chaptersinaction Honoring Veterans
As the nation celebrates Veterans Day, many chapters will take part in ceremonies and events. But their work to support and honor veterans and their families isn’t limited to one day.
O
n Veterans Day, the May- port (Fla.) Chapter (www
.mpmoaa.org) will participate
in a ceremony at Beaches Veterans Memorial Park in Atlantic Beach, Fla. The chapter is one of five veterans’ organizations that developed the park, which was dedicated in 2010 and hon- ors the lives of veterans of all services. But Mayport Chapter members also do their part throughout the year to support veterans in their community. “When you live in a town like Jack-
sonville, where more than 20 percent of the people have either served or their family members served, it’s im- portant to show veterans they’re sup- ported,” says chapter President CWO4 Patrick Ivory, USN (Ret). That’s why the chapter supports, among other programs, the local United Service Or- ganizations (USO) by raising funds for and volunteering at a “No Dough Din- ner” for active duty servicemembers and their families stationed at Naval Station Mayport. These free dinners are held weekly, thanks to the support of many local veterans’ organizations and business- es. Many military families count on the dinner as part of their budget. Ivory says the Mayport Chapter typically donates about $800 — raised from chapter member dona- tions and 50-50 raffles — which funds one No Dough Dinner. Chap-
40 MILITARY OFFICER NOVEMBER 2016
ter members also serve the meal and make desserts. “Sometimes there are as many as 300 families,” he says. “We ... enjoy it because it’s fun to give back. You serve them a meal and thank them for their sacrifice. We get an extremely positive response in return.”
Permanent honor Like the Mayport Chapter, members of the Superstition Mountain (Ariz.) Chapter participate in local Veterans Day ceremonies. But chapter mem- bers, as well as MOAA members throughout the state, are supporting a project to build a 7.7-acre Welcome Home Veterans Park that includes a 60-foot-long, 8-foot-high Vietnam War memorial tribute wall in Gilbert, Ariz. The wall will include 58,307 names and be the first permanent Vietnam War memorial wall west of the Mississippi. Operation Welcome Home Ari- zona — which organizes and sponsors activities that help instill patriotism and honor veterans — and the town of Gilbert are leading the project. Funds for the endeavor are raised
from individual and company do- nors as well as events, including the Welcome Home Golf Classic Nov. 5. Former Air Force Capt. Ed Mangan, president of the Superstition Moun- tain Chapter, has been involved with
the wall project for several years. When the golf classic was formed sev- eral months ago to help raise funds, Mangan, a Vietnam veteran, knew he needed to take a leading role. “There are countless veterans and their families in the Southwest. Going to Washington, D.C., [to see the Vietnam Veterans Memorial] is very costly,” he says. “A trip to Gilbert is cheaper and easier. Plus, there will be a section of the park to highlight Agent Orange. Due to Agent Orange, my heart does not function right.” Mangan donated some of his VA disability payments to the tourna- ment on the chapter’s behalf. In addition to the financial support, about 10 MOAA chapter members from Arizona will volunteer at the tournament and 15 will play in it. Special guests, including national MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret), also will attend the event. According to Mangan, the tourna- ment will raise close to $100,000. The fundraising goal for the park and wall project is about $3 million, and the ribbon-cutting ceremony is scheduled for Veterans Day 2017. For Mangan, the wall project has
provided a great opportunity to get involved in the community and a way to help honor veterans now and in the future. “Everyone focuses on Vet-
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