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MEMBERSHIP NOTES
Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Chapter
67 had an extremely
active Memorial Day weekend. The Chapter Honor Guard marched
in the Marcus Hook Memorial Day Parade on Saturday, May 26,
after which the chapter held its annual memorial service
at the Delaware County Vietnam Veterans Memorial. On Memorial
Day itself, Monday, May 28, the chapter took part in the
parade in Media, after which members went to Havertown for
ceremonies at the Veterans Park.
Kentuckiana Chapter 454 in
Louisville also had a busy Memorial Day. The chapter
held its 15th annual Memorial Day Service on Sunday, May
27, on the grounds of the chapter’s
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, known as “The Final LZ,” which
is located in Highland Memory Gardens in Mt. Washington.
The service this year honored American veterans of all wars,
along with Gold Star Mothers. The next day, Memorial Day,
Monday, May 28, the chapter Color Guard took part in the
ceremonies at the striking Kentucky Vietnam Veterans Memorial
in Frankfort.
Also on Memorial Day: VVA National
President John Rowan was a
featured speaker at the annual Memorial Day Observance
at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. The Dean
K. Phillips Memorial Chapter 227 in Northern Virginia that
day held its annual wreath-laying ceremony at the apex
of the The Wall where a memorial service was conducted.
Earlier in the day, the Chapter Color Guard carried VVA’s
colors at the official Memorial Day Ceremonies at Arlington
National Cemetery. The Color Guard was the last group in
the line of march and “lagged behind about fifteen
paces,” said
chapter member Bill Dumsick. “So everyone saw our colors
as if we were alone.”
Silver Spring, Maryland, Chapter
641 was honored by The Stephen Watts Kearny Chapter
of the Daughters of the American Revolution with a community
service award on June 30 for its “consistent
volunteers” who take part in the washing of the Vietnam
Veterans Memorial on the first Saturday of the month from
April through November. The award was presented at The Wall.
National
Board Member Jerry Klein, who also is the president of the
Florida State Council, was among those on hand in May to
celebrate the 25th anniversary of Fort
Lauderdale, Florida, Chapter 23. The outdoor event included a display of the chapter’s
Michael Savenelli Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall of Broward
County, a replica of the Washington, D.C., Vietnam Veterans
Memorial that chapter members, led by Michael Savenelli,
created.
Georgia State Council President Allen B. Harvey officially
represented VVA at the National Hot Rod Association Southern
Nationals in Atlanta in May. The reception he and other VVA
members received by champion driver Melanie Troxel and the
whole team that races for Evan Knoll “went far beyond
expectations,” Harvey said. “We were free to
go behind the bar to meet the crew in the pit and to ask
questions of anyone we wanted to.” Harvey presented
Troxel (whose dragster is adorned with the VVA logo) a VVA
national flag. “It’s amazing to see this team
and dragster with its VVA and National League of Families
logos displayed for all to see,” he said, “and
be reminded that ‘freedom isn’t free’ and
that we must remember our missing brothers from all wars.”
Orange,
Texas, Chapter 348 displayed its Ronald E. Ray War Museum
May 3-6 at the American Veterans Traveling Tribute replica
of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Vinton, Louisiana.
Schulenburg,
Texas, Chapter 870 and the Chapter’s AVVA
members sponsored the first memorial ceremony held in the
Lone Star State of the Chapel of Four Chaplains on February
3 at St. Mary’s Catholic Church in High Hill. World
War II and Vietnam War veterans were inducted into the Legion
of Honor. WWII veterans also received certificates recognizing
their service in the U.S. armed forces. Longtime Chapel Trustee
and VVA member Paul Sutton spoke at the ceremonies, which
also presented awards to VVA members from Denton, Texas,
Chapter 920 and Kerrville Chapter 863.
Chapter 870 also sponsored
the sixth annual Lighted Christmas Parade last December in
downtown Schulenburg. The festive event included a visit
from Santa Claus, aka chapter member Bob Baker. This spring,
Baker added another charitable character to his repertoire—the
Easter Bunny.
Members of Porter
County Chapter 905 in Portage, Indiana, attended the April
15 dedication and ribbon-cutting ceremony of the new Vet
Center at Fort Benjamin Harrison in Indianapolis. The Keynote
Speaker was Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient Sammie Davis,
a member of Indianapolis Chapter 295. In addition to its
other functions, the Vet Center will host Indiana VVA and
AVVA State Council meetings. In fact, the first meeting followed
the dedication ceremonies.
Racine/Kenosha, Wisconsin,
Chapter 767 presented a check for $2,500 to the Racine County
Food Bank earlier this year. The funds came from the proceeds
of the chapter’s annual
Pasty Day Sale, along with individual contributions. The
check was presented to Chapter member Dan Taivalkowski, the
Food Bank’s managing director. The chapter’s
president, Ron Turner, was honored by the Racine County Volunteer
Center as Volunteer of the Year for his work with veterans.
The
South Utah Chapter 961 Honor Guard, which was formed just
a year ago, has participated in many graveside services for
local Vietnam veterans, both in conjunction with other veterans’ groups
and on its own. The honor guard has taken part in services
throughout the 2,400 square miles of Washington County, located
in the extreme southwestern part of the state. “We
have all enjoyed our service for our brothers and their families
at these difficult times,” said
Chapter member Ron Willard. “We are proud to be there
for our country and for VVA Chapter 961.”
Members of
Washtenaw County, Michigan, Chapter
310 made their annual
spring visits to local schools to talk about the Vietnam
War in May and June. The opening event took place when Chapter
President Pete Belaire, Dave Hizer, John Kinzinger, Vance
McCrumb, Del Mayes, Bill Feight, and Don Behm spoke to students
at Belleville High School. The group then went to Symon Elementary
in Milan, Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, and Chelsea High
School.
Corvalis, Montana, Chapter 938 has been a big supporter
of the Valley Veterans Service Center, which opened last
year in downtown Hamilton to provide a wide range of services
for veterans who live in Ravalli County. The center is completely
staffed by volunteers, many of whom are Vietnam veterans,
including Marvin Edstedt, a VVA-certified Veterans Service
Representative. Edstedt volunteers as much as 40 hours a
week, working for veterans’ VA claims.
VETS CONNECT
Tupelo, Mississippi, Chapter 842 has been instrumental in
helping local veteran Jeff Wright, who served in Iraq with
the Army National Guard’s 155th Armored Brigade, wade
through the military and VA bureaucracy and receive the disability
and health-care help he earned after being seriously wounded
by a mortar round in Iraq in October 2005. VVA “has
come through for me,” Wright said. “I would recommend
it to anybody who has any problems with any injury they had
while in combat. They’ve given me 110 percent, and
I know they can help others as well.” Added Chapter
President Rex Moody: “The whole purpose of this organization
is to help other veterans.”
Texarkana, Texas, Chapter
278 hosted a Support the Troops Rally on Saturday, May 12,
at the Korea-Vietnam Memorial in Texarkana. The chapter emphasized
that the rally was not antiwar or pro-war, but “pro
troops,” in keeping
with VVA’s founding
principle, “Never Again Will One Generation of Veterans
Abandon Another.” The Chapter also played a leading
role in the Veterans Information Fair on May 19, which included
representatives from the VA, the Texas Workforce Commission,
the Texas Veterans Land Board, the Shreveport, La., Vet Center,
the American Red Cross, as well as Veterans Service Officers.
Pasadena,
California, Chapter 446 works in many arenas on behalf of
the veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and their
families. Members have showed up to offer condolences at
funerals of fallen soldiers, helped arranged welcome-home
ceremonies, and widely distributed information on VA benefits.
On Memorial Day, Chapter Former President Steve Malmberg
helped unveil the Iraq and Afghanistan Memorial at the military
memorial plaza adjacent to Glendale City Hall. Roses were
placed on the memorial and the names of the seven Glendale
service personnel who perished in Iraq and Afghanistan were
read aloud.
“Frenchy” Evans, a member of Quad
Cities Chapter 299 in Rock Island, Illinois, makes regular visits with other
chapter members to the Iowa City, Iowa, VA Medical Center.
Evans and his fellow chapter members visit hospitalized veterans,
bringing them snacks, fruit, gifts, and the brand-new Chapter
299 pin. The Chapter funds the visits through the proceeds
of its bingo game nights.
Rochester,
New York, Chapter 20 collects items at every general membership
meeting to box and send to our troops serving in Iraq and
Afghanistan. The items—including soap,
toothpaste, toothbrushes, shaving cream, deodorant, DVDs,
and snack items—go to a long list of active-duty personnel
recommended by chapter members. Bergen County, New Jersey,
Chapter 800 in East Rutherford held a ward party on January
11 for the patients and staff in the PTSD group at the VA
New Jersey Health Care System Medical Center in East Orange.
Many
members of Rockford, Illinois, Chapter
983 were on hand Saturday,
May 5, at Chicago/Rockford International Airport to greet
104 sailors on their way from a seven-month tour of duty
in Kuwait to their home bases in San Diego. Chapter members
provided the Navy men and women with snacks, coffee, and
the use of mobile phones. “We didn’t get
a welcome home from Vietnam,” said Chapter President
Mark Lawrence, explaining to a local newspaper why the chapter
came out in force to support the troops.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Western New York Chapter 77 in Tonawanda received more than
90 applications from high school students for its SFC Peter
Tycz Memorial Scholarship program this year. The chapter
awarded $6,000 in scholarships to 24 seniors from Erie and
Niagara Counties. In the last two years, the chapter has
awarded $9,000 in scholarships honoring the memory of Peter
Tycz, who was killed in action during Operation Enduring
Freedom in Afghanistan.
Appleton Area Chapter 351 in Appleton,
Wisconsin presented $1,000 scholarships to three high school
seniors in May. This year’s recipients were Diane
M. O’Brien
of Appleton Xavier High School, Jared R. Stroik of Neenah
High School, and Melanie L. Schroth of Shiocton High School.
MEMORIALS
Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin, Chapter
101 recently donated
$500 to the Highground Veterans Memorial Park in Neilsville.
The park contains memorials that honor Vietnam War, World
War II, World War I, and women veterans, and a soon-to-be-dedicated
Korean War memorial.
Members of Central Minnesota Chapter
290 in St. Cloud, including Chapter President Jim Bestick
and John “Doc” Smith,
stood at attention on April 4 as the American flag and the
flag of the former Republic of Vietnam were raised for the
first time at the Central Minnesota Vietnam War Memorial
in downtown
St. Cloud. The Chapter and the St. Cloud Vietnamese community
were the moving forces in the creation of the black granite
memorial, which features a statue of an American and a South
Vietnamese soldier. Chapter members joined Minnesota Gov.
Tim Pawlenty and St. Cloud Mayor Dave Kleis for the parade
and ceremonies marking the memorial’s official dedication
on June 2. The memorial also includes the Minnesota POW/MIA
Walk of Honor.
Sacramento Valley Chapter 500 sponsored its
seventh annual Reading of the Names at the California Vietnam
Veterans Memorial in Capital Park on Sunday, May 27, during
the Memorial Day Weekend. Beginning at 7:00 in the morning,
all of the nearly 5,800 names engraved on the memorial were
read.
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2011, Vietnam Veterans of America. All Rights Reserved. 8719 Colesville Road, Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910