Joe McLaughlin To Speak At Down East Meeting

Press Release

Joe McLaughlin, Onslow County Commissioner and candidate for U.S. House in North Carolina’s 3rd district, is welcomed as the guest speaker at the Thursday, June 28th Down East Republican Meeting. This seat is presently held by Republican Congressman Walter Jones.

Dinner begins at 6:00 PM and the meeting starts at 7:00 PM.

Joseph R. McLaughlin was born September 16, 1954 in Wilmington, Delaware, where his father was serving in the United States Coast Guard. Joe was the youngest of five children and grew up in various East Coast ports where his father's duties as an officer brought the family.

Joe has been married for 24 years to the former Sherrill Ann Baucom of Charlotte, NC. Sherrill is a Registered Nurse at Onslow Memorial Hospital in Jacksonville, NC. They have 3 children, with son Matt being a recent graduate of N.C. State University and daughters Colleen and Caitlin students at White Oak Public High School.

McLaughlin received a Presidential Appointment to the United States Air Force Academy from President Richard Nixon. McLaughlin graduated from the Academy, but a vision impairment precluded him from flying so he volunteered for and received a commission in the United States Army as an Infantry officer. His first duty assignment following graduation from Ranger School was service as an Infantry platoon leader in the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg. Over a decorated military career, Joe served in a wide range of command and staff assignments in infantry, airborne and mechanized units in Georgia, California and Korea and Washington, D.C.

Joe also earned a Masters of Science (Joint Command, Control and Communications) from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California and was a graduate of the Army Command and General Staff College in Leavenworth, Kansas. His awards include the Meritorious Service Medal (three oak leaf clusters) and the Master Parachutist Badge. Upon his retirement in 1994, Joe settled in Jacksonville, NC where he works as a financial advisor.

McLaughlin is currently serving his second term on the Onslow County Board of Commissioners and is now seeking the Republican nomination for North Carolina's District 3 Congressional seat.

The political discussion topic for club members and attendees is “North Carolina’s 3rd Congressional Seat”.

The meeting is open to the public. All citizens are invited and welcome to attend. This meeting takes place at Frank’s Pizza on Highway 264 in Washington. Dinner begins at 6:00 PM and the meeting starts at 7:00 PM.

Contact Al Klemm at 944-5068 for information.