The date of the annual meeting has been set.  It will be April 25th in the Des Moines area.  Let me know of any ideas, speakers, those you would like to nominate for awards and most importantly any nominees for officers for 2009.  Thanks, Mike Rowley President, IASSAR   Working from last report to present…  December 2008  18th Communicated with David Swafford, Editor of “The Drumbeat” which is the national magazine of the General Society of Sons of the Revolution (GSSR).  19th Sent out President’s Update #18  21st IASSAR member Mark Davis received approval of yet another Patriot ancestor supplemental.  Congratulations Mark!  21st Discussed procedure to get a govt. marker for a Civil War veteran’s grave in Woodland cemetery with DH of De Moines.  21st I received the following story from member Richard Martin (who by the way is doing some rather phenomenal work himself). Piggyback Hero by Ralph Kenney Bennett Tomorrow they will lay the remains of Glenn Rojohn to rest in the Peace   Lutheran   Cemetery in the little town of Greenock, Pa., just southeast of Pittsburgh. He was 81, and had been in the air conditioning and plumbing business in nearby McKeesport.  If you had seen him on the street he would probably have looked to you like so many other graying, bespectacled old World War II veterans whose names appear so often now on obituary pages. But like so many of them, though, he seldom talked about it.  He could have told you one hell of a story.  He won the Air Medal, the Distinguished Flying Cross and the Purple Heart, all in one fell swoop in the skies over  Germany  on December 31, 1944.  Fell swoop indeed. Capt. Glenn Rojohn of the 8th Air Force's 100th Bomb Group was flying his B-17G Flying Fortress bomber on a raid over Hamburg.  His formation had braved heavy flak to drop their bombs, and then turned 180 degrees to head out over the North Sea They had finally turned northwest, heading back to England, when they were jumped by German fighters at 22,000 feet.  The Messerschmitt Me-109s pressed their attack so closely that Capt. Rojohn could see the faces of the German pilots.  He and other pilots fought to remain in formation so they could use each other's guns to defend the group.  Rojohn saw a B-17 ahead of him burst into flames and slide sickeningly toward the earth.  He gunned his ship forward to fill in the gap.  He felt a huge impact.  The big bomber shuddered, felt suddenly very heavy and began losing altitude.  Rojohn grasped almost immediately that he had collided with another plane.  A B-17 below him, piloted by Lt. William G. McNab, had slammed the top of its fuselage into the bottom of Rojohn's.  The top turret gun of McNab's plane was now locked in the belly of Rojohn's plane and the ball turret in the belly of Rojohn's had smashed through the top of McNab's.  The two bombers were almost perfectly aligned -- the tail of the lower plane was slightly to the left of Rojohn's tail section.  They were stuck together, as a crewman later recalled, 'like mating dragon flies.' Three of the engines on the bottom plane were still running, as were all four of Rojohn's.  The fourth engine on the lower bomber was on fire and the flames were spreading to the rest of the aircraft.  The two were losing altitude quickly.  Rojohn tried several times to gun his engines and break free of the other plane.  The two were inextricably locked together.  Fearing a fire, Rojohn cut his engines and rang the bailout bell.  For his crew to have any chance of parachuting, he had to keep the plane under control somehow... The ball turret, hanging below the belly of the B-17, was considered by many to be a death trap -- the worst station on the bomber. In this case, both ball turrets figured in a swift and terrible drama of life and death.  Staff Sgt. Edward L. Woodall, Jr., in the ball turret of the lower bomber had felt the impact of the collision above him and saw shards of metal drop past him.  Worse, he realized both electrical and hydraulic power was gone. Remembering escape drills, he grabbed the hand crank, released the clutch and cranked the turret and its guns until they were straight down, then turned and climbed out the back of the turret up into the fuselage.  Once inside the plane's belly Woodall saw a chilling sight, the ball turret of the other bomber protruding through the top of the fuselage.  In that turret, hopelessly trapped, was Staff Sgt. Joseph Russo.  Several crew members of Rojohn's plane tried frantically to crank Russo's turret around so he could escape, but, jammed into the fuselage of the lower plane, it refused to budge.  Perhaps unaware that his voice was going out over the intercom of his plane, Sgt. Russo began reciting his Hail Marys. Up in the cockpit, Capt. Rojohn and his co-pilot, 2nd Lt. William G. Leek, Jr., had propped their feet against the instrument panel so they could pull back on their controls with all their strength, trying to prevent their plane from going into a spinning dive that would prevent the crew from jumping out.  Capt. Rojohn motioned left and the two managed to wheel the huge, collision-born hybrid of a plane back toward the German coast.  Leek felt like he was intruding on Sgt. Russo as his prayers crackled over the radio, so he pulled off his flying helmet with its earphones. Rojohn, immediately grasping that the crew could not exit from the bottom of his plane, ordered his top turret gunner and his radio operator, Tech Sgts. Orville Elkin and Edward G. Nihau’s, to make their way to the back of the fuselage and out the waist door on the left behind the wing.  Then he got his navigator, 2nd Lt. Robert Washington, and his bombardier, Sgt. James Shirley, to follow them.  As Rojohn and Leek somehow held the plane steady, these four men, as well as waist gunner, Sgt. Roy Little, and tail gunner, Staff Sgt. Francis Chase, were able to bail out.  Now the plane locked below them was aflame.  Fire poured over Rojohn's left wing.  He could feel the heat from the plane below and hear the sound of 50 cal. machine gun ammunition 'cooking off' in the flames.  Capt. Rojohn ordered Lt. Leek to bail out.  Leek knew that without him helping keep the controls back, the plane would drop in a flaming spiral and the centrifugal force would prevent Rojohn from bailing.  He refused the order.  Meanwhile, German soldiers and civilians on the ground that afternoon looked up in wonder.  Some of them thought they were seeing a new Allied secret weapon -- a strange eight-engined double bomber.  But anti-aircraft gunners on the North Sea coastal island of Wangeroogehad seen the collision.  A German battery captain wrote in his logbook at 12:47 p.m.: 'Two fortresses collided in a formation in the NE.  The planes flew hooked together and flew 20 miles south.  The two planes were unable to fight anymore.  The crash could be awaited so I stopped the firing at these two planes.'  Suspended in his parachute in the cold December sky, Bob Washington watched with deadly fascination as the mated bombers, trailing black smoke fell to earth about three miles away, their downward trip ending in an ugly boiling blossom of fire.  In the cockpit Rojohn and Leek held grimly to the controls trying to ride a falling rock.  Leek tersely recalled, 'The ground came up faster and faster.  Praying was allowed.  We gave it one last effort and slammed into the ground.'  The McNab plane on the bottom exploded, vaulting the other B-17 upward and forward.  It slammed back to the ground, sliding along until its left wing slammed through a wooden building and the smoldering mess came to a stop.  Rojohn and Leek were still seated in their cockpit.  The nose of the plane was relatively intact, but everything from the B-17 massive wings back was destroyed.  They looked at each other incredulously.  Neither was badly injured.  Movies have nothing on reality.  Still perhaps in shock, Leek crawled out through a huge hole behind the cockpit, felt for the familiar pack in his uniform pocket pulled out a cigarette.  He placed it in his mouth and was about to light it.  Then he noticed a young German soldier pointing a rifle at him.  The soldier looked scared and annoyed.  He grabbed the cigarette out of Leak's mouth and pointed down to the gasoline pouring out over the wing from a ruptured fuel tank.  Two of the six men who parachuted from Rojohn's plane did not survive the jump.  But the other four and, amazingly, four men from the other bomber, including ball turret gunner Woodall, survived.  All were taken prisoner.  Several of them were interrogated at length by the Germans until they were satisfied that what had crashed was not a new American secret weapon.  Rojohn, typically, didn't talk much about his Distinguished Flying Cross.  Of Leek, he said, 'in all fairness to my co-pilot, he's the reason I'm alive today.'   Like so many veterans, Rojohn got unsentimentally back to life after the war, marrying and raising a son and daughter.  For many years, though, he tried to link back up with Leek, going through government records to try to track him down.  It took him 40 years, but in 1986, he found the number of Leeks' mother, in Washington   State. Yes, her son Bill was visiting from California.  Would Rojohn like to speak with him?  Some things are better left unsaid.  One can imagine that first conversation between the two men who had shared that wild ride in the cockpit of a B-17.  A year later, the two were re-united at a reunion of the 100th Bomb Group in Long Beach, Calif.   Bill Leek died the following year.  Glenn Rojohn was the last survivor of the remarkable piggyback flight.  He was like thousands upon thousands of men, soda jerks and lumberjacks, teachers and dentists, students and lawyers and service station attendants and store clerks and farm boys, who in the prime of their lives went to war.   He died last Saturday after a long siege of sickness.  But he apparently faced that final battle with the same grim aplomb he displayed on that remarkable day over Germany so long ago.  Let us be thankful for such men.  22nd WAA Chair Fran Keith mentions need for after action report on WAA project.  22nd link to Maryland Wreaths Across America project.  http://www.marylandsar.org/News/Wreaths_Across_America_2008  22nd Congrats from member Dennis Mann on editorial  22nd Received clarification on CFC application process.  22nd Webmaster made updates to www.iowasar.org website.  23rd Some of you might be interested in the following,  Compatriots, here is a link to the stone SAR grave markers. There not   part, I believe of Nationals merchandise but organized by a   local/state society.  http://www.johnsevierchapter.org/GraveMarker/gravemarker.htm  23rd After reading comments from under 30 member Ian Towler of MD, I asked him to look at our website and offer suggestions for improvement.  23rd Received photos from DAR JM and sent to Iowa Patriot  editor Fran Keith.  23rd returned Eagle Scout judging form  23rd Received the following proclamation (although 10 days after event)  See below         24th Received the following history event info that is open to all. Dear Civil War and Lincoln Enthusiasts,  Please join us in Newton for a day of Lincoln activities on Saturday, February 14 (also Valentine's Day).  Civil War reenactors in uniform and ladies period correct or otherwise wanted.  The schedule is as follows: DMACC, 600 North 2nd Ave. W., 641-791-3622 11:00 a.m. Lincoln on the town square--could use soldiers as escort. 1:00 p.m.  At DMAAC in Newton Lee Williams as Lincoln tells life story  2:00 p.m.  Lincoln Land Surveying & Lincoln Letters 3:00 p.m.  Lincoln/Douglas Debate   Please check weapons at the door.  (Soldiers needed to keep order in case of unruly Rebs.) 4:30 p.m.  Symposium on Lincoln Assassination 5:45 p.m.  Lincoln and Gettysburg Address 6:30 p.m.  Social Time  Civil War People needed to mingle and can set up living history stuff in lobby at DMAAC 7:00 p.m. Dinner with Music by Jasper Grays to follow  Everything is free except you need dinner tickets which sell for $22 each.  This will pay for dinner and help cover expenses.  For tickets call Betty Carr at Mattingly's Music Store at 1-800-881-2231.  Display:  Lincoln artifacts, pictures, and land surveying tools  Please forward this to all your Civil War friends.      25th Assisted DB of Burlington with application questions.  28th Asked Treasurer is we complied on the CFC report.  28th Sent a story and photos on the WAA participation to SAR Magazine for possible publication.  29th Received form for CFC funds.  Started filling out in hopes to share possible future funds.  29th Received a request for one of our member to volunteer for the following position,  DAR Liaison State Chairmen Last update: 12/29/08 As we begin our planning for 2009 it is essential to have a current list of the DAR Liaison State Chairman for your state. The list below is what I currently have for your state. Without a State DAR Liaison listed on some web sites I have taken the liberty to include the most likely person to assist in our endeavor. Some of these listed are Presidents, Secretaries, Membership, etc. If your state has corrections please notify me.  If your state does not have such a chairman I urge you to appoint one and send his contact information to me. Those state societies which have such a chairman find it to be beneficial to their membership recruitment. This committee does most of its work via email so that is mandatory for the job. In response I sent out the following to all our members with e-mail…  IASSAR Compatriots,  If anyone is looking for an interesting area to "do something" with the SAR, please see the below.  Time required is minimal (it is what you make it) and it is a chance to meet some wonderful people you otherwise might never have had the opportunity to meet.  Just e-mail if you are interested.  You probably haven't met so many interesting people since high school.  Respond to,  MJR1825@GMail.com  Mike Rowley  President, IASSAR  30th Sent the following CFC report. State and Chapter Reporting of Activities  State Society: _____Iowa____________________ 		Chapter: _______Central Iowa  Chapter__________  Name: __________Michael J, Rowley_______		Phone number: ___515-975-0498_____    Location	Date(s)	Description of services, benefits, assistance, or programs	Number served	Cost of activity  Iowa 15 Counties   	Jan 2008	IASSAR Central Iowa Chapter member researched photographed and documented 39 Revolutionary War Veteran’s gravesites in Iowa.  This information was then put on to a DVD, submitted to libraries and is available for Iowa schools on request.  Most of the information and photograph can be accessed on the IASSAR website.  	4000	$1000.  West Des Moines ,Iowa    	Jan 5th 2008	IASSAR Website opens to the public.  This provides   educational and historical information to all who which to view the site.  So far we have had over 20,000 views.	20,000	$500  Clive, Iowa    	Jan 18th 2008	Central Iowa chapter presented Old Glory video presentation to SAR, and CAR members.  The program was open to the public	7	$25.   Location	Date(s)	Description of services, benefits, assistance, or programs	Number served	Cost of activity Des Moines, IA     	Jan-July 2008 	Central Iowa Chapter members researched documented over 300 Civil War Veterans buried at Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines, Iowa.  We were also able to assist in procuring 71 gravestones and assist in the placing of those stones on 71 previously unmarked veteran’s graves.  A binder was also produced that documents a short biography on over 300 Civil War veterans in the 2 G.A.R. sections of this cemetery.  The binder was donated to the City of Des Moines for access and education of all her citizens.	200	$1960. Des Moines, IA     	Feb 4, 2008	 Central Iowa Chapter SAR officer wrote an Op/Ed story for the Des Moines Register.  It was published for the education of the readers.  Circulation of  the newspaper is 146,050	146,050	$200.  Des Moines, IA    	Feb 11th 	Represented IASSAR Central Iowa Chapter as Color Guard at the IALBC Commission meeting.  This meeting was held at the Iowa State Historical Building in conjunction with a presentation on Abraham Lincoln.  The program was open to the public and the attendance was around 150	$150 	$40.  Iowa City, IA    	March 1, 2008	Had a short gravesite service at the grave of Johnson County’s only known Revolutionary War Veteran buried there. All were welcome and encouraged to attend.	4	$140.  Des Moines, IA     	May 1, 2008	IASSAR Central Iowa Chapter Color Guard spoke to the Iowa Genealogy association on historical and educational research in Iowa. 	8	$40.    				  Location	Date(s)	Description of services, benefits, assistance, or programs	Number served	Cost of activity   Waterloo, IA   	May 5, 2008	IASSAR member Bill Strouse presented JROTC awards at East Waterloo High School and answered questions.	75	$30.  Ottumwa, IA    	May 6, 2008	IASSAR member Robert Snodgrass presented JROTC awards at East Waterloo High School and answered questions.	100	 $30.  College Springs, Iowa     	May 17, 2008	IASSAR Historian organized a community wide educational program that also re-dedicated the grave of Revolutionary War veteran Daniel Dow.  This also resulted in a cleaning up of this local cemetery.	25	$85.  Madrid, IA    	May 24, 2008	IASSAR Central Iowa Chapter Color Guard assisted with the City of Madrid for their Veterans Memorial day program of education and history.  This event was covered by all the local media and was attended by 200 citizens.	200	$120.       				 Redfield, IA   	May 25 2008	IASSAR Central Iowa Chapter Color Guard assisted with a community program by the city of Redfield, Iowa to rededicate the restored G.A.R. Lodge building.	$70.	$70.  Location	Date(s)	Description of services, benefits, assistance, or programs	Number served	Cost of activity   Montrose, IA    	May 26, 2008	The IASSAR Central Iowa Chapter coordinated and assisted with a SE Iowa regional educational and historical program to mark the grave of Cato Meed.  Cato is an African American Revolutionary War veteran buried in Iowa.  I new plague was donated to mark this historical spot.  Wreaths were donated and the Color Guard units from IA, IL, MO and VA participated.  In addition President General Bruce Wilcox attended.  	205	$1100.   Van Meter, IA   	July 3, 2008	IASSAR Central Iowa Chapter Color Guard assisted with the new Veteran’s Cemetery opening.	600	$75.   Urbandale, IA   	July 4, 2008	IASSAR  Central Iowa Chapter Color Guard and members participated in the Independence Day Parade put on by the City of Urbandale,  Iowa	7000	$40.  Des Moines, IA    	August 6, 2008	IASSAR Central Iowa Chapter Color Guard participated in the Iowa State Fair Parade.	10,000	$80.    				   Council Bluffs, IA Omaha, NE  	July 2, 2008	IASSAR Historian Ray Prussia and the IASSAR Central Iowa Color Guard developed and implemented a program for the residents of 2 different Harmony Court Apartment complexes and local citizens. The total attendance at was 60 in Council Bluffs and 30 in Omaha.	90	$160.  Location	Date(s)	Description of services, benefits, assistance, or programs	Number served	Cost of activity  Fort Madison, IA    	Final August 13 2008	Research and travel to document Ebenezer Ayres as the 40th known Revolutionary War Veteran buried in Iowa.  This educational and historical information was then supplied to various media, resulting in newspaper articles in the Des Moines Register, Fort Madison Daily Democrat, Keokuk Daily Gate and others.  It reached an audience of over 200,000.	200,000	$400. Audubon, IA    	Sept 2008	IASSAR Central Iowa Chapter Color Guard took part in an Iowa National Guard troop send off.	350	$120.  Des Moines, IA    	Oct 2008	Central Iowa Chapter officers represent the SAR at a Welcome home the troop ceremony at Veterans Memorial Auditorium in Des Moines, Iowa.	400	$40.   Des Moines, IA   	Dec. 13, 2008	IASSAR members and the Central Iowa Chapter Color Guard hosted a Wreaths Across America Project at Woodland Cemetery in Des Moines, Iowa.  Over 160 graves were marked.  The North High School JROTC was also partially sponsored by the Central Iowa Chapter.  2 trips to Iowa City were made to collect some of the wreaths.	55	$470.  30th Reserved room at Urbandale Library for Board of Managers meeting  30th Received the following link from an IL DAR member.  It is educational.   As a 'History' and 'Civics' refresher... this short video is WELL-worth viewing.  go to:  http://www.wimp.com/thegovernment/ 31st  I received the below request.  I wish I had more I could report.  If any of you think you might be interested in being a Color Guard member let me know.     "Mike Tomme"   31-Dec-2008 13:48	         To	president@iassar.org cc	 Subject	Iowa Society State Color Guard Commander  	     12/31/2008   Dear President Rowley:   I am Mike Tomme, Adjutant of the NSSAR Color Guard.  I am putting together a spreadsheet of State Color Guard Commanders for our National Commander, Vice Commander and Adjutant Officer.  This list will be used for contacting Color Guard units in different areas to cover any and all events at a moments notice when contacted by either the President General, Executive Director, etc.   I need your home phone, cell phone and email address.  Should you have any questions, please contact at the phone number below. Please email me this information ASAP.   Thank you for your time in this matter.       Michael Tomme Adjutant, National Society SAR Color Guard  State Registrar, Georgia Society SAR Commander, Chapter Color Guard Unit 2008-Chapter Editor JANUARY 2009  2nd Sent Projects section updates to the webmaster.  Take a look at this projects tab on the home page and see if you might consider any similar project in or around your home town.  We will help you get started.  2nd Sent photos of members Patriot ancestor’s graves to webmaster for placement on website when time allows.  3rd Requested Secretary, Volney Smith to notify BOM of Jan 31st meeting. Volney prepares notice and mails to BOM members.  3rd I have been working with a researcher that may have identified yet another Revolutionary War Veteran buried in Iowa.  The below is from an 1843 newspaper   From Jan 14, 1843 obituary...   James Evans was born April 17, 1758, in Fairfax County, Virginia. At the commencement of the Revolutionary War he was living with his father at Mt. Vernon, then the residence of George Washington. Though only seventeen years old, when the tocsin of war sounded its alarms throughout the American Colonies; burning with youthful ardor and love of country, he volunteered his services, hastened to the field and cheerfully encountered the fate of a soldier. After serving under Col. Ramsey, of Alexandria, about nine months, he entered the Navy, where he remained several years, enduring hardships of every character; anxiously awaiting a triumphant communication of the laudable purposes of the American people. He was frequently advised to apply for a pension, but he as frequently refused, declaring that “he had not served his country for pecuniary reward.” He died in this place on the 4th of the present month at the advanced age of eighty-five; confidant that he had lived in the service of his country and his country’s God, he was dying to live again in a world of blessed immortality.  4th Shared veteran grave information with member Charles Montgomery of Ottumwa.  5th Received some additional information from JJM on possible James Evans history.  6th In response to my question about how many State Societies submitted the CFC report, the following answer was sent to me.  Here is the answer. Mr. Rowley- I was forwarded your message on SAR Talk asking about the states that send in reports for the CFC application. Here is the list of the State Societies that reported information to the Foundation. There were 21 Societies that sent information about their activities. In reading through all the reports I have received, I have gained a new appreciation for the work SAR members are doing around the country to promote the history and values of our country.    Thank you for your efforts.   Oklahoma Society Florida Society North Carolina Society South Carolina Society Arkansas Society Iowa Society Alabama Society Mississippi Society Pennsylvania Society Nevada Society Louisiana Society California Society Wisconsin Society Vermont Society Kentucky Society Tennessee Society Illinois Society Texas Society Ohio Society Arizona Society Washington D.C Society     6th Treasurer Dean Swearingen sent the following information. IASSAR spent $268.09 on Eagle Scouts and $644.74 on ROTC/JROTC during 2008.  6th Partial note from researchers in Fort Madison, who are trying to help document James Evans burial in Iowa.  We also tried to locate the burial place for James Evans, with no success.  We looked through the index for every cemetery in Lee County, but he was not to be found.  We also looked at the courthouse for probate info, no luck there either.  We found several Evans, but nothing we could tie to James for sure.  Linda has that info and is going to get it ready to share.  He's being rather elusive, but hopefully we can crack this case too!  7th Contacted by DAR member in CA. who was wondering if there was an Iowa SAR chapter near Corning, Iowa.  She has a relative who would be eligible for membership.  10th received the following update. Save Fort Madison January 10, 2009 3rd Issue   Happy New Year!  Alas, things are not cheery for poor old Fort Madison. No progress has been made in efforts to save the fort, and it appears that people want to ignore the issue and hope it goes away.   Overview For those of you reading about this for the first time, the original Fort Madison is located under a parking lot on the east side of Fort Madison, Iowa. Occupied 1808-1813, Fort Madison was the first U.S. military fort in the Upper Mississippi, the scene of the only War of 1812 battle west of the Mississippi, the location were Black Hawk first fought with the U.S., the scene of the only military battle fought in Iowa, and the probable place of the oldest U.S. military cemetery in the upper Mississippi. For these reasons it is arguably the single most important historic site in Iowa, and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Excavations in 1965 demonstrated that much of the fort remains intact below the parking lot. Despite its importance, it is in danger. It has been purchased by developers and there is no legal way to force them to protect the site, and they have not made any commitment to preserving it. It is included on the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance’s Most Endangered Sites in Iowa list. After months of failed attempts to get the site preserved, we are now trying to rally public support for preservation. The ultimate goal is to get the site transformed from a parking lot into a park recognizing its historic importance to U.S. history and Native Americans and memorializing the soldiers who fought, died, and were buried there.    Upcoming Fort Madison Presentations Iowa City: On Friday, January 16, at 12 noon I will be giving a brown bag on Fort Madison at the Office of the State Archaeologist. This is open to the public, I hope to have artifacts from the 1965 excavations on display as well, if I get my act together. Our office is a 700 South Clinton Street, about 3 blocks south of the main post office just south of the RR tracks. If the door is locked just push the buzzer. Keokuk: On Sunday January 25 (barring a snow storm) I will be giving a talk to the Iliniwek Chapter of the Iowa Archeological Society. I will be discussing frontier forts of Iowa in general, but I obviously will spend significant time on Fort Madison, given its proximity. 4th Street Café in Keokuk at 2:00. Come early and enjoy lunch with IAS Chapter Members. Non-members welcome for this event.    Website and Poster Save Fort Madison now has a website: http://fortmadison.googlepages.com/ See also the color  Hold The Fort! poster (11-x-17) that you can print, available on the website. If you live in SE Iowa want some printed color ones mailed to you, drop me a line.   Who Gets this Newsletter? It has been gratifying to see the list of interested people grow since the first frantic posting to the H-Iowa listserv back in November. H-Iowa is the main listserv for people interested in Iowa History, to subscribe go to  http://www.h-net.org/lists/subscribe.cgi?list=H-Iowa.  As of now, I plan to send out something once a month, or sooner if an emergency arises. If you don’t want to receive this newsletter, let me know, and I will take you off the list. If you are reading it because it has been posted to a listserv, please contact me to sign up on the official list, we may need you to act if progress towards preservation stalls or an emergency arises. We have a large and interesting coalition of people interested in preservation, military history, veteran’s issues, reenacting, burials issues, American Indian history, and modern Fort Madison development. It seems that the only people who have not come out in favor of preserving the original Fort Madison is the Fort Madison City Council…   Fort Madison City Council Not Willing to Talk Despite public requests for City Council members to address the issue, they have declined to do so at their most recent meeting. They have refused to even consider a proclamation supporting preservation. A public proclamation would cost the city no money but would send a strong message that the Council cares about preserving the very heart and soul of their community. I have been asked to include the City Council on this e-mail newsletter as well as the Fort Madison Historic Preservation Commission. I have done this reluctantly; since I think only people who want to receive this newsletter should get it, since I hate unsolicited e-mail myself. If you are receiving this newsletter and don’t want it, let me know and I will take you off the list.    Fort Owners Not Willing to Talk Despite recent attempts to bring them into discussions with preservationists, the owners of the fort have refused to agree to meet with any of the organizations that can facilitate preservation, such as the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of the State Archaeologist, the Iowa Historic Preservation Alliance, the Archaeological Conservancy, or the Cultural Resources Section of the Iowa Department of Transportation. The DOT is interested in the site because US Hwy 61 is a National Scenic Byway that cuts across part of the site.   Old Illustrations of Fort Madison Uncovered In the late 1960s and early 1970s two documentary films were made of Fort Madison. These were lavishly illustrated in watercolor by Franklin Sinclair and David Session. More than 50 of these original paintings were recently found deep in the bowels of the OSA repository, they have been digitized and will be used for future public education and outreach. The new poster features one of Session’s illustrations.  The documentary films are rather outdated and have degraded with time, but they still present the history of the fort well. The next time the OSA updates its old media to digital, we’d like to scan these documentaries for posting on the Web. (If anyone is a wiz at converting 16mm films to Blu-Ray, let us know!)   Fort Madison in the News Articles have recently appeared in Burlington Hawk Eye, the Fort Madison Daily Democrat, and the fort was featured on KBUR radio; this coverage has been positive. If you have other sightings of Fort Madison in the media, let us know, many of the papers and broadcasters do not have an extensive on-line news section, so unless someone points it out we don’t hear about it.   Did You Know…. The excavations of Fort Madison were so popular that a full size two-storey blockhouse and stockade were reconstructed in Des Moines for the 1966 State Fair?   Thank you, Bill Whittaker william-whittaker@uiowa.edu http://fortmadison.googlepages.com/     10th While looking at the pending SAR applications in different states, I noticed that the North Carolina Society has 2 new applications through Patriot Benjamin Bell.  I'm not sure if it is the same Benjamin Bell patriot that is buried in Iowa, but if so you might want to let the applicants know that they can see photos of the grave site at..  http://www.iassar.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=124&Itemid=168  11th I received word from Drumbeat editor David W. Swafford that, an article with Iowa significance is likely to appear in the next issue. “The newsletter gets sent to the printer on Feb. 13 and is mailed to 5,000 readers across the country on March 1”    I would be interested to know how many of our IASSAR members are also GSSR members.  Drop me an e-mail if you are in both.  12th Six new members approved for membership to IASSAR  14th I sent letter to the teacher of the children that participated in the WAA program on December 13th.  15th Great opportunity for those in Western Iowa (or willing to drive) On 02/15/2009, at 7:30 PM, Doris Kearns Goodwiin (author of Team of Rivals) will be giving a lecture at the Greater Lincoln Chamber Foundation's 2009 Abraham Lincoln Bicentennial Celebration, at the Lied Center for Performing Arts, Lincoln, Nebraska.   For FREE tickets call (402) 472-4747.  Bill Russell  16th Received name of potential member from DAR member JM.  16th I was honored to be asked to assist in the judging of the Eagle Scout Scholarship contest.  This is a great program that is run almost single handedly by Dave Shannon.  16th Received accurate report from Volney Smith on member renewals for 2009.  More on this after the BOM meeting.  17th Color Guard attended a wonderful event in Lamoni, Iowa.  Community participation at its’ best.  All who attended were impressed.  17th Received a request from DD of Thornton, Iowa on SAR application.  18th CD of Johnston may want to transfer (or have dual membership) after moving from FLA. To Johnston, Iowa.  19th Article on IASSAR appears in the General Society of the War of 1812 National newsletter appears.  21st Received a grass roots letter from IASSAR member RC with plans to reduce and simplify tax structure.  25th Received request for application assistance from DB of Bettendorf, Iowa.  26th I received a Treasurer’s report and sent to board members to review before the BOM meeting.  26th It became necessary to drop the following members since we never heard back from them in regard to their 2009 dues.  If you know if any of the below were dropped in error please let me know.   Compatriots who have been dropped for non-payment of dues:  John Francis Attaway                                   Lee Rex Ayers  Deryl Wade Berglund			     Jack Eugene Borcherding  Charles Wendell Bright			     John Davy Brockway  John Richard Doyle			     John Wayne Elliott  Carl Joseph Epping			     Joshua Michael Gibson  Paul Larry Gordon, Jr.			     Michael Edward Hancock  George Anthony Heit			     Randy T. Horton  Scott Arthur Jenkins			     Steven Edward Keith	              		     Bruce Duane Kisner			    Steven Verne Lawyer			                     Lee Michael Lira			     Bradley D. McDowell			                 Harlan Henry Naylor, Jr.			     Richard Willis Naylor			                              Bruce Anthony Norris			     David William Ough		                  	     Timothy Paul Ough			     Russell Duane Parker Michael Mark Pearson   			     Matthew Adam Radziewicz	                    	     Stephen Roger Sawyer   		     Dennis Lee Shimon			                           Robert Thomas Stanford		     Cr H Stanford		                                        J H Stanford			    J C Steele  B M Strouse		     T A Strouse R R Strouse		     J B Strouse			                   C L Tally			     S L Webster		                        B F Wolford			       27th Received Eagle Scout Chairman report for inclusion on BOM agenda.  28th I received an update from past historian Harold Meeker. 28th Received notice of printing cost for Central Iowa Chapter portion of WAA report.  30th I sent out final agenda to BOM members.  30th Central Iowa Chapter Color Guard attended, 2009 I’ll Make Me a World in Iowa education Day Event (approx. 2000 students)  30th Received requested information from IASSAR Chancellor.  31st BOM meeting held at Urbandale Library.  31st Received notes taken during BOM meeting by 1st VP and Editor Fran Keith.  We are in desperate need of a member to volunteer to be a recording secretary.  At President must set agenda, conduct meeting, record notes during meeting, compose meeting minutes after meeting, send out draft of minutes for BOM to review, make changes,  and then send out to all members.  #1st Received a request (and responded) for assistance from a potential candidate in Elmore, MN.  February  1st Received a request (and responded) from CGT of Montezuma, Iowa for assistance on possible application to IASSAR.  1st Sent out first draft of the meeting minutes to BOM members.  1st Received minutes response from IASSAR Secretary.  He also supplied some information on plans to produce an updated member directory.