January 5, 2010
Today’s Program: World War II Flyer’s Story with Dwight McCormick
Local businessman Dwight McCormick visits today, ready to share World War II stories that a Hollywood screenwriter would love.
Born in Wyoming, Ohio, Dwight graduated from Duke University in 1948 Phi Beta Kappa. Like many veterans, Dwight is a beneficiary of the GI Bill. In 1949, Dwight married his wife, Lynn.
After graduation from Duke, Dwight moved to St. Petersburg and eventually owned and operated an appraisal, mortgage, insurance, and property management company, the Glen E. McCormick Company, now known as McCormick, Braun, and Seaman Appraisers. Dwight hired Ron Braun in March of 1991. Dwight, we appreciate your keeping Ron off the streets.
Dwight is a former Scout Master and has taught Sunday School at Pasadena Community Church. He has served as a Director of four local banks and as a Trustee of Pasadena Community Church and Florida Southern College.
Kiwanians, sit back and revel in the Chronicles of Dwight McCormick, World War II Flyer, as he shares with us his experiences of nineteen bomber missions over Europe, including a shoot down by the German artillery and his evasion from capture.
And, if we are lucky, perhaps he will tell us his adventure pursuing his Purple Heart medal.
Welcome, Dwight McCormick, a real life American hero.
What’s Happening
Mr. Francis in the Neighborhood
Jeff Francis continues his long standing tradition of giving Christmas Dinners to the needy….. 22 years straight and looking forward to next year. Great job, Jeff!!
Panther Update
On December 23rd the Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission (FWC) recovered a vehicle-killed panther on Corkscrew Road near Gate 5 by the CREW lands (Corkscrew Regional Ecosystem Watershed). This portion of Corkscrew Road straddles the county line (Collier/Lee) but the panther was on the Collier County side. The panther was male, weighed 148 pounds, did not have a collar or microchip, had a slightly kinked tail, a small cowlick, only one testicle, and was estimated to be three years old. He has been identified as UCFP134.
On December 29th the FWC recovered the carcass of an adult female Florida panther, weighing approximately eighty pounds, (UCPF135) from the shoulder of the northbound lane of State Road 29 in Collier County, approximately two miles north of Jerome. This portion of SR29 did not have any fencing installed. This is the twenty-third wild panther mortality for 2009. It is the sixteenth road mortality for 2009.
These carcasses are currently being stored at the FWC Naples office freezer and will be transported for necropsy later. The hides and skeletons will be archived at the Florida Museum of Natural History in Gainesville.
Scholarship Letters
Bob Byelick read letters from Doorway Scholarship recipients. See one of the letters is below:
Adrian D. is an eighth grader at Thurgood Marshall Fundamental
Dear Mr. Byelick,
Thank you for supporting me with my Doorways scholarship. My favorite subjects are PE and Math. I used to play in the band, but this year I am not in the band. I also play little league football. I play for Lakewood Junior Spartans. I’ve scored four touchdowns this season, and my team record is 3-0. I spend my time playing my game system or working on my football skills. I want to go to college at The University of Florida or Oregon University. When I go to college I want to play football. My goal is to make it to the NFL, and to be successful.
Thank you again for my scholarship.
Sincerely, Adrian D.
Open Mike Fine Master
Prez Piplitz spread the joy of fining around to numerous tables so that all could participate in the fun.
- Congratulations to Melissa Hongo. Melissa was pleased to pay a happy fine for passing the CPA exam!
- David Feaster gigged Ron Scoggins for the members’ poor singing ability.
- Will Slicker fined all the University of Florida Kiwanians for Urban Meyer teasing us about his departure and subsequent return.
- Biff Baker fined President Piplitz for his 72 line disclaimer at the bottom of his email.
- Tom Nelson’s insulated hunting pants drew a fine from Harvey Ford…. and Tom what is up with sending a Christmas card postmarked on December 28?
- Lorin Bridge no longer needs to hang out on his porch with a shotgun as his daughter announced her engagement.
YWCA Reminder
Pat Biscotti reminded us about the painting project at the YWCA Home Shelter 429 6th Ave S, St Petersburg, scheduled on Saturday, January 16, 2010. We are hoping to get a large group of Key Clubbers to help us out with this project.
Last Week at Kiwanis
Kiwanian of the Day, Charlie Canerday, introduced our speaker Richard Johnson, the current President of the Egmont Key Alliance, a non-profit 501 (c)(3) organization that contracts with the State of Florida to provide volunteer services for Egmont Key. Richard showed us some pictures from his “Then and Now” program including pictures of the old lighthouse, the light keeper’s residences, gun batteries, and the natural beauty of the island.
Many of his pictures showed erosion that has taken place over the last century on the island. The island is losing ground on the west side and only gaining a small amount on the east side. Richard stated erosion is a continuing concern as the fortifications on the west side are falling into the sea.
The original lighthouse was built in 1848, then destroyed by a storm in 1858, and rebuilt. It was removed in 1933 when the lighthouse was powered with electricity rather compressed gas. With the exception of a short period during the Civil War, the lighthouse ran continuously from 1858. During the war lighthouse keeper took the parts needed to operate the lighthouse and returned them after the war.
Did you know?
- Stan Shaver informed us that in 1939 David Feaster’s father locked Stan in the jail on the island.
- The original dump on Egmont Key on the west side of the island has now eroded into the Gulf.
- During the Civil War there was a blockade to prevent beef cattle from leaving Florida and going to the Confederate states.
- Fort Dade was constructed to defend Tampa Bay from invasion during the Spanish American War. Over seventy buildings were built between 1898 and 1916, turning the island into a small city complete with hospital, school, theater, post office, sewer, electric, and telephone service.
- Today only finely laid brick roads, the gun batteries and dozens of cracked building foundations remain.
- Egmont Key is also a National Wildlife Refuge protecting populations of gopher tortoises, box turtles, and several species of nesting birds such as Royal and Least terns, Brown pelicans, Ibis, and Laughing gulls. The nesting area is located on the south end of the island that is off limits to visitors.
Thank you, Richard, for sharing your knowledge about Egmont Key with us.
Guests and Visitors
We had 43 members and 3 guests: Lane Feaster, daughter of David Feaster; Jake Holehouse, son of Ron Holehouse; Chic Carlson, Distinguished Lt. Governor from Ohio.
This Week’s Quiz
- How many atomic bombs did the United States have in inventory after the Nagasaki mission?
- Name the leader of the bomber mission, and the city where the American bombs first fell in Japan.
- Who was the leader of the German Luftwaffe?
- What American Bomber was the most produced in World War II?
- In a revenge move, which city in Germany was firebombed by the British? (Hint: As described in the book and movie, Slaughterhouse V).
Last Week’s Quiz
- When the first Egmont Key Light was built in 1848, it was the only lighthouse on the Gulf coast of Florida between Key West and St. Marks. In September 1848 a hurricane covered the island with six feet of water and damaged the new lighthouse. The keeper and his family rode out the storm in a small boat tied to a tree. When the keeper saw the damage to the lighthouse, he rowed off to Tampa and never returned. Another hurricane a few weeks later caused more damage, and beach erosion threatened to topple the tower. A hurricane in 1852 again threatened to topple the tower by undermining it. In 1857 work was begun rebuilding the tower. It apparently was moved 90 feet inland at that time. The reconstruction was completed in 1858, and the lighthouse was placed back in service with a new third order Fresnel lens. The lens was removed by Confederates during the Civil War to frustrate the Union Navy efforts to blockade Tampa Bay but was restored after the war.
- Union forces captured the island in July 1861 and used it as a base for attacks on Confederate ships and positions in the Tampa area. The Union also used the island as a military prison and a refuge for southern pro-Union sympathizers. A cemetery for Union and Confederate dead was opened on the island in 1864. The cemetery was closed in 1909 and the bodies were moved to military cemeteries at other locations.
- With the Spanish-American War looming on the horizon, the city of Tampa, through its leading citizen, Henry Plant, convinced the government that Tampa Bay should be protected against the possibility of enemy attack. Ft Dade was established on Egmont Key in the spring of 1898, and although the war lasted only four months (and the big excitement locally was that Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders gathered in Tampa on their way to Cuba) the construction of Ft. Dade and Ft. DeSoto on Mullet Key continued for years as part of a continuing program of coastal defense for this country.
- Today Egmont Key is both a Florida State Park and a National Wildlife Refuge.
- The Gopher Tortoise is the most prominent land animal on Egmont Key.
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