Representatives from Fort Meade Army Community Service (ACS) and the Garrison Army Emergency Relief (AER) campaign accepted a check on behalf of AER for more than $23,000, June 20 at ACS. The donation was a gift from the Army Counterintelligence Veterans Corps Association.
The donation was bittersweet for the Corps. They've donated to AER in the past, but this gift is their last one. There are only three remaining members from the northeast chapter of the Corps. “What you see is the remaining members we have. We only went to 1962, counterintelligence units then went into a branch which was military intelligence and that's when our group ended. So we are old, all very old people. We have two more remaining from the northeast chapter here. One of them, in about a week and half will turn 100, and one on the Eastern Shore, I think he's hit that mark already. I will be 99 in November. This is what's happened to us, age has caught up with us. With this we'll be closing down and this is the last hurrah right here and now,” said Ozzie Kinat, a past president of the Corps.
Kinat continued by saying there's no better organization to receive this final gift. “Army Emergency Relief is very close to my heart. It takes care of my brothers-in-arms and I could think of no better organization to give it to than Army Emergency Relief. I have two checks here. I'm noting right now a total of $23,646 to Army Emergency Relief. I know they will use it good,” he said.
As for the gift itself, it will go to AER headquarters and go into a general fund to help Soldiers around the world including Soldiers at Fort Meade. ACS Director Dan Furlano noted that the gift from these veterans provides no better example of the AER motto, “Soldiers helping Soldiers.” Furlano continued, “It's moving to me to see gentlemen who are nearly 100 years old still giving back to the Army. It's remarkable, it's very touching and very inspiring.”