Minutes

 

 

BC-MOAA Board Meeting
Jan 16, 2024

1. Chuck Cornwall called the meeting to order at the Gift Horse restaurant.
2. Jerry is still working to find Gold Star families from the Vietnam War era that the
Club can honor. As family members are found we will attempt to bring them to
our meetings to honor them and provide them with a memorial pins. Jerry asked
the members to take responsibility for finding family members that can be
honored by Baldwin County MOAA due to their Service Men who died during the
Vietnam Conflict
3. We discussed the upcoming events and the November Business meeting.
a. The Jan 16 meeting had Col Mollohan from Marion Military Institute speak.
Dennis is the sponsor for this meeting. His discussion of the Institute was
very interesting and informative.
b. February 20 the Chapter will invite the Director of the Veteran’s Cemetery in
Spanish Fort and Director Joe Bussehill to speak to our members about the
status of the Cemetery and the procedures for a Veteran to be buried at the
site. We will also honor Dr. Booth for all the enormous support to veterans.
Tim is the sponsor of this guest speaker and Dr Booth.
c. March 20 th the Chapter will invite LTC Karen Van Houten, President
Eisenhower’s personal nurse to speak to our chapter about her very
interesting military career. Tim is the sponsor of this guest. BC-MOAA will
honor Viet Nam Gold Star Families.
d. April 17 Board Member Garrett Tirpak will present about the organization
called STARRS.
e. May 15 th USS Alabama presentation by the new Director. Tim will sponsor
this event.
f. June 19 th BCMOAA will sponsor a joint meeting with the Mobile and
Pensacola chapters. Chuck Cornwall will be the sponsor of this event. We
will try to get the Water Front Restaurant (formerly Forest Yacht Club), and
have US Congressman Berry Morre speak to us.
g. July 17 th State Senator Albritten (Tim)
h. August 21th Jason Beaman, Meteorologist – In – Charge, National Weather
Service in Mobile, update us on the status of the 2025 Hurricane Season
i. Sept 18 th Barrancas National Cemetery – (A presentation by Staff?) or ?
j. October 16 th Visit the Pensacola USN Museum (Carpool with lunch)

k. November will be the annual business meeting.
4. Discussion of other issues.
a. The Board to help locate VN Gold Star Families and set up presentation?
b. Surviving Spouses Co-Liaison Leaders. (Marcia Grifford and Gaynell
Dumas.)
c. The 2025 Borad unanimously voted Jerry Morrison as “Board Member
Emeritus.”

 BC-MOAA Surviving Spouse Liaison(s) – Recommended to the Board that they
ask Ms. Gaynell Dumas and Ms. Marcia Gifford to serve as the Surviving Spouse
Liaisons and as additions to the BC-MOAA Board of Directors

 Vietnam War POW Presentation: Shared with the Board the Vietnam War POW
Certificates of Honor and POW Lapel Pins. Advised the Board that the following
presentations will be made via U.S. Mail to:
Captain Dale Raebel: At the time when Capt. Raebel (Roadrunner) was shot
down and became a POW, our BC-MOAA Board member, Lt. David Schwartz
(Schmatzo), was a squadron mate and had flown combat missions with Capt.
Raebel. It was through David that we found out about Capt. Raebel.
Colonel Keith Lewis: After his military retirement, Colonel Lewis served for many
years on the Board of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs and was
instrumental in obtaining funding for the Veterans Cemetery at Spanish Fort.

 Vietnam War Gold Star Presentation to Families: Shared with the Board the
Certificates of Honor and Gold Star Lapel Pins for the families of the Vietnam
War relative KIA.
Sergeant Charles Sturma (KIA 9 MAR 1969) from Silverhill, AL
Corporal Jerome Collins (KIA 30 MAY 1969) from Magonia Springs, AL
Suggested to the Board that the two Gold Star family presentations be made at
the March BC-MOAA luncheon since our scheduled speaker is LTC Van Houter
who is also a Vietnam War veteran. It is my understanding that LTC Van Houter,
as a nurse, was stationed at a camp overrun by the Viet Cong during the Tet
Offensive.
 The Vietnam War Commemoration: Was to continue until November 11, 2025
(fifty years since the end of the war). However, the Biden DOD deleted funding in

the 2025 NDAA for the Vietnam War Commemoration, even though Biden had
signed a proclamation and the program was originally to continue until November
11, 2025. The Biden DOD ordered the Commemoration to “stand down” as of
December 31, 2024. The Commemoration transferred all military personnel prior
to December 31, 2024, plus phasing out, prior to March 2025, all other personnel
and material.
The Commemoration initiated and sent a supply of material to BC-MOAA in
December 2024.
 The Baldwin County MOAA Board of Directors will need to decide IF to proceed
with this program and HOW to proceed with this highly visible program until
November 11, 2025, as a chapter project?
5. The meeting adjourned. Next meeting will be Mar. 20, 2025

March 28, 2024:

BC-MOAA Board Meeting

1. Thank you all for coming today and volunteering your time. We will try to keep it short.
a. Chuck Cornwall, Sid Vogel, Jim Parnell, Tim Russell, Dennis Koppersmith, Tara Morrison, Jerry Morrison, David Swartz, and Roy Scheffel. Missing were Jack Dwyer and Garret Tirpak.
2. Old Business
a. Jerry Morrison update on the Honor Guard Grant. Jerry briefed on the work he has accomplished in trying to obtain grants from MOAA National for our Chapter’s proposed events. In particular, the Board has agreed to try to get a MOAA grant to assist the Honor Guard in obtaining more community awareness of their activities. The Honor Guard will develop a brochure for distribution throughout the County.
Jerry provided each of the Board members a detailed packet of information about MOAA Charities and Community outreach grants. He also provided us a recommendation to update our Webpage, which is critical if we are to compete for a grant. Chuck reached out to Ken Cooper who has agreed to take responsibility for the webpage for the Chapter.
3. Discuss the plans, programs and speakers for 2024
a. April 18 – Dennis Koppersmith (US Flags) Dennis has organized a meeting with the attendance of the local JROTC Cadets who will be our guests at the meeting to demonstrate the proper history and display of the National Flag. Major Abston, a retired AF office is responsible for the JROTC delegation and will attend the meeting as well.
b. May 16 – EMA Director (Dennis) Dennis confirmed the Baldwin County EMA Director will make a presentation concerning Emergency Management in the County to the Chapter.
c. June 20 – Joint meeting with Mobile?
i. Need to coordinate this with Mobile. Mobile is responsible for the event this year, and we are awaiting details from their chapter.
ii. Dennis has contacted the Mobile Chapter and is working on the details.
d. July 18 – Foley World War II Commemorative City (Tim). Foley World War II Commemorative City. The City of Foley has been determined to be a WWII Commemorative City, one of only 11 cities in the USA to be so honored. At this point we are planning a July 18 program at the Gift horse where we will honor the city. Tim Russell has the lead on this event. We expect this to be the full program for July 18.
e. Aug 15 – Col Dave Mollahan, (USMC, Ret), President, Marion Military Institute (MMI). It has been recommended that Col Mollahan be invited to speak to our chapter. Chuck has responsibility for coordinating this visit. (This presentation may move to September or October)
f. Sep 19 – 9/11 Program. Sid did not remember a making a proposal for this meeting concerning 9-11. However, Sid will look to provide a suitable meeting for this date and will report out when he has a speaker identified.
g. Oct 17 –
h. Nov21 – Business Meeting
i. Dec – No Meeting
4. New Business
a. BC-MOAA Web-Site. We have a tentative agreement from Ken that he will take charge of this responsibility.
b. Liability Insurance. Dennis reported that we now have new liability insurance for the Chapter, and it is starting today.
c. The State Council has asked our chapter to sponsor the state meeting. Requirements, dates, and place are not confirmed at this point, Chuck will contact the council president to determine the requirements before we make a firm commitment to host the event.
5. Thank you all, again for serving.
a. Next Board Meeting – May 16
b. Adjourn Meeting
 
 
 

Jan 16, 2025;

BC-MOAA Board Meeting

  • 1. Chuck Cornwall called the meeting to order at the Gift Horse restaurant.
  • 2. Jerry is still working to find Gold Star families from the Vietnam War era that the Club can honor. As family members are found we will attempt to bring them to our meetings to honor them and provide them with a memorial pins. Jerry asked the members to take responsibility for finding family members that can be honored by Baldwin County MOAA due to their Service Men who died during the Vietnam Conflict
  • 3. We discussed the upcoming events and the November Business meeting.
    • a. The Jan 16 meeting had Col Mollohan from Marion Military Institute speak. Dennis is the sponsor for this meeting. His discussion of the Institute was very interesting and informative.
    • b. February 20 the Chapter will invite the Director of the Veteran’s Cemetery in Spanish Fort and Director Joe Bussehill to speak to our members about the status of the Cemetery and the procedures for a Veteran to be buried at the site. We will also honor Dr. Booth for all the enormous support to veterans. Tim is the sponsor of this guest speaker and Dr Booth.
    • c. March 20th the Chapter will invite LTC Karen Van Houten, President Eisenhower’s personal nurse to speak to our chapter about her very interesting military career. Tim is the sponsor of this guest. BC-MOAA will honor Viet Nam Gold Star Families.
    • d. April 17 Board Member Garrett Tirpak will present about the organization called STARRS.
    • e. May 15th USS Alabama presentation by the new Director. Tim will sponsor this event.
    • f. June 19th BCMOAA will sponsor a joint meeting with the Mobile and Pensacola chapters. Chuck Cornwall will be the sponsor of this event. We will try to get the Water Front Restaurant (formerly Forest Yacht Club), and have US Congressman Berry Morre speak to us.
    • g. July 17th State Senator Albritten (Tim)
    • h. August 21th Jason Beaman, Meteorologist – In – Charge, National Weather Service in Mobile, update us on the status of the 2025 Hurricane Season
    • i. Sept 18th Barrancas National Cemetery – (A presentation by Staff?) or ?
    • j. October 16th Visit the Pensacola USN Museum (Carpool with lunch)
    • k. November will be the annual business meeting.
  • 4. Discussion of other issues.
    • a. The Board to help locate VN Gold Star Families and set up presentation?
    • b. Surviving Spouses Co-Liaison Leaders. (Marcia Grifford and Gaynell Dumas.)
    • c. The 2025 Borad unanimously voted Jerry Morrison as “Board Member Emeritus.”
    • · BC-MOAA Surviving Spouse Liaison(s) – Recommended to the Board that they ask Ms. Gaynell Dumas and Ms. Marcia Gifford to serve as the Surviving Spouse Liaisons and as additions to the BC-MOAA Board of Directors
    • · Vietnam War POW Presentation: Shared with the Board the Vietnam War POW Certificates of Honor and POW Lapel Pins. Advised the Board that the following presentations will be made via U.S. Mail to:
    • Captain Dale Raebel: At the time when Capt. Raebel (Roadrunner) was shot down and became a POW, our BC-MOAA Board member, Lt. David Schwartz (Schmatzo), was a squadron mate and had flown combat missions with Capt. Raebel. It was through David that we found out about Capt. Raebel.
    • Colonel Keith Lewis: After his military retirement, Colonel Lewis served for many years on the Board of the Alabama Department of Veterans Affairs and was instrumental in obtaining funding for the Veterans Cemetery at Spanish Fort.
    • · Vietnam War Gold Star Presentation to Families: Shared with the Board the Certificates of Honor and Gold Star Lapel Pins for the families of the Vietnam War relative KIA.
    • Sergeant Charles Sturma (KIA 9 MAR 1969) from Silverhill, AL
    • Corporal Jerome Collins (KIA 30 MAY 1969) from Magonia Springs, AL
    • Suggested to the Board that the two Gold Star family presentations be made at the March BC-MOAA luncheon since our scheduled speaker is LTC Van Houter who is also a Vietnam War veteran. It is my understanding that LTC Van Houter, as a nurse, was stationed at a camp overrun by the Viet Cong during the Tet Offensive.
    • · The Vietnam War Commemoration: Was to continue until November 11, 2025 (fifty years since the end of the war). However, the Biden DOD deleted funding in
    • the 2025 NDAA for the Vietnam War Commemoration, even though Biden had signed a proclamation and the program was originally to continue until November 11, 2025. The Biden DOD ordered the Commemoration to “stand down” as of December 31, 2024. The Commemoration transferred all military personnel prior to December 31, 2024, plus phasing out, prior to March 2025, all other personnel and material.
    • The Commemoration initiated and sent a supply of material to BC-MOAA in December 2024.
    • · The Baldwin County MOAA Board of Directors will need to decide IF to proceed with this program and HOW to proceed with this highly visible program until November 11, 2025, as a chapter project?

5. The meeting adjourned. Next meeting will be Mar. 20, 2025