rapidfire
Instant Assistance
MOAA members now can access the Member Service Cen- ter (MSC) online at MOAA’s Web Base. The Online Help
Center contains in- formation on topics such as pay, benefits, and legislative issues based on questions our member service representatives fre- quently answer via telephone. You also can ask an
MOAA subject-matter expert a direct ques- tion, provide feedback for improvements to the center, and view any recent email com- munication you have had with the MSC. To reach the help
portal, visit
www.moaa .org and click on the “Contact Us” tab under “About MOAA.”
Visit a Novel in New Orleans
I
n 1812, the U.S. fought its “sec- ond battle for independence,” largely in response to the British im-
pressing our sailors and blockading our ports. In his rich and well-researched novel 1812 (Forge Books, 1997), David Nevin, a military brat who served in the Navy, chronicles the divisive politics under President Madison. Although the British also were fi ghting Napoleon, the U.S. suff ered early losses including the burning of Washington, D.C., when Dolley Madison famously rescued Gilbert Stuart’s portrait of George Washington. Winfi eld Scott, dubbed “Old Fuss and
Feathers,” instilled discipline in our young army, becoming a general in 1814 at age 28. Scott went on to have an extraordi- narily long military career, serving in the Union army during the Civil War.
Andrew Jackson (statue above, in New Orleans’ Jackson Square) believed control of the Mississippi River was essential to protect our national survival. In January 1815, he allied with pirate Jean Lafi tte to win the Battle of New Orleans — the fi nal major engagement of the war. There are many related historical sites,
from Jean Lafi tte National Historical Park and Preserve in New Orleans (
www.nps .gov/jela) to Montpelier (
www.montpelier .org), James Madison’s home in Orange, Va.; the Hermitage (
www.thehermitage.com), Andrew Jackson’s home near Nashville, Tenn.; and Fort McHenry National Monu- ment (
www.nps.gov/fomc) in Baltimore, where Francis Scott Key was inspired to write our national anthem in 1814. — Col. Glenn Pribus, USAF-Ret., and Marilyn Pribus
*tip: The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve in Louisiana organizes ranger-led bayou boat tours. 22 MILITARY OFFICER JANUARY 2012
PHOTOS: SHUTTERSTOCK
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