MILITARY WOMEN IN NEED HOLDS
5th ANNUAL LUNCHEON TO RECOGNIZE
FEMALE VETERANS AND WIDOWS OF VETERANS

Arthur J. Swerdloff presenting Inaugural Veteran Leadership Award to Col. Joseph Smith

Military Women in Need presented the inaugural Veteran Leadership Award at its fifth annual luncheon on March 11th at the Palm Restaurant in Los Angeles. The award recipient was Joseph N. Smith, Colonel, USMC (Ret.), Director of Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veteran Affairs. Arthur J. Swerdloff, President of MWIN and Barbara Ward, Deputy Secretary of the California Department of Women and Minority Veteran Affairs made the presentation. MWIN is delighted to honor Col. Smith who is a distinguished, long-serving and hard-working member of Los Angeles' veteran community.

Col. Smith served in the Marine Corps for thirty years and has been Director of Los Angeles County Department of Military and Veterans Affairs since 1988. He is responsible for assisting veterans, their dependents and survivors to obtain the benefits earned by virtue of their military service.

The Notes from the Field report was delivered by Lt. Boyden E. Rohner who spoke about her work as Operations/Intelligence Briefer to the Secretary of Department of Homeland Security. Boyden has a fascinating and demanding responsibility; arriving at work before dawn in order to read intelligence bulletins from all over the world and personally briefing Secretary Michael Chertoff daily. Prior to her current job in Washington, D.C., she completed two tours of duty in the U.S. Navy. Boyden serves as MWIN's Board Secretary.

Penny Alfonso, Program Coordinator for Operation Gratitude, made the Peer Organization Presentation. She showed a video on the work of her all-volunteer organization that sends care packages and letters addressed to individually named U.S. Service Members deployed domestically and overseas. The mission of Operation Gratitude is to bring a smile to a service member's face and to express to all troops the appreciation and support of the American people. Since its inception in 2003, Operation Gratitude has shipped more than 315,000 packages to American troops.

Kerry Spirick of the Ladies of Westchester Elks, Ranlyn Tilley Hill, Executive Director, Military Women In Need, and Sherry Hunt of the Ladies of Westchester Elks.

MWIN program recipient Barbara Benson offered a testimonial to the care she received from MWIN. Ninety-year-old Barbara served as a WAVE, a World War II-era division of the U.S. Navy that consisted entirely of women. Barbara thanked MWIN and pronounced our support "a gift from God."

The luncheon honoring MILITARY WOMEN'S HISTORY WEEK was opened by Ranlyn Tilley Hill, MWIN Executive Director and closed by Arthur Swerdloff Esq., MWIN President. More than 65 MWIN supporters enjoyed their opportunity to discuss issues affecting female veterans and widows of veterans.

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