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24 | OHCC LIVING | FEBRUARY 2019 | Village Vets The New Year of 2019 has begun and we are looking forward to an exciting year. Do Dues Day was a big success, with more than 25 new members and over 140 members renewing as Village Vets for the year. If you were unable to attend, you can renew your membership by placing a check for $10 per person in the Village Vets envelope located at the front desk in the Clubhouse. Our program for our Feb. 28, meeting will be outstanding. Our speaker is Commander D. D. Smith, USN Ret. an Ocean Hills resident. Commander D.D. Smith entered the Navy from Brainerd, Minnesota in 1956 as a Naval Aviation Cadet. Like all Naval Aviators, he underwent basic flight training at Pensacola, Florida. He graduated from all-jet advanced training in Beeville, Texas in 1957 and was assigned to Fighter Squadron 91 in Alameda, California. In the ensuing years, D.D. served in two West Coast A-4 squadrons and flew as a project pilot at the Naval Ordnance Test Station, China Lake, California. Following a stint at the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, he flew 138 combat missions over North Vietnam during the early years of the war. D.D. has first-pilot time in 33 types of aircraft, including almost all of the high-performance aircraft of his day. He is a life member of the Society of Experimental Test Pilots. D.D.'s book, Above Average – Naval Aviation the Hard Way, was released last June, and has since sold more than 1,500 copies. D.D. and his wife, Jo, live in Ocean Hills Country Club. Plan to attend our meeting to hear more about your amazing neighbor. The doors open at 2:30 pm for snacks and socializing. The program starts at 3 pm in Abravenal Hall. Our future meetings are April 25, June 27, Aug. 22, Oct. 24, Nov. 11, Veterans Day, and our Holiday Party on Dec. 15. Mark your calendars accurately now to save these dates. Inspiration Hill is a new joint project for the Master Board with the Village Vets providing some assistance with this worthwhile project. The Hill is situated at the back of the guest/ overflow parking lot. When completed, it will have a winding trail to a lookout point with beautiful views of the ocean. Any individual resident as a tribute to those who served or honor someone who has inspired their life can purchase pavers or bricks. The cost of each paver is $75. Order forms can be found at the Clubhouse and the HOA. In addition, five benches will recognize each branch of the service, face west providing spectacular views of a green valley and the Pacific Ocean. Please contact any Village Vets Board member or the HOA for more details. We also want to welcome our new addition to the Village Veterans Board of Directors, Capt. Jack Martin, and USN Ret. Our next general meeting will be Feb. 28. Please join us for an outstanding program. See you then. ~ Barbara Hazlett OHCC resident and Commander D. D. Smith, USN Ret., will speak to the club in February