CHAPTER CHATTER
The Official Newsletter of the
Shenandoah Valley Chapter #313
Korean War Veterans Association
JANUARY MEETING SPEAKER
The speaker for our January meeting was Shannon Moeck, a Park Ranger with the Cedar Creek and Belle Grove NHP in Middletown. She joined the staff there in 2010 on a part-time basis and became a full-time Park Ranger in 2013 following her graduation from Lord Fairfax College.
She talked about the Civil War and the role Cedar Creek Battlefield played in the war. She encouraged all of us to visit the Battlefield and Belle Grove.
AMBASSADOR OF PEACE MEDALS
Commander Don Netschke (center) presents the Ambassador for Peace Medals and certificates to Tony Budalay (left) and Ed Mitchler at our January Membership meeting.
We wish to thank Tony and Ed and all of our members who received their medals in December from Lt. Gen. Shim at our annual Christmas Luncheon. If there are other qualified members in our Chapter who have not received your medal, contact our Commander, Don Netschke, who will review your application to ensure your eligibility.
Tim Whitmore, who is the Department of Virginia KWVA Commander, is exploring the feasibility of holding a ceremony in Richmond sometime later this year whereby Korean War Veterans located
throughout the State of Virginia may receive their medals in a joint ceremony. We will monitor his progress and keep you informed if, and when, he can put the program together.
AVKF SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM
This is the third year that Representative Kim Jung Hoon, a member of the Republic of Korea National Assembly and Chairman of the American Veterans of Korea Foundation, will be sponsoring a Scholarship Program for descendants of Korean War Veterans.
This Scholarship Program consists of multiple $2,000 non-renewable scholarships and the funds may be used for any term during the 2016-17 academic year. Although this scholarship is not renewable, the applicants may reapply for the scholarship in subsequent years.
To qualify, the applicant must be a descendant (child, grandchild, or great-grandchild) of a Veteran of Korea who is a Regular Member, currently in good standing, of the KWVA. The student must have a minimum GPA of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale. Also, the student must submit a 200-400 word personal essay entitled: "My future goals and aspirations and how I can use my college education to help achieve them". The Application must be RECEIVED by the Selection Committee no later than April 15, 2016. Other qualifications are included on the Application Form.
Application Forms are posted on our KWVA Official Website and they will be printed in the January/February issue of The Graybeards magazine. Additionally, the members of our Chapter may obtain a copy of the Application from either Narce Caliva or Lew Ewing.
This is an excellent opportunity for our descendants to compete for funds to assist them with their college tuition at a time when the cost of higher education continues to escalate. We thank Rep. Kim for his generosity.