Only 40

We are not kidding when we tell you that only 40 will be able to go with us to Germany this September. One of our hotels could only give us rooms for 40 people - no more! So if you don't want to be left out and miss our great visit to Germany, get your reservation in PRONTO! We CANNOT take more than 40 - no kidding!

1998 Germany Photo Gallery (Slow: 173K).

Computer Fund

Many thanks to these Members for their donation to our Computer Fund this past month.

THEO FREUNDORFER (177-1986) $200 Fahnrich in the Kriegsmarine at the end of the war
PATRICK KINNEV (1093-1989) $ 25
JOHN TAVLOR (19-LIFE-1983) $100 Our contact at the National Archives
H.J. von KNEBEL-DOEBERITZ (681-1988) DM 100 I.W.O. on U-99 under OTTO KRETSCHMER
HERMANN SCHNEIDER (1390-1989) HERMANN sent about $150 worth of postage stamps! They were very welcome, since we always need postage.

Many thanks to these Members and to all Members who have helped this fund along the way. We do indeed deeply appreciate this help from our Members.

Important Message to the Advisory Board

I want to thank each and every Member of our Advisory Board for the sage advice you rendered on this recent major question. Almost everyone on the Board was of the same advice - leave it completely alone. A few said to put in a small piece of one or two paragraphs but even they said that any ink is too much ink for this guy.

Once again - many thanks to our Advisory Board for their wisdom and advice, and for keeping me focused.

Police Patches

We read in KTB; #137 last month about my local friend's grandson who has been stricken with a terrible disease that has confined him to a full body cast, probably for the rest of his life. We reported that his hobby is collecting arm patches of police & fire departments and EMS and rescue services-, and we asked our Members if they could donate patches such as these to this 12 year old young man.

I am pleased and proud to report that many Members have sent patches for this young man and by now, I suspect, have received personal letters from him. However, I am reminding our Members one more time that if they can send arm patches for him, we will be happy to send them on to him for his collection and THANKS!

SELF-ADDRESSED STAMPED RETURN ENVELOPE

We need your help - when you first came on board and received your 'Welcome Aboard' packet, we said that if you wrote to us and needed a response, it was necessary that you enclose a self-addressed stamped envelope for the reply. This applies mostly to Members in the USA, since that is where most of our Members live.

This is necessary to help us keep the postage costs down. We usually spend more than $25,000 each year just in postage, so if you would enclose a self-addressed stamped return envelope, it will help us control costs; costs that would otherwise have to be passed on in the form of dues increases. Please help us control the costs; enclose your self-addressed stamped return envelope when you write here with something that requires a response, or at least stick in a couple of stamps it may also help your letter get answered sooner than those without a self-addressed stamped envelope. Thanks in advance for your help.

Membership Contest!

We are rocking and rolling this year for our Membership Contest. Two Members are already nearly to another year of Membership-, FREE! Here is the latest update:

MARC COHEN (166-A/LIFE-1986) 3
JEFF KINGSTON (4340-1995) 3

BUD DANA (245-A/LIFE-1987 1
DETLEV ZIMMERMANN (247-LIFE-1987) 1
WILLIS CARTO (1059-1989) 1
Capt. E. L. BEACH (1163-LIFE-1988) 1
DALE SIMPSON (4036-1994) 1
TIM KUTTA (4839-1996) 1
MAURICE LAARMAN (5492-1998) 1
HERBERT MATSEN (5683-1998) 1
MARK SPARBOE (5758-1999) 1

Good luck to all in the 1999 Membership CONTEST and good luck to those who would unseat the King with 82 new Members total- JOE BURGES (605-A/LIFE-1988) - he will not be sitting still either. 1999 will be a spirited Membership CONTEST.

Remember, for every five new Members you bring on board, you will win one year of Membership - FREE! Good luck to all.