PETER ATKINSON
Basescu receives his Navy League
membership pin from Tozzi. Basescu
is the brother of Romanian President
Traian Basescu.
“We think there is a tremendous
opportunity in the region,” Herbert
said.
Future growth of the region’s
maritime influence will largely depend on spreading the word about
this opportunity, said Basescu, who
served in the Romanian Navy,
which once had one of the largest
fleets in the world.
“The Navy League is one way
where America can help us,” he said.
The origins of the Black Sea
Council trace back two years, to a
discussion Shimp, who is a member
of the Charleston Council, had
with Nikolai Bozhilov, president of
Varna-based Unimasters Logistics
plc, about the Navy League.
“He brought up the subject of
why there was no council in Eastern
Europe,” Shimp said. “That was
where the idea took root.”
As discussions with local navy
leaders, naval attachés, U.S. expatriates with maritime interests in
Bulgaria and Romania and others
about forming a council bore fruit,
“we knew we wanted to do it,”
Shimp said. Unimasters is now a
council community affiliate.
Organizers met with Jackson C.
Stevens, Navy League national vice
president for International Affairs,
at last June’s Armed Forces Communications and Electronics Association conference in Varna to
unveil the plan for the council.
They have spent the time since
organizing the membership, an
effort that was supported by U.S.
Ambassador to Romania Nicholas
F. Taubman, who left the post in
December.
Organizers hope to sign up additional members before the Black
Sea Council is chartered in March
or April, an event whose timing
will likely depend on the availability of President Basescu, who they
would like to have participate in
the ceremony.
Rome Gala Honors
Adm. Fitzgerald
Good music, food and international friendships were in abundance at
the residence of U.S. Ambassador
to Italy Ronald P. Spogli, who
hosted the annual Navy League
Rome Gala Nov. 14. The event
honored Adm. Mark P. Fitzgerald,
commander, U.S. Naval Forces
Europe, and commander, Allied
Joint Force Command Naples.
Among the distinguished guests
were officers of various NATO
countries, high-ranking officials of
the Italian and U.S. navies, jazz
singer Harold Bradley, singer and
composer Amedeo Minghi, Rome
fashion designer Jamal Taslaq and
Princess Elettra Marconi. Also
attending were Betty Reese, Navy
League Europe president, as well
as members from various
European councils, according to
Laila Volpe, president of the Rome
Council.
The U.S. Naval Forces Europe
Band Jazz Combo entertained the
international guests with American
classics, standards, jazz and patri-
otic music, with Bradley and
Minghi joining in to make the
evening an especially warm and
friendly occasion for bridging
many cultures and strengthening
international ties, Volpe said.
Spogli opened the evening by
welcoming the guests in his impeccable Italian, and praised the efforts
of the Navy League, in particular
those of the Rome Council, Volpe
said. Fitzgerald spoke of the friendship among all the nations present,
and recognized the hard work that
the Navy League does to accomplish its ongoing mission.
Volpe, who has been president
of the Rome Council for more than
15 years, thanked those whose
participation and support make
the work of her council possible
and expressed gratitude to Spogli
for his continuous support. The
ambassador has since completed
his term.
Broward County
Offers Holiday Salute
To Area Coast Guard
The Broward County, Fla., Council
and Broward Navy Days hosted the
annual Coast Guard Christmas
Party Nov. 29 at the Briny River-
front Restaurant at Las Olas
Riverfront, Fort Lauderdale.
ROBERT N. HEIN
Lt. Doug Watson, commanding officer, Coast Guard Station Fort
Lauderdale, left, stands with
Broward County Council members
Phyllis and Don Bannister during the
annual Coast Guard Christmas Party
in Fort Lauderdale Nov. 29.
