November 2005 President's Corner

Steve Frederick '72, USNAAA Atlanta Chapter President

As I write the newsletter article for the November edition of this great publication, the football season has recently come into focus for our team. This past weekend I was fortunate enough to get over the Jock’s and Jill’s Sports Bar to watch Navy trounce Tulane. We had a good crowd that included Pete Knoetgen and his family, Mitch Rowland, Les Gable, Paul Borer, Jack Wilson, Don Thompson, and a couple of other grads, along with some parents of current mids. (One of the parents was Marilee McGinn, mother of Andrew McGinn ’09, an offensive guard, number 72.) (My apologies to those attendees that I did not talk to and cannot therefore identify.) As the Navy game came to an end, not having been in doubt since half way through the first quarter, Craig, the manager of Jock’s and Jill’s, and intrepid Navy supporter, put the Army Air Force game on one the TV’s so that we could watch another game of interest to us that day. Army, having attained their first win of the season the week before, beat Air Force on Saturday, thereby enhancing the significance of the Army Navy game significantly. Now the Army Navy game is for all the marbles, the Commander in Chief’s Trophy. The winner of that game will be 2 and 0 against Service Academy teams, and the winner of the trophy. Having held it for the past two seasons, I think many of us have grown accustomed to the bragging rights that go with possession of the trophy. With that said, plan on joining us at TJ’s Sports Bar on Holcomb Bridge Road to watch the game on December 3rd and cheer the team on to victory. It’s a great time every year, and this year it has more importance than many of the past years. Go to the Chapter website, www.usnaaaa.com to sign up and do it soon. We are expecting a good crowd and need to get an idea of how many folks to prepare for. With Army having a shot at the Commander in Chief’s Trophy, we can expect a sizable contingent of West Pointers on hand, so we need to make sure that we are well represented. See you there.

Our October luncheon was well attended, as was to be expected, considering the fact that our guest speaker was VADM Norb Ryan ’67, the current president of MOAA. He did a great job of presenting the significant issues affecting veterans and military retirees in congress today. His presentation was timely, interesting, and frankly, eye opening. Take a look at the great article that Bob Schultz ’71 has provided and posted on our website. Attendees at the luncheon included: Jim Ravenel ’45, Jim and Lynn Hatch ’47, Perry Stephens ’51, Jim Todd ’55, Reggie Vachon ’58, Carl McCallum ’60, Ed Hux ’61, Paul Hurst ’62, Tony Womble ’63, Bill Holmes ’64, Lori Moore ’64, Skip Gunther ’65, Bill Williams ’65, Dick Borowiec ’68, Gary Grant ’68, Paul Borer ’70, Mitch Rowland ’71, Bob Schultz ’71, Lee Whitfield ’71, Steve Frederick ’72, Mike Lores ’74, Ed Brownlee ’81, Lidden Pate ’82, Mario Maddox ’85, Rob Burger ’86, John Prendergast ’90, Lee Hunter ’91, and Tony Yannone ’98. And somehow, in the midst of things, was West Stewart USMA ’63. West was there as the only Woop who took us up on our invitation to join us because of the wide-spread applicability of VADM Ryan’s presentation.

The attendance of the West Stewart at our event brings me to another subject – the interaction between the West Point Society of Atlanta and out organization. We have been trying to increase the common participation of members of the two groups by opening up activities that would be of common interest. Recently, the WPSA invited us to join them at a tour of the Lockheed facility in Marietta, and then a skeet shoot on a recent Saturday morning. Hopefully, you heard about each opportunity via e-mail or on our website. As these opportunities become available we will let you know via e-mail. As an alternative however, please keep an eye on the website for detailed information about activities and sign up procedures.

In the next few months we have several significant events. Again, on December 3^rd we have the Army Navy game at TJ’s Sports Bar. On December 11^th we have the Chapter Christmas Party at my house in Kennesaw. Keep an eye on the website for reservation/registration information. In early February we will have the annual Founders Day Party, a black tie optional affair, with Chet Gladchuk, the USNA Athletic Director, as the scheduled speaker. We are hoping he brings Coach Johnson with him, but the Coach will commit to nothing until the season is over (including the bowl game.)

In closing, let me give you one more reason to watch the website closely. Watching the Navy Tulane game at Navy Marine Corps Memorial Stadium last Saturday, in person, was a Liberty Bowl representative. He was interviewed on camera and indicated that the Liberty Bowl Committee would love to get Navy back to Memphis for the Liberty Bowl. We won’t know until bowl bids are extended, but if Navy accepts a bid to a bowl within a reasonable driving distance, we will investigate the possibility of renting a bus for a group trip. If such an opportunity presents itself, we will need to respond quickly. So please keep an ear to the ground and an eye on the website. It could be a great trip, but only if we have a reasonable level of participation.

I hope to see each of you at TJ’s on December 3^rd, and who knows, maybe at a bowl game later. Go Navy, Beat Army!

Steve Frederick ’72
Chapter President