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This is Brian Uibel and…
YOU SHOULD CARE!
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The Veteran Leader
Serving All Veterans – All Military
EDITORS:
National Commander/AU Commander:
Peter J. Forbes
International Executive Director:
Nancy Verespy
VETERAN LEADER POLICY:
All submissions for inclusion in the Veteran Leader must be in Word format.
All articles submitted are published at the Editor’s discretion.
All photos must be originals and will be returned.
COPYRIGHT:
No portion of the Veteran Leader is to be reprinted without prior written
permission from the Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition.
VISION:
The Vision of the Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc.
& The Veterans Coalition is to maintain, improve, preserve and defend
the quality of life of all Veterans and their families.
MISSION STATEMENT:
The Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition is an
International, non-profit, Department of Veterans Affairs accredited Veteran
Service Organization devoted to caring for and empowering all American and
Allied Veterans and their families through the following programs: Veterans
in Need, Support and Gratitude, Esprit de Corps, Case Management and
Advocacy and Veteran and Community Outreach and Education.
Our Mission Has Not Changed
~ It Remains at the Grassroots!
~ Veterans and their Families
OVERVIEW
The Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc.&The Veterans Coalition, a benevolent organization
founded in 1978, was born out of a need to have the service and special needs of Vietnam War
Veterans recognized and acknowledged. Traditional Veterans organizations were unwilling to
accept the service of Vietnam Veterans, as well as Veterans of other eras.
Today, VVnW & The Veterans Coalition is comprised of posts worldwide sustaining the
mission of the organization. VVnW & The Veterans Coalition continues to strive, through its
many programs, to maintain, improve, preserve and defend the quality of life of all Veterans and their
families.
VVnW & The Veterans Coalition programs include the United Veterans Beacon House, a
transitional homeless Veterans housing and reintegration program; Military Support Package
Project for military serving overseas and Support Packages to Veteran families; Veteran Service
Officers (VSOs); Veterans in Conflict with the Law (Incarcerated Veterans); Team Veteran Leader
(a competitive military adventure racing team); Veteran information services; casework assistance;
counseling resources and referral; 24-hour 1-800-843-8626 phone line; Veteran Leader magazine;
VVnW& The Veterans Coalition websites; Education and Scholarship Programs, Flag Awareness
and community services.
VVnW & The Veterans Coalition is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(19) non-profit
Veterans Service Organization and manages the Veterans Fund of the United States with an IRS
determination of 501 (c)(3).
“An organization succeeds, not because it is long established, but because there
are people in it who live it, sleep it, dream it, and build future plans for it.”
The Veteran Leader _________________________________________________________________________________________1
NATIONAL COMMANDER’S REPORT
and back in South Dakota after only
eight weeks. More on this later.
2011 is gone and it passed very quickly.
We spent many months in South
Dakota working to finish the United
Veterans Beacon House in Promise.
Progress is very good and as we are coming to the end and completion of the
United Veterans Beacon House we look
forward to the last of the nails being
hammered in, facility being approved
and the moving in of homeless Veterans on the way to a better life.
Everything seemed to be going
smoothly when in July I was found to
have a septal bulge in the left ventricle
of my heart that was previously misdiagnosed. All of a sudden I was faced
with the prospect of open-heart surgery
and a good chance of not coming out of
it. However, I remembered the old
adage, “Only the good die young” so I
had some time to go. We faced this
prospect with some fear and trepidation
as we took ourselves across to the
Cleveland Heart Clinic where we met
cardiologist, Dr. Melind Desai and cardiac surgeon, Dr. Nicholas Smedira.
Along with Dr. Smedira’s assistant
Frank, we got underway with a great
deal more confidence that I would survive than I previously thought. They
did a great job and it must be rewarding
to have those sorts of gifts to give to
others. I was back driving in four weeks
Taliban: VP Joe Biden says the Taliban
is not our enemy. Then please answer
the question - how many Americans do
you have to kill before you become an
enemy of the United States? I have
heard so many times that America does
not negotiate with terrorists, however, I
suspect when VP Joe Biden says the
Taliban is not our enemy nor are they
terrorists because we are negotiating
with them! How many of our Messengers of Peace and Freedom have we lost
and how many have paid the supreme
sacrifice doing what their country asked
of them and now we negotiate with
these terrorists!
We all have to ask ourselves where are
we going? where are we heading? what
are we doing negotiating with the Taliban? No wonder politicians have the
lowest rating of anybody in America! I
remember years ago it was said that
politicians talk out of both sides of their
mouth and with the negotiations going
on between the Taliban and United
States it seems like that's exactly what
they're doing. Perhaps the situation
now is, “if you can't beat them, join
them”. If we are not allowed to beat
them, then we join them?
Brian Uibel, was a life member of the
organization, as is his father John.
Brian was a young man who all he
wanted was to be a Navy Corpsman.
The Uibels have been a part of our personal life for the past 20 + years due to
the organization. We have seen Brian
firmly set on going into the Navy. Brian
got what he wanted and then went to
Afghanistan with a Marine Corps
group. He excelled in his field, however, it was obvious when Brian came
home that there was something wrong.
Combat Changes Everyone!
Brian was in group sessions at Camp
Lejeune as well as seeing a psychologist
and I believe psychiatrist and I could go
on about the story, however, there is
more about this in the Veteran Leader.
What I do want to say is that we cannot
afford to lose any of our messengers of
peace and freedom, none of our young
people who we put in harm’s way. We
have a Duty of Care that is not something to be taken lightly. Duty of Care
means just that. Brian was still in the
Navy based at Camp Lejeune when he
decided to end his life and there isn't
any way that this young man, corpsman, son, brother, grandson, nephew
should have been able to slip through
the cracks. We hear that terminology slipped through the cracks so many
times. However, it is the failure of
those that are responsible to do their
jobs to help young Veterans coming
back from war readjust that is lacking.
The statement made by the clinician
Lt.Brianna Ratliff at Camp Lejeune to
Brian “Your PTSD is Piddly Shit, Get
over it”, shows a total lack of professionalism, caring, responsibility,empathy, understanding, service and most
of all - Duty of Care.
There is much more about Brian in this
issue of the Veteran Leader and if you
would like a copy of the letters that I
had sent out to the people listed in the
Veteran Leader please drop me an e-mail
or give us a call and we'll send a copy of
the correspondence.
If we do nothing, then we are also part
of the lack of Duty of Care as those
messengers of peace and freedom are
our sons and daughters and fathers and
mothers, nephews and nieces, grandsons and granddaughters. They are our
greatest assets and in the words of Sgt.
Nate Chapman let’s “stand up and do
something”. Write, e-mail or phone
your Congressman, your Senator, speak
to your Church congregation, Veterans
Organization, Lions Club, Rotary, etc.
The Veteran Leader _________________________________________________________________________________________2
Go to a town hall meeting and ask the
tough questions of those candidates
who wish to be President of the United
States. They need to listen and to do
something. The suicide rate within the
current serving military as well as post
military service is at epidemic proportions. We must do something to stop it
or at least reduce it. If you are reading
this, then don't let it drop.
United Veterans Beacon House in
Promise, South Dakota. After a solid
year of working in 2011 we are finally
putting the finishing touches in Promise, SD. Now all that is left is the
sprinkler system for fire prevention. We
have people now to complete the installation. We have upgraded our electrical system to 400 amps. We look set
to be open and up and running by
Spring 2012. Also in the Spring we will
be starting to renovate the Parade, SD
Beacon House, a much easier task than
the Promise, SD one. There is more
about the Beacon House program inside
the Veteran Leader. However, if you
have the skills, and the time, please
have the motivation and join us on one
of the Working Bees to help homeless
Veterans. These are trips you will never
forget and you will gain so much.
Iroquois helicopter - We have the
Huey sitting in our security lockup area
at the back of the National Headquarters and it is ready to be painted and
then located on a pedestal in front of
the National Office. It has taken a great
effort to get this piece of history to
where it is at today. In the Spring, between Working Bees, we will be working on the Huey and we are looking for
volunteers to rub down the helicopter
and paint it. Then the decals will be
put on. It will then be a big job to have
the pedestal built, secured into the
ground and finally we will mount and
position the helicopter. Once it is
mounted the job is not finished, it will
need to be lit. We are looking for some
flight helmets, suits, boots, etc. to place
on the mannequins which will be inside
the helicopter. If you have any of these
artifacts mentioned previously please
consider loaning or giving them to the
organization.
Come down and help get this piece of
history ready for display.
Veteran Leader and why its delay. It
is quite simple, the economic downturn
reduces the amount of donations coming from the population, and our other
fundraisings are also in the same boat
with reduced incomes. Our commitment to the United Veterans Beacon
Houses in Promise and Parade, South
Dakota have to be met. With the
downturn we have focused a great deal
of our money on getting it finished and
getting Veterans housed.
As UVBH Promise is on the edge of
completion we have now turned our
focus to get a Veteran Leader out. This
takes a great deal of hours, people,
artists, and every Veteran Leader must be
read at least 3 to 4 times prior to going
to the printer for further proofing and
printing. So you see it's not a little project - in fact, it is a very expensive project and many times we have to search
and scramble for articles and information from our Posts. We have to beg
people to send us articles. That shouldn't be the way it is, the membership
should be sending us articles as they do
projects and events. We need to know
what’s happening so we can show the
rest of the membership as well as the
rest of the world what our posts are
doing.
Many members have called up and
asked about when the Veteran Leader
is coming out and we have explained
the situation and they have been quite
okay with the situation. So Posts out
there across the world - send in your articles about whatever it is you do. All
you have to do is make a Word document about what you have done, grab
a couple of photographs and send both
to the VVnW by email or mail.
Veterans Day. The day began with
breakfast at the White House where
The National Commander and National Executive Director were honored
to meet with representatives of many
Veteran Service Organization and have
our picture taken with President and
Mrs. Obama. Then it was on to Arlington National Cemetery where the
National Color Guard presented the
American Flag and organizational flags
as part of the ceremonies. This was all
done in conjunction with the Veterans
Day National Committee. It is always
an honor to participate.
National Office Maintenance. The
National office needs a new roof and
heating unit. Again these funds must
come from somewhere. If you can provide any assistance please give us a call.
Well folks, I said enough and we are attempting to get this complete prior to
leaving for SD to work with Tom
O’Connell and the Fire Sprinkler Installers.
I hope you got something out of my column and I hope you will “STAND UP
AND DO SOMETHING.”
Yours in brotherhood,
Peter J. Forbes
U.S. National Commander
AU National Commander
“Be life long or short, its completeness depends on what it was lived
for.”
-- David Starr Jordan (1851-1931),
Educator & writer
The Veteran Leader _________________________________________________________________________________________3
THE VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM WAR
& THE VETERANS COALITION
International Headquarters
805 South Township Boulevard, Pittston, PA 18640
Phone: 570-603-9740 • Fax: 570-603-9741
1-800-843-8626
E-mail: vvnwnatl@epix.net
Websites: vvnw.org and theveteranscoalition.org
All Veterans – All Military Welcome
30th December 2010
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS
EXCERPTS FROM LETTER SENT:
To:
Commanding Officer Naval Hospital, Camp Lejeune
Captain Daniel J. Zinder
Subject:
HM3 Brian Uibel FMF
Dear Captain Zinder,
Brian Uibel was a member of our Organization and Brian and his family is great personal friends. I am writing to you
to express our sadness at Brian’s death and our disappointment at the way a Navy Corpsman and Veteran was treated so
inadequately and with poor judgment by the Corps he loved so much.
Brian John Uibel took his own life in desperation on November 2nd 2010 and we are asking and demanding to know
WHY?
I personally spoke with Brian several times before and after his deployment to Afghanistan with the U.S Marines and
had some in depth discussions with him about his knee injuries and his problems dealing with some of the traumas that
happened during his deployment.
Brian was upset on several different issues: First, his injured knee; second his traumas from his deployment, third his
service was possibly going to be terminated due to his knee injury; and fourth his wanting to serve with his Marines; fifth
his frustration in still waiting for a Traumatic Brain Injury evaluation.
Why would the Navy want to retire out an Exemplary Corpsman? The Navy’s Care factor must come into question.
The U.S Navy and The Department of Defense have a Duty of Care and from my discussions with Brian, this duty of
care was sadly, negligently and detrimentally missing.
Brian told me about his frustration about the four tears they had found in exploratory surgery in his knee; however,
the U.S Navy would not repair his Knee. WHY?
Brian was only 21 at the time of his death. His knee injury would be with him for the rest of his life and was going to
cause his termination from the U.S Navy if not repaired. With the medical technology today wonderful things can be
achieved.
His Group sessions were a gross farce as he stated when he would get angry he would be removed from the Group
session. His outburst at this removal “This is all Fucked up”. Isn’t anger a symptom of PTSD?????????? I have enclosed a
Veterans synopsis of PTSD.
Has nothing been learned over the past 40+ years about PTSD? Obviously not or is it the COST involved in treating
it? Having Psychologists or lesser running group sessions and not having enough Psychiatrists to provide adequate support
for their Duty of Care is negligent.
Lt Brianna Ratliff’s statement to Brian “Your PTSD is Piddly Shit, Get over it” is enough to ask if this person has
any real understanding of PTSD. It doesn’t sound like she has served in a War Zone?
The Veteran Leader _________________________________________________________________________________________4
Also reading other statements she has made in the past shows her comments and text lacks understanding of the
issues of PTSD.
Why would, after Brian’s death, the same Lt Ratliff still be operating group sessions that include close friends and
comrades of Brian? Where is the Navy’s sensitivity? Where are their moral values?
Why are we still persisting with ineffective group therapy when 40+ years of experience have proved to be
ineffective? Again it is the cost!
Lt Brianna Ratcliff needs to be suspended from her duties and reassigned to a non PTSD position until a full
investigation has been undertaken. Lt Ratcliff also needs to be sensitivity counseled along with being made aware of what
grave consequences her flippant statements can result in.
Why do we continue to do the same and expect a different result? 40+ years down the track and the protracted
wars that have been fought should have brought a professional reaction and proactive results from the Department of
Defense and down through the Services.
Were they going to retire Brian and then leave him to the VA system where neglectful service and indifference are an
everyday occurrence?
All of the signs were there and Brian slipped through the cracks where there should not have been any cracks.
However that is not an acceptable argument. A way out that has been used too often when placation is the focus.
Just before Brian sadly took his life, his despair was so evident, broken relationship, DUI just prior, angry
exchanges that were not commonplace, driving while asleep, sleep walking, anger!!!!!
Where was Brian’s NAVY Mental Health Professional when the evidence was stacking up?
Brian was shot in the helmet during pre-Afghanistan training exercise in 29 Palms, CA and knocked unconscious for
quite some time. Was he given any counseling after that traumatic even?
During his tour in Afghanistan he was involved in IED explosions and returned home in March 2009 and was still
waiting a Traumatic Brain Injury evaluation.
By now the Military should be more than prepared to handle all issues.
Reading statements from the Mental Health Task Force’s Navy Capt Warren Klam on Navy Cmdr Mark Russell’s
“Navy faces crisis” and the lack of mental health professionals and the lack of core training, “I just think if you look at
the bigger picture, it’s not nearly as much concern as it might sound. I think the DOD (Department of Defense) is very
sensitive to this issue and is TRYING to work veryhard.”
With hundreds of thousands of troops that have returned home and so many more to come, TRYING is not an
option. If we can afford to pay for a war we must have the funds to pay for the results of these traumas on our Military.
The U.S Navy cannot afford to lose their best people like Brian. Brian’s death cannot be wasted nor dismissed as
Brian, His Family and we Veterans need professional services for our family members. Brian is one more than we can lose.
There is no value one can put on Brian’s life or any other service member.
When is it that the powers that be are going to learn the lessons of the past and really look at what is happening to
our Messengers of Peace and Freedom when they return from their deployments?
How many suicides out of desperation and despair are we to accept before the Department of Defense lives up to their
Duty of Care? One is TOO many.
The Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc & The Veterans Coalition are “People Who Care”; Sadly it is becoming more
and more obvious that Our Military and Veterans are EXPENDABLE still.
I am a PTSD connected combat Veteran and experienced indifference, rejection and lack of professional service and
now 40 years after my service it is still one of the largest challenges we deal with everyday.
We will be printing Brian’s story in our “Veteran Leader” Magazine (copy enclosed) and we will be asking as many
Veteran Service Organizations and media to follow and publish the Brian Uibel story once we have put as many pieces
together as possible. Already UN Veterans have picked up the story and have published it.
This will not rest as not a single life is worth inaction and negligence. Veterans even today are our most precious
The Veteran Leader _________________________________________________________________________________________5
asset. Brian and all Our other Messengers of Peace and Freedom must have People Who Care for them otherwise we
have lost our Honor.
Our greatest resources are our Patriots who willingly serve their Nation and perhaps if we valued them more we could
care for them far more.
We are seeking a full external investigation as to the failure of the U.S Navy to protect and care for those under
their Guardianship.
We are seeking the reassignment of Lt Ratcliff and a real time solution found to stop America’s Son’s and
Daughter’s from becoming Mental Health Task Force Statistics.
We require far better health services for our Military and at NO time should there be inadequate numbers of
Mental and Physical Health Physicians in support of Our Current Serving Military.
The Military needs to address Brian Uibel’s death now as Brian’s death will not be forgotten. We will continue to
fight for the Best Health Care for Our Service Members until the Military confronts the issue.
We need the Military to act NOW and not to allow another Veteran to take their own lives due to apathy,
indifference and unprofessional service and duty of care.
I expect a response and we expect action now.
Sincerely
Peter J Forbes
U.S National Commander
Australian Commander
cc Commandant Camp Lejeune
Commandant U.S Marine Corp
Secretary of the Navy & Director NCIS
Secretary of Defense
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Congressmen & Senators
RESPONSE RECEIVED FROM COMMANDING OFFICER, NAVAL HOSPITAL,
CAMP LEJEUNE: a phone call was received by National Commander Peter J. Forbes that
there would be an internal investigation in the hospital but we,nor the family, would not be
privy to the results of that internal investigation.
Other recipients of this Commanding Officer, Camp Lejeune letter plus introduction letter were:
President Barack Obama
First Lady Michelle Obama
Joint Chiefs of Staff
Armed Services Committee
Senator Carl Levin – MI
Senator Jack Reed – RI
Senator Bill Nelson – FL
Senator Evan Bayh – IN
Senator Claire McCaskill – MO
Senator Joseph Lieberman – CT
Senator Daniel K. Akaka – HI
Senator Ben Nelson – NE
Senator Jim Webb – VA
Senator Mark Udall – CO
The Veteran Leader _________________________________________________________________________________________6
Senator KR Hagan – NC
Senator Roland W. Burris – IL
Senator James M. Inhofe – OK
Senator Saxby Chambliss – GA
Senator John Thune – SD
Senator Roger F. Wicker – MS
Senator David Vitter – LA
Senator Mark Begich – AK
Senator John McCain – AZ
Senator Jeff Sessions – AL
Senator Lindsey Graham – SC
Senator Mel Martinez - FL
Senator Richard Burr – NC
Senator Susan M. Collins – ME
Fox News
CNN
NBC
Bill O’Reilly (FOX)
Sean Hannity (FOX)
Gov. Mike Huckabee (FOX)
Judge Napolitano (FOX)
Oprah Winfrey
Ellen Degeneres
NO RESPONSES RECEIVED FROM ANYONE.
FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF THIS ORGANIZATION, IT IS TIME NOW THAT
THE UNITED STATES ADOPT A RESOLUTION, SIMILAR TO OTHER
WESTERN COUNTRIES IN THE WORLD, THAT REQUIRE ALL POLITICIANS
AND SECRETARIATS TO RESPOND WITHIN 28 DAYS OF RECEIPT OF
COMMUNICATION FROM CONSTITUENTS.
My Story of BRIAN UIBEL
This article is short due to my inability to write due to his loss still affecting me.
When I met Brian he and I immediately clicked as friends. He would be the first to train the “new guys” and whip
them into shape during his time in the Intensive Care Unit which made my days that much easier.
HM3 Brian Uibel became one of my best friends in a short amount of time under my command. He strived to be
better as a person daily and would never hesitate to give if anyone was in need. His personality, which had been full of
humor, kept everyone he met laughing.
Once you met him you would never forget him, and he wouldn’t forget you either.
We had saved multiple lives together on and off duty. For those that never knew him, you should know that he was
selfless, fearless, and a caring person.
To this day I see him in my dreams and thoughts and wish he was still here. His loss created a gap, a place that will
never be filled, and I miss and love my brother-in-arms daily.
~~ Chris Barnes
The Veteran Leader _________________________________________________________________________________________7
THE VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM WAR
& THE VETERANS COALITION
International Headquarters
805 South Township Boulevard, Pittston, PA 18640
Phone: 570-603-9740 • Fax: 570-603-9741
1-800-843-8626
E-mail: vvnwnatl@epix.net
Websites: vvnw.org and theveteranscoalition.org
All Veterans – All Military Welcome
February 14th , 2011
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS
EXCERPTS FROM LETTER SENT:
To:
President Barack Obama/Commander-in-Chief
Subject:
Suicide within the U.S Armed Forces/HM3 Brian Uibel
Dear President Obama,
I am writing to you as Commander-in-Chief of the United States Armed Forces and I want to bring your attention to
the incredible loss of life of our young service personnel.
I am sure the Department of Defense has made you aware of the massive increase of suicides that are occurring each
year and the many undetermined deaths that cannot be classified.
I want to bring your attention to HM3 Brian Uibel FMF and the attached letter that details relevant information
about the lack of Duty of Care provided to him.
Brian’s suicide points to the loss of our finest at their own hands while the Military Corps are struggling with how to
combat the situation. America cannot afford to lose these young Patriots and I would ask that you read the attached letter and put an investigation and actions into place to STOP the carnage now.
I need the Commander-in-Chief to actually read Brian’s story excerpts. I do not need a minder to read this and placate
me. It will not happen. We listen each day to calls from Service Members and Veterans and their families about their
Loved Ones and Comrades.
This is not just heartbreaking to the families but to the Military itself. We send our young people to war and then upon
their return leave them to their own devises. Like I say in the letter, we should have learned the lesson 40 years ago.
I have had a call from the Commanding Officer Naval Hospital, Camp Lejeune informing me that he has instigated
an internal investigation. As I told Capt Zinder, this is not where it is going to stop. These useless deaths are not just in
the Navy, they are happening throughout the United States Military and must be addressed NOW.
If we can afford to send our young Patriots to War, we then must be able to afford the services needed to bring
them back to a life of near normalcy.
America cannot afford to have another disaster of ignorance and denial like the aftermath of Vietnam and one of our
programs is to build and operate United Veterans Beacon Houses as Transitional Housing for Homeless Veterans and the
age of our residents are now as low as 26 years of age.
Commander in Chief, the buck stops with YOU. You are the one that needs to bring the Military Medical
Professionals up to strength. Stop the Mental Health Task Force from meeting and actually have them do some
proactive initiatives to put a stop to these senseless deaths.
I implore you to read the attached and let us work together to reduce this disaster. I am sure we Veterans are able
The Veteran Leader _________________________________________________________________________________________8
to provide a great deal of input that mental health people that have never served or have never experienced the
carnage of war can provide.
Sincerely,
Peter J. Forbes
U.S National Commander
Australian Commander
The story is important.
The story is about one of “our own”.
The story could be about your family.
We have known the Uibel family, John, Nicci, Christopher, Amanda, Logan and
last but certainly not least Brian, for many years. While everyone in this family is important right now we want to focus on Brian. We have had many good times together
and … now we are all involved in the bad times.
You see, in November 2010, Brian was back in the U.S. assigned to Camp Lejeune
after a tour in Afghanistan that involved exceptional actions by Brian and the Marines
he served with. He decided one late night to take his own life and has left his family
with the haunting question of “why?”
Following in his Dad’s footsteps, Brian was an exemplary U.S. Navy Corpsman.
His actions, when in Afghanistan, are well documented and the kind of record any
soldier would be proud to have. When he returned to the States things started to go
bad.
Brian was having medical problems that included a knee injury, Traumatic Brain Injury from a training incident and IED
incidents and the solution from the U.S. Navy seemed to be to give him some more meds and hope that it would all go away.
He was then assigned to an Intensive Care Unit and while that is honorable work it was not where Brian wanted to be assigned. He wanted to be reassigned to a USMC unit so that he could go back and serve with “his” guys. He was denied
that re-enlistment and it sent him into a real tailspin.
It seemed that no matter where he turned he was frustrated. His frustration led to anger. That anger led to a feeling of being out of control
and in November he decided that a gun was his only solution.
You will see more detailed information about the actions that were
taken by Peter J. Forbes the National Commander of the Veterans of the
Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition in an effort to get answers
about what happened to Brian.
It soon became apparent that there were no “real” answers to what had
happened to Brian – only he would know. But as part of his “family” we
felt it necessary to have some answers, not only for Brian, but for thousands of other soldiers who think suicide is the ONLY solution. We owe our soldiers the “duty of care” to make sure that
the signs are recognized and acted on by those who have the expertise to recognize PTSD in its most destructive forms.
We need the individuals who are the so-called experts to realize that their flippant remarks to those who are in the
throes of PTSD can be the very reasons that hopelessness sets in. We need the soldiers to come to realize that what they
are dealing with and feeling are valid – not just imaginary illnesses. We need to have people who care enough about these
soldiers to see what is happening with them – not just dismiss their feelings as “piddly” excuses that they should just “get
over”! Those who serve soldiers and Veterans need to remember that these men and women are “different” than just ordinary men or women. They are the defenders of freedom that make it possible for each of us to enjoy our way of life and feel
protected.
The Veteran Leader _________________________________________________________________________________________9
Brian deserved better than to just have his medical complaints ignored or fluffed off! He needed more than just another
medication to deal with what he was experiencing. He needed more than his family, his girlfriend, his fellow soldiers to pay
attention. He was calling out for help and it seemed that no one was “getting” it.
While we can no longer do anything to help Brian we can help his family and other families.
We can contact our Congressmen, Senators, President and Vice President as well as those in charge
of each branch of the service to let them know that Brian and soldiers like him should never be forgotten. We need to do something – not just sit back and cry for those who are gone before us.
Nancy Verespy
National Executive Director
Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition
THE VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM WAR
& THE VETERANS COALITION
International Headquarters
805 South Township Boulevard, Pittston, PA 18640
Phone: 570-603-9740 • Fax: 570-603-9741
1-800-843-8626
E-mail: vvnwnatl@epix.net
Websites: vvnw.org and theveteranscoalition.org
All Veterans – All Military Welcome
February 14th , 2011
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS
EXCERPTS FROM LETTER SENT:
To:
Mr. Bill O’Reilly
Subject:
Military Suicides/ HM3 Brian Uibel
Dear Mr. O’Reilly:
I have written to you once before seeking support for Homeless Veterans under our 501(C)3, The Veterans Fund of the
United States and I haven’t received a reply. Nothing new.
However, I will try just one more time to see if we can bring attention to the huge increase in suicides within our military.
I am not going to bore you with more info, but I am going to ask YOU to read the enclosed letter to the Commanding
Officer Naval Hospital, Camp Lejeune. This letter and the enclosed information will give you an insight into the catastrophe that is occurring.
That’s it. The rest is up to you if you read about Brian Uibel and the other young Patriots dying after invaluable service to the United States of America.
Sincerely,
Peter J. Forbes
U.S National Commander
Australian Commander
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________10
Thoughts of Brian...
When we met, Brian was a bright young lad and the gangliness and innocence of youth was still about him. He gave
his infectious smile willingly and trustingly and he was very
respectful of his parents. His older brother was intent on
joining the Navy as a pilot and the whole family supported
this goal as their father had been a former US Navy person
himself.
Brian used to listen intently when his older brother’s desires were discussed. I was not therefore surprised to learn
that Brian, on maturing, had joined the US Navy and was
serving ‘over there’ as a medic with a group of men whose
duties were only whispered of and went beyond the normal
duties of service.
We sent him the comfort parcels from Australia and
though we never heard from him, we hoped these parcels
found their way to him.
It was with distress that we heard of how he, on return
from the theatre of war suffered with physical and other injuries that leave no visible scars but leave a man restless,
sleepless and burdened. His physical injuries had been
healed and he was in the process of being treated by those
who have a power over a man, not by a gun, but by words or
a pen in regards to his other injuries that leave no visible
scar.
With a signature here, or a slash of a box there, a carelessly dropped word here or an angry word there, a man’s life
can be controlled by those men or women who have not usually seen the acts and the atrocities of war as had Brian. Yet
they are given the authority to help ‘heal’ these bruised and
battered people.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is the major side effect of
being a participant of war. The actions taken, the scenes,
the smells, the sense of danger, fear and frustration make a
powerful combination on the mind and can rob it of peace
and sanity.
Brian tried to find assistance for this disorder, but the assistance offered was not wise or sensible.
Sometimes, the pressure of living with PTSD overtakes the
sound mind of a person. Sleeplessness, nightmares, a certain
sound or smell, the sight of a person causes flash backs of a
traumatic time to be replayed in the mind and there is no escape. Drugs and alcohol deaden it for a time, but at any un-
bidden time, PTSD rears its head and strikes.
Brian had taken all he could endure. He had had
enough. This young life, full of potential with caring and loving parents was not strong enough to fight the powers of suicide.
There is something in me that rises up in anger at this. I
can understand why suicide seems to be the way out of the
pressures of living, but why, in this world of so much knowledge of the mind nothing more is done to help men and
women such as Brian on their return home from committing
suicide?
I am concerned enough about it so that it drives me to
my knees before my Father in Heaven to pound on the doors
of Heaven for answers; and I believe He has given me one.
Man is a three part person: he has a mind and a soul (conscience, emotions) but he lives in a body. If the body gets
injured, that can usually be repaired. But because he is a
three part being, what effects the body also effects the mind
and the soul of the man. So it would be a fair thing to say
that the body can be fixed by Doctors, the mind can be fixed
by psychiatrists but who fixes the soul of the man? That part
of him that is wounded emotionally or in his conscience?
If we have need of a plumber do we go to a carpenter? If
we have need of a builder to we go to a mortician? Hardly.
So why not, if a man needs to have his emotions healed
and his mind free from the scars of
war, why then don’t we go to the person who made us? Dare
I suggest we go back to God, the creator of all human kind,
and ask Him to heal?
King David in the Old Testament, used to have trouble
sleeping too because of his enemies. Yet he lived to a good
old age of sound mind? Why? He trusted in the God who
created him.
~~ Carla Evans
Voices from Voyager : HMAS Voyager /
HMAS Melbourne, 1964 / by Carla Evans
“A true friend knows your weaknesses but shows you your strengths; feels your fears
but fortifies your faith; sees your anxieties but frees your spirit; recognizes your
disabilities but emphasizes your possibilities.” - William Arthur Ward, Educator
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________11
BRIAN UIBEL
Those that have ears to hear, please
listen to what I have to say. I am grieving and I am angry and I know that
there are many parents and friends who
will understand where I am coming
from. But will you, the people not connected to what I am about to say understand? You who sit in your safe
homes, have secure employment or you
who write under the petticoats of the
media believing that because of your
position, you have the right to write
what and how you personally interpret
a situation but cannot back your theories with accurate information because
you continue to sit in a safe office?
Seeing that anger is a part of the
emotional roller coaster of grief, I perhaps had better explain myself.
It was over eight years ago when we
were introduced to a fresh faced, young
twelve year old youth by the name of
Brian. The world was at his feet; his
family setting was above average and
his peer group was wholesome and
healthy, he had everything in life to
look forward to and his goals were
achievable. He was a native of
Delaware, U.S.A. and we were visiting
from Australia. We shared a couple of
meals with his family and one or two
outings. Brian even came to church
with us one Sunday morning and pretended, for fun, to the congregation we
visited, that we were his parents. I had
warned him that if he opened his
mouth to speak, his American accent
would reveal that he wasn’t quite
telling the whole truth! So like an obedient son, he sat and smiled and never
opened his mouth until we departed the
church. We laughed about it later.
He had been given an Aussie
slouch hat and wore it with great pride.
His father had been in the US Navy
and the life as a serving Navy guy was
top most on Brian’s career list.
Over the years, we exchanged a
Christmas card or two with his family
and then we heard that Brian had
joined the Navy and had been posted
to Iraq.
We heard that he was a special kind
of serviceman as he was sent, with a
small team, far behind the enemy lines
where under camouflaged cover, they
lay still for hours at a time and watched
for the ‘enemy’ with sniper scopes.
Brian was the medic for the group. He
did one tour in Iraq and later, two in
Afghanistan, before being injured and
sent home.
I had an email today. Brian shot
and killed himself. The Navy that he
loved and the country that he honoured and served didn’t require his services any longer because of his physical
injury and perhaps because of emotional injuries. Period. You are now redundant Brian, your career, your desire
to answer the call of your country when
young and healthy is over. You are a
service personnel ‘has been’ at the age
of 20 years.
So Brian killed himself. What else
did life have to offer?
I’ll tell you what it had to offer. If
someone from that service when informing Brian that he was no longer
needed, had taken time to offer him
some kind of hope, some incentive in
another area of service, would Brian
have picked up that gun to kill himself?
Would he have been able to pick up the
threads of his life and marry and have
children to delight his and his parent’s
hearts? Would he have been able to
give words of wisdom to those who are
currently being deployed to war torn
countries and enable them, because of
his experience, help them to re-adjust
on returning home?
We will never know. Brian is dead.
Listen to me you people in authority over the lives of men and women
such as Brian. Yes, I know you may feel
overwhelmed with all your paper work
at times, I know you probably do not
meet the men or women whose service
files pass through your hands; to you
they are a number and so many pages.
BUT THESE PEOPLE ARE FLESH
AND BLOOD. They see things that
you won’t see, they hear the sounds of
death and fear, smell again the cordite
and the odours of blood and see scenes
and see sights that are far from your office. They are left with a legacy of sleepless nights and dreams that cause them
to wake up sweating and crying out in
fear as they once again live through the
subconscious memory of being shot at
or threatened by incoming rockets or
bombs. They live with the guilt of having survived such incidents but their
best mate, whom they trained with and
shared a bunk with, didn’t. And they
were there to pick up his body parts.
With all your courses of human
management available, if you can’t inform a man or woman, injured because
of his war service without giving hope
or encouragement, then resign, perhaps
your services are no longer required.
My grief is nowhere near as great as
Brian’s parents. I was only an acquaintance, but I have other people I do
know who are serving, who have served
or are about to serve. My commission
as a chaplain, is to cry out to the Gates
of Heaven for their protection and to
be a support, as much as possible, to
their loved ones here at home.
Yes, I sit in a comfortable chair, I
live in a comfortable home but I can
only do this because other brave young
men and women of other wars have
made it possible.
Rest in Peace Brian and thanks for
the memories.
~~ Carla Evans
Chaplain
Voices from Voyager : HMAS Voyager /
HMAS Melbourne, 1964 / by Carla Evans
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________12
SUICIDE AND CONSEQUENCES
Who can judge why a person chooses to end their life?
We do not walk in their
shoes. A person, depressed,
grieving, having no hope and
not being able to see any
form of relief from what they
are enduring may often
choose a quick way out. A
gun, a rope, pills, drugs, car
accident can all bring the
same result if applied properly; the end of a life.
It is a source of great frustration to me when I hear of
someone suiciding. It is like a slap in the face or a stab in the
heart. So how much worse must it be for the relatives and
friends of the person who died?
A Veteran once told me his life was not worth shit. (Excuse the language). A part of me researched just how much
a piece of shit was valued at. Without going into the details
of what I learned, I did discover that shit is really worth
something!
I listen to some around me who are dying with a terminal illness, and they would give anything to be able to live.
I hear of young parents who would give anything to have a
baby, then learn of those who terminate their baby’s life. I
think we are living in a very mixed up world!
For those who are contemplating suicide, please consider
carefully; You have but one life. While you are living, even
though it may be with much pain and despair, you are still
alive and you never know what tomorrow may bring and
offer you.
Also please consider your family. Whoever discovers
your remains will live with those memories for the rest of
their lives. If you have children, they will grow up with the
knowledge that they have no parent, but perhaps not fully
understanding why.
When visiting Washington DC a few years ago, I was
very privileged to attend a gathering in the park not far from
the Korean Memorial. Here, the orphans of those service
people killed in Iraq were honoured by receiving a medal
from the Government of America. These numerous children were honoured by the public and the United States government. As they matured in years, they had a medal to
remind them of the honour bestowed upon them because of
a parent who died in the theatre of war.
If you are a parent, and you died by your own hand, what
legacy will you leave your family? Please pause and think on
that.
Also please remember if this applies to you: Your mates
died, sacrificed their lives, so that perhaps you could live.
Would you waste what they have died for?
No matter how good or bad life seems today, the dawn
brings changes to the new day. I cannot judge those who
have committed suicide. My heart cries for their pain and
suffering. Counseling helps, a friend’s ear is wonderful and
alcohol deadens the pain, but it is guaranteed to return.
To be able to take your pain to the God who created you
and knows how you tick, is an absolute blessing and is the
way to peace - if you genuinely seek Him!
God bless you and help you to understand that shame
and guilt which results in anger, can be laid at the feet of one
who loves you unconditionally, no matter what you have
done.
Carla Evans
Chaplain
DD Form 214 - Social Security Benefit
Note: For anyone who had active duty service between January, 1957 to December 31, 2001, and planning for
retirement. In a nutshell it boils down to this:
You qualify for a higher social security payment because of your Military service, for active duty any time from 1957
through 2001 (the program was done away with 1 January 2002). Up to $1200 per year of earnings credit credited at time
of application - which can make a substantial difference in social security monthly payments upon your retirement. You must
bring your DD-214 to the Social Security Office and you must ask for this benefit to receive it!
This is something to put in your files for when you apply for Social Security down the road. It is NOT just for retirees,
BUT anyone who has served on active duty between January 1957 to December 31, 2001.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________13
Message from the NATIONAL EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
It has taken me some time to write this column for the Veteran Leader. I have been
personally overwhelmed by life. My husband, Peter Forbes, went to the Cleveland
Clinic and found that he had to have open-heart surgery. It was a scary, nervewracking time in our lives but through the gifted surgeon and cardiologist he has
now in his life, he is doing great! He continues to amaze me that even though he
has been told to slow down he does more than most people do even when they are
healthy!
Just when I thought things would settle down my 85 year old Mom broke her hip
and had to have immediate surgery. She then would go on to excruciating physical therapy and now a few months later she was hospitalized and died recently from
cancer that rapidly spread through her body. She was a gutsy woman who wanted
nothing to do with Chemo – no extraordinary measures to save her life – she was
ready for what comes next. I am not sure that I could do it with such dignity!
Each day as we talk with Veterans and/or their families we find that they too have
been gutsy, they have shown dignity! They have gone to serve when their country called them; returned home to a mostly ungrateful Nation; went about their everyday lives; and now, when they should
be retiring to have a good life with their partner and their families they find that they are being attacked by the diseases that
have come about most probably due to their service time. So many Veterans have been relatively healthy for the past forty
years and just when it is time to reap the benefits of their well-lived lives, they are sick. For the most part they don’t complain about what is happening to them with unusual cancers, heart problems, PTSD and on and on. They just wonder
aloud why this is happening to them. There are no real answers but they are real heroes!
The reality is that they did what they had to do when called and we owe each and every Veteran an undying gratitude for
what they were willing to do for each of us. We need to thank every Veteran we meet along the path of life and wholeheartedly shake their hand, look them in the eyes and “mean” thank you. It is the right thing to do.
As each of us face the challenges that life presents we need to remember that just like my Mom, Mema, these soldiers are
gutsy! They are the stuff that heroes are made of! We need to look no further than to them for our examples.
God bless Mema and all those soldiers who meet the challenges of daily life and do not ask why me, but rather share it is
okay that it is me rather than someone else.
Nancy Verespy
National Executive Director
DONATIONS
If you would like to make a tax deductible donation to the
United Veterans Beacon House, make your check payable to:
The Veterans Fund of the United States and mail it to the following address:
805 So. Township Boulevard, Pittston, PA 18640
If you would like to make a donation using your credit card call 1-800-843-8626
and your donation will be processed. We accept all major credit cards.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________14
THE VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM WAR
& THE VETERANS COALITION
International Headquarters
805 South Township Boulevard, Pittston, PA 18640
Phone: 570-603-9740 • Fax: 570-603-9741
1-800-843-8626
E-mail: vvnwnatl@epix.net
Websites: vvnw.org and theveteranscoalition.org
All Veterans – All Military Welcome
SUPPORT OUR TROOPS
March 5th , 2012
Media Release----Position Available
To:
Interested and Committed Veterans and or Family
Subject:
Fulltime Webmaster/Veteran Service Officer Position
Location:
International Headquarters, Pittston, PA
The Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc & The Veterans Coalition is seeking to employ a full-time Webmaster/VSO that is committed to supporting Veterans and their families. We are a Veterans Preference Organization.
In addition to competent web development and design, Veteran or Person should be motivated and capable of
proactively integrating into the daily operations of the National Veterans Organization in order to assimilate organizational news and events and facilitate publication through a full suite of social media to include Facebook,
twitter, electronic newsletter distribution as well as web presence.
The Veteran or Person will be required to complete training and certification as a Veteran Service Officer so that
the person can answer questions from Veterans, Members and Families regarding title 38 and Veterans Compensation. The Veteran or Person will need to be self-motivated, positive, cool under pressure and have an adaptable,
can do and bright personality.
The position is located in the International Head Office in Pittston, PA and remuneration will be commensurate
to the skills and qualifications. The person will be working directly for the National Commander and National
Executive Director.
If you do not want to work with Veterans, or are not committed to supporting Veterans and their families then
DO NOT apply.
Forward resumes and letter stating why you want this position and why you want to work for a National Veterans Service Organization to the U.S National Commander at the above address. Mark Clearly: Private and Confidential. Test websites and accounts where investigations will need to be undertaken will be requested prior to
any position offered.
Peter J. Forbes
U.S. National Commander
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________15
PHILLIP KRAFT INDUCTED INTO THE CONNECTICUT
VETERANS HALL OF FAME
Celebrating Phil Kraft after his being inducted into the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame in Hartford, CT. From the left
to right: State Rep. Terrie Wood; Nancy Verespy, Executive Director, Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans
Coalition; Phil Kraft and State Senator Carlo Leone.
Credit: Connecticut General Assembly.
On December 2, 2011 Phillip Kraft, U.S. Army, Vietnam War Service, was one of ten special patriots who was inducted into
the Connecticut Veterans Hall of Fame. These inductees not only stepped up to defend our nation in uniform, but remained fully committed to improving the lives of others when they returned home.
From the ceremony: Phil Kraft has contributed his time and skills with regard to Veteran advocacy, community and civic
issues for over 20 years. His early work in the field of advocacy began with his work as a Family Health Counselor for the
Vietnam Veterans Agent Orange Victims, Inc. which was a forerunner of the National Veterans Services Fund, Inc. (NVSF).
In that capacity, Phil served as a member of Admiral Elmo Zumwalt’s Agent Orange Commission which convened in Washington, D.C.
In 2008, Phil initiated the Vet Van which travels to cities and towns conducting outreach activities, assists Veterans with
accessing their benefits and providing emergency clothing and food. NVSF has also provided grants to assist other Veterancentered organizations. He has been an active supporter and volunteer for the “Wreaths Across America” effort which offers Holiday Wreaths for Arlington National Cemetery, VA National and State Veteran Cemeteries.
He is the unofficial “Godfather” of the State of Connecticut Veterans Cemetery located in the Spring Grove Cemetery in
Darien, CT. Phil has overseen the Memorial Day and Veterans Day activities at the first Connecticut Cemetery dedicated
for Veterans. Phil helped to coordinate the restoration and cleaning of over 1,500 Veterans headstones which date back to
Civil War times. With the help of the people of Darien, he also assisted in the beautification and rehabilitation of the
Cemetery’s Flagpole Monument which is a striking tribute to the Soldiers and Sailors of previous wars. His efforts have resulted in improvements at Spring Grove that reflect the dignity and environment worthy of the sacrifices of the Veterans
who have been buried there.
Phil Kraft also serves as an Advisor to the Board of the Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition.
Congratulations Phil.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________16
NATIONAL VETERANS SERVICES FUND, INC.
Publication A-9 Agent Orange-Related Monetary Agent Orange exposure, you generally have to show only
two things:
Benefits from the VA for Vietnam Veterans
updated 10/13/09
After many years of denying a connection between exposure to Agent
Orange and serious illness, the VA
now agrees that current scientific
evidence points to a connection. As
a result of this change in policy, the
VA makes monthly monetary payments to thousands of Vietnam veterans who suffer from serious
illnesses that scientists agree are related to exposure to Agent Orange. The VA calls these payments “service-connected disability compensation,” or
simply “comp. ”
The amount of the monthly compensation payment depends
upon the severity of the veteran’s service-connected disability and the number of qualifying family members the veteran
has. The VA uses a percentage basis for measuring the severity of disability––a service-connected condition can be evaluated at anywhere from zero% disabling to 100% disabling.
If the condition is evaluated as 30% disabling or more, the
higher the number of qualifying family members the veteran
has, the higher the amount of the monthly payment.
As of October of 2009, compensation payments for serviceconnected conditions ranged from $123.00 per month –– for
an unmarried veteran without dependents whose disability is
rated at10%––to $2,673.00 per month for an unmarried veteran without dependents whose disability is rated at 100%.
Compensation benefits are usually adjusted each year for the
cost of living, and they are not subject to federal or state income tax.
The VA has a list of diseases that it agrees are linked to exposure to the herbicides used in Vietnam. (These rules not
only cover exposure to Agent Orange; they cover exposure
to the other herbicides used in Vietnam, such as Agent
White and Agent Blue. For the sake of simplicity, we generally use the phrase “exposure to Agent Orange” rather than
“exposure to any of the herbicides used in Vietnam”). If you
are a Vietnam veteran with a disease that is on this VA list,
you have an excellent chance of being granted disability
compensation.
Presumptive Service Connection
To qualify for presumptive service connection based on
• You served in Vietnam––that is, you performed active military, naval, or air service in the Republic of Vietnam during the Vietnam era (January 9, 1962, to May 7, 1975);
and
• You currently have one of the diseases on the VA’s list of
conditions linked to herbicide exposure, or you currently
have residuals from one of these diseases.
You do not have to show that you were actually exposed to
Agent Orange or to any other herbicide during your service
in Vietnam. The rules require the VA to assume that if a veteran served in Vietnam, the veteran was exposed.
For a few of the diseases on the VA’s list, you will have to satisfy a third requirement: you must show that the condition
became manifest (that is, symptoms of the condition began
to appear) within a certain length of time after leaving Vietnam. For diseases with a time requirement, you must also
show that the disease caused a disability that is at least 10%
disabling within the same required time period.
Medical terms sometimes change. For example, nonHodgkin’s lymphoma has been called by many different
names, such as lymphosarcoma and reticulum cell sarcoma.
To find out for sure whether the disease you have is among
those that are presumptively service connected due to exposure to Agent Orange, check with your doctor and your representative. To help you understand the nature of the diseases
listed in Table 1, we have provided a Glossary at the end of
this document.
Vietnam Veterans Who Suffer From More Than One
Cancer
Vietnam veterans who develop one of the cancers listed in
Table 1 may still be denied disability compensation if the
cancer on the list developed as a result of, or was caused by
a different cancer. The US Court of Veterans Appeals has
ruled that if a Vietnam veteran first develops a cancer that is
not listed in Table 1––like colon cancer––and that cancer
later shifts or spreads (in medical language, “metastasizes”) to
another part or organ of the body so that the veteran then
has a cancer that is listed in Table 1––like lung cancer––the
VA is not required to grant the claim.
On the other hand, if the veteran first develops a cancer that
is listed in Table 1 and it shifts or spreads to another part or
organ of the body that is not listed in Table 1, the VA must
grant the claim and, in rating the degree of disability, it must
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________17
consider the disabling effects of both the original cancer and
the secondary cancer sites that may develop from the original cancer.
The key to winning a claim when the veteran suffers from at
least one cancer on the VA list and at least one cancer that
is not on the list is to obtain helpful medical evidence. You
should try to get a statement from a physician, preferably an
oncologist (a physician who is a specialist in cancer), stating
that in the physician’s expert opinion, it is as likely as not
that the cancer on the VA list was a primary cancer, and did
not develop from a different cancer that you already had.
Vietnam Veterans With Medical Problems That Are
Not Listed in Table 1
Unfortunately, veterans who develop a condition not on the
VA’s list have a hard time convincing the VA that it resulted
from exposure to Agent Orange. According to Public Law
107-103, exposure to herbicides is presumed for all veterans
who served in Vietnam during the Vietnam Era. Veterans no
longer have to provide evidence that you were exposed to
Agent Orange. You do need a doctor’s statement that you
currently suffer from the disease or disability (or its residuals), and an opinion from a medical expert stating that it is
"as likely as not" that your exposure to Agent Orange caused
the disease or disability.
But if you suffer from a condition that is not listed in Table
1, don’t give up. First, you should check to see whether, after
this guide was published, your disease was added to the VA’s
list of diseases that are presumptively service connected to
herbicide exposure in Vietnam. In 1993 and 1996, the National Academy of Sciences issued reports analyzing the scientific evidence about the health effects of exposure to
Orange. The National Academy concluded in these reports
that the diseases listed in Table 1 can result from exposure to
Agent Orange. These reports convinced the VA to add many
of the diseases in Table 1 to its list of diseases that are presumptively connected due to Agent Orange exposure.
The National Academy’s work on Agent Orange is not finished. Congress has required the National Academy to continue until the year 2014 to write new reports analyzing the
scientific evidence that becomes available in the future. (In
Table 2, we have listed the diseases that we believe have the
best chance of being added to the list of presumptive service
connected diseases). Whenever a new report is issued, the
VA may decide it needs to add more diseases to the list in
Table 1. Since the list is not final, you should check with
your advocate to be sure that you are not overlooking the
possibility that you may be entitled to disability compensation at the time you read this.
If you are certain that your disease is not on the VA’s list at
the time you read this guide, you may still qualify for serviceconnected disability compensation at this time under VA
rules that have nothing to do with Agent Orange. In addition, if you do not qualify for compensation under any of the
VA’s rules, you may still be able to get help at this time from
the VA in the form of non-service connected disability pension.
To receive pension benefits, you must have served at least 90
days, one day of which was during a period of war (for the
Vietnam era, the service dates are February 28, 1961, through
May 7,1975); you must be permanently and totally disabled;
and you must be able to establish financial need. If the VA
decides that you are unable to perform substantial work, it
will consider you to be totally disabled.
In 1997, pension benefits ranged from $8,486 a year for a veteran without dependents or any other income to $16,201 a
year for a severely disabled veteran, with one dependent and
no other income, in need of personal attendance. Your income, combined with the income of your spouse and dependent children, averaged over twelve months, is deducted
from the maximum pension amount. For example, any,
money you receive from Social Security disability or retirement payments would be deducted, dollar for dollar, from
your VA pension benefits. (Be sure not to understate your
income. The VA can and will match what you tell them
against your Social Security and Internal Revenue Service
(IRS) records).
Accordingly, before you decide that it is not worth filing a
VA claim because your disease or disability is not currently
recognized by the VA as related to Agent Orange exposure,
you should consult with someone experienced in veterans
benefits law for advice on whether you may qualify for monetary benefits under the VA’s pension rules or the rules for
disability compensation unrelated to Agent Orange. You may
contact us at our tollfree number (800)521-0198 for a referral to advocates in your area who can go over your case and
give you this type of advice.
If you are advised that you do not qualify for disability compensation or pension, but you still believe that the illness
you have is connected to your exposure to Agent Orange,
our advice is to go ahead and file a VA claim now. We especially recommend that you do this if you are suffering from
one of the diseases listed in Table 2. When you file the claim,
tell the VA in writing that you want it to postpone action
on your claim until the National Academy issues its next report––a report which will contain a new analysis of whether
your disease is linked to Agent Orange. The benefit of taking this action is that if the VA later adds your disease to
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________18
those that are presumptively service connected and grants
your claim, you will have a better chance of receiving
retroactive benefits.
Table 1
Diseases recognized by the VA as connected to Agent
Orange and the VA’s Length of Time Requirements (When
symptoms of the disease have to appear and result in a
disability at least 10% disabling in order to qualify for
benefits)
Types of cancer:
Cancer of the bronchus
Cancer of the larynx
Cancer of the lung
Cancer of the trachea
Prostate cancer
Hodgkin’s disease
Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
Multiple myeloma
Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia
B-Cell Leukemias, i.e., hairy cell leukemia
Soft-tissue sarcoma:
Adult fibrosarcoma
Alveolar soft part sarcoma
Angiosarcoma
Clear cell sarcoma of aponeuroses
Clear cell sarcoma of tendons
Congenital and infantile fibrosarcoma
Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans
Ectomesenchymoma
Epithelioid malignant leiomysarcoma
Epithelioid malignant schwannoma
Epethelioid sarcoma
Extraskeletal Ewing’s sarcoma
Hemangiosarcoma
Infantile fibrosarcoma
Leiomysarcoma
Lipsosarcoma
Lymphangiosarcoma
Malignant fibrous histiocytoma
Malignant giant cell tumor of tendon sheath
Malignant glandular schwannoma
Malignant glomus tumor
Malignant hemangiopericytoma
Malignant mesenchymoma
Malignant schwannoma with rhabdomyoblastic
proliferating (systemic) angiendotheliomatosis
Rhabdomyosarcoma
Synovial sarcoma
Diseases other than cancer (Time Requirements)
Peripheral neuropathy (acute and subacute)
(within months of exposure and cured within 2 years after
symptoms first show up!)
Chloracne (within 1 year of last day the veteran served in
Vietnam)
Porphyria cutanea tarda (within 1 year of last day the veteran served in Vietnam)
Diabetes Type II (adult onset)
Parkinson’s Disease
Ischemic heart disease
Disabilities in children of maleVietnam veterans
Spina bifida* (child must have been conceived after Veteran first arrived in Vietnam)
*NOTE: This does not include spina bifida occulta
Disabilities in children of femaleVietnam veterans
Spina bifida (see above)
Achondroplasia (produces a kind of dwarfism)
Cleft lip and cleft palate
Congenital heart disease
Congenital talipses equinovarus (clubfoot)
Esophageal and intestinal atresia
Hallerman-Streiff Syndrome (premature small growth
and other related defects)
Hip dysplasia
Hirschprung’s Disease (congenital megacolon)
Hydrocephalus due to aqueductal stenosis
Hypospadias (abnormal opening in the urethra)
Imperforate anus
Neural tube defects
Poland syndrome (webbed fingers)
Pyloric stenosis
Syndactyly (fused digits)
Tracheoesophageal fistula
Undescended testicles
Williams Syndrome (thyroid defects)
Table 2
Diseases and Disabilities Having the Best Chance of Being
Added in the Future to Table 1
Abnormal Sperm Parameters and Infertility
Birth Defects (Other than Spina Bifida in Children of
Vietnam Veterans)
Bone Cancer
Breast Cancer
Childhood Cancer (in Children of Vietnam Veterans)
Chronic Peripheral Nervous System Disorders
Circulatory Disorders
Cognitive and Neuropsychiatric Disorders
Female Reproductive Cancers (cervical, uterine,
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________19
ovarian)
Hepatobiliary Cancers
Immune System Disorders
Leukemia
Liver Cancer
Low Birthweight (in Children of Vietnam Veterans)
Metabolic and Digestive Disorders (changes in liver
enzymes, lipid abnormalities, ulcers)
Motor or Coordination Dysfunction
Nasal or Nasopharyngeal Cancer
Neonatal or Infant Death and Stillbirths
Renal Cancer
Respiratory Disorders
Skin Cancer
Spontaneous Abortion
Testicular Cancer
Glossary
• Acute Peripheral Neuropathy. A temporary dysfunction
involving the nervous system.
• Adult Fibrosarcoma. A tumor formed as an adult derived
from connective tissue.
• Alveolar Soft Part Sarcoma. A sarcoma found in the
alveolus, the sac-like ducts in the lung.
• Angiosarcoma. A tumor occurring in the breast and skin,
and believed to originate from blood vessels.
• Birth Defects. An abnormal structure, function, or metabolism of the fetus, whether genetically determined or
as the result of an environmental influence during embryonic or fetal life.
• Cancer of the Bronchus. A malignant tumor found in a
bronchus, an extension of the trachea (windpipe) connecting to the lungs. Cancer of the Larynx. A malignant
tumor found in the larynx (voice box).
• Cancer of the Lung. A malignant tumor found in the
lung.
• Cancer of the Prostate. A malignant tumor found in the
prostate gland.
• Cancer of the Trachea. A malignant tumor found in the
trachea (windpipe).
• Chloracne. An acne-like eruption due to prolonged contact with certain chlorinated compounds.
• Clear Cell Sarcoma of Aponeuroses. A sarcoma found
at the end of a muscle where it becomes a tendon.
• Clear Cell Sarcoma of Tendons. A sarcoma found in the
tendons.
• Congenital Fibrosarcoma. A malignant tumor formed
before birth and derived from connective tissue.
• Dermatofibrosarcoma. A relatively slow growing benign
skin tumor consisting of one or more firm nodules.
• Ectomesenchymoma. A tumor found in a certain part of
the skin.
• Epithelioid Malignant Leiomyosarcoma. A malignant
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tumor derived from smooth muscle found in the layer
covering the muscle.
Epithelioid Malignant Schwannoma. A moderately firm,
benign, tumor found in the layers of membrane covering surfaces inside the body, caused by too many
Schwann cells growing in a disorderly manner.
Epithelioid Sarcoma. A tumor found in the membrane
covering surfaces inside the body.
Extraskeletal Ewing's Sarcoma. A tumor outside the
bone consisting of small, rounded cells.
Hemangiosarcoma. A tumor derived from blood vessels
and lining blood filled spaces.
Hodgkins Disease. A tumor in the lymph nodes characterized by the increasing enlargement of the lymph
nodes, liver, and spleen, and by progressive anemia.
Infantile Fibrosarcoma. A tumor formed as a child derived from fibrous connective tissue.
Leiomyosarcoma. A tumor derived from smooth muscle.
Liposarcoma. A tumor that may occur in any site in the
body consisting of irregular fat cells.
Lymphangiosarcoma. A tumor derived from blood vessels.
Lymphoma. A malignant tumor of lymph nodes.
Malignant Fibrous Histiocytoma. A type of tumor present in connective tissue.
Malignant Giant Cell Tumor of the Tendon Sheath. A
tumor found in the membrane of the tendon.
Malignant Glandular Schwannoma. A moderately firm,
malignant tumor in the glands caused by too many
Schwann cells growing in a disorderly pattern.
Malignant Glomus Tumor. A tumor found in the glomus,
the tiny nodes found in the nailbed, pads of fingers and
toes, ears, hands, feet and many other organs of the body.
Malignant Hemangiopericytoma. A tumor characterized
by rapidly growing fat cells formed in blood vessels and
lining blood filled spaces.
Malignant Mesenchymoma. A malignant tumor in the
embryonic tissue or fluid.
Malignant Schwannoma with Rhabdomyoblastic. A
moderately firm, malignant tumor found in skeletal muscle resulting from the rapid growth of Schwann cells in
a disorderly pattern.
Multiple Myeloma. Cancer of specific bone marrow cells
characterized by bone marrow tumors in various bones
of the body.
NonHodgkins Lymphoma. Malignant tumors of the
lymph nodes, distinguished from Hodgkins disease by the
absence of the giant Reed-Sternberg cells.
Peripheral Neuropathy. A dysfunction involving either
the somatic nerves or the autonomic system. See also
acute peripheral neuropathy and subacute peripheral
neuropathy.
Porphyria Cutanea Tarda. A disease characterized by
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________20
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liver dysfunction and light sensitive lesions, with pigment changes in the skin.
Proliferating (systemic) Angiendotheliomatosis. A growing number of benign tumors formed in blood vessels. Often
causes skin discoloration.
Rhabdomyosarcoma. A tumor derived from skeletal muscle.
Sarcoma. A tumor arising in connective tissue, bone, cartilage, or muscle.
Soft Tissue Sarcoma. A diverse group of sarcomas arising in the soft tissues that are found in and around organs.
Spina Bifida. A disability characterized by the defective closure of the spinal cord, through which the cord is exposed
and may protrude.
Subacute Peripheral Neuropathy. A dysfunction involving either nervous system with a course between acute (temporary) and chronic (long duration).
Synovial Sarcoma. A tumor found in the lubricating fluid surrounding joints and tendons.
This information is provided as a public service by National Veterans Services Fund, Inc. Tables are reprinted with permission from
the National Veterans Legal Services Program
THE AGENT ORANGE SETTLEMENT FUND
During the past decade, the Department of Veterans Affairs has received many inquiries regarding
the Agent Orange Settlement Fund. That Fund, created as a result of a private class action lawsuit
settlement, involved neither VA nor any other executive branch agency of the Federal government.
The Settlement Fund closed in 1997. Below is a brief history.
The Agent Orange Settlement Fund was created by the resolution of the Agent Orange Product Liability Litigation – a class
action lawsuit brought by Vietnam veterans and their families regarding injuries allegedly incurred as a result of the exposure of Vietnam veterans to chemical herbicides used during the Vietnam war. The suit was brought against the major manufacturers of these herbicides. The class action case was settled out-of-court in 1984 for $180 million dollars, reportedly the
largest settlement of its kind at that time.
The Settlement Fund was distributed to class members in accordance with a distribution plan established by United States
District Court Judge Jack B. Weinstein, who presided over the litigation and the settlement. Because the plaintiff class was
so large (an estimated 10 million people), the Fund was distributed to class members in the United States through two separate programs designed to provide maximum benefits to Vietnam veterans and their families most in need of assistance:
• a Payment Program, which provided cash compensation to totally-disabled veterans and survivors of deceased
veterans; and
• a Class Assistance Program, which provided funds for social services organizations and networks for the purpose
of establishing and maintaining programs for the benefit of the class as a whole.
This plan for distributing the Settlement Fund was unprecedented: it employed mechanisms not previously adopted in class
action lawsuits in order to maximize benefits to class members and to respond the complex needs expressed by the class during a series of “Fairness Hearings” held in six different locations in the country.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________21
Applications for he Payment Program had to be submitted prior to December 31, 1994. To be eligible for compensation under
the Payment Program, Vietnam veterans or their survivors had to establish the following:
• that the veteran served in Vietnam as a member of the Armed Forces between 1961 and 1972 (the period during
which Agent Orange was used in Vietnam);
• that the applicant was either a totally-disabled Vietnam veteran or the survivor of a deceased Vietnam veteran;
• that based upon the circumstances of the veteran’s service (including location of service and particular experiences
during service), the veteran met a test of probable exposure to herbicides;
• that death or disability was not caused by a traumatic or accidental occurrence; and
• that death or disability occurred before December 31, 1994.
The Payment Program operated over a period of 6 ½ years, beginning, after appeals, in 1988 and concluding in 1994. During its operation, the Settlement Fund distributed a total of $197 million in cash payments to members of the class in the
United States. Of the 105,000 claims received by the Payment Program, approximately 52,000 Vietnam veterans or their
survivors received cash payments which averaged about $3,800 each.
The other part of the Settlement Fund, the Class Assistance Program, was intended by the distribution plan to function as
a foundation. Between 1989 and 1996 it distributed, through a series of Requests for Proposal, $74 million to 83 social services organizations throughout the United States. These agencies, which ranged from disability and veterans service organizations to community-based not-for-profits, provided counseling, advocacy, medical and case-management services. During
this period, these organizations assisted over 239,000 Vietnam veterans and their families.
On September 27, 1997, the District Court ordered the Fund closed, its assets having been fully distributed.
New Online Health Assistance Piloted For Ex-Service Personnel
Two new websites are being piloted to provide the ex-service community with access to vital
health resources, the Minister for Veterans’ Affairs and Minister for Defence Science and Personnel, Warren Snowdon announced.
Mr. Snowdon said the sites, the Wellbeing Toolbox and touchbase, have been developed specifically for ex-service and transitioning personnel, their families and friends to help them face challenges that moving from military to civilian life may present.
The Wellbeing Toolbox provides interactive educational material in key areas such as problem solving, building support,
helpful thinking, getting active, keeping calm and sleeping better and has been developed in conjunction with leading experts at the Australian Centre for Postraumatic Mental Health.
The touchbase website, developed jointly by Defence and the Department of Veterans’ Affairs provides information on
lifestyle issues such as employment and finances, and is a one-stop-shop with useful links on topics ranging from compensation and finances to health, housing and parenting support.
The touchbase website also provides users with the opportunity to keep in touch or reconnect with other former serving
personnel, family and friends using its online community Find Your Mates.
The Wellbeing Toolbox can be accessed at www.wellbeingtoolbox.net.au and touchbase at www.touchbase.gov.au.
“Change your thoughts and you can change the world.”
- Harold R. Mcalindon, Writer
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________22
THE VIETNAM WALL FACTS
There are 58,267 names now listed
on that polished black wall, including
those added in 2010.
The names are arranged in the
order in which they were taken from us
by date and within each date the names
are alphabetized. It is hard to believe it
is 36 years since the last casualties.
Beginning at the apex on panel 1E
and going out to the end of the East
wall, appearing to recede into the earth
(numbered 70E - May 25, 1968), then
resuming at the end of the West wall,
as the wall emerges from the earth
(numbered 70W - continuing May 25,
1968) and ending with a date in 1975.
Thus the war's beginning and end
meet. The war is complete, coming full
circle, yet broken by the earth that
bounds the angle's open side and contained within the earth itself.
The first known casualty was
Richard B. Fitzgibbon, of North Weymouth , MA. Listed by the U.S. Department of Defense as having been
killed on June 8, 1956. His name is
listed on the Wall with that of his son,
Marine Corps Lance Cpl. Richard B.
Fitzgibbon III, who was killed on Sept.
7, 1965.
• There are three sets of fathers and
sons on the Wall.
• 39,996 on the Wall were just 22 or
younger.
• 8,283 were just 19 years old.
• The largest age group, 33,103 were
18 years old.
• 12 soldiers on the Wall were 17
years old.
• 5 soldiers on the Wall were 16 years
old.
• One soldier, PFC Dan Bullock was
15 years old.
• 997 soldiers were killed on their
first day in Vietnam .
• 1,448 soldiers were killed on their
last day in Vietnam .
• 31 sets of brothers are on the Wall.
• Thirty one sets of parents lost two
of their sons.
• 54 soldiers on attended Thomas
Edison High School in Philadelphia . I wonder why so many from
one school.
• 8 Women are on the Wall - nursing the wounded.
• 244 soldiers were awarded the
Medal of Honor during the Vietnam War; 153 of them are on the
Wall.
• Beallsville, Ohio with a population
of 475 lost 6 of her sons.
• West Virginia had the highest casualty rate per capita in the nation.
There are 711 West Virginians on
the Wall.
The Marines of Morenci - They led
some of the scrappiest high school football and basketball teams that the little
Arizona copper town of Morenci (pop.
5,058) had ever known and cheered.
They enjoyed roaring beer busts. In quieter moments, they rode horses along
the Coronado Trail, stalked deer in the
Apache National Forest . And in the
patriotic camaraderie typical of
Morenci's mining families, the nine
graduates of Morenci High enlisted as a
group in the Marine Corps. Their service began on Independence Day, 1966.
Only 3 returned home.
The Buddies of Midvale - LeRoy
Tafoya, Jimmy Martinez, Tom Gonzales
were all boyhood friends and lived on
three consecutive streets in Midvale,
Utah on Fifth, Sixth and Seventh avenues. They lived only a few yards
apart. They played ball at the adjacent
sandlot ball field. And they all went to
Vietnam. In a span of 16 dark days in
late 1967, all three would be killed.
LeRoy was killed on Wednesday, Nov.
22, the fourth anniversary of John F.
Kennedy’s assassination. Jimmy died
less than 24 hours later on Thanksgiving Day. Tom was shot dead assaulting
the enemy on Dec. 7, Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day.
The most casualty deaths for a single day was on January 31, 1968 ~ 245
deaths.
The most casualty deaths for a single month was May 1968 - 2,415 casualties were incurred.
For most Americans who read this
they will only see the numbers that the
Vietnam War created. To those of us
who survived the war, and to the families of those who did not, we see the
faces, we feel the pain that these numbers created. We are, until we too pass
away, haunted with these numbers, because they were our friends, fathers,
husbands, wives, sons and daughters.
There are no noble wars, just noble
warriors.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________23
TWO AUSTRALIAN DIGGERS KILLED IN AFGHANISTAN
Again I’m asking Canberra??? Why is it that Afghan men are sitting on boats trying to illegally get into our country - while our diggers are dying in Afghanistan for them? I thought
refugees had no money to pay people smugglers?
Recently we lost two more Aussie diggers and their faithful bomb dog. These Afghan men
should be shipped straight home to Afghanistan on the first flight out of Australia. What
must the families of the 13 Aussie diggers killed so far in this war think when their own men
won’t stay and fight. Instead, these men jump a boat, leave their families behind (how unAustralian is that!) and head for the land of milk and honey (Australia). It has nothing to
do with them being in danger back in their homeland of Afghanistan as I’m told things are
much better there. It is about taking the opportunity to enter a country far better than their
own and being helped to do it by a handful of “Do Gooders”!.
How much more dangerous could it be other than serving alongside our Aussie diggers on the battfield? Not much as was
evident with the death of two Australian Combat engineers and their dog. Am I missing something? We are dying while
they are running!
I have sent an e-mail similar to this one some time ago and never got a reply. Wonder why? This problem seems simple to
this old digger – it’s only a matter of having the guts to put them back on a plane to Afghanistan or Pakistan. So I don’t
understand why the government is having such a problem with this.
How do you think the families of these 13 diggers KIA must feel when on the nightly news they see these so-called refugees
living it up in motels, three meals a day cooked for them, pay TV - our diggers don’t get that on the battlefield so think
how they feel knowing this is going on back home.
If you reckon! What would this fella know! Well, this bloke was lying in the paddy fields in South Vietnam in 1968 and
back at Task Force HQ we were addressed by the then Prime Minister John Gordon and he was telling us how much the
country was behind us. But we knew that was a lie as we were getting newspapers from our families back home showing antiwar protests.
That was in 1968 and now in 2011 our troops fighting in Afghanistan will be watching their TVs and in days of high tech
computers and will see how these Afghan men are living it up in motels and other safe havens around Australia. Our governments need to toughen up on this matter instead of pussy footing around - show some leadership for goodness sake!
Regards.
A 4th generation Australian and proud to have served my country – make no mistake about that!
Bob “Bomber” Gibson
Gold Coast Australia
Aussie Vietnam Vet 1967 -1968 Infantry Rifleman, D & E Platoon, 1 ATF
THE STRONG, SILENT TYPE!
Dana Perrino (FOX News) describing an interview she recently had
with a Navy Seal - After discussing all the countries he had been
sent to, she asked if they had to learn several languages? His reply:
Oh no ma’am, we don’t go there to talk!
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________24
THE VETERANS COALITION MINISTRIES OF FAITH
Serving the spiritual needs of
all Veterans & Their Famillies
I am amazed at modern technology. I can sit at my computer in a house in
suburbia, unknown and incognito, yet the words written, can be and are, read
by veterans all over the globe.
Amazing!
We have responses from Denmark, Russia, Latvia, Hong Kong, UK, Ukraine,
France and South Africa. This is, of course, not mentioning the different states
of the USA, Canada and Australia.
The vcministriesoffaith.com is a website available to veterans who are serving their country somewhere in this wide world and can log on to read what this
Chaplain is uttering!
There is no three point sermon; rather short articles that can be read in a
couple of minutes.
There are no theological theses; rather, a short reference to a given subject
and relevant bible verses to be read.
There is no political or denominational push; rather all that is written is biblically based.
To support all this, there are articles of current or previous service personnel who have given their testimony on how
their faith in God has enabled them to carry on in life.
I continue to sit, month after month, at my computer, seeking God and asking Him what is a relevant topic to write
about to those who are on the front line, or who have been on the front line and need encouragement and a bit of a shot
in the arm of down-to-earth Christianity.
Every morning when I log onto the website and see how many hits have been recorded over a 24 hour period, I feel very
humbled to know that somehow, somewhere, someone has logged on and read what I hope is encouraging revelations of truth
about the Word of God.
There is also an email address available if someone would like to contact me direct. If not, I may be contacted through
the VVNW’s head office.
Wherever you are, whatever you are doing, wherever you are serving, please know that this chaplain has a team of people who are committed to pray for you and your families. Our heart’s desire is to see you return to your homes and businesses with a heart wiser for your experience in serving but not weighed down by the encounter.
PTSD is a common complaint. I have to say that after meeting so many veterans, and it is a great pleasure for me to do
so, I have noticed those who have a personal faith in God, suffer less from PTSD than others. I am not saying that they
don’t have their moments, but they can handle the PTSD far better than their counterparts.
I am not here to preach, rather to love and serve you in Jesus’ Name.
Carla Evans
Chaplain
Website: vcministriesoffaith.org
E-mail: vetministry@gmail.com
VETERANS WORLD DAY OF PRAYER – November 18, 2012
An opportunity for faith-sharing and helping to bring
the power of prayer to Veterans.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________25
COMBAT WOUNDED CONQUER THE PLANET’S TOUGHEST
MOUNTAIN BIKE RACE
By: Marc Hoffmeister, arcticsapper6@gmail.com
La Ruta de Los Conquistadors...the Route of the Conquerors. An epic mountain bike race known as the "toughest mountain bike on the planet", thrusting racers through 6
ecosystems as it traverses from the Pacific Ocean, across the
continental divide and down to the Atlantic, covering over
240 miles of terrain and over 39,000 vertical feet of elevation
gain in just four days.
I first learned of the race in 2002, when endurance racing was a personal obsession. I was actively competing in
ultra endurance races at home and abroad - multi day events
such as the Armed Forces Eco Challenge and the Eco Challenge-Fiji. La Ruta's appeal as a grueling, physical test of endurance was enthralling and intimidating all in the same
breath and it became my nemesis even at the height of my
competitive level.
That was before my world changed...before the war
thrust itself into my life, imposing its years of separation, fear
and hardship and tearing out my youth, my strength and
nearly stripping me of life itself. In 2007, when the bomb
detonated and shrapnel ripped through my body, blowing
through the armor of our HMMWV like a knife through hot
butter, La Ruta was perhaps the furthest thing from my mind.
As my blood stained the desert sands beneath me, I wouldn't have told you that that was actually my moment of inception, of rebirth - that the path of a conqueror is not just
a physical journey. As I stumbled towards the MEDEVAC,
balanced by the shoulders of my brothers in arms, I took my
first steps towards my new normal. Steps that would eventually become pedal strokes along the route of the toughest
mountain bike on earth. And for each stroke I would take
on that painfully rewarding journey, I could attribute my ability to continue to the love and support of family, friends, fellow warriors and organizations that cared enough to always
push me further.
La Ruta, the bike race, is not for the faint of heart. It
lives up to its reputation with brutal impartiality. Of course,
traveling from my blistery home in Alaska to the humid,
tropical mountains of Costa Rica may not have simplified
matters. The gauntlet of entering La Ruta was thrown down
by my blood brother, David Haines, in June 2011. He had
been severely wounded by a roadside bomb several months
earlier than I and we had sustained similar disabilities from
our injuries, but his were more severe than my own. We had
met in a military course together in 2005 and we're both avid
bikers even then. For each of us, bicycling was our path to recovery as we both regained our strength and confidence after
injury through our participation in a program called Ride 2
Recovery, founded by John Wordin. An exceptional and demanding rehabilitation program, it gets wounded warriors
back on the bike by training them then challenging them to
a demanding multi day stage ride. We first rode together in
April 2011, representing the Ride 2 Recovery as guests of
President Bush in the Warrior 100k in Big Bend National
Park. When Dave suggested we enter, I hadn't thought of La
Ruta in nearly ten years...literally since the war started. The
concept brought me such a sense of closure I surprised myself.
To complete a race that had intimidated me back when I was
in my prime, before losing partial use of my hand and arm,
that would complete the circle. How could I say no? I signed
up before fear and doubt had the chance to disrupt my moment of clarity.
With the support of Challenged Athlete Foundation and
the Ride 2 Recovery, we arrived into San Jose, Costa Rica a
few days early in order to acclimate. Unsure where to ride, we
followed our favorite mantra "when in doubt, go up!". We
had seen a switch backed trail running a ridge above a nearby
quarry that looked like a good training opportunity. Apparently, that mantra is a favorite of La Ruta as well as we turned
to begin the ascent, we saw arrows and a flamboyantly spelled
out "La Ruta" on the road beneath our wheels. "18%", Dave
ticked off the current gradient as we began to grind up the
trail. "24%!"...."29%!" Lactic acid rushed our quads like a last
defense. This route would be part of day 2 of La Ruta. We
rounded out the climb, spun back through San Anna, feeling flushed from the ride and justifiably intimidated of the
days ahead. I was more fatigued than I expected and doubt
was whispering in my ear. Maybe it was jet lag...
The next day we prerode some steep climbs and slick
screaming singletrack descents off of Irazu volcano down into
Cartago with David Gomez of 'Costa Rica on a Bike' tours.
It was a great ride, but the skull crushing thump of my heart
rate in my skull that you only feel at around 10,000 ft and
higher gave me further pause for day 3 when we would climb
and traverse the very same volcano...having had more than
enough of a 'confidence boost', we were more than ready to
get on with it.
The race shuttle from San Jose to Jaco was filled with
the idle banter of uber athletes..."Last time I did La Ruta
under 25 hrs"...."When I ran the Badwater 100...", "All they
gave us in the Race across the Saharra was a liter of water
for morning, one for the day, and one for the night...we had
to carry all our
own food and gear".
Registration was run with industrial precision and in no
time had all of our kit and nothing left to do but rest and eat.
We marvelled at the sheer number of Specialized S-works
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________26
Epic mountain bikes that surrounded us. We tried not to notice the sheer physical presence of the professional athletes
who surrounded us...riders whose physiology was as sculpted
and refined as the carbon fiber of the bike frame on which
they rode. I took consolation in an equal number of "average"
looking riders...although looks are always deceiving, I sought
some comfort that there were other riders with more than
5% body fat willing to get in the arena. Then we ran Alejandro, a right arm above elbow amputee whose was riding in
his fifth La Ruta. Despite the language barrier, we managed
to jovially compare scars and wish each other luck. All was
good, I had what I needed to finish this race...I had faith in
myself to go the distance. The only acceptable way for me
off the course was for race officials to physically pull me off.
It was simple math...make the cut off times, finish the ride,
race no one but yourself. The only competition in La Ruta
was not to quit.
Race director Roman Urbina closed out the race in brief
with a simple, twisted reminder to "remember to have fun",
we grabbed a fitful night of sleep broken by the frequent pit
stops of pre race hydration and then it was game day.
Race day weighed heavy with the heat and humidity of
the western shore of Costa Rica. The siren sounded and we
launched into a shortlived flat spin through the outskirts of
Jaco. Far too quickly, La Ruta bared her teeth. The trail arced
upward in an ever steepening slope angle, mercilessly dropping riders from the quasi pace line as speeds ground to mere
fractions of a mile per hour. One by one, riders succumed,
joining the growing ranks of the two legged vice the two
wheeled, sloogging to the top of a 30% slope. The occasional
hoot and hollar joined us in the camraderie of shared hardship but it lasted only a few miles before the climb had redirected any spare lungs to meet it's challenge. And that was
the first thousand feet with over 40,000 more lying in wait.
Dirt roads shifted to gravel trails, then gravel trails to single track, and single track became mud slick furrows carved
in the earth by heavy rain fall. We were soon immersed in a
chaotic dance through the rain forest, shifting constantly
from riding to carrying to scrambling up mud rich slopes and
purging our bikes of mud encased components as we traversed river after river, sometimes riding, more often carrying.
Massive climbs were followed by massive descents in a
brutal zero sum elevation gain and through it all the humidity sucked the fluids from our straining bodies. Day 1 is
known as the make it or break it day and it quickly became
obvious that the tyranny of time, distance, and brutal trail
conditions would take its toll as predicted. We moved
steadily, facing only ourselves and the trail, taking plenty of
time at check points to force hydrate and suck down as many
calories as the body would hold. Boiled potatoes and salt followed by jellied guava bars quickly became our favorites.
The day stretched long and light began to falter as we
screamed through the harried traffic of San Jose's bedroom
townships. Just as cut off time neared, we rolled into the bells
and loudspeakers announcing our arrival at the finish line.
We'd made the cut. Day 1 would not claim us. We would not
be participants in this race...we would be competitors.
Day 2 posed the eternal question...are you more fearful of
what you know or what you don't? We knew what lay ahead
at the start of the day, but Roman had adjusted the course.
We had ridden the first 1500 meters of the first 2700 meter
climb, but the new route now extended the second climb
several hundred additional meters. Todays climb were huge.
Dave and I each attacked the day in our way, silently grunting through the steep. After clearing the last summit well
within time, we were greeted with a gut wrenching descent
through the beautiful hill country of Cartago, screaming
down some technical trail and bursting into the civility of
paved roads encased in an armor of mud from the trail. We
both made cut offs in early afternoon and relished the extra
hour or so to refit and feed. We knew the next day would
bring the fatigue of day 1 into play and that a long steady
climb in thin air lay ahead of us.
We awoke to the mountains shouldered in clouds and
knew that day 3 would bring a new weather challenge to the
forefrunt. After days of sweltering humidity soaking the sweat
from our core, rain and cold temperatures at higher elevation would threaten hypothermia...ironically, this was
weather I was familiar with and it brought me a sense of comfort. The day only had 6000 feet of climbing spread steadily
across 79 Km, but it was a constant strain on already fatigued
muscles. Trail conditions actually remained rideable the entire ascent and after several hours of climbing, we crested the
volcano's summit accompanied by the smell of sulfur and a
steadily increasing rain. Either our lungs had acclimated or
the physical strain we punished ourselves with in the climb
overshadowed any shortness of breath from riding at 10,000
ft. What followed was a mountain bikers dream...8000 feet of
technical, wet, muddy, rocky roads capped off by a miles long
sensually curved paved descent nearly all the way to the finish. Dave and I stopped smiling only long enough to spit the
mud from out teeth as we screamed down the trail then rocketed through town, weaving through vehicles far slower than
our rate of descent. We both knew it but wouldn't say it...one
more stage and the deal was sealed. We could taste victory
but reined our thoughts in, knowing full well that the difference between finish and failure was a millisecond of indecision when the wrong choice could slam you into the
pavement and strip you of your chance to cross the line.
We'd see seen plenty of carnage through the day...one biker
sailing off a hairpin curve to land thirty feet away, breaking
an arm in the process, a second, cut off by another biker, had
nailed a deep rut at speed and hard ripping his knee and arm
to the bone.
Day four. Only around 5000 feet of climbing. How
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________27
quickly your frame of reference changes to say 'only' 5000 feet. That is truly a gift of La Ruta. All we had to do was ride safe,
avoid mechanicals, and somehow stay hydrated in the 95% humidity that greeted us once again at low elevation as we
moved closer to the coast. The start had a vehicle escort through town and for the first time, we actually rode several miles
with the lead racers well in sight. The performance of the professional riders had been nothing short of awesome, covering
the same terrain as we had in roughly half the time. It was good to share a moment with the sirens and the fanfare. The heat
compensated for the shortness of the day's climb and we felt the sharp sting of La Ruta's final lashings as we grunted over
the series of short yet steep final climbs. A fast, paved descent dropped us to sea level and we were faced with one more blessing of La Ruta...the train tracks. A sharp right turn launched us onto the center of an active rail way. The irradically spaced
concrete beams and angular rock shook us to the core. The vibrations felt as though the screws and plates in my arm would
be shaken loose and Dave's hand blistered and ripped along the extended tendons where his palm had been reconstructed.
The rail soon came to the first of what would seem like countless river crossings. I tried to ride the first and quickly
learned that the space between trestles had no standard and several gaps were far larger than my tire. Grudgingly I shouldered my bike and joined the line of riders shuffling precariously in their bike shoes several hundred feet above the gap
with no railings. The process continued...on the tracks off the tracks over the bridge through a village on the tracks, rock
on! And then the gentle sound of waves crashing on the shore graced our ears...we had reached the Atlantic Ocean! The
trail traversed the beach for several miles and we deflated our tires slightly for better weight distribution in the soft sand then
we broke back out onto dirt roads and a final stretch of asphalt. As the noise of celebration and the pitch of the announcers called us in to the finish line, a sense of elation filled us...we had just ridden the toughest mountain bike on the
planet...the scars that covered our bodies, the plates, the screws, the shifted body parts that had brought us back to our new
normal had met the challenge and overcome.
We were Conquistadors!
Marc Hoffmeister and Dave Haines
at the start of Stage 1
Marc crossing the finish line of stage 2
Marc at the end of Stage 2...muddy but smiling
Pushing a steep climb on Stage 4
Dave Haines and Marc Hoffmeister at
the finish line with Nepali National
Mountain Bike Champion, Ajay Pandit
Chhetri
Dave Haines crosses a railroad bridge in
stage 4
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________28
THIS IS YOUR AUSTRALIA TODAY
Dave and Marc before the start of stage 4
Dave catches his breath after a bit of climbing
on stage 1
Marc and Dave cross the finish line
On the 18th of August 1966 at
Long Tan, Vietnam, D Company of
the 6th Battalion, Royal Australian
Regiment, mainly made up of Australian National Servicemen and at
that time located to support the American Army, fought a battle against
the Viet Cong. In this action D Company lost 18 men killed and 24 injured. The Viet Cong dead numbered in excess of 245. The Australian
lines were never crossed. The Viet Cong withdrew.
American President Johnson and US Army Staff recognized the
achievement by awarding the Unit Citation of Gallantry on 30th May
1968. The Award was formally accepted by Queen Elizabeth on 13th
June 1968.
Prime Minister John Gorton made the formal presentation of this
American Citation to the Battalion at Lavarack Barracks, Townsville on
18th August 1968.
On the 31st of March 2010, D Company of the 6th Battalion, Royal
Australian Regiment were belatedly awarded the Australian version of
“Unit Citation for Gallantry” (UCG) honoring their extraordinary deeds
at Long Tan. The Government however refused to approve travel payment for the surviving Unit Members or their families, including the
families of deceased Unit Members, in order that they be present at the
UCG Presentation Ceremony presided over by the Governor General
of Australia.
In February 2011 the same Government of Australia footed the Funeral Bill to bury the illegal boat people, who tragically perished on
Christmas Island. This included flying surviving family illegals and survivors to and from Sydney and Christmas Island accommodating them,
etc., etc. plus a coach tour of Sydney thrown in.
The Canberra Polit Bureau had waited 45 years to publicly acknowledge the bravery and sacrifice of these Sons of Australia and then
immediately Shit on their memory by wetting themselves to appease the
feeling of boat illegals forcing their entry into our country.
Now we witness what can only be described as, attempted political
face saving, by this same Government, sponsoring a TV Documentary,
to celebrate our Armed Forces accomplishments at Kapyong, Korea in
1951.
This will see our Prime Minister and the entire Priministeral entourage fly in a RAAF plane to Korea to mark this 60th Anniversary.
What Bloody Hypocrisy!!
What a Blatant Affront to the feelings of our Nation’s serving Armed
Forces, Past and Present.
A muddy descent on stage 2
Lt. Col. Marc Hoffmeister is serving as
an Honorary Board Member for the
Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The
Veterans Coalition. We are proud of his
accomplishments and wish him many more
adventures!
SHAME, SHAME, SHAME
You political parasite.
You do not deserve to represent our country.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________29
WANTED:
Earthmoving Equipment, Farm Equipment and Dump Trucks
In a country that is equipment rich, we are sure there are Veterans, Patriots and caring
Americans that can help our Homeless Veterans by donating usable equipment for use
and training purposes in our United Veterans Beacon Houses.
Don’t let that equipment you hardly use sit around; don’t let it rust away. It is valuable
to Veterans, put it to good use, donate it and receive a tax deductible receipt as well
as the heartfelt thanks of our Veterans.
Call us now! 1-800-843-8626 or e-mail us at vvnwnatl@epix.net
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________30
IS THAT EASY RIDER … OR JUST GLENN BRITTON
VISITING NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS?
Most years Glenn Britton from Colorado (formerly from an area near to the National Headquarters of the Veterans of the
Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition) travels across the country to finally end up in Washington, DC for Rolling
Thunder, Memorial Day Weekend.
During one of his visits he came to visit us at Headquarters but we really think it was just to show off his motorcycle. The
pictures show the beautiful artwork on the bike. Good looking, Glenn! Ride safely!
To all those Veterans out there from Korea to current serving,
join a long established, National Veterans Service Organization.
That is the only way we can lobby and maintain Veterans Benefits.
Veteran Service organizations are YOUR organizations –
make the effort.
You may not need us now, however, you will!
Remember:
Together We WIN,
Divided They WIN.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________31
POW/MIA UPDATE
wondered. But growing up, and how I
think back and I think all that we have
missed," said Sturmer's sister Lexey
Lyons.
The family said Sturmer is back
where he belongs and it’s a final resting
place for a true American hero. He was
buried in Spokane with full military
honors.
REMAINS NOT THOSE OF SEAN
FLYNN, US AGENCY SAYS
WW II HERO RETURNS HOME
68 YEARS AFTER BEING KILLED
IN ACTION
SPOKANE -- A World War II veteran
has made his final trip home to
Spokane 68 years after being killed during World War II.
Herman Sturmer bravely fought for
his country and bravely lost his life. He
was finally reunited with his family.
Sturmer joined the Marines at the
age of 17. He was killed in action one
year later, in 1943. Sturmer, who preferred to be called Junior, died while
fighting in one of the bloodiest battles
of World War II in the central Pacific
island of Betio. His family assumed he
was properly buried on the island after
his death. But in 2002, a construction
crew found human remains and contacted military officials.
Then last Winter, the family got a
call telling them the remains might be
Junior's.
"We started doing some checking
and they were able to identify him
through his remains and through dental
records. I helped mom with a DNA
sample," said Sturmer's nephew Dennis
Walter. Junior's remains were brought
back to his family in Spokane.
"All these years in my mind I have
really thought about him and I really
DNA tests conclusively show that
human remains unearthed by amateur
diggers during a search for the grave of
Sean Flynn are not those of the missing
war photographer who disappeared covering the Cambodian conflict in 1970,
a US military officer said recently.
Instead, remains found in the
much-criticized excavation appear to
belong to a Cambodian or someone
from the region. It was unclear where
these remains might now be sent or
whether testing will continue.
Flynn disappeared with colleague
Dana Stone 40 years ago on April 6
after the pair were captured by Vietnamese troops in Svay Rieng province
and handed over to the Khmer Rouge.
Self-styled adventurers Dave
MacMillan and Keith Rotheram said
they had found remains that were potentially those of the photojournalist,
who was the son of Hollywood firm
actor Errol Flynn, in a Kompng Cham
province excavation. The pair turned
over a piece of jawbone, teeth and bone
fragments to the US government.
AMERICANS IDENTIFIED
The following US personnel were
names as having been recovered and
accounted for as follows:
PFC Wayne Bibbs, USA, IL
COL Leo S. Boston, USAF, CO
LCDR Edward J. Broms, Jr., USN, PA
SFC William T. Brown, USA, CA
MAJ Thomas E Clark, USAF, PA
CAPT Arnold E. Holm, Jr., USA, CT
MAJ Bruce E. Lawrence, USAF, NJ
COL Gilbert S. Palmer, Jr., USAF, AL
SP4 Marvin F. Phillips, USA
MAJ Thomas E. Reitmann, USAF, MN
LT COL Edward D. Silver, USAF, OR
SP4 Robin R. Yeakley, USA, IN
REMAINS IDENTIFIED
The Department of Defense
POW/Missing
Personnel
Office
(DPMO) announced that the remains
of a U.S. serviceman, missing in action
from World War II, have been identified and have been returned to his
family for burial with full military honors. He is Sgt. Michael A. Chiodo,
U.S. Army Air Forces. He was 22 years
old at the time of his death
On April 29, 1944, the Eighth Air
Force ordered more than 600 aircraft to
bomb the railroad system in downtown
Berlin. Chiodo was the assistant radio
operator aboard a B-24J Liberator that
took off from Wendling Air Base,
County Norfolk, England. The aircraft
crashed with nine other crew members
aboard when attacked by German fighters before reaching their target. The
precise location of the crash could not
be determined during the dogfights, but
other crew members’ observations
placed it north of Hanover. In 2003, a
German citizen began excavating the
crash site near the village of Meitze and
turned over human remains to U.S. officials. A Joint POW/MIA Accounting
Command team traveled to excavate
the crash site in 2005 and 2007,
recovering additional remains and
crew-related equipment including
identification tags for four of the crew
members.
Of the 16 million Americans who
served in World War II, more than
400,000 died. At the end of the war,
the U.S. government was unable to recover and identify approximately
79,000 Americans. Today, more than
72,000 are unaccounted-for from the
conflict.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________32
POW/MIA UPDATE
MISSING VIETNAM WAR
AIRMAN IDENTIFIED
The Department of Defense
POW/Missing Personnel Office announced that the remains of a U.S.
serviceman, missing in action from
the Vietnam War, have been identified and returned to his family for
burial with full military honors.
Air Force Capt. Thomas E.
Clark, 29, of Emporium, PA was
buried in his hometown. On Feb.
8, 1969, Clark was attacking an
anti-aircraft artillery position in
Savannakhet Province, Laos, when
his F-100D Super Sabre aircraft
was struck by enemy fire and
crashed. Three other American pilots on the mission did not see a
parachute or any other signs of
Clark. Immediate search and rescue missions were not able to locate the crash site.
In 1991, and again in 1992,
joint U.S./Lao People’s Democratic
Republic (L.P.D.R.) teams investigated the area of the crash and recovered aircraft wreckage and
military equipment. The teams
also conducted interviews with locals who reported witnessing the
crash. Local Laotians gave the investigators two military identification tags that identified Clark, and
human remains, which had been
recovered from the site shortly after
the crash. In 2009, an additional
excavation of the site recovered
dental remains which also helped
to identify Clark.
SOLDIER MISSING FROM
VIETNAM WAR IDENTIFIED
The Department of Defense
POW/Missing Personnel Office announced that the remains of a
U.S. serviceman, missing in action
from the Vietnam War, have been
identified returned to his family for
burial with full military honors.
Army Specialist 4 Marvin F.
Phillips, 20, of Palmer, TN was
buried in his hometown. Forty-five
years earlier, on September 26,
1966, Phillips and three aircrew
members crashed into nine feet of
water, off the coast of South Vietnam, when their UH-1B Huey helicopter was struck by small arms
fire. The only surviving crew
member was rescued and the remains of a second soldier were recovered by other aircrews in the
area. Extensive searches were conducted but no sign of the remaining two crew members were found.
From 1992 to 1998, joint
U.S./Socialist Republic of Vietnam
(S.R.V.) teams, led by the Joint
POW/MIA Accounting Command
(JPAC), interviewed witnesses and
investigated locations where an
American soldier had purportedly
been buried. In 2010, the Vietnam
Office for Seeking Missing Persons
notified U.S. officials that a villager in Tra Vinh Province was in
possession of human remains
thought to be related to a U.S. aircraft crash. Following an interview
with the villager, the remains were
turned over to the joint
U.S./S.R.V. team. At the time he
recovered the remains there were
three U.S. aircraft crashes in the
water near the villager’s home.
NO MATTER WHAT
SERVICE BRANCH YOU GOT TO LOVE
THE NCO:
A young Marine officer was severely
wounded in the head by a grenade, but the
only visible permanent injury was to both of
his ears, which were amputated. Since his
hearing wasn't impaired he remained in the
Marine Corps. Many years later he eventually rose to the rank of major general. He
was, however, very sensitive about his appearance. One day the general was interviewing three Marines, prospects for his
headquarters staff.
The first was an aviator captain, and it
was a great interview. At the end of the interview the general asked him, "Do you notice anything different about me?" The
young officer answered, "Why, yes, Sir, I
couldn't help but notice that you have no
ears."
The general got very angry at his lack
of tact and threw him out. The second interview was with a logistics Lieutenant, and
he was even better. The general then asked
him the same question, "Do you notice anything different about me?" He replied
sheepishly, "Well, Sir, you have no ears."
The general, now really pissed, threw him
out also.
The third interview was with a Marine
gunnery sergeant, an infantryman and Staff
NCO. He was articulate, looked extremely
sharp and seemed to know more than the
two officers combined. The general wanted
this guy, and went ahead with the same
question, "Do you notice anything different
about me?"
To his surprise the sergeant said, "Yes,
Sir, you wear contact lenses." The general
was very impressed and thought, what an incredibly observant NCO, and he didn't
mention my ears. "And how do you know
that I wear contacts?" the General asked.
"Well, Sir," the gunny replied, "it's pretty
hard to wear glasses with no f*ckin' ears."
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________33
SWEAT LODGE AT UVBH, PROMISE, SD
Residents at the United Veterans Beacon House in Promise SD have the honor of having a sweat lodge behind the
house – convenient for use by residents and Tribe Members
who want to take advantage of the spiritual refuge. A
Sweat Lodge Ceremony is a time in which damage done to
the spirit, mind and body can be replaced with needed wisdom and power.
The structure itself was handmade using willow branches
lashed together with fabric and covered by canvas. The sacred fire pit in the center was fashioned with rocks that will
be heated before the actual ceremony and then as the rocks
are placed in the center water will be poured over them to
produce the warmth needed for the spiritual ceremony.
Prior to entering the sweat the participants usually smudge
with sage, sweetgrass or cedar smoke as a means toward ritual cleanliness.
During the purification of one’s spirit inside a sweat lodge, all sense of race, color and religion is set aside. As in the Mother’s
womb and the Father’s eyes, we are all the same, we are One.
Those who take advantage of an invitation to a sweat lodge come away with a renewed spiritual life and if you are asked to
participate we encourage you to do so for an experience of a lifetime.
ALL I CAN SAY AFTER READING THIS IS -- WOW!
COURAGE.
You’re a 19 year old kid. You’re critically wounded and dying in the jungle somewhere
in the Central Highlands of Vietnam. It’s November 11, 1967. LZ (landing zone) Xray.
Your unit is outnumbered 8-1 and the enemy fire is so intense, from 100 yards away, that
your CO has ordered the MedEvac helicopters to stop coming in. You’re lying there,
listening to the enemy machine guns and you know you’re not getting out. Your family is half way around the world, 12,000 miles away, and you’ll never see them again. As
the world starts to fade in and out, you know this is the day.
Then – over the machine gun noise, you faintly hear that sound of a helicopter. You
look up to see a Huey coming in. But … it doesn’t seem real because no MedEvac markings are on it. Captain Ed Freeman is coming in for you. He’s not MedEvac so it’s not his job, but he heard the radio call and decided he’d fly his Huey
down into the machine gun fire anyway.
Even after the MedEvacs were ordered not to come he’s coming anyway! And he drops it in and sits there in the machine gun fire as they load three of you at a time on board. Then he flies you up and out through the gunfire to the
doctors and nurses and safety. And, he kept coming back! 13 more times! Until all the wounded were out. No one
knew until the mission was over that the Captain had been hit four times in the legs and left arm. He took 29 of you
and your buddies out that day. Some would not have made it without the Captain and his Huey.
Medal of Honor Recipient, Captain Ed Freeman, US Air Force, died recently at the age of 70 in Boise, Idaho.
May God bless and rest his soul.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________34
IT WAS A TOUGH YEAR, BUT I MADE IT !!!
But not everyone is as lucky as I am.......
The economy is so bad that I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.
I ordered a burger at McDonald's, and the kid behind the counter asked, "Can
you afford fries with that?"
CEO's are now playing miniature golf.
If the bank returns your check marked "insufficient funds" you have to call
them and ask if they mean you or them .
Hot Wheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.
McDonald's is selling the 1/4 'ouncer'.
Parents in Beverly Hills and Malibu are firing their nannies and learning their
children's names.
A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico .
Dick Cheney took his stockbroker hunting.
Motel Six won't leave the light on anymore.
BP Oil laid off 25 Congressmen.
Congress says they are looking into the Bernard Madoff scandal. Oh Great!! The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being
investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear!
And, finally...
I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars, jobs, my savings, Social Security, retirement funds, and our
bleak future, that I called the Suicide Lifeline and was connected to a call center in Pakistan . When I told them I was
suicidal, they got all excited, and asked if I could drive a truck.
BULLETIN BOARD
USS IWO JIMA SHIPMATES -- A reunion for all ships company and embarked
Navy and Marine Corps personnel – USS Iwo Jima will be held at the Crowne Plaza
Hotel, Tysons Corner, McLean, VA June 6-10-2012. Contact Robert G. McAnally at
757-723-0317 for more information.
USS FOREST B. ROYAL DD872 -- The 11th reunion of the USS Forest B. Royal
DD872 will be held in Branson, MO, June 21-24, 2012. For more information contact
Ron Larsen, 1240 Franklin Street, Wisconsin Rapids, WI 54494 or call 715-423-8905.
KILO COMPANY -- A reunion of Kilo Company, 3rd Bn., 7th Marine Rgt., Vietnam and attached units will be held in Oklahoma City, OH, September 20-24, 2012.
For more information contact William Rolke at e-mail: k37usmc@att.com or phone 262-780-0993
WORKING BEES – PROMISE AND PARADE, SD -- Do you have some free time? Do you want to see parts of the
state of South Dakota? Do you want to do something to help Veterans? Well, we have the trip for you. Contact the
National Headquarters of the Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition for more information about
upcoming Spring trips. Call 1-800-843-8626 or 570-954-2268.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________35
NAVY GIVES NECK INJECTIONS A SHOT AT CURING PTSD
What if doctors could cure posttraumatic stress disorder with a single
injection to the neck? One Chicagoarea doctor claims he can, and has finally convinced someone in the
Pentagon to give the idea a shot. Some
in the Navy believe the approach might
actually work.
The freaky procedure is called stellate-ganglion block (SGB). It’s the
brainchild of Chicago anesthesiologist
Dr. Eugene Lipov. He’s touted the
method for years, even winning thenSenator Barack Obama’s support in
2007, and he’s treated dozens of military
personnel and Veterans at his own
clinic.
Until recently, Lipov was largely ignored by Pentagon brass and military
doctors. All four of his applications for
military research funding were denied.
The most recent rejection came just recently. But someone with the Pentagon’s funding review boards forgot to
tell the Navy. One of its doctors is now
several months into the first-ever military study on SGB – and she believes
that the method actually appears effective.
The study is the latest evidence of
the Pentagon’s increasing desperation
to get a handle on PTSD – a frequently
debilitating condition that affects an estimated 250,000 soldiers just from this
decade’s wars, and thousands more from
earlier conflicts. Doctors across the
country are getting Pentagon dollars to
study ideas as far-out as dog therapy and
“digital dreaming” software. Capt.
Anita Hickey says that the Navy alone
is currently funding 82 different studies
on potential PTSD treatments. So far,
nothing’s proven to be a magic bullet.
You can credit – or blame – the
military’s recent embrace of holistics
(acupuncture is now used in combat,
and several military hospitals offer
yoga) for Hickey’s SGB study. Last year,
a senior Naval official heard Dr. Lipov
present his idea to the House Veteran’s
Affairs Committee. The official
brought the idea up to top Navy Docs,
all of whom rejected it.
Then Capt. Hickey, a doctor herself, came along. An aficionado of altmedicine and longtime advocate for
combat acupuncture, Hickey thought
the concept had potential. Hickey applied to the Navy for funding and got
$100,000 – even as other military doctors gave Lipov’s proposals the thumbsdown. She’s now midway through a
long-term evaluation of SGB in 42
Navy personnel diagnosed with PTSD.
Capt. Hickey said she couldn’t divulge
specific data from the study but she did
say that the process is double blind and
placebo controlled. One group of patients receives a placebo, and neither
doctor nor patient knows what was administered. The method is the goldstandard for rigorous medical research
because it minimizes any subjective bias
and helps distinguish real results from
imagined ones.
Lipov initially used SGB to treat
hot flashes among post-menopausal
women. When he dug up an old
Finnish paper on adapting the procedure for PTSD, he decided to give it a
stab. Preliminary attempts worked incredibly well – SGB seemed to alleviate PTSD symptoms within five
minutes and one former Marine Corps
Sergeant enthused that “I immediately
felt more relaxed and calmed down. It’s
been great.”
Unfortunately, Lipov wasn’t entirely sure how SGB targeted PTSD –
hardly what Pentagon brass want to
hear about an exciting new treatment
prospect.
After subsequent research, however, Lipov in 2009 published a paper
in Medical Hypothesis – a journal whose
stated mission is to “publish radical,
speculative and non-mainstream ideas”
– describing how SGB seems to work.
The injection of aesthetic, administered into a bundle of sympathetic
nervous tissue in the neck, appears to
turn off something called nerve growth
factor. Nerve growth factor can surge
during stressful experiences and promote the sprouting of nerves. That
triggers chronic stress – what’s commonly known as the “fight or flight” response.
Of course, you’d be right to think
that rebooting a soldier’s nervous systems sounds a little scary. And indeed,
SGB isn’t without risks. The injection
can trigger seizures, hit an artery or
even puncture the lung, however rarely.
Those downsides might explain
why the Pentagon hasn’t jumped all
over SGB. Most recently, Lipov’s proposal for a $1.6 million study was rejected by the U.S. Army Medical
Research and Material Command at
Fort Detrick.
Sure, many in the military are open
minded about new approaches to treating PTSD. But claiming to cure PTSD
with one injection, when months of
therapy and powerful prescriptions fail,
hardly seems realistic. Not to mention
that therapy isn’t accompanied by the
risk of a punctured lung.
Still, there’s no question the military is running out of options. Giving
more serious consideration to controversial ideas, such as SGB, ecstasy or
marijuana, is likely only a matter of
time. Lipov, for one, has no plans to
stop pushing the Pentagon. He’s written a book on the procedures, and has a
new study of his own on eight Veterans
being published in February’s edition of
the journal Military Medicine.
Shown are SGB advocate Dr. Eugene Lipov
on the left with ally Capt. Anita Hickey, a
Navy Doctor. Photo by Katie Drummond
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________36
ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETERY TURNS CORNER
UNDER NEW LEADERSHIP
WASHINGTON, D.C. - The Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs received an update on the
state of Arlington National Cemetery. After years of poor management and neglect, it was revealed in 2010 that problems
at the nation’s preeminent cemetery were rampant and included inaccurate
burial records, unmarked graves, and a lack of
accountability among senior management.
In August, the Army IG released a new report noting that many of the problems that existed previously at Arlington had been resolved.
Rep. Jon Runyan, Chairman of the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance
and Memorial Affairs, commended the new leadership of Arlington, stating, “due to your diligence, hard work, and excellent management, the problems which plagued Arlington National Cemetery just one year ago have
been addressed and the majority have been eliminated.”
“We have made tremendous progress at Arlington National Cemetery,”
stated Ms. Kathryn Condon, Executive Director of Arlington. “Although
much has been accomplished, we have much work to do. Yet, it is important that we recognize the diligent efforts put forth by the work force each
day. When we arrived at the cemetery 15 months ago, we found a work
force that was demoralized and lacked direction. Today that is no longer
true.”
Among the IG report’s key recommendations for further improvement are the creation of a multi-service policy, long-term
command and oversight plan, and how to better evaluate interment wait times.
“Moving forward, I hope to learn how this progress will be sustained, and the plans to strengthen the improvements already
made,” Runyan said. “The committee is pleased that the Army and Arlington have taken these issues so seriously in order
to restore confidence in our most hallowed ground. We will continue our oversight to ensure it remains so.”
The Veterans of the
Vietnam War, Inc.
& The Veterans Coalition Donate to the
Wilkes-Barre VA
Medical Center
The International Headquarters of the Veterans of the Vietnam War,
Inc. & The Veterans Coalition along with VVnW Post 56, Nanticoke, PA, recently donated a26” LED TV and wall mount to the VA
Medical Center in Wilkes Barre, PA for use in the rehabilitation
section.
Pictured left to right are: Michael Murphy, VVnW National Secretary: Toni Germain-Tudgay, Chief Rehab Prosthetics;
Keith Naylor, Kinesiotheropist and Mary Pat O’Malley, PTA.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________37
NAVY HONOURS DIGGER WITH SHIP NAMING
A Royal Australian Navy ship has been named HMAS Choules to honour
Australia's last known Veteran of both world wars.
Claude Choules was Australia's oldest man when he died peacefully in a Perth nursing home in May at the age of 110. Mr.
Choules was the last survivor of 70 million men who saw active service in the 1914-18 war. HMAS Choules was officially
commissioned into the RAN fleet by Commander of the Australian Fleet Rear Admiral Stephen Gilmore.
The amphibious 16,000-tonne, 176-metre-long vessel, known as a landing ship
dock, will help the RAN in its humanitarian operations. Formerly known as
RFA Largs Bay, it served as a landing ship with Britain's Royal Fleet Auxiliary
from 2006 until earlier this year. With a 26-metre wide flight deck that can fit
two large helicopters, as well as about 150 light trucks and 350 troops, HMAS
Choules joins the HMAS Tobruk, HMAS Canterbury, Windermere and other
landing craft.
Rear Admiral Gilmore said it was an honour to name the ship after Mr.
Choules. 'He was representative of the sacrifice of his generation of servicemen,' he said. 'The spirit of Claude and the qualities he personified will live on in this ship.'
British-born Mr. Choules, nicknamed 'Chuckles' by comrades, joined the British Navy at the age of 14. He served on the
battleship HMS Revenge in 1917 and watched the 1918 surrender of the German High Seas Fleet.
He moved to Australia in 1926 as an instructor on loan from the British Navy but never returned and subsequently transferred to the RAN.
As the acting torpedo officer at Fremantle, Mr. Choules disposed of the first German mine to wash up on Australian soil
during World War II, near Esperance on WA's south coast. He was also tasked with destroying harbour and oil storage tanks
at the Fremantle port in the event of a Japanese invasion.
Mr. Choules remained in the RAN after the war, spending his final working years in the Naval Dockyard Police before
joining the cray fishing industry.
In all, he served for more than 40 years. Mr. Choules released an autobiography in 2009 entitled The Last of the Last.
He and his wife, Ethel, to whom he was married for more than 70 years and who died at the age of 98, had two daughters
and a son. Mr. Choules had 11 grandchildren, 23 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren.
While Mr. Choules was the last surviving World War I fighter, the last Veteran is believed to be a 110-year-old British
woman, Florence Green who, as a teenager, was an RAF officers' mess waitress.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________38
IS AIR TRAVEL TRIP INSURANCE OF ANY VALUE?
Access America
Trip Insurance offered by Delta Airlines in our opinion is not worth the money
nor is it viable or cost effective!
We purchased a Ticket from Delta Airlines for Sam Allen, one of our Volunteers who was coming out from Norfolk, Virginia to Promise, South Dakota to work at the United Veterans Beacon House. As we do with many volunteers we purchase trip insurance which Delta Airlines promotes on their website.
On the day of the travel Sam Allen got sick at the airport and notified Delta Airlines he could not fly. Lawrence Collins,
our VA state coordinator, collected Sam Allen from the airport and called us in South Dakota as we were to collect him,
to let us know that Sam could not make the trip. He didn’t use the ticket!
After much searching I finally found the information needed to make a claim and set about writing to Access America
which is, in fact, Jefferson Insurance Company. I sent along copies of the bookings and payment of the ticket and all relevant documentation, (total of 8 pages) and I asked them to get back to me. I also sent a copy of the same letter to Delta
Airlines customer service. We heard nothing for three months and we finally got a letter back telling us quote, “we have
not received the necessary supporting documentation therefore your claim has been closed.” That is the only correspondence we have received from Access America.” When I finally received the letter from Access America, I called the 800
number suggested on the letter and was told very politely that the claim had been closed and nothing further could be
done. In my original letter to Access America on 3 December 2010, I stated quite clearly to Access America, all of the
facts and I have to tell you I didn't have a great experience on this call to try and get a refund for Sam Allen’s ticket. So I
wrote to someone higher up. They really didn’t do anything about it.
We have never received a response from Delta Airlines. So the Organization lost over $900 plus the cost of the trip insurance - money we could not afford to lose, hence the trip insurance. I would caution anybody from taking any trip insurance from Delta Airlines, Access America or Jefferson Insurance Company. In any of our travel for the organization we do
not use trip insurance and will not use it in the future. Access America has not serviced their trip insurance obligations.
The reason we and others take trip insurance is for the reasons set out above yet the first claim we put in we are denied
and the file or claim was closed. Does this seem bogus to you?
HOW CAN YOU HELP HOMELESS VETERANS?
Donations of money and foodstuffs go a long way in helping the United Veterans Beacon House Program and
the Veterans it serves.
Maybe you can make your own individual donation or better yet, make up a poster asking for your fellow
employees, your church members, your service organization, etc. to bring in just one item that will be used by
the Veterans we house. One tube of toothpaste, one roll of toilet tissue, a bar of soap, a can of soup, a roll of paper
towels, a bottle of window cleaner, a package of razors, just to name a few things, can go a long way in helping.
You can also organize a food drive at your local food store and we will then make arrangements to get the
materials to the United Veterans Beacon House.
Designate the Veterans Fund of the United States as a United Way donation.
Call us today at 1-800-843-8626 for more details on how you can help!
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________39
INTERESTED IN HELPING VETERANS?
HOW ABOUT AN EXCITING,
ALL-EXPENSE PAID TRIP TO
PROMISE, SOUTH DAKOTA?
ARE YOU A PIPEFITTER,
HANDYMAN, PLUMBER OR
GENERAL CONTRACTOR WHO CAN
GIVE TWO WEEKS OF YOUR TIME TO
WORK FOR VETERANS?
YOUR COST = $0 + YOUR TRADE
Transportation provided from Pittston, PA
to SD and return.
Interested? Call us for Spring dates.
Call 1-800-843-8626 or 570-954-2268
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________40
OUTPOSTS
POST LA-04 – THIBODAUX, LA
LET FREEDOM RING FESTIVAL
Thibodaux, LA celebrated the Fourth of July with a festival that
drew thousands to watch fireworks light up the sky.
The Let Freedom Ring festival, at Peltier Park, included salutes to
Veterans and those serving in the military, along with barbecues,
music and dancing.
Behind the pavilion, kids splashed each other and screamed happily in an inflatable waterslide and space walk.
Dozens of Veterans ringed the flagpole for a ceremonial flag-raising. An honor guard fired off a 21-gun salute and a flock of doves
was let loose, winging white into the bright afternoon sunshine.
At one point, three F-15 fighters flew overhead in a tight wedge,
engines roaring.
Fireworks explode over Thibodaux.
Photo by: Kim Smith/Correspondent
The jets widened the eyes of 4-year-old Ty Powell, of Thibodaux. Powell was too busy slurping on a snowball to take questions from the press; his lips were coated in red juice. “He
loved the jets,” said Powell's dad, Willie, grinning. Willie Powell said the event was a great
way to spend the Independence Day weekend. “It's a great day for us to be out here as a family,” he said. “It's important to remember the Veterans that gave so much so we could do
this.”
Nearby, in full combat fatigues, stood Sean Zeringue, an airman in the U.S. Air Force and a Thibodaux native. “It's really nice being able to come back today,” said Zeringue, who is stationed in
Arkansas. “It's great to be back home in a community with so many in-town Veterans. It's good to
know that I'm a small part of that.”
One of those in-town Veterans is Korean War Veteran and retired Army Sgt. First Class Roy Bonvillain. He sat on the
bleachers wearing his Army cap. He held another cap with the American flag and the words “Freedom Isn't Free” monogrammed on the front — a gift given one-by-one to all the Veterans in attendance by event organizers.“It's a nice day,”
Bonvillain said. “It means you have a gathering of all the Veterans in the
area. That happens so infrequently, it's nice to take advantage.”
Thibodaux Mayor Tommy Eschete told the crowd the celebration was for
people like Zeringue and Bonvillain. “The fact that we have our freedoms
is a testament to your work and sacrifice,” Eschete said. “This day is for
you.”
A display of battle gear from Houma's Regional Military Museum was a reminder of the price of freedom, especially to those who served. “I was in
this, in a turret, running the rivers in the Mekong Delta with the 9th Infantry,” said Mike Hall, recalling his days in the Vietnam War. “When
you're 19, 20 years old, you look back on them now, and how did you do
it, you know, but you did it,” he said. “And as all Vietnam Veterans I left
some buddies over there. That you never forget.
Post LA-04 Members and other Veterans
participate in the Presentation of Colors
at the Festival.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________41
The Veterans of the Vietnam War & The Veterans Coalition Post LA-04, founded the festival 13 years ago. It's also sponsored by the city of Thibodaux and the Lorio Foundation.
“Today we celebrate our nation's birthday,” said Vietnam veteran John Guillot. “Citizen soldiers won our freedom for us, and
it has come full circle. Today citizen soldiers are protecting this country, they're in Afghanistan and Iraq.”
POST NJ-03, MILLSTONE TOWNSHIP, NJ
Once again we were amazed at the efforts of a group of 3rd grade students from Mrs. Lynch’s class at Lucy N. Holman Elementary School. They raised $600 for the United Veterans Beacon House Program through what they called Project Bracelet.
These bracelets were made from the ring tabs from beverage containers and they then sold them. What outstanding young
people who are guided by a terrific teacher, Mrs. Lynch! Also shown in the photo in the back row with Mrs. Lynch are Marty
Neff and Barry Rosenzweig who guest lecture in the area schools with the Dear POW/MIA Program.
Post NJ-03 is also continuing their Dear POW/MIA Program in all of the local school districts with great success. The
school principals, the teachers and the children are enriched by the information provided and the children “get” the idea
of Veterans, their sacrifices, and some of the history of being a Veteran.
Tons of foodstuffs for use in the United Veterans Beacon House Program were donated by students, boxed and delivered to
National Headquarters by Rick Brody, NJ State Commander of the Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans
Coalition who is also Post NJ-03 Commander. This food is for use in the United Veterans Beacon House Program. Those
schools included:
Elms School, Jackson, NJ
Johnson School, Jackson, NJ
Crawford Rodriguez, Jackson, NJ
Krista McAuliffe Middle School, Jackson, NJ
Ramtown Elementary, Howell, NJ
Switlik School, Jackson, NJ
GOVERNOR RECOGNIZES NEW JERSEY VETERAN’S
MERITORIOUS SERVICE
Richard Brody awarded state’s Civilian Commendation Medal
By: Jennifer Kohlhepp, Staff Writer
The governor of New Jersey has recognized Richard Brody for his distinguished service in helping Veterans and their
families. During a formal ceremony held at the New Jersey National Guard Training Center in Sea Girt, Brody received
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________42
the Civilian Commendation Medal from Gov. Chris Christie and Maj. Gen. Glenn K. Rieth, the state’s adjutant general.
Brody, of Millstone Township, NJ is the New Jersey State Commander of the Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The
Veterans Coalition.
Brody distinguished himself through his committed devotion to military Veterans and their families through several actions in support of the Adjutant General’s Yellow Ribbon Advisory Committee as it pertains to early intervention and support networks for returning New Jersey combat troops.
Maj. Gen. Rieth said Brody’s untiring commitment to serving those who served keeps with the highest traditions of military service. He also said Brody’s actions are consistent with the New Jersey National Guard philosophy of taking care of
soldiers, airmen and their families.
The plaque Brody received states, “Your dedication to this duty reflects great credit upon yourself, the Veterans of the
Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition, the New Jersey National Guard and the United States of America.
Brody said many people show tremendous support for troops serving overseas. “Whether serving in the Iraq or
Afghanistan war theaters, or when they return home, the morale and courage of America’s military men and women is bolstered by our collective show of patriotism and support,” Brody said. “In the days, months and years to come, these military Veterans will need our compassion, understanding and continued support as they endeavor to overcome the challenges
of having served in combat operations.
Brody said helping military men and women transition back into civilian life is an important as supporting them while
they are on a tour of duty. Compared to the general population, New Jersey’s military Veterans who have served since September 11, 2001, have the highest unemployment rate, at 11.8 percent according to Brody.
“Military Veterans are not strangers to us,” he said. “They are our family and our neighbors who have come home.
Each of you can share in the pride of being an American patriot. Once they have completed their mission, if you are thinking of hiring, consider hiring a Veteran first.”
CHARGING THE NEXT GENERATION WITH FINDING
A MEANS FOR PEACE
Two years after members of the Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition of NJ Post-03 first visited
the middle school to teach fourth-graders about the meaning behind the Prisoner of War/Missing in Action (POW/MIA)
flag, they returned to educate the now sixth graders about honoring Veterans. The “Heroes Assembly” took place in the
Millstone Township Performing Arts Center.
Barry Rosenzweig, a Freehold resident who served as a sergeant first class in the U.S. Army led the presentation which
included saluting the flag and singing patriotic songs.
Rosenzweig told the students that there are many Americans on active duty in many parts of the world, including places
without military conflict. “There are 45,000 personnel in Korea 8,000 miles away, and they’ve been there since the end of
the Korean conflict in 1953,” he said. “They are representing our country and trying to maintain peace in that part of the
world.”
There are thousands more Americans serving on active duty in Germany, Afghanistan, Iraq and other places around
the world, he said. “They are there to represent our democracy, our way of life and all the freedoms that you have,” he said.
Rosenzweig said many Americans have chosen military service since the time when America was composed of 13
colonies. He spoke of the first servicemen, the Minuteman, who “were ready in a minute to defend our country.”
In an effort to explain to the sixth graders the impact that military service personnel have had on the lives of Americans, Rosenzweig spoke about a teacher from Little Rock, AR, who denied students the user of desks on the first day of school
until they could explain what they did to earn the right to them. When the last class period of the day approached and no
student had given her the answer she sought, television crews and others gathered to witness 27 U.S. Veterans in uniforms
carry the desks into the classroom. “The students started to realize that they didn’t earn the right to sit at these desks,” Rosenzweig said. “Those heroes did it for them. It is your responsibility to learn to be good students, to be good citizens. They
paid the price so you could get an education.”
“There are soldiers in harm’s way right now,” Brody said. “Our troops are 18 and 19 years old and still putting their lives
on the line to defend our freedom and the right to be here today.”
Post NJ-03 of the Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition is dedicated to helping Veterans in need
and provides services for both able-bodied and disabled Veterans.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________43
HUEY COMES TO VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM WAR, INC.
& THE VETERANS COALITION - INTERNATIONAL
HEADQUARTERS
When we got the phone
call from the Department
of Defense telling us that
they had a Huey for us to
display at the International
Headquarters of the Veterans of the Vietnam War,
Inc. & The Veterans
Coalition in Pittston, PA it
was a dream come true.
We had been trying for at
least eight (8) years to get this “piece of history” to display at HQ and despite a few failed attempts it seemed that it would
never happen. Then came the day that we got the call asking us to make the arrangements to get our Huey moved.
We traveled to Fort Indiantown Gap in Pennsylvania to have a look at what
was being offered and we must admit that we were surprised at the condition
of the multiple Hueys that were being stored at the Gap – it wasn’t good!
However, we managed to determine that we could get almost an entire aircraft from bits and pieces there and we would be happy to have the Huey.
Note: we are still in need of some major parts for the restoration so if you
have any access to parts and pieces please let us know.
We set up the date and with the help of LatonaTrucking and their flatbed
trailer, Ronnie Herron from Herron Trucking who drove the rig to and from
the Gap, Peter Forbes and Nancy Verespy all of the arrangements were made
for a crane to lift the helicopter, put it onto the flatbed, secure it and them
make the two hour trip back to Pittston. Once we got it back to HQ Lane’s
Cranes was ready to lift the Huey over the HQ building. They set it into
place within the 10 foot high fenced-in area so that renovations could be
done before the helicopter will be displayed at the front of the HQ - on a
pedestal complete with creative lighting and sound.
This was a very exciting event for every Veteran and interested friend who
helped make it happen and once refurbishment is completed it will be a
thought-provoking sight for
all those who experienced the “saving” aspects of just such a piece of equipment!
This Huey served for eight years in Vietnam and then when it was done
with overseas duty it was assigned to and used by a New York State National
Guard Unit.
Restorations of this historic Huey will begin in the Spring of 2012 at the International Headquarters of the Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The
Veterans Coalition. If you live in the area or would like to travel to the
area and have time to help with the restoration, please give us a call at 570603-9740 or stop in and have a look at the Huey.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________44
DID YOU MISS THIS????
WANTED:
Earthmoving Equipment, Farm Equipment and Dump Trucks
In a country that is equipment rich, we are sure there are Veterans, Patriots and caring
Americans that can help our Homeless Veterans by donating usable equipment for use
and training purposes in our United Veterans Beacon Houses.
Don’t let that equipment you hardly use sit around; don’t let it rust away. It is valuable
to Veterans, put it to good use, donate it and receive a tax deductible receipt as well
as the heartfelt thanks of our Veterans.
Call us now! 1-800-843-8626 or e-mail us at vvnwnatl@epix.net
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________45
UNITED VETERANS BEACON HOUSE, PROMISE, SD UPDATE
As you read more about the progress at the United Veterans Beacon House in Promise, SD you might have asked yourself or someone else some of the following questions:
Why South Dakota? Well, when we traveled
to Eagle Butte, SD some years ago at the invitation of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe they
wanted to know just what the Veterans of the
Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition
could do for the homeless Veterans who live in
Eagle Butte, Promise, Parade and the surrounding areas. Some of these proud warriors
had no where to live. They do not consider
themselves homeless since they can go to any
number of family members and perhaps stay for
a night or two at their homes but then they have to move along. Veterans are respected but … when it comes to a Veteran
staying at YOUR place for an undetermined period of time anyone would hesitate.
Well, individuals scouted around the area and came up with the old Promise Day School and the Community Center in Parade as places that could be made into homes for homeless Veterans in Promise, SD and Parade, SD. That began the process
of Peter Forbes submitting a grant application to the Department of Veterans Affairs (no easy task) and because of the locations and the desire of the DVA to service Native American Veterans the grant was received by the Veterans Fund of the
United States – the 501(c)(3) branch of the Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. for both Promise and Parade. Of course,
please do not think that the funds received from the grant came anywhere near to what has been spent already at these locations. The challenges we have faced and met at what the DVA calls the “frontier” Beacon Houses have not been easy to
meet but … these two projects will be completed as the commitment has been made and will be honored.
Why is it taking such a long time? Promise and Parade, SD are not locations that are along the beaten path. Materials
need to be brought to the location or bought locally and the lack of some of the needed materials continually cause delays.
We couldn’t ask for better or more helpful friends than those at Lind’s Hardware in Mobridge. Bill, Sandy and their staff
do their best in getting us what we need and the fact that the materials can be ordered and then left outside for pickup take
us back to the time when trust and honesty were the way of the world! We appreciate their support.
Why can’t you get the projects completed? Naively, we all believed that the work at both the Promise and Parade locations could be done by Volunteers – Veterans and those who care about Veterans. That has just not happened. Don’t get
us wrong, we do have Volunteers who come to the sites regularly but they are most definitely the minority. They are willing to travel long distances and do jobs they have no expertise in (but are willing to learn) in order to help Veterans.
Why are you raising chickens? Once Veterans are housed they will need things to do to keep them busy and establish their
self-esteem at being able to do something for themselves and other Veterans and the community. We started incubating
eggs at the National Headquarters and have transported chicks to the Promise location. It is truly amazing how quickly these
little, cute chicks turn into full-grown chickens that give us plenty of eggs. Their chicken houses are what we call the “Taj
Mahal” of chicken houses since nothing at this location is done halfway – they are heated, ventilated houses that make for
happy chickens - see pictures to follow. The residents will have the job of taking care of chickens. The eggs will be used
by residents and the excess sold within the local communities.
Why do you have three acres of organic gardens? Once again the reason for the gardens will be to give residents an opportunity to do something productive. We had to change the composition of the soil before we could even think about planting so with the help of our neighbors – Bobby and Jayden Ducheneaux and volunteer Eddie Hinze, we got 750 tons of aged,
composted manure that was loaded, dumped and tilled into the soil. Now, we could grow things and grow we did! Since
we do not currently have residents the local neighbors have enjoyed the “fruits” of our labors. When residents are in place,
they will plant and take care of these gardens with the result that they will provide foodstuffs for the House and any excess
will be sold within the local communities.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________46
What’s with the fruit trees? South Dakota is a very dry part
of the country and the soil is difficult to work with but …
we have planted over 800 fruit trees of many varieties in the
composed soil. Once the trees begin to bear fruit it will be
used to make jams and jellies and the fresh versions will be
sold to the local communities – just another way for residents
to earn a bit of cash and be productive.
Why not do a United Veterans Beacon House closer to
Pennsylvania? We have made many attempts to establish a
local UVBH but there are always hurdles that cannot be
overcome. We have been close to purchasing a home only
to have Wilkes-Barre, PA city authorities change the zoning
from a multiple-family dwelling to a single family dwelling so
we could not use the house; we have a local VA that does
not believe that there is a homeless Veteran problem in the
16 counties it serves; we have lobbied the Department of Defense as well as Plains Township, PA to turn over the Army
Reserve Center in Plains for our use as a UVBH, a hoptel
and a bakery – this facility has housed Veterans for decades
and we believe that it should continue to be of use to Veterans once the unit moves to a new facility – Plains, PA did not
agree and they did not allow us to have the use of the facility; we have the NIMBY mentality – it is a great idea but
Not In My Back Yard. There are more and more stories but
you get the picture. We will continue to explore opportunities.
to chicks that would then go to SD to be part of the program.
The chicks were transported via van to their new home in
the outdoors of South Dakota. Temporary structures housed
the chicks while their permanent coop was being constructed.
The new “TAJ MAHAL” saw the involvement of many with
the completion just before the really cold weather came into
SD.
The pictures show the chickens and their “TAJ MAHAL”
coop from its humble beginnings to its near completion.
This was accomplished with the hard work of volunteers who
have come to care about these roosters and hens. This is just
one more way that the project is moving forward.
THE TAJ MAHAL OF CHICKEN COOPS
Now, we will tell you about some of the things happening at
the Promise, SD United Veterans Beacon House.
FROM EGGS TO CHICKENS!
At the United Veterans Beacon House in Promise, South
Dakota there is a unique story to be told. Some time ago
Peter Forbes suggested that there would be a need for fresh
eggs in Promise
where there will
be thirteen male
Veterans housed.
The
Veterans
would also need
something to do to
occupy their time
at the house and
they would have
to find ways to contribute to the household. In this way they
can also learn about animal husbandry.
So … the chicken story began.
Meanwhile at the International Headquarters in Pittston,
PA eggs began to arrive along with incubators and turners.
The staff at HQ was going to take the project from just eggs
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________47
THE TAJ MAHAL OF CHICKEN COOPS
The beginnings of the coop
Framing starts
Walls are wrapped with vapor barrier
R 38 insulation in the roof and walls
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________48
Doors and windows are in with deck nearly completed and all electrical in place for lights and indoor heaters.
Metal siding and roof completed with new stairs to deck.
The chickens were so happy in their new home they were dancing!
Here is the list of equipment we are looking for to use at the United Veterans Beacon House:
2 or 3 bottom ploughs, 3 ptl or trail
Small seed planters
Potato planter and diggers
3 ptl and trail fertilizer spreaders
H/D tractor & powered rotary tillers
2 to 4 row corn planters
Parts for an old 2 row John Deere 999 corn planter
Green houses or hot houses, plastic or glass
Massey Ferguson 1085 useable front and rear tires
Hand, mule or motor driven garden equipment that we can use to train Veterans
in gardening.
Bottling and canning equipment to use in training Veterans in preserving fruits and
vegetables as we have planted over 1000 fruit frees.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________49
BEING A GOOD NEIGHBOR IN PROMISE SOUTH DAKOTA…
If you have been lucky enough to travel to the United Veterans Beacon House in Promise, SD you can’t help but notice that just across the road from the UVBH is a small, Catholic Mission Church. It is a truly moving experience to attend Mass at the Church surrounded by beautiful star quilts and other unique decorations done by the ladies of the parish.
St. Catherine’s has a priest who travels well over 100 miles to say Masses in the surrounding towns and you know when it
is time for Mass because the parking lot goes from empty to full in about ten minutes.
Peter Forbes and Michael Breighner couldn’t help but notice that the little Parish Hall adjacent to the Church needed
a new paint job. They made a deal with the parishioners that if they covered and taped the windows of the hall Peter and
Mike would spray paint the building. As you can see they did an excellent job and now when there are refreshments after
Mass all looks good!
U.S. NAVY AND COAST GUARD SHIPS IN VIETNAM
VA has released a list of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships associated with military service
in Vietnam and possible exposure to Agent Orange based on military records.
This evolving list will help Veterans who served aboard ships, including “Blue Water Veterans,” find out if they may qualify for presumption of herbicide exposure. Ships or boats that
were part of the Mobile Riverine Force, Inshore Fire Support (ISF) Division 93 or had one
of the following designations operated on the inland waterways of Vietnam. Veterans whose
military records confirm they were aboard these ships qualify for presumption of herbicide
exposure.
During your Vietnam tour, did your ship or boat have one of the following designations?
LCM (Landing Craft, Mechanized)
LCU (Landing Craft, Utility)
LCVP (Landing Craft, Vehicle, Personnel)
LST (Landing Ship, Tank)
PBR (Patrol Boat, River)
PCF (Patrol Craft, Fast or Swift Boat)
PG (Patrol Gunboat)
WAK (Cargo Vessel)
WHEC (High Endurance Cutter)
WLB (Buoy Tender)
WPB (Patrol Boat)
YFU (Harbor Utility Craft)
If your vessel is not included in the Mobile Riverine Force, ISF Division 93 or above designations, the VA has comprised a
current list that can be found on their website at: http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/shiplist/list.asp
The VA also provides what action should be taken if you believe that your ship should be listed but is not.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________50
THE MIND BOGGLES!!!!
By: Mark Dodd, Oruzgan Province
From: The Australian
AUSTRALIAN instructors have
been involved in an ugly confrontation
with Afghan troops. The incident came
after the Diggers at a remote base returned from patrol to find the local soldiers pilfering their belongings. A
Digger pointed his rifle at the Afghan
soldiers and threats were exchanged,
but no shots were fired, The Australian
has been told by senior military sources.
As Australian and Afghan commanders went into damage control, a senior
Afghan officer was removed from his
post. The incident occurred at Patrol
Base Wali in the Mirabad Valley.
The Afghan officer, serving with
the 3rd Kandak (battalion) of the 4th
Brigade of the Afghan National Army,
was removed after tense negotiations
between senior Australian and Afghan
officers.Threats were exchanged when
an Australian soldier returning from a
patrol caught several Afghan soldiers
going through the Australians' personal
belongings. The two contingents live in
separate accommodation at the frontline patrol base. Tensions rose when the
digger threatened to shoot an intruder,
defence sources said. It’s understood
that about 30 diggers at Patrol Base
Wali wanted the entire Afghan platoon
sent back to their home base and replaced.
The standoff underlines the fragile
relationship on some bases between
Afghan troops and their mentors following a spate of rogue attacks on Diggers. However, Australian and Afghan
commanders are anxious not to let this
latest incident undermine vital training
to ensure the Afghan National Army
and police can manage security when
most of the NATO-led coalition forces
leave in 2014.
At Forward Operating Base Mirwais, on a strategic road junction in the
restive Chora Valley to the north of
Wali, a force of 200 Australian and US
troops say they have excellent relations
with their Afghan counterparts from
the 2nd Kandak. Warrant Officer
Damien Timms said it was wrong to assume all Afghan soldiers were untrustworthy or that relations with the
mentors were souring.
Warrant Officer Timms and two
other NCOs, Corporal Nathan Lissing
and Sergeant Dave Nicholas, are part
of an ADF detachment with the call
sign Oscar Four-Seven. In September,
Australian and US soldiers were first to
provide life-saving first aid when a motorcycle-borne bomb was triggered just
outside the camp, killing two ANA soldiers and seriously wounding a dozen
others. "I'd be lying if I said our soldiers
didn't have an opinion, but it is not at
the forefront of concerns for us. We're
here to mentor the ANA," Warrant Officer Timms said. Corporal Lissing said
the Afghan killers were just a couple of
bad eggs.
Afghan soldiers were very upset
and very apologetic about what had
happened, he said. YES BECAUSE
THEY WERE CAUGHT OUT
But, as a warning to the Afghans,
Australian and US troops carried their
weapons cocked and loaded for the
next 48 hours. Afghan soldiers "understood we needed to take protective
measures, but they would have defended us", Warrant Officer Timms
said.
The issue is very sensitive, and an
army media escort, a female captain,
were present during the interview and
at one point interrupted. Later the Diggers said their views were their own and
were not influenced by the escort.
However, the three NCOs said
they had serious concerns about the
ability of the Afghan army to maintain
their equipment and to perform basic
first aid procedures
~~ Carla Evans
WE ARE SOON READY FOR
THE WORKING BEES FOR MAY THRU AUGUST, 2012
AT THE UNITED VETERANS BEACON HOUSE IN PARADE, SD.
TAKE THE TIME,
MAKE THE SACRIFICE FOR VETERANS!
CALL: 1-800-843-8626
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________51
BETCHA YOU DON’T IGNORE THIS ONE!
Seal would step back from the column, and salute!
Now for those who do not know what a Trident Pin is, here is the
definition –
After one completes the basic Navy Seal program which lasts for three
weeks and is followed by Seal qualification training which is 15 more
weeks of training, necessary to continue improving basic skills and to learn
new tactics and techniques for an assignment to a Navy Seal Platoon.
After successful completion, trainees are given their Naval enlisted code,
and are awarded the Navy Seal Trident Pin. With this gold pin they are
now officially Navy Seals!
It was said that you could hear each of the 45 slaps from across the
cemetery! By the time the rosewood casket reached the gravesite, it
looked as though it had a gold inlay from the 45 Trident Pins that lined
the top!
This was a fitting end to an eternal send-off for a Warrior Hero!
The Sailor pictured above is Navy Petty Officer,
PO2 (Petty Officer, Second Class) EOD2
(Explosive Ordnance Disposal, Second Class) Mike
Monsoor.
Mike Monsoor was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor for giving his life in Iraq
as he jumped on and covered with his body a
live hand grenade saving the lives of a large
group of Navy Seals that were passing by.
During Mike Monsoor’s funeral at Ft. Rosecrans National Cemetery in San Diego, California, the six pallbearers removed the rosewood
casket from the hearse and lined up on each side
of Mike Monsoor’s casket were his family members, friends, fellow sailors, and well-wishers.
The column of people continued from the
hearse, all the way to the gravesite.
What the group did not know at the time
was, every Navy Seal (45 to be exact) that Mike
Monsoor saved that day was scattered through
the column!
As the pallbearers carried the casket down
the column of people to the graveside the column would collapse which formed a group of
people that followed behind.
Every time the rosewood casket passed a
Navy Seal, he would remove his gold Trident
Pin from his uniform and slap it down hard,
causing the gold Trident Pin to embed itself into
the top of the wooden casket! Then the Navy
Looking for people in South Dakota
and New York to teach homeless
Veterans the following:
cooking - first aide - EMT training - first responder computers - organic gardening - heavy truck
driving - earthmoving equipment mechanics - engine rebuilding - preserving and
canning instruction - seedling propagation
If you have a skill and wish to share it with
Veterans contact us at 1-800-843-8626 or
e-mail to: info@vfus.us
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________52
HOW LONG?
By: the Murph
Remember the popular song by the rock group KANSAS called “The Point of No Return”? In
it there is a verse that keeps saying “HOW LONG?” To many a Veteran who has filed a claim
this phrase rings so true. The fact is that the Department of Veterans Affairs has improved
their claims processing. Unfortunately, the problem is that the numbers of claims have increased tenfold.
At one point a claim from start to finish was about six months. With the advent of OIF and OEF
(Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom) and now Operation New Dawn,
as well as the ongoing War in Afghanistan and with the addition of new presumptive laws in
USC Title 38, the process now can take up to a year.
1) When you file a claim the first thing you will receive is an acknowledgement letter stating that the Regional
Office has received your claim and will begin processing it.
2) Within a few months you will receive a development letter. This letter will tell you what is required to establish your claim. In the back of this letter is a notification form that you must sign and return to the VA to move
your claim forward.
3) In the final step the VA will send you a determination letter. This will give you a summation of your militay
servce, the evidence you submitted, their decision and why they did what they did, as well as the determination
of any compensation you will receive.
You may be sent a few additional letters but the above is the minimum. The reason is that if the claim is not fully developed the VA may need clarification or additional information. It is critical that you read every letter carefully. The letter
explains everything in great detail. The VA uses a process and doesn’t care if you win or lose you claim, they base it on the
facts of the claim. The stronger you make it the better off you are.
You tell me what sounds like a well-developed statement:
A) I have Agent Orange, or
B) I’m an in-country vet who served in RVN in 1969. I developed type 2 diabetes from herbicide exposure.
So the next time you file a claim, make it well developed and remember the famous term used in every single branch of the
Military: HURRY UP AND WAIT! Good Luck!
Now ASK the VSO:
QUESTION: My VA doctor said I can get disability for a problem he noticed. It’s been over a year and I’m still waiting
for word from the VA, why?
ANSWER: Many Veterans do not realize that the Department of Veterans Affairs is divided into two distinct functions,
the VHA –Veteran Health Admistration and the VBA – Veteran Benefits Administration. The VHA works with the
Veteran’s health concerns and consists of the hospitals and clinics. The VBA works on Veteran’s claims for compensation
and pension and are the Regional Offices, Vet Centers, Call Centers, etc.
Although they interact, they do not always interchange unless requested by a Regional Office. It is the responsibility of the
Veteran to take actions on his own behalf in filing his own claim. Do not assume it is automatic.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________53
In your case, I would have ensured the doctor entered the important information into the system and then filed a VA 21526 claim form in writing with the VA Regional Office in your state or on the computer under quick links at http://va.gov/.
To find the nearest VA Regional Office you can call 1-800-827-1000 or go online at http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/ro/rocontacts.htm
Always remember that to be service-connected the condition must have been caused while in service and documented into
the military service records, or aggravated by a documented service related injury, it’s just that simple.
MADE IN CHINA…
Well over 50 years ago I knew a lady who would not buy Christmas gifts if they were made
in China.
Her daughter will recognize her in the following.
Did y'all see Diane Sawyer's special report? They removed ALL items from a typical, middle class family's home that were not made in the USA. There was hardly anything left besides
the kitchen sink. Literally. During the special they showed truckloads of items - USA made being brought in to replace everything and talked about how to find these items and the difference in price etc...
It was interesting that Diane said if every American spent just $64 more than normal on USA made items this year, it
would create something like 200,000 new jobs!
I WAS BUYING FOOD THE OTHER DAY AT WALMART and ON THE LABEL OF SOME PRODUCTS IT SAID
'FROM CHINA'. FOR EXAMPLE, THE "OUR FAMILY" BRAND OF THE MANDARIN ORANGES SAYS RIGHT
ON THE CAN 'FROM CHINA', I WAS SHOCKED SO FOR A FEW MORE CENTS I BOUGHT THE LIBERTY GOLD
BRAND OR THE DOLE SINCE IT'S FROM CALIFORNIA.
Are we Americans as dumb as we appear --- or --- is it that we just do not think the Chinese, knowingly and intentionally, export inferior and even toxic products and dangerous toys and goods to be sold in American markets.
70% of Americans believe that the trading privileges afforded to the Chinese should be suspended.
Why do you need the government to suspend trading privileges? DO IT YOURSELF, AMERICA!!
Simply look on the bottom of every product you buy, and if it says 'Made in China or 'PRC' (and that now includes Hong
Kong), simply choose another product, or none at all. You will be amazed at how dependent you are on Chinese products,
and you will be equally amazed at what you can do without.
Who needs plastic eggs to celebrate Easter? If you must have eggs, use real ones and benefit some American farmer. Easter
is just an example. The point is do not wait for the government to act. Just go ahead and assume control on your own.
THINK ABOUT THIS:
If 200 million Americans each refuse to buy just $20 of Chinese goods, that's a billion dollar trade imbalance resolved
in our favor...fast!!
This story related to ALL western countries!
Help Veterans by selling your “stuff”
through EBAY and donating the funds
directly to the Veterans Fund of the
United States.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________54
GREAT AUSSIE POEM
They were funny looking buildings,
that were once a way of
life,
If you couldn't sprint the distance,
then you really were in strife.
They were nailed, they were wired,
but were mostly falling down,
There was one in every yard, in every house, in every town.
They were given many names, some were even funny,
But to most of us, we knew them
as the outhouse or the dunny.
I've seen some of them all gussied up,
with painted doors and all,
But it really made no difference,
they were just a port of call.
Now my old man would take a bet,
he'd lay an even pound,
That you wouldn't make the dunny
with them turkeys hangin'round.
They had so many uses, these buildings out the back,"
You could even hide from mother, so you wouldn't get the strap.
That's why we had good cricketers, never mind the bumps,
We used the pathway for the wicket and the dunny door for stumps.
Now my old man would sit for hours, the smell would rot your socks,
He read the daily back to front in that good old thunderbox.
And if by chance that nature called sometime through the night,
You always sent the dog in first, for there was no flamin' light.
And the dunny seemed to be the place where crawlies liked to hide,
But never ever showed themselves until you sat inside.
There was no such thing as Sorbent, no tissues there at all,
Just squares of well-read newspaper, a hangin' on the wall.
If you had some friendly neighbours, as neighbours sometimes are,
You could sit and chat to them, if you left the door ajar.
When suddenly you got the urge, and down the track you fled,
Then of course the magpies were there to peck you on your head.
Then the time there was a wet, the rain it never stopped,
If you had an urgent call, you ran between the drops.
The dunny man came once a week, to these buildings out the back,
And he would leave an extra can, if you left for him a zac.
For those of you who’ve no idea what I mean by a zac,
Then you’re too young to have ever had, a dunny out the back.
Zac was slang for a sixpence coin before decimal currency came into Australia in 1966.
~~ Carla Evans
Voices from Voyager : HMAS Voyager / HMAS Melbourne, 1964 / by Carla Evans
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________55
A NIGHTMARE OR A PREMONITION
Perhaps this first nightmare was a
premonition.
The following day,
March 15, I had planned to fly with
Dave Holmes. While pre-flighting his
Bird Dog, Dave received a message
from the airborne command post Hillsboro that trucks had been sighted just
north of Tchepone. He jumped in and
took off alone. Later, Hillsboro radioed
that Tiger Hound 56 was down somewhere north of Tchepone. I climbed
into the seat of the other Bird Dog as
Five-Zero. Captain Farrow was getting
ready for a hasty take off. We flew due
west to Tchepone and then turned
north following the main road. There,
in a large opening, we spotted several
anti-aircraft positions. Three of them
were larger than the heavy machine
guns that we were used to seeing.
They opened up and soon flak was
exploding all around us. It was surreal.
It looked like the movies of WWII
bombers over Germany. However, the
flak did not seem to be very accurate or
deadly to us. When one exploded
nearby, the Bird was bounced around
the sky but stayed in one piece...unlike
heavier aircraft.
We spotted a downed Bird Dog east
of us and started for it. Halfway there,
I started hearing what sounded like a
million bees. Looking around, I spotted a quad-barreled heavy machine gun
blazing away at us. Talking on the radio
over the din of our engine and using
binoculars to search for Dave, Five-Zero
was oblivious to the ground fire. I finally pounded him on the shoulder and
hollered into the intercom, “Watch
that Twelve Point Eight right under
us!” He looked all around and saw the
gun that I was pointing at. “Oh,” he
said, and started zigzagging.
He remained very calm throughout
the entire ordeal. We were both surprised that the heavy machine guns
were not firing any tell-tale tracer
rounds like they always used to, or so we
thought. Every other army in the world
used tracer rounds when firing heavy
machine guns at aircraft. This enables
them to see how far to lead the target.
However, planes can also see exactly
where the tracers are coming from.
These NVA gunners were apparently
experienced enough to hit aircraft
without giving away their own position.
Captain Farrow notified Hillsboro
of all the AA sites and we started circling them at a respectable distance and
plotting them all out both on our maps
and in our mind. Before long, Hillsboro
notified him that fighter/bombers were
inbound both from an aircraft carrier
and from Thailand. “We’re gonna take
out every one of those guns.” While
waiting for the attack aircraft, we resumed looking for Dave. Glancing
back toward the 37mm guns that had
fired all the flak at us, I spotted an
Army Mohawk flying straight over the
guns at about 1,000 feet of altitude. He
almost certainly was trying to take aerial photographs of the guns. A couple
of seconds later, a wing flew off the
Hawk as flak burst right under it. One
of the crew ejected but, just as his parachute opened, the Hawk exploded and
his chute disappeared right into the
fireball. The Air Force didn’t recognize
the aircraft, and I had to tell them what
it was.
Apparently recon flights by Army
aircraft into Laos were so secret that
most of the other aircraft did not even
know who or what they were.
Fighters were arriving on station
and Captain Farrow fired a white phosphorus rocket at one of the AA positions. Fighters swooped in dropping
bombs one after another but it took
several sorties to hit such small targets
inside revetments. There was finally a
direct hit which destroyed the first gun.
Farrow moved in close and fired another “Willie Pete” rocket at a second
position. The rocket, trailing heavy
white smoke, disappeared into the
ground next to the AA position. Two
or three seconds later there was a
tremendous explosion which not only
destroyed the AA position but rocked
our Bird Dog. The rocket obviously
had gone right into the entrance of an
underground ammunition bunker. On
that night’s report to headquarters, I reported it as one 37 mm anti-aircraft position destroyed by an O-1 Bird Dog.
After marking more positions and
controlling about 20 more sorties, Farrow was out of rockets. We were forced
to fly directly over anti-aircraft positions and drop smoke grenades for the
fast movers to focus on. A Tiger Hound
FAC from Dong Ha arrived and volunteered to take over with the air strikes
so that we could coordinate search and
rescue. We knew that there was no possibility of survivors from the Mohawk
so we flew east again looking for Dave.
We found the Bird Dog in some trees
about three kilometers from the heavy
machine gun that had nearly got us earlier. The plane was in one piece and
close to a small Montagyard village.
There were four thatched long houses
of the kind used by the only Montagyard tribe that ever sided with the communists. We could see Dave slouched
over in the cockpit. Captain Farrow requested air rescue from Hillsboro Airborne Command Post, who replied that
they were “working on it.” A1Es
Sandies arrived to suppress any ground
fire from the rescue area.
Then we waited and waited. Frequent inquiries to Hillsboro resulted in
replies that added up to diplomatic
chaos. The closest Air Rescue unit was
in Thailand; we were stationed in
South Vietnam but secretly operating
in Laos. Both the AA sites and the
downed Birddog were miles outside the
approved Tiger Hound area of operations. Hillsboro Airborne Control, belonging to 2nd Air Division and
MACV, had sent us into an area where
it had no authority. Any air rescue operation needed the approval of the US
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________56
Ambassador of Laos, who controlled
operations in the Steel Tiger area. It
also had to be coordinated with the US
Ambassador to South Vietnam where
Tiger Hound personnel were launched
from. Finally, it needed to be approved
by the US Ambassador to Thailand
where the Air Rescue units were.
We circled and waited for about
three hours. Finally, very low on fuel,
we returned to Khe-Sanh. By this time,
all of the anti-aircraft positions had
been thoroughly bombed, strafed, and
napalmed. When we touched down at
Khe-Sanh, Captain Waglestein had
somehow commandeered a twin-engine
Air America passenger plane that had
landed and unloaded his Laotian passengers. The American pilot was willing to air-drop rescuers into Laos. Half
of the A-Team was preparing to parachute in to get Dave. Farrow notified
Hillsboro, who replied, “That’s not necessary. Air Rescue is inbound.” However, coordination problems continued
and no rescue attempts were made until
the next day. Then they reported that
Dave was no longer in the cockpit. His
emergency radio squawked several
times from one of the longhouses
nearby.
However, the rescue team thought
this was likely the enemy trying to get
them into an ambush. They reported
that they hovered very close to the
house and saw no one. I really wished
Hillsboro had not stopped A-Team 101
from going in the day before. I wished
that Dave had waited for me before taking off alone. I wished that the military
could fight the enemy without minuteto-minute approval of political appointees.
The official word was that air rescue attempts could not be made until
the next day because of all the anti-aircraft guns. However, Hound Dog 50
circled the downed Bird Dog for approximately three hours at low and very
low altitudes. We received no ground
fire. Later, there was an excuse that air
rescue wanted to also look for the Mohawk crew, who were directly over the
AA guns when they were hit. I was disgusted at this lie, because I was looking
directly at the Mohawk when it was hit
and there was absolutely no chance of
survivors. Airborne control never even
asked us if anyone bailed out. The
truth was that it was a bureaucratic
nightmare involving three US ambassadors, one of which, William Sullivan,
distrusted the entire US military establishment and seldom approved overt
rescue attempts. I was becoming a bitter human being. “What the hell is
going on?” I complained to Tiger
Hound Forward, “Our government
sends us 100 miles behind enemy lines
in little-bittie planes and won’t allow
anyone to rescue us when we go down.
As if this isn’t bad enough, inter-service
rivalry influences decisions on who can
attempt the rescue.”
ARMY LOOKING AT HOW FISH OIL MIGHT REDUCE SUICIDES
of an omega-3 fatty acid known as docosahexaenoic acid, or DHA, were
62% more likely to commit suicide.
The researchers compared routine
blood samples taken from 800 servicemembers from 2002 to 2008 — and
who months later committed suicide —
with samples taken from 800 other servicemembers.
The Army is eager to know whether
omega-3 fatty acids not only are good
for the heart, but also might deter soldiers from killing themselves.
"I'm all over it, because I'm looking for
something to help," says Gen. Peter
Chiarelli, the Army's vice chief of staff,
who has been working for years to reduce the service's record number of suicides.
Research published in the Journal of
Clinical Psychiatry last month showed
that men in the service with low levels
The authors say their findings do not
suggest fish oil is a way to deter suicides.
The Army suicide rate reached 22 per
100,000 last year, higher than civilians
of the same age group.
Omega-3s are found naturally in foods
such as fatty fish and walnuts and have
been shown to help prevent heart disease. Preliminary studies suggest that
the supplements could help relieve
symptoms of certain depressions, the
Mayo Clinic says. Experts note that fish
oil's potential benefits for mental
health need to be confirmed in larger,
more rigorous studies.
Even so, the potential psychiatric benefits of omega-3s could be a factor in reducing the suicides, says Joseph
Hibbeln, a co-author of the Journal
study and nutritional neuroscientist at
the National Institutes of Health.
"I'm trying to make sure our docs get
going as fast as they can to get some
clinical trials going so we can make a
determination whether or not there's
anything to this," Chiarelli says.
Some findings have been disappointing. A study in Obstetrics & Gynecology found that fish oil supplements
didn't help prevent preterm labor. The
supplements, marketed to boost brain
development, also didn't make babies
smarter, the Journal of the American
Medical Associations aid last year.
Contributing: Liz Szabo
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________57
THE WOODEN BOWL
I guarantee you will remember the tale of the Wooden
Bowl tomorrow, a week from now, a month from now, a year
from now.
A frail old man went to live with his son, daughter-inlaw, and four-year-old grandson.
The old man's hands trembled, his eyesight was blurred,
and his step faltered.
The family ate together at the table. But the elderly
grandfather's shaky hands and failing sight made eating difficult. Peas rolled off his spoon onto the floor.
When he grasped the glass, milk spilled on the tablecloth.
The son and daughter-in-law became irritated with the
mess. 'We must do something about father,' said the son.
'I've had enough of his spilled milk, noisy eating, and food on
the floor.'
So the husband and wife set a small table in the corner.
There, Grandfather ate alone while the rest of the family enjoyed dinner.
Since Grandfather had broken a dish or two, his food
was served in a wooden bowl.
When the family glanced in Grandfather's direction,
sometimes he had a tear in his eye as he sat alone. Still, the
only words the couple had for him were sharp admonitions
when he dropped a fork or spilled food. The four-year-old
watched it all in silence.
One evening before supper, the father noticed his son
playing with wood scraps on the floor. He asked the child
sweetly, 'What are you making?' Just as sweetly, the boy responded, 'Oh, I am making a little bowl for you and Mama
to eat your food in when I grow up. 'The four-year-old smiled
and went back to work.
The words so struck the parents so that they were
speechless. Then tears started to stream down their cheeks.
Though no word was spoken, both knew what must be done.
That evening the husband took Grandfather's hand and gently led him back to the family table.
For the remainder of his days he ate every meal with the
family. And for some reason, neither husband nor wife
seemed to care any longer when a fork was dropped, milk
spilled, or the tablecloth soiled.
On a positive note, I've learned that, no matter what
happens, how bad it seems today, life does go on, and it will
be better tomorrow. I've learned that you can tell a lot about
a person by the way he/she handles four things: a rainy day,
the elderly, lost luggage, and tangled Christmas tree lights.
I've learned that making a 'living' is not the same thing
as making a 'life.' I've learned that life sometimes gives you
a second chance.
I've learned that you shouldn't go through life with a
catcher's mitt on both hands. You need to be able to throw
something back sometimes.
I've learned that if you pursue happiness, it will elude
you. But, if you focus on your family, your friends, the needs
of others, your work and doing the very best you can, happiness will find you.
I've learned that whenever I decide something with an
open heart, I usually make the right decision.
I've learned that even when I have pains, I don't have to
be one.
I've learned that every day, you should reach out and
touch someone. People love that human touch -- holding
hands, a warm hug, or just a friendly pat on the back.
I've learned that I still have a lot to learn.
Carla Evans is our greatest supporter with
the submission of many articles for the
Veteran Leader.
Submissions can come from anyone though
so submit your articles, stories and
comments today.
Documents should be sent to
vvnwnatl@epix.net and be in Word format.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________58
UNITED VETERANS BEACON HOUSE - Make a Commitment!
The work continues…
The next United Veterans Beacon House Project – Parade, South Dakota.
The work will continue in this project which
will house homeless Native American female
Veterans with or without children.
If you are interested in helping with this
project contact us at 1-800-843-8626 or
e-mail: info@vfus.us
TOLL FREE NUMBERS FOR CONTACTING THE VA
VA BENEFITS – 1-800-827-1000
Education – Home Loan – Disability – Medical Care
Burial – Life Insurance – Sexual Trauma
LIFE INSURANCE: 1-800-669-8477
EDUCATION (GI BILL): 1-800-442-4551
HEALTH CARE BENEFITS: 1-877-222-8387
INCOME VERIFICATION AND MEANS TESTING: 1-800-929-8387
MAMMOGRAPHY HELPLINE: 1-888-492-7844
GULF WAR/AGENT ORANGE HELPLINE: 1-800-749-8387
STATUS OF HEADSTONES AND MARKERS: 1-800-697-6947
TELECOMMUNCATIONS DEVICE FOR THE DEAF (TDD): 1-800-829-4833
For health care services, contact your nearest VA Medical Facility.
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________59
UPCOMING ELECTIONS
National Board Member
Positions
There will be an election for three National Board Member Positions - two
Board Members and one National Master Sgt-at-Arms for the Veterans of
the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition.
If you are interested in nominating yourself for one of these three positions
you must first be a current member of the organization. Then, please send
the following for receipt at National Headquarters on or before
July 15, 2012.
Letter of intent to run for position
DD-214 (if Veteran)
Recent photo
Brief resume highlighting your involvement with Veterans and their families and
stating why you feel you would be a good person for a National Board Member position.
You must have the intent to work mentally and physically
for the good of the organization.
Send this information to:
National Election Committee
Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc. & The Veterans Coalition
805 So. Township Boulevard
Pittston, PA 18640
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________60
THIS ONE PACKS A FIRM PUNCH
Written by a housewife in New
Brunswick, to her local newspaper.
This is one ticked off lady...
"Are we fighting a war on terror or
aren't we? Was it or was it not, started
by Islamic people who brought it to our
shores on September 11, 2001 and have
continually threatened to do so since?
Were people from all over the world,
not brutally murdered that day, in
downtown Manhattan, across the Potomac from the capitol of the USA and
in a field in Pennsylvania ? Did nearly
three thousand men, women and children die a horrible burning or crushing
death that day, or didn't they?
Do you think I care about four U.
S. Marines urinating on some dead Taliban insurgents?
And I'm supposed to care that a few
Taliban were claiming to be tortured by
a justice system of a nation they are
fighting against in a brutal Insurgency.
I'll care about the Koran when the
fanatics in the Middle East start caring
about the Holy Bible, the mere belief,
of which, is a crime punishable by beheading in Afghanistan.
I'll care when these thugs tell the
world they are sorry for hacking off
Nick Berg's head, while Berg screamed
through his gurgling slashed throat.
I'll care when the cowardly socalled insurgents, in Afghanistan, come
out and fight like men, instead of disrespecting their own religion by hiding in
Mosques, and behind women and children.
I'll care when the mindless zealots
who blow themselves up in search of
Nirvana, care about the innocent children within range of their suicide
bombs.
I'll care when the Canadian media
stops pretending that their freedom of
Speech on stories, is more important
than the lives of the soldiers on the
ground or their families waiting at
home, to hear about them when something happens.
In the meantime, when I hear a
story about a CANADIAN soldier
roughing up an Insurgent terrorist to
obtain information, know this: I don't
care.
When I see a wounded terrorist get
shot in the head when he is told not to
move because he might be boobytrapped, you can take it to the bank: I
don't care. Shoot him again.
When I hear that a prisoner, who
was issued a Koran and a prayer mat,
and fed 'special' food that is paid for by
my tax dollars, is complaining that his
holy book is being 'mishandled', you
can absolutely believe, in your heart of
hearts: I don't care.
And oh, by the way, I've noticed
that sometimes it's spelled 'Koran' and
other times 'Quran.' Well, Jimmy
Crack Corn you guessed it: I don't
care!!
Some people spend an entire lifetime wondering, if during their life on
earth, they made a difference in
the world. But, the Soldiers don't have
that problem.
I have another quote that I would
like to share AND...I hope you forward
All this.
One last thought for the day: Only
five defining forces have ever offered to
die for you:
1. Jesus Christ
2. The British Soldier.
3. The Canadian Soldier.
4. The US Soldier, and
5. The Australian Soldier
One died for your soul, the other
four, for you and your children's Freedom.
YOU MIGHT WANT TO PASS THIS ON, AS MANY SEEM TO FORGET!
AMEN! GOD BLESS CANADA AND AMERICA.
HAZARDS OF HIRING A VETERAN …TRY IT!
Why is it that if you want to hire a Veteran or anyone else, one has to pay the piper? With 8.5% unemployment in the U.S
and billions of dollars thrown at the challenge, it still seems impossible to get the word out that you are hiring unless some
group is having to make money both ways. Magazines have the employer and possible employee paying to register or under
some pretense to extract funds. Job Fairs are advertised, however one has to register and pay a fee. Yet we are being asked
to step up and employ our Veterans returning from War Zones throughout the world - these Veterans who have sacrificed
so much and now have to pay for the services that should be freely given. We wanted to do our part and sent a job offer out
to the Military, VA, Universities, Dept.of Labor and so on. I was forwarded from the Military some contacts in the Dept. of
Labor in York, PA and emailed and called and left messages, No one responded! So what are we going to do about it? We
are going to build a section on our website and blog so that employers can list their job opportunities and where Veterans
can check them out and submit resumes without any cost. This is just common decency and respect. It is something we
should have done before, just didn’t know the pitfalls and challenges in employing our Messengers and Peace and Freedom.
So keep checking our websites for these updates and give Thanks for our Messengers of Peace and Freedom by offering them
a worthwhile career opportunity. Let Patriotism and Love of County shine!
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________61
V
MEMBERSHIP APPLICATION
THE VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM WAR
& THE VETERANS COALITION
International Headquarters
805 South Township
n Boulevard, Pittston, PA 18640
Phone: 570-603-9740 • Fax: 570-603-9741
1-800-843-8626
E-mail: vvnwnatl@epix.net
Websites: vvnw.org and theveteranscoalition.org
All Veterans – All Military Welcome
I hereby
swearswear
(affirm)
to uphold
the Bylaws
of the
I hereby
(affirm)
to uphold
the Bylaws
Veterans
of
the
Vietnam
War,
Inc.
of the Veterans of the Vietnam War, Inc.
& The Veterans Coalition
INFORMATION:
GENERAL INFORMATION:
________-_____-________
_____________________________
Social Security Number
Signature
____________________________________
______________________________
Last Name
__________________________________________
Street
__________________________________________
City
) _________ - ________________
Telephone Number
(
PLEASE
PRINT
First Name
Name
First
_______
Apt. Number
_______________
Date of Birth
_________
Middle
____________________________
__________
State
E-mail Address
__________-________
Zip Code + 4
MILITARY
STATUS YOU
YOU MUST
MUSTATTACH
ATTACHAACOPY
COPYOF
OFDD-214
DD-214
MILITARY DATA:
DATA:TO
TOCLAIM
CLAIM VETERAN
VETERAN STATUS
(DISCHARGE
FORM)
-CURRENT
SERVING
MILITARY
MUST
PRESENT
PROOF
OF
SERVICE
(DISCHARGE FORM) -- CURRENT SERVING MILITARY MUST PRESENT PROOF OF SERVICE
Branch:
q
q
q
q
q
q
Army
Army
Navy
Navy
Air
Force
Air Force
Marines
Marines
Coast
Guard
Coast Guard
Other
Other
___________
Date
Entered Service ______-______-____
Discharge Date ______-______-____
Type Discharge
___________________
Service Number
_______________
Service:
q
q
q
q
q
q
q
AnnualMembership
Membership$25.00
$25.00
Annual
Life
LifeMembership
Membership$200.00
$200.00oror
8 PaymentsMonthly
of $ 25.00
8 Consecutive
Payments of $25.00
Choose one option:
q
q
Current
Current Serving
Serving Military
Military FREE
FREE
q
OFFICE USE
USE ONLY:
OFFICE
ONLY:
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Dues Paid:
_______________
Member Date:
_______________
Expiration Date: _______________
WW II
Korea
Vietnam
Grenada
Panama
Desert
Storm
Somalia
q
q
q
q
q
q
q
Bosnia
Bosnia
United
United Nations
Nations
Enduring
EnduringFreedom
Freedom
Iraqi Freedom
Iraqui
Freedom
Peacetime
Peacetime
Non-Veteran
Non-Veteran
All Others
Others
All
PAYMENT
METHOD:
PAYMENT
METHOD:
2 Check
or Money
Payable
to VVnW,
Check
or Money
Order Order
Payable
to VVnW,
Inc. & Inc. enclosed
The Veterans Coalition enclosed.
Please charge my membership to:
2 Visamy
2 membership
MasterCard to:
2 Discover 2 Am Express
Please charge
Visa
Master Card
Discover
Am Express
Card No: _______________________ Exp Date________
Print Name: ____________________________________
Card No:
Exp. Date
Signature : ______________________________________
Print Name:
Signature:
We accept all major credit cards
We accept all major credit cards
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________62
T
MILITARY SUPPORT PACKAGES
THE VETERANS OF THE VIETNAM WAR
& THE VETERANS COALITION
International Headquarters
805 South Township Boulevard, Pittston, PA 18640
Phone: 570-603-9740 • Fax: 570-603-9741
1-800-843-8626
E-mail: vvnwnatl@epix.net
Websites: vvnw.org and theveteranscoalition.org
All Veterans – All Military Welcome
ar
lW
o n Te r
ro
r
i
Gl
er
at
Ea
Phone:
ion
ble
No
Ira
qi F
reedom
Operation
Address:
ba
sm
Requester’s Name:
o
SUPPORT
SUPPORT PACKAGE
PACKAGE REQUEST
REQUEST
gl
e
Op
Support
Packagesent
sentto:to:
Support Package
Name:
Address:
p
O
era
tio
n Enduring Freed
om
Commemorative
CoinCoin
Commemorative
available
for
currently
available for currently
serving
– with
servingmilitary
military
— with
free
membership.
free membership.
You do not have to pay to have this package sent to someone. However, donations are always welcome
to help us continue this project. An envelope is enclosed for your use. Thank you in advance for your
support.
H
Check orMETHOD:
Money Order Payable to VVnW, Inc. enclosed
PAYMENT
Ο Check or Money Order Payable to VVnW, Inc. enclosed
PAYMENT METHOD:
Please
my membership
membership to:
to:
Please charge
charge my
HΟVisa
Card Ο
HDiscover
Discover ΟHAm
AmExpress
Express
Visa HΟMaster
MasterCard
Card No: _______________________ Exp Date________
Card No:
Print Date
Name: ____________________________________
Exp.
Signature
: ______________________________________
Print
Name:
Signature:
We accept all major credit cards
IRAQ WAR VETERAN COALITION
We accept all major credit cards
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________63
SHIRTS
P-425
Pride Shirt
Sizes: M - 3XL = $15.00
P-426
Jihad Shirt
Sizes: M - 3XL = $20.00
The Veteran Leader ________________________________________________________________________________________64
Support Veterans Purchase this good
health product.
RE
P
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THE ETNAM
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WA
VETERANS O
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WHO
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