News-Record.com

A disclaimer: I am a member of the Black Caps Veterans Group. I think it is one of the best veterans groups in the state, in terms of bringing veterans together to discuss items of mutual interest and for major events to honor the nation and veterans themselves.

The group organizes two major celebrations of our national heritage - Memorial Day in May and Veterans Day in November. I remember when Veterans Day was called Armistice Day, to honor those who served our nation so well in World War I. It was always held Nov. 11, when the war ended. But I agree with the decision to rename it Veterans Day to honor all those who have worn the uniform in defense of this nation.

The Black Caps was started by Steven Millikin, a U.S. Navy veteran of World War II combat in the Pacific Theater. He was a Greensboro attorney and in 2002 decided to organize local veterans in a group.

As Millikin put it, "No charter, no by-laws, and no one is in command. No dues. No purpose but to socialize, recall days of military service, both in conversation and in print, to promote patriotism, remember fellow veterans no longer with us, support our military and work for the best interests of our community and our country."

This met a need. Scores of veterans joined; the membership topped 300, and breakfast meetings - even at 7:30 a.m. - were exceptionally well-attended.

Millikin ran the group by himself, a daunting task. As the years rolled by and Millikin's health deteriorated, he looked for assistance. With great personal loyalty and dedication, veteran Philip "Phil" Johnson was persuaded to head the Black Caps.

He discovered that Millikin had been running the Black Caps on a highly personal basis. It was enormously effective, but Millikin paid most of the bills himself. He paid some of the breakfast bills (and veterans sure know how to pack away bacon and eggs). One of my most treasured possessions is the Black Cap with my unit designation that Millikin presented to me when I joined. I offered to pay for it, but Millikin merely said, "You are a veteran; it is my honor to present this cap to you."

Millikin paid all expenses of printing and mailing Black Cap notices. He paid to create a Black Cap roster and print the detailed military records and stories of most of the members. Most of these stories are from veterans of World War II, but some are detailed records from members who fought in Korea, Vietnam and Desert Storm.

These war accounts are now part of our local and national heritage. Some stories ran a dozen typewritten pages or more and are enormously valuable in detailing how individual efforts contributed to winning a war.

In the fall of 2006, Johnson agreed to be Millikin's "assistant" and help with administrative duties. And Johnson administered well. He helped create a document called "Policies and Guidelines" to determine how the Black Caps could continue as a viable group. The first thing was to decide how to share the load that, until then, Millikin had done by himself.

Johnson, in effect, became the new commander of the Black Caps, but out of respect for Millikin, he was uncomfortable with that designation. Millikin named him "The Chairman." He "chaired" well and organized the group so that it no longer functioned as a one-man operation.

Jim Turner became the administrative officer with responsibility for maintaining the membership database and handling mailings for meetings and events. Wade Phillips became finance officer and put the group on a self-sustaining basis. There still are no dues, but the membership contributes on an as-needed basis. The club is solidly solvent.

It was also agreed that Millikin would always be commander of the Black Caps and that Johnson would serve as his executive officer. In U.S. Navy terms, this means that the commanding officer remains the kindly, avuncular figure, beloved of the men under his command, who fearlessly leads them into victorious battle. The executive officer maintains discipline, metes out punishment and makes the harsh decisions that are required in running a ship. He is generally not a well-liked individual.

In Johnson's case, this is far from the truth. It was under his sure guidance that the Black Caps were organized to survive. His organizational skills are exceptional, and his planning for the two major Black Caps public events - the ceremonies at Country Park on Memorial Day and Veterans Day - have been made with a sure hand and produced programs that reflect the solemnity of the moment and the patriotism that is at the core of each day.

For the most recent event at Country Park, the 2008 Memorial Day Observance, Johnson invited Maj. Gen. Thomas Wilkerson, head of the U.S. Naval Institute at Annapolis, Md., as featured speaker. The theme of Wilkerson's talk was "Not for Self but for Country" and brought to mind President John F. Kennedy's inaugural address when he said: "Ask not what your country can do for you; ask what you can do for your country." It was a perfect theme for a Memorial Day talk to veterans.

Millikin died this past year, after a life of service to his family, to his God, to his nation and to the legal profession. He chose wisely when he picked Johnson as the man to organize the group he loved until the day he died.

And Johnson never let him down. He is turning over to his successor a Black Caps Group that is a mirror of Millikin's dreams but is structured to survive and remain the leading veterans organization in the Triad. The new executive officer is Vietnam veteran Jack Dubel. In this changing of the guard, Dubel takes over a vibrant and functioning Black Cap Veterans Group, made even stronger by Johnson's organizational ability.