President’s Message
I had the honor to attend an awards banquet in Williamsburg sponsored
by MOAA on October 13. This award was given because our chapter brought
in thirteen new members for National MOAA under the Give Me Ten program.
HRCMOAA was one of the six of the sixteen Virginia chapters recognized
for attaining five star status for calendar year 2006.
Our September social was relatively successful with forty-five members
present to hear a great program by Lt. General, USA, Robert T. Dail. He
gave an interesting overview of the logistics to conduct activities in
Iraq and Afghanistan. Our social function in August had to be canceled
because of the lack of participation. Maybe next year!
The HRCMOAA annual business meeting and Toys-for-Tots program
is scheduled for November 30 at Atlantic Shores Community Center. The election
of the Board of Directors members for 2008 will take place. LtCol Philip
E. Grathwol, USMC will give a presentation on his experience as a Marine.
Please plan to attend this meeting as it is the final reunion for 2007
and the preparation for the holiday season.
Several members of HRCMOAA will be participating in the Virginia
Beach Veteran’s Day parade and luncheon on November 12. Members of
our chapter will also participate in the Armed Forces YMCA of Hampton Roads
program to honor military families on November 16.
You are a great group of dedicated and loyal active and retired military
officers. You are to be commended for your years of devotion and service
to our country. Thanks to the spouses and families who dedicated
their lives as your partners. They were always there at our sides for us.
I’m honored to be your president.
God Bless America.
Jim Dellaripa
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HRCMOAA Directory
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Officers
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Directors
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Committees
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Program: 363-1094
MAJ Norm Crews,
USA Ret.
ncrews1@cox.net
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VCOC Representative:
382-9843
CDR John E. Vermillion,
USN-Ret.
vermillj@cox.net
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Legislative Affairs:
490-8383
Col Jack W. Hilgers,
USMC-Ret.
jackhilgers@earthlink.net
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Personal Affairs:
363-1094
MAJ Norm Crews,
USA-Ret.
ncrews1@cox.net
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Membership: 496-9524
CAPT John G. Colgan,
USN-Ret
john.colgan@verizon.net
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Publicity: 382-9843
CDR John E. Vermillion,
USN Ret.
vermillj@cox.net
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Community Affairs:
426-5392
CAPT Bill Lehr,
USCG-Ret.
bblehr@cox.net
CAPT Pat McFadden,
USN-Ret.
senchova@aol.com
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Information Systems:
490-5792
Maj Clifton G. Furedy,
USAF-Ret.
thrcmoaa@cox.net
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Webmaster: 490-5792
Maj Clifton G. Furedy,
USAF-Ret.
thrcmoaa@cox.net
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Editor: 382-9843
CDR John E. Vermillion,
USN-Ret.
Vermillj@cox.net
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From the Editor
Combating ID Theft
More and more people are having their life changed by identity theft.
This can be the result of a lost wallet, an online “phishing” scam, or
people searching through your discarded mail. Victims of identity theft
can suffer years of consequences. To help combat this common problem,
Congressman Randy Forbes of the 4th District has prepared a list of questions
and answers on protecting your identity from fraud.
The following information is from the Capital Monitor, a newsletter
published by the office of Congressman J. Randy Forbes.
How can I protect my identity?
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Protect your purse and wallet and only carry necessary information with
you.
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Protect your social security number. Don’t carry your social security card
with you and only give out the number when absolutely necessary to a trusted
source. Don’t be afraid to ask questions about how a trusted source will
use the number.
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Shred or destroy mail with personal information on it before throwing it
away, even at your home.
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Be careful who you give information to on the Internet. Increased online
access in the US has caused scammers to move online. Don’t respond to emails
that request personal information, even when it looks like it is from your
bank; verify that it is actually your bank requesting the information first.
Make sure your computer is protected by anti-virus and spyware software
and protect your passwords. Only shop on secure sites, and verify that
the store you are buying from actually exists.
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Store personal information at home and at work in secure locations – invest
in a locked filing cabinet or safe.
What are the signs of identity theft?
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Accounts you didn’t open and debits on your accounts you can’t explain.
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Inaccurate information on your credit report.
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Failure to receive your bills. This could mean someone changed your billing
address to prevent fraud detection.
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Receiving credit cards you didn’t apply for.
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Being denied credit or being offered less favorable credit terms when your
credit score is relatively good.
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Getting calls or letters from debt collectors or businesses about merchandise
or services you did not buy.
What can I monitor every month to help me catch identity theft quickly?
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Financial statements, like credit card statements. You should check for
inaccuracies or charges you didn’t make.
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Your credit report.
How can I get a copy of my credit report?
A new law requires each of the three major nationwide consumer reporting
companies (Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion) to provide you with a free
copy of your credit report, at your request, once every 12 months. To do
so, don’t contact the companies directly, but rather request the report
by: Visiting www.annualcreditreport.com;
calling 1-877-322-8228; or mailing your request to:
Annual Credit Report Request Service, P.O.Box 105281 Atlanta,GA
30348-5281.
What can I do if I think my identity was stolen?
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Place a fraud alert on your credit reports by contacting one of the following
credit agencies. The agency you contact is required to contact the other
two agencies.
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Equifax: 1-800-525-6285; www.equifax.com;
P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374-0241
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Experian: 1-888-EXPERIAN (397-3742); www.experian.com;
P.O. Box 9532, Allen, TX 75013
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TransUnion: 1-800-680-7289; www.transunion.com;
Fraud Victim Assistance Division, P.O. Box 6790, Fullerton, CA 92834.
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Close the accounts that you think have been tampered with or opened fraudulently.
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File a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission using the online
complaint form; or call the FTC's Identity Theft Hotline, toll-free:
1-877-ID-THEFT (438-4338).
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File a report with your local police or the police in the community where
the identity theft took place.
For more resources on preventing identity theft and steps to take if
you become a victim of identity theft, visit the following sites:
Preventing ID Theft: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/index.html
Computer and Internet Fraud Prevention: http://onguardonline.gov/index.html
What to do if you are a victim: http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/edu/microsites/idtheft/consumers/defend.html
Our Thanks to Congressman Forbes!
John
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Urgent, Your Help is Needed!
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| The Retired Activities Office located at the Norfolk Naval Base is
in need of volunteers to man the help desk. Two Hampton Roads RAO branches
include the Norfolk Naval Station office and the Naval Amphibious Base
office. To get more information, please contact Gene Crabtree at 322-9113.
Help Your Fellow Retirees. |
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| MOAA Legislative Update |
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| Legislative Updates: |
| Last year, MOAA urged the House and Senate
Armed Services Committees to explore options to protect service members
from identity theft by removing the Social Security account number (SSAN)
from military ID cards.
The fallout was a provision in the FY2007
Defense Authorization Act that tasked the Pentagon for a report and recommendations
on how to address this pressing issue.
The Pentagon report, forwarded to Congress
in July by Under Secretary of Defense (Personnel and Readiness) David Chu,
cited the difficulties of moving entirely away from use of the SSAN, which
is fundamental to all of the services' personnel records and innumerable
embedded networks of security and record-keeping systems.
However, it acknowledged that the current
system poses problems that need to be addressed and said the Defense Department
intends to phase out the use of the printed SSAN on ID cards over the next
several years.
The plan is to move to an ID card that
would print only the last four digits of the SSAN, with the full SSAN electronically
encrypted on the card. This would provide additional protection to the
individual members while still preserving data deemed essential for hundreds
of purposes, from validating commissary check purchases to confirming the
identities of prisoners of war.
The reason for the multi-year phase-out
is to allow time to convert the large numbers of hardware and software
systems to conform to the new card, and also to allow a phased replacement
of more than three million ID cards of current members, retirees, family
members, and survivors so ID card facilities aren't overwhelmed.
MOAA recognizes that making changes on
such fundamental data elements is never easy or quick. We commend the Armed
Services Committees for pressing the issue and Defense leaders for acknowledging
the problem and initiating a plan to address it. |
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| Senate Adopts Major Military Benefit
Upgrades |
| It was a very good week for the military
community, as the full Senate approved a number of amendments addressing
a broad range of MOAA's and The Military Coalition's key issues, including:
Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV)
amendment that would provide full, immediate concurrent receipt to disabled
retirees deemed "unemployable" by the VA retroactive to January 1, 2005.
Sen. Bill Nelson's (D-FL) amendment
that would accelerate 30-year paid-up Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) coverage
to October 1, 2007 and bar deduction of VA survivor benefits from SBP annuities.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg's (D-NJ) and
Sen.
Chuck Hagel's (R-NE) amendment that would bar any increases in TRICARE
fees for FY2008 and articulate the sense of Congress that military health
care is a crucial offset to the adverse conditions of service and that
military people pay substantial premiums up-front in extended service and
sacrifice over and above any cash fees.
Sen. Saxby Chambliss's (R-GA) amendment
that would reduce the Reserve retirement age by three months for each 90
days served on active duty since 9/11/01.
Sen. John McCain's (R-AZ) amendment
that would increase the maximum annual points creditable for Reserve component
retirement to 130 points (vs. 90) for 2007 and subsequent years.
Sen. Norm Coleman's (R-MN) amendment
that would authorize paying increased reimbursements for mental health
care if required to meet needs, and requiring a Pentagon report on military
beneficiaries' adequacy of access to mental health services.
Sen. Blanche Lincoln's (D-AR) amendment
that would authorize Guard or reserve members to use their mobilization
GI Bill benefits up to 10 years after separating from the Selected Reserve. |
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| Medicare, TRICARE Fixes Delayed |
| Earlier this year, the House passed the
Children's Health and Medicare Protection Act, which, in addition to increasing
coverage of lower-income children under Medicaid, would have reversed the
9.9% cut in Medicare/TRICARE payments to providers scheduled to take effect
on Jan. 1 under current law. Instead, the bill proposed modest increases
in doctor payments for 2008 and 2009.
This is a crucial issue, both for the elderly
and for all military beneficiaries, since Medicare is one of the lowest-paying
plans in America and TRICARE payments are tied to Medicare's. Today's payment
rates are about what they were in 2001, while doctors' costs have risen
significantly over the last 6 years. If payments are cut further, it will
only lead more doctors to refuse to see Medicare and TRICARE patients.
We had hoped that the children's health
bill would be a vehicle for quick action on Medicare/TRICARE payments.
Unfortunately, that didn't pan out. |
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The VCOC Legislator of the Year Award
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| This first year recognizes Delegate Kirk Cox for successfully
carrying 9 pieces of legislation supporting the military and veterans to
include the Joint Leadership Council’s number one priority: Funding
$14.8 million for a third Veterans Care Center in the Hampton Roads Area.
Left to right is new VCOC President, LTC Pat Green, USA Ret, Delegate
Kirk Cox, and COL Sam Wilder, USA Ret, Legislative Chairman.
The award was especially tailored to Delegate Cox, consisting of a unique
plaque containing stamps related to his life and career. |
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HRCMOAA 2008 Nominations
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Captain Ray Hart submitted the following candidates for the
Board of Directors to be voted upon at the November Annual Meeting: One
Year: CAPT William Lehr, USCG Ret. Two Year: CAPT John
Colgan, USN Ret., CAPT James Jones, USN Ret., CDR John Vermillion,
USN Ret. Additional nominations will be accepted from the floor.
The following amendment will be voted upon: Article V, Section 4a.
Change quorum requirement to 6. |
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| The HRCMOAA has introduced a Military ID Card Notification Program
to help chapter members remember to renew their ID cards and their dependent's
ID cards in a timely fashion. Once you and your dependents are enrolled,
you will be notified of your impending ID card expiration date in sufficient
time for renewal prior to the expiration date. Note: Over
age 75 members, who are eligible uniform family members and survivors of
deceased personnel are now eligible for Permanent Identification Cards.
Apply within 90 days of expiration of current ID card. |
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| To enroll in this voluntary program, fill in the form at the link below
for each dependent and Send by Email or Print and Mail to: Military ID
Card Notification Program, HRCMOAA, P.O. Box 4612, Virginia Beach, VA 23454-0612. |
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MOAA Congratulates
Virginia Chapters
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| All 15 Virginia Chapters were Congratulated by the National MOAA for
their efforts in the Give Me Ten Campaign. Virginia Chapters recruited
a total of 1,008 new MOAA members during the year 2007. The Southside
Chapter led the way with 636 new members while Richmond Chapter came in
2nd with 105 new members. This was outstanding in that the total
for all States was only 2,576 new members. The Six VCOC 5 Star award
winners are shown above. Left to Right, COL Pat Webb, USA
Ret. George C. Marshall Chapter; LTC Jim Dellaripa, USAF Ret. Hampton
Roads Chapter; CDR Doug Borden, USN Ret. Mount Vernon Chapter; VADM
Norb Ryan, USN Ret. MOAA President; COL Bill Flanagan, USA Ret.
VCOC Past President; COL Don Kaiserman, USA Ret. Richmond Area Chapter;
COL
Victoria Revilla, USA Ret. Southside Chapter; COL Ernest Hinojosa,
USA Ret. Virginia Peninsula Chapter. (Photo
by MAJ Melva Mallison) |
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HRCMOAA NOVEMBER 2007 LUNCHEON
| WHEN: |
Friday, November 30, 2007 |
| WHERE: |
Atlantic Shores Retirement Community |
| TIME: |
Social: 1100 Hours
Lunch: 1200 |
| MENU: |
Poached Salmon with Cucumber Dill Sauce
OR
Pork Tenderloin stuffed with apples, raisins and almonds
Spinach salad with candied pecans, dried cherries, blue cheese and
red onions w/vinaigrette dressing, Red roasted potatoes with carrots and
broccoli au gratin.
Tiramisu |
| PRICE: |
$17.00 per person |
| PROGRAM: |
Annual Business Meeting, and Toys-for-Tots. Members are requested
to bring an unwrapped toy suitable for children or a contribution
to Toys- for-Tots. A USMC Reserve representative will be on hand.
This will also be our annual business meeting. Guest speaker will
be LtCol Philip Grathwol USMC, MAG 42, Det. B. |
| RESERVATIONS: |
Reservations by 1900 hours, November 25, 2007.
Call Norm Crews, 363-1094 or
Jim Dellaripa, 640-0947
Give name, Phone Number, Menu selection and Number attending. |
| Checks may be mailed to
HRCMOAA, PO Box 4612, Virginia Beach, VA 23454
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| A RESERVATION MADE IS A RESERVATION PAID |
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Please print, fill-in
and mail the pre-paid Reservation Form.
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September 14, 2007 Luncheon
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| The Director of the Defense Logistics Agency, Lt General Robert
T. Dail was the guest speaker at our September 14th Luncheon,
held at the Atlantic Shores Retirement Community. The Defense Logistics
Agency, headquartered at Fort Belvoir, VA is responsible for providing
the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and other federal agencies with
a variety of logistics, acquisition and technical services in peace and
war. This worldwide mission is performed by approximately 21,000
civilian and military personnel.
General Dail covered all of the responsibilities in detail. He
highlighted, in particular, the efforts in Afghanistan and Iraq with emphasis
on the problems associated with getting very large quantities of fuel into
these countries. Successful negotiations with neighboring countries
proved to be very important in this effort.
All members in attendance enjoyed the presentation and had a chance
to ask questions. Shown in the picture above is Chapter President,
LtCol Jim Dellaripa presenting the General with a silver cup in thanks
for his time and effort. |
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VCOC Fund Raising Campaign for the Virginia War
Memorial Education Center
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| The Education Center of the Virginia War Memorial will require both
government and private funding. The Virginia War Memorial Education
Foundation (VWMEF) is a 501(c)3 tax-exempt foundation - gifts are tax deductible.
If there are enough people donating money (indicating "Virginia MOAA" on
the naming contribution form), then we could earn a chance to "name"
a room in the new education center for the Virginia Chapters of the Military
Officers Association of America. The Veterans Research Library requires
$50,000 of donations. A conference room requires $25,000. If
most MOAA members in Virginia give a little, we could easily reach one
of the naming opportunities. The VWMEF website is www.vawarmemorial.org.
Telephone number is (804)786-2060. In the designation block enter;
Hampton Roads Chapter, “Virginia MOAA.” The HRCMOAA contributed $1,000
to this effort. We encourage all members to consider donating
to this cause. A form is provided for your convenience. Complete
and send to Virginia War Memorial Educational Foundation, 621 S. Belvidere
St., Richmond, VA 23220-6504. |
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Virginia War Memorial Educational Center Contribution
Form
Yes, I wish to honor our heroes and help to educate the public on the
significant contributions made by Virginians to preserve and protect our
country’s freedoms.
$25____ $50____ $100____ $_________
Name:
Street:
City:
State:
Zip code:
Check payable to the VWMEF is enclosed. Or,
Charge my gift to:
Master card___ Visa___ AmExp___, Discover___
Card#_______________________________
Exp.Date_______ Signature___________________
Credit: Hampton Roads Chapter, Virginia MOAA. |
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VCOC Scheduled Functions
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| The October Quarterly meeting was held at 1000 Hours on the 12th at
Ft. Monroe. This was also our Bi-Annual meeting, where we recognized
the Chapter members who have died during the past 2 years. The October
meeting was held in this area to recognize the 400th Anniversary of Jamestown
Celebration. The Dinner Meeting, was held at 1800 Hours that evening, and
included the installation of officers for the years 2008 and 2009.
Next scheduled meeting is 11 January 2008. MOAA’s COL Mike Jordan,
USAF Ret. is shown presenting the 5 Star Streamer to COL Jack Hilgers,
USMC Ret., HRCMOAA Legislative Representative. |
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Chapter Schedule
For the most current and up-to-date schedule of chapter events, click
on Calendar of Events
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| Nov 2007: Monday 12th, Veterans Day Parade.
Nov 2007: Friday 30th, Annual Business Meeting.
Dec 2007: Friday 7 December, ROWS Dinner Dance, at the
Princess Anne Country Club, with the Walter Noona Band. Program starts
at 5:30 PM. The cost is $45 per person, mail check to Nordie Crews,
1125 Spindle Crossing Virginia Beach, VA 23455. Include your menu
choice, Prime Rib of Beef or Chicken Coq Au Vin. Reservations must
be received by November 30th. Indicate if you want to sit at a HRCMOAA
table. |
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MOAA Scholarship Fund
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| Memorial contributions may be made to the MOAA Scholarship Fund, for
deceased members of our Chapter, at Dept 889, Alexandria, VA 22334-0889.
Contributions may also be made at www.moaa.org.
Or you may call 800-234-6622. |
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Note to Movers
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If you move please let the Chapter know by
following the directions above.
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HRCMOAA Membership
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| Regular |
554
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| Auxiliary |
93
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| Honorary |
3
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| Total |
650
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Every Chapter member should check on their friends to see if
they are still members. Could be they just forgot to renew.
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Invalid Email Addresses
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If you change your email address please let the Chapter know via email
to
Clif Furedy at thrcmoaa@cox.net
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IN MEMORIUM
LT Burton H. Sickler, USN (Ret)
(Belated Acknowledgement)
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