Many novice sailors, confusing the words ‘binnacle’ and ‘barnacle,’ have wondered what their illnesses had to do with crusty marine life growing on the hull of their ship. Their confusion is understandable. In nautical terminology, a ‘Binnacle’ is defined as the stand or housing for the ship’s compass, normally located on the navigational bridge.

The term binnacle list, in lieu of sick list, originated years ago when the ship’s corpsmen used to place a list of sick members of the ship’s company on the binnacle for ready use of the Captain in monitoring the state of his or her crew. After long practice, it came to be called “the binnacle list.”

I would like to introduce it as a feature for the on-line Naval Intelligence Quarterly as a means to solicit good wishes and prayers for members of the community who are in ill-health, or fighting lonely battles to regain their health.

I am particularly attuned to that this very strange month, which began in Atlanta, and which by month’s end, had me actually visiting a doctor and taking some prescription medication to moderate some small but annoying symptoms of equilibrium and blood pressure.

There are others who are not so fortunate, and are battling hard against their afflictions.

I commend your attention this morning to two shipmates this morning.

The first is CAPT Ted Daywalt.

Since 1999, Ted has been the president and CEO of VetJobs, the leading military job board on the Internet. He served on active duty in the Navy for seven years. He initially served as a Line Officer on a destroyer with cruises to South America, Europe and Russia. He was then assigned to the Commander United States Naval Forces, European headquarters in London, England, as an intelligence watch officer and later as a geopolitical analyst with responsibilities for the Middle East, Eastern Europe and Africa. In 1978 he transferred to the Naval Reserve Intelligence Program, from which he retired as a Captain (O-6) with 28 years of service. He is currently engaged in the toughest challenge of his life, and please keep him in your thoughts and prayers as he valiantly fights to regain his health.

The second name posted on the Binnacle this morning is that of CAPT Rich Gragg, a shipmate of mine from USS Midway days. He is fighting the same treacherous disease that has afflicted four former senior naval intelligence officers at Johns Hopkins University Hospital. Rich has had a distinguished naval career with service all over the world, later specializing in It and communications, where he worked as a senior official at the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) as a civilian. He and his lovely wife Mayumi could use your thoughts and prayers in his courageous fight.

I am hoping that the Binnacle List will be short and all whose names appear on it will return to full duty shortly. In the meantime, keep them in your prayers.

Copyright 2016 Vic Socotra
www.vicsocotra.com