Vietnam Memorials a Final Salute

MEMORIALS HONORING NATIVE AMERICAN VETERANS AND GOLD STAR FAMILIES

A FINAL SALUTE REMEMBERING MOMS IN THE TROOPS WHO DIED OVERSEAS WAR ZONE IN 2017 Mothers share stories of leaving kids at home during deployments

VIETNAM BATTLE OF DAI DO AND MEDCAP MISSIONS Such sacriﬁ ce through valor made,

A debt too deep to be repaid,

From their courage freedom born,

To remember them the poppy worn.

A FINAL SALUTE REMEMBERING MOMS IN THE TROOPS WHO DIED OVERSEAS WAR ZONE IN 2017 Mothers share stories of leaving kids at home during deployments

VIETNAM BATTLE OF DAI DO AND MEDCAP MISSIONS MAY 2018 Vol. 105 No. 8 COVER PHOTO: Shera Terry and her BATTLE OF DAI DO son, Ryan, are glad to be back together 30 Outnumbered nearly 10-to-1, Marines defending their combat base after Shera’s deployment to Qatar in 2016. at Dong Ha were determined to halt the enemy during its “Mini Tet” The two were separated for eight months, offensive in May 1968. The courage and valor displayed at Dai Do — two during which time Ryan attended preschool, Medals of Honor were earned there — would go down in Corps lore. learned to read from his older sister and BY TIM DYHOUSE “never once” cried — until he saw his mother at the airport when she returned. Theirs is one of six stories of sacrifice endured by military moms while they served overseas. BABY SHOWERS FOR (Photo by Shelly Gammieri) FEMALE VETS 24 ON THE COVER A Chicago-area VFW Auxiliary has a 18 Moms in the War Zone unique method of supporting women 26 Medcap Missions using local VA facilities. Auxiliary 36 Native American Veterans members host annual baby showers and 38 Gold Star Families disburse needed child-care items like 42 A Final Salute diaper bags and playpens. BY JANIE DYHOUSE IN THIS ISSUE MEDICS IN THE BOONIES 44 Help a Hero Recipient In an attempt to win the hearts and IN EVERY ISSUE minds of rural South Vietnamese 2 Command Post civilians during the Vietnam War, U.S. 7 Mail Call military doctors, medics and corpsmen 8 Now Hear This concentrated on the villagers’ bodies. Two 10 Issues Up Front programs that brought health care to the 14 Washington Wire people had uneven results, but not for lack 46 Better Health of effort. BY JEROME GREER CHANDLER 26 48 Member Corner 50 Member Benefits POPPIES FORGED IN FIRE 52 VFW in Action 56 A project in Washington state benefitting Reunions and Claims 60 a VFW Post in Denver recalls and honors Vets in Focus the service of Doughboys in the Great War. The young vets involved in creating the works of art say it is a “fitting” way to BY KARI WILLIAMS remember them. 40

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MAY 2018 • WWW.VFW.ORG • 1 COMMAND POST FROM THE CHIEF Observing Memorial Day

Official publication of the VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS is a Civic Obligation OF THE UNITED STATES STAFF ne of VFW’s most hallowed days occurs this DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, PUBLICATIONS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS month. Memorial Day — May 28 — is sacred for all Joe Davis war veterans, and it should be for all Americans. EDITOR-IN-CHIEF This is the day we pause to remember those in Tim Dyhouse O SENIOR EDITOR uniform who sacrificed their lives in defense of the nation. Janie Dyhouse But that sacrifice is meaningless without remembrance. By ASSOCIATE EDITOR honoring the nation’s war dead, we preserve their memory Kari Williams and, thus, their service and sacrifice. It should be a civic obli- SENIOR WRITER gation for all citizens. Dave Spiva ART DIRECTOR This is where our Posts can help their communities prop- Lauren Goldman COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF erly recognize the men and women — and their families — ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT Keith E. Harman who have made the ultimate sacrifice to keep our citizens Tina Clark safe and secure. Here are a few ways to do it: ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Attend commemorative ceremonies: Be sure to wear GLM Communications, Inc. your VFW hat and VFW-themed apparel. Be respectful and Jackie Tobin, Vice President, Digital/Print Media 500 1st Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030 serve as an example to other attendees. (212) 929-1300 FAX 212-929-9574 Place flags at gravesites: This is a perfect opportunity for Email: [email protected] your Post members to share a patriotic activity with groups EDITORIAL OFFICE Address all communications for publication to: such as the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts. The Editor, VFW Magazine March in parades: If your town or city does not stage such 406 W. 34th St., Suite 523, Kansas City, MO 64111 (816) 756-3390; www.vfw.org; [email protected] an activity, encourage your Post to organize one. Not only VFW magazine is protected through trademark regis tra- can you build productive relationships with community lead- tion in the United States and in the foreign countries where VFW magazine circulates. VFW magazine (ISSN 0161-8598) ers, you will also illustrate to your fellow citizens about the is published 10 times a year by Veterans of Foreign Wars, 406 day’s importance. West 34th Street, Kansas City, MO 64111. Non-profit standard class postage paid at Oklahoma City, Okla., and additional Host a patriotic program: This is a chance to invite mailing offices. the public to your Post. As part of the event, you can Publications Agreement No. 1476947

deliver a prepared speech that you can obtain from VFW Available on recording for the blind and those with physical National Headquarters. Simply log in to vfw.org and handicaps that preclude reading material. Contact: [email protected]. click on the “Patriotic Holiday Speeches” link under the SUBMISSIONS Member Resources heading on the My VFW page. VFW’s Unsolicited manu scripts and pho to graphs must be ac com pa- Communications Department usually has updated speeches nied by return postage and no re spon si bil i ty is assumed for safe handling. Poetry submissions not accepted. VFW maga zine is available two weeks prior to the holiday. available in microfilm fromNA Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 998, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-0998. Payment of membership dues Distribute Buddy Poppies: VFW’s official flower, the includes $1.98 for a year’s subscription to VFW magazine. Buddy Poppy, is a hallmark of Memorial Day. For nearly CHANGE OF ADDRESS/DECEASED MEMBER 100 years, VFW members have handed out these blood- [email protected] 1-833-839-8387 Forward address changes to: red flowers to their fellow citizens as a reminder of the Member Service Center, VFW, sacrifices paid by uniformed Americans who have died in 406 W. 34th St., Kansas City, MO 64111. Be sure to furnish your old ad dress, also your Post number, defense of the nation. Encourage your younger members to when requesting change to new address. To ensure Need a Speech continue this tradition. accuracy, please clip and enclose your present address as printed on a recent copy of VFW magazine. for Your Post’s These are a few examples of activities Post leaders can NON-MEMBER SUBSCRIPTIONS Memorial Day organize to observe Memorial Day. And it’s important that U.S. and its possessions, $15 per year, $1.50 per copy. Program? Posts take the lead and represent VFW proudly in their For subscription in other countries, $20 per year. Make checks payable to VFW Magazine and send to: Simply log in to communities. Non-veterans expect us to be the experts. Member Service Center, 406 W. 34th St., KC, MO 64111. vfw.org and click We should set the example. We are a group of veterans on the “Patriotic who have served in war zones. We know what it is like to VFW OBJECTIVES To ensure national security Holiday Speeches” lose friends on faraway battlefields. We know intimately the through maximum military strength. link under sacrifice their families must endure for the rest of their lives To speed the rehabilitation of the nation’s disabled and needy veterans. the Member because of their loved one’s devotion to the cause of freedom. To assist the widows and orphans Resources head- and the depen dents of disabled and needy veterans. We must remember those losses, and, hopefully, provide To promote Americanism through education in pa tri o tism ing on the My others with the opportunity and motivation to share in that and constructive service to the communities in which we live.

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R&R in Vietnam Return of Purple Hearts 15th I was stationed with the 716th MPs in Thank you for the interesting article Anniversary Cholon in 1968. It was great to go on about returning lost Purple Heart med- R&R in Hawaii and be with my wife als. A glaring error which was repeated a of Iraq of one year. We rented a 1969 Camaro couple of times is that the Purple Heart Invasion while there. I ordered a ’69 Camaro SS is awarded for “bravery in combat.” The when I returned to Nam at the Saigon Purple Heart is awarded to a soldier who is wounded or killed. Thank you for tak- PX. We picked it up in San Francisco ing the time to write about the often when I returned. Still have it today. CARL CUNNINGHAM, EMAIL forgotten part of the Iraq War. I do CARL VIRDEN wish whoever provided you with the AGUANGA, CALIF. The mission to return medals to vets’ background information for this arti- families hits close to home for us. My cle would have provided you with Many of us were unable to go on father, John Mayberry, was awarded more truthful and accurate details R&R. I took none because of finances. his during WWII. When my mother, before, during and after. To make it I was getting married and going back Marguerite, moved back to Ohio from seem like the 173rd were the heroes to college when I got home. Some who California, it was lost. who jumped in, secured the airfield returned from R&R were far from rest- J. PATRICK MAYBERRY and moved on to secure Northern ed and recuperated. JOHNSTOWN, PA. Iraq is a complete joke and a dis- ED WATSON, EMAIL Thank you for this article. It brought service to the men and women who back vivid memories when I was 6 or 7 actually risked their lives in that area It brought back great memories of my years old. My family was coming from prior to the 173rd’s arrival. 1971 R&R in Hawaii with my wife. Not church when I found a Purple Heart in BILL SPRAKE, EMAIL everyone stayed at Ft. DeRussy. I wanted the gutter. To me, it was a cool find. To away from the military, so I booked the my dad, a WWII combat vet and VFW I was there in Northern Iraq least expensive room at one of the nicest life member, something else. I will never in the first few days of the war. hotels on Waikiki, the Sheraton Surfrider forget the reverence in his face or his The men and women of the 352nd (now the Westin Moana Surfrider). When voice as he told me I couldn’t keep it. I Special Operations Group had we checked in, instead of the cheap room, believe he turned it over to his Post for the area they jumped into already they gave us their most expensive huge proper handling. As far as patriotism, he secured. You were right about the suite on the 18th floor overlooking the was the most influential person in my life. mud. It was so bad we put our cots beach with two balconies. on plywood so they wouldn’t sink. CHUCK SPINKS FREDERICK BROOKS, EMAIL MICHAEL COX, EMAIL AUBURN, CALIF.

You failed to mention the 2nd I traveled to both Bangkok and Women at War Marine Division in your article. Hawaii for R&R. I was one of the first Just received the March 2018 issue in Charlie Co., 1st Bn., 2nd Marines GIs to take advantage of the opportu- today’s mail (March 5) and read with lost 18 Marines in the Battle of An nity to meet my wife in Hawaii. It was a great interest your “Women In War” Nasiriyah. honeymoon for us, as we had just gotten article. Very well done! BRANDAN WADE, EMAIL married before I shipped out. It was a GORDON SEVERSON, EMAIL welcome relief for me to relax. Editor’s note: An article about the W. THOMAS Editor’s note: A Korean War vet, Battle of Nasiryah was published in RICHTON PARK, ILL. Severson earned four Purple Hearts dur- the April issue of VFW magazine. ing the Korean War. I was stationed in Vung Tau in early I was very disappointed with the 1971 when I helped set up the base for Your March 2018 article, “VFW lack of diversity in your article on the in-country R&R visits by infantry units. Salutes Military Women Pioneers,” Iraq War. There were no pictures or I was a squad leader with an infantry presents a glaring omission: Dr. Mary interviews with people of color. I was unit of the 1st Air Cav when I got select- Walker, Civil War surgeon, prisoner of under Gen. Franks and know the eth- ed to staff the facility. war and first (and only) woman to be nic representation of U.S. forces. LARRY COLE awarded the Medal of Honor. GEORGE FIELDS, EMAIL THOUSAND OAKS, CALIF. CHRISTINE THOMPSON, EMAIL

“Mail Call” features letters from our readers in nine issues per year. If you have questions, comments or concerns about any subject or article from our most recent issue, letters can be emailed to [email protected], with the subject line, “Mail Call,” or mailed to: VFW magazine, Mail Call, 406 W. 34th Street, Suite 523, Kansas City, MO 64111. Letters must be no more than 200 words, and VFW magazine reserves the right to edit letters for clarity, length and accuracy.

MAY 2018 • WWW.VFW.ORG • 7 NOW HEAR THIS NEWS YOU CAN USE WWI Memorial Design Unveiled A VFW representative was on hand Feb. 21 in Washington, D.C., when the design for the nation’s World War I memorial was displayed to the public. During the unveiling, John Towles, director of VFW’s National Security and Foreign Affairs, met with the memorial’s artist, Sabin Howard. “He said the sculpture is not simply about paying tribute to those who answered the call,” said Towles, a veteran of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. “Rather, it’s about engag- ing people and educating them about the sacrifices and hardships endured by our great nation and the long-term impact that the war had on our country.” Howard’s design, entitled “A Soldier’s Journey,” sym- bolizes the Doughboys’ collective transformation from raw recruits, to battle hardened veterans, to productive citizens who came home “changed” by their “passage through peril.” Towles said VFW is an ardent supporter of The Commission of Fine Arts will approve the final the memorial. design this summer. The WWI Centennial Commission, “We have a moral obligation to ensure that the sacri- of which VFW’s Quartermaster General Debra Anderson fices that were made by those who served our country are is a member, hopes to dedicate the memorial on the 100th memorialized for generations to come,” he said. anniversary of the end of World War I, Nov. 11, 2018. The design team also consists of architect Joe Weishaar For more information about the memorial, visit www. and landscape architect Phoebe McCormick-Lickwar. ww1cc.org/memorial.

Walk Honors USS Lexington Doughboy Art Medal of Honor Found in Featured at Chaplain Coral Sea Smithsonian A group honoring the memory of a The wreck of a U.S. aircraft carrier that An art exhibit currently running at the Medal of Honor recipient will hold an sunk in the early stages of World War II Smithsonian in Washington, D.C., fea- annual walk this month in Kansas. The was discovered in March. A search team tures work produced by World War I Father Kapaun Guild of Wichita, Kan., is led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen vets during lulls in battle. Entitled “Artist hosting the 10th annual Father Kapaun found the USS Lexington two miles Soldiers: Artistic Expression in the First Pilgrimage from May 31-June 3. under the Coral Sea about 500 miles off World War,” the Smithsonian’s National Father Emil Kapaun was a Catholic the northeastern coast of Australia. Air and Space Museum is showing the art priest who served as an Army chaplain The Lexington was badly damaged through Veterans Day, Nov. 11. in World War II and the Korean War. by Japanese bombs and torpedoes dur- The exhibit includes the work of eight Kapaun was captured by Chinese forces ing the Battle of the Coral Sea, May soldiers who served with the American on Nov. 2, 1950, during the Battle of 4-8, 1942. But the “Lady Lex” remained Expeditionary Forces. It features pho- Unsan while serving with HQ Co., 3rd afloat. As it was headed for repairs, an tos of their artwork — stone carvings Bn., 8th Cav, 1st Cav Div. He died as a internal explosion caused by gas fumes in underground shelters — shot by POW on May 23, 1951. rocked the vessel, and U.S. sailors scut- Jeff Gusky. In 2014, Gusky extensively Kapaun received the Medal of Honor tled the ship to prevent its capture. The explored vast underground rock quarries posthumously on April 11, 2013, for sav- Lexington earned two battle stars for its in the French countryside that were used ing the life of a wounded soldier who WWII service. as makeshift cities during the war. was left exposed on the front lines near During the battle, 216 Lexington sail- The exhibit also features work of art- Kumchung, Korea, on Aug. 2, 1950. ors were killed. Because the Navy con- ists embedded with U.S. troops who were The 60-mile, four-day walk begins siders the wreck a war grave, the ship commissioned as the “first true combat in Wichita and ends in Kapaun’s home- will not be retrieved or salvaged. Allen’s artists,” according to the Smithsonian. town of Pilsen, Kan. For more infor- team also discovered another famous The museum noted that its display reflects mation, visit http://fatherkapaun.org/ WWII-era ship, the USS Indianapolis, “artwork intended to capture the [war] in father-kapaun. last year. a realistic way, by first-hand participants.”

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Eliminating Military Budget The VFW’s annual Legislative Caps Tops VFW Agenda Conference culminated in a speech from VFW Commander- in-Chief Keith Harman in front of House and Senate VA committee members. Among many topics, VFW’s leader emphasized the dire consequences caused by an inadequate Defense budget.

BY DAVE SPIVA

PHOTO BY BOB KNUDSEN

FW Commander-in-Chief lished super committee on budget and care and information technology to the Keith Harman addressed a appropriations reform to finally repeal EHR modernization program, accord- joint hearing of the House the sequester once and for all. ing to the department’s fiscal year 2019 Vand Senate VA committees on “We need our troops to keep their budget request. March 7 during VFW’s 2018 Legislative heads in the fight instead of wondering Harman said while he supports an Conference in Washington, D.C. about the well-being of their families integrated VA-DoD EHR, VFW does Among many VFW proposals and back at home.” not endorse taking “critical funds” away recommendations, such as ending Harman was more upbeat about a new from health care to pay for it. sequestration — which places caps on plan allowing more cooperation between “We call on Congress to balance the military spending — and expanding the VA and DoD healthcare systems. He needs of an improved VA with the need health care to veterans in need, Harman praised VA Secretary David Shulkin’s to ensure that high quality health care is urged lawmakers to properly fund med- decision to have VA adopt the same elec- provided to all eligible veterans,” he said. ical record integration with VA and the tronic health care record (EHR) system Harman asked Congress to allocate Department of Defense (DoD). as DoD. He said it will help VA doctors the needed funds from non-defense During his testimony, Harman warned formulate a treatment plan for a veteran appropriations that were included in a lawmakers about the burdens that an because they can access medical histo- February bipartisan budget deal. inadequate Defense budget places on the ries from the veterans military service. “Doing so would ensure VA can begin men and women in uniform. “This plan [to integrate VA and DoD its work to provide a truly seamless “Our military is still at war with an all- records] will greatly improve the deliv- transition for our service members and volunteer force that is fighting with less ery of care to ill and injured veterans, our veterans,” Harman said. training and overused equipment,” the and ensure truly integrated care as ser- Here are some other highlights from Chief said. “Sequestration has been the vice members transition from DoD to Harman’s speech to lawmakers. To view law of the land for seven years, so service VA care,” Harman said. Harman’s full speech, visit https://www. members, veterans, their families and the VA plans to transfer the $782 million vfw.org/news-and-publications/vfw-legis- VFW are counting on the newly estab- that Congress appropriated for medical lative-conference. (Continued on page 12.)

ABOVE: VFW Commander-in-Chief Keith Harman testifies March 7 before a joint hearing of the U.S. House and Senate VA committees during VFW’s annual legislative conference in Washington, D.C. Backed by VFW leadership and more than 500 VFW members and veterans, Harman said Congress needs to end sequestration and improve VA-provided care, services and programs for veterans.

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SEQUESTRATION WOMEN’S HEALTH CARE military’s Transition Assistance • Urge members of the Joint • Encourage Congress to pass the Program mandatory. Select Committee on Budget and Women Veterans Peer Counseling • Urge Congress to remove expi- Appropriations Reform to agree on Enhancement Act, which would ration dates for all GI Bill and “common sense” budget reforms. expand programs for female vet- Vocational Rehab programs erans and provide more peer- and available to veterans. VA MEDICAL CARE gender-based assistance. • Authorize VA to bill Medicare • Urge VA to expand access to gen- HOMELESSNESS and Tricare for non-service der-specific specializations. • Demand that VA provide more connected care delivered at VA benefits and services to homeless medical facilities. PREVENTIVE MEDICINE AND SERVICES veterans. • Identify partners and community • Call on Congress to pass the • Encourage VA to provide more locations where veterans could Veterans Preventive Health separate living arrangements use telemedicine technology to Coverage Fairness Act, which for veterans with children or access health care. would ensure veterans have those who have survived sexual • Call on Congress to swiftly pass access to preventive medicine. trauma. the Caring for Our Veterans Act • Call on VA and the Department of 2017, which eases standards VETERANS COMPENSATION of Housing and Urban for veterans to receive communi- • Urge Congress to pass the Quicker Development (HUD) to offer ty care and consolidates multiple Veterans Benefits Delivery Act of homeless veterans the opportu- community care programs. 2017, which would require VA to nity to obtain assistance. accept private medical evidence • Urge Congress to pass legisla- MENTAL HEALTH AND SUICIDE in support of a disability compen- tion that would provide cost-free • Commission a study on veterans sation claim. child care to homeless veterans who commit suicide and are not • Call on Congress to pass the Hear using VA’s or Labor’s VETS enrolled in VA. our Heroes Act of 2017, which employment training. • Urge doctors to consider a veter- would grant service connection • Urge Congress, VA and HUD an’s gender when prescribing psy- for hearing loss or tinnitus. to ensure that HUD Veterans chopharmaceutical treatments. • Encourage Congress to pass the Affairs Supportive Housing • Continue training mental health Blast Exposure Protection Act of vouchers put veterans in safe and providers and other health care 2017, which would grant service secure housing. employees on proper treatments connection for conditions associ- and care of patients with PTSD ated with blast exposures. MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA due to sexual trauma. • Call on Congress to pass the • Call on DoD to ensure that • Recommend that all VA medi- Burial Rights for America’s veterans who were wrongfully cal center, outpatient clinic and Veterans’ Efforts (BRAVE) Act of discharged after being sexually Vet Center employees who take 2017, which would increase buri- assaulted be given the chance to phone calls directly transfer vet- al benefits for eligible veterans. have their discharges upgraded. erans who want to speak with • Urge VA to continue working on counselors at the Veterans Crisis EXPOSURES AND HAZARDS access to mental health care for Line. • Support the Blue Water Navy veterans who were discharged • Ensure that all veterans with a Vietnam Veterans Act of 2017, due to administrative issues. traumatic brain injury (TBI) be which would expand benefits • Ask VA to conduct more out- given an individualized plan that for veterans exposed to Agent reach to male military service maximizes their independence Orange while serving in the terri- members and veterans for sexual and restores their physical and torial seas of Vietnam during the assault reporting and health care. cognitive functions. Vietnam War. • Demand that VA conduct better • Improve TBI screening meth- • Urge VA and Congress to enact outreach and prevention training ods and diagnostic tools. Make recommendations in the National for LGBT service members. conditions associated with blast Academies of Science’s study of injuries presumptive. some 130,000 vets enrolled on REMAINS RECOVERY MISSION VA’s burn pit registry. • Support full funding and person- MEDICAL CANNABIS nel staffing for DoD’s Defense • Urge Congress and VA to con- MILITARY-CIVILIAN TRANSITION POW/MIA Accounting Agency. duct a federally-funded study • Urge Congress to pass the • Expand recovery operations into with veteran participants of the BATTLE for Servicemembers Act, North Korea — if and when it effectiveness of medical cannabis which would make supplemen- becomes safe to do so. J as a treatment option. tal courses offered through the EMAIL [email protected]

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and muscle pain. 46471 safely on your feet! © 2018 fi rst STREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc. WASHINGTON WIRE: CAPITOL HILL BRIEFS BY DAVE SPIVA Congressional Agreement Temporarily Suspends Sequestration ‘Deploy or Get Senate leaders in February agreed to a step in the right direction,” said VFW Out’ Now Policy two-year deal to temporarily lift budget Commander-in-Chief Keith Harman, The Pentagon issued a new policy caps on defense spending imposed by “but the deal doesn’t eliminate the in February that will begin sepa- sequestration. The agreement provides sequester, which will still be the law rating troops who have not been the Defense Department with a $700 after the two-year deal expires.” deployable for the past year. billion budget for this year and $716 bil- VFW has opposed sequestration VFW Washington Office lion for 2019. since it was implemented by the Budget Executive Director Bob Wallace said According to Defense News, the Control Act of 2011. The budget caps that the retention policy provides spending limits for defense and non- began in 2013. no definition of what a qualifying defense combined would be raised by “Our military has had to operate determination consists of, what the $300 billion over two years. under continuing budget resolutions in appeals process is for the service The agreement temporarily suspends nine of the past 10 years,” Harman said. member and who has the authority sequestration, which mandates auto- “The spending caps imposed by the to make the determination. matic cuts to the federal budget and, sequester exacerbate the funding prob- “It is unclear how this determina- according to VFW, particularly hinders lem, which is why eliminating it would tion will be applied to service mem- the Defense Department. help bring long-term stability to those bers who are wounded in action and “Reducing the impact of seques- who serve and have served. Congress at what point in their care the deci- tration by raising spending caps is a must eliminate what it created.” sion will be made that they meet the 12-month threshold,” Wallace said. Independent Budget Demands In a statement to Secretary of Defense James Mattis, Wallace said Access to Care for Veterans that he is concerned about the “lack of clarity” on how the Department VFW, along with But, the IB authors assert of Defense (DoD) is preparing for a Disabled American that Congress must imple- potential increase utilization of the Veterans (DAV) and ment new community care Disability Evaluation System used to Paralyzed Veterans of legislation to ensure that process fitness for duty evaluations. America (PVA), released veterans receive health Wallace also said that it is unclear the latest edition of The care, either at VA or in if DoD is coordinating with VA on Independent Budget (IB). their communities. The IB increases of processing demands. The proposal coincides questions the availability “At current capacity, the sufficient with President Donald of funding for the Veterans resources to address the increase Trump’s 2019 budget Choice Program, which could result in unnecessary uncer- recommendation for VA. requires VA to pay for a vet- tainty for service members and their For 30 years, The IB eran’s private health care if families, as well as negative impacts has presented budget he or she cannot access VA on continuity care,” Wallace said. and policy recommendations to the care. Congress still has not passed legis- Military Times reported that, executive and legislative branches of lation to establish a path forward for the according to Army Command Sgt. government. It informs lawmakers of Veterans Choice Program. Maj. John Troxell, more than 11 veterans’ needs and offers solutions Due to the VA program’s future, it is percent, or some 235,000 troops, are to many health care and benefits chal- unclear if VA will have the $3.7 billion considered nondeployable. Troxell, lenges veterans face. required to fund it for fiscal year 2019. adviser to Joint Chiefs Chairman VFW, DAV and PVA praised Trump’s For this reason, the IB authors have Gen. Joe Dunford, said some 99,000 proposal to increase VA’s budget by concerns about measures in the Trump are unable to deploy due to admin- $12.1 billion for 2018. The Trump Administration’s budget proposal that istrative reasons. He said another Administration cited “much needed” would decrease some veterans’ benefits 20,000 are not deployable because of increases in funding for VA health care, in order to pay for the Choice Program. pregnancy, and about 116,000 can’t construction and information technol- The Independent Budget for this year is deploy due to injury. ogy modernization for the increase. available at www.independentbudget.org.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about speciﬁc legislation or VA beneﬁts, contact VFW’s Washington Office at [email protected]. A member of VFW’s National Veterans Service staff will respond as soon as possible.

14 • VFW • MAY 2018

WASHINGTON WIRE, CONT. Court Rules Veterans With PTSD Sue Navy Burn Pits Caused for ÔBad PaperÕ Discharges A lawsuit was filed in Lung Disease March in a federal court Open-air burn pits, which have been in Connecticut on behalf used by deployed militaries during all of Navy and Marine wars, were ruled to be connected to Corps veterans of the Iraq lung disease by a Department of Labor and Afghanistan wars. judge in January. Burn pits — com- Diagnosed with PTSD, the monly used to burn trash, waste and vets were given less-than- other items — are blamed for exposing honorable discharges. troops and contractors to toxic chemi- According to the lawsuit cals released by the fires. filed by students with Yale While the ruling might benefit civil- Law School’s Veterans ian contractors exposed during recent Legal Services Clinic, the wars, it does not solve much for the “bad paper” discharges prevent the veterans from receiving VA benefits and support from 134,620 veterans and service members the government. on VA’s Airborne Hazards and Open The Washington Post reported in March that veterans represented in the lawsuit were Burn Pit Registry. given less-than-honorable discharges for “minor infractions related to post-traumatic VFW National Legislative Service stress disorder, traumatic brain injuries and other mental problems” while in the military. Associate Director Ken Wiseman said Tyson Manker, a plaintiff and former Marine who fought in Iraq during the 2003 inva- that the decision has “no legal prece- sion, said it is a “national disgrace” that failures of the military have led to “legal rights vio- dence” the way a federal circuit court lations” of men and women who have served in the military. ruling would. “By taking this action with the courts, we intend to restore the rule of law, along with “We don’t think it will impact the honor, for thousands of patriots who were treated so poorly by the nation they served,” VA under Title 38 at all,” Wiseman Manker said. said, referring to a section of the U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth, an Army veteran and life member of VFW Post 2149 in Wood code that outlines veterans benefits Dale, Ill., has shown support for Manker. and how they are provided. Duckworth, who lost both of her legs in the Iraq War, said, “not every wound suffered Wiseman said that this ruling does, by those who serve this country in uniform are as obvious as mine, but all of them require however, reinforce research already care and treatment just as mine did.” conducted that links exposure to burn She added, “I know we as a nation can do much better when it comes to caring for our pits with numerous conditions, such wounded warriors and ending previous policies or punishing those suffering from post- as respiratory illnesses, as well as sev- traumatic stress is an important start.” eral conditions that are fatal. According to Military Times, the Bill Would Create Veteran Treatment Courts ruling originated from a claim sub- A bill pending in the House would fund vet- mitted by Veronica Landry, a civilian eran treatment courts nationwide. Rep. Tulsi contractor based at Mosul, Iraq, from Gabbard (D-Hawaii) , an Army Iraq War March 2004-February 2005. Landry veteran and life member of VFW Post 2875 in was a morale, welfare and recreation Honolulu, Hawaii, is a co-sponsor of H.R. 4345, specialist at two forward operating The Veteran Treatment Court Coordination Act bases in the city. of 2017. Landry claimed in her testimony “Through high-intensity supervision and a that she was exposed to burn pits network of support, veteran treatment courts “every day” while on the base, and are ensuring that [veterans] get the care and services needed to heal, and putting them that fires burned such items as vehicle on a path to success,” Gabbard said in February. parts, air conditioner parts and other The bill would provide federal grants to establish and maintain veteran treat- hazardous materials. ment courts across the country. Some 15,000 veterans already have received support “Every plastic water bottle that through such courts, according to a press release from Gabbard’s office. every soldier drank out of was also The bill would establish the Veteran Treatment Court Program under the burned in the burn pits,” Landry said. Department of Justice, which would provide grants and assistance to state circuit For more information about the court systems that have or will adopt a veteran court program. VA’s burn pits registry, visit https:// Gabbard, a co-chair of the Congressional Post 9/11 Veterans Caucus, said veteran www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/ treatment courts already are helping veterans who have committed nonviolent crimes burnpits/registry.asp. and have substance addiction get treatment.

16 • VFW • MAY 2018 ★★★★★ !!!!!!# ★★★★★ !! ! !!!##!!# !!#∀!#!!

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!#! !## In honor of Mother’s Day, here’s a look at how some military moms

PHOTO BY SHELLY GAMMIERI SHELLY BY PHOTO dealt with separations from family during long deployments.

MotheringFROM THE WAR ZONE BY JANIE DYHOUSE

Parents who have had to leave their children for an extended period of time can attest to the difficulties the absence can cause. Those serving in the military know this all too well. And those with no spouse with whom their children can stay during deployments find themselves in an even worse situation. This Mother’s Day, VFW magazine pays tribute to moms who have sacrificed by leaving their children behind for overseas deployments. Here’s a look at some of those mothers, and in their own words, how deploying overseas affected them and their children.

NAME: SHERA TERRY OVERSEAS SERVICE: DOHA, QATAR (AL UDEID AIR BASE) DATES: JANUARY TO AUGUST 2016 UNIT: NAVAL AND AMPHIBIOUS LIAISON ELEMENT OF THE COMBINED AIR OPERATIONS CENTER RATE: CHIEF PETTY OFFICER VFW MEMBERSHIP: POST 8787 IN AUSTIN, TEXAS My son, Ryan, was still in preschool. He stayed with his Papa and Gma. My family really stepped up to help. Not once did he miss a day of school. Once he graduated from preschool, he went to spend the summer with his dad, stepmom and step- sisters in Colorado. By the time I came home, his 14-year-old stepsister, Nina, had him reading beyond a kindergarten level. I was able to take him to school on the first day of kindergarten and that meant the world to us both. This was the first time I had deployed after becoming a mom. One day, I just started crying out of the blue in the mobi- lization shop. It helped to form a support system with other parents. I was able to speak to Ryan via video once a week on Sundays. It gave us both something to look forward to. In my absence, Ryan was such a trooper. Never once did he cry when we would talk over video phone. However, when he tackled me at the airport, he instantly started crying. Now when I go drill, even though I come home every night, he doesn’t like it. He is excited that I plan to retire soon and will tell everyone he meets, “This is my mom. She is in the Navy, but she is about to retire!” I think he’s ready.

18 • VFW • MAY 2018 NAME: DONNA HERSHEY OVERSEAS SERVICE: AFGHANISTAN ering DATES: JUNE-DECEMBER 2002 UNIT: 339TH COMBAT SUPPORT HOSPITAL RANK: LIEUTENANT COLONEL VFW MEMBERSHIP: POST 5752 IN MOUNT JOY, PA. (WHERE SHE SERVES AS QUARTERMASTER) My spouse, Scott, cared for our two children. By 2002, both my parents and my in-laws were deceased so Scott was on his own with the kids. He is a better cook than I am, so that wasn’t a worry. The women I worked with at my civilian job were supportive as well and helped Scott get the kids to their Navy veteran Shera extracurricular events. Terry with her There was no cell service, and land- son, Ryan, at the lines were limited, but I worked to call Arbor Hills Nature home once a week, Sunday afternoon Preserve in Plano, my time, early Sunday morning at home. Texas, in February. The reason for this was so my husband Terry deployed could update the folks at church. The to Qatar in 2016, leaving Ryan behind. Sunday calls were very therapeutic for the kids, my husband and me. Our daughter, Laura, was 14 and our son, Scott, was 12 when I deployed, so they were old enough to understand what was going on and what I was doing. Some days were tougher than others. There was no Skype or Facebook, so I wrote a lot of letters. My daughter sent me cards every day, many very touching. My son had to be reminded every once in a while, but he came through. They were proud of what I was doing and my service. In the grand scheme of things, I think they did very well and have grown to be wonderful young adults.

MAY 2018 • WWW.VFW.ORG • 19 PHOTO BY SHELLY GAMMIERI NAME: ANN MARIE TORRES OVERSEAS SERVICE: CAMP STRYKER, BAGHDAD, IRAQ DATES: 2009-2010 UNIT: 812TH QUARTERMASTER, U.S. ARMY RESERVE RANK: SPECIALIST VFW MEMBERSHIP: POST 2375 IN KINGSVILLE, TEXAS (WHERE SHE IS A SERVICE OFFICER) Unfortunately, I was divorced right before I joined. I was a single parent to four children. My ex-husband was not able to care for our children at that time. My 19-year-old daughter, Brigette, was a teen mother to a 3-year-old at the time. She said, “Mom, I don’t want us to split up, so I can take care of all of us.” My daughter did an excellent job taking care of her siblings and holding down the fort. Sometimes, I saw she did a better job than I ever did. My 16-year-old, Brittney, graduated in the top 10 percent of her class, and my boys were also A/B honor roll students while they were under her care. One day we were on Skype and our camp was mortared and everything went down. I couldn’t call back until everything was cleared. My children had initially heard the sirens so they were scared. My 6-year-old cried himself to sleep. After that, my daughter and I had decided it was best if I didn’t call all the time, and we settled on a couple of times out of the month. I don’t know how I made it through my deployment somewhat sane, missing my kids. Detaching myself with work was how I dealt with the emotional aspect of being away from my children. Brigette told me that my youngest son, Roman, would cry every night before bed, but watching a bedtime story DVD I had made through the USO helped him through it. The transition home was difficult for me, but we held on together and made it through, even though the road was tough. NAME: IRIS GREENE OVERSEAS SERVICE: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES DATE: 2011-2012 UNIT: 3RD BN., 4TH AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY REGT., 108TH AIR DEFENSE ARTILLERY BRIGADE RANK: SPECIALIST I was separated from my husband at the time of my deployment. We had three kids together: 10, 8 and 4. They were in California while I lived in North Carolina. My R&R was changed, and I let my family know exactly when I would be there to pick up the kids. When the kids got into the car, my oldest looked at me and said, “Mommy, I’m so glad you came to get us out of there. Please don’t make us go back.” There are things that will echo through your mind over and over when you’re deployed. This is one of those things that still, years later, crushes me on the inside. The older two kids told me about being hit with telephone books, being left on the side of the road, living without lights or hot water. So many terrible things I learned. I filed for emergency custody. My chain of command was keeping in contact with me through email and phone calls every so often. The biggest concern they had was that I had to come back, and I had to get a family care plan in place if I did get custody. The judge granted me emergency custody. My sister didn’t have enough space, and my grandma couldn’t take care of them for 10 months. My ex-husband’s parents agreed to pick the kids up from my sister’s house a week after I went back overseas. The dreadful day came. I had to leave my kids. My middle child crumpled to the floor in tears. It was the worst sight I had ever seen. I didn’t know what to do. It would be another 10 months before I saw them again. Back overseas was very difficult. I did my job, cried and smoked more cigarettes than was necessary. I made some great friends while deployed. I can say that even though we went through all of the stress in the beginning, it was a great thing in the end. My kids have some amazing people in their lives. The saying usually goes, “It takes a village to raise kids.” I say, it takes the Army and a few [members of the] Air Force to raise kids.

20 • VFW • MAY 2018 NAME: REBECCA GOMINGER OVERSEAS SERVICE: JEBEL ALI, UNITED ARAB EMERITES DATES: AUGUST 2011-JUNE 2012 UNIT: MARITIME EXPEDITIONARY SECURITY SQUADRON 8 RATE: PETTY OFFICER 2ND CLASS My spouse cared for the girls, with much help from my sister, family and friends who live near us and my parents. The youngest was the one who needed the most assistance, but with my oldest’s medical issues (she is in a nursing home), he had to deal with decisions on that, too. I tried to speak with my youngest daughter at least once a week, but she did not want to speak to me. She later said she was very angry I was gone and left her. I sent the girls and my niece and nephew several postcards of Dubai. It was difficult seeing children my daughters’ ages running around happy, particularly children who looked similar to them. My roommate was a mother, too, so we dis- cussed our children and issues with our spouses to keep each other sane. My youngest daughter traveled with my husband to visit me while I was training. He wanted to ride the Amtrak. We had a nice visit. When he returned home, he wanted to make a scrapbook for me of my deployment. He could not find the train tickets to include. He also lost money his mother had sent him for Christmas. When I returned home from overseas, I looked under my daughter’s crib. There was a water bottle, a train ticket, trail mix, a diaper and the money. She said she wanted to find me and was hoping these things would help her find me in Dubai. She was 2.

“In my absence, NAME: ANNETTE WHITTENBERGER OVERSEAS SERVICE: IRAQ AND Ryan was such AFGHANISTAN a trooper. Never DATE: 2005-2006 AND 2008-2009 UNIT: 589TH CSB, 212TH FIRES once did he cry BRIGADE, 4TH INFANTRY DIVISION; 3RD BRIGADE, 1ST INF. DIV. when we would RANK: CAPTAIN (2005) AND MAJOR talk over video (2008) VFW MEMBERSHIP: POST 3619 IN DERIDDER, LA. phone. However, The first time I deployed, my mother moved from California to Fort Hood, Texas, so that both my husband and I could deploy. She was the primary giver at that time. when he tackled I was able to speak with my children any time I wanted to as long as I was not on a mission. I knew that they were going to be OK, but I also felt guilty leav- me at the airport, ing them. I knew that I had to take care of my soldiers and make sure that we all came back home together. he instantly Being able to speak with the kids anytime I wanted was something I was very grateful for, as I know many were not able to do that. started crying.” My children missed me and constantly asked when I was coming home both times I deployed. My mom often had a difficult time because of that. I knew that after the second deployment, I would try my best not to leave again because it did leave an impression on my children. They needed me around, and I tried to make —Shera Terry, sure that I made that happen. I know that many of my peers left more times than that, so I try not to complain. J VFW Post 8787 EMAIL [email protected]

MAY 2018 • WWW.VFW.ORG • 21

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‘This is the Least We Can

do to Help’ Army veteran Karla Porter cradles her baby, Greta, whose early entrance into the world A VFW Auxiliary in Illinois prevented Porter from hosts its third annual baby attending the baby shower hosted by VFW shower for women veterans. Auxiliary 2298 in West Each expecting mother Dundee, Ill. While Porter didn’t make it to the leaves with a car full of shower in January, the items for their babies. Auxiliary ensured Porter received her gifts.

BY JANIE DYHOUSE

n January, VFW Post 2298 in the Chicago suburb of West Twelve area restaurants provided the food to feed the 100 Dundee, Ill., was filled to the brim with car seats, diaper people who turned out for the event. Ahrens, who owns Piece- bags, baby toys and formula, to name just a few of the A-Cake bakery in East Dundee, provided the cakes. Iitems. For the third year in a row, the Auxiliary hosted a “It’s a lot of work, but it’s amazing to me when it all comes baby shower for women vets in the Northern Illinois VA System. together,” Ahrens said. “It does my heart good to see these Auxiliary President Diane Ahrens said the shower was open women come together.” to expecting mothers who served or are servingg in the Ahrens said she military. Nearly 30 women hopesh other Auxiliaries showed up for the shower arounda the country and walked away with many willw start hosting baby gifts, according to Ahrens. showerss if they aren’t Each one received a car already.a She pointed seat and Pack ’n Play (play- outo that the showers pen). Diaper bags chocked canc be done on a small- full of baby wipes, diapers and ere scale in the begin- formula also were on the gift ning.n Ahrens added list. Auxiliary members also thatt the first shower distributed bags of stuffed ani- theyt hosted served 11 mals and baby toys, includ- womenw compared to ing crib mobiles. The West thist one with 29. Dundee Kohl’s Cares Team donated Clifford the Big Red Dog stuffed animals with corre- BABIES ARE ÔEXPENSIVEÕ BLESSINGS sponding books. The Auxiliary first decided to host the shower to help preg- “Kohl’s Cares really helps us out so much,” Ahrens said. nant moms who were trying to assimilate back into the civilian “Heaven forbid they ever quit helping us.” world, while also preparing for childbirth. Ahrens, who served in the Marines from 1978-80, said gen- And, as Ahrens pointed out, babies can be expensive blessings. der-specific clothing is purchased and also seasonal clothing “Diapers are so expensive, and we all know how many dia- depending on when the babies are due. pers little ones can go through,” she said. “Then there’s all the

24 • VFW • MAY 2018 Bottom left: Moms-to-be within the Northern Illinois VA System were treated to a baby shower in January at Post 2298 in West Dundee, Ill. In its third year, the shower was hosted by the Auxiliary. Each of the 29 female vets in attendance walked away with a car seat and a playpen, as well as diaper bags full of baby essentials. Bags of stuffed animals and baby toys, including crib mobiles, also were distributed. Top right: Ms. Veteran America Lindsay Gutierrez — pictured at right with VFW Post 2298 Auxiliary President Diane Ahrens and Lake Villa Post 4308 Commander George Simons — traveled from her home in Georgia to celebrate. Middle and bottom right: Not all who came to the shower were expecting moms, as some of the vets had recently given birth. Spouses, siblings and children — in some cases — accompanied those being showered with gifts. Ahrens said Auxiliary members wanted to have a baby shower to help female vets settle back into the civilian world, while preparing for childbirth. PHOTOS BY JAMES HARVEY other expenses on top of that. Meanwhile, these moms are dealing with a host of other issues oftentimes.” At the shower, as has been customary since the inaugural event, Ms. Veteran America made a special appearance. This year’s winner, Air Force veteran Lindsay Gutierrez, traveled from her home in Georgia to celebrate with the moms-to-be and some new moms, too. “I feel honored to have been a part of this spectacular event,” Gutierrez later noted via Twitter. “It’s because of a support system like the VFW that veterans are able to thrive as civilians. Never stop being that light for us.” One expecting mom, Karla Porter, was unable to attend the shower as planned because her baby, Greta, made her entrance into the world sooner than expected. On top of having an emergency C-section to deliver Greta, Porter also was diagnosed with the flu. She worried that the Auxiliary had purchased items for her and then she couldn’t show up. She said she was hopeful they had found another mom to recieve the gifts. When Porter contacted Ahrens to let her know what had happened, Ahrens reassured her that they had saved the gifts and asked for her address so they could deliver them. “Moms who signed up but cannot make it do not lose out,” Ahrens said. “We deliver!” Ahrens and her sister, Martha, drove two hours to Porter’s home to deliver all of the gifts. “I never, in my wildest dreams, imagined they’d save them for me,” said Porter who was in the Army from January 2001 to September 2002 before being medically discharged. “I was astounded and had to fight off tears. There were so many gifts that I was just overcome. I can’t begin to express my gratitude to the VFW Post 2298 Auxiliary, the West Dundee Community, and especially Diane Ahrens. For Ahrens, who was a single mom for seven years, it’s important for the VFW and Auxiliary to support these women. “So many are having a hard time, even if they are married,” she said. “This is the least we can do to help in this time that is supposed to be such a happy occasion.” Plans are under way for the 2019 shower. Ahrens said she is hoping to find some space in a warehouse to store items for next year’s event. “It takes a full year to plan this type of shower,” Ahrens said. “I’m glad I have surrounded myself with overachievers.” J EMAIL [email protected]

MAY 2018 • WWW.VFW.ORG • 25 Two programs that brought much needed medical care to South Vietnamese villagers during the Vietnam War saw limited success. For U.S. military doctors and medics, the experience was both fulfilling and frustrating.

Capt. Robert J. Wilensky sits with a few of his patients in 1967 at an orphanage in Tay Ninh. Wilensky said that he believes the Americans’ work “really helped” the nuns who ran the facility. PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT J. WILENSKY J. OF ROBERT COURTESY PHOTO

‘I THINK WE DID SOME GOOD’

BY JEROME GREER CHANDLER

n Vietnam, the road to winning while, before being taken to the field surgeon in 1967 and 1968 with the 588th hearts and minds, although rarely with Delta Co., 2nd Bn., 501st Inf., 101st Engineer Battalion based near Tay Ninh. paved, was rutted with good inten- Abn. Div., I assisted in administering Today, he’s a physician and holds a doc- Itions. Perhaps the prime example medicine to civilians in one of the small, torate degree in history. was a joint-service effort called MEDCAP: ruggedly remote villages, or “vils,” that Wilensky also authored the book the Medical Civic Action Program. dotted I Corps near Phu Bai and Hue. Military Medicine to Win Hearts and The mission was to get Western medi- I can remember at the end of that Minds: Aid to Civilians in the Vietnam cal help out to the villages and the hot- MEDCAP mission in the spring of 1970 War. Fifty years later, the issue remains: as-hell hinterlands of the Republic of feeling both exhausted and exhilarated. how much good did MEDCAPs really do? Vietnam, while building bonds of trust Doing good just feels good. “When you went into a village and between the civilian population and the According to the U.S. Army Medical you listened to old ladies’ chests — and American military. Department’s (AMEDD) Office of Medical you had no laboratories, no X-rays — you Armed with topical antibiotics, ban- History, “Both American and free world didn’t know if you were seeing tubercu- dages and aspirin, MEDCAP teams forces participated, often on a volunteer losis, or chronic cough from smoking,” walked or drove along those impossi- basis and during their free time.” By 1970, Wilensky said. bly rutted paths, transporting physi- the effort treated an average of 150,000 to The answer, he added, was to give cians, security teams and medics into the 225,000 outpatients per month. her “something.” Often, there were no boonies to practice what they preached patient follow-up, no return visits and — that their presence was going to make ‘IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MALPRACTICE’ inadequate diagnostic studies. a decided difference. One physician treating the Vietnamese “If you’d practiced that sort of medi- This author was a medic. For a short was Dr. Robert J. Wilensky, battalion cine in the United States, it would have

26 • VFW • MAY 2018 The mission was to get Western medical help out to the villages and the hot-as-hell hinterlands of the Republic of Vietnam, while building bonds of trust between the civilian population and the American military.

been malpractice,” Wilensky said. the Americans. 1965. Each team was composed of three Dr. Charles Lewis, a fellow MEDCAP Wilensky vividly remembers the physicians, one medical administrative veteran, echoed those thoughts. scene in Francis Ford Coppola’s film officer and 12 enlisted technicians.” “We never had good [patient] follow- Apocalypse Now, where the VC chop off A typical MILPHAP team was up,” he said. the arms of children who’d been vacci- assigned to a Vietnamese provincial In Vietnam from 1965 until the sum- nated. In researching his book, Wilensky hospital where its work was under the mer of 1966, Lewis served as 2nd Brigade never unearthed such an instance in the supervision of the provincial chief of surgeon for the 1st Infantry Division just real world or ever witnessed it himself. medicine. By early 1966, six teams were outside of Bien Hoa. But it made for compelling cinema. functioning in provincial centers and 15 “We’d go to one village and then anoth- “Unfortunately, some people see such teams were added to the program. er,” Lewis said. “We wouldn’t see the things as actual history,” Wilensky said. The number increased to eight Army, patients weekly. It was a one-time thing The Medical Civic Action Program seven Navy and seven Air Force teams by for the most part. This was frustrating.” had a lot of things going against it. While May 1968. By the close of 1970, even as Just as frustrating was not being it’s a stretch to label it a failure, in many the drawdown of American combat forces able to treat some of the ailments they instances it fell short of accomplishing increased, MILPHAP teams were assigned could identify. the main mission of winning hearts and to 25 of South Vietnam’s 44 provinces. “We couldn’t treat the big diseases, minds. Another effort came closer — the MILPHAP helped create and preserve like malaria,” Lewis said. Military Provincial Health Assistance some continuity in patient care that was Lack of refrigeration in the field meant program, or MILPHAP. lacking in MEDCAP. That’s because, in the use of vaccines was limited. That rele- part, the provincial hospitals and dispen- gated medical personnel to tackling things ARMY DOCS HELP NUNS AND CHILDREN saries were permanent. The touch-and- such as skin lesions and fungal infections. “We did better work with MILPHAP,” go nature of MEDCAPs didn’t permit

Wilensky contends. PHOTOCOURTESY CHARLES OF LEWIS BRUTAL COMMUNISTS STEAL MEDICINE “In a hospital setting As MEDCAPs became ever more com- you could bring some mon, it became obvious that there were American expertise no young men to be seen in the villages, that wasn’t in existence just elderly men and women — as well as there, and you could children. Those absent young men were also teach local physi- either with the Army of the Republic of cians.” Vietnam, the Viet Cong (VC) or “off hid- Closely allied with ing,” Wilensky said. hospital instruction MEDCAP units would roll into a vil was the work Wilensky unannounced, limiting their effectiveness. and his associates ren- “The sick people didn’t know you dered at an orphanage were coming,” Wilensky said. “You in Tay Ninh. couldn’t tell anybody you were coming “We really helped tomorrow. You’d walk into an ambush.” the nuns and did some Lewis said that after a MEDCAP team good work for the would vacate a village, VC would return children there,” he and “take all the pills and medicines” recalled. from the villagers that the Americans According to the administered. AMEDD Office of From my own observations, the VC Medical History, “the were masters of coercion. They looted first MILPHAP teams villagers of medical supplies and bullied went into operation in the civilian population to sever ties with Vietnam in November

An Army medic provides care to a South Vietnamese boy during a MEDCAP mission to a village in 1967. U.S. troops involved in the humanitarian missions believe their effectiveness was undermined by the Viet Cong’s intimidation of villagers.

MAY 2018 • WWW.VFW.ORG • 27 PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT J. WILENSKY RIGHT: Capt. Robert Baker, of HQ Co., 2nd Brigade, 1st Inf. Div., helps distribute rice in 1966 to a South Vietnamese village during a MEDCAP mission. Along with a medic, these visits also included an infantry squad for security. patient follow-ups, lab tests, in-patient care and the like. When these permanent facilities were full, patients were evacuated to Vietnamese and American medical installations that had a greater capacity for extended treatment, according to the Army Medical Department. VILLAGERS’ SUPERSTITIONS HINDER WORK Just because the facilities were “permanent” doesn’t mean they weren’t in the

line of fire. Especially hot was the area PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBERT J. WILENSKY RIGHT: Capt. Robert J. Wilensky occupied by Delta Medical Company, chats with two interpreters from 3rd Medical Battalion, 3rd Marine the 588th Engineer Battalion at its Division. Delta Med occupied a corner of camp near Tay Ninh in 1967. After I Corps’ Dong Ha Combat Base. A larger, the war, Wilensky taught at more secure facility lay five miles to the George Mason University in Fairfax, south at Quang Tri. Va., and the Uniformed Services Writing in the November 1970 edition University of the Health Sciences in of the U.S. Naval Institute Proceedings, Bethesda, Md. Naval physician Frederick M. Burkle Jr., noted that as the Dong Ha and Quang Tri Successful MILPHAP facilities filled up, Marines constructed efforts had to contend not just a children’s hospital. When it opened in with disease, shot and shell September 1968, the hospital was “imme- but with ignorance and super- diately flooded with acutely and chroni- stition as well. cally ill Vietnamese children,” he wrote. “Popular beliefs interfered with nec- the plague that Burkle recalls treating in Skin conditions ranked first among essary diagnostic procedures, mainly Vietnam, only four died. That’s a 5 per- ailments treated among outpatient dis- blood tests,” Burkle said. “Believing cent mortality rate. eases, with upper respiratory diseases a that the blood has control of the spirit, “For the Vietnamese civilian who strong second. Neither was taken lightly. there was a common reluctance to allow knows well the consequences of [his or “Complications generating from inad- blood drawing.” her] child entering with a coma or a sei- equately treated simple diseases pro- zure, to see the child made well was a vided considerable morbidity (disease) MIRACULOUS RECOVERY RATES miracle,” Burkle said. and mortality (death),” Burkle wrote. Burkle, Wilensky and Lewis believe med- Even MEDCAP should be accorded its “Draining ear infections were first treat- ical civic action did some good. Superior place in the sun, as marginally effective ed by us — in some children after six to care came by way of MILPHAP, lesser as it was. 10 years of neglect. Chronic hearing loss, results by MEDCAP. “At the time, I thought we were doing meningitis and bone infections were “Of what good were we?” Burkle won- something good, particularly with kids,” resultant complications of such neglect.” ders. “What did we leave behind?” Lewis said. “They wouldn’t have had this Sixty-one percent of admissions in the It’s a question Vietnam War veterans care if we had not shown up. Yes, I think 100-bed children’s hospital were due to wrestle with to this day. we did some good.” J such medical conditions. Thirty-nine The retired Navy officer and healer EMAIL [email protected] percent stemmed from surgical sources, offers an example of the good work U.S. primarily burns. Hostile wounds, wrote medical personnel performed. He notes Jerome Greer Chandler is a VFW mem- Burkle, amounted to just 10 percent of that the bubonic plague’s normal mortal- ber with the Department of Alabama. A surgical patients. Their wounds were ity rate runs between 60 percent and 90 regular contributor to VFW magazine, from booby traps and nighttime raids by percent, and even higher among infants. Chandler is a former assistant professor at VC and North Vietnam Army regulars. But of the 95 acutely ill patients with Jacksonville State University in Alabama.

28 • VFW • MAY 2018 ATTENTION VETERANS! BY THIS TIME ThisThis CouldCould BeBe YourYour NewNew BathroomBathroom TONIGHT 4:00 PM

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RIGHT: Two Marines, including one with three light anti-armor weapons strapped to his back, from the 2nd Bn., 4th Marines, survey the ruins of the hamlet of Dai Do after several days of heavy fighting in May 1968. The battalion’s heroic stand at Dai Do prevented the enemy from opening an invasion corridor into South Vietnam.

READ VFW’S OFFICIAL VIETNAM WAR BOOK

VFW’s official account of the Vietnam War’s deadliest confron- tations— Brutal Battles of Vietnam — gives readers a “grunt’s-eye view” of the most significant land battles of the eight-year con- flict. The 480-page book covers the war’s famous fights, as well as lesser-known battles that had n the darkness of the early morning of April 30, 1968, a U.S. Navy utility boat enormous impact on the course of the war. motored down the Bo Dieu River just south of Vietnam’s demilitarized zone. In the excerpt reprinted here, a battalion and Hidden in dense vegetation along the shoreline, North Vietnamese Army (NVA) an attached rifle company from the 3rd Marine troops watched silently. Division fight to defend their combat base at I As the boat neared the convergence with the Cua Viet River, a little more than a Dong Ha against some 6,000 enemy troops of mile downstream from Dong Ha in Vietnam’s Quang Tri province, the NVA troops the 320th North Vietnamese Army Division. unleashed a barrage of rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs), small-arms fire and recoil- The Battle of Dai Do produced two Medal less rifle rounds. of Honor recipients, a strategic and tactical iv c- The attack killed one sailor, wounded six more and heralded the beginning of a tory during the enemy’s “Mini Tet” offensive of three-day fight known as the Battle of Dai Do. Part of the “Mini Tet” offensive launched May 1968 and a battle that would live forever in in May 1968, the enemy’s objective was to destroy the 3rd Marine Division’s headquar- Marine Corps history. ters located nearby at Dong Ha. Praised by veterans who served in Vietnam, Dai Do was one of five hamlets (along with An Lac, Dinh To, Dong Huan and Thuong as well as military historians for its research and Do) clustered on a small peninsula where the Bo Dieu River empties into the Cua Viet first-hand accounts, Brutal Battles of Vietnam River, a major U.S. military water transportation link during the Vietnam War. Supplies commemorates the war’s 50th anniversary and flowed up the Cua Viet from the Gulf of Tonkin to Dong Ha, supply hub for the 3rd the troops who fought it. As Vietnam War and Marine Division and U.S. troops at Khe Sanh, Camp Carroll, the Rockpile, Con Thien NFL veteran Rocky Bleier wrote in the book’s and several fire support bases. forward, it is “a monumental work.” Make it The 3rd Marine Division’s Dong Ha Combat Base was about 1.5 miles southwest of part of your library. the peninsula. Two of its units involved in the fight — the 2nd Bn., 4th Marines (dubbed the “Magnificent Bastards” for their fighting prowess in WWII), and the attached Bravo

30 • VFW • MAY 2018 T BASTARDSÕ

Co., 1st Bn., 3rd Marines — were both based at Mai Xa Chanh, copter gunships, fixed-wing aircraft about three miles north of the Dai Do village complex. and artillery. The peninsula itself was nominally under control of the During the bombardments, Hotel South Vietnamese 2nd Army of the Republic of Vietnam Company commander Capt. James Regiment (ARVN). Williams moved his Marines about The enemy consisted of three full regiments (6,000 men) of 400 yards north and crossed over the 320th NVA Division, heavily outnumbering the Americans. the stream. MEDAL OF In the weeks leading up to the attack, NVA troops had infil- Around 2 p.m., as soon as the air HONOR trated the area and constructed formidable and well-camou- strikes ended, Hotel Company—under CONGRESSIONAL MEDAL OF HONOR SOCIETY flaged defenses, such as trenches, fighting holes and A-frame the cover of white phosphorous and bunkers. This was all done under the supposedly watchful eyes smoke shells fired by 12th Marine of the 2nd ARVN troops. artillery batteries — attacked Dong “They [ARVN troops] were asleep at the switch,” recalled Lt. Huan from the west. By 3 p.m., Hotel Col. William Weise, commander of 2nd Battalion. Company had secured Dong Huan. Another Marine believes a local Viet Cong support battalion Meanwhile, Fox Company, under built the defenses with tacit ARVN approval. command of Capt. James Butler, “The ARVN unit responsible for the ground made no effort to attacked Dai Do from the north. The interfere with the VC efforts or to even report them,” wrote 2nd four Amtracs on which the Marines Lt. Vic Taylor, of Hotel Co., 2nd Bn., 4th Marines. “Not surprising- were riding were inviting targets ly, the VC commander’s brother-in-law was an officer in the ARVN for NVA RPGs, and two were soon CAPT. JAY VARGAS unit.” knocked out of action. When the Consequently, once the fighting began, the NVA had effective Marines were within 100 yards of fields-of-fire and made use of the rice paddies, open areas and the village, NVA infantry opened up hedgerows surrounding the villages. with AK-47 fire. U.S. artillery strikes “Dai Do was toe-to-toe, hand-to-hand, house-to-house fight- allowed Fox Company to gain a tenu- ing that took place over an area of some 300 yards for three days,” ous position on the northeast section said Bob Crider, who served as a Navy corpsman with Echo Co., of Dai Do. 2nd Bn., 4th Marines, and was VFW’s director of Membership At the southern end of the penin- from 2012 to 2016. “Prior to that, contact with the enemy had sula, Weise, now coordinating action been potshots, ambushes and hit-and-run jungle fighting. At from a Monitor gunboat on the Bo Dai Do, they stood and fought for the first time. It also was the Dieu, ordered the 3rd Marines’ Bravo CAPT. JAMES E. first time I saw an NVA medical officer on the battlefield. I know Company to attack the original objec- LIVINGSTON because we killed him.” tive, An Lac, from the river. Landing on the shoreline in Amtracs around SEVEN KILLED IN FIVE MINUTES 4:15 p.m., the Marines faced a withering and unexpected fusil- After the 3:30 a.m. attack on the Navy lade from NVA troops entrenched in An utility boat, Weise, from his com- Lac. Within the first five minutes, seven MaiMai XXaa CChanhhanh mand post at Mai Xa Chanh, ordered Marines were killed and 14 wound- Hotel Company to clear the village ed. F-4 Phantom air strikes helped the of An Lac at the southern end of the Marines eventually secure the beach- peninsula where the attack occurred. head. Supporting H Company were two That night, Fox Company joined BacBac platoons on Amtracs (amphibian trac- ThuongThuong DoDo DongDong VongVong Hotel Company in Dong Huan, while HuanHuan tors) from Fox Company, two M-48 1 Bravo Company held fast at An Lac as DinhDinh TToo tanks and the 2/4’s recon platoon. CuaC Viet River artillery and mortar fire kept the enemy DaiDai DDoo u a ver As Hotel Company attempted to u Ri V at bay. All told, 12 Marines were killed ie i o D e BoB Dieu River t cross a stream at the village of Bac R and 107 wounded during the day. i v e Vong to gain a foothold on the penin- r As the sun rose May 1, Bravo sula, it was hit with intense fire from Company Marines observed 40 to 50 the villages of Dong Huan and Dai 9 DongDong HHaa enemy sappers (explosives experts) Do. Weise then called in air strikes crawling up a deep crevice toward their on the villages from Navy ships, heli- Dai Do was a hamlet near the Marine supply hub of Dong Ha. position. Firing into them, the Marines

MAY 2018 • WWW.VFW.ORG • 31 left tangled masses of bodies and “a scene even [director GIMLETS HOLD THE LINE AT NHI HA Steven] Spielberg couldn’t re-create for the movies,” according to one. Around 9:45 a.m., Golf Company arrived at An Lac by riv- With the outnumbered Marines fully engaged erboat. The unit took over for the exhausted Bravo Company, at Dai Do, U.S. commanders knew that fresh which acted as a reserve force, while Golf Company attempt- NVA troops from north of the DMZ could easily ed to take Dai Do. Marine artillery and aircraft, as well as naval tip het battle’s momentum toward the enemy. gunfire, pounded the entrenched enemy as Golf Company pre- To prevent reinforcement, they called upon pared its assault. Intense, close combat ensued as the Marines the Army’s 3rd Bn., 21st Inf. (known as the neared the village. By 2 p.m., after bypassing some of the “Gimlets”), 196th Light Inf. Bde. enemy bunkers, they had reached the northern part of Dai Do. The Gimlets, under control of the 3rd NAV Y “I started out with 123 men, and by the time I got through Marines, were ordered to clear the village of the village I was down to 41,” recalled Capt. Jay Vargas, Golf Nhi Ha, some five miles north of Dai Do and only CROSS Company commander. “Every trooper had a captured AK-47.” three miles below the DMZ, of enemy soldiers. The NVA, though, would not give up. Long-range artillery A, B and C companies launched their attack at from north of the DMZ, mortars and enemy troops in some around 8 a.m. on May 2 following a Marine artil- of the bypassed bunkers forced Golf Company back to the lery and mortar bombardment on Nhi Ha. By eastern edge of the village. Fox Company attempted to help 1 p.m., C Company had reached the village and by attacking Dai Do from Dong Huan, but was stopped short. was immediately ambushed by elements of 4th Around 5 p.m., Weise ordered B Company to fight its way to Bn., 270th Independent NVA Regiment. That day Golf Company, but its advance also stalled. cost 12 KIA; 14 WIA. Help arrived in the form of Echo Company, led by Capt. James Gimlets commander Lt. Col. William P. E. Livingston. After crossing a stream that marked the west Snyder ordered his reserve D Company and side of the peninsula, Echo Company made it to An Lac around A Company to cover C Company as its men LT. COL. 5:30 p.m. Livingston and the commander of his recon platoon, pulled back about 600 yards east of Nhi Ha, WILLIAM WEISE 1st Lt. Clyde W. Mutter, helped Bravo Company Marines col- where the three companies spent the night lect their wounded and withdraw to An Lac. Fox Company as U.S. artillery pounded the NVA. B Company also pulled back to Dong Huan. secured Lam Xuan, directly south of Nhi Ha U.S. casualties for May 1 were 20 dead and 44 wounded, but across Jones’ Creek. the Marines captured two NVA soldiers and killed 91. Despite repeated assaults from A, C and D companies over the next two days, the A ‘PERSONAL TURKEY SHOOT’ Americans were unable to dislodge the enemy. During interrogation, one of the enemy prisoners confessed that Not until May 5, when Air Force jets hit Nhi at least 12 NVA companies were in Dai Do, prompting Weise to Ha with 2,000-pound bombs, were all enemy plan a predawn attack on May 2. Echo Company would fight its troops eliminated, either having fled or been way to Golf Company and then both units would clear the vil- killed. Some were “propped up in their caved-in SGT. RICHARD F. lage. Hotel Company would be in reserve, while Fox Company trenches with their heads missing,” according

VIETNAM VETERANS MEMORIAL FUND/WALL OF FACES MEMORIAL FUND/WALL VIETNAM VETERANS ABSHIRE held Dong Huan and Bravo Company secured An Lac. to Vietnam magazine. (POSTHUMOUS) Echo Company kicked off the assault at 5 a.m., with sup- The Gimlets took over Nhi Ha, but the enemy porting fire from Golf Company. Marines hit the more than counterattacked May 6, with the Americans 100 enemy bunkers with flamethrowers, white phospho- routing the NVA. In the afternoon, A Company rous, grenades, satchel charges and light anti-armor weap- reconnoitered the village of Xom Phuong about ons (LAAWs). After intense, hand-to-hand fighting, the two a 1.2 miles northwest. Lured into an ambush, Marine companies secured the village by 9:30 a.m. A Company lost 12 dead, 19 wounded and one At about 1 p.m., Hotel Company moved through Dai Do to captured (he was released on March 5, 1973). attack Dinh To and Thuong Do, located immediately north- The Army’s duty in Nhi Ha ended May 15, west along the peninsula’s western stream. The NVA furiously 1968, when the Marines replaced it. Overall, counterattacked and soon surrounded Hotel Company. the 21st Infantry lost 28 killed and 130 wound- Without waiting for orders, Capt. Livingston rounded up Echo ed—86 percent in the two ambushes. But it had Company, which was down to 30 men, and rushed to help as accomplished its objective of preventing NVA RPGs and 12.7mm machine-gun fire ripped into his Marines. reinforcements from reaching Dai Do. By this time, Hotel Company’s commander had been wound- “DAI DO WAS TOE-TO-TOE, HAND-TO-HAND, HOUSE-TO-HOUSE FIGHTING THAT TOOK PLACE OVER AN AREA OF SOME 300 YARDS FOR THREE DAYS.” – HM3 BOB CRIDER, ECHO CO., 2ND BN., 4TH MARINES

32 • VFW • MAY 2018 Honor Your Service!

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34 • VFW • MAY 2018

After more than two decades, the plans for a Native HONORING THE ‘WARRIOR TRADITION’ American veterans memorial in Washington, D.C., will soon be OF NATIVE AMERICANS a reality. The memorial’s design will be announced July 4 by the lmost a quarter century after the construction of UPCOMING Smithsonian’s National Museum a memorial was approved by Congress, Native EVENTS of the American Indian. American veterans will be recognized for their sac- May 19 Arifice with their own memorial in Washington, D.C. The top five design The National Native American Veterans Memorial, sched- concepts for the uled to be unveiled by the Smithsonian’s National Museum National Native BY DAVE SPIVA of the American Indian (NMAI) on Veterans Day 2020, will American Veterans commemorate the past and present military service of Native Memorial will be American men and women. displayed at the The memorial’s advisory committee co-chair, Ben Smithsonian’s Nighthorse Campbell, a former U.S. senator and member of National Museum of the Northern Cheyenne Tribe, said the effort to the American Indian (NMAI). recognize Native Americans’ military service is July 4 “tremendously” important. NMAI will announce “We have so much to celebrate,” said the selected design Campbell, a Korean War veteran and life mem- concept for the ber of VFW Post 3631 in Aurora, Colo. “Like memorial. so many others, I was compelled to serve to Nov. 11, 2020 honor the warrior tradition that is inherent to The memorial will most Native American societies — the pillars of be dedicated on the strength, honor, pride, devotion and wisdom.” National Mall. Native Americans served in the U.S. armed forces since the Revolutionary War. In the 20th BY THE NUMBERS Native Americans and 21st centuries, Native Americans served and Who Served in Wars continue to serve in the military at a higher rate WWI: 12,000 than any other ethnic group, according to NMAI. WWII: 44,000 “Tens of thousands of Native Americans Korean War: 10,000 joined the U.S. armed forces during World Wars Vietnam War: 42,000 I and II,” said Herman J. Viola, curator emeri- Active Duty:31,000 tus of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of Living veterans: Natural History. “Forty-four thousand Native 144,000 Americans served in WWII — the entire population of Native Americans was less than 350,000 More than All Other at the time.” Groups 18.6 percent of Like the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, no federal Native Americans funds are being used to build the Native American served in the post- Veterans Memorial. All money has been raised 9/11 period, a higher through donations. percentage than vet- In January, NMAI announced five finalists erans of other eth-

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE HORACE POOLAW ESTATE POOLAW OF THE HORACE COURTESY PHOTO for the design of the Native American Veterans nicities. Memorial. It will be located on the NMAI (All figures estimated, (From left to right) Army Air Forces and grounds in Washington, D.C. A jury of artists, designers and according to VA data) Kiowa Tribe members Gus Palmer, a waist scholars will select the design for the memorial. NMAI will gunner with the 413th Bomber Squadron, announce the selected design on July 4 on https://nmai.si.edu/ FOLLOW NMAI 96th Bomber Group, and Horace Poolaw, nnavm and its social media platforms. Facebook https://www. an aerial photographer, pose in traditional The NMAI Washington, D.C., and New York City locations facebook.com/ headdress in front of a B-17 Flying Fortress currently are displaying a companion exhibit for the memorial. in 1944 at MacDill Field in Tampa, Fla. NationalMuseumof The exhibit, called “Patriot Nations: Native Americans in Our The two men are among a group of Native theAmericanIndian Americans who will be honored by the Nation’s Armed Forces,” documents Native Americans’ contri- Twitter National Native American Veterans butions in the military. @SmithsonianNMAI Memorial, which is expected to be unveiled For more information about the National Native American Instagram on Veterans Day 2020. Veterans Memorial, visit https://nmai.si.edu/nnavm. J @smithsoniannmai EMAIL [email protected]

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FW life member and World years ago in California when Williams War II veteran Hershel was in the area for a veterans function. “Woody” Williams has made “We were working with anybody who Vit his mission to establish would be willing to take the ball and run Gold Star family memorials nationwide. with it,” Williams said. “He has done so According to him, to forget parents and many things in his community honoring A VFW life member from West loved ones of those who made the ulti- veterans.” Virginia hopes to dedicate a mate sacrifice “would be a terrible sin.” Emerson, who served in the Marine memorial to Gold Star families Williams, who earned a Medal of Corps in South Korea from 1983-84, has in every state. Honor while serving in the Marine Corps made a hobby out of designing and build- on Iwo Jima with the 21st Marines, 3rd ing memorials. The Hayward, Calif., Marine Div., said his dedication to the Gold Star Family Memorial is the 13th cause began with a visit to a senior citi- Emerson has worked on. The memorial, BY KARI WILLIAMS zen’s center in West Virginia, where he according to Emerson, is a way to show recognized Gold Star mothers for their Gold Star families they are understood. sacrifice. “Family members are the ones [who] “After it was over, a gentleman walked continue to be in pain every single day, up to me with tears running down his and we wanted to have something that cheek and said, ‘Dads cry, too, but we would allow them to know we feel their never mention dads,’” Williams said. pain,” Emerson said. “We know that On a separate occasion, Williams they’re going through this and that we

PHOTO COURTESY OF MICHAEL EMERSON noted that a West Virginia monument honor them as a group, as a family.” recognized those who died Building such a memorial also is a way in battle but not their fam- to create a link among Gold Star families, ilies. veterans and their communities. So, in 2010, he creat- “We built this to connect to them and ed the Hershel Woody them to connect to us. And each other,” Williams Medal of Honor Emerson said. Foundation to encourage Emerson said his Gold Star Families the establishment of Gold Memorial Monument-California Star family monuments. Committee, which consists of him- There are a “tremen- self, VFW life member Paul V. Gravelle dous” number of memorials (an at-large member in California) and and monuments dedicat- Mary L. Greenlee, who is the mother of ed to veterans, according a Marine and daughter of an Army veter- to Williams. He said that is an, was given $5,000 as seed money from how it should be. Williams’ foundation. “The families who sacri- The committee raised the necessary fice a loved one to keep us $45,000 in about six months by reach- free make more of a sacrifice ing out to individuals and businesses that than we who survive,” said have donated to other monuments in VFW members Hershel “Woody” Williams (left) Williams, a member of VFW Post 7048 in the past. Emerson’s Post donated $2,000 and Michael Emerson celebrate the dedication of Fairmont, W.Va. “So, it is important that toward the memorial, and its honor guard the first Gold Star Family Memorial Monument we not forget. I’m here because others was present at the Dec. 2 dedication. on the West Coast on Dec. 2 in Hayward, Calif. VFW Post 9601, to which Emerson belongs in sacrificed their lives a long time ago.” As of February, Williams said the Castrow Valley, Calif., donated $2,000 to help As of February, Gold Star Memorials 32nd Gold Star Family memorial was create the monument. had been dedicated in 39 states. The first dedicated in Beebe, Ark., about 35 miles monument on the West Coast — and 29th northeast of Little Rock. His hope is overall — was dedicated in December to have at least one memorial in every with the help of fellow VFW life member state so the families have the opportuni- Michael L. Emerson, a member of VFW ty to visit a memorial that honors their Post 9601 in Castrow Valley, Calif. relative’s sacrifice. J Williams and Emerson connected two EMAIL [email protected]

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CSLB 983603 Call Toll-Free 1-800-226-7435 F13000002885 www.BuySafeStep.com 13HV08744300 Veterans in Tacoma, Wash., create glass Buddy Poppies for a Denver VFW Post. Five veterans and Sales of the flowers, which three glass-blowing commemorate the World instructors from the War I Centennial, will raise Museum of Glass funds for veteran initiatives in Tacoma, Wash., and the Post itself. volunteer their time to create glass Buddy Poppies for VFW Post 1 in Denver. The artists fashioned 100 poppies BY KARI WILLIAMS to commemorate the World War I Centennial. PHOTOS BY JAY RINEHART

GLASS BLOWING PROJECT HONORS DOUGHBOYS

ore than 1,000 miles separate he proposed creating 100 glass Buddy say, ‘You’re never forgotten.’” Denver’s VFW Post 1 and the Poppies in honor of World War I’s cen- Mitchel, a Tacoma, Wash., native, MMuseum of Glass in Tacoma, tennial. Mitchel’s vision also includes reached out to the Museum of Glass to Wash. But a relationship between the the creation of one glass Columbine discuss the idea and partnered with organizations blossomed due to past — Colorado’s state flower — for every graduates of the museum’s Hot Shop Post 1 commander Michael Mitchel’s ties Colorado resident killed in action during Heroes program. to Washington state. World War I. Each Columbine — there Mitchel came up with a fundraising will be 1,290 — includes a dog tag with GLASS BLOWING AND TEAM BUILDING concept in 2017 after hearing about a dis- the name of a veteran killed in action. Hot Shop Heroes began in 2013 as an play at the Tower of London that featured “[The flowers] are a fitting way of education outreach project between the more than 800,000 ceramic poppies — remembering those [we’ve lost],” said museum and the U.S. military’s Joint- one for each Commonwealth soldier Mitchel, a Navy veteran who served in Base Lewis-McChord — about 9 miles killed in action during World War I. Operation Earnest Will in 1987. “There’s south-southwest of Tacoma. The goal Understanding the Post couldn’t cre- nobody from World War I around any- was to teach veterans glass-making tech- ate a project “on that scale,” Mitchel said more. This is the testament to when we niques and team building, according to

40 • VFW • MAY 2018 Veteran Jim Anderson displays a glass Buddy Poppy created at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Wash. Anderson is one of five veterans who worked on the poppies, which are being sold as a fundraiser for VFW Post 1 in Denver.

Jana Marcelia, marketing and communi- fascinated by the cations director for the Museum of Glass. “unique” medium. “It’s not a one-person gig,” Marcelia “It’s almost said. “[In glass blowing], you have to meditative really understand each person’s role and because you’re how they work together.” just focused Initially, the program’s objectives were on what you’re to offer improved dexterity, fine-motor doing,” Daley said. coordination, core strength and oppor- “It’s not some- tunities to be creative and build self- thing you can esteem. It has since evolved to include a come in [and do] beginner and intermediate course. with all the problems in the world and “It’s a very cool thing, and I think Marcelia said that by working in an deal with both.” that’s why when people see them, they environment “that is somewhat risky,” vet- Now an instructor for beginner Hot feel compelled to want to support the erans gain confidence and coping skills. Shop Heroes classes, Daley said the pop- initiative itself,” Marcelia said. “It allowed them to, in some cases, pies are part of a “unique project” that Creating the poppies is a three-per- eliminate the distraction of the situ- allows him to help remember fellow vet- son job, according to Daley. One person ations that were causing them pain,” erans. puts flowers together on the copper pipe, Marcelia said. “Something that commemorates such while another person gathers materials She said the museum was “happy to a huge deal as World War I and the armi- for the center of the poppy. The third oblige” for the poppy project, lining up stice, that’s a pretty big deal,” said Daley, person prepares the colors for the petals. past program participants, who created who served in Iraq (2005-06) with Each poppy took roughly 15 minutes to the poppies outside of the ongoing classes. Alpha Co., 1st Brigade Support Troop create. Bn., and Afghanistan (2009) with 62nd Both glass flowers can be purchased WORK IS ÔALMOST MEDITATIVEÕ Engineers, 5th Bde., 2nd Inf. Div., as a now, but those who buy a Buddy Poppy Five artists — Jim Anderson, Michael combat engineer. will not receive it until after Nov. 11. The Daley, Kevin McDonald, Lyle Tillett and It’s a way for Daley to pay homage to poppies currently are on display at the Chad Widmer — and three instructors those who “paved the way.” Museum of Glass. From Oct. 22 to Nov. — Connor McClellan, Greg Owen and Marcelia said Mitchel contacted the 11, they will be displayed at the Denver Megan Stelljes — worked on the pop- museum in 2017, and all 100 poppies Botanical Gardens. Columbines will go pies. Daley has worked in the art of glass were made by the end of the year. Some directly to buyers. blowing for three years and said he was currently are on display at the museum. Mitchel said Post 1’s leadership will use all proceeds for the Post’s programs and services, such as its Veterans Arts Council, peer-to-peer program, Denver-area veterans in need and the Post’s building itself. Post 1 will have a booth at the 119th VFW National Convention in Kansas City, Mo., to sell the flowers. For more information, or to purchase a Buddy Poppy or Columbine, visit https:// vfwpost1.org. J EMAIL [email protected]

Veterans Jim Anderson and Chad Widmer create a glass Buddy Puppy at the Museum of Glass in Tacoma, Wash. Past Post 1 commander Michael Mitchel (middle, background), a Tacoma native, came up with the idea to sell the poppies as a fundraiser after hearing about a display at the Tower of London that featured more than 800,000 ceramic poppies — one for each Commonwealth veteran killed in action during World War I.

MAY 2018 • WWW.VFW.ORG • 41 A FINAL SALUTE VFW magazine presents this memorial listing in tribute to the 53 uniformed Americans killed overseas in 2017. It includes troops who died in combat and non-hostile incidents, as well as sailors killed during collisions at sea.

AFGHANISTAN Pfc. Brian. P. Odiorne, 2nd Bn., 82nd FA Regt., 3rd BCT, Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T Truong Huynh, USS 1st Cav Div., Ware, Mass. Fitzgerald, Oakville, Conn. Deaths to Enemy Action Chief Warrant Officer 2 Lee M. Smith, 101st Combat Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Corey G. ARMY Avn. Brigade, 101st Abn. Div., Arlington, Texas Ingram, USS John S. McCain, Poughkeepsie, N.Y. Cpl. Dillon C. Baldridge, D Co., 1st Bn., 187th Inf., 3rd Interior Communications Electrician 1st Class BCT, 101st Abn. Div., Youngsville, N.C. JORDAN Abraham Lopez, USS John S. McCain, El Paso, Texas Sgt. William M. Bays, D Co., 1st Bn., 187th Inf., 3rd Deaths to Accident & Disease, etc. Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier A. Martin, USS BCT, 101st Abn. Div., Barstow, Calif. ARMY Fitzgerald, Halethorpe, Md. Staff Sgt. Aaron R. Butler, 19th Special Forces Group, Spc. Isiah L. Booker, 2nd Bn., 5th Special Forces Grp., Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Logan S. Monticello, Utah Cibolo, Texas Palmer, USS John S. McCain, Decatur, Ill. Sgt. 1st Class Stephen B. Cribben, 2nd Bn., 10th Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary L. Rehm Jr., USS Special Forces Grp., Simi Valley, Calif. KUWAIT Fitzgerald, Elyria, Ohio Staff Sgt. Mark R. De Alencar, 1st Bn., 7th Special Deaths to Accident & Disease, etc. Gunner’s Mate Seaman Dakota K. Rigsby, USS Forces Grp., Edgewood, Md. AIR FORCE Fitzgerald, Palmyra, Va. Spc. Christopher M. Harris, 2nd Bn., 504th Inf., 1st Tech. Sgt. David Board, 130th Airlift Wing, Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlos V. Ganzon Sibayan, BCT, 82nd Abn. Div., Jackson Springs, N.C. Barboursville, W.Va. USS Fitzgerald, Chula Vista, Calif. Sgt. Eric M. Houck, HQ Btry., 3rd Bn., 320th FA, 101st ARMY Electronics Technician 3rd Class, Kenneth A. Smith, Abn. Div., Baltimore, Md. Sgt. 1st Class Hughton O. Brown, 306th Eng. Co., USS John S. McCain, Cherry Hill, N.J. Sgt. Jonathon M. Hunter, 2nd Bn., 504th Inf., 1st BCT, 411th Eng. Brigade, Brooklyn, N.Y. 82nd Abn. Div., Columbus, Ind. Spc. John P. Rodriguez, 2nd Eng. Bn., 3rd BCT, 1st SOMALIA Sgt. Joshua P. Rodgers, 3rd Bn., 75th Rangers, Armd. Div., Hemet, Calif. Deaths to Enemy Action Bloomington, Ill. NAVY Sgt. Cameron H. Thomas, 3rd Bn., 75th Rangers, NIGER Senior Chief Special Warfare Operator Kyle Milliken, Kettering, Ohio Deaths to Enemy Action East Coast-based special warfare unit, Falmouth, ARMY Maine Deaths to Accident & Disease, etc. Staff Sgt. Bryan C. Black, 2nd Bn., 3rd Special Forces ARMY SOUTHWEST ASIA Grp., Puyallup, Wash. Deaths to Accident & Disease, etc. Sgt. 1st Class Robert R. Boniface, 1st Bn., 7th Special Staff Sgt. Jeremiah W. Johnson, 2nd Bn., 3rd Special AIR FORCE Forces Grp., San Luis Obispo, Calif. Forces Grp., Springboro, Ohio Staff Sgt. Alexandria M. Morrow, 366th Aircraft Staff Sgt. David T. Brabander, 3rd Bn., 509th Inf., 4th Sgt. La David T. Johnson, 2nd Bn., 3rd Special Forces Maintenance Squadron, Dansville, N.Y. BCT, 25th Inf. Div., Anchorage, Alaska Grp., Miami Gardens, Fla. Pfc. Hansen B. Kirkpatrick, 1st Bn., 36th Inf., 1st BCT, Staff Sgt. Dustin M. Wright, 2nd Bn., 3rd Special Forces SYRIA 1st Armd. Div., Wasilla, Alaska Grp., Lyons, Ga. Deaths to Accident & Disease, etc. Chief Warrant Officer 2 Jacob M. Sims, 4th Bn., 160th AIR FORCE SOAR, Juneau, Alaska 7TH FLEET Staff Sgt. Austin Bieren, 21st Space Wing, Umatilla, IRAQ Deaths to Accident & Disease, etc. Ore. 1st Bn., 75th Rangers, Deaths to Enemy Action NAVY Spc. Etienne J. Murphy, ARMY Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo A. Douglass, USS Fitzgerald, Loganville, Ga. Sgt. Roshain E. Brooks, 2nd Bn., 319th FA, 2nd BCT, San Diego, Calif. YEMEN , USS 82nd Abn. Div., Brooklyn, N.Y. Electronics Technician 2nd Class Kevin S. Bushell Deaths to Enemy Action 1st Lt. Weston C. Lee, 1st Bn., 325th Inf., 2nd BCT, John S. McCain, Gaithersburg, Md. NAVY Electronics Technician 3rd Class Dustin L. Doyon, USS 82nd Abn. Div., Bluffton, Ga. Chief Special Warfare Operator William Owens, Spc. Alexander W. Missildine, 710th Brigade Support John S. McCain, Suffield, Conn. East Coast-based special warfare unit, Peoria, Ill. Bn., 3rd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div., Tyler, Texas Electronics Technician 2nd Class Jacob D. Drake, USS John S. McCain Spc. Allen L. Stigler Jr., 2nd Bn., 319th FA, 2nd BCT, , Cable, Ohio Deaths to Accident & Disease, etc. 82nd Abn. Div., Arlington, Texas Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Timothy T. ARMY , USS John S. McCain, Manchester, Md. Eckels Jr. Staff Sgt. Emil Rivera-Lopez, 160th Special Operation Electronics Technician 1st Class Charles N. Findley, Deaths to Accident & Disease, etc. Avn. Regt., Tucson, Ariz. (off the coast of Yemen) ARMY USS John S. McCain, Kansas City, Mo. , Spc. Avadon A. Chaves, 1st Bn., 6th Inf., 2nd BCT, Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez USS BCT = Brigade Combat Team , Weslaco, Texas Turlock, Calif. Fitzgerald SOAR = Special Operation Aviation Regiment Cpl. Todd L. McGurn, 1st Bn., 6th Inf., 2nd BCT, 1st Electronics Technician 3rd Class John H. Hoagland III, Armd. Div., Riverside, Calif. USS John S. McCain, Killeen, Texas EMAIL [email protected]

42 • VFW • MAY 2018 “My friends all hate their ContractsNo Bigger cell phones… I love mine!” Buttons FREE Car Here’s why. Charger

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However, for calls to a Personal Operator in which a service is completed, you will be charged 99 cents per call, and minutes will be deducted from your monthly rate plan balance equal to the length of the call and any call connected by the Personal Operator. Jitterbug, GreatCall and 5Star are registered trademarks of GreatCall, Inc. Copyright ©2018 GreatCall, Inc. ©2018 firstSTREET for Boomers and Beyond, Inc. VET’S LAW SCHOOL EXPERIENCE ‘TRANSFORMED’ BY VFW One Help a Hero scholarship recipient credits VFW for helping ong before Ed Tjaden joined the Undeterred, he contacted his former him earn a law degree. As Army in 2007, he wanted to be a college, Eastern Illinois University (EIU) he prepares to graduate lawyer. However, school wasn’t in Charleston, Ill., to enroll and start his next month, the Iraq War Lmotivating him at the time. life anew. vet wants to give back Thus began seven years in the military. “They are so fantastic,” Tjaden said. to VFW. Today, the father of three is prepar- “They enrolled me over the phone. I ing to graduate with a law degree from couldn’t have asked for a better institu- Washington University in St. Louis, Mo., tion to go back to.” a feat, he said, that wouldn’t have hap- While in college, he spent a lot of time BY JANIE DYHOUSE pened without VFW. in therapy. He worked his way from In 2008, Tjaden deployed to Iraq with the wheelchair to using a cane to walk. the 2nd Bde., 1st Armd. Div., for 15 months. These days, he rarely uses the cane. As a close air support After graduating from EIU, Tjaden coordinator, Tjaden applied for law school at Washington spent time at Forward University in 2015. With three boys to Operating Base raise, Tjaden and his wife, Ginny, knew Hammer, Camp Liberty it would be a struggle. They lived in an and Camp Stryker. area where they didn’t feel comfortable “It was really such a raising their boys. But it was affordable. PHOTO COURTESY OF ED TJADEN COURTESY PHOTO great experience,” he Then Tjaden heard about VFW’s said. “I loved it.” Sport Clips Help a Hero Scholarship. He While deployed, applied and was granted assistance. Tjaden said he had “That scholarship changed the tra- trouble with his jectory of my law school experience,” he ankles, constantly roll- said. “We were able to move to St. Peters ing them. He would (Mo.). The schools are better and my wrap his ankles and sons are thriving.” move on. It wasn’t Tjaden has been a Help a Hero recipi- until he returned ent for four semesters. At school, he is in stateside that he the top 10 percent of his class. learned he should have “If it weren’t for you guys, we wouldn’t had doctors examine be where we are,” he said. “I just can’t say and properly care for enough good things. VFW transformed his ankles long before. my law school experience.” He had surgeries on After graduation in May, Tjaden said he VFW’s Sport Clips Help a Hero scholarship recipient Ed Tjaden with both ankles at Walter hopes to get more involved with VFW. A his wife, Ginny, and their sons, Domonic, Maxwell and Benjamin. Reed National Military member of Post 1592 in St. Peters, he wants Tjaden, a member of VFW Post 1592, said that VFW’s assistance Medical Center in to show the members of the organization allowed him to move his family to an area with better schools. Bethesda, Md. During that they made a good investment in him. the process, nerves Incidentally, Tjaden was one of nine in his legs were damaged, and he could VFW-Student Veterans of America fel- no longer walk. When he was medically lows selected to attend VFW’s annual retired in 2014, he was told a wheelchair legislative conference in March. J would be his new way of life. EMAIL [email protected]

VFW’s Sport Clips Help a Hero scholarship is now in its VFW life member Gordon Logan, we were able to cre- More than fifth year. More than $4.1 million has been awarded to ate the Help a Hero scholarship program in 2014 to help a $4.1 Million 943 military and student veterans. The scholarship pro- new generation of patriots attain their educational goals,” Awarded vides service members and veterans up to $5,000 in post- VFW Commander-in-Chief Keith Harman said. Scholarship secondary scholarships. applications are being accepted for the 2018 fall semes- “Through the generosity of Sport Clips and its founder, ter. Apply at www.vfw.org/scholarship.

44 • VFW • MAY 2018 FOR ALL AVAILABLE5 MILITARY SERVICE BRANCHES!

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Mrs. Mr. Ms. 9345 Milwaukee Avenue · Niles, IL 60714-1393 Name (Please Print Clearly) YES. Please reserve the ÒVeteranÕs PrideÓ MenÕs Hoodie for me, Address in the service branch selected below, and in the size indicated. City State Zip TÃAir Force Size ______TÃMarine Corps Size ______T T Email (optional) Army Size ______Navy Size ______E92801 TÃCoast Guard Size ______*Plus a total of $12.99 shipping and service (see bradfordexchange.com). Please allow 6-8 weeks after initial payment for shipment. Available in 5 menÕs sizes: M(38-40), L (42-44), XL (46-48), XXL (50-52) and XXXL (54-56). Sales subject to product availability and order acceptance. BETTER HEALTH NEWS TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE Hope Exists for Arthritis Sufferers skeptical about the level of pain arthritis patients report and will prod them to push past it. “It’s not a disease that people who Physical activity don’t have it can understand,” Hilst said. While more and more patients are and living healthy focused on living healthier lives by can alleviate the being active and eating well, many also are seeking more innovative remedies effects of this outside Western medicine. common condition. “Our biggest message is to be in full and open communication with your team of doctors,” Hilst said. “Don’t trust BY MICHELLE STRAUSBAUGH everything you find on the internet. There’s no tried and true, guaranteed way to make everything all better — we’re working on that.” Arthritis sufferers might find hope in ore than 50 million adults the foundation’s commitment to fund the UNDERSTANDING ARTHRITIS and 300,000 children in development and rollout of several scien- Many resources are collected on one the United States suffer tific initiatives, including “Collaborating page of the Arthritis Foundation’s web- from an unseen ailment. With Patients for Better Health.” It will site. To get more information — such M Arthritis, which is an informal way enable a digital data exchange that allows as how to find a local office or physi- of referring to more than 100 types of patients to record symptoms and prob- cian, sign up for e-newsletters, link to diseases from osteoporosis and tendi- lems in real time and send these reports an online support community and learn nitis to the exotic-sounding ankylosing directly to their doctors, creating a more about medications — visit https://www. spondylitis, is misunderstood by those collaborative care plan. arthritis.org/about-arthritis/understand who don’t have it. In fact, some types of Much of what the foundation promotes ing-arthritis. arthritis can affect the heart, eyes, lungs, is in sync with procedures proven to kidneys and skin. improve quality of life and evidence-based 1-844-571-HELP (4357) Swelling, stiffness, decreased range recommendations by the Centers for The Arthritis Foundation’s national help of motion and chronic pain from mild to Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). line connects callers with trained social severe are the most common symptoms. According to the CDC, physical workers who can answer questions, help Countless veterans, their friends and fam- activity in general can reduce pain and them find a doctor, talk about medica- ily are among the millions who suffer from improve function, mood and quality of tions and other medically specific ques- pain and limitations imposed by arthritis. life. It also can help manage other chron- tions. They literally ache for relief and hope ic conditions common among adults for a cure. The Arthritis Foundation, with arthritis, such as diabetes, heart CENTERS FOR DISEASE CONTROL at the national and local levels, focuses disease and obesity. On the CDC website, For CDC-recommended programs and on both. To assist individuals who are the center elaborates on four programs: promising programs for both physical suffering, it offers practical education, Active Living Everyday, EnhanceFitness, activity and self-management education, advice and support. Fit & Strong! and Walk With Ease. visit https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/inter- The organization’s website connects Overall, according to the Arthritis ventions/index.htm. people with local, peer-led support Foundation, the condition, while pain- groups and social workers, gives diet ful, is also manageable. The Foundation CHOOSING A TREATMENT PLAN and exercise advice, and even illustrates encourages those afflicted to seek infor- For more informaiton about how to a toolkit for “breaking the pain chain” mation on its website to identify “simple, select an arthritis treatment option, visit and its vicious cycle of pain, stress, yet effective ways to conquer the every- fatigue, sleep problems and more pain. https://www.cdc.gov/arthritis/marketing- day battles” faced by arthritis sufferers in “It’s not a disease you can see,” said order to control the condition. J support/compendium/docs/pdf/ Brooke Hilst, community engagement EMAIL [email protected] Compendium-2012.pdf director for the Kansas market of the Arthritis Foundation. Michelle Strausbaugh is a freelance Hilst also said that some people are writer from LeeÕs Summit, Mo.

46 • VFW • MAY 2018

MEMBER CORNER MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR VFW VFWÕs Largest Post Votes to Ban Smoking

Posts across the nation are or many years, VFW Posts Wiseman is confident this decision throughout the country have won’t have a negative impact on the Post. asking members to decide been working to break the stig- “This is an important step that shows if smoking tobacco should be Fma that its members are nothing our members are truly in charge of their permitted inside their facilities. more than a group of old guys sitting in a Post,” he said. “Those same members Supporters hope the bans attract dark bar, drinking and smoking. are making decisions that lead to a new members. In an effort to continue changing that healthier, more family friendly, more perception, the largest Post in the coun- inclusive VFW that will continue to be try — located in Dale City, Va. — went the force for good in our communities smoke-free on March 1. and for veterans. I strongly encourage BY JANIE DYHOUSE At Post 1503, the members have all VFW Posts to follow this example.” spoken. They decided to ban smoking Interestingly, in Virginia, private inside the Post. clubs such as VFW Posts are exempt According to Ken Wiseman, from the tobacco law that prohibits Department of Virginia senior vice com- smoking in restaurants. mander and Gold Legacy life member of SMOKING BAN ‘MORE POSITIVE THAN NEGATIVE’ Dale City was not the first Post in Virginia to vote for a tobacco ban. Post 392 in Virginia Beach, Va., went smoke- free on Aug. 1, 2014. Post 392 Quartermaster Donald Brown, who quit smoking in February 2009, said that in the beginning, the ban was viewed negatively, but the Post only lost “a couple” of members in the aftermath. “It really wasn’t as big a loss as we thought it would be,” Brown said. “The ones we did lose transferred to other Posts, which later also went smoke-free.” For those members who smoke, there is a smoking area on a covered veranda on the west side of the Post. A patio heater is Post 1503, some 120 people showed up in place for when the weather is chilly. at the Post meeting to debate the issue “Overall, the smoking ban has been before the vote. more positive than negative,” Brown said. He said the first motion was to More recently, Post 8641 in Merrimack, ban everything with the exception of N.H., went smoke-free in October 2017. cigarettes. After much discussion, the Post Quartermaster Bill Ryan made the motion was amended to ban all tobacco. motion, and members voted. “There was a serious focus on the “The vote was 3-to-1 against smok- EditorÕs Note: In the March VFW employees and how it impacts their ing,” said Ryan, whose wife has asthma magazine on the Member Corner page, health,” Wiseman said. “We have about and found it difficult to be at the Post. Nevada Sr. Vice Commander Jerry 35 employees who need to be taken into “It’s picked up our business a lot. Peterson and Membership Chairman consideration. Smoke also impacts the Honestly, we were shocked.” Tony Marshall were misidentified. building itself.” The Post had plans to construct an Peterson is wearing the red shirt and Furthermore, patrons will no longer outside smoking area, but the members Marshall is wearing the white shirt. be able to purchase cigarettes at the can- who smoke said it wasn’t necessary to The duo was photographed man- teen. For now, members can use the out- spend the money. ning a recruiting booth while at the door pavilion. Post members also formed “Everyone has been really coopera- American Legion National Convention a committee to look at long-term solu- tive about this change,” Ryan said. “It last August in Reno, Nev. tions for an outdoor designated smoking can only help.” J area to accommodate smokers. EMAIL [email protected]

48 • VFW • MAY 2018 ADVERTISEMENT THE BIG VOICE: VETS PUT THEIR LIVES ON THE LINE, NOW THEIR LUNGS MAY BE ON THE LINE

ilitary Veterans know the ■ Burn pit next to camp? slogans, “Not for Self, ■ Near a car or roadside bomb? but Country/Non Sibi ■ Caught in a sand storm? M ■ Sed Patriae,” “Army Strong,” and And, maybe smoked cigarettes? “Always Faithful/Semper Fidelis.” ■ All can contribute to COPD! No matter which branch of the mili- HEAD TO THE VA HOSPITAL FOR TREATMENT. tary, the theme is being one and act- Many Veterans rely on the VA ing as one. Military personnel have for COPD treatments, and the VA acted as one through both World approves several treatments that Wars, Korea, Vietnam, and most are similar to what other insurance recently, the Gulf War, Iraq, and companies, Medicare, and Medicaid Afghanistan. provide. Help your country first, and think The basic treatment – an inhaler, Veteran Dennis saw an 18% increase about risks and liabilities later. For a steroid or a nebulizer – treats the in FEV 1 results after cellular therapy many Veterans, risks and liabilities symptoms but not the disease. treatment. Contact the Lung Health are now taking the form of lung dis- Institute to find out which treatment VA and DoD guidelines clearly plan is right for you. eases, such as chronic obstructive state that treatments are for “manag- pulmonary disease (COPD) and pul- ing the symptoms of COPD.” *Dennis C. is an actual Lung Health Institute patient. monary fibrosis. The latest generation involved in desert fighting is VETS FIND THE LUNG HEALTH INSTITUTE experiencing an even higher occur- TREATS THE DISEASE. rence of lung diseases. The Lung Health Institute was And, a typical patient reports some founded to improve the quality of remarkable results. WHY WOULD I DEVELOP COPD? life for those suffering from chron- There is no cure for lung diseas- Veterans Administration (VA) ic lung disease. Veterans are turn- es, but 84 percent of COPD patients research indicates that Veter- ing to the Lung Health Institute receiving cellular therapy at the Lung ans involved in desert fighting are for a solution that treats their dis- Health Institute report an improved three times as likely to develop ease and not just their symptoms. quality of life within three months of COPD than the average American. The Lung Health Institute’s cellular treatment. They are more active and Deployed Vets are more likely to therapy is remarkable for its ability enjoying life again. develop COPD compared to soldiers to help ease symptoms and address The Lung Health Institute has five who stayed home. progression of COPD. clinics around the United States and Why these startling statistics? It’s After undergoing cellular therapy, they truly believe Veterans deserve the mostly environmental. Veterans were Veterans responded better to treat- chance to fight COPD just like they deployed and inhaled toxic fumes. ments than the general population. fought for our country. ■ CELLULAR THERAPY: THE NEXT BIG THING Lung Health Institute specialists are using cellular therapy to offer treatment plans for people suffering from lung diseases such as: COPD ■ Emphysema ■ Pulmonary Fibrosis ■ Chronic Bronchitis ■ Interstitial Lung Disease

If you or a loved one suffers from a chronic lung disease, contact the Lung Health Institute to find out if cellular therapy treatments are right for you.

Call (866) 600-6708 for a free consultation or visit theLungHealthInstitute.com/Vets

All claims made regarding the efficacy of Lung Health Institute’s treatments as they pertain to pulmonary conditions are based solely on anecdotal support collected by Lung Health Institute. Individual conditions, treatment and outcomes may vary and are not necessarily indicative of future results. The treatments, claims, and other information con- Joint Commission tained in this advertisement have not been evaluated or approved by the FDA. Individuals are encouraged to speak with his or her primary physician for treatment suggestions Accredited and conclusive evidence. All information in this advertisement should be used for educational and informational use only. MEMBER BENEFITS PERKS OF VFW MEMBERSHIP Get Back to What You Love Get the Best Health Coverage Before you Travel

lways consider your health TRAVELING TO FOREIGN COUNTRIES insurance before making It’s even more important to understand travel plans. Otherwise, you your coverage when traveling abroad. Amight be responsible for Most Medicare coverage does not pro- emergency health care expenses your vide coverage outside of the U.S. health plan doesn’t cover. Ask your insurer these questions: If you’re traveling inside the U.S., you • Does my insurance policy cover may have coverage that requires you to emergency expenses abroad, such be seen by in-network physicians and as doctor visits, treatment or hospi- hospitals, so finding care away from tal stays? home can be difficult. If there are no • Does my policy exclude any special in-network doctors at your destination, activities or excursions that I’ll be you may face denied claims and hefty doing on my trip? out-of-pocket expenses. • Does the insurance company guar- There are two general questions you antee medical payments abroad? should answer about your health insur- • Will the insurance company pay ance before traveling: foreign hospitals and foreign doc- • Does my policy cover pre-existing tors directly? conditions? If your health insurance policy pro- • What are my insurance company’s vides coverage outside the U.S., remem- hours in case I need to call them ber to carry your insurance policy while traveling? identity card as proof of insurance and a Remember to contact your insurance claim form. company to clarify how out-of-state Although some health insurance claims will be handled: companies pay “customary and reason- osteoarthritis? The Push® • Ask your insurance representative if able” hospital costs abroad, very few ® there are any in-network physicians will pay for your medical evacuation or hospitals at your destination. back to the United States. Medical • Get clarification and an explanation evacuation can cost $50,000 or more, about how “emergency” is defined depending on your location and your by your insurance company. medical condition. • Determine what your out-of-pocket Consider purchasing a travel plan expenses would be when a doctor’s that will assist you in the event an emer- BraceLab.com visit is necessary. gency should occur. 888.235.8221 • Verify if urgent care facilities are A travel or medical emergency could covered by in-network or out- leave you paying thousands of dollars of-network, or if only emergency for services not covered by your pri- rooms are covered. mary medical insurance. • Ask about specific requirements for For more information, please call the filing a claim for an out-of-network VFW Member Benefits Department at physician or hospital. 1-800-821-2606, option 1.

50 • VFW • MAY 2018 ADVERTISEMENT New Pill for Neuropathy Sends Soothing Comfort to Your Legs and Feet Key ingredients support millions of damaged nerves in the legs and feet that can cause painful burning, tingling, numbness and lingering lower leg problems

David Mahoney “I have terrible neuropathy in my legs and feet. Associated Heath Press It’s always bothering me. But recently it got so AHP – After much anticipation, WellMed, a bad that it almost prevented me from going on a company with a 20-year history of formulating cruise with my husband. I didn’t think I’d be able breakthrough products for leg and foot health, has to walk around the ship or do the any of the island just released another into the market. excursions.” Sold under the brand name Neuronix, the new “I read about Neuronix in the newspaper. I pill is specifically for men and women suffering told myself that this would be the last thing I try with neuropathy, nerve pain and poor lower leg because I’ve tried everything. I was desperate.” SAFE NEW PILL MADE FOR NEUROPATHY: Neuronix health. To my surprise, it worked wonderfully! I was in helps repair damaged nerves in the legs and feet, which can cause burning, tingling and numbness. This is due to the pills active ingredients, much less pain and was perfectly fine to travel. I No prescription is required. It is manufactured in the which help to repair nerve damage in the lower now take it faithfully every day. I can’t thank your USA in a GMP rated facility. extremities. company enough!” Research shows that damaged nerves can cause HOW IT WORKS HEALTHY NERVES SHOULDN’T: the legs and feet to always feel pain. Many report Neuronix is a pill that’s taken just once daily. It • Feel like pins and needles this discomfort in the form of burning, tingling, does not require a prescription. • Make you feel like your hands and feet and numbness. The active ingredients are proprietary blend of are burning or in pain The ingredients in Neuronix help the nerves compounds, which support the nerves in the legs to repair. They also reduce inflammation and and feet, which can cause burning, tingling, and • Go numb or lose sensation promote healthy blood flow through the entire numbness when damaged. body, which is vital for restoring lower leg health. “Although Neuronix was originally intended for neuropathy, our research confirms that The company says this is what makes Neuronix The company reports that diabetics, nerve damage is the underlying cause of is so effective and why it’s grown so popular so fast. many other lower leg issues. That’s why we’re NEW HOPE FOR pre-diabetics, and people with general leg and foot issues all love the product. never surprised when people call in excited to NEUROPATHY SUFFERS tell us that their varicose veins, spider veins, Since hitting the market, sales for Neuronix have restless legs, and several other issues are also soared and there are some very good reasons why. relieved.” Research shows that neuropathy, nerve pain, To begin with, the research behind Neuronix’s and many other leg issues may be caused by ENJOY LIFE AGAIN ON ingredients are impressive. nerve damage that streams pain signals to your TWO HEALTHY FEET Several studies suggest that their ability to brain and because nerve cells are incapable of With daily use, Neuronix users report support in nerve repair may help those suffering regenerating on their own, this pain never goes remarkable improvements in their quality of life with neuropathy and nerve pain who have away. without of the negative side effects or interactions burning, itching, tingling, and numbness in the Neuronix provides the body with ingredients associated with drugs. arms and legs from nerve damage. essential to nerve health. Key compounds in Readers can now enjoy an entirely new level of The ingredients in Neuronix come from natural the formula support the arteries that carry blood comfort that’s both safe and affordable. It is also compounds, which are both safe and healthy. and nutrients to your lower extremities. This is extremely effective, especially if nothing else has There are also no known side effects in their important because weak arteries often allow fluid worked. history of use. to leak into your legs, which is what makes them HOW TO GET NEURONIX Studies show that they rejuvenate legs and feel heavy and swollen. In order to get the word out about Neuronix, the feet by supporting vital nerves and stimulating Supporting ingredients boost your circulation manufacturer is offering our readers introductory circulation. so that this oxygenated, nutrient dense blood discounts while supplies last. A special phone Research shows nerve damage in the lower makes it to the nerves in your legs and feet, which hotline has been set up to take advantage of deep extremities can cause them to feel pain all day they need to repair. discounts during this ordering opportunity. The long. It can also cause blood flow to slow, which SOLVES MANY OTHER LEG discounts will automatically be applied to all can cause fluid buildup resulting in swollen, tired, AND FOOT ISSUES callers. and restless legs. One thing the makers of Neuronix want you to Your Toll-Free Hotline number is USERS THRILLED WITH RESULTS know is that you don’t have to have neuropathy to 1-800-987-9365 and will only be open while According to the makers of Neuronix, many benefit. The company reports that diabetics, pre- supplies last. Experience the relief already of their users report back with rapid relief from diabetics, and people with general leg and foot enjoyed by thousands of consumers. Don’t miss daily pain and discomfort. issues all love the product. out, call 1-800-987-9365 today. THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE FDA. THIS PRODUCT IS NOT INTENDEDTO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE, OR PREVENT ANY DISEASE. RESULTS MAY VARY. OFFER NOT AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS OF IOWA. VFW IN ACTION MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE COMMUNITY VFW Post Tries ‘Something Different’ for Its Community (From left to right) Dillon Leoffler, Ekho Gozo, Moris Toto and Amgad Adam, a team from the Pine Ridge Job Corps Civilian Conservation Center in Chadron, Neb., show off their first- place medals after winning the Grey Eagle Warrior Challenge on Sept. 30, 2017. The event supports VFW Post 1375’s scholarship and a local honor flight program.

participate in the challenge. Participants also received a T-shirt and a meal at the end of the race. Proceeds went toward Post scholarships for student veterans at Chadron State College and a local Honor Flight program, which honors veterans by transporting them to their respective war memorials in Washington, D.C. Yetter, who served in Iraq from 2006- 07 with the 264th Support Battalion PHOTO COURTESY OF BRANDON YETTER OF BRANDON COURTESY PHOTO and from 2009-10 with the 41st Infantry A Nebraska Post hosted an embers of VFW Post 1375 Brigade Combat Team, said the biggest endurance event to get young in Chadron, Neb., held organizing obstacle to overcome was adults involved in community the first-ever Grey Eagle finding a company to insure the event. Warrior Challenge last “We talked to people at the Chadron activities and attract new mem- M September. Participants included local Area Chamber of Commerce because bers. The event raised funds for athletes, law enforcement officers and they host events in the community,” an Honor Flight program and members of Chadron State College’s Yetter said. “They pointed us in the veteran scholarships. ROTC. They tested their toughness and direction of a couple of places, but they strength on a rugged obstacle course in would only insure 5K runs and things Chadron. like that. We eventually found a place BY DAVE SPIVA “We wanted to do something in that would insure us.” the community to get young people Yetter advises anyone interested in involved,” said Brandon Yetter, an orga- organizing a race like the Grey Eagle nizer of the event and member of Post Warrior Challenge to first find a com- 1375. “The spaghetti suppers and those pany to insure it. kinds of things were not working for us. “It seemed like our initial plans were We weren’t getting the attendance we changed to align with what the insur- wanted. So, we decided to do something ance company would and would not let bigger and try something different.” us do,” Yetter said. “I think people would Much like the popular, military- save themselves from a lot of pain if they inspired obstacle races Tough Mudder can get that part of organizing the event and Spartan Race, the Grey Eagle finished first.” Warrior Challenge had its participants Yetter said this year he hopes to run a lap around a motocross track, then expand the obstacle course to make it run to a nearby rodeo arena, where there more challenging and wants more par- was an obstacle course. Teams of four ticipation from the community. He also participants had to traverse ropes, crawl hopes to get more Post volunteers to through mud and climb a wall to finish make the Grey Eagle Warrior Challenge the challenge, which was a more than bigger and better in the future. two miles long. “We are trying to make this an annual “In our feedback, we were told that event in Chadron,” Yetter said. “Other we could have made the race longer and than the honor guard and participating with more obstacles,” said Yetter, an Iraq in flag ceremonies, the Post isn’t as active War veteran who serves in the Nebraska in the community as it could be. This Army National Guard. “That’s something event is a way we can get more members we are looking into for this year.” involved in the community.” J Each team paid a $120 entry fee to EMAIL [email protected]

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MAY 2018 • WWW.VFW.ORG • 55 REUNIONS AND CLAIMS

(623) 780-1819; [email protected] USS Toledo CA-133: Paul Specht (405) 737-7404; REUNIONS Engineers (MCEA): Charlie Dismore (512) 394-9333; [email protected] [email protected] USS Topeka CLG-8: Daniel Moore (574) 295-5156; To publicize your unit’s reunion, submit a form Fox Co., 2nd Bn., 9th Marines: Wally Nalepa (708) 340-5372; [email protected] online at: www.vfw.org/forms/reunion-form. [email protected] USS Towers DDG-9: Raymond Wong (415) 601-6285; Submit at least four months in ad vance of HMM-161: Ron Winter (860) 550-3274; [email protected] reunion date. VFW members only. [email protected] HQ and Alpha Battery, 1st Bn., 12th Reg. (Vietnam): ALL BRANCHES Ebbie Roberts (513) 314-3803; [email protected] AIR FORCE Marine Air Control Squadron 9: Thomas Boyle (319) 631-1912; Korea DMZ Veterans: Pat Anderson (270) 908-6793; 485th Tactical Missile Wing: Philip Smith (502) 544-2566; [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Marine Corps Mustang: Richard Sullivan (508) 954-2262; 5074th AB Sq/1935th Comm Sq (Wildwood AFS, Ak): [email protected] Remembering Robert C. Burke Jim Fetrow (616) 443-1946; [email protected] VMF/VMA-311: Jim Galchick (330) 337-9383; VFW Post 5346 in Monticello, Ill., invites everyone to a memo- 6994th Security Sq and Detachments: Robert Hull [email protected] rial service in Monticello for Medal of Honor Recipient Robert C. (740) 974-5261; [email protected] VMFA-115: Van McCarty (601) 483-6984; Burke for the 50th anniversary of Operation Allen Brook at La 97th Airlift Squadron TCS: Kyle Jensen (580) 278-1492; [email protected] Nam, South Vietnam. Contact Gordon Ray Lawrence, [email protected] (217) 671-0037. DLI USAFSS El Paso NVN Language School: Michael Hibbard NAVY (321) 298-4756; [email protected] Ken’s Men 43rd Bomb Group: Susan Clark Lanson All Minesweepers: Thomas Cenate (904) 860-4576; (727) 641-1332; [email protected] [email protected] POST EXCHANGE ASR-ARS: Mary Neal (502) 477-0876; [email protected] ARMY All Hospital Corpsmen: Chuck Kraut (817) 229-5194; 1st Bn., 83rd Artillery (Vietnam 1966-71): Bill Taggart [email protected] To advertise, contact GLM Communications, (856) 228-5614; [email protected] Naval Air Station Sanford (All units 1942-1968): Inc., at 212-929-1300 or email 117th AHC VN and detachments: Allen Bennett Ralph Feeback (407) 302-2252; [email protected] (850) 834-3376; [email protected] Naval Air Station Sanford, all units (1942-68): Ralph Feeback [email protected]. 11th Armored Cavalry (Vietnam/Cambodia): Frank Church (407) 302-2252; [email protected] (386) 365-0487; [email protected] USS Archerfish SSN-678: Gloyd Johnson (765) 513-8081; 13th Engineer Combat Battalion: Billy Quinton (727) 323-1144; [email protected] [email protected] USS Bainbridge DLGN/CGN-25: Charles Gilbert (412) 798- 172nd Transportation Company: Garry Knittel (402) 677-6994; 3738; [email protected] [email protected] USS Bon Homme Richard CV/CVA-31: Jim Barton 19th Combat Engineer Battalion: Tom Ebrite (765) 286-4906; (814) 652-8885; [email protected] [email protected] USS Canberra CA-70/CAG-2: Kenneth Minick 1st Battalion, 12th Infantry: Frank Wise (540) 624-3665; (740) 423-8976; [email protected] [email protected] USS Charles P. Cecil: Greg Wells (405) 365-1926; 1st Infantry Division: Ronald Watts (215) 654-1969; [email protected] [email protected] USS Corry DD/DDR-817: Patrick McGoohan (732) 275-5851; 2nd Infantry Division: Michael Davino (919) 498-1910; [email protected] [email protected] USS Des Moines: Vincent Alfonso (952) 934-4715; 3rd Bn., 112th Armor Regiment: Mike Porter (432) 934-1325; [email protected] [email protected] USS Dixie: Ken Robinson (520) 825-5613; 31st Infantry Regiment: Charles Tapp (864) 680-9165; [email protected] [email protected] USS Grand Canyon AD/AR-28: Wilson Chamberlin 3rd Bn., 197th FA (Vietnam 1968-69): Frank DeRocchi (843) 504-8771; [email protected] (603) 396-5111; [email protected] USS James C. Owens DD-776: Edward Ftorski 589th Engineer Battalion: Perry Blanchfield (770) 366-4411; (610) 689-5283; [email protected] [email protected] USS Jennings County LST-846: Len Swiatly (319) 269-6658; 77th Armor Regiment: Robert Bassner (989) 624-4593; [email protected] [email protected] USS John W. Thomason DD-760: Howard Barrett 77th Field Artillery Regiment: John Moran (937) 361-1333; (574) 849-0217; [email protected] [email protected] USS Juneau LPD-10: Joe Jones (913) 486-9132; 83rd Infantry (WWII): Judy Breen (603) 569-3263; [email protected] [email protected] USS Leyte CV-32: Le Grande Van Wagenen (732) 727-5993; Rings to Honor Aerial Rocket Artillery: Herbert Hirst (503) 647-4600; [email protected] [email protected] USS Maddox DD-731/622: Dennis Stokhaug (414) 339-6168; Your Service Artillery OCS Alumni: Michael Sillin (580) 355-5275; [email protected] [email protected] USS Mansfield DD-728: Sherrie Werts C Co., 2nd Bn., 12th Inf. Regt., 25th ID (Vietnam): Danny Breed- [email protected]; www.ussmansfield.com ing (423) 345-5000; [email protected] USS Missouri BB-63: John McKinney (207) 799-8513; National Counterintelligence Corps: Jerry Burns (423) 791-3115; [email protected] [email protected] USS Mount Mckinley AGC-7: Dave Long (440) 292-7839; Vietnam Air Defense Artillery Veterans: Dale Peters [email protected] (547) 686-2067; [email protected] USS Neches A0-47: Johnny Hanlon (918) 760-7371; Vietnam Helicopter Crewmembers: Jim Sheridan [email protected] (978) 808-4960; [email protected] USS New Jersey BB-62: Steve Sheehan (215) 887-7583; [email protected] Call today for a FREE color catalog USS Ogden LPD-5: Mark Stephens (570) 640-1094; ARMY AIR FORCE [email protected] showing 150 Classic Military Rings, USS Oklahoma City CL-91, CLG/CG-5, SSN-723: John Baker plus a Special Report you should 43rd Bomb Group (Ken’s Men): Susan Lanson (620) 399-3999; [email protected] (727) 641-1332; [email protected] USS Pocono AGC/LCC-16: Jim DeVold (803) 781-9887; read before buying any service ring: [email protected] 1-800-872-2853 (free 24 COAST GUARD USS Prairie AD-15/Puget Sound AD-38: Virgil Thorstenson hr. recorded message). Or write: Classic (563) 535-7546; [email protected] CGC BIBB: Lloyd Hensley (865) 354-6254; USS Salisbury Sound AV-13: Marian Bruce (505) 293-3841; Rings, 1209 Broadway, Dept. FW-18, [email protected] [email protected] Hannibal MO 63401. Code FW-18 USS Thetis Bay: Alfred Breard (713) 445-0765; [email protected] www.ClassicRings.com MARINE CORPS USS Ticonderoga CVA/CV/CVS-14, CG-47: Steve Codding 2nd Bn., 3rd Marines, 3rd Marine Div. (Vietnam): Arthur Ferguson (309) 827-4014; [email protected]

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And leave you feeling results were simply amazing: have electrified the International scientific community. more focused and clear-headed than you have in years! 1) PS patients outperformed placebo patients in Earth-Shaking Science In his last speaking engagement, Dr. Shinitsky All 5 Tests - 100% Success Rate Published, clinical reports show replenishing your 2) After only 45 days there was a measurable explains this phenomenon in simple terms; body’s natural supply of Phosphatidylserine, not improvement in mental function “Science has shown when your brain nutrient only helps sharpen your memory and concentration 3) After 90 days, there was an impressive and levels drop, you can start to experience memory — but also helps “perk you up” and put you in a amazing improvement in mental function problems and overall mental fatigue. Your better mood. PS as it turns out also helps to reduce everyday stress and elevate your mood by lowering ability to concentrate and stay focused becomes The group taking phosphatidylserine, not only your body’s production of the hormone cortisol. compromised. And gradually, a “mental fog” enjoyed sharper memory, but listen to this… they When cortisol levels are too high for too long sets in. It can damage every aspect of your life”. were also more upbeat and remarkably more happy. you experience fatigue, bad moods and weakness. Not only do brain cells die but they become In contrast, the moods of the individuals who took the placebo (starch pill), remained unaffected…. This drug-free brain-boosting formula enters your dysfunctional as if they begin to fade away as we no mental or mood improvement at all. bloodstream fast (in as little as thirty minutes). age. This affects our ability to have mental clarity Officially Reviewed by the U.S. Food and and focus and impacts our ability to remember Drug Administration: PS is the ONLY Health things that were easy for us to do in our 20’s and My Memory Started to Scare Me. Supplement that has a “Qualified Health Claim for 30’s. both Cognitive Dysfunction and Dementia”. Scientists think the biggest cause of brain I wouldwould forgetforget allall kindskinds ofof thingsthings deterioration in older people is the decreased andand somethingsomething thatthat I justjust saidsaid Special Opportunity earlierearlier inin thethe dayday wouldwould havehave functioning of membranes and molecules that For Our Readers completelycompletely slippedslipped mymy mmind.ind. I aalmostlmost fforgotorgot mmyy surround the brain cells. These really are the We’ve made arrangements with the distributor of granddaughter’sgranddaughter’s birthdaybirthday andand thatthat wouldwould havehave this proprietary blend of PS, which combines with transmitters that connect the tissues or the brain beenbeen horrible.horrible. I hadhad forgottenforgotten lotslots ofof otherother littlelittle several other proven special brain boosting natural cells to one another that help us with our sharp thingsthings alongalong thethe way.way. I wwasas wworriedorried aaboutbout iit.t. memory, clear thinking and mental focus, even ingredients to give you the mental clarity and OverOver tthehe lastlast severalseveral monthsmonths I’veI’ve noticednoticed mymy memory gain that you need, to give you a Risk- our powers to reason well. “When we are in memorymemory seemedseemed toto bebe gettinggetting prettypretty unreliableunreliable Free trial supply. This is a special “Readers Only our 20’s” according to Dr. Shinitzky “our body andand soso I thoughtthought I’dI’d betterbetter dodo somethingsomething aboutabout Discount”. This trial is 100% risk-free. produces key substances like phosphatidylserine itit now.now. SoSo whenwhen I readread aboutabout thisthis amazingamazing PSPS It’s a terrific deal. If Lipogen PS Plus doesn’t and phosphatidic acid”…unfortunately they are nutrientnutrient andand howhow muchmuch itit wouldwould helphelp meme withwith mymy help you think better, remember more... and believed to be critical essential nutrients that just memorymemory I wantedwanted toto trytry it.it. improve your mind, clarity and mood — you fade away with age, much like our memories often It’sIt’s great!great! I havehave actualactual recallrecall now,now, whichwhich won’t pay a penny! (Except S&H). do leading to further mental deterioration. isis super.super. AfterAfter aboutabout 6 weeksweeks ofof takingtaking itit onon a dailydaily basisbasis isis whenwhen I beganbegan toto noticenotice thatthat I wasn’twasn’t But you must act fast. Your order can only be As we get older it becomes more frustrating as forgettingforgetting thingsthings anymore.anymore. guaranteed if it comes in within the next 7-days. there is little comfort when you forget names… ThanksThanks toto PSPS forfor givinggiving meme mymy memorymemory back.back. After that, supplies could run out. And your order misplace your keys…or just feel “a little It’sIt’s givengiven meme a lotlot moremore self-confidenceself-confidence aandnd sself-elf- may not be fulfilled until they are replenished. confused”. And even though your foggy memory esteem.esteem. I wouldwould notnot trusttrust mymy memorymemory withoutwithout it.it. So don’t wait. Now you can join the thousands gets laughed off as just another “senior moment,” - EthelEthel MacagnoneyMacagnoney of people who think better, remember more — and it’s not very funny when it keeps happening to you. enjoy clear, “fog-free” memory. Call today, toll- THESE STATEMENTS HAVE NOT BEEN EVALUATED BY THE US FDA. THESE PRODUCTS ARE NOT INTENDED TO DIAGNOSE, TREAT, CURE OR free at 1-800-784-8974. Think of it as making a PREVENT ANY DISEASE. RESULTS BASED UPON AVERAGES. MODELS ARE USED IN ALL PHOTOS TO PROTECT PRIVACY OFFER NOT AVAILABLE TO RESIDENTS OF IOWA “wake-up call” to your brain. VETS IN FOCUS INSPIRING PROFILES OF EXTRAORDINARY VETERANS Creating a ‘Positive Warrior Mindset’ An Iraq War veteran in California has created an online program to improve veterans’ mental health. The concept won the Department of Veteran Affairs Center for Innovation’s Industry Innovation Competition in 2014.

BY KARI WILLIAMS PHOTOCOURTESY ERIC LENHARDT OF ne Army veteran hopes to positive warrior mindset, or just coming help fellow service members at the problem from a positive outlook through his mental wellness as opposed to saying, ‘You’re broken if Oprogram, which received a you use this.’” grant from VA. Potentia spawned from market and Eric Lenhardt, who served in Iraq product research Lenhardt and Milner from 2003-04 and 2005-06 with the 1st conducted after working with a com- Armored Div., 3rd Combat Bde., as a utili- pany called Longevity Insight Services. ties equipment repairer, created Potentia, The duo helped companies and an online digital coach in 2013. Its intent researchers determine life expectancy, is to help combat PTSD symptoms. based on algorithms and questionnaires. Lenhardt’s concept earned him a “I thought it was kind of morbid try- $967,000 grant through the VA Center ing to predict when people are going to for Innovation’s Industry Innovation pass away,” Lenhardt said. Competition in 2014. Lenhardt and Based in Corona, Calif., Potentia Milner submit- PHOTOCOURTESY ERIC LENHARDT OF Labs Inc., was founded by Lenhardt ted a five-page and Dustin Milner in 2014. Its product, concept paper Potentia, takes research on “positive in 2014. Nine psychology” and breaks it into “manage- months later, they able chunks,” Lenhardt said. Positive were informed psychology — a phrase Martin Seligman that they had coined in 1998 — is the study of what been selected to makes people thrive in all facets of life. receive the grant. To access the benefits of Potentia, users “It was excit- enter identifiable information into the ing and over- application about their lives, work, family whelming at and daily routine. Lenhardt said Potentia the same time,” gives people “action items” and step-by- Lenhardt said. step directions on how to apply them. “We had to Potentia is a cloud-based program, convince some meaning that it is stored in a remote people that it was location on the internet and is acces- worth it.” sible on any device with internet access. Lenhardt said For Lenhardt, offering the program they submitted Potentia to the VA not ABOVE: Iraq War veteran Eric Lenhardt is a to the veteran population “just made only to help veterans, but because they co-founder of Potentia Labs Inc., which received a lot of sense.” As someone who was thought their product was “the best.” a nearly $1 million grant from a VA industry diagnosed with PTSD a decade ago, “We needed that validation of research, innovation competition in 2014. Lenhardt knows the program’s effects. and what better way to do [that] than [to] “Intrinsically speaking, it looks beau- help veterans?” Lenhardt said. tiful, it looks fun, it looks like something The project began last July, and an you’d want to try,” Lenhardt said. “It’s 18-month trial will begin this July at the simple. And it’s not about a deficit [or] VA San Diego Healthcare System. helping the mentally ill become just J regular people. It’s more so about a EMAIL [email protected]

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