Chapter receives $2,000 foundation grant
Thanks to member COL (Ret.) Chris
Dolt, the Bluegrass Chapter has been
granted a $2,000 gift from the Morgan
Stanley Foundation. COL Dolt, Senior
Vice President in the corporation’s Lexing-
ton office, applied for the gift through the
foundation’s volunteer incentive program
which encourages employee participation
in nonprofit organi-
zations. As Sergeant-
at-Arms, he serves as
a member of the
chapter’s executive
board.
The check will be ceremoniously pre-
sented at the July meeting.
Military Officers Association of America Bluegrass Chapter Bluegrass Chapter Military Officers Association of America
July guest speaker recognized
nationally as veterans advocate
Heather French Henry, Deputy Commission-
er, Kentucky Dept. of Veterans Affairs, and a
daughter of a disabled Kentucky Marine Corps
Vietnam veteran, will address the Bluegrass
Chapter on Friday, July 28.
The nationally recognized veterans advocate
has been an outspoken advocate for military
veterans nationwide since she was selected as
Miss America in 2000. Last year she was rec-
ognized with the highest honor available by
AMVETS for her work with veterans. During her year of service as Miss America
Heather chose to highlight the needs of our
nation’s homeless veterans in her tour entitled
“Honoring our Forgotten Heroes: Our Nation’s
Homeless Veterans.”
SEE HENRY, P. 5
WHEN: Fri. July 28; social time, 11:30;
lunch at noon
WHERE: Equestrian Woods Country Club,
107 Clubhouse Drive, Nicholasville
HOW MUCH: Buffet with meat entrees,
vegetables, salad, dessert and drinks for
$17, gratuity included.
RSVP: Please let Pat Jones (contact info
on p. 2) know no later than Monday, July
24, that you plan to attend and bring
guests.
TO GET TO THE CLUBHOUSE: Go south on
Harrodsburg Rd. (U.S. 68) about two
miles past Man o’ War. Spring Crest
Drive is the first right before the Brannon
Road intersection, and Clubhouse Drive
is the next right.
Even if Congress acts now to rid the De-
fense Dept. of looming sequestration spending
cuts, it will take years of stable and higher
budgets for DoD to dig out of the readiness
hole, Defense Secretary
Jim Mattis told the Senate
Armed Services Committee
June 13.
"I retired from military
service three months after
sequestration took effect,"
Mattis said. "Four years
later, I've returned to the
department, and I have been shocked by what
I have seen about our readiness to fight."
The troops bore the brunt of sequestration,
he said, and carried on the worldwide deploy-
ments needed to keep America safe. "But our
troops' stoic commitment cannot reduce the
growing risk," the secretary said. "It took us
years to get into this situation. It will require
years of stable budgets and increased funding
to get out of it."
The situation is exacerbated by 30 continu-
ing resolutions Congress has passed rather
than real budgets, the secretary said. (For
MOAA-suggested letters to legislators on the
harmful effects of sequestration, go to http://
capwiz.com/moaa/issues/alert/?
alerted=74607626).
SecDef Jim Mattis
[Ed. Note — In observance of the U.S. WWI Centennial Cele-bration that began this year, the Bluegrass Bugle will periodical-ly feature Kentucky units and individuals that participated in the “War to end all wars.”] U.S. War Dept. records show that more than 84,000 Kentuckians served in WWI, including more than 13,000 African-Americans. More than 2,400 died, and thousands more came home with debilitating
wounds or lungs seared by mustard gas. Camp Zachary Taylor in Louisville became the major post with more than 125,000 soldiers trained there. Ft. Thomas in north-ern Kentucky and Ft. Stanley near Lexing-ton functioned as staging areas for sol-diers sent elsewhere. Ft. Knox (initially as Camp Knox) opened in 1918 as a training facility for artillery.
Chapter Contacts Chapter Contacts
President Col. (Ret.) Tom Peters
(859) 329-7320 [email protected]
First Vice President
COL (Ret.) Tom Little
(859) 338-3301
Second Vice President
COL (Ret.) JoAnn Wever
(859) 336-5938 [email protected]
Secretary/
Newsletter editor
COL (Ret.) John Shotwell
(859) 263-5436
Treasurer Mrs. Pat Jones
(859) 271-2606
Chaplain
CAPT (Ret.) Jerry Cook
(859) 533-7600
Sergeant-at-Arms
COL (Ret.) Chris Dolt
(859) 494-3452 [email protected]
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/MOAABluegrassChapter
Web: http://moaabluegrasschapter.webs.com/
EDITORIAL POLICY MOAA, including the Ken-tucky Council and the Blue-grass Chapter, is an independ-ent, nonprofit, politically non-partisan organization. Member-ship is open to officers from every branch of service - includ-ing active duty, National Guard, Reserve, retired, former officers,
and their immediate families.. The MOAA Bluegrass Chapter is a Sect. 501(c )(19) tax-exempt veterans organization.
Bluegrass Bugle July 2017 p.2
The great American anthropologist Mar-
garet Mead once said, “I do not believe in
using women in combat, because females
are too fierce.”
I don’t know whether Dr. Mead made this
comment as the analysis of a scientific study
into the cultural behavior of women in com-
bat or whether Margaret had her tongue
firmly implanted in her
cheek in a moment of sly
humor.
I do know that as the
husband of a career mili-
tary officer I can appreciate
the fierceness of women in
the military, and I mean
that in a positive sense.
Since the dawn of civilization, males have
gravely underestimated females.
That miscalculation has resulted in the
disrespect and mistreatment of women, often
in the workplace, sometimes in the home, a
phenomenon that unfortunately persists.
Even a 21st century progressive
firm known as Uber is falling
apart at the seams these days
as the consequence of allega-
tions of sexual harassment.
Perhaps a more tragic out-
come of male disregard of the
equality of women has been
the failure of men to place
them into positions of leader-
ship and responsibility during times of na-
tional crisis, when they could have made a
positive difference on outcomes.
Our guest speaker for this month’s meet-
ing has never served in the military, but Dep-
uty Commissioner Heather French Henry,
inspired by her father’s Vietnam War service
and disability, has insti-
gated legislation that
has helped veterans
across the nation.
Among her many re-
sponsibilities at the Ken-
tucky Department of Vet-
erans Affairs is a pro-
gram that seeks to unite
women veterans across the
commonwealth (with
much assistance, I’m
sure, from KDVA coor-
dinator LuWanda Knuckles).
We’ve included a one-page salute in this
issue of the Bluegrass Bugle to women veter-
ans as well as those currently serving in uni-
form. One of the veterans featured is WWII
vet Stella West. Like many women of that
era she proudly freed men to fight but (with
the exception of some military nurses) never
came close to combat. These women per-
formed an extraordinary service for our na-
tion at war. Think what they
could have done if they had
been flying B-17 missions over
Europe, piloting destroyers in the
South Pacific, or dropping ord-
nance over Japan. Think how
many more Allied lives may have
been saved. Their exclusion was
our loss.
Cultural differences dictated
otherwise. It’s taken about 75 years, but
women are finally provided the opportunity
to excel in combat and at high levels of lead-
ership in the U.S. military. Many have been
decorated for their action; some have sadly
perished. And our nation is a safer place
because of the evolution.
Thomas Peters Col., USAF (Ret.)
President, Bluegrass Chapter
The 138th Field Artillery Regiment shown training at Ft. Knox
in 1918 with the French 75mm gun prior to the unit’s overseas
deployment. (from Kentucky Army National Guard eMuseum)
Margaret Mead
p.3 July 2017 Bluegrass Bugle
Stella West (center photo) is a WWII Army vet, age 91, now living in Lexington who took part in the Apr. 22 Honor Flight to Washington, D.C. military memorials. PFC Meghan Aube and SSG Kathleen Braithwaite (left photo) are members of the Kentucky Army National Guard (KYARNG) who were featured in a DoD news release (published in part in the May Bluegrass Bugle) which highlighted recent gains by women in previously male-dominated specialties. SGT TASHA COBLER (below) was one of nine Kentucky soldiers from KYARNG units around the state who were selected to compete in a regional Best Warrior competi-tion last fall. (KYARNG photos by SSG Scott Raymond.)
The Kentucky Dept. of Veterans Affairs will host a
Statewide Women Veterans Conference on Aug. 5. The all-
day event will be capped of by a women veterans reception
from 6-8 p.m. Conference registration is not required for
reception attendance. The event will take place at the Marriott
Griffin Gate Resort in Lexington, 1800 Newtown Pike, near
the I-75/I-64 Exit 115.
With a theme of “Kentucky Women Veterans Unite: Stand-
ing Up and Speaking Out,” the program will include free ad-
mission and lunch, guest speakers, vendors, door prizes,
entertainment, and the opportunity for networking.
BG Barbara Owens, Deputy Commanding General, US
Army Human Resources Command and Rep. Attica Scott (D-
Louisville), the first black woman elected to the Kentucky
General Assembly in 20 years, are guest speakers
There is no admission fee but prior registration is required.
To sign up, go to this Eventbrite link: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/ky-women-veterans-state-conference-tickets-33436762256.
For more information, contact KDVA Women’s Veterans
Coordinator LuWanda Knuckles, [email protected]/
(502) 545-4193.
The role of women in the U.S. armed forces has
evolved dramatically over the past several decades. The
1944 poster at left encouraged women to enlist, work-
ing in mostly administrative positions to “free a man to
fight.” The more contemporary poster at right empha-
sizes the strength of women, equal in power to their
male counterparts.
WWII Army veteran Stella West, featured below,
served honorably while working as a postal worker and
in other clerical positions before culminating her four
years of service as a T-5 (corporal equivalent) in U.S.-
occupied Tokyo. Today’s military women make up near-
ly 15 percent of the U.S. military, serving in nearly eve-
ry occupational specialty once dominated by males.
Rep. Attica Scott
Radcliff Veterans Center incorporates Community Living Center model
KDVA Commissioner Norman Arflack announced on May 9 that the Rad-
cliff Veterans Center (RVC) has begun admitting residents.
The 120-bed facility, located adjacent to Ft. Knox, incorporates the Com-
munity Living Center (CLC) model with all private suites with private baths,
country kitchen, dining room and lounge area in each household. The cen-
ter’s CLC plan consists of four neighborhoods, each with three households
which will each house 10 veterans. Each neighborhood has a covered porch,
enclosed courtyard and private entrances.
The heart of RVC is the community center which encompasses rehabilita-
tive services, administrative offices and a great room for large or small func-
tions.
RVC occupancy will begin gradually until the facility has received federal
VA certification. Then KDVA will announce a formal opening and ribbon-
cutting ceremony.
Bluegrass Bugle July 2017 p.4
The administration’s proposed De-
fense budget would cut all funding for
impact aid — those federal funds pro-
vided to local education districts to
offset the loss of school tax revenue
from military families who reside in
base housing but whose children add
to the enrollment of off-base schools.
MOAA urges members to contact
their U.S. representatives regarding this issue and suggests
the following text for letters/emails:
For more on this and other issues MOAA is following on
Capitol Hill, go to the MOAA legislative page at http://
capwiz.com/moaa/home/.
Please maintain full funding for Impact Aid (Title VII), Section 7002 (Federal Properties) of the Elemen-tary and Secondary Education Act. Cuts to Impact Aid would negatively affect all of the students in the 200 school districts and 29 states that use payments for federal property to replace lost local revenue due to the federal land in their communi-ties. This includes school districts near the Air Force and West Point Military Academies, as well as rural communities where members of our military serve. I do not believe that the federal government should reverse its 68-year commitment to federally impacted communities.
KENTUCKY POPPY PROGRAM — Students across the Com-
monwealth are making poppies to honor the WW I Centenni-
al and to be displayed at the KY WW I Exhibit at the 2017
Kentucky State Fair in August. The program is administered
by July’s guest speaker, KDVA Deputy Commissioner Heather
French Henry. Here, Ronnie and Diane French, right, make a
Poppy pick-up at Lewis County Central Elementary School
from teacher Laura Stone. The class made 110 poppies.
(KDVA photo)
KDVA COMMISSIONER HONORED — MG Stephen R. Hogan
(above, right), Kentucky Adjutant General, pins a Distinguished
Service medal on MOAA member KDVA Commissioner BG
(Ret.) Norman E. Arflack for his meritorious service of 38 years
in the Kentucky Army National Guard. Commissioner Arflack
was joined by his wife Cindy (left) at the June 10 ceremony.
(KDVA photo)
A true multi-tasker: You can call her soldier, nurse, professor, and before long, doctor
p.5 July 2017 Bluegrass Bugle
FROM P. 1 HENRY
As her year as Miss America progressed she devel-
oped a full-scale platform that encompassed not only
homelessness among veterans but healthcare, housing,
disability and benefits. Working alongside many of the
nation’s experts on veterans’ healthcare issues
Heather became an integral part of a national movement
to change the face of veterans’ healthcare.
She worked closely with many members of Congress
to establish groundbreaking legislation to create new
opportunities for community outreach in the U.S. Dept.
of Veterans Affairs.
Former U.S. Rep. Lane Evans and the late Sen. Paul
Wellstone honored Heather by naming this comprehen-
sive bill the Heather French Henry Homeless Veterans
Assistance Act.
During the last 14 years she has continued her ef-
forts nationwide by establishing the Heather French
Foundation for Veterans, Inc. focusing on community
outreach to help better educate young and old alike
about programs available to assist veterans and to help
increase patriotism in younger generations. Her efforts
have been recognized by Veterans Service Organizations
nationwide.
Heather is from the Augusta and Maysville, KY, area
and earned B.S. and Masters Degrees from the U. of
Cincinnati. She is married to Dr. Stephen Henry, nota-
ble trauma orthopedic surgeon and former Lt. Governor
of Kentucky, and has two children. As a sideline, she
designs and markets fashions through her own online
showroom and has written and illustrated children’s
books. As Miss America 2000
COL (Ret.) JoAnn Wever, chapter 2nd
Vice, served as an Army Reservist for 22
years. She was selected as Chief Nurse
for two Army Reserve units (810 Conva-
lescent Center and the 5010th USAH).
Among other awards she was present-
ed the "A" proficiency desig-
nator by the Surgeon Gen-
eral for Excellence in Educa-
tion. COL Wever is a gradu-
ate of the Army Command
and General Staff College.
For several years, as an invit-
ed guest, she served as a
member of the Curriculum
and Testing Committee for
the 91C (Licensed Practical
Nurse program) with the
2076 USAR School in Wil-
mington, Del. This was a
one of a kind, unique pro-
gram to train LPNs for both an
MOS and a civilian career.
COL Wever worked at the UK Medical
Center on the Pediatric unit and the Pedi-
atric ICU before beginning her teaching
career at the College of Nursing. She
taught at the University of Kentucky Col-
lege of Nursing for 30+years, tenured at
the rank of Associate Professor. Her spe-
cialty areas are Pediatrics and Admin-
istration.
For three summers she was guest lec-
turer in Pediatrics for Midway College's
extension program in Danville.
In 2005 she became the
Founding Dean of Campbells-
ville University School of Nurs-
ing where she stayed until Au-
gust 2008. Additionally, she
taught at EKU in the BSN
(bachelor of science in nursing)
program,
She’s presented over 60
continuing education programs
or speeches to various nursing
or civic groups. She received
the Nurse Educator of the Year
award from the Kentucky
League for Nursing in 1987. In
2014, this award was renamed in her
honor.
Some examples of her work for profes-
sional organizations include several terms
as president of the Kentucky League for
Nursing (the organization that represents
Nurse educators), two terms as Director
on the Kentucky Nurses Association
Board, Chair of National League for
Nursing Constituent Organization Adviso-
ry Council and President of the UK Delta
Psi Chapter of Sigma Theta Tau
(International Honor Society of Nursing).
COL Wever is a charter member of the
UK chapter of the Sigma Theta Tau. Re-
cently she was elected to the board of the
Kentucky Nurses Foundation.
The North Carolina native has multi-
ple degrees in nursing — an associate
degree from Sandhills Community Col-
lege, Southern Pines, NC; a bachelors
from East Carolina University, Greenville;
and a Masters from UK, focusing on pedi-
atrics with a functional area of teaching.
Currently, she’s a student in the Doc-
toral program in Educational Leadership
at WKU (EdD program). Upon comple-
tion of this program, she plans to return
to teaching in an undergraduate nursing
program.
COL Wever was married to the late
Richard J. Wever, MD, who died in
1999. She has no children but three
dogs.
COL. WEVER
Honor Flight Kentucky continues its mission of flying WWII,
Korean War and Vietnam War veterans to Washington, D.C., for
a one-day all-expenses-paid visit to the memorials dedicated to
service and sacrifices. The public is encouraged to the Welcome
Home celebrations for all of these visits at Blue Grass Airport.
The next scheduled flight is Sept. 16 with a 9 p.m. return. An
Honor Flight is also scheduled for Oct. 14
which will be an all-Vietnam veterans flight
with specials programs at the Memorial Wall.
To learn more about these flights and the
eligibility requirements, visit
www.honorflightky.org or call 1-888-432-
2965 or email [email protected].
Chapter member MAJ (Ret.) Marty
Pinkston reports that the Gold Bar pro-
gram for this spring’s commissioned
officers paid big dividends for MOAA.
Out of 54 commissioned officers who
received gold bars from the chapter at
the four regional ROTC detachments,
47 (87 percent) joined MOAA.
Following is the per-detachment
breakdown of new officers who joined:
UK Army, 13; UK AF, 11; EKU Army,
16; and MSU Army, 7 (out of 7).
Bluegrass Chapter Military Officers Association of America Mrs. Pat Jones 1660 Atoma Drive Lexington, KY 40511 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Last, first, middle name: Rank: National MOAA member no:
________
Spouse name: Email address:
________
Date of birth (month/day): Street address – city, state, Zip code:
________
Month/year entered service________________ Month/year separated________________________________________
Phone number: Cell number:
Military status (circle all that apply): Active Duty Drilling National Guard/Reserve Retired
Separated honorably ROTC (1 year free) Widow(er) (no charge)
Branch of service (circle one): USA USMC USN USAF USCG NOAA USPHS
Want to make a donation? General use: $________ Vets: $_______ ROTC scholarships: $_______
Bluegrass Chapter, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA)
New Membership/Membership Renewal/Donations
Please complete this form and your dues check payable to: BGMOAA.
Mail the form and check to our return address.