too early to mark your calendar for the Umpteenth Annual Lobster Fest to be held this year on Saturday, June 2 in the Pavilion at the Red Top Mountain State Park just north of Atlanta off I-75. In the meantime, make a commitment to come to lunch at Jocks & Jills in Brookhaven on April 20 and bring a classmate you haven’t seen in a while. You’ll both enjoy it.