March is here and Spring is right around the corner. On March 3rd, 1931, the Star-Spangled Banner was made the US National Anthem. March 5th is Ash Wednesday. March 9th is the beginning of Daylight Savings time so don’t forget to set your clock ahead one hour. March 17th is St. Patrick’s Day, so wear green. Spring begins on March 20th. March has several key celebrations. March is National Reading month which starts on March 2nd with Read Across America Day. The ability to read is a key to being an intelligent society so take some time this month and help a child read a book. March is also Women’s History month and there have been many women who have made our country and our world a better place. One of my heroes is someone that I served with early in her career and she has proven herself to such an extent that she is now a 4-star Admiral and the first woman Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Lisa Franchetti. Since writing this article, Admiral Franchetti has been removed from her position as CNO, but that does not change my respect for her or her accomplishment. My Commodore in Iraq was Captain Paula Brown who earned the respect of all who served with her. Another day that will resonate for all who have worn the uniform is March 25th, which is Medal of Honor Day.
The Rogue Chapter has now awarded over 1,460 Medallions. I have been informed that very soon we will be releasing a Medallion to cover the Cold War as well as another Medallion to cover the War on Terror starting with Desert Storm to present.
My friends and fellow members of NCOA, as we move into the next few months, there will be many changes popping up across our whole country. We are a nation suffering from enormous debt that has grown quickly beyond most of our ability to even imagine. There will be much information that will come to the surface within the media and especially social media that we must all take with a grain of salt. I can tell you that we must keep an open mind and question all that we hear. There are forces whose only interest is to maintain power and wealth and those forces are on all sides of the political spectrum. Much of the media has an agenda that does not have your best interest or the best interest of our nation in mind. I wish Paul Harvey or Walter Cronkite were still alive and showing the current generations of opinion journalists how to report news and keep their opinions out of it. Remember, no matter how much it hurts, we must remain non-political.
Headquarters has established a goal of 2025 new members in the calendar year 2025. Can you find one single person, acquaintance, neighbor, family member etc. that cares about our troops and their families? They can be signed up as regular members, associate members or auxiliary members if they support our troops and their families in spirit.
I would love to hear from all of you with your thoughts and suggestions. If you have any ideas or suggestions, either contact me at retiredveteran89@outlook.com and I can assure you that your leadership will take note.
Strength in Unity & Leadership By Example,
MCPO (SCW) Terry M. Haines, USNR Retired
Chairman, Rogue Chapter #1260