The HARDCHARGER OFFICIAL NEWSLETER OF KENTUCKIANA DETACHMENT #729 OFFICERS Commandant ROBERT CROSS (502) 543-1889 mclbcross33@gmail.com Senior Vice Commandant JOHN FROEHLICH (270) 314-0362 johnfroehlich9014@gmail.com Junior Vice Commandant RON SNYDER (502) 551-6342 dockerss@yahoo.com Judge Advocate ALISON PORTER (502) 931-7371 alusmc75@gmail.com Auxiliary President NANCY WALLACE (502) 245-5615 Adjutant ALLEN BROUSSARD (502) 267-4776 twomarinefamily@gmail.com The next General Membership meeting will be held on 20 JANUARY 2014 at the VFW Middletown. The meeting will start promptly at 1900 hours. Please plan to attend. THIS BEING A NEW YEAR THERE WILL BE NEW BUSINESS. WE WILL NEED MAXIUM MEMBER- SHIP. JANUARY 2014 HAVE AN E-MAIL ADDRESS? WE NEED IT! BY RECEIVING THE Hard- Charger BY E-MAIL, YOU GET A COLOR AND PRINTABLE COPY. AT THE SAME TIME YOU SAVE YOUR DETACH- MENT MONEY! Chaplain Comptroller/Investment/ Audit Committee BOB ROSS (502) 499-9088 bross@rosscpas.com Paymaster JAMES THOMPSON (502) 240-0501 jtlouky@gmail.com Sergeant-At-Arms DON SCHOFIELD (502) 298-5713 gunnytanker@gmail.com Supply Officer DON OLIVER (502) 969-8205 oliver1@insightbb.com VAVS Service Officer BOB LEBLOND (502) 239-9946 rleblond@aol.com VSO Officer & (Devil Dog Contact) DAVID HESSE (502) 817-0015 dhesse@insightbb.com Ways & Means Committee Chairs JOHN HEFLEY (502)955-5620 hilndmastr@aol.com Boy Scout Committee JOHN FROEHLICH (270) 314-0362 johnfroehlich9014@gmail.com Newsletter Editor ALISON G. PORTER (502) 931-7371 alusmc75@gmail.com Thank You Allen and Nancy Wallace for your continued support with the distribution of The HARDCHARGER! Rest In Peace Chaplain Bill Gividen and Bob Keller On Christmas Eve, 24 December 2013, our Kentuckiana Detachment suffered a monumental blow. On that day we lost our Detachment and Department Chaplain, Chap- lain Bill Gividen. Many members have said that he was by far our most dedicated Chaplain. To all he was a brother in arms, a confi- dant but most of all, the truest of friends. To quote Kentuckiana Detachment member Jim Thompson, We lost the best of us.. There was never a truer statement made, we certainly did loss the best of us. Many that he counseled walked away with a better under- standing of things and to quote his pastor at Beargrass Christian Church, I always felt better after leaving a conversation with 8 April 1934-24 December 2013 him.. Bill was one of, if not the proudest member of our de- tachment and our detachment was second only to family in his life. His selfless dedication to his position as Chaplain certainly proved that point. He will truly be missed by all. HardCharger readers will have an opportunity to leave their own personal comments concerning Chaplain Bill Gividen in this issue. On another sad note, we lost another detachment member, Bob Keller. We lost Bob on 28 December 2013. Bob was once a very active member and was a regular at American Legion Breakfasts. He was a dedicated Marine serving two tours in Vietnam. Please lets keep these members families in your prayers.
Page 2 FROM THE DESK OF THE COMMANDANT THE HARDCHARGER Marines: Well we are starting this year off on a sad note. As I write this we just buried our Detachment Chaplain and are looking at another members Last Detail Visitation on the 1 st day of the New Year. I hope this is not a sign of what to expect for the rest of the year. COMMANDANT BOB CROSS We have lost 3 of our more active members in 2013. First Louis Lindle, in the same time period Dewey Amundsen and now Billy Gividen. These loses have left big holes in our Toys for Tots, Scouting and Chaplain programs. We have also lost several other members this year including the most recent being Bob Keller. Though Bob was not as active in the Detachments affairs, he was extremely active in the VVA and VFW 1170. When I first met Bob he was always at the side of Robley Rex making sure he made all of his engagements. Bob was also active in promoting many Veterans day events. This will leave a big hole in the veterans community. With these loses we will have to have members step up to fill these positions. I would also like to add some positions to help our Detachment Members. I would like to have some members contact me and volunteer to man the phones. I would like to break the roster down and have several members to contact the less active of our members and make sure their needs are being met. If they are not we will find the ways to make sure they are. These phone banks may also serve useful in making sure we get all the information out to our members. I would also like to encourage you to make a list of your abilities and get them to Alison to be published in the newsletter. When I say your abilities, I am talking about woodworking, plumbing, electrical, auto mechanics etc. Things that you would be willing to do to help other members that might be in need of the various services. Let us start 2014 with a new vigor, not only help each other, but to become more involved in the local Veterans community as well as the Louisville community. Let me know your ideas and suggestions for the directions you would like to see the Detachment moving towards. We can make a big difference if we all work together. Semper Fi! Bob Cross A NOTE FROM YOUR HARDCHARGER EDITOR This being a NEW YEAR we need to attack it with a NEW ATTITUDE and make 2014 GREAT! To those newer members who have stepped up and taken the reins in hand, Thank You. To those members who have dedicated years of devoted service to one or more areas of our organization, Thank you and please continue the outstanding work. You are a great influence on our newer members. To those members who have become settled within the league and only show up at meetings, feel free to step up and ask detachment officers and committee heads how you can be more involved. WE NEED YOU! Make sure that you attend this month s meeting. It s a new year so we have lots of new business to tackle. Some members both newer and some who have been around awhile have become interested in The Last Detail and The Honors Detail. To make these details even more impressive, we will attempt to have Detail training an hour a month. More information to come concerning detail training. There will also be more subtle changes to this area to make it more efficient. We will also be looking for members to mentor those newer members who may have a misconception of our organization or those who just may need to be lead into certain areas. We want to avoid new members getting too comfortable. Please know that everything you do to promote and benefit our 729 Detachment is appreciated! See you at our next meeting.
THOUGHT S FROM THE CHAPLAIN Page 3 Though our Chaplain Gividen has left to join the others filling Heaven s Detachment, he and his space in The HARD- CHARGER will not be forgotten. Thoughts from the Chaplain will continue to be maintained. No one can or could replace Bill Gividen and his inspirational words will continue to live on in the readers that he ministered to. With that said, The HARDCHARGER will attempt to bring its readers inspiration as well as membership information and enjoyable reading. There is something that I would like to try for this issue and I would appreciate maximum participation. Chaplain Bill Gividen taught many things to many people. What I would like to print here next month is responses to this question. What is the most memorable teaching or memory you have of Chaplain Bill Gividen? As to not put any one person on the spot, I will answer first. I have many memories however there is one that stands out in my mind. [ Someone very dear to me had lost a very close family member. I was desperate for something to say to comfort him however no matter how hard I thought, nothing came to me. I felt that I was a failure as a friend. Once I was able, I went to the Chaplain and asked his advice. I asked What do you say to comfort someone who has experienced such a great loss.? He sweetly smiled and said, Sometimes, there are just no words. Sometimes, you can only be there and allow them to express their grief.. This may be something small and simple but that was the best advice that he could have given me. And if he was anything he was simple, which everyone should strive to be. - Alison Porter ] Now it s your turn. Let s see how many comments we can get. From the Auxiliary President The Christmas Social was a hit, we had fun and the food was delicious. Also, we were able to socialize with some new people. Thanks to Allison for trying to bring us out of our comfort zone. The ornaments and door prizes were something new and very welcome. Congrats to Jim Oliver, he won our raffle basket. AUXILIARY PRESIDENT NANCY WALLACE I m sure everyone knows by now that we lost a wonderful man, the League s Chaplain, Billy Gividen. He will be missed by all, as I believe he touched all of our hearts. Keep Catharine in your prayers. Sincerely, Nancy Wallace (President)
Page 4 THE CHRISTMAS SOCIAL THE HARDCHARGER On 16 December, the Kentuckiana Detachment held a Christmas Social. The Social was a considered a success by most in attendance. There were decorations provided by the League s Ladies Auxiliary, tree and lights by the VFW Middletown, music, food and games. The Ladies also baked and provided dessert cookies for the occasion. This is one of two times a year that we have the largest membership turnout. Some members were UA due to health or personal reasons but to finish the statement, we welcomed and entertained new and prospective members. The social included a couple of activities that were enjoyed by some and considered a jumble by others, I m sure. One was a game where most everyone took home a Christmas ornament and the other was door prizes that were donated by detachment members. The prizes included a rum cake baked by Mr. Tom Varley, which I am sure was a great treat for Mr. Bob Ross.
Page 5 ONE TOYS FOR TOTS EVENT Throughout the 2013 Toys for Tots Season, there were many events that made the campaign a huge success. Out of the many events was one of the corporate parties held at the Brown Hotel. The party brought out all kinds (by invitation) dressed to impress. On hand at the party were 729 members dressed out in Red Coats and Dress Blues. Also in attendance as Santa Helpers were the cadets from Seneca High School s MCJROTC, accompanied by Colonel Maloney and SgtMaj. Wilson. The party brought many toys and monetary donations for the campaign It took many volunteers in the field at multiple events, delivering and collecting collection boxes and those who spent countless hours in the warehouse to make the campaign a success. It also took the dedication and diligence of Toys For Tots coordinator, Cletis Evans coordinating events, bringing together volunteers and making countless calls to members, volunteers and participating donors. Thanks to all who particatated. The following article was submitted by 729 Detachment member Jerry McCandless. Its focus is a return trip to Korea after 60 years. I know that there are other HardCharger readers who happen to be Korean War Veterans, but one does not have to be a Korean War Veteran to enjoy this story. Thank you Jerry for submitting. This past July I had the privilege of returning to korea on the 60th anniversary of the armistice (July 27) The South Korean government sponsor such trips and they pay a large cost of the air travel and covered all my & my wife's expenses during the week we were there. I'd had not remembered there were 22 nations involved in that "Forgotten " war. Our entire group consisted of approximately 200 people of which about 85 were the actual veterans from most of the 22 UN countries. approximately 25 of the total were Americans - there were 5 US Marines. As we made our approach into Inchon-Seoul international airport the tide was out & the mud flats seemed to extend miles into the sea. I could only conclude a Sovereign God orchestrated that perilous landing of the First Marine Division. Our time in Korea was packed with activities commerating the occasion. We visited the equivalents of the tomb of the unknown soldier, Arlington cemetery, the DMZ at the 38th parallel, Panmunjom and some battle sites. The trip for me was humbling & healing. I've tried to summarize the 5 distinctive things that stood out for me. The first was remembering the total destruction of Seoul & the war torn Korean landscape. I remembered only one bombed out bridge crossing the Han river at Seoul,the absence of paved roads & one railroad that ran from Pusan to Seoul.The second thing that stands out is the miraculous recovery of that country. Seoul now has 31 bridges crossing the Han river. They have many skyscrapers & every where you look are super highways & bullet trains. They instead of being a recipient of world aid are now providing world aid. Their economy rivals ours In USA. Wherever we went people genuinely expressed their thanks for defending & saving their country. People on the streets would wave to our busses, folks would get on the busses. & hand out mementoes. The reception by all was simply overwhelming. As I encountered those veterans from other countries the emotions ran high. We didn't often speak the same language but we connected by heart. There were high fives, hand shakes, salutes, smiles & finally lots of very emotional hugs. The final thing for me was realizing some 60 years later a swelling pride of having been in some way a very small part of the recovery and now success of South Korea. It is not the Forgotten War but the Forgotten Victory. Jerry
Page 6 THE HARDCHARGER JANUARY S BIRTHDAYS DODSON, Scott 1st BROUSSARD, MARY 5th SIMPSON. Jr, Charles 5th ROSS, Bob 8th BRADFORD, Donald 10th MEDLEY, Joseph 10th HERBERT, Frank 10th WILSON, Thomas 10th AUSLANDER, Robert 11th SCHMIDT, Richard 11th SIMS, Russell 12th GITTINGS, Stephen 13th BLOOM, Joseph 15th WELLS, John 16th PEYTON, John 24th CEASE, Jr., Phillip 24th PYLE, Marion 25th EISERT, Gordon 27th LAPP, John 27th LADOUCEUR, Hank 31st MEMBERSHIP RENEWALS DECEMBER 2013 BAKER, Albert...DIEBOLD, Walter.HUPP, Harry.MOORE, Myrl.POWELL, Charles.SHERMAN, James. VOGEDES, Susan JANUARY 2014 ALVEY, Ray.HALL, Eugene.JOHNSON, Albert.JONES, Zach.LEFAN, Bruce.QUILLAN, Scott.SNYDER, Ron FEBRUARY 2014 EVANS, Cletis.HALL, Doug.KOENIG, Richard.MILLER, Jason.O LEARY, Patrick.SHULMAN, Clifford. TAYLOR, JR., Robert Members, Please be sure to take care of your membership obligation as soon as possible to keep your membership active and to prevent interruption in your membership benefits. Thank you in advance in this endeavor.
Page 7 January 2014 Sun Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat 5 6 7 8 1 HAPPY NEW YEAR BOARD MEETING 2 3 4 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 IMPORTANT DATES 1 JANUARY 2014 - HAPPY NEW YEAR! 8 JANUARY 2014 - BOARD MEETING 20 JANUARY 2014 - GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING Members...It is important that we have maximum attendance at the General Membership Meeting on the 20th.
Marine Corps League Kentuckiana Detachment #729 P.O. Box 35068 Louisville, KY 40232 POSTAGE Phone: 502-602-1981 E-Mail: alusmc75@gmail.com THIS IS YOUR JANUARY ISSUE OF THE HARDCHARGER NEWSLETTER Marine Corps League for all Marines and FMF Corpsman Application for Membership Name Service or SSN# - - Street City State Zip + 4 Date of Birth Date of Enlistment/Commissioning Date of Discharge / Separation / Retirement Rank at time of Discharge Home Phone Other E-mail Type of Application - ( ) New Member $30 - ( ) Renewal $30 - ( ) Associate $30 Life Membership (Must have current year dues paid to apply for life) Age: 61 = $150, 51 ~ 60 = $300, 36 ~ 50 = $400, < 35 = $500 I hereby certify that I am currently serving or have served honorably in the U.S. Marine Corps, on active duty for not less than ninety (90) days and earned the Eagle, Globe and Anchor, or have served or am currently serving in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and have earned no less than ninety (90) Reserve Retirement Credit Points or that I have served or am currently serving as a U.S. Navy Corpsman who has trained with Marine FMF Units in excess of ninety (90) days and earned the Marine Corps Device or Warfare Device worn on the Service Ribbon authorized for FMF Corpsman. If discharged, I am in receipt of a DD Form 214 or Certificate of Discharge indicating Honorable Service, ( honorable service will be defined by the last Form 214 or Certificate of Discharge that the applicant received.) General discharge under Honorable Conditions is acceptable. By signature on this application, I hereby agree to provide proof of honorable service/ discharge upon request. I hereby authorize the National Executive Director, Marine Corps League to obtain an un-redacted copy of my latest DD Form 214 from the Marine Corps Custodian of Official Military Personnel Files (IMPF, and/or verification of honorable service if deemed necessary to verify my eligibility for regular membership in the Marine Corps League. I understand the DD Form 214 may contain information such as military awards, training and character of service. ( Korean War Era Marines See National Bylaws, Article 6, Section 600) (Sponsor - where applicable) (Applicant's Signature) CORE VALUES: Honor, Courage and Commitment. Once a Marine, Always a Marine! Mail to: Marine Corps League P. O. Box 35068 Louisville, KY 40232