The John Buckingham ’69 Scholarship
Your donation to the USNA Alumni Association, Tx Gulf Coast Foundation, makes a difference. As a 501(c)3, your donation is also tax deductible. Our current, spring campaign specifically goes towards the John Buckingham ’69 Scholarship, sponsoring young, bright, Naval Academy perspective candidates from the Houston area. These perspective candidates will be attending either the Naval Academy Admissions Department’s summer STEM or Summer Seminar (NASS) programs. Your donation goes to help fund a student who has been identified as financially in-need. Each year, the TxGC Foundation has been able to sponsor full tuition for some or all of the dozen-or-so perspective candidates from our area. These candidates can go on to become Midshipmen at the Academy, and future Naval Officers.
About NASS (Summer Seminar)
The US Naval Academy Summer Seminar is a fast-paced, six-day experience for high achievers who have completed their junior year in high school. Summer Seminar teaches you about life at the Naval Academy, where academics, athletics, and professional training play equally important roles in developing our nation’s leaders.
About Summer STEM
Engineering is all about creating, building, and making things better. So what does it take to be an engineer? If you like math and science, you are off to a great start. If you enjoy discovering new things, solving problems, and learning how things work – even better. Creativity, persistence, and the desire to make the world a better place are also important qualities. Becoming an engineer requires hard work and a good education. The Naval Academy’s summer program is a great start to a career in science and engineering.
Click “Buy Tickets” (green button above) to secure your sponsorship level
Sponsorship Levels
- Flagship Sponsor – $2,500
- Exclusive sponsorship role; All marketing material will recognize your organization as the title sponsor
- Beneficiaries will also promote your organization through their marketing channels, social media, websites
- Official activity sponsor or goods give away sponsor (glasses, headbands, shirts, etc).
- Opportunity to address the audience at the final event (silent auction)
- Opportunity to set up a marketing booth or display at the event
- Free admission for 10 people into the event
- Red Sponsor – $1,000
- Your organization’s logo is displayed at the event and in marketing materials (including social media)
- Official activity sponsor or give away sponsor (glasses, headbands, shirts, etc.)
- Opportunity to address the audience at the final event (silent auction)
- Opportunity to set up a marketing booth or display at the event
- Free admission for 6 people into the event
- White Sponsor – $500
- Your organization’s logo is displayed at the event and in marketing materials (including social media)
- Official activity sponsor or give away sponsor (glasses, headbands, shirts, etc.)
- Allowed to address the audience at their sponsored event
- Opportunity to set up a marketing booth or display at the event
- Free admission for 4 people into the event
- Blue Level – $250
- Your organization’s logo is displayed at the event and in marketing materials (including social media)
- Free admission for 2 people into the event
presented by ALF Technical Services
Click “Buy Tickets” (green button above) to secure your donation amount
Help make the Top Gun Annual Benefit a Success and donate today
- Donations made on this site, to the USNAAA Tx Gulf Coast Foundation (a 501(c)3 organization) are tax deductible
- Donations made here go directly to the USNAAA Tx Gulf Coast Foundation, ear-marked, with the specific intent of benefiting the Top Gun Annual Benefit
- Funds are used to help ensure the event’s success (set up costs), and all net proceeds will go directly to the event benefactors (all of which are 501(c)3 organizations)
- USNAAA Tx Gulf Coast Foundation (Buckingham scholarship, Smith-McCool fund, general fund)
- Team Red White & Blue
- Lone Star Veterans Association
Custodes Libertatis Memorial Fund
The mission of the Custodes Libertatis Memorial Foundation is to provide financial benefits for the purpose of post-secondary education to the children of Naval Academy alumni who have been killed on or after September 11, 2001 in U.S. military combat or training, in service with U.S. intelligence agencies, law enforcement or as a first responder.
While other organizations exist to benefit wounded or deceased West Point alumni, Special Operations personnel and other groups, the Naval Academy did not have a similar dedicated organization or mechanism to provide financial benefits for education to the families of deceased, post-9/11, alumni across all eligible graduating classes. The Custodes Libertatis Memorial Foundation will provide such assistance.
Informational Events
Thursday July 20, 2017
- 11:30am: Lunch at The Combined Arms Transition Center, 2929 McKinney St.
- 5:00pm: Happy Hour at Karbach Brewing Co., 2032 Karbach St.
Custodes Libertatis Memorial Fund
The mission of the Custodes Libertatis Memorial Foundation is to provide financial benefits for the purpose of post-secondary education to the children of Naval Academy alumni who have been killed on or after September 11, 2001 in U.S. military combat or training, in service with U.S. intelligence agencies, law enforcement or as a first responder.
While other organizations exist to benefit wounded or deceased West Point alumni, Special Operations personnel and other groups, the Naval Academy did not have a similar dedicated organization or mechanism to provide financial benefits for education to the families of deceased, post-9/11, alumni across all eligible graduating classes. The Custodes Libertatis Memorial Foundation will provide such assistance.
Informational Events
Thursday July 20, 2017
- 11:30am: Lunch at The Combined Arms Transition Center, 2929 McKinney St.
- 5:00pm: Happy Hour at Karbach Brewing Co., 2032 Karbach St.
Partner Event: West Point Society of Greater Houston
Speaker Series with JD Messenger USNA’81
Quality networking, outstanding food at reasonable prices, and outstanding speakers on timely and important topics. Walk-ins welcome, but RSVP is appreciated to Jon King (USMA) at joneliot@sbcglobal.net.
- $15
- Free parking
About JD Messenger USNA’81
JD Messenger, USNA ‘81 is a Naval Academy Grad who is one of the Nation’s Outstanding Inspirational Speakers, Authors, Corporate Visionaries, and Spiritual Mentors. JD was the CEO of Ernst and Young South East Asia and one of 37 Distinguished Graduates of the United States Naval Academy whose focus was on Nuclear Submarines and Crisis Management having helped supervise the Valdez oil spill cleanup. After Leaving the Navy, JD was nominated as the Asian CEO of the Year by CNBC, was advisor to the Prime Minister of Singapore and Fortune 100 Companies and dignitaries around the world. After retiring from the corporate world JD founded Essence Enterprises and hosted and produced radio & television programs. JD is the recipient of numerous Innovation Awards and is the Author of Amazon’s Five-Time Award Winning and #1 Best Seller, “11 Days In May” – The Conversation That Will Change Your Life. JD’s timely talk will focus on “Never Give Up! Never Surrender! Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly” Robert F. Kennedy.
Partner Event: Astros vs. Blue Jays
The West Point Club of Greater Houston invites you to join them, Sunday August 6 at the Astros vs. Blue Jays.
- $34 each ticket
- Contact Jessica Baker via email to reserve your seat
Joint Meeting & Luncheon:
Houston Military Affairs Committee, Greater Houston Council Navy League of US, Texas Commandery Naval Order of the US, Naval Academy Alumni Association
Guest Speaker: VADM Thomas J. Moore, Commander, Navy Sea Systems Command
Full biography: http://www.navy.mil/navydata/bios/navybio.asp?bioID=461
EVENT CANCELLED
Credit card payments made for tickets are being refunded and should post within 5-7 days
October Monthly Lunch:
Buddy Wellborn’s Navy Football Update
As you may recall, our September monthly lunch, originally featuring Buddy Wellborn’s Navy football kick off was cancelled due to Hurricane Harvey. Buddy, a resident of Dickinson, sustained flood damage. As a result, we’re fortunate to have Buddy as our October lunch speaker. Please join us for our October lunch, as this is our only lunch, in this format, for the fall season.
Friday October 6, 2017: 11:30-13:30
- Agenda (times estimated)
- 11:30-12:00 Networking & margaritas
- 12:00 Seats, introductions, announcements, lunch orders
- 12:15 Guest Speaker
- 12:20-12:30 Lunch plate service during speaker
- 13:15 Speaker conclusion, final announcements B&G
El Tiempo “1308 Annex”: 322 Westheimer Rd
- Lunch Menu
- Chips & salsa, guacamole, & queso
- Choice of Entree:
- Chicken or beef fajitas
- Seafood enchiladas
- Las Vegas platter
Prices
- Limited seats available
- $30 online advance pre-sale, through September 29
- ($25) Members get extra 15% discount with code @ check-out
- ($25) Members get extra 15% discount with code @ check-out
- $32 online pre-sale, after September 29
- ($27) Members get extra 15% discount with code @check-out
- $35 online RSVP only & purchase at the door
- Walk-ups (without RSVP) only allowed if seats available
- ($30) Members get extra 15% discount at the door
TxGC Chapter membership has its benefits…
- Members get 15% when they enter their promo code at check-out
- Contact John Augusto or Rich Bulger if you have questions or difficulties with tickets
About Buddy Wellborn USNA ’59
Buddy Wellborn is a native Texan and graduated from USNA with the Class of 1959 winning the Thompson Trophy for Athletics. For all three of his varsity years, he played on Navy football teams with
winning seasons: 1956 (6-1-2); 1957 (9-1-1); and, 1958 (6-3). He was on
the Navy’s 1956 team that beat Notre Dame (and Heisman Trophy winner Paul Hornung) 33-7 in Baltimore, and then the next year he was AP’s Back of the Week for scoring all three touchdowns in Navy’s victory over Notre
Dame in South Bend. He shared the rushing honors for the Navy team that shutout Army (Anderson and Dawkins) 14-0 in 1957, and then beat Rice 20-7 for the Cotton Bowl Championship in 1958. The next season he
scored the winning touchdown in Navy’s 20-14 victory over Michigan in the “Big House.”
After commissioning, he married the girl of his dreams from Cartersville Georgia, and Houston’s prima ballerina, the beautiful Gladys
Camilla Hamby. They had three sons, R. Burke, Jr. (USNA ’85), Robert Guy (TRF Kings Bay), and John Paul (Savannah). Unfortunately for this
“Dream Team,” Gladys suffered from renal tubular acidosis that took her life 16 March 1993.
In July 1959, he first served in USS FRANK KNOX (DDR-743) deployed to WESPAC on patrol in the Formosa Strait off the islands of
Quemoy and Matsu. All in all he served thirty years on active duty logging over seventeen years at sea, half of which was in submarines. He had four commands at sea during the 70’s and the 80’s deploying with 2nd Fleet to
the North Atlantic and Arctic (Lofoten Islands); with 7th Fleet to the Western Pacific (YANKEE Station) and an excursion into the Indian Ocean
(Persian Gulf); and, with 6th Fleet to the Mediterranean. During his last deployment he commanded USS DETROIT (AOE-4)
and was the Battle Group’s Logistics Coordinator for OPERATION ELDORADO CANYON, the US air strike on Libya during the early
morning darkness of 15 April 1986– again, “…to the shores of Tripoli.” He received his MSEE from NPGS in 1969, and his MA from NWC in
1976. He was the Director of ASW Programs for the Naval Sea Systems Command, and managed the first installations of the Navy’s advanced
Tactical Towed Array Sonar (TACTAS) system. He has authored several professional papers, including Seaman’s Eye– Seaman’s Mind; RAS– the Multiplier; TRIXS– Tactical Readiness Information Exchange System; The Decibel—an Acoustic Primer; Again “…to the shores of Tripoli;”
The Efficacy of Submarine Warships; THREAT-21—Radical Islam; et al.
Buddy taught at Texas A&M Galveston in the 90’s but now only teaches part-time for ATI. For the last five years, he has posted reports of
Navy Football games on the internet for many USNA alumni groups that have acclaimed that his reports not only are exactingly informative but are reminiscence of the style of legendary sportswriter Grantland Rice.
In 2009, he was nominated to be a trustee for the NAAA.