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SUMMER 2021
Newsletter of the Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation
LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Relocation of the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum
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n the Winter 2021 edition of the Log Book, the Honorable Vic Bianchini, our Chairman of the Board, shared the very disappointing news that the doors to the museum at MCAS Miramar would permanently close. When informed by the Air Station of the plans to close the museum, the Foundation immediately reached out to Headquarters Marine Corps (HQMC) to identify possible alternatives to closure. We sought to either keep the museum open, or to locate an alternative location for the museum and the entire aircraft and artifact collection. Although the Foundation was unable to reach an agreement with the Marine Corps allowing the
museum to remain open at Miramar, we have been successful in starting discussions with the City of Irvine, CA about a possible move back to Orange County. Irvine city officials approached the Foundation last March offering to help with relocating the museum to the Great Park at the former MCAS El Toro. This is the original home of the Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum (FLAM). The proposal is to establish a public/private partnership between the city and FLHF to re-establish the FLAM as a centerpiece of the city’s Cultural Terrace Development plan. As envisioned, the museum would be housed in a 215,000 square foot former El Toro hangar. The FLHF is currently in discussions with the HQMC Continued on page 3
Amicus Curiae
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uch has happened at the Flying Leathernecks since I last reported to you and all is positive. First, as you will read in Brigadier General Aguilar’s update on the Museum, we are on track to save the museum, although it will be located 77 miles North of Miramar, and we
have to close the deal with the Marine Corps. The good news is that it is returning to its original location at the site of the former El Toro Marine Corps Air Station, in a former Lockheed C-130 220,000 square foot hanger. As Yogi Berra famously said, “its déjà vu all over again!” We have great plans for the relocated museum with all aircraft hangered, a restoration facility, a kitchen, library, Wall of Honor, and many other features that will be a tourist must see along with all the other Orange County attractions, including Disneyland. We will be able to charge admission—an essential component of all successful museums—so that we may grow the facility to a high-quality must-see destination. San Diegans will be able to take a short Coaster ride or Amtrak to the Irvine station and walk to the museum. In the meantime, we have not been idle. At our new location on Activity Road, we outfitted the location with some museum artifacts, display cases, offices, board room with an electronic hook-up, and best of all, a remarkable and stunning “Wall of Honor” celebrating all of the Marine Aviation Medal of Honor Awardees and a great many Navy Cross Awardees as well. Thanks to Dale Mann and Alvis Grant for their great artistry! But we are not finished. It is our plan to recognize all Marine Aviator or aviation support personnel Navy Cross Awardees across all of our major wars, from Nicaragua to Afghanistan and every conflict in between. Because our wall space is limited at our present location, we will have a much larger wall, which will be the only one of its kind worldwide honoring Marine Aviators and support personnel who hold these precious decorations. You are invited to visit our new facility, which will remain in San Diego until such time as we relocate to The Great Park. We are open Monday through Friday, and the Wall is something to see. I am also pleased to report that we continue our community programs, including the 2021 Irene Ferguson Marine Wife of the Year, 2021 recipient Jennifer Beckwith. Sincere thanks to Chairperson Traci Wilson, and all other volunteers who made our ceremony and reception such a success. We also held our annual Student Art and Essay contests for middle and high school students for the 20202021 academic year where we honored the winners at a formal recognition event with plaques and checks. We were able to hold both events at our new location. We are so pleased with the quality of these young people and so proud of their participation. We will definitely continue this program by extending it to Orange County, when we move. I would like again to congratulate these wonderful winners and thank Board members and volunteers Patricia Laubach, Patrick Ball and Dale Mann who made all this happen and thank them for their participation. We also held our annual Volunteer Appreciation Event and reception for our many volunteers and we recognized a number of Volunteers of the Year for their work above and beyond the call of duty. I want to acknowledge our 2020-2021 Volunteers of the Year: Michael Aiau (Restoration), Linda Phillips (Museum Store) and Patrick Ball, Patricia Laubach and Dale Mann as Foundation Volunteers at Large. Of course, I want Continued on page 4
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LOOKING TO THE FUTURE... Continued from page 1 to enter into a loan agreement for the entire collection of aircraft and artifact. There is still considerable work to be done on that front, but we are hopeful an agreement can be reached by the end of summer. We believe the Marine Corps are anxious to support an agreement. Accordingly, they have put a hold on divestment of the Marine Corps’ 40 aircraft collection until September 1, 2021, thus allowing the Foundation to work out details of a plan and agreement with the City of Irvine. Once a loan agreement is reached, we hope to move the entire museum collection to Great Park for storage and safe keeping while the facility undergoes restoration. The Foundation is making steady progress with the city, and has already entered a Memorandum of Agreement with them outlining responsibilities as we move forward with the planning process. Additionally, the city has started a structural assessment of the facility and has posted a Request for Proposal (RFP) for an architectural design of the facility and surrounding grounds. Once the assessment and design proposals are complete, a Statement of Work (SOW) can be developed and an RFP for restoration and refurbishment work can be posted. We have developed an extremely aggressive draft timeline that, baring any unforeseen delays or unanticipated complications, will allow for a museum opening in the summer of 2023. As we move forward, the Foundation is taking steps to posture itself for success and meet its responsibilities for the establishment of exhibits and displays, office space, conference rooms, museum store and canteen, and the hiring of a professional museum staff. At the outset of this initiative, the Foundation partnered with the San Diego Air and Space Museum (SDASM), which has been extremely important to the project.
Photo L-R: Foundation Executive Director, BGen Michael Aguilar, City of Irvine Mayor, Farrah N. Khan, and CIty of Irvine Councilmember, Anthony Kuo, in front of the proposed new Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum home at Great Park, Irvine. Continued on page 5
FLYING LEATHERNECK HISTORICAL FOUNDATION P.O. Box 45316, MCAS Miramar San Diego, CA 92145-0316 www.flyingleathernecks.org
FOUNDATION: (858) 693-1723 Email: flhf@flyingleathernecks.org
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Amicus Curiae... Continued from page 2 to thank ALL our volunteers for their fantastic support and help over the last six months we were open at Miramar. In addition, I want to continue to extend my enduring thanks to Chairman Emeritus General Butcher for his 21-years of dedicated service, and General Aguilar for his tireless and extraordinary work on the relocation and fund raising efforts in his position as Executive Director of the Foundation. Finally, although we still have a lot of work before we succeed in moving the Museum, I want to continue to call on you for your support, your donations and your advocacy. Please visit our website frequently, (www.flyingleathernecks.org), and follow us on our other social media sites, including YouTube, Facebook and Twitter. Semper Fidelis, Vic Bianchini
TED WILLIAMS A Hall of Famer For All Seasons By George A. Haloulakos, MBA, CFA
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ed Williams' legendary baseball exploits from 1939 to 1960 led to enshrinement in the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1966. However, it was his double play combination of a Hall of Fame baseball career plus military service as a US Marine Corp aviator in both World War II and in the Korean War, which made him an American legend. While much is known about Williams' baseball career, to get a deeper appreciation of his life requires an examination of his service record as a Marine Corps pilot. In doing so, it becomes evident that the same characteristics that propelled him to a stellar career as one of baseball's greatest players also played a key role in his honorable wartime service to our nation.
The life of Ted Williams is significant for the Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation because of his longstanding, deep connection with San Diego, where the Foundation is headquartered. In this article, we begin by explaining Williams’ San Diego connection and then discuss his military service record and how that was woven into the tapestry of his storied baseball career. There are numerous publications available on the baseball life of Ted Williams and we would commend the reader to check them out to learn about his exploits on the playing field. Moreover, we are keenly aware that Ted Williams, like many people who are prominent in their fields of endeavor, had both ardent followers and detractors. As Pulitzer Prize winning author David Halberstam observed when interviewing Williams for his various sports history books: Ted Williams “... was always his own man, and never bent to fashion, and went his own way even when that cost him in terms of immediate popularity.” [Source: One Splendid Day, by David Halberstam. ESPN Page 2 (ESPN web site). https://www.espn.com/page2/s/halberstam/020719.html] Continued on page 7
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LOOKING TO THE FUTURE... Continued from page 3
FLYING LEATHERNECK STAFF BOARD OF DIRECTORS Chairman Col Victor E. Bianchini, USMC (Ret) V. Chairman CAPT Ronald G. Ress, USN (Ret)
SDASM President and CEO Jim Kidrick (Commander, USN (Ret.), has
Treasurer/CFO Patrick Towle
provided us with invaluable guidance on museum staff organization, exhibit
Secretary Open
design, finance and fund raising. Commander Kidrick’s assistance has been key to the progress of this project to date. Through his effort, The Foundation has become an affiliate of the SDASM, allowing us to reach back to their staff for assistance and guidance on the requirements for the establishment of a world-class museum, maintenance and preservation requirements during the storage period and establishment of a state-of-theart restoration program. Of course, all of this will take significant funding. At present, the Foundation sits financially on solid ground. However, the costs for starting up a new museum will be significant. While we continue to work on a loan agreement with the Marine Corps for the collection, the Foundation has already started a “soft” Major Fund Raising Campaign. We have set a target goal of $2 million for 2021, and $3 million for 2022. We are well on our way as the result of the generous $1 million “challenge” contribution pledge of a major private donor. So far, we have $520,000 in pledges and contributions toward meeting that challenge pledge. Once we have a loan agreement for the collection, we will push forward with a full-fledged Major Fund-Raising Campaign.
Facilities RADM Lou Smith, USN (Ret) Membership Col John P. Farnam, USMC (Ret) Education Open Marketing P. Laubach Historian Open Patrick B. Ball LtCol Joseph P. Bassi, USAF (Ret) Col Bart Connolly IV, USMC (Ret) Dale B. Mann LtCol R. Toettcher, USMC (Ret) SgtMaj Mike Zacker, USMC (Ret)
CHAIRMAN EMERITUS MajGen Bob Butcher, USMC (Ret)
BOARD OF ADVISORS Chairman - MajGen Bob Butcher, USMC (Ret)
The Foundation has also begun to reach out to the larger Orange County Community through written correspondence, social media platforms and inperson presentations to local organizations and potential support groups. The response has been overwhelmingly positive with everyone supportive and anxious to see the museum return to Irvine. Many individuals are already reaching out asking how they can help and get involved. Our immediate need is help with fund-raising. Although the contributions of $25-$100 dollars are always greatly appreciated, in the very near future we will need Continued on page 6
CORPORATE COUNSEL Jon Epsten
FOUNDATION STAFF Executive Director BGen Mike Aguilar, USMC (Ret) Operations Manager Chuck Meadows Copyright 2021 - All Rights Reserved
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LOOKING TO THE FUTURE... Continued from page 5 everyone’s assistance in identifying philanthropists, aviation enthusiasts and supporters of Marine Corps Aviation who
become our country’s future innovators and critical
have the capacity to make major gifts.
position in technology and science. We will expand our
Our “Case for Support” is simple: create the first museum in the City of Irvine’s Great Park, preserve the history and legacy of Marine Corps Aviation, honor those that have served in Marine Aviation, our Corps and military, but more importantly inspire the next “greatest generation” of Americans through our education programs. Our education programs aim to go beyond lessons or stories in military history. We look to excite today’s youth in the much-needed Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) disciplines and share with them the Marine Corps Core values of Honor, Courage and Commitment. Technology and science will continue to grow and expand touching every aspect of our lives. As a nation, we cannot afford to fall behind. A new and expanded Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum will provide a hands-on, experiential environment. The vision of all parties involved in this relocation effort is to motivate today’s youth to
current essay and art contests, which challenge students
thinkers, thus allowing the nation to maintain its leadership
to develop and improve their thinking skills and talents in the context of the Marine Corps Core Values as they relate to today’s society. The Foundation is very excited about the opportunity to work in collaboration with the City of Irvine, the SDASM and the Marine Corps to relocate the museum to its original home. Saving this one-of-a-kind collection and museum dedicated to Marine Corps Aviation is our goal and with your support and help, the new Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum will become a reality. We will continue to provide updates on our website as we move forward. The Board of Directors, staff and volunteers are eagerly looking forward to seeing all of you at our grand opening.
Congratulations Chairman Vic Bianchini!!
D
id you know that our Chairman, Vic Bianchini, is an accomplished athlete? Indeed he is! Judge Bianchini began participating in the sport of saber fencing in 2010 at the age of 72. Since then, he has won over 100 medals in fencing tournaments. Among his many accomplishments in the sport, Judge Bianchini became a United States National Champion in 2012, a three-time North American Champion in 2018 and 2019, a two-time World Sabre Fencing Team champion gold medalist in Veterans Fencing in 2013 and 2014, Veteran World Sabre Team Bronze medalist in 2016, and a Veteran World Team Silver medalist in 2017. Judge Bianchini is currently ranked first in the nation in the Veterans 80's age group and third in the nation in the 70's age group, both in sabre. Earlier this summer, Judge Bianchini won a Gold medal and two Bronze medals (one of the Bronze medals in Epee) in the North American Fencing Championships in Philadelphia. Congratulations and Semper Fi!
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TED WILLIAMS: A Hall of Famer... Continued from page 4
Controversies not withstanding, our focus is to highlight Williams’ Marine Corp aviation career that, along with his excellence on the baseball diamond and a larger-than-life personality, gives us a multi-faceted perspective on a great American that truly was a Hall of Famer for all seasons. A Tough Southern California Upbringing: Where It All Began Theodore Samuel Williams was born August 30, 1918 in San Diego, California. He had a most difficult childhood. His parents were separated, leaving Williams to largely raise himself while his mother worked for the Salvation Army. The long, lonely early years of his youth helps explain the aggressive, strong personality that made Williams such a memorable presence in all the venues he served. When he was eight years old, Williams learned from his uncle on how to throw a baseball. During his high school years, both the St Louis Cardinals and New York Yankees had extended offers, but Williams' mother prevailed upon him to sign with the Padres because she believed he was too young to leave home. Upon his high school
graduation in 1936, the San Diego Padres of the old Pacific Coast League signed Williams to a professional contract. While playing for the hometown Padres, his self-discipline, strong work ethic and commitment to excellence – notably with hitting – enabled Williams to catch the attention of the Boston Red Sox. Boston acquired Williams in 1938, and then placed him on the starting roster in 1939. Williams' hitting prowess and boundless energy earned him the nicknames of “The Kid,” “The Splendid Splinter” and “The Thumper.” Williams was blessed with superb reflexes and remarkable 20/10 eyesight, which were a key part of his baseball success. However, these same skills would prove to be equally, if not more important, in his service as a Marine Aviator. [Sources: (1) The Summer of '49 - pages 158-177, 225, 278-281 – by David Halberstam. William Morrow & Co. Inc. New York. 1989. (2) Baseball's 100 – pages 13-15 – by Maury Allen. A&W Visual Library. New York. 1981. (3) Famous Veteran: Ted Williams. Military.com. 2021. https://www.military.com/veteranjobs/career-advice/military-transition/famous-veteranted-williams.html] Continued on page 8
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TED WILLIAMS: A Hall of Famer... Continued from page 7 As noted above, Williams' 22-year baseball career spanned four decades. However, his service in the Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War cost him five seasons of peak performance play. Since Williams played in 17 rather than all of those 22 seasons, what does this mean for the baseball record book? Let the reader decide! However, what is indisputable is that Williams had not one, but two stellar careers concurrently. Williams' earned accolades from his comrades in arms that affirm his contributions to Marine Corps aviation. Williams said, “I liked flying. It was the second-best thing that ever happened to me.” “If I hadn't had baseball to come back to, I might have gone on as a Marine pilot.” [Source: “Ted Williams Piloting Skills Save Slugger in Korea.” By Craig Muder. Part of the INSIDE PITCH series for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/tedwilliams-crash-lands-in-korea] By the Numbers: World War II and The Korean War Baseball is a sport that is typically associated with numbers. Williams' .344 lifetime batting average along with his remarkable .406 season average in 1941 and 521 career home-runs are generally known even to the most casual fan. But those numbers pale in comparison to his aerial combat record: 39 missions and a hatful of medals and awards, including three Air Medals for Aerial Flight Operations, the Navy Unit commendation, Presidential Medal of Freedom, American and Asian Pacific Campaign Medal, World War II Victory Medal, National Defense Service Medal and more! [Source: Famous Veteran: Ted Williams. Military.com. 2021. https://www.military.com/veteran-jobs/careeradvice/military-transition/famous-veteran-tedwilliams.html] Ted Williams enlisted in the US Navy on May 22, 1942. Following the 1942 season, in which he won the American League Triple Crown (league leader in home-runs, runs batted in and batting average), Williams joined the V-5 program with the goal of becoming a Naval Aviator. Along with his Red Sox
teammate Johnny Pesky, he was first sent to the Navy's Preliminary Ground School in Amherst, Massachusetts for six months, which was followed by four months of training in the Preflight School at Chapel Hill, North Carolina. This is significant for two reasons: Pesky became a lifetime friend of Williams as the intersection of their playing careers and military service cemented their personal bond. The depth and strength of this friendship is legendary for it also includes their fellow Red Sox teammates Dominic “Dom” DiMaggio and Bobby Doerr. The other significant item is that in summer of 1943 Williams played for the Chapel Hill Cloud Busters baseball team and led an Armed Forces all star team (managed by Babe Ruth) to victory over the National League Boston Braves in a wartime fund-raising exhibition game. From September through December 1943, Williams did primary training at NAS Bunker Hill, Indiana and then went to NAS Pensacola, Florida for intermediate training while setting records for aerial gunnery! On May 2, 1944 Williams received his pilot's wings and commission as a second lieutenant in the US Marine Corps. It can be inferred that his sharp batting eye as well as physical and mental prowess on the ball field helped him fulfill these accomplishments. [Sources: (1) “Ted Williams” - Bob Feller Act of Valor Award website. March 25, 2019. https://actofvaloraward.org/2019/03/25/ted-williams-2/ (2) The Teammates – A Portrait of a Friendship – by David Halberstam. Hyperion Books. New York. 2003. (3) The Cloudbuster Nine: The Untold Story of Ted Williams and the Baseball Team That Helped Win World War II – by Anne R. Keene. Sports Publishing. 2020.] The next destination for Williams was gunnery training at Jacksonville (again setting gunnery records) followed by a return to Pensacola where he was an instructor with the US Marine Corps Reserve at Bronson Field. He also played for the Bronson Bombers, the base team that won the Training Command Baseball Championship that year. Pilot training continued for Williams as he participated in the Corsair Operational Training Unit from June to August 1945. While Williams was in Hawaii awaiting orders as a Continued on page 10
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JENNIFER BECKWITH Irene Ferguson Marine Wife Recognition Award 2021
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ENNIFER BECKWITH is the 2021 recipient of the Irene Ferguson Marine Wife Recognition Award. Jennifer is being honored for her strong commitment to her family, her dedication to the Marine Corps and her selfless advocacy for the Marine spouse community.
As a volunteer with VMFA-323 (Death Rattlers), Jennifer effectively interacts with squadron commanders, Marines and family members. By her efforts, Jennifer fosters an engaging environment within the squadron. She consistently demonstrates personal initiative and leadership to better the readiness of the squadron, assist fellow spouses, and provide for Marine families during deployments. Her passion for service significantly contributes to the success of the Death Rattlers’ Family Readiness Program. As the Command Team Advisor for the Death Rattlers’ during the 2020-2021 COVID-19 pandemic, Jennifer’s service to the squadron is exemplary. She makes every effort to reach out to spouses and families to provide important resources and personal support to those in need during the pandemic lockdown and the squadron’s deployment. Possessing a mastery of social media, Jennifer developed and manages several networking opportunities that provide spouses and families with critical support resources during these challenging times. In addition to her work on behalf of Marine Corps spouses and families, Jennifer’s desire to serve others extends to volunteering at her son’s school (as a teacher’s aide) and with the Running Club. The Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation salutes Jennifer Beckwith. She is an exceptional Marine Wife, mother and leader. Jennifer’s character, dedication and resiliency are an inspiration to all. Through her commitment to her family, her fellow spouses, and the highest ideals of the United States Marine Corps, Jennifer brings great credit upon herself. Jennifer is married to Staff Sergeant Andrew Beckwith, Staff NCO & Airframe Division Chief for VMFA-323 (Death Rattlers), based at MCAS Miramar. They have two sons, Elliott and William. Jennifer Beckwith with her sons Elliott and William, and her mother Kathey Wilkins SUMMER 2021
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TED WILLIAMS: A Hall of Famer... Continued from page 8 replacement pilot and concurrently playing ball with a Marine flight-wing team, World War II ended. In December he returned to the United States and was discharged from the Marines on January 28, 1946. [Source: “Ted Williams” - Bob Feller Act of Valor Award website. March 25, 2019. https://actofvaloraward.org/2019/03/25/ted-williams-2/ ]
During World War II, Williams’ flying duties during World War II were largely confined to instruction. However, this changed when he was recalled to active duty on May 2, 1952 as a Marine Corps captain. Earlier that year, on January 9th Williams had been called from a list of inactive reserves to serve in Korea. Following a flight-training course for the Grumman F-9F Panther jet, Williams was sent to Korea. In country, he was assigned to the very same squadron with future astronaut and US Senator John H. Glenn. In an interview with MLB.com, Glenn stated “Ted flew as my wingman on about half the missions he flew in Korea.” [Source: “Ted Williams Piloting Skills Save Slugger in Korea.” By Craig Muder. Part of the INSIDE PITCH series for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/tedwilliams-crash-lands-in-korea ] One such mission featured as wild an ending as any Williams would ever experience either in combat or on the baseball diamond. On February 16, 1953, Williams crash landed his F9-F Panther jet after his aircraft was seriously damaged by anti-aircraft fire. In his March 2021 article titled “Ted Williams Goes to War” retired US Marine Colonel John Miles observed
that the damage was so extensive Williams was unable to lower the landing gear or flaps. Additionally, burning fuel from the jet's punctured tanks threatened to turn the aircraft into a raging fireball as he sought to land safely. Miles described the ensuing belly landing on a friendly airfield as similar to sliding into home plate, something Williams had never done before on the ball field! [Source: “Ted Williams Goes to War.” By Col John Miles (USMC – Ret). Military History Magazine. March 2021 and HistoryNet website. https://www.historynet.com/ted-williams.htm] Concerning how Williams handled this crash landing, John Glenn told MLB.com that “During his crash, he was on fire and he had to belly land the plane back in.” “He slid it in on the belly. It came up the runway about 1,500 feet before he was able to jump out and run off the wingtip.” Glenn continued, “As much as I appreciate baseball, to me Ted will always be a Marine fighter pilot.” [Source: “Ted Williams Piloting Skills Save Slugger in Korea.” By Craig Muder. Part of the INSIDE PITCH series for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/tedwilliams-crash-lands-in-korea.] The next day following this belly landing, Williams was back in the air. In sum, he completed 39 combat missions in Korea, prior to the armistice, which was signed on July 27, 1953. Williams was formally discharged from the Marines on July 28, 1953 and less than ten days later, on August 6th, he played in his first postwar game. What is generally not known, even to the most ardent baseball fan, is that in the remaining 37 games of the 1953 season, Williams batted .407 with 13 home-runs and 34 runs batted in. Obviously, his aerial combat experience did not diminish his playing skills, and perhaps even heightened his acuity on the field of play. [Sources: (1) “Ted Williams Goes to War.” By Col John Miles (USMC – Ret). Military History Magazine. March 2021 and HistoryNet website. https://www.historynet.com/ted-williams.htm (2) “Ted Continued on page 12
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* Current & Past Issues Available at www.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com/archives/ www.SanDiegoVeteransMagazine.com
Subscriptions Available Contact Mike Miller (858) 275-4281 mikemiller@sdvetsmagazine.com
SUMMER 2021
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TED WILLIAMS: A Hall of Famer... Continued from page 10 Williams Piloting Skills Save Slugger in Korea.” By Craig Muder. Part of the INSIDE PITCH series for the National Baseball Hall of Fame. https://baseballhall.org/discover/inside-pitch/tedwilliams-crash-lands-in-korea (3) Franklin Big League Baseball Electronic Encyclopedia - BLB2] Post-Playing Career: Charity, Service and a Continued Pursuit of Excellence Following retirement from his professional baseball career, Williams immersed himself in a number of venues and activities that reflected honor, commitment and duty in service to others. Most notably, he was associated with numerous hospital visits to children (that largely went unnoticed by the news media because Williams typically did such things in private) as well as supporting the Boston-based Jimmy Fund for children's cancer research and treatment. [Sources: (1) Interview with Archpriest Vadim Pogrebniak – Orthodox Church in America. July 5-6, 2003. (2) “Ted Williams Goes to War.” By Col John Miles (USMC – Ret). Military History Magazine. March 2021 and HistoryNet website. https://www.historynet.com/ted-williams.htm] In 1969, just three years after his enshrinement into the Baseball Hall of Fame, Williams served as manager for the Washington Senators, where he was selected as American League Manager of the Year for having piloted the perennially losing Senators to a winning season and 4th place finish in the American League Eastern Division. But the decorated Marine Corps pilot and Hall of Fame hitter did not stop there. Williams was also an avid and proficient fly and deep-sea fisherman. His commitment to excellence as a sports fisherman, led to his induction into the International Game Fish Association Hall of Fame in 1999. [Sources: (1) The Summer of '49 - pages 158-177, 225, 278-281 – by David Halberstam. William Morrow & Co. Inc. New York. 1989. (2) “Ted Williams Goes to War.” By Col John Miles (USMC – Ret). Military History Magazine. March 2021 and HistoryNet website. https://www.historynet.com/ted-williams.htm (3) The Teammates – A Portrait of a Friendship – by David
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Halberstam. Hyperion Books. New York. 2003.] To this lifetime record of accomplishment, one can also add the title of author. In 1971, Williams published The Science of Hitting, a how-to / self-help book for baseball fans and players of all ages and abilities. His “guidebook” reads like an aircraft tech-manual! Here, one can see how his military aviation training contributed to creating a classic instruction guide to what is still regarded as one of the most difficult feats in sports – hitting a baseball. The signature characteristic in this book was how Williams diagrammed the strike zone into 77 baseballs – seven wide and 11-high with color codes! [Source: The Science of Hitting – by Ted Williams. Simon & Schuster. New York. 1971] This latter accomplishment did not go unnoticed by his fellow Baseball Hall of Famers whose lives and careers intersected with the trajectory of Williams. At the 1999 Major League All-Star Game held in Boston's Fenway Park, Williams was the guest of honor for his lifetime accomplishments on and off the field. Ernie Banks (who starred for the Chicago Cubs from 1953-1971) told Williams at the 1987 Hall of Fame induction ceremony “You should be a Rhodes Scholar, Ted – baseball's never had one. We need a Rhodes Scholar, because this game takes brains.” “You even look smart, so you could have done it.” “You and me, we're the same kind of players. We like people who focus on the task, not the results. It's not the gold, it's the getting.” [Source: Season Ticket – A Baseball Companion, by Roger Angell. Page 401. Houghton Mifflin Company. Boston. 1988.] The lifetime journey of Ted Williams, which included a fusion of military service and baseball excellence, is commemorated in his hometown of San Diego where the State of California designated a nine-mile segment as The Ted Williams Freeway on State Route 56. Appropriately, the length of this freeway in miles is equal to the number of players on a baseball team and is just several miles away from MCAS Miramar! His excellence in a variety of venues in all phases of his life – from an early age to his octogenarian years – truly affirm that Ted Williams (in his own way) was a Hall of Famer for All Seasons.
THE FEW, THE PROUD...THE GENEROUS January 1, 2021 – June 30, 2021 GENERAL FUND DONATIONS Fred H. Allison, Richard D. Althouse, Roger & Elsa Ang, BGen John C. Arick, BGen George L. Bartlett, Col Leroy C. Barton, CAPT Thomas G. Bauer, Col William Bauer, Edward Benes, Charles Berghuis, James Berkson, Mr. & Mrs. Richard Bertea/Whitecross Foundation, Hon Victor Bianchini, LtCol Jay N. Bibler, The Blackbaud Giving Fund, SgtMaj Richard D. Blomgren, Maj Jay F. Boswell, LtCol G. Larry Brown, Timothy Brown, BGen John W. Bullard, Mr. & Mrs. Michael Carr, LtCol John E. Carroll, Jr., Sharon Chapin, Ronald G. Ciccone, LCDR Edgar E. Cole, Stanley N. Collins, James Conger, Frank Conway, Col Bart J. Connolly, IV, LTC & Mrs. Jack E. Cooper, MajGen & Mrs. John T. Coyne, Roy Crane, T.J. Cronley, Col Cory Cunningham, Gen Terrance R. Dake, LtCol Charles E. Daniels, Jr., Charles B. Davis, Col Donald E. Davis, Peter K. Davis, Harold G. Delamater, Patricia H. Dellamano, Col Melvin W. DeMars, James R. Denton, Jr., Edward DeRoche, PhD, Robert J. Dewey, Alexander C. Dickerson, LtCol Brian Dingess, LtCol Charles W. Dollard, Thomas Donahoe, Noel E. Douglas, Col Don Duffer, Steven Dumovich, Richard Ehrlich, Robert Eisele, Col & Mrs. Klaas Van Esselstyn, Barbara G. Everson, Barry R. Fetzer, Capt Sean M. Fitzpatrick, Donald R. Fraser, LtCol Warren T. Frommelt, Jr., Col & Mrs. John A. Gagen, Mr. & Mrs. John Garrigan, Mr. & Mrs. Walter F. Gebel, Gen Alfred M. Gray, Maj Austin Green, Richard Greenamyer, LtCol Kenneth E. Gregory, Herbert G. Greiner, Thomas K. Griffiths, James A. Grimes, MD, Martin Guyer, LtCol John Hales, Dr. Richard P. Hallion, Daniel R. Hayes, Mr. & Mrs. Richard A. Hedin, LtCol Hal W. Henderson, Neal A. Henderson, Arthur S. Hill, LtCol Phillip T. Hein, Mark D. Heins, Maj Eugene A. Homer, Jr., Mark Hubble, PhD, Clay Jackson, Richard Jennings, Ron Kemp, MSgt Richard R. Kinnel, Peter A, Krueger, Col Edward Kufeldt, BGen Coleman D. Kuhn, Leonard H. Kullas, Kenneth Kwiatkowski, Capt Joe Larkin, GySgt Alfred H. Laseke, Andrew Laurell, James Lindenberg, George Lindstrom, Maj Leonard Linkes, James L. Losch, MajGen Jarvis D. Lynch, LtCol Charles A. Magill, Peter R. Makowski, John W. Manz, Jr., Terry L. Martin, Capt Kevin M. Mac Donnell, Gordon W. McKelvey, John McLaughlin, Col Quinten R. Meland, Col Jonathan D. Mendes, John R. Merrill, A. C. Meyer/The Meyer Charitable Foundation, Stephen H. Miller, LtCol & Mrs. A. L. Moeller, William E. Monaghan, II, Jack P. Monroe, Jr., Jon Morrow, LtCol Richard Muench, Jr., BGen M.P. Mulqueen, Craig Murray, Richard A. Newell, Lou Oberman, Capt Dale Olsen, Col James W. Orr, Cynthia Owens, Ken Petersen, MajGen Ross S. Plasterer, Col C.M. Plattner, Wendell Porth, Capt Frederic J. Pratt, Jose A. Ramirez, LtCol Larry D. Rannals, LtCol Wayne H. Rice, Terril J. Richardson, Manfred A. Rietsch, Mr. & Mrs. Ronald Rivard, LtCol Henry W. Roder, Hugh Ronalds, Maj Rylen B. Rudy, Col David B. Schnack, Charles Schutz, Col Bruce A. Schwanda, Thomas B. Scott, III, John Selstad, Col Frederick N. Shaffer, Eugene Shea, Bailu Sheng, BGen David V. Shuter, Mary Shvodian, SgtMaj Robert F. Singer, Steven R. Sipes, Capt Charles W. Smith, Jr., Paul J. Smith, Col Gary M. Spruill, LtGen & Mrs. Keith Stalder, Col Donald R. Stanton, Col M.V. Statzer, Quyen Stehman, Lloyd K. Stimson, Russ Stromberg, John J. Sullivan, MajGen Larry S. Taylor, Michael Taylor, Victoria Theodorou, Reuben M. Torres, Mr. & Mrs. John Turpit, Leslie Van Ael, LtCol John W. Viglione, Mr. & Mrs. W. M. Wadlington, Charles Wasley, Gen Joseph J. Went, Col Howard M. Whitfield, Col Eleanor Wilson, Col Larry L. Woodruff, Jon C. York, SgtMaj Michael Zacker, Mr. & Mrs. David Zekert, Capt Ronald M. Zobenica, Jane Zoch
FOUNDATION MARKETING & PROMOTION SUPPORT Mr. & Mrs. Patrick B. Ball, Maj Glenn Ferguson, Patricia K. Laubach, Dale B. Mann
FOUNDATION OFFICE SUPPORT Hon Victor Bianchini, J. Stephen Quinn/Black Mountain Commerce, LLP
FLAM MUSEUM RELOCATION SUPPORT MajGen & Mrs. B.G. Butcher, Col Patrick Gough/PKL Services, Inc., Thomas K. Griffiths, Mr. & Mrs. Jeff Stack/SRG Partners
IN SUPPORT OF FOUNDATION’S VIRTUAL AND REMOTE EDUCATION PROGRAMS Marianne Ericcson/San Diego Downtown Breakfast Rotary Fdn., Stanley Vogelsang/Art Pratt Foundation of the Old Mission Rotary Club
IN MEMORY OF MASTER GUNNERY SERGEANT ANGELO ASIA Dana Asis
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IN MEMORY OF MAJOR M. W. MADDOCKS Susan Salk
IN MEMORY OF HERBERT EARL “BUCK” BUCHANAN Holly Pryor
IN MEMORY OF FIRST LIEUTENANT RODNEY M. SMITH W. O. King, Jr.
IN MEMORY OF COLONEL KENNETH TOLLEFSON Mr. & Mrs. Jesse R. Tingle
IN MEMORY OF COLONEL DUANE F. NEWTON Joanne M. Newton
IN MEMORY OF MASTER SERGEANT CHARLEY CAPRONI GySgt Paul T. Kuras
IN MEMORY OF “BULL” CAPT Leslie A. Kindling
IN MEMORY OF MAJOR HERBERT R. “JELLYBEAN” JELLANDER Patricia A. Jellander
IN MEMORY OF GUNNERY SERGEANT ROBERT HARHAY GySgt Paul T. Kuras
IN MEMORY OF LT. COLONEL E. ROGER “CHAMP” CIAMPA, JR. Jane Pattinson
IN MEMORY OF JOHN M. VERDI Julian Stienon
IN MEMORY OF SERGEANT WILLIAM F. MOREY, VMF-542(N), 1942-1946 Mr. & Mrs. Tim Morey
IN MEMORY OF BETTY JO “B-JO” LEWIS Col Elmer M. Lewis, Jr.
IN MEMORY OF LANCE CORPORAL JAMES “JIMINY CRICKET” HANNIBAL Wayne Stafford
IN MEMORY OF COLONEL FRANCIS WILLIAM BENSON Joan Brown
IN MEMORY OF JANET LINDER Stephen T. Linder
IN MEMORY OF WILLIAM P. SMITH Col Thomas Luciano
IN MEMORY OF MAJOR DAVID R. SHORE John Pierson
IN MEMORY OF SECOND LIEUTENANT BILLY JOE MCNALLY Michael McNally
IN MEMORY OF COLONEL TODD & KATIE WHITTEN Kristian Whitten
IN MEMORY OF COLONEL HARRY SPIES Patrick S. Bole, Jean Spies
IN MEMORY OF PAULA M. POTENZA Maj A.G. Potenza
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IN MEMORY OF LT. COLONEL MIKE MARRIOTT Patrick S. Bole
IN MEMORY OF MARY FAYE POTENZA Maj A.G. Potenza
IN MEMORY OF CAPTAIN JACK CONSOLVO Col Dennis D. Jackson
IN MEMORY OF COLONEL PAUL A. NOEL MajGen & Mrs. B. G. Butcher, Col & Mrs. Robert B. Savage, Robert W. Wardlaw, John P. Tristani
IN HONOR OF MAJOR GENERAL BOBBY G. BUTCHER Patricia Laubach, Mr. & Mrs. Jesse R. Tingle, LtCol and Mrs. Charles Zangas
IN HONOR OF COLONEL DAN PENDER MajGen Ross S. Plasterer
IN HONOR OF VICTOR FRANCO Anthony Brunello
IN HONOR OF PATRICIA “PAT” LAUBACH Paul Klass
IN HONOR OF WES MONTSERRAT Winston Hickox
IN HONOR OF MAJOR GLENN FERGUSON Patricia Laubach, Mr. & Mrs. Jesse R. Tingle
IN HONOR OF LETSON S. BALLIETT Rene Sutton
IN HONOR OF HARRY HOOVER SCHOOLEY, JR. Jeff Howes
IN HONOR OF THOSE WHO MADE THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE Jay Suetos
IN HONOR OF & IN MEMORY OF ALL IWO JIMA VETERANS LtCol Larry D. Rannals
IN HONOR OF SERGEANT MAJOR MICHAEL ZACKER Patricia Jackson, Mr. & Mrs. Jesse R. Tingle
IN MEMORY OF ALL MARINES OF VMA-224 (1961-1963) John P. Tristani
IN HONOR OF CAPTAIN ROCK DAVIS MajGen Joseph T. Anderson
IN HONOR OF LT. COLONEL ERIC JONES Col Eric E. Hastings
IN MEMORY OF LIEUTENANT EDWARD PICKERING Frederick F. Fogel
IN MEMORY OF LT. COLONEL JACK NORMAN, USMC (RETIRED) LtGen Norman H. Smith
IN MEMORY OF COLONEL WILLIAM “MICK” PETTIGREW MajGen Ross S. Plasterer
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