Cape Fear Chapter Founding
Compiled by Juan Chavez
As early as June 1959, Fort Bragg was receiving inquiries by officers as to the existence of a local chapter of The Retired Officers Association. In his periodic letter to military retirees in the Fort Bragg area in September 1959, Lieutenant General Robert F. Sink, then Commander of XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg, highlighted The Retired Officers Association as a helpful organization that might be of service to retired officers.
In September 1960, the recently assigned Chief of the Retired Activities Unit at Fort Bragg, Colonel Hugh J. Socks, an associate member of the Retired Officers Association himself, submitted a request to the National Headquarters of The Retired Officers Association for information on procedures to form an affiliate in the Fayetteville/Fort Bragg, NC area because of the growing interest.
On February 23, 1961, a meeting of retired officers residing in the Fayetteville, NC area was held in the General Hodge Room of the Fort Bragg Officers Open Mess and was attended by approximately 70 officers interested in forming a chapter. Lieutenant General Thomas J. H. Trapnell, the new Commander of XVIII Airborne Corps and Fort Bragg sponsored the meeting and Colonel Hugh J. Socks, Chief of the Retired Activities Unit acted as the interim moderator.
Colonel (Ret) Sumner E. Smith of Fayetteville, NC was elected chairman of a committee consisting of Colonel (Ret) Foster W. Aungst, Lieutenant Colonel (Ret) C.E. Noel, Major (Ret) R.B. Vanaman, and Major (Ret) R.E. Smith all of Fayetteville, NC. The committee’s purpose was to draft a constitution and by-laws and to complete other necessary paperwork for establishing a charter. These documents were to be presented to the entire body for approval at the next meeting to be held at the same place on March 22, 1961.
The group met as scheduled on March 22, 1961 at the Fort Bragg Officers Open Mess and overwhelmingly approved the constitution and by-laws and the request for affiliation with the Retired Officers Association. Since one of the requirements for becoming affiliated with The Retired Officers Association was that all chapter members had to be members of the National organization, membership applications were completed by all those who were not. A total of 44 members formed the founding chapter, becoming the first affiliate in the state of North Carolina.
The following were elected as officers of the newly formed Cape Fear Chapter:
President: Colonel Sumner E. Smith, AUS, Retired
1st Vice President: Colonel Foster W. Aungst, AUS, Retired
2nd Vice President: Colonel John A. Cosgrove, USAF, Retired
3rd Vice President: Captain George G. Chiles, USN, Retired
Secretary-Treasurer: Major Robert B. Vanaman, AUS, Retired
Assistant Secretary: Major Ronald E. Smith, AUS, Retired
The following committee appointments were made:
Executive Committee –
Commander Gould M. Hambright, USNR, Retired
Lieutenant Colonel Floyd F. Brazell, USA, Retired
Lieutenant Colonel John S. Pollard, USAF, Retired
Lieutenant Colonel William E. Rone, USAFR
Major Kathleen H. Strayhan, ANCR
Major James C. Blanton, USAR, Retired
Major Charles W. Mason, USAR, Retired
Program Committee –
Chairman: Lieutenant Colonel Joe M. Hauer, USAR, Retired
Membership Committee –
Lieutenant Colonel Edward J. Degutis, USAR, Retired
On January 1, 2003, the National organization changed its name from The Retired Officers Association (TROA) to the Military Officers Association of America (MOAA). Through an act of Congress in 2009, MOAA was granted a federal charter. This gave MOAA an expression of congressional support for all of the group’s activities as a veterans service organization. It also enabled all state-level MOAA affiliates to represent veterans on governor-level veterans advisory councils.
For the first 54 years of its existence the chapter held all its monthly Board of Directors meetings in the Fort Bragg Officers Open Mess. Most of the chapter’s general membership meetings and social functions were likewise held at this historic venue until it closed in April 2015. Since then, the chapter has used the Iron Mike Conference Center, Fort Bragg for its meetings and functions.
Fort Bragg was redesignated Fort Liberty on 2 June 2023.
A list of the Cape Fear Chapter charter members and a list of all former presidents can be viewed below.