Arizona Veterans Connection - Vol 1, Issue 1

Providing a forum for veterans to share information, resources, and events important to the veterans and their families of Arizona.

Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor Pearl Harbor

Remembrance DayRemembrance DayRemembrance DayRemembrance Day

50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War

3rd Annual Commemoration Dinner

Military Museums

Museum Guide

Salute The Fallen World War II Memorial Dedication

First Edition � First Issue

Inside this issue:

Staff Box

Marion Cartland

Publisher - Editor

Photographer

Jay Myers

Technical director

MGySgt Robert A. Flores USMC (Ret.)

Colonel Joe Abodeely USA (Ret.)

Noel Benoist Maj. (Ret.) NSA and MAJ COM

Alice Duckworth

Collections Manager Arizona Capitol Museum

Taylor Arrazola

Photographer Arizona Capitol Museum

Contributors

The El Zaribah Shrine of Phoenix of Arizona has a very special claim that involves veterans. In the context of the Shrine, the Divan is the "board of directors" or "executive council" of the organization, and veteran is the Chief Rabban (First Vice President of the Tem-ple) Chris Hagenian was a member of the Arizona Army National Guard, where he is still an active member as a Human Resources Sergeant for Joint Forces Headquarters in Arizona. There is also George (Z-Klown) Mather; the Assistant Rabban (Second Vice Pres-ident of the Temple), a Vietnam Era Navy Veteran, who is also a life member of the VFW. Tserves as the management team for both fraternal and business activities of the Temple. The Divan (governing board) of Temple El Zaribah members, are veterans represent-ing all 5 services. This is a first according to JC Reese, member of the Divan, which is the elected executive board for the shrine. The five members also share the pursuits of being a part of the largest philanthropic organization in the united states.

Starting with the Potentate (CEO) Gerry Massey, who served as a U.S. Marine and after September 11th, returned to serve his coun-try again and enlisted in the Arizona Air National Guard. The next he High Priest & Prophet (maintains the Symbols and Order) Randy Peters served his country in the Air Force and then finished his career in the Air National Guard. Last but not least J.C. Reece, is the Oriental Guide for the Divan, had started his military career in the United States Navy, but retired from the U.S. Coast Guard. The values that served these veterans continue to serve the goals and mission of the Temple El Zaribah Shiners’.

Gerry Massey Chris Hagenian George Mather Randy Peters J.C. Reece

A Masonic Veteran First!

If you would like to place an

advertisement in this publication,

please contact us at:

[email protected]

Or call 602-885-7038

Visit us on www.h�p://azveteransconnec�on.org/ - h�ps://www.facebook.com/AZVETCON

The Arizona Veterans Connection’s purpose and goal

is to connect veterans and their families with infor-

mation and activities of importance and relevance to

the veteran community. We will be diligent to provide

a platform to share the history and legacy of Arizona

veterans, past, present, and future, ultimately as a

resource to all who serve or have served.

Arizona Veterans Connec�on Page 2

The 2014 Annual Awards Banquet was held

at the Pebble Creek Tuscany, Country Club

in Litchfield Arizona. The event was filled

with commentaries from the Base Com-

mander of Howard Doyle, who opened the fes�vi�es and the

Chaplain; Stan Reinhold gave the welcoming invoca�on. The

Vice Commander Chuck Emmet spoke about “Another Look at

Submarines,” where he shared a humorous story about how

series events of an unfortunate individual. The awards por�on

of the event recognized individual for Longevity and the “2013

Sailor of the Year.” One of the Highlights of the evening was

guest speaker Admiral

Vernon Clark, USN (ret.).

Admiral Clark has had a

long and illustrious naval

career that has spanned

over 37 years, and to the

credit of his

leadership a:aining the

posi�on of Chief of Naval

Opera�ons and a member of the

Joint Chiefs of Staff. His commitment

to duty and steadfast leadership al-

lowed him the dis�nc�on of being

the first service chief to be extended

in office and be the second longest

serving CNO. He gave an inspiring

and dynamic speech about the

events of September 11, 2001, and spoke of the call to ac�on

and mee�ngs that occurred immediately a?er the a:acks. Ad-

miral Clark was presented with a plaque conferring him the �tle

of “Honorary Submariner,” and in apprecia�on of the Admirals

visit, awarded by the Perch Base, Arizona Submarine Veterans.

The evening concluded with the announcement of the results of

the silent auc�on and the “Tolling of the Boats.” Then Howard

Doyle provided closing remarks and extending his apprecia�on

on behalf of the Arizona Submarine Veterans – Perch Base to

Admiral Vernon Clark for a:ending and speaking at the event.

The Chaplain Stan Reinhold presented the benedic�on that con-

cluded the evening’s event.

Joe Miller is a volunteer at Lib-erty Wildlife, an animal rescue and rehabilitation group in Scottsdale, Arizona. Joe has been an active part of the or-ganization for the past 28 years working primarily with avian

like the eagles and falcons as well as many other animals. Joe comes from a long line of veterans in his family and feels very strongly to support veteran’s events throughout the state by bring-ing the eagle for the public to see. He and Aurora have participat-ed in many events as well as the Veterans Day parade in Gilbert. Joe’s connection with Aurora allows him to take her too many events around the state where others get the opportunity to expe-rience the majestic beauty of the symbol of our nation. The public events are mostly to educate the public about Bald eagles and wildlife and the wildlife rescue mission. There is no charge for their participation in events the main focus is to educate and in-

spire, however donations are always welcome.

Joe got involved with his first visit to the rescue facility to do maintenance for the organization, where he met “Apache”. Apache is a Golden eagle who was hit by a semi truck and sus-tained injuries to both wings and a concussion. He played a big part in the eagle’s rehabilitation and care. The eagle also stole his heart to continue his volunteer efforts at Liberty Wildlife. Apache still resides at the sanctuary to this day, but was never able to fly again. Aurora a bald eagle who was rescued 13 years ago in Wis-consin, when she was only 10 weeks old. Her left eye was punc-tured with a twig while still in her nest. Wildlife experts who were monitoring the nest saw and observed that after two days of her falling out of the nest that she needed help. With the injury to the eye they decided to step in and rescue Aurora who had been eventually abandoned by her mother. The bird stayed at the recue center in Wisconsin for 9 years before they decided to place her at Liberty Wildlife. Aurora became too attached to her caregiver,

which slowed down the process of the eagle becoming independ-ent. Joe has developed a unique bond with the eagle and has been

one of her caregivers since.

Liberty Wildlife is a 501 (c ) 3 not for profit organization dedicat-ed to nurturing the nature of Arizona throughout wildlife rehabili-tation, environmental education and conservation services for the community. They are mainly a volunteer based organization of approximately 250-300 volunteers and a small staff. In 2013 Lib-erty Wildlife and its volunteers rescued 3700 injured or orphaned animals, assisting the state with rehabilitation of native species, specializing in avian, reptile, amphibian and small mammal spe-cies. Liberty Wildlife provides first class educational programs using trained handlers/teachers using well-conditioned education-al raptors who have been deemed non-releasable. They recently provided over 827 programs a year at 488 different venues using over 50 different raptors, tortoises, and snakes. Attention is given to conservation and sustainability, state standards, age appropri-ateness, particular educational requests, and the enhancing of

attitudes like compassion and engagement.

If you like to make arrangements to have Joe and Aurora partici-pate in one of your events, please contact them at: [email protected] via email or call 480-998-5550. They will need at least 4-6 week notice and gear more towards adult

events.

Living Symbol of Freedom

Page 3

Arizona Submarine Veterans – Perch Base

Annual Awards Banquet January 24, 2014

Arizona Veterans Connec�on

The Arizona Military Museum combines the humanities of history, art, and prose. Its mission is to honor and enhance the appreciation of the military history of Arizona—the militia, Arizona National Guard, and the military service of Arizo-nans to the state and nation. Its numerous awards by the Phoenix New Times, Daughters of American Revolution, Arizo-na Historical Society, and Museums Association of Arizona have recognized accomplishments for civic engagement, exhibit displays, narratives, and special projects and events.

An all-volunteer, nonprofit association, and an official activity of the Arizona National Guard through a memorandum of understanding, the museum is an official Partner of the Department of Defense Commemoration of the Vietnam War Project and an Official Arizona Centennial Legacy Project. It is recognized by the Center of Military History, certified by the Arizona Historical Society, a member of Museums Association of Arizona, and Central Arizona Museum Associ-ation.

In conjunction with the DOD Vietnam War Commemoration, the museum hosted a Vietnam Art Exhibition from Octo-ber through December 2013, featuring paintings, drawings, sculptures, and other works of art created by Vietnam veter-ans and other fine artists. The exhibition was co-hosted by the Arizona Military Museum, Jim Covarrubias (a Vietnam veteran) of Ariztlan, and John Fontana, Founder, Arizona Art Alliance who were instrumental in securing over 30 partic-ipating artists. The exhibition closed with an event hosted by three chapters of the Daughters of American Revolution. The museum now proudly presents a special collection of Vietnam related art.

Located in the historic “Old Arsenal Building” built 1936-37 (on Historic Registry) in Phoenix, Arizona, the museum has 6,500 square feet for displays and a unique Vietnam War room. The Courier, its official publication, is distributed to His-torical Society members with issues posted on line on the National Guard website

<http://www.azdema.gov/museum/index.html>.

The museum impacts the military/veterans community and the general public through education and attendance and re-sponse at patriotic holidays and veterans’ events. Museum hours: 1-4 p.m., Saturdays and Sundays. Admission is free.

Arizona Military Museum Vietnam Art Exhibition Colonel Joseph E. Abodeely, USA (Ret)

Director, Arizona Military museum

Page 4 Arizona Veterans Connec�on

Page 5

ARIZONA MILITARY MUSEUM VIETNAM ART


By Noel Benoist (Major Retired from NSA and MAJ COM)

This question is a bit like “to be or not to be” and big compa-nies along with some politicians would like people to think it is more like “much ado about nothing”. This story centers around a day I will always remember and the words that are so ALIVE today! While there are a number of days we Vi-etnam Veterans will always remember there are those few that stand out from all the rest. For every Vietnam Veteran I am sure that day is just like my day. It was and is my first day “in the bush”. I was in “Black Ops” and we would go in for a quick helicopter drop that was supposed to be 12 feet off the ground with no ropes just jump tuck and role then run for cover. It was considered to be the least exposure to sur-rounding danger like sniper fire. The immediate cover we went for was “the bush” known to civilians as the jungle.

I was the leader for our intel seeking group and for me I was first out and in because I wanted to protect my men and of course I was sure I was invincible. There was just no way I was going to die before my time and I qualified expert with just about everything we had. My records would be doc-tored later and I would be discharged as an Arts and Crafts specialist which I thought was rather funny at the time. Our job was an art and you had to be crafty. We did not acknowledge the presence of a spy in a war zone and we did not discharge a spy as such. That would be asking for trouble. We got a medal and said “this and a dime will buy me a cup of coffee” because we knew it would not be in our official record. I say this not to complain but to set the stage for what comes next.

I hit the ground and heard my teeth slam together from hard ground that was supposed to be soft then I did my tuck and role springing into t run for the bush. I het the edge of cover and surveyed the area while the rest of my team jumped and followed. All was quiet so we slipped deeper into the jungle and stood up under the cover of thick trees and un-derbrush. I looked at a big leaf that was a young rubber tree and the leaf looked plastic and artificial. I put my hand out and rubbed across the leaf then looked at a very oily sub-stance all over my hand. I asked, “What is this?”

One of the old timers said, “Agent Orange sir. It is a defoli-ant sprayed to kill the underbrush so we can see the enemy better.”

“OH GREAT”, I replied. “What is this going to do to US?”

“It is not supposed to do anything to us sir, it just affects the plants.”

“Ya, RIGHT; WATCH what we start turning up with in ten

to twenty years! That is their cover story but they don’t have it all over their hands like I do. My bet is we pay a price for this and so will our children. OK, Lets move out.”

As we headed off in our direction I wiped my hands off on my black fatigues and shook my head as I got mental pic-tures of future health problems I felt were sure to come. In my position I knew how people were only numbers to the high command I was now a member of. I did not know it then but the results started to show in only a year or so. I started having a tingling feeling in my hands and feet. Now it is called Peripheral Neuropathy. I also started dealing with itching and an occasional rash. Later I found I sustained nerve damage that had an affect on my hearing and the Veterans’ Medical staff said it is not reversible. They do not pay compensation for it though unless a Veteran is near deaf. Corporate heads and politicians who got money and power by the use of Agent Orange insisted it did nothing to any of us. Then Etna Insurance got tired of paying medical claims and they filed a court action that resulted in opening the door to more truths about Agent Orange.

STILL NOT EXPOSED and compensated for, to the best of my knowledge, is the birth defects our children suffer. Mine have birth defects and what is now called genetic defects from my injuries caused by Agent Orange. The companies, VA, and politicians involved will undoubtedly be deny all of this! So how do we take care of it? How do we prevent things like this in the future? I will tell you how!

For things like this there should be no more participation by a Limited Liability Company allowed and no more corporate only liabilities. Companies just pass on the costs and pun-ishment to the public and they keep going and doing what they do without regard to the lives affected! MAKE corpo-rate heads AND politicians PERSONALLY liable. Take their retirement and property purchased with their ill gotten gain and give it to the victims. STOP attorneys who portray a lie as truth and cover their ploy with so called ethics of “the best prosecution or defense of the client”. IF an attorney knows or reasonably should have know their presentation was and is a lie make the attorney liable too. Get back to the Spirit and Intent of the law and teach lawyers it is NOT “the game of law” as I have often heard it referred to. The answer is TRUE accountability all the way to the top! Not even the President of the United States should be exempt from the law the way they are today!

Vietnam Vets need to know:

Agent Orange effects can come 30 years

or more after exposure.

Agent Orange Or Alive & Outraged?

U.S. Huey helicopter spraying Agent Orange over Vietnam


Agent Orange was one of a class of color-coded herbicides that

U.S. forces sprayed over the rural landscape in Vietnam from 1961

to 1971 to defoliate trees and shrubs and kill food crops that were

providing cover and food to opposition forces. It was a 50/50 mix-

ture of two herbicides: 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T. It remained toxic for only

days or weeks and then degraded, but it had a toxic contaminant,

dioxin, that did not degrade as readily and is still causing health

problems in Vietnam.

About 60 percent of the herbicides used in Vietnam was Agent Or-

ange. More than 43 million litres (11.4 million gallons) of it were

used from 1962-1970. More than 30 million litres (about 8 million

gallons) of Agent White, Blue, Purple, Pink and Green were also

sprayed. The concentrations were 20 to 55 times normal agricultur-

al use for killing plants. Estimates of the amount of dioxin in the

herbicides vary because each manufacturer and each batch of

2,4,5-T had different levels of the dioxin contaminant.

The first test spraying occurred August 10, 1961. The U.S. Air

Force aerial spraying program, Operation Hades (later renamed Op-

eration Ranch Hand), took place from January 1962 until February

1971, largely from C-123 cargo planes. That accounted for 95 per-

cent of the herbicides sprayed. The U.S. Chemical Corps and other

allied forces sprayed the remaining 5 percent from helicopters,

trucks and by hand, mostly to clear brush around military base

perimeters.

The herbicides were sprayed over about 24 percent of southern Vietnam, destroying 5 million acres of up-

land and mangrove forests and about 500,000 acres of crops (a total area the size of Massachusetts). Of

these areas, 34 percent were sprayed more than once; some of the upland forests were sprayed more than

four times. One study found that 3,181 villages were sprayed as well. Areas

of Laos and Cambodia near the Vietnam border were also sprayed. The U.S.

government stopped the spraying of all herbicides in October 1971, but the

South Vietnamese military continued spraying various chemicals until 1972.

The production of Agent Orange was halted in the 1970s. Existing stocks

were collected and destroyed by incineration, and it is no longer used. The

Lifespan of Dioxin: The half-life of dioxin depends on its location. In human

bodies the half-life is 11–15 years, though it can be as high as 20 years. In

the environment, the half-life varies depending on the type of soil and the

depth of penetration. Sun will break down dioxin, so on leaf and soil surfaces

it will last 1–3 years, depending on conditions. Dioxin buried or leached un-

der the surface or deep in the sediment of rivers and other bodies of water

can have a half-life of more than 100 years.

h�p://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/index.asp

h�p://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/loca�ons/vietnam.asp

View spraying missions in Vietnam by date and loca�on

U.S. troops, Vietnamese na�onals exposed to dangerous chemicals By Jason Gro�o

The map can be used to see defoliant spraying missions by U.S. and South Vietnamese forces over Vietnam, as well as Laos

and Cambodia. The missions began in summer 1961 and ended more than a decade later, in spring 1971.

Clicking and dragging on the �meline at the bo�om of the map lets you view the spraying missions as they took place over

months and years. You also can zoom in on a par�cular town or area by entering its name in the search box. Once you have

found the spraying missions you are looking for, you can click on the lines on the map to get more details about the missions,

such as the number of legs, or runs, the number of gallons and the type of defoliant.

h�p://www.chicagotribune.com/chi-091204-agentorange-map%2c0%2c2014263.htmlpage

You can also visit a local website at: h�p://www.vvaarizona.org/ao.php


For addi�onal informa�on visit the websites listed below:


Event objective; To thank and honor veterans who served in the Vietnam War, including personnel who were held as prisoners of war or listed as missing in action, for their service and sacrifice on behalf of the United States and to thank and honor the families of these veterans.

Over 430 people attended the 3rd annual Vietnam Memorial Din-ner at the Scottsdale Plaza Resort in Scottsdale, AZ, to honor those who served in Vietnam. The dinner was organized by Colonel Joe Abodeely USA (Ret.) and sponsored by the Arizona Department of Veterans Services as well as the Arizona Military Museum. The dinner was also a tribute to honor the men and women who served in and during the Vietnam War. The keynote speaker for the event was a U.S. Marine Corps Four Star General Anthony C. Zinni (Ret.). He joined the USMC in 1961 and commissioned a 2nd Lt in the infantry “grunt” of the Marine Corps in 1965. He’s held several staff and command positions throughout his career. His military service has taken him to over 70 countries with two tours in Vietnam, where he received wounds. The general during his military career assisted in many Security Operations and Emergen-cy Operations in support of the United States interests abroad. He also spoke of his experiences in Vietnam and the honorable ser-vice of those who served during the Vietnam war in combat.

General Zinni was very involved heavily in the Gulf War, Opera-tion Enduring Freedom, Operation Iraqi Freedom, and many other campaigns. His awards include the Bronze Star with combat “V”. Purple Heart, the MSM (Meretricious Service Medal), Navy Achievement Medal, Combat Action Ribbon with several stars for various combat campaigns and various other personal awards from Vietnam, France, Italy, Egypt, Ku-wait, Yemen, Bahrain. He holds 37 unit, service and campaign awards to his name, which only represents a portion his career spanning 35 years of dedicated ser-vice to our country. Arizona Department of Veteran Services Di-rector Ted Vogt spoke about the importance to honor all our veter-ans and our Vietnam veterans as well as other veteran events.

Joey Strickland, the former Director of AVSD (Arizona Depart-ment of Veterans Services) was also an honored guest at the event, a true supporter of all the Veterans, especially the Vietnam Veter-ans. Strickland is still remembered as the one of those who initial-ly assisted Joe Abodeely with these dinners and various Vietnam

Events. Secre-tary of State Ken Bennett also spoke to the Vietnam Veterans in attendance,

acknowledging their service

and duty. The flags and colors of the United States and Vietnam were presented by a South Vietnamese Color Guard unit.

At the conclusion of the ceremony Major General Le Minh Dao and Director Ted Vogt presented all of the Vietnam veteran at-tendees at the dinner with a “50th Anniversary Commemoration of the Vietnam War” coin in honor of their service. There were over 110 members of the South Vietnamese community at the dinner, which fought alongside the American military, up to and during when South Vietnam fell. Major General Le Minh Dao (Ret), spoke very passionately of his experiences during and after the Vietnam War. The General spoke of and after the fall of Vietnam, over 1 million Vietnamese were sent to re-education camps. He also spoke of spending 17 years in prison before finding freedom in America. He thanked the American military for their efforts to save South Vietnam from communist North Vietnam.

He said of the American service members,

“They fought like lions!"

50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War

Commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War at the 3rd annual Vietnam Dinner

From the le�: Joe Abodeely, Major General Le Minh Dao, General Zinni.

WHO ARE OUR VETERANS? During General Zinni’s speech he mentioned his visit to the Vietnam memorial in Washington DC, when a young person walked up to him and asked what his definition is of a veteran. This was his response; WE ARE THE MEN AND WOMEN WHO ANSWERED OUR NATION"S CALL TO DUTY

OUR CORE VALUES ARE LOYALTY, RESPECT, BROTHERHOOD, DUTY, TRUST, HONOR, AND SERVICE

WE SWORE AN OATH TO THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA-THE CON-CEPT AND IDEAL THAT DEFINES US AS AMERICANS

WE PUT OUR LIVES ON THE LINE FOR OUR FAMILY, OUR FAITH, OUR FRIENDS, OUR FREEDOM, AND OUR FLAG

WE FOUGHT FOR THE RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS THAT MAKE OUR COUNTRY SO GREAT AND SO DIFFERENT

WE NEVER LOST RESPECT FOR OUR FLAG, OUR COUNTRY, OUR VALUES, OR FOR EACH OTH-ERWE WILL NEVER FORGET OUR BUDDIES WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES, THEIR LIMBS, OR THEIR WELL-BEING FOR US AND FOR YOU

WE RETURNED HOME, WITH FEWER IN OUR RANKS, NOT SEEKING GLORY BUT SEEKING RE-SPECT

WE CAME HOME OLDER, WISER, AND LESS INOCENT BUT WITH A FAR GREATER APPRECIATION FOR WHAT WE HAVE HERE IN THIS GREAT LAND

WE ARE PROUD OF OUR SERVICE AND WOULD DO IT AGAIN

WE ASK ALL AMERICANS TO REMEMBER THE SACRIFICES OF OUR BROTHERS AND SISTERS AND TO HONOR THE TITLE "VETERAN"

By GENERAL A. C. ZINNI

Anthony Charles Zinni is a retired United States Marine Corps general and a former Commander in Chief of the United States Central Command (CENTCOM). In 2002, he was selected to be a special envoy for the United States to Israel and the Palestinian Authority.

REMEMBRANCE ABOUT THE VIETNAM

WAR

By: ARVN Major General Le Minh Dao (Ret.)

General Anthony Zinni,

Ladies and Gentlemen:

First and foremost, I would like to thank the Organizing Committee for this event for giving me the opportunity to return to this great state of ARIZONA, and most importantly for allowing me to meet the Veterans of the Viet Nam War and my fellow Vietnamese soldiers of the ARVN: I always respect and appreciate all of you.

The great President Ronald Reagan, who forced the Soviet Unions to abandon the arms race, brought down the Berlin Wall

and ended the Cold War at the bargaining table and not on the battle-fields, had this to say about the Viet Nam War:

“The Viet Nam War was not so much a war as it was one long battle in an ongoing war, the war in defense of the freedom which is still under assault. This battle was lost not by those brave American and South Vietnamese troops who were waging it, but by political mis-judgments and strategic failures at the highest levels of Govern-ment”. I value and agree wholeheartedly with Col. (ret.) Joseph E. Abodeely on his remark on Vietnam:

“Viet Nam veterans were treated like war criminals and made "scapegoats" when they returned home after risking life and limb and psyche for their country. The media and Congress contributed greatly to this, but they have never admitted their guilt and have never treated the Vietnam veterans as the heroes they really were. Instead, they made "heroes" out of the victims of the war such as draft dodgers and anti-war protestors”

During my 22 years serving in the ARMY, I had many opportunities to fight alongside the American troops, in the 3rd and 4th Tactical Zones, and I had witnessed the bravery of the American Troops. They fought like lions and they died like medieval warriors. At their return to the rear base, to continue with their civic duties in the paci-fication tasks, in various Rural Development Programs, the Ameri-can troops had accomplished above and beyond the regular soldier’s mission. The American Troops were the ambassadors of Peace, of Love and of Humanity. They had won the heart and mind of the Peo-ple. The People of South Viet Nam are forever grateful to the Ameri-can soldiers, who embody the Values of a True American.

I would like to mention a very important point that we want to re-member: The American Soldier had won all the battles in the Viet Nam War! During the Anti-War period happening under Nixon’s presidency, the media had poisoned public opinion with these defeat-ing slogans of “Bring Our Troops Home”

When the U.S. soldiers came home from the War they were treated unfairly: they were insulted, ignored, and they never had a welcome home parade! But the Veterans of the Viet Nam War had suffered through all this with great DIGNITY.

For the Vietnam Veterans, some had continued their military careers, becoming Leaders in their fields, some had risen to be valued Offic-ers, Generals! Some had retired from their military careers, and start-ed new careers in Politics, becoming Leaders in the Administrative, Legislative and Judicial branches. The American Viet Nam Veterans are contributing to this country tremendously.

We shouldn’t forget the Veterans of the Viet Nam War who were traumatized by their experience in that far away land: they couldn’t adjust to this “new country” that had sent them there by the draft system, and had rejected them after they accomplished their duties…

These Veterans had faded from the News. They suffered in silence, losing their spouses, their families, their childhood friends that they had left to go to war. They became homeless or just were forgotten!

NOW is the time to recognize the True Value of the Veterans of the Viet Nam. It’s better late than never to request the American people to show their appreciation of the sacrifice of the Vietnam Veterans. They are our true Heroes!

About the Soldiers of the Republic of Viet Nam

The majority of them are farmers, honest laborers in an underdevel-oped country. Even though these soldiers are poor in material things, they are rich in their LOVE of the Motherland. They fought against the Communist aggressors from the day the Communist Movement had taken hold of North Viet Nam in 1945 until the whole country was invaded by the Communists in 1975.

Until the American and Allied troops came to Viet Nam they had fought side by side with the ARVN.

The ARVN usually went to battles with a half full stomach. Their sacrifices were enormous: around 270,000 soldiers were killed; more than 700,000 were wounded, in a country with 21 million people during that period. Just as the American soldiers, the Vietnamese soldiers didn’t lose any battle.

When the Paris Accord was signed in 1973, very swiftly, to allow the American troops to withdraw from Viet Nam and to bring the P.O.W.’s home, the Communists from the North had still remained in the South. Then the U.S. Congress had voted to end any kind of AID to Vietnam, they had signed the DEATH Penalty to Viet Nam. The Vietnamese Soldiers had continued to fight to the very end, up to April 30, 1975. With the collapse of South Viet Nam, the whole country fell in complete darkness. The ARVN were punished severe-ly in the so-called Reeducation Camps.

President Ronal Reagan remarked:

“…Ending a conflict is not so simple, not just calling it off and com-ing home, because the price for that kind of Peace could be a thou-sand years of darkness for generation’s Viet Nam born”

Ladies and Gentlemen:

I came to the U.S.A. to re-unify with my family on April 1993, after suffering for 17 years of extreme revenge in the hands of Com-munists from North Viet Nam!

At Dulles Airport, VA, a female news anchor asked me about my impression when coming to America. I answered right away “I just escaped from Hell on Earth and reached Heaven on Earth”

Three weeks after that, I went to visit the Viet Nam War Memorial at Washington, D.C. I strolled around the Black Wall for many hours, the Wall that commemorated over 58,000 Fallen Heroes of USA. I remembered their bravery during their fights for my beloved coun-try. I remembered these P.O.W.’s and M.I.A’s still in Viet Nam, without a chance to come home…

I stood in front of Col Jack Taylor Demsey who was killed in 1967, and Captain Lyell Francis King, killed in 1966. They were my com-rades-in-arms at the 4th Tactical Zone and I whispered:

” I will never forget you, my friends. Viet Nam will always remem-ber and admire you”. Saying those words, tears streamed down my face.

Peace be with you all. God bless our great nation, the United States of America.



Arizona Capitol Museum’s New WWII

Exhibit, Defense to Development

The first phase

of the new

exhibit,

"Defense to

Develop-

ment."

opened on

December 7,

2013. It pro-

vides interpre-

ta�on and

context for

the new

World War II memorial in Wesley Bolin Plaza. The memorial in-

cludes a large gun from the USS Arizona and another from the

USS Missouri, the ship where Japan surrendered. These symbols

of the beginning and end of WWII for the United States serve as

an ongoing salute to the fallen servicemen. The exhibit itself

features Arizona's only publically available interac�ve Touch

Table, which showcases all the memorials and monuments in

and around the Capitol. In addi�on, there are ar�facts, pictures,

videos and much more showcasing Arizona's role in the WWII

effort, and detailing our growth a?er the war. Visit the Arizona

Capitol Museum at 1700 W. Washington or our website:

h:p://www.azlibrary.gov/museum for more about our current

exhibits and coming events.

This exhibit’s story is dear to my heart as both of my in-laws

served during the war. On the home front, my medically disa-

bled father spent the war building tanks. In order to con�nue to

tell this important story of the effect of the war on Arizonans

and the significant "Development" of this state through

"Defense," the Arizona Capitol Museum is asking for your finan-

cial aid for phase two of the exhibit. Come see the exhibit and

make the decision to support it. Become involved in educa�ng

people from all over Arizona and the world about how WWII

changed us as a state and a people.

To help send your tax-deduc�ble contribu�ons to: Arizona State

Capitol Museum Guild, A:en�on Guild Treasurer, 1700 West

Washington Street, Phoenix, AZ 85007. Checks should be made

payable to the Arizona State

Capitol Museum Guild and indi-

cate your support of the exhibit.

By Alice Duckworth, ACM Col-

lec�ons Manager (602-926-

3623)

As Collec�ons Manager, Duck-

worth works hard at preserving,

inventorying and adding ar�-

facts the museum’s collec�ons

that help present the history of

Arizona and especially Arizona

State Government.

WWII MEMORIAL AT WESLEY BOLIN PLAZA

Photo: Taylor Arrazola

BB-63 USS Missouri 16 inch shell BB– USS Arizona 14 inch shell

Photo: Taylor Arrazola

After nearly three years of planning, negotiating, and personal commitment the hard work and tire-less efforts resulted in a historical event for the World War II veterans of Arizona. The memorial features the gun barrels pointing toward downtown along W. Washington Street, with the mounting of a series of nine steel beams standing upright between them, bearing the names of the more than 2,000 Arizonans who died in World War II. The memorial is located between the anchor and mast from the USS Arizona, with the Arizona’s gun representing the beginning of the war and the Missouri’s gun representing the war’s end. The hard work of many volunteers and organiza-tions were critical in making the event a reality. The project was funded and supported by donations from private parties and companies desiring to en-sure the history of Arizona. The Secretary of State Ken Bennett spent many hours of his personal time to support this effort in the memory of our Word War II veterans and Ari-zona history. Mr. Bennett was also putting in his own sweat equity at many events during the pro-cess of getting the guns prepared, moved and dedi-cated. On Saturday December 7th, 2013, the World War II memorial with the guns from the USS Arizona and USS Missouri were officially dedicated, in the presence of veterans from World War II to the cur-rent conflict in the Middle East. The crowds num

bered in the thousands that heard the words and speeches from the and supporters that helped to commemorate the awe inspiring memorial. The importance of the 2 barrels selected for the event were chosen to reflect the beginning and ending of World War II. The 14 inch gun from the battleship USS Arizona which was selected to identify that faithful day December 7th, 1941 in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The 16 inch gun from the battleship USS Missouri that represented the end of World War II, with the unconditional surrender of Japan on Sep-tember 2nd, 1945. The two guns will stand as testa-ment to those who fell in support for the country during World War II in service to their country .

One of the highlights of the commemoration was the flyover of the B-17 “Sentimental Journey” of the CAF Airbase Arizona, based at Falcon Field. In support of the event as well, the CAF provided eight tickets for flights on the B-17, the drawing was spon-sored by the Phoenix Rotary 100, to raise pub-lic aware-ness of the commemo-ration and dedication event.


Pearl Harbor Remembrance

WORLD WAR II SALUTE THE FALLEN

As part of a tradition the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Commu-nity's memorial flag arrived at the Capitol on December 7th, 2013. Madame President placed the flag in the Capitol rotunda with an honor guard. This special flag which flew over the USS Arizona Memorial was gifted to the American Legion Post 114 “Bushmasters” of the Salt River Pima Maricopa Indian Community. It was presented on behalf of the Pearl Harbor Survivors to Post 114 at the Memorial in Hawaii on October 12, 2007 with the personal request that it be unfurled every year on December 7th as a remem-brance. A traditional native ceremony was performed after the presentation at the wall of names. As part of that ceremony, two “Warrior Eagle Feathers” were used to bestow honor to all the men who lost their lives. One feather remained at the Memorial and one resides secured with the flag. The feathers bear the colors of the National Defense Medal. Since 2007, this flag has taken part in cer-emonial unfolding and folding each year. During the unfolding,

combat veterans are among the first to be encircle the flag (Honoring the Band of Brothers). “Gold Star Mothers” or parents of MIA or POW are in the second circle. The third circle is for all vet-erans, and the fourth circle is for all Americans. The unfolded flag is turned clockwise in the four cardinal directions and as soon as the rotation is completed, there is a three volley gun salute and Taps is played as the appropriate Honors to our fall-en. After a moment of silence and prayers said,

the flag is refolded.

USS Arizona Memorial Flag

http://w.gunstosalutethefallen.com/


The Unified Arizona Veterans welcomed the 2013 Inductees

into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame

On Thursday, October 24, 2013, the Unified Arizona Veter-ans welcomed the 2013 inductees into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame, at the El Zaribah Shrine Auditorium. The fes-tivities started at 6 p.m. with a social hour were guests had wonderful time meeting and talking with the inductees. Phoe-nix news anchor Rick DeBruehl was the master of ceremonies for the event. Miss Arizona’s Outstanding Teen, Maddie Rose Holler performed the national anthem. Chaplin Bob “Bo” Bohach (AVHOF 2003) gave the invocation. A video was featured explaining the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame and the Nomination process. Jerry Wojtas (AVHOF 2011) gave the presentation of the William Owen “Buckey” O’Neil award. There was a video about the Joe Foss Institute and their mission. Phil Hanson introduced Governor Jan Brewer, where she spoke to the events attendees. The Arizona Veter-ans Award was presented to the Joe Foss institute and accept-ed by Donna “Didi” Foss, the wife of the late Joe Foss. Rick Romley recognized the 2013 AVHOF inductees. Governor Brewer pinned the inductees with the AZHOF lapel pin in recognition of their induction.

The luncheon part of the induction ceremonies took place on Friday, October 25, 2014, started at 10:30 a.m. with a social hour before the “Call to Order” was made by AVHOF Presi-dent Rick Romley at 11:30a.m. The Master of ceremonies for the luncheon was Doug Meehan, a local news personality. Presentation of the Colors was done by the Marcos De Niza High School JROTC. Medal of Honor recipient Fred Fergu-son (AVHOF 2000) gave the Pledge of Allegiancen. The Na-tional Anthem and a Taps Tribute performed by Dr. Jesse McGuire. The Governor’s Proclamation was presented and read by John Sentz (AVHOF 2009) on Governor Jan Brew-er’s behalf. The Arizona Department of Veterans Affairs Di-rector, Ted Vogt spoke to attendees as well as presenting the Class Plaque. Rick Romley (AVHOF 2007).and Rob Welch of the AVHOF, read the Bios of the 2013 inductees to the Hall of Fame. Bob Delker (AVHOF 2008) presented the clos-ing remarks and announcements. The luncheon concluded with a musical encore performed by

Marshal Trimble (AVHOF 2004).


The annual Patriotic Gala (formerly known as the Copper Sword) was held on Wednesday, February 12, 2014 by the Arizona Vet-erans Hall of Fame Society at the Phoenix Airport Marriott Ho-tel. The master of ceremonies for the evening’s event was local news anchor Rick Debruhl. The Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society presented the Copper Sword award to Mr. Donald Brandt, CEO of Pinnacle West and Arizona Public Service (APS), was accepted by his wife Ginger, who thanked everyone on his behalf. The Copper Shield award was presented to Arizona State Representative, the Honorable Jonathan Larkin. The Cop-per Eagle award which is a new award to recognize organizations that support veterans was presented to Salt River Project (SRP), accepted by Mr. John Hoopes, Vice-President of SRP.

One of many highlights of the evening was the presentation of Copper Lamp of Knowledge Scholarships, where three high school students from local high schools and a member of the military currently attending college. The high school students are participants in the Veterans Heritage Project, which is an organi-zation dedicated to connecting students with veterans in order to record and preserve the stories of their service to our nation in the US Library of Congress for future generations.

This year’s recipients were Anastasia Cossette of Ironwood Ridge High School in Tucson, Michael Zucker of Chaparral High School in Scottsdale, and Ashley Durham of Cactus Shadows High School in Phoenix. The veteran student to receive a scholar-ship was Sergeant First Class David Heil of the Army National Guard attending Coconino Community College in Flagstaff. The Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society presented $9000 this year in college scholarships as part of the Copper Lamp of Knowledge, and $21000 to date to students.

The attendees enjoyed the presentations to the awardees as well as musical entertainment provided by the Gilbert High School Wind Ensemble. The musicians also played the National Anthem and patriotic music for everyone’s enjoyment. Medal of Honor Recipient Fred Ferguson led the audience in the Pledge of Alle-giance. The service songs of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps and Coast Guard were played, which allowed members of each branch to stand and be recognized for their service. The colors were very ceremoniously posted and retired by the Arizo-na State University ROTC Color Guard.

Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame Society Patriotic Gala


Pearl Harbor Survivors Honor Flight

B17 Sentimental Journey

The Commemorative Air Force Airbase Arizona Aviation Museum, (formerly known as the CAF Arizona Wing), located at

Falcon Field in Mesa, Arizona. The CAF started Veterans Day weekend with a special Honor Flight on Thursday morning,

November 7, 2013 at 11:00 A.M. They paid tribute to four survivors of the December 7, 1941 surprise attack on U.S. mili-

tary installations at Pearl Harbor, on the island of Oahu in Hawaii. The four survivors Lambert Modder, US Navy, Nelson

Mitchell , US Navy, Albert Thomas, US Army Air Corps/US Army Air Force, Jack Holder PHS and Midway survivor and

Arizona's Secretary of State Ken Bennett, boarded the Airbase Arizona's fully-restored Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress

bomber (known world-wide as "Sentimental Journey") for a flight over Arizona's deserts and lakes in the northeast valley.

The Commemorative Air Force hosted a dinner with the Legends on Thursday, November 8th at the Hilton in Mesa. The dinner was to honor our military aviation veterans from all services from World War II through Vietnam.

In attendance were representatives of The Tuskegee Airmen, Pearl Harbor Survivors, WASPs, as well as fighter aces and bomber crews and many others.

Dinner with the Legends

Ms. Lee Doerr, Women’s Air Force Services (WASP) – Pilot Tuskegee Airmen with Pearl Harbor Survivor Nelson Mitchell , US Navy.

From left: Capt. Tom Leard,

LTC Michael Cowan, Bob Kruse.


The Commemorative Air Force's ("CAF") Airbase Arizona Avia-tion Museum (formerly known as the CAF Arizona Wing), is located at Falcon Field in Mesa honored the 2014 Inductees into the Arizona Military Aviation Walk of Honor as a tribute recog-nizing the distinguished contributions made by these Arizonans to the field of military aviation. The four Inductees include: Lieu-tenant Ralph Ambrose O'Neill, World War I fighter ace (1896-

1980); Major General Carl G. Schneider (USAF, ret.), veteran Korean War jet fighter and Command Pilot and gunnery expert; Barrett Tillman, famed aviation historian and author; and Rear Admiral Hugh Dennis Wisely (USN, ret.), Vietnam War Naval fighter pilot, Captain of the aircraft carrier U.S.S. John F. Kenne-dy and one-time Air Boss of the Navy's Blue Angels demonstra-tion team (1980-1981). Inductees are native, resident or former resident Arizonans, living or deceased, who have made notewor-thy contributions to the field of military aviation. They are select-ed based upon prominent achievement in a variety of categories, including flying, engineering, manufacturing, operations, educa-tion or other commendable aviation-related accomplishment. These four Inductees that were honored with the installation of a special copper plaque along the promenade walkway into the Museum. The induction was celebrated at the dinner recognizing these honorees on Saturday evening, February 8, 2014 in the Mu-seum's Exhibition Facility. The dinner ceremony was preceded with a cocktail hour that allowed attendees to socialize a little

before dinner. The colors were presented by the Air Force ROTC Detachment 025 from Arizona State University. After the dinner the induction ceremony commenced with Mr. Larry Turner the Commander of the CAF Airbase Arizona, announcing and pre-senting the inductees. The Museum's aircraft collection and ex-hibits were available for viewing during the cocktail hour. Briga-dier General Michael D. Rothstein, Commander, 56th Fighter Wing, Luke Air Force Base, was the keynote speaker at the cere-mony. Now in its 35th year of operation as the premiere aviation attrac-tion in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area, the Aviation Museum is operated by Airbase Arizona (formerly the CAF Arizona Wing, now honored to be the first designated Airbase of the CAF). Or-ganized in 1978 as the Arizona chapter of the Commemorative Air Force, the mission of Airbase Arizona is to restore and pre-serve historically important aircraft and related memorabilia in order to educate the public about the significant contributions made by men and women in the defense of the Nation. Airbase Arizona is home base to a unique collection of twenty historic warbirds, including the famed, fully restored "Sentimental Jour-ney", one of the few remaining World War II-era B-17 Flying Fortress bombers still flying today, and "Maid in the Shade", a veteran B-25 Mitchell bomber that saw action in the Mediterra-nean Theater of Operations in World War II.

ARIZONA MILITARY AVIATION WALK OF HONOR

Page 16


On February 8th the Buckeye Air Fair took place at the Buck-eye Municipal Airport. The Bales Elementary School Band performed during the opening

ceremony and the US

Naval Sea Cadets provided a color guard. Buckeye's mayor,

the Honorable Mayor Jackie Meck gave the opening speech.

Secretary of State Ken Bennett presented a certificate of recogni-tion to the Archer Ragsdale Arizona Chapter of the Tuskegee

Airmen accepted by their Senior President David Toliver.

The Tuskegee Airmen also newly created the “Tuskegee Airmen Motorcycle Club” and many of their members were in attend-

ance.

Every community has or should have its own home town hero. Buckeye, Arizona is blessed to have had an entire family that proudly served their community, state and country. The eldest son, John enlisted in the U.S. Naval Reserve 19 February 1941. On 3 April he became a “gung ho” naval aviator. Fast forward to

4 June 1942, SBD dive bomber pilot Ensign John C. Butler, and

the VB-3 squadron of the Yorktown launched an attack against

the Japanese aircraft carrier fleet in the “Battle of Midway.”

It became the battle that changed the war.

After several Japanese carriers were sunk Ens. Butler and the VB-3 Squadron went after the wounded Japanese carrier Hiryu. In the process Ens. Butler was shot down during the attack and lost at sea. He was posthumously awarded the silver cross and a destroyer escort class of ships was named in his honor, the USS

John C Butler Destroyer Escort (DE).

Ens. John C Butler Memorial Field was added to Buckeye

Municipal Airport’s name in honor to the hometown hero, and Saturday February 8, 2014, was dedicated as Ens. John C Butler

Day in Buckeye, Arizona.

The Air Fair featured aviation demonstrations, aircraft displays, booths representing the Arizona State Capitol, Lowell Observa-tory, Arizona SciTech Festival, a kid’s zone, food vendors as well as many other activities and demonstration held throughout

the day.

2014 Pearl Harbor Committee Meeting The Pearl Harbor Commi:ee held the first

mee�ng of 2014 and since the WWII commem-

ora�on on December 7th, 2013. The mee�ng

took place on January 23rd, 2014 at the Beacon

Bible Church in Peoria. The mee�ng was lead by

Judy Hatch, who is the chairman of the Pearl

Harbor commi:ee. The a:endees as well as the

members of the commi:ee discussed some of

their observa�ons from the December 7th

event ac�vi�es and talked about lessons

learned to improve future Pearl Harbor day

events. The highlight of the mee�ng occurred

when Dr. Field presented Judy Hatch a plaque from the commi:ee acknowledging her out-

standing leadership, hard work, and dedica�on that helped make the December 7th event the

success it was. The commi:ee meets monthly to plan and prepare for the Pearl Harbor re-

membrance event that will be held at Wesley Bolin plaza annually.

Buckeye Air Fair 2014

Ens. John C. Butler Left:Robert Ashby,Ken Bennett, David Toliver.


After being on the road since November 23 traveling from Flori-da to, Texas to, New Mexico, to Arizona, to California, the John K. Marshall, The DrillMaster, came back home to Arizona. But why travel so much? Educating and training law enforcement and

firefighter honor guard units and also cadet programs.

These cadet programs were mostly JROTC, but in while visiting family in Arizona, The DrillMaster had the honor of spending several days with the Mikel F. Miller Sea Cadets Battalion in Scottsdale over Christmas week and then, in February, there was an evening with the cadets, parents and staff of the Patriot Youth Corps (PYC) and some members of the POW/MIA/KAI Honor

Guard.

The cadets of the PYC had an introduction to drill, taking them through standing at attention, facing movements, taking their first step and some marching. Honor Guard members were given in-struction for the firing party manual, posting the colors and flag

fold. The evening seemed too short as everyone said their good

byes well after the meeting was supposed to have ended and the Drill Master was off to drive to Roswell, NM to spend an afternoon with the New Mexico Military Institute

high school exhibition drill team, Goss Rifles.

http://www.thedrillmaster.org/

John K. Marshall, The DrillMaster, served 20 years in the US Air Force with 14 of those years dedicated to the Air Force Base Honor Guard program. He retired in 2005. When his wife, an Air Force nurse, was stationed at Spangdahlem Air Base in Ger-many, he became the first and only retired member of the Spangdahlem Base Honor Guard after both the officer in charge and non-commissioned officer in charge were eager to have his experience on the team. By joining the Spangdahlem team, he also became the first and only AP3 member in Europe and quite possibly overseas. He has been a member, instructor and/or judge for marching bands, drum and bugle corps, indoor guard and percussion units, military drill teams and honor guard units around the world. In 2009, through DrillMaster Press, he began writing and publishing the first modern books for the military drill world.

PATRIOT YOUTH CORPS COLOR GUARD SERVICES

The Patriot Youth Corps (PYC) is an education –based self-development program for youth ages 6-21. Part of the PYCs functions is to pro-vide support and service to our Nations Veter-ans, Active, and Active Reserve and Retired personnel, as well as a variety of military and Civil organizations. The Standard Service oper-ations are Honor Guards, Parades, Flag-Folding, Flag Retirement, and The POW/MIA Table Ceremony for the holidays and special occa-sions. All of the afore mentioned services are part of the PYCs Service Learning Assistance Projects (SLAP), which supports the core pur-pose of the program in teaching about commu-nity and civic service. If you would like the cadets to provide a Color Guard or Honor Guard service at your organization or group, please feel free to contact them at Program Director Ms. Denette L. Reid (602) 714-2056 office/(480) 720-9004 cell or email [email protected] .

“DESERT WARRIORS OF ARIZONA”

The Desert Warriors of Arizona (DWA) is a local group of veterans who restore, operate and display military vehicles and hardware as part of their mission to of exploring and preserving our military history. They participate in events throughout the state with their military vehicles to maintain awareness of the history and service of our service members. The highlight of the evening’s activities was special guest Nelson Mitchell, Pearl Harbor Survivor. Mr. Mitchell shared some of his thoughts and stories of his service in the Navy and recollec-tions from December 7th, 1941. He was present-ed by Col. Simon, with a special plaque, chal-lenge coin, and lapel pin form the Desert Warri-ors of Arizona to show the appreciation for Mr. Mitchell’s service. Everyone in attendance sang Happy Birthday to Mr. Mitchell in celebration of his 94th birthday coming up on January 19th. “Happy Birthday Nelson”!

Art Congress 2014

The Arizona Commission on the Arts held its Arts Congress 2014 on

February 5 at the State Capitol. The purpose of the event which included

entertainment and serious “networking” and “advocacy” was to encour-

age legislators to continue their support for funding the Arizona Commis-

sion on the Arts. The Arizona Military Museum was” present and account-

ed for” to meet with three key legislators--Representative Sonny Borelli,

Senator Gail Griffin, and Senator Al Melvin--who support veterans and

the arts. Colonel Joe Abodeely, USA (Ret) and four of his museum Board

members--WO Domingo Gonzales and 2/Lt Sam Jerome, both Arizona

Army National Guard members, and MGySgt Robert Flores, USMC (Ret)--were on hand to meet with the legislators.

The legislators were gracious and

receptive, and the Arizona Military

Museum staff really enjoyed their visit

with them.

This past October the Arizona Military

Museum hosted an art exhibition

and proudly presented artwork creat-

ed by Arizona Vietnam War veterans

commemorating the 50th Anniversary

of the Vietnam War.

Honor Guard

The POW-MIA-KIA Honor Guard provides Color Guard services for funerals and corporate services upon request. The Honor Guard also can provide a Bugler or Rifle Team services if requested. Services can be requested by contact-ing Tim Yarberry at (520) 208-3595 or email at [email protected]. The Color Guard commander David Carrasco (602) - 459-5976 may also be contacted for color guard service requests.


Representa!ve Sonny Borelli, Colonel Joe Abodeely, USA (Ret) 2/Lt Sam Jerome, Colonel Joe Abodeely,

USA (Ret), Senator Gail Griffin

Arizona Military Museums

The 'Paper Safe' is a wonderful document for any family. We all know that we are not going to live forever, and the hardest thing for our families and friends is trying to deal with all of the details when we are gone. Often, people do not have any information available for their spouse, children, or friends to help them do what you would want them to do.

This document was designed with Veterans in mind, but is a great tool for anyone. It is intended for you to easily contain all of the information that your family will need, in a stress-ful time. From the link below, you can read it over and get ideas, or you can print it right from your computer, for your immediate use.

If you want to order printed copies of this document for yourself, visit our website at: http://azveteransconnection.org/

390th Memorial Museum 6000 East Valencia Rd. Tucson, Arizona 85706 (520) 574-3030

Arizona Military Museum Papago Park Military Reservation 5636 E. McDowell Rd. Phoenix, Arizona 85008-3495 (602) 267-2676

Champlin Fighter Air Force

Museum 4636 Fighter Aces Dr. Mesa, AZ 85215 (602) 830-4540

Cochise Stronghold Douglas Ranger Station Rural Route 1, Box 228-R Douglas, AZ 85607

Commemorative Air Force

Museum 2017 N. Greenfield Road Mesa, AZ 85215 (480) 924-1940

Davis-Monthan Air Force Base 3895 S. 6th Street Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ 85707 (520) 228-3900.

Fort Apache Fort Apache, AZ 85926 Located 4 miles southwest of Whitewater near Hwy 73 (520) 338-4625.

Fort Bowie National Historic Site Willcox, AZ 85643 (520) 847-2500 (520) 847-2221

Fort Huachuca Military Museum U.S. Army Garrison Fort Huachuca, AZ 85613 (520) 533-5736

Fort Lowell Museum (Park is #20 on list) 2900 N. Craycroft Road Tucson, AZ 85712 (520) 885-3832

Fort Verde State Historic Park 125 E. Hollamon Camp Verde, AZ 86322 (520) 567-3275

Pima Aerospace Museum 6000 E. Valencia Rd. Tuscon, AZ 85706 (520) 574-0462

Titan Missle Museum 1580 W. Duval Mine Rd. Sahuarita, AZ (520) 625-7736

Yuma Crossing Quartermaster Depot Historic Site 100 N. Fourth Avenue Yuma, AZ 85366 (520) 329-0404

On February 14- 16 the Arizona StandDown took place at the Arizona State Fairgrounds Veterans Memorial Coliseum at 19 Ave. and McDowell). An alliance of community-based organiza-tions came together to provide services and assistance to the homeless and at-risk military veterans, connecting them with services ranging from: VA HealthCare, Mental Health Services, Clothing, Meals, Emergency Shelter, Transitional and Permanent Housing, ID/ Drivers License's, Court Services and Legal Aide, Showers and Haircuts and a myriad of other services and re-sources. A fully staffed, operating municipal and superior court system as well as an operating motor vehicle division office was made available to the veterans during the StandDown for legal assistance. Over 150 private practice and government attorneys along with court personnel provided legal assistance on civil and criminal cases to 937 veterans at the StandDown. Great Clips provided their services and gave 500 haircuts to veterans on Fri-day. One of the non-profit veterans organization in attendance provided 1500 complete hygiene kits and hundreds of individual bags of toiletries. Well over 70 government and non-profit agen-cies were present to assist with services along with hundreds of volunteers who helped organize this noteworthy event.

The primary goal is to help homeless veterans access the reources needed, including housing, to regain their highest level of inde-pendence. Its secondary goal is to bring our community and ser-vice providers together in a collaborative format that can build relationships throughout the year that positively benefit homeless veterans. Ultimately, it is our hope that such events can bring forth the awareness, the political/community will, and consistent data necessary to assert the on-going resources it will take to end veteran homelessness once and for all. To view pictures from the StandDown, please visit our Facebook at:

https://www.facebook.com/AZVETCON

For more information please visit: http://arizonastanddown.org/

The next StandDown is scheduled to be held on April 5, 2014 from 7 am- 3 pm on the Pinal County Fairgrounds in Casa Grande, Arizona.

For more information please contact:

Kim Rodriguez (520) 374-3095 [email protected]

Sonnette Chaput (480) 217-2176

Palmer Miller at: [email protected]

You may also find printer friendly PDF files with flyers, infor-mation and registration forms at: http://azveteransconnection.org/

Arizona StandDown 2014


Upcoming Events in Arizona

Visit our Facebook page to view many photo albums from veteran events throughout the year as well as flyers for upcoming events, charity rides, helpful information, and much more, at: https://www.facebook.com/AZVETCON

The following albums are featured on Facebook

Secretary of State Ken Benne: and Wes Ricks, Vietnam Veteran, Flu�st and Leather Ar�st.

Justin Henry, ADVS Director Ted Vogt

Gabe Forsberg

VVA State Council President, Gene Crego and Sue Crego

February

2014

You may also request to have your newsletter from your organi-zation or veterans group posted on our web page to assure a wide dissemination of information throughout the state at:

http://azveteransconnection.org/

The Arizona StandDown 2014

Celebrating Statehood Day

Buckeye Air Fair 2014

Patriotic Gala and Awards Ceremony

Awards 50th Anniversary of the Vietnam War

ARIZONA MILITARY AVIATION WALK OF HONOR

WORLD WAR II SALUTE THE FALLEN

And many more.

3rd annual Arizona Women's Conference at Scottsdale Community College, 9000 Chaparrel Road,

Saturday, March 1 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Salute A Soldier 5K Run and 1 Mile Walk 2014 8 a.m. Saturday, March 22,

Freestone Park, 1045 E. Juniper Road, Gilbert.

Pinal County Veterans' Stand Down - April 5, 2014

Pinal Fairgrounds in Casa Grande

5th National Armed Forces Freedom Ride Arizona

Starts at the American Legion Post 1

with a pancake breakfast in Phoenix,

Ends at American Legion Post 2 with lunch in Tempe.

Visit their website at: http://azfreedomride.webs.com/

8th Annual Salt River Veterans Recognition Pow-Wow

April 11- 13 at the Salt River Ballfield,

At the Salt River Indian Community

N.E. corner of Longmore and McDowell Rd.

Complete Print Shop, Inc. is locally owned and operates as a full service prin�ng company

based in Phoenix, Arizona. We strive for excellence to meet all your prin�ng needs. We

are dedicated to cost-effec�ve solu�ons and commi�ed to providing the best services to

our customers. We work one on one with each of our customers in order to meet their

high demands and needs in prin�ng. Our goal is to have the very best and most up-to-date technology available on the market,

and to employ the most experienced and innova�ve people in the industry. We will measure our success, not by our sales fig-

ures, but by the sa�sfac�on and longevity of our clients. We are the Phoenix prin�ng company.

Established since 1979, we are proud to exceed over 30 years of field experience and services in prin�ng. With advanced tech-

nology and equipment, we are able to provide fast and high quality services while saving our customers �me and money. Every

customer is our most important customer. Let us know how we can help you today. We’re not just your printer, we’re your part-

ner!

In December of 1979, Lam Q. Bui, founder/CEO, originally opened

Complete Print Shop in Tempe with $600. The shop consisted of a

1,200 square foot building, two small presses and one employee.

Through hard work and determina�on, Lam was able to establish a

reputa�on for Complete Print Shop to produce quality print at afforda-

ble prices. The business grew through building rela�onships within the

prin�ng industry and as a result it expanded and was relocated twice

to accommodate produc�on.

This family-owned local prin�ng company con�nues to provide high quality prin�ng services to local businesses and organiza-

�ons in Phoenix. Currently, Complete Print Shop is located at 3433 W. Earll Drive, Phoenix, Arizona, with a 28,000 square foot

facility that houses advanced technology and equipment to provide full service prin�ng for the Phoenix Metro Area. With the

leadership of Joe Bui, current President, Complete Print Shop will con�nue to focus on providing quality services at affordable

prices to our customers. We are always on the move and ahead as

technology and demand changes.

[email protected]

602.437.0207

fax. 602.437.8132

3433 W. Earll Dr

Phoenix, AZ 85017

Mon-Fri

8am-5pm MST

Documents

Arizona Veterans Connection - Vol 1, Issue 1