Leading in the Right Direction
President’s Corner
Celebrating our Veterans
On Thursday the Tuscany Falls Ballroom was a sea of Red, White, and Blue as we held our 15th Annual “Honoring our Veterans Dinner.” Members and guests raised their voices “loud and proud” as we sang the Star-Spangled Banner, God Bless America, Proud to be an American, and all of the military theme songs! Stanley Bloch gave an emotional invocation that touched our hearts. Bob Wikstrom recounted the story of the Missing Man Table describing the significance of each item, leaving many with welled-up eyes that held back tears.
After a lovely dinner during which everyone enjoyed the company of fellow members and made some new friends, Vice President Vicki Streeter explained our Holiday Gift Giving Program where we will be donating gift cards to U.S. Vets Phoenix to help fill the urgent needs of veterans in our area who are less fortunate than we. She then invited each of our veterans by name and military branch to have their group photos taken to commemorate their service to our country.
It was then time to reveal our 2025 Veteran of the Year, Chuck Streeter. To his great surprise and rousing audience applause, our honoree took the stage. Penny Pew, Congressman Paul Gosar’s District Director, awarded Chuck an American Flag that had been flown over the U.S. Capitol at the request of the congressman, as well as a document commemorating the occasion. Stanley Bloch, our 2024 recipient, then presented Chuck with a beautiful American Eagle Award on behalf of our club, to honor his service to our country.
A highlight of the evening came as our guest speaker; Retired Col. Richard Toliver took the stage. A multi-decorated Air Force Colonel with over 4000 flying hours in various aircraft, he explained how he became a protégé of the famed Tuskegee Airmen. More importantly he recounted the history and legacy of these extraordinary black aviators who after WWII ended in 1945, were trapped in a segregated world where black pilots were not wanted in the white squadrons. Toliver explained that many of these black pilots were sent to “the desert” in Arizona and many were assigned to Luke Air Force Base!
Years later, Col. Toliver himself was assigned to Luke & also to Williams. It would take years to overcome the prejudices and he recounts this and many other individual stories in his book, Black Wings Over Arizona. He said that Arizona played a key role in training and preparing black men & women for combat. The book tells of some of America’s greatest black heroes both men and women, like the Women of the 6888, the Central Postal Directory Battalions, who he calls the “Unsung Heroes of WWII.
Col. Toliver ended by saying that today, more than ever, we need to come together as a nation of “Americans”. He is a man of great faith and believes we must turn to God for guidance & inspiration as we are One Nation Under God.
As we celebrate Veterans Day on Tuesday, let us honor all our veterans living today and never forget those we have lost to the battlefields of history. God bless each one of you and may God’s grace continue to shine on our beautiful United States of America!
Patricia Moore
Men's Breakfast Club
The "Men's Breakfast Club" meets at 8:30 AM on the 2nd Tuesday of the month in the Eagle's Nest Dining Room Alcove.
If you are interested in a lively, morning conversation about political events and your first cup of coffee, please attend this breakfast. This is a real opportunity for some "like-minded" discussion.
If you plan to attend, RSVP to Chuck Streeter - streeter@greencafe.com
PCRC Women's Luncheon
If you are looking for an informative and lively conversation among "like-minded" women and the opportunity to "talk Republican," here is your chance!
The luncheons are held on the second Wednesday of the month at 11:30 AM in the Eagle's Nest Dining Room Alcove.
If you plan to attend, RSVP to Vicki Streeter at streeter@greencafe.com