Happy 2025, I sincerely hope that everyone had a Joyous Holiday Season and that you're ready to hit deck running in this new year.

We have a change in our government and a location change for our annual conference.   I would ask that you keep our brothers and sisters in the Los Angeles area in your thoughts and prayers.  Please check on your friends and family as the impact of these fires touch many far and near.  Now more then ever is the time to support the goodwill and any organization that provides care and clothing for our fellow citizens who have lost everything.   
 
Great News...our Executive Director and his team, with your support, have designed a beautiful Global Wars on Terrorism Medallion. More to follow. Our Annual Conference is knocking on your door and I look forward to seeing you in Norfolk and hearing about the great things you and your chapters have accomplished. 

The NCOA is strong and only getting stronger!
​
Strength in Unity!®
​Garry A. McClure
FORCM, USN (Ret)
NCOA President

Rogue Chapter Chairman Terry Haines assisted by trustee David Haines presented a Korean Medallion to Air Force veteran Darrel Crain.
 
They also presented Vietnam Medallions to Army veteran Dennis Eubanks and Navy veteran Ken Earl.  All presentations took place at a veteran's breakfast in Medford, OR. 

On Monday, December 30, NCOA Board Member Sir Ted Pilihos presented 7 Vietnam Medallions to family and friends of Vietnam Veterans.  

NCOA EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S INSIGHTS
JANUARY 2025

​Happy New Year! Our theme for 2025 will continue, One Member at a Time. Each One Reach One. Our Membership Goal will be ....2025 New Members! Some of you may be asking yourselves, is that a typo, or did Joe drink too much eggnog for Christmas? LOL.
 
Neither is true. This is very achievable if all of us do our part. As I have repeated year after year, if each of us signs up at least one new member in any category we would blow that 2025 New Member number out of the water! I genuinely believe we can achieve that in short order. We will provide an update each month so everyone can see our progress. I am asking everyone to participate. Many hands make the load lighter!
 
When I tell people we represent the Total Force, they tend to ask, “how many members do you have?’ Our numbers do not reflect our representing the Total Force. We are well under 100,000 Members. You can help us fix this! All you need to do is get off the sidelines and act! You can help, whether you are affiliated with a chapter, a new member, or a Life member. 
 
Start by implementing your own Chapter Membership Drives and establish Incentives for those that sign up new members. A few chapters are already doing this; however, we need more chapters and those not assigned to a chapter to sign up new members. It doesn't matter if your chapter has 5 members or 500 members, your efforts still can make a difference. Host a “bring a friend” meeting. Encourage members to bring someone to see how your organization operates. Host a family-friendly event. Spouses, siblings, parents, and (grown-up) children are all potential members showing your organization is family-oriented and is a potential attracting point for new members! Additional information to follow via email and social media.

​Other Goals for 2025

• Learn and share information about our Association and the Benefits of joining (Visit www.ncoausa.org)
• Pledge to sign up and or sponsor at least 1 New Member in 2025
• Assist in supporting and promoting the War Recognition Medallion Program
• Start planning now to attend the 2025 NCOA Conference in Norfolk Va.
• Pledge to make at least a $1.00 donation to our Benevolent Funds Programs – Every Dollar Counts and Makes a Difference!! Consider donating and share the information with others:  https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/one-dollar-can-make-a-difference

From the Desk of the NCOA Chairman of the Board of Directors Robert Barnett

I hope that all of you had a wonderful Holiday season. Congratulations to the Navy Midshipman on their win in college football over the Army Golden Knights.

In January your Board of Directors will be finishing up changes to the NCOA Bylaws and Awards Manual. You can look for them to be posted on the website for your review, giving you the opportunity to provide comments. This will allow more time for review unlike in the past when changes were presented at the Annual Conference leaving members very little time to review these items before being asked to vote on changes. The Board does want your input so please take the time to read content and respond.

With the Annual Conference now just 195 days away, I hope you are making plans to
attend. For the first time, the Conference will be held in the Virginia Beach area which is
exciting. The NCOA Staff will be making a trip to the area in the spring looking for great
opportunities around the area to share with the rest of us.

As always, I am open to any questions you have about the Board. You can reach me
by email at [email protected].

Happy holidays to you and your families. However you celebrate the holiday season, I hope it brings comfort and calm. As we enjoy this time, I encourage you to keep in mind those who may be having a tough season. Every year, I drive around and hand out jackets to homeless individuals, along with a $10 gift card for a hot meal and coffee. Even small acts of kindness can make a difference for someone in need.

Recently, I joined our NCOA team at Arlington National Cemetery for a wreath-laying ceremony. Standing alongside other Military and Veteran Service Organizations, we honored those who came before us. It was a reminder of the strength and unity our community shares when we come together.
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Our work continues as we build on the NCOA mission. Please remember that our “Each One, Reach One” membership campaign runs until December 31. By bringing in just one new member, you’ll receive an NCOA Lapel Pin and help our organization grow stronger. Through our combined efforts, we can better serve our members, advocate for their needs, and keep our community moving forward into the new year.

​Thank you for being part of the NCOA, and best wishes for a peaceful holiday season.

​Garry A. McClure
FORCM, USN (Ret)
NCOA President

Rogue Chapter Chairman Terry Haines assisted by Trustee & Treasurer David Haines and member, Chaplain Norman Morgan, presented NCOA Vietnam War Medallions to Air Force veteran Carolyn Whitney, Army National Guard veteran Frank Helgeson, Army veterans Ben Stoner, Damiano Cusumano, John Trusty and Larry Hanlon, Marine veteran Dan Hayes and Navy veterans Russ Beem and Skip Welles. The presentations took place at the monthly veteran's breakfast in Grants Pass, OR. As a result of these presentations, we recruited 8 new members, 5 of which had received Medallions. 

Team NCOA!

This year is moving along at a fast pace! I hope you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Please take the time to celebrate with family and friends. Also, if you are able, reach out to someone that may be in need, especially during this Holiday Season.

NCOA is seeking design ideas for our next War Service Recognition Medallion - The Non Commissioned Officers Association Gulf War and Global War on Terrorism Medallion.

• All artwork must be original. Any submission that is not original artwork will be disqualified (copyright images, computer graphics, etc.).  
• All submissions must be in the format of a PDF or JPG. 
• All colors must be solid. 
• Contest will run from 1 November thru 31 December 2024. All entry submissions must be sent to [email protected].
• The Individual submitting the winning design will receive recognition on all NCOA social media pages and will receive the very first Medallion once designed.  In addition, the individual selected will receive a 2-year complimentary membership which can be transferred to someone else who is eligible to join. 
  
  

Fall Membership Challenge - One Member At A Time - Each One-Reach One! Challenge will run from 15 Oct - 31 Dec 2024.  Sign up a New Member and receive an NCOA Lapel Pin. Application with payment can be sent to NCOA Headquarters, Attn: Joe Terry. If an individual signs up online, we will need their name/sponsor to verify membership.
 
NCOA Chapter Start up - If you or someone you know in your area would like to consider starting up a chapter, please reach out to Ms. Tina Kish or myself and we will be more than happy to assist. It only takes 5 dedicated paid members to get a new chapter started. Email [email protected] or [email protected] for more information.

Consider supporting our Benevolent Funds Programs – Every Dollar Counts and can make a Difference!!!  https://www.zeffy.com/donation-form/one-dollar-can-make-a-difference.
 
As always, thank you for your part in helping us achieve our overall goal of being the Military Service Organization of Choice! One Member at a Time-Each One-Reach One!
 
Strength in Unity®

Joseph Terry, SGM, U.S. Army (Ret)
NCOA Executive Director
9330 Corporate Drive, Suite 708
Selma Texas. 78154

​Facebook: NCOA USA and NCOA Strength In Unity
INSTAGRAM: NCOA1960

Proud to have served. "REMEMBER."
​
I sincerely hope that you and your family enjoyed your Veterans Day and the weekend.  I spent Veterans Day with our Grand Knight Sir Scott Ytzen, Director of Government Affairs Levi Sadr, and some outstanding active duty service members from our Colorado Air Academy Chapter and North Carolina All American Chapter.  A huge thank you goes out for their support in laying the NCOA wreath and proudly carrying our Nation's Flag (CPL Chase Frick) and NCOA Flag (SSG Jarkeveous Williams) during the Veterans Day Ceremony Parade of Colors at Arlington National Cemetery. These young members are the future of our great organization.  Chapters, please be sure to share your Veterans Day experiences with our members via social media.

With Thanksgiving, Christmas, and the new year knocking on our door, I would like to ask that you take some time to think about some past and current friends that you served with and reach out to them just to wish them happy holidays.  Your call, text, or email could change or even save a life.  Please continue to share your chapters' best practices, they are great training tools for our new chapters and members.

Thanks for being a member of our outstanding organization.  Happy Thanksgiving!

Strength in Unity!®
Garry A. McClure
​FORCM, USN (Ret)
NCOA President

​Rogue Chapter Chairman Terry Haines presented WW2 Medallions to David Samples on behalf of his father, Navy veteran Charles Samples and Charles Facey on behalf of his uncles, Army veteran Ariel Facey, Navy veterans Thomas Beers and Willie Facey. He then presented a Korean Medallion to Charles Facey on behalf of his uncles, Army veterans Albert Facey and Eldon Bingham. All presentations took place at a Chamber of Commerce Greeters in Medford, OR.

​Story Credit - Zak Keeney for the Klamath Falls Herald and News
Klamath Falls, Oregon - In a ceremony nearly 60 years in the making, heroes in the truest sense of the word were finally welcomed home over the weekend.

“Good morning, Vietnam!” Retired Air Force Colonel Steve Harper’s voice boomed through Hancock Hall at the Klamath County Fairgrounds and Event Center.

At its height, more than 500,000 fighting men and women would hear that sign-on slogan played across the Armed Forces Network in Vietnam every morning at six a.m. while battling for South Vietnamese independence and the prevention of further communist spread in the region.

What would become America’s longest and most divisive military conflict, the Vietnam War is often reflected on with somber regret and considered a failure despite American troops winning every significant battle. Over 3.1 million US Armed Forces personnel were stationed in Vietnam, an estimated 25 percent of those being draftees, with 57,939 members either killed or missing as a result of the war.

But, on Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, 51 years after the end of US involvement, a gathering of more than 90 servicemen and women who’d seen the war firsthand, finally were given what many veterans of that era longed for: kindness and respect.

“These men and women never got the homecoming they deserved,” Non Commissioned Officers Association Command Chief and Master of Ceremonies Peter Gleason said. “This is something long overdue.”

For most, returning home from Vietnam was met with indifference, hostility and blame. These knightly men and women were often spat on and called baby killers. They were treated with coldness and hostility for doing what only 7 percent of all living Americans have done, serving their country.

“They (American citizens) weren’t too keen on us (Vietnam Veterans),” Doug Leehmann, a paratrooper in the conflict, said.

While attitudes toward the war have improved, many veterans of the era felt isolated and unheard, and while most of those veterans say they would never do it again, according to recent statistics, 90 percent say they are proud of their service.

“We saw you and still see you,” Klamath County Commissioner Derrick DeGroot said in a welcoming speech. “You are strong and you are courageous. You taught us what service and sacrifice means. You are our heroes. It’s definitely late, but welcome home. We are grateful that you all are here, and thank you.”

In an invitation to all Vietnam Veterans, The Klamath County Veterans Service Office and the Non-Commissioned Officers Association held a welcome home luncheon and ribbon ceremony.
The former Kingsley Field base commander and a Vietnam Veteran himself, Col. (Ret) Harper gave out what he described as a “well-earned piece of brass” to 90 service men and women that afternoon whose names were: Adolf, Gerald; Applegate, George; Ballard, Ronald; Brown, Bennett; Burrus, Dan; Caillouette, Courad; Campbell, Ronald; Cogdill, Bill; Crandry, Harry; Crowley, Ted; Dean, Gerald; Defransico, Nicholas; Depweg, David; Ebinger, Henry; Field, John; Flory, Gail; Frei, Warren; Garich, Homer; Garland, Fred; George, Jerry; Glick, Kirth; Gogo, William; Gogolin, Thomas; Grace, James; Gray, Charles; Gregory, Gray; Guerrero, Richard; Hansen, Norman; Harmon, James; Harper, Steve; Harper, Sherry; Haugen, Warren; Henslee, Joe; Hollinger, David; Holcomb, Ralph; Honish, Robert; Hoy, Chuck; Huseby, Ronald; Hutchin, Jerald; Icenbice, Kenneth; Ivie, Ray; Jameson, Phillip; Kelly, Michael; Kilpatrick, Earl; Krupnak, Walter; Leehman, Douglas; Liskey, Rocky; Lopez, Jesus; Macomber, Phil; Manard, Aldon; Mathews, Allen; Meek, Leon; Meredith, Robert; Mick, Robert; Morris William; Murphy, Ronald; Muzzey, Thomas; Nelson, Mike; Norlin, David; Newnham, Doris; Oosterman, Nicolas; Pattee, Roger; Quen, Benjamin; Ritter, Robert; Rhodes, George; Roberts, Dennis; Ronningen, Kenneth; Rott, Dave; Stembridge, Montie; Shaw, Robert; Smith, Larry; Smith, William; Stoke, Larry; Storey, Douglas; Thompson, Michael; Telle, Pete; Trumbly, Anthony; Tucker, Steven; Tyler, Roy; Van Buren, Phillip; VandeZandschulp, Conrad; Walbotn, Avery; Walters, James; Waters, Marell; West, Paul; Wheeler, Thomas.

“These are all a great bunch of guys (and gals). I’m proud to be in attendance with them,” 94-year-old veteran of Korea and Vietnam Earl Kilpatrick said.
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​The NCOA and A Bigger Foot Print and Vision.

I would like to share that my prayers have been going up for the many that have been affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.  Please keep lifting your prayers and supporting our friends, family and Chapter Members affected.

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Let's support the fight for a cure.

Our Membership drive is a key player in our future success as an organization.  Each person you meet is a potential future NCOA member if you just take the time to share your story and what the NCOA does for our members and everyday Americans.

Membership the lifeblood of OUR Association!

I would like to thank our Director of Government Affairs Levi Sadr and  Stephen Kingsley from the NCOA All American Chapter at Fort Liberty, NC, for joining me at the TAPS (Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors) 2nd Annual TAPS Gold Star Families Advocacy Week. Our support and footprint supporting TAPS and Gold Star family members speaks volumes for what we do as an organization.  It would be a great show of support if each chapter sponsored one or two chapter members from their chapters in support of this advocating event next year. Please come join me and Levi on the Hill.

Today the NCOA remains a vital fraternal, benevolent non-profit organization and acts as a conduit between the military and civilian communities in local areas and promotes positive community relations, as one of the well respected members of the The Military Coalition (TMC).  We need to stay engaged and active in events that support veterans.  The NCOA remains a much needed and vital benevolent non-profit organization - a positive bridge between the military and our civilian communities.

Let's keep the push for change and please continue to share your chapter's best practices.   The holidays and our Annual Conference are right around the corner.  Enjoy the rest of this month and FULL SPEED AHEAD.

Please review the bills below that we advocated for on the Hill.

October 5, 2024 - NCOA Board member, Past Grand Knight, and member of the NCOA Fort Sam Houston Chapter CMSgt Ted Pilihos, USAF (Ret), recently presented NCOA Korea and Vietnam War Medallions during the 39th Annual Chief's Gathering at the Blue Bonnet Dance Hall in Selma, Texas. 

Pictured below from left to right are:  CMSgt Bobby Valdez, USAF (Ret), CSM Mack Clanton, USA (Ret), Sir Ted Pilihos, CSM Paul Greenwood, USA (Ret), CMSgt Fil Villarreal, USAF (Ret); and CMSgt Bob Layman, USAF (Ret).  Valdez, Clanton, and Villarreal were recognized with Vietnam War Medallions while Greenwood and Layman were recognized with Korea War Medallions.