December 2007 President's Corner

Mitch Rowland '71, USNAAA Atlanta Chapter President

As I write this, Thanksgiving has already passed. The Atlanta area got a real blessing on Thanksgiving this year. It rained! With the drought we’ve been having, any and all rain is a blessing. We’re even getting a little rain outside as I’m writing this. Another week of rain just like today and people would start to complain.

We had a great luncheon in November. Our speaker was Helen Denton. Mrs. Denton was on Ike’s staff and was the person who typed the plans for the invasion of France. She has a compelling story. She claims to get her pioneering spirit from her father. He homesteaded to South Dakota when he was only 14. He went with his father and an older brother. After picking out the land and building a one room sod house, her grandfather and uncle returned to Iowa to get the rest of the family. Her father was left all winter in South Dakota alone.

She was working in MN as a secretary when WWII started. She said that every week bus loads of eligible men were sent off into the Army, so, she decided to join. After spending time as a recruiter in Missouri and Kansas, she was transferred to Fort Crook in Omaha, NB. She was a secretary to the post commander. One morning as she delivered the incoming mail he informed her that he had a tough decision to make that day. He had to pick one person to be on General Eisenhower’s staff. They would be sent to London to do some very important, but secret work. She quickly said "pick me." And that’s how she was sent to London.

Mrs. Denton told how a group of officers would come in and dictate to her every day. There was a guard at the door and every afternoon he would come in and take the typewriter ribbon and all the carbon paper and burn it. After several months of typing she was told that it was finished and would she like to be there when the document was presented to General Eisenhower. She said she would. Ike asked her if she knew what she had been typing and she told him she did. He then asked her if she knew her brother was in England. She said she did not know that. Ike arranged for her to get a 3 day pass to visit her brother. He had been given a 3 day pass also. She told how it felt on D-Day, knowing what she had typed was happening. Part of what she typed also contained estimated losses, and she was worried for all those young men who were carrying out the orders she had typed.

It was very special to have someone who was "the person" to speak to us. Her first person account of her experiences was really inspiring. She did tell us that her favorite audiences were school children, however.

Those in attendance were: Paul Borer ‘70, Bob Snelling ‘65, Rob Fryer ‘89, Steve Frederick ‘72, Lidden Pate ‘82, Kirk Simonian ‘90, Gary Grant ‘68, Pete Knoetgen ‘77, Bill Rentz ‘55, Joe Marinello ‘90, Mike Rose ‘48, Dick Borowiec ‘68, Walt Sheffield ‘51, Jim Slemenda ‘66, Susan Slemenda guest, Bob McFarland ‘67, Bill Holmes ‘64, Clint Johnson ‘60, Mario Maddux ‘85, Greg Morrow ‘85, Bayly Toff ‘84, and Roger Carr ‘70.

December will be another big social month. We hope to start December with a BIG win over Army. Our annual get together with the Woops will be at the Fox Sports Grill in Atlantic Station. The following week, on December 9^th, is our Annual Christmas Party. This year it’s on the south side of Atlanta, so I hope some of you guys from the south side will sign up. It’s a great time to meet friends or renew acquaintances. And then there is the bowl game. Hopefully it will be another victory celebration. We will be gathering at the Fox Sports Grill one more time, this year anyway.

Visit our web site www.usnaaaa.com and check the social calendar at any time. My e-mail and phone number are there and I’m willing to listen to any suggestions on how to improve participation. The board really tries to get interesting speakers and have events at different times and locations so that we can get as many people involved as possible. See you soon!

BEAT ARMY!

Mitch Rowland ’71
Chapter President