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A group of Vietnam veterans, including Owen Martin, John
Harrigan, Bob Gilbert, and Bill Heaney, are working hard
to form a new chapter in Vernon, New
Jersey, located in the
rolling hills of Sussex County not far from the New York
State line in the northeastern part of the Garden State. If
you’d like to help in that effort, contact Harrigan
at 973-827-0083, or email harry019@hotmail.com or Martin
at 973-764-7111 or gsz@warwick.net
Seventeen members of Washtenaw
County, Michigan, Chapter 310 are officially listed on the “Regular
Volunteer” list
at the Ann Arbor VA Medical Center in recognition of their
extended volunteer work: Pete Belaire, Robert A. Gabrys,
Ron Henley, Randall Johnson, Jane Kinzinger, John A. Kinzinger,
John F. Kinzinger, Doris Knight, Richard Knight, Gary Lillie,
Pat Lubomski, David Martinez, Sandra Martinez, Donald Miller,
Thomas Mullins, Kenneth Parks, and Lloyd Suter. In July the
Chapter presented a $5,000 check to the VAMC’s Palliative
Care Room. The money will be used to renovate the room, which
is designed for long-term care patients.
The Staten Island,
New York, Chapter 421 Honor Guard hosted the annual
Day of Remembrance ceremonies at the Vietnam Veterans Plaza
on June 10 that honored the 84 service personnel from Staten
Island who perished in Vietnam. Dennis McLoone, the Chapter’s
Chaplain, served as emcee for the event. Chapter members
showed up the night before to power-wash the sidewalk, cut
the grass, and do other landscaping work. They also put up
three tents and brought in a hundred chairs. “The
Honor Guard rose to the occasion and did an outstanding job,” said
Nicky Castoro, the Honor Guard Captain. “We made a
good showing in remembrance of our fallen brothers and showed
the family members that we will never let their lost ones
be forgotten.”
The newest member of the VVA family is
Mesquite, Nevada, Chapter 993, which was
organized mainly through the efforts of its first president,
Ed Fizer, earlier this year and received its National Charter
on July 12. The chapter holds its monthly meetings at Mesa
View Hospital. The chapter has an excellent new website:
http: //vvamesquite.org/default.aspx
Members of Nassau County,
New York, Chapter 82 continue their monthly visits
to the Northport VA Medical Center, in a program sponsored
by VVA Member of the Year Cherie Steers. The visits take
place on the second Sunday of the month, from 12:30 to 2:00
p.m. Members conduct a Bingo game, share coffee and donuts,
and present books to patients.
The Dean K. Phillips Memorial
Chapter 227 in Northern Virginia recently donated
$250 to the Sanctuary, a program that helps active-duty military
personnel, veterans, and first responders with emotional
problems. Chapter members Byron Sheldon, Jim Thur, and Ken
Moll were hosts for a September 11 dinner for wounded military
personnel at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, an event that
received support from the Capital Hilton Hotel. And the chapter
has just completely revamped its website: www.vva227.org
Las
Vegas, Nevada, Chapter 17 took home the best non-commercial
float prize for its entry in the Summerlin Patriotic Fourth
of July Parade. The float’s theme featured an Operation
Ranch Hand C-130, which sprayed Agent Orange in Vietnam. “It
was great to have the Ranch ‘fly’ again through
the streets of Las Vegas to bring awareness of the Agent
Orange issue,” said parade chair Robert Kotchkowski,
a former Ranch Hand crew chief.
Several Southern California
VVA chapters supported the August 25-26 Compton Homeless
Veterans Standdown. Dave De La Rocha of South Bay Chapter
53
in Redondo Beach, for example, donated paper goods,
utensils, and food, and worked the chapter’s booth
with Chapter President Jerry Yamamoto. Nick and Doris Nickelson
of Chapter 53 donated clothing, and Clarence Hatcherson worked
in an employment booth. James Maddox, the president of Pasadena
Chapter 446, which provided a monetary contribution
to the event, put in a day in Chapter 53’s booth, and
the event also received funds from Long
Beach Chapter 756 and
Orange County Chapter 785.
Chapter 446 played
a big role at the October 6 Veterans Care Day sponsored by
U.S. Rep. Hilda Solis (D-Calif.) and Los Angeles County Supervisor
Gloria Molina. At the event, chapter members distributed
VVA brochures on PTSD, prostate cancer, and type II diabetes,
as well as copies of this publication and VVA membership
applications. “In addition to being
an exhibitor, we were involved on the planning committee,” James
Maddox said. “Overall, the response we received from
everyone who stopped by our booth was one of appreciation
that we are pushing for improved healthcare for all veterans.”
Westchester
County, New York, Chapter 49 raises funds by selling “Names
on the Wall,” a computer database
of the names inscribed on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in
Washington. The program lists each name separately and provides
a printout suitable for tracings at The Wall. The database
is available in several formats. For more info, email chapter49@aol.com
Wisconsin
Rapids, Wisconsin, Chapter 101 has put together a display
of Vietnam War memorabilia for its town’s
McMillian Memorial Library. The exhibition of photos, stories,
and war mementoes of all kinds, coordinated by Gary Schoenborn,
will be on display in the library from November 1-29.
Northern
Nevada Correctional Center Chapter 719 in Carson
City recently held a big barbeque dinner in which some thousand
meals were served. The proceeds from the event, which the
chapter has put on annually for six years, goes toward the
chapter’s
annual contribution to nearby Stead Elementary School, which
amounts to about $2,000 each year.
Kentuckiana Chapter 454
in Louisville, Kentucky, hosted a birthday party
on September 21 for the veterans at the Louisville Vet Center,
the first outreach effort the chapter has made with the Vet
Center. The chapter served birthday cake and fruit punch
to Vet Center clients with September birthdays and plans
to make this an annual event, taking over a program run by
another local VSO.
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, Chapter
590 in September donated
$600, the proceeds of the sale of military-style dog tags,
to Operation First Response, a non-profit group that provides
a wide range of help for wounded, injured, and critically
ill men and women serving in the military and their families.
The funds will be used to underwrite, among other things,
weekly visits to Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda
Naval Hospital.
Southern Utah Chapter 961 recently donated
an electric wheelchair to Albert Ricci, an 83-year-old former
Marine. This is not the first wheelchair the chapter has
donated to a deserving veteran. The chapter has an ongoing
program in which it receives donated wheelchairs, as well
as hospital beds, refurbishes them, and then presents them
to veterans in need.
Herkimer, New York, Chapter 827 hosted
a sit-down dinner October 5 to salute New York State legislators
who recently endorsed the Silver Rose Award and Medal for
New York State, which includes the presentation of a Special
Certificate by the state to all Silver Rose victims affected
by Agent Orange. State Sen. James Seward, Assemblyman Marc
Butler, and many other officials of the New York State Legislature
were present for this special event. Any New York resident
who has not received the Order of The Silver Rose Award but
who has been affected by Agent Orange—or the family
of a deceased veteran so affected—can now go to www.silverrose.info
to apply for the Silver Rose Medal and Award and the New
York State Certificate.
Montgomery County, Maryland, Chapter
641 President Gregory Hamilton recently received
a prestigious Daughters of the American Revolution award
honoring his outstanding service to this community. Among
other things, Hamilton was honored for working with chapter
members for the last ten years on the monthly washing of
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington and volunteering
at the D.C. VA Medical Center.
On August 25-26, the James
M. Ray Memorial Chapter 818 in Albion, Rhode Island,
co-hosted the chapter’s third
annual fishing event for disabled veterans at Lake Hiawatha
in Bellingham. The event this year also included an excursion
to the Bellingham Police Firing Range. “Many of these
veterans would never go any place, and this has opened new
doors for them,” said Chapter 818 Secretary Owen W.
Emery. “These are men who have lost limbs and are in
wheelchairs. You should see the smiles on their faces when
they hit a bull’s eye or when they land a fish.”
Western
New York Chapter 77 in Tonawanda conducted its annual
Gold Star Mother Service on Sunday, September 30, at St.
Francis of Assisi Church in Tonawanda. Gold Star Mothers
who lost sons in the Vietnam War and in Iraq were honored
at the service, after which five white doves, representing
the five branches of the military, were released. AVVA members
Linda Jenkin Costanzo and Linda Sopic put the event together.
Jim
Gunn, a former president of Central
Oregon Chapter 820 in Bend, was awarded the Governor’s Outstanding Senior
Volunteer Award of 2007 in September. In addition to the
work he does for his chapter, Gunn is the co-founder and
outreach coordinator for Oregon Veterans Outreach, in which
capacity he spends countless hours helping homeless veterans,
including those who live in remote areas of the state. “A
Marine combat veteran who has overcome personal service-related
struggles, James Gunn demonstrates extraordinary compassion
for his fellow veterans,” the award citation notes. “Mr.
Gunn often says that ‘there are heroes everywhere.’ Beyond
a doubt, his selfless dedication attests that he is one of
them.”
POW/MIA
Many VVA chapters around the nation took part in ceremonies
on Friday, September 21, and Saturday, September 22, marking
POW/MIA Recognition Day. Mary Beaulieu, the POW/MIA chair
of Greater Hartford, Connecticut, Chapter
120, gave the Keynote
Speech at the ceremonies at the Newington, Connecticut, VA
Medical Center on September 21, the third Friday of the month
and the day set aside for commemoration. “The question
of what happened to our POWs and MIAs will not cease until
there is the fullest possible accounting of these individuals,” she
said. “Please remember them each day, not just on National
POW/MIA Recognition Day.”
Members of Lufkin/Nacogdoches,
Texas, Chapter 931 dedicated a memorial on National
POW/MIA Recognition Day at the Nacogdoches Library to the
14 Nacogdoches County men who perished in the Vietnam War.
The event included a fly-over by a Vietnam War-era B-52 bomber,
a 21-gun salute, and appearances by family members of those
who are honored on the memorial.
Members of Stanhope, New
Jersey, Chapter 327 took part in an all-night vigil to mark
National POW/MIA Recognition Day at the Vietnam Veterans
Memorial located on Route 15 in Lafayette in Sussex County,
New Jersey. Queens, New York, Chapter 32 held its annual
POW/MIA Ceremony in Maspeth, New York. The event included
a candle-lighting on a Missing Man Table, and Chapter Vice
President Paul Narson playing “Taps” at
the conclusion of the ceremony.
Inland Empire Chapter 47 in
Riverside, California, hosted a special flag-raising
ceremony in honor of National POW/MIA Recognition Day on
September 22 at the Inland Empire Military Museum in San
Bernardino. A flagpole and POW/MIA flag were dedicated that
day in honor of local POW/MIAs.
The Rochester, New York, Chapter
20 Honor Guard conducted a brief ceremony at the
POW/MIA Memorial in the Charlotte section of the city on
POW/MIA Recognition Day, laying a wreath there. In past years
the chapter placed a POW/MIA wreath at The Wall in Washington,
D.C.
Central Minnesota Chapter 290 in St.
Cloud held a ten-hour
vigil at the site of the recently dedicated Vietnam Veterans
Memorial in Downtown St. Cloud on September 21. The vigil
was the first to be held at the new POW/MIA Walk of Honor.
In previous years, the chapter had held the vigil to honor
POW/MIAs at the St. Cloud VMAC, the Minnesota Veterans Plaza,
and the Municipal Athletic Complex.
Immediately following Genessee County,
Michigan, Chapter 175’s annual POW/MIA Ceremony, the new additions to
the Reflections Memorial Monument were dedicated. Afterwards,
the chapter performed its annual flag retirement ceremony
and held a candlelight vigil. Member Don Lada provided the
candles.
SCHOLARSHIPS
Racine/Kenosha, Wisconsin, Chapter
767 held two very successful
brat and hot dog sales this year outside the local Wal-Mart.
The chapter raked in more than $2,500 in sales. The proceeds
will go toward funding programs that help local veterans
and their families. The chapter’s AVVA contingent held
its rummage sale in June and turned over the proceeds to
the chapter’s Scholarship Fund. A spaghetti dinner
on October 20 raised money so that the chapter’s Military
Funeral Honor Guard could attend the parade honoring the
25th anniversary of The Wall.
Finally, Chapter 767 recently reached its goal of sending five tons of packages to our
troops overseas.
Chillicothe, Ohio, Chapter 810 recently awarded
$3,000 in scholarships. Vanessa Ewing, whose father is a
Vietnam veteran serving in Iraq, was presented with a $2,500
scholarship made available by the Vietnam Veterans Buckeye
Foundation. The chapter also awarded a $500 scholarship to
Theresa Martin, who will be attending Ohio University.
MEMORIALS
Steve Bozeman of Lynchburg/Forest,
Virginia, Chapter 196 appeared on local television news and newspapers September
19 to get the word out about plans to add a Purple Heart
Memorial to Lynchburg’s 139-step Monument Terrace,
which honors 276 local service members who perished in
America’s wars. “I was wounded twice in Vietnam,” Bozeman
said in a segment aired on WSLS NewsChannel 10. “I’m
glad to be here today. And not only myself, but other veterans
who were wounded, to honor them and pay tribute to them.” What “I’ve
been trying to do is show that one generation will not
forget another generation of veterans and try to help younger
veterans.”
VVA members, including Connecticut State
Council President Billee Culin and Connecticut Commissioner
of Veterans Affairs Linda Schwartz, were on hand on August
12 for the ground-breaking ceremonies for the Connecticut
Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Patriot’s Park in Coventry,
Connecticut. The memorial will honor the 612 Connecticut
men who died or remain missing in the Vietnam War.
Newly
renamed Sheboygan County, Wisconsin,
Chapter 618 was the
driving force behind the May 26 dedication of a new memorial
to all veterans who have served their country in Veterans
Park on Sheboygan’s southwest side. The memorial
consists of a small granite monument and a very large M60-A3
battle tank, which the chapter secured and donated to the
city of Sheboygan for the memorial.
Chapter President Don
Dale, Vice President Larry Edwards, and members Del Erwin,
and Loren Johnson of Genesee County
Chapter 175 in Flint, Michigan, were among the folks who put up the Moving Wall
when it arrived on August 9 in Eaton Rapids, Michigan.
The chapter took part in a wreath laying at the memorial
on August 11.
Asheville, North Carolina, Chapter
124 co-sponsored
an appearance of The Wall That Heals in Swannanoa, North
Carolina, from September 5-9. More than three thousand students
visited the memorial that week. Chapter members were among
those who greeted the busloads of students and guided them
through the memorial and the museum that accompanies it.
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©2006-
2008, Vietnam Veterans of America. All Rights Reserved. 8605 Cameron
Street, Silver Spring, MD 20910