FOR THE GOOD OF THE ORDER July-August 2014

J. P. Holland Chapter Companion Loses Battle With Cancer

LtCol Thomas A. Richards, USMC (RET) passed away in Virginia Beach, VA. on June 18th after a long and courageous battle against cancer. A member of the RB Hall of Fame, Tom served our community in many ways and served as Spirit of the Fourth President for seven years! Having been awarded the Navy Cross for extraordinary heroism in Vietnam (citation here) , he was Commander of the local chapter of the Legion of Valor. Tom is survived by his wife Diane. He will be interred at Arlington National Cemetery and a memorial service will be held in Rancho Bernardo at a later date.

Our Companion, Colonel Joe Butler, USA (RET), passed away on July 17th

Colonel Joe Butler, USA (ret.) was a native of Corpus Christi, TX, born in March 1933. He attended Hoover Senior High School in San Diego, graduating in 1950, and enlisted in the Army in 1953. He served in Korea and Viet Nam and retired in July 1979. He received his BA from San Diego State University in 1971 and a MBA from National University. Joe's wife, Ginger, preceded him by several years. Joe and Ginger had three sons, a daughter, and several grandchildren. He was a man of honor, faith, good humor and passion. He was a life member of both the Major Abraham J. Baum Post 7766 of the VFW and the General J.P. Holland chapter of the MOWW. Joe died 16 July 2014 in Rancho Bernardo (San Diego), California.

Our Companion, Lieutenant Commander George Davis, USN (RET), passed away on May 21st

Commander's Corner:

The coming year brings many challenges and opportunities. Together as Companions, Family and Friends, we will face these challenges. The MOWW's history of accomplishments and service to our Country are many, as is the accomplishments and service of the General J P Holland Chapter. Our Preamble provides the direction for us to focus our energy and talents:

1. Cherish the memories and associations of the World Wars waged for humanity; spoken by our many and renown Guest Speakers.

2. Inculcate (to teach and impress by frequent repetitions) and stimulate love of our country and flag; as we do for Memorial Day, Flag Day, July 4th, Veteran's Day, Massing of the Colors, etc.

3. Promote and further patriotic education in our Nation; by supporting the YLC Program and students, Eagle Scouts, Boy and Girl Scouts, ROTC/JROTC, Veteran Celebration Days.

I wish to continue the work of Past Chapter Commander Andre LeCault, in the presenting of awards. In the past year he has asked to research, how may our Chapter become more involved with the following groups:

1. YLC Chapter candidates - Financial support/Awards of Merit

2. ROTC - Certificates/ Medal of Merit Set (Gold, Silver, Bronze)

3. JROTC Cadets - Certificates/Medal of Merit

4. Eagle Scouts/Boy scouts - assisting in community projects, badge programs and special recognition to scouts who earn high honors. Present personalized certificates. We can sponsor an Eagle Scout to the Annual Eagle Scout Recognition Dinner. Become an Eagle Scout Project Mentor.

5. Girl Scout Gold Awards - assisting in community projects, badge programs and special recognition to scouts who earn high honors. Present personalized certificates.

I thank the past and present staff officers, whose friendship and enthusiasm are making the transition smooth and enjoyable.

Let us look forward to this New Year with excitement and enthusiasm.

Here are some key dates in our upcoming Chapter activities:
7/17 - Staff Meeting
7/26 - MOWW Region XIV 2014 Conference at LAX

8/2 - Luncheon with Guest Speaker RADM Len Hering, USN (RET) on Climate Change
9/6 - Luncheon with Guest Speaker CDR Todd Perry, USN (RET) on Navy Seals
10/2 - Massing of the Colors - Balboa Park Organ Pavilion
10/4 - Luncheon with Guest Speaker Chaplain Korinek on the history of the Chaplain Corps
11/11 - Veterans Day Ceremony at Webb Lake by RBVMA - Marks the end of World War I in 1919

Here are some interesting Key Dates in history:
7/2/1926 - US Army Air Corps established 7/4/1776 - 13 Colonies declare independence from Britain
7/27/1953 - Korean War ended
7/28/1914 World War I began
8/4/1790 - US Coast Guard established
8/7/1782 - Purple Heart medal established
8/7/1964 - Gulf of Tonkin Resolution - Congress authorized expanded US involvement in Vietnam
8/14/1945 - Japan surrenders unconditionally - World War II ends

I have a list of documents to share with you as part of this issue of The Patriot:

1. A report on the Eagle Scout Award Dinner - The link is here.
2. An announcement regarding the upcoming MOWW Region XIV 2014 Conference - The link is here.
3. A Report on the JROTC Award of Merit presentations - The link is here.
4. An announcement regarding Comrade Travis Putnam, President and CEO of the San Diego Youth Leadership Conference - The link is here.
5. A report on the June, 2014 Youth Leadership Conference at San Diego State University - The link is here.

Remember in our Prayers and Thoughts Camilla Williams and Thomas Richards and their Families.

Camilla Williams - Beloved wife of Royce Williams

On behalf of all the companions and friends of the Gen. J P Holland Chapter of the MOWW, we wish to extend our condolences and prayers to Captain Royce E Williams, USN (Ret) and his family on the loss of Camilla, his lovely wife of 67 years. Camilla was interred at the Miramar National Cemetery on June 26, 2014.

Thomas A. Richards: 4/4/1947 - 6/18/2014

Tom is a Navy Cross Recipient and a member of our Chapter. He lost his battle with lung cancer and will be buried in Arlington Cemetery. A memorial service was held in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Diane, Tom's wife, will inform us if there is going to be a memorial ceremony in California.

Chaplain's Corner:

Rev. Benjamin Balch (1743-1815) - Patriot and Revolutionary War Chaplain.

Without question, Benjamin Balch was one of the most colorful clergymen of the Revolutionary War. After graduating from Harvard in 1763 he pastored at churches in Maine and Massachusetts. Even though his father had served as a chaplain with the Royal Navy during King George's War in 1745, the younger Balch proved to be a true American patriot when war broke out with England 30 years later. He joined the colonial Minutemen in 1775 with the rank of Lieutenant and his company engaged in the opening volley of the Revolutionary War on April 19, 1775 at Lexington. Months later, during the siege of British occupied Boston, Rev. Balch served as a chaplain with the Continental Army under Gen. George Washington. That campaign resulted in the expulsion of all British forces from Boston.

Rev. Balch next accepted a chaplaincy with the Continental Navy and reported to duty on board the frigate Boston in October 1778. To this day he is widely regarded by the U.S. Navy as its first chaplain. After British forces captured the frigate Boston in 1780, Chaplain Balch was transferred to another Continental ship, the frigate Alliance, under the command of Captain John Barry. In 1781 while the Alliance was transporting the American ambassador to France it came under heavy attack by the Royal Navy. True to his Minuteman roots Chaplain Balch took up a musket and fought valiantly alongside the crew, an action which earned him the nickname "The Fighting Parson".

After the Revolution ended in 1783 the Continental Navy was essentially dissolved and Rev. Balch returned to civilian ministry. For the next 31 years he served as a pastor in Barrington, Massachusetts where he was greatly loved by his congregation. Clearly a man of many talents, while pastoring in Barrington he also founded the town's library and served as its first librarian. He and his wife, the former Joanna O'Brien, had a total of one dozen offspring. One of their sons, William, followed in his father's footsteps and - after the formation of the U.S. Department of the Navy in April 1798 - was commissioned as a U.S. Navy chaplain. William's commission - granted in October 1799 - was the first given to a chaplain by the new U.S. Department of the Navy. Like his father, William went on to serve on two frigates - the Congress and the Chesapeake.

Benjamin Balch died on May 4, 1815 and was at first laid to rest behind his church parsonage. However, on Memorial Day 1912 he was reinterred by the town of Barrington and laid to his final rest in the Pine Grove Cemetery with much celebration and fanfare. In following decades his service to America was largely forgotten until historians in Barrington began researching local archives in preparation for the town's 250th Anniversary in 2005. As a result, the colorful saga of his life, ministry and military service has since been reclaimed. On July 2, 2008 the commandant of the U.S. Navy Chaplain school and 40 Navy chaplain candidates participated in ceremonies held in Barrington to recognize "The Fighting Parson's" contributions to the U.S. Navy. As Americans we owe a debt of gratitude to Rev. Balch for his service to our country and his many contributions to the honored history of the U.S. Navy chaplaincy.

Editor's Corner:

I'm excited about the new format for "The Patriot". Publishing via "The Web" opens up many new possibilities for including material that is difficult to produce on paper. You will see reproduced or reprinted articles here that would take up way too much space and destroy too many trees if we were still using the printed newsletter format. While original material still has great value and Companions are still very much encouraged to provide articles for inclusion, Companions may also identify articles that are reprintable from relevant publications. Space is no longer an issue, just time and energy to read what is provided.

We would like to encourage all companions to rethink their decision to ask fro printed vs electronic format for The Patriot. We will provide printed copies of the newsletter's home page for all those who cannot live without paper, but you will still need to access the web site to access the rest of the issue.

I have identified two articles from ARMY Magazine I would like to share in this issue of The Patriot:

First an article* by Lt. Gen James M. Dubik, US Army (RET) titled "Stating the Obvious and Pretending It's Not" which discusses the critical need for a reality check. The global strategic environment has changed substantially yet the United States continues to pretend it has not. Our National Security depends on acknowledging these changes and making the tough decisions required to respond appropriately. Here is the link to this important article.

Next is a short piece* about the passing of the last living recipient of the Medal of Honor for action in the World War II invasion on Normandy on D Day. A screen shot of this piece follows:

- Dave
* From ARMY Magazine, Vol. 64, No. 6, June 2014. Copyright 2014 by the Association of the U.S. Army and reprinted by permission of ARMY Magazine.

Publisher's Corner:

2014 is a watershed year on the subject of Global Climate Change. The release of two extremely important reports had resulted in a sea change in public opinion. A majority now believe that Global Warming is real and that human activity is the primary cause. Those who deny the facts of Climate Change and expend considerable effort in the attempt to create doubt in the minds of the public are finding their audience much less receptive. Climate Change deniers are on the wrong side of history and they are much more often being called out for misrepresenting the facts. The two reports I refer to are the reports by Working Group I and II of the UN sponsored Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) Fifth Assessment and the most recent periodic report of the United States congressionally mandated National Climate Assessment. These reports prepared by hundreds of climate scientists and subjected to extremely thorough review, confirm that Climate Change is real and it is observable now - not some far off time in the future. The assessments conclude that human activity, primarily the burning of fossil fuels for energy production and transportation, is by far the most important cause of Global Warming. Burning fossil fuel releases Carbon Dioxide, a powerful and persistent greenhouse gas, trapping the sun's heat in the atmosphere. A summary of the results of these reports is available on my personal web site (http://www.tfl.net/ClimateRealityResources.html). The referenced page is a rich source of climate related information.

I want to share five documents with you here as a part of this newsletter:
1. Three former heads of the EPA (from the Reagan, Nixon, and Bush administrations) speak out on the need for Climate Change mitigation action. The link is here.
2. Former Secretary of the Treasury, Henry Paulson, speaks out in a New York Times opinion piece titled "The Coming Climate Crash - Lessons for Climate Change in the 2008 Recession". The link is here.
3. ClimateNEXUS produced a three page paper containing background and talking points for the National Climate Assessment. The link is here.
4. Climate Reality Project produced a two page paper containing key things learned from the National Climate Assessment. The link is here.
5. The CNA Corporation, a non-profit research organization that operates the Center for Naval Analysis and the Institute for Public Research, released a comprehensive report on the National Security implications of Climate Change. The foreword of the report is signed by Michael Chertoff (former Secretary of Homeland Security) and Leon Panetta (former Secretary of Defense). The link is here. The full 47 page report is available on my web site at the URL listed above.
- Tom

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