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From The National Chaplain
BY REV. PHIL SALOIS, M.S.
John Albrechta died recently in Oxford, New York. He was
a veteran of the Vietnam War and a member of Vietnam Veterans
of America-Owego Chapter 480.
Leslie L. Andrews, 60, committed
suicide October 10, 2006, in Miami, Florida. He served in
the U.S. Army with a tour of duty in Vietnam from 1967-68.
He was a life member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Miami
Chapter 620.
Lyle Anibal, 59, died in 2004 in Flint, Michigan.
He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and a life member of
Vietnam Veterans of America-Flint Chapter 175.
Harold Wayne
Bailey, 62, died February 17 in Lima, Ohio, from respiratory
failure. He served in the U.S. Army with service in Vietnam
as a Combat Medic. He was a member of Vietnam Veterans of
America-Lima Chapter 89.
Gary Blankenship, 60, died April
5 in Cincinnati, Ohio. He served in the U.S. Army for 23
years with two tours of duty in Vietnam. Blankenship was
awarded the Bronze Star and the Combat Infantryman Badge.
He was a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Mount Gay
Chapter 308. He also served on the Chapter’s
Board of Directors and was the West Virginia State Council
President.
Donald Bollman, 69, died March 10 in Springfield,
Illinois, from colon cancer with lung metastasis. He served
in the U.S. Army during the Korean War and achieved the rank
of Specialist Five. He was a member of Vietnam Veterans of
America-Springfield Chapter 534.
Michael J. Bornemann, 68,
died April 25 in Orlando, Florida, from cancer. He served
in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam War and retired
at the rank of Captain. He was a member of Vietnam Veterans
of America-Orlando Chapter 761.
Dennis Ira Braunfeld, 61,
died April 28 in Brooklyn, New York, from a heart attack.
He served in the U.S. Army from March 1966 to February 1968
with a tour of duty in Vietnam with the 324 Signal Company,
36th Signal Battalion, 2nd Signal Group. Braunfeld was a
member and secretary for the past 18 years of Vietnam Veterans
of America-Brooklyn Chapter 72.
William R. Clanan, Jr., 78,
died January 31 in Kirbyville, Texas, from sepsis syndrome.
He served in the U.S. Army, Navy Seabees, and Air Force during
World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam Wars. He was a member
of Vietnam Veterans of America-Orange Chapter 348.
Billy Jack
Coon, 71, died December 30, 2006, in Pikeville, Tennessee,
of Agent Orange-related diabetes mellitus type II, kidney,
heart, and respiratory failure. He served in the U.S. Army
and the National Guards of Texas and Tennessee with more
than 28 years of service. Coon was a life member of Vietnam
Veterans of America-Chattanooga Chapter 203.
George N. Coulter died February 14 in Wisconsin from cancer. He was a veteran
of the Vietnam War and a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Adams
Chapter 729.
Thomas L. Daner, 58, died February 24 at his
home in Jamestown, New York. He served in the U.S. Navy during
the Vietnam War. He was a life member and charter member
of Vietnam Veterans of America-Jamestown Chapter 865.
Joseph
C. Davis, 62, died April 14 in Branchville, Alabama. He served
in the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1969-70. He was a member
of Vietnam Veterans of America-Tarrant Chapter 416 and was
serving as 2nd Vice President of the Chapter.
Robert Dean
Edwards, 59, died August 15, 2006, in Fairforest, South Carolina,
of Agent Orange-related lung cancer. He served in the U.S.
Army during the Vietnam War and retired after 23 years. Edwards
was a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Greenville Chapter
523.
Ronald L. Evans, 61, died May 27, 2006, in Kannapolis,
North Carolina, from a heart attack and renal failure. He
served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam from 1970-71 with the
First Cavalry Division. Evans was a member of Vietnam Veterans
of America-Jacksonville Chapter 909.
Eric E. Finkey, 64, died
April 25 in Tulsa, Oklahoma. He served in the U.S. Air Force
during the Vietnam War. He was a member of Vietnam Veterans
of America-Tulsa Chapter 216.
Fred D. Foster, 69, died January
26 in Tonawanda, New York. He served in the U.S. Army during
the Vietnam War. He was a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Tonawanda
Chapter 77.
Raymond E. Guise, Jr., 69, died February 20 in
Enumclaw, Washington. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War
and a life member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Medford
(Oregon) Chapter 795.
John L. Hart, 84, died February 15 in
Lawton, Oklahoma. He served in the U.S Marine Corps as Second
Lieutenant from 1942-45, participating in the invasion and
occupation of Okinawa. He was recalled by the Army in 1948
and retired in 1966 at the rank of Major. Hart served as
an infantry commander with the 24th Infantry Division in
the Korean War and was involved in four major battles. He
was a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Lawton Chapter
751.
Philip A. Heil, 58, died January 30 at his residence
in Wooster, Ohio, from leukemia. He served in the U.S. Navy
during the Vietnam War in the contiguous waters. Heil was
a member and current Chapter President of Vietnam Veterans
of America-Barry P. Caruso (Wooster) Chapter 255.
James Ted
Holdeman, 70, died April 16 in Gillette, Wyoming. He served
in the U.S. Army from 1959-62 having served in Germany, France,
and Holland. He was a life member of Vietnam Veterans of
America-Gillette Chapter 99.
Arthur C. Huett, 83, died February 16 in Fort Madison, Iowa.
He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and a life member of
Vietnam Veterans of America-Fort Madison Chapter 947.
Francis
H. Kelly, 80, died February 12 in Wakefield, Rhode Island,
of Agent Orange-related chronic lymphocytic leukemia. He
served in the U.S. Army as an officer during World War II,
Korea, and Vietnam before retiring in 1987. Kelly was a member
of Vietnam Veterans of America-Wakefield Chapter 325.
James
T. Kirmse, 60, died February 2 in Tucson from cancer. He
served in the U.S. Army and retired at the rank of Lieutenant
Colonel, having served in the 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions.
He was a life member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Tucson
Chapter 106.
Barto F. Kline, Sr., 59, died February 4 in Philadelphia.
He served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War. He was
a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Liberty Bell (Philadelphia)
Chapter 266.Christopher R. Lewis, 65, died on March 6 in
Houston of Agent Orange-related multiple sclerosis. He had
suffered for 25 years and had been bedridden for the last
20 years. He served in the U.S. Seabees (Construction Battalion)
in South Vietnam in 1968. He was a member of Vietnam Veterans
of America-Bluffton (Indiana) Chapter 698.
Aldie Lingenfelter died May 1 in The Villages, Florida, from cancer and heart
disease. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps during the Vietnam
War and retired after a long career. He was a member of Vietnam
Veterans of America-Bluffton (Indiana) Chapter 698.
James
Marbaker died recently in Oxford, New York. He was a veteran
of the Vietnam War and a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Owego
Chapter 480.
Gary Lee Merritt, 61, died March 23 at his home
in Fort Ashby, West Virginia. He served in the U.S. Navy
during the Vietnam War aboard the USS Oklahoma with the Brown
Water Navy Seals River Rats. He was a life member of Vietnam
Veterans of America-Cumberland (Maryland) Chapter 172.
Charles
J. Moore, 66, died December 21, 2006, in Tucson from cancer.
He served in the U.S. Air Force both on active duty and reserves,
retiring after 40 years of service. He was a life member
and past Vice President (March 2004-April 2006) of Vietnam
Veterans of America-Tucson Chapter 106.
Martha French Reeder
Oravitz, 82, died April 5 in Jacksonville, North Carolina,
from congestive heart failure. She was a Gold Star Mother
and member of Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America-Jacksonville
Chapter 909.
Charles William O’Rourke, 62, died March
26 in Cumberland, Maryland. He served in the U.S. Air Force
during the Vietnam War. He was a member of Vietnam Veterans
of America- Cumberland Chapter 172.
Everette Patterson died
March 6 in Wisconsin. He served in the U.S. Army with the
Military Police and Security and retired at the rank of Master
Sergeant E-8. He was a life member of Vietnam Veterans of
America-Fort McCoy Chapter 462.
George T. Phillips, 63, died
December 27, 2006, in his home in Dover, Ohio, from squamous
cell carcinoma of the lung. He served in the U.S. Army during
the Vietnam War. Phillips was a member of Vietnam Veterans
of America-New Philadelphia Chapter 857.
Larry Jared Pilkinton,
68, died February 13 in Redford, Michigan, from atherosclerotic
cardiovascular disease and Agent Orange-related diabetes
type II. He served in the U.S. Navy for 13 years. In 1964,
he was selected for Project 122/Project SHAD, a program of
top-secret biological and chemical warfare tests. He was
injured in the line of duty but could not receive a medical
discharge due to the top-secret nature of his work. He was
an at-large life member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Michigan.
Frederick
K. Pressler, 61, died October 23, 2006, in Wooster,
Ohio, of cardiac arrest. He served in the U.S. Air Force
from September 1965 to July 1969 with service in the Vietnam
War. He was a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Wooster
Chapter 255.
Charles B. Pruett, 68, died September 8, 2005, in Mobile,
Alabama. He was a veteran of the Vietnam War and a life member
of Vietnam Veterans of America-Mobile Chapter 701.
Robert
L. Redden, 60, died March 24 in Beaumont, Texas, from a heart
attack. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Vietnam War.
He was a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-Beaumont Chapter
292.
Edmundo G. Rodriguez, 75, died in El Paso, Texas. He
was a veteran of the Vietnam War and a life member of Vietnam
Veterans of America-El Paso Chapter 574.
Aldo F. Rossi, Jr.,
68, died May 25 in Smithfield, Rhode Island. He served in
the U.S. Navy with service during the Vietnam War and retired
after 20 years. He was a member of Vietnam Veterans of America-James
Michael Ray Memorial (Albion) Chapter 818.
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