RE: Update for all Brats – 12/9/14 Brat Friends, My apologies for not providing more updates/commenting on posts lately. Besides being involved with OVERSEAS BRATS (OSB) my other employer is Princess Cruise Lines….and I’ve just returned from one assignment (Panama Canal on the Island Princess) with them and am about to leave for another (Hawaii on the Star Princess) and will be gone through early January. Quite a few things to share. FIRST…..on the BRATS vs. CHAMPS issue. We have all come a long way on this as Brats – and I’m pleased to see how we have evolved. 1) We expressed our anger/outrage; 2) We identified who was providing support to the CHAMPS organization. 3) We then came together to alert those organizations our concerns and some of those entities have responded. 4) We have – for the most part – kept this all civil. 5) Each of us….in our own way….has become qualified to speak on the subject. 6) We have empowered each of ourselves to be leaders in our own right. 7) We are generating a greater awareness about our heritage and our Brat pride. 8) Cooperation among the different Brat organizations/Facebook pages is at a historic level. 9) Each of us have made new Brat Friends or Facebook friends. So….we are we now? *We will always be BRATS! No one or any organization will ever take that away from us! We have won that war! :) *Concerning the Finks and CHAMPS…..to be sure…..they were stunned/startled by the response that came from the Brat community…and they have been feeling the ‘heat’ to some degree. If anything…this was a learning lesson for them that they had inadequate research or did not fully understand the Brat identity nor our unique community as Brats. While they have since received quite an education from us and retreated a little….I don’t see them backing down from what they are doing. Too…I don’t sense they will reach out to us or apologize outright because they don’t see any good in doing that. They are just hoping this issue will eventually blow away – but we as Brats won’t ever let them or anyone else who tries to tamper with our heritage/identity to do that! ********* Second…..although Pearl Harbor Day (December 7) has passed….I thought you all would like to know that there was a Brat killed on board the USS Arizona. Bill Free looked up to his father, Tom Free. As a boy, Bill enjoyed listening to his father, a sailor serving in the U.S. Navy talking about his experiences. Bill looked forward to the day he could join the Navy, and hopefully join his father onboard a ship somewhere. His dream came true, but with tragic results. On December 7, 1941, U.S. Navy Seaman Second Class William Thomas Free was killed on board the USS Arizona when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor. His father, Machinist Mate First Class Thomas Free, was also onboard the USS Arizona that morning and was also killed. Today Bill Free is remembered on the OVERSEAS BRATS (OSB) Brats Memorial at: overseasbrats . He is the oldest Brat listed on the OSB Brats Memorial and the earliest date recorded of a Brat whom died while serving his country on that memorial. ********* Third……Brat regional events are scheduled for: *Dallas-Fort Worth area = Saturday, January 24 at Joe’s Crab Shack in Grapevine, TX; *Oklahoma City area = Sunday, January 25 at Joe’s Crab Shack on Northwest Highway in OK City, OK; *Albuquerque, NM area = Thursday, February 19 at Cervantes Restaurant in Albuquerque, NM; *Arizona = Saturday, February 21 at Aunt Chilada’s on Dreamy Draw in Phoenix, AZ; *Southern California = Sunday, February 22 at Joe’s Crab Shack in Long Beach, CA; *Central Texas = Saturday, February 28 at Joe’s Crab Shack in the Quarry Mall, San Antonio, TX; *Houston metro area = Sunday, March 1 at Joe’s Crab Shack on Hwy 6 in Houston, TX. Registration details are pending and I’m hoping the OSB web master, Don will have these up soon. ************* Then…..the December edition of OVERSEAS BRATS should be sent to all members of OSB before Christmas. Membership information is at: overseasbrats . ************* Have a terrific day and a happy holiday season! Joe/OVERSEAS BRATS
Posted on: Tue, 09 Dec 2014 18:59:37 +0000
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