TAVV is a registered, state chartered 501C-19, tax exempt, veterans organization and is fully tax deductible in compliance with the rules of IRS.

Next Meeting —Thursday, July 10, 2014 - 7:00pm at VFW Post 856 — 406 E Alpine Rd - Austin, Texas 78704

President Don Dorsey 512-447-6238

Vice President Joe Boatman 512-913-3113

Treasurer Harold Leung 512-858-4092

Secretary John Miterko 512-796-2140

Chaplain Larry Yager 512-695-4801

Master-at-Arms Manny Moreno 512-440-8021

Member-at-Large Freddie Garcia 512-445-6267

Service Officer Minnie Garcia 512-823-4723

JANUARY 2008

Volume 23 No 1 The first American product taxed

Texas Association Of

Vietnam Veterans Austin Chapter PO Box 40036

Austin, Texas 78704

Editor: Donna W. Goodwin dwg728@hotmail.com

406 E Alpine Rd

29 Proud years of community

service

July 2014

There’s not a more celebrated national holiday in this coun-

try than Independence Day, the designated birthday of our great nation. What began in 1775 as a struggle for autonomy by the New England British colonists culminated on July 2, 1776 with the Second Continental Congress secretly voting for total independ-ence. Two days later, that Congress, representing the 13 British Colonies of North America, adopted a formal declaration of inde-pendence, officially separating the colonies from the Kingdom of Great Britain and declaring them as newly independent sovereign states. This new nation was referred to as the “United States of America.” And the rest is history. Commonly known at the Fourth of July, this annual day of patriotic displays and family unity is generally associated with parades, barbecues, concerts, sporting events, reunions, speech-es, and fireworks. With patriotism as the prevailing theme, decora-tions of red, white, and blue are the norm, and American flags fly at every corner. Patriotic tunes fill the air. Fireworks fill the sky. And citizens forget politics briefly as they praise the positive as-pects associated with being an American. And last, but certainly not least, an emphasis is placed on those who insure the preser-vation of our hard-fought liberty and freedom, the active duty mili-tary and the veterans of America. This day is about our nation and all the good that it embodies. And this day is much too short. Each year, TAVV is invited to participate in local Independ-ence Day celebrations. Such was the occasion about 10 years ago when the community of Lakeway, southwest of Austin, invited us to march in their annual Fourth of July parade. With no real ties to Lakeway and having no expectations, we accepted their invita-tion in an effort to expand our organization’s reach across Central Texas. As a group, that was one of our better decisions. The strong veteran presence among the retirees in Lakeway em-braced our parade entry, and accepted us with open arms. Each year they now look forward to our return. And for us, it’s the best parade of the year. I don’t think in this whole country you’ll find a more patriotic group of Americans than the folks at Lakeway. Those of you who haven’t participated in this parade have missed out. Unlike most parades around the State, the route doesn’t travel downtown Main Street, not through a business dis-trict nor between multi-level buildings or skyscrapers. The parade

route simply meanders through the Lakeway neighborhoods, fol-lowing the 2-lane roads, visiting the people where they live. Those folks don’t go to the Fourth of July parade. The parade comes to them, as the mostly retired residents pull chairs and golf carts from their manicured lawns up to the curb to cheer, wave, and take photographs. In some places, the crowd is 5 and 10 people deep. And there are tons of flag-waving, wide-eyed kids in awe of the patriotic pomp and pageantry. It’s small-town America at its best and a place where veterans are still heroes. Most parade entries compete for prizes. TAVV doesn’t. We’re there only to represent our Vietnam era of veterans, to make sure that we don’t become another generation of forgotten warriors. Our entry is simple, consistent, and perhaps even boring. Behind a banner declaring who we are is an armed combat patrol in full period gear followed by a Garrison flag carried by members and supporters of our organization. Although we don’t intentionally compete, our entry still manages to win an award on occasion. And this year was one of those times. I was informed the day after the parade that we once again placed in the marching competi-tion. And by the way, TAVV participants unable to walk the route are encouraged to ride in vintage military vehicles provided by our friends and associates from the Military Vehicle Preservation As-sociation, which is usually the parade entry behind us. To say that TAVV is well-received by Lakeway is an understatement. At every turn, our group is met with a standing ovation. It may not be the “coming home” we would’ve liked to have had so long ago, but it’ll have to do. And these Americans are sincere. Following the parade, our group met at Mimi’s Restaurant in the Galleria at Bee Caves for breakfast, complements of TAVV. This year, there were about 55 of us. So to you TAVV members who chose to stay home instead or to go shopping, you might want to reconsider joining TAVV at Lakeway when Independence Day comes around next year. There are no substitutes for broth-erhood and patriotism. And this day is the one day each year when terminally polarized America seems to put country before politics. It’s America’s day, perhaps her only day. And it’s a sight to behold. See you on Thursday. Semper fi!

Volume 29 Number 7

(Like us on Facebook: Tavv Austin Chapter)

FROM THE PRESIDENT—Don Dorsey

Opening Call to Order / Pledge Don Dorsey, 7:05 pm. Invocation Moment of Silence. Roll Call Freddie Garcia shows all elected officials accounted for with Secretary John Miterko and Chaplain Larry Yager absent and excused. Appointees Agent Orange Chair Kathy Miterko and Monument Chair Terry Burkett were also absent and excused. Guests Lilly Alonzo, Suzanne Calderon, Charles Grant, Ken Masters, John Stumps. May Minutes Stands as written. Treasury Report (May 8 - Jun 12) Harold Leung Beginning Balance (including restricted funds) -- $14398.37. Disbursements: Inge Hayes Hickok (VAMC food 4/14) -- $46.85. Heroes Night Out (donation) -- $100. Public Storage (storage) -- $197. Office Depot (newsletter/ supplies) -- $45.43. Total TAVV Disbursements: $389.28 TAVV Deposits: $555.00 TAVV Closing Balance: $14564.09 Restricted for TAVV State: ($1017.93) TAVV Balance (unrestricted): $13546.16 Motion to accept by Freddie Garcia. Second by Will Rogers. Passed.

Note:

Motion by Joe, second by Manny to donate TAVV cost of dog

tag certificates ($24.74) as per Apr 15 to Tx Capitol Monument. Passed.

Monthly Reports Kville VA Hospital

Sat, May 10 Report CVMA. No report.

Sat, Jun 14 Volunteers: Harold Zavalney,

Rusty Johnson.

Sat, Jul 12 Volunteers: CVMA. Agent Orange Harold Leung reported on trans-generational birth defects. Veterans urged to record descendants’ conditions in family health history. Must have official doctor report to substanti-ate possible claim. Guest Ken Masters referred to Minnie for pos-sible AO claim. Father sprayed AO in Vietnam and died young of heart failure. Sister has health issues. POW/MIA Harold Leung. DPMO reports 1642 MIAs from Vietnam War. 105 MIAs from Texas (including 2 civilians). Links: http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/summary_statistics/ http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/accounted_for/ Parades and Events Danny Kaiser

Lakeway Independence Day Parade - Jul 4

Members to muster at usual place, Tejas strip mall, 1202 Lakeway Dr. Military vehicles to de-part for staging area at 7:30am. To meet for breakfast afterwards at Mimi’s. Miterko needs a body count.

Tex Capitol Vietnam Veterans Monument Don Dorsey

Tx Vietnam Hero Tag Exhibit In Austin at Bullock Museum

Aug 18- Sep 10. No details on opening ceremony. Possibly El Paso, Wichita Falls, and Tyler in future, but sponsors

needed. See exhibit schedule in this newsletter or on monu-ment website. http://tcvvm.org

Replica Hero Tags Still available from monument website

at $20 each with Certificate of Authenticity. Reduced prices for quantities. All proceeds go to the monument.

Nam Stories Personal Vietnam-related stories from

TAVV MINUTES 12 June 2014—GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETING

veterans and/or family and friends still being accepted on monument website. VA Communication Council No report. VA Consumer Advocacy Council (AVFAC) No report. Meets on 2nd Fridays @ 10am – noon, 2nd floor conference room at new VA clinic. Primarily deals with mental health, PTSD, TBI, and alternative treatment and methodology. VA Volunteer Services No report. Volunteers always needed. Students aged 13-18 accepted, but must apply by Apr for following year. See Sid Hull at the clinic: 7am-noon M-W-F and 7am-4pm T-Th. Or contact Michael Wittrock (VA Voluntary Service Specialist) at 512-823-4524 x54525 or at Michael.Wittrock@va.gov Homeless Veterans Assistance Joe to continue assisting vets thru PROJECT ECHO, a national organization that tracks homeless. TAVV to assist Joe. Store ware-house must be cleared by Jun 20.

Veteran Thrift Store Volunteers needed. Items to be

listed on ebay. Sales slowly increasing. Will assist Sid with vets with special needs. Still need a donated truck.

Legislative Update No report. Sick Call Please keep them in your thoughts and prayers: Juan Blanco, Rusty Breaux, Bryan Bruton, Fred Castaneda, Christian Copelend, Minnie Garcia, Mama Knockers, John Miterko, Kathy Miterko, Manny Moreno, Charlie Paul, Richard Powell, Fred Rey, Janice Richter, Will Rogers, Gene Sinclair, Ron Tucker, Willie Williamson. Old Business Honor Flight For schedule or to assist, contact John Spahr at 512-508-3038 cell or 512-868-8372. Korean vets will be next, along with any terminally ill war veteran. See website. New Business 3rd Annual Heroes Night Out BBQ Report May 24, free food and entertainment for vets and families. Well attended, except by TAVV members. Harold Zavalney, Joe and Don sold veteran pins and caps and distributed information. Memorial Day Ceremony at Cook-Walden Report May 26, Pflugerville. Lighting and rain cancelled event. VFW 856 met for lunch. Fiesta Amistad Report Jim Torres. Ex-cellent veteran participation in the Round Rock event, best in 15 yrs. National VN Vet Museum in Mineral Wells Report Jun 7, names added to their memorial wall. Keynote speaker was surgical nurse at Cu Chi, SVN. Angie Stout Conover Don spoke of recent plight of Angie, daughter of deceased member Ed Stout. Angie donated turkey fryer to TAVV. Motion by Joe to donate $500. Second by Will. Passed. Free Legal Advice for Vets - Mon, Jul 14 No appt necessary, but bring documents. Austin Outpatient Clinic. 1-4pm. Sign-in by 3:30pm.

Williamson County Monument Jim Torres. Joe Boatman on planning committee of yet to be named monument, which is using thrift store 501C. Will be listing local war casualties with bronze plaques to cost $50-$60. Needs financing. Motion by Joe to donate $300. Second by Frank Mendez. Passed. Pop Tops Harold Zavalney distributed collection containers for can pop tops to assist Ronald McDonald House in Panama where he lives part time. Veterans Day Parade Committee Danny Kaiser.

Continued on page 3

2

Minutes continued from page 2

3

SICK CALL Larry Yager

SICK CALL Larry Yager

TEXAS VIETNAM HEROES

EXHIBIT SCHEDULE

"Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference."

~Winston Churchill

"Don't judge each day by the harvest you reap but by the seeds you plant." ---Robert Louis Stevenson

"When you encounter difficulties and contradictions,

do not try to break them, but bend them with gentleness and time." – St. Francis de Sales

Volunteers needed. Meets second and fourth Tuesdays at noon at the Palm School Bldg (Travis County Veteran Service Office), Cesar Chavez @ IH35. Grandbaby Congratulations to the Calderons for their new grand-daughter, Samantha, born Jun 1. We have a new volunteer. Jul Newsletter Deadline - Mon, Jun 30. Jul TAVV General Meeting - Thur, Jul 10, 7pm. Ongoing TAVV Sales Don @ 512-925-4556 cell. TAVV shirts: Joe @ 512-913-3113 cell. Newsletter Perimeter Editor Donna Goodwin still looking for stories about TAVV veterans and photos, especially photos of members in Vi-etnam. Submit items to Donna at (dwg728@hotmail.com). Copy to Don (dondorsey@sbcglobal.net). Mar 50/50 Raffle $51. Donna Goodwin won and donated all back to TAVV. Closing Motion to adjourn by Freddie Garcia. Second by Will Rogers. Passed. Meeting adjourned. 8:18 pm.

Total Attendance 22, Members Present 17 David Alonzo, Joe Boatman, Julian Calderon, Christian Copeland, Don Dorsey, Freddie Garcia, Luis Gonzalez, Donna Goodwin, Sid Hull, Danny Kaiser, Harold Leung, Frank Mendez, Manny Moreno, John Richter, Will Rog-

Vietnam Hero Tags

Replicas of the tags entombed in the Texas Capitol Monument are available for purchase through the monument website: http://www.tccvm.org

David Alonzo Lily Alonzo Jenny Boatman Bryan Bruton Fred Castaneda Christian Copeland

Minnie Garcia Momma Knockers Manny Moreno Kathy Miterko Edie Musgrave Charlie Paul Richard Powell Janice Richter Will Rogers Gene Sinclair Ron Tucker Willie Williamson

TAVV NEW MEMBER

Charles T. Grant Regular (USMC)

Del Valle, TX

For more information on the Texas Capitol Monument Dedication:

May God Bless you - Love, the Chaplain

Aug 18 - Sep 10 Bob Bullock State History Museum- Austin

Other venues under consideration: Texarkana, Tyler, Wichita Falls and El Paso.

God is not a man, that he should lie, nor a son of man that he should change his mind. Does he speak and then not act? Does he promise and not fulfill? Numbers 23:19

Peace be with you...

4

For Your Health and Well Being

The Veterans Connection YOUR FAMILY THRIFT STORE In the RENAISSANCE SQUARE SHOPPING CENTER behind the Outback Steakhouse

Contact Store for donation pick-up

1601 S. IH-35, Ste. 330 Round Rock, TX 78664 (512) 218-1372 Open 7 days a week 10 am to 7 pm

HOMECOMING DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION dba THE VETERANS CONNECTION,

a 501(c)3 non-profit organization with the mission of helping homeless veterans and their families reintegrate into society. Advocates of

the Veteran Affairs Supportive Housing (HUD-VASH) program and the City of Austin No Longer Homeless Project, We are supported by the TEXAS ASSOCIATION OF VIETNAM VETERANS,

the VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, and the VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS, Post 856.

This month we are talking about Atrial Fibrillation or AFib. As you may or may not know the heartbeat starts in the upper chambers of the heart. Your heart has four cham-bers that pump blood. The two upper chambers are the atria, the two lower chambers are the ventricles. When your heart works as it should, the atria pump blood into the ven-tricles. Then the ventricles pump that blood to the rest of your body. There’s a certain specific rhythm to this pumping

action that you can feel and hear as your heartbeat. When you have atrial fibrillation (AFib), there’s a problem with your heart’s rhythm. The atria “fibrillate,” or beat too fast. That beat is also irregular. This keeps the atria and ventricles from working together. As a result, not all of the blood gets pumped from the atria into the ventricles. The blood that gets left behind can pool and form a clot. When AFib keeps your heart from pumping the way it should, blood is left behind in the atria, which can pool and form a clot. If part of this clot breaks free and travels to the brain, it can block proper blood flow. As a result, some brain cells may not get the oxygen and nutrients they need and can die within minutes. When this happens, it’s called a stroke. A stroke can lead to sudden weakness, loss of speech, disability, or even death. The most common type of AFib is called “nonvalvular.” That means the person with AFib doesn’t have a heart valve problem or a replacement heart valve. You can have atrial fibrillation without having any symptoms at all. If you have symptoms, they may include heart palpitations (a sudden pounding, fluttering, or racing feeling in the chest), fatigue or lack of energy, dizziness, chest discomfort, and shortness of breath. Many people live for years with atrial fibrillation without problems. However, be-cause the atria are beating rapidly and irregularly, blood does not flow through them as quickly. This makes the blood more likely to clot. If a blood clot is pumped out of the heart, it can travel to the brain, resulting in a stroke. The likeli-hood of a stroke in people with AFib is five to seven times higher than in the general population. Although about half of all blood clots related to AFib result in stroke, clots can travel to other parts of the body -- such as the kidney, heart, or intestines -- also causing problems. AFib can also decrease the heart's pumping ability by as much as 20%-25%. AF combined with a fast heart rate over a period of days to months can result in heart failure. Control of AF can then improve heart failure. There are four tests used to diagnose atrial fibrillation. These include the electrocardiogram, Holter monitors, porta-ble event monitor, or loop recorder, and the trans-telephonic monitor. These monitoring devices help your doctor learn if you are having irregular heartbeats, what kind they are, how long they last, and what may be causing them. So, what about treatment? Many options are available to treat AFib, including medication, lifestyle changes, certain medical procedures, and surgery. The choice of treatment for you is based on your heart rate and symptoms. The goals of AFib treatment are to regain normal heart rhythm, control the heart rate, prevent blood clots, and reduce the risk of stroke. How Are Medications Used to Treat Atrial Fibrillation? Medications are prescribed depending on the overall treat-ment goal. If the goal is to restore normal heart rhythm, a type of drug called an antiarrhythmic is prescribed. If it's not possible to achieve this goal, doctors will try to manage your condition by slowing down the heart rate. In both cases, your doctor will give you drugs called anticoagulants to decrease blood clot formation. Okay, I guess that pretty much does it for this subject. Several of us have Afib, and the rest of us need to know what to look for in symptoms. You know the gunny doesn’t have to worry about AFib…you see you have to have a heart to worry about how it ticks. Until next month, don’t forget to take you daily aspirin and vitamin D tablet. See you at the meeting next Thursday.

The Doc Is In Joe Boatman

5

July News

THE DOC IS IN Joe Boatman

Well, that’s it for this month. Had to cut this one a little short because the better half and I are headed to Hawaii this week. The Gunny is actually from Hawaii you know. I can just imagine him in a grass skirt….on second thought I don’t want to trigger my PTSD so I think I will think of something else. Next month we will go back to health issues that affect the aging vet.

THIS MONTH WE ARE GO ING TO TALK ONCE MORE ABOUT FOOD, SINCE WE ARE WELL INTO SUMMER AND SUMMER IS THE TIME FOR GRILLING AND EATING OUT. THIS TIME WE ARE GOING TO TALK ABOUT THE MYTHS AROUND SOME OF THE THINGS WE EAT. Myth 1: Potatoes and bread are fattening. Actually: It's just the opposite. Starchy vegetables and bread (whole-grain bread that is) are quality carbs needed to fuel every part of you, from your brain to your muscles. What gets you into trouble is how you eat them: Smear butter on a slice of whole-wheat bread or deep-fry potatoes and you can double, triple, or quadruple the calories. Myth 2: Drinking a glass of water before a meal curbs appetite. Actually: Yes and no. Water tames appetite if it's incorporated into food, such as soup, or a thick drink, like V8 100% Vegetable Juice. Apparently, when water is bound to food, digestion is slower. That's why one study found chicken-rice soup more satisfying than chicken-rice casserole and a glass of water -- even though the soup had 27% fewer calories! One exception to this rule: It's easy to confuse hunger and thirst, so if you find yourself craving something -- but what? -- drink a big glass of water and wait a few minutes. You may find that's what your body really wanted. Myth 3: Shellfish are high in cholesterol. Actually: On the one hand, it's true: Just 3 ounces of shrimp delivers more than a third of your daily cholesterol. But there's a sur-prising flip side to this story: Shrimp is low in saturated fat -- the kind that becomes artery-clogging bad cholesterol -- and has a smidgen of heart-healthy omega-3s. In fact, researchers discovered that eating shellfish, such as shrimp, every week reduced heart attack risk by 59 percent! Myth 4: The occasional burger and fries won't kill you. Actually: It depends on your definition of "occasional." If occasional means every Friday night and then some, well, you may be pushing it. But if it means every few months, and you're fit, and you've got good numbers (i.e., weight, waist size, cholesterol, blood pressure), AND you're chowing down on vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and other nutritious fare most other days, hey, you'll live. But few of us are that perfect. If you do occasionally indulge, offset the effects of a fat fiesta with a brisk 40-60 minute walk after-ward. Myth 5: People naturally gain weight after age 50. Actually: While you can blame a lot of things on hormones (everything from acne to PMS), in this case, slowing down physically is far more likely the cause. Study after study has found that older adults who exercise regularly and vigorously can maintain their figures. Myth 6: Diet soda is worse than the real thing. Actually: We all would be better off switching to water, diluted fruit juice, and green tea rather than drinking soda -- diet or regular. Both types increase kidney and heart disease risk, plus they contain acids that erode tooth enamel, inviting cavities.

Danny Kaiser Sgt. USAF !2 FMS, 12 TFW Vietnam - '66

PAY IT FORWARD Gene Sinclair

TODAY, I RAN OUT OF GAS IN THE MIDDLE OF A BUSY INTERSECTION. How embarrassing! Having no other choice, I put the car in neutral and opened my door and began to push. I barely got my car to moving when, to my surprise, I heard someone say, "I got you sir. You get in and steer.” After I steered the car to a curb and stopped, the guy came up to me and said, "I just wanted to help a Vet.” He evidently saw my license plate. And, boy! Was I grateful that he did. And if pushing wasn’t enough, he then offered to get me some gas. I thankfully declined and told him that I would call my wife and be OK. He shook my hand, informing me that he was a Desert Storm Vet, and departed. I then called Barbara to bring me a can of gas from the garage, but before she arrived, that same Veteran was back with a full can of gas. “Here, buddy,” he said, “I hope this will help. Good luck, and have a nice day. It's yours from one Vet to another." He shook my hand again and left, as he was double parked across the street.

Pleasantly surprised, I decided that this will be a "Pay it Forward" opportunity. I could not believe what had just hap-pened. I was sweating a river, but had a big grin on my face when Barbara arrived with more gas and a soft drink.

“How did you get gas so quickly?” she asked. I told her what had just occurred, and she, too, was in disbelief. I decided then and there that I would fill that brand new gas container and pass it on to the next person in need of gas, just like that Vet had done for me. And like that fellow, I’ll tell them to "thank a Vet."

A simple story of kindness that I wanted to share with my veteran friends: Pay it forward.

The Counselor is In Jennie Boatman, MSSW-AP, LMSW-Emeritus, CHt

Exposure Therapy

Before we begin our discussion about Exposure therapy with Vietnam Veterans, let's review: As we already know from personal experience, PTSD can be a debilitating disorder involving intrusive thoughts, and it affects millions of survivors of war, rape, 9/11 and school shootings, and other traumatic events. Formerly called “imaginal flooding therapy”, exposure therapy has proven re-sults. Exposure therapy involves exposure to prolonged and repeated imagined thoughts and memories of specific traumat-ic events, until the effects of the traumatic event are reduced. According to the National Institutes of Mental Health

(NIMH), 5.2 million Americans have PTSD. Several studies since 2001 indicate that ET is the most effective and efficient treatment for many types of PTSD. Exposure Therapy Research In the 1980s, Dr. Terrence M. Keane and his research colleagues held a randomized clinical trial involving 24 veterans. The results showed definite improvement in reducing the number of flashbacks, nightmares, memory and concentration problems, irritability and anger. Dr. Edna Foa in follow-up research with rape survivors showed effectiveness in treating rape victims including persistent fear. Improvements were noted immediately after therapy and at a three month follow-up. If you are interested in ET, the VA offers more than 140 specialized programs including ET, and in 2001 the VA treated 77,000 plus veterans for PTSD. If you have experienced ET, tell your vet buddies what it has done for you. It's even more effective combined with CBT and journaling. Repetition of old traumatic events in writing, in individual counseling and groups increases ETs effective-ness. You may be asking, I'm in my 50s or 60s. I've had therapy; seen a psychologist or social worker and even attended cou-ple counseling. The questions you need to ask is, “Does PTSD still effect my life? Am I as mentally healthy and happy as could be? The answer is that as long as you are living, you have an opportunity to learn and grow. Perhaps you haven't yet tried ET. It's never too late to be the best you can be. For all the friends that died on the battle field or years after from physical or mental disabilities that occurred years before what would they want for you a buddy who lived?.... to live as fully as possible. Ask at your local VA for individual or group ET training.

6

Welcome Home…..Brother!

Dioxin Report Kathy Miterko Thirty-five years after Love Canal's oozing toxic waste scared away a neighborhood and be-came a symbol of environmental catastrophe, history could be repeating itself. New residents, attracted by promises of cleaned-up land and affordable homes, say in lawsuits that they are being sickened by the same buried chemicals from the disaster in the Niagara Falls neighborhood in the 1970s.

Six families have sued over the past several months. Lawyers familiar with the case say notice has been given that an additional 1,100 claims could be coming. The lawsuits, which don't specify damages sought, contend Love Canal was never properly remediated and dangerous toxins con-tinue to leach onto residents' properties. The main target of the lawsuits, Occidental Petroleum, which bought the company that dumped the chemicals and was tasked by the state with monitoring the site in 1995, contends the waste is contained and that state and federal agencies back up those findings. "Data from sampling over the past 25 years have demonstrated that the containment system is operating as designed and is protective of health, safety and the environment," said a statement from Glenn Springs Holdings, the Occidental subsidiary in charge of maintaining the site.

Love Canal's notorious history began when Hooker Chemical used the abandoned canal from 1942 to 1953 to dump 21,800 tons of industrial hazardous waste. That canal was later capped, and homes and a school were built on top of it. But snow melt from an unusually harsh winter in 1977 seeped into the buried 16-acre canal and forced chemical waste into groundwater and to the surface, oozing into yards and basements. Residents began complaining of miscarriages, urinary and kidney problems and mental disabilities in their children. With Love Canal getting national attention, President Jimmy Carter in 1978 issued a disaster declaration that eventually led to evacuation and compensation for more than 900 families. The crisis also led to federal Superfund legislation to clean up the nation's abandoned waste sites. Although complete streets were permanently bulldozed around Love Canal, those immediately north and west of the landfill were refurbished following a $230 million cleanup that involved capping the canal with clay, a plastic liner and topsoil.

Beginning in 1990, about 260 homes were given new vinyl siding, roofs and windows and resold at prices 20 percent below market value. The neighborhood was renamed Black Creek Village. In addition to Occidental, defendants include the city of Niaga-ra Falls and its water board and contractors enlisted by Occidental to maintain and test the site today. An attorney for the city de-clined to comment on the pending litigation. A spokesman for the Environmental Protection Agency, while declining to address the lawsuits, called the area "the most sampled piece of property on the planet." "The canal has not leaked," spokesman Mike Basile said. "The monitoring and containment system is as effective today" as when first installed. But Reynolds and others say danger continues to brew beyond the 70-acre fenced-in containment area, pointing to the discovery of chemicals during a 2011 sewer ex-cavation project. According to the lawsuits, crews worsened the contamination by using high-powered hoses to flush the chemicals through the streets and storm drains. The State Department of Environmental Conservation concluded the contamination, 20 feet below ground, was an isolated pocket left over from before remediation and hadn't recently leaked from the canal.

TAVV members - 1985 in New York City, ‘Welcome Home” Parade

‘Welcome Home’ - 60th Anniversary of Veterans Day in America

It is never too late ...or too little to say, ‘welcome home’ - I appreciate you - Thank you for your service! Semper fi!

Veterans Day 2013—Austin Texas

Veteran Resources

Travis County Veterans Service Office

100 N IH 35 Austin, Tx 78701

512-854-9340

Texas Veterans Land Board Stephen F Austin Bldg

1700 N Congress Austin, TX

512-463-5060 800-252-8387

Veterans Administration Medical Centers

Temple VAMC 1901 S 1st

Temple, Tx 76504 800-423-2111 Waco VAMC 888-827-6988 Dallas VAMC 214-742-8387

Houston VAMC 713-791-1414

San Antonio VAMC 210-617-5300

Austin VA Outpatient Clinic

7901 Metropolis Dr Austin, Tx 78741

512-823-4000

Cedar Park VA Outpatient Clinic 701 E Whitestone Blvd Cedar Park, Tx 78613

512-260-1368

Vet Center 2015 S. IH 35

South cliff Bldg. Ste. 101 Austin TX 78741 1-877-927-8387

VA Internet Address

http://www/va/gov

VA Enrollment Address 877-222-VETS

http://www.va.gov/health/elig.

www.myhealth.va.gov For medical appointments and

prescription refills - 24/7 800-244-2912

Agent Orange Clinic—Temple

800-423-2111 ext 40440

Inspector General’s Office (IG) 214-253-3360 Dallas

202-565-7702 HQ Wash., DC 202-565-8305 Central Op Wash., DC

Veterans Crisis Hotline 1-800-273-TALK (8255)

2014 CALENDAR

FREE LEGAL ADVICE FOR VETS July 14, 2014

August 11, 2014 1:00 pm to 4 pm

(please sign in by 3:30 pm)

The Austin Bar Association organizes a free legal advice clinic once a month at the new Austin VA Outpatient Clinic 7901 Metropolis Dr.

Click here for Google Map directions No appointment is necessary with attorney volunteers providing brief, (20 min.) legal advice. Please bring any paperwork relevant to your case, to include copies of all pertinent claims, correspondence and rulings from the court, agency, or Veteran's Administration. If you're seeking veteran's benefits or a discharge upgrade, bring a copy of your DD214 and any evidence related to your claim.

Please note: Attorneys only provide guidance and consulta-tion at these clinics. Our attorney volunteers will not be able to provide services such as will or filing for divorce at the clinic. We will provide local legal resources, if further legal assistance is needed.

For more information, call the Austin Bar Association

at 512-472-0279

Or visit http://bit.ly/Help4CenTXVets This service is provided on first Mondays each month but are subject to change due

to the coming holidays

HEROES NIGHT OUT 1105 S. Bell—Cedar Park A Veteran’s Safe Haven

for VA Services and Counseling….your home.

7

VETERAN SERVICES

Williamson County Veteran Services

3151 SE Inner Loop #C

Georgetown, Texas 78626

(512) 943-1900

2014 Aug 18– Sep 10 Hero Tag Exhibit Bullock Museum Austin Jul 4 Lakeway Indep Day

Parade 7 VFW 856 meeting 7 pm 10 TAVV gen meeting 7 pm 11 AVFAC meeting 10 am 12 Kerrville VAMC 14 Veteran legal advice 23 MSC meeting 1:30 pm 24 VVA 915 meeting 7 pm 31 Aug newsletter deadline Aug 1 Air Force Day 4 Coast Guard Day 4 VFW 856 meeting 7 pm 8 AVFAC meeting 10 am 9 Kerrville VAMC 14 TAVV gen meeting 7 pm 27 MSC meeting 1: 30 pm 28 VVA 915 meeting 7 pm 31 Sep newsletter deadline Sep 1 VFW 856 meeting 7 pm 7 Labor Day 11 TAVV gen meeting 7 pm 12 AVFAC meeting 10 am 13 Kerrville VAMC 14 Army Day 15 Fathers Day 18 Natl POW Recognition Day 24 MSC meeting 1: 30 pm 25 VVA 915 meeting 7 pm 27 Local POW Ceremony Gold Star Mothers Day 30 Oct newsletter deadline

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Independence Day 2014

My Last Wake-Up Franklin Mendez August 27, 1965-Republic of Vietnam My last day in country was the worst day of my entire tour of duty. I just knew that my luck would run out on this day, by some

strange miracle I had made it to, as we called it back then,….” my Last Wake Up”. Anticipation abounds, nobody likes you on this day. I felt like nobody was in a big hurry to process my orders to get going. It

also felt like the time was running away from me and nobody really cared if I left or stayed. The sound of war was all around me, business as usual for everyone else. My two sea bags were all packed but I still had all my 782 gear and my M14 Rifle.

It is getting to be mid-morning and I have yet to be called to the First Sergeants Command tent to get my orders to leave this place. It’s the waiting around that gives you the willies. You have that macabre feeling that something is going to happen that will cancel your departure.

Just before noon I hear my name hollered out from the direction of the Command tent, along with 5 others that I do not recog-nize because the blood in my ears is pounding like a drum.

All I can think about is getting on that Six By and going somewhere to leave this place. I am not sure how I’m getting out today. No one to date had rotated back to the real world. We were the first group of many that would follow to rotate back to the world. This whole rotation process was a new invention that was not familiar to anyone yet.

I ran to the Command tent to get my orders. We lined up facing the Sergeant holding a clipboard. Anxiously we waited for the good news. What he said was not the news I was waiting for on this day.

“ Get your rifles, helmets and cartridge belts and load up on that truck over there”, he pointed to a 6-By parked near by. I could not believe what I was hearing. None of us could, we just stood there and looked at him in shock. That was only the beginning of a very stressful afternoon.

We did as we were ordered and loaded on in the truck. They drove us to a nearby river south of Danang Air Base. As I recall, our base camp sat on a bluff above a river but I don’t remember the name of that river, just that it was in the vicinity of airbase. We unloaded the truck and were given the following instructions: “We have information that the VC have tunnels on the river bank. Fix bayonets, lock and load your weapons and proceed along the river bank, stab the bank every 5 feet or so to see if you can locate the tunnels, and let us know if you find one”. Three of us went one direction and the other three went the opposite di-rection.

We walked the bank stabbing it with our M14 bayonets for about 300 yards. Every stab I made into the sandy bank was like falling through the gallows trap door. My heart was pounding and all I could think was, I am not leaving today! I knew I was going to die, I knew that I would make a stab into the bank and fall into a tunnel full of VC, who would cut me to pieces before I could say a word. It was the most stressful hour I spent in Vietnam. I felt helpless, you can’t refuse an order on your last day, or any other day for that matter. This one just did not fit in with my plan of the day. I was rudely reminded that my plan had no relevance in the Corps. We follow orders, simple as that.

I have re-lived that hour over and over through the years, wanting to convince myself that it had to be a joke. To this day, I am still wondering about that order. Was it a real need or was it a joke to make us sweat one last time. I will never know for sure! After we finished they drove us back to base camp and had us start processing out. There was no mention of it having been a joke. I want to think they were serious about having us do what we did. Thank God, we found no tunnels on the riverbank!

The day was moving so fast that I lost track of time. At about 1600 we boarded the truck with our two sea bags. The ride to Danang Air Base was not one without peril. Along the way, we drove through Dog Patch, and the Ammo dump. The dump had been hit a few weeks earlier with rockets. We knew we were still in Indian country.

Arriving at the Base, we were trucked across the Tarmac to an open field on the opposite side of the main air terminal. We un-loaded and lined up in formation with the other group that was already there. It was a staging area of sorts for the Short Timer’s. Shortly after our arrival, the last truck crossed the Tarmac and unloaded the final group that would be departing to the real World. As soon as they unloaded, we were ordered to dump our two sea bags on our Poncho for inspection. The bag inspection went pretty fast and it was over in about an hour. The Continental Airline’s 737 Jet arrived at the airfield at about 1800. It was a beauti-ful sight to behold...just knowing I might be going home after all. I don’t know where the word comes from but when the word was given to board the plane, those two sea bags full of all I owned were as light as two bags full of feathers. Single file, we loaded from where we had been inspected. The line was long and moved slowly. As the ladder got closer the talking stopped, cigarettes were put out and field stripped. My heart rate increased intensely as the line seemed to not be moving at all. Walking up the steps of the ladder felt like a transformation was occurring in me, I couldn’t quite put my finger on it. It just felt strange. I was not sure if I would see any of my buddies again who were staying behind. I felt like I was abandoning them but at the same time, I was glad to be on that ladder very close to leaving that place.

As I entered the plane, the first thing I noticed were the seats as they were facing to the rear. I remember a lot of moving around as everyone was trying to get a seat. At that moment in time, I knew no one and wanted to talk to no one. I was afraid they would wake me up and laugh in my face and tell me that leaving that place alive was all a joke.

After we were all boarded, we heard the hatch close and the lock bar fall in place. I started praying as I had done on many a night. It was still too good to be true, surreal and nerve wracking because we knew we could still be hit with rockets.

The engines revved up to a high pitch and the plane moved backward very slowly at first, then forward, picking up speed as we felt every separation of concrete on the Tarmac. As the plane gained altitude, we could see the hills and the mountains fade away. The sun was setting behind the mountains somewhere in Laos as we gained altitude. The entire plane was so quiet you could hear a pin drop.

When the Capitan announced that we were out of rocket range, we exploded in screams of joy, hollering all kinds of happy noises that went on for about an hour. We finally got all our joy out and realized that we were out of that place and could actually get some sleep. Sleep was a luxury we were denied for many months. So we slept many undisturbed hours and dreamed of a tomorrow that would be very different from yesterday. Continued on page 9

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My View from the Back Row Donna Waddill Goodwin

Continued from page 8 My rotation took place in August 1965, and I was assigned to Bravo Company, 4th Platoon, First Amtrac Battalion, 3rd

Marine Division as a Lance Corporal Crew Chief, I was 20 years old. That day was my Last Wake Up, as I recall.

Semper Fi to all of you that were there that day. Sgt. Franklin Mendez 2057860 USMC ‘63-‘67

Iron Bridge in Marble Mountain Vietnam, August 1965

We spend the 4th of July doing different things. A day of parades, barbeque, swimming

fireworks and picnics. It’s a time to reflect and to celebrate, America. Who we are, what we stand for and how we stood for freedom. Memories of Independence Days past are vivid to me….picking the newly ripened Figs from my dad’s trees was a family tradition of which I was not fond. But I found myself more often than not on the ladder in the taller parts of his largest trees, doing just that. I remember what an itchy job that was! I have always liked a parade and those on the 4th were no exception. One of my fave’s was the 4th of July, Independence Day Parade in the downtown Groves. The very first time I was part of this parade, I was in Blue Birds . Much like the Brownie’s are a precursor to being a Girl Scout; Blue Birds were a precursor to being a Camp Fire Girl. It is hot and humid in Groves TX on the Fourth of July. It was this year and... it was back then. My troop was sitting on the back of a flat bed truck waiting for Senator Ralph Yarborough to arrive so the pa-rade could begin. Groves is a largely union town and it was an election year. The city fathers thought it quite the coup to have the Senator lead the parade. His plane was late and so we waited, and waited... and waited. 7 year olds are not known for their patience! Individually and as a group we were hot, restless and none to happy to sweat in the sun for the parade’s honoree. Finally, he arrived and we had the parade, that Independ-ence day of 1953 with all the fanfare a small town provides. The band, the flags and the crowd gathered to watch were all a part of the celebration. This year’s July 4th Celebration held the promise of my riding in one of Danny Kaiser’s Preservation Group’s Vintage Military Vehicles, participating along with other members of TAVV in the Lakeway Independ-

ence Day Parade. I have never ridden in a military vehicle of any kind and was looking forward to the experience! Life had other plans, as it so often does, and this was not to be. I woke up to a ferocious sore throat, fever and vertigo. This is the only Independence Day on record that I literally stayed in bed. Although it was the best place for me, I was not so happy to do so. Some things can be counted on, ‘thank goodness’! The vets of TAVV reported for duty and participated, leading the Lakeway parade to applause and the pleasure of the crowd. These guys are my special heroes and shine forth….warrior’s still, they never disappoint.! Join me in giving them a hearty hand of applause! Thank you, TAVV Vietnam vets, for your faithfulness!

Texas Association of Vietnam Veterans PO Box 40036 Austin, Texas 78704

Texas Association of Vietnam Veterans

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