A Time to Reflect

Since my last message our Fort has closed. I say that will sincere heaviness in my heart but I also say it with the feeling of motivation to help make a difference and to ensure that we keep this community together. Your Board has been aggressively getting the word out that our Chapter will remain alive and well and here to support our community Soldiers and their families. I want to thank all of you that have renewed your memberships and have reached out to us and asked questions about our Chapter.

There have been some new groups that we have started to network with and to support in the community. A few of them are:

New Jersey Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation, www.njvvmf.org, conveniently located off the Garden State Parkway at exit 114. We held our first reception there in September. What a great place to meet each other and learn about the history of the Vietnam Era. Please look for more events to be held at this wonderful inspirational location!

Center For World War II Studies and Conflict Resolution at Brookdale Community College, www.brookdalecc.edu/pages/730.asp, where they offer educational information on World War II. I would encourage anyone that needs to know more about WW II to take the time and visit the center. We will be showing our support by contributing refreshments to the Pearl Harbor 70th Anniversary Commemoration the Center is having on December 10, 2011. At the center they have created a Veteran's History Project in Partnership with the Library of Congress (LOC). As a partner in the LOC, this Center commits its resource to promote the Veterans History Project by holding interviews with anyone that has a story to tell about WWII. They conduct the interviews on site at Brookdale Community College and they become a part of history in the LOC.

We have been looking into some new programs to support our local heroes and are beginning to network more and more with the NJ Army National Guard. There are many ways we are looking at supporting these soldiers and their families. Please keep checking as we develop Monthly Bowling Night and other social events.

Please take a moment to read the recent and upcoming events so you can mark your calendars! Events are posted on www.ausa-ft-mon.org

We also will be sending out a membership survey in the upcoming months and I encourage you to please take a moment when you receive it to complete so I know what you want your Chapter to do more (or less!) of for our community and our Soldiers.

Wishing all of you a very safe, healthy and wonderful Holiday Season!

Sue Di Vila
AUSA Monmouth Chapter President