Area Gardening will be Discussed at the March 14th Meeting

The Brunswick Town Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will hold their March 14, 2012 meeting at Trinity United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall on 209 East Nash Street, Southport, NC. Please bring items for the Crossnore Resale to the meeting. The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m. The Program is “Area Gardening,” and the guest speaker is Kathy Fitzgerald. Kathy and her husband, Tim, own Fitzgerald’s Gardening of Oak Island, NC.

The Brunswick Town Chapter was started in 1976. Brunswick Town Chapter takes part in other celebrations, which includes the naturalization program and a flag retirement ceremony. The new citizens are welcomed with flags and gifts. Our chapter supports the veterans with many activities, and the members continue to show strong support for our military. We work closely with our communities, DAR schools, neighborhood schools and the Literacy Council. We give out Good Citizens and JROTC awards. We have scholarship and essay contests, and we have Native American projects. We constantly help with the education of our citizens to learn more about our patriots, our government, our Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. We publish a chapter newsletter and pamphlet. We have a chapter website http://www.ncdar.org/brunswicktownchapter.htm which is linked to our chapter blog: http://darbrunswicktownchapter.blogspot.com// Anyone interested in finding out more about joining the DAR should visit the sites to see what it is all about. You can also phone our registrar Jackie Craft at (910) 755-7563.

Our Little Tugboat Will Be Missed

Our little tugboat captured by Phyllis Wilson.

The Valley Forge, a 1950s-era fire tugboat stationed at Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point, is up for public auction after being decommissioned last year. Joe Beckley, an engineer on the tug for ten years, gives a tour of the boat before it went up for sale on February 2, 2012. Click on video below.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20ijyNopWfI&list=UU_k5Smw62uIqpflSL47pKTw&index=7&feature=plcp(YouTube video and information supplied by Terry Pope of The State Port Pilot in Southport, NC.

The Valley Forge firefighting tugboat was bought by a Virginia man who sinks boats for a living. But the tug's new life away from the U.S. Army won't be at the bottom of the sea, said Capt. Tim Mullane, its purchaserInstead, the boat will be put to work towing concrete, metal railing and other boats to destinations all along the East Coast so they can be sunk to create artificial reefs.

For all of us who were sad to see out tugboat go to sale, will be happy to know that Military Ocean teminal Sunny Point has already purchased a replacement tugboat that will be used in this year's Naturalization Ceremony. This will be the 16th year that the tug has been participating in the ceremony.

February 2012 DAR meeting

Click on the photo and it will take you to a slideshow
of The Veteran's Hospital in Fayetteville, NC.



Ella Maugans, DAR co-chair of the DAR Service to Veterans was the guest speaker at the February 8th meeting which was held at the United Methodist Church in Southport, NC. Be sure to look at part of the slide presentation that Ella showed during the meeting.

Ella Maugans, co chair of DAR Service to Veterans

Dawn Schulte, future DAR member keeps
her young son, Douglas Schulte-Hock occupied
while she listens to the program on The Veteran's
Hospital.DAR member, Ann Warren looks on in
the background.

DAR Insignia



Pins and ribbons can  be purchased from the Hamilton Jewelers or the Office of the Organizing Secretary General. This photograph was taken a few years ago, so the current prices may be different than what is listed above. Call Jackie Craft, our insignia chair at 910-755-7563 if you have any questions.

DAR Insignia was designed by Dr. George Brown Goode and was adopted by the National Board of Management on May 26, 1891.  The Insignia represents the objects of the DAR:  education, history, and patriotism.

The spinning wheel symbolizes the home, the foundation of the nation.  Home is where learning and education begin; the stars represent the thirteen original states and signify our nation’s history.  The rim of the spinning wheel is an endless circle.  We think of this as the necessity for patriotism that must never end if we are to preserve democracy for all time; the star for the first of the thirteen states is in the exact center of the top of the rim.  The stars continue around the circle clockwise in the order of the entrance of the states into the Union.  This information is an excerpt by Ann Cranford, a member of our Chapter, from an article written by Jane Ewing Barrow, National Insignia Chairman in 1967.

 If you are a new member – where do I begin?  Most new members start with the basic insignia which consists of the official insignia, chapter bar and ancestor bar.  These pins will be automatically mounted on the ribbon for you. 

You can order the state pin of your original ancestor’s service and also your membership state which is North Carolina.

Pins may be ordered from Hamilton Jewelers or the Office of the Organizing Secretary General.  The OSG will verify the DAR service and forward your order to Hamilton.  Or you can call Hamilton via phone 800-786-5890 or online at www.hamiltoninsignia.com .

Placement of your pins on the official ribbon (which should not exceed 14 inches in length) should be placed on the left shoulder, starting at the shoulder seam.  You begin with the highest office at the top of the ribbon and ending with the official insignia at the bottom of the ribbon over your heart.

Pins should be worn at DAR functions.  Not in restaurants, lounges or other public places unless a DAR function is taking place.

The DAR Insignia may also be placed on the grave of a DAR Daughter.

You can go online to http://members.dar.org and on the right side of the page you will see Insignia, click on that and it takes you to the Insignia site.  You will find more information plus a Q&A that is very informative.

If you have questions please email or call me on craftusa2@yahoo.com or 910-755-7563.

posted by Jackie Craft
Insignia Chair

February 8th DAR Meeting

Veteran's Hospital in Fayetteville, NC

The Brunswick Town Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution will hold their Wednesday, February 8, 2012 meeting at Trinity United Methodist Church Fellowship Hall on 209 East Nash Street, Southport, NC. The guest speakers will be Jerry Odom and Ella Ruth Maugans Chairmen of DAR Serrvice for Veterans.They will be speaking about Service for Veterans. The meeting will begin at 10:00 a.m.

Under Blog Archive click on August and view the newly added list of books in our DAR Library posted by librarian, Susan Hadenchuk.

Get back to Brunswick Town Chapter website: http://www.ncdar.org/brunswicktownchapter.htm

70th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor

  

As the commemorative Events chair for our DAR chapter,  I had asked the members to submit information about any relatives they had lost during World War II and also to share any remembrances of family member comments about the war. After reviewing the submissions I decided to present additional  information about the  "70th Anniversary of Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941."

The Pearl Harbor Naval Base, Hawaii, was attacked by Japanese torpedo and bomber planes on December 7, 1941, at 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time. The sneak attack sparked outrage in the American public, news media, government and the world. On December 8, President Franklin D. Roosevelt addressed the American Congress, and the nation, to detail the attack. He began:""Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 -- a date which will live in infamy -- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan".  The United States was at peace with that nation and was still in conversation with its government and its emperor looking toward a solution of peace in the Pacific.
 One hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack. In that address, the president asked Congress to pass a declaration of war. Congress obliged, voted and passed the U.S. Declaration of War on Japan, on the same day. That was America's formal entry into World War II ." ( If you click on the words in blue it will take you to the website for additional information.)

During the January DAR meeting, I focused on the stories that our chapter members submitted about their families and what they remembered about the effects of the Pearl Harbor Attack and the war that ensued after that attack.  James R. Hunt, Bonnie Becmer's uncle, died from wounds received in a WW II battle in France, 1944.  Not much was known about his death but after researching the American Battle Monuments Commission, caretakers of all the military cemeteries, Ron Eckard, my husband, discovered James' story.  Ron's great uncle also died in France and since he gained a great deal of information about his uncle by reviewing the commission's web site he wanted to see if there was any information on Bonnie’s uncle and also to see if Bonnie's uncle and his were in the same division. Bonnie will eventually receive a large lithographic picture of the cross bearing James R. Hunt's name with the cemetery showing in the background.  Also, she will receive the military file (if it exists) of her uncle since she followed up and submitted the proper papers.

Below is some information if you would like to research a member of your family and receive their  Individual Deceased Personnel File, IDPF and if you would like any additional research information concerning this important event could contact Norma Eckard normaron@mindspring.com  or Bonnie Becmer bbecmer@seatrail.net .

Posted by Norma Eckard, Commemorative Events Chair

Norma Eckard and Bonnie Becmer