Memo To: All The Island Travelers

NOTES FROM MEMBERS

The following information is repeated from last months news letter just as a reminder to check your photos of the Ponape region and see if you have any photos that can be used in Andrew's video documentary.

A message was received from a native of Ponape.  He is doing a video documentary

on the repatriation of Ponape Island natives back to their home island from the island of Kusaie after the war ended.  His name if Andrew Geminaro and he now lives in Hawaii but is originally from Ponape in the Carolines.

He had an uncle, a Ponape Islander that was enslaved by the Japanese Imperial Navy on the island of Kusaie during the war.  He is one of only 9 surviving out of 179 men sent to Kusaie in 1943 to build a Naval Air Strip.  He is now telling his story.  He needs pictures of the war on these two islands.

If any members have pictures that they can identify to the islands during the War he would appreciate receiving copies of them for use in the story of what transpired on the islands during World War II.  Send pictures to:

Foster Cummings says hello to all.  Things are going along well in the area but they still had to let the rain come down whenever it felt like doing so. A heat build up in the atmosphere accompanied the rain.

He said that the 4th of July celebration was good but they had to fight the weather problems to make sure that the fireworks would almost perform per spec.

Foster has been in touch with DC Clay and Doc Protheroe and all is well with them.

Heard from Joe Mc Donald who sends his regards to all. He reported that Rita manages to get around with the help of a walker and use of a wheel chair.  He also keeps in touch with Foster Cummings who keeps him filled in with US Marine Corps data which is interesting reading.

Had a great chat with Nick Bozic who sends his regards to all.  He is still in the recovery mode from his stroke but is able to get up and around with the help of his walker.  He can't drive any more and his daughter or son take him around for sight seeing which includes shopping and the like.  He just puts his walker in the back seat of the car and removes it for use when they arrive at the destination.

He brought up many 613 members names and we discussed their status which was all good data.  Nick appreciated hearing about them and what was new with them.

Mike Pasachnik says hello and regards to all.  He said that he is doing pretty good, one knee gives him a lot of trouble so he has to be super careful when he goes out for a slight stroll.

He makes sure that he has the proper accouterments with him when he does go out for a stroll.  He takes a special walker along and at times a wheel chair for additional support.

Nick Dudo says hello to all.  He continues to have spinal column problems wherein his sciatica nerve lets him know when he is moving about too fast.  Hence he knows when to change his pace and move about at a slower pace.

He has been in touch with Carmine Nasta who reported that he can't navigate like he used to, he has to resort to walkers, canes and the like to move about.

Nick then brought up names of members to see if most of them were still able to move about.  He did all the name references by memory, no hesitation in the memory routine at all.  He even mentioned the towns or area of the particular state where they lived.

Charles Ringler dropped us a line and said thank you for including his picture, which was taken at Cherry Point Airbase in 1943, in the newsletter of June 4th.

He said that he enjoys reading the newsletter about Squadron 613 and learning about the member's past activities and what they are doing at the present time.

He sent along a program of the Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Awards.  This award program was founded by him in 1977.  This year they celebrate their 30^th Anniversary.  The “black-tie dinner”, which is always held at the Fort Worth Club was attended by more than 600 people this past February.

This award is given annually to the nation's #1 college quarterback.  He is also given a Rolex watch, and his school is given a $10,000 scholarship.  Also, a $20,000 scholarship is given to the most outstanding Fort Worth-Dallas area high school student.

He further stated that he has enjoyed every year of participation in this worthy endeavor He was president of the Davey O'Brien Foundation and Dinner for many years and ever since his retirement has served as Chairman of the Board, Emitarius.

Doc Protheroe sends his regards to all.  All continues well at Hilton Head.  He had an opportunity to go over to Parris Island and went to the PX on a shopping tour.  He purchased a US Marine Corps cap for Stan Richardson to wear during his stay at his nursing home.

Stan appreciated getting the hat which will give him the option of having a second USMC cap, the first option being his VMB 613 cap.

Heard from John “Chico” Duarte who sends his regards to all.  He said that he is still working in the “Newspaper Stand” early in the AM on a daily basis which allows him to meet a lot of people.

He has been going to the VA for therapy on a weekly basis with three weeks remaining for his problem.  They are endeavoring to remove an internal scar on the sciatic nerve and are using laser techniques in the procedure.

This year he has also returned to his back yard farming project.  With the weather (temperature and humidity) at unusual figures he has had to become a scientific farmer.  No more just turning on the sprinkling system, he has to limit the watering of plants to coincide with the area humidity and air temperature.