NCNGA Weekly Guardsman for October 14th, 2021

Posted on: October 13, 2021 October 13, 2021
Author: ncngaweekly

October 14th, 2021

News | About | Legislative | Benefits | Contact

IN THIS EDITION:

Registration is now open for 2021 Tarheel Retiree Homecoming NCNGA
Registration is now open for 2022 Annual Convention – Register early. NCNGA
Tarheel Minuteman Foundation Raising Money To Send NC Guardsmen, Retirees, Families to College At An Affordable Price NCNGA
The 2021 Women’s MilVets Summit is taking place virtually October 21st! NCNGA
Tickets-At-Work: Members get Discounts on Tickets NCNGA
Military Pension Tax Exemption – Updated Call to Action as of September 23 NCNGA
14th Annual Len Adams Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament NCNGA
Members of the NCNGA, what would you like to see in the future? NCNGA
77 years later, a World War II soldier is brought home to Robeson County WUNC
This Week in NCNG History NCNG Museum
October 14th — Today in Guard History National Guard

Registration is now open for 2021 Tarheel Retiree Homecoming NCNGA

FOR: Army and Air National Guard Retirees
DATE: Friday, December 10, 2021
EVENT REGISTRATION: 0900-1000 HRS
LOCATION: Joint Force Headquarters, 1636 Gold Star Drive, Raleigh, NC 27607
INCLUDES: Mission updates, benefits seminar, various information stations, luncheon, and a social time.
REGISTRATION: If paying by card, complete this form online or call the NCNGA office at 919-851-3390.
Otherwise, send the form in the attached pdf and a check for $10.00 per person payable to “NCNGA” on or before 1
December 2021 to:
NCNGA
ATTN: Tarheel Homecoming
7410 Chapel Hill Rd
Raleigh, NC 27607
NOTE: Seating is limited to 350; please make your reservation as soon as possible.
QUESTIONS: Contact NCNGA at 919-851-3390 or info@ncnga.org.

Registration is now open for 2022 Annual Convention – Register early. NCNGA

Registration for the 2022 Annual Convention is now open!

Tarheel Minuteman Foundation Raising Money To Send NC Guardsmen, Retirees, Families to College At An Affordable Price NCNGA

The Combined Federal Campaign cause of the week for 9/28-10/4 is Education! The Tarheel Minuteman Foundation is raising money to help send NC Guardsmen, retirees, and their families to college at an affordable price. Help us achieve our goal by making an account at www.cfc.org and selecting the Tarheel Minuteman Foundation (code 94853) as the recipient of your donation! Every amount helps.

Donate Today

The 2021 Women’s MilVets Summit is taking place virtually October 21st! NCNGA

The 2021 Women’s MilVets Summit is taking place virtually October 21st! There will be a live webcast on Facebook by PBS NC. For more information, visit www.wmvse.org.

Tickets-At-Work: Members get Discounts on Tickets NCNGA

Tickets at Work: The benefits are endless when it comes to being a NCNGA member! Check out our Tickets-At-Work program, where members can get discounts on tickets from Busch Gardens all the way to Disney. For more information, visit https://www.ncnga.org/benefits.php#Discount

Military Pension Tax Exemption – Updated Call to Action as of September 23 NCNGA

The Conferences for Senate Bill 105 – 2021 Appropriations Act is in the process of negotiating with the Governor’s Office for moving a budget forward for consideration. It is critical that Military Retirement Tax Exemption remain in the budget during this negation process. At this time our voice needs to be focused on a small group of individuals. These individuals are:

Senator Phil Berger – Phil.Berger@ncleg.gov, Robin.Braswell@ncleg.gov, 919-733-5708
Senator Ralph Hise – Ralph.Hise@ncleg.gov, Susan.Fanning@ncleg.gov, 919-733-3460
Senator Brent Jackson – Brent.Jackson@ncleg.gov, William.Kirkley@ncleg.gov , 919-733-5705

While they may not be in your district the National Guard is located in all 100 counties and this legislation is a state issue, not a district issue. With this in mind you Association asks you to email, write, or call these individuals as ask them to ensure Military Pension Tax Exemption remains in the budget.

Dear Senator _______________,

I am a member/retiree of the North Carolina National Guard.

I am writing/calling today to ask for your support to Eliminate Income Tax for Military Retirees contained in the current Senate budget. As you know, this Bill, if passed, would permit more recent Military Retirees to deduct their Military Retired Pay from NC Income Tax. Passage of this legislation would encourage retiring Service Members to stay in, or relocate to, North Carolina, where their contributions to the state economy would be far greater than the revenue lost from this deduction. The North Carolina National Guard Association and other Veterans organizations have been supporting legislation of this type for many years and are encouraged by the broad support for HB 83, that contained the same language that is contained in the current Senate budget proposal.

HB 83 passed in the House by a vote of 100 – 5, which shows that military tax exemption has strong support in the General Assembly. As you know, there are a number of groups, specifically the 4th Branch, which is advocating for tax free retirement for all NC public service heroes along with the military tax exemption effort. While I am not speaking out against this effort I am asking you to stay the course on the current legislative path and not allow the military tax exemption effort to end because of the state retiree effort.

While these state employees do play a critical role in supporting and protecting North Carolina Citizens the U.S. military is clearly in a class of its own in its role to our Nation and State. This is evident by recent events within and outside of our state. Furthermore, the legislature has a number of tools available to them to influence the state retiree program. For our military members there is no such tools available.

Passage of military pension tax exemption would be an excellent step toward making NC a more military friendly state. Thank you for your consideration of this request and for your continuing support of NC military personnel, veterans and their families.

Sincerely,

____________

14th Annual Len Adams Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament NCNGA

Join us for the 14th Annual Len Adams Memorial Scholarship Golf Tournament. See attached flier for more, information.

Members of the NCNGA, what would you like to see in the future? NCNGA

Your opinions drive NCNGA actions and it’s your continued support that allows us to be successful. These listed benefits are not options, rather a starting point to help you brainstorm! Send us a email at info@ncnga.org – to let us know what you want.

77 years later, a World War II soldier is brought home to Robeson County WUNC

All but one of 1st Lt. James “Dick” Wright’s nine siblings died while waiting for word of what happened to him, and his remaining sister is 100 years old.

This week though, the remains of the hero who vanished during World War II were finally returned to his tiny Robeson County hometown.

Wright’s mother, Mamie, had a recurring vision. She’d be in front of the family farmhouse, tending the hundreds of marigolds and daffodils she had planted along their dirt road, and she’d look up and see her son Dick walking toward the house

“She always believed he would come home,” said Diana Merkt, the great niece of Dick Wright. She heard that story a lot growing up.

Wright’s mother couldn’t know that it would take 77 years for his remains to come home – and after stops in a French river, two graves in Luxembourg, and years in a Nebraska military identification lab.

It took help from a gifted amateur historian. And a big measure of luck.

But he’s finally together with his mother, father and seven of his brothers and sisters in a small graveyard spread under some pines. Wright was given a proper funeral service, finally, with a military chaplain officiating.

“Lt. Wright is home. We reunite him to the American soil upon which his house still stands,” the chaplain said. “The soil he once played on as a child and walked on as an adult.”

This Week in NCNG History NCNG Museum

If you know of anything significant to the NCNG that occurred on any of these dates, and would like it added to our records, please email 1LT Dearie at kory.k.dearie.mil@mail.mil

October 14th — Today in Guard History National Guard

1924
St. Augustine, Florida – The 31st Division is reorganized and federally recognized with its headquarters in the United States’ oldest recognized city. However, by the time of the 1940 mobilization for World War II, the headquarters had been moved to Birmingham, AL. Composed of Guard units from Alabama, Florida, Louisiana and Mississippi, it resumes the nickname “Dixie” Division first adopted during World War I.

In that war, though the 31st served in France, though it was not committed to combat as an intact unit. Instead, it was used as ‘depot’ division, with many of its soldiers levied to fill in the ranks of other American units depleted in frontline fighting.

During World War II, the 31st was committed to different actions in the Pacific Theater, in the Western New Guinea Campaign. This included assault beach landings on the island of Morotai (then located in the Netherlands East Indies; today, part of Indonesia), as well as the island of Aitape located in New Guinea. The “Dixie Division” was mobilized again in 1952 during the Korean War, but did not serve overseas. Similar to its World War I service, many of its men were levied and sent to Korea as individual replacements.

Elements of the 31st Division, especially in Alabama, were placed on state or federal active duty during the height of the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s. Elements of the unit were placed on either state or federal active duty to help maintain order.

In 1968, as part of a massive reorganization of the Guard, the 31st Infantry Division was deactivated as a divisional element, then reorganized and redesignated as the 31st Armored Brigade, an all-Alabama unit. Through later reorganizations, the present unit became known as the 31st Chemical Brigade, then later as the 31st Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Brigade.

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