Joe Rosenthal Chapter needs volunteers now
Hoping you are staying well and obeying the rules. We have many seniors in our Joe Rosenthal Chapter and other veterans organizations who need to be protected.
Yes, hard on the heels of the recent fundraising report, comes this one on a new push for the USS Joe Rosenthal.
If there is a single bright light to the pandemic, it may be that the door has been cracked open for the USS Joe Rosenthal Project. We need good news. The country needs good news. The USS Joe is good news!
The USS Joe Rosenthal is a nonpolitical, nonpartisan, no cost, feel good measure. It may provide our Nation a boost in morale, same as Rosenthal’s photo did in 1945. Wouldn’t that be something, Joe helping our Nation twice, 75 year apart?!
- At the last meeting, Mike, Ed and Bob said they had at least some degree of connection to a Congressman. Don Reid is working on a connection to Sen. Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi. It is time to contact them all, introduce them to the project, and ask for their help. Each representative has a veterans liaison on staff, and a good place to start.
- Once these initial contacts are made, this effort should be expended throughout the state of California, and then seeded across the country. I will try to enlist the California VFW to make that happen.
- When the representatives become aware of the project, it is time for us to facilitate 1,000s of letters, emails and calls to their offices. (For now, this is a future step.)
- Our Chapter President has written to Pres. Trump asking for his help naming a ship for Joe. To my knowledge, there has been no response. But we can write again and can expand our efforts by writing the vice president, secretary of defense, acting secretary of the Navy, chief of naval operations, commandant of the Marine Corps. Member Dave Kreuger suggested we include Ivanka Trump, Jared Kushner, and Fox correspondents to the list. I would add, and other news outlets. In general, get the word to DC decision makers and influencers. Also the leaders of veterans organizations, VFW, American Legion, Marine Corps League, DAV, and the Board of the Marines Memorial.
- We need one or two CC members to take the lead on this effort. This would mean identifying congresspeople and their contact info, finding allies in other parts of the country, coordinating those groups, working with a website and social media person we will hire for a few hours each month, and coordinating with our Chapter officers and myself.
We cannot proceed until we fill this leadership position. Since all meetings have been cancelled, I think we have more time on our hands. For that reason, and the unique “feel good” opportunity described above, this is a perfect time to undertake this effort.
I urge one or two people to step forward. Scuttlebutt indicates you will almost certainly be guaranteed an advancement of rank and a commendation medal.
Please consider signing up, and send me your questions and suggestions.
SF
Tom
Chapter Historian, USMC Combat Correspondents Association
Tom@tomgraves.com
Have you signed my petition? www.USSJoe.org