Van Tellfaster's Blog

Greed Among Friends

Greed Among Friends
Laura Applegate

When I initially thought about the main character of Greed Among Friends, I wanted to create someone who would be recognizable as an honest, no-nonsense individual that my readers could relate to. I ended up selecting what I believe are a combination of good qualities from the females I’ve worked with over the years. This mix of favorable qualities yielded my protagonist, Laura Applegate.

As I describe in the story, Laura is an attractive woman in her late twenties. She has a pretty face, a slender build, stands five feet seven inches tall, and often wears her long blonde hair in a ponytail. I include that the story is a gripping thriller about Laura, a determined private investigator thrust into her first overseas embezzlement case, and forced to navigate a web of deception while relying on her instincts to unravel the complicated case.

Creating Laura’s background was relatively easy for me as I dug into my experiences over the years, picked San Antonio, one of the places where I lived while in the military, and incorporated real-life experiences mixed with fictional accounts of Laura’s life before she joined Hutchison and Satterfield International Investigations (HSII), one of the top investigative firms in the nation headed by Jerry Satterfield. Satterfield is another interesting person, although a secondary character in the story, and he could be the subject of a future write-up.   

Laura grew up as a military brat on Randolph Air Force Base, just outside San Antonio, Texas, in Bexar County. She became a San Antonio Police officer after graduating from Trinity University in San Antonio, setting the stage for her to join HSII. She was ready for new challenges, so she applied for the job at HSII. She flew back to Washington, DC, for the interview with Satterfield and got the job. Satterfield was immediately impressed by Laura’s confidence and how comfortable she appeared in her own skin. He knew instinctively that he was hiring a winner and that Laura Applegate would likely become a key contributor to the HSII investigative team. Given this additional information on Laura–the main character of my international crime thriller–I hope you will keep this background information in mind as you read my new novel.

You can order either a soft copy of GAF or the eBook version now while the book is in the “Presales” stage at the following site: https://store.bookbaby.com/book/greed....

Greed Among Friends

Greed Among Friends (GAF) is my second fiction novel and is also a thriller, like my first, The Private Investigator. However, GAF features some of the same fascinating characters as my debut novel. A.J. Williams, the main character in the first novel, surfaces again in GAF, but he takes a backseat to the newly introduced GAF main character, Laura Applegate. Laura is a newly hired investigator at the same international investigative firm (Hutchison and Satterfield International Investigations) introduced in my first novel. While the main characters of both novels work at the same investigative firm, their personalities, gender differences, and life experiences lead them to approach their jobs differently. GAF also introduces several captivating new characters who help move the storyline along by incorporating their unique perspectives into the novel.
While A.J. Williams’ investigation took him to Hong Kong and South Korea, Laura Applegate’s investigation requires her to head in the opposite direction to the European continent. She pursues her subjects in Zurich, Switzerland, a place she had only read about in high school and college. But just as A.J. Williams faced challenges and danger as he investigated his case in Korea, Laura’s embezzlement case presents enormous challenges as she deals with characters at the top of their game when it comes to international banking and finance. In sum, there is nothing easy about Laura’s case, which is fraught with danger and unforeseen events during her stay in Zurich. Suppose you have an interest in thrillers and want to learn more about international banking and finance, mixed with intrigue and unforgettable characters. In that case, this is a novel you should read. Stay tuned for more information on my new thriller.
Regards,
Van Tellfaster

May 2021 Newsletter

Van Tellfaster’s Corner

The Newsletter
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Spring 2021 / Issue #5 / http://www.vantellfaster.wordpress.com

May 31, 2021

Boy has May 2021 been fast-moving, and full of noteworthy events. We observed, Cinco de Mayo (Spanish: “Fifth of May”) also called Anniversary of the Battle of Puebla, a holiday celebrated in parts of Mexico and right here in the United States in honor of a military victory in 1862 over the French forces of Napoleon III; Mother’s Day, an annual observance important to us all, giving the opportunity to honor our mothers; National Nurses Month, which began on May 6, 2021, the theme of which is Nurses: A Voice to Lead - A vision for future healthcare; and Memorial Day, which fell on May 31, 2021, and which we memorialize the veterans who made the ultimate sacrifice for our country, to mention a few key events during the month.

In addition, there were two birthdays my family observed, and we watched our grandchildren and other family members experience lots of pleasurable activities, a few of which I will expound on below. And if that isn’t enough to contemplate, a Centers for Disease Control (CDC) panel endorsed on May 12, 2021 Pfizer to begin vaccinating children 12-15 years old. Furthermore, President Biden made it possible for family doctors to get and give the Covid-19 vaccine and authorized thousands of pharmacies across the country to give the Covid-19 shots to all those who desire it. In addition, CDC announced that those who have been fully vaccinated may now dispense with wearing their masks when outside or even inside facilities. Although this was fantastic news, I believe it would be prudent to air on the safe side, and if you are indoors in the midst of a large number of people you don’t know, it might be a good idea to keep the mask on. Remember, although things are changing fast now, and many millions of Americans have received at least one vaccination, there’s still a large number of our citizens who have not gotten the shot, and could be spreading the virus. Another bright spot is that the numbers of people getting sick from the virus are decreasing, and in some cities in America, they are seeing minimal new cases of Covid-19 in hospitals.

There have been some pretty despicable events that occurred during the month as well. For example, we learned that criminals who call themselves the Babuk group, ransomware hackers, illegally accessed and stole Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department files, demanded $4 million, and threatened to make public sensitive information, to include identities of police informants. If you ask me, this is bottom-of-the-barrel behavior, because if those names are exposed, you know what could likely happen to the informants! Sadly, it turns out that the criminal hackers did release MPD sensitive information.



In another disgusting act, a group known as the DarkSide, hacked the Colonial Pipeline system causing debilitating fuel shortages on the East Coast. I can personally attest to the shortages since I live in Virginia, one of the states hit hard by the gas shortage, and I observed long lines and many signs reading, “Sorry, out of gas.” Reportedly, the gang was paid $4.4 million as a result of their dastardly deed.
In another very important matter, the House of Representatives passed a bill on May 18, 2021, to address the increase in hate crimes and violence against Asian Americans during the coronavirus pandemic, clearing the legislation for President Biden to sign on May 20, 2021. This couldn’t have happened at a better time, given that this month is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month. Regrettably, the bipartisan commission on the January 2021 insurrection on our U.S. Capitol was not passed in the Senate.

Overseas, in India, sadly, thousands of Indians died due to an unfortunate Covid-19 outbreak in that country of some 1.35 billion people. In the Middle East, the Israelis and Palestinians engaged in open conflict, again, after Hamas reportedly fired thousands of rockets into Israeli cities and towns. The last time I checked, more than 200 people have died, and the vast majority of them, Palestinians, were killed by Israeli airstrikes in the Gaza Strip. The fighting between the Israelis and the Palestinians lasted for eleven days with both sides claiming victory. On the Space front, China landed on Mars on Friday, May 14, 2021, for the first time, behind America’s February 18, 2021 successful landing on Mars of Perseverance rover. Interestingly enough, the United States has landed on Mars 9 times since 1976. Go America!
And finally, I’d like to turn your attention to my first novel, entitled, The Private Investigator, and if you haven’t already had the opportunity, I encourage you read below to learn more about my book.

Current Hot Topic!!

Semiconductor Chips
On Sunday, May 2, 2021, I watched with great interest 60 Minutes’ latest show. I was particularly interested in the segment on computer chips. In her discussion with Pat Gelsinger, the new CEO of Intel, that the demand for microchips in this country is growing, but fewer and fewer are being manufactured domestically. I decided to learn more about computer chips and how America is being impacted by their use, and how the shortages of these chips are affecting us.
I thought I would first start with the basics; that is, for those of us that are not technically savvy in this discipline. A computer chip is an integrated circuit or small wafer of semiconductor material embedded with integrated circuitry. As such, chips comprise the processing and memory units of our modern digital computers. There are two major types of computer chips: the Primary memory chip, and the Microprocessor chip.
The Primary storage, also known as main storage or memory, is the area in a computer in which data is stored for quick access by the computer’s processor. What I found most interesting, is the number of companies in the world that manufactured semiconductor chips has shrunk from 24 to only three, and get this, there’s just one company in America making these extremely important chips, and that is Intel. I also learned that 75 percent of these semiconductors, or microchips––the tiny operating brains in almost every modern device––are now manufactured in Asia. According to Gelsinger, 25 years ago the U.S. produced 37% of the world’s semiconductor manufacturing in this country.
Today, that number has declined to just 12%. Well, even I know this is an obvious problem, even before Mr. Gelsinger said it. To complicate things, Covid-19’s arrival has apparently shown that the global supply chain of chips is fragile and unable to react quickly to changes in demand. One big reason for this snafu: Chip fabrication plants are wildly expensive to build, furbish, and maintain. So here’s a good example of how semiconductor chip shortages in America are impacting us. Automakers have canceled shifts and temporarily closed factories. Reportedly, Ford, GM, Fiat Chrysler (Stellantis), Volkswagen and Honda seem to have been hit the hardest. It turns out that some of these automakers had to divert chips from slower-selling models to those in high demand, such as pickup trucks and large SUVs.Sadly, For, GM and Stellantis have started building vehicles without some computers, putting them in storage with plans to retrofit them later. Tell me this isn’t a problem! I’ve dropped a lot on you about this problem of semiconductor chip shortages, so I’ll stop here, but I suspect we’ll be hearing about this important matter again.

Family News
In my introductory article, I mentioned this month was really busy, and I highlighted Mother’s Day, and spoke of two birthdays: my son’s and our grandson’s special day, among the other topics I introduced. As you know, family is all important to most of us, and I enjoy talking about mine. I should add that despite the more-than-year-long pandemic we’ve been faced with, the family has worked very hard to avoid Covid-19, mostly by following the ever-changing CDC guidance. And knock-on-wood, we will continue to avoid getting sick from Covid-19!


That said, this year, Mother’s Day was a joyful event for our family from coast to coast. My wife and I enjoyed a quiet day at home, and I insisted my dear wife not do any work, as tempting as it was for her to do so, and leave it all to me. We had a delicious dinner ordered from a local restaurant, and my wife greatly appreciated the Mother’s Day flowers she received from both our sons. In Colorado Springs, my oldest son and his kids spent quality time with their mom while family in El Paso, Texas honored their mothers as well. Lastly, I’d me remise if I didn’t mention my loving mother who passed on a number of years ago, but who, nonetheless, remains in my heart daily. Rest in peace, Mom.

As for Zach and Claudia, school is winding down, and they are more than ready for the summer break. And by the way, our grandchildren worked hard during the school year, and because of the pandemic, spent a few days of the week in class, and a few days working from home using their trusty laptops. Unfortunately this less than ideal arrangement was replicated all over the nation and essentially disrupted the healthy in-class atmosphere our kids experienced before the arrival of Covid-19. Nonetheless, Zach and Claudia received good report cards demonstrating improvement despite the major disruption during the school year, and they are both advancing to the next grade: Zach to third grade, and Claudia to second grade. We are so proud of our grandchildren!

I mentioned above that there were two birthdays in my family that occurred this month. My oldest son hit the big 50, while his son, Zach, turned 8-years-old. Needless to say my son and grandson had lots of fun celebrating their birthdays there in Co Springs, despite Covid-19, and a bunch of snow days experienced in May, believe it or not. Both father and son thoroughly enjoyed their special day receiving lovely gifts from friends and family, eating good meals, and having luscious chocolate cake.



Happy Birthday to our very successful son and to our loving grandson. Mom and I wish you, and Zach have many more birthdays. And speaking of success, Zach’s dad is hitting it out of the park giving class A briefings to active duty military members nearing retirement, and those veterans who recently left the military. In fact, he briefed over 30 members from Kansas via online presentation this month, and soon after his briefing, positive comments flowed, including a laudatory comment from his boss, who was also observing. That’s always good news when your boss is making positive comments about you.





I checked in with Avery and Lauren’s dad, my nephew in El Paso, and learned that their children are having lots of fun in the Lone Star state. Recently, Avery was sitting with his baby sister, Lauren, who was fussing in her swing, and then suddenly became quiet. Baby Lauren’s mom assumed the little one had fallen asleep, but when she looked in on the cute kids, Avery was actually doing his “big brother duty,” and keeping his little sister company. What a sweet story!


Meanwhile, Avery’s older brother, JT, made his first visit to a local ball field with dad in an attempt to figure out the rules of the game. He looks really great in his Giants ball cap and uniform. JT is at the age when kids soak up information like a sponge, and judging from the photo, JT is doing just that and seems to be really focused on what dad is showing him. And who knows, maybe someday JT will become a professional ball player, earn lots of money, and make mom and dad proud parents!



Events
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month
Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month is observed annually in May to celebrate the contributions that generations of AAPIs have made to American history, society, and culture in the United States. A rather broad term, Asian/Pacific encompasses all of the Asian continent and the Pacific islands of Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. According to the Federal Asian Pacific American Council (FAPAC), the 2021 theme for AAPI Heritage Month is "Advancing Leaders Through Purpose-Driven Service.” President George H.W. Bush issued Presidential Proclamation 6130 on May 7, 1990 designating May 1990 as the first “Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month.

History
The Tulsa race massacre took place May 31 and June 1, 1921, when mobs of White residents, many of them deputized and given weapons by city officials, attacked Black residents and businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Alternatively known as the Black Wall Street Massacre, the Greenwood Massacre, the Tulsa Massacre, the Tulsa pogrom, or the Tulsa race riot, it marks one of "the single worst incident(s) of racial violence in American history.” The attack, carried out on the ground and from private aircraft, destroyed more than 35 square blocks of the district—at that time the wealthiest Black community in the United States, known as "Black Wall Street".

According to historical accounts, more than 800 people were admitted to hospitals, and as many as 6,000 Black residents were interned in large facilities, many of them for several days. The Oklahoma Bureau of Vital Statistics officially recorded 36 dead. A 2001 state commission examination of events was able to confirm 39 dead, 26 Black and 13 White, based on contemporary autopsy reports, death certificates and other records. The commission gave several estimates ranging from 75 to 300 dead.
The massacre began during the Memorial Day weekend after a 19-year-old Black shoeshiner, was accused of assaulting a the 17-year-old White elevator operator of the nearby Drexel Building. This event was no doubt a shameful occurrence that I knew nothing about during my school days because the shocking event was never taught to students in our public schools. May all those who suffered and died during that horrific race riot rest in peace!

Military News
United States Air Force Academy
I spent a career in the United States Air Force, and my son graduated from the Air Force Academy and retired from the USAF as well. My wife and I visited our son at the academy on more than one occasion when the academy was his home, and we were delighted when our son graduated from the Colorado Springs military installation. Our son remains engaged, and not only lives near the academy, but he also sponsors young cadets, providing them encouragement, and valuable tips on how to survive academy life.

This year’s academy graduation occurred on May 26, 2021 with about 1,000 cadets pinning on lieutenant bars as new officers of the Space Force or Air Force following the graduation ceremony. The graduation occurred at Falcon Stadium and included keynote speaker Army Gen. Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Following the graduation ceremony, which ended shortly after 1:00 p.m., the well-known Thunderbirds gave a 30-minute air show with F-16 pilots displaying their superb skills flying tight formations in the airspace above the Air Force Academy. These youthful officers represent America’s future in military leadership. I offer my congratulations to all the men and women who endured four long years of learning at the USAFA.

People
Leola Brown Montgomery
I heard on the news recently that Leola Brown Montgomery had turned 100 on May 7, 2021. When I learned that Ms. Brown Montgomery was married to Oliver Brown, one of the complainants in Brown v Board of Education Supreme Court case, I researched the historic event to refresh my memory. First off, I was just a toddler when the landmark case was decided in 1954. However, we learned about the case Middle School and in High School, and at the time, we knew little about the Brown family. According to an article in the Topeka Capital-Journal, Ms. Leola Brown Montgomery’s husband, Oliver Brown, became the lead plaintiff in the lawsuit after attempting to enroll their daughter, Linda, in an all-white elementary school near the family’s Topeka homier 1951. Mr. Brown was told his daughter, Linda, had to instead attend the all-Black Monroe School two miles away. As a result, the NAACP filed a legal challenge to segregated schooling in Kansas. Cases from the District of Columbia and three other states were consolidated into Brown v Board of Education. As you may recall, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in 1954 that “separate but equal” schools violated the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the Constitution. It should be noted that Oliver Brown died in 1961, and Linda Brown died at age 75 in 2018. My hats off to Ms. Leola Brown Montgomery, and I hope that she will have many more birthdays.

Colonel Ralph Puckett Jr.
I was greatly pleased and proud to observe Colonel Ralph Puckett Jr. receive the Medal of Honor at the White House on May 21, 2021. President Joe Biden and President Moon Jae-in, South Korea’s president, commended the actions of retired Army Col. Ralph Puckett Jr., a Korean War veteran who was awarded the prestigious medal as his family looked on. Before awarding Puckett the medal, Biden described him as “true American hero” for whom the recognition was long overdue. Col. Puckett, 94, earned the medal for actions he took more than 70 years ago, in November 1950. As a young 1Lt in the Korean War, Puckett commanded the Eighth Army Ranger Company during a mission to seize “Hill 205” (a strategic point overlooking the Chongchon River, along the Chongchon River Vally in northwestern part of North Korea) and defend it against a series of assaults by the Chinese. Puckett risked his life multiple times to draw enemy fire, call for artillery strikes, check the perimeter and deliver ammunition to his soldiers. My congratulations to Col. Ralph Puckett Jr. who is a true American hero!

In Memoriam
Olympia Dukakis
This American actress who toiled in obscurity onstage for decades was considered a versatile actress in every way. Her Oscar-winning breakthrough came at 56-years-old as Cher’s sardonic mother in the romantic comedy “Moonstruck.” The movie (1987) was about the exasperation, disappointment and unpredictability of love, and was a light comedic showcase for Cher, Nicolas Cage (one of my favorites), Danny Aiello, Vincent Gardenia and Ms. Dukakis as Brooklynites in the throes of agony and ecstasy. Ms. Dukakis, who was a cousin of former presidential nominee Michael S. Dukakis, died on May 1, 2021 at 89 in her New York City home. Rest in peace Olympia Dukakis.

Greetings from Van’s Corner

Special Interest Item
Mental Illness
Unfortunately, in America, mental illness is a touchy subject that many people don’t wish to discuss, especially with those we are not familiar with. Nonetheless, this often misunderstood illness exists all across our nation, and around the world, for that matter. The American Psychiatric Association defines mental illnesses as health conditions involving changes in emotion, thinking or behavior (or a combination of these). Mental illnesses are associated with distress and/or problems functioning in social, work or family activities. And the fact of the matter is, that mental illness is common, and reportedly, nearly one in five (19 percent) U.S. adults experience some form of mental illness; one in 24 (4.1 percent) has a serious mental illness; and one in 12 (8.5 percent) has a diagnosable substance use disorder. The good news is, that mental illness is treatable, and the vast majority of individuals with mental illness who take medication, continue to function in their daily lives. By the way, serious mental illness is a mental, behavioral or emotional disorder (excluding developmental and substance uses disorders) resulting in significant functional impairment, which substantially interferes with or limits one or more vital life activities.

Examples of serious mental illness include major depressive disorder, schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
Glenn Close, a prominent American who was recently nominated for Best Supporting Actress for the motion picture, Hillbilly Elergy, spoke up about mental illness. She revealed that once she learned of a family member’s struggle with bipolar 1 disorder, Close didn’t hesitate to assist in finding a way to change how Americans talk about mental illness. Since she’s a famous actress, Close has the resources to help cause a change. She co-founded the nonprofit, Bring Change To Mind, with a pledge to raise awareness and end the stigma––and the silence surrounding mental illness. My hat is off to the Oscar-nominated actress who took on the new role as a mental health advocate! It seems to me that we need more advocates like Glenn Close to reach out and help even more Americans who suffer from mental illness. I hope this article prompts anyone who reads my newsletters to contemplate ways to help our brothers and sisters who struggle with mental disorders.

VT’s Special Note
Memorial Day is a day of remembrance for U.S. soldiers who died in military service. You may not know that it was first observed in 1868, when flowers were placed on graves of Union and Confederate soldiers at Arlington National Cemetery. It later changed from honoring the dead from the Civil War to honoring the dead from all American wars. That said, I’d like to take this during this year’s Memorial Day holiday to wish everyone of my readers a very special Memorial Day. I’d also like to give a special shout out to Officer Brian Sicknick’s family on this solemn day.

As you may know, New Jersey born Officer Sicknick served in the New Jersey National Guard and later became a U.S. Capitol Police Officer, giving his life on January 6, 2021, protecting the U.S. Capitol and the leaders of our government during the shocking insurrection. Across the nation, many of us enjoy the delicious barbecue meals at picnics, and in our backyards, and we sometimes forget the true meaning of observing this important holiday. I have the deepest respect for all those men and women in uniform that gave their lives for this country in conflicts from WWI to WWII, the Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, Afghanistan, and every other conflict we’ve been involved in around the world. Going forward, let’s hope we can get all of our uniformed members out of Afghanistan safely and look for a brighter day.

Check Out My Book!
If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of my book, The Private Investigator, here is a synopsis of my thriller: A.J. Williams, a former military police investigator, is now a skilled private investigator employed by one of the nation’s well known international investigative firms. He never pursued a college education after leaving the U.S. Army, but he’s smart, and is a self-starter with a good instinct for ferreting out the facts and solving complicated cases.
After Hutchison and Satterfield International Investigations relocates to Washington, D.C. from Philadelphia––following the murder of the firm’s senior partner––Jerry Satterfield reluctantly has to run the firm. A.J. and his new boss are often at odds over just about everything. But Satterfield understands that A.J. is his top investigator, and doesn’t want to lose him. He assigns A.J. to investigate a new case which requires the PI to visit two Asian countries as he pursues a North Korean spy, who recruited an American government employee to commit espionage.

New Book Trailer
**My book trailer is now on YouTube and can be found at the following YouTube site: https://youtu.be/dT_ec8bQdt0. I encourage everyone to check it out.

My author page:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6BBXXD.
or
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/113005...
or
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id14...
Another place to look is on the BookBub Official site at www.https://partners.bookbub.com. You can sign in with your email address, then search for my novel.

Please also follow me on my Goodreads Profile Page at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show....

If all else fails, you can Google Van Tellfaster and view my Website. I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time,
Van Tellfaster


References
1 The Editors of Encyclopedia Brittanica, Article entitled Cinco de Mayo,
https://www.britannica.com, National Nurses Week 2021 Nurses Week-Rainer Olympic… rainierolympicnurses.org, “Through Their Eyes” is part of The Mask Project, by artist Jessica D. Perez.

2 Congress Passes Bill To Counter The Rise In Anti-Asian Hate Crimes, Story presented by Barbara Sprunt, NPR, May 18, 2021
3 China landed on Mars on May 14, 2021 - Physics World, https://physicsworld.com > china-successfully-lands-zhuro..
4 https://www.britannica.com > Technology > Computers; The two major tips of computer chips, https://www.toppr.com > ask > question > the-two-major-t … Semiconductor manufacturing process, Hitachi high-tech, https://www.hitachi-hightech.com > products > device > p… Everything you ever wanted to know about semiconductors, https://www.iqsdirectory.com > resources > everything- … Semiconductors: The humble mineral that transformed the world - BBC, https://www.bbc.com > how-the-chip-changed-everything, USA Today, Tech, article entitled, The microchip shortage explained: How it’s impacting car prices and the tech industry, by Michael Liedtke, Tom Krisher Associated Press, dated April 2, 2021
5 Celebrate Asian American Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage in May, April 28, 2021, by Monica Burnette, Seton Hall University, East Orange NJ
6 Tulsa race massacre - Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org, Tulsa_race_massacre, edited May 29, 2021
7 Academy finalizes number of guests for Class of 2021 Graduation, U.S. Air Force Academy/Published April 16, 2021
8 Montgomery, Leola - the Civil Rights Digital Library, http://crdl.usg.edu > People, Widow of lead plaintiff in landmark case turns 100 - AP News, https://apnesa.com > article
9 Stars and Stripes, article entitled, Biden awards ‘long overdue’ Medal of Honor to retired Col. Ralph Puckett Jr., by Nikki Gentling, published May 21, 2021
10 The Washington Post, Obituaries Section, page C9, article entitled, Olympia Dukakis Won Oscar for breakout ‘Moonstruck’ Article by Adam Bernstein, May 2, 2021
11 Mental Disorders: MedlinePlus, https://medlineplus.gov > Health Topics, people.Com (Movies) article entitled, How A Sister’s Cry For Help Led Glenn Close to Change the Way We Talk About Mental Illness, by Liz McNeil, dated May 12, 2021
12 Our View: Memorial Day/Daily Mountain Eagle, https://mountaineagle.com > stories > our-view-memorial-… dated May 29, 2021
13 Death of Brian Sicknick - Wikipedia, https://en.wikipedia.org > wiki > Death_of_Brian_Sickn…

Photos were taken from the Internet, and my family’s personal photo album.

Newsletter Overview photos:
Photo 1: Women performing a traditional Mexican dance at a Cinco de Mayo celebration in Los Angeles, 2002.
Image: Kevork Djansezian/AP
Photo 2: National Nurses Week, “Through Their Eyes” is part of The Mask Project, by artist Jessica D. Perez.
2021 Nurses Week - Rainer Olympic…
rainierolympicnurses.org
Photo 3: Rep. Judy Chu, chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus, speaks about the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act ahead of its passage at the U.S. Capitol on Tuesday.
Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images
Photo 4:
Memorial Day 2021: The Meaning of Memorial Day | The Old ...
https://www.almanac.com › ... › Holidays and Events
Photo # 5:
India's Covid crisis: Daily cases rise above 400,000 again
https://www.cnbc.com › 2021/05/07 › india-covid-crisi...

Other Photos:
Medical workers tend to a patient suffering from coronavirus disease (COVID-19), as a Syringe Infusion Pump, donated by France is seen next to his bed, inside the emergency room of Safdarjung Hospital in New Delhi, India, May 7, 2021.
Adnan Abidi | Reuters

Photo #1 of micro chip: stockvault photos #3415
Photo #2: Fabrication Plant - Wikipedia article entitled, Semiconductor device fabrication … updated May 6, 2021
en.wikipedia.org

Photo #1: Happy Mother’s Day, NYSoM Mother’s Day 2021 - New York …
nysomgroup.org
Photo #2: Happy 50th Birthday cake Stock Photos …
depositphotos.com

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month | Law Library of Congress
https://www.loc.gov › help › commemorative-observations
Photo #1: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month 2021
asianpacificheritage.gov
Photo #2: Asian Pacific American Heritage Month (May)
hr.miami.edu

Photo #1: Smoldering ruins of African-American homes following massacre
Tulsa race massacre - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Tulsa_race_massacre
Page last edited May 29, 2021
Photo #2:
Tulsa race massacre - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Tulsa_race_massacre
Page last edited May 29, 2021


Photo #1: United States Air Force Academy …
usage.af.mil
Photo by Michael Ciaglo/Getty Images
Photo #2: The USAF Thunderbirds, Air Force Times, Thunderbirds fly over Las Vegas on April 11, 2020
Photo taken by Cory W. Bush/Air Force
Article entitled “Thunderbirds shake up aerial show for 2021, by Rachel S. Cohen, April 17
Photo: www.kmuw.org/sites/kmuw/files/styles/...…
kmuw.org
Article entitled Family Matriarch Leola Montgomery Reflects On Brown V. Board of Education Ruling, Age and Life, by Carla Eckels, June 8, 2018

Photo: Biden takes a knee for a group photo with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, kneeling left, after presenting the Medal of Honor to U.S. Army Col. Ralph Puckett, center, in the East Room of the White House, Friday, May 21, 2021. Photo by Alex Brandon.

Photo: Actress Olympia Dukakis holds her Best Actress in a Supporting Role Oscar for "Moonstruck" at the Academy Awards on April 11, 1988, in Los Angeles.John T. Barr / Getty Images file
nbcnews.com

Photo #1: en.wikipedia.org
Article entitled, American Psychiatric Association …
Updated 9 May 2021
Photo 2: From people.com (Movies), article entitled, How A Sister’s Cry for help Led Glenn Close to Change the Way We Talk About Mental Illness, By Liz McNeilMay 12, 2021, Photo by Maximillian Tortoriello

Photo #1: Memorial Day 2021: Facts, Meaning …
history.com
Photo #2: Article entitled Death of Brian Sicknick
Death of Brian Sicknick - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Death_of_Brian_Sickn..

Photo: 8 Science-Backed Benefits of Reading a …
realsimple.com

April 2021 Newsletter

Van Tellfaster’s Corner

The Newsletter
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Spring 2021 / Issue #4 / http://www.vantellfaster.wordpress.com

April 30, 2021

April was another busy month with lots occurring all around us. We can never forget that April opens with April Fools’ Day, a day that sticks in my mind because it was the day I graduated from Air Force Officer Training School in 1980. I’ll share more of my thoughts on this subject later. Many Americans, and Christians around the world participated in religious gatherings for Easter, although I was not able to attend the Fort Belvoir chapel for a second Easter due to Covid-19 restrictions. I offer additional thoughts on Easter below. And believe or not, my wife and I celebrated 52-long-years of marriage this month. That said, we are still losing Americans to Covid-19 with over 575,000 that have succumbed to the killer virus. On the bright side, however, Pfizer began doing vaccine trials on children as young as 2-years old in hopes of soon beginning to vaccinate our kids. As for progress with Covid-19 vaccinations, according to Johns Hopkins University, over 100 million people have been gotten the shot to date, reportedly a milestone, bringing the total to 30 percent of adults in America having received the shot in the arm. Johnson & Johnson temporality halted giving its one-shot vaccination for Covid-19 due to concerns over 15 people that developed blood clots with at least three of the women dying. However, the CDC investigated the matter of the rare blood clots and decided to allow J&J vaccinations to continue, but the government is warning individuals of the potential problem before administering the shots. On the upside, President Biden announced on April 27, 2021 that it was now okay to move around outside, in the open air, without wearing masks if you’ve been fully vaccinated: Running, walking, or biking without a mask has been declared a safe practice in addition to outdoor family gatherings, and enjoying a good meal outdoors at a restaurant. On the evening of April 28, 2021, President Biden addressed a joint session of Congress for the first time. He talked about a sweeping rewrite of new programs to transform the government’s role in the lives of American citizens. Combating the Corona virus, getting Americans back to work, and discussing how we can survive as a democracy. Furthermore, the governor of West Virginia is now offering $100.00 to anyone in his state that gets the Covid-19 vaccination––that’s an original approach! In the meantime, the U.S. Congress is having a tough time coming to some agreement on what to do about the very real problem of policing in our country. From what I can tell, there are a couple of topics that seem to be holding up progress, and they include qualified immunity in policing; and doing away with choke holds by police. I’m hoping our politicians will soon come to some resolution for the good of keeping all our citizens safe.
And finally, I again turn your attention to my first novel, entitled, The Private Investigator, and hope you will visit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6BBXXD or my author page at https://booklocker.com/10136 to pick up a copy of my thriller.

Current Hot Topic!!

We’re Leaving Afghanistan
I retired from the United States Air Force at the end of August 2001; a little over one month before the worse terrorist attack took the nation by surprise. After that horrible day in America, former President George W. Bush ordered our troops to Afghanistan in an effort to root out Ben Ladan and his al Quada followers. To make a long story short, ten years later we caught and killed Ben Ladan, and essentially decimated that group of hardcore terrorists.
Along the way, we dealt with the equally dangerous Taliban, who originally provided a haven for al Quada. Now, we don’t face the same threat from large terrorist organizations like al Quada, but the international terrorism threat persists in a more dispersed manner: Some remnants of al Qaeda are present in Iraq, al Nusra, principally located in Syria. Al-Shabaab, a terrorist, jihadist fundamentalist group is based in East Africa and Yemen, and what’s left of ISIS remains in Syria and Iraq.
As a learned man once said, “Nothing will stay the same forever,” and that now seems to be the case with our nearly 20-year-stay in Afghanistan regarding our troops. President Biden recently announced that our men and women in uniform will be out of the country before September 11, 2021. It seems the plan is to start moving U.S. troops out of Afghanistan beginning in early May, and that’s just around the corner.
Recall that in 2011, we had a high of 100,000 troops in the troubled South Asian country, and now there are a little over 2,500 troops about to get out of Dodge. However, Biden’s decision to pull out of Afghanistan is not without controversy. LTG Herbert Raymond (H.R.) McMaster, a Philadelphia native, and former national security advisor to President Trump, believes the withdrawal of our troops is premature, while Secretary of State Antony Blinken believes it is time for us to move on. In addition, some Defense Department officials believe that the Taliban’s level of violence remains too high to withdraw completely our forces. But, one Biden Administration official said, “We went to Afghanistan to deliver justice to those who attacked us on September 11, and to disrupt terrorist seeking to use Afghanistan as a safe haven to attack the U.S.” The official added, “We believe we achieved that objective some years ago. We judge the threat against the homeland now emanating from Afghanistan to be at a level that we can address it without a persistent military footprint in the country and without remaining at war with the Taliban.” I think 20 years is more than enough time to root out the bad guys and blunt the Taliban’s strength there. It is indeed time to bring our troops home. We have the capability to keep a close eye on the Taliban, and terrorists who may attempt to reconstitute in Afghanistan. The U.S. can take the appropriate actions as necessary if need be.

Family News
Last month I told you that Coloradans were still getting snow, even after the beginning of Spring. This month, however, there was snow on the ground in Colorado Springs as recently as April 18th. In fact, I read that the season’s last snowfall typically happens in April. This year, the Springs saw a total of 57.3 inches of the white stuff. As for our grandkids, the snow brought endless joy as Zach and Claudia spent as much time as they could frolicking in the light powdery substance. Now that the snow seems to be behind the kids, they still have plenty of options to remain entertained, that is when they’re not in school. Before Easter, Zach and Claudia gladly helped their mother color lots of eggs for a special homebound event. Easter Sunday was particularly pleasing to Zach and Claudia. They hurriedly went down stairs, accompanied by their mom, then enjoyed their Easter gifts which included chocolate bunnies, and various other sweets. In addition, Claudia was extremely happy to get just what she wanted, a Chewbaca and a baby yoda, while Zach was also happy to get a baby yoda, a nice Easter book, and of course, lots of candy. Later during the month of April, Zach and Claudia helped their mom prepare a special shipment of tropical fruit gladly received. And if that wasn’t enough, the kids had lots of fun with mom and dad hiking in a popular local Colorado Springs park, giving them a chance to expend some of the energy that seems to come from an endless source. In a separate outing, Zach and Claudia enjoyed eating shaved ice on a bright sunny day in the Springs. And while Claudia enjoyed her shaved ice, she did so after a couple of visits from the Tooth Fairy! Later on, things slowed down a bit, especially for Zach, but only for a very short time back at home, while the kids took a break on the couch.

Events
Easter
This is the second Easter that the members of the Fort Belvoir religious community have not been able to gather as we did before the pandemic. There are thousands of soldiers, sailors, Marines, Air Force, Coastguard members, and their families, of all religions who attend the chapels on Fort Belvoir. Adhering strictly to the Belvoir commanders’ orders, a maximum of 50 people are allowed in each of the post chapels at a time. So, again this year, I observed the Easter Triduum––the period of three days that begins with the liturgy on the evening of Holy Thursday, includes Good Friday, and reaches its high point in the Easter Vigil on Holy Saturday, and closes with Mass on Easter Sunday––from home. I, like the majority of the thousands of Fort Belvoir Catholic community members observed the Triduum services from home zooming in using the video capability. I’m hoping and praying that this will be the last time we, the Catholic community, and the larger Belvoir religious community will have to view Holy week from afar instead of attending services in person.




The Masters’ Golf Tournament
The Masters’ Tournament held in Augusta, Georgia, 8 - 11 April, 2021, is over. The winner: Hideki Matsuyama. The 29-year-old native of Japan won the Masters by one stroke. He signed for a 1-over-73 in Sunday’s final round to win by one shot at 10 under. During the competition, Matsuyama held off Master's rookie Will Zalatoris, 2015 champions Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele to become not just the first Masters champ, but the first men’s major championship winner from Japan.
I watched the after-game ceremony, held at the Augusta club house and after several minutes of commentary by Jim Nantz, lead host and his colleagues, Dustin Johnson, a proud owner of the green jacket, stood behind Matsuyama and placed the coveted jacket on the newly indoctrinated professional golfer into the special club. It was a good day for Matsuyama in more than one way. In addition to winning the well-known tournament, Matsuyama got his green jacket, and took home over $2 million.
By way of history, the Masters, a private invitational tournament launched by Augusta National Golf Club in 1934, didn’t invite a Black competitor to play until 1974, when Lee Elder finally broke the color barrier. Augusta National, which maintains strict secrecy over its membership roster, didn’t admit its first African-American member until 1990, and only then after an uproar around its exclusionary policies. However, on the bright side, things have changed significantly since Elder broke the color barrier. Since Elder, there have been five Black players to play in the Masters. In 1997, Tiger Woods became the first African-American golfer to win the Masters. He went on to win four more green jackets, most recently in 2019. Elder was in attendance for Woods' first win at the Masters' Tournament. My congratulations to the young Mr. Matsuyama!

Military News
After more than a decade in the enlisted ranks, I became a commissioned officer in the United States Air Force on April 1, 1980. That’s right, no joking, it was April Fools’ Day. I’ll never forget that it was a rather cool morning in San Antonio, Texas and there was a sustained overcast in the sky. My family and friends attended the military ceremony, and it was a special day for me and for all the graduates and the attendees. I distinctly remember marching in the traditional graduation parade on the grounds at Lackland Air Force Base’s Medina Annex, the site where the Air Force trained most of its commissioned officers. In fact, only Air Force Academy cadets, Air Force Reserve Officer Training Corps cadets, and a very small number of direct commissions won gold bars without a stint at Lackland.
However, that all changed in 1993, thirteen years after I became an officer, when the command permanently moved the Officer Training School (OTS), as well as chaplain and legal training, to Maxwell Air Force Base, Alabama. I had become a major working in the intelligence field at the time officer training moved to Maxwell. Military History has it that prior to 25 September 1993, Lackland’s Medina Annex, established in 1959, was the home to Air Force OTS, one of three USAF officer accession and commissioning sources in addition to the United States Air Force Academy (the military school my son graduated from) and Air Force ROTC. All that said, it was April Fools’ Day, but I really did graduate on 1 April 1980, and it was the beginning of a new and interesting aspect of my Air Force career.

People
Lloyd E. Milburn
I met Lloyd Milburn after I was employed by the Office of Intelligence, Security and Emergency Response, Office of the Secretary, U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) in the summer of 2002. I didn’t really get to know Mr. Milburn, a man who retired from the US Army after 22 years of service to our nation, until I returned from a temporary assignment with the FBI’s National Joint Terrorism Task Force as a Transportation expert. When I returned to the Office of Intelligence, Security, and Emergency Response, also known as S-60, Lloyd Milburn was the senior adviser, International Civil Emergency Preparedness, to the S-60 director. My interaction with Lloyd Milburn, one of the most professional government workers I’ve worked with, began on a fairly routine basis. He was known for being a go-to guru who provided strategic advice when major disasters strike around the glove. And at the age of 82 in late 2012, Lloyd had amassed decades of experience in international emergency preparedness and response, particularly in civil aviation. He also assisted the U.S., the NATO member countries and 22 other partner countries in crisis planning and training. It turns out that Lloyd Milburn retired from the Transportation Department in 1996, but that wasn’t the end of Mr. Milburn’s already highly successful career. Four years later, Lloyd Milburn was back at DOT after he was asked to do part time work managing a special NATO project. By 2012 Lloyd worked both as an adviser and mentor to agency employees, including me, and often shared his encyclopedic knowledge with all who sought it. When I retired in early 2014, Lloyd Milburn was still going strong as senior advisor to the S-60 director, and a solid mentor to all the members of S-60 and numerous other DOT employees. Mr. Milburn, who is now really retired, just recently enjoyed a birthday, and he is now 91 years young. Go Lloyd, and may you have many more birthdays to come!

Officer L.C. Buckshot Smith (Camden, Arkansas police officer)
I was blown away when I first heard about Officer L.C. “Buckshot” Smith of the Camden, Arkansas police department. What caught my immediate attention is that Smith is a 91-year-old fellow who is still wearing the uniform and protecting his community. According to the report, “Buckshot” Smith was a sheriff's deputy for 46 years before he retired; retirement that lasted for just a few short months. The resilient man quickly realized he missed the work, and couldn’t stay away. The officer has worked in law enforcement for more than 56 years, and with his 92nd birthday coming up in May, he says he’ll retire “when the good lord says so.” Keep up the great work “Buckshot!”




Lester Holt
Lester Don Holt Jr., born March 8, 1959, is an American journalist and news anchor for the weekday edition of NBC Nightly News and Dateline NBC. On June 18, 2015, Holt was made the permanent anchor of NBC Nightly News. Holt is also known for his moderation of the first presidential debate of 2016 and was praised by The Washington Post columnists for his role in fact-checking false statements. While NBC Nightly News was the top-ranked evening news program during the Tom Brokaw era and Brian Williams era for over 30 years, ratings dropped to second place after Holt began as anchor.

Regarding Mr. Holt’s early life and education, the successful news anchor was born on Hamilton Air Force Base, Marin County, California, (the base was decommissioned in 1975), and he was the youngest child of four. His maternal grandparents were born in Jamaica, and he was one of 14 children of an Indo-Jamaican father from Calcutta, India, and a White Jamaican mother from England. As mentioned above, his grandmother was born in Jamaica, but she was raised in Harlem, New York, where his mother was born. Holt also has Jamaican roots on his father’s side, as his paternal grandparents were from Jamaica.

Lester Holt graduated from Cordova High School in Rancho Cordova in 1977 and majored in government at California State University, Sacramento, though he never graduated. In 2012, Holt told the American Profile news magazine: "My first on-air job was actually as a disc jockey at a Country and Western station. The only time I could land a full-time gig was if I was willing to report the news." Holt would keep the job with the radio station through his college years. On April 1, 2021, it was reported that Lester Holt received the Edward R. Murrow Lifetime Achievement Award in Journalism from Washington State University.

In Memoriam
Michael Collins, born October 31, 1930, was an American astronaut who flew the Apollo 11 command module Columbia around the Moon in 1969 while his crew mates, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, made the first crewed landing on the lunar surface. In fact, when Apollo 11 landed on the Moon on July 20, 1969, I was assigned to the 6168th Combat Support Squadron in Taegu, South Korea. It was huge news in Korea, and for military members around the world, as well as across America. A graduate of the USAFA with the Class of 1952, Collins later became a test pilot and eventually was promoted to Maj Gen in the U.S. Air Force Reserves. The successful Air Force officer was selected as part of NASA’s third group of 14 astronauts in 1963 and subsequently flew in space on two occasions. Collins became one of 24 people to fly to the Moon, which he orbited thirty times. He was also the fourth person (and third American) to perform a space walk.

After Collins retired from NASA in 1970, he took a job in the Department of State as Assistant Secretary of State for Public Affairs. A year later, he became the director of the National Air and Space Museum, and held the position until 1978, when he stepped down to become undersecretary of the Smithsonian Institution. In 1980, he took a job as vice president of LTV Aerospace, and resigned in 1985 to start his own consulting firm. Along with his Apollo 11 crew mates, Collins was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1969 and the Congressional Gold Medal in 2011. Michael Collins died at age 90 on April 28, 2021.
Greetings from Van’s Corner
Special Interest Item
Stay tuned for future special interest items.
VT’s Special Note
I’d like to offer you a hot tip on a very good fiction novel I’m reading currently. The thriller is entitled, Deep State, and it was written by Chris Haughty. It immediately drew my interest as the main character, Hayley Chill, a young army veteran, ended up in Washington, D.C., working at none other than the West Wing of White House. Reading this novel reminds me of my time as an active duty Air Force officer working in the White House. However, this fictional character gets involved in high-stakes politics soon after she arrives at the White House. In this excellent read, Haley Chill’s boss, the White House chief of staff, is found dead in his home. She discovers her boss’s body when she delivered paperwork to his home, and also discovers a single clue that suggests he died from something other than natural causes. I’m less than half-way through this highly interesting and entertaining page-turner, and can’t wait to get through it. I highly recommend it, particularly if you enjoy reading political thrillers.
Buy My Book!
If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of my book, The Private Investigator, here is a synopsis of my thriller: A.J. Williams, a former military police investigator, is now a skilled private investigator employed by one of the nation’s well known international investigative firms. He never pursued a college education after leaving the U.S. Army, but he’s smart, and is a self-starter with a good instinct for ferreting out the facts and solving complicated cases.
After Hutchison and Satterfield International Investigations relocates to Washington, D.C. from Philadelphia––following the murder of the firm’s senior partner––Jerry Satterfield reluctantly has to run the firm. A.J. and his new boss are often at odds over just about everything. But Satterfield understands that A.J. is his top investigator, and doesn’t want to lose him. He assigns A.J. to investigate a new case which requires the PI to visit two Asian countries as he pursues a North Korean spy, who recruited an American government employee to commit espionage.

New Book Trailer
**My book trailer is now on YouTube and can be found at the following YouTube site: https://youtu.be/dT_ec8bQdt0. I encourage everyone to check it out.

My author page:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6BBXXD.
or
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/113005...
or
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id14...
Another place to look is on the BookBub Official site at www.https://partners.bookbub.com. You can sign in with your email address, then search for my novel.

Please also follow me on my Goodreads Profile Page at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show....

If all else fails, you can Google Van Tellfaster and view my Website. I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time,
Van Tellfaster


References
1 Official numbers of Covid-19 cases/vaccinations from US CDC, April 30, 2021
2 President Biden announces relaxed changes in wearing masks, April 27, 2021, CNN broadcast; President Biden addresses the Joint Session of the Congress on April 28, 2021, broadcasted by CNN
3 US Forces to Leave Afghanistan by the 20th Anniversary of 9/11
https://www.airforcemag.com > us-forces-to-leave-afgh… April 13, 2021/By Brian W. Everstine
4 Paschal Triduum -Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org > wiki > Paschal_Triduum
5 Golfweek by Adam Woodard, 1 April 11, 2021; Masters 2021: Lee Elder, Cameron Champ spotlight Black golf … https://www.augustachronicle.com > pga > 2021/04/07; The Washington Post, article entitled, “The Masters’ ‘tradition’ is rooted in racism and sexism, by Hemal Jhaveri, Page A17
6 Wikipedia article entitled, Lackland Air Force Base, edited on 2 March 2021, https://www.af.mil > About Us > Fact Sheets
7 The Washington Post, article entitled, Federal Faces: Lloyd E. Milburn, by- From the Partnership and for Public Service, October 22, 2021
8 He’s a cop. He’s 91. And he has no plans to retire, by Malika Budd, CNN, April 16, 2021
9 https://en.wikipedia article entitled Lester Holt; The Spokesman Review by Stephanie Hammett, April 1, 2021
10 https://en.wikipedia.org > wiki > Michael_Collins_(astro…; Apollo 11, https://en.wikipedia.org > wiki > apollo_11
11 https://www.amazon.com, novel entitled Deep State, by Chris Hauty

Photos were taken from the Internet, and my family’s personal photo album.

Newsletter Overview photos: Photo #1 & 2: From my personal photo collection
Photo 3: CDC Hq, cdc.gov, About our Office

Photo #1: https://en.wikipedia.org . wiki . Afghanistan, article entitled Afghanistan, updated 17 April 2021
Photo #2: livemint.com article entitled Beware of fallout of America’s exit from Afghanistan; A file photo of US troops in Afghanistan (Reuters)
Photo #3: Taliban insurgents dead …
trtworld.com
Captured Taliban insurgents are presented to the media after being detained with explosive devices in Jalalabad, Afghanistan. December 10, 2019. (Reuters) Article dated 25 Sep 2020, News Asia
Photo: Easter Triduum/Diocese of Portland, portlanddiocese.org
Photo 1: Masters Winner Hideki Matsuyama could…, forbes.com
article by Justin Birnbaum, Forbes Staff, April 13, 2021, photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images
The Washington Post, article entitled, “The Masters’ ‘tradition’ is rooted in racism and sexism, by Hemal Jhaveri, Page A17
Photo 2: Masters 2021: Lee Elder, Cameron Champ … augusta chronicle.com Lee Elder's honors shine spotlight on quest for more Black representation in golf
Wynston Wilcox
Augusta Chronicle
April 7, 2021
Photo #1: FROM MY PHOTO LIBRARY
Photo #2: OTS Graduation, photo by Virin, March 12, 2021, Maxwell AFB
af.mil
Lloyd Milburn, Facebook photo, April 2021
Photo #2: Photo of Lloyd Milburn and me (Van Tellfaster) at my retirement ceremony, 2014
Photo: 91-year-old officer has no plans … cbsnews.com
Photo: Lester Holt in New York, NY on Tuesday August 7, 2018. Photographer: Christopher Dilts / NBC Universal (Christopher Dilts)
Photos 1 & 2: from CNN article entitled Michael Collins, Apollo 11 astronaut, has died at age 90, by Ashley Strickland, Wed April 28, 2021
https://www.amazon.com

March 2021 Newsletter

Van Tellfaster’s Corner

The Newsletter
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Spring 2021 / Issue #3 / http://www.vantellfaster.wordpress.com

March 30, 2021

Recall that community transmission of Covid-19 was first detected in America in February 2020. By mid-March, all 50 states, the District of Columbia, New York City, and four U.S. territories reported cases of the deadly virus. We’ve now been in this pandemic for more than one year, and have lost more than a half a million lives to Covid-19. However, the good news is even though we are still dealing with this horrible virus, Spring is here, and according to the Johns Hopkins University, over 150 million Americans, 16 percent of the adult population, have been administered the Covid-19 vaccination; the more Americans vaccinated, the closer we get to what is called, “herd immunity.”

In this month’s newsletter, I’ve introduced what I believe is a very interesting topic which we hear a lot about these days: Artificial Intelligence. It’s a technology that is fast impacting our lives and will likely continue to be beneficial, but may create challenges in the months and years to come. March is also Women’s History Month, and March 8, 2021 was International Women’s Day. I hope you find this topic of interest as I did. In addition, I’ve identified some trailblazers that proudly represent America in various professions.
Further, I selected a unique topic to discuss in my Interest Item article which you may also find worth reading. There is something in the scientific world called the CRISPR tool. You may ask, what the heck is CRISPR? Well, CRISPR means clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. As you read below, you’ll learn that CRISPR is reportedly an incredible new scientific tool that humankind has ever possessed. I’ve also included information on Amazon’s recent handling of book pricing. You may find it worth reading, particularly if you are an author. And finally, I turn your attention to my first novel, entitled, The Private Investigator, and hope you will visit https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6BBXXD or my author page at https://booklocker.com/10136 to learn more about my thriller.

Current Hot Topic!!

Artificial Intelligence
Recently, I’ve been reading about Artificial Intelligence, also called, AI. So that we’re all on the same page, I’ll use a standard definition of AI. In Wikipedia, AI is defined as intelligence demonstrated by machines, unlike the natural intelligence displayed by humans and animals, which involves consciousness and emotionality. The distinction between the former and the latter categories is often revealed by the acronym chosen. AI isn't new, in fact, it’s been around since the early 1950s. Now, there’s lots of incredible work occurring worldwide using AI. And while AI is used in medicine, education, and in many other disciplines, having been in the service, I want to talk about AI advances in our U.S. military.
I stumbled across a highly interesting article about how the Pentagon is dealing with the challenges AI presents. There are no doubt pros and cons about virtually every useful tool to mankind. What I’m talking about here, is what some refer to as smart weapons. One of the things that immediately caught my attention in reading about the use of AI in defense systems that can locate targets, is the matter of ethics associated with using smart weapons. Let’s face it, our military fights wars and kill the enemy on the battlefield. The material I reviewed indicates that the future may well be shaped by computer algorithms dictating how weapons move and target enemies. One major question seems to be, how much authority to give the robots and how to interact with them in conflict. Our military’s ambivalence about whether and where to draw a line on letting war machines kill on their own remains a hot topic.
For example, our military components are already experimenting with autonomous machines. The U.S. Navy is experimenting with ships that can travel thousands of miles on their own to hunt for enemy submarines or ships that could fire guns from just offshore as our Marines storm beaches. The Army is experimenting with systems that will locate targets and aim tank guns automatically. And the Air Force is developing deadly drones that could accompany planes into battle or forge ahead alone, operating independently from “pilots” sitting thousands of miles away in front of computer screens. That said, there are those worried about the use of AI in war. It seems that Human Rights Watch, and a half-dozen other nongovernmental organizations have campaigned to stop the use of killer robots. An example given on how using AI to fight wars could lead to really bad things happening follows: In 2018, a self-driving car being tested by Uber struck and killed a woman in Arizona. A nearly two-year government investigation revealed that the car hadn’t malfunctioned; rather, it was programmed to look only for pedestrians in crosswalks. Jaywalking, as the woman was doing, was beyond the system’s grasp, so the car struck the woman. One can begin to understand why decisions about how much battlefield risks to embrace AI is particularly challenging. While there are those in the Pentagon that want to move forward with use of smart weapons, many are reportedly still not convinced that weapons injected with AI are ready to be put in the field. This is a topic, I’m sure we will hear more about in the future.

Family News
The first day of Spring was on March 20, 2021, believe it or not! But if you live in Colorado, you wouldn’t know it. Coloradans have been getting their share of snow over the last several days in the opening days of Spring. In my neck of the woods, however, the Fort Belvoir area’s been having rather mild weather, with a bit less rain than usual for this time of the year, according to our local weatherman. I don’t expect we’ll be seeing snow in the final days of March 2021. Be that as it may, our grandchildren, Zach and Claudia, are having the time of their lives. In fact, they can’t get enough of the snow falling in and around their neighborhood.

Now that the kids are on their Spring break, they have plenty of time to roll in the snow, have snow ball fights, and slide down snow mounds in utter bliss. But on the clearer days in the Springs when one can easily view that majestic mountain range that rises above Colorado Springs, and there is less snow, the kids ride their bikes with mom and dad, stop by Taco trucks to enjoy lunch on the go, then return home to enjoy TV, draw pictures for their parents, and simply have lots of fun indoors.

Meanwhile in El Paso, Texas, baby Lauren is getting acclimated and receiving lots of love from her parents and the rest of the family. Also, Grandpa James recently enjoyed another birthday with the family. Speaking of birthdays, Zach’s and Claudia’s Opa and grandma enjoyed back-to-back birthdays out in the greater Northwest. In addition, Salina Nadine Whitman, the proud mother of baby Lauren, enjoyed a birthday this month. Wow, lots of March birthdays! Happy birthday everyone, and may you all have many more.

Events
Women’s History Month/International Women’s Day
It’s always a pleasure to speak about America’s women, including loving mothers, housewives, members of the armed forces, women in boardrooms, scientists, and women who populate the various other professions across the nation. The National Women’s History Alliance has designated the theme of Women’s History Month 2021: “Valiant Women of the Vote: Refusing to be Silenced.” International Women’s Day, which occurred on March 8, 2021, is a global celebration of the economic, political and social achievements of women. Many countries around the world celebrate the holiday with demonstrations, educational initiatives and customs such as presenting women with gifts and flowers.

Women’s History Month had its origins as a national celebration in 1981 when Congress authorized and requested the President to proclaim the week beginning March 7, 1982 as “Women’s History Week.” Throughout the next five years, Congress continued to pass joint resolutions designating a week in March as “Women’s History Week.” In 1987 after being petitioned by the National Women’s History Project, Congress passed Pub. L. 100-9, which designated the month of March 1987 as “Women’s History Month.” Between 1988 and 1994, Congress passed additional resolutions requesting and authorizing the President to proclaim March of each year as Women’s History Month, and since 1995, presidents have issued a series of annual proclamations designating the month of March as “Women’s History Month.” These proclamations celebrate the contributions women have made to the United States and recognize the specific achievements women have made over the course of American history in a variety of fields. I’ve highlighted below in my People section, just a few of the American women we should all be proud of. Finally, in the "Proclamation on Women’s History Month, 2021,” President Biden acknowledged this important month indicating, “Each year, Women’s History Month offers an opportunity for us to shine a light on the extraordinary legacy of trailblazing American women and girls who have built, shaped, and improved upon our Nation.”
National Vietnam War Veterans Day
I am a Vietnam era military member who served in the United States Air Force at the height of the conflict. While I didn’t get to engage the enemy on the ground in South Vietnam, I supported the war effort from South Korea in the Air Force Security Forces. I enlisted in the Air Force in the Spring of 1967, and just a little over a year later, I was assigned to a small airbase in South Korea. It was toward the end of the Tet Offensive which constituted a major enemy offensive in the war. I was among the personnel that provided close-end security for Air Force fighter jets, to include F-105 Thunderchiefs and F-4 phantoms, that landed in Korea on a temporary basis. As many people know, the Vietnam war went on for some 19 years, with direct U.S. involvement ending in 1973. When it was all over, we lost more than 58,000 service members.

This year’s National Vietnam War Veterans Day was observed on March 29 and is observed each year on the same day. It is a way to thank and honor our nation’s Vietnam veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice. If you haven’t visited the impressive memorial, located in Washington, D.C., I urge you to do so. Upon arriving at the war memorial, it immediately captures your attention, and the visual of the seemingly endless names etched in the black granite wall can remain in your mind’s eye forever.

People
Jennifer Anne Doudna
Jennifer Doudna, born, February 19, 1964, is an American biochemist known for her pioneering work in CRISPR gene editing, for which she was awarded the 2020 Nobel Prize in Chemistry along with Emmanuelle Charpentier. She is the Li Ka Shing Chancellor’s Chair Professor in the Department of Chemistry and the Department of Molecular and Cell Biology at the University of California, Berkeley. Doudna has been an investigator with the Howard Hughes Medical Institute since 1997. She grew up in Hilo, Hawaii, and graduated from Pomona College in 1985 and earned a Ph.D. from Harvard Medical School in 1989. Apart from her professorship at UC Berkeley, she is also president and chair on the board of the Innovative Genomics Institute, a faculty scientist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, a senior investigator at the Gladstone Institutes, and an adjunct professor of cellular and molecular pharmacology at the University of California, San Francisco.

Rosalind G. Brewer
Rosalind G. Brewer, also known as Roz Brewer, is an American businesswoman, who is slated to become the CEO of Walgreens on March 15, 2021; on that date, the Detroit, Michigan native will be the only African-American female CEO of the Fortune 500 company. She is currently the COO of Starbucks and the former President and CEO of Sam’s Club, a division of Walmart Stores Inc.
The 59-year-old businesswoman is a graduate of the Cass Technical High School, and went on to graduate from Spelman College, and Stanford Law School.

Laura J. Richardson
Laura Jane Richardson, born December, 1963, in Missouri, is a lieutenant general in the United States Army and commanding general of United States Army North. She previously served as deputy commanding general of United States Army Forces Command. As an army aviator, Richardson flew Sikorsky UG-60 Black Hawk helicopters. Promoted to brigadier general in 2011, she served in various commands at Fort Hood and served as chief of staff for communication in the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. In June 2017, she was promoted to lieutenant general and appointed deputy commanding general of United States Army Forces Command (FORSCOM). Richardson served as acting commander of FORSCOM from October 2018 until March 2019. In April 2019, she was nominated to serve as the first female commander of United States Army North. She assumed command on July 8, 2019.
On March 6, 2021, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin announced that President Biden nominated Richardson become commander of the United States Southern Command. Her nomination was sent to the Senate on March 5, 2021. Her nomination was originally recommended by then- Defense Secretary Mark Esper and General Mark Milley, but her nomination was held off until after the 2020 United States presidential election over fears of the previous administration’s possible reaction against nominating women to such high positions.

Jacqueline D. Van Ovost
Gen. Jacqueline D. Van Ovost is Commander, Air Mobility Command, Scott Air Force Base, Illinois. The Command serves as U.S. Transportation Command’s air component, executing the air mobility mission in support of the joint force, allies and partners with a fleet of nearly 1,100 aircraft. The command encompasses Eighteenth Air Force, the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center, the 618th Air Operations Center, and 17 wings and two groups, which provide rapid global mobility from more than 100 locations worldwide. Nearly 107,000 active-duty, Air National Guard, Air Force Reserve Airmen and civilians comprise the air mobility Total Force, providing command and control of inter-theater and intra-theater airlift, air refueling, aeromedical evacuation, global air mobility support, and presidential and senior leader air transport in support of national interests.
Gen. Van Ovost has commanded an air refueling squadron, flying training wing and the Presidential Airlift Wing. She also served as the Director of Staff for Headquarters Air Force, Vice Director of the Joint Staff, the Director of Mobility Forces for U.S. Central Command and as the Vice Commander of the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center. Gen. Van Ovost graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1988. She is a graduate of the U.S. Air Force Test Pilot School and a command pilot with over 4,200 hours in more than 30 aircraft, including the C-32A, C-17A, C-141B, KC-135R and KC-46A. Prior to assuming her current role, Gen. Van Ovost served as the Deputy Commander, Air Mobility Command.



Stephanie Diana Wilson
Stephanie Diana Wilson, born September 27, 1966, Boston, MA, is an American engineer and an NASA astronaut. She flew to space onboard three Space Shuttle missions, and is the second African-American woman to go into space, after Mae Jemison. Her 42 days in space are the most of any female African American astronaut. This exceedingly talented astronaut received the NASA Distinguished Service Medal, and NASA Space Flight Medal for her work. Wilson is a graduate of the Taconic High School, in Pittsfield, MA and went on to earn her bachelor of Science in Engineering Science degree from Harvard University.

JoAnne S. Bass
Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force JoAnne S. Bass took over as the 19th senior enlisted leader of the service on Aug. 14, marking a period of change and promising more diversity and inclusion in the ranks. Bass’ appointment makes the Air Force the first military service to have both a woman and an Asian American in the senior enlisted role, shortly after Chief of Staff Gen. Charles Q. Brown Jr. became the first Black officer to lead a branch of the Armed Forces. Bass said she only expected to serve four “quick” years in the Air Force and then get out, and figure what she wanted to do in life. As Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, Bass said she will work to “cultivate and develop” talent and ensure that the service’s processes and policies help build “the force that we need.”
Chief Bass was raised as an Army dependent, living in several overseas and stateside locations, prior to entering the Air Force in 1993. Throughout her career, she has held a variety of leadership positions serving at the squadron, group, wing and major command levels. She has significant joint service and special operations experience and has participated in several operations and exercises as well as deployments in direct support of Operations SOUTHERN WATCH, ENDURING FREEDOM, and IRAQI FREEDOM.

Captain Emily Thompson
Air Force Capt. Emily “Banzai” Thompson had never conducted a combat sortie before deploying to Al Dhafra Air Force base in the United Arab Emirates. Now, she’s the first woman to fly the F-35A Lightning II in combat. “This is my first deployment … so for me it was a pretty big deal, the first combat sortie for me. … Of course being the first female, it’s a pretty big honor," Thompson, who is assigned to the 388th Fighter Wing at Hill Air Force Base, said in an Air Force news release.

”There’re a lot of females who have come before me and there’re a lot of females already flying combat sorties in other platforms,” Thompson said. “So just to be the person who gets that honor, that first, it just meant a lot.” Thompson originally started her Air Force career as an F-16 Fighting Falcon pilot where she earned the call sign “Banzai” before moving to F-35s. Her military service was inspired by her father’s time in the Army. Although there are only a few female F-35 pilots, Thompson remains optimistic about what’s next for women flying the fighter jets.

In Memoriam
Yaphet Frederick Kotto
Yaphet Frederick Kotto was an American actor known for numerous film roles, as well as starring in the NBC television series Homicide: Life on the Street as Lieutenant Al Giardello. His films include the science-fiction/horror film Alien, and the Arnold Schwarzenegger science-fiction/action film The Running Man. Kotto, who was one of my favorite actors, was born in New York City, November 15, 1939, and died in the Philippines on March 15, 2021. He was 81 when he passed away. Rest in peace, Yaphet Kotto.
Greetings from Van’s Corner

Special Interest Item
CRISPR
I recently read a very interesting article in Book World, which discussed what is known in the scientific world as the CRISPR tool. CRISPR means clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats. According to the article, CRISPR is the most powerful DNA-editing tool humankind has ever possessed, and “figuring out if and when to edit our genes,” reportedly, “will be one of the most consequential questions of the twenty-first century.” This all sounds very scary to me, but yet it is very real, and as I read more about this technology, I learned that CRISPR is an ancient defense system that bacteria use to kill viruses by shredding genetic material. According to the article, the scientists who discovered and described it were motivated by their curiosity; however, before long, they realized that CRISPR’s ability to cut DNA also provided a means to edit DNA. That’s right, we’re talking about technology that allows scientists to edit our DNA! Interestingly enough, Jennifer Doudna of the University of California at Berkeley was one of two women to share a Nobel prize for their work on CRISPR. However, another scientist was granted a patent for using the tool to edit human cells––a decision Doudna challenged in court.

In a separate source, I read that not since the atomic bomb has a technology so alarmed its inventors that they warned the world about gene-editing. However, in the spring of 2015, biologist Jennifer Doudna, highlighted above in my People Section, called for a worldwide moratorium on the use of the gene-editing tool, CRISPR, even though she helped to create the revolutionary new technology that includes making heritable changes in human embryos. The cheapest, simplest, most effective way of manipulating DNA ever known, CRISPR may well give us the cure to HIV, genetic diseases, and some cancers, and will help address the world’s hunger crisis. Yet even the tiniest changes to DNA could have myriad unforeseeable consequences — to say nothing of the ethical and societal repercussions of intentionally mutating embryos to create “better” humans. Doudna joins Walter Isaacson in conversation about gene editing and the unthinkable power to control evolution. As for the ethics surrounding this controversial advancement, Isaacson, who authored, a book entitled The Code Breaker pushes back on alarmist fears associated with this technology. Instead, he asks, “Are we getting a bit overdramatic with all of this hand wringing?" The author even takes up the argument, without quite endorsing it, that perhaps we have a duty to edit children, rather than condemn them to the misery of disease and the vagaries of “sexual roulette.” I don’t know about you, but I’ll need to think long and hard on this one! It seems to me in editing genes, there might be just too much that could go wrong, and the ethics of it all is unsettling to me. This is obviously a topic I’ll be following in the months to come.

VT’s Special Note
Amazon’s shenanigans
Recently, I went to Amazon books, and navigated to the page that displays my novel, The Private Investigator. I do this once a month, just to check for any new comments on my thriller, posted by readers. Much to my surprise, I noticed that Amazon was advertising two different prices for the soft copy of my book. I thought this must have been some kind of mistake on Amazon’s part. Puzzled by this discrepancy, so I thought, I contacted my publisher, booklocker.com and asked it they might be able to explain Amazon’s mistake. Much to my surprise, I learned from booklocker.com that Amazon had not made a mistake. My publisher told me that this was an apparent Amazon shenanigan, which my publisher has complained about in the past. Here’s the deal: It turns out that Amazon is giving their main “Buy Buttons” to Book Depository, Which Amazon actually owns, and then Book Depository inflates the price of the book! Well, this can’t be right, because what’s really happening is that Book Depository is earning a fatter paycheck for Amazon in the end. They get more money on my book, and I, and any authors that have faced this, don’t benefit from the inflated prices. In addition, Booklocker explained that perhaps Amazon thought they were fooling people because, but when one starts digging around, you can find the actual Amazon listing at the correct price for my book, and the books of all the other authors affected. One only has to look at the “new and used” links underneath the price box on the Amazon page to see what’s going on.
My publisher believes that listing a book at an inflated price, and making it appear that the main buy button is controlled by a third party is, in Booklocker’s opinion, a deceptive practice. According to Booklocker.com, this practice of inflating prices of the books is a huge win/win for Amazon. The bottom line is, this is an apparent dirty practice; it’s fooling readers (and overcharging them), and it’s fooling authors as well.
Buy My Book!
If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of my book, The Private Investigator, here is a synopsis of my thriller: A.J. Williams, a former military police investigator, is now a skilled private investigator employed by one of the nation’s well known international investigative firms. He never pursued a college education after leaving the U.S. Army, but he’s smart, and is a self-starter with a good instinct for ferreting out the facts and solving complicated cases.
After Hutchison and Satterfield International Investigations relocates to Washington, D.C. from Philadelphia––following the murder of the firm’s senior partner––Jerry Satterfield reluctantly has to run the firm. A.J. and his new boss are often at odds over just about everything. But Satterfield understands that A.J. is his top investigator, and doesn’t want to lose him. He assigns A.J. to investigate a new case which requires the PI to visit two Asian countries as he pursues a North Korean spy, who recruited an American government employee to commit espionage.

New Book Trailer
**My book trailer is now on YouTube and can be found at the following YouTube site: https://youtu.be/dT_ec8bQdt0. I encourage everyone to check it out.

My author page:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6BBXXD.
or
www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/113005...
or
https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/id14...
Another place to look is on the BookBub Official site at www.https://partners.bookbub.com. You can sign in with your email address, then search for my novel.

Please also follow me on my Goodreads Profile Page at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show....

If all else fails, you can Google Van Tellfaster and view my Website. I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time,
Van Tellfaster


References
1 www.cdc.gov > mmwr > volumes, Geographic Differences in Covid-19 Cases, Deaths, and Incidence … en.wikipedia.org > wiki > Covid-19_pandemic
2 en.wikipedia.org > wiki > Artificial_Intelligence; The Washington Post Magazine, dated Feb 21, 2021, article entitled, Weapons of Change, by Zachary Fryer-Biggs
3 history.com editors, article entitled, Women’s History Month 2021, updated: Mar 9, 2021, Original: Dec 30, 2009
4 www.whitehouse.gov > presidential-actions > 2021/03/01, article entitled, A Proclamation on Women’s History Month, 2021
5 https://en.wikipedia.or > wiki > Vietnam_Wa, article entitled, Vietnam War; https://military benefits.info/national-vietnam-war-ve...
6 en.wikipedia.org > wiki > Jennifer_Doudna, article updated on March 13, 2021
7 en.wikipedia.org > wiki > Rosalind_Brewer; The Insider, article entitled, One of the only 4 Black Fortune 500 CEOs just stepped down––here are the 3 that remain, dated July 20, 2020 by Dominic-Madori Davis
8 en.wikipedia.org > wiki > Laura_J._Richardson
9 en.wikipedia.org > wiki > Jacqueline_Van_Ovost
10 en.wikipdeida.org > wiki > Stephanie_Wilson
11 Air Force Magazine, article entitled, Bass Becomes First Woman, Asian American to Serve as CMSAF, dated August 14, 2020, written by Brian W. Everstine; Official United States Air Force website, Biographies, article entitled, Chief Master Sergeant of the Air Force, JoAnne S. Bass
12Military Officer, March 2021 edition, article entitled, Leading the Way, page 42, by Amanda Dolasinski, staff writer
13en.wikipedia.org > wiki > Yaphet_Kotto
14 The Washington Post, Outlook Section (Book World), Sunday, March 14, 2021, Page B6; Aspen Ideas Festival of 2017, Session entitled, “A Crack in Creation: Gene Editing and the Unthinkable Power to Control Evolution
15 Writer’s weekly.com, article entitled, Is This Even Legal?! Amazon is giving their Main “Buy Buttons” to Book Depository Which Amazon owns and they are Inflating Those Book Prices Angela Hoy, Publisher, dated, September 19, 2019

Photos were taken from the Internet, and my family’s personal photo album.

Newsletter Overview photo: Spring Flowers, clipart-library.com
Artificial Intel Article Photos
Photo #1: economic times.indiatimes.com
Photo #2: British brimstone missile, en.wiipedia.org
Photo #3: The Pentagon (In photo library)

Women’s History Month article photos
Photo: Women’s History Month, blogs.loc.govwhm20/files/2017/02/wome...…
womenshistorymonth.gov

Photo: National Vietnam War Veterans Day 2021 …
military benefits.info

People
Doudna article Photos
Photo: From Wikipedia article on Jennifer Doudna, article updated on March 13, 2021

Brewer article photo
Photo: The Insider, dated July 20, 2020; photo by Jason Redmond/AFP/Getty Images

Gen Richardson photo
Photo: From Wikipedia Article entitled Laura J. Richardson

Gen Van Ovost photo
Photo: Gen Van Ovost from Wikipedia article entitled Jacqueline Van Ovost
Jacqueline Van Ovost - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Jacqueline_Van_Ovost

Wilson photo
Photo: From Wikipedia article entitled Stephanie Wilson

CMSgt Bass photos
Photo #1: CMSAF Bass, from USAF website, Biographies
Photo #2: CMSAF with USAF Chief of Staff, dated August 14, 2020

Capt Thompson photos
Photo: From Air Force Times, dated Jun 20, 2020: U.S. Air Force Capt. Emily Thompson, 421st Expeditionary Fighter Squadron pilot, dons flight equipment at the Aircrew Flight Equipment shop on Al Dhafra Air Base, United Arab Emirates, June 5, 2020. (Tech. Sgt. Kat Justen/Air Force)

Photo #2: Lockhead Martin F-35 Lightning II
en.wikipedia.org, Wikipedia Article entitled Lockhead Martin F-35 Lightning II

Yaphet Kotto photo
Photo: Yaphet Kotto/James Bond Wiki/Fandom
jamesbond.fandom.com

CRISPR article
Photo #1: Berkeley Professor Jennifer Doudna, berkeleyside.com
Photo #2: Nobel Prize Figure, Prize awarded to Jennifer Doudna, synthego.com

February 2021 Newsletter

Van Tellfaster’s Corner

The Newsletter
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Winter 2021 / Issue #2 / http://www.vantellfaster.wordpress.com

February 28, 2021

This month was indeed a challenging month for many Americans. We saw Covid-19 deaths in our nation reach a milestone of 500,000 deaths. Astonishingly enough, I heard that we lost more people to Covid-19 in one year, than the total number of deaths in WWI, WWII, and the Vietnam War. A half a million people dead from the horrible killer virus seems unreal. If that wasn’t bad enough, Texans experienced a deep freeze that almost caused their main power grid to crash. Citizens all over the Lone Star state were negatively impacted by the harsh weather, causing several deaths, and enormous property damage due to pipes bursting and massive flooding in homes. In addition, many Texans were forced to boil their water before drinking it. Moreover, others had to break up their furniture and burn it just to stay warm in their homes. This was no less than a disaster for Texans, many of whom are still reeling from the traumatic experience.
On the bright side, however, I understand that power is slowly being restored across the state, and due to massive relief efforts people are getting food assistance and plenty of drinking water. Although Texans are not out of the woods yet, they are beginning the painful task of cleaning up their homes. Speaking of Texas, I highlighted a new birth in the family (see below). Other reassuring news include the kick off of this year’s Lenten season on Ash Wednesday, February 17, 2021, which I discuss below. Although we hit the milestone of 500,000 American deaths due to Covid-19, hospitalizations are dropping, and hundreds of thousands of citizens are now receiving their Covid-19 vaccinations. This is not perfect news, but it’s good news!
Finally, if you make it to the end of this newsletter, I remind my readers that I’ve written a thriller, The Private Investigator, that I hope you’ve already purchased, and/or have alerted your friends they can buy the novel at Amazon’s Books site. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6BBXXD
Current Hot Topic!!

Family
My nephew Lawrence, and his wife Salina Nadine, had a wonderful addition to their family, and introduced a new Texas citizen into the world on December 29, 2021. They welcomed baby Lauren Sun Whitman into their family, weighing in at 3 pounds when she showed up, and I understand she’s a real bundle of joy. I’m told that baby Lauren is eating well, and is a very happy baby. I'd like to extend hearty congratulations to Lawrence and Salina Nadine on bringing in a healthy and precious baby girl into this world!


As for my son, Larry, and his wife, Trina, they continue to enjoy the beautiful Colorado scenery, even though they’re getting their share of cold weather and snow. But that’s okay, because our grandchildren, Zach and Claudia, continue to have the time of their lives in the Centennial State. They’re attending school a few days a week, wearing masks, and doing social distancing because of the pandemic. They do distance learning from home using their trusty laptops the remainder of the week.


And when they're not doing research, or class work, or helping their mom in the kitchen, Zach and Claudia like playing outdoors in that endless supply of snow, or riding their bikes in the neighborhood with their mom and dad. Lately, the kids have been brushing up on their gymnastic skills with help from one of the local trainers. They seem to love every minute of the indoor activity. Outside, they’ve been braving the outdoors having fun picnics in nearby parks with their parents, and I can honestly say that there is never a dull moment in my son’s and daughter-in-law’s household. Smile!

Speaking of outdoor adventures, I talked to Larry about some really impressive photos he posted recently and learned that he took some time to venture out into the Colorado wide-open space for hiking. It turns out that he visited the Garden of the Gods, which is comprised of some 1300 acres of sandstone formations. I read up on the park and learned it is a very popular place that hikers often enjoy visiting. I know where I’m going the next time I visit my son and his family.

America’s DNA
When I was in high school, many moons ago, we learned the basics about DNA in our science class. At the time, I didn’t find the subject matter very interesting. In fact, it seemed kind of boring, and only a topic that those interested in becoming doctors or scientists would want to learn more about. I made note of the topic and moved on. Fast forward to 2021, and there’s lots of attention on this obviously important topic that I believe requires the attention of doctors, scientists, and all of us, for that matter. Our DNA is such a hot topic that it was one of the feature stories on a recent 60 Minutes show.
So what are we really talking about? DNA or deoxyribonucleic acid is a long molecule that contains our unique genetic code. It has been likened to a recipe book, in that it holds the instructions for making all the proteins in our bodies. In the field of molecular biology and genetics, a genome is all genetic material of an organism, and it consists of DNA (or RNA in RNA viruses). By the way, you might recall I talked about mRNA-1273 in my January 2021 newsletter as I identified Dr. Kizzmekia Corbett’s work on mRNA. Also you should know that notable human diseases caused by RNA viruses include the common cold, influenza, SARS, MERS, and you guessed it, Covid-19, among many other nasty viruses we want to avoid.
Why is all this background information important? Because it turns out that our DNA seems to be linked to our personal and even our national security. This is no joke! According to the 60 Minutes piece, the Chinese Communist Party is very interested in obtaining America’s DNA. Reportedly, China is trying to collect Americans’ DNA in hopes of controlling the future of health care. This sounds pretty scary.
In fact, the largest biotech firm in the world, the BGI Group, a Chinese company, has reportedly offered to build and run Covid testing labs in America. BGI has apparently offered to do this in at least six states, including Washington State, New York, and California, according to 60 Minutes. China’s action prompted our Intelligence Community to warn the American public that “foreign powers can collect, store and exploit biometric information from Covid tests.” The head of our counterintelligence community believes the Chinese are trying to collect American’s DNA to win a race to control the world’s biodata. If this is true, and I have no reason to disbelieve our Intelligence Community officials, this is quite alarming. The bottom line is that biodata has become a precious commodity and in the wrong hands, poses threats to our national security and our economy. It is unfortunate that China’s military and its Communist Party are using the Covid-19 pandemic to advance China’s ambitions to control the world’s biodata.
Noteworthy News!!

Events
Black History Month
Many of us are aware that this is an annual observance originating in the United States, where it is also known as African-American History Month. Interestingly enough, Black History Month has received official recognition from governments in the U.S. and Canada, and more recently has been observed in Ireland, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom. Since the mid-1970s, every American president, Democrat and Republican, has issued proclamations endorsing the Association for the Study of African American Life and History’s annual theme. The theme for 2021 is “The Black Family: Representation, Identity and Diversity.”
The Department of Defense also celebrates Black History Month each February throughout America, and across the globe, where we have airmen, soldiers, sailors, marines, and coastguard members assigned. I was in the U.S. Air Force in the mid-1970s and remember celebrating Black History Month on installations in the U.S. from Michigan to Texas and later at overseas bases in Asia and Europe. I thought it was interesting that the U.S. Navy, during Black History Month, rolled out its findings from Task Force One Navy. The Task Force issued dozens of recommendations this month after months of evaluating the military branch's diversity and inclusion practices. One official said, "Our Navy must continue to remove barriers to service, and most importantly, be a shining example of a workforce centered on respect, inclusive of all. Simply put, all Sailors -- uniformed and civilian - and applicants for accession to the Navy must be treated with dignity and respect above all else.” This is all very encouraging to learn and indicates our U.S. Navy is on the path of improving the lives of all its sailors. Go Navy!

People
Historic Figure
Abraham Lincoln
This 16th President of the United States was born February 12, 1809 in Hodgenville, Kentucky. His name is known by just about all Americans, young and old. We learned about Abraham Lincoln in Elementary School through high school, and those of us, who went on to college, learned even more about the controversial and historical figure we were taught freed the slaves. I’m told that, over the years, there have been literally thousands of books written about the man, and historians are still churning out books about Lincoln. Most notably, however, Lincoln is known for having led the nation through the American Civil War, the country's greatest moral, constitutional, and political crisis. He was assassinated by John Wilkes Booth on April 15, 1865.

In Memoriam
Cicely Tyson
Shortly before she died, Cicely Tyson spoke of her memoir, entitled, Just as I Am. It included details of her life and memories made with such noted actors as Sidney Poitier, Harry Belafonte, Aretha Franklin, and James Earl Jones, to mention a few. The talented actress also shared what it was like to work with leading stars like Marilyn Monroe, Elizabeth Taylor and Jane Fonda. Tyson was born, December 19, 1924 in Harlem, New York. She was an actress and fashion model, and her career spanned more than seven decades. She was known for her portrayal of strong African-American women. The well-known actress passed away on January 28, 2021 at 96. Rest in peace, Cicely Tyson.


Christopher Plummer
Christopher Plummer, born December 13, 1929, Toronto, Canada, was a veteran actor who many of us had the pleasure of seeing on the big screen, on TV, and maybe even on stage. At the age of 82 Plummer was still going strong in his profession, adding an Oscar win for “Beginners” to the many trophies he’d won in the past. It’s said that Plummer, whose acting career spanned seven decades, will always be remembered for his role in “The Sound of Music,” where he played the part of the Von Trapp patriarch. Much to my surprise, Plummer said he hated the part. I remember when I was a musician in high school, we often played pieces from “The Sound of Music” at various concerts, so I grew to enjoy the score. Although Mr. Plummer appeared in so many big-screen movies, my favorites are the 2017 movie entitled “All the Money in the World,” and “Knives Out,” which was released in 2019. The famous actor died on February 5, 2021 at 91. Rest in peace, Christopher Plummer.

Mary Wilson
I was a teenager when the Supremes became famous. Mary Wilson gained worldwide recognition as a founding member of The Supremes, the most successful Motown act of the 1960s and the best-charting female group in U.S. chart history, as well as one of the best-selling girl groups of all-time. I loved listening to their music and still have some of the old 45 records somewhere in my basement with their original songs. I also remember watching the famous group, Diana Ross, Mary Wilson, and Florence Ballard on the Ed Sullivan show, black-and-white TV, many years ago. My favorite Supremes songs include "Where Did Our Love Go," "Stop! In the Name of Love," and “You Can't Hurry Love.” Ms. Wilson was born March 6,
1944, in Greenville, MS, and died in Las Vegas, on February 8, 2021. Rest in peace, Mary Wilson.

Greetings from Van’s Corner

Special Interest Item
Ash Wednesday
This year’s Ash Wednesday occurred on Wednesday 17, 2021. As many of you know, Lent is a solemn religious observance in the Christian liturgical calendar that begins on Ash Wednesday and ends approximately six weeks later, the night before Easter Sunday. I can say with confidence, that a number of my fellow Fort Belvoir Catholic Community members celebrated this Ash Wednesday in a way we’ve never experienced in the past. I don’t need to tell you that the pandemic has negatively impacted our active-duty military members, and our retired military community as it has caused havoc across America and throughout the world. In fact, once it was officially determined we were in the midsts of the pandemic, the Department of Defense moved to protect our military against the horrible virus. The Fort Belvoir Post Commander ordered that a total of 50 people only were allowed to attend religious services in all Belvoir chapels at one time. Of course, this forced the majority of military members and veterans, of which there are thousands in the Belvoir surrounding area, to attend virtual religious services offered by the Army. As for this Ash Wednesday, there were three different services offered, again only allowing up to 50 people at a time in the chapel. However, in order to reach as many people as possible, in addition to the three indoor services offered, ashes were sprinkled over the heads of Catholics, while we observed social distancing, and wore our masks, on the front steps of Fort Belvoir’s Main Chapel. It was an unusual experience, but a refreshing one that allowed many of us to very briefly interact with the priest and others in the community.

VT’s Special Note

Frank E. Petersen Jr.
In a recent discussion with my brother, he asked me if I was familiar with a military officer named Frank E. Petersen. He informed me that Petersen was an African-American Marine Corps officer, and encouraged me to read about the man. After reading about the former Marine, there was no doubt in my mind that Petersen was a military trail blazer. Born on March 2, 1932, Topeka, Kansas, Frank Emmanuel Petersen Jr., was a United States Marine Corps lieutenant general. He was the first African-American Marine Corps aviator and the first African-American Marine Corps general. Petersen, who served in the Korean War, and in the Vietnam War, retired from the Marine Corps in 1988 after 38 years of service. In 2012 his book, entitled, Into the Tiger’s Jaw: America’s First Black Marine Aviator, described Petersen’s personal and career trajectory from young teenager to seasoned Marine Corps officer. I’ve since put his book on my reading list. Retired Lieutenant General Petersen died on August 25, 2015, in Stevensville, Maryland. Semper Fi!

Buy My Book!
If you haven’t had a chance to pick up a copy of my book, The Private Investigator, here is a synopsis of my thriller: A.J. Williams, a former military police investigator, is now a skilled private investigator employed by one of the nation’s well known international investigative firms. He never pursued a college education after leaving the U.S. Army, but he’s smart, and is a self-starter with a good instinct for ferreting out the facts and solving complicated cases.
After Hutchison and Satterfield International Investigations relocates to Washington, D.C. from Philadelphia––following the murder of the firm’s senior partner––Jerry Satterfield reluctantly has to run the firm. A.J. and his new boss are often at odds over just about everything. But Satterfield understands that A.J. is his top investigator, and doesn’t want to lose him. He assigns A.J. to investigate a new case which requires the PI to visit two Asian countries as he pursues a North Korean spy, who recruited an American government employee to commit espionage.

New Book Trailer
**My book trailer is now on YouTube and can be found at the following YouTube site: https://youtu.be/dT_ec8bQdt0. I encourage everyone to check it out.

My author page:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07M6BBXXD.

www.barnesandnoble.com/w/books/113005...

https://itunes.appleVan Tellfaster.com/us/book/id1448122285
Another place to look is on the BookBub Official site at www.https://partners.bookbub.com. You can sign in with your email address, then search for my novel.

Please also follow me on my Goodreads Profile Page at:
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show....

If all else fails, you can Google Van Tellfaster and view my Website. I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time,
Van Tellfaster

References
1 Wikipedia article entitle, RNA Virus, last edited 7 February 2021; CBS News, U.S. officials tell “60 Minutes” that China is trying to collect Americans’ DNA, article dated February 1, 2021; www.klfy.com>national>u-s-intel... www.yourgenome.org>facts>what-i...
2 en.wikipedia.org>wiki>Black-History-Month, Wikipedia article entitled Black History Month; asalh.org>about-us>origins-of-black-history-month
3 military benefits.info>black-history-month, article entitled, Black History Month/Military Benefits; Navy has fallen short in addressing lack of diversity, task force says, article by Nicole Chavez, Barbara Starr and Ellie Kaufman, CNN, dated February 3, 2021; www.navy.mil>display-pressreleases......
4 en.wikipedia.org>wiki>Abraham-Lincoln, article entitled Abraham Lincoln
5 en.wikipedia.org>wiki>Cicely-Tyson, article entitled Cicely Tyson
6 The Washington Post, Obituaries, article entitled “Stage, the star projected charm with a hint of menace: dated February 6, 2021
7 en.wikipedia.org>wiki>Mary-Wilson-(singer), Wikipedia article entitled Mary Wilson (singer)
8 en.wikipedia.org>wiki>Lent, Wikipedia article entitled Lent
9 en.wikipedia.org>wiki>Frank-E-Petersen, article entitled Frank E. Petersen

Photos were taken from the Internet, and my family’s personal photo album.

Newsletter Overview photo: istockphoto.com; Creator: klenger/Credit: Getty Images/Stockphoto

Photo #1: China’s efforts to collect Americans’ DNA
Watch 60 Minutes, cbs.com

Photo #2: Officials, China Collecting our DNA
cbs.com

Photo #3: In this Jan. 20, 2021, file photo, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying speaks during the daily press briefing at the Foreign Ministry in Beijing. China is trying to spread doubt about the effectiveness of Western vaccines and the origin of the coronavirus as a World Health Organization-selected team of scientists are in the city where the pandemic first broke out. (AP Photo/Liu Zheng, File)
Chinese biotech firm offered to build …
foxiness.com

Photo #1: Black History Month, DoDEA
Creator: Burke, Christian M. Mr. Civ OSD/DoDEA

Photo #2: From Navy Task Force One Report
200623-N-OW019-0098 PHILIPPINE SEA (June 23, 2020) The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Ralph Johnson (DDG 114) steams in formation with the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68) during dual carrier operations with the Nimitz and Theodore Roosevelt Carrier
Strike Groups (CSG). Dual carrier operations unify the tactical power of two individual CSGs, providing fleet commanders with an unmatched, unified c redible combat force capable of operating indefinitely. The CSGs are on scheduled deployments to the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Logan C. Kellums/Released)

Photo: Abraham Lincoln, Wikipedia article

Photo of Tyson: The Oprah Magazine, dated Feb 8, 2019, photo taken by Paul Archuleta/Getty Images

Photo: Christomer Plummer - Simple … article entitled Christopher Plummer, updated on Feb 9, 2021

Photo: From the Guardian, article entitled,The Supremes in 1961. Mary Wilson, centre, with Diana Ross, left, and Florence Ballard. Photograph: Fremantle Media/Rex/Shutterstock

Photo: Ash Wednesday: Why Christians wear ashes, fast, and give things up
Father Rick aNgel shows the ashes used during Ash Wednesday service at Saint John Catholic Church, Wednesday, Feb 10,2016. Kelly Wilkinson/IndyStar

Photo: from Wikipedia article on Petersen