Eight members of the SGT Alvin C York Chapter met at VFW 4848 for a 10 March regular meeting. Andy Forrester read the minutes for December and February. There was no meeting in January due to scheduling problems. Roger Taylor reported that after sending a check for $250 to the 82nd Airborne Division Chaplain's Fund we have $444 in the treasury. Roger said that our name tags were in the works. Roger and John Woodham announced that we plan a chapter fund raiser the 3rd weekend in April at the Gunbarrel Walmart. We will need chapter members to help us man the doors. John Woodham our Honor Guard commander announced a practice on Thursday March 19th at VFW 4848 beginning at 1800 hours. Andy Forrester informed the chapter that Al Conrad will be moving to Columbus GA where he has a military replica and diorama business. Andy told us that he will be attending a reunion of the 325th PIR at Myrtle Beach 8-12 April. Chairman Stephenson announced that BG Bob Woods a life member of the 82nd Association who lives in Rising Fawn, GA will be our guest speaker at our April 14th dinner meeting with wives at the Epicurean Restaurant, East Ridge, beginning at 1830 hours. All American Week at Fort Bragg 18-23 May will be the 50th anniversary of the Dominican Republic conflict. This year's national convention will be in Orlando, FL 12-15 August. It is the 75th anniversary of the Airborne birthday and the forming of the airborne platoon.
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On Tuesday evening February 10th Four Members of the Chapter met at the VFW 4848 Building. Roger Taylor presented a financial report from September 2014 until the present. The report showed a balance of $694.12 in our treasury. The report revealed we gave a check for $250 to Andrew Smith for his Wounded Warrior project Honoring the Sacrifice. We paid for 4 meals and gave a tip of $50 for our Christmas Dinner servers.
Roger also reported on our memberships. State we had 28 members as of February 2015. Renewed memberships for Vic Irvin and Irv Boatwright. Need DD214s for Doug McLain, Ed Reivley and Terona Chivers. Roger Taylor is now a life member. John Woodham our Honor Guard Commander stated we needed another practice whenever the weather permitted. John Woodham also said we needed to do another Fund Raiser. Hopes to have one over weekend the end of March or the first of April at a Walmart Brainerd Road. Doug Stephenson looked ahead at the chapter calendar: 14 April meeting is a dinner and we will look to invite a speaker from ATL like Ed Howard. First week in April are the Atlanta Airborne Awards. May 1st is the Chattanooga Military Parade. We plan to participate. May 20th is Armed Forces Day. Chairman will participate in the Walker County Commemoration at Chuck Clements place Cagle Road. Picnic to feed thousand veterans. Our chapter has been invited to participate in the Soddy Daisy Military Parade on the 4th of July. Andy Forrester missed the meeting due to caring for his father at the nursing home. Raymond Weaver missed due to medical tests. 
The Sgt Alvin C York Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association meet on Tuesday evening 14 October 2014 at 1900 hours at the VFW 4848 in Chattanooga, Tennessee with 6 in attendance. Andy Forrester reported on his trip to Fort Benning, GA to meet with elements of the followoing 82nd chapters: Vulcan Chapter, Huntsville, AL and the Acadia Chapter, LA. During the Airborne 5000 demonstration Andy got to jump out of the 34 foot tower. John Woodham, our Vice Chairman, gave us a history lesson on the design and development of the Jump Boot [see photo above]. John our Honor Guard Commander announced that we will hold live fire practice at VFW 4848 on Thursday 25 October at 1800 hours. Raymond Weaver, the Chair of the Nominating Committee along with Irv Boatwright and Terona Chivers, stated that the slate of officers for the new year are the same as last year. We will need to have a new trustee to be nominated and elected.
 The Alvin C York Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association met at VFW 4848 on Tuesday evening beginning at 1910 hours with nine (9) members in attendance. Following the pledge of allegiance and invocation Chairman Doug Stephenson shared concerning his attendance at the National Convention in Springfield, MO 21-23 August. Doug stated that the National Board made the difficult decision to stop sending the paper copy of the ParaGlide. The magazine will be available ONLY online. This move will save the National HQ at least $16,000 per quarter. He reported that a six (6) new national directors were selected and a new president had been selected by the twelve (12) National Directors: Allen Schoppe former national treasurer from the Houston Texas chapter. Minutes were read by secretary Andy Forrester for past three months. Treasurer's report was given by Roger Taylor. He reported that we have $1167.12 in our treasury. He will send $250 to the Andrew Smith Wounded Warrior Fund and $250 to the 82nd Airborne Chaplains Fund. Andy Forrester reported that five different chapters are sending representatives to Fort Benning, GA during the period 17-20 September. Activities include veiwing a jump into Fryar DZ; pinning on wings at graduation; brief from the 507th Airborne Battalion commander and much more. John Woodham reported on our Honor Guard. He stated we have had one practice and plan another practice on Thursday, 25 Sept at 1830 hours in the lot behind VFW 4848. Armorer Roger Taylor reported that he has seven (7) M-1's with adapters which are operational. Secretary Andy Forrester reported that rats had destroyed our ACY Chapter Flag. We voted to purchase a new flag through national for $125 ASAP. The banner will be needed at the Veteran's Day ceremony 11 November 2014 at our Chattanooga National Cemetery. Chairman Stephenson appointed Raymond Weaver as Chair of the Nominating Committee, and asked him to recruit 2 or 3 other members to come up with a slate of new officers for the new year.
 On Tuesday 12 August 2014 the Alvin C York Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Association gathered at the Collegedale City Pavillon for their Annual Summer Picnic for members and family. The picnic menu featured hamburgers and hotdogs plus homemade potato salad prepared by Judy Stephenson, Chairman Doug Stephenson's wife. Donations were received in the amount of $90 to assist our Chairman, Doug Stephenson to attend the National Convention in Springfield, Missouri, 21 - 23 August 2014. Steve Huff who met Andy Forrester at our 4th of July Fund Raiser at the Walmart in Ooltewah made an appearance to meet and greet some of our paratroopers. Steve served with the 75th Ranger Regiment out of Ft Benning, Columbus, GA. Our treasurer Roger Taylor sold several tickets for a chance to win the Paratrooper Afghan created by Karen Murphy at the December Christmas Dinner 9 December 2014 at a restaurant TBD.
 Afghan To Be Raffled For Chapter Finances Nineteen people gathered at the Epicurean Restaurant on Tuesday evening, April 8th at 1900 hours. LTC Larry McDaris, airborne ranger, US Army Retired, and Viet Nam Veteran, was our special guest speaker. Larry is the Director of Bradley County - Cleveland Veteran's Service Office. In this position he assists over 300 veterans and their family members with VA related issues each month. Andy Forrester reported on a trip to Ft Benning GA to participate in the Airborne 5000 demonstration on Friday April 3rd with his wife Emily and Doug McLain and his daughter Kay. John Woodham our historian gave an interesting history lesson on the Russian Army paratrooper program which began back in 1935. Chairman Stephenson announced that we will be participating in the Chattanooga Armed Forces Parade on Friday, May 2nd beginning at 10:30 hours. Andy Forrester displayed the Airborne Afghan [lap blanket] a friend of his is making to raffle off to raise funds for our chapter finances. [See the photo album]
 Band of Brothers Veteran William Guarnere Dies at 90 Nine of us gathered at VFW 4848 Tuesday evening, March 11th, for our regular meeting of the Alvin C York Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Association, Chattanooga, Tennessee. We discussed a fund raiser for our chapter at either the Brainerd and or the Ooltewah Walmarts during the period 15 March to 4 July. Proceeds from this fund raiser is to help provide 82nd Airborne Association medals for deserving JROTC cadets in the area of Academics and Leadership. We will need everyone to come and help us to man tables and to meet and greet the public and recruit other airborne qualified veterans for the chapter.
We also discussed forming an Honor Guard to conduct funerals for airborne veterans. Chairman Stephenson will still awaiting word from Bryan Hall Jackson of the LaFayette American Legion about the transfer of 9 M-1 rifles for use with our newly organized and trained Honor Guard. We have determined that the best place to secure these weapons is either the Armory at the Holzclaw Ave. Reserve Center or in a police department arms room. Accessibility on a short notice is of utmost importance. Going to Ft Campbell to receive training in Honor Guard duties is still an option for us but we have several men within the chapter who can train us up for this Honor Guard mission. Chairman Stephenson announced that the location for our April 8th dinner is the Epicurean Restaurant on Ringgold Road at 1900 hours. Larry McDaris from the Cleveland Bradley County Veterans Service Center will be our guest speaker. Larry is both Ranger and Airborne qualified. He is an advocate for veterans and their families with VA issues. Our chapter decided that we would participate in the May 2nd Armed Forces Parade in Chattanooga. We will march but we will not participate in the banquet following. Due to the hot weather the uniform for this event will not be the dress uniform but a modified casual uniform with polo shirt and kakhai pants and jump boots. We also determined we need a new banner with logo to accompany our color guard. Chairman Doug and Terona Chivers whose relative runs a banner and trophy shop will check on the price of acquiring a new banner / logo. At the end of the meeting we all observed a moment of silence to honor the memory of an Airborne Veteran who recently died, William Guarnere, one of the Band of Brothers.  CPL RUDY HERNANDEZ, MEDAL OF HONOR AWARDEE [http://www.fayobserver.com/military/article_40d817c4-1cab-56be-bb92-6b73217257b8.html].  LUIS VELEZ, 504TH AIRBORNE INFANTRY, DECEASED ACY Chapter met Tuesday night February 11th with nine [9] in attendance. In spite of threatening snow storm we had very good participation. At the end of the meeting we gave a silent tribute to a couple of fallen airborne colleagues. Luis Velez a member of our local chapter and Rudy Hernandez a member of the Fort Bragg chapter
The chapter approved the expenditure of around $250 to purchase Leadership and Academic Awards for the JROTC units in the greater Chattanooga area. We discussed training for an Honor Guard for Airborne Veteran funerals. Roger Taylor is going to check with Fort Campbell and arrange a time when we can send members of our chapter to become proficient in serving as an Honor Guard. We also encourage as many members of our chapter who can attend community veteran and military events to do so. Our chapter needs the exposure. We need everyone in the chapter to be a personal recruiter of new members. Chairman Stephenson will check on a restaurant for the April 8 Dinner and Speaker meeting. The two restaurants are the Epicurean and the Acropolis. We would like for Lee Mize from Alabama to be our speaker for this event.  ACY CHAPTER WITH SPECIALIST ANDREW SMITH The Alvin C York Chapter of the 82nd Airborne Division Association celebrated their annual Christmas Dinner and Installation of Officers for 2014 at the Mt. Vernon Restaurant Tuesday evening 10 December 2013 beginning at 1830 hours. Specialist Andrew T Smith, wounded warrior from the 82nd Airborne Division, was the special guest speaker. Tori his supportive wife was also our special guest. Former Chairman Douglas McLain led the installation of the 2014 Officers. Paul Harwart provided the closing Christmas devotional and benediction. At the close of the evening, our special guest Tori Smith, chose the winning raffle ticket from our limited edition print Paratroopers Answering the Call. Irvin Boatwright won the print and donated it to the Medal of Honor Museum here in Chattanooga, Tennessee. An amount of $82 was donated from our chapter funds for Specialist Smith to become a life member of the association. Two poinsettias were donated to the Smith's for their new home which was build by Operation Team Andrew in June and July of this year. Here is a list of the elected and installed officers for 2014:
SLATE OF ELECTED OFFICERS FOR 2014 CHAIRMAN : DOUGLAS STEPHENSON VICE-CHAIRMAN: JOHN WOODHAM SECRETARY: ANDY FORRESTER TREASURER: ROGER TAYLOR ONE YEAR TRUSTEE: PAUL HARWART TWO YEAR TRUSTEE: TERONA CHIVERS THREE YEAR TRUSTEE: IRVIN BOATWRIGHT SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: VICTOR IRVIN JUDGE ADVOCATE: JOE KOCHIS TWO YEAR TRUSTEE: TERONA CHIVERS THREE YEAR TRUSTEE: IRVIN BOATWRIGHT SERGEANT-AT-ARMS: VICTOR IRVIN JUDGE ADVOCATE: JOE KOCHIS |
AuthorDouglas Stephenson is a retired US Army Chaplain. LTC Stephenson served with the 82nd Airborne Division in the 2/504 Abn Inf and the 325 Abn Infantry. He is also a Special Forces qualified officer having served with the 5th SFG and with HQ, SF Command. Archives
March 2015
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