Military community news briefs for Saturday, Nov. 15

By North County Times | Saturday, November 15, 2008 12:15 AM PST ∞

Fallbrook VFW serves meals

FALLBROOK ---- The Fallbrook VFW Post serves meals several days a week. Hamburgers, including veggie burgers and hot dogs, are served from 5-6:30 p.m. Mondays. Cost is $4. Wednesday is pasta night and this week's feature is spaghetti served from 5:30-7 p.m. Cost is $5. Specials are served on Fridays. The Nov. 21 special is all-you-can-eat tacos served from 6-7:30 p.m. Cost is $7. The post is at 1175 Old Stage Road. Call (760) 728-8784.

Reserve group meets

OCEANSIDE ---- The Fleet Reserve Association Branch and Unit 313 Camp Pendleton will have its regular business meeting at noon Nov. 15 at the Masonic Center, 511 Eucalyptus. All retired and active-duty Navy, Marine and Coast Guard and their spouses are invited. A Thanksgiving dinner will follow. Call (760) 439-7817.

Benefit motorcycle ride set

OCEANSIDE ---- Goldwing Road Riders Association Chapter CA1N will have its 21st annual Motorcycle Benefit Ride in support of the United States Marine Corps Reserves Toys for Tots program Nov. 22. Registration is from 9-11 a.m. in the Oceanside Harbor Parking Lot No. 1. located west of Coast Highway, east of the train tracks and north of the San Luis River off Riverside Drive. Between 400 and 500 motorcycles are expected to participate. The motorcycles, led by Mr. and Mrs. Claus, will depart at 11:30 a.m. and head east on SR-76 Casino Pauma.

Each participant (rider/co-rider) needs to bring a $10 registration fee and one new, unwrapped toy or game. A prize for the best decorated motorcycle also will be awarded. Free coffee, muffins, breads and cookies will be available at the beginning of the ride with lunch provided at no cost by Casino Pauma. Call (760) 722-2797, (760) 741-8230, (760) 215-9014.

Fundraising efforts continuing

OCEANSIDE ---- The nonprofit Veterans Association of North County continues its fundraising efforts to make a new veteran's center in Oceanside a reality. The group is selling memorial and honorarium brick pavers and plaques for the memorial garden.

The mission of this organization is to provide a meeting place for all veterans and their respective organizations to meet. VANC is comprised of 25 local veteran's organizations working together for a common goal. To make the new veteran's center a reality, VANC must raise approximately $3-5 million.

There are three options available to purchase a memorial brick, paver or plaque:

-- $1,000-plus will buy a family plaque that can list up to eight service person's names, branches of service and dates of service.

-- $500 will buy a plaque with the service person's name, branch and dates served to be hung on the wall of the facility.

-- $100 will buy 4 x 8-inch brick that will be inscribed with the service person's name, branch of service, rank and dates of service.

Information: (760) 505-4712; www.vancnorthcounty.org.

Sam's Club hosting special events for military families

VISTA ---- Sam's Club store at 1900 University Drive will offer military families, active and retired, a greeting-card photo session as part of its salute to military families. Participating families can have a greeting card session with a professional photographer provided by Nikon on Nov. 17. Families also will receive 30 complimentary greeting cards free from Sam's Club, a $10.50 value per order. This offer is part of Sam's Cub Military Family Salute. Military family open houses also are planned for Dec. 1 and 15. The company is waiving its 10 percent nonmember service fee during the open houses. Call (760) 732-1101.

Grainger employees planning Thanksgiving project

SAN DIEGO ---- Local Grainger employees joined forces with Operation Homefront Nov. 15 to prepare Thanksgiving food baskets for 150 San Diego military families. The volunteer effort follows a $50,000 donation made in September on behalf of The Grainger Foundation to Operation Homefront, based upon a recommendation from the five local San Diego Grainger branch managers. The donation will help Operation Homefront provide food, moving and financial assistance to local military families.

The food baskets include a family game and appreciation note. Many of these families are separated from their support system and will be celebrating Thanksgiving without their loved ones.

Volunteers gathered to assemble the baskets and the families came to pick them up later that morning. Operation Homefront provides emergency assistance to troops and the families they leave behind during deployment. Founded in 2002, the Southern California Chapter has helped more than 12,000 military families since its inception. Operation Homefront assists families with emergency aid such as food, baby care items, vehicle repair, computer donations and social support during difficult deployments and holiday seasons. Call (619) 846-6338.

CSU to provide guaranteed admission to vets

SAN DIEGO ---- California State University has announced it will provide guaranteed admission for fall 2009 to 115 active-duty service members and veterans from the six military branches ---- Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, National Guard and Navy ---- at CSU campuses around the state.

Under the new CSU program, the service members will be admitted regardless of credentials beyond a few basic requirements. In lieu of the typical application process, the military command of each branch will be asked to recommend selected individuals to the university.

Earlier this year, San Diego State launched the idea with five active-duty Marines selected as candidates for admission to SDSU by Camp Pendleton Commander Gen. Lehnert. All 23 CSU campus presidents will be implementing a similar program to reserve five slots for active-duty and veterans to enroll at their campus.

Since the majority of CSU campuses are not located near a military base, the program was expanded to include not only active-duty service personnel, but also men and women leaving the military service and transitioning to veteran status.

In addition, CSU is recommending that commanding officers choose from candidates across their entire service branch as a way to encourage men and women who are California residents but stationed elsewhere to return to the state to join the workforce. Information: (562) 477-7317; efalis@calstate.edu.