Monday, June 19th Invite your family, friends and neighbors to join us!

CAPTAIN THEODORE O. ATWOOD, Jr., CHC, USN (RET.)

Captain Theodore O. Atwood, Jr. CHC, USN, a native of Augusta, GA, was born on August 3, 1936. He commenced his Naval Service on October 8, 1953 as a member of Surface Division 6-8, USNR. He was subsequently ordered to active duty in the USS Randolph (CVA 15) and was released to inactive duty as a Third Class Machinist Mate after completing two years of service.

Captain Atwood received his BA from the University of Georgia in 1960 and his Master of Divinity from the Church Divinity School of the Pacific, Berkeley, California in 1963. He was commissioned as Ensign in the Theological Education Program on May 2, 1961. Following ordination in the Ministry of the Episcopal Church, he served as Curate, Vicar and Rector of Episcopal Congregations in Georgia for five and one-half years. He returned to active duty in January 1969 with the objective of serving with the Marine Corps in Vietnam. After an initial assignment to the Fifth Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force, he served in the Republic of Vietnam with the First Marine Division, Fleet Marine Force. His post-Vietnam assignments were: Marine Corps Recruit Depot, Parris Island, S.C.; Destroyer Squadron TWENTY-THREE; Naval Regional Medical Center, San Diego, CA; and the Senior Course for Naval Chaplains, Naval Education & Training Center, Newport, R.I. Following completion of his studies in June 1978, he was ordered to duty with the First Marine Aircraft Wing, Fleet Marine Force; First Force Service Support Group, Fleet Marine Force; and Commander Naval Surface Force Pacific, where he was assigned as Officer in Charge, Dependents Assistance Board.

Captain Atwood’s decorations include the Legion of Merit Medal, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy Commendation Medal with Combat “V”, Combat Action Ribbon, Presidential Unit Citation, Meritorious Unit Citation, Naval Occupation Service Medal, National Defense Service Medal with 1 Bronze Star, Sea Service Deployment Ribbon, Vietnam Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Unit Gallantry Citation, Republic of Vietnam Civil Actions Citation and Republic of Vietnam campaign Medal with 2 Stars.

Captain Atwood retired from active naval service on July 1, 1989. He served as Assistant to the Rector, St. Dunstan’s Episcopal Church in San Diego, CA until September 1993, and a non-stipendiary Staff Assistant to the Honorable Bill Lowery, United States House of Representatives, 41^st Congressional District of California, 1989-1992.

Captain Atwood became the Rector of Christ Church, Augusta, GA on May 1, 1994 and continued in that position until his retirement on April 1, 2003. Following his retirement, he served as the Interim Rector of St. Michael’s, Waynesboro, GA from December 14, 2003 until April 15, 2005. He assumed duties as the Vicar of Holy Cross, Carlsbad, CA on 1 January 2007. He retired for the fourth time on 30 June 2010.

He served as the Chaplain General for the National Convention of the Military Order of the World Wars in 2014 and is serving as the Chapter’s Chaplain.

Reverend Canon J. Milton Collins

The Reverend Canon J. Milton Collins, CAPTAIN, Chaplain Corps, United States Navy (Retired) was born in Washington, DC on 7 October 1933.  He is a lifelong member of the Episcopal Church.  During the 1950’s he served for three years as an enlisted man in the United States Army.  He graduated from the University of Maryland (College Park, MD) in 1959 and from the Episcopal Theological School (Cambridge, MA) in 1962.  He was ordained a deacon in June of 1962 and a priest in December of that year, both ordination services were in the Washington National Cathedral.  He served as Deacon-in-Charge and then Priest-in-Charge of two parishes in Southern Maryland.  After those assignments he became an active duty chaplain in the United States Navy.

Chaplain Collins retired from the Navy with more than thirty years’ active service.  Seven of those thirty years were with the Marine Corps and included tours with all three Marine Divisions.  He served as chaplain aboard a repair ship, a submarine tender and an aircraft carrier.  He was command chaplain at the Naval Medical Center (San Diego), Camp Butler (including all Marine Corps bases in Japan), Naval Weapons Center China Lake (CA), aboard the USS Constellation and the U.S. Naval Base, Roosevelt Rhodes (Puerto Rico).  After retiring from the Navy Father Collins served as parish priest and interim rector for several Episcopal parishes in the Diocese of San Diego.

He is currently serving as Canon for Pastoral Care at St. Paul’s Cathedral, San Diego.  Father Collins has been a Companion since 2013.

Monday, May 15th Invite your family, friends and neighbors to join us!

CAPTAIN DEBORAH A. KASH, USAF (Ret)

Captain Deborah Kash has a Bachelor of Science degree from Texas Christian University’s (TCU) Harris College of Nursing and was a distinguished graduate of the TCU Air Force ROTC program. Capt. Kash started her Air Force career as a medical-surgical nurse with the 22^nd Medical Group at March AFB (CA).  She completed the Basic Infection Control Course at Sheppard AFB, Texas.  Other duty assignments while at MARCH AFB included; pre-op nurse, same day surgery nurse, Combat Medical Readiness Training Instructor, Emergency Medical Technician Instructor, Pediatric Nurse Conference Coordinator and the Infection Control Officer.   The 22^nd Medical Group awarded Capt Kash as Nurse of the Quarter and Nurse of the Year 1990.  During Operation Desert Storm, she was deployed to the 609th Contingency Hospital, Zweibrücken (Germany) and was on the wound care team.  Capt. Kash retired from the Air Force in 1994.

Capt Kash continued her nursing career at Shriners Hospitals for Children, Los Angeles, CA as the Infection Control and Employee Health Nurse were she also chaired the Patient Education Committee.  She earned her Infection Control Certification from the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology, Inc.  Capt Kash then worked for Inland Valley Hospital, Wildomar, CA as their Infection Control and Ostomy/Wound Care Nurse before retiring from nursing in 2000.

Capt Kash is an active member of The Military Order of the World Wars.  She has been the San Diego Chapter Commander and the Department of Southern California Commander. Capt Kash has held the following national committee chair positions: Chapter Activities & Awards, Membership, Awards Process Ad Hoc, Budget, Nominating. Capt Kash has been elected to the following national positions: General Staff Officer, Vice Commander-in-Chief, Senior Vice Commander-in-Chief and Commander-in-Chief.

Currently, Capt. Kash is active in the San Diego and JH Pendleton MOWW Chapters.  She is serving as the Secretary for the Council of Past CINCs and Chair of the 2017 National Convention Workshops Ad Hoc Committee.  Capt Kash continues to serve on the San Diego Youth Leadership Conference Board of Directors for over 10 years and is the Treasurer/Secretary and Curriculum Committee Chair.  She is a board member of the Patriotic Education, INC. and Treasurer/Secretary of the South Coast Patriotic Fund and Vice President of P.E.O., Chapter MR, La Jolla, CA.

Capt. Kash resides in San Marcos, CA with her husband, Dan.

Monday, April 17th Invite your family, friends and neighbors to join us!

Combat History Facts & Myths of the 442nd RCT

Thomas J. Marshall, Jr., MD FACS CAPT MC USN (Ret.)

Captain Thomas J. Marshall, Jr. MC USN retired from active duty in December, 2011. During his 24 years of active service, he commanded a combat medical unit during the assault phase of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003, served as Chairman of the Department of Surgery at the Naval Medical Center San Diego (2006-2008) and served aboard ten ships including four aircraft carriers, five amphibious assault ships and a submarine. In addition to his Medical Degree, he also has a Masters Degree in Military History. Since his retirement, he has served the San Diego Chapter of the MOWW as Senior Vice-Commander and is presently Chapter Historian and Treasurer. He is the author of a monthly historical article in the MOWW San Diego Chapter newsletter and has had an article on the Battle of Midway published in the MOWW magazine, “Officer Review,” in May, 2016. He has also made presentations to the San Diego Chapter of the MOWW on D-Day, Flag Day, The Evolution of Presidential Power and the Battle of Midway, which was also presented at the San Diego Veterans Museum.