N O W H E A R T H I S! S P O K A N E C H A P T E R M I L I T A R Y O F F I C E R S A S S O C I A T I O N O F A M E R I C A

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1 N O W H E A R T H I S! S P O K A N E C H A P T E R M I L I T A R Y O F F I C E R S A S S O C I A T I O N O F A M E R I C A President Ralph Shrigley, LTC, U.S. Army (Ret.) rshrigley@earthlink.net 1st Vice President Merl Gorton, COL, U.S. Army (Ret.) mdgorton@aol.com Volume XXII Number 3 5 Star Chapter President s Message By Ralph Shrigley May nd Vice President & Mbrship. Chair Clif Collier, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.) clifcoll@msn.com Secretary Eddylou Fred Donovan, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.) fredonovan@sisna.com Treasurer Rufus Hoefer, LTC, U.S. Army (Ret.) rands@comcast.net Auxiliary Liaison, Widows & Wives Beth Ann Daigre bethanndaigre@comcast.net Chief Recruiter, Newsltr. Ed. & IPP Marilyn Hunt, CDR, USN (Ret.) cinc@frontier.com Director & Legislative Chair Chuck Latimer, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.) spokanemoaa@aol.com Director & Travel Point of Contact Richard H. Oates, LTC, USMC (Ret.) rhoates@roadrunner.com Director & Program Chair Robert Imle, Lt Col, USAF (Ret.) robertmargaretimle@gmail.com Director &Web Page Coordinator Chuck Lund, CAPT, USN cplund3@comcast.net Please join us at the Cathay Inn on 10 June for our next social. It will be our first time back there in several years. Our guest will be Mr. John Culton from Senator Patty Murray s staff. Don t forget donation items for Support the Troops and the Raffle. April s winner of two free tickets to the next social was Ann Beaman. April was MOAA s Storming the Hill month when Washington State Council of Chapters (WSCOC) leadership including President COL Dave Slotwinski, US ARMY (Ret.), MG Buck Marr, USAF (Ret.) and MOAA leaders met with senators and representatives in their Washington, D.C. offices to discuss efforts to slash the defense budget, including personnel benefits. In preparing for these calls, MOAA national prepared a brochure laying out their reasoning for opposing the cuts. It was very nicely done and if you wish a copy, contact CAPT Kathy Beasley, USN (Ret.) at kathyb@moaa.org or 1 (800) , ext Join me in welcoming our newest Board Member, LCDR Betty Krafft, USN (Ret.). Betty is our Chaplain and has been actively supporting our Program Committee. Look for Betty s bio in an upcoming issue of Now Hear This. Tis the season for graduations and ROTC Awards. LtCol Bob Imle, USAF (Ret.) has been busy presenting MOAA awards to outstanding cadets at the seven schools we support. And, the response to our COL Spady Koyama JROTC Scholarship program has been tremendous! We re presenting four $300 scholarships to the first recipients at four high schools! Check out our website at for photos that your generous support has made possible. WELL DONE! Director, Chaplain, Program Comm. Betty Krafft, LCDR, USN (Ret.) bkrafft@spocom.com Personal Affairs Chairman Elaine Anderson (Aux.) d122123@msn.com Newsletter Coordinator Dean Thie, LTjg, USN deanthie@gmail.com, Program Committee Member Barbara Thornbrugh, AUX (509) bjthornbrugh@comcast.net Bring Something to the 10 June Social for SUPPORT THE TROOPS 2012 Chapter Socials 18 Mar Northern Quest Casino 29 Apr FAFB Deel Center 18 May Valley Hosp. Special Ev. 10 Jun Cathay Inn 16 Sep TBD 21 Oct Coeur d Alene Resort 8 Dec SATURDAY! Mukogawa Ft. Wright 2012 Chapter Widows & Wives Club Meeting Dates 3 Jan Black Angus Steakhouse 7 Feb Thai Bamboo 6 Mar Ambrosia Bistro & Wine Bar 3 Apr Beverly s, CdA Resort 1 May Chaps Coffee Company 5 Jun Christ Kitchen 3 Jul C. I. Shenanigans 7 Aug Clinkerdagger Restaurant 4 Sep Grille from Impanema, CdA 2 Oct Twigs Bistro & Martini Bar 6 Nov A Taste of Dome at Asian 4 Dec Ripples, Red Lion River Inn

2 Now Hear This! Welcome New Members LCDR Aaron Bellar, CHC, USNR and wife Angela, Spokane Capt Ken Phillips, USAF, and wife Marie, Spirit Lake, ID TAPS Dr. Harry Green, Jr., COL, USAF (Ret.) (4/9/2012) Spokane Chapter, MOAA 2011 First Prize Winner Best Legislative Coverage for Website Fourth Consecutive Year! Newsletter st Runner-up! WIDOWS & WIVES CLUB By Beth Ann Daigre, President Member Recruiters Our Hat Is Off To: Chapter 2012 GMT 2012 Clif Collier 1 1 Merl Gorton 1 1 Marilyn Hunt 5 9 Bob Imle 2 Dick Oates 1 2 Ralph Shrigley 1 Our April 3rd luncheon at Beverly s in the Coeur d Alene Resort Hotel was wonderful. One of our widows brought her daughter, a wife brought a friend, and two new members made their first luncheon. Our May 1 st luncheon at Chaps brought us a first-time wife attendee and the return of a widow we hadn t seen in a long time. Elaine Anderson handed out a new list of items wanted by the Veterans Home on 5 th Avenue. We have donated some of the things they are asking for and Vicki Kelly has gone to the Dollar Tree Stores asking for their assistance in fulfilling the dreams of our veterans and their spouses who reside at the home. It looks very promising. TOTALS 9 15 Support the Troops MAR: 2 boxes (17#) to 12M Arabian Sea (USN), 2 boxes (15#) to 7M & 1W in Afghanistan (USAF), 2 boxes (16#) to 40M & 20W in Afghanistan (Army), 2 boxes (18#) to 10M & 5W in Afghanistan (USMC). 2 boxes to 150M & 25W Afghanistan (USMC); 2 boxes to 37M & 8W Afghanistan (USAF), 2 boxes to 10M & 2W on USS Abraham Lincoln (USN), 2 boxes to 42M Afghanistan (US Army) pounds total STT Summary: 16 boxes (145.5 lbs.) to 308M & 61W in USAF, Army, USMC and Navy in the Arabian Sea and Afghanistan, and onboard the USS Abraham Lincoln. Legislative Letters, Postcards & s: 701 as of 12 May Raffle Donations: MAR: $140 JROTC Units. APR: $160 Ladies & Gentlemen of the WA State Cemetery Widows & Wives: $87 & 36 lbs. food to Spokane Food Bank. Yarn, knitting needles & crochet hooks to Spokane Veterans Home. Washington Armed Forces License Plates initially cost $40 plus licensing fees. When renewing, you pay your fee plus $30, and $28 of that is tax Deductible. It goes to the Veterans Stewardship Account which provides support services for homeless veterans and maintenance of the WA State Veterans cemetery. Page 2/May 2012 Pat Tolley continues to deliver items to the Homeless Veterans Program. Please call Pat if you have some furniture that is still in useable shape. Their program has a delivery truck and can pick up whatever furniture you donate. The June 5 th luncheon will be held at Christ Kitchen, 2410 North Monroe, Spokane. It s a non-profit that helps women learn life skills, gives them employment and self-esteem. Physicians, nurses and therapists donate their time and skills to help the low income of our community. When we visit this year, we will hand deliver another $50 to the clinic. On July 3 rd come and join us at Ci Shenanigans, 621 North Spokane Falls Court, Spokane. We hope again to eat at the tables on the river. This restaurant is going away because of the bond that passed to enlarge the convention center. Come enjoy it while you still can. August 7 th we go to Clinkerdaggers, 621 West Mallon, Spokane. Our luncheons always start at 1 PM, so the lunch bunch is gone and then we are ready to leave about 3 PM before the going-home traffic starts. Our dues are $10 per year, our name badges are $5, we select our meal off the menu, and we each get our own bill. If you have any questions, please contact me (Beth Ann) at If you would like to receive our 2012 calendar with all the luncheon locations and who to call to make your reservation, send an to me at bethanndaigre@comcast.net or call and I ll get it out to you. We are a 5 Star Chapter proudly serving northeast Washington and north Idaho for 38 years!

3 Now Hear This! COL SPADY KOYAMA JUNIOR ROTC SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Local Junior ROTC administrators have expressed great satisfaction over our new scholarship that the Spokane Chapter is offering to their cadets. It will be awarded to recipients at the annual award ceremony at each of the four high schools. Funds will be paid to the school where they are enrolled. The schools that have Junior ROTC units are Rogers High School (Air Force), Wellpinit (Army), Medical Lake (Air Force) and Kellogg High School (Marine). To date, we ve received enough cash or pledges to support a scholarship of $300 for each school. The deadline for donating to this year s program is 1 September To make a donation, write a check to Spokane Chapter MOAA and mail it to P.O. Box 466, Veradale WA Questions? Call Merl Gorton at (509) or Bob Imle at (509) WHAT S A WANGY? WANGY stands for Washington Air/Army National Guard Youth Program. COL Rich Kelly, CO, 141 st ARW, discussed this program during his briefing to us at the April social at Fairchild AFB. They are planning an exciting event for our military kids August at YMCA Camp Reed. Guard families face a special challenge when called on to serve our great country. WANGY camp builds peer relationships for the guard youth to help them cope with the unique challenges of a guard family. They are expecting 150 attendees this summer. If you would like to donate money or learn more about the program, please contact mary.thomas.4@us.af.mil or call at (509) Tell her you are from MOAA. AUXILIARY CORNER: Financial Literacy Money is power, some might say. Because of their increased longevity, women control the majority of wealth in the country today. A lack of understanding of how your money is being managed by you or others, however, is almost as debilitating as not having any money at all. One of the most important things couples or surviving spouses can do is to become very familiar with their household finances, including military and other federal benefits. While specialization of responsibilities exists in many households, money crosses nearly all boundaries. For example, do you know the best strategy to maximize your Social Security benefits? Do you know which institutions are holding your money? Do you read the statements that arrive regularly (including electronic statements), and understand the information they contain? Do you know how to access your accounts, especially on-line accounts, since so much money management is done through the internet now? Are you invested appropriately for your age and risk tolerance? If you can t answer yes to those questions, what can you do to sharpen your understanding of finance? Well, reading will help. Libraries and book stores are filled with volumes about personal finance, and newspapers and magazines run regular articles about managing money. Some specialize in it; financially-themed periodicals can often be had for yearly subscription rates of less than $20. Colleges and adult learning centers hold regular courses about managing your finances for very modest fees. There are also numerous web sites devoted to financial information. One site is which aggregates financial information from over twenty different federal web sites. Another is the new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau web site at Don t forget the Social Security and Defense Finance & Accounting Service (DFAS) web sites at and respectively. They contain extensive information about your benefits. Or check out for a free commercial take on markets and finance. Becoming financially literate is one of the smartest things you can do. To maintain your power, don t ignore your financial health. NOW HEAR THIS! Is published at least 6 times per year by the Spokane Chapter, Military Officers Association of America, P O Box 466, Veradale WA Editor: Marilyn Hunt cinc@frontier.com Advertising limited to members/spouses only. No subject matter that would preclude non-profit mailing. Page 3/May 2012

4 Now Hear This! 10 JUNE SPEAKER from SENATOR MURRAY S OFFICE Mr. John Culton from Senator Patty Murray's Spokane office will be the speaker at our social on 10 June. Patty is the Chair of the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans Affairs. The majority of John s time will be a "listening session." He wants to know the concerns and issues of our members. He also plans to bring along 1-2 people to write down specific problems anyone is having with the VA. These people can only address the specific concerns of our Washington members, but they should be able to refer our Idaho members to appropriate contacts/agencies. This should be a very informative meeting. Washington State Veterans Cemetery Events By Beth Ann Daigre, Auxiliary Liaison The cemetery holds a monthly Veterans Memorial Tribute the last Monday of each month at 3 PM in the Committal Shelter, but May s ceremony will be held on 21 May due to the Memorial Day Celebration on 28 May. The Army National Guard Honor Guard and Air Force Honor Guard perform the firing party and flag folding duties; the Ladies and Gentlemen read the names and ring the bell. You are invited to attend these services. The Memorial Day celebration will be held 28 May at 11:00 AM. Bus transportation will be available from Northern Quest Casino and the Medical Lake High School parking lot. Special parking is available for automobiles with handicap license plates. Golf carts will transport guests from cemetery parking lots and bus stops to the ceremonial area where seating will be available. Please come and remember our veterans. An Honors Tribute for American Revolutionary Patriots will be held at 3 PM on Monday, 2 July in the Committal Shelter. It will be sponsored by the local chapters of the Daughters of the American Revolution and Sons of the American Revolution. The Sons will wear their period uniforms and perform a firing volley. The Air Force Honor Guard will also perform as a firing party and the Army National Guard Honor Guard will fold a Betsy Ross flag. Refreshments will be provided and the public is invited to attend. Spokane MOAA Chapter President and Treasurer Return to Classroom Ralph Shrigley and Rufus Hoefer, Chapter President and Treasurer, volunteered to act as judges for Senior Theses of two students at Oaks Christian Academy in Spokane. The theses are the culmination of the Academy s senior rhetoric program. Ralph judged Janson Card s thesis on 5 April and Rufus assessed Catherine Roy-Ting s presentation on 3 April Both gentlemen did the same thing for last year s students. The students spent two quarters researching and writing their theses, which were pages in length. They then gave a minute oral presentation of each one, followed by minutes of answering questions. Both Ralph and Rufus said the experience was tremendous, and they were both awed by the detailed preparation and professional quality of the written and oral expression of the students. The presentations were held at the Oxarc Conference Building on E. Broadway in Spokane. The teacher who led the students through this two-semester exercise is Mr. Kevin Kimball. Legislative Contacts President Barack Obama The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Washington DC Washington Senator Patty Murray 10 North Post St, Suite 600 Spokane WA Fax (509) Senator Maria Cantwell 920 W. Riverside, Suite 697 Spokane WA Fax (509) Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers United States House of Representatives 10 N. Post St, 6th floor Spokane WA Fax Idaho Senator Mike Crapo 610 W. Hubbard Suite 209 Coeur d Alene ID Fax (208) Senator Jim Risch 610 W. Hubbard, Suite 213 Coeur d Alene ID Fax (208) Representative Raul Labrador, United States House of Representatives 1250 Ironwood Dr. Suite 243 Coeur d Alene ID (208) Fax (208) Page 4/May 2012

5 Spokane Chapter of MOAA PO Box 466 Veradale WA Now Hear This! 10 June at Cathay Inn 3714 N. Division, Spokane 1230 Social time, 1315 Luncheon begins Please mail your reservation early, we must receive it by Saturday, 2 June. MENU: Sweet & Sour Pork, Shrimp Vegetables, Chicken with Three Sauces, Fried Rice, White Rice, tea & water. Served family style. $17 per person, includes tax and gratuity. Please reserve places for the Sunday 10 June Cathay Inn social at $17 per person. My check in the amount of $ is enclosed ($17 x ). Make check payable to Spokane Chapter MOAA - mail to chapter mailbox above. Questions? Call Bob Imle at (509) Name: member/assoc /guest Name: member/assoc /guest Circle one Circle one Name: member/assoc /guest Name: member/assoc /guest [ ] Please write in your phone number if you can provide a ride to the luncheon If you need a ride, please call Bob Imle (509) and we will find a ride for you. [ ] Future Program suggestions (food, location, speakers, etc) Cut here^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Cut here^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^Cut here^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ Cut here Sunday 10 June Cathay Inn social. Social time starts at 12:30, luncheon begins at 1:15 p.m. Directions: Located at 3714 N. Division, Spokane. From I-90, go north on Division about 2.7 miles. It s on the right, between Kiernan and Providence Avenues. Meet in the far back right corner. Questions? Call Bob (509) Raffle will support the Fisher House. Please bring: 3 stamps and 6 return address labels per person for legislative letters Something for the raffle Something for our troops serving in harm s way. (Postage fees also appreciated). We ll have John Culton from Senator Patty Murray s office on Veteran s Affairs ASK QUESTIONS!!! Membership Chair/Committee REQUEST, CHANGE OF ADDRESS or PHONE, or Spokane Chapter, MOAA TEMPORARILY AWAY: P.O. Box 466 Clip and complete this form and send it to the Veradale WA address on the left so we can update our database. Thank you. NOTE: We do not send junk or spam. Also, we do not give away, sell or trade your address. Member name: (Please print clearly) [ ] I would like to be added to the chapter list. I specifically request to (check all that apply): [ ] Receive the chapter newsletter by instead of U.S. Mail. [ ] Receive important information in a timely manner. [ ] My address is (Please print clearly) [ ] My mailing address, address, and/or phone number has changed to: [ ] I will be temporarily away starting and returning. I do / do not (circle one) wish to receive the newsletter while I m away. If do please send it to: Signed: Page 5/FMay 2012

6 WE RE ON THE WEB! Spokane Chapter Military Officers Association of America P.O. BOX 466 Veradale WA Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage Paid Permit No Spokane WA Need a Ride to a Chapter Social? Call Anyone Listed Below IDAHO WASHINGTON Richard Oates Clif Collier Chuck Latimer Ralph Shrigley Floyd Geiger Clinton Piper See These Ladies? They belong to the Widows and Wives Club. They re the type of women who really appreciate it when a husband converts his Annual MOAA Membership to Life. Why? If you predecease your wife, your Life membership will become hers, and she won t have to pay any additional dues to MOAA national. Convert to Life and Get these Benefits: To Convert to Life, you MUST do EXACTLY this: 1. 10% discount from MOAA national 1. Call the MOAA Membership Service Center at (800) $20 rebate from the chapter 2. Say you re a member of the Spokane Chapter & you want to 3. Be counted as a Give Me Ten Paid Membership convert your annual membership to Life under Give Me Ten 3. Contact Marilyn Hunt at (208) or cinc@frontier.com and tell her you did it. (Leave a message if she s gone). You must do all 3 things to get your 10% discount and the $20 refund. Casualty Assistance Officer: Bernie Fritz is the casualty assistance officer for Fairchild AFB and surrounding area. He is in Bldg. 240 at 7 W. Arnold St., If you leave a message, he will call you back. Page 6/May 2012 FAFB Retiree Activities Office Bldg. 240, 7 W. Arnold St., The Retired Affairs Office needs volunteers. Serving at the RAO is a perfect excuse to travel out to the base and visit the exchange/commissary at the same time. Call them!