Dave Dequeljoe, former Navy fighter pilot and Westport resident, will speak on his service with Operation Iraqi Freedom at the Westport Sunrise Rotary breakfast meeting on Friday, August 1st. The meeting will be held at Bobby Q's Restaurant, 42 Main St., Westport, at 7:30 a.m. Guests are welcome. There is a $12 fee which includes a breakfast buffet.
Dequeljoe is a graduate of the United States Naval Academy, and a former Navy F-14 Tomcat fighter pilot. He served two tours to Iraq in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003 and 2005. He was awarded a Navy Commendation with Combat V as well as three Air Medals.
Dequeljoe returned to the U.S. to become a small business owner, and is passionate about improving the nation's public education system. He graduated from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government in May 2014.
Westport Sunrise Rotary supports a wide range of charitable programs locally and internationally, serving all ages, in four categories: community service, including Gillespie Center and Staples Student of the Month; vocational service, such as the District Four-Way Speech Contest; international service, including worldwide polio eradication; and local organizations, including Cancer Care, CLASP, Earthplace, HomesWithHope, Meals on Wheels, Project Return, Smart Kids with Learning Disabilities, STAR and Westport Youth Film Festival. Funds are raised through various Sunrise Rotary-sponsored events annually, including a Duck Race in June and a Wine Tasting in October. A complete list of organizations that Westport Sunrise Rotary serves is available at http://www.westportsunriserotary.com/charities.html
For information about Westport Sunrise Rotary, visit its website at www.westportsunriserotary.com; contact Ron Holtz, membership, at 203-364-2658 or by email at ronaldholtz@gmail.com; or attend a meeting any Friday at 7:30 a.m. at Bobby Q's Restaurant, 42 Main Street, Westport.