The British introduced coffee to the American colonies in the mid-1600s by bringing it into New Amsterdam

(New York). Though coffee houses rapidly began to appear, tea continued to be the favorite drink in the New World

until the Boston Tea Party in 1773, eventually leading Thomas Jefferson to write, “Coffee - the favorite drink of the

civilized world.” Did you know that, aside from crude oil, coffee is now the most sought after commodity in the

world?! It is! Brazil continues to be the major coffee exporter in the world, and Indonesia holds third place, although

Vietnam more than tripled its coffee exports in 1995-1999 and continues to grow as a major coffee exporter.

by

Mike Prero

BULLETIN

PRESIDENT TREASURER EDITOR

John Bachochin Loren Moore Mike Prero

15731 S. 4210 Rd., POB 1181 12659 Eckard Way

Claremore, OK 74017 Roseville, CA 95678 Auburn,CA 95603

918-342-0710 916-783-6822 530-906-4705

No. 371 Dues due April 1st December 2015

No. 371 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-December 2015 Page 2

[covers courtesy of Loren Moore, CA]

No. 371 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-December 2015 Page 3

No. 371 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-December 2015 Page 4

Featuring Full-Lengths!

Buses

A short-lived early public bus line

(known as a “carriage” at the time)

was launched by Blaise Pascal in Paris

in 1662. It was quite popular until fares

were increased and access restricted to

the elite. Service ceased after 15 years

and no further such services were

known until the 1820s.

Horse-drawn buses were used from

the 1820s, followed by steam buses in

the 1830s, and electric trolleybuses in

1882. The first internal combustion

engine buses, or motor buses, were

used in 1895. Recently, interest has

been growing in hybrid electric buses,

fuel cell buses, and electric buses, as

well as ones powered by compressed

natural gas or biodiesel.

As of the 2010s, bus manufacturing

is increasingly globalized, with the

same designs appearing around the

world (although, when comparing dif

designs, the SWB6 128V8LF bus in

China, and other Chinese designs,

shown below, seem to be the coolest

looking!)

[covers courtesy of Loren Moore, CA]

No. 371 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-December 2015 Page 5

Remembering Port Chicago

Almost three-quarters of a century ago, at the mouth of the Sacramento River, where the current flows

into San Pablo Bay and then out to sea, a cataclysmic explosion on July 17th obliterated two Navy ships,

leveled a town, and killed 320 men. It was a disaster that was to forever change the United States Navy.

The site is now part of the Concord Naval Weapons Center, CA, but in 1944 it was the Port Chicago

Naval Depot, a Naval munitions area where bombs, shells, and depth charges were loaded onto awaiting

vessels. At 10:18 PM on a warm summer night, Port Chicago was decimated by a blast that was the

equivalent of five kilotons of TNT. Chunks of metal were later found 12 miles away. Only 51 of the bodies

could be identified. It was an unprecedented Naval catastrophe. The cause has never been determined.

But an even worse disaster, both for the Navy and the survivors, was yet to come. Of the 320 men killed,

202 had been Blacks. Indeed, it was the Black sailors at Port Chicago who did all the loading and handling

of munitions. “The only whites at Port Chicago were officers and marines with dogs,” commented Otis

Butler, one of the survivors. “We enlisted as sailors but they worked us as stevedores.”

Incredibly, within 24 days of the disaster, 258 traumatized Black survivors were ordered to resume

loading munitions. There was no explanation given for the explosion, no acknowledgment of their grief, no

leaves were granted and, as before, no white sailors were ordered to load ammunition (white sailors,

incidentally, were granted leaves).

When the Black sailors resisted those orders, a Navy admiral first threatened to have them shot, then had

all 258 of them arrested and placed in the cargo hold of a barge on San Pablo Bay—a space meant to hold

75 people. All but 50 eventually agreed to go back to work. What followed for the

remaining 50 was the largest court-martial trial in Naval history.

The case was tried and resolved in one month, with an all-white Navy panel

finding all 50 Black sailors guilty of mutiny. The 50 received prison sentences and

Dishonorable Discharges, losing all chances for possible Naval careers, pensions,

etc. They were released from prison in 1946, largely through the help of the late

Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall.

The Port Chicago incident underscored the segregationist policies employed by

the Navy, and although it was this incident that directly led to the ultimate

desegregation of the Navy, the Navy covered up the incident as much as possible.

Court documents and other evidence of the Port Chicago story were sealed and

classified by the Navy until 1972, including testimony about brutal treatment and

brutal officers.

Many of the 50 have since died, but those who survive today are still waiting for

the stain to be removed from their records and the implication of cowardice to be cleared away once and for all. Three years ago, 24 members of Congress mounted a

campaign to pardon the 50. The Navy refused the request, acknowledging the

racism present in 1944, but denying that racism affected the trail. A new push to

reopen the case was initiated in August, and the White House currently has the

matter under review.

No. 371 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-December 2015 Page 6

Colorado Springs’ Kissing Camels

The Kissing Camels is a unique rock formation in the Garden of the Gods, a public park located in Colo-

rado Springs, CO. It was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1971. Having purchased additional

surrounding land, the City of Colorado Springs' park grew to 1,364 acres. In 1995 the Garden of the Gods

Visitor and Nature Center was opened just outside of the park.

The outstanding geologic features of the park are the ancient sedimentary beds of deep-red, pink and

white sandstones, conglomerates and limestone that were deposited horizontally, but have now been tilted

vertically and faulted into "fins" by the immense mountain building forces caused by the uplift of the

Rocky Mountains and the Pikes Peak massif. The following Pleistocene Ice Age resulted in erosion and

glaciation of the rock, creating the present rock formations. Evidence of past ages can be read in the rocks:

ancient seas, eroded remains of ancestral mountain ranges, alluvial fans, sandy beaches and great sand

dune fields.

The resulting rocks had different shapes: toppled, overturned, stood-up, pushed around and slanted. Bal-

anced Rock, a fountain formation, is a combination of coarse sand, gravel, silica and hematite. It is hema-

tite that gives the large balancing rock rock its red hue. It toppled off of a

ledge, first resting on sand that was gradually worn away at the base. Gate-

way Rock and Three Graces are stood-up rocks that had been pushed up ver-

tically. The Tower of Babel is Lyons Formation, a stone made of fine sand

from an ancient beach.

An American Tour:

96

No. 371 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-December 2015 Page 7

San Diego, CA 92117-6604

(619)-276 6149 HardingSE@

aol.com

Coming Up

SOUTHERN SWAPFEST

2016: will take place at the

Hi l t o n Ho t e l /Al t am o n te

Springs, FL on March 15-19,

2016, room rate is expected to

be $85, (the rate stays the same

3 days prior or after the swap

meeting dates), including free

breakfast for hotel guests. There

is a limit on the number of

rooms guaranteed by the hotel

so EARLY BOOKING for

reservations is a must.

AMCAL 2016: Heritage Inn

(newly remodeled), Roseville,

CA (1-916-782-446 or 800-228-

4747). May 5-7. Room: $59/

$62. Registration is $25, which

Ads

WILL BUY or TRADE

FOR FRONT STRIKE ONLY: with pics or artwork of the

following: guns, bullets, mobile

campers, trailers, chain saws,

furniture, overalls, work clothes.

Also want full-length diners,

candy, motels. Please include

address, price list and/or want

list. Pete Aji 235 Catawba River

Rd. Myrtle Beach, SC 29588

rage29292@hotmail.com

WANTED TO BUY: Front

Strike covers from San Diego

County: Hotels/Motels/ Diners/

Restaurants/Bars especially from

San Diego, Chula Vista,

National City, El Cajon,

Encinitas, Oceanside, Lakeside,

etc. The earlier the covers the

better! Contact: Ted Harding,

2610 Clairemont Drive #101,

includes BBQ lunch. Reserv/

Regist by April 1st. Heritage Inn

has remodeled the meeting

rooms and updated the sleeping

rooms. Located right off the

freeway. Easy access. Usual

amenities within walking

d i stance , plus beaut i ful

California weather. Two big

auctions on each of the three

days.

TRANS CANADA SWAP-

FEST 2016: May 12th thru

Saturday May 14th, Radisson

Hotel in Kitchener, Ontario.

RMS 2016 CONVENTION:

August 14, 2016 - August 20,

2016. Hilton, 700 E. Adams St.,

Springfield, Illinois 62701-1601

1-217-789-1530. All available

info is posted at Convention

Central, matchcover.org as it

comes in.

No. 371 SIERRA-DIABLO BULLETIN-December 2015 Page 8

Replace with advertising text

Company Name

COMING

UP

Jan: “Lobsters”

Feb: “Hospitals”

Mar: “Military Hospitals”

SIERRA-DIABLO...we’re

the hottest club in the

hobby!

....December Auction

Ohhhh! Lots of good items...as

usual. We’ve got quality; we’ve got

old; we’ve got interesting!

http://matchcover.org/sierra

The Sierra-Diablo bulletin auc-

tions are the best club auctions in

the hobby. Take advantage while

you can!

Happy Birthday!

Hiller, Bob..........................12-3

Burnell, Dennis...................12-5

Ready, Duane......................12-6

Brennan, Richard................12-7

Rauzy, Jim..........................12-9

Tarrell, Jim........................12-11

Dalton, Rob.......................12-15

Reaves, Mindy..................12-17

Valachovic, Tom...............12-17

Burton, Charles.................12-29

Clark, John........................12-29

Ritter, Nadine......................01-8

Van Tol, Carry..................01-11

Haslebacher, Bev..............01-14

Izzo, Robert.......................01-15

Schneider, Ken..................01-16

Molinaro, Jack..................01-20

Unger, Sandy....................01-23

The Sierra-Diablo Bulletin is a

publication of the Sierra-Diablo

Matchcover Club. Deadline for all

submissions is 2 weeks before the

issue month. Any information

herein may be reproduced with

appropriate credit line. Dues of $5

(e-bulletin); or $10 hard copy

(individual), $15 (family), $15

(Canada/Mexico) or $20 (outside

N. America) are payable to the

Sierra-Diablo Matchcover Club, c/

o Loren Moore, POB 1181,

Roseville, CA 95678

Visit the Sierra-Diablo Web Site

at: http://www.matchcover.org/

Sierra. You can reach the Ed. on

line at RMSED@matchpro.org for

h e lp wi th Bu l l e t in /h obby

questions, concerns or problems.

Willard, James...................01-24

Ewart, Don........................01-26

Cummings, Chuck.............01-31

December’s Smile