Military Officers Association of America SENCLAND Chapter P.O. Box 15207 Wilmington, NC 28408 www.sencland.org January 2015 Editor: Steve Mannell, steve.mannell@gmail.com, (910)723-6168 January Meeting: Tuesday, January 6th, 2015 at 11:30 AM at Bluewater Grill, 4 Marina Street, Wrightsville Beach 28480. Menu: Greek Salad with Chicken, Fish and Chips, Blue Water Cheeseburger, or Turkey Cranberry Sandwich with Pasta, and Apple Annie s Cookies for dessert, with soft drinks, coffee, and tea. Price: $15 per person payable at door when entrée selection is made. Cocktails, beer and wine available for purchase. Program: Our speaker will be Capt. Bob Philpott, USCG(Ret). As a 26-year U.S. Coast Guard veteran, he commanded the US Coast Guard Cutters Gallatin and Vigilant during search and rescue missions as well as drug interdiction operations. After his service to the Coast Guard, Philpott joined CFCC s staff in December of 1993 as an economics instructor. He then served as dean of vocational and technical programs until 2011. Afterwards, he transitioned into his role as CFCC s veterans affairs coordinator. The CFCC Veterans Center was recently named in his honor. RSVP: Please RSVP by January 3rd to JoAnn Doleman at jdoleman522@gmail.com or 910-540-8459. Next Meeting: Save the date February 3 rd at Bluewater on your calendars! Message from our President, John Stewart We were honored again this year to hear the Coastal Christian High School Choir present a program of patriotic and seasonal music. They have modified the program this year to include an orchestra as part of the group. Each year they expand and present a meaningful program.
The next meeting will be on the 6th of January at the Bluewater. The speaker will be Bob Philpott who coordinates the veterans programs at the Cape Fear Community College campuses. This is a very timely program since so many of our young veterans are leaving the service and trying to find their niche in society. Try to make this meeting to see how the local schools are assisting veterans. The talk is especially timely since we want to get into our new Outreach programs. We want to expand our assistance to military groups beyond our normal JROTC scholarship program. Our goals for 2015 are to present $6500 to the JROTC scholarship program, $1500 to a veteran in one of the community colleges in our area or in UNCW as well as to give an additional $2000 for other worthy programs. Our only way to fund these programs is thru your giving either thru dues of additional donations. The needs are there for our military community and we want to help as we can. John Melia has volunteered to oversee this Outreach effort and if you wish to be part of the management of the program or know of some need that should be addressed, please see John. Again, one more note on the State council of Chapters meeting next June If you want to attend the State Council of Chapters convention in June, the drop dead date has been stretched until 24 January, 2015. Check the chapter web site or the state website for details of the meeting as well as for registration information. When all of the Christmas gifts are distributed and most of the bowl games over, we hope to see all at the Bluewater in January. Page 2 of 6
Member Updates Invite an eligible friend to lunch on January 3rd! Make sure to complete the cover page of this newsletter for them! Their 2015 dues are free! We expect to learn of several new members at the meeting. For now, please welcome LCDR Scott Sowles, USN, of 354 Aldrich Lane, Wilmington, NC 28411, and his spouse, Leslie. COL Abe Walston, USAR, of 818 Fox Ridge, Wilmington, NC 28405. 1LT James (Jim) Payne, USA, of 2244 Umstead Lane, Leland, NC 28451, and his spouse, Leslie. Annual Chapter Dues are Due Now Annual Chapter dues are due in January of each year. Our organization derives its funding for Chapter activities almost exclusively through membership dues. The annual dues ($15 for members and $10 for surviving spouses) are the lowest in the State. Chapter dues pay for things like the cost of representational items at military and veteran functions, MOAA logo gifts for luncheon speakers, membership in the North Carolina MOAA Council of Chapters, website maintenance and other operational expenses. Dues are waived for the following two categories of members: All members 90 years of age or older New chapter members for the remainder of the calendar year in which they join. Thus, if a member joins in January dues are waived for the entire year. If they join in June, the remaining 6 moths are free, and so forth. Please also consider including a donation to the Chapter s Outreach Programs Fund, which provides the funds for the Junior ROTC Scholarships as well as Grants in support of local Veterans and other Military needs. Print the following form and mail to: SENCLAND Chapter (MOAA) PO Box 15207 Wilmington, NC 28408 You may also bring the completed form and payment to the monthly luncheons and pay there. Name: Mailing address Email Address: Dues Amount: Donation to the Chapter Outreach Programs Fund Total $ $ $ Include any other changes, such as phone number or address. Page 3 of 6
Durwood Baggett, MAJ USAR, WWII Vet Honored In a recent article in the Star News, Wilber Jones mentions service rendered by surviving Wilmington residents in the WWII. Long time SENCLAND member Durwood Bagget's experiences are featured. For a link to the Star News Article, please click visit: http://www.starnewsonline.com/article/20141215/articles/141219882/1015/news01?p=1&tc=pg Capt. Bob Philpott, USCG(Ret) SENCLAND Member Honored Cape Fear Community College named its campus veterans center after longtime student veteran advocate Bob Philpott as part of a series of events to celebrate Veterans Day on Nov 11, 2014. Before retiring as CFCC s veterans affairs coordinator earlier this year, Philpott helped establish CFCC s veterans center on campus three years ago and was well-known for his support of student veterans and their family members. As a 26-year U.S. Coast Guard veteran, Philpott commanded the US Coast Guard Cutters Gallatin and Vigilant during search and rescue missions as well as drug interdiction operations. Bob was awarded two presidential meritorious service medals. After his service to the Coast Guard, Philpott joined CFCC s staff in December of 1993, as an economics instructor. He then served as dean of vocational and technical programs until 2011. Afterwards, he transitioned into his role as CFCC s veterans affairs coordinator. CFCC President Dr. Ted Spring credited Philpott s dedication to the college s student veteran population. Under Mr. Philpot s leadership, CFCC was recognized nationally for three consecutive years as a Military Friendly School and is considered a model for schools around the country, Dr. Spring stated. Philpott s distinguished service extends beyond his time in the US Coast Guard. In fact, in 2007, he received the North Carolina Community College System Employee of the Year Award. The naming ceremony was among several veteran-related activities held at the college today. Other events included a forum entitled Remembering the First World War, which featured presentations about the creation of war memorials, World War I writers, and the battle of Verdun. The college also held a ceremony to honor all student veterans and employees on campus. Military veterans and their family members make up nearly 10 percent of CFCC s student population in degreeseeking programs. CFCC opened the veterans center three years ago to better accommodate to needs of military personnel and their family members who are taking classes at the college. Page 4 of 6
Ft. Fisher 150th Anniversary of Civil War Events, Jan. 17-18, 2015 Subject: Nor Shall Your Glory Be Forgot: The 150th Anniversary of the Battle of Fort Fisher Dates: Sat, January 17, 2015 - Sun, January 18, 2015 Location: Fort Fisher State Historic Site 1610 Fort Fisher Blvd South Kure Beach, NC 28449 Call: 910 458-5538 Visit: http://www.nchistoricsites.org/fisher/ Admission: Free * Free shuttle trolleys from the parking area at the Fort Fisher Air Force Recreation Center will operate continuously 9am - 7:30 pm on Saturday and 9am - 3pm on Sunday. This year's Anniversary Celebration is truly unique and will begin North Carolina's official 2015 commemoration of the momentous events that brought the Civil War to an end 150 years ago. The Civil War Sesquicentennial observance will focus on the struggle to capture and defend the fort during the attack of January 5, 1865. Some of the highlights for the weekend include a re-creation of the January 1865 Union attack on Fort Fisher with hundreds of Civil War living history actors representing Union and Confederate soldiers, sailors and Marines. Infantry units will be on hand to talk with visitors about camp life, garrison duty, conduct drills and marching in addition to the live demonstrations of the Historic Site's Rifled and Banded 32 pound cannon and the bronze 12 pound Napoleon cannon. At various times during the day, Confederate and Union Troops will conduct the soldier's Manual of Arms for the audience and living history actors will display items and the lifestyle of the Civil War soldier. Inside the museum a new temporary exhibit will be unveiled further discussing the history of the fort and how individuals through the ages have kept the memory of the sacrifices here alive for future generations. The site will also dedicate new informational markers around the historic walking trail while musicians play period songs and talk about music in the Civil War. Visitors can purchase tickets for the "Above the Scenes" Tour where they can hear the story of the Fort while walking to the top of the traverse. There will also be hands-on activities for adults and children alike. During Saturday evening, Fort Fisher State Historic Site will host a candlelight tour of the Fort featuring the story of the battle in the words of those who fought at the Fort. During this time, the site's Rifled and Banded 32 pound Sea Coast cannon will conduct night time firings. Our Sponsors We appreciate the generous support of our sponsors, which helps defray the cost of publishing this newsletter, and supports SENCLAND MOAA military and veteran outreach activities in our local community. On the next page, you ll see there are empty positions on the sponsor team. Rob, Jim, Elaine, and Steve invite you to join them. Highlight your business, church, or favorite community organization; congratulate a friend; or simply use the space to share your message with the chapter and know that your sponsorship will support the mission of MOAA SENCLAND. Thanks! Page 5 of 6
837 S Kerr Ave Wilmington, NC (910) 799-9023 1121-1 Military Cutoff Rd Wilmington, NC (910) 256-6585 If you would like to discuss MOAA SENCLAND sponsorship opportunities, please email steve.mannell@gmail.com. Page 6 of 6
THE SENCLAND CHAPTER of the MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA P.O. BOX 15207 WILMINGTON, NC 28408 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED January 2015 SENCLAND Chapter (MOAA) Membership Application Form Date of Application: Active Duty Active Reservist Retired Former Officer Name: Rank Service Street Address: City State Zip+4 Date of Birth MM/DD/YYYY: Spouses Name: Home Phone: Email: Are you a National MOAA member? Annual Life Member Note: It is not necessary that you be a member of National MOAA in order to join the local chapter although we strongly encourage you to become a National MOAA member. Your National MOAA membership number (on magazine label): Annual chapter dues of $15.00 are waived for the current calendar year for new members! Please complete this form and to the return address above. Call Col Al Schroetel, Membership Chairman, at 910-686-6905 or email downeast@bellsouth.net if you have any questions. We look forward to meeting you! Page 7 of 6