SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2015 • First Call 1

Chris Urban, Commander SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2015 Jack LaPaglia, MembershipFirst Call!

The American Legion Utica Post 229

Utica Post 229 • 409 Herkimer Rd., Utica, NY 13502 • 315.793.9377 • uticapost229.org • nylegion.org

Post Meetings are first Thursday of the month at 7:30 p.m. (optional dinner at 6:15)

NY STATE LEGION HONORS UTICA’S TOP COP AND EMT

A cop and a paramedic from Utica are the New York State American Legion’s 2015 Police Officer of the Year and EMT of the Year. Both were nominated by Utica Post 229.

Utica Police Officer John Scaramuzzino and Utica Firefighter/Paramedic Mil-ton F. Reeves Jr. were hon-ored during the 97th Ameri-can Legion Department of New York state convention, held July 15-18 in Buffalo.

Utica Post Law-and-Order Chairman Paul Wojcik and 2014-2015 Department Commander Frank Peters presented the awards. They cited Scaramuzzino for stop-ping a gunman who had just shot four people outside a night club. Scaramuzzino chased after the suspect, or-dering him to stop and show his hands. The suspect instead

pointed a revolver at the of-ficer, and Scaramuzzino took aim and shot the gunman.

Wojcik described Reeves as a paramedic constantly being thanked for the extraordinary care he provides. He noted that Reeves’ commitment to be one of the best paramedi cs is evident in the citations and letters commending him on his outstanding profes-sionalism and the extraordi-nary care he provides.

Officer John Scaramuzzino with 2014-2015 Department Com-mander Frank Peters (left) and Utica Post’s Paul Wojcik.BELOW: Wojcik with Paramedic Milton Reeves Jr.

SEPTEMBER15 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.19 DAV, noon21 Bloodmobile, noon-522 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.29 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.

OCTOBER1 Monthly Dinner, 6:15 Post Meeting, 7:30 pm Auxiliary, 7:30 pm6 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.12 VVA, 1 p.m.13 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.17 DAV, noon19 Bloodmobile, noon-520 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.27 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.

NOVEMBER3 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.5 Monthly Dinner, 6:15 Post Meeting, 7:30 pm Auxiliary, 7:30 pm7 Flags for Heroes9 VVA, 1 p.m.10 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.11 Veterans Day Early Bird deadline16 Bloodmobile, noon-517 Bingo, 6:30 p.m.20 Early Bird Dinner21 DAV, noon

InsideCommander 2Renew Membership 2Auxiliary 3HBOT for local vet 4Chaplain 5Bluewater Vets 6Players Visit Vets 8

Flags for Heroes and Families - Be a Sponsor • See Page 2

First Call • SETPEMBER-OCTOBER 20152

Commander’s Call

Chris Urban

EVENTFUL SUMMERI hope everyone had a great summer. The past few

months have been eventful. We hosted the announcement by Senator Gillibrand and Congressman Hanna that they are pushing to help “Blue Water” Vietnam veterans obtain VA health benefits due to their exposure to Agent Orange.

We have also been involved in planning the return of a parade for Veterans Day in Utica. The Veterans Day Parade

Welcome back! We are now accepting dues for 2016. You may send them in any time. For 2016 so far we have 213 renewed and new members. Welcome aboard to all our new members! NOTE: You may also renew online by going to www.legion.org/renew.

Our EARLY BIRD DINNER will be on Friday, Nov. 20, so get your dues in by November 11 to enjoy a free delicious dinner! More information will follow.

For God and Country,Jack LaPaglia, Membership chair

RENEW NOW FOR 2016

Imagine the Memorial Parkway turned into a field of American flags on the weekend before Veterans Day, honoring veterans, active military and their families.

That’s the vision of the Good News Foundation, Utica Post 229 and other or-ganizations.

Utica Mayor Robert Palm-ieri and Good News Foun-dation Executive Director Michael Buckley announced the initiative July 17.

Called Flags for Heroes and Families, the initiative will

HELP PUT SEA OF FLAGS ON PARKWAY IN NOV.

Past Post Commander Anthony Pallidino and First Vice Commander Jim George were elected to County Executive Board.

Chaplain Paul Wojcik was elected 5th District first vice commander and reappointed Department vice chairman for conventions.

Second Vice Commander Robert Stronach was elect-ed president of the New York American Legion Press Association (NYALPA), appointed Department media and communications chair, and named to the National Media and Communications Council.

MEMBERS SERVE AT HIGHER LEVELS

not only honor veterans and their families, but also raise funds for Good News Foun-dation programs for military families.

“Many times, veterans and their families face serious challenges, especially after a tour of duty, and it is impor-tant we do everything we can to honor their service to our country,” said Buckley.

Mayor Palmieri said, “it is important we honor our vet-erans and show our apprecia-tion for the sacrifices they’ve made defending our freedom

will be on Saturday, Nov. 7 on Memorial Parkway. More details to come. Additionally, we have been involved with a new community project called Flags for Heroes and Fami-lies. We are hoping to place at least 1,000 flags (poles will be 8 ft tall and the flags will be 3 ft by 5 ft) on the Parkway in a large open space near the WWI-WWII-Korean War Memorial. These flags are available for sponsorship ($35 for an individual and $500 for a corporate sponsorship). All the proceeds will be used to provide free marriage and relationship counseling by the Good News Center to any/all veterans and active duty military in the Central New York area and extending up to Fort Drum. To sponsor a flag, go to: www.thegoodnewscenter.org.

For God and Country.

and way of life.”All proceeds benefit Good

News Center programs of-fered in support of military personnel, their marriages and families.

The public is invited to sponsor a U.S. flag that will be placed on the Memorial Parkway. Individual flags cost $35, sponsoring a portion of the field is $500 and spon-soring both is $535.

To sponsor a flag, go toTheGoodNewsCenter.org.

Palmieri and Buckley said that on Saturday, Nov.

7, there will be a patriotic march (or parade) on the Memorial Parkway to high-light the sea of flags and honor the commitment of veterans, active military and their families.

Among the organizations involved in the program are The Genesis Group, Ameri-can Legion Post 229, City of Utica, Feed Our Vets, Veter-ans Outreach Center, Rotary, A&P Master Images, Sitrin, First Source Federal Credit Union, Sunnyrock Shores Music.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2015 • First Call 3

Auxiliaryrosaria haggerty, president

President’s MessageROE HAGGERTY

Dear Auxiliary Members,

Hope everyone had a great summer and is looking forward to a new Auxiliary year.

Many thing happened over the summer. In June three Juniors from Proctor attended Empire Girl State. We will hear about their experience at the Oneida County September meeting.

Three auxiliary members attended Department Convention in Buffalo. It is amazing to hear about all the activities that are going on across New York.

Members were busy every Tuesday working BIN-GO.

We attended the Vietnam Memorial in Boonville and read soldiers names for an hour. It was a beautiful experience.

The executive Board will meet soon.

Children & Youth Chairman Donna Wojcik is ask-ing members to start to make or purchase hats and gloves for school children.

Ginger Pielock is planning a trip to West Point on Friday, September 25. The bus is full and there is a waiting list. This is a fund raiser for our Auxiliary Scholarship fund. Ginger is excited to start planning another trip.

Past Commanders and Past Presidents will be hon-ored the October 1st meeting.

If you would like to volunteer or have a new idea, please feel free to give me a call (866-5959).

Hope to see you at the monthly meetings.

Yours in service.

Chaplain’scorner

dianna simmons

I Said a Prayer for You Today

I said a prayer for you todayAnd I know God must have

heard;I felt the answer in my heart

Although He spoke not a word.

I didn’t ask fo wealth or fame,

I knew you wouldn’’t mind,I asked Him to send

treasuresof a far more lasting kind.

I asked that He’d be near youAt the start of each new day,

To grant you health and blessings,

And Friends to share your way.

I asked for happiness for youIn all things great and small,

But it was for His loving care

I prayed the most of all.Amen

AUXILIARYIS ACCEPTING DUES FOR 2016

We have begun accepting dues for the 2016 Auxiliary year. Our quota for the new year is 214.

Several new members have joined our unit and have their 2016 membership cards, so WELCOME!

Although renewals have not yet come out at the time of this notice, you may still send your dues, either direct-ly to me at: Rosetta LaPaglia, 616 Coolidge Rd, Utica 13502, or drop them off at the post, and I will gladly pick them up. The dues are still $20.00. Also, if you have any questions, please feel free to call me at (315) 797-8653.

Yours in service,Rosetta LaPagliaMembership chair

Jan Mahoney is 2015-2016 Department president, and James Yermas (below) is 2015-2016 Department commander.

ELECTED TO COUNTY POSTS

Peggy Kohler of Utica Unit 29 was elected president of the Oneida County American Legion Auxiliary Past Presidents Parley.

Theresa Jensen of Utica Unit 229 was elect-ed Chapeau of Oneida County Salon 31, 8 and 40.

First Call • SETPEMBER-OCTOBER 20154

HELP POST ENROLL NURSING HOME VETS

Utica Post 229 is considering adopting about a dozen nurs-ing home veterans and enrolling them in the American Legion so they can receive the Legion magazine, the post newsletter and occasional cheer from post members. They include World War II, Korean War and Viet-nam War veterans.

If you would like to help cover the cost of a nursing home vet’s membership, your do-nation would be greatly appreciated. Please contact Membership Chair Jack LaPaglia or Commander Chris Urban.

ST. LUKE’S STAFFER TO ADDRESS OCT. MEETING

St. Luke’s Home cares for a number of military veterans.

Courtney Lojewski, CTRS, recreational therapist at St. Luke’s, will address the Octo-ber 1st Post Meeting to talk about the military veterans living there and/or undergoing rehabilitation.

A local military veteran has been accepted into clinical tri-als being conducted by Dr. Paul Harch, a pioneer in treating post-traumatic stress and mild traumatic brain injury with HyperBaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT).

George Brandt of Ilion – who joined Utica Post 229 at the September 3rd monthly meeting -- will meet with Dr. Harch in January, his wife Becki reports, and then be selected for either Group A, with treatment starting immediately, or Group B, with treatment starting eight weeks later.

Brandt briefly spoke at the post meeting after being intro-duced by Jackie Warmuth, vice president of clinical develop-ment at Sitrin Health Care. She said Brandt went through Sitrin’s military rehab program and remains actively involved there.

Brandt explained he had joined the Army National Guard and was deployed to Iraq for 18 months, and that ever since an IED blew up the rear of his Humvee, he has been suf-fering headaches, anxiety and energy swings.

The HBOT treatment is free as Dr. Harch is conducting the clinical trials in New Orleans to prove that HBOT is effective in treating veterans suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Syn-drome (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).

But they need funds to cover room and board for George and an escort during the eight weeks of treatment. Anyone interested in helping may send or bring a donation to Utica Post 229 (noting that it’s for George Brandt).

Also, Becki reports that Crowley-Barnum Post 25 in Mohawk is hosting a benefit Halloween Party for George on Nov. 1.

The American Legion De-partment of New York has endorsed HBOT as a viable alternative treatment, and has made it its number one legisla-

LOCAL VETERAN HURT IN IRAQHEADED FOR ‘LIFE-CHANGING’ HYBERBARIC OXYGEN TREATMENT

tive priority to get New York State to approve and fund HBOT for veterans.

With HBOT, the patient is placed in a pressurized chamber with high oxy-gen content. It enables the oxygen to better saturate the brain, allowing it to heal damage caused by exposure to repeated concussive events common to combat zones. The healing results in the patient being better able to cope and has been life-changing in a number of vet-erans who have undergone the treatment.

Army Veteran George Brandt

Sitrin’s Jackie Warmuth

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2015 • First Call 5

The light that brightly shines from freedomslight are sometimes difficult to see.

Still, destiny invites us to unite within a proud republic that is free.

When we behold a glimpse of freedomsface, in gleaming smile enables us to cope.For when we have the courage to embracethe promise of the future with our hope.

Continuing oppression still explainswhy freedom is a necessary goal

It shatters all the shackles and the chainsimprisoning the heart of every soul.

Dear God in heavens pale to you we praythat freedoms light will shine for us today.

---------------------------------------------------

SOME DATES TO REMEMBER Sept. 11 Patriot Day Sept. 13 Grandparents Day Sept. 17 Constitution Day Sept. 23 Firsy Day of Fall Oct. 12 Columbus Day Oct. 13 US Navy Birthday Oct. 31 Halloween

Chaplain’scorner

Paul Wojcik

BALTIMORE – The De-partment of New York drew cheers and applause from the sea of delegates at the Amer-ican Legion National Con-vention on Sept. 2 when New York Delegation Chairman and 2014-2015 Department Commander Frank Peters announced that New York-ers contributed $142,357.90 to the National Emergency Fund (NEF).

New York also received a top award from National Commander Michael Helm for far surpassing his chal-lenge to the Department to raise $35,000 for NEF, which aids displaced Legion families.

That’s not all. The generosity of New York members made it possible for the Department to donate a quarter million dollars to American Legion charities, Peters later said.

“Our total contributions” to American Legion charities

for the past year “amount to $264,073.15,” he said. Peters explained the donations this way:

• National Emergency Fund: “$45,727 was trans-mitted to National prior to convention. This amount alone exceeded the national commander’s challenge of $35,000, resulting in the De-partment of New York re-ceiving an award for meeting our assigned goal and achiev-ing the highest percentage within our category. We then presented the national commander with an addi-tional $96,630.90, bringing the total NEF donation to $142,357.”

• Legacy Scholarship Fund (which provides scholarships to children of fallen warriors): $7,797.00 was transmitted to National prior to convention. We presented the national commander with an addi-

tional 49,927.61, bringing our total Legacy Scholar-ship Fund contribution to $57,724.61.”

• Operation Comfort Warriors (which provides equipment and comfort items to wounded warriors): “$29,330.31 was transmitted to National prior to conven-tion. We’re presenting the national commander with an additional $13,493.92,

NEW YORK CHEERED FOR SIZE OF DONATIONTO LEGION CHARITY

bringing our total Operation Comfort Warrior contribu-tion to $42,975.56.”

• Child Welfare Founda-tion (which provides grants to non-profits that help chil-dren): “$20,330.31 was trans-mitted to National prior to convention. We presented the national commander with an additional $684.77, bringing our total Child Welfare Fund contribution to $21,015.08.”

2014-2015 National Commander Mike Helm (right) pres-ents award to 2014-2015 NY Commander Frank Peters (center) and current Commander James Yermas.

First Call • SETPEMBER-OCTOBER 20156

UTICA -- U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand and Rep. Richard Hanna announced July 6 a new bipartisan push to help “Blue Water” veterans obtain VA health benefits and spotlighted a Navy Vietnam War vet at Utica American Legion Post 229 as an example of veterans suffering from diseases attrib-uted to Agent Orange toxin.

The senator and congressman scheduled a press conference at Utica Post 229 to discuss sen-ate and house legislation that would grant health care benefits to Vietnam vets who served off shore on ships. When Gilli-brand’s flight from Washington, D.C. was delayed, her regional director, Colleen Deacon, spoke on her behalf. Congressman Hanna introduced Legionnaire Dave Manore, who served on the U.S.S. Arlington in the Gulf of Tonkin. Utica Post 229 Commander Chris Urban in-troduced Deacon and Hanna, and spoke of the number of veterans suffering service-connected disabilities. A host of veterans attended the news conference representing the American Legion, VFW, DAV, Vietnam Veterans of Ameri-can, and Military Order of the Purple Heart.

Gillibrand and Hanna were rallying support for the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2015, legislation that would clarify existing law so that Blue Water veterans would be fully covered by the VA if they served within the “territo-

SENATOR, CONGRESSMAN ANNOUNCE PUSH FOR ‘BLUE WATER’ VETS AT UTICA POST 229

rial seas,” or approximately 12 miles offshore of Vietnam. The bill would make it easier for VA to process Vietnam War veterans’ claims for service-connected conditions and alleviate a portion of the VA’s backlog by extending pre-sumptive coverage of Agent Orange benefits to these vet-erans. Gillibrand introduced the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act of 2015 with Senator Steve Daines (R-MT) on March 15, 2015. Hanna is an original cosponsor of the House companion legisla-

tion introduced by Rep. Chris Gibson.

During the Vietnam War, the U.S. military sprayed ap-proximately 20 million gallons of Agent Orange in Vietnam to remove jungle foliage. This toxic chemical had devastating effects for millions serving in Vietnam. In 1991, Congress passed a law requiring Veterans Affairs (VA) to provide pre-sumptive coverage to Vietnam veterans with illnesses that the Institute of Medicine has directly linked to Agent Or-ange exposure. However, in

2002 the VA determined that it would only cover Veterans who could prove that they had or-ders for “boots on the ground”. This exclusion affects thou-sands of sailors who may have still received significant Agent Orange exposure.

“Thousands of our veterans are being denied benefits they need and deserve because of a technicality in the law,” Senator Gillibrand said in a joint press release. “We owe it to the vet-erans who bravely served our country and have fallen victim to Agent Orange-related dis-ease to enact this legislation that will provide the disability compensation and healthcare benefits they have earned. Agent Orange is a very difficult chapter in our nation’s history and is past due that we correct the errors of the past.”

“All of our veterans who were exposed to the powerful toxin Agent Orange deserve treat-ment and care for the debilitat-ing effects that are linked to it,”

Rep. Richard Hanna answers questions from veterans at Utica Post 229, along with Sena-tor Gillibrand’s regional director, Colleen Deacon. Photos / Bob Stronach.

Senator Gillibrand Aide Colleen Deacon and Rep. Richard Hanna chat with “Blue Water” veteran Dave Manore prior to a press conference at Utica Post 229.

SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2015 • First Call 7

said Rep. Hanna. “We cannot deny our sailors treatment due a technicality in the law. That’s why together with Senator Gillibrand I am working to see this change takes effect as soon as possible so we can give our Vietnam veterans the com-pensation and care they not only deserve but have earned through fighting for this na-tion during times of war.”

In a statement, Rep. Gibson said: “I was proud to introduce the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act in the House, where a bipartisan group of more than 230 Members of Congress have signed on as cosponsors. I am delighted this bill is making progress in the Senate with the support of Senator Gillibrand. As a veteran myself, I appreciate her advocacy on this front.”

Utica Post 229 Commander Chris Urban noted: “There are 21.8 million veterans in the

U.S. (veterans compose about 7% of the U.S. population) and about 4 million of those veterans have a service-related disability (disabled veterans compose just over 1% of the U.S. population). It should be a national priority to do every-thing possible to take care of the small number of men and women who have health issues as a result of defending this great nation. This bipartisan bill is an example of how our lawmakers should work.”

“On behalf of all my Blue Water brothers I wish to thank Senator Gillibrand and Con-gressman Hanna as well as their colleages in Congress for championing the cause of Blue Water Veterans,” said Legion-naire and Navy Veteran Dave Manore. “During the Vietnam War powerful toxins (Agent Orange) were used. Because absolute control of these toxins was impossible, it entered the

waters in and around Vietnam and thus moved at the will of the sea. Ships which were sta-tioned in the waters near Viet-nam took in sea water from the sea, processed it and made it potable. This became the crew’s drinking water, shower water, cooking water, etc.; thus expos-ing them to any toxin within the water. Currently I suffer from type II diabetes and it is a struggle each and every day; testing multiple times and five’ shots of insulin daily. I have been denied coverage from the VA because I am not “Boots on the Ground’, but a ‘Blue Water Vet’. I also know that greater than 80% of the men who served aboard the Arlington suffer from one or more of the VA-listed Agent Orange mala-dies. While it is nice to draw a line on a map to determine who has and who has not been exposed to Agent Orange, that information was not passed on

to mother nature.”A May 2011 report by the

Institute of Medicine estab-lished several “plausible routes” for Agent Orange exposure through the water distillation process aboard Navy ships and through the air. In 2010, a study by the Institute of Medicine cited exposure to Agent Orange resulted in an increased chance of develop-ing serious heart problems and Parkinson’s disease. A 1990 study by the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-tion (CDC) showed Vietnam veterans had a rate of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma 50 per-cent higher than the general population. Agent Orange is linked to a range of other dis-eases, including several blood and respiratory cancers, type II diabetes, prostate cancer and more.

In 2005, the VA’s former Director of Environmental Agents Service, Dr. Mark Brown, publicly acknowledged that there was no scientific basis for the exclusion of Blue Water Vietnam veterans, but the VA has continued to refuse these veterans presumptive benefits Congress initially intended. In his article in the Journal of Law and Policy, Dr. Brown wrote, “Science does not back up the VA’s policy on the Navy.”

Veterans represented the American Legion, VFW, DAV, Order of Purple Heart, and Vietnam Veterans of America.

“Blue Water” vet and Legionnaire Dave Manore (left) and Post 229 Commander Chris Urban.

First Call • SETPEMBER-OCTOBER 20158

Utica Post #229The American Legion

409 Herkimer Rd.Utica, NY 13502

First Call is a monthly publication of Utica Post 229 American Legion,

409 Herkimer Rd., Utica, NY 13502, whose mission is to serve veterans, members and local communities.

Yearly membership includes First Call, published 10 times a year.

Non-Profit Org.U.S. Postage

-PAID-Utica, NY

Permit No. 566

Since its founding in Paris in 1919, The American Legion has been an advocate for America’s veterans, a friend of the U.S. military, a sponsor of community-based programs for young people and a spokesman for patriotic values.

Editor: Robert Stronach. Send news, announcements and photos to FirstCall@uticapost229.org.

UTICA -- A group of American Legion baseball players brought baseballs to St. Luke’s Home July 27 and asked military veterans for their autographs.

“It was pretty cool,” said Utica Post 229 Third Baseman Noah Jones. “It feels good to thank them for their service.”

The 14 veterans, who served from World War II to Viet-nam, talked “of what they went through and what they had to do,” said Endwell Post Spartans Outfielder Johnny Ploffe. “If they hadn’t done that for us, we wouldn’t be playing baseball.”

Some of the veterans were surprised they were being asked to autograph baseballs. One said

BALL PLAYERS GET AUTOGRAPHS FROM VETERANS

“he had never been asked for an autograph before,” noted Spartans Pitcher Nick James. “He was tickled about that.”

State American Legion Commander James Yermas

accompanied the players and also thanked the veterans for their service.

Spartans Manager Steve Bar-rett described the experience as a telling moment for the young

players. “It connects Legion Baseball to what (the American Legion) really means.”

Each team in the New York State American Legion Base-ball Tournament participated.

Vietnam Marine Corps vet Richard Weston jokes with Utica Post 229 players Stone Hickey, Ben Kilian and Noah Jones at St. Luke’s Home. Photo / Bob Stronach.