Local News
Army Security Agency Veterans Enjoy Fellowship at Monthly Luncheons
The history of Military Intelligence in this country originates during the American Revolutionary War with spies, scouts, informants, and such. Since then, technology has dictated just how intelligence on the enemy is collected, where today, spy satellites are used extensively – in addition to the continued use of “spies, scouts, and informants.”
Over the years, the U.S. Army Security Agency (ASA) was a very significant player for the nation in collecting intelligence on actual and potential adversaries by intercepting radio signals. The ASA existed between 1945 and 1977 and was the successor to the Army Signals Intelligence Service/Agency, with operations that date to World War I. Initially, this involved the interception of radio transmissions used by enemy forces communicating, sometimes by happenstance, but this capability evolved to very sophisticated collection means as technology improved, to include virtually all types of electronic signals.
Army Security Veterans lunch together at Mission BBQ in Winchester on Friday, November 3, 2023. L to R: George Trogner, Harry Newman, John Dick, Ken Noffke, Rodney Cowley, Karen Terry, Dick Henson, Ernest Puls, Tom Thompson, Jim Tillery, Richard Terry, John Campbell, Mark Gunderman, Mike Thompson, Gary Leopold, Bill Campbell, Bill Jacobson, and Dick Cook. Courtesy Harry Newman.
Tens of thousands of ASA soldiers have been employed over the years to conduct these operations, playing a significant role in WW I, WW II, the Korean Conflict, and Vietnam, and during peace time, significantly contributing to the winning of the Cold War. Following WW II (with compelling contributions to the breaking of German and Japanese communications codes), the Army established a direct link between the Army Security Agency (ASA) with the newly created National Security Agency (NSA) when it was created in 1952. Note also, that the Navy and Air Force later developed their own “signal interception” capabilities and organizations.
With an Army Intelligence reorganization, the ASA was integrated into the U.S. Army Intelligence and Security Command (INSCOM) organization in December 1976. While the ASA disappeared as an organization beginning in 1977, there continued to be “some” ASA designated units as the reorganization was completed. And today, there remain many Veterans still alive and well (mostly) throughout the country that chose to identify as proud “ASA Veterans.”
The comradery of this group of men and women is strong. Much of what they did over the years serving our country was highly classified but is now declassified, at least in part, and they are now able to discuss some of what they did and are reconnecting with fellow service members. This is therapeutic in many ways, especially for those of the Vietnam era, never welcomed home and never able to discuss the very highly classified work they performed for our nation. Now all should be recognized for what they accomplished, and not just in Vietnam. Note that during Vietnam, the ASA units had the “cover name” of Radio Research units, and all major tactical units were assigned such support – technically, ASA was “Never officially in Vietnam,” however, ASA was the first into Vietnam and among the last to leave. During ASA’s 12-year tour of service there, ASA units were awarded more than 120 U.S. decorations and 60 foreign citations.
The United States military is truly a brotherhood and sisterhood. Because military men and women are required to make sacrifices well beyond anything expected of their civilian counterparts, it is understood that the friendships established may also be much stronger. The reality is that the needs of the armed services come first, and personnel change duty locations at the direction of the military. During an individual’s time in the service, there are always fellow military members to rely on for support. Military families have a unique understanding of the challenges and can relate in ways that civilian support systems cannot.
Those who serve together form a common sense of purpose and devotion to duty. These military friendships last forever. But when people leave the military, they often lose touch with those dear old friends.
Harry Newman, Bob Chase, Ernest Puls, and Bill Jacobson provided brief biographies of their time served in the Army Security Agency. Courtesy Harry Newman.
Across the country, groups of these Veterans are gathering, to the benefit of the individuals wanting to reconnect with fellow members of the ASA of years past. These groups include those that made a career in the military, those that served their four years and returned to civilian life, and both enlisted and officer ranks. One such group is the Winchester/Northern Virginia ASA Luncheon Group that meets for lunch once per month.
Pre-COVID, fellow ASA members, Bill (“Jake”) Jacobson (residing near Leesburg) and Harry Newman (Stephens City) connected via an ASA Facebook Group, the National Army Security Agency Association (NASAA), and met for lunch one day. During discussions, it was realized that many more ASA Veterans were probably located in the area, and they needed to get together. So, it was decided that they would try to organize a monthly gathering, a lunch, perhaps. A notice was put out on the NASAA Facebook Group, and it was astounding how many of this relatively unheralded group of Veterans responded and joined the luncheons.
Today, there are 38 members that periodically join for lunch, sometimes five, sometimes as many as 18, depending on individual schedules. More than simply getting together to “share war stories,” these gatherings have more to do with demonstrating the bond of this mostly obscure group of intelligence professionals with a “shared CLASSIFIED experience and history,” that few outside of the military can understand.
Members of this lunch group include individuals exemplified by such as Jake Jacobson, living near Leesburg, VA. He was drafted in 1967 as a Private after a stint at Montana State College. After the “normal” battery of tests for new recruits to determine their strengths and aptitudes, Jacobson was offered (by a “special” recruiter) an opportunity to avoid the draft status by enlisting in the ASA for four years. Note that most recruiters of the time had no clue what the ASA’s mission was, because it was so classified. Enticed by the prospect of learning a marketable trade/skill, he joined, and following Basic Combat Training, Jacobson attended a lengthy school at Fort Devens, MA to learn and copy Morse Code along with Special Identification Techniques and radio direction finding.
In February 2019, former Army Security Agency (ASA) members Bill Jacobson and Harry Newman connected via an ASA Facebook Group, the National Army Security Agency Association (NASAA), and organized monthly luncheons that alternate between Smokin Willy BBQ in Purcellville and Mission BBQ in Winchester. Courtesy Bill Jacobson.
Although ASA was not technically in Vietnam, that is where he was deployed following school for the needs of the Army. Jacobson was assigned to a “Radio Research” unit (the cover name for ASA there! It was classified that ASA was in Vietnam, and all major tactical units were assigned such ASA support units) in the field intercepting low powered radio Morse Code and locating Viet Cong (VC) units. One had to be “close to the enemy “to hear the enemy.” Jacobson is remembered as mentioning that one day he and his team heard Vietnamese voices on the other side of a tree line as they were deploying and determined it was the very same VC they were intercepting at the time. He is fond of saying, “I’ve never had friends like the friends I had in Vietnam!”
Like the majority of Vietnam Veterans, Jacobson returned to the U.S. with virtually no recognition except from family and friends. Assigned to Fort Bragg, NC and then Vint Hill Farms, VA, he met his future wife and extended his enlistment two years until she graduated from Nursing school – of course, with the “needs of the Army” intervening, he was deployed to Germany and a border intelligence collection site for almost two years. Jacobson separated from the Army as a Specialist Fifth Class in 1973, and after getting married, he returned to Eastern Montana College (now Montana State University, Billings) for a teaching degree in 1976. He completed a 43-year teaching career in 2020. He is a member of the National ASA Association Board of Directors and continues to push for more recognition of these unheralded Army Intelligence warriors and bring together groups such as this lunch group. Further, Jacobson is actively involved in having an ASA memorial established at Arlington National Cemetery.
Another member of this lunch bunch is Robert (Bob) Chase, from Manassas, VA. Chase, a 17-year-old from Tennessee, enlisted for four years with the ASA in 1961 as a Private and became a Warrant Officer at age 24. His overseas assignments during 20 years in ASA included Vietnam (twice, plus several temporary assignments there), Thailand, the Philippines, and Germany. Those assignments in the U.S. include Fort Devens, MA; Fort Huachuca, AZ, Fort Hood, TX, Fork Polk, LA, Fort Bragg, NC, Fort Meade, MD, and Vint Hill Farms, VA. His experiences include being the duty officer at the Headquarters US Army Europe when terrorists detonated two 500 lb. car bombs at that compound that killed three soldiers. Chase married a German lady, and he became a Chief Warrant Officer at 25 years old, retiring as a Chief Warrant Three (CW 3) in 1981. Interestingly, his first beer as a new Warrant Officer at the officers’ club was bought by Charles Schulz (creator of Peanuts cartoons).
Ernest Puls, from Hanover, Maryland, enlisted in ASA in 1961 as a Private, retiring 23 years later as a Master Sergeant. Puls was a TV repairman, taking an electronics course when he enlisted, and the recruiter, when he saw his test scores, told him he had the perfect job for him. His 23 years with ASA repairing electronic equipment will attest to that! Following Basic Combat Training at Fort Jackson, he attended school at Fort Devens, MA, then on to Menwith Hill, England. There he met and married his wife and reenlisted (beginning that 23-year career). Returning from England, Puls was assigned to Vint Hill Farms, VA, followed by an unaccompanied tour in Sinop, Turkey. Afterward, Puls was sent back to Fort Devens for further schooling and became an instructor for a year. Then three years in Germany and four years at Fort Meade, MD. Then it was back to Turkey for a year, followed by an assignment to Fort Meade where Puls retired as a Master Sergeant and spent 17 years as a civilian DOD employee, and five years as a DOD Contractor at Fort Meade. Puls is also a member of an ASA lunch group in Maryland.
Harry Newman, from Stephens City, enlisted in ASA in 1966 as a Private, knowing nothing about ASA (or Army intelligence, for that matter) but was convinced by a recruiter that it would be interesting. As it turned out, this was so true. Newman signed up for school at Fort Devens, MA to become an Electronic Warfare specialist, decided to apply for Officer Candidate School (OCS), was accepted, and attended Infantry OCS at Fort Benning, GA. Following the Basic Officers Course at Fort Devens, he spent 18 months in Vietnam, mostly in the field as a platoon leader of an ASA unit supporting an Infantry brigade of the 4th Division. Newman was also assigned to the 5th Special Forces Group Airborne School, completing the course, and being awarded both the U.S. and Vietnamese jump wings. He returned to the U.S. in 1969 to Fort Bragg, NC, serving in the Airborne ASA battalion supporting the XVIII Airborne Corps, met his future wife, married her, and was reassigned to the Military Intelligence Advanced Officer Course at Fort Holabird, MD. Following this nine-month course, he was back to Fort Devens for ASA training and then to Mount Saint Mary’s College (Emmitsburg, MD), completing his undergraduate degree in Political Science under the Army’s Degree Completion Program. Afterward, Newman was assigned back to Fort Bragg to be an ASA Company Commander in the 82nd Airborne Division for 18 months. Newman has said this assignment, commanding a company of over 200 soldiers, was the best assignment he had in the Army.
Interestingly, demonstrating just how small the ASA community was and is, Newman’s First Sergeant, Charles W. Smith (Big Smithy, as he was called behind his back) was also the first Sergeant of a member of this lunch group, Jake Jacobson. Although the two missed being assigned together by a few months in the 1970’s, both have fond memories of Big Smithy. Newman remembers Smithy saying there was no way he would jump out of a perfectly good airplane, while never acknowledging that there was not a parachute harness large enough to fit him! He was 6’ 3” and over 320 pounds! But both Jake and Harry agree that there was never a finer first sergeant in the ASA.
Newman’s following assignments included Germany, as an intelligence analyst in a Joint Intelligence Fusion Center; Fort Sill, OK, as a Special Security Officer (SSO); South Korea as Chief of Intelligence in a Combat Support and Coordination Team supporting the First Republic of Korea Army, and multiple assignments in the Army’s Training and Doctrine Command. He also attended the Army Command and General Staff College (CGSC) while completing his Master’s Degree in Military Arts and Science in 1979. Newman served more than 20 years in the Army, retiring in 1986 as a Lieutenant Colonel. Retirement from the Army was followed by 15 years with a defense contractor. He continues to seek out those of ASA he served with over the years. As with Jacobson, Newman is a member of the National ASA Association Board of Directors and is also working to establish an ASA memorial at the Arlington National Cemetery.
The plan is to receive approval to establish an appropriate memorial within Alington National Cemetery (ANC) as agreed upon by the Secretary of the Army and ANC. At present, there are several dozen monuments and memorials, of various types and designs, that commemorate individuals, groups, military units, and battles.
While considered the Winchester/Northern Virginia Area ASA lunch bunch, ASA Veterans from Virginia Beach, Ashland, Richmond, Woodbridge, Front Royal, Manassas, Stanley, Emmitsburg, MD, Falling Waters, WVA, and even Fairfield, PA, have joined the group to share lunch and “stories from the past.” Friendships have been established, and in some cases, renewed – one of those, “I wondered what happened to you” moments.
The luncheon group meets the first Friday of each month at 11:30 a.m., alternating between Winchester’s Mission BBQ and the Purcellville’s Smokin Willy BBQ.
For more information regarding the monthly luncheons, and the ASA Memorial, contact Harry Newman at harry.newman@comcast.net or Bill Jacobson at wmjake01@gmail.com.
Local News
School Board Bids Rinaldi Farewell; Votes to Lengthen Contract for Truancy Prevention Officer
The Warren County School Board on Wednesday, December 6, unanimously voted to extend the contract length for a secondary truancy prevention officer from 10 months to 12 months and said goodbye to one of its own members, who is leaving at the end of the year.
School Board Chair Kristen Pence, Vice Chair Ralph Rinaldi, and board members Antoinette Funk, Andrea Lo, and Melanie Salins were present during the board’s final meeting of 2023.
Warren County School Board Vice Chair Ralph Rinaldi (above) says goodbye to his teammates.
The meeting was Rinaldi’s last as a School Board member as his term expires at the end of the year, and he decided against running for re-election.
“It’s been a great four years,” Pence told him. “I don’t think either of us could have known when we sat in our training in December of 2019 exactly what the four years were going to look like.”
Pence acknowledged Rinaldi’s passion for WCPS, the students, and the teachers. She also highlighted his work on the board’s Facilities Committee and his input on the renovation project at Leslie Fox Keyser (LFK) Elementary School.
“We’re all very appreciative of all of the work and dedication that you’ve done here,” said Pence, who presented him with a wall clock made by students at the Blue Ridge Technical Center and a brick of dedication from the LFK project.
Warren County Public Schools (WCPS) Superintendent Christopher Ballenger thanked Rinaldi for his efforts.
“I want to say thank you for your leadership,” the superintendent told Rinaldi. “I appreciate the wisdom you’ve been able to share and your dedication to students and to the schools of Warren County.”
Rinaldi told his colleagues he appreciated being part of a “good team.”
“It’s great to work with people who are on the same page,” he said. “And this board has been on the same page.”
While he admitted the board has faced some “rough spots,” Rinaldi said the School Board has achieved many goals and it’s been his pleasure to serve on it.
“Dr. Pence and I came on, and then COVID hit, and then we had to hire a superintendent,” he said. “I mean, we were really kind of slammed. So, I appreciate her leadership more than you know.”
Incoming replacement
Tom McFadden, Jr., elected to replace Rinaldi as the School Board member representing the Shenandoah District, spoke during the community participation portion of Wednesday’s meeting to introduce himself to the community and thank residents for their votes.
McFadden (above), the vice president of enrollment at Christendom College since 2014, has lived in Warren County for 23 years with his wife and 11 children. He noted that prior to his election in November, “there was a lot of chatter on social media about me — continues to this day — and what agenda I may hope to bring to the schools here in Warren County.”
McFadden said that while people didn’t ask him what his agenda was, they assumed certain things about him “due to my affiliation with the Catholic Church.”
“The fact that my children are homeschooled and I did not have any children enrolled in the school system, they wondered what agenda I might be trying to impose,” McFadden said. “I’m here to tell you that my only agenda is to provide a quality education opportunity for every student to achieve their highest academic learning potential, develop positive core values, reflective of our community, and enter higher education or the workforce, their choice, being well-prepared.”
The incoming board member said he also wants to help further the mission of WCPS by enhancing the community’s support of sports, increasing active parental involvement, and providing “clear, concise, and frequent communication.”
During the last few weeks, McFadden said he has met with WCPS principals and learned what they think the School Board can do to assist them with policies or what topics the board should be focused on.
“I’ve told each of them the same thing: my only agenda is to help them,” McFadden said. “I look forward to our working relationship over the next four years.”
The School Board also took several actions during its meeting, including unanimously approving the Secondary Truancy Prevention Officer position from a 10-months to a 12-month contract effective January 1, 2024, and scheduling its 2024 organizational meeting on Wednesday, January 3, 2024, at 5:30 p.m., in the Board Room of the Warren County Government Center.
To watch the December 6 School Board meeting in its entirety, go to: https://wcps.new.swagit.com/videos/283684#
Local News
Wildlife Center’s ‘Patient of the Week’ highlights importance of protecting region’s wild animals
It’s been a few years since Royal Examiner representatives visited the Blue Ridge Wildlife Center (BRWC) in Boyce, and most of that time our online newspaper has been pleased, and honored, to publish each week the photo and story behind injured animals that are delivered, now by the thousand each year, for treatment and, unfortunately for some, the benefits of euthanasia.
Many of these animals, however, are treated by not one, but now two, on-site veterinarians and their helpers, some volunteers among them, as the center has developed from its original old, old house, to a modern hospital enabling staff to admit and provide urgent medical care for hundreds more animals, birds and reptiles annually. Staff has increased exponentially over the past decade also, including the doubling up of veterinary care, as earlier mentioned.
A new X-ray machine in a modern medical facility room at BRWC. Courtesy Photos BRWC
Many of these unfortunate wild animals, indigenous to our region, are struck by vehicles or by victimized by garden tending materials accidents, others are poisoned by the effect of hunters’ lead bullets left in abandoned portions of carcasses left in the wild. Readily available unleaded ammunition is recommended regularly by BRWC. The injured may be operated on for the most serious and painful of injuries, and hopefully recover enough to be released back into the wild.
Some that are left with tended injuries that nevertheless make them unable to return to their habitats, are carefully housed in outside viewing areas, in airy cages, are labelled “ambassadors” and are used as educational tools in schools, service and other organizations, taking to the road almost weekly to spread the word about what the center, which is not subsidized by government entities but operates only on donated funds, does and how it does it. The weekly publication of the “Patient of the Week” and its photograph, has steadily shown the public the how and the why protection of our local wildlife is so important to ours and neighboring counties, and perhaps why we should give consideration to donating to the cause.
We’ve noticed over the months how owls appear to be one of the more common intakes among all animals, birds and reptiles, including the handsome old boy featured in the following “Patient of the Week” report from the center. We take the opportunity to wish him well, and welcome his eventual release to his home environment. Important to his recovery was the center’s new X-ray machine that a spokesperson said “could never have been purchased without the amazing donations made at this past fall’s fundraising gala!”
This Barred Owl, this week’s Patient of the Week, was brought in with injured metacarpals (“fingers”) and is expected to recover and be released into its natural habitat.
This owl, with broken metacarpals (“fingers”), is expected to recover well enough not to join others of his kind as a permanent resident “ambassador”. As with all the wildlife that arrives at the center, the vets and the center staff rejoice upon their patient recoveries that allow them to be released back to their natural habitat to begin life anew. So, off he will fly in the New Year.
We hope you will read through and study the photographs of this wise old owl, and follow our weekly series with interest and feeling for our native animal friends.
To contact BRWC, at 106 Island Farm Lane, Boyce, VA 22620, call (540) 837-9000 or email info@blueridgewildlifectr.org.
(Malcolm Barr Sr., contributing writer for the Royal Examiner, is a lifelong friend of all animals, wild, domestic, great and small!)
Local News
Blue Ridge Wildlife Center Patient of the Week: Barred Owl
This Barred owl was brought in to us after being found down along a roadside with broken metacarpals (“fingers”) on the left wing.
This is the “before” radiograph, showing that both the major AND minor metacarpal bones are fractured and badly displaced.
Due to the owl’s critical condition at intake, surgery was not possible until the following day.
After 24 hours of pain medications and fluids, this patient was in far more stable condition and our veterinary staff was able to perform surgery to place an external fixator to stabilize the metacarpal bones.
This year we were able to purchase a much-needed brand-new X-ray machine to replace our older unit that had recently broken down.
Not only is this new machine more reliable, it is also mobile, which allows us to take radiographs mid-surgery in our operating room without having to move the patient back and forth between radiology and surgery.
This was our pre-op setup. The x-ray detector plate is placed directly on the surgery table, then a heat pad and towel laid on top.
Because x-rays can penetrate easily through fabric, this does not create any issues with the images.
This was taken intraoperatively, as you can see owl’s body overlying the wavy heating element of the heat pad. Because it can sometimes be difficult to correlate what is palpable to actual bone orientation, the surgical clamp seen was used as a landmark. Comparing its physical location to what is seen on the radiograph can help improve alignment.
It is simply amazing to be able to do this without having to break sterile field or otherwise disturb an anesthetized patient, which would be the case with a typical standing x-ray machine.
The “after” photo: both metacarpal bones are well-aligned!
Having access to a reliable x-ray machine is critical to treating a large portion of our patients that come in with broken bones, swallowed hooks, or gunshot wounds.
This x-ray machine, and other critical medical equipment, could never have been purchased without the amazing donations made at this past Fall’s Gala.
This owl has been recovering well and has finally begun to eat on their own.
They’ll require bandage changes and cage rest for the next few weeks while the bone continues to heal, and then will require a bit of time in our outdoor pre-release enclosures for reconditioning.
We’ll be monitoring recovery closely and we hope to have them released and back home early in the New Year!
Looking for an easy way to help native wildlife? Become a monthly BRWC donor! For as little as $5/month, you can provide year-round, sustainable support that helps us fulfill our mission.
Legal Notices
Invitation to Bid: E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School Gymnasium Conversion
You are invited to bid on a general contract for Warren County Public Schools, E. Wilson Morrison Elementary School Gymnasium Conversion for the Warren County School Board. This project generally consists of converting an existing auditorium with sloped floor to an elementary gymnasium. All bids shall be on a lump sum basis.
Bids shall be received until 2:00 P.M. local prevailing time on December 18, 2023, to the attention of Dr. Chris Ballenger, Superintendent, in the Board Room of the Warren County Public School Administration Building, 210 N. Commerce Avenue, Front Royal, VA 22630, at which time they will be opened publicly and read aloud. Bids received after this time will not be accepted. All interested parties are invited to attend.
Drawings and specifications may be examined at the Office of the Architect/Engineer, the Warren County School Board office, and at the following locations:
Valley Construction News
426 Campbell Avenue SW
Roanoke, VA 24016
Jeanette Giordano
The Blue Book Bldg. & Construction Network
800 E. Main Street
Jefferson Valley, NY 10535
Builders Exchange of Tennessee
300 Clark Street
Knoxville, TN 37921
DODGE Data & Analytics
3315 Central Avenue
Hot Springs, AR 71913
ConstructConnect
30 Technology Parkway South
Suite 100
Norcross, GA 30092-2912
Construction Journal
400 SW 7th Street
Stuart, FL 34994
Plans and specifications can be obtained via download from ShareFile at no cost. Contact ggoetz@zmm.com for ShareFile access. Upon receipt of valid email address, ZMM Architects & Engineers will provide a password with instructions on accessing and downloading plans and specifications. Hard copies of plans and specifications can be obtained from ZMM upon receipt of a nonrefundable check in the amount of $75.00. Plans and specifications can be shipped for additional charge. Contact ZMM for further details.
Bids shall be accompanied by a bid guarantee of not less than 5% of the amount of the bid, which may be a certified check or cashier’s check, or a bid bond of 5% of the amount of the bid, made payable to Warren County School Board. A performance bond, payment bond and a material and labor bond will be required and the cost shall be included in the bid price.
Bidders are required under Title 54.1, Chapter 11, Code of Virginia (1950), as amended, to be licensed as a “Class A Contractor” before submitting a bid of one hundred twenty thousand ($120,000) dollars or more; or to be licensed as a “Class B Contractor” before submitting a bid of ten thousand ($10,000) dollars or more but less than one hundred twenty thousand ($120,000) dollars; or be licensed as a “Class C Contractor” before submitting a bid of no more than ten thousand dollars ($10,000). Each Bidder will be required to give their State Registration Number on their proposal. All non-resident contractors and subcontractors bidding the work described herein shall register with the Department of Labor and Industry under the provisions of Section 40.1-30 of the Code of Virginia.
The Owner reserves the right to waive irregularities and to reject any or all bids.
A pre-bid conference will be held on December 3, 2023 beginning at 10:00 A.M. at the Warren County Public School Administration Building, 210 N. Commerce Avenue, Front Royal, VA 22630 with a tour of the school afterwards. The school is located at 40 Crescent St., Front Royal, VA 22630. This will provide an opportunity to answer questions and explain any items requiring further clarification.
Bids shall be binding for a period of sixty (60) days from the date on which bids are opened.
Warren County School Board
Dr. Chris Ballenger
Superintendent
Local News
Pearl Harbor: The Day That Changed America Forever
An Infamous Day in American History
On December 7, 1941, a day President Franklin Roosevelt declared would “live in infamy,” the United States Naval Base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, was attacked by Japanese forces. This catastrophic event not only led to the loss of over 2,300 American lives but also marked a pivotal moment in world history, catapulting the United States into World War II.
A Nation Shaken and Mobilized
The attack on Pearl Harbor caused unprecedented destruction. The U.S.S. Arizona was obliterated, and the U.S.S. Oklahoma capsized, among other significant losses. Admiral Husband Edward Kimmel’s urgent dispatch encapsulated the shock and severity of the situation: “AIR RAID ON PEARL HARBOR X THIS IS NOT DRILL.” The following day, Congress declared war on Japan, signifying the end of America’s isolationism and the beginning of its significant role in World War II. The nation rapidly transitioned to a wartime economy, accelerating armaments production for military campaigns across multiple fronts.
The Human Response: Voices from the Aftermath
In the wake of the attack, Alan Lomax, head of the Library of Congress Archive of American Folk Song, sought to capture the public’s immediate reactions. Folklorists recorded diverse perspectives, from a Californian woman in Texas lamenting the rise of hatred to ordinary Americans grappling with the sudden thrust into a global conflict. These “man on the street” interviews offer a poignant glimpse into the national psyche at a time of great uncertainty and sorrow.
Propaganda and Patriotism
The Office of War Information (OWI), established months after the attack, utilized collective fear and outrage to bolster support for the war effort. The OWI effectively mobilized public sentiment and labor toward the war cause through propaganda that highlighted American patriotism.
Preserving History: Library of Congress’s Role
The Library of Congress plays a crucial role in preserving the memories of Pearl Harbor. It houses an annotated NBC news report script from December 7, 1941, emphasizing the news delivery’s gravity. The Library’s extensive collection includes recordings of wartime broadcasts, post-battle assessments, and even stories from World War II veterans, offering a comprehensive look into the era’s history.
NBC Program Book. Annotated typescript, December 7, 1941; Microphone, ca. 1938. In World War II, Memory Gallery. American Treasures of the Library of Congress. Motion Picture, Broadcasting & Recorded Sound Division
The attack on Pearl Harbor remains a defining moment in American history. It led to a major shift in global politics and deeply affected the American spirit. The collective memory of this event, preserved through various mediums, continues to remind us of the resilience and unity displayed in the face of adversity.
Local News
Principals Confirm Pending Sale of 53.8-Acre Portion of Expanded SVGC to Local Private School
Officials of both the Shenandoah Valley Golf Club (SVGC) and Dominion Ridge Academy confirmed the pending sale of a 53.87-acre portion of the former Bowling Green Country Club acquired recently by SVGC, to the Christian-based, non-denominational pre-K through 12th-grade school founded in 2006. The school has been seeking to expand its physical plant for about a decade and now plans to do so on the acquired property, which includes a 15,000 to 16,000 square-foot clubhouse.
The Shenandoah Valley Golf Club’s Rockland Farm Course clubhouse – could this 15,000 to 16,000 s.f. facility soon be the home-base of Dominion Ridge Academy? Stay tuned sports fans. Courtesy Photo SVGC
SVGC owner Richard Runyon described the portion of his club planned for sale as the front 9 of the Shenandoah Valley Golf Club’s Rockland Farm Course, which was the old South Course at Bowling Green.
According to its website Dominion Ridge is a Christian-based, non-denominational pre-K through 12th-grade school founded in 2006, graduating its first class in 2012 as its enrollment grew to about 100. Its current enrollment was cited at 180 by Dominion Ridge Board member and Acting Chairman Michael Graham.
Contacted about the pending sale both Graham and Runyon said they would like to defer further comment on the sale process and potential impacts on their operations until that process has been finalized. Royal Examiner agreed to accommodate those wishes.
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