chaptersinaction Chapter Achievements

From the Field: Indian River (Fla.) Chapter The Indian River Chapter (www.ind ian-river.fl.us/living/orgs/moaa.html) partnered with other veterans’ organi- zations to operate the Victory Center Military Store at Indian River Mall in Vero Beach, Fla. More than 100 vol- unteers operate the retail store, which sells military goods. The store also contains an R & R bunker where vet- erans gather and a Wall of Honor that pays tribute to active duty service- members and fallen veterans. Half of the store’s profits are used

to transport veterans to the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center in West Palm Beach, Fla. The other half goes to veterans’ organizations that operate the store.

Star Fort (S.C.) Chapter Promoting patriotism and fostering respect for our nation’s veterans is important to members of the Star Fort Chapter (www.moaastarfort.org). Chapter members support the Green- wood County Veterans Center’s Hall of Heroes Military Museum in Green- wood, S.C., which recently inducted 17 veterans. Not only do members volunteer at the museum, but they also have donated personal military memorabilia that illustrate the service and sacrifice made by local veterans. Now members are helping raise

$200,000 to build the Greenwood Veterans Memorial Plaza, which will be in front of the center. The memo- rial will honor past, current, and fu- ture county veterans.

Central Oregon Chapter Members of the Central Oregon Chapter (www.comoaa.com) have awarded $50,000 to 55 college- bound Junior ROTC (JROTC) cadets since 1995. When chapter membership and interest rates began to decline, members began looking for additional funding and received support from John Nosler, the founder of Nosler Inc. in Bend, Ore. Nosler pledged to provide as many as two $5,000 scholarships annually to qualified applicants. Re- cently, chapter members presented the first Nosler scholarship to Katlyn Belcher, a Marine Corps JROTC cadet who plans to attend Oregon State University in Corvallis.

(clockwise from left) Lt. Col. Eric H. Wieler, USMC (Ret), volunteers at the Victory Center Military Store at Indian River Mall in Vero Beach, Fla. Katlyn Belcher receives a $5,000 scholarship from the Central Oregon Chapter and Nosler Inc. From left, Star Fort (S.C.) Chapter members Col. Fredrick McGuire, USAF (Ret); Lt. Cmdr. Carol Scales, USN (Ret); Col. Phillip Campbell, USA (Ret); and Lt. Col. Jim Morgan, USA (Ret), discuss future plans for the Green- wood County Veterans Center’s Hall of Heroes Military Museum.

42 MILITARY OFFICER FEBRUARY 2015

Oregon Coast Chapter National MOAA President Vice Adm. Norbert R. Ryan Jr., USN (Ret), chartered the new Oregon Coast Chapter (www.moaaoregon coast.org), which serves members in the Lincoln County, Ore., area. The ceremony, held Oct. 8, 2014, drew MOAA chapter members from across the state, two local mayors, a county commissioner, and two ac- tive duty flag officers. Three of the chapter’s four of-

ficers are on active duty. According to President Capt. William Bain, USN (Ret), many of the chapter’s members are NOAA and U.S. Public Health Service officers who work at NOAA’s Pacific Fleet headquarters in Newport, Ore.

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— Contributors are Col. Barry Wright, USA (Ret), director, Council and Chapter Affairs; Col. Brian Anderson, USAF (Ret), deputy director; and Kris Ann Hegle. For submission information, see page 6.