1600 Communicator
A publication exclusively for members of the 1600 Communications Association
Summer, 2012 (August)
President’s Message
Greetings! In coordinating our events this year with WHCA’s 70th Anniversary
Celebration, the Association hosted its 19th Annual Golf Tournament on April 26th.
I would like to thank our Golf Tournament Committee Chairman Mr. Bob Ohm, CoChairman MSgt Charles Montgomery, and everyone who assisted in organizing and
conducting the first ever dual course which was a very successful event! A special
thanks to our sponsors and all entrants for their generous support of the association. The Tournament was a huge success -- more details are available on the Association web site and on page 3 of this newsletter.
On April 28th many Association members, WHCA members, their families, and
friends were in attendance for the rededication ceremony of the Colonel George
McNally building, WHCA Agency Open House and annual Association Shrimp Feast.
The Agency’s Commander, Colonel Clinton Bigger, issued welcoming remarks. At
the rededication ceremony, Colonel Bigger and CSM Clemmons unveiled a bronze
plaque of Colonel George McNally located at the headquarters’ building entrance.
They also presented the McNally family a commemorative plaque. The US Army
Drill Team performed and, after the ceremony, a special video presentation was
shown in the Carla Hawkins Theater. I offered remarks on behalf of the Association
and presented Col McNally’s daughter, Judith Rea, an honorary lifetime membership
to the 1600 Communications Association. Once the presentation ended, attendees
moved on to the annual Shrimp Feast and BBQ.
Many thanks to Glenn Arnett, Floyd Hepler, Helen Pennington, Reynold Smith and
Sam Watkins for their hard work and commitment with the planning and executing of another successful event. A special thanks to SFC Louis Williams and the
WHCA Open House Committee who did an excellent job in coordinating the event
and providing access to the WHCA compound. Thanks to their outstanding support,
everything went very well (including the clean up!). Photos and additional information can be viewed on the web site’s E-zine page.
Also of note this spring, the 2012 Educational Scholarships have been determined.
The recipients are: Alauna Martinez, Michelle Bailey, Rosalyn Melendez and Joshua
Thibault. Alauna Martinez is also being recognized with the Ron Thomsen Memorial
Scholarship. Many congratulations go out to these scholarship awardees! We wish
them continued success in their academic endeavors.
The next Association event is the 22nd annual Camp David Chapter Picnic, which
will be held on Saturday, September 8th. Please mark your calendars and plan to
join us.
Danny Young
President
www.1600commassoc.org
Page 1 Upcoming Events &
Key Dates - Summer
2012:
SOB (Some Old Buddies)
luncheon held the first
Tuesday of each month at
the Holiday Inn, Rosslyn, VA
at 1130. September 8
22nd Annual Camp David
Chapter Picnic
Note: E-zine distributions
will be made via e-mail in
between the quarterly/
seasonal newsletters.
Watch your inboxes!
The Association is on
Facebook and we’re growing stronger! Just log in to
Facebook and search for
“1600 Communications Association” so you can start
networking with your friends
and re-connect with former
colleagues.
Summer, 2012
McNally Book For Sale
The republication of A Million Miles of Presidents, the book written by Colonel George McNally, the first
Commander of WHCA, is available for sale through the 1600 Communications Association. The original book
was published by the Association in 1982. This 2nd edition includes all the original material from that first
publication as well as additional narratives from several Commander’s who served during the years following
Colonel McNally’s retirement. The book depicts the early history of the Agency and its maturation over the
years. It frames the development of WHCA against the backdrop of historical events and the advancement of
technology. It is a “must have” piece of history for all who have served in WHCA. If you are fortunate enough
to own a copy of Colonel McNally’s original book, this will complete your collection. Details for ordering the McNally Book are available at www.1600commassoc.org via the Members’ restricted
page. The cost is $20 per copy via mail order. All net proceeds will be used by the 1600 Communications Association to continue supporting its scholarship program and support of wounded veterans and their families. PSB Stickers
If you would like to purchase one or more of the PSB stickers, send your request to Helen Pennington, 6964 Klett Drive, Fort Belvoir, VA 22060. These four-color stickers, measuring approximately 3
½ inches in diameter, are available for $5.00 each. Please make your check payable to the 1600 Communications Association. As a friendly reminder,
these decals/stickers are for use by recipients of the Presidential Service Badge only.
1600 E-Zine Launched!
In July, we launched a new initiative aimed at keeping the membership up to date on Association activities
between newsletter distributions. The E-Zine can be viewed on the Association web site’s News page.
Visit www.1600commassoc.org/news.htm to access the current E-zine!
www.1600commassoc.org
Page 2 Summer, 2012
Association Leadership Contact Information 2012-2013
President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer/Membership
Director-At-Large
Director-At-Large
Editor Historian
Parliamentarian
Other
Danny Young SFC Abigail Baker
Don Canterbury
Glenn Arnett Sam Watkins Helen Pennington
Floyd Hepler Gordon Aitken
Sabrina Rose [email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
[email protected] [email protected]
[email protected]
240.678.9770
202.757.7610
540.359.0517
703.689.2216
240.205.3666
703.781.7773
301.274.5996
703.491.2097
240.346.4754
To volunteer for events or to offer other assistance to the Association, please email
[email protected].
2012 1600 Communications Association Golf Tournament Prize Winners
For more Tournament information, please visit the News and E-zine pages on the Association’s web site.
Team: Low Gross, Pontis Communications Team, with a score of 57. Best ever low gross - Al Rhett, Steve
Crowder, Dennis Hoeck, Gary Miller
Team: Low Net: NetCentrics Team, with a net score of 52.05 - Steve Walker, Mounir Badawy, Peter Badawy
and Ed Shin,
Team: Second Low Net with a score of 53.40 - Steve Walgus, Scott Decker, Pat Acierto and Mike Zimmerman.
Team: Third Low Net, with a score of 53.60 - Ben Pauwels, Andrew Feth, Jason Glenn and Chuck Vandenbossche.
Individual Winners:
South Course:
Long Drive:
Closest to Pin:
East Course:
Long Drive: Closest to Pin:
Putting Contest:
www.1600commassoc.org
Men - Marion Collazo
Women - Marian Meloche
Men – Gary Miller
Women – Paulette Goodman
Steve Marinaccio
Dave Robbins
Denny O’Malley
Page 3 Summer, 2012
Come join us for the
22nd Annual Camp David Chapter Picnic!
Bring your lawn
chairs and come
out for a great
time!
Date: Saturday, September 8, 2012
Time: Noon ‘til ?????
Place: Suker Residence, located on Royer Road in
Cascade, MD. Just before you get to the old Ft. Ritchie
entrance, turn left onto Royer Rd. at the old F&M Bank.
Residence is the 3rd house on right (from Rt.550)
Approx. Cost:
$15 Adults ***
$ 6 10-14
9 and under eat “Free”
Exact costs will be determined after all items have been purchased
(many prices fluctuate based on availability). Any food left over
can be purchased and packaged to go!
Cost does not include beer. A separate fund will be set up to
cover the cost of the keg.
***
Menu: Roast Pig, BBQ Chicken, Hamburgers, Turkey Legs,
Baked Beans, Potato Salad, Coleslaw, Corn on the Cob (if
available), Watermelon, Cake, Soda & Beer*
Please RSVP by September 1 to:
(301) 241-3588 Home
If you do not RSVP, just show up any way because there will be PLENTY of food.
(Phones will be at site...call the home number listed if lost).
Detailed Directions & Information on Local Accommodations Available Upon Request
Financial & Membership Report as of August 3, 2012 (contributed by Glenn Arnett)
Bank Account Balances @ 8/3/12
Checking
CD1 CD2 CD3 $3, 328.45
$2,392.96
$5,937.52
$3,990.42
Scholarship Working Account
Scholarship CD $4,755.79
$10,997.21
Secretary and Membership Report
To this date for 2012 we have processed 98 membership transactions. Of those, 31 are new members and eight
have signed up for Life Time Membership. This brings the total membership roster to 545. We have 55 delinquent
members for dues year 2012.
Scholarship Donations
Thanks to MG H.J. Schumacher, USA (Ret), the Estate of Fay Ragland (widow of Maurice Ragland) and to Ron
Knowles in memory of Pete Peterson, for their generous donations to the Scholarship Fund.
New Members This Report
Welcome New members: Nathan Arpan, Shane Branchcomb, George Brewster, Thomas Cost, Kelley Crooks, Stephon Cunningham, Robert Dilks, Jr., Michael Dunson, Jr., Nicola M. Felder, Michael Ganske, Paul Ganum, Tanika
Hart, Jimmy Harvey, Annie Hawkins, Armando Hiraldo-Cruz, Terry James, Roger Keely, Kenneth Konkol, Jr., Erik
Kristensen, Stephen Libonate, Michelle Lorden, John McQueen, Michael, Merchant, Michael Michaelski, John Pecze,
Jr., Paul Rozier, Frank Russell, Alfred Schroeder, Robert Sides, Scott Tobin, Nicholas Young, Jr., and James
Zimmerman.
We also have the following new members from the Shrimp Feast event: Shantrell Collier, Rene Gonzales, Eric Hill,
Jennifer Hill, Regina Johnson, Peter Prytula, Ralna Prytula, Richard Sands and Louis Williams. Welcome!
Membership Renewal
To save postage, we do not mail a special dues invoice. We remind everyone in the newsletters that the dues year
is January to December. If you have already sent your 2012 dues, thank you.
***** Delinquent Membership Dues *****
We still have over 70 members who have not paid their 2012 dues. The active roster is presently being
updated to remove names for payments not yet received.
Please remember dues are $20.00 per year and are due in January. Below is a form to fill out and send
with your dues. Also, please let us know of any address, email address, or other information change.
1600 Communications Association Membership Renewal
NAME: ____________________________________ SPOUSE NAME: ___________________________
ADDRESS: _________________________________________________________________________
HOME PHONE: ­­­­­­_________________________ WORK PHONE: _______________________________
EMAIL ADDRESS: ___________________________________________________________________
WHCA Service Dates from ____________________ to ________________________
Make check payable to 1600 Communications Association and mail to P.O. Box 160, Washington, DC 20044. Please allow
4 to 6 weeks for reply. www.1600commassoc.org
Page 5 Summer, 2012
Member Last Wheels Up
Ferney “Pete” Bruce Peterson, 70, of Mt. Crawford, VA died Sunday, April 29th, 2012 at Rockingham
Memorial Hospital. Pete was born August 8th, 1941 in Morriston, FL. He graduated from Williston Florida High
School in 1959.
After joining the Army and serving a tour in Germany Pete came to the White House Communications Agency
in 1966 and served there until 1985. He had assignments in Personnel and Security with his last position being
Operations NCOIC, where he was the mainstay of the Agency for several years. His ability to see and manipulate the big picture of Presidential and Vice Presidential communications support ensured every mission was
completed to the highest standards. After retiring from the Army in 1985 he joined the U.S. Secret Service
Communications Division retiring from there in 1989.
In retirement, Pete remained active with a close knit group of former colleagues regularly attending the Some
Old Buddies luncheon held on the first Tuesday of each month. Pete also served on the board of directors of
the 1600 Communications Association serving in several positions. He continued his service to the community
through volunteer work including advocating for children in legal difficulties and serving as a Big Brother. He
participated in the founding of the Freedom Museum in Manassas, VA. His community involvement also included memberships in VFW Post 7589 and Ruritan. Pete also enjoyed the competition and friendship in a senior
bowling league.
Pete was buried at Arlington National Cemetery on June 18, 2012 in Section 54 plot #1844. Pete is survived
by his wife Phyllis, his children Peter, Keri, Pam and Katie, five granddaughters, Julia, Emily, Abby, Emma and
Sophie, his sister Carolyn, and his nephew Darrell.
Freeman Carl Thibault, Age 74, of Adamstown, MD died on June 14, 2012 at Frederick Memorial Hospital.
He is survived by his wife, Cynthia Margot Thibault; his son, Lt. Col. Charles K. Thibault, USAFR and wife,
Crystal; a sister, Patricia Knowles; a brother, David Thibault and wife, Brooke; and three grandchildren, Chas,
Joshua and Jason. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Colette in 1991.
Freeman served in the United States Air Force from 1955 to 1959 and was employed by Collins Radio Company / Rockwell International from 1959 until 1998 as a Field Engineer in Communications. While working on
government contracts in the D.C. area, he worked and traveled extensively with the White House Communications Agency during President Johnson’s and Nixon’s Administrations to countries such as China, Russia,
Yugoslavia, Romania, Italy, Central America, Midway Island, Iceland and the Azores.
Freeman was a Life Member of the 1600 Communications Association and he and Cynthia were active in arranging and organizing the Annual Dinner Dance and raffle for several years. They regularly attended the annual Shrimp Feast and Cynthia assisted with collecting the admission fees.
A memorial service was held at 1 p.m. on Saturday, June 23 at Buckingham’s Choice, 3200 Baker Circle, Adamstown, MD 21710. Memorial donations may be made to the Buckingham’s Choice Residents Assistance Fund
at the above address. www.1600commassoc.org
Page 6 Summer, 2012
Member Last Wheels Up (continued)
Alfred E. Cox, 74, Fayetteville, PA, passed away on Aug 4, 2012. After high school, Al joined the Army in
1958. After basic training and a tour in Korea, he received an honorable discharge from the Army and enlisted
in the Air Force. After seven years in the Air Force, he accepted an appointment as a Warrant Officer in the
Army. Al served two tours in Vietnam, 1968-69 and 1970-71, assigned to the Ghost Riders 189th Assault Helicopters. His career covered many duty stations, both in the United States and foreign countries. In 1974, he
was assigned to the White House Communication Agency as a Presidential Communication Officer. During his
tenure at the White House and Camp David, he traveled extensively with Presidents Nixon, Ford and Carter.
Al retired from the Army as a Chief Warrant Officer on December 31, 1978, and entered civil service with the
Department of Defense, at Fort Ritchie, MD. After 15 years of civil service, Al retired on May 31, 1994 with a
total of 35 years government service.
His military awards and decorations include the Presidential Service Badge, the Legion of Merit, three Bronze
Star Awards, three Army Accommodation Medals, two Air Force Accommodations, plus several Good Conduct,
Defense Service and Campaign Service medals. His civilian service awards were three Commanders Civilian
Service awards, two Meritorious Civilian Service awards, and White House Military Office Directors award.
Among his affiliations with many organizations, Al was a life member and Past National President of the United
States Army Warrant Officers Association; life member of the 1600 Communications Association, life member
of the Disable Veterans Association, life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, member of the American
Legion, life member and Past President of the Mont Alto Hunting & Fishing Club, and Eagles Club, Inc.
Al is survived by his wife, Doris F. (Stiner) Cox and two daughters, Melissa Wells and husband Sam, Teresa
Needham and husband Geoff; one son, Douglas and wife Sandi, all of Waynesboro. Three grandchildren,
Benjamin Wells, Amanda Wells and Andrew Krouse, four step-grandchildren, Rhonda Needham, Alicia Reedy,
Esther Needham and Joe Needham, one great- grandson, Caleb Reddy. He also leaves behind his “buddy”, his
dog, Annie.
A memorial service to celebrate Al’s life will be held on Wednesday, August 8, 2012 at 11:00 am at Trinity
United Church of Christ, 30 W. North St., Waynesboro, PA., with Pastor Susan D’heedene officiating. There will
be no public viewing, but the family will receive friends one hour before the service. Grove-Bowersox Funeral
Home, Waynesboro, is handling the arrangements.
A Masonic service will be held by Acacia Lodge No. 586 F&M, before the memorial service. Interment will be at
a later date in Arlington National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Shriners
Hospital for Children, Zembo Shrine, 2801 N. Third Street, Harrisburg, PA. 17110.
www.1600commassoc.org
Page 7
Summer, 2012
P.O. Box 160
Washington DC 20044