This Week in SigEp Patriot History, 16 – 22 SEP

Brothers,
[Reminder: To see the complete work including pictures, go to www.sigepblog.org.]

“We who have a deep concern for our Fraternity chapter are vitally conscious of the importance of its history. History is tradition and if we are wise, we seek guidance and discipline in tradition. But we observe sadly that events of importance, here today, have a way of becoming lost very quickly in the dim yesterdays. And if we are to make use of our history we cannot be satisfied to let significant events remain buried.”

~ Brother Pedro Campa, Illinois; from the Sigma Phi Epsilon Journal, Volume 67, Number 4, published May 1970

Even though today is the day after POW/MIA Remembrance Day, the SigEp Patriots Project (SPP) believes it is important to always honor the following Brothers who were prisoners of war and those who are still missing in action:

Robert Douglas Avery – MIA & POW, TN Gamma ‘65

Paul S. Beard – POW, OH Epsilon ‘04
Heywood Davis – POW, DC Alpha
William C.A. Enke – POW, MT Alpha
Elmer J. Gray – POW, PA Delta
James Downs Latham – POW, KS Beta ‘69
George Robert Law – POW, WI Alpha ‘34
John “Bill” William Rambo, Sr. – POW, TN Alpha ‘58
Waldo E. Schmitt – MIA & POW, DC Alpha ‘40
John R. Vaughn – POW, CO Gamma ‘38
Edgar A. Waite, Jr. – POW, PA Delta ‘49

NEVER FORGOTTEN

18 SEP 1946

World War II Veteran and CA Alpha Brother Captain William E. Turpen, U.S. Army was discharged on this date after more than six years of service.

NH Alpha Brother
James V. Forrestal

17 SEP 1947

On this date, President Truman’s selection as first U.S. Secretary of Defense was sworn in – World War I Veteran and NH Alpha Brother Lieutenant James Vincent Forrestal, U.S. Navy Reserve. During the same week three years later, a bronze bust of Brother Forrestal was unveiled at the Mall entrance to the Pentagon (22 SEP 1950).

22 SEP 1995

AZ Beta Brother (then) Captain Alan Mark “Vodka” Gemmill, U.S. Navy completed his tour as Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) on this date.

20 SEP 2008

On this date, Operation DESERT STORM Veteran MO Lambda Brother Jay Scott Danner, U.S. Air National Guard (Missouri) died at St. Francis Hospital, Tulsa, Oklahoma at the age of 43.

Scott was born in 1964 in Maryville, MO, and graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in 1988 with a BS degree in Business Administration. He worked for Philip Morris USA for 19 years and his final job was as a Unit Manager.

Respect can be paid to Brother Danner at Prairie Home Cemetery, Graham, MO.

Last Week in SigEp Patriot History, 17 - 23 SEP

Brothers,

In a week that saw the anniversary of the establishment of the Department of Defense and U.S. Air Force, 9/11 and the 34^th observance of National POW/MIA Recognition Day, the following words remain true and a concern of the SigEp Patriots Project (SPP) serving to motivate and inspire us every day.

“We who have a deep concern for our Fraternity chapter are vitally conscious of the importance of its history. History is tradition and if we are wise, we seek guidance and discipline in tradition. But we observe sadly that events of importance, here today, have a way of becoming lost very quickly in the dim yesterdays. And if we are to make use of our history we cannot be satisfied to let significant events remain buried.”

~ Brother Pedro Campa, Illinois; from the Sigma Phi Epsilon Journal, Volume 67, Number 4, published May 1970



NH Alpha Brother
James Vincent Forrestal



17 SEP 1947

President Truman selected World War I Veteran and NH Alpha Brother Lieutenant James Vincent Forrestal, U.S. Navy Reserve to be the first secretary of defense and he was sworn in on this date. During the same week three years later, a bronze bust of Brother Forrestal was unveiled at the Mall entrance to the Pentagon (22 SEP 1950).

22 SEP 1995

On this date, AZ Beta Brother (then) Captain Alan Mark “Vodka” Gemmill, U.S. Navy completed his tour as Commanding Officer of the aircraft carrier USS Dwight D. Eisenhower (CVN-69) after serving since 20 MAR 1993.

20 SEP 2008

Operation DESERT STORM Veteran MO Lambda Brother Jay Scott Danner, U.S. Air National Guard (Missouri) died on this date at St. Francis Hospital, Tulsa, Oklahoma at the age of 43.

Scott was born 25 OCT 1964 in Maryville, Missouri, and was a 1984 graduate of Maryville High School. He graduated from Northwest Missouri State University in 1988 with a BS degree in Business Administration. Brother Danner served in the Missouri Air National Guard and was a veteran of Desert Storm. He worked for Philip Morris USA for 19 years and his final job was as a Unit Manager.

Respect can be paid to Brother Danner at Prairie Home Cemetery, Graham, MO. While gone, SPP pledges that Scott and his patriotic service will always be remembered.

19 SEP 2009

U.S. Navy World War II Veteran and CO Delta Brother Theodore “Ted” Louis Goudvis died on this date in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Born in 1918, Ted grew up near New York City. He graduated from Colorado School of Mines with a professional degree in mining engineering.

During World War II Ted was a Navy “Seabee” (Construction Battalion) and served in France and the Philippines. After the war, he and a college friend started a small business in northern Ohio manufacturing concrete products. He visited and fell in love with Aspen, Colo., in the 1960s, and built a house there when he retired in 1980. Ted was an avid hiker, skier and nature lover.

At this time, SPP does not know Ted’s final resting place, but we hope you will write if you have that information. In the meantime, SPP will keep looking, and pledges that Ted and his military service are always remembered.

This Week in SigEp Patriot History, 21 – 27 NOV

In this edition of “This Week:”
- Welcome Home Brother Bosson!
- More SigEp Patriots Getting Married
- AZ Beta Recognizes Three U.S. Navy Chapter Brothers
- NE Beta Weighs In
- Update: SigEp Patriots Project

22 NOV 1918
On this date, World War I Veteran and VA Epsilon Brother Second Lieutenant Cralle Fauntleroy Blackwell, U.S. Army was commissioned a second lieutenant of coast artillery and given his honorable discharge at the same time.

21 NOV 1921
World War II Veteran and NE Alpha Brother First Lieutenant Charley Lewis Dickey, III, U.S. Army was born in Columbus, Nebraska on this date.

25 NOV 1936
U.S. Army Korean War Veteran NC Delta Brother Nathaniel Sullivan Crews was born on this date in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

27 NOV 1950
On this date, U.S. Army WWI Veteran, Speaker of the North Carolina House of Representatives, U.S. Senator (North Carolina) and NC Gamma Brother Willis Smith began his term as U.S. Senator representing North Carolina.

22 NOV 1987
World War II Veteran, Mayor (Jacksonville), Governor (Florida) and MA Theta Brother Lieutenant William Haydon Burns, U.S. Navy died on this date. Born 17 MAR 1912 in Chicago, Illinois, Haydon (as he was often called) an accomplished pilot, initially served in World War II as an aeronautical salvage specialist with the rank of lieutenant in the Office of the Secretary of the United States Navy.

Following his military service, Brother Burns made his home in Florida, and during his first bid for public office (in 1949), was elected to his first of 15 consecutive terms as Mayor of Jacksonville, FL. Haydon served as such until 1965 when he took his post as the 35th Governor of Florida during a “short term” (1965-67).

Changing the course of Florida in two years.

Governor Burns utilized his short tenure to allocate massive funding increases for the state park and educational systems of Florida. In addition, he established strong trade ties with South America, implemented significant revisions of the Florida Constitution, and advocated for tax reform. But perhaps his single most far-reaching accomplishment was to convince the executives of the Walt Disney Corporation to expand their second theme-park in central Florida.

Testaments to Brother Burn’s diligence and commitment to the people of Florida still exist today.

In 1966, the building located at 605 Suwannee Street in Tallahassee, Florida opened and was named the W. Haydon Burns Building. It became home to the State Road Department, now the Florida Department of Transportation.

In 2004, the City of Jacksonville renamed the old City Hall the Haydon Burns City Hall Annex.

In addition to be a being a Brother of Sigma Phi Epsilon, Haydon was also a Freemason, Shriner and member of the Kiwanis and Knights of Pythias.

Respect can be paid to Brother Burns at Oaklawn Cemetery, Jacksonville, FL.

23 NOV 1987
On this date, Vietnam and Persian Gulf War Veteran Renaissance Brother General Colin Luther Powell, U.S. Army (Retired) began his tenure as the 16th National Security Advisor in the administration of President Ronald Reagan.

23 NOV 2009
U.S. Army World War II Veteran and OH Epsilon Brother Dr. Nicholas Billeris died on this date. He was born on 12 MAR 1923 in Youngstown, Ohio, and as a young boy, during the depression years, he and his family moved to Tarpon Springs, FL. He graduated valedictorian and president of his class from Tarpon Springs High School in 1941, and pursued his education by hitchhiking to Tennessee, then traveling on to California to attend UCLA at night where he was employed with the Douglas Aircraft Factory during the day.

In 1943, Brother Billeris was drafted from Los Angeles and served as a sergeant with the Army Air Corps Weather Squadron 2nd Division, gathering and decoding data to transfer to meteorology stations. He also served as a Greek interpreter for Army Intelligence and received four Bronze Stars for his service in the European Theater.

After World War II, Nicholas graduated from Ohio Wesleyan, and was then accepted to Northwestern University in Chicago where he earned his D.D.S. degree in dentistry, graduating with top honors. He also taught meteorology in Chicago to cadets enrolled in the ROTC program.

After moving back to Florida, Brother Billeris had a successful practice for 40 years, and volunteered his time at schools and county dental programs to treat patients who had no resources to receive dental care.

CELEBRATE!
* It continues to look like that time of year. TN Beta Brother Captain Brian Park, U.S. Air Force is now engaged to Ms. Abby Forrester, and U.S. Army Veteran OH Rho Brother Wes Ehninger is engaged to Ms. Janelle Hayes. Congratulations and best of luck to Don & Abby, and Wes & Janelle!
* Welcome Home to Operation ENDURING FREEDOM and LA Alpha Brother Captain Brock Bosson, U.S. Army! For his hard work, Brock was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal. Congratulations and thank you for your service, Brother.
* On Monday, FL Iota Brother Chase Busch on his promotion to First Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. Congratulations Chase!
* At their inaugural event on 04 NOV 2011, AZ Beta presented U.S. Navy Veteran AZ Beta Brother Richard G. Guthrie with a service award named in this honor, and inducted the following AZ Beta Patriots in to their Hall of Fame:
- Rear Admiral Mark Gemmill, U.S. Navy (Retired) and Ensign John A. Robertson, U.S. Navy
* U.S. Navy Veteran, SigEp Patriots Project IN Beta Point of Contact and Brother Sean Benge is heading back to Fort Meade, this time as a civilian. He was stationed there while attached to Navy Information Operation Command Maryland between May '07 and December '09 as a cryptology technician (CT). We wish him luck in his future endeavors as he continues to support war fighters home and abroad.

SIGEP PATRIOTS PROJECT (SPP) UPDATE
- 360. 410. 11. 430.
* There are now more than 360 pages of information in the SPP archives.
* With the help of fellow SigEp Patriots referring Brothers, SigEps Who Serve (SWS), the official SPP Facebook group now numbers 410. We welcome Brothers Wes Ehninger, Dan Clark, Robert Graves, Steve Haley and Jeff Burriss.

If you are a SigEp Patriot and on Facebook, just click on the link to go to the SWS page http://www.facebook.com/groups/sigepswhoserve. All we need to know is your home chapter and military affiliation. In addition to Facebook, SPP also has a listserve that you can join by writing to sigepswhoserve@gmail.com.

* SPP Chapter Representatives / Points of Contact (POCs). There are now 11 Chapter POCs, and SPP would like to welcome the following Brothers and thank them for their interest in honoring brothers who serve/served:

- TX Delta POC – U.S. Navy Veteran and TX Delta Brother Petty Officer Third Class Chris Mejia. Chris served aboard the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN-76) and was just elected chapter president.

- OH Theta POC – OH Theta Brother Ben Garner, U.S. Air Force ROTC at University of Cincinnati.

POCs can be undergraduate or alumni brothers. Contact SPP at sigepswhoserve@gmail.com to establish a POC.

* This was a great research week for the Project. The names of more than 430 SigEp Patriots were added to the roll. A huge thank you goes out to NE Beta Alumni & NE Beta AVC VP of Communication and Finance Cory Butler for exemplifying our cardinal principles through his efforts to honor Brothers and add information about 30 NE Beta Patriots.

Fraternally and Respectfully,

Brother Ed Jones, NY Eta ‘96
Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy Reserve
Founder, SigEp Patriots Project