WELCOME DAWN!

You may have noticed a new name on our masthead; that of DAWN WILCOX as our new Computer Specialist and Administrative person. DAWN started here just after our 1997 ‘PATROL IN PARADISE’ in the Florida Keys and she is taking on a lot of the normal day-to-day responsibilities which will allow me to get back to producing the KTB and FB Magazines.

CHINA is CANCELED!

We had planned a return to Red China in late 1997, much along the same route we took when we went in 1992. Unfortunately, the Chinese officials were unable to give us the guarantees we needed to plan our trip, and so we have canceled it.

ADVERTISING HELPS

That was not my intention when I had the SHARKHUNTERS emblem painted in gold on one side of my Suburban and the EAGLEHUNTERS emblem on the other but that’s what happened.

Our staff was having our Christmas luncheon when a fellow I had never met, was ushered to our table by the manager. It was PAUL PASSANTE (4323-1995) who just happened to be in the area, visiting his father. As they were driving past the restaurant, he spotted the emblem on the side and figured it must be us. It was.

WELCOME LOU

We are pleased and proud to announce the last two new Members of our SHARKHUNTERS ADVISORY BOARD. Welcome to our ADVISORY BOARD to US Army Special Forces (GREEN BERET) MAJOR LOU MARI (536-1988). LOU is a solid historian and a staunch American patriot, and has always been a strong, supportive Member of SHARKHUNTERS. WELCOME LOU, we are glad to have you on the board.

WELCOME PETER

The last (but certainly not least) new Member appointed to our Board of Advisors is PETER HANSEN (251-LIFE-1987). PETER was a Naval Lt. but also worked for the Abwehr and is the author of our ‘THROUGH PETER’S PERISCOPE’ section which gives so many secret stories of World War II.

PETER will serve until the end of 2006. Welcome PETER - we are glad to have you on our Board.

DUES INCREASING!

Remember, we have been telling Members that our annual dues will be going up sometime this year. The constant increase in postage (4 since our last dues increase) plus a jump of about 80% in printing costs in the last year has made it impossible to hold off any longer on an increase.

We have given notice as soon as we knew and we continue to give notice of this impending increase so that Members may renew for more than one year and thus save some money. When you renew your annual dues, you may renew at the current rate for as many years as you wish, thus saving the increase. Please keep this in mind, as we try to make your Membership as easy as possible. Some Members even renewed for as many as five years. You can too.

MEMBERSHIP CONTEST

We have finished our 1996 Membership Contest and the results are in. It comes as no surprise that GUDMUNDUR HELGASSON (3566-1994) was the winner - again. He brought 17 new Members on board in 1996 and coupled with the 11 he brought on board in 1995 brings his total to 28 new Members. In just two years he has moved into 3rd place on the overall recruiting roster. Only two Members have recruited more Members than GUDMUNDUR, and they are:

JOE BURGESS (605-A/LIFE-1988) - total of 74 new Members
LOU HOUSE (2243-A/LIFE-1992) - total of 71 new Members.

Will GUDMUNDUR move ahead of them and bring in more Members than anyone else? Or will these tough old veterans dig in, turn up the boost and recruit even more Members? Time will tell, but let’s sweeten the chase a little. Keep reading. Meanwhile, the 1997 Membership Contest is off and running with:

RICK SAVEL (3423-1994) 2
GUDMUNDUR HELGASSON (3566-1994)

DAVE BOUSLOG (4795-1996) 1

It is a start, and there is plenty of room for everyone to jump in. All can win! You will receive one more year of Membership FREE for every five new Members you bring on board this year. That is not difficult, and everyone can win. Dig in & win your FREE year.

The Member who recruits the most this year (minimum of 30) will receive a super GRAND PRIZE. The winner will receive a Bahamas Cruise courtesy of SHARKHUNTERS!

Who will be the first Member to recruit more than 100 Members? What SUPER GRAND PRIZE will we award for that feat? I have no idea - perhaps our Members can suggest what prize we can award for the first one to recruit more than 100 new Members. Send in your suggestions and let’s see what we’ll give away. But in the meantime, recruit some new Members yourself and start working on your next year free - or on your Bahamas Cruise!

PANZERHUNTERS

To become a reality! As you will remember in KTB #124 last month, we asked if any Members would be interested in a group to gather and learn the history of the PANZERS. Response has been good, and so PANZERHUNTERS is born. Here are a couple items you need to look at:

1. If you can research and write factual articles about the PANZERS, please contact this headquarters soon. We would like your articles in this new Magazine.

2. If you wish to join this new group and GET A LOW Membership Number, please let us know right away. Your name will be put on a list in the order in which it is received. Do not send any money - we will send a billing when we are ready to produce our first Magazine, which we anticipate will be sometime around June or July this year.

3. We need suggestions for the name of this new Magazine. The Magazine of SHARKHUNTERS is called the KTB from the German KriegsTageBuch, which basically meant Logbook, from a naval standpoint. The Magazine of EAGLEHUNTERS is called the FB, which means FlugBuch, or Flight Log from an air force view. What will we call this new Magazine?

U-BOAT! by SHARKHUNTERS

ADM FRANK KELSO (2919-1993) read this book and he writes:

“The pages of U-BOAT! are fascinating reading. They tell the gripping stories of war at sea in the words of those who lived and died in submarines and those who hunted submarines. That old enemies have become friends is the real story of this book. None could have thought fifty years ago that this book would be printed or that such mortal enemies would relate the grim stories of the war in a book written together.

I found the stories of great interest ad recommend them to those who would like to know how the war was fought at sea. It should be remembered that the life of Britain and Germany depended on the outcome of the U-Boat conflict. This book relates how this took place, scene by scene and the courage and bravery of the men who participated on both sides. I recommend its reading as a reminder never to get enveloped in such a conflict again.”

SHARKHUNTERS in 65 COUNTRIES!

When CAPT. GEORG LASSEN (184-1986) recently moved from his native Germany, the island of MALLORCA became the 65th country into which we send our KTB Magazine.