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MILITARY OFFICER
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Tradition and Correction In the article about the Army and Navy Club here in Washington, D.C. [“Treasures and Tradition,” May 2010], the writer made a regrettable error in stating that “the Daiquiri bar plays host to a chunk of the USS Maine (ACR-1), which sunk in Havana Harbor in 1898 during the Spanish-American War.” Actually, the Maine sunk on Feb.
15, 1898, and it was not until April 23, 1898, that Spain declared war on the U.S., which in turn on April 25, 1898, declared war on Spain. —Cmdr. Paul S. Frommer, USN-Ret. via e-mail
I generally read all of the interest- ing articles in Military Officer and found [the article] on the Army and Navy Club [ANC] of particular interest. I think I have a correc- tion. The author [refers to] “Garcia, whose story might be familiar to military plebes from Elbert Hub-
1 4 MI L I T A R Y O F F I C E R J U LY 2 0 1 0 4/1/10 5:28 PM
bard’s essay ‘A Message to Garcia.’ The ANC was one of the last stops for the Navy lieutenant who delivered the renowned letter to Garcia.”
I was a plebe some 58 years ago
and seem to recall plebe lore that it was an Army lieutenant. My re- search indicates it was indeed an Army lieutenant, Andrew Summers Rowan, U.S. Military Academy [at West Point, N.Y.] class of 1881, who performed this famous delivery (and who was awarded a [Distinguished Service Cross] for the feat). In all fairness, my plebe lore recol-
lection also included that the flag pole at Trophy Point was the main mast of the Maine. All my research reveals the mast is indeed at Arlington National Cemetery [Va.]; I have found no evi- dence that it is the flag pole at West Point other than oral myth. —Lt. Col. A.D. Raymond III, USA-Ret. Marquette, Mich.
Editor’s note: A number of read- ers wrote in to advise us the service- member who delivered the message to Garcia was in fact an Army officer, then-Lt. Andrew Rowan.
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“[I] found ‘Treasures and Tradi- tion,’ on the Army and Navy Club, of particular
interest.” —Lt. Col. A.D. Raymond III, USA-Ret.
Military Families I feel that I would be doing my beloved wife of 65 years a great in- justice were I to fail to comment on … “Benefits for You” [May 2010]. In looking at the Masaki Ryo illustra- tion, I see a woman with a book and a dog in the background, but I ask myself, where are the children? … During my participation in three
major wars, my dear Billye gave birth to four wonderful youngsters. She supported me, a sea-going naval officer, in the full sense of the word. [Without her] I would not have functioned as well as I did during my career of 30 years (20 at sea) of naval service. —Capt. Lefteris Lavrakas, USN-Ret. Newport, Ore.
The Pacific Theater As a retired Marine and veteran of the Pacific battles fought on Peleliu and Okinawa [Japan], I feel compelled to offer a brief comment on [Army] Lt. Col. [Wayne] Silkett’s e-mail to Your Views [“The Pacific,” in the] May 2010 issue of Military Officer. Another perspective might be
shown by a comparison of the percentage of casualties [killed or wounded in action] relative to the total strength of the forces involved. Surely most of us are proudest of those successful military missions of the past, present, and future that have or will result in the least num- ber of casualties. —Maj. George L. Haggerty, USMC-Ret. via e-mail
I just received my Military Officer May issue and was delighted to see [Army] Lt. Col Wayne Silkett’s letter, putting some perspective into the Marine Corps sacrifice versus other service branches in World War II. Although
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