The guest speaker will be LtCol L. Stewart McKnelly, USMC Commanding Officer, Marine Air Group 49, Detachment D.  LtCol McKnelly, a native of Alexandria, Virginia.  He was commissioned as a Reserve Second Lieutenant 13 July 1990, through the Platoon Leaders Course Program.  In September 1990, LtCol McKnelly reported to Marine Corps Base Quantico, Virginia to attend The Basic School.  Upon graduation in April of 1991, he reported to Naval Air Station Pensacola for flight training.  After successfully completing training with Naval Aviation Schools Command, VT-2, and HT-8 he received his Wings of Gold on 4 December 1992.  From July 2005 to December 2006 LtCol McKnelly held the billet of Executive Officer of HMM(T)-164 where he trained over 60 H2Ps and 150 enlisted aircrew while surpassing over 3000 mishap free flight hours.   In December 2006, LtCol McKnelly was reassigned to MAG-39 and held the billet of Marine Air Group 39 Operations officer till July 2007.  On 29 February 2008, LtCol McKnelly assumed his current duty assignment. 

Fellow Officers:

I have some great news for the Hampton Roads Chapter.  For the sixth year in a row we received the National MOAA 5 Star Chapter Award.  That is the highest award MOAA gives for a chapter’s overall performance and value to its membership and to the goals and objectives of MOAA.  We all owe a great debt of gratitude to our immediate past president, “Rip” Dellaripa, under whose leadership this award was earned.

Elsewhere in the newsletter you will find an article about the Honor Flight send-off which the Community Affairs committee organized. Dave Wade, the Chair of the committee, laid the ground work and Jim Smith took over while Dave is traveling to Australia and New Zealand and built on the work Dave had begun.  Thank you, Jim!  On a cold and rainy morning 45 members of our local ROTC/NROTC, JNROTC units formed a cordon, with Color Guards, to give WWII veterans a send off on a trip to visit the WWII Memorial in Washington, D.C.  COL Smith, and COL Jack Hilgers were there at 0430 to organize and supervise the event.  It was well done and we owe our sincere gratitude to them.  I would also like to note that Community Affairs is one of our most active committees and is doing more and more each year.  This is due to the foundation built by CAPT Bill Lehr who made the contacts and developed an organizational relationship with the Military/Naval Science instructors at the various universities and high schools upon which Dave Wade continues to build.

The November Meeting will be held at Atlantic Shores and will comprise our Annual Toys for Tots event.  Everyone is asked to bring an unwrapped toy to present to the Marines who will be there to accept them.   Cash donations are also appropriate.  Also, the November meeting will be our annual Chapter meeting at which we will elect 3 new board members.  “Rip” Dellaripa is the Nominating Committee Chair and is assisted by John Vermillion and “Holly” Hollandsworth.  If you would like to serve or suggest someone else to serve on our Board of Directors please contact one of them as soon as possible.  While on this topic, we will need to select a chapter member to serve out the unexpired term of our Treasurer.  If you might be interested please contact “Rip” to learn more about the duties and responsibilities of the Treasurer.  We are most appreciative of the diligent, professional and loyal service of Walt Wesolowski who has served in this position for the past two and one-half years.

Also, in this newsletter you will find the invitation from our sister organization, ROWS (The Retired Officers Wives Society) of Tidewater, to their annual Christmas Dinner Dance to be held again at the Princess Anne Country Club.  If you would like to attend please contact Nordie Crews at 363-1094.  Prepayment is required for this event.

Thank you all for your interest, dedication and support of our Chapter.  I look forward to seeing you at our 20 November Toys for Tots and Annual Meeting.

Respectfully,

A new twist on pin-up girls, these calendar guys, ranging in age from 69 to 90, are fellow residents at the Atlantic Shores Retirement Community in Virginia Beach, Virginia. Taking time off from hobbies, traveling and late-stage life careers, these fourteen active seniors (and one dog) shed their inhibitions by starring on the glossy pages of the 2010 “Pin-Up Boys of Atlantic Shores” calendar. 

The fifteen-month calendar spotlights the individual careers and interests of each model -- from a Bonsai tree cultivator to a 70-year old active Emergency Medical Technician. All are creatively obscured to create the illusion of nudity in a range of comical vignettes. 

Net profits from the sale of the calendar will go to the Princess Anne Courthouse Volunteer Rescue Squad (#5/21), a dedicated group of individuals who provide 24-hour emergency medical care at no cost to residents in the Virginia Beach area. 

“The Pin-Up Boys of Atlantic Shores” calendar is available for purchase online for $14.95 plus shipping & handling, and is also available at Virginia Beach-area retailers including: Barnes & Noble/Town Center, Taylor’s Do It Yourself Centers, Virginia Beach Resort Hotel & Conference Center, Kitty Hawk Kites, Shear Class, Studio Optix, Baker’s Fine Jewelry, The Globe, Leaping Lizard Café, and at the main concierge desk at Atlantic Shores. For information, to purchase calendars, check updated retail locations and view calendar signing events, visit www.atlanticshores.com or call (757) 426-0000 or toll-free (800) 821-2774. 

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.

Music:  By Walter Noona & Band.

Menu:  Mesclun Greens with Parmigiano Reggiano & Sherry Viniagrette
      (1) Prime Rib of Beef Au Jus with Horseradish Cream Sauce
OR
      (2) Coq Au Vin (Roasted Chicken with Mushroom & Cognac Sauce

Roasted Red Potatoes and Green Beans Almondine, Hot Rolls/Butter
Coffee/Tea, 
Chef’s Choice Holiday Dessert

Price: $50.00 per person. 

For reservations: 
Make a list of your guests, and indicate entrée for each person.
All checks must be made payable to ROWS.
Mail all to Nordie Crews, 1125 Spindle Crossing, Virginia Beach, VA 23455. 
If you have questions, phone Nordie at 363-1094.

Reservations, checks, and menu choices must arrive
in Nordie’s mailbox by November 27, 2009. 

Centerpieces will be for sale.

Earlier this summer, the Chapter contacted college, university and high school Reserve Officers Training Corps (ROTC and JROTC) units in South Hampton Roads to participate in the departure ceremonies. Over 45 military officers, uniformed cadets and midshipmen from Old Dominion (ODU) and Norfolk State Universities (NSU), and from Princess Anne, Landstown and Salem High Schools were on hand at 5:00 AM on a cold and rainy morning, and formed lines through which the World War II veterans passed as they boarded the buses. As they boarded, honors were rendered. Color Guards were provided by ODU and Landstown High School. Some 96 veterans and over 50 attendants, including medical personnel made the trip to Washington and spent the day visiting and touring the World War II Memorial, and the Lincoln, Korea and Vietnam Memorials. On their trip back to Hampton Roads, the veterans visited the National Museum of the Marine Corps and had dinner there. Coordinating the departure for the Chapter were; President, MAJ Norman Crews, USA Ret, Col Jack Hilgers, USMC Ret, and COL James Smith, USA Ret.

Contribution/Pledge of Support
Yes! You can count on my support to assist Virginia’s veterans, members of the Virginia National Guard, Virginia residents of the Armed Forces Reserves not on active federal service, and their family members, who are dealing with the effects of traumatic brain disorders, combat stress, and post-traumatic stress disorders resulting from their combat service and sacrifice in the U.S. Armed Forces.

I am enclosing/pledging my most generous contribution in the amount of:
__ $1,000   __ $500   __ $250   __ $100   __ $50   __ Other $________

Please make checks payable to:

Virginia Veterans Services Foundation
For: VWWP: 900 East Main Street, Ground Floor
Richmond, Virginia 23219

Name(s)  ______________________________________________________
Address _______________________________________________________
Home Phone _______________________ 
Work Phone _______________________
Email_______________________________________
Employer __________________________ 
Occupation ________________________

For additional information about the Foundation or about contributing, contact Col. Jack Hilgers (USMC, Ret) at the Department of Veterans Services, 900 East Main Street, Richmond, VA 23219, 804-382-3715 or 757-481-4164 or Steven Combs at the Department of Veterans Services, 804-786-0294.

Congressman Nye serves on three committees in the House:  Armed Services, Veterans Affairs and Small Business.  He wanted to serve on these committees because of their importance to Virginia Beach and the surrounding areas.  He briefly described some of the key issues being worked by those committees and why they were significant to him.  Finally, before taking a few questions from the audience, Congressman Nye talked about health care reform and the fact that it is an issue that touches everyone in our country.  He briefly described a series of principles he will use to evaluate any proposed reform. 

The Center provides  a range of services and amenities, comprehensive medical care and nutrition program, a town center concept to foster normalcy to the degree possible, and a high ratio of staff and facilities to patients. 

The Memory Center  desires volunteers to come in and interact specifically with the military retirees.  It can be very rewarding for those who can understand the Alzheimer and dementia patient’s environment.  If you want to meet this need for interaction with military patients as a volunteer, state regulations require an application process, a TB test, a background investigation and an indoctrination session prior to being accepted. 

If you are interested and want to investigate further, contact Katrina Parker, Community Relations Director, The Memory Center, 1853 Old Donation Parkway, Virginia Beach, VA 23454.  She can be reached at (757) 412-1180, Cell (757) 286-0468 
or email: katrinaparker@thememoryctr.com. 

Our HRCMOAA point of contact is Dave Wade at (757) 549-2123 
or email: dcwade@cox.net.

The November meeting will be our Annual Toys for Tots and Business meeting.  Atlantic Shores Community, Virginia Beach.

The ROWS Annual Dinner Dance will be held at the Princess Anne Country Club on 4 December 2009.