October 2015 Meeting Notes

We started the October meeting by Tolling the Boats lost in October followed by birthday wishes for our members, officer reports, and introductions. 

Yakima Base CO John Dominguez accepts the Traveling Dolphins from John Roberts

During the introductions we found that half a dozen members of the Yakima Base were in attendance with the intention of capturing the Western District 4 Traveling Dolphins. Seattle Base had captured them from Bremerton Base in April and now it was time to turn them over.

John tells his sea story with time-honored gestures

Yakima Base Commander John Dominguez provided the sea story to seal the capture, talking about his time on USS George Washington Carver (SSBN-656).

Old and New Business:
Meeting Facility Update – As discussed at our last meeting, we will continue to meet at VFW Post 2995. The Post leadership has settled on charging us $40 per meeting, which will work out to about $400 per year, since we usually skip meetings in August and December.

Auburn Veterans Day Parade – The 50th annual Veterans Day Parade in Auburn is set for Saturday, November 7 and Seattle Base will be there. We will meet near the intersection of K and Main streets around 10 – 10:30 AM. The parade starts at 11 AM. There will be numerous events before and after the parade, be sure to check the Auburn Community website for more information.

Holiday Luncheon Update – The Holiday Luncheon is set for Saturday, December 5 at the Meydenbauer Bay Yacht Club. We will have more information on the menu and prices shortly, but both are expected to be similar to last year. Be sure to watch the newsletter and here on the blog for more information.

Other Upcoming Events – In addition to the Auburn Parade, we will be at the Veterans Day ceremony at Tahoma National Cemetery on November 11. Remember our last business meeting of the year will be on November 18. We also were informed that the date for the 2016 Tolling the Boats ceremony will be August 20.

Base Elections – Seattle Base elections will be this coming January. Our base needs members to stand for the positions necessary to keep the base running. Especially the Base Commander, Sr. Vice Commander, and Jr. Vice Commander positions. Even if you aren’t ready to be a Base Officer, you can still help out as one of the committee chairs or appointed officers for the base. Committee chairs and appointed officers are really needed to handle the necessary base functions that make our base valuable to us all. If you are interested in running for an officer position or chairing a committee, please contact one of the Base Officers for more information.

National Dues Increase – If you are a year-to-year member, you should note that the USSVI National dues are increasing to $25 per year on January 1, 2016. However, if you renew before the end of the year the dues are still only $20. Note that Seattle Base dues are not increasing.

October Program: 
The speaker for October was Seattle Base member Kerry Ryan. As many of you know, Kerry served in the Air Force and was part of the Honor Guard detachment and his presentation was all about this organization. Kerry told us about the history behind the ceremonial units and their establishment by President Harry Truman. He covered the mission of the Honor Guard and the vision that each branch of the service has for their ceremonial units. He told us about the changes the units have undergone since their establishment and the duties and responsibilities for the units and the men serving in them. He also covered the qualifications and requirement to become an Honor Guard member.

After covering the units, Kerry shared his experiences during his time with the Honor Guard. He told us about the different events he was involved with from ceremonies to burial duties. He had several interesting anecdotes from his time in the guard. Kerry also told us about his experiences after the assassination of John Kennedy.

Kerry Ryan had some support from his family for his presentation

It was interesting to hear the history of the ceremonial units and Kerry did a great job telling stories from his time with the Air Force Honor Guard.

Good of the Order: 
Lockwood Base donated $100 to the Seattle Base treasury. We want to thank them for all their support.

Base Closures – South Sound Base will be closing their doors after their next meeting in November. We are hoping some of the members will join up with the Seattle Base. Additionally, we were told that Central Oregon Base will also be closing down.

October 2015 Meeting Reminder

The next Seattle Base meeting is this coming Wednesday, October 21. We will meet at VFW Post #2995 (4330 148th Ave N.E., Redmond WA 98052). Social hour starts at 6PM with business meeting at 7PM.

We will start with our usual business meeting, where we will cover the upcoming events for the rest of the year, along with some other subjects.

For the November program, our speaker will be Kerry Ryan, one of our Base associates. Kerry served with distinction as a Senior Airman in the USAF serving as a “Ceremonial Guardsman” from 1962 -1966.

Kerry’s duty station was Bolling Air Force Base Washington DC. His primary duty was to serve in an elite and exclusive team with high visibility. He supported and engaged in the sacred and solemn burial services at Arlington National Cemetery.

Kerry’s team participated at various national sites and monuments like major White House events, the Pentagon, and the Lincoln Memorial to name a few. His team often met and escorted arriving diplomats, religious leaders like Pope Pius VI, and provided security escort services to notable world leaders.

Kerry has developed a power point presentation with YouTube videos and will elaborate on his remarkable experiences in an exclusive arm of the US Air Force. Don’t miss this meeting! We know you will appreciate the services the US Air Force Ceremonial Honor Guard provides for major high visibility national events.

We hope to see you on Wednesday!