Friday, June 14, 2013

Memorial Day 2013

Here are a few Memorial Day 2013 photos from the members of the Potomac Chapter of the Gold Star Wives of America:

Potomac Chapter member Angie Gittles with her fiance, Jeff Ashmore, at Rolling Thunder.
Potomac Chapter members Edie Smith and Rose Lee with Gold Star Wives of America National President Jeanette Early at the National Memorial Day concert.

Potomac Chapter members Edie Smith and Rose Lee at the National Memorial Day concert.

Potomac Chapter Member Rose Lee at the National World War II Memorial. 
Potomac Chapter member Rose Lee at the National World War II Memorial.

Window art honoring LtCol Joseph Fenty, USA and Capt. Phillip Esposito, USA, the respective late husbands of Potomac Chapter members Kristen Fenty and Siobhan Esposito. 

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Gold Star Wives' Memorial Day 2012 Photos

Memorial Day is a sacred national holiday, and all the more so for the members of the Potomac Chapter of Gold Star Wives as we remember the service and valor of our nation's fallen heroes.

Below are some of our chapter member's photos from the 2012 Memorial Day weekend.


Rolling Thunder celebrated its twenty-fifth anniversary this year. Pictured above is Potomac Chapter Gold Star Wife Angie Gittles and friend Willie at one of the several staging areas for the famous motorcycle ride to our nation's capital.


At Emerald Isle, North Carolina, Potomac Chapter Secretary Susan Percy participated in a ceremony dedicating a new memorial in honor of America's veterans. Susan's participation in this event was covered in The Jacksonville Daily News and on TV station WITN.

Speaking of the service of her late husband, Lt. Cmdr. Bart Creed, Susan remarked "If we don’t remember the sacrifice, we’ll lose what they sacrificed for."




Pictured above is Memorial chairman Bernie Whalley, the lead organiser of the monument project, and Potomac Chapter Gold Star Wife Susan Percy. According to Whalley, "There's a lot of husbands and wives and sons and daughters and aunts and uncles that have given so much to this country, they've given us something that people yet unborn will one day appreciate."


  
Memorial Day is about honoring the lives of those who died in service of our nation. At Arlington National Cemetery, surviving spouses, mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, sons and daughters, all came to honor and cherish the memory of those who fought and died to ensure the survival of our nation.

Pictured above on Memorial Day is the final resting place of Army Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Fenty, husband of Potomac Chapter member Kristen Fenty and father of their daughter Lauren Fenty. Much of our chapter's recent legislative advocacy has centered upon securing the survivor benefits that Joseph and our other fallen heroes earned by virtue of their service to our nation. 

May we always remember the gravity of the sacrifice of all our fallen heroes, and choose to rededicate ourselves in continued support of their survivors.    

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Potomac Chapter's Gold Star Wives Visit the Armed Forces Retirement Home

On Monday, several members of the Potomac Chapter of the Gold Star Wives visited the Armed Forces Retirement Home in Washington, DC. This event was organized by Potomac Chapter member, Helga Knapp and included chapter members Eva Golleher, Lemel Studevent and Hildegard Hatcher. The chapter members distributed gift bags consisting of socks, cookies and chocolates to the residents. In addition, the Gold Star Wives presented a check for $500 to the retirement home for the benefit of the residents.


 From left to right: Eva Golleher, Lemel Studevent, Hildegard Hatcher, Steven Briefs and Helga Knapp.


Potomac Chapter's Gold Star Wives Visit DC's VA Nursing Home

Last week, several members of the Potomac Chapter of the Gold Star Wives visited the VA Nursing Home here in Washington DC to meet with the residents and offer them our friendship and support.


From left to right:  Helga Knapp, Stephanie Burns (Director for Volunteers at the VA Medical Center), Siobhan Esposito, Ella Delisio, Karen Butler (Programs Clerk at the VA Medical Center) and Hildegard Hatcher.

This event was organized by Potomac Chapter member Ella Delisio and included chapter members Helga Knapp and Hildegard Hatcher. In addition to meeting with the veterans, our chapter members passed out gift certificates to the veterans and made a $500 donation to the retirement home in furtherance of its mission. 


Wednesday, May 2, 2012

Bob Geiger: 'The Disgrace of War Widows Fighting for Benefits'

Author Bob Geiger reports on Potomac Chapter member Kristen Fenty's 'Widow's Tax' advocacy at The Huffington Post.

Here's an excerpt:
Kristen Fenty knows a thing or two about pain and struggle.
Like all Gold Star Wives -- women whose spouses have died or been killed while on active duty in the U.S. military -- she has learned to live with the grief of losing her life partner, the disintegration of the life she imagined and, like so many war widows, the burden of instantly becoming a single parent and shepherding a child through the loss of her father.
What Kristen Fenty didn't expect was six years of getting raked over bureaucratic coals in simply trying to receive and keep the benefits to which surviving military families are entitled. . .
Please read the full story here.


Also, I strongly encourage all our chapter members to comment on this story at the Huffington Post website. It's quick, easy, and a great way to let readers (and congressional leaders) know that there is deep public support for seeing this issue resolve in favor of surviving spouses.

You can comment about your own personal story, share the story of someone you know, or just give a simple "thumbs up."

Also, please consider forwarding this story on to friends and family. The more people who know about this injustice and are willing to take action to change it, the more likely Congress will act to pass this much-deserved reform.
and family. The more people who are know about this injustice and are willing to take action to change it, the more likely Congress will act to pass this much-deserved reform.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

I, too, support the resolution crafted by Edie, Rose and Siobhan! 

A New Resolution for Gold Star Wives

I am pleased to add my support to a resolution Potomac Chapter members Rose Lee and Edie Smith plan to introduce at the Gold Star Wives Middle Atlantic Region Conference coming up this weekend (text below).

Speaking for myself, new media will be an important aspect of the future success of Gold Star Wives. We must fully embrace it, or our organization will fade. The old, static model has come and went. We must be willing to grow, and we must have the freedom to exercise our good judgement in doing so.

I think the proposal below is an excellent start, and I'm proud to stand behind it.



Gold Star Wives of America
 Middle Atlantic Region Conference
April 28, 2012

RESOLUTION

STANDING RULES:
RELATED TO CHAPTERS, #1

Submitted by Rose Lee, Edie Smith, Siobhan Esposito

WHEREAS, Gold Star Wives Standing Rule #1, states: 
1.   A Chapter Assistance Packet will be sent to prospective chapters by the Chapter/Region Liaison Chair.  This packet contains policies, procedures, and necessary information concerning report forms and required filing dates.  Region Presidents and new chapters are to review the Chapter Assistance Packet for detailed instructions and current forms to be followed in forming a new chapter. (2003, 2011)
WHEREAS,  Gold Star Wives information is not widely distributed.  GSW policies, procedures, and necessary information concerning report forms and required filing dates should be posted on GSW National website, to include GSW most recent Constitution, Bylaws, and Standing Rules and other policies. 
WHEREAS,  Gold Star Wives policies need to incorporate a GSW formal technology plan that would take into account both GSW’s need to protect its brand with its decentralized, chapter-based structure.  That is to say, there should be common-sense guidelines established, for example guidelines for logo use, no vulgarity, no stand on political elections, no stand on issues unrelated to GSW’s declared mission.  Beyond that, chapters should otherwise be left free to implement their own technology solutions and left free to use and adapt new technology as their independent judgment demands.   
WHEREAS,  These are documents crucial to our organization and they should be freely disseminated; further, will help cost effectiveness, rather than paying for stationery and postage, except where it’s necessary to mail to those without access to computers. 
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED,
1)    
a)   A Chapter Assistance Packet shall be posted on GSW National website, as well as be made easily available for those who do not have access to computers.  The Chapter Assistance Packet shall contain all of GSW’s policies, procedures, and necessary information concerning report forms and required filing dates relevant for GWS chapters.   
b)   A Chapter Assistance Packet for New Chapters shall be posted on GSW National website as well as be made easily available for those who do not have access to computers.    The Chapter Assistance Packet for New Chapters shall contain all policies, instructions and current forms to be followed in forming a new chapter, and Region Presidents and new chapter leaders shall be provided the Chapter Assistance Packet as necessary to facilitate the creation of new GSW chapters.
c)   GSW’s Constitution, Bylaws, and Standing Rules shall be posted on GSW National website, as well as be made available at a nominal charge for those who do not have access to computers. The charge for paper copies of these documents may include the reasonable cost of reproduction and postage for mailing, but shall not include any additional surcharge.
d)   GSW shall adopt a formal Internet technology plan and publish this plan on GSW National website, to include guidelines for the use of GSW’s logo and other intellectual properties, a prohibition against vulgarity, a prohibition against public stands on political elections, and a prohibition against public stands on issues unrelated to GSW’s declared mission.  Beyond the guideposts illustrated above, chapters shall be left free to implement their own technology solutions as they deem necessary and left free to use and adapt new technology as the independent judgment of their officers’ demand.