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Chapter 16 Newsle er Organiza on and Responsibili es:
Editor: Glen Craig Sec ons:
Message from the President: Stephen Durfee Treasurers Report: Willi Linder Sec. Rpt (Staff Mee ng Minutes): Mike Barkstrom Sick Call/Obituary: Chaplain Butch Hall Blast from the Past: Glen Craig Special Recogni on: Mike Barkstrom Upcoming Events: Mike Barkstrom Calendar: Stephen Durfee Human Interest Story: Chapter at large SFA Na onal HQ Update: Stephen Durfee A er Ac on Report: Jim Lessler Membership Info: Roy Sayer Adver sements: Glen Craig
Suspense:
Newsle er published (Web): 1st of each odd numbered month Input due to editor: 20th of each even numbered month Dra due to President: 27th of each even numbered month Final Dra due 29th of each even numbered month
First order of business is to honor the life and passing of William “Bill” Smith he was a teammate and well respected SF Brother. I did not know Bill personally but I know many of our members spoke highly of him and it with the deepest regard and condolences for his family that we salute him. We are at the same me engaging in our recruitment drive up un l the Organiza onal Day in June. If you know someone who is eligible, or lapsed in membership, engage with them today. Our recruitment officer is, CW4 John Becker, 253‐314‐9800, he can talk the mechanics, and costs, don’t use the SFA Na onal webpage or you will not get the discounted price. Special thanks to the CH 16 Board members and teammates for the excellent work they do keeping me and us out of jail. Eric, Mike, Willi, Butch, Glen and Kevin keep the wheels turning and the progress happening Thank You fellas! We also would like to recognize Bill Gates and Rob Hunt for the fantas c Crystal Mountain quarterly social event held in March. Our next social is in coopera on with 1st SFG(A) on 12 May. The Jane Wayne Day POC for this event is Leslie Thomas, 3BN Family Readiness Support Assistant, 253‐967‐8808, [email protected]. Par cipants will experience weapons training, get a behind the scenes look at Airborne Opera ons, and work through some exci ng tasks and engaging challenges. There are two quarterly social events on our calendar one for summer and fall. The summer event is a golf tournament chaired by Rick Thomas. The second is our Octoberfest on 14 Oct in the Regimental Mess Facility on the 1st SFG(A) compound. This is in conjunc on with our bimonthly mee ng star ng at 1100. We are going to engage with the 1st SFG(A) homebrewing underground and have a homebrewing contest. If any of you in the CH 16 forma on are home brewers start making your plans now. If not come out an help “test” the entries! Stephen P. Durfee SGM (Ret) USA
President’s Message
Pastor Butch’s Corner
Was that really important? Absolutely!
It really is important and really significant? In order for us to understand the significance of the folded napkin, you have to understand a li le bit about Hebrew/Jewish tradi on of that day. The folded napkin had to do with the Master of the house and his servant, and believed me in my house as a boy I knew this tradi on.
When the servant set the dinner table for the master, he made sure that it was exactly the way the master wanted it ... The table was furnished perfectly, and then the servant would wait, just out of sight, un l the master had finished ea ng, and the servant would not dare touch that table, un l the master was finished. Now, if the master were done ea ng, he would rise from the table, wipe his fingers, his mouth, and clean his beard, and would wad up that napkin and toss it onto the table.
The servant would then know to clear the table. For in those days, the wadded napkin meant, 'I'm done.'
But if the master got up from the table, and folded his napkin, and laid it beside his plate, the servant would not dare touch the table, because ........... The folded napkin meant, 'I'm coming back!'
Beloved as a Chris an we can rejoice because that folded napkin reminds us that; Jesus has risen and He is Coming Back!
So; if this touches you, you may want to share it as we praise the Lord in Jesus name. Amen and Amen!
Jesus has risen!!! He has risen indeed! Glory to God in the highest Jesus is coming back again.
Major William R. Card, Jr.
U. S. Army Special Forces
22 October 1930 ‐ 1 March 1971
Major William R. Card, Jr. was born on 22 October 1930 in Brooklyn, New York. He graduated from Elmhurst Agriculture High School in Queens, NY during June of 1948. MAJ Card enlisted in the Regular Army at Brooklyn, NY on 25 June 1948. A er finishing Basic Airborne Training he was assigned to the 11th
Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and a ended Pathfinder School. He was serving with the 7th Ranger Company at Fort Benning, Georgia when the company was deac vated. At his request, he entered the conflict in Korea with the 187th Regimental Combat Team (Airborne) to serve on the Pathfinder Team. MAJ Card joined Special Forces a er the Korean Conflict and while sta oned at Fort Bragg, North Carolina was assigned to the 8231st Army Special Opera onal Detachment, which was shipped to Camp Drake, Japan in 1956. The 8231st ASOD and the 14 Special Forces Opera onal Detachment relocated to Fort Buckner, Okinawa during June 1957 to form the 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne). MAJ Card while with the 8231st ASOD and 1st SFGA completed the Officer's Candidate Series 10 and 20 correspondence courses and was awarded a Reserve Officers Commission. He con nued on ac ve duty as a Non‐commissioned Officer. He was high al tude low opening parachute (HALO) qualified and received his self‐contained underwater breathing apparatus (SCUBA) qualifica on from Underwater Demoli on Team (UDT) instructors in the Philippines. MAJ Card served two tours in Laos on Opera on Ho oot/Whitestar missions, one Training Lao an Royal Army soldiers and one training Lao Theung tribesmen on guerrilla warfare. He served in the Republic of Vietnam on the Civilian Irregular Defense Group project, the in‐country long range patrol, Project Delta, mission, and the MACV‐SOG project that interdicted the Ho Chi Minh Trail in Laos. When the United States commi ed conven onal forces to the Vietnam War, the Army's need for commissioned Officers increased. MAJ Card was called to ac ve duty in his Reserve Officer's rank of Captain in 1966. He returned to the States to a end the Infantry Officer's Course, a er which he was as‐signed as an instructor to the Military Academe at West Point. Returning to Southeast Asia in 1968, MAJ Card was assigned to the 46th Special Forces Company (Airborne) in Thailand. He commanded Special Forces Teams loaned to the Central Intelligence Agency to train Lao an Commando Raiders for hit and run a acks on Peoples Army of Vietnam targets in eastern Laos. They re‐ou i ed and re‐trained combat decimated units from LTG Vang Pao's Hmong Army that defended the Plaine des Jarres in Laos. The teams provided basic training for Unity Ba alions, which were composed of Thai volunteers for duty in Laos. MAJ Card was killed at Prachinburi Camp in Thailand on 1 March 1971 by a friendly booby trap, which he had previously ordered disarmed. The errant soldier who disobeyed the order was sentenced to 20 years imprisonment. MAJ Card was survived by his wife, Mrs. Jean Card, a son John Michael now a professor at Dartmouth College, his father, William Sr, mother, Florence Albert Card, and two sisters, Ann Card Ellis and Gladys Card Arnold. MAJ "Willie" Card's awards and decora ons include the Silver Star Medal, Legion of Merit Medal, Bronze Star Medal, Air Medal, Army Commenda on Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Army of Occupa on Medal, Na onal Defense Medal, Korea Service Medal with two Ba le Stars, Armed Forces Expedi onary Medal, Vietnam Service Medal with two Ba le Stars, United Na ons Service Medal, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal, Presiden al Unit Cita on with two Oak Leaf Clusters, Combat Infantryman's Badge with Star, Master Parachu st Badge, Pathfinder Badge, Ranger Tab, Vietnamese Gallantry Cross, Republic of Korea Presiden al Unit Cita on, Thai, Vietnamese, and other foreign Parachu st
Wounded Warrior Project Scandal Was Fake, But Vindica on Was Not Broadcast
by Jeff Dunetz | Mar 23, 2017
The story below was sent to me by my colleague Brian Kolfage, who along with being a great American, husband, and father, is himself is a wounded warrior. Brian was one of the people who did the inves ga on for this story. Many of you may remember that the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) was involved in a huge scandal two years ago when led by the NY Times, the charity was accused of spending less than half of raised money on the wounded warriors themselves. Since then the accusa ons have been proven false, but as scandals tend do go, when they
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are proven to be bogus, the correc on never gets as much publicity from the MSM as the scandal, The WWP has a four star ra ng from Charity Navigator (its highest ra ng) and has been audited by the Be er Business Bureau. Sadly the despite the truth, despite the fact that our wounded heroes are s ll being helped by the WWP dona ons are way down. Please read the post below, and pass it along, so people get the good news…and also if you can afford it, give the WWP some money, so it can con nue to help the Vets who need help: By Jeff Rainforth
The Wounded Warrior Project (WWP) has been helping injured veterans since its incep on in 2003, 2 years a er the deadly terror a acks that rocked the na on on 9‐11. Since its incep on, the organiza on became the #1 veterans charity in the world. This year, WWP surpassed the 100,000 mark in terms of veterans they provide assistance to. Work the Wounded Warrior Project does has seen billions of dollars go to help severely injured veterans, and that doesn’t even include the charity’s day to day opera ons.
Who has WWP helped? Veterans like Army Captain Gregory Galeazzi. Galeazzi lost both of his legs in Afghanistan in 2011. His right arm was severely injured, also. The WWP came to his aid by pledging to pay for advanced prosthe cs training, and helped boost his morale by buying him ckets to New England Patriots games, and connected him with music teachers who helped him learn to play guitar despite his arm being so
cri cally damaged. When reports surfaced about possible WWP’s misuse of donor funds last year, Galeazzi told the Military Times, “I’m worried that whole safety net isn’t going to be there anymore. I’ve got a standing offer from them to help with advanced prosthe cs training, whenever I’m ready they’ll cover the costs. You don’t know what it’s like to have that kind of safety net and cushion if you need it.” Galeazzi went on, “Those are things that people may see the costs, but it’s something you really can’t put a value on. Most people can’t see my experiences and what the group has meant. But they can see a two‐minute news report that shits on the whole organiza on.” We were in contact with Captain Galeazzi via email and he thanked us for taking on this story so as to vindicate those in the WWP who have been hurt by the allega ons of wrongdoing by Fake News outlets such as the New York Times.
The Wounded Warrior Project doesn’t just help those who have been injured on the ba lefield, but also those wounded in other ways. Jennifer Norris was a Technical Sergeant in the Air Force. She re red in 2011 due to PTSD caused by a sexual assault. She spoke glowingly of WWP on her site a er a ending a series of events designed to assist those with PTSD caused by military sexual trauma: “Wounded Warrior Project has been a godsend in my life. It started with the first program I a ended about a year ago and has only con nued to get be er. This month I a ended the WWP Physical Health and Wellness Expo at the Andrews Ins tute for Orthopaedics & Sports Medicine in Florida. I absolutely loved everything about what I learned at this place. I had done a ton of research the year prior trying to rebuild my life a er the injuries I sustained in the military and was so relieved to learn that I was on the right track. The trainers were professional and helped simplify what is a very overwhelming process if you try to learn about physical heath and wellness on‐line.” Norris con nued: “Wounded Warrior Project is definitely inves ng in veterans with both physical and mental wounds. The programs offered by WWP are a nice complement to what the VA is currently doing but WWP is taking it a step further. WWP “takes a holis c approach when serving warriors and their families to nurture the mind and body, and encourage economic empowerment and engagement.” These heroes and tens of thousands of others have two things in common. They fought selflessly to defend their country, and, upon their return to the states, the Wounded Warrior Project generously provided them with the support they needed to adjust to civilian life. A er being a acked by the New York Times and CBS News last year, Wounded Warrior Project has fallen on hard mes, and many severely wounded veterans are no longer receiving assistance. But now the truth has come out. The reports by the Times and CBS that Wounded Warrior Project was misusing funds has been completely debunked. Not only were tens of thousands of wounded veterans harmed by the lies maliciously told about WWP, but two of the founding members were fired by the board of directors, and now they’re speaking out. Freedom Daily spoke exclusively to Al Giordano, a Marine vet & co‐founder and former Chief Opera ng Officer of WWP. In 2009, Steve Nardizzi, another co‐founder, became CEO of WWP. Both he & Giordano have been credited with building the Wounded Warrior Project into a charity powerhouse for injured veterans. That’s when MSM began running fake news about the organiza on. On Wednesday, January 27, 2016, the New York Times ran a story based on the tes monies of several employees of WWP who were disgruntled over their termina on from the charity. The former employees who had been fired had created a private Facebook page with which to communicate with one another. There they plo ed to take down Wounded Warrior Project, and the New York Times was more than eager to help. Giordano steered us to Professor Doug White, an author, recognized expert on chari es, and former Director of the Masters of Science in Fundraising Management program at Columbia University. Professor White became aware of the hit piece done by the New York Times and compiled a 79‐page independent report on the ma er. White pointed out in his independent report that the Facebook group included Len Stachi s, Execu ve Vice President of Strategic Giving of WWP. Stachi s was terminated for covering up the the of donor dollars from his direct reports including Teresa Nichols, Manager of Major gi s, another member of the Facebook group. Dave Philipps, a reporter for the Times, had been contacted by the group of fired WWP employees in June of 2015. Giordano relayed to us that while some former employees spoke glowingly about what WWP had done for them personally, they lied about how the charity was being managed. They had a score to se le. And Philipps ate it up.Nothing good that Philipps was told about WWP made it into his final ar cle for the New York Times. What did Philipps leave out of his hit piece?
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That employees told him that WWP saved their lives and even their marriages. That Dan Nevins, an Army vet who lost both of his legs in Iraq literally cried about what WWP had done for him. Philipps laughed about it. That WWP had awesome morale and the lowest employee turnover for any charity – half the industry standard. That WWP had been voted the best non‐profit to work for 3 years in a row – Philipps said it was worst. That WWP set up a private health care network with $70 million over three years to 4 hospitals for injured veterans to receive free mental health counseling. That WWP set up a Trust Fund with $100 million to take care of veterans whose parents couldn’t so they wouldn’t have to have the government put them into nursing homes.
That Al Giordano and Steve Nardizzi got rave reviews from the WWP Board of Directors for how they did their jobs… Every. Single. Year. A third‐party company was even brought in to do the internal polling in order to avoid the possibility of employees feeling “pressured” to rate their bosses in a favorable light. None of these things made it into the New York Times’ hit piece on the Wounded Warrior Project. Everything that was perceived to be nega ve about the charity, even the lies the disgruntled, fired employees told Philipps, made the cut, though. Imagine that. The biggest lie the New York Times told about Wounded Warrior Project? That they only spent 60 cents of every dollar donated for wounded veterans. The New York Times cited a report from charity auditor “Charity Navigator” that WWP spent “lavishly” on execu ves & administra on rather than on vets. It turns out, the repor ng was completely bogus, and just recently, WWP was afforded a 4‐star ra ng by Charity Navigator, it’s top ra ng, for the fiscal year 2015. Of course, for the New York Times, the story is all that ma ers, regardless of who is hurt if the story is 100% BS. Wounded Warrior Project’s past finances were audited by FTI consul ng and the Be er Business Bureau. They found that there was NO “lavish spending” on the part of WWP and that the charity, in fact, gave 81% of contribu ons to injured vets. Professor White explained in his report how the inaccurate repor ng came about. His conclusions are damning – for the Fake News New York Times that is. In his report, he states that: “Many of the allega ons made in the CBS News and The New York Times reports were either wrong or misleading. Both news organiza ons relied too heavily on too few on the record to generate reports that would have such a damning impact on a charitable organiza on and those it serves. Each organiza on should run an apology story. Chief Execu ve Officer Steve Nardizzi and Chief Opera ons Officer Al Giordano, Wounded Warrior Project’s two top execu ves before they were fired a er a financial review was conducted in response to the media allega ons – a review that stunningly did not result in a wri en report – were overseeing a modern, na onal charity. Each, by any standard, result, or metric, performed well. The finances were sound and WWP’s impact was strong. In terms of helping veterans, their families, and their caregivers, there was a constant and growing level of success. The ex‐employees who complained were naïve to think that any single expenditure meant the organiza on was was ng money. The complaints were not based on an overall understanding of how the organiza on worked or how charitable organiza ons generally work.” Today, Steve Nardizzi and Al Giordano have been vindicated as over 300 media outlets have so far carried the story that WWP was in fact NOT misusing donor funds. Nardizzi and Giordano were fired because of FAKE news put out by the New York Times, and by CBS News (We’ll have an exclusive follow‐up story on CBS News’ stunning part in the take‐down soon, also). The disgus ng thing about all of this? Despite being proven wrong, neither the New York Times nor CBS will publish a retrac on of their false stories. The Wounded Warrior Project is on schedule to lose $300 million in donor funds since the fake news stories came out. This has devastated WWP and its ability to help more wounded veterans, according to Giordano. Millions of veterans have been affected. Even the uber‐liberal Washington Post reported on WWP being cleared of any wrongdoing under Nardizzi & Giordano. “A er months of inves ga on, the Be er Business Bureau has cleared the Wounded Warrior Project, one of the na on’s largest veterans chari es, of ‘lavish spending,’ and gave the nonprofit organiza on its seal of approval. The bureau’s Wise Giving Alliance report found that Warrior Project spending has been “consistent with its programs and missions.”” The devasta ng effects of the New York Times’ Fake News on the WWP will be felt by wounded veterans for years. Re red Army lieutenant‐general Mike Linnington, the current CEO of WWP explained to the Florida Times that: “I am concerned that we don’t have the ability to fuel the mission. In terms of impact, the sad tragedy of the last year is programs and
warriors were nega vely affected by inaccurate or grossly exaggerated repor ng. That is what is very concerning.” The Wounded Warrior Project was built into the world’s premiere veterans charity with one goal in mind – to do all they could to assist our heroes wounded in ba le or while in service to their country. They have literally affected millions of lives. The New York Times, with its disgus ng, vile, purposeful ignoring of the facts, did more damage to wounded veterans than any war could. And they should f‐cking pay for it. Watch for our upcoming exclusive story on how CBS News sought to bring down WWP & hurt wounded American veterans. We’ll be interviewing the former CEO of WWP who was fired when CBS & the New York Times published the FAKE NEWS about the charity.
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Gary Sinise, a Patriot and Hollywood Hero, Earns Army’s Highest Civilian Award By Thomas N | Featured Commentator | March 24, 2017 10:39AM Hollywood is full of far‐le idiots who can’t stand President Donald Trump. These eli sts don’t support our troops, and they’re out of touch with the rest of America. A rare excep on is Gary Sinise, a patriot and famous actor. Sinise is well‐known to our troops for the reless work the Gary Sinise Founda on does to ensure injured veterans and their families are taken care of. He has flown all over the world, entertaining our troops along with the USO. These service members are in harms way and exhausted from their du es, and Sinise is always there to entertain and li their spirits.
Now, Gary Sinise has been selected for the Associa on of the United States Army’s highest award for public service: the George Catle Marshall Medal! This is the highest honor a civilian can receive from the U.S. military. This is well deserved, as this reporter explains: Actor Gary Sinise is a well‐known celebrity within the military community — and for good reason. His name has become synonymous with suppor ng the troops. I’ve traveled across the United States, around the world, and back again. I made stops in several USO facili es along the way to find some refuge from the o en‐long travels. These facili es have a very welcoming vibe and are o en a beacon of light for weary service members as they head to some very rough places in the world. The atmosphere is reminiscent of visi ng a hometown a er a long absence. The volunteers of the USO seem to always be happy to greet the visitors that enter through the doors. Upon arrival, those associated with the military are offered snacks and refreshments. Throughout my journeys, I’ve no ced that in almost every single facility that I have visited, an autographed photo of Gary Sinise is proudly displayed. A sincere message typically accompanies the photo. Sinise has been suppor ng military members and veterans for decades now. A er his very hear elt performance as Lt. Dan in the movie “Forrest Gump” — in which he played a severely wounded combat veteran — Sinise began working closely with wounded and disabled veterans. Gary Sinise is a class act. He spends his me and fortune helping our troops and veterans, which is why this honor is well‐deserved. Thank you Gary for your service!
D‐DAY STORY: WILLIAM D. TOWNSLEY
This graphic tells the story of how the France beachhead was supplied on "D‐Day". 6 June 1944 (Photo: Na onal Archives) Military.com I am Townsley, William D., service number 38370280. Residence at the me of enlis ng in the army was Bangs, Texas, located about 125 miles west of Fort Worth. I was born August 8, 1923. I entered the armed service February 1943 at Abilene, Texas. A er that I was sent to Camp Swi , Texas, near Aus n for my basic training. I made sharpshooter. I was assigned to the 146th Combat Engineers Ba alion, Company B and le the States the 9th of October, 1943 en route to England. We rode in the Mar na, fourth size to Queen Elizabeth ship. We had approximately 28,000 troops on board, one third more than supposed to be carried. We docked in Liverpool, England. I don't remember a whole lot happening at that me. It was raining and muddy where they sta oned us. At that me England was in blackout at night. No one could go to town on pass. We had our flashlights blocked off so there was only a small hole in the glass to see through. When coming to a street intersec on you could barely make out where you were. We finally se led down on the south coast of England by the town of Barnstaple, England. It was winter and we burned coal in our tents at night. It was at Slapton Sands where we started our demoli on training. This is where we studied mines, hand grenades, TNT, C2 satchel charges, and so forth. We prac ced on what we called hedgehogs. They were like li le girls jacks in shape, but were about 4 feet in height. Our demoli ons really worked fine on these. One day we were prac cing tying short fuses on blocks of TNT and throwing them like hand grenades. One of our men drew back to throw and it went off. He lived ll he reached the hospital. He was our first casualty. His name was Melvin Vest. I kind of liked working with demoli on but I saw it could be pre y dangerous also, if not carefully seen a er. We finished our demoli on mines and booby traps and moved forward to the coast where we stayed in some nissen huts, wai ng to cross the
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English Channel where we were furnished our OD clothes and gear we would be needing. About this me or a li le before we were divided up into boat crews. I was in boat crew number 8 and our lieutenant was Wesley Ross. Our medic was Lt. Max S. Norris. I always thought I was in the service with some of the best guys there were. Strict, but good. And I saw where it really paid off in the long run for me. In the last camp of prepara on we were shown films of how the ba le was to be carried out, how we were to land and what we were supposed to do. We had it all down in films and in our minds. I had one close buddy, Willie Brandt that always worried about the crossing. He thought we were going to be shot like si ng ducks. I told him they wouldn't do us that way. He was found on the beach D‐Day, no bullet holes in him. I don't know whether he died from shock or explosion. Finally it came me to get on our li le boat. I think it was an LST. It had a half‐track, an armored tank, besides boat crew 8. It sure was crowded. We barely had room to get around by day, at night it was something else. Those army blankets sure were fine quality. I would e one side of my blanket to the side of the boat and the other side to the tank very ght like a hammock. Before morning it was nearly hi ng the bo om of the boat. The blanket had stretched so much but would all shrink the next day and the same thing the next night. I think we were on the English Channel four or five days. I want to back up just a li le. Before leaving the States we got to go home on a week or ten day furlough. I went with my girlfriend to a fortune teller to see what my future was going to be. I knew I was going to be shipped overseas. I wanted to know if I was going to come back. She told me I was going to have a close call but I was going to come back alright. Now for the roughest part of my life, the June 6th D‐Day landing. About two or three o'clock in the morning we were woken up to transfer onto our landing barge. A small landing boat with the front door to let down so we could run out on the beach. I was already sea sick, not much sleep, hungry, cold, but the boats began taking their places heading for Normandy Beach. I landed on Omaha. Airplanes started striking the target on the mountain ahead of us. The big ships started shoo ng their rockets into the beach. This seems so odd, a er 50 years have passed, I s ll can't tell this story without choking up and shedding a few tears. This is only the third me I've a empted to tell this story. That filming crew did a good job at taking pictures but they didn't see very li le of what was fixing to happen. As I said, the planes were bombing the gun nests on the hillside, explosion a er explosion. The ships firing their rockets from their ports were ligh ng up the whole area. This was between 5 and 5:30 a.m., just at daybreak. It was foggy that morning. I thought if I live through this it would have been the biggest Fourth of July I have ever seen in my whole life. I am 6'5", and was told take the mess kit spoon with me that morning. I wondered why. It was me to embark from our landing barge. Instead of being on the beach, I was under my arms in water. Some of the shorter guys, it was over their heads. I was in the first wave landed on Omaha Beach. The de was coming in about 4 feet at a me. I walked out on the beach for about fi y feet. I thought this wasn't going to take long. I had my full field pack, satchel charges, bangalore torpedo for the barbed wire entanglement, my rifle and a cartridge belt on, a pre y good load in itself. And all of a sudden all hell broke loose. I was under machine gun fire, it criss‐crossed over my head, how I got through was a miracle. At the barbed wire, I ed on my torpedo, and ed on my satchel charges on a hedgehog. It was like the ones we prac ced on, four foot tall with a 1 inch I beam, 8 feet by 7 or 8 feet tall. When I saw the purple or violet smoke I knew it was fixing to go off. It was a cklish situa on. I could not get up and run on account of bullets over my head. Just before my tying on my demoli on I was shot on my right lower bu ock. If I had put my hand on it I would have lost it. On my le , about eight foot, I saw the same string of bullets. One shot a hole in my buddy's canteen. I can s ll see, to this day, a stream of water the size of a lead pencil coming out. At a fi ieth year mee ng with army buddies, I remembered this buddy's name was Anthony Lala from Louisiana. I didn't know un l this mee ng that he was shot in his hip. Lt. Ross told me it was not a life threatening condi on, but he died from shock. The de was coming in about four or five feet at a me. It hit my feet and I knew next me it would be over my head. I had to move forward. Every fi h round was a tracer and I would watch the high and low places on the ground as a guide where to go. This is where my mess kit spoon came in handy. I would start a hole in the pebbles with my spoon and take my feet and push out a furrow to get a li le lower in the ground. I said a prayer or two and thought about what the fortune teller had told me. I thought if it gets any worse, I may not live through it. When I was tying on my satchel charges, a bullet hit the other side of it and it fell down where I could smell the heat off of it. I wanted that bullet for a souvenir but it was too far away for me to reach for it. I moved to the right far enough for the falling debris to miss me. It sounded like fence posts falling around me. I was lucky, they all missed me. Some small pieces hit me but no damage. There is no way I can use words to explain all that was going on. Hollering, shou ng, blowing up, seeing men shot, trying to survive. I finally got across the beach, I think about 11:00. This is what's in my mind. They had given us a K‐ra on. I wanted to wait un l 12:00 to eat. I had a pre y good spot under the embankment. I could see fire trucks being blown up, men trying to come in and ge ng shot like fish in a barrel. I was doing pre y good un l a half‐track parked beside me. A er his first shot I could not hear anything. He was firing a 35 millimeter hauser. It was s ll a comfort to me. I had rather hear than dodge bullets. That evening we assembled on the hillside by the ocean. It was a pre y steep hill. Seem like about 300 yards high. We dug a foxhole. I
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went nearly to the top of the mountain to dig mine. My good buddy, James W. Krahl, from Oklahoma, boat crew 7, was just to my le and rear. The reason I went so high on the mountain, I thought if a German comes by with a hand grenade and threw it, it would go over my foxhole. We were lucky no one came. Thank the Lord. I worked on the beach the next day, this is on D‐Day plus one. It consisted of clearing the debris so trucks, half tracks, tanks could drive through from their boats. This was our mission, to clean up the beach for passage. Of course this was a dangerous mission also. Some dud rounds and ammuni on hadn't been fired. One bulldozer operator got blown off his dozer from the like. I would like to make this li le comment. I found a blown up half‐track on the beach. I think the driver had been blown to pieces. Anyhow I saw a pair of nice leather gloves. I always wanted a pair. I put my le hand in the le glove and it fit fine. I was trying to put the right one on and was having trouble pu ng my hand in it and discovered it s ll had three fingers in it. I pulled off the le one and laid them both down. This poor guy had a be er safety razor than I did, so I traded razors with him and went on with my business. There were pieces of barbed wire entanglements, pieces of steel, and blown up equipment all over the place. The first night I had my buddy Krahl look at my bu ocks to see how bad I was hit. The bullet had gone in and come out about two inches where it went in, a flesh wound, and le holes in my pants and underclothes. It was the next evening, D+1, that I had my medic to look at my wound. He made a field dressing on it for me. I don't know what happened. I never was turned in for a Purple Heart. My medic, Max S. Norris, got hit also and went to a hospital in England. We sailed from Southampton in the early evening of June 5th and were soon in very choppy water. I had been many thousands of miles on troop ships, but had been unable to overcome my sea sickness. So the crossing was a misery for me personally. We, the officers, tried to persuade the men to get some sleep, but for the same reasons we could not sleep, neither could they. And, the conversa ons that went on during the night were many and varied. I don't remember too much about them, but as we were second flight and not assault troops, most of the people aboard seemed to be wondering whether the leading troops would have cleared the beach and established some type of beachhead, because we were not equipped for close combat, bearing only personal arms. In my case, it was a simple 38 Webley pistol. Hopefully, we expected to be able to wade ashore and establish temporary rallying points behind the beach, so that our vehicles could be told where to go immediately a er driving ashore. I spent some me with the skipper of the LCI on the bridge during the night. Fortunately, the night was warm and fairly quiet. There was also plenty of hot, sweet tea which Private Blair had rustled up somewhere. Our voyage was running on schedule. We were due to land at about 7:30 as I recall it, so about an hour beforehand we donned oilskin waders ed with tapes under the arm pits. The LCI slowed down but we could see nothing in the direc on of the shore. Everyone became edgy because
of the unexpected lack of noise. Gradually, the coast came into view and there was s ll no firing, shoo ng, or other ac on. And, suddenly there we were, nosed onto Juno Beach, at a village called La Riviere. The ramps went down on each side of the ship and we were off. As Private Blair stepped off the ramp into the water carrying the front end of the motorcycle, he tripped on something under water and stumbled, allowing the bike's engine to dip under water. Fortunately, I was s ll on the ramp, and I was able to cling onto the bike like grim death and, eventually between the two of us, we got the bike ashore. Of course the magneto was soaked in salt water, and by all the laws of science, the engine should not have started, but start it did at the first kick. I told Blair to stay and keep the engine running un l it had dried out say fi een or twenty minutes. In the mean me I removed my waders which had split in the water. Incidentally, Private Blair's had not. And, my boots, socks, and clothes below the waist were completely soaked. I had no handy change of clothes so everything had to dry on me. Fortunately, again the day was warm and I did not suffer unduly. Time was rolling on, so I established B Echelon in its correct loca on and found the MTO's of 8th and 9th DLI in their proper places and made sure they understood their orders. The MTO of 6th DLI was not to be found although we knew he was ashore somewhere, because he had been seen earlier on. By that me the bike had dried out, and so I rode it inland and located Brigade Headquarters about a mile from the beach, repor ng to the Brigade Major and Staff Captain that we were ashore. I had to hurry back to the beach because it was about me for our vehicles to start coming ashore. While I was strolling up and down trying to work out what was happening, I met General Montgomery. He spoke to me and asked if I was s ll doing the same job as when we met on the beach in Sicily, just under a year before. I explained my job, and he moved on his way, humming to himself, and distribu ng cigare es to anyone who wanted to take them. Happily, our vehicles started to arrive just then, and I sa sfied myself that they were being well received and directed by the unit represent a ves. I no ced with great pleasure that our mess and cooks' truck had arrived. I held them for a few minutes while I made sure everything else was working properly. And, then I went with them back to B Echelon, where Private Blair had some somewhat sad news for me. I had le my rucksack with him and he had begun to unpack it for me, upon which he discovered that the bo le of scotch had broken and soaked the towel and ruined the cigare es, staining everything it touched a bright yellow from the cigare e wrapper. It was by now early evening, and as phone lines had not yet been laid, I went to Brigade HQ for last orders of the day, and finally returned to B Echelon quite late at night. I found it to be well organized and I went to sleep in a bivouac put up by Private Blair, who was already asleep somewhere else. That was my D‐Day.
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SFC CHRISTOPHER D. SHAW
11/19/1971 – 09/29/2009OEF‐P 3rd Ba alion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne)
Sgt. 1st Class Christopher D. Shaw, 37, of Natchez, Miss. died a er his vehicle struck an improvised explosive device Sept. 29, 2009, on Jolo Island, Philippines. Shaw was assigned to 3rd Ba alion, 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), Joint Base Lewis‐McChord, Wash. and was deployed in support of Opera on Enduring Freedom‐Philippines. This was his second deployment in support of OEF‐P. Shaw enlisted in the U.S. Army reserve Nov. 22, 1994, while a ending Texas Southern University in Houston on a track and field scholarship. In May 1995, he decided to join the ac ve‐duty Army as a forward observer. Upon comple on of basic training, advanced individual training, and the U.S. Army Airborne School, Shaw was assigned as a fire support special‐ist to 2nd Bn., 75th Ranger Regiment at Joint Base Lewis‐McChord, Washington. In 1997, Shaw volunteered for the Special Forces Assessment and Selec on course and completed the Special Forces Qualifica on Course in March 1999. Shaw was then assigned to 1st SFG (A) at Joint Base Lewis‐McChord, Wash. He later served as an instructor at the Special Forces Qualifica on Course at Camp Mackall, N.C. and subsequently returned to 1st SFG (A) at Joint Base Lewis‐McChord, Wash. Shaw’s military educa on includes the U.S. Army Airborne School, U.S. Army Ranger Course, U.S. Army Jumpmaster Course, Basic Instructor Training Course, Advanced Non‐commissioned Officer Course, Basic Noncommissioned Officer Course, Warrior Leader Course, Special Opera‐ons Target Interdic on Course, Combat Lifesaver Course, Survival, Evasion, Resistance and Escape Course and the Special Forces Qualifica on
Course. Shaw also holds a Bachelor of Science degree in history from Thomas Edison State College in Trenton, N.J. Shaw’s awards and decora ons in‐clude the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commenda on Medal, Army Achievement Medal, Army Good Conduct Medals Na onal Defense Service Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Expedi onary Medal, the Global War on Terrorism Service Medal, the Non‐commissioned Officer Professional Development Ribbon, the Meritorious Unit Cita on and the Philippine Presiden al Unit cita on. Shaw earned the Special Forces tab, Ranger tab and the Parachu st Badge. He was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star Medal, the Purple Heart, the Meritorious Service Medal and the Combat Infantryman Badge. Shaw is survived by his wife A na and their children Darian Shaw, Erielle Smith, Jalyn Smith, Dante Shaw and Cydney Shaw of Joint Base Lewis‐McChord, Wash. He is also survived by his mother and step‐father Camille and Willie Felton of Chicago, Ill.; his father Walter Owens of Port Wentworth, Ga.; two brothers, Orlando Shaw of Chicago, Ill. and Maurey Owens of Jackson, Miss.; and two sisters Kenya Shaw of Chicago, Ill. and Gwen Owens of Atlanta, Ga. – DE OPPRESSO LIBER –
Army Approves New Award Devices for Combat
The new C device and R device are shown. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Human Resources Command Military.com | 31 Mar 2017 | by Ma hew Cox The Defense Department is adding two new award devices ‐‐ a C device for personnel who dis nguish themselves under combat condi ons and an R device for service members such as drone pilot who "remotely, but directly, contributed to a combat opera on," according to the chief of the Army awards branch. The new devices are similar to the dis nguished V device for valor, which was authorized decades ago for wear on Army ribbons. Both are described fully in Military Personnel Message 17‐095, tled "Implementa on of Department of Defense Guidance for the Newly Established 'C' and 'R' Devices," dated March 15. In the past, awards such as the Army Commenda on Medal did not outwardly denote extraordinary service related to combat, Lt. Col. R. Arron Lummer, chief of Awards and Decora ons Branch, the Adjutant General Directorate, U.S. Army Human Resources Command, said in a March 28 press release. "Soldiers were not appropriately recognized with the awards system as it was, so this change across DoD does just that," Lummer said. The Army was the first to publish guidance and authoriza on to wear the devices when the MILPER came out this month, but guidance will likely vary slightly between the Joint Staff and the other services, Lummer said. C for Combat There's a subtle but important dis nc on between the V and C devices, Lummer said. The valor V device "is for combat heroism, limited to a singular achievement where a soldier demonstrated valor in combat against an armed enemy," he said. The combat C device is earned "through service or achievement under combat condi ons," Lummer said. The intent of the C device is to dis nguish a par cular award as having been earned in combat, since not all military awards are exclusively combat‐related.
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For example, the Bronze Star Medal will not merit a C device because the medal itself recognizes service or achievement in a combat theater. The Army Commenda on Medal, however, can be awarded in combat or in peace me, so a C device would dis nguish that service or achieve‐ment in combat, Lummer said. But to qualify for the C device, the soldier must be in an ac ve area of combat where "the soldier was personally exposed to hos le ac on or in an area where other soldiers were ac vely engaged," he said Unlike the Combat Ac on Badge ‐‐ which is awarded when a soldier is personally engaged or engages the enemy ‐‐ the C device can be awarded to a soldier even if he or she was never personally engaged, so long as the "service or achievement being recognized was in an area where such enemy ac ons occurred," Lummer said. R for Remote The R device is rated when a soldier contributes to a combat opera on remotely, such as when an unmanned aerial system operator places ordnance on a high‐value target from a loca on away from the combat area, Lummer said. iThat UAS operator likely would qualify for the new R device if he "delivered ordnance or iden fied the target and was then able to talk or walk effects onto that target, whether from a raid on the ground or designa ng targeted muni ons delivered from somewhere else," he said. The new C and the R devices are the same color, size and font as the exis ng V device, Lummer said. Instruc ons on wear of the C and R devices borrowed heavily from similar instruc ons on how to wear the V device. Both new devices will most likely be awarded with the Army Commenda on Medal, but there are others. The C device could also be worn with the:
‐‐ Dis nguished Service Medal; ‐‐ Legion of Merit; ‐‐ Dis nguished Flying Cross; ‐‐ Air Medal; and ‐‐ Army Achievement Medal. The R device could also be worn with the:
‐‐ Legion of Merit; ‐‐ Meritorious Service Medal; and ‐‐ Army Achievement Medal. The new devices, however, are not intended to be awarded for past conflicts, including the majority of combat opera ons in Iraq and Afghanistan. The devices are retroac ve only to Jan. 7, 2016, when the Defense Department authorized them, so any award approved prior to that is not eligible for a C or R device, Lummer said.
J. K. Wright Memorial Breakfast, 3‐4‐17 The following members and guests were present: Rob Wekell, Bob Head, John & Inge Gebbie, Nick Marvais, Pa Lakey, Butch & Regina Hall, Mike Sherlock, Dennis Guiler, Alvin Li le, Jacob Robinson, Rich Reilley, Mike Barkstrom, Ted Wicorek, and Jim & Elaine Lessler.
Chapter 16 SFA, Crystal Mountain Ou ng, 10 March 2017 Chapter XVI , families and 1st SFG (A) members had their first winter ou ng at Crystal Mountain Resort (CMR) 10 March 2017. The event was arranged by Rob Hunt, 1st GP who is very skilled at planning these events and Bill Gates who had contacts at CMR. Friday was one of CMR’s Military Apprecia on Days at their resort where li ckets, rentals and such were half price. On that day, for those old members over 70, there was even a be er deal. The Chapter reserved space at the Heritage Level of the Day Lodge at the base of the mountain. A catered pasta lunch was served from 1130 to 1330 hours, along with beer and sodas. We had 19 (my bad, I forgot the roster) out of 35 people from the Chapter and Group show‐up for the event, five went skiing or boarding, some road the gondola to the summit to see Mt. Rainier and the surrounding mountains, others spent the day talking and imbibing on adult beverages. Eric Heid brought the audio visual equipment and a er he and Sean Gates got the audio to work; those that weren’t skiing or riding watched John Wayne and the Green Berets and other old movies. We lucked out on the weather; it was a sunny spring day, with robin’s egg blue ski. All in all it was a great ou ng and we will do it again next year.
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Chapter XVI SFA (North Recon) On 11 March 2017 North Recon meet at Rick Furhman’s house in Snohomish for our Bi‐Monthly get together. It was well a ended with good companionship, eats and drinks.
SFC CHRISTOPHER D. SHAW MEMORIAL BREAKFAST, 18 MARCH 2017 Pictures of the Chapter 16 family at Hawks Prairie Inn Breakfast held every 3rd Saturday of the month. It was a great get together with the fellowship and excellent food.
Dinosaurs Luncheon, 3‐31‐17 The following members and guests were present: Glen Craig, Pa Lakey, Walt & Lynda Hetzler, Mike & Joy Cassidy, Jim & Elaine Lessler, John Bi ers, Ken Garcy, Kevin & Tammy Pa on, Roland Nuqui, Eric Heid, Steve Durfee and Willi Lindner.
J. K. Wright Memorial Breakfast, 4‐1‐17 The following members and guests were present: Jim & Elaine Lessler (IMO Bart Heimsness), Bob Head, John & Inge Gebbie, Jim Brown, Dennis Guiler, Todd Marable, Glen Craig, Pa Lakey, Butch & Regina Hall, Nick Marvais (IMO Lonnie Garrison), and Jason Clarke.
SFA Chapter XVI General Mee ng April 8,2017 Vice President Eric Heid opened the mee ng at 11:04. Chaplain Butch gave the opening prayer. Eric Heid asked if there were any guests and asked the hosts to introduce their guest. Jim Beisley introduced his two brothers, Mar n and Bill Beisley. Others introduced themselves. Jordan Smith from 3rd Bet. Chad Miller. Also Jerry Powell of Chapter 47. President Steve Durfee men oned that Member Bill Smith had passed away and that his service would be at Mt. Tahoma Cemetery. Chaplain Butch Hall men oned that Walt Hetzler is doing well and that ED Booth is in the Tacoma Lutheran home a er a knee replacement. He will need to have a ramp built for his home. Chapter may be able to help. In a endance, Dennis Downey, Mike Sherlock, Brian Hess, Nick Marvais, Skip E nger, Carey Pennington, Ralph Saner, Bob Head, Harlow Stevens, Carol Stevens, Jim & Elain Lesser, Tammy & Kevin Pa on, Kurt Kagels, Jerry Powell, David Brauneis, Sco Miller, Chuck Radawick, Jim, Bill & Mar n Beisley, John Gerber, Bryan Rowe, Butch Hall, Dennis Guiler, Glen Davidson, Glen Craig, Rick Thomas, Steve Durfee, Willi Lindner, Bill & Steph Gates, Eric Heid, Mike & Joy Cassidy, Chad Miller, Jerry Powell, Jordan Smith. Quartermaster Mike Cassidy reported that all available items were displayed for purchase at a table in the back of the mee ng room. Bill Gates gave a report on the recent Crystal Mountain ski trip. The catered event went well with a good spaghe dinner and beer. Bill men‐oned that 35 people had signed up for the trip but only 19 showed up. His sugges on was that we start planning for any future event much
earlier. Willi Lindner suggested that we might be able to charge a nominal fee, per person, up front with any signup. If the person showed up for the event they would get the fee back.
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The raffle was discussed and a vote taken by show of hands for two alterna ves. One was winner takes all or 3 different prizes. The member‐ship voted for 3 prizes. The cost for each raffle cked was to be $100.00. Carey Pennington reported on the Coffee Stop opera ons which will be on the Memorial day weekend and the Labor Day weekend. Volunteers are wanted for each Coffee Stop Weekend. Steve Durfee reported on upcoming Chapter events. Jane Wayne day in May. Organiza on day on Thursday June 22nd. Volunteers are needed for setup star ng at 0800 to 0830 for Organiza on day. Rick Thomas gave a report on the SF scholarship program. It Sponsor kids of 1st Group members. It operates independently, raises its own funds and does the selec on of kids for scholarships. The amount of money raised dictates how many scholarships are given that year. The program has given over $140,00.00 so far with all the funds going to the kids and no admin costs. Rick also reported on a tournament, possibly in early fall. Dennis Downey reported on 1st in ASIA. Asked for prayers for the Karvonen? Family. There will be a service on Memorial Day. [at the Memorial Wall at headquarters?] Jerry Powell, President to Chapter 47 invited Chapt. 16 members to its July 15 picnic and the Dec.9 Holiday dinner. No OASIS report. Steve Durfee men oned that all members should review their claims to take regenera ve arthri s into account. Jim Lesser reported that he and Elaine Lesser would again go on the Wounded Warrior cruise. Eric Heid gave a presenta on on Maj. William Card Jr. the namesake of Chapt. 16. Chad Miller and Jordan Smith of 3rd Ba alion asked for anyone who had informa on on 446h Co. Ken Darcy reported on efforts to send packages to SF troops in Afghanistan. Steve Durfee reiterated that the Chapter is s ll on a recrui ng drive and that the reduc ons in price for a life me membership are significant. Chaplain Butch Hall gave the closing prayer. Mee ng closed at 1215. Members went to the Pot luck lunch and beer.
SFC CHRISTOPHER D. SHAW MEMORIAL BREAKFAST, 15 APRIL 2017 Pictures of the Chapter 16 family at the Hawks Prairie Inn Breakfast held every 3rd Saturday of the month. It is a great get together with the fellowship and excellent food.
Dinosaur's Luncheon, 4‐28‐17 The following members and guests were present: Mike & Joy Cassidy, Glen Craig, Pa Lakey, Eric Heid, John & Inge Gebbie, Jim & Elaine Lessler, Butch & Regina Hall, Carey & Linda Pennington, Roland Nuqui, and John Bi ers.
VA Pre‐need burial eligibility determina on program Informa on ‐
Every Veteran Should Know and Understand Their Rights The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) implemented the “pre‐need burial eligibility determina on program” to assist anyone who would like to know if they are eligible for burial in a VA na onal cemetery. VA is promo ng pre‐need eligibility determina ons to encourage Veterans and their eligible family members to plan in advance to use VA burial benefits that Veterans have earned through their military service. Planning in advance for a Veteran’s or loved‐one's final res ng place can eliminate unnecessary delays and reduce stress on a family at a difficult me. Veteran families will have increased confidence that their loved ones are eligible for burial in a VA na onal cemetery at their me of need. For more informa on and to download the eligibility applica on and fill in online click on this link: h p://www.cem.va.gov/cem/pre‐need/
Veteran Web Links Update 02 Following are web‐sites that provide informa on on Veterans benefits and how to file/ask for them. Accordingly, there are many sites that
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explain how to obtain books, military/medical records, informa on and how to appeal a denied claim with the VA. Nearly 100% of this informa on is without charge and available for all veterans, the only catch is you have to ask for it. You need to know what ques ons to ask so the right doors open for you ‐‐ and then be ready to have an advocate who is willing to work with and for you, stay in the process, and press for your rights and your best interests: Appeals h p://www.warms.vba.va.gov/admin21/m21_1/mr/part1/ch05.doc Board of Veteran's Appeals h p://www.va.gov/vbs/bva/ CARES Commission www.va.gov/vbs/bva/ CARES Dra Na onal Plan h p://www.va.gov/caresdecision/page.cfm?pg=105 Center for Minority Veterans h p://www.va.gov/centerforminorityveterans/ Center for Women Veterans h p://www.va.gov/womenvet/ Center for Veterans Enterprise www.vetbiz.gov/default2.htm Clarifica on on the changes in VA healthcare for Gulf War Veterans www.gulfwarvets.com/ubb/Forum1/HTML/000016.html Classified Records ‐ American Gulf War Veterans Assn www.gulfwarvets.com/ubb/Forum18/HTML/000011.html Compensa on Rate Tables, 12‐1‐03 h p://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Rates/comp01.htm Department of Veterans Affairs Home Page www.va.gov/ Directory of Veterans Service Organiza ons h p://www.va.gov/vso/ Disability Examina on Worksheets Index, Comp www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Benefits/exams/index.htm Electronic Code of Federal Regula ons www.gpoaccess.gov/ecfr/ Environmental Agents h p://www.va.gov/environagents/ Environmental Agents M10 h p://www.va.gov/vhapublica ons/ViewPublica on.asp?pub_ID=1002 Establishing Combat Veteran Eligibility h p://www.va.gov/vhapublica ons/ViewPublica on.asp?pub_ID=315 Evalua on Protocol for Gulf War & Iraqi Freedom Veterans with Poten al Exposure to Depleted Uranium (DU) h p://www.va.gov/gulfwar/
docs/DUHandbook1303122304.DOC Evalua on Protocol For Non‐Gulf War Veterans With Poten al Exposure To Depleted Uranium (Du) h p://www.va.gov/gulfwar/docs/
DUHANDBOOKNONGW130340304.DOC Fee Basis, Priority For Outpa ent Medical Services & Inpa ent Hospital Care www.va.gov/vhapublica ons/ViewPublica on.asp?pub_ID=206 Federal Benefits for Veterans and Dependants 2005 www.va.gov/opa/vadocs/fedben.pdf Forms and Records Request www.va.gov/vaforms/ Geriatrics and Extanded Care www.va.gov/geriatricsshg/ Guideline for Chronic Pain and Fa gue MUS‐CPG www.oqp.med.va.gov/cpg/cpgn/mus/mus_base.htm Guide to Gulf War Veterans' Health www.va.gov/gulfwar/docs/VHIgulfwar.pdf Gulf War Registry www.va.gov/vhapublica ons/ViewPublica on.asp?pub_ID=1003 Gulf War Registry Referral Centers www.va.gov/vhapublica ons/ViewPublica on.asp?pub_ID=1006 Gulf War Subject Index www.va.gov/GulfWar/page.cfm?pg=7&template=main&le er=A Gulf War Veterans' Illnesses Q&As www.va.gov/gulfwar/docs/GWIllnessesQandAsIB1041.pdf Homeless Veterans www.va.gov/homeless/ HSR&D Home www.hsrd.research.va.gov/ Ionizing Radia on www.va.gov/irad/ Iraqi Freedom/Enduring Freedom Veterans VBA www.vba.va.gov/EFIF/ M10 for spouses and children www.va.gov/vhapublica ons/ViewPublica on.asp?pub_ID=1007 M10 Part III Change 1 www.va.gov/vhapublica ons/ViewPublica on.asp?pub_ID=1008 M21‐1 Table of Contents www.warms.vba.va.gov/M21_1.html Mental Health Program Guidelines www.va.gov/vhapublica ons/ViewPublica on.asp?pub_ID=1094 Mental Illness Research, Educa on and Clinical Centers www.mirecc.med.va.gov/ MS (Mul ple Sclerosis) Centers of Excellence www.va.gov/ms/about.asp My Health e Vet www.myhealth.va.gov/ NASDVA.COM Ë Na onal Associa on of State Directors www.nasdva.com/ Na onal Center for Health Promo on and Disease Preven on www.nchpdp.med.va.gov/postdeploymentlinks.asp OMI (Office of Medical Inspector www.omi.cio.med.va.gov/ Online VA Form 10‐10EZ h ps://www.1010ez.med.va.gov/sec/vha/1010ez/ VA Annual Report To Congress, Persian Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Research 1999 www.va.gov/resdev/1999_Gulf_War_Veterans'_Illnesses_Appendices.doc VA Annual Report To Congress, Persian Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Research 2002 www.va.gov/resdev/prt/gulf_war_2002/GulfWarRpt02.pdf Phase I PGR h p://www.va.gov/vhapublica ons/ViewPublica on.asp?pub_ID=1004 Phase II PGR www.va.gov/vhapublica ons/ViewPublica on.asp?pub_ID=1005
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Policy Manual Index www.va.gov/publ/direc/eds/edsmps.htm Project 112 (Including Project SHAD) www.va.gov/shad/ Prosthe cs Eligibility www.va.gov/vhapublica ons/ViewPublica on.asp?pub_ID=337 Public Health and Environmental Hazards Home Page h p://www.vethealth.cio.med.va.gov/ Public Health/SARS www.publichealth.va.gov/SARS/ Publica ons: Manuals www.va.gov/vhapublica ons/publica ons.cfm?Pub=4 Publica ons and Reports www.va.gov/resdev/prt/pubs_individual.cfm?webpage=gulf_war.htm Records Center and Vault Homepage www.aac.va.gov/vault/default.html Records Center and Vault Site Map www.aac.va.gov/vault/sitemap.html Request For And Consent To Release Of Informa on From Claimant's Records www.forms.va.gov/va/Internet/VARF/ge ormharness.asp?
formName=3288‐form.x Research Advisory Commi ee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses April 11, 2002 www.va.gov/rac‐gwvi/docs/Minutes_April112002.doc Research Advisory Commi ee on Gulf War Veterans Illnesses www.va.gov/rac‐gwvi/docs/ReportandRecommenda ons_2004.pdf The Service Officers Corner www.geoci es.com/veteransadvocate Title 38 4.16 Total disability ra ngs for compensa on based on unemployability of the individual. PART 4: schedule FOR RATING DISABILITIES Subpart A: General Policy in Ra ng h p://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text‐idx?c=ecfr&sid=1b7e1c80768900fe79b3126a180a3da6&rgn=div8&view=text&node=38:1.0.1.1.5.1.98.11&idno=38 Title 38 Index Parts 0‐17 h p://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text‐idx?sid=5601440f9a028e2b353f1be27d4535d2&c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title38/38cfrv1_02.tpl Title 38 Part 18 h p://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text‐idx?sid=e7f228f056f66128a3cf40196efa0323&c=ecfr&tpl=/ecfrbrowse/Title38/38cfrv2_02.tpl Title 38 Part 3: Adjudica on Subpart A Pension, Compensa on, and DIC Compensa on h p://ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/tex dx?
c=ecfr;sid=0a5cc4e74c654c10874b651cc99ff1b4;rgn=div5;view=text;node=38%3A1.0.1.1.4;idno=38;cc=ecfr Title 38 Pensions, Bonuses & Veterans' Relief (also 3.317 Compensa on for certain disabili es due to undiagnosed illnesses found here) h p://
ecfr.gpoaccess.gov/cgi/t/text/text‐idx?type=simple;c=ecfr;cc=ecfr;sid=89bb312d6d613680e34d4df4625d7f3b;region=DIV1;q1=gulf%
20war;rgn=div8;view=text;idno=38;node=38%3A1. U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims www.vetapp.gov/ VA Annual Report To Congress, Persian Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Research 1999 www.va.gov/resdev/1999_Gulf_War_Veterans'_Illnesses_Appendices.doc VA Annual Report To Congress, Persian Gulf Veterans' Illnesses Research 2002 www.va.gov/resdev/prt/gulf_war_2002/GulfWarRpt02.pdf VA Fact Sheet www.va.gov/opa/fact/gwfs.html VA Health Care Eligibility www.va.gov/healtheligibility/home/hecmain.asp Veterans Legal and Benefits Informa on h p://valaw.org/ VA Life Insurance Handbook: Chap 3 www.insurance.va.gov/inForceGliSite/GLIhandbook/glibookletch3.htm#310 VA Loan Lending Limits and Jumbo Loans h p://valoans.com/va_facts_limits.cfm VA MS Research www.va.gov/ms/about.asp VA Na onal Hepa s C Program www.hepa s.va.gov/ VA Office of Research and Development www.va.gov/resdev/ VA WMD EMSHG www.va.gov/emshg/ VA WRIISC‐DC www.va.gov/WRIISC‐DC/ VAOIG Hotline Telephone Number and Address www.va.gov/oig/hotline/hotline3.htm Vet Center Eligibility ‐ Readjustment Counseling Service www.va.gov/rcs/Eligibility.htm Veterans Benefits Administra on Main Web Page www.vba.va.gov/ VHA Forms, Publica ons, Manuals www.va.gov/vhapublica ons/ VHA Programs ‐ Clinical Programs & Ini a ves www.va.gov/health_benefits/page.cfm?pg=13 VHA Public Health Strategic Health Care Group Home Page www.publichealth.va.gov/ VHI Guide to Gulf War Veteran's Health www.va.gov/vhi_ind_study/gulfwar/istudy/index.asp Voca onal Rehabilita on www.vba.va.gov/bln/vre/ VONAPP online h p://vabenefits.vba.va.gov/vonapp/main.asp WARMS ‐ 38 CFR Book C www.warms.vba.va.gov/bookc.html War‐Related Illness and Injury Study Center ‐ New Jersey www.wri.med.va.gov/ Welcome to the GI Bill Web Site www.gibill.va.gov/
What VA Social Workers Do www.va.gov/socialwork/page.cfm?pg=3 WRIISC Pa ent Eligibility www.illegion.org/va1.html
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Chapter XVI Special Forces Associa on Quartermasters Store
The Quartermasters Store has Special Forces Crest Uniform and Blazer Bu ons for Sale. They can replace the Army Dress Uniform or the SF Associa on Blazer Bu ons. They really look sharp. The Bu ons are $5.00 a piece. A set of 4 Large and 6 small are $50.00. If you would like them mailed there is a shipping and handling cost of $4.50. We also have a number of other Items of SF interest.
We also have SF T‐Shirts, hats, jackets, SFA Flashes, SF Door Knockers, Belt Buckles, Money clips and numerous other Items of Special Forces interest.
1st SFG(A) Ar facts
The current 1st SFG(A) Commander is solici ng support from former 1st SFG(A) unit members for dona on of ar facts that could be displayed in the units Regimental Mess area at Fort Lewis. He has his PAO officer working on the project and he is asking for items that could be secured in display cabinets for viewing by guests who use the facility for ceremonies, re rements and other ac vi es. Hank Cramer is planning to donate some uniform items that his dad wore in Vietnam and others from SFA Chapter and First In Asia Associa on are pu ng out feelers to our community. If interested, please contact Major Jason Waggoner at [email protected]
Looking For Historical 10th SFG(A) Items ‐ Assistance Requested ‐ for Group Foyer POCs: SSG Ryan Sabin OR Andy Tyler Public Affairs NCOIC [email protected] 10th SFG (A) 719‐524‐4528 [email protected] We are looking for any historical items and photos that will cover the following areas. I a ached the history outline that we will be following. These items will be used in the HHC foyer and we are trying to tell the 10th SFG(A) story. ‐ 1952‐ Ac va on of 10th SFG (A) ‐ 1953‐ Bad Tolz ‐ 1954‐1955 Authoriza on of the wear of the Green Beret ‐ 1962‐ CPT Roger Pezzelle Trojan Horse Unit Insignia ‐ SF Soldiers opera ng in; western and eastern Europe, clandes ne organiza ons in England, France, Norway, Germany, Greece, Spain, Italy, Turkey, Pakistan, Iran, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia. ‐ Fort Devens ‐ JOINT ENDEAVOR and PROVIDE COMFORT ‐ Opera on Desert Storm ‐ Panzer Kaserne ‐ Task Force Viking
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I am delighted to invite you to join me in celebra ng the recent publica on of my book. Titled
Captain Ron Flying Life’s Longitudes and Latitudes
The book Explores the fascina ng life and
mes of Ron Rismon.
I am looking forward to seeing you all enjoy and share my work.
“To Order”
Books will be sold for $66.00 + $20.00 Shipping. Call (253) 670‐2760 Or E‐mail: [email protected]
Free Childcare is available. There are only 34 slots available: first come – first served!
All children must have a current, valid registration with JBLM CYSS in order to take advantage of this service. Please indicate if you will need childcare on the registration
form, and we will contact you within two business days for more information.
For questions, or if you are having difficulty accessing the registration form online, contact:.
Leslie Thomas, 3BN Family Readiness Support Assistant. 253-967-8808 / [email protected]
Join us for a day of fun, camaraderie, and building resilience! Jane Wayne Day is designed to provide
spouses with a basic understanding of some tasks their Soldiers experience. Assigned to teams,
participants will experience weapons training, get a behind the scenes look at Airborne Operations,
and work through some exciting tasks and engaging challenges. Event packets with detailed
information will be sent out to all registered participants on Friday, April 28th.
This event is for all 1SFG (A) spouses, of all fitness and ability levels.
Participants must be at least 18 years of age.
A free barbeque lunch will be provided directly following the event.
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