Commander's Welcome Letter

On behalf of MOWW West Valley Chapter 131, it is my pleasure to welcome you to our web site.  Thank you for checking us out and we hope that you will join us at our meetings which take place on the second Saturday of the month from October to May.

What is the Military Order of World Wars (MOWW)?

The MOWW is a patriotic Veterans Service Organization (VSO) founded in 1919 by General John Pershing. Its purpose is to promote patriotism, public service, civic responsibility and leadership.  Presently there are 74 Chapters in the United States, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the Virgin Island.  In the Phoenix metropolitan area, we have two Chapters: West Valley Chapter 131 focused on members living in the geographical western side of Phoenix, and the Phoenix Chapter 92, for the rest of the greater Phoenix area.

What Does a MOWW Chapter do Anyway?

Our Chapter meets monthly from October through May of each year; our most common venue is a breakfast meeting, with spouses and guests on the 2nd Saturday morning of the month. We socialize and conduct business at the same meeting. Our meeting location and times are listed elsewhere in this website.

We host a Massing of the Colors Ceremony each year rededicating our support of the United States.  It is a means to honor and remember the men and women who have served America before us, as well as those that currently serve in America’s Armed Forces.  It is a poignant ceremony of patriotism and remembrance.

We pay tuition for high school students to attend an annual Arizona Youth Leadership Conference (AZYLC).  AZYLC’s purpose is to instill civic leadership and responsibility.  We further support two ROTC units in Prescott and 17 high school Junior ROTC units by presenting awards to those students that exhibit admirable leadership qualities. It’s refreshing to recognize the many deserving young people that are maturing into America’s future civic leaders.

 Our members are friendly and engaging people!  I want to extend to you an invitation to inquire about us and to join us for a breakfast meeting or any other special event we host.

You are welcome to contact me personally by email, should you be interested in finding out more about us. Our Motto should tell you volumes: “It is nobler to serve than to be served”.

Sincerely,

Melvin Howry, Colonel, USAR (Retired)

Commander, MOWW Chapter 131

membership@moww131.org