Page 3 - DFCS News Magazine Winter 2015

Cont’d President’s Message
Volume 15, Issue 3 - Winter
President of the North Texas Chapter but, is also on the 2016 Conven on Commi ee. TJ brings a long and impressive background in avia on. I would also like to acknowledge and thank the 395 DFCS members who made the e ort and voted for these directors. It is my hope that we have a greater percentage of members to vote in the next Na onal Elec on in November 2016. Remember that you fought for our freedom which includes the right to vote for our leaders and, if you don’t vote, you are tossing away a freedom you actually risked your life to maintain.
Thank you all for your service to our great country and for your support of the Society through your member- ship and volunteer service. I wish you a Very Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy New Year.
Chuck Sweeney, President/CEO
On a sad note, there was an ar cle in the last is- sue about Fritz Payne, America’s oldest living ace, joining the DFC Society. Fritz had wanted to join the Society and did so the day a er he turned 104 years old. Unfortunately, he made his last ight west shortly a er he joined but, he knew he was a member before he took that ight west. He also received the Congressional Gold Medal at the Palm Springs Air Museum on Memorial Day, 2015. Fritz was not only a real hero, but a very down-to-earth individual who had many fascina ng stories to tell. I was fortu- nate to meet him on board the USS Stennis on February 12, 2011, while celebra ng the Centen- nial of Naval Avia on.
I would like to personally congratulate Nash Lamb on being voted for another term on the Board and welcome our two new Directors, TJ McGrath and Rick Graham. Rick not only is the
The Chairman’s Message
As we draw the curtain to a close on 2015 and the achieve- ments of The Dis nguished Flying Cross Society within 2015, I would like to personally extend my very best wishes to each of you and your families for the upcoming holiday
period and New Year. I am honored to serve as your Chairman
I am reminded of a quote from Robert F. Kennedy:
“Few will have the greatness to bend history itself; but each of us can work to change a small por on of events, and in the total of all those acts will be wri en the history of this genera on.”
Each DFC Society member has added their own contribu on in making history by being a recipient of the Dis nguished Flying Cross. The challenge for our Society is to move forward and capture ‘the total of those acts’ and write the avia on history of our genera on. In the year ahead we have a plan that has been ini ally supported with generous contribu ons and will allow us to begin its imple- menta on. We have not begun to come close to
reaching our nal goal but, we are taking the rst steps of our journey.
The 2016 DFC Society Conven on will be in Dallas, TX and promises to be a hallmark, as we honor a new and special segment of our history, ‘Heroic Women of the DFC’. There may also be a special sur- prise that will include veterans of the most highly- decorated, heroic unit in the United States Air Force. We have the venue, we have the speakers, and we have the events to hold your interest. All that’s missing is your commitment to join us and share in something that is shaping up to be truly special.
In closing, I would hope you all share in my excite- ment about our prospects in the year ahead. We have brought new energy to our Board and, we will be realigning our o cers to be er serve our chap- ters and membership.
To paraphrase another tale, ‘Best wishes to all and to all a good night!’.
Bruce Hu man
Chairman
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