Join us at Harry’s Hofbrau in Redwood City on Tuesday, June 17. Harry’s opens at 11 am for cafeteria style lunch; our meeting will start promptly at 12 noon. See the MEETING INFO menu item for directions. This month’s topic is

Nick Marinaro on “The Maritime Landscape During the Civil War and Pivotal Naval Battles, 1861–1865”

Join Nick Marinaro for an engaging exploration of the naval theater of the American Civil War, a critical yet often overlooked aspect of the conflict. This talk will examine how the Union and Confederacy vied for control of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, the Gulf of Mexico, the Caribbean, and key Southern rivers, shaping strategic and economic outcomes. Highlighting groundbreaking innovations in naval warfare, Nick will discuss the introduction of ironclad ships, sea mines (torpedoes), revolving gun turrets, and the Confederacy’s pioneering use of the submarine H.L. Hunley. The presentation will focus on three pivotal battles:

• USS Kearsarge vs. CSS Alabama (June 1864): A dramatic duel off the coast of France that showcased Union naval superiority.
• Battle of Hampton Roads (March 1862): The historic “Clash of the Ironclads,” featuring the USS Monitor vs. CSS Virginia, marking the dawn of modern naval warfare.
• Battle of Mobile Bay (August 1864): A decisive Union victory, led by Admiral David Farragut, that sealed the Confederacy’s fate in the Gulf.

Discover how these battles and innovations reshaped maritime strategy and influenced the course of the Civil War. Don’t miss this deep dive into a transformative era of naval history!

Nick Marinaro was born and raised in Fresno, California, and has had an interest in the Civil War since elementary school. He graduated from Clovis High School and Stanford University with a degree in Human Biology. His 38 year professional career was with the Stanford University/City of Palo Alto Fire Departments, retiring as Fire Chief. Nick has been a member of the Lions Club for 23 years and is the President of the Peninsula Council of Lions Clubs and Treasurer for the Lions Veterans Charities. He is a Board Member of the Palo Alto/Stanford Historical Association (PAST) and the Treasurer of the Peninsula Civil War Roundtable.

Join us at Harry’s Hofbrau in Redwood City on Tuesday, July 15. Harry’s opens at 11 am for cafeteria style lunch; our meeting will start promptly at 12 noon. See the MEETING INFO menu item for directions. This month’s topic is

Jim Rhetta on “England and Recognition of the Confederacy”

A common belief with Civil War historians is that England was frequently politically leaning towards Diplomatic recognition of the Confederacy. That belief is backed up by the view that lack of cotton nearly drove England to recognize the south to secure cotton for economic stability and employment for cotton industry workers. The key missing requirement for Diplomatic recognition was a stunning Confederate battlefield victory to persuade England that the Confederacy was a militarily viable nation.

Closer evaluations of this issue are commonly lacking in US publishing, with the familiar beliefs repeated for generations of readers. This presentation will look at the British decision-makers, influencers, foreign policy, and political process to reveal the truth about England’s intentions to recognize the Confederacy.

Jim Rhetta retired from Lockheed Corp and also retired from the USAF Reserve as a Colonel in the Intelligence Community. In both careers he monitored, analyzed and reported on global conflicts, threat assessments, and force postures for the DoD Community. He had to present hundreds of current intelligence briefings, threat assessments, and order’s of battle to a variety of DoD personnel and units. He continues to study both current events and historical subjects for their impacts on us today.

Join us at Harry’s Hofbrau in Redwood City on Tuesday, August 19. Harry’s opens at 11 am for cafeteria style lunch; our meeting will start promptly at 12 noon. See the MEETING INFO menu item for directions. This month’s topic is

Wayne Padgett on “Grierson’s Raid”

The talk will be on Grierson’s raid through Mississippi from Tennessee to Baton Rouge. Wayne will go into the details of the actual raid, then contrast it with the John Ford 1959 film on the same subject entitled The Horse Soldiers, starring John Wayne. Wayne will describe Ford’s filming characteristics; i.e., he liked to be on location instead of a studio sound stage.

Wayne Padgett is a native San Franciscan graduating from Lincoln H.S.

After naval service as a quartermaster on a destroyer escort, he graduated from Sacramento State College with a degree in law enforcement. After which, he was a special agent with NCIS, then U.S. Treasury Internal Security Division, and finally U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Inspector General retiring in 1990. Concurrent with this, he entered the U.S. Coast Guard reserve retiring as a Lieut. Commander.

His interest in the Civil War has been lifelong, having two great grandfathers and a great-great grandfather who served in the war, all in one South Carolina regiment—specifically the 2nd S.C. Artillery.

Wayne joined the San Francisco CWRT when a friend said that they needed a few more bodies in order to secure a private meeting room at the Irish Cultural Center in S.F. He attended, joined, and eventually served as president for several terms. Upon the demise of the S.F. CWRT, he joined the Peninsula CWRT.

Join us at Harry’s Hofbrau in Redwood City on Tuesday, September 16. Harry’s opens at 11 am for cafeteria style lunch; our meeting will start promptly at 12 noon. See the MEETING INFO menu item for directions. This month’s topic is

Alice Mansel on “Benito Juarez and Lincoln”

How did a poor orphaned Oaxacan indian, Benito Juarez, become the Mexican President? Why did New York financiers give him cash during the US Civil War to push European powers out of Mexico? The story starts with Juarez working as a houseboy in the home of a bookbinder who was a lay Franciscan brother, how he became a lawyer, and ends with Lincoln signing a document about Alta California’s Franciscan missions seized illegally by Americans.

Alice Mansell is a business owner and lawyer who majored in physical sciences and history in college.

Join us at Harry’s Hofbrau in Redwood City on Tuesday, November 18. Harry’s opens at 11 am for cafeteria style lunch; our meeting will start promptly at 12 noon. See the MEETING INFO menu item for directions. This month’s topic is

Mark Lindberg on “America’s Entry into World War I”

The upcoming program on America’s entry into World War I will explore the critical events and dynamics surrounding the United States’ involvement in the global conflict. It will begin by examining the events leading up to the war, setting the stage for the complex international tensions that drew the U.S. into the fray. The presentation will then delve into the specific circumstances surrounding America’s entry, highlighting the pivotal moment in 1917 during President Woodrow Wilson’s second term when the U.S. officially joined the conflict. Attendees will learn about the initial state of the U.S. military, its limited capacity at the outset, and the massive expansion that followed to meet the demands of the war. The program will also cover the decisive impact of the U.S. arrival in early 1918, which shifted the momentum toward the Allies, culminating in victory within six months, accompanied by striking battlefield photos from Mark’s 2015 WWI Tour. Finally, the presentation will reflect on the lessons learned from the war and its profound effects on the post-war world, offering insights into how this conflict reshaped global history.

Mark Lindberg grew up in Jamestown, North Dakota where he obtained his Private Pilot’s license on his 18th Birthday while working summers driving a Redi Mix truck for his father’s local contracting company. After obtaining additional aviation ratings, Mark worked as a Flight Instructor while attending the University of North Dakota and graduating in Mechanical Engineering.

Upon graduation in Mechanical Engineering, Mark spent 5 months of training in La Crosse, Wisconsin in commercial air conditioning equipment sales and was then transferred to the Bay Area. During the first several years in the Bay Area, Mark attended the evening MBA program at Santa Clara University graduating in 1976 in Finance.

Although regularly visiting friends and relatives in North Dakota, the weather convinced Mark to remain in California. In May of 1977, Mark flew to England on an airline, rented a Cessna-150(G-BBJW), and celebrated the 50th Anniversary of Lindbergh’s 1927 flight to Paris with a flight from Biggen Hill, UK to Le Bourget airport in Paris.

His career included both commercia HVAC, Real Estate acquisitions and investing along with part time flight instruction. In 2015, Mark received the FAA “Wright Brothers Master Pilot” Award for 50 years of flying without an accident or violation. Mark is a 30-year member and past President of the Kiwanis Club of Mountain View, a 15-year member of the Mounted Patrol of San Mateo County, and a 5-year volunteer at the Wings of History Museum in San Martin, CA. He enjoys golf, horseback riding, historical travel, and photography while writing and speaking on a variety of subjects. Website: marklindberg.com.