March 2003 President's Corner

Bob Schultz '71, USNAAA Atlanta Chapter President

Welcome to Spring!

Our next major event is the 7^th Annual Army-Navy Golf Classic on May 2^nd at Fort McPherson. Please see the information and reservation form on the Events page of this Chapter web site.

Next, in early June, is the nationally renown Atlanta Chapter LobserFest! Mark June 7^th on your calendars for now. We’ll confirm that date as time approaches. This will be the Chapter’s 29^th Annual LobsterFest! I think that must be a record of some sort for most longstanding Chapter event nationwide! I’m laying down the challenge. What other Chapter can beat that?

As I pen this article I am looking at the calendar on my home office wall and staring at the square for March 17^th, the latest deadline given to Iraq to completely disarm or face invasion by a coalition force led by the United States and Great Britain. I think that these most recent developments are met much differently by those among us who have served and those who have close friends or family who are serving, as opposed to the majority of folks in this country who have neither. To those first two categories of people, it’s personal!

On September 11^th , 2001, I lost a classmate in the attack on America that day. Chic Burlingame ’71, was the pilot of the plane that the terrorists crashed into the Pentagon. I could have just as easily lost my Academy roommate of all four years, RADM Ron Route, at the same time. Thank God he was in a different wing of the building at the time.

Now as we are possibly days away from war, my thoughts turn to an e-mail I received a few weeks ago from a shipmate and past Chapter Board member Ernie Matacotta ’82. In February, Ernie was activated by his Marine unit. When I asked him if he knew where he was going, he said “First stop Bahrain, then hopefully Baghdad.” Just like a Marine, just the facts, direct and right to the point. God speed, Ernie.

So, yes… it’s personal! It’s personal for everyone serving and for every friend and family member of someone who serves. We need to keep these service men and women in our hearts and prayers every day in the months ahead. And remember those American flags we all took down too soon. Well, get them back out, and get them hoisted again.

If you read my monthly column, you know that I usually close with the same sentence. As the next few weeks and months pass, it will take on even greater meaning…

God bless America, and God bless our troops defending freedom around the world.

Robert R. Schultz ’71