EX-POW BULLETIN the official voice of the American Ex-Prisoners of War Volume 65 www .axpo w .or g Number 6 June 2008 We exist to help those who cannot help themselves Inside...More pictures of our newest BG/Former POW Rhonda Cornum...Convention News and Forms... News, Outreach, Events...NSO Success Stories and more A Grand Pinning! Here she’s shown with husband Col. Kory Cornum & LTG Walter Sharp; with Col. William Andrews (who had been shot down earlier and was the subject of the search that ended with her own capture; with her mom, Jen Scott and Dave Coker, Fisher House Foundation President; with Kory; Mr. Arthur Wu, Staff Director, U.S. House Veterans Affairs Comm., Oversight and Investigations, Rhonda, daughter Regan Fawley; BG Goodwin, Vaught, LTG Dunwoody & Spouse; Alice Booher & new BG Rhonda Cornum. The primary goal of the committee lag VI-G when the building was national commander recommendations is to provide bet- bombed and burned. He was in the ter and more effective rating as rap- opposite end from me. His name is idly as possible. This should be em- C. Earl Derrington, Jr. from Jackson, phasized throughout the VA system Mississippi. He has survived the or- due to the rapidly increasing rate of deal and is doing well, thanks to his deaths of former POWs, especially lovely wife. Earl was National Com- the World War II POWs. Since the mander of AXPOW in the 1980s. average rating of the POWs is 73%, it is urgent that additional effort be instituted to locate and re-evaluate those former POWs whose ratings are less than 100%. It was recom- mended that at least three (3) edu- cational seminars be scheduled within the next 12-18 months for more training of those who evaluate Warren G. King, Sr. the POW claims. The VBA should I recently attended the Advisory also mandate attendance at these Committee meeting on Former Pris- seminars to assure the proper train- oners of War held at the Veterans ing of all POW rating specialists. Building in Washington, D.C. It was Mental health departments should Everybody stay well and enjoy the very informative, including sugges- be integrated into the same physical summer. I will be visiting some of tions to help the spouses and the locations where POW and other C&P your state conventions and hope to examinations are performed in order see you there. home bound Ex Prisoners of War. \ to increase participation and to mini- The Senate Bill (1315) on Osteoporo- mize the associated stigma of PTSD. sis has been entered with other bills It was recommended that at least and last word on it was that it had one face-to-face meeting between all POW physicians and POW raters be Warren G. King, Sr. passed. No word on the House bill National Commander yet. It appears that the Diabetes bill mandated to develop a direct line will not be included with the others. between them, facilitating commu- Picture left to right: Thomas M. McNish, nication between them when they MD, Committee Chairperson; Warren G. As I entered the area where the meet- work on the same group of claims. King, Sr., National Commander, Ex Prison- ing was held, I was introduced to the Continued open lines will insure po- ers of War; Clarence E. Derringer, Ex-POW Chairman of the Committee, Dr. Tho- tential problems with POW exams mas M. McNish by Mary Rolen from and ratings will be resolved in the Notable Quotes the D.C. POW office. I also met the most expeditious manner. Honorable Gordon H. Mansfield, “We must hold fast to our duty — the Deputy Secretary - Department of Only trained qualified physicians and duty of being there for our former Veteran Affairs, who was there to raters should perform and evaluate Prisoners of War and for all of our address the committee. They both POW rating examinations, those who veterans.” — Former Secretary of look forward to working closely with have attended and had certified Veterans Affairs Jesse Brown us and assured us the Committee will training for the POW examinations. “Posterity, you will never know how strongly support our efforts to get When a POW goes in for a re-evalu- much it has cost my generation to better services to our diminishing Ex- ation, the committee recommends all preserve your freedom. I hope you POW ranks. ratings be re-examined, not just the specific item for which the exam was will make good use of it.” — John Quincy Adams Other reports included comments, ordered. observations and recommendations “Americans, all free men indeed, re- from different people that were not There were more things discussed member that in the final choice, a on the committee. Other committee and recommended, and these things soldier’s pack is not so heavy a bur- members were introduced and gave will be discussed again and evaluated den as a prisoner’s chains.” — Presi- a brief biography and a summary of before they are presented to Con- dent Dwight D. Eisenhower what they were doing. The commit- gress. All of the committee mem- tee would like to have an annual re- bers were former POWs. I hope I “We honor our dead by caring for our port on living POWs sorted by their have all these things posted cor- living.” — Australian quote service, and the conflict and theatre rectly, since this was my first time. in which they served. Some of these Ex-POW Bulletin things support the POW claims when While I was at the committee meet- June 2008 they are filed. ing, I met a man that was in the same building where I was housed at Sta- 3 axpow officers & directors 2007-2008 National Headquarters - Clydie J. Morgan, Adjutant 3201 E. Pioneer Pkwy, #40, Arlington, TX 76010 (817) 649-2979 (817) 649-0109 fax [email protected] Officers North East Region Directors Mid-Central Region Franklin R. Koehler National Commander Grover L. Swearingen 243 Torrey Pines Dr. 408 Fair Park Avenue Warren G. King, Sr. Toms River, NJ 08757 West Union, OH 45693 1015 Mitchell Rd. (732) 244-4629; (732) 505-8702 fax (937) 544-2459 phone & fax Nashville, TN 37206-1113 [email protected] [email protected] (615) 226-7811; (615) 262-3049 fax [email protected] Laura McIntyre Deanie Schmidt PO Box 475 1001 Parkview Blvd. #316 National Senior Vice Commander Hardwick, MA 01037 Columbus, OH 43219 Jim Clark (413) 477-8260 (413) 477-0172 fax (614) 372-0788 214 Oakdale [email protected] [email protected] Bastrop, LA 71220-2330 (318) 281-5505 phone & fax East Central Region South Central Region Judy Lee James L. Lollar National Treasurer PO Box 248 292 VZ CR 3727 Sonnie Bill Mottern Madisonville, TN 37354 Wills Point, TX 75169 279 Huckleberry Road (423) 442-3223; (423) 442-4702 fax (903) 560-1734; (903) 560-1705 fax Bluff City, Tenn. 37618 [email protected] [email protected] (423) 542-1824; (423) 542-3469 fax [email protected] Paul E. Galanti Howard Ray 21 Maxwell Road 7507 Legend Rock National Judge Advocate Richmond, VA 23226 San Antonio, TX 78244 George Coker (804)389-1668 (210) 661-5911; (210) 661-8837 fax 1145 Wivenhoe Way [email protected] [email protected] Virginia Beach, VA 23454-3047 (757) 481-9578 Southeast Region Northwest Region [email protected] Edward L. DeMent Herbert C. Kirchhoff 8735 Doral Oaks Dr., #1617 2910 Fernan Ct. National Chaplain Temple Terrace, FL 33617 Coeur d’Alene, ID 83814 (813) 985-3783; (813) 989-8871 fax John Romine (208) 667-6716 [email protected] 1609 S. 23rd Street [email protected] Rogers, AR 72756 Sid Hecker (479) 636-2287 Bonnie Sharp 7730 Laie Place 9716 54th Street CT West Diamondhead, MS 39525 Jr. Vice Commanders University Place, WA 98467-1118 (228) 493-7605 (253) 565-0444 Charles Susino - Eastern Zone [email protected] [email protected] 136 Jefferson Street Metuchen, NJ 08840 North Central Region (732) 549-5775 Southwest Region Carroll Bogard Ralph Kling 726 N. Carolina Place Morris Barker - Central Zone 12696 Unit E Springbrook Drive Mason City, IA 50401 710 Chapel View San Diego, CA 92128 (641) 424-4870 Waco, Tx 76712 858-391-8273 (temporary home) [email protected] 760-271-2907 (cell) Larry Dwyer (254) 732-5640 [email protected] 814 Woodlawn Ave. Muscatine, IA 52761 Lawrence Strickland Frank Burger - Western Zone (563) 263-5249 3135 Brilene 35109 Hwy 79 South #63 Warner Springs, CA 92086 San Diego, CA 92111 Senior Director, PNC Gerald Harvey (858) 277-0501 (760) 782-0538 1504 West 5th St. [email protected] [email protected] Sedalia, MO 65301 (660) 827-2178 Committee addresses appear [email protected] with their columns June 2008 table of contents commander 3 On the cover: Newly promoted (to Brigadier officers/directors 4 General) Ex-POW Rhonda Cornum at her on capitol hill 6 pinning, April 23, 2008. outreach/Success 7 nso 8 In August of 1990, she was assigned medsearch 9 as the flight surgeon to the 2/229 andersonville 12 Attack Helicopter Battalion in the namPOW 13 Persian Gulf. While performing a pow-mia 14 search and rescue mission for Col. civilian 15 Wm. Andrews, her Blackhawk helicopter events, info/news 18 was shot down. Col. Cornum was captured; she news briefs 19 was repatriated on March 6, 1991. Members Forum 21 Convention News 22 HOOAH! You go, girl! Volunteer Funding 24 contributions 25 new members 26 Housekeeping... taps 27 chaplain 29 It’s hard to believe it’s already June. In just over three months, we’ll be at memorial form 30 National Convention in Kansas City, Missouri.