[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 141 (Monday, October 31, 2005)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E2225-E2226]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 SOCIETY OF MILITARY WIDOWS, DESERT ROSE CHAPTER 14 OF TUCSON, ARIZONA

                                 ______
                                 

                           HON. J.D. HAYWORTH

                               of arizona

                    in the house of representatives

                        Monday, October 31, 2005

  Mr. HAYWORTH. Mr. Speaker, as American soldiers valiantly serve and 
fall in the defense of an enduring freedom this nation and its allies 
are bringing to Iraq and Afghanistan, I am pleased to recognize an 
extraordinary sisterhood of supporters dedicated to bringing comfort 
and assistance to our military widows. That is the purpose and legacy 
of the Society of Military Widows and its Desert Rose Chapter 14 based 
in Tucson, Arizona, as described in a recent news article that appeared 
in the Arizona Daily Star. With congratulations and gratitude for the 
marvelous work the Society is doing, I am pleased to enter the 
following article into the Congressional Record.

              [From the Arizona Daily Star, Oct. 6, 2005]

 A Sisterhood of Supporters--Society Ensures That Military Widows Are 
                               Not Alone

                           (By Levi J. Long)

       It was 3 a.m. when Dee Ruelas found herself in front of a 
     computer staring at the words ``military widow.''
       They weren't easy for her to type. Her husband, Command 
     Sgt. Maj. David A. Ruelas, with the Arizona Army National 
     Guard, had died of a heart attack 1 month before. They had 
     been married less than 10 years.
       ``That was something I never thought I'd do so soon,'' said 
     Ruelas, a 57-year-old northeastern Tucson resident. ``It took 
     me a while to even utter the word `widow.' But there I was . 
     . . searching for something.''
       What Ruelas said she found via the Internet that night was 
     direction and ``a sisterhood of supporters and friends.''
       For 25 years, the Society of Military Widows Desert Rose 
     Chapter 14--based on Tucson's East Side--has been helping 
     widows of active-duty and retired military personnel by 
     lobbying on their behalf for health and retirement benefits. 
     The society also serves as a support group of sorts for 
     recent widows.

[[Page E2226]]

       ``Our goal is to support our members and to help them at a 
     time that can be difficult,'' said Pat Shecter, president of 
     the local society.
       While recent widows are still in mourning, they often deal 
     with mounting paperwork involving health-care and survivors' 
     benefits, Shecter said. For some, the process can be hard to 
     navigate and understand, she said. ``We want people to know 
     that we're here to help.''
       Over the last two decades, the society has worked on behalf 
     of military widows receiving survivors' benefits. A few years 
     ago, members started a successful grass-roots campaign to 
     lobby Congress to give widows and their dependents continued 
     health coverage after age 65 through Tricare for Life, a 
     medical insurance plan for military retirees.
       ``When our husbands re-enlisted, they were promised that 
     they would get free medical care for themselves and their 
     dependents,'' said Shirley Degan, a local member and national 
     chaplain for the society. ``We made sure it happened.''
       Degan said the society also took on Congress when it 
     limited the amount of money widows were supposed to receive 
     through survivor benefits. Under survivor benefit plans, 
     military personnel could opt for their surviving dependents 
     to get 55 percent of their retirement pay after their deaths. 
     But a new law created by Congress limited the amount given to 
     survivors, capping it at 35 percent after age 62 when widows 
     became eligible for Social Security, Degan said.
       Again the group lobbied against the cut and was able to get 
     the government to restore the amount to 55 percent, though 
     getting it to that amount is still a sore subject among 
     members, Degan said.
       Annual 5 percent increments, starting this month, are being 
     paid each year. It's expected to be at 55 percent by 2008, 
     Shecter said.
       ``By the time it's back up, a lot of our members might not 
     be here,'' Shecter said of the members, who are mostly in 
     their 70s and 80s. Still, the group goes on with political 
     causes its members believe in.
       Joining with the National Association for Uniformed 
     Services and other organizations, the society is part of an 
     effort to get a constitutional amendment passed that would 
     make it illegal to desecrate the American flag. It also wants 
     to ensure its own future. With more than 25 nationwide 
     chapters and 4,200 members, the society is campaigning to get 
     younger members to join. Most current members--including 
     the 230 local members--are widows of World War II, Korean 
     War and Vietnam War veterans.
       ``A lot of young women don't know we're here for them,'' 
     said Marilyn Savage, a past president of the society. 
     ``They're going to need to take care of their families. And 
     we can help them with securing what's due to them.''
       Ruelas, one of the chapter's youngest members, is chair-
     woman of the society's membership committee. She said she 
     wants to do her part to make sure the society continues to 
     exist. ``We want to be a resource for widows, especially 
     younger ones, who aren't familiar with the group,'' she said.
       Though it's been two years since David's passing, Ruelas 
     said seeing little things throughout their house makes her 
     feel like he is still around. ``It's calming to know he's 
     here,'' she said. ``I can feel his presence and I know I can 
     go on.''
       About the society: Society of Military Widows Desert Rose 
     Chapter 14 of Tucson is a nonprofit group affiliated with the 
     National Association for Uniformed Services. The society is 
     open to widows of active-duty and retired military. Call Pat 
     Shecter at 574-5338 for an application, newsletter and 
     membership information. For more information, visit the Web 
     site www.militarywidows.org.

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