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Copyright ©2019 GreatCall, Inc. ‘THEY HELPED US AS MUCH AS WE HELPED THEM’ 34 A VFW member in North Carolina served as a Green Beret dur- BLACK RIFLE COFFEE COMPANY: WE WILL HIRE ing the Vietnam War. While living with and fi ghting alongside local 10,000 VETERANS Montagnard tribesmen, he gained a lifelong respect and admiration for these persecuted people. BY JANIE DYHOUSE MONTAGNARDS: VIETNAM’S FORGOTTEN MOUNTAIN PEOPLE 17 NEW VETS IN CONGRESS 300TH MARINE EARNS MEDAL OF HONOR MARCH 2019 Vol. 106 No. 6 COVER PHOTO: Evan Hafer, CEO of Black Rifl e Coffee Company, stands on bags of his company’s product in January 2018 at a roasting facility in Salt Lake City. Hafer, a VFW life member and former Green Beret, says Black Rifl e employs more than 80 veterans, about 55 percent of its workforce. (Photo courtesy of Black Rifl e Coffee Company) ‘STEALTH SAILORS’ READY ON THE COVER FOR DEPLOYMENT 14 Coffee 24 New Vets in Congress At the U.S. Naval Base in San Diego, sail- 26 Medal of Honor ors aboard the USS Zumwalt — the Navy’s 34 Montagnards latest, most technologically advanced surface vessel — explain how their IN THIS ISSUE smaller crew does more with less. 20 Stealth Sailors BY DAVID SEARS 20 30 Disaster Relief 32 Service Offi cer 40 Billy Terrell THE ‘HIGHEST’ TRADITIONS 46 OF MILITARY SERVICE Jack Carney Obituary Six Medal of Honor recipients received IN EVERY ISSUE recognition in the fi nal months of 2018. 2 Command Post 4 Two attended White House ceremonies Mail Call 6 for formal presentation of the nation’s Now Hear This 8 most prestigious military award. Issues Up Front 10 BY TIM DYHOUSE Washington Wire 26 48 Better Health 50 Member Benefi ts ‘WE WERE PART OF SOMETHING’ 50 Reunions and Claims 52 VFW in Action A young man put his life as a record 54 Member Corner producer on hold from 1966-67 to serve 60 Vets in Focus in Vietnam. When he returned to the music business, he helped rejuvenate Frankie Avalon’s career. BY KARI WILLIAMS 40 CHECK OUT OUR DIGITAL VERSION AT WWW.VFWMAGAZINE.ORG NEW! NOW ON FACEBOOK NEED HELP? VETERANS CRISIS LINE: 1-800-273-8255 MARCH 2019 • WWW.VFW.ORG • 1 COMMAND POST FROM THE CHIEF WeÕre On Our Way to 1.2 Million Members FW is within grasp of an his- Reach out to VFW magazine is the offi cial publication of the toric achievement this year. It’s lapsed members. VETERANS OF FOREIGN WARS something that hasn’t occurred Get a group of OF THE UNITED STATES in nearly a generation, and it Post leaders and STAFF V DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, would, if accomplished, re-energize our conduct wellness PUBLICATIONS & PUBLIC AFFAIRS members, recruiters and those who look checks. Contact Joe Davis to us to speak for veterans. your Department EDITOR-IN-CHIEF And we need all our Posts to help. quartermaster for Tim Dyhouse What I’m referring to is attaining 100 a full list of unpaid SENIOR EDITOR percent membership for the fi rst time members. Janie Dyhouse since 1992. My personal goal is to reach Get out of your COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF ASSOCIATE EDITOR B.J. Lawrence Kari Williams 1.2 million VFW members by June 30. Post. Touch base SENIOR WRITER I want to stand before our members in with your community leaders — your Dave Spiva July at our national convention and report mayor, your police and fi re depart- ART DIRECTOR that we have more members than we did ments, your business owners. Bring a Lauren Goldman the year prior. So far, we are on track. good mix of Post representatives — dif- ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT As of Jan. 1, we were actually ahead ferent ages, genders and backgrounds — Tina Clark of our record-setting pace of 27 years to show our diversity. ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVE Talk about our pro- GLM Communications, Inc. grams, such as scholar- Jacqueline Tobin, Vice President, Digital/Print Media “If every member 500 1st Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030 ships offered through (212) 929-1300 FAX 212-929-9574 our Sport Clips partner- Email: [email protected] brought in one new ship and our own Voice EDITORIAL OFFICE Address all communications for publication to: of Democracy. Tout our The Editor, VFW Magazine 406 W. 34th St., Suite 523, Kansas City, MO 64111 member, we could signifi cant involvement (816) 756-3390; www.vfw.org; [email protected] in passing the Post 9/11 VFW magazine is protected through trademark reg is tra- tion in the United States and in the foreign countries where GI Bill. Describe our VFW magazine circulates. VFW magazine (ISSN 0161-8598) exceed our goal extensive disaster relief is published 10 times a year by Veterans of Foreign Wars, 406 West 34th Street, Kansas City, MO 64111. Non-profi t standard efforts last year follow- class postage paid at Oklahoma City, Okla., and additional ing hurricanes on the mailing offi ces. within a day.” east coast and fi res in Publications Agreement No. 1476947 California. Available on recording for the blind and those with physical handicaps that preclude reading material. ago. At the fi rst of this year, VFW as a Our national Membership team is Contact: [email protected]. whole reported a 92.558 percent mem- ready to help. They have information you SUBMISSIONS bership — some 2 percent higher than can display and distribute at recruiting Unsolicited manu scripts and pho to graphs must be ac com pa- nied by return postage and no re spon si bil i ty is assumed for safe Jan. 1, 1992. We were nearly 9,000 events. Please take advantage of these han dling. Poetry submissions not accepted. VFW mag a zine is members ahead of last year’s pace. materials. Last year, only about 500 of available in microfi lm from NA Publishing, Inc., P.O. Box 998, Ann Arbor, MI 48106-0998. Payment of membership dues Good news, but the next few months our 6,300 total Posts ordered these eye- includes $1.98 for a year’s subscription to VFW magazine. will be critical. By April 1, I want VFW catching items. CHANGE OF ADDRESS/DECEASED MEMBER to be at 97 percent membership. It’s obvious why this recruiting [email protected] 1-833-839-8387 Forward address changes to: So how are we going to meet these endeavor is important, and our presence Member Service Center, VFW, 406 W. 34th St., Kansas City, MO 64111. lofty goals? on Capitol Hill this month illustrates Be sure to furnish your old ad dress, also your Post number, This month, our national this perfectly.