Brothers,
Do you know how many
SigEp Patriots were killed at the Battle of Iwo Jima? What is the name of the only U.S. Air Force base named after a U.S. Navy officer (and SigEp Patriot)?
One of
the missions of the SigEp Patriots Project (SPP) is to be able to answer these
and many other questions pertaining to this unique group of Brothers, and it is
why we have approached multiple members of the Headquarters leadership at both
Conclave Phoenix and Dallas about establishing a dynamic partnership. To date,
no luck, but we continue to be hopeful.
Please
read on to learn the answer to one of the above questions.
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| NY Beta Brother Jimmy Meissner alongside "Hat in the Ring Squadron" aircraft (dated 02 MAY 1918) |
08 MAR 1918
On this date, World War I Veteran and NY Beta Brother Lieutenant James “Jimmy”
A. Meissner, U.S. Army Air Service reported
to Major John Huffer, commander of the U.S. 94th Pursuit Squadron. Known as the
“Hat in the Ring Squadron”, the 94th was the first entirely American unit to
fly a fighter patrol. It was here that Jimmy became an Ace pilot, and good
friends with Eddie Rickenbacker, the highest scoring American Ace of WWI.
06 MAR 1924
World
War I Veteran and NY Beta Brother Captain Enoch
N. Holstrom, U.S. Army died on this date in St. Luke’s Hospital, Chicago,
Illinois after an illness of several months. In 1917, Brother Holstrom went to
France as a second lieutenant with the 11th Engineers and was soon promoted to
first lieutenant.
At the
Battle of Cambral, Enoch directed the construction of rail lines for the
transportation of tanks to the front. This he did with such speed that he
received a letter of commendation from General Pershing. During that battle,
two hundred of his men were cut off from the detachment by a barrage, but he
led them to safety and for this act of heroism he was promoted to captain.
Enoch
entered Cornell in 1912 as a student of mechanical engineering and graduated in
1916. Following graduation, he worked for the Wagner Electric Company in St.
Louis, and later transferred to New York. After his return from France, Brother
Holstrom moved to St. Paul, and in 1923 relocated to Chicago.
03 MAR
1933
World War I Veteran and VA Eta Brother Private Joel W. Flood, U.S. Army completed his
term as a member of the Seventy-second U.S. Congress on this date.
05 MAR 1941
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| NC Delta Brother Seymour Johnson |
On this
date, while serving as a test pilot, NC Delta Brother Lieutenant Seymour A. Johnson, U.S. Navy was
killed when his Grumman F4F-3 “Wildcat” crashed near Norbeck, Maryland. Brother
Johnson was flying aircraft #1844 out of Naval Air Station (NAS) Anacostia, now
part of Joint Base Anacostia Bolling, Washington, DC, and before he crashed he
transmitted, “Altitude 43,000 feet. Oxygen getting low. Coming down.” Several
months after his death, in his honor the Army Air Forces Technical Training
School in Goldsboro, NC was renamed Seymour Johnson Field – now Seymour Johnson
AFB, making him the only naval aviator to have a USAF base named after him.
Seymour
enrolled at the University of North Carolina – Chapel Hill from 1920 until
1923, when he transferred to the U.S. Naval Academy. After graduating from the
academy, Brother Johnson was commissioned as an ensign in the U.S. Navy and
entered flight training. He received his pilot's wings in 1929. He served aboard
the USS Florida (BB-30) and USS
Galveston (CL-19) for two years when he entered Pensacola for a year, going
thence to the USS Chester (CA-27), on
which he remained until 1933. For two years he saw shore duty at the Norfolk
Naval Base and then was assigned to duty aboard the USS Ranger (CV-4) – the first U.S. Navy
ship originally designed to be an aircraft carrier, based in San Diego. From 1937 to
1938, he was senior aviator aboard the USS New
Mexico (BB-60), and served as a test pilot at NAS Anacostia after that
until his death.
At the
time of the crash, Seymour had more than 4,000 hours in various naval and
Grumman aircraft. He had been selected to be promoted to lieutenant commander
in June 1941.
Respect
can be paid to Brother Johnson at Section 7, Site 8153 at Arlington National
Cemetery, Arlington, VA.
05 MAR 1942
Oklahoma
Alpha Brother James M. Johnston, Class
of '34, enlisted in the U.S. military on this date.
08 MAR 1943
New York
Beta Brother Stewart W. Banks enlisted
in the U. S. Navy on this date.
06 MAR 1944
On this
date, World War II Veteran and OK Alpha Brother Private Lake L. Maddox, U.S. Army made the ultimate sacrifice when he was
killed in action at Anzio, Italy while serving in the 30th Infantry Regiment,
3rd Infantry Division.
Respect
can be paid to Brother Maddox at Section 4, Site 2133-B at Fort Gibson National
Cemetery, Fort Gibson, OK.
04 MAR 1945
World
War II Veteran and DC Alpha Brother Major Vananda
J. Meyl, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was released from military service on
this date after nearly three years of service. Ironically, during his military
service, Brother Meyl served at Seymour Johnson Field.
05 MAR 1945
On this
date, World War II Veteran and KS Gamma President Second Lieutenant Robert E. Stoddard, U.S. Marine Corps died
of wounds received during fighting on Iwo Jima while serving with the 23rd
Marines.
Respect
can be paid to Brother Stoddard at Westlawn-Hillcrest Cemetery, Omaha, NE.
04 MAR 1946
World
War II Veteran and KS Gamma Brother Staff Sergeant Kenneth L. Hart, U.S. Army Air Corps was discharged from military
service on this date at Fort Logan, Utah after more than 2 1/2 years of
service, including nearly a year overseas.
05 MAR 1946
On this
date, World War II Veteran and NY Alpha Brother Captain Frederick T. Turkington, U.S. Army Air Corps was released from
military service. The Class of ’40 graduate from the University of Syracuse
served for nearly five years, including his last 21 months overseas.
08 MAR 1946
World
War II Veteran and PA Epsilon Brother Lieutenant Junior Grade Arthur J. White, U.S. Navy Reserve was
released from service on this date. The Class of ’43 graduate entered the Navy
Reserve following graduation, and served for more than 2 1/2 years, including
overseas in the Southwest Pacific.
06 MAR 1949
The body
of World War II Veteran and IN Alpha Brother Second Lieutenant Clarence C. Roudebush, Jr., U.S. Army was repatriated on this
date. Brother Roudebush was killed in action in NOV 1944 near Pescara, Italy
while a member of the 60th Troop Division.
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| NE Beta Brother Adolph Wenke |
03 MAR 1961
U.S.
Army World War I Veteran, Judge (Nebraska 9th District), Nebraska Supreme Court
Judge and NE Beta Brother Adolph E.
Wenke, 63, died on this date after collapsing near the door of his office
in the Capitol. Brother Wenke had just begun his 4th
6-year term on the high court bench when he died of a heart attack.
Respect can be paid to Brother Wenke at Lincoln Memorial Park, Lincoln, NE.
05 MAR 2003
U.S.
Navy World War II Veteran TN Alpha Brother James
“Jim” T. Brantley died on this date at Middle Tennessee Medical Center just
days before his 76th birthday. During the war, Jim served as a corpsman.
At the
University of Tennessee, Brother Brantley earned a bachelor of science degree
in agriculture, and retired as a supervisor with ConAgra of Knoxville, TN. Jim
was a member of the Manchester Lions Club, and the American Legion Gold Star
Post 78.
Respect
can be paid to Brother Brantley at Robinson Cemetery, Loudon County, VA.
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| TX Alpha President Charles West |
04 MAR 2011
On this
date, World War II Veteran and TX Alpha President First Lieutenant Charles L. West, U.S. Army Air Corps
died peacefully in Midland, Texas. During the war, Charles served as a
bombardier with the 7th Air Force, 30th Bomb Group in the South Pacific aboard
a B-24 Liberator nicknamed “Ruff Knights.” They flew from bases on Guam,
Saipan, and Tinian, and he and the crew of ten other daring young men, and an
ornery dog named "Snuffy," combined to fly 43 missions.
On one
of those missions, Lieutenant West and the Ruff Knights led the entire bomb
group on the final tactical assault prior to the invasion of Iwo Jima – where Brothers
Stoddard and Uricchio, and as of yet unknown number of other SigEp Patriots,
made the ultimate sacrifice.
Following
the war, Charles attended Louisiana State University and The University of
Texas, where he became a SigEp and continued the SigEp Patriot legacy.
After
graduating in 1951, Brother West worked as an independent petroleum geologist
for multiple companies, most notably Texas Pacific Oil & Gas and Beach
Exploration, in a career spanning nearly 60 years through booms and busts.
Charles was an active member of the Midland Downtown Lions Club, Midland
Masonic Lodge #623, Scottish Rite, and Suez Shrine.
09 MAR 2012
OR Alpha
Brother Lieutenant Commander Kent W.
Wells, U.S. Navy (Retired), 71, died on this date in Damascus, Maryland. He
served in the United States Navy on the USS Jonas
Ingram (DD-938), the USS Franklin D.
Roosevelt (CVA-42), and for the Naval Security Group in Edzell, Scotland
and Misawa, Japan. He retired after 20 years of service and then worked for the
Department of the Navy, as Division Chief, Central Adjudication Facility, Naval
Criminal Investigation Service and earned a Meritorious Service Award.
08 MAR 2013
Happy
anniversary to ND Alpha Brother Mark
Becker one year after he was commissioned an Ensign in the U.S. Navy on
this date in Newport, RI following 12 weeks of Officer Candidate School.
RECENT LOSSES TO THE ROLL
* U.S. Air Force Vietnam War Veteran NC Delta Brother Philip B. Nash, 75, passed away 28 FEB
after a brief battle with cancer. Brother Nash was an accomplished aviator and
die-hard Tar Heels fan. A celebration of Phil’s life will be held at 1pm, Saturday,
08 MAR at St. John’s Cathedral, 1350 Washington Street, Denver, CO. The family
requests that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Wings Over the Rockies
Air and Space Museum in Denver.
* TX Upsilon Founding Father Major Marion L. Cooper, U.S. Army (Retired) passed away 03 MAR. Marion
served in the U.S. Army in both active and reserve duty for 26 years. A celebration of his life will be held
Monday 10 March at Gorman-Scharpf Funeral Home (1947 E Seminole St, Springfield, MO) at 12:30pm.
Our
thoughts and prayers go out to the families, friends and chapter brothers of
SigEp Patriots Nash & Cooper. The SigEp Patriots Project (SPP) pledges that
their lives and service to the Nation will always be remembered.
CONGRATULATIONS!
* On 07 MAR, Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran and CA
Theta Brother Frank
Beardsley graduated from Contra Costa County Police Academy, and learned
he was hired by Brentwood Police Department. Frank commitment to serving his
community with distinction was demonstrated as class leader, and graduating 6th
of 41 cadets. Congratulations Brother Beardsley!
We
always want to hear about your accomplishments and celebrations, and we hope
you will send us your great news!
Fraternally
and Respectfully,
Brother Ed Jones, NY Eta ‘96
Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy Reserve
Founder, SigEp Patriots Project
Brother Ed Jones, NY Eta ‘96
Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy Reserve
Founder, SigEp Patriots Project
