TxGC Foundation’s Top Gun Annual Benefit
In 2014, the US Naval Academy Alumni Association, Texas Gulf Coast (TxGC) Foundation, established a new tradition in the Houston area. The Top Gun Annual Benefit has become a noteworthy event that has integrated the community members at large with the local veteran population. The proceeds go to two handpicked, local veterans service organizations (VSOs), selected each year, in addition to a portion going to the TxGC Foundation. For 2018, the two primary VSOs are Team Rubicon and USO Houston. These organizations effectively enrich the lives of their members and communities. Team Rubicon unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy emergency response teams. During Harvey, Team Rubicon was intricate in serving the community at-large, quickly and effectively. USO Houston continuously adapts to the needs of our men and women in uniform and their families, so that the service member can focus on their mission, serving their country. The TxGC Foundation supports the mission of the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, in developing young men and women into our nations future Naval Officers.
Over 800 people have experienced the beach volleyball, Kenny Loggins music, games, fun, food, and camaraderie that the Top Gun Benefit provides while raising, over the past three years, over $20,000 for local veteran charities, enabling them to continue their missions. With your support, the Top Gun Annual Benefit will continue to surpass each previous year’s numbers.
2018: Top Gun 5th Annual Benefit
Saturday July 7 @ Wakefield Crowbar
- Food & Drink Specials
- Beach Volleyball Tournament
- Silent Auction
- Family Activities and Games (Kids Activities)
- Giveaways & Prizes
- Top Gun Costume Contest
Sponsorships & Donations Wanted
- Support local veterans
- Interact with potential clients
- Make your mark in the veteran community
- Gain powerful advertising and media exposure
- More detailed information on sponsoring or donating (click here)
- Dan Hanley ’10
- 281-435-2523
- dhanley@2010.usna.com
TICKET INFO COMING SOON
STAY UP TO DATE ON TOP GUN BENEFIT FACEBOOK
2017 Results
- Online revenue: $474
- Door revenue: $1,291
- Volleyball revenue: $2,000
- Auction revenue: $7,135
- Donations: $889
- Sponsors: 4,750
- Total revenue: $16,539
- Expenses: ($1,539)
- Net profit: $15,000
- Funds contributed to benefactors
- USNAAA TxGC Foundation (50%): $7,500
- Lone Star Veterans Assoc. (25%): $3,750
- Team Red, White, & Blue (25%): $3,750
- Funds contributed to benefactors
Beaumont “no-host” Social
- Informal lunch- all are welcome
- Pay your own way (no-host)
- Free appetizers courtesy of the TxGC Chapter
- Please RSVP via Facebook event page or email to John Augusto (m020234@2002.usna.com)
Come out and meet some of your fellow Alumni in the Golden Triangle
Buddy Wellborn’s Navy Football Preview
Monthly Lunches are back! Join us for our annual Navy Football Preview, featuring Buddy Wellborn ’59. Buddy is well regarded as a Navy Football expert, having served as NAAA Trustee. Full bio.
TxGC MEMBERS ALWAYS GET $5 OFF!
- Advance purchase online: $30 ($25 for TxGC members)
- Week-of-event & walk-ups*: $35 ($30 for TxGC members)
- *if seats available
- TxGC Member discount is provided by a discount code via member-only newsletter
- TxGC Membership is only $10/year… join today
MENU
- Ice tea, water, soda, cash bar
- Choice of Sicilian salad or Mama’s gumbo
- Choice of entree
- Chicken John Kim: grilled chicken topped in mushrooms, roasted peppers, white wine butter sauce
- Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce: traditional penne pasta with Mama’s slow cooked meat sauce
- Blacked Trout: filet topped with etoufee served with red-skinned mashed potatoes and vegetables
- Choice of chocolate cake or cheesecake
Official USNA Tailgate, hosted by North Texas Chapter
- Tx Gulf Coast Chapter will have bus trip/road trip details and sign-up soon for those interested from the Houston area
- More info coming soon
- ALL INFO BELOW IS FROM NTX Site (http://www.usnaaa-ntx.com/article.html?aid=554)
- Details subject to change; please review NTX site for latest details
Tailgate Food: Full meal, desserts, drinks, beer, water
Tailgate Location: SMU Boulevard
Tailgate Prices: $25 adults, $15 age 6-11, $5 age < 6
Game Tickets: NTX provided group tickets (NTX sections 221 & 222)
Ticket Prices: $25 each (regular price $35)- allotment of only 1200 tickets (first come, first served)
Hotel Package: Park City Hilton, Dallas
Hotel Prices: $177/night plus tax; $15/night parking (50% discount); $10 breakfast buffet Sunday (45% discount) – allotment of 40 rooms for Fri & Sat night
Reservations: Sign up online via link, or call hotel directly at 214-368-0400, using code USN group code
Austin Huckabee
Commissioned as an Armor Officer from Sam Houston State University in 2007, Austin served as an Abrams tank platoon leader and an Air Assault Infantry platoon leader in Baghdad, Iraq from 2009-2010. Since 2012, he as worked for the Houston Police Department as a patrol officer in Greenspoint and Acres Homes, in the Gang Division in a city-wide street level anti-gang unit, and in the SWAT detail as a part-time officer. In 2016, he became a contract instructor for the State Department and Justice Department in Ukraine, training multiple law enforcement agencies in and around Kiev in high-risk tactics. Austin will talk to us about his experiences in training Ukrainian law enforcement agencies how to handle and respond to high risk tactical situations and the impact of the Ukraine’s current political climate affects its law enforcement’s ability to fight corruption.
TxGC MEMBERS ALWAYS GET $5 OFF!
- Advance purchase online: $30 ($25 for TxGC members)
- Week-of-event & walk-ups*: $35 ($30 for TxGC members)
- *if seats available
- TxGC Member discount is provided by a discount code via member-only newsletter
- TxGC Membership is only $10/year… join today
MENU
- Ice tea, water, soda, cash bar
- Choice of Sicilian salad or Mama’s gumbo
- Choice of entree
- Chicken John Kim: grilled chicken topped in mushrooms, roasted peppers, white wine butter sauce
- Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce: traditional penne pasta with Mama’s slow cooked meat sauce
- Blacked Trout: filet topped with etoufee served with red-skinned mashed potatoes and vegetables
- Choice of chocolate cake or cheesecake
On October 25, 1938…
the Houston Branch of the USNA Alumni Association held their first, formal meeting at the Hotel Stratford. Although the branch had loosely been in existence before this date, it was considered “inactive”, and was formally established per requirements until this date. Members in attendance at the first meeting were Geisenhoff, N. H. ’13; Whistenford, Chas. ’21; Parrott, J.H. ’23; Spangler, J.B. ’23; Randolph, A.K. ’24; Wallace, A.B. ’26; Blank, C.F. ’26; Schirmeyer, T.G. ’27; and Worth, F.R. ’37.
From the December 1938 Shipmate article [re: October meeting]… Whiteford, Randolph, and Parrott recently located in Houston and we were pleased to have them at the meeting. There are about fifteen Naval Academy Alumni in Houston ranging from Mr. Maxey’s class, 1884, to Felix Davis, 1939. A.F. Carter, 1905, and D.W. Moore, 1921, are associated with oil companies located in Houston, but found it impossible to attend our first meeting.
U.S.S. Arkansas visited Galveston for Navy Day and some of the Houston Alumni made a trip to Galveston to visit classmates and friends in the regular Navy. Lt. E.W. Lamons, ’27, now on the U.S.S. Arkansas, spent the week-end with his former roommate, T.G. Schirmeyer, ’27, who is practicing law in Houston. It has been about ten years since they had the occasion to see each other. By the way, Lamons has only been married about four weeks. Logan, ’26, is visiting his folds at Houston. He is on thirty-day leave after serving a tour of duty in the Asiatics. Michaux, ’22 is expected to spend some time with his relatives in Houston in a few weeks when he returns to the States from Asiatic duty.
We are very anxious to have Naval Academy Alumni in this vicinity get in touch with the Houston Branch. This can be done by calling the Secretary, T.G. Schirmeyer, either at his home or at his office. All itinerant Academy men passing through Houston are urged to check in with the Houston Branch because it is always possible to get several of the members together and make your visit a pleasant one. For information concerning the Houston Branch, communicate with T.G. Schirmeyer, Cotton Exchange Bldg.
Other interesting chapter facts:
- First President: J. B. Spanger, ’23
- Chapter changed from “Houston” to “Texas Gulf Coast” in 1 quarter 1975
TxGC MEMBERS ALWAYS GET $5 OFF!
- Advance purchase online: $30 ($25 for TxGC members)
- Week-of-event & walk-ups*: $35 ($30 for TxGC members)
- *if seats available
- TxGC Member discount is provided by a discount code via member-only newsletter
- TxGC Membership is only $10/year… join today
MENU
- Ice tea, water, soda, cash bar
- Choice of Sicilian salad or Mama’s gumbo
- Choice of entree
- Chicken John Kim: grilled chicken topped in mushrooms, roasted peppers, white wine butter sauce
- Penne Pasta with Meat Sauce: traditional penne pasta with Mama’s slow cooked meat sauce
- Blacked Trout: filet topped with etoufee served with red-skinned mashed potatoes and vegetables
- Choice of chocolate cake or cheesecake
Featured Speaker: Richard W. Murray, Ph.D.
We usually call on Richard Murray when an election is near and politics are on our mind. Certainly that is the case now, and Richard will weigh in on the Kavanaugh//Ford situation, as well as his views on everything from Beto v. Cruz to other key state and national races.
Bob Lanier Chair in Urban Public Policy, Department of Political Science, University of Houston
Director, Survey Research Institute, University of Houston Center for Public Policy
Richard Murray is a native of Louisiana with B.A. and M.A. degrees in Government from Louisiana State University (1962, 1963) and a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Minnesota (1967). Dr. Murray has taught at the University of Houston since 1966, and is the Bob Lanier Chair in Urban Public Policy. After serving as the Director of the University of Houston Center for Public Policy for over nine years, he is now concentrating on the Center’s polling operations as the Director of the Survey Research Institute.
His academic interests are in Houston and Texas politics, focusing on campaigns and elections, political parties and interest groups, and public opinion. Professor Murray has written extensively in these areas including co-authoring Texas Politics: An Introduction (6 Editions, 1972-1992), and Progrowth Politics: Change and Governance in Houston (1991), while teaching courses ranging from graduate seminars to introductory American Government.
Professor Murray has previously consulted in more than 200 political campaigns. He conducts polls for The Houston Chronicle, other media, and local governments, and is the political commentator for the local ABC affiliate, KTRK-TV, Channel 13. In addition, his analyses and commentary are carried by television and radio, as well as print media such as The New York Times, Washington Post, L.A. Times, and The Houston Chronicle.
Professor Murray is married to Deborah Hartman, public relations consultant, and has three sons and one grandson.
- Check-in 7:30 AM
- Shotgun start 8:00 AM
- Lunch & awards 12:30 PM
- Private room, sports TV, drinks
- Two man (Pair scramble). Army vs. Navy Pairs.
- Each foursome will consist of two pairings – one Navy and one Army.
- The pairings will compete within their foursome as well as overall
- Bogie is your friend
- Pairings and pairing opponents are established for fair competition via handicap calculation by Rick Bush USNA ’69 (rpb2801@att.net or 832.282.7512)
- Pairings per balanced handicap is designed to foster networking and camaraderie. Meet someone new! However, If you have a preferred pairing partner, feel free to request him/her.
- Longest Drive = 2 chances to win
- Closest to the Hole = 2 chances to win
- Army vs Navy Winner will be determined by # of Navy pairings wins vs. # of Army pairings wins. Winning Society will hold the trophy until next year.
- Low Pair Score Overall = 1 winner and holder of trophy until next tournament Second and Third Low Pair Winners
Register as an Individual = $75.00
Lunch ONLY, NO GOLF = $20.00
Sponsor a Hole for $250.00
Sponsor the Tournament for $500.00
(includes one green fee)
Donations for door prizes welcome!
Tuesday, November 6th, 2018
The official party of the USNA AA Tx Gulf Coast Chapter & West Point Club of Greater Houston
- Presented by Combined Arms
- Saturday December 8, 12:00 to 16:30
- Warehouse Live! 813 St. Emanuel Street, Houston
- Free for all to attend
- Food & Drink Specials
- Prizes & raffle
- Donations & Sponsorships welcome – benefits Combined Arms (a Veterans Service Organization, 501c3), the USNA AA TxGC Foundation (a 501c3), & West Point Club of Greater Houston
- Please RSVP (or donate) via the green button
On Saturday, December 8, Combined Arms will welcome the greater Houston community—veterans, active military and civilians alike—for a family friendly afternoon including games, food, craft beer and football. This game is a show of mutual respect and solidarity, and a time for veterans United After The Uniform to come together with non-military and celebrate our city, our traditions and our country.The event will start at 12:00 at Warehouse Live, with the official game kickoff at 2:00.
In January, each year, the TxGC Foundation awards the Smith-McCool Sword to the Midshipment from the Chapter area, with the highest order-of-merit, going into their First Class year. The sword, is named after astronaut Michael Smith ’67, who was lost in the Challenger disaster, and astronaut William McCool ’83, who was lost int he Columbia disaster.
For the graduating class of 2019, we’re proud to award Midn 1/c Francis Kim of Clear Lake High School. Link to full biography
Presenting Astronaut, and keynote by Sunita Williams (Captain, US Navy, Ret.) NASA Astronaut. Link to full biography
TxGC MEMBERS ALWAYS GET $5 OFF!
- Advance purchase online: $30 ($25 for TxGC members)
- Week-of-event & walk-ups*: $35 ($30 for TxGC members)
- *if seats available
- TxGC Member discount is provided by a discount code via member-only newsletter
- TxGC Membership is only $10/year… join today