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Getting to Know Fellow Rotarians

Our missing President, Louie Capuano, came back from his sudden absence and started the meeting at 12:30.

Louie, responding to the allegations about his being responsible for the Geysers Project debacle, said he was not there, had nothing to do with it, and knew nothing about it. (Typical politician –Ed J)

Chuck Baker led the pledge of allegiance.

Bill Dodson provided the “Rotary Moment.”

Ken Dansie introduced the visiting Rotarians.

Guests of Rotarians

“My son” Ed Burr with Bob Marigo.

Former member Gary “narcolepsy” Leopold with John Withers.

And, also a former member, Cal Kimes with Ron Street.

Announcements

Pinot for Polio chair Michael McLaughlin was here to (give us a program? Try to keep those announcements under 2 minutes -Ed) promote the event happening Sunday Aug. 10th at the LBC. There will be 25 food and 25 wine venders as well as a live and silent auction. Michael informed us that Rotary may not meet its goal of eradication by 2005 and will cost $116,000,000 a year after that. See Harry Rubins for additional tickets.

Jeff Ray announced this was the last day for the Golf Tournament sign up that will be held Friday Aug. 8th.

Tee time is 2pm at Bennett Valley Golf Course, followed by dinner at Galvin Park at about 6 p.m. (Important instruction from Jeff: bring a cooler for refreshment on the course!)

President Louie announced that John Meislahn would hold the Crab Feed Committee meeting Aug 11th at Ed Burr’s office (1235 North Dutton). He also announced that we will be dark Aug 11th, but will be having a joint meeting Aug 15th at the Flamingo. A sign-up sheet will be passed around next week for a head count.

Also, there will be up-coming membership seminars held Aug 2nd in Ukiah, and later in Yreka, Windsor, and Napa.

Roger Olson announced that the Air Show will be Aug 21st -24th and tickets are now available at Long's Drug Stores.

President Louie then asked for a volunteer for the Sunshine Chair to take over for Susan Nowacki. No one came forward; look for someone to be drafted next meeting.

Checks were presented to our “guardian of the scholarship funds,” Past President Phil Talamantes, on behalf of Ridgeway for $1700, and to Bob Zeni for the Piner Scholarship fund - by whom else but “Santa Louie”.

Fines & Recognition

President Louie, microphone in hand (a la Jay Leno) went to the people, going table to table to make up for the meeting he missed. General fund must be a little low?

Don Ling was asked about not being in the paper and the moving of there manufacturing facility to Washington $10.

Bill Gittins took the opportunity to advertise the art show Saturday Aug 9th from 3-7 p.m. at the Artists' Collective Gallery since he was going to be fined anyway $10.

(Your Editor & wife Mary visited Bill’s works at the gallery last night and were thoroughly impressed. Bill’s “closet” paintings, actually “garage” would be more accurate, hold their own with the very best. If you haven’t already seen them - GO THERE! You’ll be delighted, AND impressed as well! -Ed)

President Louie wanted to know about the Hope and Crosby show that Past President Mike Moore and Phil Talamantes put on at Jim Groom’s dinner. Mike said Phil was great to work with and Jim Groom was a “rich source of material”....$10 each.

President Louie thought that Jimmy Underhill had been voted into the Sonoma County Athletic Hall of Fame but he was mistaken. As it turns out, Jimmy has been serving as a committee member for 7 years. Jimmy did, however, point out that Bill Fisher had been elected to that esteemed hall, for track and field.

President Louie, finding comfort in talking to the other Louie (Giacometti) was discussing the return from a trip when he discovered that Louie was the second oldest member of the club, turning 87 Aug 3rd...$10.

“Von” Von Der Mehden sold an unnamed vehicle to an unnamed member of the club, which happened to be a white Ford Expedition, for none other that President Louie! $10 (Do we see a pattern here?)

Paul Stychno has a new car also, but it just happened to be a 500 SL...$30.

Not to be outdone was Immediate Past President Mike Moore, who also has a new 500 SL. Mike was trying to get off on a technicality since the car may or may not have been ordered and delivered during his term as president. Nice try....but still $15.

The Raffle

Since Tom Langley had won the chance to draw a marble last week for $425, but since the bag and the marbles were in the absent president’s possession, he had to wait until this week. Tom got first shot at the elusive black marble, but before his try Louie asked to see the ticket. Tom had his ticket in hand and made his draw...but no cigar.

Past member Cal Kimes had the lucky ticket and drew the black marble for $450 and put the money towards his second Paul Harris. Not to be completely left out, Tom Langley did receive the bottle of wine.

Program

(President Louis has asked that approximately every 6 weeks we have one or more of our members provide us with a program. Today our speakers were Charter President Bill Fisher & Past President/Past District Governor John Withers.)

Bill Fisher was our first speaker. He wanted to first clear up any misconceptions that his father was a missionary sent to China, and that that was how he (Bill) had come to spend his early years growing up there. He also wanted to acknowledge that indeed he wouldn’t be here, if not for his dad. Bill’s father James (former member of the Downtown club) was born in Nebraska and volunteered for service in WWI. Because of his mechanical ability he was given the opportunity to be a pilot in the Navy. After coming back to the states he flew in air shows until he was asked to be a test pilot. James then was sent to meet the train and pick up a Ford dealer from Japan. This gentleman convinced James to go to Hong Kong during the depression, and sell airplanes on commission to the warlords there. Bill was six months old when he and his mother went to Hong Kong to join his father.

Early on, James had a tough go of things and, after struggling for a while, he sought help to send Bill and his mother back home, but about that time he finally sold his first planes. The planes were sent by train to a distant location and James had to travel there, assemble and test fly them without an airstrip, taking off instead from a racetrack. After about 4 months he tried to receive payment for the planes, but the warlord informed him that he would have to pick 8 men, none of whom spoke English, and teach them to fly these planes.

By and by another 4 months went by and they had an exhibition to show off the pilots and the planes, during which one of the planes inverted, flew upside down for a bit, and ultimately went down in a pile of dust. When they rushed to the downed plane to see what had happened, they found the pilot sitting to the side of the plane with his helmet off, dazed but OK.

Shortly thereafter, Bill and his family made it onto one of the last ships to leave Japan before the start of WWII. On the trip back to the states they met a family by the name of Procter from Santa Rosa. The Fishers arrived in Southern California where they spent a year. James signed on with Lockheed Aircraft and was sent to Santiago, Chile, to sell planes to the airlines in Central and South America.

While trying to teach these pilots to fly, he also had to convince them that they could not fly the planes with people standing in the isles, and with boxes of chickens and ducks and baggage tied to the wings. Finally the Fishers decided to leave and visit the Procter’s in Santa Rosa, where they were convinced to get into the water business. James Fisher and Son is now run buy the 3rd generation, Bill’s two sons Jim & Barry.

Our next speaker was John Withers. John graduated from West Point and went into the Air Force. There he had his choice of being either a fighter pilot or a bomber pilot. John chose to become a bomber pilot and was assigned to the 509th and stationed in New Mexico, where the first atomic bomb was based. He was given the Q clearance (highest security clearance) and was cleared to carry atomic bombs. They had targets plotted in Russia, practiced, and were ready to go if orders came.

They were sent to England for three months to be “on the ready”, and after coming back, John and 3 crewmembers were then sent to Korea. On their way, they stopped off at Travis Air Force Base near Sacramento and test-drove B29’s. Taking off from they started a flight of 2400 miles when they encountered engine troubles and were left to improvise and find parts that fit to get them another 2200 miles to their destination on Okinawa.

Upon arriving in Okinawa John was told he was not to be there, because of he knew too much about the war plans and were he ever to go down in his plane the Russians would likely take him back to Russia with them. So John was instructed to save the last bullet for himself. Because of the humidity the pilots rigged boxes with lights in the bottom to keep their flying suits dry. Unfortunately, because boxes were scarce, John was forced to hijack one that had been held for the commanding officer. The pilots also would hang their suits up in the plane and fly naked (paints quite a picture John!).

The Air Force had a base in southern Japan for planes that could not make it back to base. After being shot up, John and his crew crashed an officer’s club party where they ordered steak and due to a language barrier he ended up with 4 dinners. The US was losing lots of planes to Migs flown by European pilots.

The US then started dropping flyers (the paper kind) over enemy airstrips stating that we would pay $1,000,000 for any planes flown to, and turned over to, the US. This prompted the North Korean’s to send those pilots home. (The story ends here, so your editor can only assume that the Korean Conflict, as it is called, ended, the Cold War began, and John Withers came back home and began to build his own empire, which he did quite well. – Ed J)

Your Bulletin Reporter: Steve Wright (Hey, this is Steve’s first, so be sure to let him know what a good job he did!)		Your Bulletin Editor: Jim Valinoti

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Changes or comments?

Contact Jim Valinoti at valinoti@sonic.net or (707) 829-2300.

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