Source: Aerograph May 2025
From the President’s Desk,
It has been my honor to be your President.
I retired from the U S
Navy 12/31/1991, over 33 years ago, reliving the past and telling sea stories
has become my favorite past time. I am at a slight disadvantage (sometimes I
get my stories mixed up) due to the fact I served 12 years
as an Aviation
Structure Mechanic.
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I spent 2 years in the reserves and upon
reentry I was informed I was color blind and must choose a new rating. The only
rating associated with aviation was Aerographer; little did I know I was facing
A, B and C schools just to become a viable asset. I traded my tool box and hydraulic jacks for
a sharp number 2 pencil. And here I am, the outgoing
President of NWSA. It has been a pleasure to serve. Thank you.
My only regret is not thinking of a way to
increase membership. The Naval Weather Service Association has an aging membership,
“slightly” above retirement age. To ensure its survival, we need younger
members. I suggest making honorary members out of interested spouses, children,
and grandchildren. With Artificial Intelligence reducing the need for
Meteorologists, Oceanographers, and Aerographer's Mates, recruitment will
decline over the next decade. Our profession is slowly becoming obsolete due to
advances in technology.
The Naval Weather Service Association reunions
are important to members, offering a chance to connect with others who share
common interests. Suggestions for increasing membership are welcome. The history
and development of the Association is not well known, but I am sure it involved
beer. Chief Bellinger and his creation of a lasting list of "Naval Weather
Guessers" was surely the beginning. I feel the founding members were
skeptical of the longevity of the Association, but WOW, Bravo Zulu, excellent
job. These reunions have grown into significant annual events enjoyed by all.
And let us not forget 13 October, when our US
Navy celebrates 250 years. A resolution
of the Continental Congress established the United States Navy in1775. After the American War of Independence, the U.S.
Constitution empowered the new Congress “to provide and maintain a navy”. Acting upon this authority, Congress
established the Department of the Navy on 30 April 1798. In 1972, Chief of Naval Operations Admiral
Zumwalt authorized official recognition of 13 October as the birthday of the US
Navy. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!
This year I would like to thank Robert Cutting
and wife FJ for challenging work in making reunion 48 possible. Their hard work and dedication were
exceptional.
Anchors
Aweigh Shipmates.
Ed Straten
AG1 NAC, USN (Ret.)
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Source: Aerograph February 2025
From the President’s Desk,
It’s hard to believe but Reunion #48 is just around the
corner! This year’s gathering will be along the beautiful
shores of the Mississippi Gulf Coast from 5 to 9 May.
Our hosts, Robert and FJ Cutting, are putting the
finishing touches on what is sure to be another
memorable get together.
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GO NAVY – BEAT ARMY GO NAVY – BEAT ARMY
GO NAVY – BEAT ARMY
AND WE DID IT!!!
Happy New Year to one and all. What a way to start out the New Year. We are now in the year 2025, can you believe a quarter of this century is already over? Time flies! I hope everyone had a fantastic year and I hope this new year brings good health and prosperity to one and all. The First Lady and I had another wonderful year.
Patti and I had a great time with all the grandchildren aboard Carnival Glory during the Christmas holidays. We had a total of 17 individuals in our flock. Herding cats is a very good description. Getting a family photo can try one’s patience. Nevertheless, a good time was had by all.
The New Year’s Resolution is over 4000 years old and still around today. It is most common in the Western World in which a person resolves to continue good practices, change an undesired trait, accomplish a personal goal or otherwise improve their behavior in the new year. What is your resolution for 2025? We plan to continue traveling, visit with old friends, and keep close contact with out of state family members, especially our wonderful grandchildren. And I personally will try and sample all red wines that I discover.
We also will continue to see our healthcare professionals and undergo all the necessary testing on a regular basis. Regular exercise is also a must. We are lucky to have a pool at our condo that is available year-round (heated) so there is NO excuse not to take advantage and use it daily. There is time for fun, but we also know how important it is to take care of our health…especially in our 70’s! Please pray for those in need.
Scammers are lurking in the shadows. Beware! As NWSA President I had 2 scam attacks. Fortunately, both were discovered and dealt with. Thank you, Steven Smith, and Gary Cox for dealing with both situations in a timely matter. BZ!
The December issue of America Legion magazine published a very good article on scammers and the military (veterans and active duty). $477 million was the amount scammers stole from veterans, military personnel and spouses in 2023. The median amount was $599 (20% more than the general population). With AI coming online, new computers will only increase scams nationwide. Your identity and voice recognition will be duplicated with little or no effort on the scammer's part. Keep our standards up, be vigilante and NEVER click on anything you don’t understand.
Scholarship Winners - The Senior award goes to Roy Patrick Galang and the Freshman award goes to Jocelyn Bilker. Congratulations on a job well done!
AG1 (NAC) Ed Straten, USN, (Ret.)
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Source: Aerograph November 2024
From the President’s Desk,
HAPPY 249TH
BIRTHDAY UNITED STATES NAVY
ESTABLISHED OCTOBER 13, 1775
“I SERVED IN THE UNITED
STAETS NAVY.”
JOHN F. KENNEDY
“WE ALSO SERVED IN THE
U.S. NAVY.”
NAVAL WEATHER SERVICE ASSOCIATION
Another 4 years have passed, and an election
year is upon us. We all struggle with
thousands of political promises (some true, some not so true). We have one thing in common, let the best man
or woman win. As career military, I
think… “Do not let our vigilante efforts ever be in vain.” May the next elected Commander in Chief make
us proud and show the rest of the world the United States of America is a force
to be reckoned with. A quote from
Theodore Roosevelt, “A good navy is not a provocation of war, it is the surest
guaranty of peace.”
Speaking of birthdays. October 27th, another birthday
came and went, MINE! 75, WOW! Things I remember over the years like owning
a car with an automatic transmission – power steering - power windows – and Oh
My God… air conditioning. I was 32 when
I talked Patti into buying a microwave, she said it was too extravagant and
totally against it, I won that argument.
And in 1985 we purchased a Mac Plus computer. $4000 from the NEX. Fortunately, Patti used it for creating
menus, work schedules, and advertising for the Barbers Point Enlisted
Club. Hence, tax deductible. And sometime in my fifties I got my first
cell phone. Life’s been good, but once
again – WOW, where has time gone?
The first lady and I celebrated our birthdays
on a Celebrity Cruise sailing the Caribbean.
By the way, me to forget.
We sailed on a 17-day cruise October 21-Nov 7. We left Ft Lauderdale and visited Puerto
Plata, Puerto Rico, St. Maarten, Tortola, Antigua, Barbados, St. Lucia, and St.
Kitts. We also celebrated
Halloween. I dressed as Don Ho and Patti
was a Hawaiian Hula girl. We had enough
wine that we were able to pull it off.
My rendition of “Tiny Bubbles” carried us across the finish line!
I would like to wish all members a wonderful
Thanksgiving. Sometimes holidays can be
stressful. Our worst Thanksgiving was in
Adak. We were due to transfer December 3rd,
1983. Our personal items had been
shipped and the refrigerator was bare. We managed to get frozen turkey dinners
at the exchange and had a lovely time watching AFTRS. But seriously, to all military personnel around the world, I am thankful for your courage and dedication for keeping us safe
and may you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.
We have also planned a 4-day family Christmas
cruise aboard Carnival Glory. We will
have approximately 20 family members and will celebrate Christmas day at
sea. The last time I had Christmas
dinner at sea, I was on the USS Ranger in the Tonkin Gulf. I believe this will be a lot more fun. Merry Christmas to all.
Please don’t forget our upcoming reunion at the
Hollywood Casino Gulf Coast. Patti and I
are already excited about our annual get together. Can’t wait!
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And please keep thoughts and prayers for members suffering from illness, loneliness, the toll that time takes from all of us. God Bless.
AG1 (NAC) Ed Straten, USN, (Ret.)
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Source: Aerograph August 2024
From the President’s Desk,
The first lady (AKA Patti) and I have had another great
year. We removed our condo from the market due to
inactivity and economic conditions and are happy to
remain here at the golf resort. This may or may not be
warranted by Patti’s recent psychic trip with her sisters.
Can’t argue with that logic.
We just returned from New Hampshire after
attending our granddaughter’s graduation ceremony. It was so great to see so many excited young
adults preparing for the future. I was
impressed with the wisdom and demeanor they displayed during the ceremony. Such maturity gives me great confidence in
future generations of Americans. The
ceremony speeches were well thought out and professionally presented. We (the attendees) were treated with respect
and dignity. Our granddaughter has
already been accepted by Southern New Hampshire University, my old alma
mater. We are so proud of her and the
graduating class of 2024.
Well done and congratulations to the
Aerographers of the world. We just celebrated our 100th
anniversary. The Aerographer’s rating was established 1 July 1924. In 1923 the QM(A) rating (known as Quartermasters
Aerographic) was replaced by the Aerographer rating. Chief Quartermaster John R. Dungan changed
his rating per AerM BuNav Circular Letter 99 dated December 23, 1923, and officially became the first Chief Aerographer’s Mate in June of 1924. By 1925 nearly all
shipboard and naval air station Aerological units were led by Chief
Aerographers. And as they say, “The rest
is history.” The article I read online was very interesting and thorough by FRA today dated October 2016.
I would like to give a shout out to Mike Gilroy
for his great work providing funding for the AMS Scholarship program. This year’s award went to Jocelyn Bilker who
is going to Pennsylvania State University and Roy Patrick Galang going to the
University of Oklahoma. Congratulations
Jocelyn and Roy. Good job Mike.
The next reunion (number 48) will be held near
Naval Oceanography Command, Stennis, MS.
AG “A” and “C” schools are located at Keesler AFB, Biloxi. Are you feeling lucky? The reunion is under
the guidance of Bob Cutting and his wife FJ.
The dates are set for May 5-9, and we eagerly await further
details. It will be wonderful to meet
again and swap sea stories. Please put
these dates on your calendar, we would love to see everyone.
A shout out to Smitty, Gary, and Cap for
keeping the lines of communication up and running and flow of information
current and safe. We were hacked and compromised this last year. The sharks are always in the water, circling
and waiting for an opportunity to strike. Be careful, be aware.
AG1 (NAC) Ed Straten, USN, (Ret)
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