Boo Coo News - Vietnam Veterans of Americavva154.com/wp-content/uploads/Boo-Coo-News-January-2018.pdf · at the pinnacle of veteran's service groups. Steve Bago, President VVA CHAPTER

1,602 AmericanStill Missing inSoutheast Asia49 fromMichigan

Boo Coo NewsVietnam Veterans of America Chapter 154

VVA154.comJANUARY 2018

WELCOME HOME!VETERANS SUPPORT CENTER

18025 15 MILE ROADCLINTON TOWNSHIP MI

48035-2403586-776-9810 PHONE

586-776-9683 FAX

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP MEETINGS7 p.m. second Wednesday of themonth at VFW Bruce Post 1146,

28404 E. Jefferson Ave., St. Clair Shores

Boo Coo News deadline: previous month’s meeting

To submit items, photos, supportercopy: email, mail or deliver to the

Veterans Support Center

Editor Duties Being Transferred# Submitted by Brian Bobek

As many of you know I have announced my plans to step down as editor of thenewsletter at the end of 2017. I will assume responsibility for getting this January issueto press, then my duties will be taken over by Lisa Marie Edwards, whom many of you

know from her role as a service officer at the Vet Center.

I have truly enjoyed being the editor over these past 10 years or so. I strived to make thenewsletter “about the chapter,” which is how it's advertised. There are plenty of articleswritten about veteran issues that proliferate many magazines and emails. It was my intent tomake sure the newsletter focused on this chapter and all of the good work we do. For a guywho hated English in school I found, late in life, that something rubbed off and I had sometalent for organizing and writing (along with a liberal sprinkling of some BS), and those skillscame in handy many times when article submissions were scarce.

I tried to recognize members for their contributions but know that, along the road of life, fartoo many got passed over. For that I am truly sorry, but time and space were always workingagainst me. I appreciate those who have taken time to help out by submitting articles and/orphotos for the newsletter. It added that “personal” aspect to the newsletter that I wanted. Istrived for a balance between the somber side of what we do, mixed with some humorousmoments, even at the expense of some of the members. Everything was meant in good tasteand I hope my efforts were taken in that light.

Lisa Marie is taking over the duties of editor effective January 1. I will be around to assist inanswering questions or providing guidance, but the editor job becomes a very personalstatement for the person doing the job. Lisa Marie will follow her own lead to ensure thisimportant job reflects her vision as the editor. Change is inevitable. Change is good; it keepsthe chapter on its toes, and there's always an opportunity for a new point of view.

Effective immediately, all committee chairpersons who submit their monthly articles, andanyone with articles, pictures, fliers, etc. that they'd like to have in the Boo Coo News, pleasesend them to the chapter office at [email protected] and they will be forwarded to LisaMarie. Keep in mind that there are guidelines on submissions in order for us to meetpublication dates. Earlier is always better.

Do not send anything to me any longer as that will only delay the process of getting things tothe editor. Thanks for your support over the years, and I will look forward to keeping intouch with the chapter through the Boo Coo News.

Remember: The Michigan Traveling Memorial is on display at the Macomb-ClintonTownship Public Library. Put in a little time to assist visitors and make sure you mention it

to your friends and fellow veterans. The 2,654 soldiers on our memorial like visitors.

President’s Message # Steve Bago

Christmas and the New Year's festivities are all behind usnow and we have the opportunity to clean our slates andstart 2018 with a new commitment to veterans.

Looking back, I saw Operation Christmas come and go withoutany problems. If you believe that, I've got some seaside propertyI would like to sell you in Arizona. If you didn't see the problems,it is because of the hard-working volunteers who madecorrections and kept the ship going straight. And the volunteerscarried a heavy load once again. I must thank our past president and Operation Christmaschairman, Gary Purcell, for the fine job he did in payingattention to detail and making himself available to helpwherever needed. Great job Gary! Many thanks to the men andwomen of the Associates who always step up to any challengeand get things done. I would like the membership to look in themirror and ask themselves "did I help with chapter functions thisyear or did I hang back and let the OTHERS do the work"? ‘Nuff

said. Nominations of officers start this month. We nominate inJanuary, February and March, with elections being held in April.As always we have five seats coming open on the board ofdirectors. It is a great place to start if you wish to get involved,learn about how the chapter functions and, hopefully, committo moving higher in the organization in subsequent years. Theprime positions of one of the two vice presidents, or even thepresident, are there for your taking. It is wise to have someonenominate you, BUT you can nominate yourself if need be . . . noreason to be shy. I wish you all a great new year, thank you for yourhelp in successfully completing our many projectsthroughout this past year, and keeping Chapter 154at the pinnacle of veteran's service groups.

Steve Bago, President

VVA CHAPTER 154 EXECUTIVE BOARD

President Steve Bago 586-524-38061st VP Gary Purcell 586-243-62932nd VP Dave Schoenherr 586-940-2568Secretary Mike Schneider 586-567-0731Treasurer Mike Jacobi 586-504-0781

Board of Directors Exp. 2018Greg Bowman 586-850-1800Gil Claunch 586-854-7842Leo Lalonde 586-838-9851Ron Squires 586-747-8881Jim Watts 586-524-9705Board of Directors Exp. 2019Glenn Cash 586-709-7502Chuck Charbeneau 586-431-7133Donn Sinclair 586-243-0222Joe Spencer 586-277-8992“Bobby” Steward 586-321-9847

Past President Brian Bobek

Boo Coo News Publisher - The Board of DirectorsBoo Coo News Editor - Lisa Marie Edwards

Contributing Photographer - Robert StewardTypesetter - Linda May

Thank you to our sponsors!

Trustees Tim Ignash (2018)Tom Puruleski (2019)John Hages (2020)

VVA State Delegates Steve Bago Alt. Delegates Chris Franklin, Mike Schneider

VVA National Liaison Steve BagoWebmaster Mike Sauger

FUNCTIONAL COMMITTEESAgent Orange Phil MichaudHonor Guard Glenn CashFood Pantry Gil ClaunchFreedom Hill & Eastpointe Memorials Dave PorterHospitalized Vets Tom DuffLottery Jim AuitoMembership Larry MayMerchandise Tim IgnashMichigan Traveling Memorial Dave SchoenherrNominating Mike Bilyk, Tom Puruleski, Gary SoxOperation Christmas TBAPOW/MIA Tom DuffScholarship Dave RoccoSpeakers Bureau Jim Watts

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 154 - Boo Coo News JANUARY 2018 Page 2

Nominations Get Underway at January Meeting

The nominations for all eligible positions will begin at theJanuary general membership meeting. All of the executiveboard is up for the taking, as well as five of the director

seats. This is the time of year when you can voice your supportof your favorite member to step up to the plate and continuethe fine work of this chapter. Your choices will shape YOURchapter, so make sure you’re nominating the right people.

Make sure you come to the January meeting and participate inthe nomination process so the best people are on the slate tocarry forward. Nominations will continue at both the Februaryand March meetings as well, with the winners being named atthe April meeting.

As a reminder, any person nominated for a position must be amember in good standing with the chapter, have a DD-214 onfile with the office, and must also be present at the meeting toeither accept or reject their nomination. If you wish to run foran office but are unable to attend the meeting you can submit aletter to the president indicating your intent. Self-nominationsare allowed.

Personal Security Alert

Everyone is aware of those “cutesy” requests on Facebookthat say something like “tell us what your first car was” or“what was the name of your kindergarten teacher,” etc.

They appear to be harmless and just another way for people tohave fun exchanging comments. There can be a more seriousconcern that is explained in the following paragraph as releasedby the Huntington Beach, California Police Department:

“Please be aware of some of the posts you comment on. Theposts that ask, what was your favorite teachers name, who wasyour first grade teacher, who was your childhood best friend,your first car, the place you born, your favorite place, your firstpet, where did you go on your first flight, etc. Those are thesame questions asked as security questions when you set upaccounts so they can validate your identity if necessary. You aregiving out the answers to your security questions withoutrealizing it. Hackers are getting these as a means to get to knowyou better. They then build a profile of you from severaldifferent data sources. They use this data to hack your accountsor open lines of credit in your name.”

The best solution is not to participate in these polls asking whatseems like innocent questions. Make certain that, when youdeal with unknown websites, always look to see if the addressline is preceded by “https” as opposed to just “http.” The “s”indicates it is a secured site and less likely to be hacked for yourpersonal information. Be advised and be cautious.

AVVA Member Spotlight# Submitted by Marge Schoenherr

This month’s Associate Spotlight falls onAssociate member Phyllis Claunch. Phylliswas born in Detroit. She now lives in

Roseville with her husband, Gilbert. (Gil is thefood pantry chairperson.) They have twochildren, Gilbert III and Vicky, and threegrandchildren, Josh, Chelsea and Gilbert IV.

Phyllis comes from a military family. So it was only natural for herto volunteer at our Vet Center. Her grandfather was a WW IArmy veteran. Her father was a WW II Navy veteran. Herhusband, Gil is a Vietnam-era Army veteran. Phyllis was alwaystaught to try to help veterans.

Phyllis handles all the paperwork and orders the food for thefood pantry. She also plays a big role in Operation Christmas. Shehelps compile the list of families, prints the maps, and muchmore. Phyllis helps sell the 50/50 tickets at the general meetingand anything else that needs to be done.

In her spare time, Phyllis brings communion on Sundays toMedilodge Nursing Home. She also volunteers at her church forMCREST.

Phyllis enjoys reading, cooking, playing all types of cards andgames, and visiting casinos (heavy emphasis on the casinoreference)!

One thing most of us don’t know about Phyllis – she wasextremely proficient at shorthand and typing in high school. Shehas never once used shorthand after finishing school.

Coat and Sock Drive A Success# Submitted by Karen Mack

This is the time of the year when we reflect on all that wehave and all that we are thankful for. Thanks to yourgenerosity, along with a contribution from the Paslin

Corporation, there are a lot more vets who have warm coats andsocks and are thankful to you for them.

In the month of November, we collected 16 LARGE garbage bagsfull of winter coats and hoodies and two moving and storageboxes full of coats. We collected four bags full of new warmsocks. The Paslin Corporation also donated six turkeys that wentinto the food pantry to be given to vets in need so that theycould have a happy “Turkey Day” too.

You will never know how much of an impact you had with yourcontributions. Know that without them there would have been alot more vets on the streets suffering from the cold. Thanks toyou, they’re warm.


HOSPITAL REPORTS# Submitted by Tom DuffJoin the hospital committee!

On December 13 JohnHages, Linda Baisden,Don Cremin, Dan

Zelenak, Judy Haag, CarleneCremin, John Viergeilig, JudyShirey and I went to the VAHospital. We went to wardsA-4 north and A-3 north, the substance abuse ward and the dialysisward. We also visited patients in the dental and dermatologydepartments, prosthetic and sensory aids department, audiologyand speech departments, respiratory care, cardiology, mentalhealth, Firm D and Firm A, Firm C, physical and occupationaltherapy, chemo, pharmacy, and appointment check-in. We visitedwith 157 vets. We passed out flag stars, personal items bags, hatsand scarves, magazines, crossword puzzle books, blankets, laprobes, bananas, pretzels, chips, Hostess products, Little Debbieproducts, candy canes, cookies and Moon Pies, granola bars, fruitsnacks, coffee cups with chocolate candy in them, as well asChristmas cards. We passed out medals to a Gulf War veteran and to anAfghanistan veteran. We had a great time and, most of all, we let at least 157 vets knowthat we care and they are not forgotten. The next hospital visit is on Wednesday, January 10, leaving thevet center at 8 a.m.

VETERANS SUPPORT CENTER18025 15 MILE ROAD • CLINTON TOWNSHIP MI 48035-2403

Free Services 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday - Friday 586-776-9810* * * HELP WANTED: Volunteers to staff the Vet Center and work on the food pantry * * *

SERVICE OFFICERS from the Macomb County Veterans AffairsOffice file claims and answer questions.

• Mary Barrette, Tuesdays walk-in service• Patrick Thompson, Wednesdays walk-in service

• Lisa Marie Edwards, Thursdays appointments only

Call ahead as sometimes a service officer's schedule changes on short notice.

Please take advantage of this expanded coverage with any questions you may have

regarding the Veterans Administration.

SICK CALL & CONDOLENCES# Contact Ron Drdul [email protected] or 586-899-7112 If you know of an illness or death of a chapter member or their family, pleasenotify Ron Drdul so that we may get the information out via email and in the newsletter in a timely manner. All the kind thoughtsand prayers offered up by our members are truly appreciated and help people through tough times. Keep them coming.

SICK CALL

• On December 1, past chapter member TerryKovac had part of his lung removed to eliminatecancer. The surgeons believe it was a successfulprocedure. Terry is doing better and expected tobe released from the hospital with homerecuperation.

• Chapter member Phil Mroz was recentlyhospitalized with pneumonia.

• Chapter member Gary Sox had a gall bladderattack and was hospitalized while on vacation inCalifornia.

• Chapter member John Mohan, who is also thevice commander of the holor guard, has beendiagnosed with cancer. A biopsy was taken butnot many details are known yet. We'll update asmore information comes forth.

• Dave Schoenherr is home and going throughphysical therapy following his double kneereplacement. The doctors say he is doing farbetter than expected in his recovery.

• Member Larry Derkasz had knee surgery onJanuary 2. He will be in recovery mode forawhile.

• Helen Fleetwood, the wife of chapter memberJerry Fleetwood had cancer surgery and theearly results are very promising.

TAPS• Chapter member Kenneth Kosmick passed away. He was a US Army veteran. The chapter honor guard provided full military

honors.


mailto:[email protected]

Elections for the 2018 CY honor guardofficers were held at the Decembermeeting. The new officers, who lookvery similar to last year's officers (and2016, and 2015. . .) were:Commander Glenn CashVice Commander John MohanTreasurer Gary StephensArmorer Ted SzymanskiAlt. Armorer Mike MiskiChaplain Ron DrdulAlt. Chaplain George OrtweinProperty Officer Ted Szymanski

HONOR GUARD # Glenn Cash, Commander

Report submitted by Glenn Cash:

Since my last report, the honor guard has done eight funerals: six Army, two Army AirCorps and they are as follows:

Salvatore Cusmano Army WWIIMitchell Weisburg Army WWIIJoseph Levites Army WWIIAdolph Dobek Army Air Corps WWII, 15 Months in German POW campAl Murphy Army Air Corps WWII, Distinguished Flying Cross, honorary

chapter member. He spoke at our veteran'sceremony at Resurrection

Eric Anthony Nesbitt Army VietnamKen Kosmick Army Vietnam, chapter memberEdwin J. Raymond Army Vietnam, two tours, former chapter member

We also did four other details:

C At the OPC in Rochester we presented the colors for the Pledge of Allegianceand national anthem, and did the 13 folds of the flag. We also did a 21-gunsalute followed by Taps

C At Harbor Chase we presented the colors and did a 21-gun salute followed byTaps for their veteran celebration

C On Veterans Day we were at Clinton Grove Cemetery where we fired a 21-gun salute and sounded Taps at selected gravesites including Linda and Larry May's son's grave. After the laying of wreaths we proceeded to the Mount Clemens FireHouse where another wreath was laid. Following that we went Resurrection Cemetery where we found a veteran's funeralin progress, so we gave him military honors. After our chaplain gave an invocation we then placed roses at the servicememorials, read names and gave a 21-gun salute followed by Taps.

C We also marched in the Mount Clemens Santa Parade with the colors with our deuce following us.

History and Meaning of Military Rifle Salutes# Submitted by John Hages

U.S. military salutes are steeped in tradition, some dating back hundreds ofyears. However, there are misconceptions about military salutes —understandable, considering the number of salutes that exist for variousoccasions. Some have even changed over the years, sometimes through acts ofCongress. All of them, however, are intended to demonstrate great honor tothose for whom they are conducted. This includes fallen members of themilitary, presidents, heads of state and even the nation.

Three-Volley SaluteCalling the shots fired at a military funeral a 21-gun salute is incorrect. Even if there are seven soldiers firing three rounds each, this isnot considered a 21-gun salute. The shots fired during a military funeral are called the firing of three volleys in honor of the fallen.

The firing of three volleys dates back to the custom of ceasing hostilities to remove the dead from the battlefield. Once finished,both sides would fire three volleys to signal that they were ready to resume the battle.

During the firing of three volleys, the rifles are fired three times simultaneously by the honor guard. Any service member who diedon active duty, as well as honorably discharged veterans and military retirees, can receive a military funeral, which includes the threevolleys, the sounding of “"Taps,” along with a United States flag presented to the next of kin. Three spent cases are usually insertedinto the folded flag, one representing each volley fired.

Continued on next page


Continued from previous page

21-Gun SaluteThe 21-Gun Salute hails from naval tradition where a warship would fire itscannons, rendering them unloaded, to signify its lack of hostile intentions.Ships would typically fire seven shots. Whether this is because that was thetraditional number of guns on a British warship or because it is of biblicalsignificance is unknown. Forts, having more ammunition, would fire threeshots for every shot by a ship. Of course, this wasn't set in stone, and thenumber of shots fired differed greatly depending on the country.

Today, the 21-Gun Salute is fired by artillery batteries in honor of the U.S.President, former presidents, the President-elect and heads of foreignstates upon their arrival and departure of a military installation. "Hail to theChief" or the national anthem of the visiting dignitary is also played. Thesalute is also fired at noon on the day of a funeral of the President, formerpresidents and the President-elect, as well as Memorial Day in honor ofAmerica's fallen, and on Washington's Birthday.

In addition, a 19-Gun Salute is fired in honor of other dignitaries such as thevice president, the speaker of the House, president pro tempore of theSenate, chief justice of the United States, state governors, chiefs of staff and5-Star generals. There is a ranking system for salutes to lower-rankinggenerals and other dignitaries consisting of dropping two guns for each flagrank junior to a 5-Star general.

Salute to the Nation The practice of firing one shot for each state was officially established in1810, which at the time was only 17 guns. This tradition continued until1841 when it was established as 21 guns. Current tradition has the Salute tothe Nation as 50 shots by capable military bases, one for each state in theunion, fired at noon on Independence Day, with naval vessels firing a21-gun salute.

Veterans DayWhile there isn't a gun salute dedicated to veterans, November 11 is a daywhen the U.S. and many World War I allied countries commemorate thesacrifices made by the men and women who served in the armed forces.Veterans Day is often confused with Memorial Day, or thought to be thesame in their intent. Memorial Day is when we honor those who have fallenin service of our country. Veterans Day celebrates all living military servicemembers.

Veterans Day was firstcreated as Armistice Day byPresident Woodrow Wilsonin 1919 to mark the end ofWorld War I. In 1938,Congress made November 11a national holiday. Then, onJune 1, 1954, PresidentEisenhower signed legislationthat changed the name to

Veterans Day to celebrate all military veterans. The exact day of celebrationchanged a couple more times over the years before being permanentlyestablished as November 11 due to popular sentiment.

And Yet Another Health Alert

Servicemembers who served in Vietnam,and other contiguous countries, could beat risk of developing cancer caused by a

parasite they might have ingested decades agothrough raw or undercooked fish whiledeployed to Southeast Asia, swimming in therivers and/or drinking from local watersupplies. Test results from a study conductedthis spring by the Department of VeteransAffairs show Vietnam War veterans could beinfected with a slow-killing parasite, tinyparasitic worms called liver flukes. Liver flukescan cause cholangiocarcinoma, a bile-ductcancer.

Health officials posted a warning on the VA sitethat servicemembers who "ate raw orundercooked freshwater fish during theirservice in Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam Warveterans, might have been infected" by liverflukes.

People who've ingested liver flukes sometimesdon't show symptoms for decades. Theparasites can mature to adulthood inside thehuman biliary duct system, according to the VA,and the irritation and scarring caused by liverfluke infections can lead to cancer. Over thelast 15 years, the VA has treated about 700veterans with cholangiocarcinoma. Most ofthose veterans didn't submit claims for benefitssince they didn't know about the potential linkto their time in service.

The parasites that can lead to cancer aretypically found in Southeast Asian countries,including Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia,and rural areas of Korea and China, accordingto the VA. The Mayo Clinic lists symptoms ofcholangiocarcinoma as jaundice, intensely itchyskin, fatigue, white-colored stools, abdominalpain, or unintended weight loss.


POW/MIA ReportsSubmitted by Tom DuffWelcome Home!1,602 Missing49 from Michigan

MICHIGAN POW/MIA FOR

JANUARY

Frederick WozniakAlpena

Air ForceMIA 1-17-1967North Vietnam

“I was prepared to be wounded --- prepared to be captured ---even prepared to be killed. I was not prepared to be abandoned

by my country.” – Former POW U.S. Navy Captain Eugene “Red” McDaniel

•A man is not dead until he is forgotten. We will never forget.

Welcome Home!•

“When one member of the armed forces is not worth the effortto be found, then we have lost our honor.” ~~ VVNW

* * *Support your POW/MIAs. Fly your POW/MIA flag. Display aPOW/MIA decal. If you need a POW/MIA decal for your car,

truck or bike, or certificate of appreciation for flying a flag, seeTom Duff. If a company or homeowner is flying a POW/MIA flag,

let Tom Duff know so we can give them a certificate.

WWIIPvt. Emil Ragucci, Marine Corps, missing 11-20-1943, Tarawa. Accounted for on 11-30-2017.1st Sgt. David Quinn, Marine Corps, missing 11-21-1943 in Tarawa Atoll. Accounted for11-22-2017.

Radioman 2nd Class Julius Pieper, Navy, missing 6-19-1944 in France. Accounted for 11-20-2017.Fireman 2nd Class Martin Gara, Navy, missing 12-7-1941 Pearl Harbor. Accounted for 11-8-2017.2nd Lt. William Harth, Army/Air Force, missing 8-1-1943 in Romania. Accounted for 11-8-2017.There are more than 73,000 missing from WWII

KoreaSgt. Ollie Shepard, Army, missing 12-3-1950, North Korea. Accounted for 11-17-2017.There are more than 7,000 missing from Korea

Cold WarThere are 126 missing

GWOTThere are 6 missing from Iraq and other conflicts.

VietnamThere are no new recoveries. There are still 1,602 missing, 49 from Michigan.

from the National League of Families: After a rough period, joint field operations in Laos are now increasingly productive, eventhough more difficult than elsewhere. Accounting efforts had slowed due to Lao Government inflexibility, attempting to over-pricepayment for helicopter support and denying permission for ground transport to accessible incident sites Recently, Laos is showingmuch greater flexibility, having again authorized an increased number of US personnel in-country simultaneously, allowing groundtransportation to accessible sites, and reaching agreement for contracting a private company to provide reliable, smaller-scalehelicopter support to access remote sites. When helpful, Vietnamese witnesses are also allowed to participate in joint US-Laooperations. DIA’s Stony Beach POW/MIA specialist is assigned full time in-country, and Lao officials are now approving fieldinvestigations outside the confines of scheduled DPAA field operations. A border dispute with Cambodia that was ongoing when theLeague Delegation visited over two years ago continues to impede recovery operations in that area. The League urges officials inLaos and Cambodia to at least temporarily set aside their political disagreement and work trilaterally with the US to proceed on thishumanitarian recovery, to end the uncertainty of the families.


Operation Christmas Dinner Dance

# Gary Purcell, Operation Christmas Chairman and the Operation Christmas Committee

If you weren't at Fern Hill Country Club on December 2, you missed one of the best parties thatChapter 154 has ever put on. As you walked in, you noticed that the room was a sea of red andgreen coming from the ornaments at every sea. The back wall was graced with 50 stunning

baskets for the basket raffle. On the dance floor, tables were filled with wonderful presents as partof the box raffle. That raffle was so successful that the 120 presents were gone in 20 minutes. A newprocess was instituted this year for raffle prizes to help speed up the announcement of winners andcreate less disruption to the folks enjoying the dance.

The honor guard outdid themselves with 16 baskets of donated booze. The highlight of this rafflewas the sleigh filled with liquor (as opposed to the traditional wheelbarrow.) There was also a coolerfilled with more libations. A lot of people had their liquor wishes filled for Christmas!

Some of the silent auction's items included: an "X"-box, wine cooler, Ryobi electric tool set, bed andbreakfast on Mackinac Island, 49" color TV, bed and breakfast in South Haven, a 37-inch color TV, aStanley professional mechanic's tool set, priceless hockey memorabilia and lots of jewelry for thatspecial someone. boxing glove from Tommy "The Hitman" Hearns was also on the silent auctionblock. There will be some pretty great gifts under a lot of people's trees on December 25.

Two 50/50 drawings paid out nice dividends to the winners. They had a lot of extra spending cash forthe holidays.

Mess ‘o Music provided the entertainment for the evening. People danced the evening away. The music tookall of us back to days when we were younger and leaner, and to a time when we all thought we were invincible.

The food was sumptuous! The beef tips were succulent and the chicken piccata could be cut with a fork.Nothing on the buffet table disappointed!

If you were there, you remember the evening as I do and had a great time. If you weren't there, then youmissed a terrific party.


Operation Christmas at Walmart

Again this year, chapter members, along with the “deuce,” took up stations at theWalmart store at Hall Road and I-94. This is an annual tradition for us as we collect cashdonations and toys from the shoppers at the store. Volunteers were out there for bothSaturday and Sunday, December 2-3, as well as the following weekend, December 9-10.Traffic seemed to be a little down from previous years, but the "per person" cash donationseemed to be up somewhat. The weather was, for the most part, fairly agreeable. Everyyear our dedicated members turn out to staff our booth, and some years have beenbrutal. In spite of it being cold we were blessed not to have to contend with heavysnowfalls as in years past.

Thanks to all the members that turned out to make sure Operation Christmas got the additional boost that is possible through thegenerosity of Walmart to allow us to use their parking lot for a collection site.

Chapter Honor GuardAnonymous Contributor

It has almost become a standing joke at the chaptermeetings when honor guard commander, Glenn Cash,stands up and asks for volunteers to join the honor guard

team. However, it is far from a joke, and something that theentire membership should take seriously and be concernedabout. From past years when the team consisted of roughly35 members, the numbers have dwindled to current levels ofjust over 20. And, of that number, how many do you think arenot suffering with some health, family or personal issues? Theanswer is zero!

Yet the membership at large is content to sit back and let thefew workhorses that still have a little life left in them continueto bear the brunt of the duties. In spite of cutting back on thecolor guard workload it is getting tougher to muster a team tocover the needs. In case no one has told you, veterans aregetting older and the need to provide proper military honorsto our fallen comrades is on the increase.

The old saying “many hands make for easy work” is certainlytrue when it comes to the honors team. It is unfair formembers to sit back and let the old timers continue torepresent YOUR chapter. When there are more members togo around, everyone's burden gets lessened. A few morepeople stepping up to the plate would go a long way towardensuring our honors team is there for our veterans, and iscapable of keeping Chapter 154 as the premier team outthere. Most of you reading this are veterans and it's a safe betthat, when your turn comes to depart our ranks, you'd like tohave an honors team there to give you a dignified sendoff.

Bottom line: get your head out of "you know where" and getin the game. This chapter has always stepped up whenneeded, and the honors team needs your support NOW. Getoff the sideline and help shoulder the challenges that lieahead. Unless you've experienced the satisfaction that comesfrom taking care of our brothers you can't know howrewarding it is to be of service. This chapter didn't just“happen,” it was “made” by members like you making adifference.


Wreaths Across America# Submitted by Brian Bobek

On December 16, I attended two of theWreaths Across America events inClinton Township. The first one was at

Fern Hill Golf Club where the honored guestwas Jim McCloughan, the latest Medal of Honorrecipient from Michigan for his service duringthe Vietnam War. It's not often that you get theopportunity to personally meet a MOHrecipient, and Jim was both personable andhumble in his recognition.

Jim presented awards to two vets – PeterSimunich who is a WWII Navy veteran who wasa combat photographer during the war and wasthe one who took the famous photograph onIwo Jima.

Patrick Thompson was the second honoree. Patis a veteran of Iraq and Afghanistan and is alsoone of the service officers at our vet center.They both received commendations courtesy ofthe American Legion Post 4 in Mount Clemens.Following the awards ceremony the crowdwent over to Resurrection Cemetery where theactual wreath ceremony took place, hosted byClinton Township Supervisor, Bob Cannon. JimMcCloughan was the featured speaker.

At 11:00 I attended the ceremony at CadillacGarden Memorial Cemetery that is coveredevery year by our chapter honor guard. A shortceremony was held in one of the mausoleumsand was closed by our honor guard firing a riflevolley and sounding Taps. Then everyoneproceeded to the veterans section for thewreath laying.

The Wreaths Across America program isconducted all over the country at the sametime by laying wreaths at all the veteransgraves that can be honored. WAA is completelyfunded by donations that are used to purchasethe wreaths. It is a program that Chapter 154has contributed to and participated in for manyyears.


Sunday Monday Tuesday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday

JANUARY 2018

1NEW YEAR’S DAYVET CENTERCLOSED

2Service Officer

In Country VetsMeeting

3Service Officer

BOARD MEETING

4Service Officer

Al Anon

5 6

7 8 POINTMANMINISTRIES?CALL FIRST

9 Service Officer


Honor GuardMeeting

10Service Officer Hospital visitCHAPTERMEETING VFWBruce Post -nominations

11Service Officer Al Anon

12United MilitaryFamilies

13

14 15 16Service Officer


17Service Officer

AssociatesMeeting

18Service Officer

Al Anon

19 20

21 22 23 Service Officer


24

Service Officer

25

Service Officer

Al Anon

26 27

28 29 30

Service Officer


31

Service Officer

LOOKINGAHEAD:FEBRUARYCHAPTERMEETING 2ND

ROUND OFNOMINATIONS

Help out at theClinton MacombLibrary at thetravelingmemorial

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Documents

Boo Coo News - Vietnam Veterans of Americavva154.com/wp-content/uploads/Boo-Coo-News-January-2018.pdf · at the pinnacle of veteran's service groups. Steve Bago, President VVA CHAPTER