The Official Publication of the ANKOKAS, NJ Region AACASMOKE SIGNALS

Jan./Feb. 2021Volume 58, Issue 1

In This Issue:

pAnkokas News pPop-Up Campers pTour the Smithsonian with Adam

Savage pTwo Puzzles pCalendars pHIstory of G. I. Joe pHow Monopoly Freed WWII Allied

Prisoners

In This Month’s Issue:

Looking Downthe Road...................Meeting Minutes.......News........................From the Archives.....Auctions...................It Caught My Eye......Pop-Up Campers.....Webside Ramblings.................Rummage Box..........Matching Puzzle.......Ankokas Calendar.....AACA Calendar.........Fun Holidays.............Find-A-Word.............G. I. Joe....................Monopoly..................Word Origins.............Letter from the Editors......................Marketplace..............

Wishing all Ankokas members and their families a very Healthy and Happy New Year! Hoping everyone was able to enjoy the holidays, whether you where celebrating Hanukkah or Christmas. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the gathering of family and friends has been limited or nonexistent which makes it a difficult ending to a difficult year.

Looking ahead to 2021, it is going to be just like 2020, at least for the first 4 or 5 months. As of this writing, the AACA Annual meeting has been postponed from February and is now scheduled for April 15-17th, 2021. All our regular membership monthly meetings will be on Zoom at least for the next 3 or 4 months and our Charter Luncheon is going to be postponed. We are looking to hold it later in the spring in an outside setting, hopefully with the arrival of the vaccines. I’m hoping by September we will be back to a least being able to hold

our Haddonfield Show. We will need to see what the future holds.

Due to the pandemic, the officers and directors terms have been extended for 2021. We are always looking for new members and recently we did get the opportunity to acquire a new member. (Editor’s note: see article on page four.) If you know someone with an interest in the car hobby, let he or she know about AACA and Ankokas, as new members are always welcome.

Hopefully we will get back to normal, or close to it, and we will be able to be put 2020 behind us! With that being said, we can not overlook families and friends that have been affected by this virus and

keep everyone in our thoughts and prayers. Everyone please

continue to stay well and be safe and don’t forget the next Zoom meeting on January 14th, 2021 at 7:30 pm.

President Joe Dougherty

This newsletter is a publication of the Ankokas Region of the Antique Automobile Club of America, located in southern New Jersey.Material may be

reproduced only if credit is given to the source and we are asked for permission to reproduce the material.If you have material

that you would like to contribute or you have comments or ideas about the newsletter, please contact the editor, Diana, at newsletter@ankokas.com.

1235678

11121213131314151718

1920

President Joe Dougherty. Photo by D. Antinucci.

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 2

� The November 12 meeting started at 7:34 pm on Zoom with Pledge to the Flag. The December 10 meeting started at 7:37 pm on Zoom with Pledge to the Flag.

� A motion to continue the 2020 officers to 2021 was made, seconded, and approved.

� A motion to extend membership dues by one year was made, seconded, and approved.

� The December holiday party was canceled. � No in-person meetings scheduled for now. Maybe in

April or May. Meetings will be on Zoom. � As has been done in the past, Ankokas will make a

donation to the South Jersey food bank. In past years, cash donations were collected at the holiday party and matched by the club. A motion was made, seconded, and approved for the club to donate $400 to the food bank. At the December meeting, it was reported that several members sent checkers to Ankokas to be added to the food bank donation. Total donation was $450.

� To help reduce the cost of the newsletter, printed copies will only be sent to sponsors and the few members who do not have any email. Previously, printed copies were also sent to officers and several other members.

� Current membership: 51 paid in full, 1 charter, 4 friends. Jeff Schulte recruited new member Walt Pedersen. They met at a car show in November. Walt was given a complimentary one year AACA and Ankokas membership.

� There have been some productive discussions regarding recruitment of new members. Everyone is aware of the need. As we return to attending local car events in 2021, more of an effort will be made by current members to recruit new members. We need to be open to considering younger people with interests in cars from the 1970’s to 1990’s, not just the older classics.

� There has been some discussion about special or feature classes for the Haddonfield show to attract more show cars and spectators. This has to be a slow and careful process given the current state of health emergency. We still don’t know if we will be able to have a show in 2021.

� The next meeting is on Zoom, January 14, 2021 at 7:30 pm.

Submitted: Steven Soppe, Secretary

ghgh Meeting Minutes ghgh

P

This is a summary of the November and December meetings.

Screen shot of the December hioliday meeting. Screen shot taken by Jim Hann.

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 3

gh Ankokas at Atco Raceway gharticle and photos by Bob Petters

On Sunday, November 8th, the Atco dragway held a car show. There were about 150 cars and it was a nice day with lots of racing. There were only 3 trophies and Bruce Prichard got one (2nd place) for his 1932 Ford highboy roadster. Also attending, but not winning, was Jeff Shulte with his 1929 Ford home-made speedster that was in the Great American Race and myself with one of my 1953 Olds convertibles. Last show of the year on a beautiful warm sunny day in November at the Atco dragway!

Jim Hann wins gh in Gettysburg gh

article and photos by Jim Hann

My 1966 Plymouth Barricuda was sporting a new look for the AACA meet in Gettysburg on Nov. 7th, with original wheels, white wall tires and wheel covers. The new look earned me a second Junior!

P

P

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 4

article by Diana Antinucciphotos provided by Walt Pedersen

I would like to be one of the first to welcome our new member, Walt Pedersen. Walt is 77, was raised in New Jersey and was a pipefitter for 55 years (Local 322) and is now retired. Walt says he always loved cars. He had a 1969 Dodge Charger, fully restored, and Walt thought that would be his last project. One day, at a car show, a fellow asked if Walt would sell him the car. The guy offered a fair price and Walt took the offer, thinking that was the end of his car hobby.

Five years ago, Walt was at an estate sale and saw a 1931 Ford Model A. He thought it would be a fun project, so he bought it and towed it home. Not knowing anything about the Model A, he read about the car and began work on it. Today, he has kept the car as original as possible and has gotten it into good running condition.

Walt lives in Marlton, NJ with his wife Maryann of 54 years, who he says puts up with his projects.

Welcome to Ankokas, Walt! P

gh Introducing Walt Pedersen gh

Scheduled MeetingsJan. 14 at 7:30PMFeb. 11 at 7:30PMMarch 11 at 7:30PM

All meetings will be held through Zoom until further notice. Zoom meetings

can be accessed starting at 7:00PM and meetings begin at 7:30PM.

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 5

originally printed April 2002article by Howard Steinberg

About two years ago, one of our customers, we’ll call him John, dropped by our office in search of some truck parts. John runs a towing service/junk yard in Camden. When I see him, I like to ask him if he has by chance come across any neat old cars. Now, I must tell you that John is in no way involved in the antique car hobby. He doesn’t belong to any hobby clubs or receive any old car publications. John’s knowledge of the field is about on a par with the average “man in the street”. So, his answer to my question surprised me.

He had, he announced proudly, two 1940’s Nash four-door sedans for sale. “They were,” he allowed, “in good solid running condition” and “a steal for $3,800 each.” It didn’t sound like much fun to me, but I told John that the next time I was in the neighborhood I would have a look.

It was at least two years later, when work took me

to a location only blocks from John’s business. As luck would have it, John was at his shop and, yes, the cars were still for sale. He would gladly take me to see them. They were very close by.

To show me his treasures, John had to remove a large van truck from against a wooden pass gate in an old wooden fence. The gate opened on to a back lot containing a jumble of junk cars and trucks. On the right was a row of four old garages, two of which had already collapsed in on themselves. The remaining two slips contained a 1948 Nash Ambassador and a 1940 Nash sedan, model unknown. The ’48 had a decent

interior and some salvageable chrome, but was otherwise a pile of rust. The other car was less rusty, but had no interior or usable chrome. They were little more than parts cars.

I thanked John for the viewing and told him that these babies were just more than I could take on. He nodded in an understanding way and we headed for the

exit. But, I just couldn’t resist one last question. “John,” I began, “seeing as how these cars need so much, why are you asking almost $4,000 for each one?” John smiled broadly and, with a twinkle in his eyes, replied, “Well, you know, old cars are valuable!”

ghgh From The Archives ghgh

Above: 1940 Nash. Photo by Greg Gjerdingen and used under the Creative Commons Attribution

2.0 Generic license Below: 1948 Nash Ambassador. Photo by Greg

Gjerdingen and used under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0

Generic license8

Old Cars Are Valuable

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 6

Barrett-Jackson auction in Scottsdale in 2018. Photo by Rbdesimone and used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.

ghgh Auctions on Television ghgharticle by Diana Antinucci

For those of you still stuck at home due to the coronavirus and itching to see some awesome cars, watching the car auctions on television may scratch that itch.

January 7-16, 2021, Mecum is hosting their auction in Kissimmee, FL. One of the star attractions is lot #F147, a 1970 Plymouth Hemi Superbird estimated at $500,000 to $550,000. If that’s a little too rich for you, there’s also lot #F131 which is a 1970 440/375hp Superbird or lot #T164 which is a 1970 440 6-bbl Superbird.

Here are a couple more cars listed at the Mecum auction that caught my attention:

Lot#MG3 1937 Mercedes-Benz 540K Special RoadsterLot#W226 1972 DeTomaso PanteraLot#W231 1967 Volkswagen 21-Window BusLot#F87.1 1931 Cadillac V-12Lot#F184.1 1969 DeTomaso Mangusta (1 of 401)Lot#F238 1959 BMW Isetta 300Lot#S75 1959 Jaguar XK150 S RoadsterLot#J129 1963 Fiat 600Go to www.mecum.com to keep an eye on their auction.Usually held in January, Barrett-Jackson is hosting their

Scottsdale, AZ auction from March 20-27, 2021. There are no

lot assignments yet and they’re still filling out the docket, but I did see a 1970 Volkswagen Kombi Custom Bus and a 1974 Jaguar E-Type convertible listed. Go to www.barrett-jackson.com to keep an eye on this auction.

1968 DeTomaso Mangusta. Photo by Sicnag and used under the Creative Commons Attribution 2.0 Generic license.

P

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 7

ghgh It Caught My Eye ghgharticle by Diana Antinucci

Steven and I were recently watching an episode of Chasing Classic Cars. I was only half paying attention, crocheting as we watched, when one of the cars caught my attention. My blanket fell into my lap and I just stared. I was looking at a small sports car, cute and sexy at the same time. And then I did a double take. “Is that a Volkswagen? Can’t be.” We rewound and watched it come up again. Sure enough, there was a VW badge. “But Volkswagen didn’t make a sports car,” I said to Steven. Au contraire. They did indeed and it has shot to the top of my list of favorite cars.

In 1953, Brazil closed its borders to imported cars. That same year, Volkswagen opened a Brazilian subsidiary to build cars within the country. The Karmann Ghia was popular in Brazil until it was retired. The Brazilian subsidiary then came out with the Karmann Ghia TC, but it wasn’t selling as well and other manufacturers were having a lot of success with sports cars, including Puma, Santa Matilde and Miura. Puma’s car was even built on a Karmann Ghia chassis and later the Volkswagen Brasilia. It was a bit galling.

In 1969, Volkswagen do Brasil decided to produce their own sports car. The car was designed by Marcio Piancastelli , with input from the wife of the CEO of Volkswagen do Brasil because they wanted the car to attract women. By 1971, they had a prototype, but it was another

year before the car was ready for production. The car was viewed vary favorably in the press for its extra features and impressive design.

Because building a car from scratch is expensive, the new car, called the SP, was built mostly from parts already made for other Volkswagens. All SP2s were built with 4-speed manual transmissions. The frame and the engine both came from the Type 3 sedan. That engine was a problem. Despite being upgraded to 1,700 cc., the 1.7-liter flat-four only made 75hp and 94 foot pounds of torque. Even with the light weight of the car, only 1,962 pounds, the SP2 went from 0-60 mph in an appalling 16 seconds and had a top speed of 100 mph. The name SP was for São Paulo, where it was built, but its dismal performance gave it the nickname “Sem Potência”, meaning “without power”.

There was an SP1, but its performance was even worse, with only 65hp, and only 88 were built. There were plans for an SP3, with a 1.8-liter water-cooled engine and 99hp with twin

carbs. There was a prototype built, but nothing ever came of the project. By that time it was too late. The SP2 couldn’t challenge its competitors, most notably Puma, and the SP2 was discontinued in February 1976 with only 10,205 units made. The idea of the SP3 lived on in an upfit kit for the SP2, but it was so expensive that there were almost no takers.

There are a couple reasons we don’t see a lot of these cars. First, of course, is the low production numbers. Of those, only 670 were sold outside of Brasil: 155 to Nigeria, one to Portugal and the rest to countries outside Europe. None were exported to the US from Volkswagen do Brasil. They also suffered from rust, so not all have survived.

If you want one, there is only one for sale and it is almost certainly the one we saw on TV. It is a 1974 SP2 located in Jacksonville, Florida and listed for $45,500.

To learn more, go to Volkswagen SP2: The coolest VW you’ve never heard of (1 of 3 in SA) or All You Need To Know About The Volkswagen SP2.

Above: Rear quarter view of a Volkswagen SP2. Photo by Andres Sebastian and used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Below: Front quarter view of a Volkswagen SP2. Photo

by Arild Vagen and used under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license. P

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 8

ghgh Pop-Up Campers ghgharticle by Diana Antinucci

Pop-up campers are some of the smallest RVs with lengths between eight and twenty feet and weights between 700 pounds and 4,000 pounds. They are called pop-up campers because they have a hard base with fabric sides that “pop up” when you arrive at the camp site. Of course, most of them don’t actually pop up. A winch or a hydraulic lift raises the roof on telescoping metal poles. The slides for the beds are then pulled out by hand. This kind of RV is ideal for people who do occasional weekend camping and are looking to upgrade from a tent, but still want the tent experience. Pop-up campers are easier to store and tow than other campers and generally sleep between four and six people.

Pop-up campers don’t generally come with air conditioning or heat, but portable air conditioners or heaters can be brought along for the trip and run off a generator if the camper does not have electric. You should also keep in mind that if you plan to take your pop-up to more remote areas, you want to buy an off-road capable camper.

Pop-up campers have a lot of advantages over other campers. They are affordable, lightweight, many can be towed by a mid-size car, are easily stored in a garage and fit into almost any campsite. Once at the campsite, the camper can be turned in any direction you like to get more privacy or take advantage of views and you can leave the camp site without packing up the camper. Most have soft sides and appeal to those that enjoy tent camping, but some do have hard sides.

Of course, there are some disadvantages to pop-up campers compared to other campers. They require more set-up and take-down than other types of camper and most really aren’t rugged enough for more than a few weekends a year. They may also leak in a driving rain, have trouble with high winds and have no insulation from the heat or cold. They are also not fun to set up in bad weather. Storage in pop-up campers is limited and your choice of camp sites may also be limited (RV spaces at Walmarts and rest stops do not welcome pop-ups). There is a definite lack of privacy in pop-ups. People outside the tent can clearly see you moving around inside the tent and the pop-ups that have a toilet only have a curtain for separation from the rest of the camper. Most do not come with electrical service, have very small fresh, gray and black water tanks, many only have a small propane tank and do not come with a generator. If the pop-up is exposed to foul weather, it must be completely dried before it is stored, otherwise there can be problems with mold caused by moisture.

I thought it might be helpful to go over some of the highly recommended pop-up campers. Unless otherwise noted, all prices are the average retail for new pop-up campers. Any of these may be available used for a lower price. I have arranged the campers according to price, beginning with the least expensive.

continued on page 9

Both ends expand for sleeping areas and it has a full kitchen with dinette seating. The Clipper is available in four varieties: the Express, the LS, the Sport/Classic or the V-Trek.

Some Clippers have a built-in shower, toilet, furnace and water heater. All Clippers are raised using a dual-drive winch and drill bit with a hand crank as a back-up.

These are only available used, since they are no longer produced. With such a small camper, you may expect very little options, but this is not true of the Quicksilver. This

pop-up is available in four floor plans, nine colors and three option packages. The sides are entirely canvas, so there’s no need for winches or cranks for set-up. Once set up, the camper has large zippered windows in both of the bunk sections and in the midsection. It also has 12V and 110V outlets and is pre-wired for a Zamp solar panel, if camping somewhere with no power. Other options include electric brakes (for towing by smaller vehicles), aluminum rear storage rack, 8,000 BTU air conditioner and an awning and awning room. The XLP option offers a hot water heater with LP gas tank, water pump, 20 gallon fesh water tank and outside shower. The LP option package offers an LP stovetop and furnace and residential-style countertop with sink. The Off_road option package replaces the standard 12” tires with all-terrain 15” tires. Sadly, there is no bathroom.

There are eight standard floor plans and two “high wall” plans currently available, all of which have a dinette space, refrigerator, cooktop, sink and awning.

Some have gas grills, one has a bay window, one has a port-a-pottie and another has a shower and toilet.

Average price: $3,400Starting length: 17 ft.Starting weight: 1,700 lbs.Sleeps: 6

1. Coachmen Clipper 2. Livin’ Lite Quicksilver 8.0

Average price: $7,000Starting length: 12 ft.Starting weight: 694 lbs.Sleeps: 6

3. Forest River Rockwood Freedom

Starting price: $8,500Starting length: 17 ft.Starting weight: 1,465 lbs.Sleeps: 4-7

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 9Pop-Up Campers continued from page 8

The Forest River Rockwood Hard-Side is an A-frame pop-up camper with hard sides. There are seven floor plans, including four “high wall” plans. Standard features

include: water pump, hot water heater, 20 gallon fresh water tank, kitchen with range, microwave and sink, port-a-pottie, USB charging ports, TV outlet with cable and satellite hookup, quilted top memory foam mattress, spare tire, camper cover, electric brakes, solar panel prep, outdoor gas grill, outdoor speaker and a digital receiver with AM/FM stereo, Bluetooth, MP3 player and USB and aux. ports. Optional features include a hanging wardrobe, 20K BTU forced air furnace, bike carrier, kayak carrier, 40W solar panel and awning/screen room. Some floor plans have a toilet, shower, three burner stove with oven or an extra large refrigerator. Forest River also has hard-side A-frame campers available as their Flagstaff model, which also were highly recommended. While you’re checking out the Flagstaff, look at the Sports Enthusiast Flagstaff (again, highly recommended).

Opus makes the OP2 and OP4 pop-up campers. Both are off-road campers capable of four days independent living from traditional campsites. They also self-

inflate in just 90 seconds. Both have eight foot ceiling heights, large sunroofs and windows, stereo system, independent suspension, all-terrain tires, 360 degree articulating hitch, will withstand 55 mph winds and are available in four colors. The OP2 sleeps four and starts at $22,499. It comes with a king-size bed, dining lounge that converts to sleeping space, full slide-out kitchen, shower extension, hot water heater and three large outdoor storage compartments. The OP4 sleeps six and starts at $24,499. It has two double beds, a dining lounge that converts to sleeping space and a full slide-out kitchen. Options include a 16K BTU propane furnace, 10K BTU air conditioner/ heat pump combo, full annex that adds extra living space, cinema system, portable cassette toilet, fold over cargo carrier, roof rack bars, single bike carrier, solar panel port and 140W Zamp solar system. See their website at https://www.opuscamper.us.

The SylvanSport Go showed up on almost every “best of” pop-up camper list I looked at. Because of its light weight, it can easily be towed by almost any vehicle.

And with its Dexter torsion axles, it has a smoother ride than campers with a leaf spring suspension. The camper is self-inflating, so set up and take down is easy. The ceiling height is 6.5 feet and the interior can be configured into different sleeping and dining arrangements. It also has a lockable, waterproof storage box that an do double duty as a cooler. The SylvanSport Go has an equipment rack for bikes or kayaks and also has a 48 inch wide, 84 inch deep gear deck capable of carrying 960 pounds for motorcycles or ATVs.

4. SylvanSport Go

Starting price: $8,995Starting length: 12.5 ft.Starting weight: 840 lbs.Sleeps: 4

5. Forest River Rockwood Hard-Side

Starting price: $15,995Starting length: 17.5 ft.Starting weight: 2,000 lbs.Sleeps: 2

6. Opus OP2 and OP4

Starting price: $22,499Starting length: 18.5 ft.Starting weight: 2,870 lbs.Sleeps: 4

Above right: The Opus with annex. Left corner: Opus

being towed. Right corner: Opus

interior. All photos property of Opus

and used with permission.

continued on page 10

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 10

The Camp 365 has 700 cubic feet of living space with 7.5 foot ceiling heights and 83 cubic feet of storage with

optional side carriers for kayaks and bikes. The mechanical lift assist allows for set-up and break down in less than ten minutes and when collapsed, it will easily fit in a garage. The Camp 365 comes with R7 insulation, electric air conditioner and electric or propane heater, so camping is comfortable any time of year. It is off-road capable with expanding axle with variable wheelbase and independent torsion axle suspension. The fourteen inch BIG Wheel Kit or fifteen inch wheels are optional. Also optional are a kitchen, a bathroom, electric brakes and speaker system. See their website at https://camp365.com. P

Starting price: $25,495Starting length: 15.5 ft.Starting weight: 1,725 lbs.Sleeps: 6

7. Camp 365

Pop-Up Campers continued from page 9

Top: Exterior view of the Camp 365. Middle: Camp 365 being towed. Bottom: Interior of the Camp 365. All photos property of Camp 365 and used with permission.

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 11

ghgh Webside Ramblings ghgharticle by Diana Antinucci

For the automotive portion of our Ramblings, we have the Mullin Automotive Museum. It was founded in 2010 and displays the personal collection of Peter W. Mullin in a 50,000 square foot building. The collection encompasses some of the finest French cars, mostly from the 1920s and ‘30s, along with a collection of Art Deco furniture and art. Click below for some YouTUbe links that show the museum.

Mullin Automotive Museum Videos home page. This had some comprehensive docent videos.

Mullin Automotive Museum Tour- Petersen Car Week. This is a 30 minute docent-guided tour.

Mullin Automotive Museum by Vintage Vehicle Show. This is a 27 minute Tv show episode.

For the non-car segment, I thought I would take us to the Smithsonian. These videos combine two of my favorite things, the Smithsonian Institution and Mythbuster Adam Savage. All but one is hosted by Adam Savage and most are behind-the-scenes looks at how the Smithsonian creates their exhibits.

� Adam Savage Tours the Graphics Department at Smithsonian Exhibits!

� Adam Savage Explores the 3D Printing and Modelmaking Shop at Smithsonian Exhibits!

� Adam Savage Visits National Air and Space Museum’s Restoration Hangar!

� Adam Savage Tours

Smithsonian Exhibits’ Fabrication Shop! � Adam Savage Learns About Smithsonian Exhibits! � Adam Savage Examines the Space Shuttle Discovery! � Digitizing Objects from Smithsonian’s Enormous

Collection! � Adam Savage Sees How Smithsonian Uses

Replicas to Tell Stories!

� Adam Savage Learns About Smithsonian Exhibits’ Installation Process!

� Adam Savage Meets a Smithsonian Exhibit Developer!

� Adam Savage Meets a Smithsonian Exhibit Designer!

After the holidays, chances are you will have a lot of cardboard boxes. What do you do with all that cardboard? Sure, you could just recycle it. But these

people came up with ingenious ways to turn all that cardboard into something useful. � 8 Smart Ways You Can

Reuse Cardboard by Household Hacker

� Cardboard Box Upcycles | 6 clever ways to reuse cardboard boxes—not just for shipping! | Hometalk

� 4 CLEVER WAYS TO REUSE/RECYCLE CARDBOARDS!!|Best Reuse Ideas by MissDebbieDIY

� 5 COOL CARDBOARD BOX REUSE IDEAS TO ORGANIZE YOUR HOME #5 COOL DIYs you can make with#cardboard box by Mana Creative Corner

� 27 CUTE WAYS TO REPURPOSE CARDBOARD BOXES by 5-Minute Crafts GIRLYP

Citreon exhibit at the Mullin Automotive Museum. Photo by PLawrence99cx and used under the Creative Commons Attribution-

Share Alike 4.0 International license.

Adam Savage at the 2019 Phoenix Fan Fusion Convention. Photo by Gage Skidmore and used under the Creative Commons Attribution-

Share Alike 2.0 Generic license.

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 12

ghghgh Elements Match Puzzle ghghghPeriodic Table Day is February 7th! Match the name of the element in the box to the description below. Answers on page 19.

A. This is both the most common and lightest element. It makes up about 90% of all atoms in the universe and is the only element that can exist without neutrons.B. This metal is soft enough to cut with a knife and light enough to float on water. It is one of three elements made in large quantities by the Big Bang.C. A fire fueled by this element can burn in carbon dioxide, water and environments of high nitrogen. It produces a bright white light when burned and is used in flares and fireworks.D. This is the only element that can burn in pure nitrogen gas.E. This is the second most abundant element in earth’s core and is sometimes added to glass to give it a green color.F. The only element more electrically conductive than this element is silver.G. Nanoparticles of this element are added to clothing to prevent the growth of fungi and bacteria.H. This is the only element that is liquid at room temperature and gave us the phrase “mad as a hatter” by poisoning hatters that once used it to make hats.I. This element burns bright green and is used in green fireworks. The largest mine for this element is in the Mohave Desert in California.J. Diamond and graphite are both forms of this element.

ghgh From the AACA Rummage Box ghghHow Is This Possible?

By Jim Elliott , AACA President

I recently received a letter from a member questioning the judges’ score for his car which was shown at a recent Grand Nationals.

He had shown his car at the prior year Grand Nationals and earned a Sec-ond Place Grand National Award. Follow-ing our judging guidelines, he requested and received his scoring sheet and dili-gently corrected each noted deduction.

Arriving on the show field, he honestly expected to receive his First Place Award and was devastated to take home a Third Place Award. He questioned, “how is this possible?”

A review of our judging system will explain this situation. As to scoring, you compete not only against the 400 point

standard but also against the competition in your class. In order to attain a Grand National First you must score over

380 points and be within 5 points of the highest scoring car in your class.

For example, if the highest scoring car in your class scored 399 points, your car would be required to score 394 or above to obtain a tying first place award. A score of 393 would result in a second place trophy.

If the second place car scored 393, a third place trophy would be award-ed to a car scoring 387.

If your car scored 375 at the earli-er Grand National while the first place car scored 381, you would have received a second place trophy.

As a result, it is possible to get a third place trophy with the higher score of 387 when you previously received a sec-ond place trophy with a score of 375.

Finally, every owner who is able to compete for a Grand National Award should be very proud of his or her vehicle.

P

Elements1. Boron2. Carbon3. Copper4. Hydrogen5. Lithium6. Magnesium7. Mercury8. Nickel9. Silver10. Titanium

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 13

ghghgh Ankokas Events 2021 ghghghThursday, Jan. 14: Zoom meeting, 7:30PMThursday, Feb. 11: Zoom meeting, 7:30PM

Go to http://www.ankokas.com/calendar.cfm for updates.

ghghgh AACA Calendar 2021 ghghgh

April 8-10: Southern Spring Nationals hosted by the Hornets Nest Region. Charlotte Auto Fair, Concord, NC.April 15-16: AACA National Annual Convention. Philadelphia 201 Hotel, Philadelphia, PA.

May 6-8: AACA Central Spring Nationals. Auburn, IN.June 17-19: Eastern Spring Nationals. Saratoga Springs, NY.Go to www.aaca.org/Calender/aaca_calendar.html for more information and listings.

Jan. 2: Science Fiction DayJan. 4: Trivia DayJan. 5: Monopoly Game DayJan. 6: Cuddle Up DayJan. 9: Word Nerd DayJan. 10: Peculiar People DayJan. 13: National Rubber Duckie DayJan. 17: Bootlegger’s DayJan. 18: Thesaurus DayJan. 21: National Hugging DayJan. 24: Compliment DayJan. 26: Spouses’ DayJan. 27: National Geographic DayJan. 28: Fun at Work DayJan. 29: National Puzzle Day

ghgh Fun Holidays to Celebrate in Jan. & Feb. ghghFeb. 1: G. I. Joe DayFeb. 4: USO DayFeb. 6: Play Monopoly DayFeb. 7: Periodic Table DayFeb. 8: Opera DayFeb. 11: National Inventors’ DayFeb. 12: Darwin DayFeb. 13: World Radio DayFeb. 14: Library Lovers’ DayFeb. 17: Random Acts of Kindness DayFeb. 18: Pluto DayFeb. 22: Tex Avery DayFeb. 23: Curling is Cool DayFeb. 26: Carnival DayFeb. 28: National Tooth Fairy Day

All dates subject to change due to the ongoing pandemic. Please check www.aaca.org for updates.

Panorama of the Philadelphia skyline in 1913.

AACA Annual Meeting

Postponed!New dates are

April 15 & 16!

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 14

ghgh Puzzle of Puzzles ghgh1. ANAGRAM2. CIPHER3. CROSS SUM4. CROSSWORD5. CRYPTOGRAM6. JIGSAW7. LOGIC8. MAGIC SQUARE

January 29th is National Puzzle Day! Find the words below in the puzzle. Answers on page 19.

9. MAZE10. REBUS11. RIDDLE12. RUBIKS CUBE13. SUDOKU14. TANGRAM15. WORD SEARCH

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 15

ghgh The History of G. I. Joe ghghG. I. Joe Day is February 1st!

article by Diana Antinucci

Herman, Hillel and Henry Hassenfeld founded Hassenfeld Brothers in 1923 and sold textile remnants. Over the next twenty years, they also began selling school supplies. In 1926, Hassenfeld Brothers was incorporated and Hillel left, leaving Henry in charge. In the late 1930s they expanded their business to include toys. Their first major success was Mr. Potato Head in 1952.

In 1962, Stan Weston came to Hassenfeld Brothers with an idea for a 12-inch military doll for boys, but Merrill Hassenfeld, son of Henry and CEO of the company, turned down the product, commenting that Hassenfeld Brothers didn’t do dolls. Merrill then went on vacation, leaving Donald Levine in charge. Levine was leaving an art store one day, when an articulated artist’s mannequin caught his attention. Something struck him and he remembered Weston’s doll. If it could be articulated, they might have something. Also, Barbie had been released in 1959 and Mattel made a killing on all the accessories for the doll. Levine spent the next two weeks working on ideas for Weston’s doll and presented them to Hassenfeld upon his return. Hassenfeld now saw the potential and the company offered Weston a deal: $50,000 and a 1% royalty or a flat fee of $100,000. Weston took the $100,000 and Hassenfeld Brothers owned the doll.

Of course, that was the last time it would be called a “doll”. Conventional wisdom of the time was that Boys would not play with dolls and parents certainly wouldn’t buy dolls for them. Instead, they called their new product an “action figure”. G. I. Joe, “America’s moveable

fighting man” was released in 1964 and had 19 points of articulation. “G. I. Joe”, the term applied to the new line, was inspired by a 1945 film titled The Story of G. I. Joe. There were four figures, one for each of the service branches: Army, Navy, Air Force and Marines. The bodies were all the same, with only different heads used, to cut down on costs.

The figure was a wild success and by 1966, it accounted for 66% of Hassenfeld profits. With such success come imitators.

This spelled some trouble for the company, as the human form cannot

be copyrighted or trademarked. Luckily, a couple of production mistakes remedied this and allowed customers to be assured they were buying the real thing. There is, of course, a trademark on the right butt cheek of the figure. But more visible and trademarked, and at first unintentional, are the scar on the right cheek and the thumbnail on the underside of the right thumb.

With the success of Mr. Potato Head and G. I. Joe, Hassenfeld Brothers changed their name to Hasbro (a condensed version of the previous company name) in 1968.

Trouble arose for the figure in the late 1960s and early 1970s. The Vietnam War was on everyone’s television and, with some, it was an unpopular war at home. G. I. Joe was briefly “discharged” and in 1970 came back as the “G. I. Joe Adventure Team”. With his new life-like hair and eyes that moved from side to side, the new Joe went on excursions in mountains and jungles in search of precious artifacts and on a mission to save the environment.

Another spot of trouble came in 1973 with the oil crisis. This affected the price of plastic, so the very durable Joe became a bit lighter. He was molded with six-pack abs, but his

continued on page 16

Patent for G. I. Joe. Public domain.

G. I. Joe official Jeep ad. Public domain.

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 16

arms might fall off. Maybe to counteract this, in 1974, Joe got “Kung-Fu Grip”, hands made of softer plastic that allowed the figure to grip objects. This was originally developed for the UK version of the figure “Action Man”. Action Man was released in 1966 and began as the same figures as the American counterpart, just named differently. The line eventually included sports figures and sold in the UK until 1984. Under other names, the figures were also sold in Germany, Spain, France, Japan, Italy, Australia, Brazil, Argentina, India and Mexico.

In 1975, the G. I. Joe team got a bionic figure called “Atomic Man” and a superhero called “Bullet Man”. Bullet Man had his own villains, called “The Intruders: Strongmen From Another World” and both Atomic Man and Bullet Man figures came with their own comic. This didn’t help waning sales very much and Joe was retired in 1978.

But not everyone was willing to say goodbye to the popular toy. Bob Prupis, the senior vice president of international marketing, began planning a reboot as a science fiction figure with lasers and rocket launchers. Executives at the company weren’t thrilled and then Star Wars hit with its figures (which Hasbro turned down and it went to Kenner) and no one wanted to compete with that. A relaunch would have to wait. Meanwhile, Prupis started working on smaller 3-¾ inch figures that would be less expensive to make and could be accessorized with playsets and vehicles. To help compete with Star Wars figures that had five points of articulation, these Joes would have ten.

In the 1980s, military toys were popular again and the time had come for G. I. Joe to make a comeback. But something else was need, either a movie or a TV show highlighting the characters. With neither looking likely, Hasbro decided on commercials, but the FCC had a limit of only seven seconds of animation or special effects in toy commercials. However, it did not have that rule for book commercials, so Joe needed a comic book. Partnering with Marvel Comics, one of their editors, Larry Hama, was given the job. He had been working on an idea for a comic about Nick Fury’s son called Fury Force and adapted this for G. I. Joe. Another editor,

Archie Goodwin, came up with an idea for Joe’s new foe, Cobra. Unfortunately, another oil crisis hit and The Empire Strikes Back premiered and Joe had to wait for over a year. Joe relaunched as a 3-¾ inch figure in 1982. In a bit of

marketing genius, Cobra Commander could only be purchased with points from other figures, forcing parents to buy more figures. The original G. I. Joes were somewhat anonymous, but the new characters had specialties and backstories. In 1983, The G. I. Joe team got Swivel-Arm Battle Grip. Also in 1983, The FCC changed its rules, allowing violent war cartoons that featured toys as main characters. In September 1983, the cartoon G. I. Joe: A Real American Hero aired as a five-part miniseries on 122 stations, outperforming Saturday morning cartoons on all the major networks. In 1984, there was another five-part miniseries and a regular cartoon began airing on September 16, 1985, running for 95 episodes.

In 1986, G. I. Joe met competition from the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and in 1989, CEO and champion of G. I. Joe, Stephen Hassenfeld died suddenly. In 1991, Hasbro acquired Kenner and its Star Wars figures. Also in 1991, Hasbro

began releasing new 12-inch G. I. Joes. The 3-¾ inch Joes were discontinued in 1994. The toy is

still sold today, with more than 500 figures and 250 vehicles and playsets sold over its history.

History of G. I. Joe continued from page 15

Poster for Story of G. I. Joe movie in 1945. Public domain.

World War II poster showing the use of G. I. Joe. Public domain.

P

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 17

ghgh Get Out of Jail Free ghgharticle by Diana Antinucci

Most of us are familiar with the game of Monopoly. Sadly, far fewer of us are familiar with how this game helped thousands of Allied prisoners of war escape from prison camps during World War II.

The man credited with the idea is Christopher Clayton “Clutty” Hutton, an intelligence officer at Section Nine of the British Directorate of Military Intelligence in the War Office, or MI9. An encounter with Harry Houdini had gotten him interested in the art of escape, an interest that landed him his job at MI9. That job would be to devise ways of concealing tools that could be brought into prisoner camps to aid in escapes.

The Geneva Convention allowed humanitarian groups to deliver are packages to prisoners, packages which included “games and pastimes”. The Germans themselves thought that these diversions would keep the prisoners minds off of escape and make them easier to contain. Hutton knew that games were allowed into camps and he began using this knowledge to hide escape tools, along with other innocuous items. Packs of cards, boots, cigarette holders and buttons hid items like maps, miniature telescopes, small compasses, knives and files. But these care package items could only hide a single tool. How could he deliver all the things needed for an escape in a single package?

Hutton hit upon the idea of hiding objects in a board game, a board game that could conceal compasses, metal files, a Gigli saw, money and, perhaps most importantly, maps. These maps were special, not ordinary paper maps. Maps used for clandestine purposes were printed on materials that could handle wear and tear, submersion in water and not make suspicious rustling noises. These materials included cloth, mulberry leaf paper and, best of all, silk. But printing on silk was tricky and only one manufacturer had mastered it. John Waddington, Ltd. was responsible for printing the silk playbills for the Royal Family at command performances. As chance would have it, Waddington had something else… they were the UK’s manufacturer of Monopoly.

Hutton put the two together and set up a meeting with Norman Watson, president of Waddington. Waddington put only a few employees to work on the project, isolated in a small room. They used dies to punch shapes into the board where objects could be inserted and the decal set back into place. Back then the board was 1/8 inch thick, as

opposed to the thinner current boards which are only 1/12 inch. Compasses and files were disguised as game pieces, the board hid a silk map within and real money was hidden under the fake Monopoly money.

Before sending out these special games, Hutton created fake charity groups, not wanting to involve charities like the Red Cross, in case they were discovered. Then they sent out legitimate Monopoly games with a printed card that was to be sent back, acknowledging receipt of the game and its contents. They waited for three months before acknowledgement cards finally began coming back. Encouraged that their games had gotten through, they began sending the rigged games.

Waddington made six versions of the special Monopoly games, depending on where they were being sent. There were games meant for camps in Norway, Sweden, Germany and Italy, with maps and currency individualized for each. To designate its intended destination, a period was placed after different locations on the board (locations in England, since that was where

the game was manufactured). A period after Mayfair meant that game was destined for Norway, Sweden and

Germany, while a period after Marylebone Station would send that game to Italy.

Before leaving for missions, Royal Air Force airmen were told to look for Monopoly games in care packages marked with a red dot on the Free Parking space. These games would make it to camps, where the escape committee in each camp would recognize the game, disassemble it, burn everything that wasn’t needed and hide the escape tools. Most POWs never knew how the tools were being smuggled into he camp.

After the US entered the war, Hutton trained his American counterpart, Captain Robley Winfrey in how to conceal tools in other objects, including Monopoly games. Winfrey, however, never worked with Parker Brothers. His agents would buy legitimate games, then alter the games themselves. Parker Brothers never knew their games were being used.

By war’s end, the Germans had discovered every one of Hutton’s deceptions: cribbage boards, chess sets, hollow baseballs, table tennis and more. All except one… the rigged Monopoly games. The deception wasn’t known until files were declassified four decades later in 1985 and the US use of the game wasn’t declassified until 1990. Sadly, none of the rigged games exists today, they were all burned on delivery. But it is estimated that thousands of Allied POWs escaped using Hutton’s ingenious deception.

British Monopoly game. Photo by Fir0002/Flagstaffotos and used under the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercialUnported 3.0 license.

P

Monopoly Game Day is January 5th and Play Monopoly Day is February 6th!

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 18

P

ghgh Word Origins ghghWord Nerd Day is January 9th!

article by Diana Antinucci

Word Nerd Day is January 9th! Yes, it is absolutely a real holiday and I thought we could take this opportunity to explore some strange and amusing word origins.

The word quarantine comes from the Italian “quaranta” and “giorni”, “forty days”. Originally, this was used to refer to the forty days of Jesus’s temptation in the desert. Then it meant the length of time that widows were allowed to stay in their dead husband’s homes. In the 14th century, ships coming into Venice were required to stay off port for forty days to prevent plague from coming into the city. This is what gives us the meaning of the word today.

Mortgage comes from the Old French, “mort” for “death” and “gage” for “pledge”. Some of you with a more morbidly humorous bent might think that means you pay until you die. Fortunately, that’s not so. The pledge was considered “dead” either when the debt was paid or the debtor failed to pay and the land was repossessed.

The word etiquette also comes to us from French. King Louis XIV really wanted his rawdy friends to behave themselves when they came to visit. Instead, the palace grounds were a shambles. He decided they just needed some helpful prompts, so he installed little signs or “etiquettes”, instructing them in proper behavior. It worked. King Louis XIV ended up with better behaved friends and we inherited a new word.

The word clue comes from “clew” in ancient Greek, meaning “ball of yarn”. Stay with me, I swear it makes sense. In Greek mythology, Ariadne gave Theseus a ball of yarn to help him through the labyrinth where the Minotaur lived. As he entered, he unspooled the yarn, then followed it back out. Today, we view clues as a way to work backwards to solve a mystery.

Genuine comes from the Latin “genuinus” and meant “innate” or “natural”. “Genuinus” itself comes from the Latin word for knee, “genu”. This stems from a Roman custom of a father placing a child upon his knee to acknowledge paternity.

Most of us are familiar with deadlines. They’re serious, but not a matter of life and death. Originally they certainly were. During the Civil War, the dead line referred to the line drawn around a military prison. Any prisoner that went beyond that line was shot. It wasn’t until decades later that journalists began using the word as it is understood today.

The word “phony” comes from an old con game called the fawney rig. Fawney comes from an old Irish word for “finger ring” and rig meant “trick” or “swindle”. The con man

would drop a ring or other piece of cheap jewelry and pick it up, loudly expressing his/her relief that that had not lost so valuable an item. They would then offer to sell it to the victim of the scam for much more than it was worth.

Some words come to us from the names of people. One such word is “dunce”. John Duns Scotus lived from around 1266 to 1308 and was a Franciscan philosopher and theologian that was so highly regarded that he earned a papal accolade. Smart guy, right? So, how did a word meaning slow-witted come from his name? Eventually, Protestant and Humanist scholars of the Renaissance discredited his work, but some people held on to his outdated ideas and were called “Dunsman” or “Dunce”. The word was used to refer to anyone that held on to obsolete ideas and eventually generalized to anyone considered less intelligent.

Jumbo doesn’t come from a person’s name, but it does come from a name… of an elephant. While most elephants average about six tons, Jumbo weighed 6.15 tons and stood

ten feet tall. He travelled with P. T. Barnum and his name is now used to refer to anything of extraordinary size.

Some words are just completely made up and then enter the lexicon. Robot was a word invented from the old Church Slavonic word “robota” meaning “servitude”, by Czech playwright Karel Capek in 1920 for his work Rossum’s Universal Robots. He uses the word to refer to mechanical workers. Pandemonium is another made-up word. It was used by John Milton in Paradise Lost to refer to a city within Hell. Don’t be too surprised. It’s estimated that Shakespeare

alone invented about 1,700 words.Some words commonly used today

are fairly new. When we use the word “bug” today we may be referencing something wrong with a computer. Of course, that meaning of the word originates with an actual bug. In 1946, Grace Hopper had a problem with her Harvard Mark II. She traced the problem back to a moth caught in a relay, removed it and taped it into the Mark II’s log.

Bluetooth ended up with that name somewhat unintentionally. Its inventor, Jim Kardach, was reading The Longships, a tale about Vikings led by Harald Bluetooth. He imagined his new technology would set us free like Vikings on the open water, so he used Bluetooth as the working name for his invention. The real name was supposed to be PAN, Personal Area Network. Just before the unveiling, it was learned that PAN was already trademarked, so they went with the working title instead.

The Mark II’s log with Grace Hopper’s entry and moth. Public domain.

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 19

JOSEPH DOUGHERTY, PRESIDENTPresident@ankokas.com856-435-6798

TOM McLARNEY, VICE-PRESIDENTVicePresident@ankokas.com856-461-6688

KATHY PETTERS, TREASURERTreasurer@ankokas.com856-767-4438

STEVEN SOPPE, SECRETARYSecretary@ankokas.com609-848-4843

KATHY PETTERS, PAST PRESIDENTpettersr@comcast.net856-767-4438

DAVE HANN, DIRECTORdavidhann@comcast.net856-304-3951

NANCY DOUGHTERTY, DIRECTORnjdpinwheeler@aol.com856-287-2310

BERNIE SHUSTER, DIRECTORarleneshuster@gmail.com856-429-7739

DIANA ANTINUCCI, DIRECTORnewsletter@ankokas.com609-848-4843

JEFF SCHULTE, DIRECTORjefferycar@aol.com856-234-1623

ANKOKAS REGION, AACAANKOKAS is a southern NJ Region of the AACA

dating back to 1964.Ankokas Region PO BOX 343 Riverside, NJ 08075

www.ankokas.com info@ankokas.com

ghgh Letter From The Editors ghghDiana: Hey, sweetie, let’s do a wrap-up of the highlights of 2020. Steve: Good idea.Diana: We learned more about proper handwashing than I ever needed to know.Steven: Most of us got to spend more time with loved ones.Diana: Umm... some of us may have caught up on movies or television that we wanted to watch.Steven: Hmm... some of us took care of home projects.Diana: Or got to do some work on our cars.Steven: Some of us shortened our commute by working from home. Diana: What about club events?Sound of crickets...Diana: 2021 has to be better.

“I did a quick survey of the Peanuts gang here for newsletter ideas. I got one story on the history of blankets, one opinion piece on the wonderful clinking of

nickels and a request for anything about Beethoven.” Photo by S. Soppe.

Answers to Element Match Puzzle on page 12: 1I, 2J, 3F, 4A, 5B, 6C, 7H, 8E, 9G, 10D

Happy New Year!

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 20

We’re on the Web!See us at:

www.ankokas.com

Regular meetings are held on the second Thursday of each month at 7:30PM on the second floor of the Haddonfield Municipal Building.

Director meetings are held on an “as needed” basis as determined by the officers.

ghgh Member Marketplace ghghFor Sale: 1952 Allard J2X reproduction. Registered as a 2004 J2X and has a fiberglass Allard body, 1952 Cadillac 331 engine, dual quad carbs, and a 1953 Olds 3-spd trans. Recently restored with new tires, wire wheels, paint, interior, dash, guages, roll bars, side pipes, wiring and shocks. Less than 1,000 on the rebuilt drive train. Asking $50,000. Call Chuck Culver 609-372-8535 or 609-261-5598. 7/23/19Wanted: ‘49 Buick Roadmaster 2dr. that needs restoring or a 1963 Pontiac Tempest. Alan Coshland 609-801-1167.Wanted: One of the following cars: 1977-78 Buick Riviera, 1969-71 Pontiac Catalina, Bonneville or Grandville or 1973-76 Chevrolet Caprice. Most colors considered. No projects. Call Howard 609-820-0329. 06/10/18

Reminder!

Please pay your AACA dues for

2021.

For Sale: USA 960-T Pro Trig-Blast Sandblasting Cabinet. New List price…$1200.00. My price $500.00, you pick it up. Call Tom McLarney 856-461-8084.Wanted: Enclosed Garage Space. Looking for an enclosed garage space in the Ankokas area, April through October for a 1930s vehicle. I’m looking to bring one of my older vehicles down for the upcoming car season and need an enclosed place to park the vehicle where I could secure the vehicle and make any necessary emergency repairs. Vehicle is 16 ft x 8 ft. 24 hr. access to the garage not required, access upon appointment is fine with me. Would be nice to park my daily

driver at location while stored vehicle is being used. Price Negotiable. Contact Kyle Blake BlakeRestorations@gmail.com or 443-564-7268. 2/23/20

Important Reminder!Due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Ankokas will hold Zoom meetings on Jan.

14th and Feb. 11th at 7:30PM. Please check the website and your e-mail for updates.

To place an ad in Member Marketplace, please e-mail newsletter@ankokas.com.

Chuck Culver’s Allard reproduction.

SMOKE SIGNALS Page 21

The Ankokas Region would like to thank its sponsors and encourage its members to patronize these businesses whenever possible:

1701 Route 70 East, Cherry Hill, NJ

1708 West Marlton Pike, Cherry Hill, NJ

America’s most convenient bank

Independently owned NAPA stores with convenient locations in Hainesport 609-261-5070 and Mt. Holly 609-267-2360.

1302 Route 38, Hainesport, NJ 609-261-0209

Hinski-Tomlinson

Funeral Home

81 Haddon Ave., Haddonfield, NJ 08033856-429-5060

Kenneth W. Tomlinson Mgr./Owner NJ Lic.# 3583Traditional and Cremation Services

Prearrangement Counselingwww.Hinski-TomlinsonFuneralHome.com

www.toplinecompany.com 856-662-6400

Peter Bull Ankokas member