FANS OF THE POTOMAC SAY IT ALL !

“We have taken five cruises on the Potomac, mostrecently on April 26. Each has been unique, and all have been a joy. We expect to sail many more times… The docents who man the microphone never cease to amaze with their thorough knowledge of the ship and the Bay despite having lived here for forty years, I learn something new with each sailing.

Your guys are absolutely wonderful, and I’m sure there just isn’t enough time to include all they want to. After all, our main reason for sailing is to experience this wonderful ship and our beautiful bay.” May 3, 2009 from RJE

“…I also want to more than thank the Docents on board the ship who made cruis-ing on the President’s Yacht more than just cruising on the Bay. They were enthu-siastic, wanted to give the guests a very rich experience and to pass on knowledge of the great man and his Floating White House. How great was that?! They were wonderful and I don’t know how much more I can express my gratitude and thanks for making this the most wonderful experience all of us had.” May 10, 2009 from JR

“ I have never had so much fun, what a night, what a boat! The Potomac is the perfect spot to see the show, not to mention great munchies…” May 9, 2009 KABOOM Cruise from MGC

Cruising on the Presidential Yacht Potomac creates many different experi-ences for our guests. Some are enthralled by the history, some find great pleasure in the beauty of San Francisco Bay, while others are fascinated by the mechanics and operation of the ship. It is our aim that everyone enjoys the courteous and knowledgeable docents and crew who are there to ensure that every cruise is unique and memorable for all. What are you waiting for? Now is the time to come cruising with us.

Oakland, California 2009 Summer Edition

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s “Floating White House”

INSIDE THIS ISSUE:

AmericA’s most remArkAble First lAdy – eleAnor roosevelt

A glimpse of her historic“firsts” by Edward I. Bloom. . . . . . . . . 2

bringing Her bAck

The return from Dry Dock . . . 3

mArti’s musings…The Potomac Association’s Executive Director goes up, up and away on a different kind of ship . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

mooring lines

Notes from the Editor . . . . . . . 4

notes From tHe ArcHives

sAiling witH Fdr - accountsfrom crewmembers of the USSPotomac by Hank Laney,Curator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

2009 cruise scHedule

Come cruising with us…what are you waiting for? . . . . . . . . . . . 6

Friends oF tHe PotomAc The most important page in this issue . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

bluegrAss & bAcH Tha Potomac’s Fall Music Series . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8

POTOMAC LINKS:

www.usspotomac.orgCruises and Special EventsStudent ToursPrivate Charters and EventsBecome a Friend of the Potomac

 

 We really did go under the “Gate” On the way to the Bay Bridge

Angel Island Adventure

Viewing Alcatraz from the Potomac

For more information and reservations,check out our full cruise schedule at our fabulous new website.

www.usspotomac.org

charmed them, and ended up singing campfire songs with them. There were no violent incidents, and the Bonus Army soon thereafter disbanded.

Throughout her twelve years in the White House, Eleanor continued her role as an advocate for Civil Rights. She was not always successful, but never stopped arguing for a Fed-eral anti-lynching law, both publicly and privately. She was a leading spokesperson for African-American (then called Negro) Rights. In 1939 she made national headlines when she resigned from the Daughters of the American Revolu-tion (DAR) as a public protest to the organization’s refusal to allow Marian Anderson to sing at their convention in Con-stitution Hall. It ended with Miss Anderson giving a concert at the Lincoln Memorial before 75,000 people, one of the largest crowds ever assembled at the National Mall.

Eleanor was the first wife of a presidential candidate to address a national political con-vention. In 1940 she went to Chicago to ad-dress the Democratic National Convention and reminded the del-egates that this was, “... no ordinary time.” Her speech calmed the delegation and averted a potential stampede to reject Frank-lin’s choice for Vice-president, Henry Wallace.

During the war, the First Lady visited and inspected innu-merable defense plants and industries vital to the war effort including coal mines. Below is a famous photo of Eleanor in a coal mine bucket. In 1943, Eleanor alarmed War Theater Commanders when she insisted on visiting service hospitals in England during the summer and followed it with a fall trip to the Pacific Theater, again to visit wounded servicemen. General Douglas McArthur was loud in his complaint that Eleanor’s presence would be disruptive to his war effort, but later was warm in his praise of her visits as great morale boost-ers.

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A discussion of even a few of Anna Eleanor Roosevelt’s achievements and daily activities demonstrates her last-ing impact on American culture and politics. Her early-life evolution from an upper-class upbringing to a socially ac-tive and independent person is a study in strength, charac-ter, and intelligence. As the wife of a politically ambitious man stricken in 1921 with polio and left paralyzed from the waist down, Eleanor agreed to keep Franklin’s name in the forefront of national Democratic politics. She spoke on his behalf at party-leadership meetings, fund-raising events, and numerous teas for the wives of party leaders. Eleanor was an excessively shy public speaker, and was taught and disci-plined by Franklin’s political advisor, Louis Howe, on how to get her message across effectively and efficiently in pub-lic. This process served Franklin’s political purposes, and enabled Eleanor to develop her own sense of independence and self-worth.

By the time of FDR’s election in 1932, Eleanor was emerging as a na-tional figure in her own right. Very soon after the Inauguration Eleanor held her first of many press conferences. She insisted that only female report-ers attend, thus forcing editors and publishers of major news outlets to as-sign women to the White

House. This gave them the prominence previously held only by male reporters.

Although criticized by some, the First Lady accepted outside employment to give a weekly radio address about her life and activities in the White House. This led directly to the offer of a daily newspaper column that soon went to national syndication under the title “My Day.” Eleanor faithfully kept this column throughout her twelve years as First Lady.

In the summer of 1933, a substantial number of unemployed World War I veterans came again to Washington. They hoped to lobby Congress for an early payment of the service bonus previously promised for 1945. In 1932, a similar group of veterans called the Bonus Army had been disbanded, bru-tally and violently, by a unit of the U.S. Army under the com-mand of Douglas MacArthur. In 1933, Franklin Roosevelt did not send in the Army. Instead, he sent Eleanor accom-panied only by Louie Howe. She listened to the veterans,

AMERICA’S MOST REMARKABLE FIRST LADY:ELEANOR ROOSEVELT

By Edward I. Bloom

“Eleanor” continued on page 3Photo courtesy UPI/FDR Library

With Marion Anderson, July 1939

Democratic National Convention - 1940

After the war, Presi-dent Harry Truman appointed Eleanor to the American delega-tion to the United Na-tions, where she served for seven years. At the same time she was ap-pointed by the U.N.

Secretary General to chair the committee selected to draft the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. She did this with her usual dedication and energy, sometimes keeping the committee members working past midnight. Eleanor was personally involved in every phase of the work on the

Going back to Oak-land, Captain Skip kept the ship on a “slow bell” to give the volunteer crew time to vacuum, scrub and hose down the ship. We deployed all the fire hoses, spraying water on the under-side of the boat deck, topside, and passage-ways.

Got back to our dock, and the work con-tinued, with a short break to consume the pizza that Craig Newton, Ship Keeper, brought for us. By three o’clock, we were done for the day. The ship wasn’t finished, but we certainly were!

Universal Declaration, and its final adoption was due almost entirely to her efforts.

The First Lady’s list of achievements is much longer. This account is a glimpse of Eleanor Roosevelt as an indepen-dent and powerful personality, not merely as the wife of a President. There has been no comparable First Lady before or since.

Sources: Eleanor Roosevelt - Vol. I and II, Blanche Wissen CookNo Ordinary Time, Doris Kearns GoodwinEleanor - The Years Alone, Joseph P. Lash

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“Eleanor” from page 2

BRINGING HER BACK… by Bill Hodges

WOW! What a day!

After a brisk trip across the bay to the SF dry dock, we walked into the yard and looked up at a really, good-looking ship. She had a beautiful white hull, and a nice black bottom, complete with two shiny brass props. However, once we climbed the lad-ders up to the main deck, we were faced with a daunt-ing task of making the rest of the ship look as good as the hull.

Sandblasting had left a coat of black residue everywhere! And, to make it even “better,” San Fransisco’s drizzly weath-er made the residue sticky and tougher to clean. We had cer-tainly learned that we have to cover everything with plastic sheeting the next time! Both lockers where we store the life jackets were full of dust, and had to be emptied and vacu-umed out.

Visiting the troops

Freshly painted and shiny props

Before cleaning

She returns Plastic covering

 

Like many Potomac volunteers, Les wears several hats – maintenance team, the Editorial Board, crew, and on this particular day, the Chef on board. Volunteers are at the heart of this organization, and you will be hearing more about them in fu-ture issues. Meanwhile, don’t miss “Bringing Her Back” on page 3 by Bill Hodges, another volunteer with more than one hat.

MARTI’S MUSINGS…Up, up and away!

I know that my musings are supposed to be reflective of events and developments regard-ing the Presidential Yacht Po-tomac. This time, however, I am going to “muse” about an awe-some experience I had recently. Although it doesn’t involve the Potomac, it does involve a “ship.”

Thanks to Airship Ventures owner/entrepreneur Alex Barnett-Hall, my friend CJ Hirschfield (Exec. Dir. at Children’s Fairyland) and I

had the amazing experience of riding in one of only three Zeppelins in the world. There is one in Japan, and another in Germany where all three were built. For me, it was truly the trip of a lifetime.

The Zeppelin Eureka, based out of Moffitt Field, flies from both Oakland Airport and Moffitt. We boarded in Oakland, and what a unique experience that was. As two passengers debarked, two would be in line to embark. This process was repeated until all 16 of us were aboard. The reason, of

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Mooring Lines . . .

On my way to the planning meeting for this issue of Potomac Currents, it was strange to walk down Clay Street and not see the Potomac, but I knew why her berth was empty. When I sent reminders for this meeting to the Editorial Board, I received the following message from Les Marks:

“I’m sorry, but I will not be in attendance at the meeting. The Potomac will be leaving the Clay Street dock at 0615 Monday morning headed for Dry Dock in San Francisco. As the Chef on board, I will have already served breakfast to 17 hungry sailors and will be starting preparations for lunch while you are in the editorial meeting.”

course, was to maintain the weight and balance of the air-ship. Once aboard we quietly left the ground and began our airship experience.

When I say quietly, I mean virtually no sound at all. The engines are mounted on the frame of the Zeppelin and not on the gondola, so when on board you don’t even hear the engines. As we lifted into the sky and rose to 1,000 feet, the views were amazing. I saw things along the Oakland shoreline and around Alameda Island I never knew existed. Throughout the trip we saw the Oakland hills, the shoreline, bridges, traffic on the bay and, of course, the Potomac at anchor in Jack London Square. I remembered my camera, so the adventure was recorded for posterity, and for the Po-tomac Currents.

This sensation is so different than traveling in a small plane or even in a hot air balloon (which I have done). When on the Eureka, you are in a comfortably appointed gondola with huge windows. So, while flying, not only is it very quiet, but you also have fabulous views. Two of the windows actually open allowing you to take unobstructed photos or just sit back, relax, and feel the breeze.

Lake Merritt The Potomac from 1,000 ft. New Bay Bridge construction

It was a wonderful, unique experience, and one I urge you to consider. So, from one ship to another, thank you Alex and “fair winds...” for my cruise on the Eureka.

j

Chef Marks in the galleyVirginia Rapp, Editor

always accompanied FDR in the small boat, baited his hook and removed his catch, and gave advice and encourage-ment.” They usually ate what they caught.

When not out with the President, the crew remained in the Wash-ington Navy Yard doing their regular jobs and keeping the ship clean and in good repair. To serve aboard the Potomac was a prestigious Navy assignment and remained in the minds of most crewmembers as the highlight of their career.

The letters we received from the crewmember Douglas Cathro contained an interesting observation on Fala. “FDR’s little Scottie was a cute little rascal; however, he never did use the sand box, much preferring to relieve himself on the mooring lines.”

Another crewmember, Yoeman First Class Jack Lynch, writes, “We would head down the river and in about thirty minutes would pass Mount Vernon and President Washing-ton’s tomb, where we’d take part in a ceremony prescribed by Navy Regulations for over a hundred years. The crew, not on watch, would man the rail, and as we came abreast of the tomb, the boatswain’s mate would pipe ‘attention’, then ‘Hand Salute’, then ‘Carry On’, while the Colors were lowered, then raised – total elapsed time, about a minute! FDR especially liked this ritual and would usually call it to the attention of his guests ahead of time.”

Shortly after Pearl Harbor, the recreational use of the Potomac as a presidential yacht came to an end, and with it the need for the crewmembers’ valued services, as the United States entered the War. I will leave this valued collection of crewmember accounts in the Visitors Center for your reading and enjoyment. They tell a vivid story about sailing with FDR on the USS Potomac.

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From the Potomac Archives...By Hank Laney, Curator

SAILING WITH FDR – CREWMEMBER ACCOUNTS

In 1985, the Potomac Association decided to contact past crewmembers to gain some historical accuracy for the res-toration process. The National Archives was able to provide a list of crewmembers serving on the Potomac, but only for the year 1940. To find others assigned to the Potomac during her years of service as the Presidential Yacht, an article was published in the January 1985 issue of Naval Affairs. This combined effort produced a list of crewmembers who could possibly be contacted.

Each was sent a seven-page ques-tionnaire asking what they could remember about interior arrange-ments, duties, special occasions, etc. A set of plans, the basis for the restoration, was also included for feedback and additional comments. Approximately 20 responded, many with letters explaining what daily life was like aboard the Potomac when the President was aboard.

The crew typically numbered 3 Navy officers and 54 en-listed men. With the exception of 12 Filipino stewards who attended the President and/or his guests, the rest of the crew rarely went aft of where the teak decking exists today. None were allowed to have cameras.

The President used the Potomac almost every weekend from May to November, except when he was out of town. Al-though the Potomac was the optimal way to entertain poli-ticians, statesmen, and other dignitaries, there were many cruises when it was just the President aboard. He would use the time for reading, catching up on correspondence, draft-ing speeches, working with his stamp collection, and his fa-vorite pastime – fishing. There was a relaxed atmosphere on board during these trips. Off-duty crewmembers often fished from the forward part of the ship. Helping the president

was CPO Bartos who, according to the re-sponse from another crewmember, “...was steeped in the lore of the Chesapeake Bay, knew where the fish were biting, what bait to use, and other use-ful information. He

Four crewmen - 1936

Fishing - May, 1937

Fishing on the Potomac

Boozer and McFadden - 1936

Hank at work

JOIN US ABOARD THE POTOMAC

2009 sPeciAl event cruises • Angel Island Cruise and Tour July 22 • August 26 (Call for updates) September 23 • October 28 • Independence Day July 4 • Fleet Week October 10 • 11 • Veteran’s Day November 11 (2 cruises)

Please note: Prices and times for Special Events Cruises will vary.Call the Potomac Visitor Center at 510-627-1215 for more information.

2009 THREE - HOUR SPECIAL HISTORY CRUISESAll Special History Cruises depart at 10:30 AM

• Historic Ships of the Bay September 12 • Alameda and the Estuary September 17 • Islands and Shipyards July 16 • August 8 • Three Bridges of the Bay July 11 • August 20 • Famous Characters of the Bay November 5 Adults - $65, Seniors - $60, Children 6-12 - $45, Groups of 20 or more - $50 (includes lunch)

• Sausalito/Bay Model Cruise (Five hrs.) October 15 Adults - $85, Seniors - $80, Children 6-12 - $65, Groups of 20 or more - $75 (includes lunch)

2009 TWO - HOUR HISTORY CRUISESAll History Cruises Depart at 10:30 AM

History Cruises run May through November on alternate Thursdays and Saturdays. A full schedule is available on our website at www.usspotomac.org or call for information 510-627-1215.Adults -$45, Seniors - $40, Children 6-12 - $25, Groups of 20 or more - $35

DOCKSIDE TOURSDocent-lead tours of the Potomac

Wednesday and Friday 10:30AM to 2:30PM, and Sunday Noon to 3:30PMAdult $10 – Seniors $8 – Children under 12 Free

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The Potomac Association540 Water Street

P.O. Box 2064 Oakland, CA 94604 Telephone: 510-627-1215

www.usspotomac.org The Potomac Currents is published

by the Association for the Preservation of the Presidential Yacht, Potomac, Inc.

Editor: Virginia RappLayout and Design: David McGraw

Editorial Board: Marti Burchell, Ed Bloom, Rich Knowles, Les Marks, Hank Laney and

David McGraw.Electronic: Karen Lyberger

No part of this publication may be

reproduced without the written permission of the publisher.

Board of Governors and Staff

Michael Roosevelt, ChairmanCarla Betts, President

Tom Morehouse, 1st Vice PresidentArt Haskell, CFO

Jean Gaskill, Secretary

Rick Anderson, Mary Bergan,Joe Brennan, David Connolly, Curtis Davies,Virginia Furth,

Judy Goff, Al Groh Hal Marsh, James McCloud

Denny McLeod, Ron Paredes, Jeff Sturm, Kirk Rowlands, Richard Zampa

Marti Burchell, Executive DirectorCraig Newton, Ship Keeper

INFLATION

FDR

FARM BLOC &

LEWIS’ DEMANDS

DO YOU WANT TO SWAMP THE BOAT ?

Note: Questions or comments about the above listing may be referred to Gordon Seligson, email: gseligson@usspotomac.org or write to Friends of the Potomac, P.O. Box 2064, Oakland, CA 94604.

Friends of the PotomacThe USS Potomac Association acknowledges the following individuals and organizations for their generous

donations between July 1, 2009 and June 30, 2009

Port of Oakland

CORPORATE/PATRON

COMMANDER IN CHIEF

ELEANOR

CAPTAIN

FIRST MATE

FALA

ADDITIONAL CONTRIBUTIONSEducational Fund

Kieretsu Forum

APL Transpacific Trade

Rick AndersonCA Field Iron Workers Admin

TrustWade Church

Dr Jacob DeeganWillis DemingVirginia Furth

Jean & Barbara GaskillDale Hansen

Arthur HaskellFloyd James

Kurt LauridsenJames McCloud

Denny & Ruth McLeodDan & Penelope Strohl

Mary BerganDon & Cathy DeCoss

William & Marsha Dillon

James & Rebecca EisenKaren Keys

Tom & Carol Morehouse

Kirk RowlandsJohn & Clem Underhill

Bev Voelker

Judd Williams familyDavid Lee Woods & Phyllis D.

Chambers

Johnson BogartJames Bolen

Ronald & Lillian CapePat & Barbi Carson

Ronald CassasaLes & Elaine Dropkin

Olaf ElanderNorman & Edna Eltringham

Vickie GreggAlbert GrothTom Howard

Nancy KickertzBill & Mollie Kinney

Rich Knowles & Merlyn Uhlenberg

Jack Lapidos

Richard LongorganDavid & Myrna McGraw

Angeline PapastefanStuart & Vallyn Proffitt

Michael RooseveltGordon Seligson

Gail & Bruce AdairRuth Adar

Carol AndersonRon & Judy ArrantsBay Ship & Yacht

Bruce BaurGene Bell

Miriam & Leon BloombergJohn Bradley

Roland BrandelMarti Burchell

Windy & Jerry ButlerVern & Alice Carrier

Dave ConnallyFred Cunningham

Chalres & Jacqueline Del Monte

Al DessayerLee Ditlefsen

Art & Ardeth DreshfeldRobert Eakin & Avis Hendley

Joseph EchelberryBill & Marine EwingDorothy & Julie Filice

Pete GeffenEarl & Barbara HamlinMavourneen Harshman

Heinhold’s First & Last Chance Saloon

Bill Hodges & Ken Horton

Capt Walter JaffeeCarl Jensen

Marvin JensenCarol Johnston

Charlie Kearns & Frank ChingLawrence Kellog Jr

Kenneth & Margo KingsburyJohn Klip

Neal & Nancy LamblyDaniel Lamey & Mary Solon

John & Iris LopezSandra LundgrenPatricia MacLeanThomas MurrayJim O’Connor

Art & Carrell RankinJoseph & Bonnie Reid

Mitch SalzmanJon & Fran Siler

Jerry & Lovene SilsdorfElaine StanleyMelinda Taplin

Rudy TilleyJohn & Darleen Upmeier

Lee VeldeWanda VivianoCynthia WeissPatrick Welch

John & Marilyn WellandMary WhiteheadRuth Ann Yager

City National BankJackson & Rochelle Bays

Neel Foundation The Sabarese Trust

Maxine AdamsRichard Black

Donald BonneyDavid Brossard & Sally Beck

Ted BrownRachel Buckley

Margot & Valentine ChmelSteven Coleman

Angelique & Yann Cucaro-Renault

Gus DoroughGeorgia Edlund

Elizabeth HannonLeroy & Marlene Hintzman

Esther JenningsColleen Kelly-Prola

Lucy & Lawrence JohnRonald LouisDawn Muller

Cathy O’BrienAnn Papastefan

John Papastefan & familyWilliam PeetersHerbert Ploch

Brenda PriceVirginia Rapp

Maurice RobichaudMary Rudser

Bill & Carol SeawellKathy SzumiloskiRobert Woodruff

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STUDENT/TEACHER

William & Marsha Dillon Mt. Diablo Detachment 942 – Marine Corps League

SUSTAINING PATRON

Ken & Carla BettsJoe Brennan & Jan Tiura

Matson NavigationEmmy Werner & Stan Jacobsen

Waterfront Plaza Hotel

Richard Zampa – District Council of Ironworkers

ADMIRAL

Tom Bernitt Carol Campbell

A Fall Music Series on board

The USS POTOMAC, FDR’s Presidential Yacht

The series includes three concerts, two bluegrass and one chamber music:

September 17 – Bluegrass by High Country

October 1 – The Picasso String Quartet

October 22 – Bluegrass by 49 Special

Thursday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30

$75.00 for the entire series of three concerts $27.50 per concert individually

You may reserve online at www.ticketweb.com , or call 510-627-1215.

The concerts will be dockside events – the ship will remain tied up to the dock, so those of you who might get a bit queasy on a ship under way won’t need your sea legs. The price includes a tour (starting at 6PM) of the ship by one of the Potomac’s docents and cocktail tidbits. There’ll also be wine and beer for sale at bargain prices. For additional

information or to purchase tickets, call 510-627-1215 or go to www.usspotomac.org

The proceeds will go 100% toward funding the Association’s program of

20 educational cruises for East Bay school children grades 5 through 8