Submarine Veterans Charitable Foundation Newsletter February 2025

Shipmates,

Submarine Veterans Charitable Foundation Newsletter February 2025

Shipmates! This month we welcome our two newest Ambassadors: Leah Torino, Tri-State Base and Frank Espinosa, Central Texas Base. Welcome aboard! Now the news.

Brotherhood Fund

As we move through another season weather continues to dominate and overwhelm many of us. From freezing, to wildfires, ice and snow, the Brotherhood Fund (BHF) is standing by, ready to assist any shipmate. I have been in contact with shipmates still recovering from Hurricanes Helene and Milton and they know that when they reach the point in their reconstruction efforts that they need our assistance, we are standing by and ready to go on helping. Thanks to all of you for your generous donations so far.

There are currently many areas of the country in need of some form of relief and it is a very daunting task to understand the exact geographical areas that are affected. I am asking all District and Base Commanders to stay as up to date as possible with what is happening in your areas and to stay in contact with our members. We need all eyes on these issues to ensure we can serve you as best we can. Remember, we are all in this together: ONE SHIP ONE CREW. Call-A-Buddy! if you know of a USSVI member who needs assistance, we have established a Home Depot Voucher Program to provide appliances that may have been damaged by storms and need to be replaced; please tell them about this program and have them contact me, Mike Ferranti, at brotherhood @ussvcf.org or call me at 407-45-2154.

Kaps 4 Kids

John Riley appreciates all members efforts related to K4K. To read his recent letter to all Base Commanders click on https://www.ussvcf.org/k4k-letter.html .

Legacy Funds

See the January newsletter, if you missed it it’s on our website.

Monuments and Memorials

Does your Base maintain a Submarine Memorial? If so, please send us a picture or two of your memorial(s) along with some basic information such as: address of the memorial, when built (if known), etc. We are building a directory of the Submarine Memorials and a lot of the information on the old website is out of date or has low-res photos. Please email your photos (preferably the highest res you can provide) along with any relevant information to Don Young, Memorials Fund Manager at: memorials@ussvcf.org.

Scholarship News

Since 2000, The USSVCF Academic Scholarship Program has been providing educational assistance to children, grandchildren and legal dependents of USSVI members across the nation. The 2025-26 Scholarship application window launched 31 October 2024, and applications are being accepted until 20 May 2025.

To date, more than 210 applications have been received and are in review. Applicants enrolled in trade, technical, career education and apprenticeship programs at accredited institutions are also eligible to apply. Age is not a limiting factor. (Just take a look at http://www.mikeroweworks.org on line to see the extent of available technical jobs!)

To register, go to bit.ly/ussvcf-scholarship2025. Only the student applicant may register and apply using their email address.

Expanding Our Reach

Last month we broached the subject (broached, I guess old habits die hard) of adopting a Charitable Foundation mascot. So far we have received mascot ideas from 7 of our members. They include: “CPO Sharky”, “Charity Charlie”, a tortoise, “Garbo the puppy” (after the famous dog who rode USS Gar during WWII), “Flipper”, “Willie the Whale and Penny the Porpoise” (dual submissions by Mrs. Owen McCoy) and “Salty the Dolphin”. We want to hear from you before we decide which way to go, and we’re upping the ante on the reward. Not only will I buy the winner a drink during the Orlando Convention, but we’ll also include a free submarine commemorative coin. It’s our copyrighted design, celebrating the 250^th anniversary of our Navy on the front side and the 125^th anniversary of submarines on the reverse. See it at: https://www.ussvcf.org/commemorative-coin.html .

We’ll be offering them via our website soon. The coin is the brainchild of Bob MacPherson and the work of Barry Commons, our National Storekeeping whiz.

One last thing. We are looking for submarine-related items for the silent auction we will have as part of our presence at the Orlando convention. Memorabilia of any type objects or documents (including that old qual card that showed you were Dink for the first few weeks of your first patrol aboard USS Usetafish) are fine.

George Palmer

Vice-President & Executive Director

USSV Charitable Foundation

vp-ed@ussvcf.org

www.ussvcf.org