Archives
Categories
- Admissions Forum
- Breakfast Meeting
- Dinner Joint
- Football games
- Golf Ring Knocker Service Academy
- Joint Academy Tour
- Last Call
- Memorial Day Civic Project
- Memorial Day Weekend Dinner & Concert
- Monthly Quarterly Luncheon
- Navy Blue Angels
- Parents Club Picnic
- Service Academy Golf
- Uncategorized
- US Navy Band Concert
- USNA Admissions Forum
- Watch Party
- Academy Candidates: We are inviting candidates for all the service academies to come and meet graduates and liaison officers so they can get a chance to talk in person to officers who have been there and done that. Many grads don’t get many chances to talk to much less mentor students who are interested in attending a service academy. Your participation is important so these young folks have an opportunity to talk to grads who served in different career paths. (After doing this as a liaison officer for 15 years, I can attest to the importance of giving these young people the big picture as well as the career benefits of serving in our military.) One other point: Parents of candidates are often clueless about the academies and, in particular, about military careers. Sadly, too many have distorted views of military service and fail to understand the benefits of being an academy graduate. Your participation in this event is important in showing parents these benefits and allaying their fears.
- Liaison Officers: This is an opportunity for liaison officers from the service academies to meet and talk to a number of candidates at one time, especially those who may only be applying to one service school but who need to understand the value in applying to more than one. It is also a good opportunity to network with local grads and parents from the parents’ clubs who might have leads on potential candidates not yet in the system.
- Parents Club Members: Our three associations always try to arrange events so that the parents clubs can be involved. This particular event is a great opportunity for you to meet potentially new members and to provide some great information on your cadets’ experiences, activities, and successes. As you probably remember, parents uninformed about the military and the academies have self-concocted misperceptions. This is a great opportunity to help them understand the benefits the academies offer to their children.
-
Distinguished Guests: While it is too early to tell, we are inviting some of our good friends who are World War II veterans that have graciously graced our past events. These folks are real treasures and are fun to meet and talk to. Invitations are also going out to some of our political leaders who are the sources of appointments to candidates.
- Location: KCWineCo is an Academy grad-owned winery at 13875 S. Gardner Rd, Olathe, KS 66061 (web: kcwineco.com) (Take 135th St west to Gardner Rd and go 1/4 mile south. Note: There are two entrances. Take the second (south) entrance and follow it back to the large building past the pond. If you mistakenly take the north entrance, go through the parking lot all the way to the south.)
- Date/Time: Saturday, 8 September at 1200
- Venue: Depending upon the weather and heat, we may be outside under the picnic tents or inside in their new private hall. If not, or for those who prefer the A/C, we have been given the use of the new event pavilion just opened up by the winery.
- Food/Beverages: Bring your own picnic and preferred drinks. However, KCWineCo will have a bartender for us and their entire line of wines available for purchase. They will also provide soft drinks.
- Games: This portion of the winery has a lot of yard games for those wanting to challenge their sister service academies, or their own children – and by the way, the younger ones are invited too. Any one wishing to organize some competitions are more than welcome to do so.
Gregory N. Shuey, Lt. Col., USAF (Ret)
If anybody is interested in going up to St. Joseph, MO on Friday August 24 and viewing a Blue Angels practice that afternoon starting at 2:00-3:00 PM here is how you can get in to Rosecrans Field. The public performances are that weekend on August 25-26 at the same airfield.
You must do the following to get your name in the RSVP pool, as there is security you must pass through to get in the gate.
- Email the Navy League President, Captain Dick Scharff USN, Ret. directly at navyusn1@gmail.com before 8:00 PM on August 16 and tell him your name, USNA Alumni Class, and the number of people in your party going. Your friends and family can get in with your in person escort.
The gates open at 12:00 noon on Friday, August 24. It is a practice session and will not include all aircraft and maneuvers. The Blue Angels will not likely start their practice session until 2:00 to 3:00 PM. Enter the gate to the military airfield at the St. Joesph public airport. The gate is located on the South of the Main Runway 19-35. Again it is Rosencrans Field, which is a training facility for entire C-130 military community–Air Nation Guard, US Air Force, and foreign countries military.
To get into the base you must have one of these: Name, Military ID or former Military papers, Membership in these organizations (Association of Naval Aviation, Navy League, Ft Leavenworth, etc.). You will need a drivers license or a picture ID card.
Parking is on the South part of the base close to the flight line. Golf carts will be available to help those who can’t walk. Seating will be available and water and food for purchase. There is a covered area for the group via Navy League. Restrooms will be Porta-Potties.
Host military org is: 139th Airlift Wing of the Missouri National Guard. Col Byron Newell, is Commander of the Missouri Air Nation Guard, a former Naval Aviator and who is a USNA Alumni.
Lunch is an informal get together for those who can make it. Arrive at 11:30. No speaker and we order individually off the menu. Discussion of Blue Angel practice session on Friday August 24 in St. Joseph, Fall NAVY football watch parties, new Navy ship USS Kansas City (LCS-22) Commissioning Committee, and other topics of interest. Please RSVP to Bob Culler bob.culler@1974.usna.com by Monday, August 13. Also posted on USNA Kansas City Alumni Facebook page.
It was a great turnout on August 15. The following 12 alumni and one USMA alumni (“behind enemy lines”) attended, and the food was excellent so Maggiano’s Little Italy has passed the Navy wardroom taste test:
Col. Dick Stevens USAF Ret. USNA ’53 (oldest alumni), his son-in-law Col. Kevin Benson USA Ret, USMA ’77, John O’Neal ’65, David Whitman ’71, George Flynn ’71, Jack Rush ’73, Kyle Martin ’74, Bob Culler ’74, Jim Fee ’78, George Jackson ’79, Bryan Didier ’91, Tom Strenge ’97, and Vic Hurlbert ’10 (youngest alumni).
We talked about watch parties in the Fall 2018 for games Memphis, Air Force, and Army. Also the potential of a joint Army-Navy watch party at a nice venue such as Sporting Park in KCK or the WWI Museum, or similar venue that can host 125-150 people. Also talked about the Blue Angels being in St. Joseph, MO for a practice session on Friday, August 24, at Rosecrans Field in St. Joe. We also discussed the USS Kansas City (LCS-22) Commissioning Committee and projected christening/launch in Mobile, AL on September 22. We are going to pursue nice plastic engraved name tags for all paid chapter members, those who have paid their $25 annual dues. We noted the 2018 Navy football schedule looks a little tougher than Army’s lighter one and ESPN agrees. Vic Hurlbert ’10, Chapter VP, was congratulated for being elected county auditor for Clay County, Missouri.
