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LEGACY
Spring 2014 | ISSUE 17

NEWSLETTER

NAVY-MARINE CORPS RELIEF SOCIETY
Celebrating 110 Years

Serving Sailors, Marines and their families

Legacy

NE WSLETTER

From the Signal Bridge
As the calendar turned to 2014, Society
employees and volunteers were busy
making plans to celebrate our 110th
Anniversary; honoring our past – as we
build our future. Celebrate with us by
enjoying the pictorial timeline of some
of the significant events and legendary
people that played important roles in the
Society’s early years.
The Society’s success has always been dependent on the thoughtful
execution of our strategy, the commitment of our staff and volunteers,
and the generosity of our donors. 2014 is the “implementation” phase
of our 3-year strategic cycle. We’ll move ahead on the initiatives that
were developed and approved in last year’s “decision” phase. They
include the creation of additional Local Service Offices, and changes
to our Budget for Baby program. We have held Implementation
Workshops, and we will convene an Implementation Evaluation
conference at the end of the year to see how we have done in putting
these new ideas to work!
What we won’t change are the values that guide our work and mission.
Our founders were committed to serving Sea Service personnel and
their families, widows and orphans – when in need. We remain
steadfastly devoted to that mission.
Because of donors like you, Society employees and volunteers make
a difference every day. As an example, working together across the
continent, Society volunteers made a dream come true for a 78-year
old retired Senior Chief Petty Officer, they fed a hungry Marine
spouse, and they helped Navy and Marine Corps families prepare
financially for the arrival of a new family member.
As your read the remarkable story of Drew Provost, a combat-injured
Navy Corpsman, I’m sure you’ll be impressed by his courage and
tenacity. Drew represents the hundreds of thousands of young men
and women who voluntarily serve our country. Our service men and
women don’t all come home with injuries, but they all deserve our
support and our assistance - when in need.

Admiral Steve Abbot, U.S. Navy (Ret.)
President and Chief Executive Officer

110 YEARS OF SERVING
A trip through the history of the Society

2

Society Visiting Nurse
Helps Rising Star Find
a New Path

E

ven after the encounter in Fallujah when the IED blew out
his eardrum, knocked him unconscious, and caused him
to vomit, Drew Provost assumed he was fine. As a Navy
Corpsman assigned to a Marine unit in Fallujah, he was used to
seeing serious casualties. Since he could still walk and talk, Provost
quickly went about his work checking on the condition of other
Marines and civilians affected by the blast. He was 19 and a
rising star.
It took four more years, another tour of duty, a divorce, struggles
with alcohol abuse, and a new relationship for Provost to be
diagnosed with, and correctly treated for, a traumatic brain injury
(TBA) – thanks to the intervention of NMCRS Visiting Nurse
Ruthi Moore.
Provost graduated from high school at 16, then moved out and
supported himself working two jobs while attending community
college. Weary of the bills and responsibilities, Provost joined the
US Navy and went to boot camp as soon as he turned 18. He
entered as an E2 because of his college credits, worked hard, and
was meritoriously advanced to E3.
In November 2005, Provost and his commander ran into an IED
while returning from a logistics patrol, but he never sought medical
attention after the blast, despite persistent headaches. When he
returned to the States in February, Provost couldn’t sleep and didn’t
feel like himself. Things that had come easily before now seemed
more of a struggle. He had scored well on previous advancement
exams, but the exam he took after the IED didn’t go as well.
When he finally sought medical attention, doctors attributed his
symptoms to PTSD and prescribed medications, but nothing

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society’s Legacy Newsletter is published
three times each year. Its articles help donors understand the impact of
their gifts, and also informs active duty and retired Navy and Marine Corps
members and their families about the programs and services available to
them. We value your privacy. The Society does not rent or sell names,
addresses, or e-mails to third parties.

1903
The Army Navy football game is
rich in history, but especially the
1903 game where one third of the
proceeds ($9,000) were donated for
the formation of the Society.

Army 40 - Navy 5

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is a non-profit charity (EIN 53-0204618)

Making a difference for sailors, marines and
their families — Thanks to your donations

of structure and direction were a challenge and he found himself
drinking and getting arrested. Doctors warned that if he kept
drinking, he wouldn’t live much longer. By then he had started
dating Crystal, the sister of a childhood friend with whom he had
reconnected. Crystal told him he had to stop drinking, but he
didn’t know how.
Fortunately, Provost had attended a program which helps wounded
warriors make the transition to civilian life. The NMCRS sends
their Combat Casualty Assistance (CCA) visiting nurses to these
events in case participants are interested in the Society’s visiting
nurse services. Provost connected with Ruthi Moore, one of the
Society’s CCA visiting nurses serving clients in Arizona where
he lives.
HM3 Drew Provost, USN, Fallujah, July 2005

helped. He started to self-medicate, began to drink excessively,
behave rashly, and also married a girl he’d just met.
Then Provost received orders to return to Fallujah. “It seemed like
everything was back to normal,” he said. He felt OK and even
earned a Navy Achievement Medal for saving the lives of two
children who were caught in sniper fire near a bridge that Al-Qaeda
bombed and the Marines rebuilt and were guarding.

“Staying sober was something I couldn’t do on my own,” Provost
said. “I didn’t have any coping skills. Ruthi became a lifeline for
me and my wife, Crystal.” Moore helped Provost find a civilian
rehabilitation facility with expertise in brain damage. “They worked
with me in a way that I was really able to ‘get it’ and understand
and use coping skills,” Provost said. He spent a month as an
inpatient and three more months as an outpatient.
(continued on page 5)

“The locals didn’t want to have anything to do with us until they
saw the effort I put into saving their kids. That changed the whole
village’s outlook,” Provost said.
By the time he returned home, Provost had earned his FMF pin
and was advanced to E5, but things weren’t altogether well on the
home front. His marriage was disintegrating, but the couple tried
to stay together for their daughter. Then one day he came home
and discovered his wife and daughter had left. Now divorced, he
talks to his daughter weekly by phone.
“I lost it after that,” Provost said. “I’d been doing really well. I was
a 21-year-old Leading Petty Officer, responsible for 41 people. I
was excelling. It was great. I’d stopped drinking when my daughter
was born. Then my wife and daughter left and I went right back
to drinking and everything fell apart.” Provost was in and out of
rehab facilities, receiving treatment for alcoholism and PTSD. “I
finally realized that the blast was when things started going wrong.”
Provost was medically discharged after seven years in the Navy. He
found civilian life to be much harder than military life. The lack

National Nurses Week: May 6 – 12
Take time to thank a Nurse!

1904
Incorporation of the Society took place
January 23, followed by the unanimous
election of Mrs. Grace Higginson, wife
of the Commanding Officer of the
Washington Navy Yard, as President of the
Navy Relief Society.

When disaster struck the USS
Missouri, claiming the lives of 36
sailors, the Society was quickly
put to the test. A special fund was
created and the money distributed
to the families of the fallen.

Your gift helps Sailors, Marines and their families. Donate online at www.nmcrs.org/donate

3

Legacy

NE WSLETTER

A Teacher at Heart, Retired Marine Volunteers to Teach Budget for Baby Workshops

C

harlie Gibson wanted to be a high school teacher and
football coach. So, after college, he joined the Marine
Corps with plans to serve for three years—just long enough
to gain the age and authority that would differentiate him from
his students. Twenty years later, after serving in Vietnam, Gibson
retired as a Major and moved his family to Gulfport, Mississippi.
Yet he still dreamed of teaching high school and passing along
some of the life lessons he’d learned in the Corps about discipline
and leadership. Gibson realized that dream when he helped
establish the first Marine Corps JROTC at Gulfport High School,
and spent the next two decades there as an instructor. “I wanted to
pay it back for all those people who helped me get through school,”
Gibson said. “I believed I could help someone else.”
Gibson recalled that students in his JROTC classes were diverse
in many ways, but he treated them equally. “On the first day of
class I told them, ‘We have no whites, we have no blacks. We
only have Marine green. If you can’t handle that, leave now.’
There were honor students, special education students, and some
students who couldn’t read. A lot of students came from single
parent homes and JROTC instructors were parent figures.” When
students got in trouble, Gibson offered them the option of doing
push-ups or being sent to the principal. Most did the push-ups—
slow push-ups.

When a back injury
prohibited Gibson from
conducting physical
training and inspections
with his Unit, he
retired from Gulfport
High School. He soon
found his third calling
as a Society volunteer.
Recruited by the Director
of the Gulfport NMCRS
office, Gibson started
as a caseworker. He
Major Charlie Gibson, USMC (Ret.) and
also served as Chair of
wife Betty.
Volunteers and soon
found himself teaching
the Budget for Baby workshop. He recruited his wife, Betty, to
volunteer as Chair of the Layette Program and help with the
Budget for Baby class. Always a teacher at heart, Gibson discovered
that teaching expectant parents to better manage their finances and
budget for a newborn was his favorite volunteer activity.

National Volunteer Week, April 6-12
Volunteers are the core of our existence. Volunteers define our history, maintain our
relevance, maximize our resources, ensure excellent service, and shape our future.
The Society could not function without volunteers. We cherish our volunteers because
we understand how much discipline and determination it takes to give up some of our
own time to give back to others. This year during National Volunteer Week, we will
be celebrating and thanking our 3,800 volunteers. Read about some of our volunteer
appreciation activities on our Facebook page (facebook.com/nmcrs). To volunteer, visit
www.nmcrs.org/helping.

1918
The Society’s assistance to Sailors and
Marines increased by 60% during
World War I, which was compounded
by an influenza pandemic.

4

1922
The first Society visiting nurse was
hired in 1922. Her duties included
visiting the homes of Sailors and
Marines to assist the sick and provide
aid and instruction in the care of
infants and children.

The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society is not funded by the Department of the Navy or other government sources.

Making a difference for sailors, marines and
their families — Thanks to your donations

Sometimes, It’s more than
Financial Assistance

Society Visiting Nurse Helps Rising Star
Find a New Path (continued from page 3)

hen the young Marine wife walked into the NMCRS
office, she was frantic. Her husband had just deployed
and she’d just been told that the allotment he’d set up to
take care of the household expenses had been misdirected. It would
be nine days before his pay could be corrected. Her rent and utility
payments were due and she’d had a car accident and now had a
$500 deductible payment to get her car repaired and drivable. She
needed help.

“Drew had been going to the VA but they would schedule him
to see a different doctor every time,” explained Moore. “The
treatment wasn’t working and he was depressed.” She helped
arrange for him to be seen by the same VA doctor and to get his
medications stabilized.

W

Cheri Nylen, Headquarters
director of casework,
was visiting NMCRS
Camp LeJeune.
While processing the case
and preparing a check,
Nylen noticed that the
young woman seemed
distracted. “I’d also heard
her stomach growl, so
I asked if she’d eaten
breakfast. She said she
hadn’t eaten since the day
before because she had run
out of food. The staff was
preparing a special breakfast
in celebration of national nurses week. So we invited the young
woman to join us for breakfast,” Nylen said. “That’s why we’re
here—to help Marines, Sailors and their families. Through no
fault of her own, a Marine Corps wife was in a difficult financial
situation and we were able to meet all of her needs, including a hot
meal and a warm hug.”
“We do that all the time because it’s the right thing to do,”
responded Gini Schopfel, Director, NMCRS Camp LeJeune.
As soon as her husband’s pay and allotments were sorted out, the
young wife returned to the office and paid off her interest-free loan.
The Society had been there for her. Now she knew she could make
it through the deployment, and her Marine could stay focused on
his mission.

1929

“During that time, Ruthi was our angel,” he said. “I needed
someone in my life who would hold me accountable, who I could
say anything to. She was there for me every day for three months.
Our calls slowly tapered off until I got to the point where I could
handle this.”
Moore also offered a listening ear to Crystal, who said, “I can’t
relate to my husband. I don’t know how to fix him and I don’t
know how to help. Other than the local VA, I didn’t know who to
contact or what resources were available. I just thought it was me
and him. Ruthi became my go-to person.”
Drew and Crystal
Provost are trying
to build an antique
restoration business,
and Drew now likes
to writes poetry.
Eventually, he would
like to write a book
about his experiences.
“I feel like I survived
and I want to share
that. It hasn’t been an
easy journey. I want
to write about how
I overcame. I would
tell every injured
Sailor or Marine to
look into the Society’s
CCA Visiting Nurse
program.”

1933

The Society provided disaster assistance to
many Sailors and Marines impacted by the
Long Beach earthquake.

The military pay was cut by 15%
as a result of the Great Depression
and the Society was there to
provide assistance to many
families in need during that time.

LEARN MORE — www.nmcrs.org

5

Legacy

NE WSLETTER

A Sailor’s Wish Fulfilled – Thanks to Thrift Shop Volunteers

W

hen retired Chief Petty Officer Jim Reid received an
unusual email, he took special interest.

The email was from Gabriel Aviles, a 78-year-old retired
Senior Chief Petty Officer who wrote, “I’m not long for Davy
Jones’ locker and I’ve always wanted to be buried in my Navy
uniform. But, after many moves, I’ve only got my medals. I’ve lost
my uniform. We don’t live near a Navy base and I don’t know what
to do.”
Reid, a Relief Services Assistant at NMCRS Jacksonville, Florida,
immediately set to work to reconstruct the appropriate uniform for
Senior Chief Aviles. “I took it personally,” Reid said. “I contacted
the NMCRS offices that operate thrift shops and told them I was
looking for a Navy enlisted service dress blue uniform and told
them the sizes of the jacket and pants I needed.” Reid also told
them he needed a cover with Chief Petty Officer insignia and
a Senior Chief Storekeeper (SKCS) patch to sew onto the right
shoulder of the jacket.
Responses began pouring in. “The NMCRS Newport, Rhode
Island thrift shop, sent us the jacket,” Reid said. “NMCRS
Kings Bay, Georgia thrift shop sent the pants.” The cover came
from another thrift shop. After reaching out to all 26 NMCRS
thrift shops, no SKCS badge could be found among the donated
uniforms so Reid purchased a new one. He also purchased eight
shiny new gold service stripes. Reid’s wife, a helpful seamstress,
removed the previous owner’s rating badge from the gently used
uniform jacket and sewed the SKCS rating badge, chevrons, and
gold service stripes onto the jacket’s sleeve.

“I emailed Senior Chief Aviles to tell him we were gathering all
the items for his uniform,” stated Reid. Senior Chief Aviles was
overwhelmed by this kindness, and said “I feel honored by all the
efforts and sacrifices people have devoted to this project. Please
thank everyone from the bottom of my heart.”
The completed uniform is inspection ready – cleaned and pressed –
and it accurately represents Senior Chief Aviles’ naval service.
Senior Chief Aviles plans
to travel from his home
in Homosassa, Florida to
Jacksonville to pick up
the uniform and to meet
Reid and the NMCRS
Jacksonville team.
“I will present the uniform
to Senior Chief Aviles, on
behalf of all the NMCRS
volunteers who helped put
it together. I will thank him
for his 32 years of service,”
Reid said. “This means a lot
to him. What might seem
like a minor thing to one
person can mean everything
to another. That’s what the
Society is all about.”

YNC James Reid, USN (Ret.), left,
presents SKCS Gabriel Aviles,
USN (Ret.) with the uniform –
ready for inspection!

Reminder - 2014 SECNAV Retiree Fund Drive
The annual Secretary of the Navy Retiree Fund Drive letter will be delivered to mailboxes
across the country and around the world in April. Your donation provides critical funding
that allows the Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society to continue to respond to the financial
needs of retired and active duty Sailors, Marines, families and widows. We hope you will
consider donating, because every dollar helps those in need.

1941

1942
After the attack on Pearl Harbor ADM Harold
Stark, USN, and Society President wrote: “The
Society is ever an anchor to windward to keep
naval dependents from suffering any manner
of distress when husbands and sons are at sea
guarding the Nation’s welfare.”

6

During World War II celebrities and athletes
participated in fundraising campaigns to
support Navy Relief, including Babe Ruth.

Were you inspired? Why not pass this copy of Legacy newsletter to a friend?

Making a difference for sailors, marines and
their families — Thanks to your donations

Legacy Matters
Recent Changes to Federal Estate Tax Laws – Do They
Impact Your Plan?
Craig Anderson, Esq.

E

veryone has heard the old saying: “The only two inevitable
things in life are death and taxes.” Most people try very hard
to avoid both! However, there are many misconceptions
about how federal estate taxes (sometimes called “death taxes”)
actually impact your estate plan, and recent changes in that law
have been good for the middle class.
Before going into detail, two basic concepts need to be clear. First,
there is a fundamental difference between income taxes and estate
taxes. Income taxes are due every year on what you earn or receive
as compensation. Estate taxes are only due once, at the time a
person dies. The second basic concept is that any transfer to a
surviving spouse at the death of the first spouse is not subject to
federal estate taxes at all; there is an unlimited marital deduction
for those transfers, no matter how much they are.
A problem in the past occurred when a spouse died leaving
everything to his surviving spouse. Then at her death (for example
purposes only, we are having “him” die first!), whatever she had
left was subject to the federal estate tax. Years ago, if that amount
exceeded $325,000, the Federal estate tax applied – and it was
hefty, with rates ranging from 45-55%! That led to the popularity
of revocable trusts, where the first spouse to die could leave up to
the amount just under a taxable level in a trust for the benefit of his
surviving spouse. She controlled it and received the income from
it. At her death the funds in it would pass on to the children. This
allowed double the threshold amount to be passed to the children
without paying any federal estate taxes.
In recent years, the US Congress substantially raised the amount
that can be passed in a decedent’s estate to over $5 million without
paying any federal estate taxes. Even better, if a spouse leaves
everything to his surviving spouse and doesn’t use any of his
exemption amount, the surviving spouse now gets his exemption
as well as hers at her death, again doubling the amount that could
pass on to the children. However, contrary to what some people

1948
Over time, the number of Society
visiting nurses has varied to meet the
needs of Sailors, Marines and their
families, which was certainly true
during the baby boom era.

may think, using revocable trusts during one’s lifetime does not
impact the requirement to pay annual income taxes.
For 2014 and the foreseeable future, family estate values under
$10 million (that includes everything – house, life insurance,
retirement accounts, other real property, etc.) will not result in any
federal estate taxes. In Virginia, there is no state “death” tax, but
that may not be true in the state where you live. It is important
for you to find out how your state handles this issue. Even without
a current federal estate tax impact, many families continue to
build an estate plan around revocable trusts. The use of trusts can
protect beneficiaries from future financial woes and with careful
planning, help a family completely avoid the probate process.
Probate rules vary from state to state, but they all have costs and
deadlines and administrative procedures monitored by a court or
commissioner of accounts. The use of revocable trusts can keep
the distribution of assets passing from one generation to the next
wholly private and within the family, entirely outside the semipublic probate bureaucracy.
Be sure to discuss your estate planning goals and objectives with
a qualified professional so you can learn about the advantages of
using trusts in your estate plan.

Craig Anderson has practiced law for more than 35 years, 20 of which
as an active duty Air Force JAG. He earned his JD from the Indiana
University Mauer School of Law and has a Masters of Law degree from
the George Washington University Law School. He now focuses his
practice on trust and estate law and issues of concern to military veterans
and their families.

1949
To be
continued ...
The fashion may have evolved, but
our volunteers’ devotion to the people
we serve has never wavered.

Watch for the summer and fall issues of Legacy newsletter for more of the Society’s history!

7

MAKE A REAL DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF
YOUR FELLOW SERVICE MEMBERS WHILE
ENJOYING FIXED PAYMENTS FOR LIFE!
Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society gift annuities offer an immediate charitable income tax deduction, fixed annual
payments for life, and membership in the Clarence Dillon Society. Your thoughtful future gift to the Society will be put to
work serving Sailors, Marines and their families when they need it most.

Here is a sample of current annuity rates,
based on the American Council on Gift Annuity tables:
Age(s)

Rate

Sample Gift

Deduction*

70

5.1%

$10,000

$4,099

80

6.8%

$10,000

$5,020

90

9.0%

$10,000

$6,294

80 & 75

5.3%

$10,000

$4,087

85 & 80

6.1%

$10,000

$4,603

*Available March 2013. Subsequent months may generate higher or lower deductions based on the monthly IRS discount rate.

IT’S EASY:
«« You transfer a minimum of $10,000 cash or appreciated securities to the Society
«« In return, receive fixed annual payments for the rest of your life, at an appealing rate based on your age

To learn more, or request a no-obligation illustration of how a CGA would work for you,
go to www.nmcrs.org/giftcalc or call Kate Hillas, Director of Planned Giving Programs at 800-654-8364.

875 N. Randolph Street, Suite 225
Arlington, VA 22203-1767
www.nmcrs.org
(800) 654-8364
The Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society does not provide legal or tax advisory services. Work with your attorney and financial advisors to plan charitable
arrangements that work best for you and your estate. The information contained herein is intended solely for general informational purposes.



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