RAFINO Report
ISSUE 21 - Fall 1998  - Return to Index

Honors to Two RAFINO Ladies

When the Finance Regimental Banquet was held at Ft. Jackson, South Carolina, on the 15th of May, 1998, Mrs. Elouise Blomgren received a rare appointment as Honorary Member of the Finance Regiment awarded by Colonel Edgar E. Stanton III, Chief of the Finance Corps.  The award was presented by the Honorary Colonel of the Regiment, MG (R) Paul P. Burns.  Mrs. Blomgren was recognized for her distinguished service as the first lady of the USAFS, wife of Holten Blomgren, during the period August 1967 to June 1971, a stressful time for the Student officers passing through the Finance School and their families.  She was recognized as having worked most diligently and effectively as the official hostess of many formal and informal social events fostering military tradition, courtesy and protocol, thus continuing the traditions that contribute so very much to the cohesiveness of military organizations.

On the 29th of September, 1998 on the occasion of the banquet held during the reunion of RAFINO at Columbia, SC, Mrs. Sjelja Cecchini, also was awarded appointment as an Honorary Member of the Finance Regiment granted by the Chief of the Corps, Colonel Edgar E. Stanton III.  The award was presented by MG (R) Paul P. Burns, Honorary Colonel of the Regiment and BG Roger W. Scearce. 

Mrs. Cecchini was cited for her most influential part in the establishment of the Society of Retired U.S. Army Finance Officers as well as her work during the period 1956 to 1959, a time when the Finance Corps was calling to active duty many lieutenants with MBA degrees.  The Chief of the Finance Corps was striving to retain these highly desirable junior officers many of whom were married and whose young wives were very reluctant to look forward to lives as spouses of active duty Army officers.  Mrs. Cecchini, as the spouse of then LTC "Chick" Cecchini, Director of Finance Training at the Finance School, was assigned a project by the then Commandant of the School, COL. William E. Sievers, to gently orient and favorably introduce these young ladies in the ways, benefits and responsibilities of Army life .  She was highly successful through the conduct of group gatherings, individual counseling and the involvement of selected spouses of officers serving at the FSUSA.