the vva veteran — may 2012
TRANSCRIPT
May/June 2012
Vietnam Veterans of America (www.vva.org) Vol. 32 No.3
2012 Memorial Weekend Beach FestivalSALUTING AMERICA’S MILITARY SERVICE MEN & WOMEN, VETERANS AND FIRST RESPONDERS
• • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • •
Weekend Kick-Off Veterans Motorcycle Caravan
Fireworks Display
The Ford Family Beach Games
The “Taste of Wildwoods” Food & Music Festival
Celebration of Heroes Military Procession & Remembrance Ceremony
USO Variety Show & Concert
May -,
-
,
3
CONTENTSCONTENTSA publication of Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. ®
An organization chartered by the U.S. Congress
PublisherJohn Rowan
EditorMichael Keating
Senior Writer & Books EditorMarc Leepson
Art DirectorXande Anderer
Advertising CoordinatorCandis Chaney
Associate EditorMary Bruzzese
Staff PhotographerMichael Keating
Contributing WritersXande Anderer Richard Currey Claudia Gary Bob HopkinsJohn Prados Dale SprusanskyWilliam Triplett David Willson
PresidentJohn Rowan
Vice PresidentFred Elliott
SecretaryBill Meeks, Jr.
TreasurerWayne Reynolds
Board of DirectorsBob Barry Patricia BessiganoRichard C. DeLong Marsha L. FourKen Holybee Joseph A. Jennings IIIAllen J. Manuel John L. MargowskiSara J. McVicker John J. MinerTom Owen Felix Peterson, Jr.Jacqui L. Rector Dick SouthernDan Stenvold Pastor ToroSandie Wilson Herb WorthingtonGerald H. Yamamoto
Charlie Montgomery, CSCPNancy Switzer, AVVA
The VVA Veteran® (ISSN 1069-0220)is published bimonthly with issues in
January/February, March/April, May/June,July/August, September/October,November/December by:
Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.®8719 Colesville Road, Suite 100Silver Spring, MD 20910e-mail:[email protected]
1-800-VVA-1316301-585-4000 FAX: 301-585-0519
Website: www.vva.org
Postmaster send address changes to:The VVA Veteran, c/o Address Changes8719 Colesville Road, Suite 100Silver Spring, MD 20910
Periodicals Postage paid at:Silver Spring, Maryland
and at additional mailing officeUSPS 0729-490
Advertising SalesFox Associates, Inc.
312-644-3888 FAX [email protected]
Non-members:Subscriptions and Renewals payable in advance $20.00 per year. Single copies at $4.00 each.Bulk rates on request.Canadian and Foreign Postage $8.00 peryear additional to subscription price.
Make checks payable to:The VVA Veteran® Subscriptions
P.O. Box 64306Baltimore, MD 21264-4306
®
®
3
3434 A LONG TIME COMING Vietnam Veterans Day In Branson.
3535 VETERANS HELPING VETERANS The George C. Duggins Region 3 Conference.
Departments:5 PRESIDENT’S REPORT
5 LETTERS
8 TAPS
10 VETERANS INCARCERATED COMMITTEE REPORT
12 ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES COMMITTEE REPORT
16 WOMEN VETERANS COMMITTEE REPORT
18 AVVA REPORT
20 VVA’S 2012 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
22 VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORT
22 TREASURER’S REPORT
24 REGION 3 & 6 REPORTS
37 BOOKS IN REVIEWThe Living Wills by Rick Kaempfer and Brendan Sullivan.
39 MEMBERSHIP NOTESBeaver County, Pa., Chapter 862.John Koprowski of Zephyrhills, Fla., Chapter 195.Mobile, Ala., Chapter 701 and Robertsdale, Ala., Chapter 864.
41 LOCATOR & REUNIONS
44 CALENDAR
AGENT ORANGE: The Toxic Battlefield Comes Home26 THE PLEASURES OF SHOWERING IN LONG BINH
Agent Orange In The Water.
27 AGENT ORANGE: THE PAST IS PROLOGUEThe Early History Of U.S. Biological Warfare.
28 WHAT CAN SCIENCE OFFER THE CHILDREN OF AGENT ORANGE?New Research On Birth Defects.
29 BENEFITS Q&AAgent Orange In Okinawa.
30 THE LEGACY OF AGENT ORANGEThree Generations Of Shattered Health.
31 THE TOXIC RISK AT HOMEHerbicides In America.
32 CIVILIANS IN VIETNAM Agent Orange Without Protection.
32 SEARCHING FOR LEGISLATIVE REMEDIES VVA’s Agent Orange Advocacy.
Features:
ON THE COVER: SP4 Frederick E. Uhl of Allentown, Pa., sprays rat poison—one of manytoxic substances routinely used in Vietnam—atthe 20th Preventative Medicine Unit at Bien Hoain August 1967. U.S. Army photo by SP4 CharlesA. Tweit, U.S. National Archives and RecordsAdministration.
Augers Ill 26
NATIO
NAL ARC
HIVES AND REC
ORD
S AD
MINISTRATIO
N
All In The Family 30
JIM AND SUKIE WAC
HTENDONK
Red, White, And Blue 34
© M
ICHAE
L O'KAN
E PH
OTO
GRA
PHY
Dancing With The Yards 35
MICHAE
L KE
ATING
The next issue of
will be mailed
The VVA
JULY 16MAY/JUNE 2012
or click the link at www.vva.org
V
4 THEVVA VETERAN
APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP Return to: Vietnam Veterans of America, P.O. Box 64299, Baltimore, MD 21264-4299
Name ________________________________________________________________________________________________ n Male n Female Date of Birth ________________
Address ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
City __________________________________________________________________________ State ________ Zip ____________________ Chapter No. (optional) _____________
Home Phone ( ) _________________________________ Email _________________________________________ Sponsor (optional) ________________________________
TYPE: n Individual Member — 1 year @ $20 n Individual Member — 3 years @ $50
PAYMENT METHOD: n Check n Money Order n Visa n Mastercard n American Express n Discover
ELIGIBILITY: Membership is open to U.S. armed forces veterans who served on active duty(for other than training purposes) in the Republic of Vietnam between February28, 1961, and May 7, 1975, or in any duty location between August 5, 1964,and May 7, 1975.
u Life Member n $225 (ages 50-55) n $200 (ages 56-60) n $175 (ages 61-65)n $150 (ages 66+) n Optional time payment plan—$50 down, $25/month
Credit Card Number: __________________________________________________________________ Exp. Date ______________________
Signature ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
New members and new life members must submit a copy of their DD-214 along with this application and dues payment.
ALABAMAHorace AllenDavid BaileyRonald BarnesCurtis BurtonWilburn CockrumJames CrutcherPaul FastPeter FastJames FinnFranklin FletcherNorman GillJerry HatfieldEmory HumphreyHerman JeffersonMilton JonesCurtis JordonComer KiteRichard KnightThomas LightfootWinston LittlefieldWillie MartinJesse McCureJoseph McDonaldEddie PeabodyGordon RhymesCharlie RobinsonWilliam SmithFrank StovallMarion WillardWillie WilsonJames Wingfield
ALASKADwight King
ARIZONADavid AndersonJohn CappallaEdwin FaustGene FlorestWilliam GardinerWilliam GatesGeorge GaunJames NimesgernRobert WaltersJames Wesanen
ARKANSASRufus EnglishJoseph EzellAllen Powers
CALIFORNIAStephen AndersonFrank BarkleyHoward BascomPaul BattoMichael BradleyWilson BrinkleyCurtis BrownCharles BurnettLeroy CaldwellBrad CampbellWilliam DavisJim FeenerGlen FossCharles GardnerLewis GaultWilliam T. GrafeRaymond HansenThomas LaraGranger LathropRichard LevBill LloydFrank MaciasAndrew MartinezHarry MitchellRaul MitreRobert MuhlbachJoachim NamecheAllan NicholsonRon NjirichJonathia NorthRodwick PadillaWilliam PollackAlbert RaschBruce ReesDaniel ReynaCharles RhoadesDavid RicheyRobert RichmondBernard RobertsonKarl RodeferTim RounkeAlvin SalgeJames ScagliolaMartin ScottJames SlusserJohn SmithJames SpoererAlan StelzerTerry Sweeney
Cornelius TalbertGirolomo TrezzaCelestino ValdezJohn VenterKeith Vierling
CANADAJim Ashdown
COLORADOHal CoffmanAlfred HicksMartin Smith
CONNECTICUTJohn CondonH. Lee HansonP. Michael McDermottJohn Waggoner
DELAWAREThomas BrownKenneth KouseMichael Lewis
FLORIDAJohn BishopKevin ConnellyJames DollyJoseph DomenechWilliam DutchRobert FarrellMartin GarnerRobert GregoireScott HenryRonald IrwinWalter MyersRobert PilaHarry SilversArne SwensenBobby WalshJoseph WestDaniel WortmannAlbert YbanezTom Zampano
GEORGIARonald BlakeRobert BuffingtonJohn DorrisDennis HarrisonRichard HuntMitchell IngramLeon Johnson
John KanalySteve WeeksWilfred WhiteWilliam WilsonBob Young
GUAMJesus CamachoThomas MendiolaJoseph SablanJack Shimizu
HAWAIIRowlin Browning
IDAHOClyde RicksJack Storey
ILLINOISThomas BrandtRichard DiekemperJames HenniganRonny HodgsonJohn HolmesThomas JankowskiEdwin KlingerTerry LongPatrick MoranRichard MosherRichard PodzimekMichael ShuresDon SmithPeter StoyiasWayne Watson
INDIANAArmando BerumenDon ChristJ.A. CostE. Wayne HawnAndrew KerlRobert KingMichael MannLarry MyersDwayne RobinsonJames ThurauHarold ValentineRonald Wilt
IOWARoger ElliotWillard J. HrubyRandall Lutz
Steven McCollumMark MorrisonHoward RuppJames SakDavid SandellDouglas TiceGlen Woltman
KANSASRichard DixonRobert GierLynn RolfBill RosingStephen Werth
KENTUCKYJames ArmstrongMichael GulloBill LamblinSalvatore MancusoDanny StrandRonald Weedman
LOUISIANARobert AndersRichard CarmanRollins FontenotHuey GarnerMark GuilloryJames MarkesLouis Sevin
MAINELloyd DufourNorman Parisien
MARYLANDCharles BuettnerBrian ClevengerRobert DowdRoger EdwardsEdward ErslevDonald FriendAnthony GoughGary GrayRobert H. Hahn, Sr.Kirby HarleyRalph HaskinJohn Kaylor
Charles NolanJames PfaffPaul RileyCharles StambaughJohn J. VoltaAlan WhiteKenneth Witkin
MASSACHUSETTSAnthony CamardaJohn ClarkThomas DawleyLeonard DilorenzoScott GauthierMichael HastingsAngelo LibreraKenneth MarshallRoger MartinJoyce MasselloJohn O’NeilGeorge Payzant
MICHIGANMichael CrittendenAnthony Alan DegrezJohn DeMarcoLouis DetvayGregory FonesRobert ForsterNicholas FragaleMarcus GoodpasterJohn HagesWilliam HeplerJames HudsonJohn KelleyJerry KennedyCharles KettlesJohn KrusinskyThomas MacklemGene McDonoughPhillip MudgeRobert PenceZeno PotasJoseph PratoRoger PutmanCharles SchmitterOtto SikulaMartin SolvergReginald StroebeGary Szczepanski
Ronald TitterRobert VangunsterenDavid VoisinJohn Zielinski
MINNESOTAWayne ChevalterLyndon FitzpatrickE. Mike KeenanDonald NelsonThomas PoeJoseph SchmidtWalter SmithRobert TaylorMerton K. UnnaschLeo VossLarry WeberMorrie Wilf
MISSISSIPPIMichael BoydBobby CraigLarry Gillentine
MISSOURIDon AirdLarry ColemanDonald HarmonDavid MaysLeroy RaabStan ScheppmanGeorge ScottDavid TaylorJames Yates
MONTANAWayne ChavezDavid HoferWilliam Pfeifer
NEBRASKAVerl GordonWilliam GottschalkDennis Morimoto
NEVADAEric HobsonGeorge JacksonKenneth Swaim
NEW HAMPSHIRESkip BowieBruce GarryRobert Turcotte
NEW JERSEYHoward AielloGeorge ArmaniacoJames ComfortEdward CostelloGeorge FreesAntonio GonzalezVic GriguoliLubertus HartsuikerRobert LicataRobert LopezBruce MacManusCarlton MalcombGeorge MariaszThomas McGowanLeonard MuellerRoy OlschewskiGeorge PepeWilliam RappJohn RimmerNorman RossnagleJoseph SimmonsJohn SpodoforaCharles TerinoniJames WalkerBruce Whitver
NEW MEXICORonald BurkettSam KarrJerry LigonAnthony LopezJose SalasDavid Scott
NEW YORKThomas AsareseCharles AustinEdward BalzanoCharles BellWilliam BertramJames BuchananRobert CambriaWalter CarlsonJames CedermanRobert ChristensenMalcolm DanzigerWilliam DavidsonPatrick DizzineJames DouglasLouis FerraraMichael Foley
John D. HigginsRobert KennedyWilliam LarmonAndrew LicursiJohn LovellJoseph NagroPaul NeupertJohn NewmanVincent RennaRobert RuettimannJohn ShawEdward TerriberryHoward Young
NORTHCAROLINASamuel AlexanderMike BaldwinGlenn F. CarsonLarry CollierCharles CummingsDarell DanielsWarren DupreeFred GlassClifton T. HamletRichard HarrisDassie JonesJames LawrenceBruce MarstellerJesse PatmoreJohn PeeleFreddie PorterRoyal RogersEddie SellarsWilliam SidberryIrwin SmolinRobert SneidermanGeorge ThompsonThomas WagonerMelvin Wolfe
NORTH DAKOTAWayne Wermager
OHIOGeorge ArmstrongRonald BuchananThomas DaileyLouis De LossMartin GriffinGamaliel HartleyJames Jenkins
Paul JordonWilliam KimberlingAlan KovarRobert ManisJohn MellynTommie MeyersRalph MillerMichael RoutsonHoward SealscottJohn WardRobert Wilms
OKLAHOMALouis HolahtaJames KoreanWilliam Utsinger
OREGONDarwin DavenportGary DominickFrancis EgbertJames FlemingKip HughesRichard LanningMichael ParentMichael RayDavid SteinbachKenneth WallaceAlfred Young
PENNSYLVANIABarry AmoleAlbert BaraniakClyde BarrDennis BeattyCharles BedisonJoseph BurkhardtHerman CarettiBill CorlDavid DackoKenneth ElliottJoseph FalkerDavid FeldmanThomas FenertyRex GeilingJohn GothelHenry HoustonAlbert KobeWoodrow MainMarion MathewsDavid McIntyreDaniel Newell
Richard PachellaFrancis PowllCharles RiggsMichael RussClarence SampleEdward ScheerJohn SmithFate SpearsJohn Turner
PHILIPPINESJunior Washington
PUERTO RICOHector Munoz-AliceaFelix Villanueva
SOUTHCAROLINARalph AbbottWendell AllenCharles BarnettThomas EvansJerry HearlBob Powers
SOUTH DAKOTARoger AngerhoferWalter BarrLeRoy BensonDennis BrendenWinston CopePatrick CulhaneThomas DanielsonPaul DayJerry DeakinsWilliam DunbarRichard FelbergDan JensonClifford KnoxGary LindgrenDeOrval PurintunMark SchroederSteve StregeDuane Woods
TENNESSEEJackie ClaytonDaryl CrumpWilliam FrakerJerry HigdonThomas HillDwight Martz
John SandridgeJames ScottLanny SteeleJames StewartAlexander WellsDarrell WhiteJonathan White
TEXASAlejandro BotelloRoy BoydMelvin CarltonAndrew ConnellyBilly CookJesus CuellarAlfonso DozalElla FletcherStephen FremgenGilberto GallardoRonald GolemanAnthony GrafJess HamiltonLee HokeFrank JanekCarl JohnsonTerrance MaddeauxVan PerrymanJeff PickardArmando ReynaGeorge RoseJames SchelperEdward ServiderGordon SteeleBernard TalleyJohn ToddManuel TrevinoRonald TuckerRaymond UrbanSteven ValdezJames WagarFrank WhiteHermise WilkinsFrank Ybarra
VERMONTDavid Lewis
VIRGINIARonald AumentEdward BlackWilliam ConleyDavid FishClifton FoxFrederick HollandScott HurleyGarnett LeePaul LocignoGeorge MehlGeorge MellisJerry O’HaraRichard PhillippiClayton PowellWilliam SchorerNeal WarrenWilliam WeatherfordGeorge WhippsDwain Whited
WASHINGTONArlen ClarkJames ClausenFrank FosbergJeffery McFarland
WEST VIRGINIAGlen BeeDan BrewerDonald CookDonald KeyThomas McLeanGuy NissleyGlen RobinsonStanley Teets
WISCONSINRobert DarrowJames GalicaLeonard GuzmanWilliam KlieforthRaymond PliskaPatrick RyderRichard Ward
WYOMINGEdward Ransford
WELCOME HOMEVIETNAM VETERANS DAYBY KEN SPIEGEL
Through snow, rain, wind, and cold they came to say “Thank You”and “Welcome Home.” Mid-Michigan Chapter 1047 in Harrison heldits first Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day event on March 30.
The small town was filled with honored guests, Vietnam Warveterans, Vietnam-era veterans, veterans of other wars, people fromthe Harrison area, guests from all around the state, and a few fromother states. Some sixty local businesses and bands donated theirtime and money.
Welcome Home Day was a great success. More than three hundredpeople—along with classes from Harrison schools—attended ceremoniesat the Harrison American Legion Post and the Clare County Courthouse.
VVA joined other veterans service organizations to say “WelcomeHome.” It seemed like the entire town joined together to make theday a success.
IN SERVICE TO AMERICA
JANE
VERS
HAV
E
NEW VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA LIFE MEMBERS
BY JOHN ROWAN
This will be a special Memorial Day in Wash-ington, D.C., as we will kick off the 50th An-
niversary Commemoration of the Vietnam War.On May 6 I paid tribute to my friend Jean-ClaudeEsnault, who was killed in Vietnam in 1963, byattending a memorial service held by the Fédéra-tion des Anciens Combattants Français (FrenchWar Veterans). I was invited to this event by thegroup’s president, Alain DuPuis, who knew Es-nault’s father.
ENSURING THEIR MEMORY
While attending the North Carolina WelcomeHome Vietnam Vets event in Charlotte in March, I ran into my colleague
Jan Scruggs, the head of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. He was there totalk about the proposed Education Center at The Wall, which will be built next tothe Vietnam Veterans Memorial. This will be a wonderful addition to our me-morial, and will carry on our legacy long after we have all faded away.
The Education Center will tell the story of those who served. Visitors will beable to connect a face and a personal story with each person who made the ulti-mate sacrifice. It will include a timeline of the Vietnam War and the homecom-ing experience faced by Vietnam veterans.
If you have a photo for the collection or if you would like to make a donationto this wonderful effort, go to www.buildthecenter.org or call 866-990-WALL(9255).
It should be noted that the Center also will include the stories and photos ofthose killed in Iraq and Afghanistan.
IRISH EYES ARE SMILING
On March 17 I joined VVA members from chapters in Connecticut, New Jer-sey, New York, and even California marching in New York City’s 251st an-
nual St. Patrick’s Day Parade. This was the first time veterans groups were invitedto march in this parade, aside from the veterans of the famous Fighting 69th Reg-iment of the New York National Guard, which dates back to the Civil War.
As we marched up Fifth Avenue to the cheers of over a million spectators, wemade the obligatory stop in front of St. Patrick’s Cathedral where we paid our re-spects to the newly elevated Cardinal Timothy Dolan. He was presented with awreath made by Bob Boiselle, an AVVA member from Chapter 32. The wreathcontained both the Irish and the Vietnam Service Medal colors. Cardinal Dolanwas thrilled with the wreath and has placed it on a side altar in the Cathedral.
LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE
Ihope that many of you are planning to attend the Leadership Conference inTexas in August. There will be many great training sessions, as well as ad-
vanced training for service officers. For the first time we will be officially joinedby the Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America.Ω
5MAY/JUNE 2012
GRASPING AT STRAWS
For Lewis Sorley to attempt to make theargument that somehow, someway, if
Gen. Westmoreland had provided more sup-port for the South Vietnamese Army the warcould have had a different outcome is ridicu-lous. I’ll leave the technical critique to ArmyCol. Gian Gentile, who piece by piece pullsthe legs out from underneath Sorley’s latestin his series of books re-imagining, re-fight-ing, and presenting blame-assessment of theVietnam War and its “loss.”
To blame the rifles and other WWII-vintage weaponry issued to the ARVN inthe Westmoreland portion of the war to il-lustrate its “stupefying” ineffectiveness isto me a final grasping of straws by an au-thor with an agenda. Sorley’s agenda—andI know this from attending a VVA Chapter229 meeting in 2006 in which Sorley wasa guest speaker promoting another one ofhis books—is to blame the ARVN loss inVietnam on liberal Democrats in Congressfor pulling the plug on the Vietnam War—pulling the plug on the South Vietnamesein 1974 by not sending an additional $750million worth of supplies, which in Sorley’sview spelled doom for the South Viet-namese. That is the heart of Sorley’s agenda,and it’s a disservice to the history of the Viet-nam War.
The facts on the ground were that theAmerican public had grown weary of theVietnam War, with fewer than one in fourstill supporting continued involvement by1971. Our own military units in countryfrom 1969-72 began showing the effects ofthe pointlessness of the conduct of thewar’s policies. Racial conflicts, fracturedmilitary discipline such as fragging of offi-cers and NCOs (some reported, some not),increased desertion, drug and alcohol use,and (in the case of the U.S. Army’s FirstCavalry Division in 1971) a flat-out unit re-fusal to re-enter a combat zone are justsome of the facts that belie Lewis Sorley’sview of the war. Read the report by Marine
Col. Robert D. Heinl, Jr., on the Americanmilitary debacle in Vietnam in 1971: “Themorale, discipline and battle worthiness ofthe U.S. Armed Forces are, with a few salientexceptions, lower and worse than at anytime in this century and possibly in the his-tory of the United States” (Armed ForcesJournal, June 1971).
The hand-off of the Vietnam War to theSouth Vietnamese, a.k.a. Vietnamization,and the “decent interval” that Nixon andKissinger envisioned as peace with honorwas anything but honorable. No one in thecommand structure believed the SouthVietnamese military could stand on its ownagainst the NVA. But the Vietnamizationof the war proceeded in large part due tothe fact, as Col. Heinl makes clear, that“Vietnamization was not a matter of choicebut of necessity.”
The test of the ARVN on the offenseended in the disaster of Lam Som 719(Dewey Canyon II), with the ARVN beingchased out of Laos, leaving 10,000 of theirown stranded to the tender mercies of theNVA. American television showed panic-stricken ARVN soldiers clutching the Hueyhelicopter skids and desperately trying toescape the battle. When I asked Mr. Sorleyabout Lam Som 719, he painted it as a suc-cess. I’m not kidding.
American helicopter crews coated theirlanding skids with grease to prevent the stu-pefied ARVN soldiers from bum-rushingand overloading the aircraft. Sorley tries to envision the failure of the NVA’s 1972Easter offensive (Operation Nguyen Hue)as a vindication of the ARVN, rather thanthe impetuosity of NVA Gen. Giap to sealthe fate of South Vietnam while the UnitedStates still had a presence in the form ofmassive firepower. The valor of someARVN units in repelling the NVA fromKontum, An Loc, and Quang Tri in combi-nation with U.S. air power and naval gun-fire cannot be understated, but the ARVNwithout the “buffs”—not to mention Amer-ican advisors such as Paul Vann? That ques-tion would be answered in 1975.
The question of why agenda-drivenwriters like Lewis Sorley would want tochange the narrative of the Vietnam Wargoes to—what else?—domestic politicsand foreign policy. To the neo-conservativemind-set, the Vietnam boogie man presentsa problem to the optional use of Americanmilitary power. This is where historianslike Sorley come into play to proclaim thatif it hadn’t been for people questioning thewar’s conduct, we could have fought a“better war” and won. The purpose is to in-oculate Americans from rememberingwhat an epic failure the Vietnam War wasboth politically and militarily.
Lewis Sorley and others, for politicalpurposes, are rewriting the history of the
LETTERS
LETTERS: Send your letters to Michael Keating, Editor, The VVA Veteran,8719 Colesville Rd., Silver Spring, MD 20910 or email [email protected]
continued on page 6
PRESIDENT’S REPORT
Remembering On Memorial Day
MIC
HAE
L KE
ATIN
G
VVA National President John Rowan and Queens Chapter 32 AVVA member BobBoiselle presented a wreath to Cardinal Timothy Dolan during the city’s 251st St.Patrick’s Day Parade.
RAY
OH
RABL
O
6 THEVVA VETERAN
Vietnam War to suit their agenda of an ag-gressive military force default position. Wecan see it now with the chest beating overIran as we saw it with the run-up to the IraqWar. By “un-remembering” the VietnamWar and our relation with the ARVN, Sorleyand his “outgunned” hokum aim to promotethe next war.
As George Orwell said, “Who controlsthe past, controls the future. Who controlsthe present, controls the past.”
Mark EvittsBy Email
HIS PERSONAL REPUTATION
Iwant to thank you for having the journal-istic guts to print Lewis Sorley’s article,
“Outgunned.” As a journalist and formerArmy officer, I can only shout at the topof my lungs: “Finally, someone has saidit!”
As the PIO for the 9th Infantry Divisionin the Mekong Delta, I had more than oneoccasion to be in the presence of West-moreland. He was constantly trying to buildhis personal reputation at the expense ofothers. Once, we discovered a huge cacheof over three hundred weapons. TheMACV PIO instructed me to have themall laid out and prepare for the media to ar-rive. When all was ready, Westmoreland’shelicopter landed first, followed by a Chi-nook full of media. He strutted up and downthe line of weapons, pointing out the typesof weapons to the media.
At one point, he picked up a Chicomsniper rifle, jerked off the identification tagattached and handed the weapon to hisaide. A young soldier nearby said quietly,“That was the weapon I was going to takehome.” Westmoreland’s removal of that tagwas known throughout the combat zonewithin days. That was his attitude.
Whenever there was a major victory andwe had a pile of dead VC to show off,Westmoreland would fly in with an en-tourage of media. He would push aside thejunior officers who conducted the battleand tell the story as if he was part of the ac-tion. Everywhere he went, he created ani-mosity among the brass.
When I returned to the States, I was as-signed to the Pentagon. My job was tohandle all of Westmoreland’s public ap-pearances. When an invitation arrived athis office, it was given to me to trace downand find out what kind of audience was in-volved and what they expected Westmore-land to accomplish in his public appearance. It was a never-ending job, as hundreds ofinvitations arrived each week.
Then things slowed down and his in-vites dribbled in. One day I was called intohis office. “Find out which states I have notappeared in and get me an invitation tomake a public appearance in those states,”he said. “I want to have appeared in everystate before I retire.”
I immediately sent out messages to vet-erans’ groups, retired flag officers, and othercontacts in all fourteen of the states whereWesty had not appeared in public. Boy, wasI surprised at some of the replies I received:
“Don’t send him here. We had enough ofhim in Vietnam,” “Are you kidding?” and“He’d be shot if he showed up here.”
One day he called me into his office. “Iwant to go deep-sea fishing. Get me an in-vitation to speak in Miami and arrange fora deep-sea fishing trip while I’m there.” Iworked hard and finally had a retiredcolonel agree, grudgingly, to take West-moreland out fishing. Another day I wascalled into his office. “I love to hunt pheas-ants. Arrange a bird hunt for me. I haven’tspoken to a group in North Dakota, so makeit happen.” I worked for weeks trying toconvince a group to invite Westy to speak.
Westmoreland was an egomaniac, socaught up in his perceived master strategyof overpowering the enemy that he had theaudacity to tell the world the U.S. won theTet Offensive. In fact, we were caught com-pletely by surprise—even though all thedanger signs were there.
Ray FunderburkSouthaven, Mississippi
A SORRY JOKE
Iwas in country from August ’66 to Octo-ber ’67 with the 1st Cav. My first weapon
was an M14, which I had to turn in beforereporting to the Cav. I was with the Cav fortwo weeks before a weapon became avail-able to issue to me. The weapon was anM15XP that carried the Colt Firearms logo.It had a broken firing pin, which I discov-ered when cleaning it.
Everyone I met experienced weaponshortages and ammo shortages. Grenades,flares, and Claymores were all in short sup-ply. When bitching about shortages, I wastold that the TO&I called for only a certainamount of war stuff and that was all themanagement wizards in DoD would allow.Never mind what real life experience was.
I felt really sorry for the ARVNs at-tached to us. It was tough to keep up a rea-sonable rate of fire with the M16; trying todo it with an M1 was a sorry joke. I neverunderstood why we didn’t at least give theARVNs M14s. The only weapon fromWWII that I personally liked was the BAR,which I shot stateside, although the weightmight have been a problem in Vietnam.
George KnollBy Email
ARMS AND THE MAN
“Outgunned: The ARVN Under West-moreland” fails to look at the com-
plete historical picture. Lewis Sorley startshis article with a single anecdote from Col.Huang Ngoc Lung, Assistant Chief of StaffIntelligence (J2), Joint General Staff (SouthVietnam), in which Col. Huang bemoansthe fact that the RVNAF did not receive suf-ficient M16s to achieve a wide issue of theweapon until after the 1968 Tet Offen-sive. He also bemoans the “weaker, singleshots” of available South Vietnamese in-fantry weapons (despite the fact that by1968, the fully automatic capable M2 car-bine was largely the standard ARVN in-fantry weapon).
The U.S. Army only achieved broadissue of the system in Vietnam in 1967,with the USMC completing its transitionduring 1968. If anyone was behind the
curve, it was the U.S. military, with theArmy’s Infantry Board having declared in1958 that Armalite’s AR-15, if developedfurther, was a suitable replacement for theM14.Sorley dismisses the historical trendof the U.S. to resist distribution of “ad-vanced” systems to allies before issuing theweapon to its own forces, preferring in-stead to blame Gen. Westmoreland almostentirely for the delays. Even if he had cam-paigned harder, there would hardly havebeen extra rifles for the RVNAF. Sorleydoes not look at the complicated history ofthe AR-15/M16 in the U.S. military or howdifficult it was to produce the weapon insufficient numbers for U.S. forces, let aloneallies.
Colt had vastly overstated its capacity toproduce the weapon, which eventually ledto two subcontractors being brought in tohelp. Colt was also worried that the U.S.military, still heavily invested in the Spe-cial Purpose Infantry Weapon program,would not actually adopt the M16 as a stan-dard infantry weapon. Colt had complainedthat if the U.S. military did not give themsufficient contracts, they would have toclose their production line. This was borneof the fact that in 1964 the Army only au-thorized it for Special Forces, Airborne,and Airmobile units, and in 1965 only au-thorized the weapon for other types of unitsdeploying to Vietnam.
Into 1966, various individuals, most no-tably Secretary of Defense Robert McNa-mara, were still hoping that the SPIW wouldresult in a viable weapon, which it never did.Massive procurement of M16s would havebeen a direct threat to that program. As a re-sult, to meet increasing demand for weaponsin Vietnam, other units authorizing the M16elsewhere in fact had their weapons takenfrom them. So, by the time it had been de-cided to actually issue the weapon, there werereally very few to be had (as of January 1966,U.S. Army inventory of M16s was under
100,000 weapons; by December 1967, onlyan additional 175,000 or so weapons were onhand). The normal procedure of issuing theweapons first to U.S. forces was neither West-moreland’s decision alone nor his fault.
When Sorley talks about the disparity inresources between the RVNAF and U.S.forces, he misses the fact that the U.S. mil-itary in Vietnam achieved that level of sup-ply by stripping things away from otherunits worldwide, including M16 rifles,M113 APCs, and UH-1 helicopters. U.S.Army units holding the line in Germanycontinued to use the M114 well into the1970s, even after the ARVN had dismissedthe vehicle. CH-34s continued to fly asUH-1s were diverted to replace losses inSoutheast Asia. The stock of M48A3 tankshad been so depleted by fighting in Viet-nam that older M48A2Cs had to be reis-sued. The air war over North Vietnamdecimated the F-105 fleet worldwide.
In addition, the same anecdotes aboutsupply he mentions with regard to theRVNAF are often repeated by U.S. veter-ans about American units, who similarlyhad to beg for critical items at certaintimes. These American anecdotes exist de-spite the fact that the U.S. logistics systemwas far less susceptible to hoarding, skim-ming, and other shrinkage when comparedto that of the RVNAF. On the matter ofpriority to the RVNAF versus other re-gional allies, Sorley’s thesis still fails totake into account the complex reasons andoutcomes of distribution of relatively lim-ited smaller quantities to forces from Aus-tralia, Thailand, South Korea, and thePhilippines. With the exception of Australia,the allotment of M16s to these countries waspart of large military aid packages—essen-tially bribes to get the countries to partici-pate. When in 1967 Colt tried to make acommercial sale to Singapore, which hadnot agreed to contribute troops, there was anoutcry.
LETTERSContinued from previous page
FRED
DIE
M. D
UN
CAN
, US
NAT
ION
AL A
RCH
IVES
AN
D R
ECO
RDS
ADM
INIS
TRAT
ION
In each case (again, except Australia,which continued to make better use of theirL1A1 rifles), these countries were equippedwith the same assortment of infantryweapons as the RVNAF. These were thesame weapons that some U.S. units inCONUS, including the Army NationalGuard, were still using. In Thailand, theseweapons went to units fighting a commu-nist insurgency, with the units deployed toVietnam initially having the same selectionof infantry weapons as the RVNAF. InThailand and South Korea, forces not de-ployed to Vietnam continued to use thoseweapons to hold the line against internaland external aggression.
Cambodia and Laos, which receivedeven worse shortages of equipment andhad far worse logistical systems, held outbasically as long as South Vietnam did. It’shard to believe that the resolution of theconflict in the region can be blamed even insmall part on the distribution of infantry ri-fles, rather than on the issues of nationalidentity, strength of political systems, orany of a dozen other factors.
Joseph TrevithickBy Email
A CAREFUL PLACE
Iread John Prados’s article about Dak To.From Aug 1966-67 I was stationed in
Pleiku. I worked in the POL yard. On June22 I was told that our troops were massa-cred in Dak To. One of our men from POLassigned to Dak To was injured in the at-tack. My closest friend, George Smith, wastransferred to Dak To to replace our injuredcomrade. The following day, June 23, I vol-unteered to go. When I arrived, I was toldthat my assignment would be Ramp Coor-dinator, responsible for maintaining recordsof what went on and off our aircraft.
The next day a C130 landed on ourairstrip. I approached the aircraft and startedto speak to the crew when I observed twodeuce-and-a-halfs approach the C130.Stacked inside the trucks were our fallenbrothers from the battle on June 22. I re-member vividly how carefully the menplaced the bodies onto the plane. I stoodthere with a clipboard and counted seventy-two. Hard to forget even after 45 years.
Over the years I have heard that the bat-tle in Dak To on June 22, 1967, was one ofthe worst. I guess they were all awful.
Richard BenevidesWestport, Massachusetts
THE BIGGEST SMILE
Ihave been trying unsuccessfully for yearsto find information about the Sacred
Heart Orphanage, which Terrence Cooneywrote about in the last issue. I was in theElectronics Maintenance Co., MaintenanceBn., 1st FSR/FLC in the fall of 1968. That wasbefore Camp Jay K. Books was completed atRed Beach. We were at one of the Four Cor-ners on Route 1, next to the road that led up tothe Freedom Hill PX on Hill 327. We visitedthe orphanage a few times during the twenty-eight months I was stationed in Vietnam withMaintenance Bn., FLC, and with MWCS-1,MWHG-1, 1st MAW.
I want to ask about a two-year-old or-phaned girl named An whose parents were
killed by the Viet Cong. I had my phototaken with An. I gave a copy of it to a localKorean businessman who made the roundsof all the commands in Da Nang. He had apainting made of An. It was only of her; Iwas not in the painting. She had the biggestsmile, was always happy, and always inmotion. I’ve often wondered what hap-pened to her. Before I rotated home, I tookthe portrait to the orphanage, gave it to thenuns, and asked that they give it to An whenshe was old enough to appreciate it.
I lost all my photos and mementos ofVietnam in a house fire in 1985, includingthe photo of me holding An.
Mike RummelSan Diego, California
“Geez, six degrees of separation again,”chortled Terry Cooney when we forwardedMike Rummel’s letter. “I will forward yourcorrespondence to Kim.” LCDR KimberlyMitchell, in turn, replied to Rummel’s re-quest and provided contact information forthe Sacred Heart Orphanage.—Editor
A DECENT BURIAL
Iclosely read your articles on incarceratedveterans. Does VVA’s Resolution VIN-3
include provision for death benefits? We can-not buy life insurance: We have very littlemoney and the insurance companies won’tsell us policies because they consider us highrisk. At the same time, most of us have beenincarcerated over three or four decades. Mostof our family members have passed away, sowe don’t have anyone left to bury us.
When I signed on for service in 1964, Iwas told that I had burial benefits throughthe G.I. Bill. No one said that if you commita capital offense you will lose that benefit. Ifeel the service breached my contract, be-cause in 1972 I was told this again—andalso about other service-connected bene-fits—upon my discharge.
Just recently, I was granted benefits forhigh blood pressure—the result of a claimfiled in 2000. Twelve years I have waited forless than $60 a month because I am incarcer-ated. My PTSD claim has yet to be resolved.
Are we the forgotten veterans that thegovernment threw away after they finishedwith us? Eight years I served my country, lostmy family farm, and have been in troubleever since because of what the governmentdid to my mind after three years, ninemonths, and ten days in Vietnam. I never hadproblems before Vietnam. I really feel likeI’ve been used and used over and over againbecause of how I was treated by the govern-ment.
Now after all this, I can’t even get a flagfrom the government.
Richard Wayne BuckinghamJessup, Maryland
I AM A VIETNAM VETERAN
Iam a Vietnam veteran and have often beenasked, “Where were you?” Of course I
have to answer, “I was never actually incountry.” I have often wondered how otherVietnam vets who were in country view me.Perhaps they do not consider me a Vietnamveteran, as I was never actually there. Butafter giving it careful thought, I am just asmuch a veteran of the Vietnam War as any-body who was there and saw combat.
How can this be? Some 58,000 Ameri-cans lost their lives in Southeast Asia whilemany of us on active duty never set foot inthe region. During the 1968 Tet Offensive Iwas serving with AFROTC Detachment110 at Trinity College in Hartford, Con-necticut. I had just returned from a con-trolled tour of duty in Korea.
While at Trinity College one of my du-ties was casualty notification. Unless youhave personally experienced that duty youwill never know what it is like. Try to imag-ine sitting at your desk when the phonerings. You answer it, and the voice on theother ends says, “Copy the following mes-sage.” The message is from Washington,D.C., and it goes something like this: On be-half of the President of the United States, Iam sorry to inform you that your husband,Capt. John Doe, was killed in action on 16June 1968. Capt. Doe was flying a missionwhen he was shot down by enemy surface-to-air missiles, etc, etc, etc.
Now you have to type that letter, andthree of you must deliver it to the widow.You ride in an official USAF staff car andyou locate the address. Now the three ofyou—all in Class A uniforms—walk up tothe front door and ring the bell. A youngwoman answers and you ask if she is Mrs.John Doe. The look in her eyes immediatelytells you she does not want to hear what youhave to say, but you have no choice: You arethe bearer of bad news.
Now you try to gently break the news toher, but your words seem to fall upon deafears. Just for a moment she stares at youwith a blank look on her face as if this couldnot be happening. Finally, the full measureof what you are saying hits her like a punchin the gut and she doubles over in agony.
You are not certain what she will donext. She may scream, she may collapse, shemay strike out at you as if it were your faultthat her husband is dead. You try to calm herdown and then you must leave, but before youdo, you ask if there is anyone she would liketo have stay with her in this moment of grief.Hopefully, there is a friend or neighbor, be-cause now is not the time to leave her alone.When you feel comfortable that she will be ingood hands, you return to your office.
But that is not the end of it. Just as thosemen who have seen combat never forget thehorrors of what they have seen, you can neverget what just occurred out of your mind. Oth-ers remember the blood, the gore, the atroci-ties, but you will always see her face andremember her reactions. You may not expe-rience nightmares, but what just occurred willforever live in your memory. The pain, theagony, and the reactions will always be there.I have often said I believe it would be easierto face an enemy shooting at me than to haveto inform some young wife or mother thather husband or son has been killed in ac-tion. These memories do not haunt me, but Ilive with them everyday. It is something I willnever forget.
Yes, I am a Vietnam veteran, and what Ihad to do was no less than those men whowere actually in country dodging bullets.Given the choice, I would have traded placeswith them any time. A bullet has no face, ithas no feelings, and no memories. But amother or widow does, and I share theirgrief. Yes, I am a Vietnam veteran, and Iwear my VVA patch proudly. If any VVAmember does not think I deserve it, I just
have to remind him that he could easily havebeen one of the casualties I had to reporton. How would he like the job?
Raymond J. TomoryBy Email
IT’S ACADEMIC
Ijust finished reading the review of Armedwith Abundance. As I read, my image of
Meredith H. Lair was that of a pointy-headed academic. I watched a 17-minuteC-SPAN interview from September 2011with her and read several pages of her bookon Amazon.com. I think my assessmentwas correct, although I’ll cut her a littleslack since her dad pulled two tours inNam. If he’s still around, I’d love to hearhis opinion of his daughter’s book.
I’m guessing Meredith Lair is maybe 40years old, so all of her knowledge is at bestsecond hand, and we all know how twistedreporting information got.
I wonder if she knows that the first com-bat casualty in Nam was a support guy,Spec. 4 James T. Davis, in 1961. The 3rdRRU in Saigon was named Davis Station inhis honor. In total, seventy-nine of us ArmySecurity Agency guys (support troops) wereKIA. There weren’t all that many of us, sothe kill ratio was pretty high. And since theASA supposedly wasn’t in Vietnam, thatnumber might be a lot higher than reported.
James LongtonTuscaloosa, Alabama
DRIVING A WEDGE
Ijust read Marc Leepson’s review of thebook, Armed with Abundance. Just what
we need—another book written by a sup-posed intellectual that will only serve todrive a wedge between those of us whowere in combat and those of us who werenot. I’m one of the millions of supporttroops who served our country during theVietnam War. I had twenty-seven months ofoverseas duty with the USAF between1966and 1970, but was never assigned to Viet-nam. I worked in aircraft radio shops and onaircraft at Anderson AFB, Guam, and atHickam AFB, Hawaii. Later, I worked onF111Es at Cannon AFB, New Mexico. Inaddition, I trained dozens of people duringthe four years I served our country.
Every veteran knows that we had littlechoice about where we were stationed. Al-most all of us did the best we could at thejobs we had and in the places we served.
Many years ago I found that I have a giftfor counseling, and for more than twentyyears have worked with my fellow vets as avolunteer peer counselor. Whenever I startworking with a vet, I tell him or her that Iwasn’t in country, and I’ve never had any-one refuse to work with me because ofwhere I was stationed.
I’m proud to be a member of VVAwhere all of our military service is honoredand a Vet is a Vet is a Vet.
Darrell GilganWinnebago, IllinoisΩ
FOR MORE LETTERS: Go towww.vva.org/veteran/Letters/letters.htmlfor more on VVA’s founding principle,defining a Vietnam veteran, Lewis Sorley,and Armed with Abundance.
7MAY/JUNE 2012
BY FATHER PHIL SALOIS, M.S.
Only the most basic information is contained in these listings.For more complete information about these obituaries, please goto the “Taps” page on the VVA website,www.vva.org/taps.html
Every day, but especially on Memorial Day, we rememberthose VVA members who have died. The Memorial List is up-dated with each issue of The VVA Veteran and posted atwww.vva.org/memorial_list.html where it can be down-loaded and printed.
Harvey L. Adams, 67, died February 5. He was a member of Lehigh Valley,Pennsylvania, Chapter 415.
Ronald J. Allgaier, 67, died June 3, 2010. He was a life member of NewBrunswick, New Jersey, Chapter 233.
George J. Armbruster, 65, died February 28 from cancer. He was a mem-ber of Liberty Bell (Philadelphia) Chapter 266.
Wayne Arnold Babb, 72, died March 13 from cancer. He was a life mem-ber of Dean K. Phillips Memorial Chapter 227 in Arlington, Virginia.
Charles Thomas Balent, 63, died March 9, 2011, from hepatitis C. He wasa life member of Grand Rapids, Michigan, Chapter 18.
James Patrick Barbee, Sr., 67, died March 1 from Agent Orange-relatedlung cancer. He was a member of Savannah, Georgia, Chapter 671.
Garnett Baugh, 65, died February 7 from cancer. He was a life member ofGainesville, Georgia, Chapter 772.
Samuel James Bearden, 62, died April 3, 2010. He was a member of WhiteHall, Arkansas, Chapter 830.
William Leslie Belcher, Sr., 75, died October 1, 2011. He was a life mem-ber of Bramwell, West Virginia, Chapter 985.
Daniel C. Burgeson, 58, died February 19 from cancer. He served as chap-lain of Jamestown, New York, Chapter 865.
Robert Edwin Cass, 69, died January 5. He was a member of Forsyth, Geor-gia, Chapter 946.
David J. Cherochak, 63, died January 16. He was an at-large member ofNew Hampshire.
James S. Clouser, 64, died March 14. He was a life member of Reading,Pennsylvania, Chapter 131.
Emory Gilbert Collins, Jr., 67, died March 14. He was a life member ofBaltimore, Maryland, Chapter 451.
Michael D. Costello, 63, died March 3 from heart failure. He was a life mem-ber of Licking County, Ohio, Chapter 55.
Peter Daly, 66, died February 26 from heart disease. He was a member ofVernon, New Jersey, Chapter 1002.
Randall Densmore, 63, died February 13 from Agent Orange-related metasta-tic prostate cancer. He was a member of Dawson County, Georgia, Chapter 970.
Stephen A. Doran, 60, died March 25, 2011. He was a member of Fort Madi-son, Iowa, Chapter 947.
George M. Dousis, 63, died March 9. He was a life member of Flemington,New Jersey, Chapter 452.
James Robert Eagles, 63, died October 4, 2011. He was an associate lifemember of Vernon, New Jersey, Chapter 1002.
Frank Hasso Richard Falkson, 80, died January 13. He was a member ofEnglehard, North Carolina, Chapter 561.
Linda T. Ferguson, 62, died January 7. She was an associate life member ofAthol, Massachusetts, Chapter 340.
James H. Francis, Jr., 74, died December 29, 2006, from cancer. He was alife member of Providence, Rhode Island, Chapter 273.
Ronald A. Francis, 54, died December 20, 2011. He was an associate mem-ber of Jamestown, New York, Chapter 865.
Theodore Fuller, 74, died March 4. He was a member of Houston, Texas,Chapter 343.
Joseph J. Gallagher, Jr., 66, died August 31, 2011, from Agent Orange-relatedbrain cancer. He was a member of Riverside, California, Chapter 47.
8 THEVVA VETERAN
continued on page 43
Taps
FROM THE NATIONAL CHAPLAIN
“In traditional, military style, I record my data after each day of sawing and earn about $39 per hour which provides a great supplemental income to my military pension.”
— Willie Steele Retired U.S. Army Veteran
800.553.0182woodmizer.com
Visit us on Facebook: facebook.com/woodmizer
Make money sawing lumber with a portable sawmill.
© Copyright 2012, Wood-Mizer Products, Inc.
Make money sawing lumber sawing lumber with a portable with a portable
12 models starting at $3,795.Call for a FREE catalog today!
L I V E T H E D R E A M
10 THEVVA VETERAN
BY TP HUBERT, CHAIR
The Veterans Incarcerated Committee remains at the fore-front in the fight for social justice for veterans struggling
with the difficulties associated with PTSD. The VIC mission andobjectives are found in the Veterans Incarcerated White Paper.
The Mission Statement includes the creation of subcommit-tees to “increase the sensitivity of our membership to the issueswhich affect veterans incarcerated; publicize, through the printmedia and public appearances, the various successful programsfor veterans incarcerated which can be established by each statewhich has a State Council. Refine, expand and replicate successful programs,which benefit veterans incarcerated. Develop new programs to meet the needs ofveterans incarcerated which have not been addressed.”
The Work Plan lists several specific tasks, including membership in the Ameri-can Corrections Association and developing contacts with state Departments of Cor-rections, as well as seeking rapport and credibility with the VA to develop protocolsfor providing VA services to veterans incarcerated, preparing testimony for the con-gressional Veterans’ Affairs and Judiciary Committees, and preparing regular arti-cles about veterans incarcerated for The VVA Veteran and state council newspapers.We also are charged with expanding and developing specialized programs and withestablishing formal contacts and meetings with prisoner organizations, the DoJ, andthe VA. The Mission Statement concludes: “It is for these reasons that VVA is com-mitted to a program of outreach to and rehabilitation of veterans incarcerated. It isnot only the right thing to do; it is also the smart thing to do.”
The VI Committee has been busy since the adoption of VIN-5, PTSD and Pa-role/Clemency, at the Reno Convention. Pennsylvania VIC Chair Patrick Lavin,collaborating with the Pennsylvania Prison Society and the Veterans Legal Foun-dation, will introduce a Veterans Sentencing Mitigation Bill on behalf of the lifersat Graterford and SCI Dallas. Western New York chapters are supporting a VeteranReentry Court initiative with Chapter 205 at Auburn Correctional Facility. TheFlorida State Council reports great progress with its veteran courts. New incarcer-ated chapters are forming in California at Soledad and Vacaville CMF. The SoledadCorrectional Training Facility and the Soledad Veterans Service Office will co-hosta Memorial Day Ceremony. CSC President Steve Mackey hopes to present a VVAchapter charter during the ceremony.
Craig R. McLaren and the veterans at the Holman Unit Chapter 190 in Atmore,Alabama, are planning a Veterans Day Observation to which VIC members havebeen invited. Chapter 190, the oldest incarcerated chapter, recently elected a newpresident, Edward Daugherty. McLaren remains chairman of the board of Chapter190, and is awaiting a pending parole hearing.
Belt tightening has reduced travel for VVA staff, officers, and committee chairs.Leadership Conference seminar proposals and travel funds were virtually elimi-nated except for essential BoD meetings in October 2012 and January 2013. TheApril VIC meeting focused on new business and alternative strategies to carry outthe VIC mission.
The VIC website can be better utilized and managed to reflect committee activ-ities and serve as an incarcerated veterans resource. An incarcerated veteran newslet-ter has been proposed that will be managed by a VIC Communication Subcommittee.The newsletter can address issues encountered by incarcerated veterans and willfeature information on incarcerated veteran organizations and activities. The VICwebsite and newsletter may be able to solicit funds and contributions to augment theVIC travel budget to continue the committee’s grass-roots outreach.Ω
VETERANS INCARCERATED COMMITTEE REPORT
Missions And Plans
“We Gotta GetOut of This Place”
Brand Products
678-475-1549
the New Iconic Symbolof the Vietnam War
e Animal’s 1965 hit song“We Gotta Get Out of is Place”, took on a life of it’s own in Vietnam. And it became ours.is new dove symbol is taking on a life of its own amongst Vietnam Veterans, and it
too is becoming uniquely ours.Visit bootsonthegroundART.comfor a full line of custom productsto honor the Vietnam Veteran.
What Your Doctor Doesn’t Know Could Kill You.. .Because most veterans don’t use the VA and mostdoctors don’t understand how military service affectsveterans’ health, you need to tell your doctor about the Veterans Health Council.
Get the Word Out. Get Informed.Knowledge is key to better health care.
"e Veterans Health Council | www.veteranshealth.org
!*-3)12&).+-)0(3$)(!3 2'%&3%&,*!-).+,)&)'
000#)'%&,*!)'
"#!" %# ! "#
%!!"! " $ !# !! !&!& !& "&! "!
! "!&# %# & $ #!
.,-)'%!-(').+,")+%( %/% .&,).*&!,. %!,)+ +).*3
Jade East Fragrancee ORIGINAL fragrance for today’s manCall today for gift with purchase offer!
1-800-241-5800 • Fax: 770-623-2663Email: [email protected]: www.kdc-regency.com
by Blue Mountain Design
[email protected] www.bmdw.com
Various Garments; caps, shirts, vestsand many more...
owner - Vietnam - 1969 - SeaBees - China Beach
Over 40,000 DESIGNS AVAILABLE
DONATE YOUR CAR
800-435-7838HelpOurVeterans.org
• 100% Tax Deductible• Proceeds Benefit VVA
BY FRANK BARRY, CHAIR
As more veterans return home, it is imperative that wesupport efforts to develop economic opportunities for
them and their families. The Economic OpportunitiesCommittee is leading the way in helping advance legisla-tion that will benefit not only returning veterans, but allveterans.
As I travel around Southern California, I am amazed andgratified at the multiple resources available to veterans. I vis-ited the Villages at Cabrillo Housing in Long Beach, which is operated byU.S. VETS, a non-profit founded eighteen years ago. It helps veterans deal-ing with unemployment, hunger, substance abuse, and homelessness.
This 26-acre facility includes dormitory housing: It’s a free place to livethat includes meals, clothing, and other forms of assistance to help veteransget back on their feet. There is a work re-entry program called Veterans inProgress that every year puts close to a hundred veterans back into full-timeemployment.
There is an Advanced Women’s Program for female veterans, one of thelargest for homeless veterans in the country. It provides housing and other as-sistance. I met CEO and President Stephen Peck and his staff. They spokepassionately about their work with veterans.
At a veterans job fair in Long Beach, I heard keynote speaker LarryBroughton, a former Army staff sergeant and Special Forces operator,discuss his book, VICTORY-7: Entrepreneur Success Strategies for Vet-erans. He was Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year and NaVOBA’sVetrepreneur of the Year. His business battle plan will help entrepreneursachieve success on the business battlefield by tapping into their warriorspirit.
Your VVA EOC will continue to find and share economic opportunitiesfor all veterans.Ω
12 THEVVA VETERAN
Leading The Way
Visit our landing page to get your discount. Download the FREE AT&T Code Scanner at http://scan.mobi or appropriate handset app store.
HTC Titan™ Pantech Burst™ Samsung Note™ with S Pen
on qualified AT&T monthly wireless plans. Just for federal government employees, including DoD employees and active duty, reserve and retired U.S. military personnel.
15% discount
Fast forward with 4G
Enjoy an easier way to work, play and save.Skip the race against time. Get a new 4G LTE device from AT&T and enjoy speeds ten times faster than 3G.* Zip through tasks, share pictures or files and update social feeds with ease. With AT&T, you save more than time, you also save money.
Stop by a local AT&T store and bring your DD form 214 or Veteran’s ID card to sign up for your exclusive discount. Mention the military veteran’s FAN: 4085530.
Save some green!Find the nearest store at www.att.com/storelocator Learn more at www.att.com/gov/vets
*Limited 4G LTE availability in select markets. Deployment ongoing. 4G LTE device and data plan required. Up to 10x claim compares 4G LTE download speeds to industry average 3G download speeds.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: Limited-time offer. Requires a 2-year agreement on a qualified plan. Credit approval required. Geographic, usage and other conditions and restrictions (that may result in service termination) apply. Taxes and other charges apply. Prices and equipment vary by market and many not be available from independent retailers. See store or visit att.com for details and coverage map. Smartphone Data Plan Requirement: Smartphones require a qualifying plan. All data allowances, including overages, must be used in the billing period in which the allowance is provided or they will be forfeited. For more details on Data Plans, go to att.com/dataplans. Early Termination Fee (ETF): None if cancelled during the first 30 days, but up to $35 restocking fee may apply to equipment returns; thereafter ETF up to $150 or $325 applies depending on device (details at att.com/equipmentETF). Agents may impose additional fees. Subject to change. Regulatory Cost Recovery Charge up to $1.25/mo is charged to help defray costs of complying with government obligations and charges on AT&T and is not a tax or government required charge. Unused Rollover Minutes expire after the 12th billing period of the month minutes have been accumulated. Night and Weekend, and Mobile to Mobile Minutes not included. AT&T Unlimited Messaging and Mobile to Any Mobile Calling: Available on select Nation and FamilyTalk plans. Direct calls to and from US mobile numbers only. International calls and roaming excluded. Other conditions and restrictions apply. Monthly discount: Available to qualified government employees or retirees providing requisite proof of government employment, retired military ID, DD form 214 or Veteran’s ID card. Eligibility for offer ceases when you are no longer a qualified government employee or retiree. Service subject to Terms of Service and applicable rate plan brochures. Service discount applies only to the monthly service charge of qualified plans and not to any other charges. Discounts may not be combined. Offer subject to change. Additional conditions and restrictions apply. If you have a question about available discounts and/or your eligibility, you can contact an AT&T account representative.
© 2012 AT&T Intellectual Property. All rights reserved. AT&T, the AT&T logo and all other AT&T marks contained herein are trademarks of AT&T Intellectual Property and/or AT&T affiliated companies.
8: enoPhabmanteiv.www
sruoT2102
11yrraunaJ -2321yrraurbeF -16
11hcraM -2551lirpA -29
6yaayM -203nuJ -17
2rebmetpSe -16
7729.132.77moc.srutodlefiettla
N,HER T THEHETTHEEGGOTTO
ECONOMIC OPPORTUNITIES COMMITTEE REPORT
New EnglandBurials at Sea
“...And when you look at the water,you will always see me.”
Available Year-round. Serving Coast to Coast.www.NewEnglandBurialsAtSea.com (877) 897.7700
Beautiful, Memorable, Respectful & Affordable
LLC
©2012 BGE 01-13552-001-F
Crafted in Tough
Stainless Steel
With Bold Genuine
Black Onyx Accents
Remarkable Value...
Available for a Limited Time
Complete with a jewelry pouch, gift box and
Certifi cate of Authenticity, this custom crafted
necklace is a remarkable value at just $79*,
and you can pay for it in 4 easy installments of
$19.75. To reserve yours, backed by our 120-
day guarantee, send no order now; just mail the
Reservation Application. But hurry... this is a
limited-time offer!
Let him know just how very proud you are to
call him your son with a personal expression of
your love—the “Forge Your Own Path My Son”
Dog Tag Necklace, an exclusive design available
only from The Bradford Exchange.
Crafted of rugged and handsome stainless
steel, our dog tag necklace features an etched
compass accented with a single black onyx
stone at the center. Surrounding the compass,
there are four more genuine black onyx stones.
Adding to the meaning and value, the necklace
is etched on the reverse side with a second compass
design and an inspiring sentiment. A 20" stainless
steel chain completes the look.
Etched on
the reverse
side with
My Dear Son, Forge your own path, Anything
is possible.
Actual size
www.bradfordexchange.com/13552
YES. Please reserve the “Forge Your Own Path, My Son” Dog Tag Necklace for me as described in this announcement.
LIMITED-TIME OFFERReservations will be accepted on a fi rst-come, fi rst-served basis.
Respond as soon as possible to reserve your “Forge Your Own Path, My Son” Dog
Tag Necklace.
*Plus $8.98 shipping and service. Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery of your jewelry after we receive your initial deposit. Sales subject to product availability and order acceptance.
Signature
Mrs. Mr. Ms. Name (Please Print Clearly)
Address
City State Zip
E-Mail (Optional)
01-13552-001-E39311
jewelry
the
9345 Milwaukee Avenue · Niles, IL 60714-1393
RESERVATION APPLICATION SEND NO MONEY NOW
14 THEVVA VETERAN
HUGE
DECAL
SELECTIONS
At a dinner in the White House on February 29 to honor those who served in Iraq, President Obama reflected on how the nation’s attitude toward service members has changedin the last half century. More than five dozen service members chosen to represent the million-plus U.S. troops who served in Iraq and their guests listened as Obama noted:“This year will mark the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War, a time when our veterans didn’t always receive the respect and the thanks that they so richly deserved. That’s amistake that we must never repeat.”
TWO GENERATIONS OF VETERANS HONORED
OFF
ICIA
L W
HIT
E H
OU
SE P
HO
TO B
Y PE
TE S
OU
ZA
MEMORIAL DAY PRAYER
All-loving and merciful Creator God and Grandfather Spirit, themonth of May for all veterans is a sacred time to remember andhonor all of our fallen comrades, both past and present, who have
sacrificed their very lives in service to their country during times of war. Wemust never forget all our service men and women who have died sincethese wars, many as a result of these wars.
We realize that every war brings home unknown pain and suffering tothose who have fought the battle, whether it be our atomic veterans,mesothelioma among many Navy veterans, exposure to depleted uranium,or diseases as a direct outcome of exposure to herbicides such as AgentOrange. The Vietnam War began fifty years ago and ended forty years ago,and yet, dear Lord, our Vietnam veterans are still suffering and dying fromAgent Orange-related illnesses and diseases. More veterans have died fromAgent Orange than those whose names are on the Vietnam Veterans Me-morial in Washington, D.C.
We beseech you to send your healing spirit over all veterans sufferingfrom these ailments and grant peace and eternal rest to those you havecalled home to be with you in Paradise. Also, dear God, grant comfort andconsolation to all the families who have lost their beloved veterans in thelast year, either on the battlefield or by the ravages of Agent Orange.
Finally, we commend to you all the POW/MIAs who are still unac-counted for as we continue to seek out their remains and bring them hometo their families and friends. In your holy name, O God, we pray! Amen!
—Fr. Phil Salois, M.S., VVA National Chaplain
LetUsPray
Spectacular Treasure from
Mount St. Helens
The Beauty inthe BeastFor almost a hundred years it lay dormant. Silently
building strength. At 10,000 feet high, it was truly asleeping giant, a vision of peaceful power. Until every-thing changed in one cataclysmic moment. On May 18,1980, the once-slumbering beast awoke with violentforce and revealed its greatest secret.
It was one of nature’s most impressive displays of power.Mount St. Helens erupted, sending a column of ash andsmoke 80,000 feet into the atmosphere. From thatchaos, something beautiful emerged… our spectacularHelenite Necklace. Produced from the heated volcanicrock dust of Mount St. Helens, this brilliant green cre-ation has captured the attention of jewelry designersworldwide. Today you can wear this 6½-carat stunner forthe exclusive price of only $129!
Your satisfaction is guaranteed. Our HeleniteNecklace puts the gorgeous green stone center stage,with a faceted pear-cut set in gold-layered .925 sterling silver. The explosive origins of the stone areechoed in the flashes of light that radiate as the pieceswings gracefully from its 18" gold-plated sterling silverchain. Today the volcano sits quiet, but this unique
piece of natural history contin-ues to erupt with gorgeousgreen fire.
Your satisfaction is guaran-teed. Bring home the HeleniteNecklace and see for yourself. Ifyou are not completely blownaway by the rare beauty of thisexceptional stone, simply returnthe necklace within 30 days fora full refund of your purchaseprice.
Smart Luxuries—Surprising Prices14101 Southcross Drive W., Dept. HEL197-01, Burnsville, Minnesota 55337 www.stauer.comStauer®
JEWELRY SPECS:- 6 ½ ctw Helenite in gold over sterling silver setting- 18" gold-fused chain
Limite
d
to the
first
2500
resp
onde
nts
Stauer has aBetter
Business Bureau Rating of A+
Helenite Necklace (6 ½ ctw)—$249 $129Helenite Earrings (3 ctw)—$249 $129Helenite Set (necklace & earrings)—$498 $199 Save $299Call now to take advantage of this extremely limited offer.
1-800-859-1979Promotional Code HEL197-01Please mention this code when you call.
Add the 3-carat earrings!“When it comes to color and
sparkle, this gorgeous green stonegives the world’s finest emeralds
a run for their money!”
– James FentCertified Gem Guru
16 THEVVA VETERAN
Mail to and make Checks or Money Order payable to:
Mail America, Dept. 570-6K POB 8436 Pelham, NY 10803-8436
Check Off Items Ordered __ #2420 — LASERMARK II Dual Ammo Pump Rifl e - ..................................$89.95
Target and and Plinking Ammo __ #2201 — 350 Coated Steel BB’s in Tube — .................................................. $ 6.95 __ #2202 — 250 Wadcutter Flat Head .177 Cal Pellets (leaves larger mark on target)...$ 6.95
Hi Velocity & Long Range Ammo __ #2204 250 Pointed Brush Cutter Hi-Velocity Pellets (for shooting thru brush)- $7.95 __ #2205 - 500 Hollow Point Hi-Velocity Hunting Pellets —............................................. $9.95 __ #2207 -Dial-a-Pellet Dispenser With 100 each off Wadcutter, Brush Cutter,& Hollow Point- 300 pellets in all. Dial and Dispenses the right pellets for the job. Refi llable................$7.95 __ #2206 - 4x15 Long Range Scope _............................................................................$12.95 __ #2248 Black Canvas Zippered Rifl e Case with handle protect stores and carries rifl e and accessories. Weather resistant materials.......$12.95
Add $12.95 Heavyweight Postage to OrderName________________________________________________________________________________
Address_______________________________________________________________________________
City____________________ _________________State _________ Zip ____________________________
Phone: ( _ _ _ ) _ _ _ - _ _ _ _
Sign here - you are 18 yrs or older:_________________________________________________________Include Your Email for tracking info before package ships:
____________________________________________________________
Full 1 Year Guarantee ! Lifetime Factory Service!
LASERMARK IILASERMARK IIPump Action Air RiflePump Action Air RifleFires .177 Cal Pellets & BB’sFires .177 Cal Pellets & BB’s
New! Red Dot Sighting System ...See The Glowing Red Dot On Target!Dual Ammo - Shoots .177 Cal Pellets or BB’s
Try Under 30 Day No Risk - Home Trial!Try Under 30 Day No Risk - Home Trial!Variable Power Pump with Solid Seal Technology!
HandsomeWood Grain Finish Stock
Holds 50 BB’sSolid Steel Rifl e Grooved Barrel for More Accuracy & Range
Shown with Optional 4 x 15 Long-Range Scope
Explosive Firepower! With a far reaching Range of 286 yards and Velocity of up to 800 Feet per second - here’s the Air Rifl e with 1 shot stop and drop power! Drop small game in their tracks. Follow your quarry with the pin-point, RED DOT sighting System. Zero in on far away targets with the optional 4x15 Cross Hair Scope. Strike silently from a distance with sniper-like accuracy.
SOLID STEEL SPIRAL GROOVED BARREL The Precision Grooved Barrel delivers far reaching, range and accuracy. Load up for the day. Huge capacity magazine holds up to 50 BB Shots. Bolt action, drop in and shoot for .177 pellets. All Weather RUGGEDIZED composite materials made to take the bumps and grind of the trail.
RICH WOOD-GRAIN FINISH STOCKRich, Wood Grained Finish stock gives LASERMARK II that “trophy” look. All metal fi nishes are a non-glare, matte black. Smooth competition grade trigger pull. Heavy Steel variable power internal pump- Just Pump and shoot! BB’s Automatically drop into the chamber with each pump. Pellets load up with quick Bolt Action load and shoot. CO2 CARTRIDGES NOT REQUIRED. Our factory built in many top shelf features and then we throw in a “no worry” full 1 year guarantee and lifetime factory repair! Chase even large game from your yard or garden. Include your E-mail address in the coupon provided on the right and we will send tracking info on your order before we ship. Not sold in NYC. You must be 18 or older to order.
Questions ...Inquiries ... Orders E-MAIL : [email protected] or call: (914) 738-7282
Visa - MasterCard & Discover AcceptedCall (914) 738-7282
Or Mail In Card Information:Acct#: __ - __ - __ - __ - / __ - __ - __ - __ / __ - __ - __ - __ / __ - __ - __ - __Expiration Date: Month___ Year___
Rush me the items I have checked off below under No Obligation - 30 DAY FREE HOME TRIAL. I understand I have 30 days after receipt to put it through its paces. If not 100% Satisfi ed I may return anytime withinn 30 days for a full refund (less postage & handling).I have enclosed full payment in Check, Money Order or Credit Card Info.
“Diamond - Cut”Texturized Grips
Ultra Hi Velocity800 Feet Per Second
Range 286 Yards!
Ambidexterous Stock for Right or Left Handed Shooters
“SawTooth”PatternButtPlate
BY MARSHA FOUR, CHAIR
The Long-Term Health Outcomes of Women Veterans Serv-ice During the Vietnam Era, VA CSP No. 579 (The Health
ViEWS Study), is the most comprehensive examination ofwomen Vietnam-era veterans to date. This study is designedto evaluate the long-term mental and physical health effects ofmilitary service during the Vietnam Era (July 4, 1965, to March28, 1973) in women. The Health ViEWS Study will assess theprevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder, other mental andphysical health conditions, and disability for women Vietnam veterans, and willexplore the relationship between PTSD and other conditions and the Vietnamdeployment experience—that is, for women who served in Vietnam, near Viet-nam, and in the United States during the Vietnam War.
Some ten thousand women have been selected to participate in this ground-breaking study. Women were identified for this study from 1) a manual searchof rosters and military personnel records of women who were on active duty inthe military during the Vietnam Era, 2) the Department of Defense Vietnam File,and 3) self-registration. Self-registration for this study occurred from March toJuly 2010. Selected participants were asked to provide information through amail survey and a telephone interview.
The first wave of this study began on May 16, 2011, with the mailing of anintroductory letter. The surveys followed two weeks later. Telephone interviewsbegan on June 27. Another wave of study participants was contacted in Febru-ary 2012 to complete the mail survey and telephone interview.
In addition, Phase III of the study—the medical record abstraction—is underway. A randomly selected sample of nine hundred women who have completedthe mail survey and the telephone interview has been contacted to participate byreleasing their pertinent medical records for review by study staff. Phase III willcontinue to sample women until a total of nine hundred medical records are
WOMEN VETERANS COMMITTEE REPORT
Update On Women’s Study
continued on page 43
1-800-313-1694
As See
n
On
TV!
Name
Address
Send to: Premier Care in Bathing 2330 South Nova Rd.South Daytona, Florida 32119
Yes! Please send me a FREE COLOR BROCHURE about Premier Care Walk-In Baths.
4115
(Required for Processing) Proudly made in the USA
THE FIRST BATH COMMENDED BY THE
ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION
Ease of Use,Peace of Mind.
Veterans’DiscountAvailable
Be able to bathe safely and worry-free with a Premier Care in Bathing Walk-In Bath.
18 THEVVA VETERAN
BY NANCY SWITZER, AVVA PRESIDENT
Atown hall meeting is a form of free speech. Loosely struc-tured with few rules other than those to preserve continu-
ity and good manners, town halls provide individual citizens aforum to voice their grievances in a setting that permits opendiscussion and the exchange of ideas and dialogue. This is thegoal of the Agent Orange Town Halls that have been held sincethe orginal AVVA-sponsored town hall at the 2009 VVA Na-tional Convention in Louisville. Town hall meetings have beenheld by Chapter 176 in Centralia, Ill.; in Region 1 in Bennington, Vt.; in Fresnoby the California State Council; in Montpelier, Vt.; by Chapter 223 in SantaRosa, Calif.; Chapter 391 in Sonora, Calif.; Chapter 310 in Ann Arbor, Mich.; Re-gion 2 in Atlantic City, N.J.; at the AVVA National Leadership Conference inReno, Nev.; by VVA/AVVA Chapter 862 in Beaver County, Pa.; in Port Charlotte,Fla.; by the Minnesota State Council in Bloomington; by the Missouri StateCouncil in Columbia; and by the Kansas State Council in Topeka.Many of our members, both VVA and AVVA, have been affected by the in-
discriminate use of these herbicides. Forty years after our service in Vietnam wewonder why our children were born with serious problems, and learn that thespraying of dioxins perpetrated what can only be described as a war crime. Thiswas a war crime against the people and land of Vietnam, and against our own menand women who served in Vietnam. The problems our members and their children and grandchildren face—
among them cleft lip and palate, congenital heart disease, fused digits, hip dys-plasia, neural tube defects, and undescended testicles—make us realize that weare not alone and that we cannot keep these things to ourselves. It is not healthyfor any of us or for our families. Now is not the time for blame; now is time totake action. The Faces of Agent Orange project accumulates and presents this in-formation and gives a face to this tragedy. All families that have had a child or grandchild with disabilities should con-
tact Mokie Porter at [email protected]Ω
AVVA REPORT
Agent Orange Town Hall
VVA Finds Illegalitiesin Discharges
BY TOM BERGER, VHC EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Since 2008 the Department of Defense has illegallydischarged hundreds of veterans on the basis of personalitydisorders (PD) and denied them veterans’ benefits, accordingto a Vietnam Veterans of America analysis of newly disclosedrecords. The analysis concludes that since Fiscal Year 2002the Navy has discharged the most service members on thisbasis in absolute terms (7,735), and in FY 2006 the Air Forceset a military record for the Afghanistan and Iraq era when PDdischarges accounted for 3.7 percent of all airmen beingdischarged (1,114 of 29,498 service members).
The VVA report, Casting Troops Aside: The United StatesMilitary’s Illegal Personality Disorder Discharge Problem, isbased on information obtained by VVA through federal Freedomof Information Act litigation. The report identified hundreds of illegalPD discharges. And since FY 2001 the military has dischargedmore than 31,000 service members on the basis of PD.
A PD discharge can be manipulated to purge servicemembers suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder ortraumatic brain injury. Because DoD considers PD a pre-existing condition, a PD discharge renders veterans ineligiblefor several benefits. The entire report is available online atwww.vva.org/ppd-whitepaper.html
Your Classic Military Ring willbe an enduring symbol of yourservice and sacrifices.
Cast in striking relief, these ringsfeature a distinctive design andamazing detail. Their clean, modernstyling sets them apart from typicalschool-style service rings.
Each ring is hand-crafted and castsolid for comfort, strength andlong wear. You get a rugged ringthat’s substantial in weight withoutbeing bulky.
Metal choices include sterlingsilver; silver/gold; and solid gold.
Prices for men’s rings start at$247; easy payment plans available.
All rings come with an ironclad60 day money-back guarantee,guaranteed fit, and a lifetimemanufacturer’s warranty.
Choose from over 150 Classic Military Rings.
A Proud Symbol ofService and Honor
To get a free color catalog:
Call 1-800-872-2853(free 24 hour recorded message -leave your name & address andwe’ll rush it to you).Or, to speak directly with a salesrepresentative call 1-800-872-2856(8:30-5 Central time, M-F).Or write: Classic Rings, 1209Broadway. Dept. ER-12, Hannibal,MO 63401. Code ER-12
www.ClassicRings.com
WORLD’S FIRST $100SILVER PROOF
Limited Mintage Striking...
This extraordinary piece of puresilver bullion has a surface areathat exceeds 30 square inches...and it contains one Troy ounce ofpure silver bullion!
And now, during a limited strikeperiod, the very first Year 2012$100 Silver Proof is available ata special discount price—only $99!
EXQUISITE DETAILThe historic 2012 $100 Silver
Proof is an exquisite adaptation of the UnitedStates Treasury’s newly-designed $100 Federal ReserveNote—only the second new $100 bill design in 70 years. Itis a true artistic masterpiece that will always be treasured.
.999 SILVER Best of all, this stunning Silver Proof is even more
beautiful than the original, because it’s struck in precioussilver bullion!It is a landmark in proof minting, combining unprece-
dented weight with extraordinary dimension. The specifi-cations for this colossal medallic proof are unparalleled.Each one:• Is Individually Struck from Pure .999 Silver Bullion.• Weighs one Troy ounce.• Has a Surface Area That Exceeds 30 Square Inches.• Contains 31.10 Grams (480 Grains) of Pure Silver.• Is Individually Registered and Comes With a Numbered Certificate of Authenticity.
• Is Fully Encapsulated to Protect Its Mirror-Finish.• Includes a Deluxe Presentation Case.
ADVANCE STRIKE DISCOUNTThe price for the 2012 One-Ounce Silver Proof will be set
at $129 per proof.However, if you place your order now, you can
acquire this giant silver proof at the special advancestrike discount price—only $99.NOTE TO COLLECTORS: If you place your order for the
$100 silver proof within the next 10 days, it will be processedimmediately, and the earliest orders will receive the lowestregistration numbers.
ADDITIONAL DISCOUNTSSubstantial additional discounts are available for serious
collectors who wish to acquire more than one of these exquisite silver proofs.You can order:ONE Year 2012 $100 Silver Proofs for just $99 each + s/hFIVE Year 2012 $100 Silver Proofs for just $95 each + s/hTEN Year 2012 $100 Silver Proofs for just $89 each + s/hThere is a limit of twenty $100 Silver Proofs per order,
and all orders are subject to acceptance by New York Mint.
ONLY 9999 AVAILABLENew York Mint will limit striking to only 9999 One-Ounce
Silver Proofs for the year 2012, so oversubscription is avirtual certainty.Telephone orders only will be accepted on a strict first-
come, first-served basis according to the time and date ofthe order.
Call Today to Order Your $100 Silver Proof!
1-888-201-7060Offer Code: NSP167
Please mention this code when you call.
A major credit card is necessary to secure your reserva-tion, and New York Mint guarantees satisfaction with amoney-back policy for a full 30 days.
New York Mint
Collectible2012 date
Larger Franklinportrait
Minted in one Troy ounceof pure silver bullion
Mirrored proofbackground
Shown larger than actual size of 6" x 21⁄2"Liberty Bell, quill pen
& July 4th date
Prices and availability subject to change without notice. Past performance is not a predictor of future performance. New York Mint is a private distributor of worldwidegovernment coin issues and is not affiliated with the United States government. Facts and figures were deemed accurate as of January 2012. © 2012 New York Mint
Visit our web site at www.newyorkmint.com
New York Mint Announces the Limited MintageStriking of an Extraordinary Silver Proof
—the New United States $100 Bill Struck in Pure Silver Bullion. Discount Price $99
20 THEVVA VETERAN
How many mental health professionals has the VA hired to meet the needs ofveterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan as well as Vietnam veterans?
The VA says the answer is maybe 6,000. The number of psychologists in FY2006 probably had increased to about the same number that the VA had inFY1995. As of the beginning of FY 2012, the VA had approximately 3,300 psy-chologists. We still do not know how many psychiatrists they have, how manyclinical social workers, or how many psychiatric nurse practitioners are on board.Nor how they are distributed.Despite the efforts of the VA Secretary, the bureaucracy remains a barely nav-
igable maze. Measures to ensure transparency and accountability must be part ofthe funding of the VA. Congress must ask where funds are going and how they areto be spent. It’s difficult for the VA to argue that there is not waste in its myriad op-erations and programs.In short, we need oversight hearings that are effective in determining where
the added billions of taxpayer dollars are going at the VA, particularly in regard toPTSD and mental health in general. VA clinicians from all over America, whenasked why they are not following the best medical science for diagnosing and as-sessing PTSD, answer that the problem is a lack of resources.We do not know how many clinicians the VA needs. However, we do know
that the VA is ignoring the recommendations from the three multimillion dollarstudies done by the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Science,which the VA itself commissioned and paid for.We need better bipartisan oversight to ensure wiser spending of resources by
the VA. The morning before VVA’s State Council Presidents met with their Mem-bers of Congress, the VA Secretary announced that he had ordered the hiring of1,900 new mental health professionals for the VA as directed by Congress—clearlyin anticipation of our Hill meetings.Of the approximately 23 million veterans alive today, some 8 million are reg-
istered with the VA healthcare system, although only about 6 million actively uti-lize VA healthcare services. Yet many of those who use the VA often are ignorantof the benefits to which they are entitled and their service-related health conditionsand health care risks.Because the VA has never had a reputation for effective outreach to veterans,
VVA established the Veterans Health Council. The core mission of the VHC is toinform and educate the private-sector health care community—as well as veteransand their families—about veterans’ benefits and health issues. To their credit, under Secretary Shinseki the VA has started to use TV and radio
advertising and social media to advertise and promote VA services. But the VA needsto do a much better job of taking military histories for every veteran and educatingVA clinicians about the health risks that veterans have been exposed to. The VA doesnot need more money to do this; rather, it needs to use its resources more wisely.
EXPANDING CAREGIVER COVERAGE
Almost two years ago, Congress passed Public Law 111-163, the Caregivers andVeterans Omnibus Health Services Act, to great acclaim. The new law em-
powered the VA Secretary to develop regulations to provide compensation and as-sistance for family caregivers of troops grievously injured or wounded in thefighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. One subsection reads: “the Secretary shall submita report on the feasibility and advisability of expanding the provision of assistanceto family caregivers of veterans who have a serious injury incurred or aggravatedin the line of duty in the active military, naval, or air service before September 11,2001.” His report is due this month.
MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA
The VA needs to provide and evaluate gender-specific, intensive sexual treat-ment residential programs, with an emphasis on meeting the needs of the in-
creasing number of homeless veterans who have experienced military sexualtrauma and are without resources to travel to VA facilities. Congress should workwith the Undersecretary for Benefits to establish a method to identify and trackclaims related to military sexual trauma to determine the rate at which such claimsare awarded or denied and the rating awarded for the various diagnoses.
PREDATORY FOR-PROFIT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING
The Post-9/11 GI Bill has been a godsend for men and women who have servedin uniform. It has also been an opportunity for certain for-profit colleges to rip
off—albeit legally—the system. They often spend $10,000-$20,000 to hook veterans
VVA’S 2012 LEGISLATIVE AGENDA
Transparency, Oversight,And Accountability
continued on page 43
Returning toViet Nam?
Join a team of fellowveterans building a schoolalongside the Vietnamese.
Create new friendships. Travelto places where you served.
Team XXVIII departs for Viet Nam
In the Spring of 2013. Consider Joining it.
The cost: $1,700 + airfare
The Veterans Viet Nam RestorationProject (VVRP) has helped scores
of veterans return for 24 years.
For more information contact: Wayne Purinton
(785) 769-3034 or (785) 743-5856Email: [email protected]
Visit the VVRP Website:
www.vvrp.org
2012/13 Vietnam tours -
-
-
-
-
- - - -
VViieettnnaamm VVeetteerraann OOwwnneedd && OOppeerraatteedd!! MMHHTT TToouurr LLeeaaddeerrss wwiillll ggeett yyoouu bbaacckk tthheerree!!
VA CLAIM DENIED? WE CAN HELP?
WEBSITE: WWW.VETERANCLAIMAPPEALS.COMTOLL FREE (888) 4 A VA CLAIM (888.428.2252)
Mrs. Mr. Ms. Name (Please Print Clearly)
Address
City
State Zip
01-14225-001-E39311
9345 Mi lwaukee Avenue · Ni les, IL 60714-1393
RESERVATION APPLICATION SEND NO MONEY NOW
YES. Please enter my reservation for the USMC Devil Dog Cold-Cast Bronze Tribute as described in this announcement.
Limit: one per order. Please Respond Promptly *Plus a total of $8.99 shipping and service. Limited-edition presentation restricted to 295 casting days. Please allow 4-8 weeks after initial payment for shipment. Sales subject to product availability and order acceptance.
Shown larger than actual size
of 7¾ in. L.
Honoring the Few, the Proud, the MarinesDuring peacetime and in the heat of battle, the United States Marines stand ready to defend our freedoms, ever proving themselves to be the world’s most elite fi ghting force. Now the
USMC Bronze Devil Dog Tribute from The Bradford Exchange has landed to honor the brave tradition of Semper Fi. It’s perfect for a special Marine, a USMC family, friend or supporter. Weighing an impressive four pounds, the sculpture is hand-crafted of cold-cast bronze to be a lasting tribute to the peerless legacy of the USMC. Its mahogany-fi nished base displays the Corps’ motto on a golden plaque.
Strictly Limited…Order Today!
Order now at just $59.99*, payable in three installments of $19.99, with the fi rst payment due before shipment. Your purchase is backed by our 365-day money-back guarantee. Strong demand is likely so reserve your sculpture promptly. Don’t be left out! Return the Reservation Application today!
a faithful tribute to our heroes
USMC Devil Dog Cold-Cast Bronze Sculpture
Stands an
impressive
6½ inches high
and weighs
4 pounds!
The Devil
Dog’s tattoo
bears the
revered USMC
emblem and
motto
USMC Devil Dog mascot sculpture honors Marines, their families and
anyone who supports the USMC
Hand-crafted of cold-cast bronze
On a mahogany-finished base with golden Semper Fi plaque
©2012 BGE 01-14225-001-FI
www.bradfordexchange.com/usmcdog
™ Officially Licensed Product of the United States Marine Corps
VPTr
22 THEVVA VETERAN
BY FRED ELLIOTT
March got off to a great start with me attending the annualVVA budget meeting in Silver Spring. Two days of in-
tense discussion and negotiations about money was enough tomake anyone crazy.
A week later Marie and I drove to State College, Pennsyl-vania, for the State Council meeting. As usual, we were warmlywelcomed by our friends there.
March 20th found Marie and me on a plane for SilverSpring to attend VVA’s annual presentation of testimony before the joint Houseand Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committees. Of the seven veterans service organi-zations that presented testimony, VVA stood out as one of the best. That afternoonI met with VVA staff. Afterward, we went to downtown D.C. to visit our folksat the Veterans Affairs Regional Office.
In the Rochester, New York, area, we have a local organization known asOASIS which provides activities for physically disabled veterans (www.oa-sisadaptivesports.com). Marie and I attended their annual dinner/fundraiser onMarch 23. These folks do a lot for veterans with disabilities on a very limitedbudget, so please check out their website to see what can be done with limiteddollars but dedicated volunteers.
The next morning I got up at oh-dark-thirty to drive to the New York StateCouncil meeting in Owego. This was the first meeting I had been able to attendsince the Convention, and it was great to see old friends.
We finished March with a trip to North Carolina to attend the Region 3Conference. This has always been a good event, and this year was no ex-ception.
As always, I can be reached by email at [email protected] or by telephone at585-317-7619.Ω
OFFICERS’ REPORTS
VICE PRESIDENT’S REPORTBY WAYNE REYNOLDS
Progress in our iMIS functionality has been significant. RobertLane and his associates have been extremely effective in di-
agnosing and resolving many of the shortcomings we have en-dured with the iMIS system. Frankie Pressley has come on boardas a contract employee. She is very experienced with the iMISproduct, came highly recommended, and has proven herself.
Additonally, we have completed the processing and paymentof dues rebates to the states and chapters. Membership has newleadership, and Eric Harris is doing very well. Membership rosters have been up-dated and sent to the state council presidents.
Quentin Butcher and I have revised the distribution of Household Goods funds tothe states. Those individual reports went to each state council on March 29. We nowhave a manageable system that allows better planning for those who receive funds.
Region 9 Director Dick Southern and I have worked to bring back the Col-orado State Council and to form new chapters there. We met with VVA membersin Denver and in Colorado Springs. Our meetings were very productive and at-tendees plan to move toward chapter charters in both cities. Secretary Bill Meekshas been an essential resource in our efforts to avoid problems while reestab-lishing a viable VVA presence in Colorado.
The Finance Committee reviewed and recommended an FY 2013 budget tothe BOD. Chair Ned Foote and I had frequent communications, and I attendedtheir development meeting as an advisor to the committee. We began the delib-erations with a shortfall of more than $910,000. The Board was presented a bal-anced proposed budget.
Sara McVicker is chair of the Subcommittee for Budget Oversight. JohnMiner and I serve with her. We have been vigilant in ensuring that all cost cen-ters remain within their budgets. McVicker has made cogent contributions andhas some great ideas that should reduce overspending.
The four national Officers have maintained close contact and are workingwell together. We focus on our individual spheres of influence but collaborate fre-quently. The degree of cooperation has been a source of great satisfaction to me.
In addition, I have been on the Hill visiting Senators and Congressmen. CarlTuvin, Jim Kuhn, and I visited twelve senators’ offices for appointments withstaffers in a twenty-four-hour period. We concentrated on the issue of for-profitcolleges and the post-9/11 GI Bill. I will continue my efforts to be an effectivespokesman for VVA; the staff has been encouraging, instructive, and very helpful.
Mokie Porter is working to modify the VVA website (www.vva.org) to in-corporate changes suggested by the staff, officers, BOD, and membership. Wehave developed new contracts for our consultants. These contracts are more con-sistent, and the terms follow the effective budget dates for VVA.
We have revised our printing and advertising contracts for The VVA Veteranwith an eye to increasing both content and revenue. Each issue has shown a lowernet cost to VVA, with increased space allocated to content.
Tom Berger and I have collaborated on an interview and expanded news cov-erage of personality-disorder discharges. I have been interviewed, and we aretrying to facilitate an interview with a soldier who received a personality-disor-der discharge. This was one of our joint efforts with Yale Law School.
I enjoy serving our members as Treasurer. I have made more than a dozenvisits to our national office since August 20 as I work to address concernswithin VVA.Ω
OFFICERS’ REPORTS
TREASURER’S REPORT
1949 Vernon Valenzuela 2012
Vernon Paul Valenzuela, who served on the VVA National Boardof Directors in the mid-1990s and chaired several national
committees, died March 26 of cancer near his home of Bakersfield,California. Valenzuela, 63, became a veterans advocate not longafter he returned home from Vietnam in 1969, when as a student atBakersfield College he started the Associated Vietnam Veterans Stu-dents Club and served as its president.
He went on to receive a degree in counseling, and specialized intreating veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder. He also wasone of the moving forces behind the establishment of the Bakers-field VetCenter, where he served as its first team leader. Valenzuelawas active on the local, state, and national levels at VVA beginningin the early 1990s. He served as California StateCouncil president, chair of the NationalPTSD/Substance Abuse Committee andthe Minority Affairs Committee, and wasan active participant in VVA’s VeteransAgainst Drugs Program. He also was amember of the VVA team that took thefirst Veterans Initiative trip to Vietnamin 1994.
“Vernon spent virtually all of hispostwar life working for his fellow veterans,” VVA President JohnRowan said. “He was dedicatedand effective and had an enormousimpact on the lives of untold num-bers of his fellow veterans.”Ω
Still Seeking Chem-Bio Testing “Volunteers”
V ietnam Veterans of America is a plaintiff in a lawsuit investigating long-term harm done to service memberswho “volunteered” for the testing of chemical and biological agents at Edgewood Arsenal, Aberdeen Proving
Ground, Maryland, and other sites from the 1940s through the 1970s. Testing was done at several other locations,including Fort Detrick, Maryland; Dugway Proving Ground, Utah; Fort Benning, Georgia; Fort Ord, California; andSan Jose Island.
VVA is seeking to identify additional VVA members who participated in programs of human experimentation,including the dates they were involved in the testing programs and the drugs, chemicals, gases, biologicalsubstances, and other substances (e.g., LSD, BZ, Sarin, mustard gas, and nerve agents) that were tested on them.
Any VVA member who participated in this testing and has not already contacted VVA is asked to contactBernie Edelman, VVA’s deputy director for policy and government affairs, at 800-882-1316, ext. 118, or viaemail at [email protected]
Contact him, too, if you participated in any of these tests and later filed a claim for service-connecteddisability compensation from the VA only to have the claim denied because, you were told, you weren’t there.
24 THEVVA VETERAN
36
BY SARA McVICKER, DIRECTOR
As I write this, I’m just back from another very successful and enjoyableGeorge C. Duggins Region 3 Conference. Hosted by the North Carolina
State Council in beautiful and friendly Asheville from March 28-April 1, it fea-tured two groups of very special guests: representatives of the Montagnards whohave settled in North Carolina after escaping Vietnam, and representatives of theCherokee Nation. A highlight was their exchange of gifts. The NC State Coun-cil did a wonderful job organizing the event. There were many complimentaryremarks from the attendees about the informative seminars.
The weekend was very busy, as it coincided with many Welcome Home Viet-nam Veterans events. Chapter 909 had an exhibit at the big event at the nearbyCharlotte Speedway, while much of the West Virginia State Council was inCharleston to celebrate the state’s official Vietnam Veteran Recognition Day. TheWest Virginia State Council and the state’s chapters were instrumental in gettingthe authorizing legislation passed this year.
Next year’s Region 3 Conference will be hosted by the Maryland State Coun-cil in Annapolis, April 11-14. Put it on your calendar. Information will be postedon the web site http://www.vvamaryland.org
This year, two Region 3 chapters celebrate their 30th anniversaries: Chapter37 in Charleston, W. Va., and Chapter 48 in Norfolk, Va. Chapters 303 in Co-lumbia, S.C., and 304 in Frederick, Md., as well as the Maryland State Council,celebrate 25 years. 1992 was a big year in Region 3. Eight chapters hit the 20-year mark: Chapters 614, 617, and 627 in Virginia; Chapters 624, 641, and 648in Maryland; Chapter 631 in North Carolina; and Chapter 628 in West Virginia.
Region 3 just had its 101st chapter chartered. Chapter 1061 in Virginia becameofficial on April 4. Since the Conference last year, six other new chapters have beenchartered in Region 3: Chapters 1050, 1051, and 1060 in Kentucky; Chapter 1053in Tennessee; Chapter 1055 in West Virginia; and Chapter 1042 in Virginia.
I’ve been very busy since being appointed to the Finance Committee and asChair of the Budget Oversight Subcommittee last October. I worked closely withTreasurer Wayne Reynolds looking into the issues surrounding the purchase andimplementation of the iMIS software so we could present a report to the Boardof Directors at the January meeting. I’ve also helped revise and update severalpolicies. Late February was occupied with getting ready for the Finance Com-mittee’s budget preparation meeting, which was held at the beginning of March.Although it looks like a lean year for revenue, we presented a balanced budgetto the Board in April.
I hope to see many of you at the National Leadership Conference in Texas thissummer. As always, please feel free to contact me at [email protected] withquestions or concerns.Ω
BY JOHN MARGOWSKI, DIRECTOR
Ihad the distinct honor of participating in three Agent Orange Town Hall Meet-ings in Region 6: in Bloomington, Minnesota, on March 24; in Columbia, Mis-
souri, on March 31; and Topeka, Kansas, on April 1. Each was well attended,drawing more than one hundred participants. While veterans and their familiescomprised the majority, I was heartened to see medical professionals, legislativeaides, and local media in the audiences.
I wanted to hear the stories of VVA members, their dependents, and theirsurvivors on this very important issue. Agent Orange illnesses consume Viet-nam veterans and their dependents as well. George Claxton, past NationalAgent Orange Committee Chair and VVA’s resident expert on Agent Or-ange—who has made it his life’s work to review and catalogue dioxin re-search and studies—presented powerful information to those in attendance, asdid the other panelists.
By far the most moving presentations came from veterans and their fam-ily members—both on the panels and in the audience—who shared their per-sonal stories of health issues they have faced. Some had long suspected AgentOrange was the culprit; others had never made the connection.
Their willingness to step forward and contribute their stories to the Facesof Agent Orange project—VVA’s effort to put a human face on this unfortu-nate legacy, with the end goal of achieving justice through legislation—is tes-tament to their commitment to provide for those crippled by Agent Orange forgenerations to come. I applaud them for their courage and thank all who madethese town hall meetings possible.
In the coming months I plan to attend as many state council meetings in Re-gion 6 as possible. I have been to Kansas twice to attend scheduled events; inMay, I hope to travel to South Dakota to visit our newest state council.
If you are planning a big event in your area, I urge you to try scheduling itnear a state council meeting. This would accomplish two things: First, it willget your members involved; and second, it will help with membership re-cruitment.
These events—through your outreach and public affairs efforts—bringawareness to veterans and others in your community about what VVA isdoing to address the many issues still facing veterans and their dependentstoday.Ω
REGIONAL REPORT
REGION 3
REGIONAL REPORT
REGION 6
TENT STAKEDuring VVA’s National Board of Directors meeting in April, AVVA President Nancy Switzer presented a$2,500 check to VVA Membership Chair Charlie Hobbs to help defray the cost of the new VVA Member-ship Tent that will be used at The Wall over Memorial Day and Veterans Day. From left: VVA OfficersWayne Reynolds, John Rowan, and Fred Elliott; Charlie Hobbs; and AVVA Officers Nancy Switzer, SharonHobbs, Frances Cartier, and Bill Williams.
EARTH DAY VVAOver the April 21-22 weekend, VVA took part in the annual Earth Dayfestivities on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Despite Sunday’storrential rain, Quentin Butcher, Business Director; Debra Menich, VVAN.Y. Donation Director; VVA staffer Deborah Williams; Al Williams; KitReiner; Quiana Butcher; Andrew McCarthy; and Stephanie McCarthyhelped spread the word about www.clothingdonations.org and encour-aged people to recycle and donate used clothing.
AND
REW
McC
ARTH
Y
MIC
HAE
L KE
ATIN
G
According to The New York Times*, the bathroom can be the most dangerous room
in the home. Hundreds of thousands of falls and accidents happen each year. FACT: 1 in 3 adults 65+ fall each year, and falls are the leading cause of injury death as well as the most common cause of nonfatal injuries and hospital admissions for trauma.**
The MOST DANGEROUS room in your home... the bathroom
GET BACK IN THE WATER SAFELY: A SAFE STEP TO COMFORT AND INDEPENDENCE
***On uninstalled tub, actual height may vary based upon installation
A Safe Step Walk-In Tub will offer
independence to those seeking a safe and easy way to bathe right in the convenience and comfort of your own home. Constructed and built right here in America for safety and durability from the ground up. Plus with more standard features than any other tub:
***A Safe Step Walk-In Tub also offers life changing therapeutic relief from all kinds of aches and pains. Featuring carefully engineered dual hydro massage and air bubble jets—both strategically placed to target sore muscles and joints in your legs and back.These tubs are designed
tub space without a full remodel. Installation is
included in the package and our installers are
walk-in tub installation- all work is 100% guaranteed.Offering the highest quality and service while maintaining a low affordable price, there just isn’t a better walk-in tub on the market.
towards feeling great and stay in the home you love.
SAFETY NEVER FELT SO GOOD.™
LIFETIMELIMITED WARRANTY
Call now toll-free
1-888-685-1243 for more information and for our Senior Discounts.Financing available with approved credit.
SPECIAL PROMOTIONwhen you mention this Promo Code 4441For a limited time only
www.safesteptub.com
* BAKALAR, NICHOLAS. “Watch Your Step While Washing Up.” New York Times 16, Aug. 2011, New York Edition ed., Section D sec.: D7. Web **CDC - Center for Disease Control and Prevention
SAFE STEP TUBS COMMENDED BY THE ARTHRITIS FOUNDATION
BY DAVID WILLSON
AMACV memo arrived on my desk in theUSARV Inspector General Office where I wasworking in the fall of 1967. It warned of a seri-
ous danger: Soldiers were shaving in the shower unitsand then discarding their used razor blades. Several sol-diers had incurred serious injuries—in one case a life-threatening injury—getting tangled up with the blades.Some blades had been stuck between the 2x4s used inthe construction of these tiny frame buildings. Thememo even suggested that careless soldiers were un-knowingly doing the work of Viet Cong infiltrators. The memo went on to warn that it was especially
dangerous to shower in the dark in these units: Un-friendly creatures might lie in wait to nibble on the ten-der parts of soldiers. The memo ended with the threatof an automatic Article 15 for anyone caught shaving ina shower unit. There would be security inspections afterdark of random shower units. What a friendly recep-tion those folks will get, I thought.I don’t recall that Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho was
mentioned, but the image of Janet Leigh in the showerappeared in my head and stuck there. It occurred to meduring every Long Binh shower I took thereafter—withme as Janet Leigh, an incongruous and darkly comicimage, but scary, too. It so happened that I was one of those soldiers who
often showered after dark. I worked long hours, so oftenit was dark before I had the opportunity to visit ashower unit. In the evening there was no crush or linefor showering. I’d strip down to my olive drab boxers;carry my ditty bag containing a bar of Ivory soap, someshampoo, and a razor; and head out in my flip-flopsacross the boardwalk over a sea of red laterite mud thatwas between me and the shower unit of my choice. Oh,I also threw a stiff, none-too-well-laundered olive drabtowel over one shoulder and carried with me a fresh,clean pair of OD boxers. Another reason I preferred to shower in the late
evening was that the water was more likely to bewarmish. I didn’t demand a hot shower. I would havebeen out of luck if I had. I had heard that in a far cornerof the compound there were hot showers, but I neverwalked that far. I think some engineer group had set themup. But I was happy enough with a warmish shower. Nomatter how hot the day, I didn’t want a cold shower.
The water was provided in an ingenious arrange-ment, similar to what I’d encountered a fewyears earlier when I was a Boy Scout attending
BSA gatherings. In that version, a platform was erectedof tree limbs of substantial size and in the crux at the topthere was placed a 55-gallon drum filled with water. Ahole in the side had a hose coming out of it and there
was a sprinkler on the end of the hose. There was somecanvas wrapped around near the half-way point, but pri-vacy was at a premium. Another method was the samesort of tree limb set-up but with a large water-filled can-vas bag with a hose.The U.S. Army outdid the BSA. We got to shower
in real buildings, brand new ones. There were severalbarrels on top of these solid little wooden structures.The barrels were brightly colored, often in a festive or-ange. Not the expected OD.After we received the terrifying memo about the
dangers of showering, most of us scoffed and continuedto shower and shave as had been our habit. I suppose afew soldiers gave up showering as too darned risky, notsomething they wanted to do to make their return hometo the Land of the Big PX less likely. Not me, though. I persisted in my nightly shower.
When I arrived at the shower unit after my journey onthe boardwalk, I entered the little building, felt aroundfor the hooks on the wall of the unit, and hung up mytowel, clean boxers, and ditty bag. I removed my ODboxers of the day and put them on the bench that wasnext to the door. I then found the toggle switch andturned on the water, if water there was. It took some time, but usually water began with a
trickle and then, if I was lucky, a flood of water came outof the shower nozzle. I had no idea how long it would con-tinue, so I grabbed my shampoo and got going right away.More than once I’d gotten my head lathered, then thewater quit. But usually the water was warmish and plen-tiful. It made me happy to have all of this water coursingdown my six-foot frame to wash my 138-pound body.
After I’d shampooed and rinsed, I lathered up myface, got out my razor, and shaved by touch. I’d gottengood at that. That took only a couple of minutes. I wasalways glad to be rid of the whiskers, sparse as they were.I never thought about it at the time, but the water left
the building through slats in the floor and went out intothe red laterite soil that surrounded that building and allthe other buildings in the compound. I also tuned outthe ever-present smell of mildew, which was a majorpart of living in Vietnam. I did not think much aboutthe possibility of spiders, snakes, and scorpions or othertropical denizens, but I never was barefoot. The flip-flops gave me the illusion of safety. I do not remember ever having to share the shower
with anyone else. I only remember being alone in thebuilding, alone with my thoughts, and alone with thewater. I remember my eyes stinging from the water, butat the time I figured that was due to the shampoo beingwashed out of my hair and onto my face. That wasenough of an explanation at the time. I didn’t spend long in the shower—five minutes was
my limit. I turned off the toggle switch, grabbed mycrusty towel, and dried myself. I climbed into my cleanboxers, rolled up my old ones in the towel, and put mystuff back in the ditty bag. I then returned to my bar-racks via the boardwalk.After my shower and shave, I’d sometimes get
dressed and amble down to the mess hall to eat a late-night dinner of ham, escalloped potatoes, and greenbeans cooked with bacon. This was a meal I loved—lucky for me, as it was the same late-night dinner servedevery night. I loved the big slab of hot ham, slathered
26 THEVVA VETERAN
The Pleasures of Showering in Long Binh
NAT
ION
AL A
RCH
IVES
AN
D R
ECO
RDS
ADM
INIS
TRAT
ION
Agent OrangeThe Toxic Battlefield Comes Home
in red gravy. The potatoes were cheesy and crisp on top,and the green beans had been cooked for hours withbacon. There was plenty of Kool-Aid to wash the din-ner down. Actually the mess hall drink was Jell-Omixed with Long Binh water pumped from the watertable and lots of ice. I drank gallons of the stuff.
Sometime in the ’90s, I read a different memowarning of the dangers of showering at LongBinh. This memo failed to mention razor blades
or nocturnal interlopers. This memo was all about thedangers of the warmish water that had coursed downmy young body. Now that I thought about it, the waterdid often have an odd smell. Sort of medicinal or chem-ical, and sometimes oily.
This memo mentioned the orange barrels and talkedabout an herbicide nicknamed Agent Orange by themilitary folks who had dumped it out of the sky ontothe green landscape of South Vietnam.
The barrels containing the herbicides had beenreused by the ever-frugal Army to contain and dispense
water to us at Long Binh. They took no great care toclean the barrels as it was well-known that the stuff onlyharmed trees and not people. Above the little showerunits were placed hundreds of these barrels into whichwas pumped the defoliant-soaked water of Long Binh.
The water sat in the barrels much of the long day,cooking in the hot Vietnam sun, awaiting the eager vic-tims who queued up to take turns being exposed to apremier cancer risk.
Test results about dioxins causing cancer had longbeen known to scientists and to the company that mar-keted the stuff to the Army. In fact, they had told theArmy. But the Army was busy thinking about stoppingthe spread of communism. Or something.
The showers got our exteriors. The Kool-Aid got usfrom the inside.
This second memo made me think of my grandfa-ther, who served in the Army in the Philippines in 1910.“If the SOBs don’t get you coming, they will get yougoing,” he often said.
So what does a guy do when he gets a memo that therest of his life is unlikely to be endless vacations to
Kauai, wind surfing, hiking, or even veranda sitting,watching frolicking sea turtles? You do what you can.You try to make the most of the time you have left,whatever that may be, with the people you love. Yousavor the moment. You try to avoid being consumed bybitterness about all the lies you’ve been fed. You putone foot in front of the other, as long as you have themobility to do so. You soldier on.Ω
David Willson’s “REMF Diary of Dying and Bureau-cratic Complexity,” which details his struggles to copewith life-threatening, AO-related multiple myeloma,appeared in the November/December 2009 issue ofThe VVA Veteran.
27MAY/JUNE 2012
BY ALAN OATES, AGENT ORANGE/DIOXIN COMMITTEE CHAIR
Herbicides have ravaged many veterans and their families. So, whereand how did the Agent Orange nightmare begin for Vietnam veteransand their offspring?
First, one needs to know what we mean by “Agent Orange.” That term has be-come a catch phrase that refers to several mixtures of herbicides that were usedin Vietnam. To identify the different agents, manufacturers painted a color bandon their storage drums. The herbicide agents were Orange, White, Blue, Purple,Green, and Pink. These same herbicides in their military formulations were stored,tested, and used in many locations outside of Vietnam. Agent Orange, the most-used herbicide agent, consisted of two herbicides, 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid(2,4-D) and 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T). These two chemicalswere also used in the formulation of some of the other agents.
In the 1930s agricultural research identified plant hormones that regulate thegrowth of plants. By 1939, fifty-four substances were identified. By far themost powerful was the chemical 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid—betterknown by the abbreviated name 2,4-D. It later became an equal partner with2,4,5-T in the formulation of the Agent Orange herbicide used in Vietnam.While Agent Orange would not be the first herbicide formulation sprayed inVietnam, it was the most used.
Scientists found that an overdose of the plant hormones injured and evenkilled plants. In the early 1940s E.J. Kraus first suggested that these plant hor-mones could be used as weed killers. Kraus believed his research into theseplant hormones would interest the War Bureau of Consultants. The WBC wasformed under the National Academy of Sciences as a result of an October 1941directive from President Franklin Roosevelt to Secretary of War Henry L. Stim-son. The committee’s job was to assess the state of the art of biological warfare.
Kraus suggested using 2,4-D in chemical warfare. There is some conflict-ing information on when Kraus made his recommendation. Robert Allen andC.D. Stelzer, in their article, “Dioxin and the Courts,” wrote: “By 1943, Krauswas confident enough about the properties of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T to recom-mend them to a U.S. National Academy of Sciences committee on biologicalwarfare.” But the WBC disbanded before 1943.
The WBC reported its findings in a February 1942 report, recommendingthe formation of a civilian agency to research defensive and offensive biolog-ical warfare. As a result, the War Research Service was formed in 1942 withGeorge F. Merck as director. The WBC then disbanded.
Merck sent a report, dated January 3, 1945, to the Secretary of War. The re-port noted: “The major achievement of the War Research Service, however, wasthe organization of a program of research and development to extend the bound-aries of knowledge concerning the use of pathogenic agents as a weapon of war.”
It also points out that “In November 1942 War Research Service requestedthe Chemical Warfare Service of the Army to prepare to assume responsibil-ity for a larger scale research and development program involving the con-struction and operation of specially designed laboratories and pilot plants. Thesite chosen for these facilities was at Camp Detrick, Frederick, Maryland,where construction was begun in April 1943.” This was established under theArmy’s Special Projects Division of the Chemical Warfare Service. E.J. Krausbecame the head of the herbicide program at Camp Detrick.
Soon after the establishment of the facilities at Camp Detrick in 1943, theArmy set up field-testing facilities in Mississippi, a plant for larger scale pro-duction in Indiana, and a field-testing site in Utah. Merck’s report boasted “in-formation on the effects of more than one thousand different chemicals onplants.” It was one of the more important accomplishments of the programs.For those interested in more research, a good place to start is the website,www7.nationalacademies.org/archives/cbw.html
More than herbicides were researched at Camp Detrick. There also was re-search and development of biological and chemical agents that affect humans andanimals. Not everything that came out of these programs was bad. The programsprovided vital information on how to protect the military and civilian populationsfrom poisonous agents and made advancements in the treatment of diseases.
While synthetic forms of herbicides, including 2,4-D, were developed dur-ing World War II and there were plans for their use, the war ended without themilitary using them against the enemy. After the war, these herbicides wereused heavily in agriculture to control weeds and thereby increase crop yield.
Eric Croddy, in his book, Weapons of Mass Destruction, reports that theU.S. military also planned to use a combination of 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T in the Ko-rean War (1950-53). Again, the war ended without the use of the herbicides.
Croddy wrote that the herbicides were reported as destroyed in 1955. AlvinYoung’s December 2006 DOD report, The History of the U.S. Department ofDefense Programs for the Testing, Evaluation, and Storage of Tactical Her-bicides, also documents the plans for the deployment of herbicides during theKorean War. “Although not used in World War II, the concept of vegetationcontrol was not forgotten,” he writes. “In 1952, the Department of Army’sChemical Corps Biological Laboratories at Camp Detrick, Maryland, initi-ated a major program to develop both aerial spray equipment and herbicide for-mulations for potential deployment in the Korean Conflict.”
Again, although not used in Korea, the equipment and the formulatedchemicals were stored on Guam until 1954, after which the equipment wassent to Utah and the drums of herbicide were sent to Camp Detrick. CampDetrick (now Fort Detrick) continued working on developing deployment sys-tems and herbicidal materials through the 1950s.Ω
Agent Orange: The Past Is Prologue
AgentOrangeThe Toxic Battlefield Comes Home
BY CLAUDIA GARY
About two generations after the last Americantroops left Vietnam, scientific research has finallyconfirmed things that many veterans have strongly
suspected for decades. Although the Department of Vet-erans Affairs has acknowledged a connection betweendioxins such as TCDD (2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin) and various illnesses in veterans who were ex-posed to them in Vietnam, the VA so far has recognizedonly a very limited array of birth defects found in theoffspring of such veterans. Scientists believe that furtherresearch may reveal much more in the way of dioxin-related birth defects.Structural defects—those that are visible—seem to
represent only a small portion of the damage. As BettyMekdeci wrote in these pages in 2007: “When com-pared to non-veterans’ children, the children of Viet-nam veterans have shown consistent increases inlearning, attention, and behavioral disorders; all typesof skin disorders; problems with tooth development;allergic conditions and asthma; immune system disor-ders including chronic infections; some childhood can-cers; and endocrine problems including thyroiddisorders and childhood diabetes. More and more stud-ies of prenatal exposures to dioxins and similar chem-icals are adding support for these associations.” Someof these problems are not detected until later in life.Mekdeci is the executive director of Birth Defects
Research for Children, Inc. Her article was reprinted inthe San Francisco Medical Journal. The National BirthDefect Registry, which Mekdeci founded in the early1990s, has recorded thousands of such cases andhelped launch research studies. The Vietnam veteransquestionnaire used in her registry was developed inconjunction with the New Jersey Agent Orange Com-mission. More information about the registry andBDRC can be found at www.birthdefects.org ForMekdeci’s article, go to www.vva.org/veteran/1207/veteran1207.html
HOW DIOXINS CAUSE DAMAGE
What makes TCDD particularly dangerous isthe shape of the molecule. “Because it justhappens to have a shape that fits into a re-
ceptor that causes many different kinds of toxicity,dioxin is clearly one of the most toxic chemicals knownto man,” said Dr. R. Thomas Zoeller, Professor of Biol-ogy at the University of Massachusetts. Zoeller special-izes in thyroid hormone action on brain development andenvironmental disruption of thyroid hormone action.How does this toxic effect work? “There is good ev-
idence that dioxin increases thyroid hormone clearancefrom the blood,” Zoeller said. “The liver plays a role inmanaging how much thyroid hormone is in the bloodat any one time, and dioxin activates enzymes in theliver that clear thyroid hormone. But dioxin also goesinto the nucleus of cells and causes changes that I don’tthink we fully understand. It probably has a direct ac-tion on the ability of thyroid hormone to function incells, [including] in the brain. These mechanisms areprobably the most important. Thyroid hormone plays arole during the development of brain structure.”Asked about recent important developments in
dioxin research, Zoeller said: “The Environmental Pro-tection Agency recently reviewed dioxin toxicity for
their standard-setting process, and they used thyroidfunction as the most sensitive index of toxicity. So Ithink it’s clear that dioxin is well known to influencethe thyroid system, and that [the relationship betweendioxin exposure and the thyroid] is an important pub-lic health concern.” One thing that complicates the research, however,
is the difficulty in measurement. “I don’t think we havea good handle on ways of visualizing or of measuringtoxic effects on the thyroid system,” Zoeller said, “be-cause we are learning more and more that chemicals inthe environment can interfere with thyroid hormone ac-tion in ways that are not represented in serum levels ofhormones” as measured in the blood.
IS DIOXIN EXPOSURE LINKED TO AUTISM AND ADHD?
“When a syndrome or disorder like autismreaches an incidence level of one childin eighty-eight,” Zoeller said, citing the
most recent rates, “I think we should all be very con-cerned.” Does the thyroid interact with the functioningand development of the nervous system? “Absolutely,”he said. “Thyroid hormone plays an important role. ButI think in most cases, thyroid hormone interacts withmany factors. That makes it a very complicated systemto study.”Dr. Erin Bell, Associate Professor of Environmental
Health Sciences, Epidemiology, and Biostatistics at theUniversity of Albany (SUNY) School of Public Health,specializes in examining the association of adverse re-productive outcomes with occupational and environ-mental exposures. “We are very interested in looking atautism and ADHD [attention deficit hyperactivity dis-order],” Bell said. These are “of clear interest to the re-search community; the interest is not limited toVietnam veterans, but their exposures are of continuedinterest for those of us evaluating the health effects ofpesticides and other chemicals like dioxin. In general,we are looking at those chemicals that may interferewith the hormonal system. These are referred to as en-docrine disruptors. “Scientists are looking at those chemicals that would
disrupt the endocrine system and whether they are re-lated to autism and ADHD. This is a younger field; weare just beginning to have large epidemiological stud-ies to look at these things. The literature is reviewedevery two years [for the Veterans and Agent Orange re-port, published by the Institute of Medicine], so I wouldanticipate that for the next VAO report they would havemore literature to be able to look at these kinds of out-comes.”
THE LINK BETWEEN PATERNAL EXPOSURE AND BIRTH DEFECTS
“Most studies focus on maternal exposuresduring pregnancy, with regard to repro-ductive outcomes,” Bell said. “However,
in the pesticide literature there are other studies thatlook at paternal, as well as maternal, occupational ex-posures to pesticides. And so they have been able to ex-plore paternally mediated reproductive outcomes.” There are two possible routes for this, she said. “One
is that there is some chromosomal damage at the timeof exposure that would then be delivered via sperm. Or,
you have exposure that is delivered to the motherthrough the semen, so that the mother is exposed whilepregnant.” Since the life cycle of sperm is 90 days, “once [ser-
vicemen were] removed from exposure in a 90-day pe-riod, most of the time any damage from the chemicalshould be remediated at that point past 90 days. Butagain we still look at it, and there are some exposureswhere that would not be the case.”For current studies, she said, “the question of whether
paternal exposures can lead to adverse birth outcomes isa consistent research question, independent of Vietnamveterans. And pesticide studies now ask about paternalexposures in the three months prior to conception, be-cause if there’s going to be an effect from the male, that’swhen it would most likely happen.”Although the potential for exposure is there, Bell
added, “the literature has not provided consistent evi-dence that these exposures are associated with birth de-fects. Spina bifida is one exception, and that isdiscussed in the VAO report.”The toughest challenge, Bell said, “is trying to un-
derstand the paternal exposure. Most of the literaturedoes focus on maternal exposures. And much of the lit-erature looks at all pesticides combined, rather thandioxins specifically or herbicides that are of interest tothe committee. And so those are ongoing challenges.”Bell said that “one of the improvements we’ve made
is to look at individual birth defects. A lot of the previ-ous literature, due to the challenges of studying birthdefects, combined all the defects together into onegroup. And that would be similar to combining all can-cers together. We think that different defects will havedifferent risk factors, just as different cancers have dif-ferent risk factors. With funding and with better sup-port, we would be able to better look at dioxin withregard to specific defects. That would help us in termsof understanding this issue.”Bell noted that “there is very little funding to look at
birth defects,” even though “there is a great deal of in-terest in the research community to examine risk factorsof birth defects.” This is the case, she said, “indepen-dent of the Vietnam veterans; it is just not somethingthat is on the radar screen of a lot of people.”
BRIDGING INFORMATION GAPS
Dr. Mary K. Walker, Regent’s Professor in Phar-macology and Toxicology at the University ofNew Mexico, chaired the VAO committee and
wrote the preface to the 2010 update of its report. Thelatest major studies on paternal exposure to Agent Or-ange, she said, were “identified back in 1996, in the up-date where spina bifida was connected with exposure tochemicals in Agent Orange. Since that time, the VAOcommittee, through the Institute of Medicine, has con-tinued to review any information in the literature re-lated to exposure to the chemicals [dioxins] that werecomponents of AO, and potential birth defects.”When asked why there have been so few known
studies related to paternal exposure during that time,Walker said: “Possibly one explanation would be thatuntil more recently, the biological plausibility of birthdefects related to paternal exposure was not well un-derstood. And I think in the last five to seven years, weare starting to understand the biology better.” Such
28 THEVVA VETERAN
What Can Science Offer theChildren of Agent Orange?
research, then, was not a focus “until the biology caughtup in understanding how paternal exposure could con-tribute to birth defects.” Since these things have beenunderstood more recently, she said, “I think now weare starting to see more interest in looking at, and de-signing, those types of epidemiology studies.”
Asked whether it might be possible now to reexamineinformation from previous studies, Walker said: “I wouldsay that the information should be present in the data-bases that exist from the VA, as well as the individuals inwhom we have some assessment of what their exposureswere—particularly the Ranch Hand cohort as well as theArmy Chemical Corps cohort. That information is al-ready present and could be looked at again.”
Additional studies could be done in some cases basedon existing data, now that the biological plausibility isunderstood regarding a connection between paternal ex-posure and birth defects. This was already among theVAO committee’s suggestions for future research. Someof the areas of concern, Walker said, are “neurologicaldeficits,” since there is “evidence from the animal litera-ture that those are endpoints that would be of interest.”Others would include “thyroid hormone deficits, as wellas possibly cardiovascular disease that develops in theoffspring later in life.”
The study, updated every two years since 1994, is pro-duced by an Institute of Medicine committee, “a group ofindividuals who have reviewed the literature in greatest
detail and summarized it in a comprehensive way,” Walkersaid. “So I think that the recommendations that have comeout by the committee are probably the ones that are themost relevant. The recommendation is that new studiesshould evaluate offspring of Vietnam veterans for whatwould be considered defined clinical health conditionsthat develop later in life. ADHD would be an excellentexample. But more broadly, the recommendations of thecommittee identified three particular areas: neurologicaldisease, immune dysfunction, and diseases that may becaused by disruption of the endocrine system.”
Who would carry out the proposed studies? Walkersuggested that they would probably be “academics whohave epidemiology experience,” since these are thegroups that have conducted such studies in the past. Al-though universities most likely would perform the stud-ies, she said, “the VA would certainly need to be anadvocate.” Although VA funding “would be great,” shesaid, whether or not they can directly provide funding, itwould be extremely helpful for the VA to be “an advocateto say that these are the sorts of things that are informa-tion gaps” that we need to fill.
Summing up the two major information gaps that thecommittee identified, Walker said the “studies on off-spring need to be conducted following paternal exposurewithout maternal exposure,” along with studies “assess-ing clinically defined disease, focusing on neurologicalimmunological, and endocrine-related diseases.”
Notable among the published recommendations arethat “work needs to be undertaken without delay to ad-dress questions regarding the potential for paternallymediated, clinically defined health outcomes in off-spring; and the effective utilization of the VA’s medicaldatabase.” The report goes on to recommend “im-proved linkage and sharing between DOD and VA [in-cluding improved] collection of exposure data duringcurrent deployments, so the impasses associated with
missing exposure information will not impede inves-tigations of health consequences in future veterans, ashas been the case for Vietnam veterans.”
Another prominent recommendation is: “Availableinformation should be gleaned from existing cohortstudies.” This would include data on the Army Chemi-cal Corps, the largest cohort of Vietnam veterans ex-posed directly to herbicides and TCDD.
WHAT CAN BE DONE NOW?
Avoiding risk and making the environment saferis a major and necessary focus. But since it isimpossible to undo past exposure to dioxins,
what can be done for veterans and their children whoare already affected by dioxin exposure?
Betty Mekdeci suggested that specially staffed cen-ters could be created to provide evaluation and servicesfor children with suspected—if not proven—dioxin-re-lated birth defects and diseases. “We would have sci-entists with expertise in the types of disciplines relatedto chemical exposures and adverse reproductive out-comes,” she said. “They would study the children; theywould make recommendations for treatments that thefamilies wouldn’t have access to in another place—maybe including non-embryonic stem cell work ormonoclonal antibodies—and send a treatment planback to their regular doctor. I believe that through thisplan, we could not only leverage the most help for themost children, but we also would be learning thingsthat we could extrapolate to the civilian environment.”Mekdeci compared this concept to the children’s envi-ronmental centers run by the National Institute for En-vironmental Health Sciences.
Meanwhile, although a healthy diet and lifestyle areimportant for everyone, Zoeller pointed out that “Viet-nam veterans and their children, and maybe even theirgrandchildren, should be especially vigilant and shouldhave annual physicals and make sure their health careproviders are particularly vigilant. Often, for example,diabetes isn’t really picked up until it’s acutely symp-tomatic. That really shouldn’t happen. People who areat risk of diabetes should have frequent checkups. Thesame goes for heart disease.”
It is also essential to keep an eye on what the scien-tific community is doing. In some cases there are op-portunities to suggest or participate in ongoing studies.In all cases, staying informed can be helpful in facingthe future and taking effective action.
“I don’t think we have a really good understanding ofall of thyroid hormone’s effects and how to measure thoseeffects,” Zoeller said. “So there can be a lot of debateabout whether thyroid hormone or thyroid disruptionplays a role in the symptoms of Vietnam veterans, and it’sthe same with autism. I think we need very targeted re-search on how to evaluate thyroid hormone action.”
FURTHER READING
The Institute of Medicine’s VAO report is online.The PDF version is free, and the format makesit easy to search for sections of particular inter-
est. Walker’s preface, for example, starts on page ix; adiagram of the TCDD molecule can be found on page88; the chapter on Reproductive Effects and Impactson Future Generations starts on page 540; and the Com-mittee’s conclusions and recommendations begin onpage 759. The most recent update of the VAO report (re-leased in September 2011) may be downloaded fromwww.iom.edu/Reports/2011/Veterans-and-Agent-Orange-Update-2010.aspxΩ
George Claxton, the former chair of VVA’s Agent Or-ange/Dioxin Committee, made valuable contributionsto this article.
29MAY/JUNE 2012
BENEFITS Q&A
A Rock & a Hard PlaceBY LAUREN KOLOGE
Q:I have a good friend with serious problems. Do you have anything he could use for anAgent Orange claim? He was in the Marines, stationed on Okinawa. He loaded, sprayed,buried, and handled drums with orange rings on them. He recently had to have his colon
removed, and he has developed type 2 diabetes. Can you please steer me in the right direction to gethim compensated for his problems? I have read articles on AO in Okinawa, but things seem to be ata stand-still. —John Giovo
A:I would encourage your friend to file a claim for service connection for his health condi-tions, especially type 2 diabetes, as related to Agent Orange exposure. You are correct thatthe Pentagon has not acknowledged use of Agent Orange in Okinawa, but more than 130
veterans have claimed to have been exposed to Agent Orange there. I suggest he get all the statementshe can from himself and others he served with. These statements should describe what the chemi-cals and containers looked like and how he was exposed to them (spraying, leaking barrels, etc.) withthe most detail possible.
I know that the VA has granted the Agent Orange claims of at least three veterans who served inOkinawa. This is definitely a more difficult process to go through than for veterans who already areacknowledged to have been exposed to Agent Orange. But your friend will also help others go throughthe process by giving his account of what happened. You can locate one of our service representa-tives at https://benefitsforum.org/Rep.aspx or contact the VVA national office for a referral.
Veterans who served in Thailand during the Vietnam War and were exposed to Agent Orangethrough perimeter duty and as military police were recently helped by the declassification of mili-tary documents. I encourage your friend to contact his congressional representatives to push for fur-ther investigation and acknowledgement of where and when Agent Orange was used in Okinawa.
Lauren Kologe is deputy director of VVA’s Veterans Benefits Program. She can be reached [email protected]Ω
AgentOrangeThe Toxic Battlefield Comes Home
BY JIM BELSHAW
Jim and Sukie Wachtendonk’s forty-year strugglewith Agent Orange stretches across three genera-tions. It touches not only the Vietnam veteran and
his wife, but their children and grandchildren. Each gen-eration has faced birth defects and debilitating disease.
It began in Vietnam, where Jim was exposed to thedefoliant. In 1976 his daughter, Ree Anne, wasborn with health issues so severe,she was not expected to live. Twoyears later, when their son, Zachary,was born, doctors said he would belittle more than a vegetable. But ZakWachtendonk would earn more thanone college degree, and he becamea successful computer expert whoworked in information technologyfor the state of Wisconsin. He died atthe age of thirty in 2009.
Both children were diagnosedwith eye and muscle disorders,epilepsy, autism, brain deformities,bone deformities, and other serioushealth problems. The children sufferedso many seizures that the Wachten-donks stopped calling for ambulances.“We just stayed with them until theseizures ended,” Jim said.
Ree Anne was born with aqueductalstenosis resulting in hydrocephalus. Sheunderwent experimental brain surgeryas an infant. She had learning disabili-ties and sensitivities to many chemicals. Sukie Wach-tendonk said her daughter “has not known a day of herthirty-five years without pain and suffering from herdisabilities.” Ree Anne’s own son and daughter wereborn with autism and chromosomal defects. Her sonunderwent many surgeries to repair a cleft palate; herdaughter is being cared for by Jim and Sukie. ReeAnne has suffered two miscarriages, as did her mother.
No one in the family has received VA aid related toAgent Orange exposure.
“This forty-year struggle has been absolutely hor-rific for our family,” Sukie said.
Although Jim is 100 percent disabled, he hasnever been listed in the VA Agent Orange Registry.The VA, instead, recognized other service-connecteddisabilities not related to Agent Orange, includingchloracne rash, chromosome damage, and peripheralneuropathy.
The Wachtendonks have lost a home, gone throughbankruptcy, and moved repeatedly to put distance be-tween themselves and municipalities that sprayed var-ious chemicals they said brought dangerous reactionsin their children.
“My kids were being exposed everywhere theywent,” Sukie said. “Once, Zachary didn’t stop seizingfor almost four days; Ree Anne for two and a halfdays. Zachary was eight months old, our daughter wastwo years old. Both went into grand mal seizures.”
Sukie and Jim Wachtendonk now live in rural Wis-consin, as far as they can get from areas wherechemicals are routinely sprayed. They find peace
in the land.
“There are a lot of guys like me who live out in thesticks,” Jim said. “Some guys are in the middle of hun-dreds of acres. I’ve got a nice piece of land that Sukiefound for us.”
Long active in veterans’ affairs and the effort tobring light to the Agent Orange issue, Sukie has beenforced recently to focus on her own battle with breastcancer. For forty years, she and her husband have
been at the forefront of thefight, finding strength in asimple and eloquent con-cept to see them throughit: “Love for each other,”
Sukie said, “and alove for the land and
the need to make it abetter place—not only for our children,
but for other people’s children.” In 1978 Jim and Sukie saw a TV news report on vet-
erans and Agent Orange. In that report, Bill Kurtisspoke with Maude deVictor, a veterans’ benefits coun-selor who had raised the alarm about Agent Orange andits long-term effects on Vietnam veterans.
A lasting friendship with deVictor began with aphone call Sukie made to the benefits counselor. It alsobegan the nearly forty-year battle the Wachtendonkshave waged to have veterans and their families recog-nized by the VA. Sukie was four months pregnant whenshe began educating herself about Agent Orange.
Her husband served as an Army K-9 handler at DaNang. He remembered the spraying and rememberedits effect on the vegetation. “If this is what it does tochlorophyll,” he had thought, “what’s it doing to us?”
“I needed answers,” Sukie said. “I needed to findout what was going on with my children. That was themotivation: to keep them alive and to find out what washappening to us.” She sought answers at the medicallibraries of the University of Wisconsin.
She also attended and testified at hearings on AgentOrange. People had very different reactions. Some em-braced her; others condemned her as nothing less thantreasonous.
“When I was done testifying, I found several veter-ans and wives waiting for me,” she said. “They werewith the VVAW [Vietnam Veterans Against the War]. Istarted working with them to do research for a class-action suit. In 1978 Jim and I were the first in Wiscon-sin to sign on.”
Others at the hearing were not so welcoming.“I became an enemy of the state, which is just
crazy,” Sukie said. “I’m just a mom. Because we were
doing research on Agent Orange, organizing vets, andeducating the public, I was called a communist and atraitor. I was told I was an over-emotional, chemical-phobic woman.”
Ree Anne required long hours of care. She was un-able to roll over or lift her head. Sukie worked with herfour hours a day. Doctors warned Sukie and Jim thatRee Anne could suffer brain damage and even deathafter necessary brain surgery. Nonetheless, she is thirty-five now, the mother of two children.
Two years after Ree Anne’s birth, Sukie found her-self working just as hard with Zachary.
“I had to teach him how to raise his head, walk, andcrawl,” she said. “They told me he would be a vegetable,
but he wasn’t a vegetable. He was asuccessful human being. He wassweet, and he was my hero.”
She is frustrated that Jim is noton the VA Agent Orange registry.
“We were one of the first peopleto register, and he’s not there,” shesaid. “They don’t see him for AgentOrange stuff. They won’t admit it.My husband is just a ‘crazy PTSDvet’ married to a nutty wife, and theyhave sick kids, and it doesn’t haveanything to do with the VA. The rank-and-file people at the VA have been ter-rific. It’s the upper-uppers who don’t
want to be responsible for anything. And it’s all aboutmoney. Nobody wants to touch us with a ten-foot pole.”
For most of his life, Jim Wachtendonk had foundstrength and solace in music. He had played the gui-tar since he was a boy of six or seven. All through
his struggle with the effects of Agent Orange he continuedwriting and playing his music, performing at hotels andconcerts, including the 1984 HBO veterans concert.
But when illness made the guitar difficult for Jim,Sukie made a suggestion that started him down a dif-ferent artistic road. Seeing a small set of watercolorsone day, she suggested that he try painting.
He has been painting ever since, eventually branch-ing out to three-dimensional art. “It never would havehappened if Sukie hadn’t put that thought in my head.It was so important. She’s in many of my paintings.She’s the keeper of the light.”
He wanted to create public art with a purpose. Onepiece struck a chord with the community. He spray-painted a 30-gallon drum white, then added a 10-inchorange ring around it. He displayed it in the RichlandCounty Bank for a week. A sign attracted the attentionof bank customers: “Do You Know Someone Touchedby Agent Orange? If you know someone touched byAgent Orange, please write down their name on my artbarrel as we remember. Perhaps so shall others.”
“There’s a couple of pens there, and folks have beengoing in and writing down the names of loved ones,” Jimsaid. “My goal as an artist is to have folks fill that thing fullof names, and then I’ll paint another. That’s action, right?”Ω
Other Faces of Agent Orange, including a separateprofile of Ree Anne Wachtendonk, are located on theAgent Orange page of the VVA website, www.vva.orgJim Wachtendonk’s songs, poetry, and prose can beviewed at www.booneytunes.net
30 THEVVA VETERAN
THE LEGACY OF AGENT ORANGE
Three Generations of Shattered Health
31MAY/JUNE 2012
BY DALE SPRUSANSKY
Vietnam veterans struggle with a wide array of physical ailments resulting fromexposure to Agent Orange. That they were exposed to this toxic herbicide bytheir own government adds pain, confusion, and anger to the range of emotions.
As Americans mull the suffering caused by Agent Orange, many are unaware thatthey and their loved ones are exposed to potentially dangerous herbicides on a dailybasis. Indeed, government-approved herbicides—many of which contain ingredi-ents that were used in Agent Orange and are manufactured by the same companiesthat produced them for use in Vietnam—are widely and frequently used on farms andyards across the United States today.
This widespread use of herbicides has made it particularly difficult for medical pro-fessionals to deduct with certainty the side-effects of Agent Orange. Because so manyAmericans have been exposed to a wide array of chemicals, forming control groups thathave not been exposed to toxins is a major challenge for researchers. Lacking “clean”control groups, the medical community will only with great difficulty come to a clear,truthful, and scientifically sound understanding of Agent Orange’s side-effects.
A 2008 congressionally mandated study, Veterans and Agent Orange, pointed tothis dilemma. The authors noted that studies of individuals exposed to herbicides inchemical plants “provide stronger evidence about health outcomes than do studies ofveterans because the industrial exposures [are] measured sooner after occurrence and[are] more thoroughly characterized.”
In order to understand the rise in the use of herbicides in the U.S., one must exam-ine the exponential growth in the popularity of genetically modified (GM) crops. Be-ginning in the 1990s, GM crops, which have altered DNA that makes them resistant tospecific herbicides, began to dominate U.S. agriculture. Recent estimates suggest thatbetween 86 to 93 percent of the soybean, cotton, and corn crops in the U.S. are genet-ically modified.
While experts had believed that the proliferation of GM crops would decrease theneed for herbicides, evidence suggests that the opposite is true. According to a 2009study released by the Organic Center, the amount of herbicides used on GM corn, cot-ton, and soybeans increased by 7 to 8 percent between 1996 and 2008.
Scientists attribute this spike in herbicide use to the fact that more than 130 weedspecies have developed a resistance to herbicides such as Roundup. The world’s top-selling herbicide since 1980, Roundup, manufactured by Monsanto (the producersof Agent Orange), is the trade name for glyphosate, the most widely used herbicidein the U.S. According to the USDA, the use of glyphosate doubled between 2005 and2010. It is estimated that 94 percent of soybean crops and 70 percent of cotton cropsare treated with Roundup.
In order to contain and limit the growth of herbicide-resistant weeds, many farm-ers have increased the amount of Roundup they apply to their crops and also haveturned to herbicides with higher toxicity levels than Roundup.
2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D), an herbicide that was a key ingredientin Agent Orange, is the most notorious toxin farmers have turned to in the wake ofRoundup’s increasing ineffectiveness. Because 2,4-D has proven to be so reliable atkilling weeds, some in the agriculture industry see it as a critical part of the indus-try’s future. Indeed, Dow Chemical Company, the world’s second largest chemicalmanufacturer, has applied to USDA to gain approval for a new variety of GM cornthat is resistant to 2,4-D. The chemical is also commonly found in weed-and-feedproducts that are applied to areas such as lawns, playgrounds, and school yards.
Citing studies that link exposure to 2,4-D with birth defects, cancer, nerve dam-age, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, circulatory and respiratory anomalies, hormone dis-ruption, and Parkinson’s disease, many scientists and health advocates have reactedto the increased popularity of 2,4-D with great apprehension. George Claxton, for-mer chair of VVA’s Agent Orange/Dioxin Committee, said that 2,4-D is a “very dan-gerous chemical” that “should be off the market.” Natural Resources Defense Council
senior scientist Gina Solomon said that individuals “can be inadvertently exposed tochemical residues” from toxins such as 2,4-D every day. “There’s no reason to con-tinue allowing a toxic Agent Orange ingredient in the places our children play, ourfamilies live, and our farmers work,” she said.
While less toxic than 2,4-D, Roundup and other glyphosate-based herbicides alsodraw a wide array of criticism from health advocates. Birth defects, liver dysfunction,and cancer are some of the diseases that studies have linked to exposure to Roundup. Arecent study published in the Journal of Toxicology in Vitro found that Roundup alsoharms male fertility by destroying testosterone.
In 2009 researchers in France found that one of Roundup’s inert, or “inactive,” in-gredients—polyethoxylated tallowamine (POEA)—is capable of killing embryonic,placental, and umbilical cord cells in humans. According to the authors of the study,POEA can have a harmful effect on human cells at concentrations far lower thanthose used on farms and lawns. Due to the fact that it is classified as an inert ingre-dient by the EPA, the USDA permits the use of POEA, which is used to help herbi-cides penetrate the surfaces of plants, in products the agency certifies as organic. Dueto increased concerns regarding the safety of POEA, the EPA announced in 2011that it will reevaluate the safety of glyphosate in 2015. In the meantime, some citiessuch as Boulder, Colorado, have banned the use of Roundup on public property.
Despite the fact that use of atrazine, an herbicide used heavily on corn crops, hasremained relatively flat over the past ten years, it remains widely popular and thetarget of much criticism. Studies have linked the chemical to birth defects and dis-ruption of the reproductive system. A 2011 Environmental Research study found ev-idence that atrazine could be causing menstrual irregularities and low estrogen levelsin women. The study also found that the herbicide can be dangerous at levels farbelow the EPA’s limit. A 2011 independent EPA panel concluded that there is “sug-gestive evidence” that atrazine can cause ovarian cancer, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma,and hairy-cell leukemia. The panel also found “strong” evidence linking the herbi-cide to thyroid cancer. Available data “failed to provide compelling evidence thatatrazine is not carcinogenic,” according to the panel. The EPA is expected to officiallyreview atrazine in 2013.
The fact that atrazine—which washes into surface water and groundwater be-cause it does not cling to the soil—is the most commonly detected herbicide in Amer-ica’s rivers and wells, fuels many of the herbicide’s opponents. In 2009 The NewYork Times reported that 33 million Americans have been exposed to atrazine throughtap water. Nevertheless, the EPA maintains that it fully protects the public from ex-cessive levels of the herbicide. “The exposure that the agency allows under its atrazinedrinking water regulations is at least 300 to 1,000 times lower than the level wherethe agency saw health effects in the most sensitive animal species tested,” the EPAsaid in a statement.
Herbicide-producing companies such as Dow Chemical and Monsanto alsoadamantly maintain that their products pose no severe threat to the public’s health.Monsanto spokeswoman Janice Pearson, in response to a claim that Roundup causesinfertility, said: “Regulatory authorities and independent experts around the worldagree that glyphosate does not cause adverse reproductive effects in adult animals orbirth defects in offspring…even at doses far higher than relevant environmental or oc-cupational exposures.”
Such assurances do little to quell the concerns of Monsanto and Dow’s critics.“Because of the tremendous liability [associated with conceding the carcinogenicnature of their product], they’re never going to admit to it,” George Claxton said, dis-missing the chemical manufacturers’ claims that their products are safe.
The fact remains that it is difficult to measure the extent to which human healthis affected by exposure to herbicides. Because it is unethical to test herbicides on hu-mans, scientific conclusions can only be based on circumstantial evidence and stud-ies conducted on animals. Nevertheless, countless scientific studies—particularlythose focused on people who work in the agricultural and chemicals industries—provide strong evidence that herbicides can have an adverse effect on human health.
In 2010 University of California-Berkeley Professor Tyrone Hayes claimed thatatrazine can chemically castrate frogs and cause male frogs to undergo a sex change.A spokesman for Syngenta, the Swiss company that produces the chemical tested inthe study, dismissed the findings, saying the research was poorly designed and basedon “bad data.” A 2012 study conducted by University of Pittsburgh ecologist Rick Re-lyea found evidence suggesting that exposure to Roundup causes tadpoles to expe-rience abnormal hormonal shifts that result in the animals undergoing changes intheir shape.
The Toxic Risk at Home
continued on page 44
AgentOrangeThe Toxic Battlefield Comes Home
32 THEVVA VETERAN
BY WILLIAM TRIPLETT
Given the voluminous research, study, examination,and debate that has proliferated over the last fortyyears about Agent Orange, one might feel safe in
assuming that most every aspect of the highly toxic her-bicide and its effects on human health has been hashedover in some way, if not fully resolved.
For many Vietnam veterans, the controversy was re-solved in great part by the Agent Orange Act of 1991, whichestablished a presumed connection between exposure toAgent Orange and a list of diseases and illnesses, includingcertain cancers. While the landmark legislation couldn’tgive veterans their good health back, it did force open a doorthat had, until then, been closed to them—a door to much-needed compensation and other related benefits.
Veterans understandably rejoiced. But what aboutcivilians exposed to Agent Orange?
According to the federal government, between 72,000and 171,000 American civilians may have worked in Viet-nam between 1964 and 1974. The number can’t be nar-rowed any further because surviving records are scant. In2005 the U.S. Government Accountability Office counteda mere handful of civilian claims—thirty-two—requestingcompensation for diseases that the VA recognizes as serv-ice-connected to Agent Orange exposure. But GAO ac-knowledged there could be many more looking for help.
There has been comparatively little, if any, official ac-tion taken on civilians who were in-country and later de-veloped ailments that are on the VA’s Agent Orangeservice-connected list.
Lesli Dahlke discovered this about three years ago.Part of a USO tour to Vietnam in 1970 and later diagnosedwith soft tissue sarcoma (which is on the VA’s list), shecalled the agency for help. “I was told they couldn’t helpme because I was not a veteran,” Dahlke said. “I had goneover as a guest of the Army, but I wasn’t employed by theArmy. End of call.”
Dahlke had visited all four Corps while in Vietnam,often traveling to remote areas that official records showwere sprayed—sometimes heavily—with Agent Orangebefore and during her time in-country.
She lived an otherwise normal life until 1990, whenshe was diagnosed with a type of sarcoma rare for awoman of thirty-eight with no family history of cancer.But it wasn’t until 2009, years after a ten-hour surgery re-moving five internal organs along with an eight-poundtumor, that she even learned that her type of cancer waspresumed to be connected to Agent Orange exposure inVietnam. By then, Dahlke and her husband already hadbeen forced to sell their home and file for bankruptcy be-cause of medical bills.
True, she had only been in-country less than threeweeks. But the VA’s website clearly states that service-connection is presumed for anyone who “set foot in Viet-nam,” including “brief visits.” Only the VA, however, haspresumed such a connection. Meaning, as Dahlke learnedwhen she first called the VA, “the burden of proof is dif-ferent if you’re not a veteran. It’s on you.”
With no scientific studies proving a conclusive link—though some research strongly suggests it—that’s a bur-den of proof almost impossible to meet. As the GAOnoted in its review of thirty-two civilian claims, “mosthave been denied. Denials…stemmed, in part, from thefact that under the laws governing these claims, claimantsmust demonstrate a causal link between their exposure toAgent Orange and their medical conditions, which is dif-ficult to prove so many years later.”
The denying agency: The Department of Labor (DoL),which oversees the only system open to civilian claims ofinjury resulting from governmental service. That systemwas created with the Federal Employees’ CompensationAct of 1916, but it did not have a designation for AgentOrange-related claims until 2005, more than three decadesafter the Vietnam War officially ended.
Dahlke filed a claim with DoL. Denying it, the de-partment said, “The evidence did not establish the claimedexposure.” She provided additional material. “I have a boxof forty-year-old maps of where I had been. I have a diarywith entries of all the places.” DoL again denied. Dahlkehas filed a formal appeal and is awaiting a decision.
She hopes to hear soon. In May 2010 she was diag-nosed with a rare form of leukemia. In August 2011 shediscovered she has lymphoma. Dahlke’s oncologist at theMayo Clinic told her that both fall within the classificationof cancers on the VA’s list of diseases presumed to belinked to Agent Orange exposure.
“Since July 1990 we’ve paid out of pocket almost$1 million in medical bills,” said Dahlke, who hasn’tbeen able to work since that year. “I would like to bereimbursed for those costs and for costs going forward.I would like to know I have money coming in to sur-vive. I’m just looking for what is fair and is already onthe books.”Ω
For additional information, see Lesli Dahlke’s website,www.alossofinnocence.com
CIVILIANS IN VIETNAM
Agent Orange Without Protection
BY RICK WEIDMAN
A friend, a Vietnam veteran like me, perhaps said it best: “The governmentbrought us back from Vietnam to CONUS, but only we can help eachother finally get all of us home.” He was referring to the battles that so
many of us have been engaged in ever since we came home. None of thosestruggles has been greater or more frustrating that the battle to uncover the truthabout the toxic exposures endured by so many in Southeast Asia, in the watersof the South China Sea, on the Korean peninsula, Okinawa, Guam, and manyother locations in the world where American armed forces served. Many of usare sick, others have died, and there are many children and grandchildren whowill never be healthy because of the toxic exposures of their parents.
One can argue that a constitutional democracy should, as a matter of course,do complete epidemiological studies of all of its armed forces if there is anyreason to suspect that they have been harmed by that service. The Australianshave done three complete studies of their naval, air, and ground service per-sonnel who served in or near Vietnam. That is how we in America discoveredhow the Blue Water Navy veterans were exposed, which was independentlyverified by the special review of the Institute of Medicine of the National Acad-
emies of Sciences last year. The desalinization units on Australian and Ameri-can ships had the perverse effect of concentrating the dioxin that was containedin the herbicide mixed with kerosene or JP-4 fuel, thus keeping it on or near thesurface many miles out to sea, where it was taken in by our warships to producepotable water.
American Vietnam veterans finally have an analogous study under way, thanksto friends in Congress and Secretary Eric Shinseki, who has forced the VA to con-tract the decade-delayed National Vietnam Veterans Longitudinal Study. Whencompleted, this study may be the closest thing we will have to a large-scale, sta-tistically valid, epidemiological study of Vietnam-era military service members.
It has been forty years since the initial exposures, and yet the suffering ofmany is still neither recognized nor is medical care provided. What can we doabout this? Fortunately, there is a great deal each of us can do.
On April 27, VVA commented on proposed regulations by the EnvironmentalProtection Agency that would permit use of genetically modified seed that is re-sistant to 2,4-D (a component of Agent Orange). As representative of Americanveterans who “were lied to about their exposure to toxic chemicals which haveclaimed many lives long after our troops left Vietnam and Southeast Asia,” VVA
Searching for Legislative Remedies
continued on page 44
NAT
ION
AL A
RCH
IVES
AN
D R
ECO
RDS
ADM
INIS
TRAT
ION
New! DoctorRecommended The Reverse Aging Miracle
1-877-849-4777
Regenerates Immune System
Normalizes blood pressure
Grow Young with HGHGrow Young with HGHChoose LifeChoose Life
This program will make a radical difference in your health, appearance and outlook. In fact we are so confident of the
difference GHR can make in your life we offer a 100% refund on unopened containers.
BIE Health Products3840 East Robinson Road
Box 139Amherst, NY14228
All NaturalFormula
RELEASE YOUR OWN GROWTH HORMONE AND ENJOY:
DIV 2037839 ON
www.biehealth.us
ADVERTISEMENT
fotcudorPA htlaeHlabolG stcudorP
These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA.
VVA
34 THEVVA VETERAN
BY XANDE ANDERER
How do you create a holidayfrom scratch?
Valentine’s Day, Saint Patrick’s Day, Christmas, andEaster are dates from the religious calendar. Halloweenis, too—well, sort of. Independence Day and VeteransDay mark important events in history. Abraham Lin-coln made Thanksgiving official by presidential de-cree. Grover Cleveland did the same for Labor Day.And the mighty Uniform Monday Holiday Act of 1968landed Washington’s Birthday, Memorial Day, andColumbus Day on their strategically placed Mondays.
So how does one go about getting a Welcome HomeVietnam Veterans Day on the books?
The push to create a holiday in honor of Vietnamveterans began in earnest in 2000, when Vietnamveteran Jose Ramos rode his bike cross-country
from California to Washington, D.C., drumming uppublicity along the way before arriving outside theWhite House to demand that the president designateMarch 30th—the day the last American combat troopsleft Vietnam in 1973—as a national holiday honoringVietnam veterans.
Momentum grew slowly until 2009, when the endorsements of actors Jon Voight and ArnoldSchwarzenegger brought a new wave of publicity tothe campaign. Voight and Ramos attended the 2009VVA National Convention in Louisville seeking sup-port for the holiday. From there, a steady stream ofstates began to set aside March 29th or 30th to honorVietnam veterans. Eighteen states now designate theday as a state holiday and the U.S. Senate has passeda resolution for the past three years recognizing theholiday on a year-by-year basis.
This is the uphill battle Vietnam veterans’ groupsface as they consider how best to commemorate theday and mold it into an established holiday. City offi-cials and the veterans’ community in Branson, Mis-souri, are no exception. This year they tackled theholiday head-on for the very first time.
Those who have visited Branson know it as theself-styled “Veterans Capital of the Nation.” It isa town that wears its patriotism in plain sight. Vet-
erans are honored just about everywhere you look, andtheir service recognized during almost every live showin town. So it was a logical step to plan a big WelcomeHome weekend this year and encourage vets to comecelebrate in Branson, where veterans are royalty.
The weekend kicked off Friday morning with Bran-son’s Salute to Vietnam Veterans, an overstuffed slateof entertainment held at the Hughes Brothers Theater.The show opened with VVA’s Branson Chapter 913presenting the colors in their distinctive black berets,white belts, and white ascots. A table with an emptychair and place setting was set on stage to honorPOW/MIAs, and remained there throughout the show.
Branson mayor Raeanne Presley addressed the au-dience, declaring, “Today is a day to heal, to close upold wounds, and to say thanks to the men who putthemselves in jeopardy to serve our country in thatwar.” When host Jason Yeager burst onto the stage tokick off the entertainment with a hearty, “Welcomehome, vets!” the somber theater erupted in applause.
“As a country, we didn’t really do it at the time, andit’s one of our nation’s great tragedies,” he said. “Weneed to live every day through events like this to correctthat mistake and to thank our courageous veterans.”
All the day’s performers expressed their gratitudefor the sacrifices made by the veterans in the audiences.Many took the time to have veterans stand and be rec-
ognized, and most spoke of their personal connectionsto the Vietnam War—a brother, a spouse, a parent.
“Today is finally our day,” said Army veteran BurtWittrup during intermission. “A day when we can fi-nally say we are welcomed back home.”
The other Vietnam vets in attendance shared hissentiments. “I experienced some of that hostility whenI returned home from Vietnam,” said Bill Gilmer, whodrove from Little Rock, Arkansas, to enjoy the week-end’s activities. “The thing you have to rememberabout [Vietnam veterans] is that we made a promisethat the younger generation fighting our wars nowwould never get the treatment we got. And we’re keep-ing that promise. You’ll find us at the airport and alongthe highway welcoming our young troops home.”
“We never got the parade we deserved, but I’ll begetting mine tomorrow,” quipped one grinning veteranafter the show.
And a parade he got. The next morning veterans,their families, Cub Scouts, bikers, hot-rodders, fire-fighters, and local celebrities formed up in unsea-
sonably radiant sunshine to show both pride andappreciation. Again, the Chapter 913 Color Guard ledthe way, followed by the chapter’s parade float, dec-orated with two immense “Welcome Home” banners.The float was manned by a cadre of veterans whoseranks grew as the parade progressed and as vets in thecrowd were encouraged to climb aboard the float. Pa-rade organizer Arlen Lipper, who is the founder ofbransonveteranevents.com and a VVA Chapter 913member, was pleased. “We’re already planning nextyear’s weekend. It’s just going to get bigger and big-ger,” he said. “There’ll be some big surprises.”
Parades will always have a special place in the heartsof most Vietnam veterans, considering the deafening si-lence when they returned home from the war: “I wastaken out of the jungle, put on a plane, and stepped offin San Antonio,” one veteran said. “There was no onethere. I walked outside and got in a cab to come home.I’ll never miss a parade for Nam vets. None of us evergot the parade we deserved.”
“When I got home, I arrived puffed-up with prideabout my service to my country. While we were [incountry] we didn’t realize how hated that war was bysome people back in The World,” said Michael Lynch,an Air Force veteran who drove to Branson from Ten-nessee for the parade.
“I’m glad this day is here,” said another. “That wartore our country apart. No matter how many parades Iattend, it feels like each heals us just a little more.”
And besides, who doesn’t love a parade?Ω
A LONG TIME COMING…
PHO
TOS:
© M
ICH
AEL
O'K
ANE
PHO
TOG
RAPH
Y
or click the link at www.vva.org
V
35MAY/JUNE 2012
PHOTOS & STORY BY MICHAEL KEATING
“We wanted it to be based on a theme,” NorthCarolina State Council President JoeKristek said of the 23rd George C. Dug-
gins Region 3 Conference held in Asheville March 28-31. In concert with a twelve-man planning committee,“we looked at the place in our lives. The important is-sues seemed to revolve around health care.” Finally, aunifying theme was decided upon: “Veterans helpingveterans.”
They took a lean and trim approach to the seminars.“We only had seven,” North Carolina Vice PresidentRossi Nance said. They decided against concurrent
seminars, which often require attendees to run fromthe first part of one to the last part of another. “We leteach one stand on its own merits,” he added.
Discussion, then, both during the seminars and di-rectly afterward, remained focused. The speakers wereexperts in their fields; they all lived and worked in Re-gion 3; and they all had volunteered their time.
Region 3—made up of North Carolina, South Car-olina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia,
Maryland, and the District of Columbia—is the onlyVVA region that consistently produces conferences formembers. The combined Region 8 and 9 conferencesare the other exception.
The conference dates were suggested by the hosthotel, The DoubleTree Biltmore, whose staff couldn’thave been more gracious or helpful. “They said theycould provide us the best rates on that week, so we tookthem,” Nance said. Unfortunately, those dates coincidedwith Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day, so there wascompetition from a NASCAR event in nearby Char-lotte that anticipated 70,000 veterans, and the West Vir-ginia State Council’s recognition event in Charleston.
Nonetheless, three national officers attended: PresidentJohn Rowan, Vice President Fred Elliott, and TreasurerWayne Reynolds.
The keynote speaker at the Opening Ceremonieswas the soft-spoken and self-effacing Walter J. Marm,who received the Medal of Honor for his actions at theIa Drang. During “a slugfest [that lasted] for threedays,” he took out three NVA near a machine-gun site.Later, he exposed himself to enemy fire to pinpoint itslocation, then charged the nest and threw in a grenadethat killed several more enemy. With his M-16 he shotfour more NVA until he took a bullet in the jaw.
“I’m no braver than anyone else here,” he said. “I’mjust the caretaker of this medal.” In fact, he said, “somesay it’s harder to wear the medal than to earn it.” Marmis one of eighty-one living MOH recipients. The mainmission of the Congressional Medal of Honor Societyis to “work with the youth” to build character. It is alsocommitted to such veterans’ issues as PTSD and AgentOrange.
Marm was followed by George E. Clark, a formerSpecial Forces soldier in Vietnam with a life-consumingmission: to help the Montagnards. But his mission is not the product of detached altruism. It’s public: “The
“I’m no braver than anyoneelse here,” Medal of Honorrecipient Walter J. Marmsaid. “I’m just the caretakerof this medal.”
Below: Asheville Mayor Terry Bellamy (left), who spoke at the Opening Ceremonies, with NCSC AVVA Repre-sentative Pam Scheffer and NCSC Chaplain Craig Register; Top right: Walter J. Marm received the Medal ofHonor for his actions during the Battle of the Ia Drang; Bottom right: Charlie and Phyllis Garner participatedin the Saturday morning seminar, “The Marital Journey Home.”
Opening Ceremonies: Chapter 272’s Al Rice (above, atright) during the National Anthem; Chapter 990’s RobbieHardison presented the Navy flag.
continued on page 36
Veterans Helping VeteransTHE GEORGE C. DUGGINS REGION 3 CONFERENCE
36 THEVVA VETERAN
Montagnards were the best and most unwavering allythe U.S. had,” Clark said. And it’s private: “When I washit, they jumped on my body so I wouldn’t get hit again.”
Most Montagnards in the United States—more thaneight thousand—live in North Carolina. Clark’s organi-zation, Save the Montagnard People, works to resettlethem, preserve their culture, and help adapt them to thebroader American culture. He estimates that eleven hun-dred Montagnard children have gone through college.
Long persecuted by the Vietnamese, who are differ-ent ethnically and practice different religions, the Mon-tagnards made perilous escapes from their homelands.With the help of STMP and other organizations, theymade their way to the United States. In the best of allworlds, they would prefer to stay in their native home inthe Central Highlands. “They don’t want to come here,”Clark said, “but they don’t want to be slaughtered.” Onlya fraction of their wartime numbers remains in Vietnam.
After Clark spoke, Montagnard men and womanplayed instruments and danced, ultimately drawingMarm, NCSC Chaplain Craig Register, AVVA Region3 Director Donna Crowell, and others out to dancewith them. Later, representatives of the Eastern Chero-kee Nation (who were also veterans) were presentedto the Conference and to the Montagnards. In a sparebut moving ceremony, these two displaced indigenouspeoples exchanged gifts.
The seminars were spread over a three-day period.AVVA North Carolina State Rep Pam Scheffer dis-cussed survivor assistance. Debra Volkmer, the VISN6 caretaker support coordinator, made two presenta-tions, one on accessing caregiver support from the VA(for details, see www.caregiver.va.gov or call 855-260-3274). The other seminar was on vicarious traumatiza-tion, otherwise known as secondary PTSD. Sheapproached the subject from psychological, physical,and spiritual perspectives.
Anthony Musolino’s presentation was entitled, “WhoWill Cash Your Last Check?” Mary Foster talked aboutfuture home health care, and Darlene Laughter dis-cussed volunteer opportunities with the VA. North Car-olina Cemetery Program Director Eli Panee presented an
overview on veterans cemeter-ies.
Region 3 Director SaraMcVicker tended to VVA busi-ness, presenting a seminar enti-tled “Reporting,” in which shedescribed the paperwork thatchapters and state councilsmust file with the state, the fed-eral government, and VVA national. Because filing re-quirements vary from state tostate, McVicker provided abreakout of agencies and theiremail and street addresses foreach of the Region 3 states. Shestressed that all chapter officersand board members must know
the filing requirements: It is foolish and dangerous to leavethat responsibility with one person, she said.
Later in the day McVicker held a Region 3 Direc-tor’s Meeting, in which she discussed the current busi-ness of the National Board of Directors and progress inresolving software problems.
Saturday morning Ellie Covan made an often-emo-tional presentation based on her research at the Universityof North Carolina on the long road home for Vietnam vet-erans and the spouses who have attached their lives tothem. Her investigations are not purely academic, how-ever: She’s the proud wife of a Vietnam veteran.
Friday night’s banquet was preceded by a solemnPOW Remembrance Ceremony led by NCSC PublicAffairs Chair Juan Eric Cantu. Saturday’s Closing Cer-emonies included warrior dances by the Eastern Chero-kee and ended with a snake-like, hand-to-hand Cherokeefriendship dance that drew in many conference partic-ipants. The line of men and women wrapped around,encompassing the room, filing to the front and to theback, and eventually folding into itself.Ω
For additional information on the 2012 George C.Duggins Region 3 Conference, see www.vva-nc.orgFor a portfolio of conference photos by Michael Keat-ing, go to The VVA Veteran Facebook page.
REGION 3Continued from previous page Region 3 Director Sara McVicker and NCSC President Joe
Kristek (below) during an impromptu planning meeting. Mon-tagnard musicians (left), singers, and dancers performed dur-ing the Opening Ceremonies. Members of the audience weredrawn onto the dance floor, including Region 3 AVVA Direc-tor Donna Crowell (center).
Above: A POW/MIA Ceremony by Juan Eric Cantu precededFriday night’s banquet; Right: During Saturday’s ClosingCeremonies, members of the Eastern Cherokee Nation per-formed Warrior Dances.
or click the link at www.vva.org
V
37MAY/JUNE 2012
Good-Hearted Veteran Cast Populates The Living Wills
REVIEWS BY MARC LEEPSON
Two-author novels are rare. The mainreason: Writing fiction is such an inti-
mate, personal business that it’s extremelydifficult for two people to come up withone literary vision, not to mention imple-ment it. So you have to give credit to RickKaempfer and Brendan Sullivan, the twoauthors of The Living Wills (Eckhartz Press,336 pp., $19.95, paper), a fast-reading novelset in Chicago in 2005, for coming up witha creditable work of fiction. Kaempfer is aChicago writer and Sullivan is an improvartist in the City of Big Shoulders.
How did the two men put the book to-gether? “We improvised the story lines together using [Sullivan’s] techniques,”Kaempfer explained, “before sitting downto plot it out and write the chapters usingmy techniques. Both of us wrote equalparts of the book—it’s a completely col-laborative process.” The authors “didn’t setout to write a Vietnam book,” Kaempfersaid, “but when we improvised, it simplyemerged.”
How did the collaboration turn out? Notbadly. The dialogue-heavy story humsalong rapidly. It’s a multi-character affair,centering on veteran Henry Stankiewiczand his late-in-life effort to make amendswith his upwardly mobile lawyer son. It’snot an easy task, as young Peter is ex-tremely bitter after having suffered from anabsent father for most of his childhoodwhile the elder Stankiewicz struggled withpostwar emotional and physical issues.
Several interwoven subplots include oneinvolving a depressed middle-aged corpo-rate type and another centering on a group
of Henry’s bowling buddies. There’s alsoPeter’s struggles with his work situation ina big law firm and his relationship with hisgirlfriend, who happens to be a lawyer athis firm. The main plot deals with some-thing that happened to Henry in Vietnamand the continuing fallout from that trau-matic event in his life and in the lives of agroup of his war buddies.
Henry and the other Vietnam veterancharacters in the book are good-heartedmen who have (to one degree or another)overcome their war-related emotional andphysical problems. Henry holds down a de-cent blue-collar job, is happily married to agood woman, and has a positive mental out-look. One of his buddies still struggles withalcohol; another is a well-adjusted familyman. In other words, the authors have comeup with a cast of realistic, non-sensational-ized Vietnam veterans living out their lives inthe early 21st century—no Nam vet stereo-types here.
The authors do commit some first-novelmissteps. They tend to label emotions ratherthan invoking them in their characters. Someof the characters are too broadly sketchedand there are too many far-out coinci-dences that stretch credulity. That said, TheLiving Wills is a more-than-decent novelfilled with sympathetically drawn Vietnamveteran characters. That in itself is worththe price of admission.
PATTONS
Benjamin Patton’s father was George S.Patton IV; his grandfather was George
S. Patton, Jr. Yes, that George S. Patton—the iconic, blood-and-guts World War I andWorld War II tank-commanding general.George S. Patton IV followed in his father’sfootsteps: He served three tours in Vietnam,including one commanding the 11th Ar-mored Cavalry, the Blackhorse Regiment,in 1968-69. Ben Patton, 46, never knewhis grandfather, who died in 1945. Hewas a young boy when his father madehis military name for himself in the Viet-nam War.
Ben Patton did not join the military; hewent into television and has made his ca-reer in documentary filmmaking. His book,Growing Up Patton: Reflections on He-roes, History, and Family Wisdom (Berke-ley Caliber, 368 pp., $26.95), is a familymemoir, a paean to his father and grandfa-ther, as well as to thirteen other people theauthor greatly admires. These military menand civilians, he says, are “remarkable peo-ple who were closely connected with myfather—and who, by extension, loom large
in my personal pantheon of personal he-roes.”
The book looks at the complicated rela-tionship between the two Patton generals.Among other things, Ben Patton includesexcerpts from previously unpublished let-ters between his father and grandfatherwritten during World War II. The excerptsfocus on “the advice on leadership, friend-ship, and life in general that my grandfather,a wonderful character and hero, handed downto my father, another wonderful character
and my hero,” the youngest Patton writes.His father was a West Point cadet strugglingwith academics at the time.
The book then shifts gears as the authorlooks at his thirteen military and civilianheroes.
That group includes Gen. CreightonAbrams, the MACV Commander and ArmyChief of Staff who had served under Pattonat the Battle of the Bulge; Manfred Rommel,the son of the legendary German Gen. ErwinRommel, whom the younger George Pattonbefriended in postwar Germany; and Gen.Julius Becton, who actually was a rival ofGeorge S. Patton IV. The third section looksat Ben Patton’s disabled brother, also namedGeorge S. Patton, Jr., and Charley Watkins,his father’s Blackhorse Regiment Huey pilot.
The book is written in breezy prose withmuch reconstructed dialogue.
SONCHAI JITPLEECHEEP
Sonchai Jitpleecheep is my favorite half-Thai, half-American fictional Royal
Thai police detective. Let me amend that.Jitpleecheep—whose father was an Amer-ican GI in the Vietnam War who had afruitful liaison with a Thai woman inBangkok—is one of my favorite fictionaldetectives, period. Sonchai J. is a wise,wise-cracking, world-weary officer of thelaw who solves the most heinous crimes inhis hometown, overcoming mountainousphysical and psychic obstacles along theway. He is the creation of British novelistJohn Burdett and has starred in five novels,including the newest, Vulture Peak (Knopf,285 pp., $25.95).
Burdett uses the same blueprint for hisbelabored hero in the new book as he didin the previous four, including the memo-rable Bangkok 8 (2006). In this go-roundour young hero is in emotional turmoil(due to a family tragedy and difficult is-sues with his gorgeous wife). His insaneboss gives him a difficult assignment in-volving a gristly triple murder. Sonchai in-vestigates and encounters sociopaths andother evil-doers. More murder and may-hem ensue.
Along the way, Sonchai provides anilluminating commentary on Thai cultureand society and Thai Buddhism, with aheavy emphasis on the psycho-socio as-pects of the western-fueled sex trade inhis hometown. This book’s main plot hasto do with widespread, illegal interna-tional trade in human body parts. It fea-tures a pair of Chinese women whoselifestyles would make your average cableTV reality star blush. The tale is told inrapid-fire prose that wings its waythrough crazy plot twists to an ultravio-lent denouement.
There’s even a Vietnam War-influencedflashback. In an opium-fed dream, Sonchaiconjures up a vision of his long-absent fa-ther: “Now my long-lost father appears asa young GI, his face blackened for battle.He puts a hand on my shoulder and says,Sorry; I say, Don’t worry about it. Thesource of pain is blocked; isn’t that whatone was looking for all along?”Ω
READ MORE Go to Books in Brief on the web for reviews of—among other books—PrivateWar, Personal Victory, a searing family memoir by Loretta M. Kantor; Shore Duty, a well-told in-country Navy Vietnam War memoir by Stewart M. Harris; and Tunnel Rat in Vietnam, a concise historyof that aspect of the war by Gordon L. Rottman. Go to http://vvabooks.wordpress.com
Pre-registration ends June 29, 2012. Please do not mail your registration form after this date. Registrations received after June 29 will be returned to sender. Youthen must register on-site at the Conference in Irving. After June 29, 2012 no refunds will be made for cancellation of registration. Any refunds prior to June 29,2012 will incur a $15 service charge. Faxed registration forms will NOT be accepted.
Membership # c Check here if this is a new Address
Last Name First Name Middle Initial
Address
City State Zip Code
Day phone Evening phone
Fax number E-Mail address
Before June 29, 2012 On-site registration
(Check One) c VVA c AVVA c Non-Member - Does not include meal functions; each must be purchased separately c $85 c $125
VVA/AVVA OFFICERS LUNCHEON - Wednesday, August 8, 2012 (Restricted to chapter or state council officers) c $35
AVVA AWARDS LUNCHEON -Thursday, August 9, 2012 c $35
CIRCLE ® RANCH SUPPER -Thursday, August 9, 2012 c $40Child’s ticket (5 - 10 years old) c $30
VVA AWARDS BANQUET - Saturday, August 11, 2012 c $45
TOTAL:
Payment Method
c Check enclosed (Payable to VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA) c Money order enclosed
c MasterCard c VISA c Discover c American Express
Account/Card Number Expiration Date
Signature
Mail this form and full payment to:Conference Registration • Vietnam Veterans of America • 8719 Colesville Rd • Suite 100 • Silver Spring, MD 20910
THIS BOX FOR STAFF USE ONLYCHECK NUMBER AMOUNT FINANCE DEPT APPROVAL
OTHER NAMES
National Leadership ConferenceOmni Hotel
August 7 - 11, 2012Irving, Texas
Fill out the information below as you want your name badge to appear. ONLY ONE LETTER OR SPACE PER BOX
NAME ccccccccccccccccccccccccc CHAPTER/STATE COUNCILccccccccccccccccccccccccc CITY & STATE cccccccccccccccccccccccccTITLE/POSITON (optional) ccccccccccccccccccccccccc
Registration and Event Fees
Special Guest Jolie Holliday at the Opening Ceremonies: International countrymusic star Jolie Holliday will perform at the Leadership Conference Opening Ceremonies onWednesday morning, August 8. The Dallas native’s award-winning debut album, “A Real Good Day,”became an international hit and was named Album of the Year at the CMA Indie Awards. Her single“No Thanks” reached No. 1 on the IndieWorld Country Chart. Jolie has opened for country-music starsMickey Gilley, Johnny Lee, Lee Ann Womack, Lonestar, Collin Raye, and Marty Stuart, and sheperforms in concert regularly at Chevrolet and NASCAR-sponsored events including the State Fair ofTexas, Daytona 500, Brickyard 400, Allstate 400 and Indianapolis 500.
National Leadership ConferenceAugust 7-11, 2012 • Omni Hotel, Irving, Texas
39MAY/JUNE 2012
IN SERVICE
Since it began the program in 2008,Queens, New York, Chapter 32 has pro-vided an honor guard and services at theburials of fifty-nine indigent New York Cityveterans and three of their spouses. “We arethe family friend of indigent vets,” PaulNarson, the Chapter president, told a localnewspaper. “We work with the city to burythem with full military honors. We neverwant any veteran to be buried in potter’sfield.”
In February South Bay Chapter 53 inRedondo Beach, California, sent dona-tions to the following organizations: The S.S.Lane Victory ship museum in San Pedro;Fisher House at the West Los Angeles VAMedical Center; Operation Gratitude,which sends care packages to deployedtroops; the U.S. Sea Cadet Corps in SanPedro; the VVA California State CouncilVeterans Service Program; the CaliforniaWomen Veterans Symposium in Hawthorne;the Trucks to Troops program, which pro-vides remote-controlled toy trucks to active-duty service personnel; and the JuniorROTC programs at three local high schools.
Beaver County, Pennsylvania, Chap-ter 862 held its 13th annual Tet Party Re-union dinner February 18 at the Fez inHopewell Township. More than 550 at-tended, including Gold Star Mothers andother family members of seventy-three localservice personnel who died in Vietnam, aswell as family members of eleven otherswho perished in Iraq and Afghanistan. Theevent raised some $14,000, which the Chap-ter uses to help veterans and their families.
Greater Connecticut Chapter 120 lifemember Bob Burgess has begun a traditionof donating winter coats to the needy and tothe children of veterans. In early FebruaryBurgess and the Chapter donated a pile ofcoats to the Windsor Social Services FoodBank, which provides supplemental food forlow-income families. Life members WilliamChiodo and Ted Groenstein delivered thecoats.
Largely through the efforts of SammyL. Davis Chapter 295 in Indianapolis, In-diana, the nearby city of Lawrence, Indi-ana, proclaimed March 29 Welcome HomeVietnam Veterans Day. The city “is grate-ful to its Vietnam veterans for their serviceand would like to especially recognize the
Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 295,which was formed twenty-five years agoand has a membership of approximatelytwo hundred members,” Mayor Dean E.Jessup said in his official proclamation. Hewent on to “thank Vietnam Veterans ofAmerica Chapter 295 President Les Corrie,Vice President Mike Hamm, Past PresidentGene Gigli (deceased), and the chaptermembers for their unstinting dedication tomaking sure that all present and future vet-
erans will hear upon their return, ‘Thankyou for your service and welcome home.’ ”
Tennessee Department of Veterans Af-fairs Commissioner Many-Bears Grindermade a special delivery on March 24 to Barry Rice, the president of SumnerCounty, Tennessee, Chapter 240: Gov.Bill Haslam’s proclamation declaring March29 Vietnam Veterans Day. “As a member
Vietnam Veterans of AmericaMemorial Highway
BY CAROL ENGLE
The road sign reads: “Vietnam Veterans of America Memorial Highway.”Beaver County Chapter 862 requested the name. It is not only for the
members of Chapter 862, it also is a memorial to the 58,267 names inscribedon The Wall in Washington, D.C., as well as the 300,000 who were woundedin Vietnam, Gold Star Mothers, and the families of veterans who have diedor become ill due to Agent Orange exposure.
Several memorial signs are placed along a beautiful, four-mile corridorformerly known as Big Beaver Blvd. Signs also are prominently displayedat the entrance and exit to Route I-376 and the Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Chapter 862 President Skip Haswell said the idea wasn’t original. He hadseen other roads dedicated to veterans, including Medal of Honor recipients,and he thought there should be a similar tribute for Vietnam veterans.
Haswell asked Pennsylvania State Rep. Jim Marshall: “What’s the chanceof renaming this highway from Big Beaver Blvd. to Vietnam Veterans ofAmerica Memorial Highway?” That question started the process. Rep. Mar-shall went to work, and in a year and a half the mission was accomplished.
If other VVA chapters or state councils would like to duplicate this effort,Haswell said, he has a few suggestions. First, get involved with your localgovernment. The most important aspect of getting legislation passed, he said,is having a good relationship with local elected officials: Support them, andthey will support you.
Second, have a great support center. Chapter 862 has more than five hun-dred members and is very active. It participates in many community activi-ties all year long. Third, encourage AVVA members to be involved in chapterprojects. “We’re not getting any younger,” Haswell said, “but our AVVA hasyounger members—the Vice President is a veteran of the Iraq War. OurAVVA actively participates and makes the chapter stronger.”
Fourth, engage the young. Chapter 862 donates $250 a year to both thelocal Army and Marine JROTC programs. The Chapter did not expect ROTCto donate to them in return, but last year it received $4,000. This year it was$6,000. The money was collected by the ROTC members for the chapter. Allare high school students.Ω
For more information, email VVA Chapter 862 President Skip Haswell [email protected]
MEMBERSHIP NOTESBEAVER COUNTY, PA., CHAPTER 862
John Koprowski Receives The VVA Achievement Medal
BY TOM HALL
In any organization there arethose who just belong, follow,
and participate. Every once ina while there is the individualwho always goes above and be-yond. On February 11 at theFlorida State Council meeting,Region 4 Director Bob Barrypresented John Koprowski ofZephyrhills Chapter 195 withthe VVA Achievement Medal.He was completely surprised and, as always, humble.
Koprowski is no stranger to leadership within VVA on the local, state, re-gional, and national levels. He was instrumental in starting the Florida StateCouncil and served as secretary, then took over as president and kept thechapters together and positive. As state council president he was instrumen-tal in making Florida a driving force within VVA. He was also a foundingmember of the Florida Vietnam Veterans Assistance Foundation, the fundrais-ing arm of the Florida State Council. He also was a founding member ofAmerica Serving Veterans Foundation, which seeks funding and other sup-port for the Florida Regional Service Officer Program.
John Koprowski served as Region 4 director and chaired the national Vet-erans Incarcerated Committee. He was well-suited for this position becauseof his time as a corrections officer at Zephyrhills Correctional Institution andas the sponsor of Zephyrhills Incarcerated Chapter 195 for more than twentyyears.
Ask anyone who knows John Koprowski, and you will hear about a ded-icated retired Marine MSGT, an inspirational leader with exemplary organi-zational skills and the ability to communicate effectively. He is a proudVietnam veteran. Whenever there is a veteran in need, he reaches out to helpthat veteran.Ω
Tom Hall is VVA’s Education Subcommittee chair, the Florida State Coun-cil treasurer, and a former U.S. Marine Corps drill instructor.
continued on next page
TOM
HAL
L
CO
URT
ESY
LEE
CO
RFIE
LD
40 THEVVA VETERAN
of Vietnam Veterans of America, I knowhow important it is to remember our fellowveterans who served in Vietnam and maycontinue to struggle with the pain of war,”Grinder told a local newspaper. “The sup-port of fellow Tennesseans can sometimesbe the encouragement a veteran needs toovercome injuries and heartache.”
Members and friends of Porter County,Indiana, Chapter 905 paid a visit on Jan-uary 28 to the Indiana Veterans’ Home inWest Lafayette, the only veterans home inthe state that provides independent livingand comprehensive care for disabled anddestitute veterans and their spouses. TheVVA group helped provide a pizza lunchand played bingo with residents.
Two members of Washtenaw County,Michigan, Chapter 310 recently receivedawards from the Ann Arbor VA HealthcareSystem for their many hours of dedicatedvolunteer service. Chapter member PaulJingozian received the Ann Arbor VA Vol-unteer of the Year award for putting innearly 3,800 volunteer hours in the last fouryears. Also recognized was Chapter mem-ber Don Miller, who has accumulated morethan 1,600 hours since he began volunteer-ing at the VA in 2006.
Las Cruces, New Mexico, Chapter431 hosted its second annual all-day Wel-come Home Vietnam Veterans ceremonieson March 31 at the city’s Veterans Memo-rial Park. Gen. John G. Ferrari, the com-mander of White Sands Missile Range, was
the keynote speaker. He thanked Vietnamveterans for “serving the nation when serv-ing the nation wasn’t too popular.” The na-tion “failed you,” he said. “We can’t makethat same mistake again.”
Central Coast Chapter 982 inGuadalupe, California, held its third an-nual Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Dayon March 25. The event featured cere-monies, barbecue, and the unveiling of signsnaming a segment of Highway 1 as the Viet-nam Veterans Memorial Highway, a projectthat the Chapter spearheaded.
Keith King, a founding member of De-troit, Michigan, Chapter 9, recently wasnamed the National Veteran Small Busi-ness Champion by the U.S. Small BusinessAdministration. SBA Administrator KarenG. Mills cited King’s advertising and pub-lic relations business, Keith King & Asso-ciates, for its “hard work, innovative ideas,and dedication to your community.” Theaward will be presented in May at the Na-tional Small Business Week celebration inWashington, D.C.
VETS CONNECTDenton, Texas, Chapter 920 regularly
sends Chapter members to Dallas/Fort WorthInternational Airport to welcome home ac-tive-duty troops under the Chapter’s Wel-come Home a Hero program. “Forty yearsago, Vietnam veterans came home, and theycame through the airports of America and allthey needed was a thank you,” Chapter Ser-geant-at-Arms Randy Grizzle told a localTV station. “There were people waiting forthem, but they weren’t there to tell them what
a good job they had done. Maybe these guyswill be old and gray, and they will be sittingin a rocking chair with their grandkids overthem, and they will think back and say, ‘Iwas coming through [Dallas/Fort Worth] andI was feeling sorry for myself, and a com-plete stranger came up to me and said, ‘Wel-come home,’ and it made all the difference.”
On February 21, two members of Ken-tuckiana Chapter 454 in Louisville, Ken-tucky, Dona Schicker and Charlie Datilo,attended the 67th anniversary commemo-ration of the flag raising on Iwo Jima at thegrave of Kentucky-born-and-raised FranklinSousley in Elizaville, Kentucky. Marine PFCSousley, one of the men who raised thatflag, was killed by a Japanese sniper on IwoJima on March 21, 1945. He was buried onthe island, but in 1948 was re-interred inElizaville. A monument depicting the flag-raising with Sousley highlighted and a glassvial of black Iwo Jima sand stand at hisgrave.
SCHOLARSHIPSSacramento Valley, California, Chap-
ter 500 awards four scholarships annually,three of $500 each and one of $1,000.Kimberly Schmidt of Folsom High School,whose mother and father are Vietnam vet-erans, was this year’s recipient of the$1,000 scholarship. Her winning essay wastitled, “Report on the Tonkin Gulf Incidentand How It Escalated United States’ In-volvement in Vietnam.”
East Central Minnesota Chapter 684,in cooperation with the Isanti Lions Club,held a well-attended pancake breakfast in
November at the Isanti Community Cen-ter. Proceeds from the event will go to theChapter’s new scholarship fund.
MEMORIALSLiberty Bell Chapter 266 in Philadel-
phia, Pennsylvania, recently donated $250to the New Jersey Vietnam Era Museumand Educational Center to cover the cost ofa paving stone with the Chapter’s name en-graved on it. The stone will be part of themany pavers that line the sides of the NewJersey Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial walk-way. “Chapter 266 has twenty-nine memberswho live in New Jersey,” Chapter PresidentStephen Uchniat said. “We did this for themand for those who died in Vietnam fromNew Jersey.”
Lehigh Valley, Pennsylvania, Chapter415 has been heavily involved in support-ing the Vietnam Veterans Memorial that willbe built on the grounds of Easton HighSchool. The Chapter’s Special Events Com-mittee has designated member Sam San-guinito to be its liaison to the memorial,which will honor the graduates of EastonHigh who served in the U.S. military duringthe Vietnam War. Chapter President BarryWillever has been heavily involved with thefundraising, and many members are work-ing hard on a range of activities—includingoldies dances and car shows—to help raisethe expected $200,000-$250,000 that willbe needed to build the memorial. In addi-tion, many Chapter members have madepersonal financial contributions to the ef-fort.Ω
MEMBERSHIP NOTESContinued from previous page
BY MARY BRUZZESE
On Saturday, March 31, Mobile, Alabama, Chapter 701 and Robertsdale,Alabama, Chapter 864, joined by VVA Region 4 Director Bob Barry,
participated in the Gulf Coast Vietnam Veterans Salute held at U.S.S. AlabamaBattleship Memorial Park in Mobile. Some fifteen hundred people from all overthe Gulf Coast attended the all-day event, enjoying a parade, speakers, and re-sources for Vietnam veterans and their families, as well as food, entertainment,and a chance to connect with fellow vets.
The event kicked off with an Honor Ride parade through downtown Mobileto the park. Despite some morning rain, the procession began at a local school,with bikers from both chapters riding with 125 motorcycles decked out in Viet-nam veteran, POW/MIA, and American flags at the lead. An entourage of VVAmembers followed in their cars and trucks with a group of “Honor Buses” behindthem transporting disabled Vietnam veterans from the Gulf Coast states.
As the procession rolled through residential Mobile, the rain suddenly stopped.People who had been watching the parade under shelter walked down to the curbsto greet the veterans. By the time the procession reached the main drag of down-town Mobile, the streets were lined with cheering spectators.
The ceremony began once the parade reached Battleship Memorial Park. Acolor guard presented the flags, the Pledge of Allegiance was recited, and theStar Spangled Banner sung, after which the National Guard did a flyover. Amongthe speakers was Thomas Wisnieski, director of the VA Gulf Coast VeteransHealth Care System. Alabama Gov. Robert Bently announced: “The Alabamaportion of Interstate 10 will be called the Vietnam War Memorial Parkway.” Hesaid that Alabama always will honor Vietnam veterans.
Although Mobile was surrounded by storms, the sun continued shining. Fol-lowing the opening ceremonies attendees were able to enjoy a range of ameni-ties. A semicircle of tents was set up. The VVA chapters occupied one tent, givingout material for veterans and membership applications. There were tents for eachbranch of the military that featured displays and memorabilia. A Welcome Areatent provided more resources for Vietnam veterans. A family tent offered re-
sources for families of Vietnam veterans. There was a VA Mobile VetCenter. Andthere were food vendors and live music playing throughout the day. Vietnam vet-erans were also given free admission to the park’s museum and a tour of theU.S.S. Alabama.
The day ended with Bob Barry and AB Grantham, Commandant of the Ma-rine Corps League, presenting a wreath at the Lower Alabama Vietnam VeteransMemorial in Battleship Memorial Park. A Missing Man ceremony followed.
Leigh Ann Johnson of the Biloxi VA organized the event, which took morethan a year to plan. Chapter 701 President and Alabama State Council Treas-urer Tom Schwarz involved Chapters 701 and 864 from the beginning. The chap-ters contributed nearly $5,000 to the event and attended weekly planningmeetings. The chapters were also integral in getting Gov. Bently to appear.
“This was a joint effort of an awful lot of people coming together for one pur-pose,” Barry said.Ω
The Gulf Coast Salutes Vietnam Veterans
DAL
E SC
HW
ARZ
41MAY/JUNE 2012
Looking for veterans who served withme in the 101st Airborne, 326th Engrs.,Cos. A and B. Do the 326th Engrs. havea reunion? I have some photos of a coupleguys I was with, but I can’t remembertheir names. Contact: Gene A. McGee,716-531-3004; [email protected] for Ron “Bob” Samans (or
Simons), who served at the Tan Son NhutAB, December 1969-70. Also looking foranyone who worked for RMK-BRJ Co.in Phan Rang, 1967. Contact: Brian Hjort,[email protected] for anyone who served aboard
the Fred T. Berry (DD-858), Vietnam,Round the World Cruise, 1965-66, and issuffering from heart attacks, strokes, orother health problems. Contact: Alvin E.Thomas, 300 N. 8th St., Cornell, WI54732; 715-239-6818.
Looking for Ron Rusher (above), whoserved with the Air Force around 1964-65.He may have also served with the FloridaHighway Patrol around the same time.Contact: Nathan Gallatin, 954-642-6546;[email protected] to find records and information
on Donald N. Johnson, who died recently.I believe he was born in Ohio, but lived inNew Mexico most of his life. He served inthe Army and was wounded in Vietnam.He has a brother, Ronald Johnson, whoalso served in the Army. Contact: RobertJames Burkholder, 834 E. Cleveland Ave.,Fruita, CO 81521-3008; 970-858-3453;[email protected] co-worker came across the medals
and dog tags of Jerry W. Knight, whoserved in 1970-71, and would like toreturn them to him or his family. Contact:Michael Rose, 586-685-1300; [email protected] for personnel who worked
or flew on “Spooky,” 1965-69. Contact:Junior Skinner, [email protected] or Michael Acosta,[email protected] to locate all members of 514
OM Co. (P.S.), Qui Nhon, 1966-72, for apossible reunion. This includes all attachedunits. Contact: David J. Hoss, Sr., 501-556-4098; [email protected] for HM3 James Shepherd
(unsure of spelling), who was at Charlie-Med., 3rd Mar. Div. Field Hospital, DaNang, 1966. He was originally from HotSprings, Ark. Contact: Jim Moore, 870-247-1214; [email protected] for anyone who was part of
the 3rd Munitions Maintenance Sqdrn.,Guam, 1970-71, who went to Utapao in
1971 on TDY. I was a jammer driver onSSG Les Brown’s load team. Contact:Roger Fickeisen, 6870 Stanleyville Rd.,Whipple, OH 45788; 330-284-0439;[email protected] information for a memoir.
Searching for Marines who I served within 2/1, October 1966-67, or 1/1, October1967-68, throughout various locations in ICorps. I was the Battalion Supply Chief.Contact: Robert Gambol, P.O. Box 88,Lakewood, NM 88254; 610-304-6649;[email protected] information on Spec. 4 Elroy
Wilson, who served with the 765thSecurity Plt., Vung Tau Army Airfield.Records indicate that he died in an aircrash on April 12, 1969. I am workingwith his family to get more information onthe circumstances of his death. Contact:Alan K. Abraham, 608-274-3516;[email protected] anyone who served with Co E.,
1st Bn., 27th Inf., 25th Inf. and knew Sgt.Robert Schultz, who was KIA on February12, 1968, near Hoc Mon. Contact: DaveSchultz, [email protected] for anyone who attended
Highlands High School, North Highlands,and is a Vietnam veteran. Contact: RitaWoods Jensen, 2542 W. Mobile Ln.,Phoenix, AZ 85041; [email protected] or find me on Facebook. Looking for the family of Alvin, who
received a serious head injury when hewas struck by a helicopter blade in theCentral Highlands, 1967. He was airliftedto Qui Nhon. Also looking for F.H.Pringle, 512th Trans. Co., CentralHighlands, 1967. I have your WIA med-tag from convoy ambush and would liketo return it to you. Contact: M.D. Burns,P.O. Box 187, Clifton, TX 76634. Searching for my Basic Training unit
photograph. I had Basic at Ft. Campbellwith Co. E, 2nd Bde., 7th Bn., graduationin April 1968. I was the 1st squad leader,and the platoon leader was GeorgeHeatherly. Our DIs were SSG Brownand SSG Cahoon, and the training officerwas 2nd Lt. Mason. I am looking for thegroup photo. Contact: Mike Berzinsky,1712 Crystal Spring Rd., Two Rivers, WI54241; 920-794-8142; [email protected] to contact anyone who served
with Recon Team: “Early Flower” OPO2477-69, March 1969, 3rd Recon Bn.,3rd Mar. Div., I Corps, Vietnam. Contact:John Brent Simpson, 615-714-7588;[email protected] Frank Goho, formerly of
Tamaqua, Pa. We were in the New YorkCity VA hospital on 1st Ave. and 23rdSt. together in 1971. Contact: Steve PrintzDJ0312, 1 Kelley Dr., Coal Township, PA17866-1021. Trying to contact any member of B Co.,
1/30 Inf., 3rd Inf. Div. who served inSchweinfurt, Germany (approximately20k outside Würzburg), 1977-80. Contact:Rodney Lockett #917795, E-1219,Zephyrhills Correctional Institution, 2739Gall Blvd., Zephyrhills, FL 33541. Searching for Robert Shell (from Tenn.),
who served with me in 191st Ord. Bn.,H&H Co., Cam Ranh Bay, 1967-68. Alsosearching for a Marine, Luther Saunders,from my home town, Lynchburg, Va. Thelast time I saw him was in Pleiku. Contact:Norvell J. Saunders, 6505 Hawthorne St., Hyattsville, MD 20785; [email protected] for Lt. William Prior, with
whom I served in Co. A, 1/8th Inf., 4th Inf.Div., Dragon Mountain (near Pleiku), 1966-67. Contact: John Bohr, 605-996-7416;[email protected] like to hear from Peterson, 227th
Aviation Regt., 1st Cav. Div., Vietnam. He
is an author now. I was one of his pilots.Contact: Clifton Jenkins, 843-761-5019. Looking for Jerry Bacon, who was a
Golden Gloves boxer in the Navy. Hismother’s name was Mable Bacon, and hehas two sisters named Cheryl and Judywho lived in Des Moines. He played leadguitar in a band called The Superiors, andthey called him Johnny Hawk. His last-known address was in Maryland. Contact:Jody Richard Bacon #83178, LovelockCorrectional Center, 1200 Prison Rd., 1-A-66-A, Lovelock, NV 89419.Trying to locate someone in D Co., 3rd
Bn., 21st Inf., Americal Div. Contact:Nathan Carl Parsley, [email protected] for John Edward Lambert,
who is sixty-six years old and lives in Ohio.I would like to learn what years he servedand what branch he was in. I have someinformation that he could have been aPOW. Contact: Lukas Telfer, [email protected] November 27, 1968, troopers of
the 11th ACR under Col. Patton killedfifty-eight NVA in the Michelin RubberPlantation. Were you there? Whathappened? Contact: Tom Sommerhauser,3921 Nottingham Estates Dr., St. Louis,MO 63129; 314-892-9054; [email protected] for anyone I served with in
RLT-7, Motor Transport MaintenanceCo., Chu Lai, 1965-66. Also searching forSSG John L. Fowls, a fellow Marine atCamp Pendletonwho left in December1966 or January 1967. Contact: Jerry D.Lee, 325-450-2106; [email protected] was a squad leader, D-5th/7th, 1st
Air Cav., Phouc Vinh and NW of TayNinh, 1970. I was medevaced on 1st ammoresupply outside of Tay Ninh after a fallingtree injured several people. Looking forthe platoon leader, the platoon sergeant, oranyone who remembers this incident andcan verify combat. Contact: Don Crizer,51 Lakeview Dr., Valparaiso, IN 46383;219-762-9699; [email protected] for anyone who served with
3rd Plt., Co. C, 504th MP Bn., CampEvans; Co. C, Quang Tri; SpecialOperations at Bn. Hq. (Hooker’s Heroes),Phu Bai; or anyone who was a guardon the prisoner run from LBJ toLeavenworth in 1969. Contact: Frank L.Smith, [email protected] for “Mac,”who was at Camp
Holloway, located on Highway 19 inPleiku, in 1971-72. He knew Mai Huynh,who worked there in housekeeping.Contact: Tuyen Nhan Huynh #0640285,P.O Box 310, Polkton, NC 28135. Seeking Cpl. George Green, Sgt. Joe
Heaney, Sgt. Fred Thorn, Sgt. J.J. Young,or any Marines who served with H.Q.Btry., 11th Marines, CommunicationsSection—Repair Techs, Radio Operators,Radio Relay, and Message Center. Wouldespecially like to hear from those who were on Hill 1467 during OperationOklahoma Hills. Contact: Doug “Junior”Helmers, 2103 W. Glenmoor Ln.,Janesville, WI 53545; 608-754-7731;[email protected]
LOCATORA VVA STAFF REPORT
Send your Locator and Reunion notices to Locator, The VVA Veteran, 8719 Colesville Road, Suite 100, Silver Spring, MD 20910. Alternately,send an email to [email protected] or [email protected]
The Locator and Reunion servicesare provided without charge.
1st Bn., 77th Armor “Steel Tigers,”June 7-10, Frankenmuth, Mich.Contact: Bob Basner, 989-624-4593;[email protected] or visitwww.steeltigers.orgU.S.S. Stribling (DD-867), October
14-18, New London, Conn. Contact:Larry Fehlinger, 812-934-5440;[email protected]/83rd Arty. (Vietnam, 1966-71),
October 7-9, Savannah, Ga. Contact:Bill Taggart, 856-228-5614;[email protected] or visithttp://83rd_artillery.home.comcast.netU.S.S. Takelma (ATF-113),
September 13-16, Minneapolis. Contact:Dick Schreifels, 651-455-1876;[email protected] Trans. Co. (Lt. Trk.), July 7,
Dayton, Ohio. Contact: Ed Daniel, 937-397-5011; [email protected] orDon Winchell, 517-339-2350. 27th Inf. Regt. (The Wolfhounds),
August 20-26, Inner Harbor Hotel,Baltimore. Contact: Patrick Cannan,2691 Mikasa Dr., Palm Beach Gardens,FL 33410; 561-252-6841; [email protected] or Rick and Ellie Melli,[email protected] or www.wolfhound.pack.wolfhoundsonline.orgCharlie Co., 2/16th, June 21-25,
Branson, Mo. Contact: Dave Peters, 330-495-4610; [email protected] 46th Engineer Bn., September
6-9, Branson, Mo. Contact: Vern Nelson,430 Buehler Ave., Nekoosa, WI 54457;715-886-3290; [email protected] (DD-788),
September 26-29, DoubleTree Suitesby Hilton, Seattle. Contact: EdGundersen, 2176 County Hwy. 107,Amsterdam, NY 12010; 518-842-7126;[email protected] or visitwww.usshollister.org299th Combat Engrs., Brotherhood
of Dak To Defenders, July 25-28,Crowne Plaza Hotel Tysons Corner,McLean, Va. Contact: Jay Gearhart,231-922-3471; [email protected] orvisit www.daktoreunion.com1st Bn., 40th Field Arty. (Vietnam,
1966-69), June 18-22, Pigeon Forge,Tenn. Contact: Jack Cline, 423-587-9294; [email protected] or Jim Olsen, 218-657-2518; [email protected] National, Women of the
Sea Services, Biennial Convention,September 19-23, Orlando, Fla. Contact:Barbara J. McGuire, 813-571-2098;[email protected] Co., 4th Bn., 31st Inf. Regt.,
196th Light Inf. Bde., Americal Div.(Vietnam), September 27-30, Days Inn,Golden, Colo. Contact: Paul or KimGuzman, 970-686-2360; [email protected] MP Co. (Vietnam), September
13-15, Washington, D.C. Contact: Jim
Bruno, 845-294-9158; [email protected] Bn., 13th Arty., 1st Field Force,
all batteries (Vietnam), October 10-14,Lexington, Ky. Contact: Robert Adams,[email protected] or JonTaylor, [email protected] MP Vietnam Reunion, August
24-25, Frontenac Hotel, St. Louis.Contact: Duane Hursey, 712-544-2662;[email protected] ACR Blackhorse Association,
June 7-10, Williamsburg, Va. Contact:Glenn Snodgrass, 7830 South ValleyDr., Fairfax Station, VA 22039; 703-250-3064; [email protected] Inf. Assn. “Redcatchers,” June
18-22, San Antonio. Contact: DanielNixon, 509-468-7281; [email protected] Jim Brinker, 814-706-7475;[email protected] or EdDavis, 856-854-7103; [email protected] or http://the199threport.com/U.S.S.Wexford County (LST-1168),
September 27-30, San Diego. Contact:Larry Condra, 314-994-1187;[email protected] orvisit www.mlrsinc.com/wexfordAlpha Btry., 1st Bn., 11th Mar.
(Alpha North, August 1995-May1996), October 14-17, Las Vegas.Contact: Gordon Hansen, 928-757-4882; [email protected]. Cascade (AD-16), October 2-
7, Buena Vista Hotel Suites, Orlando,Fla. Contact: Bob Croghan, 7827Cassia Ct., St. Louis, MO 63123; 314-954-7801; bobsr@[email protected] Leonard Goeke, 2790 Quince Ave.,Washington, IA 52353; 319-653-3904. B Troop, 2nd/17th Cav. Regt.
Association, September 6-9, Branson,Mo. Contact: David Martin, 3015Hickory Glen Dr., Orange Park, FL32065; 904-505-4218; [email protected] Annual Vietnam Veterans
Memorial Highway of Valor TributeRide, July 21, along Route 38 in NewYork State. The purpose of this ride is todraw attention to the highway that wasnamed to honor Vietnam veterans. The98-mile ride will kick off at 10 a.m. inOwego and end in Fair Haven, wherethere will be food and entertainment.Contact: Harvey Baker, 607-898-3507;[email protected] Baker,607-229-8153; Bill Chandler, 607-222-6357; or Barry Langerlan, 315-496-2921. Navy Corpsmen (AAoNHC),
September 19-23, San Antonio. Contact:Awtrey Peace, 6326 Pine Blossom Rd.,Milton, FL 32570; 850-626-1125;[email protected] or visitwww.AAoNHC.org577th Engineer Bn., September
14-16, Washington, D.C. Contact: Tom Barry, 443-677-6907; cab432@
REUNIONS, ETC.
continued on next pagecontinued on next page
42 THEVVA VETERAN
Looking for any information about thenight of April 21, 1971, when someonethrew a grenade in the old PX at FBMace. There were about fifty men from the1st Cav. Div. sleeping on the floor gettingready to be called out in the morning. ThreeCo. Dmen were medevaced to Long BinhHospital: John Repetz (from N.J.) lost hisarm and leg, Trevino had frag wounds tothe head, and I suffered a concussion andsuperficial frag wounds. Contact: MarkPetrowski, [email protected]
Trying to find Bill Nichols, a Vietnamveteran originally from Savannah, Ga. Hewas best friends with my dad, Al Lowey(from Kankakee, Ill.), when they were inboot camp in Kentucky. Nichols went toVietnam. My dad has been diagnosed withcancer, and I would love to surprise him byreuniting them. Contact: Tanja Fritschle,[email protected]
There are four Medal of Honorrecipients from the city of Holland,Michigan. The Holland Museum andHolland Area Veterans Council areworking on a special exhibit to honorthese men: Lt. Col. Matt Urban (Army,WWII), Cpl. John Essenbagger, Jr.(Army, Korea), Sgt. Gordon Yntema(Army, Vietnam), and Sgt. Paul RonaldLambers (Army, Vietnam). If you knewany of these men, please share stories,photos, letters, or anything else you mighthave for this display. Contact: TaylorWise-Harthorn, Museum Manager, 616-796-2080.
Seeking anyone who served with my latefather, George Watson Pickard, Jr., inMCB6, Vietnam. He did three tours inVietnam. His first tour was in 1966. He wasin the I Corps area at one point. Lookingfor his cruise book or any photos orinformation. Contact: Shirley Martinez, 7Chapman Ave., Auburn, NY 13021-4701.
The Engineers set up a bridge on endand built a bunker on top, 80 feet in theair. It was called the Tower and was thehighest bunker in Vietnam. It was betweenthe 199th and Engineers. Many sat in it24 hours a day. We stayed up all night soeveryone else could rest. No night vision—we phoned in support of all kinds if probed.Would like to hear from anyone whoremembers the Tower, especially thosewho were there in 1968-69. Contact: DonMehrer, 68 Lincoln St., Babylon, NY 11702.
Looking for William J. Henderson, a radio dispatcherwho served in Saigonuntil 1969. Contact: Robert Ellis, 616-634-1349; [email protected]
Seeking Dave Renoha, an old familyfriend who was stationed at El Toro,Calif., before he was sent to Vietnam in1966-67. Contact: Linda Laughlin, 573-544-5034; [email protected]
Looking for information on UptonThomas and Joseph G. Benner, formerlyof Pershing Rifles Sqdrn. A-15 at theUniversity of Maryland. They went on to serve with the Air Force in Vietnam.Contact: Laurence Zimmerman, 301-529-0533; [email protected]
Would like to reconnect with CW2Knight, Sgt. Lammi, Sgt. Anischenko,Sgt. McElroy, West, Daniels, Gruenwaidt,Maidens, Russell, Hegna, Doane, Lopez,Mitchell, Woodley, McCue, Richards, oranyone else who served with the 5th Inf.Mech., 5th Bn., 4th Arty. Service Btry.,1969-70. Contact: Patrick Kelly, 951-940-5990; [email protected]
Would like to hear from anyone whoserved with 3rd Sqdrn., 5th Cav., 9th Inf.Div. (Black Knights), June-November1971. Contact: Gordon Ritchie #236306,Martin C.I., 1150 S.W. Allapattan Rd.,Indiantown, FL 34956.
Looking for anyone who served withme in Vietnam, 1966-67. Contact:Clifford Canfield, 52 County Route 26,West Monroe, NY 13167; 315-668-6372;[email protected]
Looking for Robert “Headhunter”Slater (from Chicago), who served with the240th Assault Helicopter Co. as a crewchief and door gunnerwith the Mad DogGunship Plt.He was later transferred to the173rd Assault Helicopter Co. at Lai Kheand flew with the Crossbows. Contact: Joe“Ragman” Tarnovsky, 72 Woods Ct.,Elizabethtown, KY 42701-9526; 270-763-6867; [email protected]
Seeking Maj. Stephen S. Demos, Cpt.James H. Elmore, Jr., or anyone else from71st Evac. Hospital, Pleiku, 1970; anyonewho was assigned with 189th AHC or179th AHC, Camp Holloway, Pleiku,1970-71; anyone with B Co., 1st Bn., 67thArmor, 2nd Armor Div., Ft. Hood, 1971-73; anyone with 227th Av. Bn., 1st Cav.Div., Ft. Hood, 1972-73; LTC John P.Heilman, Ft. Hood, September 1973; Johnor Randy Ellis or anyone else from 2/421stMedevac, Germany, 1974-75; and anyonewith Co. A, 2nd Bn., 68th Armor,Baumholder, Germany, 1976-77. Contact:Michael Ewing #1294324, Michael Unit11-PHD-05, 2664 FM 2054, TennesseeColony, TX 75886.
Seeking information about JamesDelbert Bailey, who was a chief pettyofficer in the Navy for twenty-nine years.He was born on July 16, 1925, and diedon March 27, 1985. I have found his burialsite in Lauderdale County, Ala., with thedetails, “GMTC, USN, WWII, Korea,Vietnam.” Contact: Joyce Waite,[email protected]
Seeking Jerry Sullivan, GaryO’Keefe, Robert Watson, Otis Woods,Gary Huntington, Jerry Knapp, JoeZerelli, Page, George Garcia, BillUrlaub, Richard Armstead, and anyother members of 765th Security Plt.or 765th Bn., Vung Tau Army Airfield,1965-66. Contact: Alan K. Abraham, 608-274-3516; [email protected]
Trying to find Dale Johnson (last-knownaddress in Boise) or James Willie Walker,Jr. (Memphis), who served with the 173rdAirborne in Vietnam, 1966-68. Johnson’swife’s name was Donna. Contact: EdWright, 467 Fox Rd., Marston, NC 28363;910-582-4143; [email protected]
Looking for Joe Martinez (from Calif.),who served with me in FLSG Truck Co.,Da Nang, 1966. We also served together inOkinawa, 1965. Contact: Joe Falzone,972-442-6466; [email protected]
Looking for anyone who worked inGraves Registration for the Army in Vietnam. Contact: J.C. Handy,[email protected]
Looking for any pilot or crewmemberfrom NKP, 609th Air Commando Sqdrn.(A-26 Unit-NIMROD)who knew mybrother, LTC Francis L. McMullen.Need a buddy statement attesting to hisflights to Vietnam. Contact: Thomas G.McMullen, P.O. Box 316, Irwin, IA51446; 712-782-4540.
Seeking anyone who knew or servedwith my husband, John William Palma,in Vietnam, April 1968-January 1969. Heserved in the Air Force as an electricalpower production specialistwith the 5thTactical Control Sqdrn. and the 608thTactical Control Sqdrn.Need proof ofboots on the ground for a VA claim.Contact: Jan Palma, 363 Maple Dr.,Poland, OH 44514.
Trying to locate John H. Burnett, whoserved with 2/28 Inf., 1st Inf. Div., Vietnam,1969-70. Contact: Quincy L. Francis, 6304Saint John Rd., Elizabethtown, KY 42701;270-862-9591.
Looking for J.M. Larsen, a CM3whoserved on Seabee Team 0907 in 1965. Wedeployed to Phan Rang in fall 1965, and inspring 1966 we relocated to Nui Sap in theMekong Delta. Contact: Jim Lucey, 702-277-5000; [email protected]
Looking for Rodney D. Dixon (fromE-Town, Ky.), who served with me in the2/22nd “Triple Deuce,” Mechanized Inf.Our base camp was at Cu Chi and we didoperations in the Hobo Woods and BoloWoods. We were a part of the 25th Inf.Div., August 1969-February 1970, when Iwas transferred out. Contact: Jim Michel,[email protected]
Looking for Steve Emery, RonParmenter, Ben Tackett, or anyone elsefrom the commo section from HHC520th Trans. Bn., November 1967-68.Contact: Bruce Carbone, 863-258-3042;[email protected]
I have two USMC dog tags that wererecovered in the Khe Sanh area. The nameson the tags are: Olmstead A.W. andMarch A.F.Give me your Marine Corpsserial numbers, and I’ll send you the tags. I also have a St. Christopher medalrecovered near Con Thien. The back of themedal is inscribed: Love, ________ 1968.If you give me the name inscribed, I’ll sendit to you. Contact: Ron Huegel, 352-430-2879; [email protected]
Seeking anyone who remembers theassault on one of the bases near Chu Lai
on the night of October 15-16, 1965. Iwas on a Navy ship in the harbor. Contact:Michael W. Stasiak, 105 Hines Dr.,Bonneau, SC 29431; 843-825-3842;[email protected]
Looking for Lt. John David Williams,who lived in Graham, Texas, and graduatedfrom Graham High School in 1963. Myhusband and I ran into him in CorpusChristi after his discharge. He had beenwounded, and he came to our house for avisit. We’ve been trying to locate him forthe GHS 50th class reunion next year.Contact: Suzy Stewart Brazeel,[email protected]
Looking for classmates who graduatedfrom USMC The Basic School, Class 6-68 on May 1, 1968. Contact: Tony Joseph,775-813-9901; [email protected]
Looking for anyone who cansubstantiate a rocket and mortar attackon LZ Jamie during the early morninghours of January 21, 1970. LZ Jamie wasnorth of Tay Ninh and was occupied by anARVN Airborne unit during this attack.Contact: Steve Cook, 306-636-7240;[email protected]
Trying to find my family member,Edward Bailey, an Air Force veteranwho served with the military police. Hewas born in June 1966, and his last-knownlocation was Ft. Dix, N.J. His mother’sname is Barbara Dianne Bailey and he hasa son named Sean Patrick Bailey. Contact:Hans C. Andersen 925481, C1116S,Zephyrhills C.I., 2739 Gall Blvd.,Zephyrhills, FL 33541-9701.
Looking for photos of Christmas treestaken by Vietnam veterans while incountry. My goal is to publish a book ofthese photos. A portion of any proceedsmade from this project will be given toveterans’ assistance programs. If you havea photo of yourself in Vietnam or any otherChristmas-related photos, feel free to sendthem as well. If you have a short story toaccompany your photo, you may submit italso. Please don’t send originals, as I can’treturn them, and make sure the copies aregood quality. Include your contactinformation (especially your phonenumber), unit, location, and date of photo.Contact: Doug S. Berg, 4037 Dolbil Dr.,St. Louis, MO 63125; 314-638-4295.
Would like to hear from Tony Reyes,whom I met while stationed in Yokosuka,Japan, 1993-95. Contact: Samuel H. Watts168199, Lake Correctional Institution,19225 U.S. Hwy. 27, Clermont, FL 34715-9025; 256-864-4180.
Looking for Dave Wallace, Swift Boats,Cat Lo, 1968, and Anthony Arnold, NSAHosp., Da Nang. My novel is published,and I want to send you a copy. Contact:Jack McPherson, P.O. Box 235, Coupeville,WA 98239-0235; 360-929-1776; [email protected]
Want to find the young G.I. whom Icrushed between two trucks while backingup in the motor pool in Bien Hoa in 1967-68. Contact: John Glazier, P.O. Box 231,Merrill, MI 48637-0231; 989-842-5413.Ω
comcast.net or Jim Stevens, 704-363-5358. Mike Co., 3rd Bn., 7th Marines
(Vietnam), August 1-5, Reno. All attachedunits are welcome. Contact: LeonardMunoz, 10760 Clear Vista Dr., Reno, NV89521; 775-622-9840;[email protected]
The Seawolves of HA(L)-3, September19-23, the Red Lion on the River/JantzenBeach, Portland, Ore. Contact: Terry L.Mize, 678-622-9184; [email protected] visit www.seawolves.usNMCB-3 (all eras), September 27-30,
Providence, R.I. Contact: Jack Davis, P.O.Box 1028, Barbourville, KY 40906; 606-546-8491; [email protected] Co., 2nd Bn., 5th Marines,
September 16-20, Nashville. Contact:Chris Brown, 9 Alister Cir., E. Northport,NY 11731; 212-324-5630 (daytime); 646-421-8498 (cell); [email protected] Assault Helicopter Co. (Bear Cat,
Vietnam), October 17-21, Branson, Mo.Contact: Joe “Ragman” Tarnovsky, 72 WoodsCt., Elizabethtown, KY 42701-9526; 270-763-6867; [email protected] or visithttp://www.reunionproregistration.com/240assaulthelicopter.htmU.S.S.Wedderburn (DD-684), October
18-22, Baton Rouge. Contact: Sid Lanier,[email protected] 8-Inch Howitzer Btry. SP, 11th
Marines (Vietnam), September 6-9, SanDiego. Contact: Dennis O’Brien, 805-389-3793; [email protected] Engineer Bn. (CBT), November
9-12, Crowne Plaza, Crystal City, Va.Contact: Gale Helser, 608-225-6090; orBill Ray, 817-239-0787. 1st Engineer Combat Bn., September
9-11, Holiday Inn Riverwalk, San Antonio.To reserve a room, call 210-224-2500 andadvise 1st Engineer Combat Bn. reunion.Contact: Rob Labinski, 4006 West 56thSt., Fairway, KS 66205; 913-362-6468;[email protected] or visitwww.diehardengineer.comNurses and physicians of the 93rd
Evacuation Hospital, 1st Army Div.,Long Binh (1965-66), August 8-10, Inletand Raquette Lake, N.Y. Any words fromtroops treated at the 93rd Evac will bewelcomed. Contact: Alan H. Bennett,[email protected] Officer Basic School Class
TBS 4-67 (graduating Quantico, May1967), October 10-13, Quantico, Va.Contact: Gerard T. Smith, [email protected] or visit www.usmc-thebasicschool-april1967.comC7-A Caribou Reunion, October
17-21, Holiday Inn, Dover, Delaware.Contact: Pat Hanavan, 210-479-0226;[email protected]. Point Defiance, September 19,
San Diego. Contact: John Nicolosi, 222Lynnfield St., Peabody, MA 01960. USMC Basic School Class 6-68,
October 4-6, Reno. Contact: Tony Joseph,775-813-9901; [email protected]. Reeves (DLG/CG 24), October
4-7, Radisson Charleston Airport,Charleston, S.C. Contact: Michael D.Robertson, 15709 N. Sycamore St.,Mead, WA 99021; 509-315-8107;[email protected] Co. E, 2nd Bn. (Ambl.), 501st
Inf., September 6-8, Brackett Creek Inn,Bozeman, Mont. Contact: Ron Morales,[email protected] or visithttp://www.e2501airmobile.comU.S.S. Piedmont (AD-17), September
26-30, Comfort Inn & Suites, Omaha, Neb.Contact: Bill Kastens, 1824 SW VillageDr., Topeka, KS 66604; 785-272-2604;[email protected] or visitwww.theusspiedmont.orgΩ
TAPSContinued from page 41
REUNIONSContinued from page 41 To all Vietnam veterans:
Are you looking for your lost love or child inVietnam? Contact Father Founded, a nonprofitagency that can help you free of charge. We help
Vietnam veterans and their Amerasian children find eachother. We have a small staff in Vietnam who speak both English and Vietnamese. Contact: Brian Hjort,[email protected] or visit www.fatherfounded.orgΩ
Texas Chapter Dedicates New Memorial May 28BY KEN BUENGER
DeWitt County VVA Chapter 1029 will dedicate its newly completed memorial inYorktown, Texas, on May 28. After two years of chapter teamwork, a dream has
become a reality. The DeWitt County Vietnam Veterans Memorial includes nine alu-minum flagpoles displaying the American, Texas, Vietnam, POW/MIA, Army, Navy,Marine, Air Force, and Coast Guard flags. They are illuminated at night. Twelve whitecrosses four foot tall honor the DeWitt veterans who lost their lives while in Vietnam.A black granite cross honors all who lost their lives while serving in the war. An
eight-foot black granite plaque honors the five hundred DeWitt residents who servedduring the Vietnam War. Another granite plaque lists the names of donors who con-tributed at least $500. These plaques are mounted in a white rock base below the HueyUH-B helicopter. The city of Yorktown donated the site and is providing water and elec-trical service. The site is on a busy two-lane highway at the edge of town. The dedica-tion will be a part of the May 28 Memorial Day Service that begins at 1:30.n
and active-duty troops, National Guard, andReservists who qualify to enroll in theirschools, and then spend only $700 a semesteron educating them. Veteran students are morethan disappointed when they find out that thecredit hours they worked for are not trans-ferrable to most state colleges, or the degreethey’ve earned isn’t worth the paper it’sprinted on.
Legislation has been introduced in theSenate by Sens. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) andJim Webb (D-Va.), who introduced the orig-inal GI Bill legislation, and in the House byRep. Gus Bilirakis (R-Fla.), among others,to rectify this betrayal of trust that has al-ready cost American taxpayers hundreds ofmillions of dollars.
VVA also advocates for the expansion ofthe VET-Success program, in which collegesand universities have full-time veteran-staffwho help veteran-students deal with prob-lems at home and issues at school. It’s onething to enroll veterans in school; it’s quiteanother to help them negotiate the pressuresof their lives and stick with the program longenough to graduate and get good jobs.
VETERAN-OWNED SMALL BUSINESS
The VA is required by law to maintain adatabase of service-disabled, veteran-
owned small businesses and veteran-ownedsmall businesses. Congress imposed a re-quirement for a reasonable certification orverification that those listed are, in fact, ownedand controlled by veterans or service-disabledveterans. Unfortunately, the VA’s Center forVerification and Evaluation has turned thisoperation into a real mess, constantly losing
evidence in support of applications and tak-ing too long to make often arbitrary or justplain wrong decisions not to verify a business.The result of this bureaucratic ineptitude hascost hundreds of veteran-owned businessesmillions of dollars—and has put some out ofbusiness altogether.
VVA, along with VET-Force, the VeteransEntrepreneurship Task Force, and other vet-erans’ service organizations, will continue towork toward a just and proper verificationprocess that actually helps legitimate veteran-owned small business owners.
PROTECTING THE PROGENY OF VETERANS
The VA’s Research & Development pro-gram seems to have forgotten about
Agent Orange: Not a dime, it appears, goesfor research into the effects of dioxin, and verylittle into the effects of toxic substances ingeneral. VVA is particularly concerned aboutour children and grandchildren. We keephearing stories of children who grew up witha variety of birth defects, major health issues,and learning disabilities, and whose childrenhave many of the same maladies, when pre-viously there had been no family history ofany of these ills.
The one factor that might account forthese health conditions was a parent’s ex-posure to Agent Orange. There is a lot ofscientific evidence that points to a positiveassociation. We also wonder if veterans ofsubsequent wars and conflicts are havingsimilar issues.
POW/MIAS
As it has been for more than thirty years,the highest national priority of VVA is
to continue to make meaningful progress to-ward the goal of achieving the fullest possi-
ble accounting of our nation’s POW/MIAs.To that end, it is imperative that the Presi-dent and the Secretary of Defense continueto drive this issue and that Congress contin-ues to provide the necessary resources insupport of the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office and for the recov-ery and identification operations conductedby the Joint POW/MIA Accounting Com-mand.Ω
VVA’s 2012 Legislative Agenda is a prod-uct of the Government Affairs Committee,chaired by Ric Davidge, and the Govern-ment Affairs staff.
43MAY/JUNE 2012
received. Other aspects of the study alsoare being completed. These include a sub-study to examine the validity of the CIDIinterview to capture a diagnosis of lifetimeand current PTSD and a mortality study.
The CIDI is a comprehensive, fullystructured interview designed to be usedby trained lay interviewers for the assess-ment of mental disorders according to thedefinitions and criteria of ICD-10 andDSM-IV. It is intended for use in epi-demiological and cross-cultural studies, aswell as for clinical and research purposes.The diagnostic section of the interview isbased on the World Health Organization’sComposite International Diagnostic Inter-view.
For more information on the study, con-tact the Perry Point Cooperative StudiesCoordinating Center at 410-642-2411, ext.6122 or 5291.Ω
WOMEN’S COMMITTEEContinued from page 16
LEGISLATIVE AGENDAContinued from page 20
Abes Baumann, P.C. www.abesbaumann.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8ALL4U LLC www.militarybest.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Armed Forces Reunions, Inc. www.afri.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41AT&T www.att.com/gov/vets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Atlanta Art Licensing & Marketing www.atlantaalm.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Bergmann & Moore, LLC www.vetlawyers.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Blue Mountain Design Works www.bmdw.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Bradford Exchange Collectibles www.collectiblestoday.com . . . . . . . . . . 13, 21Freedom Design/Classic Military Rings www.classicrings.com . . . . . . . . . . 18Greater Wildwoods Tourism Improvement & Development Authority
www.wildwoodsnj.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Harris Communications www.harriscomm.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Kazan Law www.kazanlaw.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Mail America . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Medals of America www.vvastore.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Military Historical Tours, Inc. www.miltours.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20MilSpec Tours www.gomilspec.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10New England Burials at Sea LLC www.newenglandburialsatsea.com. . . . . . . 12Premier Care in Bathing www.premier-bathrooms.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17PTSD VA Service Connected Claims . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
Regency Cosmetics [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Ribbons for Reunions www.ribbons4reunions.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Safe Step Walk-In Tub Co. www.SafeStepTub.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Sampan Import Co. www.sampan.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Sitting with Warrior Carl Hitchens www.iuniverse.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Slickriders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Small Stock 888-282-2802. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Stauer www.stauer.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11, 15, 19, 23Terry Leiden . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Theodore Jarvi, Attorney at Law [email protected] . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10ToyRoom Audio www.toyroomaudio.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Traditions Military Videos www.militaryvideo.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9Vet Supply Line www.militaryvetspx.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Veteran Claim Appeals, Inc. www.VeteranClaimAppeals.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Veterans Commemoratives www.vetcom.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Veterans Viet Nam Restoration Project www.vvrp.org. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Vietnam Battlefield Tours www.Vietnambattlefieldtours.com . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12Weitz & Luxenberg www.weitzlux.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46Wood-Mizer Products www.woodmizer.com. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
ADVERTISERS INDEX
Robert James Garland, 62, died July11, 2011. He was a member of Williams-burg, Virginia, Chapter 957.
Joseph A. Gary, 64, died October 17,2011. He was a life member of Southgate,Michigan, Chapter 259.
Robert Michel Gaulin, 60, died March1 from a heart attack. He was a life memberof James Michael Ray Memorial Chapter818 in North Smithfield, Rhode Island.
Francis J. Geary, 73, died recently. Hewas a member of Thomas P. CoughlinChapter 72 in Brooklyn, New York.
Joseph Andrew Gibson, 63, died Feb-ruary 20 from a heart attack. He was a lifemember of Rockingham, North Carolina,Chapter 1022.
William Gilday, Jr., 82, died Septem-ber 10, 2011, from Parkinson’s disease. Hewas an at-large member of Massachusetts.
Leonard Eduard Gonzalez, 64, diedJanuary 11, 2011, from end-stage pancreaticcancer and cardiopulmonary arrest. He wasan at-large member of Florida.
Terry R. Goodermuth, Sr., 75, died Jan-uary 4. He was a life member of Oshkosh,Wisconsin, Chapter 437.
Stanley A. Goodwin, 61, died April 8.He was a life member of Centralia, Illinois,Chapter 176.
Emmett Bernard Goss, Sr., 62, died Feb-ruary 26. He was a member of Gainesville,Georgia, Chapter 772.
Barbara Marie Greenwood, 68, diedMay 28, 2010, from a motorcycle acci-dent. She was an associate member of Mt.Clemens, Michigan, Chapter 154.
TAPSContinued from page 8
continued on page 44
44 THEVVA VETERAN
VVA CALENDAR
VVA Leadership Conference August 7-11, 2012 Omni Mandalay HotelIrving, Texas
VVA National Office
Board of Directorsand CSCP Meeting
October 4-6, 2012 Crowne PlazaSpring, Maryland
VVA National Office
Board of Directors Meeting January 10-12, 2013 Crowne PlazaSpring, Maryland
VVA National Office
CSCP Meeting January 2013 To be determined VVA National Office
Board of Directorsand CSCP Meeting
April 18-20, 2013 Crowne PlazaSilver Spring, Maryland
VVA National Office
EVENT DATE PLACE CONTACT
A complete listing of VVA events can be found at http://www.vva.org/national_events.html
urged the EPA not to deregulate the GM seed“until such a time as an adequate environ-mental impact statement is prepared.” VVA’sstatement concluded: “Dow’s herbicide-re-sistant crop poses significant impact to manyother food crops, biodiversity, and humanhealth.”
Deregulation would not just be bad newsfor Vietnam veterans and our progeny be-cause this additional exposure will add tothe total body burden and impact of the pre-vious exposures. It will also have an impacton the general population. We do not thinkit is just coincidence that the rate and num-bers of children born with autism is at an all-time high in our nation.
Also on the administrative side, VVA willtestify before the new panel that is being con-vened by the Institute of Medicine, pursuantto the Agent Orange Act of 1991. VVA staffwill testify during the first public commentperiod in Washington, D.C., and Alan Oates,chair of the VVA Agent Orange and OtherToxic Exposures Committee, will be testify-ing at a hearing in Chicago later this summer.
The Agent Orange Act of 1991 stipulatesthat the VA must contract with the IOMevery two years to do a complete review ofall research that might document health careproblems that stem from exposure of veter-ans to herbicides during the Vietnam War.The IOM gathers a new panel of scientistsevery two years who come together and re-view all recent research studies in peer-re-viewed medical and scientific journals thatmay inform their recommendations to theVA Secretary regarding illnesses or condi-tions that may or should be declared serv-ice-connected presumptive.
VVA knows that many people who didnot set foot on the ground in Vietnam alsowere exposed, most notably those sailors inthe Blue Water Navy who served off thecoast of Vietnam. There is good cause to be-lieve that those who served as crew mem-bers of C-123 transport planes used inVietnam for spraying missions in the AirForce Operation Ranch Hand also were ex-posed, because the planes never were de-contaminated before they were convertedfor other uses back in the United States.
VVA also has good reason to believe thatveterans who served in Korea after 1969were exposed, as were those who served inGuam, Okinawa, Thailand, other U.S. mil-itary bases located in the Pacific during thattime period, the Panama Canal Zone, and at
many other military bases in the continentalUnited States. The trick is to be able to doc-ument those exposures.
Much progress has been made in gettingmore conditions and illnesses added to thepresumptive list in the twenty years sincethe Agent Orange Act of 1991 was enacted.Therefore, many have been helped with dueCompensation & Pension payments and ac-cess to health care. However, much still re-mains to be done. There is cause for asmuch hope as there is cause for wringing ofthe hands. The more we work together, themore progress we will make toward gettingaccess and health care for all who have beeninjured by these toxic exposures, particu-larly our children and grandchildren.
What can you do to help?The first thing is to start educating your
community and your members of Congressabout the human toll that these exposurescontinue to wreak on Vietnam veterans andour families. Organize a town hall meeting tohear from veterans and their families in yourarea, and make sure your federal represen-tatives or their staff members are there, aswell as the local press. VVA’s Faces of AgentOrange campaign has been very successfulin helping people understand the continuingcosts of war. Go to: www.facebook.com/pages /Face s -o f -Agen t -Orange /187669911280144 and sign up yourself, andthen sign up as many of your family, friends,and neighbors as possible.
Second, read all you can in The VVA Vet-eran about Agent Orange so you can beconversant with your members of Congressand their staff members. You do not have tobe a scientist or an expert to advocate foryour brothers and sisters and their families.You also can go to: www.vva.org/Com-mittees/AgentOrange/index.html to learnmore about Agent Orange, the Faces ofAgent Orange campaign, and the impact onyou, your family, and the families of otherVietnam veterans.
Third, there are several bills pending inCongress. The first is the Agent Orange Eq-uity Act, HR 812, introduced by Rep. BobFilner (D-Calif.), which has sixty-five co-sponsors, and S1629, introduced by Sen.Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), which hastwelve co-sponsors. We hope to have addi-tional legislation introduced this summer thatwe call the Agent Orange Veterans FamilyPreservation Act. It would authorize researchinto epigenetic damage due to herbicides andother toxins, and would provide for treatmentof the sons and daughters of Vietnam veter-ans and our grandchildren who have birth de-
fects or birth anomalies that damage theirhealth.
Lastly, you can go to Cap Wiz in the Gov-ernment Affairs section of www.vva.org andfind model letters and a briefing sheet tosend to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, tothe President, and to Congress asking that asignificant proportion of existing researchdollars be directed toward Agent Orangeand other toxic exposures. Currently, theonly study that we know of that will affectour overall knowledge about the effects ofthese exposures is the National Vietnam Vet-erans Longitudinal Study.
While there is much to be done, there isgreater resolve than ever on the part of VVA,our members, other Vietnam veterans, andour families to finally secure Agent Orangehealth care benefits.Ω
Rick Weidman is VVA’s Executive Directorfor Policy and Government Affairs. He canbe reached at [email protected]
Purdue University professor Don M.Huber, an outspoken critic of GM crops, alsobelieves that herbicides pose a major threat tothe safety of livestock. According to Huber,farm animals that are fed Roundup-treatedGM crops have high rates of miscarriages andspontaneous abortions. Huber alleges that 20percent of American dairy heifers are infertileand that as many as 45 percent of cattle expe-rience spontaneous abortions.
Studies also have shown that pets can beleft vulnerable to an array of physical condi-tions as a result of being exposed to herbi-cides. For instance, a Purdue University studyfound that exposure to herbicide-treatedlawns increases the risk of bladder cancer inScottish terriers by four to seven times.
According to researchers, herbicides posean especially high risk to children. A study re-leased by the Research Triangle Institutenoted that “children’s rapidly developing neu-rological, immunological, and other biologi-cal systems” make them highly susceptible tothe adverse effects of herbicides. “Children’sbehavior patterns—playing outside in the dirtand putting their hands in their mouths—putthem in greater contact with environmentalchemicals,” the study explained.
Herbicides also are frequently draggedinto homes by shoes and pets, where studiesshow they can remain on carpets and house-hold surfaces for years, posing an added riskto children who play on the floor. Expertsalso express concern that even low levels ofherbicide exposure can pose risks to unbornchildren.
“There are short, critical times—likewhen a fetus’s brain is developing—whenchemicals can have disastrous impacts, evenin very small concentrations,” explainedDeborah A. Cory-Slechta, a professor atthe University of Rochester.
While the extent to which herbicides posean active risk to the human body remains thesubject of much debate and scientific inquiry,one fact—that herbicide use has greatly ex-panded over the past two decades—is un-deniable. As America struggles to care forthose who suffer from the adverse effects ofthe use of Agent Orange in the VietnamWar, Americans once again may be exposedto toxic levels of carcinogenic herbicideswith their government’s approval.Ω
LEGISLATIVE REMEDIESContinued from page 32
TOXIC RISK AT HOMEContinued from page 31
Andrew K. Gretchokoff, Jr., 63, diedJanuary 25 from lung cancer and ischemicheart disease. He was a member of Dallas,Texas, Chapter 137.Paul E. Grigsby, 71, died March 24. He
was a life member of Bramwell, West Vir-ginia, Chapter 985. William G. Groninger, 70, died Sep-
tember 2, 2011, from pancreatic cancer andblood clots in his pulmonary artery. He wasa member of Xenia, Ohio, Chapter 930.Michael Thomas Guerin, 59, died De-
cember 25, 2011, from myocardial infarction,ischemic heart disease, and hypertension.He was a life member of Thomas P. Cough-lin Chapter 72 in Brooklyn, New York.Antonio Gutierrez, Jr., 70, died January
25 from a heart attack and stroke. He was alife member of El Paso, Texas, Chapter 574.Jean Okesson Morrow Haglund, 64,
died February 17 from cancer. She was amember of Jamestown, New York, Chap-ter 865. John Oppy Hall II, 68, died January
10. He was a life member of Lawton, Okla-homa, Chapter 751.Otto Gregory Vincent Hamilton, 62,
died March 10 from Agent Orange-relatedcancer. He was a life member of SilverSpring, Maryland, Chapter 641. Michael Adrian Hardy, 62, died Feb-
ruary 15, 2011. He was a member of SaintAlbans, Vermont, Chapter 753.Russell E. Hazelwood, 63, died July 1,
2010. He was a life member of SacramentoValley, California, Chapter 500. Gary Lewis Headley, 63, died January
11. He was a member of Beaver County,Pennsylvania, Chapter 862.Robert James Heinzl, 70, died Febru-
ary 7. He was a member of Elizabethtown,Kentucky, Chapter 1051. Danny Harold Henke, 63, died Decem-
ber 19, 2011, from cancer. He was a lifemember of Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin,Chapter 101.Michael R. Hickey, 66, died February 5
from cancer. He was a life member ofWestchester County, New York, Chapter 49. Richard Lonnie Hickman, 60, died
July 7, 2011. He was an at-large member ofVirginia.Lawrence Lewis Huth, Jr., 64, died No-
vember 30, 2011, from multiple sclerosis. Hewas a life member of New Brunswick, NewJersey, Chapter 233.Ω
TAPSContinued from page 43
MEDIA CODE: M410512
THE VETERAN COLLECTION
© Medals of America, Inc. 2012 - Medals of America™, Mil-Thin™ Ribbons, Mini-Ribbons™ are registered trade-marks of Medals of America, Inc. 114 Southchase Blvd., Fountain Inn, South Carolina 29644, 1-800-308-0849.
LC
LC
LC
LC
LC
LCLC
LC
LC
LC LC
LC LC
$19.95 ea$12.95 ea$12.95 pair $9.95 pair
M-2XL. 2XL.
$30 Billionin Bankruptcy Trust Funds were set aside for victims of
Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma
700 BROADWAY | NEW YORK, NY 100031-888-411-LAWS (5297) WWW.WEITZLUX.COM
BRANCH OFF ICES IN NEW JERSEY & CAL IFORNIA
USE YOUR SMART PHONE TO SCAN THISCODE FOR MORE
+#(++,.%-,('(-!.+'- .-.+(.-(&&2,,(#-0#-"%(% #+&,#',--,0"+#'0('(-&#'-#''( # '(+(/+2'( ,(+(,-,+"+!.'%,,)+("##-2--0(+.%(-%#',-()+-#%0#'(.#,#'+2%#',*0+'(%"#+,",*&&+( +
#%%#(' #' (+)(+- -+.,- .', "/ ' ,- ,# 2,,-(,&'. -.+#'!(+)(+-#(',&+!#'! +(&'$+.)-2-((&)',- .'! '+ ' ,(-"%#(& /#-#&, ' -"#+ &#%#,"%0 #+&( #-3.1'+!'*.#$%2-+&#'0"-"+2(.&2%#!#%"/%+2+(/+&#%%#(',( (%%+, +(&-", .', (+/#-#&,%#$2(.
- (,-,'(-"#'! -( #'(.- ' -" #+& #, (&)',-# 2(.+%#&#,,.,, .%
(+FREE consultation )%,%%.,-(2-1-888-411-LAWS (+/#,#-.,-www.LungCancerTrusts.com
LUXENBERG P.C.ASBESTOS | DRUGS/MEDICAL DEVICES | ENVIRONMENTAL | NEGLIGENCE
WEITZ
USAA means United Services Automobile Association and its insurance, banking, investment and other companies.1 The xed annuity guarantee against principal loss depends on the claims-paying ability of the insurance company. 2A.M. Best: A++, Superior (highest of 16 possible ratings); Moody’s Investors Service: Aa1, Excellent (second highest of 21 possible ratings); Standard & Poor’s: AA+, Very Strong (second highest of 21 possible ratings). Company ratings represent an opinion of nancial strength and the company’s ability to meet ongoing obligations to policyholders. An annuity is a contract sold by an insurance company designed to provide an income, usually after retirement, that cannot be outlived. Single Premium Immediate Annuity (SPIA): Form number LSI22265ST 5-93; Guaranteed Retirement Income Plan: (GRIP) ASI94832ST 10-11; in NY, NSS30137NY 5-97, NSI94897NY 10-11, NSI97130NY 10-11 (form numbers vary by state and by payout option). Call for details and availability in your state. Annuities provided by USAA Life Insurance Company, San Antonio, TX and in New York by USAA Life Insurance Company of New York, Highland Falls, NY. Each company has sole nancial responsibility for its own products. Financial advice provided by USAA Financial Planning Services Insurance Agency, Inc. (known as USAA Financial Insurance Agency in California, License #OE36312), and USAA Financial Advisors, Inc., a registered broker dealer. Purchase of a life insurance product does not establish eligibility for, or membership in, USAA property and casualty insurance companies. VVA receives nancial support from USAA for this sponsorship. © 2012 USAA. 137595-0512
Guaranteed income annuities provide a xed income you can count on.
Like a monthly check, your funds are deposited directly into your bank account for as long as you
choose — even for your lifetime. Your money is guaranteed by USAA Life insurance companies,1
which consistently earn high ratings from A.M. Best, Moody’s and Standard & Poor’s®.2
USAA is
Proud to Serve the Vietnam Veterans of America
Talk to a USAA retirement advisor today.
usaa.com/vva | 866-916-4VVA (4882)
Insurance Banking Investments Retirement Advice
They say in life there are no guarantees.
With our income annuities, we beg to di er.
J #
34567891011121314 CUT THIS OUT CAREFULLY
USE AS SHOWN ON FINGER
CALL TOLL FREE TO ORDER:
1-800-255-3048(MON–FRI 9AM–5PM EST) HAVE CREDIT CARD & RING SIZE READY. # "
027 '811>= 8A 4=0<4;43 8= >558280; 2>;>@A0??;843 1G 0 <0AB4@ 2@05BA<0= 0B<4@820NA58=4AB<0:4@>5#8;8B0@G 4E4;@G->C@?4@A>=0;8@B7AB>=4 E8;; 5;0=: G>C@ (4@D824 >@ >=>@'811>= 0A 0 5C@B74@ B>C27 >5 4;460=24 0=34F2;CA8D8BG)74@8=61>3G8AA>;83(B4@;8=6(8;D4@740D8;G58=8A7438=6;40<8=6!)>;3
)748=A83410=38AA<>>B75>@2><5>@B58B%C@@8=6A0@4=4D4@7>;;>E43>CB->C@8=8B80;A0=3G40@AG>CA4@D43E8;;
144=6@0D43>=B748=A83410=35>@4D4@<0@:8=6B78AA?4280;@8=60AG>C@>E=)70=:G>C?@82430B9CAB ?0G01;48=BE>40AG?0G<4=BA>5E8B7=>8=B4@4AB->C@A0B8A502B8>=8A6C0@0=B443>@@4BC@=E8B78=30GA5>@@4?;024<4=B>@@45C=3
!" ##$! "
0-$$'!'('#/*)-' +*'-/&./+*#-'*%.+*+-#/#-*.2&+.#-1#"+0-+0*/-3*"-#!+%*'4#/&+.#2-"#"/�-,(##-/-+*4#/-+-'(1#-/-
'#0+*#.2'!#.'+%/&,3+3'0&%#+1'+#'*,+"'.0&/0,+#/
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
GARNET AMETHYST AQUAMARINE DIAMONDI EMERALD ALEXANDRITE RUBY PERIDOT SAPPHIRE ROSE GOLDEN BLUE ZIRCON SAPPHIRE ZIRCON
'.0&/0,+#/.#/'*1)0#"$,.!,+/'/0+0/'6#+"!).'05*#/.#$#.0,!,),.7'*,+"'.0&/0,+#/.#%#+1'+#!03#'%&0#!&I'*,+"'.0&/0,+#.'+%/.#
1.-)##.0.,+6#0.')2#.0.,+,.'+%/)/,2') )#
5
RIBRIN-VVA-0512
JAN FEB MAR APR MAY JUN JUL AUG SEPT OCT NOV DEC
GARNET AMETHYST AQUAMARINE ZIRCON EMERALD PEARL RUBY PERIDOT SAPPHIRE ROSE GOLDEN BLUE ZIRCON SAPPHIRE ZIRCON
Birthstones are simulated for consistent size and clarity. Names refer to color. Diamond on dial is a genuine .02 ct. stone.
• Water-resistant case frames the Vietnam Service Medal minted in high-relief, the Service Ribbon in official colors and a genuine Diamond at 12 o’clock.
• Your choice of Service Branch Emblem, personal monogram and five brilliant birthstones are featured on the adjustable, 23 Karat Gold decorated dress bracelet.
• Caseback engraved with your initials and years served.
• Precision quartz movement provides timekeeping accuracy within seconds per month.
• Priced at just $125*, payable in two convenient, interest-freemonthly installments of $62.50* each. See order form for details.
• Your satisfaction guaranteed 100% or return watch within 30 days for replacement or refund. So, order yours today!
You have earned the right to wear this watch as a reminder of your special place in history.
#,-+0"(3,-#.#*/+0-$$'!'( ')+*"'('/-3/!&#./+&+*+-3+0-.#-1'!#/++0-+0*/-3
Vietnam Service Diamond Watch shown with Army Service Branch Emblem and Emerald birthstones.
EXCLUSIVE VIETNAM MILITARY VETERANSFEATURING YOUR SERVICE BRANCH EMBLEM, BIRTHSTONES & MONOGRAM, SERVICE MEDAL AND RIBBON
CALL TOLL FREE TO ORDER:
1-800-255-3048+*-'),)1#-#"'/-"-#"32&#*+-"#-'*%
CALL BY JUNE 10TH FOR FATHER’S DAY DELIVERY
©2010-2012 ICM
'(/+ *4B4@0=A><<4<>@0B8D4AK #8;8B0@G(4@D824'811>='8=6A)E>'03=>@>@?>@0B44=B4@(C8B4 '03=>@&
E8A7B>>@34@B745>;;>E8=64F2;CA8D4*84B=0<+0@*4B4@0='811>='8=60A5>;;>EAALSO, SEND ME A FREE AMERICAN FLAG PIN!
*84B=0<(4@D824 &C@?;440@B* (8;D4@(B0@* @>=H4(B0@**A copy of your DD214 or other authorizing document is required with your order for Purple Heart, Bronze Star or Silver Star rings.
#G=8B80;A////////////-40@A>5(4@D824////////B>////////8@B7AB>=4#>I///////////'8=6(8H4/////#/'6#. #),3,.!,+/1)0(#3#)#.
=2;>A438A<G2742:>@<>=4G>@34@5>@ ?4@@8=6?0G01;4B>L*4B4@0=A><<4<>@0B8D4AM0A?0G<4=B8=5C;;%'70@64<G2@438B20@3 ?4@@8=60A?0G<4=B8=5C;;%'70@64<G2@438B20@38=<>=B7;G8=AB0;;<4=BA>54027
@438B0@3 *8A0 #0AB4@0@3 #, 8A2>D4@
////////////////////////////////////F?0B4///////
(86=0BC@4///////////////////////////////////////////////// #/&'-0,,4#/;;>EE44:A5>@34;8D4@G
$0<4 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////
33@4AA //////////////////////////////////////////////////
8BG/////////////////////////////(B0B4//////.8? //////////
&7>=4//////////////////////<08; //////////////////////I80<>=3A?@8;033B>58@AB?0G<4=B &;CA 5>@4=6@0D8=6A78??8=60=370=3;8=6&@4A834=BA033A0;4AB0F
MEDCIRBRS-VVA-0512
OR, MAIL TO: *4B4@0=A><<4<>@0B8D4AK)E>'03=>@>@?>@0B44=B4@(C8B4 '03=>@&
YES. E8A7B>>@34@<G?4@A>=0;8H4380<>=3#8;8B0@GE0B27E8B7<G*84B=0<+0@#430;'811>=380;(4@D824@0=27<1;4<<>=>6@0<0=318@B7AB>=4A8=8B80;A0=3G40@A>5A4@D824
ALSO, SEND ME A FREE AMERICAN FLAG PIN!SERVICE BRANCH
@<G $0DG 8@>@24 #0@8=4>@?A >0ABC0@3#4@270=B#0@8=4 (40144A $0DG(40;
BIRTHSTONE MONTH: /////////////MONOGRAM: /////
INITIALS DESIRED (3): ////////////YRS. SERVED: /////B>/////I WISH TO PAY AS FOLLOWS:
=2;>A438A<G2742:>@<>=4G>@34@5>@ ?4@E0B27?0G01;4B>L*4B4@0=A><<4<>@0B8D4AM0A?0G<4=B8=5C;;%'70@64<G2@438B20@3 ?4@E0B270A?0G<4=B8=5C;;%'70@64<G2@438B20@38=<>=B7;G8=AB0;;<4=BA>54027
@438B0@3 *8A0 #0AB4@0@3 #, 8A2>D4@
////////////////////////////////////F?0B4/// ////
(86=0BC@4 /////////////////////////////////////////////////SHIPPING ADDRESS (WE CANNOT SHIP TO P.O. BOXES) ""%++!(%'"*'-
$0<4 ////////////////////////////////////////////////////
33@4AA //////////////////////////////////////////////////
8BG/////////////////////////////(B0B4/////.8? ///////////
&7>=4////////// ///////////////////////////////////////
<08; //////////////////////////////////////////////////// )1/ -#.30!&$,.#+%.2'+%/&'--'+%&+")'+% .#/'"#+0/""/)#/04