Military Officer - October 2007 - (Page 44)

chapteractivities Look for the launch of Chapters in Action next month. We hope you enjoy the new expanded format and the more in-depth coverage of the work being done by our chapter and council members. “When these troops get off the plane, they’re just astonished at the number of people who are out there to greet them,” says Wamble. “There’s a lot of shouting, and a boom box starts playing patriotic songs. Some people have signs or wave ﬂags. It’s very emotional.” Lone Star Ofﬁcers Club Inc. members Cmdr. John Whitsell, USNRet., and his wife, Suzanne, also go to DFW International Airport to greet returning troops. In June, they welcomed home their sister-in-law, Lt. Renee Whitsell, USNR, a supply corps ofﬁcer from San Diego. “When you come into Dallas, the support and reception you receive is just tremendous,” says Lieutenant Whitsell. “There’s a glass-lined walkway over the main terminal, and when we walked across it, everyone below started yelling and clapping for us.” In North Carolina, members of the Cape Fear Chapter host more low-key welcome-home celebrations. That’s because the troops they meet have been wounded and are en route to Womack Army Medical Center in Fort Bragg, N.C., for treatment. Chapter member Col. Jack Cox, USA-Ret., organized the welcome home effort in March, which is called Operation Wounded Warrior. When a ﬂight of wounded troops is due to arrive, Cox receives a call from personnel at the hospital. He then takes out a list of 80 volunteers and begins calling them one by one until he ﬁnds at least ﬁve or six people who are able to meet the arriving plane, often on short notice. “At times we don’t get enough warning, or it’s over a vacation weekend, and I have to fall back on the old rock-steady members of the team,” says Cox. “Not once have we failed to meet a plane, and we will not.” Troops Enjoy Patriotic Welcome Home C hapter members in Texas and North Carolina are making sure our nation’s heroes receive a patriotic welcome home when they return to the U.S. after serving in southwest Asia. In Texas, all three MOAA chapters in the Dallas/Forth Worth (DFW) area participate in meet-and-greet celebrations at DFW International Airport. The celebrations are sponsored by the North Texas Commission, the airport authority, and the USO. (Read “Partners in Patriotism” on page 50 to learn how members of the North DFW Chapter and other MOAA chapters are supporting our troops and their families through the USO.) More than 200 troops who are stationed in southwest Asia pass through DFW International Airport each day as they head home to enjoy two weeks of R&R. These troops are greeted by scores of area citizens and civic groups, as well as MOAA chapter members such as Lt. Cmdr. Albert Glenn Wamble, USNR-Ret. Wamble is one of a dozen members from the Greater Dallas Chapter who participate in meet-and-greet celebrations. ON THE WEB ■ Want to join an MOAA chapter but Lewis, nicknamed the Kissing Grandma, kisses a wounded servicemember before he is transported to a medical center for treatment. Cox estimates more than 100 planeloads of wounded warriors have been greeted to date. As part of their welcome home, each servicemember receives a rose, bathrobe, and prepaid long distance calling card, which have been donated by area businesses, military groups, and veterans’ associations. Some volunteers also offer the use of their cell phones so servicemembers can call their families. “We don’t push ourselves on them,” says Cape Fear Chapter member Thelma Lewis. “But if I sense someone is missing their family, I’ll tell them, ‘Mom couldn’t make it, but grandma’s here,’ and I’ll give them a hug.” In addition to welcoming home the troops, chapter members also donate phone cards, clothing, and other items to wounded servicemembers who are being treated at military medical centers in the U.S. and Germany. MO — Contributors are Col. Lee Lange II, USMC-Ret., director; Col. Barry Wright, USA-Ret., deputy director, Council and Chapter Affairs; and Kris Ann Hegle. For submission information, see page 17. PHOTO: JACK COX don’t know where to find one? Go to www .moaa.org/chapters/locator to find the chapter nearest you. 44 MILITARY OFFICER OCTOBER 2007 http://www.moaa.org/chapters/locator http://www.moaa.org/chapters/locator

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Military Officer - October 2007

Military Officer - October 2007 Contents From the Editor From the President Your Views MOAA Directory Rapid Fire Washington Scene Financial Forum Ask the Doctor Chapter Activities Cover Story: A Hero's Welcome? Partners in Patriotism Tales from Beyond the Battlefield Financial Results of MOAA Pages of History Information Exchange Faces of MOAA Member Books MOAA Scholarship Donors Advertising Index MOAA Member Services MOAA Calendar Sounding Taps Encore

Military Officer - October 2007

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