Rivers Edge Veterans Association

03/19/2026

This past Monday, 3/15/2026, our Rivers Edge Veterans Association Hospice volunteers had the honor of conducting a pinning ceremony for Charles C. Clapper, a 100 year old Marine/Army veteran. He served during WWII and was a flamethrower on Iwo Jima. The event was hosted by his VFW unit.

The first comment below contains a video where he was interviewed discussing Iwo Jima and his role as a flamethrower.

Be certain to scroll down to the first comment about Charles' being interviewed about his experience as a flamethrower on Iwo Jima.

02/27/2026

Our Rivers Edge Veterans Association (REVA) of 41 members also includes 12 of us who are Lower Cape Fear LifeCare (Hospice) volunteers. We conduct pinning's for veterans nearing end of life and who are transitioning to the next world.
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Last month, we had the honor to pin Command Sergeant Major Henry Conduzzi, a 98 year old WW2, Korean War, and Viet Nam War veteran. Not only did he first serve during WW2, he also was on duty serving in an Intelligence capacity when the Nuremberg trials took place after WW2.
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His last wish was to have a final martini with his fellow veterans. It was our high honor to pin the Command Sergeant Major and share a couple of martinis with him and his daughter.
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Command Sergeant Major, as we say in the Navy: "Fair Winds and Following Seas". Rest easy, brother, we got the watch.

02/19/2026

On Superbowl Sunday 2026 (before the game of course) the Rivers Edge Veterans Association held it 9th annual bowling fundraiser at Planet Fun. We had a record turnout and record fund raising profits from the initiative. Sincere thanks to our participants and our sponsors.

01/12/2026

Today we participated in a volunteer's staff meeting at Lower Cape Fear LifeCare. Lower Cape Fear LifeCare has earned the Level 5 status (the highest) for rendering service to Veterans who are in the process of transitioning to the next world.
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As many of you know, the Rivers Edge Veterans Association (REVA) has 11 members who are also Hospice volunteers (we are known as the Blue Shirts). Over the past six years or so, we have conducted near end-of-life ceremonies to well over 500 Veterans transitioning to the next world. We perform this labor of love for the Veterans and their families, to provide them with the honor and recognition that they deserve.
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We could not do what we do without the planning and organizing by Laura Long coupled with the love that she pours into her work for these Veterans. We are blessed to have Laura Long as partner in this act of rendering a final salute to our Veterans as they prepare to leave this world.
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At today's staff meeting, we made a point to honor Laura for her work supporting Veterans throughout a several country area in NC and SC.
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Thanks to Kate Landon, an honorary Blue Shirt who presented Laura with a quilt that is similar to the quilts that Kate voluntarily creates for the Veterans in the care of Lower Cape Fear Life Care.
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Congratulations Laura! We salute you!

11/25/2025

Our thanks to Rivers Edge Golf Club for helping us host our annual wounded/disabled veterans golf event to a day of golf, lunch, and fellowship. Rivers Edge Veterans Association has been hosting these events for several years now.

11/18/2025

Yesterday, eight (8) REVA members visited Autumn Care Nursing Home (in honor of Veterans Day) to bring ice cream and cake to the Veterans and a few guests. We shared chats, fellowship, good food and happy moments and relived happy memories with many good folks.

11/14/2025

REVA Visits Coastal Pointe

On November 13 REVA members visited Coastal Pointe Assisted Living Facility here in Shallotte for a Cake and Ice Cream Social to celebrate Veterans Day.

Twelve (12) REVA members hosted the Veterans Day social for eleven (11) veteran residents, family members and staff of Coastal Pointe.

The veterans' years of active duty ranged from two years of service to 36 years of service by an Army Airborne soldier who wished he was still jumping from airplanes. Total years of service by these Army, Navy, Marine and Air Force veterans is close 100 years.

10/16/2025

REVA visit VAMC Fayetteville!

On October 15, 2025, members of the Rivers Edge veterans Association visited the Veterans Association Medical Center in Fayetteville, North Carolina.

REVA members delivered 11 boxes of comfort kit items donated by residents of our Rivers Edge community.

REVA thanks all for their generous donations, estimated to have a value of approximately $2,000.

The visit also included playing bingo for cash prizes with resident patients, raffling off North Carolina scratch off lottery tickets, and sharing sweets with the residents.

08/21/2025

The Rivers Edge Veterans Association and The Ocean Ridge Veterans Association competed in their 4th Annual golf competition. Rivers Edge Veterans Association won for the 4th consecutive time yesterday

05/31/2025

This past Memorial Day, May 26, 2025, the Rivers Edge Veterans Association hosted its second annual Memorial Day Remembrance Ceremony. We were honored to partner with Bay Choir Bay Threshold Singers in honoring our Glorious Fallen.
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A welcome, opening prayer and Memorial Day reflections preceded the Honor Bell ceremony. Poems and thoughts about how to honor our war dead and live out the values they died for were also shared.

The Bay Singers provide stirring music throughout the ceremony and concluded the commemoration with the singing of "TAPS".

04/05/2025

During this past month, the Rivers Edge Veterans Association honored three dear friends of REVA, Judy and Gene Vasile and Elizabeth Lewis with our Association Honor Coin.

Judy and Gene attended our March REVA meeting and were presented with their coins, while Nick Micale and John Kinlaw presented Elizabeth her coin at her business, Flooring & Tile.

Our sincere thanks to these patriots and long standing benefactors and supporters of REVA and the work that we do.

04/05/2025

Our Rivers Edge Veterans Association was featured in SBM, South Brunswick Magazine this month. The article is about our service to veterans in need, our fundraising for organizations that support veterans, and our hospice work with Lower Cape Fear LifeCare. It's about a band of 41 veterans strong making a difference to those veterans in need!

The Rivers Edge Veterans Association in Shallotte strives to improve the lives of veterans and their families in Brunswick County.