IN THE BEGINNING….
Our regular Wednesday meeting was opened exactly at 12:24 PM with President Todd Lattig presiding this afternoon. A prayer was offered by John Cuozzo, followed by a patriotic song led by Helen Wescott. Today we had a total of 13 members present. Steve Wescott offered a very gracious welcome to our own members for joining together for lunch today.
BIRTHDAY GREETINGS
It was called to everyone’s attention that Marge McCabe had her 70th birthday yesterday, George Kaiser was celebrating his birthday today and that Alice Vigiletti also had a birthday. So, all of us sang Happy Birthday to our three members to help celebrate their lengthening longevity of life.
HAPPY DOLLARS
John Cuozzo – begin the Happy Dollar part of our meeting by giving $2 – for the topic of his presentation today – the 22 young men who formed the Navy Band aboard the U.S.S. Arizona.
Marge McCabe – gave a dollar – she and Wayne went to the Wallkill Rotary Club Annual Christmas Dinner the evening before. Todd and his wife Bernadette joined Marge and Wayne at the event. A second dollar covered the fact she was grateful for having spent some time with Pam Lazzaro last week.
Denise Current – passed in a dollar also for having spent some time with Pam.
Alice Vigiletti – gave a dollar for the great response we have received from local companies willing to let us sell the Gertrude Hawk candy at their sales counter. We have been doing very well in terms of our net profits from this fund raiser.
THOUGHTS AND CONCERNS
President Todd noted that one of the things that his congregation does during the time of services is to express their thoughts and concerns about members within their congregation and/or community. Todd said that he believed that it would be appropriate to do the same with our own members.
Obviously, the discussion of concerns when immediately to Pam and Carl Lazzaro. Both Marge and Denise spoke about Pam’s condition and what we could possibly do for her. Wayne expressed his concerns about Carl and what could be done to help lighten his load a little.
It was agreed that these concerns will be discussed further and decide how we can go about helping our two members.
ANNOUNCEMENTS
POLIO FUND RAISING PROGRAM - Todd noted that we will continue to help raise money for the world-wide polio campaign being operated by Rotary International. We will continue to put the blue tinted mason jars out on our tables every week and bring in small amounts of money as we go. Remember – your buck or pocket change, each week, can help to make a difference.
UGLY CHRISTMAS SWEATER CONTEST – It was announced that we will be holding an Ugly Christmas Sweater Contest next Wednesday. The winner will not have to pay for their luncheon. Who will bring out the most outrageous Christmas sweater? Time will tell.
THE PRESENTATION TODAY
John Cuozzo was introduced today as the person responsible for making the presentation. In light of the fact that last Wednesday was Pearl Harbor Day, John selected as his topic a group of youngsters, late teenagers really. A total of 21 of these young men constituted the official Navy band abound the U.S.S. Arizona. The Arizona was the second and last of the Pennsylvania class battleships to be built and was commissioned in 1916.
John noted that each capital ship in the U.S. Navy had its own band. Apparently, 21 band members was generally the size of a ship’s band for a battleship. Destroyers and cruisers and other capital ships might have slightly smaller bands.
John has been doing a considerable amount of background research on each band member, as evidenced by the information sheets he passed around on each of these men. Frederick W. Kinney, a musician first class, was designated as the band master. There were four members with the rank of musician second class, with the remaining members being mustered in as seamen second class.
John also showed us a flyer that was circulated encouraging young men with musical talents to sign up with the navy and be assigned to a ship band.
This band, like all other Navy bands, would perform at all official military services. Sometimes, the job was for a single member of the band, generally the guy with the bugle, to play reveille or retreat.
John told us about the “boys” and the nicknames they apparently had for one another: Curt, Rusty, Buttercup, Killer, Brick, Cherry, the Mad Russian, Lady Killer, Sandy, Okmulgee, Peepee, Scrooge, Swede, Chowhound, Alexander the Swooze, Bee, Ernie, Flat Foot Flooge, Jerry, and Whitey. Some of these nicknames we could possibly recognize from our youth, but the meaning of some of them are now lost in the dust of history.
“As far as the United States Navy can ascertain, it was the only U.S. Navy band which was formed together, trained together, transferred together, reported aboard a ship together, fought together, and died together,” wrote Molly Williams Kent, in her book titled USS Arizona’s Last Band: The History of U.S. Navy Band Number 22. Molly Williams Kent is the sister of Clyde R. Williams, one of the 21 members of the band. All 21 of these musicians lost their lives on the morning of Sunday, December 7, 1941 as a result of the Japanese bombs that totally destroyed the Arizona and sunk her at her moorings.
What can come out of this loss of life is a learning experience. Apparently, one of the musicians graduated from his high school in Plainfield, New Jersey. John spoke to us about the idea of him working with administration of that school and the music department. It may be possible to do research about this one navy band member and then meet with that high school band and talk with them about one of their predecessors who served as a member of the band of the Arizona. The discussion could also include some information about the navy band as a group and have photos of each of the members, especially a photo of the youngster from Plainfield.
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