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W hat a great Novem-
ber of Veterans activities beginning with our as-sisting on the furniture sweep following the No-vember 4th. yard sale. TVC rented a 16 foot Penske and 8 Airmen and I filled it top to bot-tom with the generous donations of our Trilogy neighbor! I fielded an additional two dozen phone calls to donate by directing these folks to the VFC website.
The Airmen and I followed Don Bor-land’s truck down to the VFC and unloaded a huge load of great furni-ture for our veterans in need. What a great finish to the Trilogy Veterans Club core mission of as-sisting the VFC!
As many of you heard, Bill Conner at the October meeting shared that the VFC needed to distance itself from the perception that it is closely tied to the TVC. In order to assist the VFC in this effort, I will call for a motion at our
November meeting to discontinue the VFC ef-fort as a TVC Core Mis-sion. This does not end our volunteer effort for the Veterans Furniture Center. Any Trilogian, male or female, veteran or not, may volunteer to help the VFC serve vet-erans in need by helping with their furniture mis-sion as Bill pointed out. I hope to see you on the trucks soon as a volun-teer for the VFC mis-
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“The Vet Connection” is
a monthly newsletter for
the members of the Trilo-
gy Veteran’s Club. If you
have an article that you
would like published,
please send to Scott Duke
Dates for monthly meetings (Meetings start at 4:00 pm)
From the President Page 1
Meet a Vet Page 3
Veterans Take a Hike
Page 5
Kiva Club Flag Ceremony
Page 7
Arizona Veterans Memorial Wall
Page 8
Zona Open House Celebration
Page 9
USMC Comman-dant Message
Page 10
Take me Out to the Ball Game
Page 11
Elementary School honors Veterans
Page 13
Madison Street Outreach
Page 15
He was a Hero, Soldier, & Father
Page 16
Agenda Page 17
In this Issue...
The Vet Connection
November 2017 Volume 1 Issue 10
From the President
Hank Lewis
November 28, 2017 April 24, 2018
December 19, 2017 May 22, 2018
January 23, 2018 June 26, 2018
February 27, 2018 July 24, 2018
March 27, 2018 August 28, 2018
sion.
I will provide additional num-bers and information regarding our many activities in November at our meeting with slides and numbers, thanks to Scott Duke’s publication skills.
Our second vote of our Novem-ber meeting will be the unop-posed election of Officers: Scott
Duke, President; Bob Meiz-inger, Vice President, Mark Grindle, Secretary and Les Kessler as Treasurer. I will con-duct that election and ask the in-coming board to take over the planning process for our club for at least the next 12 months. Many decisions as to communi-cations, missions, donations and club operations will need to be made now with your new board taking the lead and you actively participating in the decision pro-cess.
I have been honored to serve as your President this past year, and trust you will agree with me that your club has been active in many different and exciting ways to serve veterans in need, our own community, and our neigh-bors. I believe our future as a club is bright and I have every faith in Scott and his Board as well as you, my fellow members of the club to lead us to even greater heights! I will, of course, remain a member of this great club and have no intentions of moving!
That said, I also believe in giving my team opportunities to expand their roles. I have asked Mark Grindle to Chair the De-
(Continued from page 1)
The Vet Connection Page 2
cember meeting. I will be present as I will be presenting as my last offi-cial act in December, the “Friend of the TVC” Awards to Susan DiGio-vanni and Denice Carty assuming you approve this action at the No-vember meeting. These are two very dedicated ladies who clearly de-serve this designation.
Have a great Thanksgiving and I will see you on November 28th at 1600.
Thank you again for the Honor and Privilege of letting me serve as your President.
We want to hear from you! Each issue, we will add a “sound off” section that will come from a member of the club. If you have an issue/complaint/compliment that pertains the club and its op-eration, you will now have
space to voice that viewpoint. Send your “sound off” article to [email protected].
I an served in the United States Army from 1972-1974. His MOS was General Medical Officer and he held the rank of Major. He was stationed in Northern California with his Command at the
Presidio in San Francisco. His decorations include the Army Meritori-ous Service Medal.
After Ian’s time in the Army, he practiced Urology in Los Angeles for 37 years. He was elected as a Fellow to the American College of Surgeons, and Ian served as Chief of Surgery and President of the Med-ical Staff of his hospital.
Ian grew up in New Jersey and attended Rutgers University and NY Medical College. He completed his
medical training at University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA). Ian now lives with his lovey wife, Lisa over in Trilogy “West.”
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J ust a reminder for club members, due to the Christmas and holiday season, our December meeting has been changed to December 18th (Monday).
Please mark your calendar so you can make plans to attend.
T his month, the club will vote in a new Executive Board. The results of
nominations from last month re-vealed elections will be unopposed with Scott Duke nominated for President, Bob Meizinger for Vice-President, Mark Grindle for Secretary, and Les Kessler as Treasurer.
Ballots were e-mailed to all members and those that cannot make the meeting may e-mail their selections to Mike Ponting ([email protected]). Others will bring their ballot to the meeting on the 28th of November.
Because the election is unop-posed this year, Hank Lewis (current President) will entertain a motion to select by acclamation, so no vote is needed. Under the cur-rent By-Laws, with 143 members, we will need 30% present, or 43 members. Keep in mind that all absentee ballots will count towards that 30% needed to pass.
This was pretty good, well if you are a Sailor maybe...
A sailor in a bar leans over to the guy next to him and says, ''Wanna hear a MARINE joke?''
The guy next to him replies, ''Well, before you tell that joke, you should know something. I'm 6' tall, 200 lbs, and I'm a MARINE. The guy sitting next to me is 6'2'' tall, weighs 225, and he's a MA-RINE. The fella next to him is 6'5'' tall, weighs 250, and he's also a MARINE. Now, you still wanna tell that joke?''
The sailor says, ''Nah, I don't want to have to explain it three times.''
TVC Elections
This Month
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I t all started at 0700 at the Vietnam Memorial Trail outside of Tril-ogy at Vistancia. Twenty-nine (29) veterans and residents began
the 0.23 mile hike up the trail to the top, where the American Flag was waving so majestically. Once everyone arrived, the National An-
them was played. Hank Lewis, club president, spoke briefly about Veterans Day and the Vietnam trail. It
was a somber moment of reflection for all that attended. Here are some pictures that captured the event. Spe-cial thanks to Curtis Roberts for the Drone view picture. Awesome!
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Veterans Take a Hike
O ur membership is now at 144 mem-bers: 67 Army, 34
Air Force, 22 Navy, 15 Ma-rines, 2 Coast Guard, 3 mem-bers from the Canadian Armed Forces and 1 member from the Royal Navy. How amazing that we have grown so much and speaks well of what we are do-ing as a club. Veterans helping veterans in need.
I have received applications from three new members since our last meeting. Say Hello to William Groves, Army; Rob-ert Marek, Army, Michael Clark, USMC; and Milton Hall, Army.
As a member of another club here in Trilogy, it has been brought to my attention that not all members are receiving that clubs emails. After researching the issue, it was discovered that some of the email servers will send the email into the “Junk or Spam” folder. This happens when there is more that 15 email addresses being sent. There are two providers (who shall remain nameless) that this happens to on a regular basis. My point is this: if you are aware of anyone not receiving our emails or newsletters, please have them check to see if it was put into their Spam fold-er. They can then let their com-puter know that this is not Spam. It is always a good habit
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New Membership
Mike Ponting
to take a look at your Spam or Junk folder to see if something was put their by accident. Person-ally, I have found I get some emails sent there when I am also receiving emails from that sender in my regular inbox. (I just use tech-nology, I don’t always understand it.)
Finally, I encourage all members to reach out to your neighbors that are veterans, as they move in or return for the season, to find out if they have an interest in joining our club. Let them know they are welcome to come to our meetings and “try us on.”
Veterans Club
Membership
144
I t was another exciting and well received event, as vet-erans, their spouses, and
residents of the Trilogy attended the Veterans Day Flag ceremony at the Kiva Club.
All gathered at 11:00 to meet
and greet veterans and exchanging “war stories.” It was such a great turnout with over 65 in attendance.
At precisely 11 minutes after
11 O’clock, on the 11th month, and 11th day, there was a moment of silence. After that, the wonder-
ful Troubadours sang the National Anthem and veterans in the crowd rendered a crisp and sharp salute to the flag.
Trilogy Veterans Club Presi-
dent, Hank Lewis spoke for a few minutes about the meaning of Vet-erans and how the club supports
military veterans in need.
Special thanks to members of the club that woke up early Satur-day morning and displayed the
flags of the country and all branches of service at the corner, where you enter the Kiva Club.
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Kiva Club Flag Ceremony
O n Veterans Day, eight members headed down
to the Arizona Veter-ans Memorial Wall in Peoria to represent the Trilogy Veterans
Club. Leading the team there was the club’s vice-president, Mark
Grindle.
The 88-foot long, black granite wall gives special recognition to the current five branches of the armed forces: Army, Navy, Ma-rines, Air Force and Coast Guard. The United States Great Seal is boldly represented on the first eight foot panel section along with the five service branches and a special tribute that states, “This memorial is dedicated by the city of Peoria to all of those who have served and are serving our coun-try in the defense of freedom.”
An inscription along the length of the wall bears the saying, “Let
every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill that we shall
pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any
friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and success of free-dom.” John F. Kennedy, 1961 In-
augural Address
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Arizona Veterans
Memorial Wall
The wall is open to the public and is located in Peoria at:
Rio Vista Community Park
8866 W. Thunderbird Rd
Do you know who I am?
I am a member of the Trilogy Veterans Club and served in the United States Army
Answer can be found on page 17
I t was a beautiful day to have an Open House and Zona Communications did it right! Part of the ceremony was
a tribute to the Trilogy Veterans Club and the work the club does on behalf of military veterans in-need. During the ceremony, Mike Urdahl
(President of Zona Communications), intro-duced our club president, Hank Lewis and presented him with a donation to the club.
Hank spoke eloquently about the club, its core missions, and the men and women that
comprise the club. As part of the open house, Zona collected small appliances (toaster ovens,
toasters, coffee makers, some small furniture, and other items) that will be used by military veterans who have acquired housing. As you will see in the picture below, that Zona vehicle was packed full! Thanks to all the TVC members who took the time to come out and be part of this great event. Special thanks
to Zona Communications for their support.
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TVC Shows up for Zona Open House
Scott Duke
S eventy-Five years ago today, after months of fighting at Henderson Field and along Edson’s Ridge, Marines on Guadalcanal spent the night of 10 November 1942 planning and preparing. Although the Battle of Guadalcanal would continue for three more months, the plans laid on our Corps’ most
sacred day became integral to the amphibious campaigns that followed. Success at Guadalcanal proved to be the turning point that ultimately paved the way for Allied victory in the Pacific. Those warriors defended their positions in brutal conditions against a formidable enemy – and triumphed. Through every major conflict our Nation has seen since the Revolution, Marines performed their duty with utmost courage, devotion, and raw determination. Their valiant deeds in the face of overwhelming challenges give us confidence and inspire us to meet the trials of today. As we pause to celebrate the birth of our Corps this year, we honor the legacy that was passed down to us and we recommit ourselves to carrying those traditions into the future.
This November 10th marks 242 years of warfighting excellence. At places like Trenton, Tripoli, Cha-pultepec, Belleau Wood, Guadalcanal, Chosin, Khe Sanh, Fallujah, Sangin, and so many others, Marines have fought with an inner spirit – a spirit that bonds us, binds us together as a cohesive team. It’s that intangible spirit that has formed the foundation of our warfighting reputation for the past 242 years. Now it’s our respon-sibility to ensure we honor and carry on that legacy. The American people expect a Corps of men and women who are committed, selfless, willing to sacrifice, who epitomize honor, courage, commitment, virtue, and character. We owe our Nation and our predecessors no less.
Today, as we celebrate our 242nd birthday, we must remember who we are, where we came from, and why we’re here. We must remember the past, honor those who are no longer with us, focus on today’s battles, and get ready for tomorrow. We can and will prevail as we always have, in any clime and place. But we must pre-vail together, united by the unyielding spirit in each of us that makes our Corps unique – that willingness to put our Corps and fellow Marines ahead of ourselves. Victory in battle comes through the integrated efforts of many – teamwork. We value the sacrifices and contributions of every Marine and Sailor, as well as our family members without whose support we would not be able to accomplish our mission. And we remain committed to being our Nation’s Expeditionary Force in Readiness that sets the standard for honor, discipline, and cour-age. I am proud of each and every one of you. Happy Birthday, Marines!
Semper Fidelis,
Robert B. Neller
General, U.S. Marine Corps
Commandant of the Marine Corps
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Letter from Commandant, USMC
I t was a wonderful display of military veterans from around the area at the Peoria Sports Complex on Veterans Day. This project was three months in the making, but it was all worth it, as the crowd listened to
two club members (Richard Brown and Paul Bernard) sing the National Anthem, and then watch club member, Ian Gale throw out the first pitch.
Thirty-three club members attended the game and when you include their guests, the Trilogy Veterans Club was in full-force with 67 folks being part of the nearly 1,000 fans that showed up to hear Richard and Paul sing, watch a game, and enjoy the fireworks. A video of Richard and Paul was made and posted on Facebook.
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Take me out to the Ball Game!
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PRESIDENT
Virgil “Hank: Lewis
VICE-PRESIDENT Mark Grindle
SECRETARY
Jim Long
jimlong13058@
gmail.com
Communications Director Scott Duke
Membership Director Mike Ponting
TVC/Luke Volunteer Program Richard Brown
Social Director Robert Meizinger
Madison Street Outreach Donald Borland
Member-at-Large Will remain vacant until next election of board members.
TREASURER Les Kessler
kesslerleslie@
yahoo.com
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I t all started with an idea at the Vistancia Elementary School. The kids wanted to honor military veterans as part of Veterans Day. The idea became reality and it was an im-
pressive show of support for those that served in the Armed Forc-es.
The day kicked off with a delicious breakfast, then a school assembly. Club President, Hank Lewis spoke to the children about the club and mission and then it was time to “storm the halls” of the school.
“There were so many kids,” exclaimed one of the veterans. The school children even created homemade cards for the military veterans.
Special thanks to Kady Binsbacher for working on this project with others to make it so successful. Speaking for the Trilogy Veterans Club, we are so appreciative and thankful to be part of the day.
Elementary School honors Trilogy Vet-
erans Club
T rilogy Veterans Club (TVC) shirts, hats, bricks,
and coins are for sale. Prices are below. Hats
and shirts have been increased in price. Bricks
go up to $40 in January 2018. Coin remained
the same in price.
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Customized Brick Club Coin
Polo Shirt Tee Shirt
Price increase—January 2018
F or the month of November, we were excited to learn
that a family will take care of the entire meal for the Madison Outreach Center. That is simply outstanding
we thank Ron (head chef) for taking on that above and beyond
effort. We still needed help with sodas, bananas, servers and driv-ers, so we still had some help from fellow Vets from the club. We think for December, we will be on
track for full support from the club to support Madison Street Outreach Center.
As always, if you have questions or comments about the program and this mis-sion, please contact our mission leader, Don Borland @ [email protected]
Madison Street Outreach
Program
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A friend of my posted this on Facebook and I thought it was worth a read…..
Ever wonder why Veterans Day is on the 11th and not changed? The war ended on the 11th month on the 11th day on the 11th hour.
Today, I saw a man selling poppies stop a lady and asked if he could re-position her poppy. While doing so, he told that lady that she should wear the poppy on her right side, the red repre-sents the blood of all those who have their lives, the black represents the mourning of those who didn’t have their loved ones return home, and the green leaf represents the grass and crops growing and future prosperity after the war destroyed so much.
The leaf should be positioned at 11 o’clock to represent the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, the time that World War One formally ended.
He was worried that the younger generation wouldn’t understand this and his genera-tion wouldn't be around that much longer to teach them. We must remember those from our current wars too!
W hen my Father passed away earlier this month, I posted on Facebook some pictures and wrote about my Dad. Some Trilogy Veterans saw those pictures and asked me if I would write something in the newsletter about Pop. I was reluctant because it felt self-serving, but I thought sharing my Dad’s military time with the people he loved the most — Veterans, would be okay to do.
My Dad actually joined the Army back in 1950 when he was underage for military service. While fighting in the Korean War, he was shot and awarded the first of two Purple Hearts he would be awarded in his career. When the Army found out he was not old enough to be in the military, they had a dilemma on their hands. Do you really kick out a 16 year old Soldier that was just awarded the Purple Heart? The answer was no, and that led to a 21 year career that included my Dad’s MOS’ as a military policeman, tank commander, and drill instructor. He was tough as nails and had a very low tolerance for incompetence , but he loved being a solider!
During his time in the Army, along with the Korean War, he served three tours in Vietnam as a commander on an M60 tank. He was awarded the bronze star for Valor, Silver Star for Gallantry, and the Defense Service Medal, along with many campaign and service medals. But you know, the one thing Dad cherished the most was his Com-bat Infantry Badge, or CIB. For those that are not familiar with the CIB, it is awarded to infantrymen and special forces soldiers in the rank of Colonel and below who fought in active ground combat. He never spoke about the war or what went on there until the last few days before he died. I knew my Dad was a heavily decorated soldier, but the stories he would tell me were absolutely amazing. He was awarded his second Pur-ple Heart when a mortar round hit his tank and knocked him from the turret position down into the tank. One crew member was killed, Dad and the rest were injured. Dad lost 75% of his hearing that day. He told me when the round hit the tank it was like being inside a trash can with the lid on and somebody hitting the can with a baseball bat. Another time, Dad was on a recon mission and encountered a group of Viet Cong heading his way. He was outmatched and outgunned. Dad laid in a rice patty
and remained silent as they were approaching. Just then a “Two- step” snake swam across Dad’s chest. To be clear, a “two-step” snake was a name given to the snake my GI’s because the word was you could only walk two steps after being bitten before you died. Dad said he never knew if that was true, but in that rice patty, he seemed and felt very true!
Dad retired in 1971 as a Sergeant First Class. The only reason he retired was the Army was going to send him back to Vietnam for a 4th tour and Dad was raising three boys with no mother (divorced in 1969), When he retired, he be-came a police officer in Radcliff, KY (town outside of Fort Knox). When he was promoted to Assistant Chief of Police, the rank was a “second Lt bar.” Dad told the Chief of Police that he would only accept the position if they changed the rank to a 1st Lt bar. Dad did NOT want to wear “butter bars” after serving as a NCO in the Army for 20 years.
Final thing I will write about is this. Try growing up with your Dad as a drill instructor! Every Saturday morning, we would have room inspections at 0900. If
you failed, a make-up inspection was at 1300. If you failed that...you were grounded for the weekend. That prepped his three boys for military service; older brother retired Navy (21 years), me, Air Force (42 years), and younger brother, Coast Guard (20 years). In total, the Dukes served 104 years on federal service (84 active-duty years).
He was a Hero, Soldier, and best of all — Father! RIP Pop.
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He was a Hero, Solider, and Father
H ere is a look at the agenda for this month’s meeting of the Veterans Club. We hope to see you there at 1600 hrs.
Meeting comes to order at 1600
Pledge of Allegiance
Membership Update
President’s comments
Voting for club officers
Financial report
Core Mission Updates
OLD business
New business
Good of the Club
Adjourn
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If you thought it was Bob Paquin, you would be correct!
