Bits 'N Pieces

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Russ Delaney, our Bridge Master, is making plans for a fun time with the first tournament.  The Invitation form has been modified to provide for you to select to participate in the tournament. Members who have already submitted their invitation form and wish to play bridge should submit another form with only their name and number of bridge players.

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Rick Darcy, darcyrick@hotmail.com, has just returned from 18 days in Germany. The US facilities are well recommended and the skiing is beyond belief. There is so much snow it is a skier's paradise. Dick says to look at www.afrceurope.com for more information.

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HCFA has announced that the monthly premium for Medicare part B of $45.50 will not change for 2000.

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Virginia and Claud Wallace had lunch with and visited Frank and Theresa Schoen in their beautiful home in La Jolla, California on the hill overlooking San Diego. Their (C & V) Tour ended at the Rose Parade where they nearly froze.

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Space-available Vacations. See two articles in the 3 Feb Armed Forces News.  Resort Condominiums International (RCI) operates through local base and post representatives to provide space-available vouchers to DOD and Coast Guard personnel. Seven-night luxury vacations are available for $209 per week. Also, the Armed Forces Vacation Club offers active and reserve military ID cardholders and military retirees vacations in resorts around the world for $209 per week .

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Mary Stone added a note with the dues for COL Warren Stone saying things had been hectic since they lost their home to a California forest fire on 17 OCT 1999.

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ATTRACTION! The Corcoran Gallery of Art in Washington, DC will show "Norman Rockwell Pictures for the American People" during the RAFINO reunion. This great exhibit will only happen in six American cities.  Who among the retirees can forget the weekly covers of the Saturday Evening Post that displayed the resonant images of everyday American life? (Rockwell did a total of 322 covers for the magazine. Seventy of his oil painting will also be on display.) This is for touring during your free time.

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Mrs. Marion Haneke called Chick to advise that she has sold her condo in Naples, FL and will live year round at her Ft Belvoir address.

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As of 1 March your Web site was complete for the three phases that we originally laid out. Three new pages; TAPS, RAFINO Reports (Current and 3 past issues) and a Membership Roster complete with password control are now here for your use. (The Webmaster.)

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Peeling Bananas – If you have trouble getting the pealing started, maybe you should take lessons from our friend the monkey. He will always open the end away from the stalk because there is a little air pocket that makes it easy to start. Try it.

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NEW MEMBER. We are pleased to welcome Maj (R) Melvin (Mel) E. Casby as a new member of the Society. You can find his addresses in the Roster.

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Tony Renfrey, our member from Effingham, England, sends his regards and says he will see us in Indy in 2002.

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Warning. Water (alone) should never be heated in a microwave oven. If water is heated in this manner, something should be placed in the cup to diffuse the energy such as a wooden stir stick, tea bag, etc. It is however a much safer choice to boil the water in a tea kettle. Scalding water has been known to explode upon being removed from the microwave with physical harm to the cook.

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Hector Perez writes, "Sorry I missed the cruise but Norma and Noris went instead.  Both had a great time. I hope I can make the next one. Still working for another 1 1/2 years, then plan to do something else."

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Flora Toulme writes, "I thoroughly enjoy receiving the RAFINO report. You do a great job. Thank you for all you do."

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Alfred Abott writes, "42 years on retired list-anyone over that? Before 1958? Good work for RAFINO!! 88 legally blind."

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LTC David G. Hannam, our member with the Royal Army Pay Corps, invited us to view the RAPC web site so www.rapc.co.uk has been added to LINKS.

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COL George Seamands says that he and Lorie are doing fine and enjoying retired life.  They plan to see us at the reunion 2000.

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COL Jack Rogan sent news with his dues.  1. He congratulated everyone involved with the RAFINO Report with special appreciation for Chick and Sjelja.

2.He recalls that while he was F&AO at West Point Gen. Haneke helped get a few graduates of each class into the FinanceCorps, and,

3. He and Ann will celebrate their 50th anniversary on 16 JULY with a 11:00 a.m. Mass at St. Bernard’s followed by a reception at the Country Club and a special anniversary trip. Their nine children are planning a "book of memories." Maureen Rogan is the keeper of the book and would like items sent by e-mail to maureen.rogan@atkearney.com or by snail mail to

Maureen Rogan;
6640 Boulder Ln;
Middleton, WI 53562-2807.

Let’s fill the book up with what we like about the newlyweds.

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COL Jim Tirey reports that they are turning the Finance Center into two separate Centers and a Support Activity. Lots of headaches. He is eligible to retire from civil service but has not made that decision yet. He retired from the Reserve in ’97. His last job was Brigade Commander of the 84th Training Division in Milwaukee. He had 600 instructors teaching ARNG & USAR classes in six states. He will surely enjoy the reunion which he and Judy plan to attend.

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We received an e-mail from Nick Bayes Major (Retd) RAPC (nbayes@sparsholt.ac.uk) stating that he would be interested in hearing from any member of the Exchange Program. He also gave us the web site for the RACP Worthy Down site. It is www.sparsholt.ac.uk/rapc and it is now in LINKS. (Ed. Maj Bayes is not a member but must have seen our web site on a Link from the RAPC web site. Our reach is expanding in leaps and bounds.)

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The Commissary Surcharge is to Remain at 5% according to the AFN Issue: Friday, March 31, 2000.

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Memorial to WWII Vets and Nation. The National World War II Memorial will be the first national Memorial dedicated to all who served during that war. See the details in the March 31, 2000 newsletter at www.armedforcesnews.com.

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Seniors Right to work bill has been signed by the President. The limit on earnings for Social Security purposes has been lifted.

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Traveling Space-A Air:

The NAUS Journal for March/April announces a new "how to" book on Military Space-A travel. You can check it at www.militaryliving.com .

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In mid April Bob Halverson reported that Gary NIX had his surgery (6.5 hours) and had his larynx and esophagus removed. Word is that he came through it well and he will have one of those artificial voice box deals and everything has been rerouted so he will be able to lead a somewhat normal life.

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The Library of Congress Commemorative coins were available online beginning April 24, 2000 at 9:00 a.m. The bimetallic ten dollar and the silver dollar commemorative coins are a spectacular first for the new century and millennium. The Mint’s first bimetallic coin has a platinum core encircled by a gold ring and is simultaneously coined forming an annular bead where the two precious metals meet. The obverse design of the bimetallic coin depicts the hand of Minerva, the Goddess Wisdom, raising the torch of learning aside the dome of the Thomas Jefferson Building.  The coin’s reverse is marked with the Library of Congress seal encircled by a laurel wreath, symbolizing its national accomplishment. The silver obverse depicts an open book superimposed over the torch of the Library of Congress dome – the reverse is an architectural rendering of the dome on the Jefferson Building. www.usmint.gov

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COL William Ledford suggests that the disposition of the currency from the blockhouse at Long Bien would make a good newsletter article. (Ed. I would be very interested in this story. Does anyone have a lead?)

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LTC James Rusk invited us all to visit his and Kathie’s resort in "God’s Country". (Ed. Well at least he gave us his web site www.northern-lights-lodge.com to visit. Nice site, Jim.). They had enjoyed visiting Larry & Nelda Hacker on their Beafalo farm in Lincoln, Arkansas. (Ed. In Jim’s own words, "two nontraditional retirement occupations.")

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COL Herbert & Ruth Ritze are moving to an assisted living facility and did not renew his membership.

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COL Dave Mikkelson is the Town Manager for Cumberland on the east side of Indianapolis and loves the job. (Ed. Dave, Politics doesn’t count as a violation of your retirement agreement.)

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COL Hal Kasserman wishes he could attend the reunion, but hasn’t been able to travel for about 5 years. He appreciates the RAFINO Report. (Ed. Kass, get a computer and you can have a weekly update of the RAFINO family events.)

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COL Jim Calhoun recalls that the tour guide left he and Connie to get back to the ship from one of the shore tours on their own. (Ed. Admiral Bob, he suggests that there be a more leisurely tour for the older travelers.)

LTC Forrest McKeown says that George Kramer lives down the hall from him. Since Betty Lee died in January he plans to spend his travel time visiting his 4 children in New York, Washington state and 2 in California. (Ed. Enjoy the visits.)

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Treasurer Phil Anderson still has not received the dues from 373 members. Come on guys, if you can’t find the blue form that Chick sent you in January, just make the check for a little more than the $5 and that is sure to get Phil’s attention.

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