VOLUME 12, ISSUE 3 March 2009 THE OUTPOST Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 787, Tampa Fl. NATIONAL CHAPTER OF THE YEAR 2001, FLORIDA STATE COUNCIL, CHAPTER OF THE YEAR 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, CHAPTER STATE NEWSLETTER OF THE YEAR 2007, FOR INFORMATION CALL BOB SILMSER (813) 220-7246 OR (813) 685-3483. WEB SITE: WWW.VVA787.COM Pictures Submitted By: Kevin Ruhl Thank you to our chapter fund raisers! Chapter Officers President: Tom Hall Vice President: Carl Harris Secretary: Bob Silmser Treasurer: Bob Silmser Board of Directors: Jim LaGarde Kevin Ruhl Dave Braun Jon Mueller State Council Delegate: Kevin Ruhl Newsletter Editor: Jon Mueller, E-mail: ParaSF68@aol.com Pictured above, L-R is chapter 787 State Council delegate, Kevin Ruhl and chapter member Herman Rainey. Along with past president Jim LaGarde, current chapter VP Carl Harris, members Tony Towers and Art Jorgensen volunteered their valuable time to help our chapter continue is support to our local veteran community. Meetings Chapter Meetings are held the 4th Thursday of each month. Time: 7:00 PM Location: Veterans Memorial Park & Museum 3602 Hwy. 301 N. Tampa Fl. 33619. See Map on last page. Mailing address: P.O. Box 89247, Tampa Fl.
Page 2 THE OUTPOST Medal of Honor Winners of the War in Vietnam Submitted By: Jon Mueller Michael E. Thornton Rank and organization: Petty Officer, U.S. Navy, Navy Advisory Group. Place and date: Republic of Vietnam, 31 October 1972. Entered service at: Spartanburg, S.C. Born: 23 March 1949, Greenville, S.C. Citation: For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty while participating in a daring operation against enemy forces. PO Thornton, as Assistant U.S. Navy Advisor, along with a U.S. Navy lieutenant serving as Senior Advisor, accompanied a 3-man Vietnamese Navy SEAL patrol on an intelligence gathering and prisoner capture operation against an enemyoccupied naval river base. Launched from a Vietnamese Navy junk in a rubber boat, the patrol reached land and was continuing on foot toward its objective when it suddenly came under heavy fire from a numerically superior force. The patrol called in naval gunfire support and then engaged the enemy in a fierce firefight, accounting for many enemy casualties before moving back to the waterline to prevent encirclement. Upon learning that the Senior Advisor had been hit by enemy fire and was believed to be dead, PO Thornton returned through a hail of fire to the lieutenant's last position; quickly disposed of 2 enemy soldiers about to overrun the position, and succeeded in removing the seriously wounded and unconscious Senior Naval Advisor to the water's edge. He then inflated the lieutenant's lifejacket and towed him seaward for approximately 2 hours until picked up by support craft. By his extraordinary courage and perseverance, PO Thornton was directly responsible for saving the life of his superior officer and enabling the safe extraction of all patrol members, thereby upholding the highest traditions of the U.S. Naval Service. Submitted by: Jon Mueller Last soldier drafted in the U.S. Army, now ready to retire! CSM Jeffrey Mellinger He donned his Army uniform for the first time on April 18, 1972, about the time the Nixon Administration was seeking "peace with honor" in Vietnam and The Godfather was opening on the silver screen. Nearly 37 years later, he's still wearing Army green. CSM Mellinger is, by all accounts, the last active-duty draftee serving in the U.S. Army. "I'm a relic," Command Sergeant Major Mellinger concedes with a self-deprecating laugh. But the last of the nearly 2 million men ordered to serve in the Vietnam-era military before conscription ended in 1973 still impresses 19-year-old soldiers. "Most of them are surprised I'm still breathing, because in their minds I'm older than dirt," the fit 55-year-old says. "But they're even more surprised when they find out this dinosaur can still move around pretty darn quick." After basic training and advanced individual training in 1972, he was sent to West Germany and worked as a clerk. He did not like that job and was ready to leave the Army when his commander talked him into reenlisting and trying out for the Airborne Rangers. After he earned his jump wings and Ranger tab, he decided that the Army was the best place for him.
THE OUTPOST Picture submitted by: Kevin Ruhl Page 3 Fund raiser pictures continued from page 1... Pictured above L-R, past chapter President, Jim (Rambo) LaGarde, member Tony Towers and VP Carl Harris. Submitted by: Jon Mueller Local company helps vets! Vetmade Industries, prepares disabled veterans for re-entry into the workforce; then places them into long term meaningful careers. They are a 501c3 non-profit company and are a Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business (DVOSB). They are located at 1517 W. Cypress St. Tampa Fl. 33606. Their phone is (813) 503-8737 and their web site is www.vetmade.org/
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 3 Page 4 Calendar of Events Date Event Time March 2009 19th Thursday Board of Directors Meeting, Jon s House 6:30 PM 26th Thursday Chapter 787 Meeting, Veterans Park & Museum 7:00 PM April 2009 9th Thursday Board of Directors Meeting, Jon s House 6:30 PM 23rd Thursday Chapter 787 Meeting, Veterans Park & Museum & Election of new Officers 7:00 PM Check out our EVENTS page on the chapter web site: www.vva787.com, click EVENTS then click Calendar of EVENTS Submitted By: Carl Harris New Vietnam Memorial at Camp Lejeune The formal dedication/ribbon-cutting ceremony for Phase One of the Onslow Vietnam Veterans Memorial will be held at 11am on Saturday June 13th. The event is free & open to the public. This massive project is at the corner of Hwy 24 Business & Montford Point Road (next to the Beirut Memorial) in Jacksonville, NC and is one of the few in the country to display all 58,229 names. It is dedicated to ALL the men & women from ALL branches of the service who served (whether in country or not) during the Vietnam era PLEASE help us get the word out (across the nation) to all Vietnam Vets or anyone who might be interested in attending. You can get more information from the website: www.onslowvietnammemorial.org or email Kat Horn at vietvetmemorial@yahoo.com Kenji (Kat) Horn President Onslow Vietnam Veterans Memorial Foundation Financial Status of Chapter 787 as of February 2009 Total $10,408.61 (Moving Wall Fund..$6,663.82, AVVA $220.36, General checking $2,178.03,. Holiday Meals Fund $$1,346.40). Total $2,190.59 ( Household Goods.$581.61 Convention Fund $1,608.98) All Accounts Total: $12,591.59 Thanks to our Treasurer Bob Silmser
Submitted by: Jon Mueller VOLUME 12, ISSUE 3 Veterans Park Monument Page 5 On Tuesday February 24th, some members of chapter 787, along with others, made a visit to the American Bronze Foundry in Sanford Fl. All in attendance were given a tour of the company by Chris Schiffermiller, sales consultant. It was amazing to watch the process of making the clay model (from the sculptors own hands) to the finish bronze product. Pictured above is an example of the eagle which the Veterans Park War Memorials committee wants to use on top of the entrance way obelisk. The eagle pictured above, has a wing span of 8 feet. The one planned for the park has a wing span of 6 feet. Pictured above L-R, is Jon Mueller, chapter 787 Scy/Tres, Bob Silmser, VFW Aux member Elsie Amos, chapter 787 member and War Memorials Committee Chairman Dave Braun and Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Assoc, VP Jim Basta. Submitted By: Jon Mueller Quote War makes strange giant creatures out of us little routine men who inhabit the earth. Ernie Pyle, war correspondent, WWII
VOLUME 12 ISSUE 3 Submitted By: Jon Mueller Page 6 TAPS Admiral Wesley L. McDonald McDonald graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1946 and married his high school sweetheart. He began his career as a naval aviator in 1950, serving in several carrier fighter and attack squadrons. In 1964, McDonald was the skipper of Attack Squadron VA-56 flying A-4 Skyhawks aboard the USS Ticonderoga. On August 5 1964, he served as a flight leader for Operation Pierce Arrow, the first retaliatory strike against North Vietnam following the Gulf of Tonkin incident. McDonald led his Skyhawk strike force against oil tanks at Vinh, destroying 90% of the facility. As a four-star Admiral, McDonald also led the 1983 invasion of Grenada for the U.S. military. Chapter 787 Elections New officers will be elected during the April 23rd chapter meeting. Positions available are, President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer. If you are interested in running for any of these very important offices, please contact Kevin Ruhl, Elections Chair. His phone number is 863-956-5544, cell 813-695-6203 or e-mail MSgtMCRet@aol.com. Submitted By: Jon Mueller Veteran convicted of altering medical records The Associated Press Posted : Friday Feb 27, 2009 13:50:49 EST FRESNO, Calif. A Bakersfield veteran has been convicted of altering medical records to collect more benefits from the Department of Veterans Affairs. A federal jury found 55-year-old Roger Remy guilty Thursday of three counts of submitting false claims to the VA. Remy left the military in 1973. Prosecutors say he made a tonsillectomy and circumcision look like a heart attack in 2002 to collect an extra $200,000 in benefits. He might have gotten away with it had he not asked to make the benefits retroactive to 1974. The military got the originals and saw that changes had been made. Remy faces 30 years in prison and a $1.5 million fine.
VOLUME 12, ISSUE 3 Membership Application Membership is open to U.S. armed forces veterans who served on active duty (for other then training purposes) in the Republic of Vietnam between February 28th 1961 and May 7, 1975, or in any duty location between August 5, 1964 and May 7, 1975. Page 7 Vietnam Veterans of America Send to: VVA Chapter 787, P.O. Box 89247, Tampa Fl. 33689-0404 Name: Male: Female: Date of Birth: Address: Apt. # City: State: Zip: Home Phone: Work or Cell Phone: E-Mail: Chapter #787 Sponsor Membership Type: Individual: 1 year $20 3 years $50. Associate: 1 year $20 3 years $50 Life Member Options: Life Member Ages 49 and Under: $250, Life Member Ages 50-55: $225, Life Member Ages 56-60: $200, Life Member Ages 61-65: $175, Life Member Ages 66 +: $150 I am already a V.V.A. member and want to become a life member. My V.V.A. Member number is. Optional Time Payment plan: $50 down, and $25 per month until paid in full. Payment Method: Check Money Order Visa MasterCard If using a credit card: Card Exp. Date: Signature This newsletter is not the official publication of the Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA), Chapter 787, Tampa Florida. All articles, and opinions are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the views of Chapter 787, the VVA State Council, the VVA National or the Chapter members. You can receive a copy of the OUTPOST each month at no cost. Contact Jon Mueller via e-mail at ParaSF68@aol.com and provide your e-mail address. You will need to have an Adobe Acrobat Reader on your PC to open the newsletter. You can also receive it by US mail. The cost is $12 per year. Make your check payable to V.V.A. Chapter 787 and mail it to P.O. Box 89247, Tampa Fl. 33689-0404. Make sure you identify the payment for the OUTPOST.
THE OUTPOST Help Your Chapter Grow Bring a New Member to the Next Chapter Meeting. Come and Join Us. Give us your Ideas. Chapter meetings are held at the Veterans Memorial Park & Museum, 3602 Hwy. 301 N. Tampa Fl. 33619. Contact E-mail Addresses: President Tom Hall: MarineDI@aol.com VP Carl Harris: c-e-harris@tampabay.rr.com Secretary & Treasurer Bob Silmser: Rafkirk64@tampabay.rr.com State Council Delegate Kevin Ruhl: MSgtMCRet@aol.com Board of Directors Kevin Ruhl: MSgtMCRet@aol.com Jim LaGarde: clagarde@tampabay.rr.com Dave Braun: Prowler143@aol.com Jon Mueller: ParaSF68@aol.com Important Web Sites Vietnam Veterans of American, Chapter 787, Tampa Bay Florida...... http://www.vva787.com Vietnam War Statistics...http://users.dishmail.net/cmart/vietwarstats.html Vietnam, Yesterday & Today....http://servercc.oakton.edu/~wittman/chronol.htm Vietnam Veterans Legacy Foundation...www.vvlf.org National League of Families of American POW s/mia s....www.pow-miafamilies.org V.V.A. National Office on the World Wide Web....www.vva.org U.S. Dept. of Veterans Affairs....www.va.gov OPM Veterans Hiring Preference....www.opm.gov/veterans Uniformed Services Family Health Plan (USFHP)....www.usfhp.com U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims....www.vetapp.uscourts.gov Children of Vietnam Vets. www.geocities.com/pentagon/9125 The Center for Women Veterans..... www.va.gov/womenvet Vietnam Women Memorial Foundation, Inc (formerly Project ).....www.vietnamwomensmemorial.org The Moving Wall Vietnam Combat Veterans LTD www.themovingwall.org The Virtual Wall.....www.virtualwall.org Get a Copy of your DD-214 on-line..http://www.archives.gov/veterans/evetrecs/index.html Florida State Council web site...www.vvafsc.org