In November 1953 General R. Beam and a small group of Retired Officers living in Tampa, Florida, concluded there were sufficient numbers of Retired Officers of the Armed Services residing in and around Tampa to form and support a local Luncheon Club Meeting once a month. Cost of lunch was $1.50. The Retired Officers Wives Club of Tampa also was soon formed. There were 30 charter members.

The membership in October 1989 was 287 and they were eventually called Military Officers Wives Club. Our membership, as we started to disband in October 2018, was 109 but we were averaging about 10 – 15 attendees at our luncheons. We had been the only club that met separate from the Officers.

Upon Disbanding, MOWC funds were dispersed as follows: Operation Helping Hand—to sponsor the February dinner, MOAA Tampa Chapter Scholarship Fund, Tinker Elementary School—MacDill AFB, Fisher House—Tampa Veterans Hospital, MOAA for table decorations at the 2019 Annual Convention (which Tampa Chapter is sponsoring), Air Force Aid Society, A Soldiers Child Foundation, and Southeastern Guide Dogs (to name and raise a puppy).