An upcoming special event will be a tour of the US Coast Guard Station Wrightsville Beach on October 20 at 1:00. CAPT Matt Baer is the Sector Commander Captain of the Port of Wilmington, and he will show us around and discuss the many missions and challenges the Coast Guard faces daily. The location is USCG Station Wrightsville Beach, 912 Water Street.

We will hear from CAPT Baer at the October 4 luncheon and will have a sign-up sheet to determine interest. There is no group size limit, but carpooling is encouraged. More details will follow.

Continuing a proud history of serving its military community, UNC Wilmington’s Office of Military Affairs hosted a celebration ceremony at Veterans Hall on Thursday, September 15, 2022. Veterans Hall, a 145,000-square-foot facility, is currently the only building in the United States located on a university or college campus named in honor of all veterans – past, present and future.

Full Ceremony

Veterans Hall Military Affairs Celebration: Full Ceremony 09-15-22 from UNCW on Vimeo.

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 885 is holding its Sixth Annual golf tournament fundraiser event to help our fellow veterans of all wars. The golf tournament is open to anyone and will be held at Compass Pointe Golf Club in Leland on Monday October 3, 2022. For more information please check out the flyer and sponsor form in the Documents folder.

MOAA President and CEO Lt. Gen. Dana T. Atkins, USAF (Ret) offers his personal thanks to all MOAA volunteer leaders as National Volunteer Month winds down.

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.

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.