Peggy McGee
The Green Valley Chapter, Military Officers Association of America (MOAA), will be hosting a dinner at Grill on the Green, 5800 S. Camino Del Sol, on Veterans Day, Nov. 11. Featured speaker, Major General Jim Whitehead, USAF (Ret.), will talk about the Flying Tigers Museum in Chongqing, China.
The Flying Tigers was founded between the Chinese and Americans who were fighting against Japan in 1943 in China at the peak of the Pacific War. The Guilin Flying Tigers Museum was built in the Flying Tiger Guilin Heritage Park in memory of Flying Tigers at the end of 2015. It stands at Yangtang Old Airport, on a hillside 13 km away from Guilin. A part of General Joseph Stillwell’s former residence was turned into the Flying Tigers Museum. General Whitehead was instrumental in getting the Museum up and running and opened to the public.
General Whitehead’s last military assignment was assistant to the director of the Air National Guard at the Pentagon from 1990 through 1993. He is a veteran of the Cuban Crisis, Cold War, Vietnam, and was assigned to the Pentagon during Operation Desert Shield/Desert Storm. He has 32 years of senior-level management experience in the areas of military, corporate, and federal government.
As a U.S. Air Force Command Pilot, General Whitehead flew many multi-, single-engine reciprocating, and jet aircraft. In 1965, the general was selected for the U-2 program. He was the first African American U-2 pilot and the 129th U.S. Air Force pilot to achieve combat-ready status. He retired in 1993, completing 41 years of military service.
Menu for the dinner will be a choice of chicken chardonnay: lightly seasoned chicken breast topped with artichoke hearts, red grapes, and served with mashed potatoes and sautéed seasonal vegetables; or skewered shrimp scampi: grilled shrimp topped with citrus butter, served with rice pilaf and sautéed vegetables. Both entrees include a nonalcoholic drink and a decadent brownie for dessert. Cost for the meal is $30.
Reservations can be made by contacting Quail Creek resident Jack Bundy, at 951-760-8706 or [email protected]. Deadline to sign up is Nov. 3. All military officers, active, retired, former, Reserve, and National Guard and their spouses are eligible to attend.