Military Officer - January 2006 - (Page 49)

chapteractivities dent Lt. Col. David Fink, USAF-Ret., used the opportunity to sign up two new members as part of the Give Me 10! recruiting campaign, and four other prospects took membership applications. “Although we have a small chapter, most of our members come to our luncheon meetings,” says Fink. “I think the attendance rate at our monthly chapter meetings is one of the highest in all of MOAA.” In addition to hosting monthly meetings, members present the chapter’s Lt. Thomas Eadie, USN, Medal of Honor Award to outstanding graduates from the Ofﬁcer Indoctrination School at the Ofﬁcer Training Command in Newport, R.I. The award, started in 1985, is named after Eadie, who was a member of the Southeastern New England Chapter at the time of his death in 1974. Eadie received the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions Dec. 18, 1927, when he risked his own life to save a fellow diver during diving operations on the USS S-4 (SS-109). Chapter members also support ﬁve local Junior ROTC units, and several members volunteer at Naval Station Newport’s medical clinic. In addition, Fink runs the base’s Retired Activities Ofﬁce with the help of three other chapter members. Hawaii National Cemetery Gets MOAA Marker A Vietnam veteran looks for the name of a friend on “The Wall That Heals,” displayed in Jonesboro, Ark. nation’s capital. Thanks to the chapter members’ efforts, however, many of Jonesboro’s citizens were able to experience “The Wall That Heals.” The Northeast Arkansas Chapter was the only MOAA chapter that raised the money needed to bring “The Wall That Heals” to its community in 2005. If your chapter would like information about how to bring the traveling wall to your town, contact the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund at (202) 393-0090 or via e-mail at vvmf@vvmf.org. M OAA members who come to Honolulu often take time to visit the National Memorial Cemetery of the Paciﬁc, more commonly known as the Punchbowl. The cemetery’s pathway is lined The MOAA memorial was dedicated at the Punchbowl in Hawaii in September. by 41 memorial markers that commemorate veterans who died during 20th-century wars, including those killed at Pearl Harbor. Until recently, MOAA didn’t have a memorial marker along that pathway. This changed Sept. 24 when approximately 150 members from the Hawaii, Aloha (Hawaii), Southern Nevada, and El Paso (Texas) chapters dedicated a granite and bronze memorial marker paying tribute to the veterans who are interred at the Punchbowl. The dedication ceremony marked the culmination of an effort by Col. John Harms, USMC-Ret., president of the Hawaii Chapter, and other MOAA members in Hawaii to have an MOAA memorial at the site. Col. Ron Buchert, USAF-Ret., a member of national MOAA’s board of directors and chair of the Council and Chapter Affairs Committee, was the keynote speaker at the event. Buchert noted such a monument was overdue, recalling many of the heroes JANUARY 2006 SE New England: Hosts with the Most? C apt. Bud Schneeweis, USCG-Ret., director of MOAA’s Beneﬁts Information Department, addressed members of Rhode Island’s Southeastern New England Chapter at an Oct. 21 meeting. Schneeweis covered this year’s military retired pay COLA, Medicare Part D, elimination of the Survivor Beneﬁt Plan age-62 offset, and MOAA’s legislative objectives for 2006. He also answered members’ questions about beneﬁt and pay issues. Even though the chapter has only 88 members, more than 50 people attended the event. Chapter Presi- From left, Capt. Bud Schneeweis, USCG-Ret., director of MOAA’s Benefits Information Department, accepts a gift from Southeastern New England Chapter President Lt. Col. David Fink, USAF-Ret. MILITARY OFFICER 49

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - January 2006

Contents Features Departments From the Editor Chairman's Page Board of Directors Nominations Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Member Books Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: On the Edge Storm Stories Our Brilliant, Bloody Future eXtreme Seniors Pages of History Information Exchange MOAA Scholarship Donors Advertising Index MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps MOAA Member Services Encore

Military Officer - January 2006

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