Halifax Area Chapter - Military Officers Association of America P.O. Box 2093, Daytona Beach, Florida

Transcription

1 Halifax Area Chapter - Military Officers Association of America P.O. Box 2093, Daytona Beach, Florida Halifax.MOAA.Chapter@gmail.com OFFICERS CALL Volume 26 No. 2 Febuary 2014 Chapter Officers PRESIDENT COL Victoria Leignadier USA (Ret.) FIRST VICE PRESIDENT / TREASURER CAPT. Mark Leary, USN (Ret.) SECOND VICE PRESIDENT LTC Terry Mularkey, USA (Ret) SECRETARY Gloria Keay USN (Aux) CHAPLAIN LCDR Donald Needham USN (Ret.) DIRECTOR Maj. James Bannerman USAF (Ret.) CDR Janet Marnane USN (Ret.) Maj Don Amiotte, USMC (Ret) IMMEDIATE PAST PRESIDENT COL Ronald Giampietro, USAF (Ret) MEDICAL LIAISON CAPT. George G. Telesh, M.D. USN (Ret), LEGISLATIVE LIAISON CDR JanetMarnane, USN (Ret.) VCVC Representative COL Victoria Leignadier USA (Ret.) ROTC LIAISON CDR Mike Marnane USN (Ret.) Col Ronald L. Giampietro, USAF (Ret.) Col Skip Keating, USA (Ret.) PUBLIC AFFAIRS CAPT. Mark Leary, USN (Ret.) TRNASITION LIAISON Col. John L. Jones USA (Ret) OFFICER S CALL EDITOR / PUBLISHER MAJ Jim Bannerman, USAF (Ret.) AWARDS COMMITTEE Col. Joan Campanaro USA (Ret.) LTC. Janet Stoffel USA (Ret.) PERSONAL AFFAIRS/BENEFITS CAPT. Mary McLendon USN (Ret) PROGRAM CHAIR MEMBERSHIP CHAIR Vacant Vacant President s Message COL Victoria Leignadier USA (Ret.) Happy February! January was a busy month for your Board of Directors. We submitted our Officers Call, Legislative Reports and our Membership brochure for the annual MOAA Communication Awards. In addition our membership roster was submitted to see if our chapter qualified for the 2013 retention incentive. I believe we have a good shot at all the awards. If you would like to attend the Board of Directors meeting we meet the first Tuesday of each month at the Halifax River Yacht Club in the Wardroom. Our Webmaster Jack Halsey has been working hard getting our website up and running. Take a look at our website at If you have any suggestions for additions to the site please let Jack know. Also if you have any photos that you would like to share we would love to post them. We have had our initial meeting for our 30 th Anniversary on 25 September. We have an excellent speaker from MOAA National, CAPT Robert J. Silah, USN (Ret.). More information will be available as we get closer to the date. If you would like to join the working group or have suggestions for the program, please let me know. We welcome all input. As you can see we are off to a busy start. My sincere thanks to all our volunteers, you are doing a great job. There are still opportunities to serve. We still need a Program Chair and a Membership Chair. If you are interested in either of these positions please let me know. I look forward to seeing you at our upcoming luncheons and volunteer opportunities.

2 Bagels and Bingo at the Veterans Nursing Home There were 11 total volunteers who served 30 veterans at the Embory L. Bennett Veterans Nursing Home on January The volinteers included four (4) MOAA members, one (1) Viet Nam Veteran Association member and six (6) special guests. The store was presented a MOAA Certificate of Appreciation for their generous and ongoing donation in support of local veterans and the example of civic responsibility they set for others. If you stop in for a donut, let them know we appreciate their support. The veterans were served Bagels, Juice and Coffee by the volunteers. The veterans who won at Bingo received merchandise, hats, or Wal Mart gift cards for $5.00 to be used for gifts or small items the Veterans chose to buy from the local stores. Thanks go to all the MOAA members, guests and Viet Nam Vet members and friends who have donated gifts. Special thanks to Jacky Romanik and Jackie Vowell who provided $5.00 Wal-Mart Gift Cards and Skip Keating and Paula Buck who provided ten shirts for the Veterans. The Team to entertain the Veterans at 10:00 A. M. the first Monday of each month. Please come and join us. PS We can always use new donated baseball caps, t-shirts and Wal Mart Gift cards for $5.00 each. Skip Keating Veteran s Chairman ************************** Krispy Kreme Recognized For their Generosity The Krispy Kreme Donut shop at the intersection of Nova and International Speedway Boulevard in Daytona Beach, has been has been a generous partner in our outreach to veterans utilizing the Daytona Beach VA Outpatient Clinic. On the fourth Wednesday of every month they donate 12 dozen donuts to our Chapter, which are served to the veterans and their family members at the Clinic. This donation of more than 1,700 donuts annually allows us to avoid a significant retail cost and divert those funds to other worthy veteran support causes. Prior to the end of the year, Col John Jones USA (Ret), a regular coffee and donut volunteer, and Col Ron Giampietro USAF (Ret), then Chapter President, arranged to meet with the store owner, Jim Anderson, and express their appreciation for his civic involvement. ************************* Omnibus Spending Bill Unveiled Lawmakers have released the Fiscal 2014 omnibus appropriations bill, the legislation that would provide discretionary funding for the federal government for the remainder of the fiscal year and supersede the continuing resolution that expires on Jan. 15. Among the 12 regular appropriations bills included in the $1.012 trillion spending package is defense legislation that allocates $486.9 billion for base defense activities and $85.2 billion for overseas contingency operations, according to the House Appropriations Committee s defense summary. This meets spending caps set in the Ryan-Murray budget agreement and denies the extreme cuts that would have occurred under the next round of sequestration, which would have had dire repercussions for our national defense, states the summary. The defense funding supports a high level of military readiness, states the summary. The omnibus would also partially rescind language in the 2013 Bipartisan Budget Act that reduced military retiree benefits. It would exempt medically retired personnel and survivor benefit plan recipients from having their cost-of-living benefits temporarily reduced, This will ensure disabled veterans and surviving families receive the full benefits they are due, Page 2

3 Halifax Chapter Board of Directors Meeting January 7, 2014 Call to Order: The January meeting was called to order by President Leignadier at 1000 hours. Members in Attendance: Vicky Leignadier, Jim Bannerman, Ron Giampietro, Mark Leary, Don Amiotte and Gloria Keay. Secretary s Report: Minutes were read and approved. Proposed new member John DiMuro was approved. Treasurer s Report: Mark Leary reported the December beginning account balance was $9,028.40, total receipts $2,015.00; total disbursements $ Account balance on Dec 31, 2013 was $8, Old Business: The addition of business ads in the monthly Officer s Call was discussed; cost to be as follows: Business card size, annual fee (11 months)- $75.00; Quarter page, annual fee - $140.00; Half page, annual fee - $250. Gloria Keay will solicit business ads for newsletter. Camera ready shot needed for printing. Name badge for board members was tabled. Bank signature cards for Board members to be done. Audit of treasure financial records to be completed soon; Bob Frazer has agreed to do this. The 2014 Membership Directory and updated by-laws to be prepared in the near future; members will have the opportunity to verify their information at the next several luncheons, before printing begins. Updating of documentation requirements to be updated before publication of the current roles of each Board member. Plans have been discussed for the Halifax Chapter MOAA 30 th Anniversary party scheduled for September 25, 2014, a planning meeting will be scheduled soon. Barry Wright, Director, Chapter Council and Affairs, MOAA will be the speaker. New Business: Monthly luncheon speakers were identified and suggestions for possible speakers for months that have not been booked. Prepare submission for Communications Award due 1 st of February. Identify deceased members to FCOC for convention memorial program. Discuss menu and new pricing for HRYC luncheons. There being No further business the meeting adjourned at 11:17 am. Respectfully submitted, Gloria Keay, Secretary A Note From our Chapter Treasurer CAPT. Mark Leary, USN (Ret.) Online Chapter Dues Payment Option In January of 2014, National MOAA began offering local chapter members the option of paying their Halifax Area Chapter MOAA Membership Dues by credit card online via the national MOAA website. This service is being provided to local chapters at no additional cost to either the chapter or its members. In the initial roll out form of this new service, the option to pay online by credit card is useable only for existing chapter members whose membership expires in December that wish to renew for one year. For new members the system will prorate the users dues to 1/2 the usual annual rate if the new member is joining within 6 months of the end of the dues cycle (which ends in December). To access this new option online type moaa.org/onlinechapterduespayment/ into your browser (i.e. Google, Firefox, etc.) and select search. Then Select Online Chapter Dues Payment: MOAA. When the page comes up, select the Pay your Chapter Dues Icon (with the credit card picture on it) and go to the Getting Started Section. Select Join or renew for membership and select Florida and Halifax Area Chapter. Then hit next, fill in your contact information, hit next again and fill in your credit card information, and then hit finish. The Halifax Chapter Treasurer will be notified of your payment and any changes to your contact information on the fifth of the month following payment. If you are a renewing member whose membership expires in a month other than December and you would like to use the online payment option in the future, contact Mark Leary at or learymm4@ gmail.com. We can discuss prorating your 2014 dues this year (payable by check or cash) so as to realign your dues cycle to end in December. Remember this is only an additional option for payment. The existing payment methods by check via our Halifax MOAA P.O. Box or by cash or check at one of our monthly meetings will continue to be available regardless of when your membership dues expire. This new option is just another tool in our toolbox if you desire to utilize it. Page 3

4 Editors note: In the January issue of the Officers Call I solicied articles and stories of interest as well as letter to the editor to add a personel touch to our news letter. The first submission is from Mrs. Louise Redner. Its about her husband LtCol Daniel B Redner. LTC. Daniel B Redner USA President Halifax Chapter MOAA Submitted by Mrs. Louise Redner T he Press trivialized the war in Viet Nam by calling it The Viet Nam Experience. It was anything but that. Then CAPT Redner began his tour flying from Germany in an aircraft that returned the next day bearing the flag draped coffins of many dead American soldiers that had been stacked up like cord wood at the airport on their way home. Welcome to the experience. Good Morning, Viet Nam was not just a movie, it was the reality of that war, as soldiers never knew who was friend or enemy. A village woman bringing a basket of bread to the mens forward fire base, could turn the bread into a basket of hand grenades as gifts even though the base cook took the villagers free food each night. The scene in Apocalypse Now depicting the Huey helicopters flying over the beach blaring The Ride of the Valkyries was not a Hollywood invention, as CAPT Redner played it many times on jungle raids; it terrorized the VC and gave the pilots a much needed smile. Dan Redner was attached to the First Air Cavalry Division in 67 and 68, two of the bloodiest years in Nam when the Tet offensive was taking place. individual kindness by the American soldiers to the civilians were never reported by the Media as it was not news worthy. On his return home, MAJ Redner found himself disarmed on the home-front after leaving the combat zone by demonstrations against his uniform at the airport in San Francisco. Four Bronze Stars with the V device and two Air Medals meant nothing to the mew American way of showing support for the troops. Not embittered, he continued his Army career at Ft. Benning GA teaching young soldiers the Art of War, ending a military career that began at West Point. Joining the Halifax Chapter of TROA (now MOAA) in 1989 he enjoyed being President of that distinguished group of retired Officers. He would have been proud that two fellow MOAA members, both veterans of Viet Nam, LTC USA Chuck Murphy and RADM USN Bill Masters gave outstanding eulogies at his funeral in 2009 at the HRYC. His Band of Brothers and his loving family were always beside him and supporting him To LTC Redner, that was all that mattered. He learned the hard way, that an Arc Light wasn t a special lamp, that Rolling Thunder was not just an electrical storm, and We Gotta Get out of this Place was the newest National Anthem. The Press, when it ventured from the relative safety of Saigon, would come to CAPT Redner s forward fire base and ask questions on any action. The reporters returned to Saigon, and so distorted what was told them to spin it as anti-military, that Dan stopped talking to them altogether. The humanity of the American soldier was demonstrated in this picture of CAPT Redner sharing his soap with the Vietnamese children who had never seen such an item. So many unfailing acts of Page 4

5 The Following Chapter members gave Charitable and Scholarship donations in Janurary: Mainland High School AF JROTC and Chapter volunteers turned out in force on a cold January morning to serve coffee and donuts at the VA Outpatient Clinic. Charitable Donations Steve Maas Frank Farmer Wade & Clara Fowler John & Bobbie Dimuro Bill Wester Austin & Ellen Snipes Genevieve Larsen Bill & Isabelle King Paul Bilzor Maureen Anderson Jim & Eleanor Bannerman Scholarship Donations Enid White Chuck Murphy Ed Kufeldt Mark & Paula Leary Thank You Pictured left to right are new Chapter member and volunteer Bobbi Dimuro, Senior cadets Catiana Waite, Sarah Flora, Chris Morris, and Freshman Caitlyn Cartwright. The veterans appreciated the attention and regular volunteers John Jones, Don Needham and Ron Giampietro enjoyed some relaxing backseat oversight 980 International Speedway Blvd., Daytona Beach, FL The MOAA team serves coffee and donuts to veterans at the V.A. Clinic on Dunn Ave. at 8:00 AM the fourth Wednesday each month. Please come out and join us. Call Ron Giampietro for information. Page 5

6 Editors Note: I hope to make our Officers Call a little more interesting reading in the coming year. In order to do this I ll need some help. With the thousands of years of military experience represented in our chapter there must be hundreds of interesting stories. Lets share them. If you would like to write an article (about one page or less) about anything that has happened to you or someone you know, I ll be happy to publish it in a future Officers Call. If you should have pictures to accompany the article that would be even better. Perhaps you have an opinion or comment you would like to share with your comrades in arms. Why not write a letter to the editor? I ll publish them also. What I m after is a personal touch to our newsletter. The best format would be M.S. Word for the stories or letters and JPEG for the pictures. me at jimmybannerman@cfl.rr.com. Or call I look forward to hearing from you. Jim Bannerman Officers Call Editor/ Publisher Military Retiree Survivor Checklist CAPT Mary McLendon, US Navy (Ret) Typically, service members are well organized, prepared and independent. We have to be to take care of our families and execute the mission. So don t let that organization stop after retirement. Take some time to prepare your family to navigate the maze of government paperwork they will encounter when you re no longer here to take care of all things military. There are several checklists available, most are good, but this one is very good and was developed by Military.com. I recommend you develop a file, corresponding to items on this checklist, and then review it annually. While it may be impossible to truly prepare for the overwhelming emotions and dilemmas that will arise, it does help when most of the matters below are discussed, unambiguous, and close at hand. Create a military file that includes your retirement orders, separation papers, medical records, etc. Include the location and telephone number of the nearest military installation. Create a military retired pay file that includes any information for DFAS may need; such as any VA claims still pending, address of the VA office you used, as well as the name, relationship and address of your beneficiaries for unpaid retired pay. Create an annuities file that has information about your Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) or equivalent plan. Create a personal document file that has copies of marriage certificates, divorce decrees, adoptions and naturalization papers. Create an income tax file that includes copies of your state and federal income tax returns. Create a property tax file to include copies of tax bills, deeds and any other property documents. Create an insurance policy file to include life, property, accident, liability and hospitalization policies. Maintain a list of all bank accounts (joint & individual) in a secure location. Include the location of all deposit boxes & keys, savings bonds, stocks, bonds and any securities. Maintain a list of all charge accounts and credit cards in a secure location. Include account numbers and mailing addresses. Maintain a list of all associations and organizations of which you are a member. Prepare a will and designate a Personal Representative (for Florida) or Executor / Executrix. Discuss with your Personal Representative your desires for your funeral service. You should decide which cemetery, whether ground burial, or cremation, etc. This short discussion will ensure your wishes are properly carried out. Maintain a list of all friends and business associates who may be helpful to your family and Personal Representative. Include name, , address and phone number. Store your will and all other official documents in a secure location known by your loved ones. This includes all of your DD214s or Retirement Orders. Page 6

7 Welcome New Members Pierre Louis (CWO, USMC Ret.) Pierre Louis is a retired United States Marine Corps Chief Warrant Officer. He began his career in the enlisted ranks as a Hydraulics Mechanics on CH- 46 Helicopters before moving on to become a Computer Systems Administrator in the Marine Corps Aviation community. After receiving his Commission, he became the Aircraft Maintenance Engineer Officer for VMFA (AW)-533 F/ A18D s in Beaufort, South Carolina. Since his retirement, Pierre has been very active in public service. Hewas recognized as a Juneteenth 2010 Hometown Hero, served on the Men Against Destruction, Defending Against Drugs (MADDADS) board, Daytona Visioning Committee, Daytona Police Department s Weed and Seed Committee, served as consultant with the Cub and Boys Scouts of America, the Association for People with Developmental Disability and past President of the Daytona Beach Toastmaster s Public Speaking Organization. Currently, he is the Director of the Neighborhood Networks Centers. These centers are public computer centers that offer services to become more self-sufficient. Also, he mentors young males in a program he created called; How to be Gentleman when the rest of the world is wearing baggy pants It is a program to teach community involvement, personal responsibility and self-sufficiency to young males. On the weekends he spends time with his mother at the Coastal Care Nursing Home. MOAA Chairman Testifies on Retirement Cuts MOAA Legislative Allert 1/28/14 MOAA Board Chairman, Gen. John H. Tilelli, Jr., USA (Ret) spoke on January 28 before the Senate Armed Services Committee about recent legislative changes to the military retirement system. One of the main topics that was discussed was recent changes to military retirement that could cut retirement by tens and thousands of dollars. Gen. Tilelli was joined by Acting Deputy Defense Secretary Christine Fox; Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Adm. James Winnefeld; Gen. Gordon Sullivan, USA (Ret), president of Association of the United States Army; Master Sgt. Richard Delaney, USAF (Ret), president of the Retired Enlisted Association; and David Chu, president of the Institute for Defense Analyses. The crucial element to sustaining a high-quality, career military force is establishing a strong bond of reciprocal commitment between the service member and the government. If that reciprocity is not fulfilled, if we break faith with those that serve, retention and readiness will inevitably suffer, said Tilelli. Page 7

8 Leglestative Report CDR JanetMarnane, USN (Ret.) It s good to know that members of Congress on both sides of the aisle are introducing bills to repeal the provision of the recently passed budget bill that cut the cost of living increases for military retirees under the age of 62. The difficulty will be in proposing a way to make up the 6 billion dollars the Treasury hoped to save with this measure. George Washington once said: The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation. Let us hope Congress takes the right action with regard to those currently serving lest there be an exodus of personnel as the economy improves and a safe job with a 401k starts looking better than continuing to serve in harm s way. There is no argument that the cost of personnel, both on active duty and retired, is a huge drain on the military budget. Let s remember, though, that the military budget is discretionary, having to fight each year for its dollars, while other entitlement programs sail through without any scrutiny whatsoever. Two thirds of the entire budget goes to mandatory spending, which cannot be reduced without an act of Congress. Another little known fact is that tax breaks, written into the tax code, are considered expenditures by the Treasury, since they reflect dollars that would have come in otherwise. Like mandatory spending, these breaks are not up for annual scrutiny, and the money they represent is equal to all of our discretionary spending. According to the Congressional Budget Office, mandatory spending in 2011 was 2 trillion dollars. The COLA cut was projected to save 6 billion over 10 years. Veterans put their lives on the line so that all citizens can reap the benefits of living in this country. Isn t it time for all citizens to feel the same pain of the budget deficit, not just those who, because of their numbers and status under the discretionary side of spending, are asked to sacrifice yet again? TAPS in Review for 2013 Let s take a moment to recognize our comrades who died over this past year. May their service and sacrifice not be forgotten. Dr. Sam E. Hyde, Captain, US Air Force Harry A. Kinney, Lieutenant Colonel, US Army Emo Murphy Auxiliary Member John Shanahan, ViceAdmiral, US Navy The MOAA team entertains residents of the Emory L Bennett Veterans Nursing Home, with Bagles and Bingo, at 10:00 AM the first Monday each month. Please come out and join us. Call Skip Keating ( ) for more inforamtion Page 8

9 Our February Luncheon Speaker Winston G. Churchill, (CAPT. USCG Ret.) Captain Churchill joined the Coast Guard in 1958 and served on ocean station ships and buoy tenders in both Atlantic and Pacific Fleets. He attained the rating of Chief Quartermaster before assignment to Officer Candidate School in Captain Churchill has served on thirteen cutters including duty as Executive Officer of VAL- IANT and JARVIS and Commanding Officer of CAPE STARR and TANEY. Shore assignments included the staff of the Fourteenth District Commander in Honolulu, the Pacific Area Commander in San Francisco and Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington. He served six tours of duty with the Navy: Fleet Training Group Pearl Harbor, Naval Material Command, USS PHARRIS, staff of CINCPACFLT at Pearl Harbor, Operational Test & Evaluation Force at Norfolk and staff of the Naval Central Command embarked in USS LA SALLE. During a part of Operation Desert Storm he was Officer-in-Charge of US Coast Guard Forces Middle East and Director of the United Nations Maritime Interdiction Force in the North Red Sea. Senior Coast Guard posts were Deputy Commander of USCG Activities Europe with HQ in London and finally, Commanding Officer of the USCG Support Center at Alameda, California. Captain Churchill is a graduate of Chaminade University of Honolulu, The Armed Forces Staff College, and Columbus University. Decorations include the Meritorious Service medal with gold star, Coast Guard Commendation Medal with gold star, Coast Guard Achievement Medal with gold star and the Order of St. John (British). Captain Churchill is a Fellow of the Nautical Institute of London and a Member of the Naval Order of the United States. He is married to the former Merri Lynne Stevenson, a Naval Reservist and daughter of a career Marine. Post retirement, Captain Churchill sailed as master of several small merchant ships in the Pacific and was a marine surveyor in New Zealand. During 2001, he accepted the diplomatic post of Senior Maritime Advisor at the American Embassy, Tbilisi, Republic of Georgia. Winston & Merri now divide each year between their homes in Ormond Beach, Florida and Linslade, Bedfordshire, England Name: February Lunch February 27, 2014 Halifax River Yacht Club 1100 hrs. Social 1200 hrs. Lunch Soup and Trio Salad Salad and Sweet & Sour Chicken Total $20.00 per person $ Charitable Donation Deadline for Reservations: February 24, 2014 Make Checks Payable to: Halifax Chapter MOAA $ Total $ Mail Check to: CAPT. Mark Leary, USN (Ret) 100 Centennial Park Drive Daytona Beach, FL call or learymm4@gmail.com Page 9

10 Halifax Area Chapter Military Officers Association of America P.O. Box 2093 Daytona Beach, Florida, Non-Profit Organization U.S. Postage Paid Daytona Beach, FL. Permit No. 169 Please check your membership expiration date on the mailing label above. To renew your membership mail a check for $15 for one year, $28 for two years or $39 for three years to: Halifax Area Chapter MOAA, P.O. Box 2093, Daytona Beach,FL Officers Call Page 10 January 2014 Looking Ahead March Luncheon Thursday, March 27, 2013 Halifax River Yacht Club Socal: 1100 hrs. Lunch: noon. First Tuesday Each Month MOAA Board meeting Halifax River Yacht Club 1000hrs Fourth WednesdayEach Month Coffee & Doughnuts VA Clinic, 0800hrs. Call: Ron Giampietro First Monday Each Month Bagels & Bingo Bennett VA Nursing Home 1000hrs. Call: Skip Keating