PO BOX 1082 HOUSTON TX 77251-1082moaahoustonarea.com/library/NewsltrJuly09.pdf · Newsletter Ad...

Newsletter of MOAA Houston Area, July 2009, p. 1

HOUSTON AREA PO BOX 1082 HOUSTON TX 77251-1082 www.moaahoustonarea.com

Newsletter to Members

Vol. XLVII No. 7 July 2009

NEXT MEETING SATURDAY, July 25, 2009 BRIAR CLUB

President’s Message

As I write this, Independence Day, July 4,

2009, approaches. Are you ready? There

will be many group and family celebrations

throughout Houston. My thoughts seem

always to turn to my own heart and how to

celebrate within. All of us veterans and

spouses know what “placing your life on the

line for your country” really means. You

may have seen the fiercest combat or simply involved by

guarding a Washington state area hilltop radar site “for the

duration,” as one of my uncles did in WWII, but you were on the

line. My favorite way to celebrate the Fourth is to quietly

contemplate over experiences of my fellow service members and

even my own and myself. Many times it would have been easy

and even tempting to just walk off, abandoning duty. What held

us to the task? Duty! Honor! Country! We have been gifted

with high honor and trust of the people. This is my celebration.

Many of you know that the 72nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team

is preparing for a year of active duty in Iraq, starting about

Christmas. Major units hold "Yellow Ribbon" events to prepare

the soldiers' families to manage during the active duty time and

absence. MOAA-HA has been asked to participate in several of

these Yellow Ribbon events. One more is being held in

Beaumont, Texas, on August 3, 2009. Will two or three of you

commit to going with me? We will staff the booth from 10 a.m.

until 2 p.m., with lunch included. Call 281.497.2652 and let’s

talk. It should be a fun day for volunteers.

Thanks for your great attendance at the June meeting. Let’s do it

again and again.

James C. "Jim" Causey, President

COL USA

OfficersPresidentJames Causey, COL USA281.497.2652

1st Vice President ProgramWayne Ritter Lt Col USAF 713.947.2087

SecretaryVal G. Henneberg MAJ USA713.729.8217

Treasurer Martin J. Harris Maj USMC713.436.0429

2nd Vice President ArrangementsJeannette Evans, Auxiliary281.495.2202

Legislative RepresentativeROTC Scholarship William Taylor Cpt. USA Ret.281.482.7315

Assistant Legislative Representative George McDowell Col USAF713.723.5166

LiaisonEugene Tulich CDR USCG281.376.0061

ROTCEdward Hale COL USAR713.574.4686

ChaplainKerry Magee CAPT USN979.964.3236 h or 979.236.2415 cell

Editor Carol Ann Wilson 8902 Sunnywood DriveHouston TX77088-3729281. 847.9754; 281.642.4050 cell281.847.2121 [email protected]


MOAA Houston Area

Board Meeting

Tues. July 21, 11:30

Rudi Lechner’s

2503 S. Gessner

Future meetings

All at Rudi Lechner’s

8/25 9/22 10/27

11/? 12/?

MOAA Houston Area

Monthly Meetingand Luncheon

Sat. July 25 11:30

Briar Club2603 Timmons Lane

Houston, TX 77027

(713) 622-3667

Lettuce Salad

Almond-crusted Trout

-or-

Balsamic-glazed Beef Tips

Starch and Vegetable

Rolls and Butter

Coffee or Tea

Key Lime Pie

$30

Reservations to Jeannette

Evans, 281.495.2202, by

Noon on Wed.7/22/09

Future MOAA-HA

MeetingsAll at Briar Club

8/29 9/26 10/31 11/19

12/3 (Thurs.–at Vargo’s)

PLEASE SUPPORTOUR ADVERTISERS

Military Officers WivesAssociation

MOWA

No meeting in July or August

Future MOWA Meetings

9/17 Houston Racquet Club

10/15 Forest Club

11/19 Petroleum Club

12/17

MOAA-HA

Z Treasurer’s ReportJuly 1, 2009

Income $1,448.00 Expenses $1,471.77 Balance $8,472.73

Martin J. Harris, Treas. Maj USMC

Newsletter Ad Prices

Full page $180 1/2 page $90

1/4 page $50 1/8 page $20

Discount for year paid in advance

New Member

Welcome to our newest member:

Lloyd W. Gaddis, LTC

12810 Tosca Lane

Houston TX 77024-4744

281.216.4439

We hope to get to know you at our

meetings. If any of our officers or

members can help you get the most

from your membership, please call.

Speaker forJuly 25 Meeting

The speaker for July will be

LTJG Betty S. Pina,

Assistant Supply Office, Air

Station Houston. She is a

helicopter pilot with a very

interesting story of her

experience in Iraq.

Please plan to join us for

fellowship and our very

informative speaker.

From Our Chaplain

SHALOM! PEACE BE

WITH YOU!

In the musical 1776 at one

point, John Adams is alone in

his Tavern room in Philadel-

phia at night very depressed

and despondent, because

during the day when Congress

was reading the Declaration

of Independence, the entire

South walked out over the

anti-slavery clause as

originally penned by Thomas

Jefferson. So he was writing

his nightly letter to his Wife,

Abigail, indicating his

feelings of the day. When she

received it, she immediately

penned back to John these

words: “John, John, don’t you

remember what you wrote me

several weeks ago when you

said, ‘Abigail there are only

two creatures of value on the

face of this earth: those with

Commitment, and those that

require the Commitment of

others.’”

CAPT Kerry Magee


Here is my question to all of

us: “Should we not all

practice a little introspection

during this month, and ask

ourselves to what extent is

our commitment or

re-commitment not only to

our Houston Area Chapter of

MOAA, but also to the

values our Founding Fathers

had and exhibited during the

creation of our Declaration

of Independence reflecting

their and our Judeo-Christian

values?”

Lest we forget!

Kerry B. Magee

CAPT USNR-RET

TAPS

Brigadier General Carlos

Keith Hayden died May 29,

2009. He saw 500+ days of

actual combat in WWII and

received Silver Star with Oak

Leaf Cluster, Bronze Star,

Purple Heart, and other

commendations. In 1989 he

was inducted into the ROTC

Hall of Fame. He retired

from the Army Reserve in

1976 as a Brigadier General

with 35 years’ service and

was awarded the Legion of

Merit.

Endowment Fund and

Houston Corps ofCadets

Endowment funds are

available for outstanding

cadets who want to become

military officers but lack the

finances for school. The

Military Officers Association

of America, Houston Area,

and The University of

Houston have entered into an

Endowment Agreement to

support ROTC cadets who

drill at the U of H. The purpose of the

Endowment Fund is a solid, growing

base that makes grants from the

earnings of the Fund.

All Army and Air Force cadets at all

Houston universities–including HBU,

Rice, TSU, Saint Thomas, and

UH–drill at the University of Houston.

The U of H is one of the strongest

supporters of Air Force and Army

ROTC in the nation, and the Houston

Corps of Cadets is second in number

only to Texas A&M. These cadets

want to join the ranks of the finest

men and women in America in the U.

S. Armed Forces, but many do not

have the money to remain in school.

This permanent Endowment Fund

provides grants–not loans–to

outstanding cadets, selected by the

professors of Military Science and

Tactics, for their training in the

Houston Corps of Cadets. The funds

are administered and invested by the

U of H's fund managers, and

donations are fully deductible for tax

purposes.

Our Great State of Texas is Number

One in the nation in number of

enlisted soldiers.

MOAA,HA has already reached its

initial goal of $10,000, and is now

working toward its next plateau of

$200,000. Contribution form may be

found on page 7. If you know of any

media interested in this story, have

them contact Nancy V. Clark, Director

of Development, UH, 713.743.8873.

Information is also at our Web site,

www.moaahoustonarea.com.

William Taylor, Cpt. USA Ret.

Summary of our June

meeting speaker,

COL Mark N.

Campsey, Cmdr, 72nd

Infantry Brigade

Combat Team of the

36th Infantry

Division

COL Campsey was assisted

with photos in his talk by

CSM Alfred R. Cordova. He

told us that his unit consists of

about 4200 soldiers, called

“The Ready Team,” and that

in Texas they are also known

as “The Hurricane Team.”

National Guardsmen have

special skills, and they

recently helped Afghan

farmers grow grapes and

pomegranates.

Campsey told us that there are

about 20,000 soldiers in the

Texas Army National Guard,

and that Texas has exceeded

all other states in recruiting in

the past three years. “It’s hard

to go more than 75 miles in

Southeast Texas without

finding one of our units,” said

Campsey.

Since 9/11/01 Campsey’s

units have deployed more

than 20,000 soldiers to Iraq

and Afghanistan, with 17

fieldings in the last 12

months. During the last two

years, they have received all

new equipment.

Campsey said it’s not true that

the “best and brightest” are

leaving the Army. “Our

soldiers believe in what they

COL Mark Campsey


are doing,” said Campsey.

“The unprecedented support

of the American people

makes it easier to do what we

have to do,” he added.

His was the first unit to get

extra time for preparation,

for example, 01/08 notified

of deployment and 05/08

alerted of going to Iraq or

wherever. The purpose of all

this it to try to make it easier

for both employers and

families: 2 months training,

10 months in theater, 1 year

spent getting the soldiers

medically ready, and 18

months spent on family

readiness.

“The Army is the epitome of

team sports,” said Campsey,

as he explained to us the

importance for soldiers to

have the support of their

families and employers. He

also pointed out that soldiers’

experiences while providing

services overseas adds great

value to their community

upon their return.

As to the “Yellow Ribbon

Events” that MOAA

members are asked to

support: these are meetings

where spouses of deployed

soldiers are paid to attend

briefings–two before

mobilization, two during,

and two after. (See President

Causey’s message this month

if you can help with these

events.)

After President Causey

presented COL Campsey

with his certificate of appreciation,

COL Campsey presented a certificate

from his unit to MOAA-HA:

We learned a lot from COL Campsey,

and we wish that all our members

could have been there.

Thanks to COL Campsey for his

extra-special presentation!

Quotes Worth

Remembering

“The older I get the less I listen to

what people say and the more I look at

what they do.”

— Andrew Carnegie

“Never doubt that a small group of

thoughtful committed citizens can

change the world. Indeed, it is the

only thing that ever has.”

— Margaret Mead

MORE PHOTOS

FROM

JUNE MEETING

Causey presents

certificate to Campsey

Campsey presentingcertificate to Causey

COL Campsey with Elizabethand Jim Causey

Martin Harris and Jeannette Evansat their usual place at the entrance,collecting money and checking off

lists

Martin Harris presents winnings to Joyce Hale

Bill Taylor with wife Janice on hisleft and Alice Harris on his right.

Ed and Joyce HaleSo good to see them at the meeting


Hire an Attorney to Help you with your VA Claims

Law Office of Robert B. Goss, P.C.Protecting those who have protected us.

As a retired Air Force officer, combat pilot, and disabled veteran, my goal is to get you the benefits or

disability rating you have earned including:

· U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans

Claims Appeals

· VA claims after VA Regional Office

denial

· Board of Veteran Appeals Claims · Correction of Military Records

· VA disability ratings · VA benefits

Wills & Probate - Helping Veterans protect themselves and their families

5100 W estheimer Road, Suite 115 713-572-4VET (4838)

Houston, TX 77056-5507 877-425-4VET (4838) (Toll-free)

[email protected] 713-572-4843 (facsimile)

www.attorneyforveterans.com

Member The College of the State Bar of Texas. No representation is made that the quality of the legal services to be performed isgreater than the quality of legal services performed by other lawyers.Except as noted, our attorneys are not Board Certified by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization.

Safety Tips

1. Tip from Tae Kwon Do: The elbow is the strongest point on your body. If you are close enough to use it, do!

2. From a tourist guide: If a robber asks for your wallet or purse, DO NOT HAND IT TO HIM. Toss it away from

you. Chances are that he is more interested in your wallet or purse than you, and he will go for the wallet/purse.

YOU RUN LIKE MAD IN THE OTHER DIRECTION!

3. If you are ever thrown into the trunk of a car, kick out the back tail lights and stick your arm out the hole and

start waving like crazy. The driver won't see you, but everybody else will. This has saved lives.

4. Be safe in your car. Women have a tendency to get into their cars after shopping, eating, working, etc., and just

sit (doing their checkbook, or making a list, etc.) DON'T DO THIS! The predator will be watching you, and this is

the perfect opportunity for him–or her–to get in on the passenger side, put a gun to your head, and tell you where to

go. Even though most cars doors lock automatically, just make sure that AS SOON AS YOU GET INTO YOUR

CAR, LOCK THE DOORS AND LEAVE. If someone is in the car with a gun to your head, DO NOT DRIVE OFF.

Repeat: DO NOT DRIVE OFF! Instead, gun the engine and speed into anything, wrecking the car. Your Air Bag

will save you. Anyone in the back seat will get the worst of it. As soon as the car crashes, bail out and run.

5. A few notes about getting into your car in a parking lot, or parking garage:

A.) Be aware: look around you, look into your car, under your car, at the passenger side floor, and in the back seat.

B.) If parked next to a big van, enter your car from the other door. Most serial killers attack their victims by pulling

them into their vans while the women are attempting to get into their cars.

C.) Look at the car parked on the driver's side of your vehicle, and the passenger side. If a male is sitting alone in the

seat nearest your car, you may want to walk back into the mall, or work, and get a guard or policeman to walk you

out. Better safe than sorry, and better paranoid than dead.

–More safety tips next month. –Ed.


MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, HOUSTON AREA Houston Corps of Cadets ROTC Endowment Fund–The University of Houston

(Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Air Force)

Please Print Donor name:_______________________________________________________

Mailing Address______________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________

Phone: Day_______________Evening_____________e-mail__________________________

My pledge of $_________should be designed to support MOAA,HA Houston Corps of Cadets

My gift will be made with installments of $______to be paid monthly___quarterly___annually___.

Beginning date:_______The Office of Stewardship will send reminders.)

___Enclosed is a check (made payable to University of Houston) for the first pledge payable.

Please charge my credit card for the amount of my gift, as scheduled above:

___Visa ___Mastercard ___American Express ___Discover

Account Number_________________________________ Expiration date:_______________

Name as it appears on card:_____________________Signature:___________________________

______I would like to be contacted about fulfilling my pledge with a gift of appreciated securities.

My pledge payment will be matched by: __________________________________________

(Please specify company for our records)

Donor signature:___________________________________date_______________________

Donor Signature:___________________________________date_______________________

Thank you for your support of the MILITARY OFFICERS ASSOCIATION OF AMERICA, HOUSTON

AREA, HOUSTON CORPS OF CADETS ROTC ENDOWMENT FUND, THE UNIVERSITY OF

HOUSTON

____________________________________________________________________________

University of Houston; Advancement Services; P.O. Box 867; Houston TX 77001-0867

Attn: Nancy V. Clark E-mail: uh.edu/giving

Please Support Our Advertisers

Save the Date

Thursday, December 3, 2009Vargo’s 2401 Fondren Rd

Annual Christmas Party and Meeting

NAME: ____________________________________________________________________________

Last First Initial Grade Service Branch

NAME OF SPOUSE:

___________________________________________________________________________

ADDRESS:__________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________

Tel. _______________________________________________________________________

E-mail: ______________________________ Dues: Regular Membership $10 first year;

annual renewal $20

Auxiliary (spouse of deceased officer) $10

Make check payable to MOAA,HA and send to MOAA,HA

PO Box 1082 Houston TX 77251-1082

For more information, call Maj. Val G. Henneberg 713.729.8217

TO:

Military Officers Association of America, Houston AreaMembership is available to Officers who have held a Federal Warrant or Commission in any of the seven

uniformed services of the United States or to the surviving spouse of such a person. Please use this form for

application for membership, renewal, or changes to the current directory of members.

Military Officers Association of America, Houston AreaPO Box 1082Houston TX 77251-1082

Nonprofit Org.

U.S. POSTAGE PAID

Houston TX

Permit # 2102

PO BOX 1082 HOUSTON TX 77251-1082moaahoustonarea.com/library/NewsltrJuly09.pdf · Newsletter Ad...

Documents

Transcript of PO BOX 1082 HOUSTON TX 77251-1082moaahoustonarea.com/library/NewsltrJuly09.pdf · Newsletter Ad...