MONTEREY BAY SPOUSES CLUB
According to their website, The Monterey Bay Spouses Club, “is a non-profit organization focused on providing enrichment and mentoring for military spouses in the Monterey area through planned social and fellowship events.” The MBSC provides philanthropic support through college scholarships for military dependents. The Monterey Bay Officers’ Spouses Club was established in 1961 when three spouse organizations from The Naval Post Graduate School merged to create the Officers’ Wives Club. The organization was renamed the Monterey Bay Spouse Club in 2019, and today the club boasts nearly 200 members. Members are officer and enlisted spouses from the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Defense Language Institute (DLI), Naval Support Activity Monterey (NSAM), Department of Defense employees, and international students.
MBSC was established to encourage friendships; promote social, cultural, and recreational activities for the members; and to support charitable organizations. The club has several openings on the board, is seeking volunteers for their Spring fundraiser, and also has some co-chair positions currently open to help run special interest groups.
- BARGAIN FAIR
- February 29th 9-12 pm
- La Mesa Community Center
- $5 early admission from 8:15-9 am
- Free admission from 9-12 pm
- Proceeds from this event will benefit ways and means of the organization.
- www.mbspousesclub.com
CHAPLAIN'S DAY
February 3rd is Chaplain’s Day, honoring four military chaplains who gave their lives to save their fellow service members during WWII. The men who came to be known as the “Four Chaplains” were Reverend George L. Fox, Reverend Clark V. Poling, Alexander D. Goode (Ph.D.), and Father John P. Washington. The four met while attending Chaplains School at Harvard. On Feb. 3, 1943, German submarine U-223 torpedoed the ship the men were aboard. The explosion caused the ship to lose all electricity and in the darkness, panic set in, and many men were trapped. The four chaplains worked together to try to calm and help as many men as they could.
On Dec. 19, 1944, Congress posthumously awarded each of the chaplains the Purple Heart and the Distinguished Service Cross. Congress also attempted to confer the Medal of Honor on each chaplain posthumously. However, this medal required heroism performed “under fire,” and they did not technically qualify. Members of Congress then authorized the Four Chaplains’ Medal, a special medal. A unanimous act of Congress approved it, and the medals were presented to the next of kin of each chaplain on Jan. 18, 1961.
USO BIRTHDAY IN FEBRUARY
February 4 is the official birthday of the organization known as United Service Organizations or USO. Founded in 1941, the agency is a private, not-for-profit organization working in cooperation with the Department of Defense.
The USO receives funding through donations, philanthropy, and corporate support. More than twelve thousand volunteers work with the USO at locations worldwide including military bases, airports, and major metro areas.
The closest USO to Monterey is located at San Francisco International Airport Terminal 1. For more information on the USO check www.uso.org.
COAST GUARD RESERVE BIRTHDAY
February 19 is the official birthday of the United States Coast Guard Reserve. Officially set-up in the late 1930s as a “civilian reserve” operation, it was non-military in nature. The “regular” Coast Guard was formed in 1790. It wasn’t until much later that Auxiliary and Reserve operations would be added to this branch of military service.
For additional information on the Coast Guard Reserve, check www.gocoastguard.com.
Station Monterey possesses two 47-foot Motor Life Boats (MLBs). In addition to the “47s,” Station Monterey also has a 29-foot Response Boat, Small (RBS). The Dolphin Class helicopter (aka “helo”) is based at both Air Station San Francisco and Air Station Sacramento, and often come to the Monterey Bay area for air-operations training (“helo ops”) with Station Monterey boat crews.
For information on Station Monterey, check http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=113-06-04&category=our-home-port.