Click Downloads to view the Arlington National Cemetery Newsletter. It contains interesting information about Arlington National Cemetery, origins of Decoration Day, preparations for Memorial Day, proposed eligibility changes, and other articles.

On Friday 3 June at 5:00 PM we will have our Annual Pig Pickin and Scholarship Presentations at Shelter #6 Long Leaf Park, Wilmington. This year we are honored to present scholarships to five very deserving individuals.

Please pay by June 1 using the Purchase Options button. You can pay using PayPal, debit card, or credit card. The $25 cost includes food catered by Smithfield’s Chicken and Barbeque plus beer, wine, soft drinks, bottled water, iced tea.

The inaugural Honor Flight of the Cape Fear Area is now in the history books. Several SENCLAND Chapter members traveled on this Honor Flight to Washington DC memorials as veterans, coordinators, and guardians.

If you are interested in traveling on the next Honor Flight, click the link below for more information.

Honor Flight Cape Fear Area will fly its inaugural flight on April 30, 2022. We hope you will attend the Welcome Home Celebration to honor our heros. Their flight is scheduled to arrive 8:30 PM at the Wilmington International Airport.

Have you had that sit down with your spouse yet? It’s winter. It’s the first couple months of a new year. Make a date night with your sweetheart and do the following:

• Gather important papers: DD214, wills, living will, durable power of attorney, insurance policies, passwords, birth/marriage certificates, etc.
• Check all signature cards.
• Review all insurance policies.
• Make sure utilities are in BOTH names.
• Open a credit card account in a spouse's name.
• Review all investments with a financial adviser.
• Insure bank accounts are accessible.
• Gather all passwords in one place.

Sandi Adams, our Surviving Spouse Liaison, is available to answer questions or offer information about how to best prepare for "til death do us part."

We would like to thank everyone who donated to the scholarship/outreach programs this year. Please consider a donation to these worthwhile projects now. We are always accepting applications for out-reach support. Thank you again to all our generous contributors.

The application for scholarships will be updated soon and distributed to the schools.

LTC LeeRoy Hanna, Leadership/Scholarship Chair

Two of our members: LCDR Frank Roberts, USCG (ret) and CAPT Guy Simmons, USN (ret) volunteered to be our Chapter’s liaison to this wonderful program. There are specific details under Chapter Outreach Programs.

The Honor Flight of the Cape Fear Area continues with its plans to fly our Veterans to Washington, DC, 30 April 2022.

Although we have reached capacity for the Veterans and Guardians, I encourage you to submit an application. Applications and information can be found on the website: https://www.honorflightcfa.org . A lot can happen between now and lift-off. If you don't get on this flight, we will put you on the roster for 2023. I hope we can get a contingency from SENCLand MOAA to volunteer for the flight preparation or be there to welcome home the Veterans after their incredible journey.

If you are a World War II, Korea, or Vietnam Veteran, you are entitled to participate in the Honor Flight. Please, honor yourselves for your selfless service to our great country. Let me know if I can answer any questions ( chrissysanford@gmail.com ).

Chrissy Sanford, COL, USA (ret), 3rd Vice President

For more information, applications for participants and needed volunteer positions, please open the website link below.

Nonprofit Veterans Memorial Reef honors veterans while helping the environment. The new Wrightsville Beach Magazine has a nice article about the Veterans Memorial Reef that Chapter President Joe Irrera was instrumental in developing and making happen.

Please click on the link below to open a 3 minute video tribute from family to Jim Carper. Memorial Service was conducted by Rev. John McIntyre, Pastor Wrightsville Baptist Church on October 2 and was followed with full military honors by the NC National Honor Guard at Bradley Creek Cemetery.

A memorial service for Charles Albert Lewis, Jr. was held September 18, 2021 at the Carolina Beach Presbyterian Church. Charles passed into eternity on August 5, 2020 at the age of 83. He retired as a LT, USNR and was a member of the SENCLAND Chapter of the Military Officers Association of America. His wife Helga is a surviving spouse member of SENCLAND.

Click the link below to view the memorial service for Charles.

(Click link to donate)

Dear MOAA Team,

It is with a heavy heart that I inform everyone that BG (R) Jim Carper passed away Tuesday morning. He had been hospitalized due to pneumonia in both lungs. Jim was a remarkable husband, father, soldier and leader. His friendship inspired each of us in a different way and those memories we shall always cherish.

A funeral service was held 10:00 am Saturday, October 2nd at Wrightsville Beach Baptist Church, 601 Causeway Drive, Wrightsville Beach 28480.

Burial with full military honors followed the service at Oleander Memorial Gardens, 306 Bradley Drive, Wilmington, NC 28409.

The extended MOAA family offers their sincerest condolences to Bonnie and the Carper family.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be sent to SENCLAND MOAA Scholarship Fund, P.O. Box 10015 Wilmington, NC 28404. Please indicate your donation is for the James Carper Memorial Scholarship Fund.

Condolences can be left for the Carper family at the link to his obituary below.

Semper fidelis,

Joe Irrera, Col USMC(Ret) Acting President

The Chapter offers the opportunity for members and their spouses to purchase engraved plastic nametags. The cost of the nametags is $15, the style and size is shown in the image, and will have a magnetic clasp.

Improved Military ID Cards now available by appointment at MCAS New River and Camp Lejeune

[RELATED: ID Cards: What You Need to Know]

A retired military ID card is issued to military retirees and eligible family members. Eligible family members must renew their ID card periodically, usually every four years.

An extra incentive for veterans to retire in North Carolina

By Mary Helen Jones Wilmington

The SENCLand MOAA (Military Officers Association of America) Chapter held its annual JROTC Scholarship presentations at Long Leaf Park on Friday, June 4, 2021. Eight graduating seniors were presented scholarship valued at $900 each. Students receiving scholarships were Austin Rheuby (South Brunswick HS), Jalen Faulk (Whiteville HS), Nicole Waterbury (West Brunswick HS), Mary von Kolnitz ( JT Hoggard HS), Ashton Warren (JT Hoggard HS), Trinity George (Whiteville HS), Andrew Powers (North Brunswick HS), and Alexandra Rupkalvis (South Brunswick HS). Seven students are enrolled in their respective JROTC programs and Alexandra is a military dependent. Austin Rheuby plans to attend VMI and major in physics. He will also shoot on the college rifle team. Jalen Faulk will attend NC A&T and major in criminal justice. Nicole Waterbury will attend Barton College with an undeclared major. She will also be playing on the lacrosse team and plans to take Air Force ROTC. Mary von Kolnitz will attend two years at Cape Fear Community College and then go to North Carolina State University to major in Agriculture. Ashton Warren will attend East Carolina University and major in engineering. He plans to take Army ROTC also. Trinity George will attend North Carolina Central and major in psychology. Andrew Powers will attend East Carolina University with an undeclared major. Alexandra Rupkalvis will attend UNC-Chapel Hill and major in nursing.

This is the 20th year that the SENCLand MOAA Chapter has presented scholarships to graduating seniors. Eighty-nine students have received scholarships totaling $110,700 during this time.

2021 SENCLAND MOAA Scholarship recipients. Shown left to right are (front row): BG (Ret) James Carper, USA, Chapter President; Jalen Faulk (Whiteville HS); Mary von Kolnitz (JT Hoggard HS); Trinity George (Whiteville HS); and Alexandra Rupkalvis (South Brunswick HS). Shown left to right in back row are: Austin Rheuby (South Brunswick HS; Nicole Waterbury (West Brunswick HS); Ashton Warren (JT Hoggard HS); LTC (Ret) Lee Hanna, USA, Scholarship Chair; and Andrew Powers (North Brunswick HS).