SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
February 11, 2025
Sullivan’s Salvos 2/13/25
In this edition:
*RIP Dean Moel
*Thank You Bruce Wilson!
*Happy Valentine’s Day!
*Pitchers and Catchers Report!
*DVIP & RVAP Souper Bowl
*Big Brothers Big Sisters
*What Does Resistance Actually Look Like?
*Did You Know?
*RIP Dean Moel
Johnson County lost an-honest-to-goodness hero with the passing of 99-year-old Dean Moel of Sutliff.
81 years ago, Moel was the cook – and a trainer on a twin 40 mm anti-aircraft gun – on the only U.S. aircraft carrier sunk by enemy fire during World War II: The USS Gambier Bay.
As the ship was sinking, part of it went underwater. Moel rushed a bunch of fellow sailors to the other end of the boat, which was soon standing almost straight up.
After jumping over 60 feet into the ocean from the sinking ship, Moel survived 45 hours of floating in the shark-infested waters of the Pacific Ocean. (The rest of the ships in the battle were forced to flee, leaving Moel and his fellow sailors on their own.)
Hundreds of men died. Some were shot, some drowned, and some were eaten by sharks. A man Moel tried to save got delirious from swallowing too much saltwater. He though he saw Japanese soldiers in the water, so he swam further out to sea and died. Moel lost the flesh on his neck from the rubbing of his life jacket.
There were 100 more ships in the water in the Leyte Gulf, and 115,000 sailors who could have died if the Gambier Bay had not helped repel the Japanese attack. Moel and his shipmates were awarded the Presidential Unit Citation for their brave efforts. Moel received numerous additional medals for his heroism.
I knew Dean my whole life. I probably didn’t hear anything about this until 20 years ago. To Dean, it was just something that happened. I remember Dean’s grandson saying that he once asked his grandpa how he managed to stay afloat for 45 hours. Dean’s response? “What else was I gonna do?”
If you want to read more about Dean Moel’s exploits, there is an article here: https://www.vintontoday.com/articles/news/article101725.html.
RIP, Dean. Thank you for your sacrifices!
*Thank You Bruce Wilson!
How about some more heroism while we are at it? Johnson County SEATS driver Bruce Wilson deserves our thanks for this one.
A dependent adult had been called in as missing at 6:30 am on a cold day last week. While driving to pick up a different client, Wilson thought he recognized the missing person on the side of the road. Wilson stopped his bus, approached the man, and convinced him to get on the bus. Wilson then drove the man to safety.
Frankly, SEATS drivers do amazing things every day. This is just one high-profile example. Thank you, Bruce!
And in case some of you were wondering, yes, this is the same Mr. Wilson who was a beloved long-time science teacher at City High. Thank you for that service, too, Bruce!
*Happy Valentine’s Day!
For some folks out there, Valentine’s Day will result in flowers, a nice meal, or some other show of affection. I also recognize that for many folks, Valentine’s Day is a very difficult day.
Go ahead and dote on a loved one – they deserve it! But please use this day to also check in with someone who needs some company.
*Pitchers and Catchers Report!
That’s right! A sure sign of spring! Pitchers and catchers report on February 13! Opening Day 2024 is only a few weeks away!
I hope some of you will join me in a game of catch this summer!
*DVIP & RVAP Souper Bowl
DVIP & RVAP is excited to announce the return of their annual Souper Bowl event! Since it began 28 years ago, the Souper Bowl has grown into the DVIP & RVAP’s biggest fundraising event, helping to ensure the organization can continue its mission of advocating and providing support services for survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual violence, human trafficking, stalking, and harassment. This event was created by our current Executive Director, Kristie Fortmann-Doser, to challenge the myth that more violence occurs against women around the NFL Super Bowl. Violence against women, men, and children happens every day in our community, and around the world. 1 in 4 women and 1 in 6 men will be affected by intimate partner abuse in their lifetime.
The Souper Bowl will take place Thursday, February 20th, from 5-7:30 PM at the Highlander Hotel (2525 Highlander Pl, Iowa City).
In honor of the 28th year, the event will feature 28 different soups from participating restaurants, 28 retail, and artist bowl providers, and with support from the community, the organization aims to raise $28,000 to continue providing confidential and free crisis intervention services to over 2,500 individuals per year.
Ticket options are as follows:
$75: VIP – early access to bowl selection and commemorative gift
$35: General admission
$25: Student, volunteer, or sliding scale (no bowl)
Children 12 and under eat free (no bowl)
$35: Give the gift of soup. Purchase a ticket for staff or client participation.
Through the generous support of the event sponsors, 100% of ticket purchases will go directly to supporting victim-
*Big Brothers Big Sisters
The Sullivan for Supervisor team is once again raising money for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Johnson County by Bowling For Kids’ Sake. It is our 21st consecutive year of doing so!
BBBS is REALLY important! Statistics show that having a trusted adult mentor makes an unbelievable difference in the life of a child. Kids with BBBS matches do better academically, are less likely to abuse drugs and alcohol, and are less likely to be involved in the criminal justice system. This simple idea WORKS.
Please contribute to the Sullivan for Supervisor team at:
https://secure.qgiv.com/event/account/1907519/edit/
*What Does Resistance Actually Look Like?
Many folks in Johnson County are worried about the idea of federal ICE agents coming for immigrants in our community. That fear is justified. And it has led to a generally unhelpful dialogue in our local politics.
One the one hand, some politicians and candidates say, “I don’t think there is much we can do.” While this may be largely true, it smacks of throwing in the towel. I think the public needs more reassurance than that. People want and need to know their elected officials care.
One the other hand, some politicians and candidates have literally said, “Bring it on.” This is irresponsible, ignorant, and dangerous. It makes the politician sound brave and strong, but is it actually helping those who will be affected? Or does it put them at greater risk? Frankly, I think this behavior is simply performative virtue signaling. Good for the white savior – not so much for the immigrants they claim to care about.
Look at Winneshiek County. Sheriff Dan Marx, seeking publicity, made a big deal about refusing to cooperate with ICE. Now Governor Reynolds and Attorney General Bird are preparing to take revenge on the people of his county. He could have done a lot of things quietly. But he wanted to show off. And Marx is a Republican. Just wait until a Democrat does the same!
As my friend and former colleague Royceann Porter reminds us, “There is a reason the Underground Railroad was underground!”
There are other ways. And frankly, all attempts to help will be more successful if they are not fought about in public spaces. The following articles are examples of things that have been used elsewhere, (Chicago, in this case) and might actually be workable here. There are other examples out there as well.
I will say, the author spends a considerable amount of time lecturing the readers, and I thought the tone was condescending and self-congratulatory. But there are some tangible examples that might be able to be adopted to our community. To read the article see:
https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/chicago-ice-raids-resistance/
And another, easily readable example: https://www.ilrc.org/sites/default/files/resources/local_options_final.pdf
And one final resource:
https://www.immigrantdefenseproject.org/cruel-by-design-voices-of-resistance/
*DID YOU KNOW? In 2022, Tiffin, IA had a population of 4,850 people with a median age of 31.6 and a median household income of $94,011. Between 2021 and 2022 the population of Tiffin, IA grew from 4,482 to 4,845, a 8.1% increase, and its median household income grew from $85,826 to $94,011, a 9.54% increase. Between 2022 and 2023, Tiffin grew to 6,325, an increase of an amazing 23% in a single year! (Source: US Census Bureau.)
Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 8:10 AM
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