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Bits and Pieces
Bill Lack (Vice President/Midrats Editor)
Welcome to the Spring edition of the USS Saratoga Association Midrats. As we slowly begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel of the Covid-19 pandemic (and all of the associated things that entailed), we can begin to return to some sense of normalcy after a very challenging year.
One of the “normal” things we can look forward to is the Association’s 69th Reunion, to be held in Mobile, Alabama. You’ll find lots of details about this year’s reunion in this edition of Midrats.
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Speaking of the reunion, we're looking to increase the photo gallery for past reunions. If you have pictures of past reunions that you’d like to share with other shipmates, send them to us and we’ll post them on the Association’s new website.
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The closing of the Mobile reunion will mean the conclusion of Lee Martin’s tenure as Chaplain of the Association. Lee steps away from his duties with the Association to pursue some other life choices. He served the Association proudly and well for 6+ years and we thank him for his service. The chaplain duties will be continued by the Reverend Dr. Stephen “Steve” A Bird, who came aboard this year as co-Chaplain with Lee.
The Association wants to again thank Lee for his 6+ years of service to the Association as Chaplain.
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In every issue, I stress how important it is to keep your personal information current with our Secretary, Ed McCready and with the new website, it is easier than ever to update that information. Just go to the Membership section of the new website and click on the “Update Contact Information Only” button.
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Just a reminder, due to the cancelation of the 2020 reunion in San Diego (which was scheduled to be an Association election year), the next election of Association Officers will take place during the business meeting at the 2022 reunion (location TBD by a vote at the 2021 reunion in Mobile).
If you have questions or are interested in becoming involved with the governing board of the Association, please contact any of the current officers. All current officers and board members can be contacted via the Association website.
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Again, I am always looking for feedback. If there is something you like, something you don’t, if you have any ideas of different things to include....all thoughts & ideas are welcome. I want to make this something you look forward to and enjoy reading.
Hope that you enjoy this edition.
Thanks for your time and hope to see all of you in Mobile.
Bill Lack
Vice President
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Message from President
Brad Senter (President)
Shipmates & friends:
The year 2020 will be a year that will go down in the history books. Covid-19 has caused so many more problems than just the illness that goes with it. Businesses, employment and much more has suffered. 2021 has started out good, the vaccine is now being administered and hopefully be the end of 2021 Covid-19 will be history.
This year’s reunion should prove to be one of the best, some great tours are lined up. The membership will vote in Mobile, to decide where we’re going in 2022 and 2023 . Also, 2022 will be our election year, so if you’re itching to get a piece of the action, contact any board member and we’ll work to get you on board.
I’ve been in the president’s position since the San Antonio reunion in 1995, with the exception of 2 years. My current plans are to step down in 2022 and pass the baton to my replacement. It’s been a lot of fun, but there were some trying times, not many, but a few. It’s really been an honor and a pleasure to serve the Association as the president.
Anyway, looking forward to seeing everyone in Mobile.
Have fun, but be safe.
Brad Senter CVA-60 1961-64
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Secretary Message
Ed McCready (Secretary)
Shipmates, our group continues to exist and thrive due in large part to the volunteer service our membership provides. “Belonging” to an organization such as ours is much more rewarding when you get involved.
In the past I have generically requested your consideration to volunteer. With this MidRats, I am specifically highlighting one position that has been unmanned for about 2 years – Newsletter Editor. This is not a board position and very minimal time commitment is needed.
Twice a year the editor reaches out via email to the board members and committee chairmen to request the articles they may wish to share in the newsletter. A deadline is communicated and upon that day arriving, you would gather the articles and put them together. It’s important to specify that the articles be submitted in Word so you can edit for space and consistent format. The program I’ve used these past 2 years is Microsoft Publisher (it’s included in Office 365, if you have that) but any publishing program would work. Generally, the newsletters are 8 pages – in the past we did not have a consistent page count. Once you have the file created in the publishing program it needs to be saved as a PDF and submitted to our printer.
I would still handle the mailing list. As with every task there are additional details to understand but the outline above is accurate as to the position requirement. Should you wish to provide some creative assistance please reach out to me to discuss further.
Speaking of “creativity” the Association could use some fresh photography and images for our upcoming directory. If you would like to provide some photos for the directory, I’m putting that together at this time and seeking new images.
Ed McCready – Secretary – emc0853@yahoo.com - 804-589-1170
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New USS Saratoga Association Website
I hope by now that you’ve had the opportunity to check out the new Association website. The address (url) is the same, but we’ve made some changes and upgrades which we think you’ll enjoy and will make your dealings with the Association much easier.
The biggest changes are the ability to pay via credit card and to make your ship’s store purchases completely on-line.
You can now shop the ship’s store completely on-line. Of course, if you still want to pay by check, that’s perfectly acceptable, new ship's storekeeper, Terry Greer, will be happy to help you.
You are now able to pay your Association annual dues and/or make donations to both the Association and to the Scholarship fund via credit card from the website.
You can also make any needed changes/updates to your Association contact information on-line also. (The importance of keeping your contact info current cannot be overstated, if your address, email, or phone number changes, please let Ed know via the “Contact Update” section of the Membership page.)
The new site has updated and more information about the Association officers, members of the Board, and other important members of the Association. We also have a much larger photo gallery with pictures old and new.
You can also find information on the upcoming reunion in Mobile, a link to register to attend and information on past reunions. (If you have photos from past reunions that you’d like have included on the website, please contact me.)
As on the previous version of the site, we still have the Saratoga history, the story of the Mayport Mirror, and a link to our on-going effort to bring the name “Saratoga” back to the fleet (in the section now called “Future USS Saratoga”).
A tremendous amount of time and effort when into the new site. I want to specifically thank the Executive Board and other important members, but especially Mark Beecher, Skip Burnham, Terry Greer, Steve Katz, John Lipscomb, Ed McCready, Brad Senter, and especially Denise Reier and her team at Adago Marketing, who designed and developed the site for us.
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Scammer Alert
Since our new website went on-line, hackers/scammers have sent out a number of emails claiming to be from Association President, Brad Senter. In these emails, they ask the recipient to purchase gift cards which are to be sent to different locations, supposedly in the name of the Association.
These are a scam.
We are making some changes to the new website that we hope will discourage these types of actions, but please be aware.
If you receive any correspondence asking you to do buy something or to spend money in the name of the Association (whether it be supposedly sent from Brad, a different board member, or in the name of the Association), please contact one of the Board to verify it.
If we have an emergency situation that requires action by the membership or have information that we feel you need immediately, we would send out a FLASH Midrats-type email (via Mailchimp) and/or post it on Facebook.
You can always email any us directly via the officer's page of the Association website, email here, or use the contact@USS-Saratoga.com address.
BEWARE OF THESE SCAMMERS. DON'T BE TAKEN IN!!!
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Scholarship program
Stephen Katz (Chairman, Scholarship Committee)
Our scholarship program was first approved by your Executive Board at our reunion in Saratoga, New York in September of 2017. The program was then voted on by the membership and approved at our business meeting.
Since that time we have awarded 10 scholarships totaling $14,000.00.
There are two major goals of the scholarship program.
#1: Our program is designed and intended to be of a financial assistance to each and every qualified applicant who is the recipient a scholarship. This assistance can be used to help offset the ever increasing cost of a college or trade school education, whether it is used towards tuition, or the cost of books, equipment, or any other cost of attending school.
#2: Our program is also intended and designed to allow each applicant to discover more about the history of USS SARATOGA , and to learn about what their sponsors duties were while serving aboard her.
The ultimate goals of the program are to help define the legacy of the Association and of the USS Saratoga and to create a vehicle which will endeavor for our name to continue in perpetuity.
The program is funded by your tax deductible donations. We have recently made it easier to make this donation by going to our website, www.uss-Saratoga.com and using a credit card to make your donation.
We are most grateful to everyone who has made donations in the past and we are in need of and look forward to donations in the future, please consider donating to this wonderful program.
I also want to thank and give a huge ”job well done” to our committee and the Association Secretary, for all of their hard work in administrating and making the program a success.
Remember, Our Children are Our Future.
Stephen Katz
Chairman, USS Saratoga Scholarship Committee
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69th Annual Reunion - Mobile, Alabama
Bill Lack (Vice President/Reunion Host)
Following the first reunion cancelation in the history of the USS Saratoga Association, the 2021 reunion is on-course and on-time for an October 20-24 arrival in Mobile, Alabama.
I am honored to be acting as Reunion Chairman for our 69th Reunion.
The reunion hotel is the Holiday Inn Downtown Historic District (301 Government St, Mobile), with a room rate of $121 and a breakfast buffet is available daily for $7 per day (for those staying at the reunion hotel). Once again this year, we are working with Ray Casey and Military Reunion Planners.
Events and tours for Mobile include an early bird tour of the Famous Bellingrath Gardens, and an informal “Welcome dinner” on Wednesday night. The welcome dinner in Charleston was a sellout, so if you want to attend, be sure and book your reservations early.
The rest of the reunion will include tours to the USS Alabama & Vietnam Memorial Park, a tour and dinner at the Mobile Mardi Gras Museum, the National Museum of Naval Aviation (in Pensacola), and “Murder on the Battleship” (a live mystery theatre performance).
On Saturday morning, there will be divine services at 8:00, then the Association’s Business Meeting, at 9:00. (REMINDER: At the business meeting, we will be voting on sites for the next TWO reunions), then the Ladies’ Luncheon, and, of course, the Farewell Banquet on Saturday night.
To make your reservations, go to: https://www.uss-saratoga.com/reunion and click on the “Additional Information and Reservation” button.
Below see the MRP information on the reunions (also can be found via the website).
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Future USS Saratoga
The Association continues with its effort to lobby the Secretary of the Navy to bring the name Saratoga back to active duty.
If you haven’t written to SECNAV lately, drop him a line and remind him how important this is to you, your shipmates, and how the tradition of names like Saratoga are important to the moral of both sailors, the Navy, and all American citizens.
We do ask that if you go into specifics in your letter, that you consider using the basis that we put forth in our example/sample letter, which includes that a new Saratoga should include a Marine element, have an aviation component, and be a combatant ship.
For more information, please go to the Future USS Saratoga section of the new website.
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A Few Minutes with Steve Bird
In October 2020, The Reverend Dr. Stephen “Steve” A. Bird, came aboard the Saratoga Association executive team as a co-Chaplain.
I recently spent some time talking to Steve via Skype where he filled me in about his long Naval career and what else he’s done in his long and illustrious career.
Steve was born in Flint, Michigan and was raised in Dearborn. In 1971, he received his draft notice on September 6th. His birthday was on October 6th, and his draft number was 6. He felt those three sixes in a row, 666 (“Mark of the Beast”), was really God’s “mark” on his life. Remember, this was the Vietnam Era and Steve said many people suggested that he just go across the river into Canada to avoid being drafted. He felt it was his duty to serve his country, so he went to see the Army recruiter, he was looking to enlist in the reserves. The recruiter told him there were 600 guys in line in front of him for the Army reserves. But the Navy recruiter said that he had a “deal” for him. The recruiter gave him the information where he could take the ASVAB and enlist into the Navy.
Steve enlisted in the Navy in October of ‘71 and went to bootcamp at Great Lakes, then went to hospital corps school in San Diego. (His long term goal at the time was to be a physician.) From SD, he was stationed at the Naval Hospital, Philadelphia for 2 1/2 years. It was in Philadelphia he felt God’s call to go into ministry, especially Navy Chaplaincy, versus going into medicine. Philadelphia is also where he met his wife.
He went to Bible college and seminary school in Springfield, Missouri and pastored a church in Columbia, KY, before he was recalled back onto Navy active duty in 1983. His first duty station as a chaplain was on board the Saratoga, shortly after she returned to Jacksonville, (at the conclusion of SLEP and the multi-year yard stay in Philadelphia). Steve served aboard the Sara from 1983 until 1985. He was then transferred to the Naval Support Activity, Holy Loch, Scotland (submarine base)(’85-’87), Camp Lejeune (’87-’89), did post-grad work at Duke Divinity School (89-’90), and retired from active duty while at Camp Pendleton, CA (‘90-’93).
He stayed in the active reserves and retired subsequently from the Navy on October 1, 2011 as a Captain, after 40 years of honorable service.
While in the active reserves, Steve spent most of his civilian career working as a State of North Carolina Prison Chaplain, retiring in 2018 after 22 ½ years of service.
Since retiring, Steve spent 2 ½ years as a volunteer chaplain with the Monroe Fire Department, in Monroe, NC. He and his wife have relocated back to Jacksonville, NC to be closer to family. Steve is a now a volunteer chaplain with the Jacksonville Fire Department and is on the Billy Graham Chaplain Rapid Response Team and Prayer Line, among a number of other activities that keep him busy.
Steve has been married to his wife, Christine, for over 47 years. They’re having a house built in Jacksonville and plan to move in by May of this year. They have two grown children. Their son is the CO of a Reserve Squadron in Norfolk and just pinned on O-6 and their daughter is a high school biology teacher. They have 3 grandchildren.
In his spare time, he enjoys running and playing golf. While we were talking, we got to discussing movies, Steve says some of his favorites are “Top Gun”, “Iron Eagle” and the Karate Kid movie series.
Steve told me he found the Association via an on-line search and has been a member for 8 or 9 months and that Mobile will be his first reunion.
I want to thank Steve for taking the time to talk with me for this edition of Midrats , welcome him to the Association and thank him for his commitment to our members.
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2022 Saratoga Classic Half Marathon and Super Sara 5K
The Association was scheduled to be a race sponsor again for the 2021 race, but like so much else in the world, it went virtual because of COVID.
The Association has already committed to being a sponsor for the 2022 race. The race will be held on January 30, 2022 and will wind its way through the base at NS Mayport, ending on the carrier pier. You can already register for the race online.
Before the 2020 race, MWR Mayport reached out to the Association asking for help finding former Saratoga sailors to work in their tent at the race. They even brought the stern plate over and put it near the finish line, so people could take their picture with that piece of history . I’d assume they will ask for volunteers again for the 2022 race, if they do, we’ll put out a call via Midrats and Facebook.
Hope to see some shipmates next year at the race.
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Reading & Listening Suggestions
Bill Lack (VP/ Midrats Editor)
Books by Marc Liebman 
Marc Liebman is a former Naval Aviator who has written a number of different series of books, all with some type of Naval theme. I’ve read the first three of the Josh Haman series.
Josh is a helicopter pilot (as was Marc) and the series begins during the Vietnam War, with Josh being assigned to a Search and Rescue Squadron. The Haman series is pretty aviation heavy, but the books are exciting and a pretty good read. Two of his books recently made Amazon’s #1 Best Seller List.
I have not yet tried any of his other series, but do plan to, since I enjoyed the Josh Haman books so much.
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The Travis McGee Series 
If you enjoy reading and you enjoyed the time you spent living in Florida, and have never treated yourself to the Travis McGee series by John D. MacDonald, you don’t know what you’re missing.
McGee lives on his 52 foot houseboat, The Busted Flush, in slip F-18 at Bahia Mar Marina in Ft. Lauderdale. He makes his living as a “salvage consultant”, which means if someone takes something from you and you can't get it back via normal methods, he'll help you get it back for half the value. His adventures are always interesting and his takes on Florida ring as true today as they did when they were written in the ‘60’s, ‘70’s, and ‘80’s.
There are 21 books in this series and I’ve read them all multiple times and there isn’t a clunker in the bunch.
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Ball Four 
The eve of baseball season is the perfect time to read (or re-read,) the best baseball book ever written, Ball Four. I read it nearly every year during Spring training to get myself ready for the major league baseball season.
Ball Four by the late Jim Bouton chronicles the 1969 baseball season, as he attempted to hang on “by his knuckles” to a career as a major league baseball pitcher. It was the book that broke all of baseball taboos with the first "behind the scenes" look at baseball and is still as interesting, funny, and frustrating (if you’re a baseball fan) today as it was when I first read it in 1970.
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In another vein....podcasts
Over the last year or so, I’ve started listening to numerous podcasts. Sports, politics, history. If you have an interest, there’s a podcast (or twenty) out there for you. Here are a couple I listen to and thought might be of interest to some of you.
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Preble Hall
- A podcast done by the US Naval Academy Museum. Episodes cover a facet of Naval and/or Academy history (an event or personnel) from our country’s founding through the present time). Some episodes are better than others, but are always informative and interesting.
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American Story
- Generally short, but interesting and usually uplifting stories about America, her spirit, and her people. Generally, less than 20 minutes in length.
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Chaplain's Corner
“UNDER AUTHORITY”
by
CAPT Stephen A. Bird, CHC, USN (Ret)
Feb’83 – Jun ‘85
Whether one is an E-1 or an O-11, each one is under an authority above themselves. The same is true within the scriptures. One story which specifically stands out for me is the story of the Roman centurion soldier written in Matthew 8:5-13 and Luke 7:1-10. This Roman centurion, a Roman army captain, was responsible for 100 soldiers under his command. Luke specifically describes this Gentile soldier displaying acts of compassion towards people of a different country, culture and religion that he had a synagogue built for the Jewish people (Luke 7:5)! This man of war displayed real leadership qualities as he was compassionate and concerned even for the very least of all- his servant. When leaders, regardless of rank, genuinely take care and respect those under their charge, it is reflected in return by the productivity their subordinates. This principle does not just apply in the military but applies to the leadership of any civilian institution or corporation. Even though Matthew and Luke’s account may differ, look how the writers describe this soldier’s humility. Matthew states, “Lord, I am not worthy that you should come under my roof…” Luke states, “…the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself; for I am not worthy that you should enter under my roof. Wherefore, neither thought I myself worthy to come unto you.” Wow! What respect this Roman centurion had for this Jewish teacher, The Son of God, The King of Kings and Lord of Lords! BUT it even gets better! This Gentile Roman soldier states in both Matthew and Luke’s account, “but say the word and my servant shall be healed.” This response must have set Jesus back on heels as he was astonished at the centurion’s request, when Jesus turned around to the those following him, and said, “I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel.’ What an affirming statement coming from the mouth of the King of Kings commending a man of war having more faith than the nation of Israel. I can still remember seeing the show, Jesus of Nazareth, with the scene of Jesus and the centurion played by Ernest Borgnine (who served in the Navy during WWII rising to the rank of GM1). I can still see the image in my mind as Borgnine turns towards Jesus with an amazement on his face when he was told his servant was healed. Priceless!
As this story was written about 2000 years ago, the relevancy of this story still rings today that men and women can serve their County in the military (and in the civilian cooperate world) without compromising their faith, maintain strong leadership skills in positions of authority with a humble and compassionate attitude toward others. I hope your faith is just as strong if not stronger than this centurion’s faith!
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Thanks & Appreciation
Bill Lack (VP/MIdrats Editor)
As always, I want to thank those that helped me with this issue of Midrats. Thanks to Steve Bird, VAdm (retired) Bob Dunn, Steve Katz, Corey Lack, Linda Lack, Ed McCready, and Brad Senter. Thank you all for your help in putting this issue together.
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Thanks to Bob Dunn (VAdm-retired) for sending this for use in MIdrats.
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