Jan-Mar 2012 VFW NC Leader

8/2/2019 Jan-Mar 2012 VFW NC Leader

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More than 216,000 North Carolinaresidents served in Vietnam, and some1600 made the ultimate sacrifice in that war. Now, the usa of North Carolinaand Charlotte Motor Speedway, withsupport from the North Carolina Association of Broadcasters, will honortheir service with an incredible Vietnam Veterans Homecoming Celebration forthe military members and their friendsand family. The VFW Department ofNorth Carolina will participate with

four recruiting tables scattered about thespeedway grounds.

The inaugural Vietnam VeteransHomecoming Celebration became areality on Thursday, Dec. 15, after yearsof planning - and some 40 years after theVietnam Conflict ended. A highly deco-rated military audience was on hand toannounce the event, which will be heldMarch 31, 2012 at Charlotte MotorSpeedway.

Vietnam veterans never received the typeof homecoming celebration that today'stroops receive as they return from ser-vice.

To honor those who served and themilitary members who returned from

combat, the USO of North Carolinais holding a long, overdue homecom-ing celebration. Hosted by the USOof North Carolina and CharlotteMotor Speedway, the Vietnam VeteransHomecoming Celebration 2012 is setto be an unforgettable experience fea-turing live entertainment, displays anddemonstrations, military salutes, andmuch more! Supporting partners for the

event include Lowe's, Coca-Cola, CocaCola Consolidated, Lorillard and RJR.Tickets to the event are free and availablein advance at www.charlottemotorspeed-way.com/WelcomeHome or at the gate.

Honored guests included David Kennerly,Pulitzer Prize Winning Vietnam CombatPhotographer, Lt. Gen. Tom Waskow, AirForce, (Retired), Forward Air Controller,Republic of Vietnam, Col. QuincyCollins, Air Force, (Retired), Vietnam

POW, Col. Charles Williams, U.S. Army,(Retired), Artillery Battery Commanderand Battalion Operations officer,101st Airborne Division, Republic of Vietnam, Lt. Col. John Falkenbury,U.S. Army (Retired), President, USO ofNorth Carolina, and Danny Highsmith,President, North Carolina Association ofBroadcasters. Also in the audience wereVietnam veterans and representatives ofthe USO of North Carolina, RollingThunder, the North Carolina Vietnam Veterans' Memorial, the Purple Heart Association and the Veterans' LegacyFoundation.

"This a way for we, the North Caroliniancommunity, to say thank you to a gen-eration who perhaps didn't get the thankyou's that we would have expected when

returned from combat from 1965 to1973," said Lt. Gen. Tom Waskow, AirForce, (Retired), who shared his perspec-tive on the need to recognize the Vietnam veterans at the press conference. "We want to bring the veterans here so wecan give them a venue where they cansit down and look at the benefits whichthey have earned, but number two we wanted this to be an opportunity for

we the North Carolinian family to saythank you to them because no one reallydid that in 1972 when I came home.This is an opportunity for us to showour appreciation to these great men andwomen and to show them that the legacylives on in the wonderful way that ourmen and women are treated today, andthat same courtesy is extended to theseolder folks."

To help spread the word about the

upcoming event, the Vietnam VeteransHomecoming Celebration launched anew public service announcement fea-turing Col. Quincy Collins, Air Force,(Retired). He had an illustrious Air Forcecareer, from opening the new Air Force Academy in 1955 as an Air TrainingOfficer, to being the Aide to the FourStar Commander-In-Chief of U. S. AirForces in Europe, to being shot down bythe North Vietnamese Communists andspending 7 1/2 years in prison cells inand around Hanoi.

"I feel a passion for this operation," saidCol. Collins. "When I came out it wassort of the end. And here were a group ofPOWs who had been held and Americaliked that, they liked the fact that wewere out. So, no tomatoes, no vegetables

thrown at us. Two weeks before that, thatwasn't the case. Guys still coming backgetting bad mouthed, couldn't get jobsand so forth. But, when we came backhopefully that changed the atmospherea little bit. I remember when I landed inSan Francisco, the first thing I did wasto go through a VA hospital. I wanted totell those guys how much I appreciatedwhat they did because America had not

expressed that to them. And when thoseguys knew I was there they sought meout in that hospital and said "Man, I amglad you're out."

And I'm trying to say, "Hey we real-ly appreciate what you did" and their voices were "we would have not havechanged places with you at alL" I meanhow humbling can that be. And that iswhy this is so very important. It's timeto get this out of our brawl so to speak

and let the guys feel like they really arewelcome and I think this group can dothat."

The Vietnam Veterans' HomecomingCelebration will feature an incredible dis-play of photographer David Kennerly'sPulitzer prize-winning portfolio of com-bat photos from the Vietnam conflict. At 25, the Roseburg, Oregon nativewon the 1972 Pulitzer Prize for FeaturePhotography for his previous year's workthat included photos of the Vietnam,Cambodia, and India-Pakistan Wars,and the AIi-Frazier fight in MadisonSquare Garden.

"I think that is the role of the photogra-pher to shed a little light into corners ofthe world you wouldn't see otherwise,"

said Kennerly. "It certainly is a tributeto the fighting men and women. And Ithink a lot of the pictures, not mine nec-essarily, but other photographers in theVietnam War for instance really depictedthe courage and valor of the Americansoldiers who were fighting the war. Thatis really important for back then and forfuture generations."

The USO of North Carolina, whichcreated the event, encourages Vietnamveterans and their families to join in theevent.

"The Vietnam Veterans' HomecomingCelebration was created to educate, toinform and to assist those who servedour country in the Vietnam Conflict,"said Lt. Col. John Falkenbury, u.s. Army(Retired), President, USO of NorthCarolina. "We are going to educate peo-

ple about the sacrifices of our VietnamVeterans and all veterans. We are goingto assist our Vietnam veterans by havingveterans' services organizations out here,the VA and the American Red Cross. Andthen we are going to entertain everyone.We are going to have top-tier entertain-ment here and make this a day that thepeople in the Charlotte area and aroundthe region will always remember. "

For more information on the Vietnam Veterans' Homecoming Celebration, visit www.charlottemotorspeed- way.com!WelcomeHome. Followthe event on twitter at http://twitter.com/VetsWelcomeHome and "like"it at http://www.facebook.com/VetsHomecoming2012. To see the PSA, visit http://www.youtube.com/user/

VetsHomecoming. For display and spon-sorship opportunities, contact GeoffUlrich, Victory Management Group, at704.591.1265.

Official Publication of the N.C. Department Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States

Volume No. 71 TheVFWLeader JaN/Feb/mar 2012

Inside: Pg. 2 - Letters

Pg. 3 - Officers Columns

Pg. 4 - State Convention

Pg. 7 - President's Column

Pg. 8 - VOD

Pg. 9 - Post District Training

Pg. 10 - Veterans College Clubs Pg. 11 - Tarheel Happenings

Pg. 12 - Viet Nam Moving Wall

2012

WEHO

LDTHEFUTUREVFW of North CarolinaPO Box 25337Raleigh, NC 27611-5337

Non-Profit OrgUS Postage

PAIDRermit No. 1838

Raleigh N.C.

Giant Vietnam Veterans Homecoming Celebration

THE VFW LEADER

State Chaplain A.G. Parker Passes

The State Headquarters of the VFWDepartment of North Carolina hasmade arrangements with the Wells Fargo

banking company to obtain the abilityto accept credit card payments for manygoods and services. The credit card sys-tem is set to begin on 1 April 2012 (andNO, it is not an April Fool's joke!).

Comrades, Ladies Auxiliary members,and Men's Auxiliary members will nowbe able to use their VISA, Mastercard,and Discover cards to accomplish anumber of financial tasks with theHeadquarters. American Express cardswill not be a part of this system.

Members will be able to call theHeadquarters at 919-828-5058, and bygiving State Adjutant/QuartermasterBruce Edwards or State Bookkeeper/Secretary Lynn Edwards theircredit card information, can buy mili-tary/veterans clothing, pay for Council

of Administration or State Conventionbanquet tickets, and purchase BuddyPoppies, among other tasks. TheHeadquarters will accept either individual or post credit cards for thesetransactions.

Additionally, members will be able topay for their VFW Leader newspaperraffle tickets by using their credit cards.The newspaper raffle tickets will arriveas usual from the Department in April,

and will now have a credit card informa-tion section on the bottom of the coverletter. Members will be able to send

that section and their ticket stubs to theDepartment if they wish, thereby avoid-ing writing a check.

The Registration desk at the StateConvention in June and at the Councilof Administration meetings in Octoberand February will also be able to uti-lize this system to purchase clothingand other goods, pay for their banquettickets or hospitality room bracelets,and even buy extra raffle tickets! Payingfor hotel rooms and meals will still bedirectly with the hotel, as in the past.

The purpose of adopting this systemis three-fold: First, the use of the sys-tem will greatly reduce the amountof cash received by the headquarters,which has been a long-term goal of theHeadquarters professional auditors. Of

course, cash and checks will still beaccepted, but it is projected that a muchsmaller amount of cash will be received.Second, most comrades, sisters, andbrothers now prefer to use their creditcards over cash or checks, so this sys-tem will be a great convenience for allmembers. And third, it is hoped that useof the credit card system will increasesales of both goods and services for theDepartment.

Dept Headquarters To Get

Credit Card CapabilityLongtime State Chaplain Augustus G.Parker, known to all in the Departmentof North Carolina as "A.G" and affec-tionately called "Padre," died at theWinter Council of Administration meet-ing on Saturday, February 4th, at the

North Raleigh Hilton Hotel. He was 88years old.'.Well known for his booming voice andgreat concern for all comrades and sis-ters in the state, Chaplain Parker servedin that office continuously from 1990to the present day, with the exceptionof 2007-2008, when the State Chaplainwas John Negus of Biscoe. Just prior tothat election year, he had lost his wifeof many years, Georgia Parker, and wasdesolate. Fortunately, he found anotherlove to spend the rest of his life with,Frances Parker, who was with him whenhe was stricken in his hotel room.

Chaplain Parker was well known andwell liked throughout the entire Veteransof Foreign Wars, as he had served asNational Chaplain from 1989-1990. Hewas a comrade of the Advance post formany years, and had recently transferred

to the Clemmons post.

He was a veteran of the United StatesArmy, having been in that service fromMay 1943 to April 1946. He obtainedhis eligibility for the Veterans of ForeignWars by serving in the European Theaterof Operations from October 1944 toApril 1946.

Parker was buried on Tuesday, February7th, at the Yadkin Valley Baptist Churchcemetery in Advance. The number of VFW comrades at the funeral was thelargest of any VFW-attended funeral inat least a decade.

World War II Tour Hostess Vi RanneyWorld War II Tour Hostess: Vi Ranney ofYankton, South Dakota, will be escorting

her 18th and 19th WWII tours this sum-

mer in a row. This is the eighth year in a

row that she, and often her WWII hus-

band, Dr. Brooks Ranney, have enjoyed

caring for veterans and others as they

journey back to the battlefields, cemetar-

ies and other historical places of WWII

interest. Countries visited are France,

Luxembourg, Belgium, and Germany. Vi

is a local Ladies Auxiliary Past President

and life member, and Dr. Ranney is a

VFW life member. "It has been my hum-

ble honor to escort the veterans and oth-

ers on these tours," Vi stated. "And to be

there on the D-Day anniversary is truly

spectacular. The people of Normandy

have not forgotten what our military did

for them and our veterans are so over- whelmingly honored at these ceremo-

nies." Call the Ranneys at 605-665-3596

if you are interested in traveling with

them on one of these VFW journeys back

into the past.

WINNERS OF THE VFW DEPARTMENT OF NORTHCAROLINA'S 2011-2012 VOICE OF DEMOCRACY/

PATRIOT PEN RAFFLE CONDUCTED ON 4 FEB 2012

$10,000 - Jacob E. Beckworth Jr. of Goldsboro

$2,000 - William K. McCrimmon of West End$1,000 - R. L. Roper of Hendersonville

$500 - George F. Wooten of Jacksonville$500 - Elizabeth R. Beaver of Hurdle Mills


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Page 2 Jan/Feb/Mar 2012 The VFW Leader

The VFW Leader is publishedquarterly by the Departmentof North Carolina Veterans ofForeign Wars at 917 New Bern

Avenue, Raleigh, North Carolina.

Editor. . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . . . . . . .BruceEdwards

News stories, photographs andother matters for publicationshould be addressed to Editor,

VFW Leader, P.O. Box 25337,Raleigh, N.C. 27611.

Correspondence regarding sub-scription and circulation shouldbe addressed to VFW Leader, P.O.Box 25337, Raleigh, N.C. 27611.

"Department Headquartersnormal operating hours 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m.Monday thru Friday. Closed for holidays: New YearsDay, Martin Luther King's Birthday, Good Friday,Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, VeteransDay, Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day."

The VFW Leader

Letters to the EditorBrinks Incorp.

January 11,2012Brink's U.S.A Division of Brink's, Incorporated601 Mercury StreetRaleigh, NC 27603 U.S.A.Tel: (919) 833-6479Fax: (919) 832-5711

Dear VFW North Carolina:

Brink's, Incorporated ("Brink's")is an equal opportunity/affir-mative action employer. Weare requesting your support inour affirmative action efforts asthey relate to providing employ-ment opportunities for qualified women, minorities, individualswith disabilities, and disabled vet-erans, special disabled veterans,veterans of the Vietnam era, newlyseparated veterans, other pro-tected veterans and Armed ForcesService medal veterans ("CoveredVeterans").

Brink's does not discriminateagainst any employee or quali-fied candidate for employment onthe basis of race, religion, color,age, sex, national origin, disabil-ity, veteran status, or any otherstatus protected by applicable fed-eral, state or local law. Brink'salso takes affirmative action torecruit, hire, and promote quali-fied minorities, women, individu-

als with disabilities and CoveredVeterans.

We seek candidates for variouspositions from time to time. Wearecommitted to equal employ-ment opportunity and affirmativeaction.

In order to achieve those objec-tives, we request that potentialcandidates for employment,

particularly qualified women,minorities, individuals with dis-abilities, and Covered Veterans,continue to be referred to Brink'sfor any and all applicable jobopenings. Those individuals seek-ing to apply for employment withBrink's should be directed to visitthe Brink's website, http://www.brinksuscareers.com and followthe instructions set forth on the website. Altematively candidatesmay also visit the Raleigh Branchand complete an application onthe computer terminal located

there or request assistance fromBrink's personnel in completingthe application if necessary.

If you have any questions orwould like to discuss employmentopportunities at Brink's, do nothesitate to let me know.

Very truly yours,Joseph PinckneyBranch Manager

A story about the White House changing themilitary funeral protocols for the presentationof the American flag to survivors has gaineda good deal of traction in recent weeks. Theemail, a variation of which is shown below,states that the statement made by the soldierto the recipient of the flag has been changed toremove mention of the President of the UnitedStates and replaced with Secretary of Defense.However, there has been no change in policyregarding funeral protocol, and the separateservices maintain their own version of the pre-sentation statement.

The presentation of the flag and the accom-panying statement from the service varies byservice. They are as listed: United States Army:,On behalf of the President of the United Statesand the people of a grateful nation, may I pres-ent this flag as a token of appreciation for thehonorable and faithful service your loved one

rendered this nation. United States Navy: Onbehalf of the President of the United States andthe Chief of Naval Operations, please acceptthis flag as a symbol of of appreciation for yourloved ones in service to this Country and agrateful Navy. United Sta!es Marines Corps: Onbehalf of the Presidient of the United States, "

the Commander of the Marines Corps, and agrateful nation, please accept this flag as asymbol of our appreciation for your loved onesservice to Country and Corps. United States AirForce: On behalf of the President of the UnitedStates, the Department of the Air Force, and agrateful nation, we offer this flag for the faith-ful and dedicated service of Service membersrank and name). United States Coast Guard:On behalf of the President of the United States,the Commander of the Coast Guard, and agrateful nation, please accept this flag as a symbol of our appreciation for your loved onesservice to Country and the Coast Guard.

Military funeral protocols are spelled out inlaw under U.S. Code, Title 10, Chapter 75,Section 1491, last revised in January 2007. Butthe code only govems who receives the flag atthe presentation. The statement made is left upto the services and according to each source

contacted; there has not been any modificationof their tradition.(Source: ~ MOAA News Exchange 19 Oct 2011++)

Funeral Honors Update


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On February 4th, 2012 , everyone wassaddened when news was received wehad lost our devoted Chaplain anddear friend A.G. Parker. A. G. wasalways where he was needed, and hewill truly be missed, but memories ofhim will live in our hearts forever.

We will have District Conventionssoon. Elect officers and appoint chair-

man that are dedicated to the workof the VFW, and will do the job theyare elected or appointed to do. Besure to complete the election reportand send it in to the DepartmentHeadquarters as soon as the electionis over, as requested information is

needed for our Department officersand Department Chairman.

I would like to commend VFW Post9010 Clemmons for assisting a Postin need. 4024 Mocksville neededassistance in paying for repairs madeto their VFW Post home. 9010Clemmons took care of their needentirely. Comrades, that is what we are all about, Veterans helping Veterans, and I am proud to be amember of 9010 Clemmons. Theysupport many programs that benefitmany people in need. Also, I wouldlike to recognize the Comrade from10346 Hamptonville that handedme $40.00 for 4024 Mocksville. I donot know his name, but thank you,

Comrade.

Congratulations to Jason, he hasdone an outstanding job! We havehad a good year, and I would like tothank all of you for everything youhave done to help our Departmentgrow. To the Ladies Auxiliary andMen's Auxiliary, thank you for help-

ing your Post, your District, and ourDepartment. However, I feel youcould do more assisting in the workof our great. organization, and Iknow that you want to do more.With the help of each of you, we cancontinue to grow. I appreciate thesupport I have received from each of you so far this year, and need yourcontinued support the balance ofthis year and throughout our 2012-2013 year.

Yours in Comradeship,Ted Briggs

As this will be the last issue of The Leaderpublished before our state convention, I wanted to let everyone know what anhonor it has been to ser ve as commanderthis year. It has been a remarkable expe-rience that has provided me with oppor-tunities I never imagined. I've traveled

to posts all over North Carolina andwitnessed first hand the amazing eventsand programs the VFW conducts. I'veseen incredible veteran's service activi-ties, youth development programs, mili-tary support actions, and the list goeson and on. There are astonishing deedsbeing done by our Posts and Auxiliariesin North Carolina and I am privileged tohave experienced so much of it.I owe quite a debt to the many folks whohave done so much to make this year asuccess. Without the assistance of ourAdjutant/Quartermaster Bruce EdwardsI would have been overwhelmed bypaperwork alone. Bruce, and our depart-ment secretary Lynn Edwards, deserve alot of credit for all the work they do. Thedepartment could not function without

them. I thank them both for making thisyear manageable for me.Our success as a department, and any Imight have achieved as the commander,

The VFW Leader Jan/Feb/Mar 2012 Page 3

CoMManders CoLuMn

was only because of the hard work andsupport of the leaders at all levels of ourVFW. From post officers and chairmento members of the department council,everyone stepped up and did a com-mendable job. We have a lot to be proudabout in North Carolina and our future

is looking bright.While I need to thank dozens of peoplefor their help, there are two comrades who were invaluable to me this year:State Senior Vice Commander Ted Briggsand Junior Vice Commander Ernie Allis. Without their guidance, advice, andsupport I don't know what I would havedone. We worked together as a teamtoward common goals and met all thechallenges that arose and managed tohave a great time along the way. I knowthat our best days are ahead of us withTed and Ernie leading the Department.And finally, I wouldn't be doing my jobif I didn't talk about membership. There was once a young veteran who didn'tknow much about the VFW. One daywhile he was standing in line at the post

office someone asked him to join. Hesaid yes and soon went to his first meet-ing. When he got there he was treated with respect and shown comradeship,so he came back. He kept coming backso they asked him to be an off icer. Somereally great mentors helped him, gavehim advice, and showed him the ropes.Before long that young veteran, who wasstanding in line at the post office, wassitting here writing this article.That day in the post office changed mylife profoundly. If that person hadn'tasked me to join the VFW, I wouldhave missed out on so many amazingexperiences and would never have metsome ofthe dearest friends I have. Don'tlet anyone miss out on all the VFW hasto offer. Ask every eligible veteran you

meet to join our ranks!

Yours in Comradeship, Jason

Jason sChooLCraFT

sr. ViCe CoMMander CoLuMn

Ted h. briggs

It was great seeing so many of you at the Winter Cof A. Hopefully, you were ableto get useful information and training totake back to your Posts and Districts. Yourinput and participation is appreciated, andI would like to see many more of you

attend in the future. Let the line officersor your post representatives know if thereis anything we can do to enhance yourexperience. These get-togethers are not justabout comrades, other good friends, goodfood and drinks, but an opportunity toshare ideas, voice concerns, and find outhow you can contribute your many talentsto the betterment of the organization. Let'scontinue to be a part of something largerthan ourselves.

On another subject. There has been discus-sion in Congress about imposing reduc-tions in national security spending. Thisincludes the "'10 for 10" plan, eliminating10 specific benefits for veterans and mili-tary personnel to pay for 10 years of war.Commander in Chief De Noyer addressedthis and other issues at the Legislativemeeting in Washington DC in March.Comrades, Ladies, and Mens Auxiliaries

- please contact your local state representa-tives and let them know that implementingthe proposed "10 for 10" plan is a breachof faith and is totally unacceptable. Weneed to "play to our strength" of numbers;if they hear from enough of us, maybe wecan convince congress to look elsewhere inmaking budget cuts.

I want to thank you again for allowing meto be your Junior Vice Commander. I haveenjoyed getting around to meet many of

you and look forward to visiting more areasaround the state in the upcoming months.As always, if there is anything I can do tohelp your Post or District; do not hesitateto call me. I will assist in any way I can.

Ernie

Junior Vice Commander

Jr. ViCe CoMMander CoLuMn

ernie aLLis

VA Launches PersonalizedHealth Benefits HandbookWASHINGTON - Veterans enrolledin the health care system of theDepartment of Veterans Affairs

have begun to receive personalizedbooklets that explain their healthcare benefits and contain other use-ful information.

"V A is committed to providingour Nation's Veterans with consis-tent, clear information about theservices available to them," saidSecretary of Veterans Affairs EricK. Shinseki.

The new booklet, called a HealthBenefits Handbook, will provide apersonalized listing of health ben-efits based on each Veteran's spe-cific eligibility. The handbook willalso have contact information fortheir local V A medical facilities,appointment scheduling informa-tion, guidelines for communicat-

ing with their clinical team and,as applicable, information aboutcopays.

Distribution of the handbooks

began this month, with all 8.5million Veterans enrolled in V A'shealth care system scheduled toreceive their handbooks by 2013. Veterans will receive updates totheir handbook to reflect changesto their benefits or eligibility.

VA operates 152 medical centersand more than 800 community-based outpatient clinics. Last year,inpatient facilities treated morethan 690,000 patients, while out-patient clinics registered more than79 million visits.

For more information about theHealth Benefits Handbook, visitwww.va.gov/healthbenefits/vhbhor call VA's toll-free number at 1-877-222-VETS (8387).

Vet. Admin. Launches

Personalized Health

Benefits Handbook

Come to Chief Flanders

97 Birthday Bash!

Chief James E. Floanders will celebrate his 97th

Birthday at the Red, White and Blue Ball at VFW

Post 6018 in Fayetteville on

June 30th from 3pm to 7pm

The Post is located at 116 Chance Street, Downtown

Telephone 910-323-3755 and home is 910-488-6948

COME ONE, COME ALL!!!

EVERYBODY IS INVITED TO HELP

CHIEF FLANDERS CELEBRATE!


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2012 State ConventionThe Department of NorthCarolina's 2012 annual StateConvention is been set forFriday,15 June to Sunday, 17

June at the North Raleigh HiltonHotel. It will be preceded on

Thursday, 14 June, by the [malmeeting ofthe outgoing Councilof Administration.

This year's convention is shap-ing up to be an exciting one,

with many comrades running fora number of state-level offices.

A summary of which comradeshave announced their candida-cies follows: *Current Senior

Vice Commander Ted Briggsof Clemmons Post 9010 forCommander. *Current Junior

Vice Commander Ernis Allis ofCharlotte Post 9488 for Senior

Vice Commander. *Current Judge Advocate Jack Goin of

Calabash Post 7288 and cur-rent Post Quartermaster MarkBergman of Garner Post 10225for Junior Vice Commander.*Current Quartermaster BruceEdwards of Henderson Post 2417for Quartermaster. *CurrentDistrict 15 Commander DeanHarris of Newland Post 4286and current National RecruiterRoland Rochester of FayettevillePost 6018 for Judge Advocate.*Current Surgeon SaundraClagett of Fayetteville Post 6018and nurse Chris Sikes for Surgeon.*Current Cootie State ChaplainSteve Smith of Jacksonville Post9133 for Chaplain. *CurrentNational Deputy Chief-of-StaffRon Lief of Calabash Post 7288and Current Western ConferenceChairman Jim Goins of CharlottePost 9488 for National Councilof Administration member. StateCommander Jason Schoolcraft,

who had announced his candi-dacy at the CofA in February,has now decided to accept 2012-2013 projected State CommanderTed Briggs' offer of State andNational Legislative Chairman,and will run for National CouncilMember in 2014. The upcomingterm on the National Council

will be from 2012-2014 and will

be the first one that has a sepa-rate seat for each Department.Currently, and in the past, a sin-gle Council member representedboth North and South Carolina.

On the Ladies' side of the house,the following sisters have declaredtheir intentions: *Current Senior

Vice President Ginger Amos forPresident. *Current Junior VicePresident Penny Cacoulidis forSenior Vice President. *CurrentChaplain Janice Holm for

Junior Vice President. *CurrentConductress B. Mae Harrisfor Chaplain. *Current GuardFran Redfield for Conductress.

*Current Dist. 5 President JoanElmier for Guard, the bottom

wrung of the 6-chair LadiesElection System.

The annual State Convention will begin on Friday, 15 June,and include a joint session of thecomrades, sisters and brothers;meetings of the Eastern, Central,and Western Conferences; meet-ings of the various committees;and several seminars and trainingclasses. One change this year isthat the classes scheduled for thethree Flying Squadron trainingsessions in Mount Olive, Raleigh,and Statesville in the first three

weeks of August will not be dupli-cated at the Convention. TheDepartment Hospitality Room

will be open beginning at noonon this day.

On Saturday, the organizations will conduct business sessions,and have both nominations forand election of state-level offi-cers. The new officers will beinstalled after the election, and

the Installation Banquet withentertainment will be heldthat night. The DepartmentHospitality Room will be openmost of Saturday, except for dur-ing the Installation Banquet.Candidate hospitality rooms willalso be open most of the day,except for during the banquet.On Sunday morning, the 17th,the first meeting of the incomingCouncil of Administration willtake place.

The theme of the Convention is a"Luau" or Hawaiian Celebration.

All banquet attendees are encour-aged to wear bright, tropical style

clothing. Dept. Hqs. will be offer-ing Luau shirts for sale- watchthe Dept website for details.

Post Service Officers are encour-aged to attend the day-and-a-halflong service class, to be taught bythe State Service Officer. It willbegin at 9:00 a.m. on Friday andend at 12:00 noon on Saturday,so that attendees may still attendthe election.

One interesting DepartmentBy-Laws change that will be

voted upon is the establishmentof a Men's Auxiliary state-leveladvisory council. This council,if approved, would consist ofall the presidents of the vari-ous Men's Auxiliaries, and wouldbe available to advise the StateCommander and Council of

Administration on matters ofimportance to Men's Auxiliariesthroughout the state. It wouldhave no power to order Auxiliariesto do anything against its hostpost's wishes. Another possibleBy-Laws change would allowposts to petition to move to adifferent district if they are c loserto most of the posts in the newdistrict than they are to those intheir current district.

This will be the last annual StateConvention held at the NorthRaleigh Hilton hotel, as the con-

vention will move to the EmbassySuites in Greensboro for June2013. All comrades, sisters, andbrothers are highly encouragedto attend to understand how the

VFW and the Auxiliaries operateat the State level. The attendingNational Representatives fromboth VFW National and Ladies

Auxiliary National are unknownat this time, but current NationalCouncil of Administrationmember Frank Fogner of SouthCarolina will certainly be in

attendance.

For payment purposes, the out-going Council of Administrationand appointed conventionchairmen/convention commit-tee members, will be paid forthree nights at the North RaleighHilton plus mileage. New, incom-ing Council of Administrationmembers will be paid for twonights plus mileage. ProjectedState Commander Briggs' pro-posed chairmen and any othernonDepartment officers will bepaid $.20/mile per attendee ifthey attend the Convention, toinclude being present Sundaymorning at the incoming Councilmeeting. Reimbursement formsfor $.20/mile will be distribut-ed only at the Sunday morningmeeting.

Serve Your Community & the NationBecome a Selective ServiceSystem Local Board Member:The Selective Service System

wants to hear from men andwomen in the community whomight be willing to serve asmembers of local boards. ,

A prospective Board Membermust be a citizen of the UnitedStates, at least 18 years old,registered with the SelectiveService (if male), and notbe an employee in any lawenforcement occupation, not

be an active or retired memberof the Armed Forces (includesNational Guard and Reserves),and not have been convictedfor

any criminal offense. Onceidentified as qualified candi-dates for appointment, theyrecommended by the governorand appointed by the Directorof Selective Service on behalfof the President.Each new member receives five(5) hours of initial trainingafter appointment, followedby annual self-study trainingfor as long as he or she remainsin the position.

These Presidential Appointees

may serve as Board Membersup to 20 years.

Local Board Members areuncompensated volunteers

who play an important com-munity role closely connect-ed with our Nation's defense.If a military draft becomesnecessary, approximate-ly 10,000 local and AppealBoard Members throughout

America would decide which young men in each commu-nity receive deferments, post-ponements, or exemptionsfrom military service, basedon federal guidelines.

For more information on

Selective Service System, visitour website at www.sss.gov.


5/10

My deepest sympathy goesto Rev. Parker's family. TheDepartment feels a huge loss,even though we know he is ina better place. As I reflect backto the funeral, I realize weare all a family - we laugh

together and we cry together.That is a bond like no otherorganization.

Wow! What a year! Thank youso much for the warm wel-come in the Districts I have visited. It made me feel sospecial and so at home. I wantto thank all of you for yourhard work. We have passedthe 95 % now. And it is a thrillto have three new Auxiliaries(so far) and possibly a newJunior Girls Unit. I'm lookingforward to the combat boots(for 100%). And now I lookforward to seeing the reportscome in. I know we are doingthe work for our Veterans, wejust have to report.

I want express my apprecia-tion to all of you for "SteppingUp And Leaving No VeteranBehind" and for supportingmy special project. Everyonehas made my year a year Iwill never forget. I have seenhow close we really are. It

has proven how team workdoes payoff. To my line offi-cers and chairmen, thank youfor being there every step ofthe way. I want to say a spe-cial thank you to the mem-

bers responsible for bring-ing in new Auxiliaries thisyear, and to others for saving Auxiliaries that were experi-encing troubles. Thank you tothe sisters who have openedtheir home and let me stay with them. To the Past Dept.Presidents, thank you for thehelp you gave me this yearand faith you have shown inme. Without your assistance, Iwould never have been able todo this. We have shown a lotof people that North Carolinadoes have what takes to be awinner.

Thank you Dept. CommanderJason Schoolcraft. It has beenan honor and pleasure. Iam proud to say you are myCommander. We did it right!Thank you to Bruce Edwardsfor making the arrangementsfor our Ladies to meet in thefashion we have become accus-tomed to.

My hope is that you all showour next President the samesupport that you have shownme. To next year's officers, Ihope you have a year as good

as mine - or may I say, evenbetter! I hope that the mem-bers continue to show "Unityin Peace" in their "Service with pride" to our Veterans.Let us never forget what ourpurpose is and why we joined

this Great Organization.

Barbara K. Icard, Dept. Pres.

The VFW Leader Jan/Feb/Mar 2012 Page 7

PresidenT's CoLuMn

BarBara Icard

Tidbits From the State Quartermaster VIETNAM VETERANSMEMORIAL CALL FORPhOTO'S PROJECT: Vietnam Veterans Memorial FundEducation Center Advisory Directorand former Director of Programs at VFW National headquarters MikeGormalley as asked all Departmentsfor assistance in te "Call For Poto's"program. Te project's purpose is tofind a potograp for eac of te58,000 fallen warriors listed on teWall, and place tese potos in te

Education Center of te Wall. Youcan go to www.vmf.org/pafwan tofind more information on tis pro-gram, and even see were our statetotals are and ow many potograpsave been collected. If you ave fur-ter questions about tis program, you may contact Matt Jonson ofte Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fundstaff at 202-393-0090, ext 120 oremail to [email protected].

ShIPPINGFEE INCREASES:Beginning 1 April te sippingfees carged by te Departmentheadquarters will be sligtlyincreased. Most fees will increase by$1.00 per sipment. For example, te

sipping for any amount of BuddyPoppies will increase from $5.00per sipment to $6.00. National By-Laws Podium Edition and NationalService Officer Manual will go from$10.00 (wic includes sipping)to $11.00, and te Department By-Laws will go from $2.00 to $2.50.Te headquarters will again be ableto supply posts wit free patrioticgoods (suc as red/wite/blue leis,ats, paratroopers, jet planes, etc)beginning 1 June, but will include aninvoice for te sipping costs. Tese

increases are due to te increasedcosts of sipping by USPS or UPS,and te fact tat sipping costs to teposts ave not canged for ten years.

U.S. SAVINGS BONDShAVE GONE PAPERLESS:It's te end of an era. It's no longerpossible to walk into a bank or creditunion and buy a U.S. Savings Bondin paper form. Savings Bonds cannow be purcased online only. Tepaperless sift is designed to save teU.S. Treasury an estimated $120 mil-

lion in te next five years, as well aselp protect consumers against loss orteft of teir paper bonds. Tis moveends a 76-year old tradition of papersavings bonds, wic made teir first

appearance in 1935 under PresidentFranklin Roosevelt to elp battle teGreat Depression. Going electronicdoesn't cange te basics of buyingor redeeming savings bonds, accord-ing to te Treasury. Buyers can stillpurcase annually up to $5000 ofnew Series EE and Series I bonds.Saving bonds can still be bougt asgifts, but are eld electronically untilready to be gifted. Existing paperbonds can still be redeemed at finan-cial institutions and will continue toearn interest for as long as 30 years

from te date of issue. To purcaseand redeem bonds electronically, youwill need to set up a Treasury-Directaccount, using your Social Securitynumber and a savings or ceck-ing account were te funds canbe deposited. Tis may affect te way tat Posts and Districts award Voice of Democracy, Patriot Pen,Buddy Poppy King/Queen winners,etc. because an account using somecomrade's or sister's Social Securitynumber would ave to be set up.For tat reason, te Department willno longer issue savings bonds to

Department-level Patriot Pen, Scoutof te Year, and Buddy Poppy King/Queen winners. Instead, te winners will now be presented wit teirusual plaque and a ceck for te

amount of te previous EE Seriesbond. For example, te Patriot Pen1 st place winner will receive a ceckfor $500 instead of a $1000 savingsbond.

STEPS TO TAKE WhENAN ANNUITANT DIES:Eligibility for Survivor Benefit Planannuity pay ends wit te deat ofte annuitant (beneficiary). Promptreporting of a deceased militaryannuitant's deat can elp avoid

delay and possible fmancial ardsipto surviving members or executors, wo will be required to return tote Government any unearned pay-ments of te decedent's annuity pay.Surviving spouses of a deceased mili-tary retiree would be te annuitantin tis case.

here is wat to do to report te deatof an annuitant:First, call 1-800-321-1080 to reportte deat of te annuitant. Second,send a copy of te annuitant's deatcertificate (not te military retiree's

deat certificate) sowing causeof deat to: DFAS U.S. Military Annuitant Pay, P.O. Box 7131,London, Kentucky 40742-7131 orFax 1-800-982-8459. Tird, inform

te fmancial institution receivingte Government payments about tedeat of te annuitant. In additionto notifying DF AS, one sould alsonotify te following agencies/depart-ments as soon as possible: SocialSecurity Administration at 1-800-772-1213 to end social security pen-sions *Defense Enrollment EligibilityReporting System (DEERS) at 1-800-538-9552 to end Tricare or TricareFor Life enrollment. *Department of Veterans Affairs at 1-800-827-1000for annuitants receiving Dependency

Indemnity Compensation from VA toend tat pension.

VETERANS VILLAGEIN SURF CITY:In te last issue of Te VFW Leader,a story was publised on te backpage about te building of a VeteransVillage in Surf City, Nort Carolinaas a residence for retired veterans. Teprogress of te building of te villageis being monitored by Departmentheadquarters, and te results will bereported to all comrades using tis

newspaper.


6/10

Miss Molly A. Price of Norwood

was declared the Department 1st

place winner of the annual Voice

of Democracy oral scholarship

competition at the Council of

Administration meeting at the North

Raleigh Hilton Hotel on February

4th. She was sponsored by NorwoodPost 6183, and then won at District

12. Miss Price attends South Stanly

High School, and is the daughter of

Anna K. Price.

Second place in the competition was

secured by Miss Lindsay R. Sendek

of Nashville. She was sponsored by

Rocky Mount Post 2057, and also

won first place at District 3. She

attends Nash Central High School,

and is the daughter of Karen Sendek.

Miss Sendek is the first student in

the Voice of Democracy competition

in North Carolina to win 2nd place

at the state level for two years run-ning, as she won last year as well as

this year.

Third place was garnered by James

Elliott of Wake Forest. He was spon-

sored by Wake Forest Post 8466,

and won the District 7 competition

as well. He attends J.F. Webb High

School in Oxford.

Miss Price will now compete at the

National level against the 53 1st

place winners from the other 53

Departments of the VFW. There

are 50 stateside Departments, the

Department of Washington, DC,

the Department of Latin America/Caribbean, the Department of

Europe, and the Department of the

Pacific. All 54 contestants are flown

to Washington DC during the VFW

National Legislative Conference

in early March, where the vari-

ous winners are announced. The

1st place National winner receives

a $30,000 scholarship. Last year,the Department of North Carolina

placed the highest it had in years

by its entry winning 3rd place

Nationally and receiving a $10,000

scholarship.

Of course, posts, auxiliaries, and dis-

tricts award their winners with vari-

ous amounts of prizes on the way up

to the Department competition. At

the Department level, Miss Price

will receive $3,000 worth of scholar-

ships, Miss Sendek $1500, and Mr.

Elliott $1000.

The Voice of Democracy topic for2011-2012 was "Is There Pride in

Serving in our Military." Miss Price's

winning speech follows: In the sweet

darkness of the night there is a sud-

den burst of light and a thunderous

noise. It wakes John. He is only six

years old and this sudden fright

shakes him. He looks out his win-

dow and sees a glorious light. Red-

fiery red. Suddenly, another burst.

What little Johnny doesn't see as he

stands illuminated in the presence

of these lights, stunned in wondrous

awe, is that these beautiful lights

were not set off with beautiful inten-

tions. These were the. beginnings of

a war and the beginnings of the endof Johnny's innocence.

When battles are fought overseas

and men from your family are not

fighting in the wars, it is easy to

become disconnected with the sense

of patriotism America has once seen.

It's not that we've forgotten true

patriotism and pride but rather wehave lost some of its reality and rel-

evance to our lives. It is easy to lose

sight of the pride found in serving

in the military at a time of peace on

our soil. But, though some of us may

have forgotten, America's military is

not just something we read about in

history books, something we send

our distant relatives off to occa-

sionally, or something we join for

fmancial assistance through college.

America's military is a brotherhood

who has fought, died, bled, sacri-

ficed, and lives for, not just what

America is, but what America strives

to become and no matter what stateour country is in, there will always

be pride in serving in this pact of

brave soldiers.

To call yourselves American is some-

thing you should take pride in! The

history of our nation is one worthy

of pride. Brave men fought and died

and lived for ideas that seemed impos-

sible. Ideas of freedom and equality.

Ideas of hope and democracy. Ideas

that have now been achieved. But

still we strive for ideas. That is the

beautiful thing about America. We

are not content! We must constantly

become a land of freedom. Become a

home for strangers. Become better.Become

the best. We are Americans and in

that name we claim the names of

those who came before us, who lift-

ed our nation up on callused and

blistered hands. These men fought

thoughtlessly and without complaint

because they understood what it

meant to be American. They under-

stood that defending our countrywas a thing of pride and that with-

out them, our nation would simply

be an idea. They are the execution of

these ideas that stream through the

Heart of America.

Little Johnny's dad will join the

fight. He's leaving tomorrow morn-

ing. His bags are packed with his

wife and child's picture safely stored

in his pocket. Johnny cries when his

daddy kisses him goodbye but his

father doesn't cry-not until he's safe-

ly in solitude. He must be strong. He

fights, bravely. He serves, selflessly.

He dies, honorably. And though lit-

tle Johnny knows the hurt of this sac-

rifice, he is proud of his father. And

the day little Johnny turns eighteen,

he joins the military, too-knowmg

the risk, knowing the cost. Because

he understands the pride that there

is in serving our country!

Without the brave, heroic soldiers, who serve our country with cour-

age, our country would not have

freedom. We would not have hope

or protection or family for that mat-

ter. And while, at times, we may lose

sight of the value of the military,

the value of the military is never

lost! It is never compromised by our

misinterpretation of it or our lack of

acknowledgement of it. Fighting and

dying for the cause of our country,

protecting our country, these things

that make up the military cannot be

devalued. They are undying and they

are what make America such an hon-

orable thing. We are Americans and

we have every right to be proud.


Department Level Voice of Democracy Winners Announced

The 2011-2012 Patriot Pen mid-

dle school written competition

1st place winner was announced

at the February 2012 Council of

Administration meeting in Raleigh.

She is Miss Cecilia L. Cardelle of

Salisbury. A 7th grader in the Sacred

Heart Catholic School in that town,

Cecilia was sponsored by Salisbury

Post 3006 and won at the District 12

level as well.

The Patriot Pen competition is open

to 6th, 7th and 8th grade students

enrolled in public, private, or paro-

chial schools in the U.S. Home-

schooled children can enter as well.

The top 46 winners at the National

level will receive at least a $1000 sav-

ings bond, and the number 1 National

winner will receive a $10,000 bond.

Miss Cardelle's entry has been sent

to National Headquarters to com-

pete at that high level.

The 2nd place winner was Miss

Leanna E. Long of Chapel Hill,

where she attends 8th grade at the

McDougle Middle School. She was

sponsored by Chapel Hill Post 9100,

and took 1 st place at the District 6

competition. The 3rd place winner

was Mr. Alex T. Kroeger of Charlotte.

He is an 8th grader at Holy Trinity

Middle School, and was sponsored

by Charlotte Post 9488 and then by

District 13.

At the Department level, Miss

Cardelle will receive a $500 check,Miss Long a $400 check, and Mr.

Kroeger a $300 check. They will be

presented to the student along with

a Patriot Pen plaque at that student's

school watched by hundreds of other

students and teachers.

This year's theme was "Are You Proud

of Your Country?" Miss Cardelle's

winning written essay follows:

Two reasons that are most important

to me.

Back in 1959, when Cuba had just

been taken over by Fidel Castro

and turned into a communist coun-

try, my grandparents were nineteen

years old and couldn't find refuge

anywhere.

They then turned to the United

States, desperate for asylum. In 1961,

the United States graciously granted

them exile and they were freed from

the communist country of Cuba. If

the United States hadn't granted my

grandparents safe haven they would

still be in Cuba to this day, and thatwould mean that I would be, too. It

makes me proud to think that when

horrible things happen, such as wars

and dictatorships, that people turn

to the United States asking for help

and almost always we open our arms

and welcome them. If the United

States didn't do this, thousands of

innocent people would die because

of wars, dictatorships, or terrorists. I

know my grandparents are so grate-

ful to the United States and are so

proud to be citizens that it makes

me wonder how horrible their lives

would be without our country. That

was one of many reasons that I am

proud of our country, but I want to

tell you exactly what I think of

our country. When I think of the

United States I picture a big quilt

with stars and stripes like our flag.

And whenever horrible things hap-

pen to us, such as 9/11, I picture a

hole being made in our quilt. But

after these terrible things take place,

we work together to stitch the hole

right back up, and when we do, we

make the quilt stronger and more

beautiful than ever before. I mean,

just listen to our name, the United

States of America. I believe it was

John Dickinson that said, in 1768,

"United we stand, divided we fall."

United we can do anything, but

divided it's not so easy.

This essay explains exactly why I'm

proud of my country and in short

terms what I was trying to say is that

the reason I am so proud is because

we care, and not just individually,

but as a whole.

Patriot Pen Winner Gives it Her All at CofA in Raleigh

Making Connections in Hope MillsHOPE MILLS VFW POST 10630 ADOPTS

95TH CIVIL AFFAIRS BRIgADE, USASOC

PAO

It was a brief hallway ceremony and hand-

shakes between four men in mid November.

Two were in Army uniform, Co!, Jay Wolff

95th Civil Affairs Briade Commander and

Command St. Maj. Thomas Wall. The other

two, Robert Proulx and William greene, wore

the colorful arrison caps of Post 10630 of

the Veterans of Forein Wars. Proulx is the

VFW Post 10630 commander, while greene

is a three-year trustee and chairs the member-

ship committee. The handshakes cemented a

relationship that will hold for years to come,

accordin to greene, who first helped con-

nect the two oranizations a year and a half

ao, when Post 10630 of Hope Mills adopted

the 96th Civil Affairs Battalion as part of

VFWs Adopt-A-Unit proram. In October

2011, the post was authorized by its national

headquarters to expand that relationship to

include the battalion's hiher headquarters,

the 95th CA.Bde. and all of the briade's five

battalions.

"Retired Sereant 1st Class greene and the

VFW were an incredible asset to the 96th when

I was the battalion command sereant major,"

said Wall. "The adoptionof the briade pro-

vides increased resources to take care of our

Soldiers and their Families," he said. "We

enjoy interactin with active-duty Soldiers,"

said Proulx. "We help in any way we can.

Adoptin the briade allows us to be a little

closer and to help out." greene said the VFW

has advocated for and supported military vet-

erans since the end of the Spanish-American

War, when it was oranized by and for those

who have served in wars overseas.

The VFW has a lot to offer adopted units,

said greene. The VFW military assistance

proram allows posts to help their adopted

units with morale activities like the briade's

Trunk or Treat Halloween event in October.

The Hope Mills post received a rant from

its headquarters to help pay for all the food

and drinks at the event that drew hundreds

of briade Soldiers and their Families. The

VFW also sponsors a phone card proram that

helps military personnel deployed overseas to

call home for free. Another proram allows

Soldiers and spouses to request small rants

throuh their chaplains to pay for emerency

repairs like car breakdowns and plumbin

leaks. Besides reularly visitin patients at

Veterans Affairs hospitals and reetin return-

in military personnel at the green Ramp on

Pope Field, the VFW is involved in an awards

proram for hih school teachers and ROTC

students, essay contests, and advocatin for

state and national veterans prorams. greene's

connection with the civil affairs Soldiers at

Fort Bra oes back over six years, when he

retired as a sereant first class for the 96th CA

Bn. as the 95th CA Bde. was bein formed.

"I've known greene for over seven years, said

Wolff. "Bill's' passion for leadin Soldiers has

transitioned into an incredible dedication to

takin care of all who have served and are serv-

in today. He and his wife are a tremendous

asset to the Fort Bra community," Wolff

said. "My aspirations for the briade is to have

a centrally located place where we can be more

closely be involved with the battalions and the

briade," greene said. "It's all about families

and friends. One unit, one person can't do

everythin in the world, but if you work as a

team, you can accomplish anythin."


7/10

The VFW Leader Jan/Feb/Mar 2012 Page 9F or the first time, post and dis-

trict level training will be present-

ed so that many more comrades,

Ladies Auxiliary members, and

Men's Auxiliary members can

attend. The Department Councilof Administration decided at

their February meeting that offi-

cer training, referred to as Flying

Squadron training, will now be

conducted at three local locations

throughout the state, instead of

just at the annual State Convention

in June or at a Council meeting in

either October or February.

Posts/auxiliaries and districts in

the Eastern Conference will attend

their training session from 9:00

a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday,

August 4th, at Mount Olive Post9959 at 1012 N. Church Street.

The Eastern Conference consists

of all the posts and auxiliaries in

Districts 1, 2, 3,4, 5,and 7. Posts/

auxiliaries and districts in the

Central Conference will attend

their session at the Department

Headquarters from 9:00 a.m. to

5:00 p.m. on Saturday, August

11th, at 917 New Bern Avenue in

Raleigh. The Central Conferenceconsists of all the posts/auxilia-

ries in Districts 6,8,9, 10, and

12. Posts/auxiliaries and districts

in the Western Conference will

attend their session from 10:00

a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday,

August 18th, at Statesville Post

2031 at 139 Jordan Lane. The

Western Conference consists of all

the posts/auxiliaries in Districts

11, 13, 14. 15, 16, and 17.

These Flying Squadron training

sessions will be held in North

Carolina, and will be creditedto a district as its mandatory

District School of Instruction if

a number of its posts attend.

They will also take the place of

the districts' summer meetings,

where the Schools of Instruction

are normally taught. Districts are

encouraged to have three meet-

ings during the 2012-2013 year,

one in September 2012 to precede

the October Council meeting,one in January 2013 to precede

the February Council meeting,

and the District Convention in

May 2013 to precede the annual

State Convention in June.

Subjects to be taught at the

training will include How To Be

An Effective Post Commander/

Auxiliary President, How To Be

An Effective Post Quartermaster/

Auxiliary Treasurer, the Internet

Reporting System and Official

VFW Webmail Email System,

Voice of Democracy/Patriot Pen/Teacher of the Year programs,

Recruiting and Membership, the

Buddy Poppy King and Queen/

Scouting/Young Volunteer

Programs, and How To Start A

VFW Motorcycles Riders Group.

Monies will be included in the

2012-2013 Department budget

to offset some costs of the train-

ing. Each host post will receive$500 to offset the cost of lunch

at the location. The Department

will pay $.30/mile round trip for

the driver of one car from each

post that has no or only one aux-

iliary to encourage car pooling

for the post and auxiliary offi-

cers. The starting point will be

designated as the post horne or a

central location if no post horne

is available. If a post has two

auxiliaries (Ladies and Mens) the

Department will pay $.30/mile

round trip for the drivers of up to

two cars, if all three organizationrepresentatives attend. Again, the

starting point will be designated

as the post horne or a central loca-

tion if no post horne is available.

Also, each District will receive

$.30/mile for the drivers of up to

two cars from two central loca-

tions, as District officers may not

live close enough to each other to

all go in one car. Instructors, of

course, will also be reimbursedby the Department. Special reim-

bursement forms will be distrib-

uted to the proper individuals at

the training locations.

District Commanders, Presidents,

Quartermasters and Treasurers are

required to attend this training as

part of their official VFW duties.

Post/Auxiliary Commanders,

Presidents, Quartermasters, and

Treasurers are strongly encour-

aged to attend, as they will receive

much needed VFW schooling.

Other post/auxiliary membersmay attend voluntarily if they

wish.

Post/District Training Pushed Down To Conference Level

Ladies Auxiliary National Mid-Winter Conference in Hawaii

Past State President Lynn Edwards having a happy meeting

with Pearl Harbor survivor SGM (Ret) Sterling R. Cale.

The NC Ladies at Pearl Harbor. L-R: Dist 5 Pres. Joan Elmier, Past StatePres. Farres Upton, Past State Pres. Lynn Edwards, straphanger Jack

Icard, State Pres. Barbara Icard, State Jr. Vice Pres. Penny Cacoulidis.

State Pres. Barbara Icard receives her Ladies Auxiliary Medallion forachieving the Ladies' Membership goal of 91% by Dec. 31. Presenting are

Nat. Pres. Gwen Rankin & Nat. Membership Chair. Tootsie Dougherty.

The Ladies love pineapples! At the Dole Pineapple Plantation are PastState Presidents Deborah Crowder, Lynn Edwards, Farres Upton.

State Pres. Barbara Icard and her husband Jack, visiting the battleship, U.S.S. Missouri,

the Mighty Mo. While not at launched at the time of the Pearl Harbor raid, the

Missouri was where the Japanese surrendered in Tokyo Bay in Aug. 194 5.

The NC Ladies visiting the shrine of the U.S.S. Arizona. Shown are State Jr.Vice Pres. Penny Cacoulidis, Dist. 5 Pres. Joan Elmier, Past State Pres. Lynn

Edwards, and Past State Pres. Farres Upton.


8/10

Page10 Jan/Feb/Mar 2012The VFW Leader

WASHINGTON - Make the Connection, anew campaign launched by the Department of

Veterans Affairs, is creating ways for Veteransand their family members to connect with theexperiences of other Veterans - and ultimatelyto connect with information and resources tohelp them confront the challenges of tran-sitioning from service, face health issues, or

navigate the complexities of daily "life as acivilan."

"I have seen over and over again how impor-tant it can be for a Veteran to hear a messagefrom another Veteran. This type of commu-nication will be especially useful in helpingto break down the stigma associated withmental health issues and treatment," saidSecretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki."VA is leveraging this powerful connectionusing an approachable online resource thatlinks Veterans to personal stories from theirpeers, to VA resources and support, and toreliable information about mental health andresilience."

The campaign's central focus is a Web site, www.MakeTheConnection.net, featuringnumerous Veterans who have shared theirexperiences, challenges, and triumphs. It offersa place where Veterans and their families can

yiew the candid, personal testimonials of otherVeterans who have dealt with and are workingthrough a variety of common life experiences,day-to-day symptoms, and mental health con-

ditions. The Web site also connects Veteransand their family members with services andresources that may help them live more fulfill-ing lives.

"VA is heartened bv the tremendous commit-ment of Veterans of all service eras, gendersand backgrounds who are stepping up to

share their stories," said Shinseki. "Just asthey would never leave a fellow Servicememberbehind on the field of battle, they are onceagain reaching out to support their fellow

Veterans with their compelling examples ofsuccessful treatment and recovery."

At MakeTheConnection.net, Veterans andtheir family members can explore informationon mental health issues and treatment andeasily access support in comfort and privacy,anywhere, anytime. Visitors to the Web sitecan customize and filter their online experi-ence, directly connecting with content thatis the most relevant in their own lives andsituations.

VA's Make the Connection campaign is raisingawareness through public service announce-ments, advertising and partnerships with

Veteran Service Organizations and mentalhealth service providers, nationwide. For moreinformation visit MakeTheConnrction.net or

VA's mental health services web site at www.mentalhealth.va.gov

MaketheConnnectionIs your Post located near a college or uni-

versity campus? Are you looking for newmembers to fill your ranks? Would youlike to reach out to younger veterans? Ifso, grab this opportunity to host a college

veterans club at your Post.

Many veterans are seeking higher educa-tion and they may be looking to be part ofa group with similar interests. Here's how

you can help them feel the camaraderiethat you do by being part of VFW:

Plan a Kick Off meeting at your post towhich you will invite student veterans andyour members. Customize the enclosedflyer and make copies. Post them at alllocal colleges and universities on bulletinboards and other designated areas Inaddition, send news releases to campusand local newspapers, radio and televi-sion stations. Use this sample news releaseas a guide. At the meeting you willintroduce students to the benefits of a

veterans organization, including employ-ment assistance, volunteer opportunities

and making a difference in the lives ofother veterans. Be sure your Post ser-

vice officer or representative is presentto answer questions about VA benefits.

At the meeting's conclusion, offer yourPost as a potential location for futurecollege vets club meetings. Remember, asrepresentatives of VFW, you should makea favorable impression. While studentsmay express interest in VFW membership,this is not the purpose for inviting them.College Vets Unite Stay Active! Join theNew College Vets Club!

If you're a veteran currently taking college.courses and find yourself needing assis-tance, have questions on your benefits or

just miss the camaraderie of military life; acollege veterans c1ub may be for you.

The Veterans of Foreign Wars is willing toprovide resources to help interested veter-ans join or form a college veterans club in

your area. Initially the club will be locatedat a local VFW, Post read on: Are you prior military, in the NationalGuard or Reserves? Are you looking to bepart of a group with similar interests? Are

you interested in volunteering your servic-es to fellow veterans in your community? Do you need assistance understanding orfiling for VA benefits? Would you like tomake a difference in the lives of those whohave already served our country?

If you said yes to any of the above, WE'DLIKE TO TALK WITH YOU. Join Us forOur Kick-Off Meeting

Great Partnership PotentialVFW National Headquarters is testing theacademic waters in the Kansas City metro-

politan area to gauge the interest level incollege veterans clubs.

In August 2004, about 20 representativesfrom community colleges and major uni-

versities attended a VFW sponsored lun-cheon to discuss the possibility of teaming

up with VFW Posts to establish such c lubs.Russ Little, a younger veteran intern at

VFW while finishing law school at theUniversity of Missouri- Kansas City, con-ceived the idea after realizing he didn'thave a lot in common with the averagecollege student.

"I just feel like this is something VFWcan do to reach out to younger veterans,"said Little, a Persian Gulf War vet and lifemember of Post 1 in Denver. "Colleges areuntapped resources for Posts located nearthe campuses."

According to Kevin Jones, assistant direc-tor of VFW Programs and coordinator ofthe effort, the underlying goal is to helppromote a positive, energetic image of

veterans on college campuses.

"Of course, by doing this, we hope to alsointroduce students to VFW," Jones added."Right now, we're just trying to determine

what kind of response we will get if welaunch this nationwide."

The idea is for these groups to use anarea Post home for meetings or activitiesand to also help VFW in any communityservice endeavors. Jones sees it as a social.orgimization that blends social activities,camaraderie, benefits and charitable ser-

vice. He noted that some Posts indicatedinterest even prior to the August meet-ing. Little found a Post in Pennsylvaniathat has sponsored a vets club since 1968during the Vietnam War. Post 321 in

State College, Pa., began sponsoring thePennsylvania State University VeteransOrganization when an influx of Viet Nam

Veterans received flack from their fellowstudents.

Connection to VFWBoth VFW Posts and campus veteransclubs could stand to benefit by joiningforces in achieving common goals. Because

VFW is looking to reach out to youngergenerations, it has a natural interest inthe student groups. The clubs in turncould use VFW's assistance because somegroups, have folded due to lack of fundingand support.

Some clubs have shown initial interest ina partnership with VFW, but such a con-

nection does not yet exist. "At one point, we were thinking of trying to organizesomething with the local Ithaca [N.Y.]Post, like a joint care package project for

the soldiers in Iraq, but it just never cameto fruition," said Tim Alden, presidentof the Johnson Veterans Club at CornellUniversity's school of business.

The Military Veteran Student Society atIndiana University in Bloomington, Ind.,

boasts a link on their Web site to VFW'shomepage, and founder Jeff Memmer saidhe became a member of Post 604 inBloomington after speaking with the Postcommander. He hopes to cooperate with

VFW in future service projects and wantsto invite Post members to speak at clubmeetings in order to educate other student

veterans about the organization.

"Honestly, most members have no ideawhat the VFW or other veteran organiza-tions do or that they even exist," Memmersaid. "There is definitely a generation gap

within the local VFW Posts that seems tounintentionally project an aura of alien-ation toward the younger veterans."

However, a relationship between the

organizations is not out of the question. When asked about the possibility mostclub members were optimistic. "I thinkthe clubs would love to have some helpftom VFW," said Jeremy Kirsch, of theMassachusetts Institute of Technology'sSloan School of Management veteransclub. "There could be a great partnershippotential." Excerpt from the September2004 VFW magazine.

Veterans of Foreign Wars Great PartnershipPotential NEWS RELEASEContact InformationName:Phone:For Immediate Release: College VeteransInvited to College Vets Club MeetingDate:

VFW Post:is forming a college veterans club for stu-dents who served in the military,National Guard or Reserve. A kick-offmeeting is scheduled at__________________________________________________on ________________at_____________Student veterans may come and learnabout the benefits a veterans club has tooffer, including employment assistance,

volunteer opportunities and making a dif-ference in the lives of other veterans.

For more information on forming a col-lege vets club in your community, contact:

VFW National HeadquartersAttn.: Kevin Jones406 W. 34th StreetKansas City, MO 64111 Phone: 816-756-

3390 E-mail: [email protected]

GuidetoFormingaCollegeVetsClub

The North Carolina Pets For Vets chapterbriefed the attendees at the Winter Council of

Administration meeting in February on theirmission to connect veterans suffering fromPTSD (post traumatic stress disorder), TBI(traumatic brain injury), and other physicalor emotional injuries with homeless shelterdogs facing euthanasia. The organization isnow three years old and has been success-ful in California, Washington, and Florida,according to Alicia Hinton, the NC Chapter

volunteer.

Pets For Vets is not to be confused with PawsFor Vets, which presented their briefing at theannual state convention last June. Paws For

Vets train service dogs for veterans with seriousphysical disabilities and injuries, and Pets For

Vets concentrates on training dogs as compan-ions for mentally-stressed veterans.

According to Ronnie Sadoski, the co-chairmanof the NC Chapter of Pets For Vets, NorthCarolina has the highest euthanasia rate inthe nation for animals, along with a largemilitary and veterans population. Sadoskihimself is part the organization's success story.

As a veteran suffering from PTSD, he hasbeen matched with a German Shepherd, "whohas saved my life numerous times in the pastcouple of years."

"When you have depression and PTSD, it isvery hard for veterans to get back to the realityof life," stated Sadoski. "They just need a com-panion that gives them unconditio nal love. We

would like to see four to five matches of veter-

ans to dogs each month. The goal is to save asmany dogs as possible (from the kill shelters),and in doing so, help as many veterans as pos-sible, especially now with all ofthese soldierscoming back from the Iraq War.

The chapter has close connections with V A hospitals and dog advocacy groups in theTarheel State. It now also has been voted on bythe VFW Council of Administration as a part-ner with the VFW to help veterans. When a

veteran requests a companion dog, the animalis rescued, professionally trained, vaccinated,and more, to help with the transition to thenew life of both the dog and the veteran.

Pets For Vets has requested of the VFW ofNorth Carolina that comrades be on the look-out for returning veterans who may need aloving, dog companion. If they know such a

veteran, they should contact Terri Stober at(919) 522-0575 or Ronnie Sadoski at (919)4752076. The organization's website is at

www.pets-for-vets.com.

Any attendee at the February Council meetingwould certainly have had their eyes opened asto the effectiveness of trained dog companionsby the incredible behavior of the service dog"Sarge" at that meeting. The companion ofDistrict 17 Commander Skip Hall, Sarge was

welcomed by all, and has really helped theBryson City post veteran's own personal situa-tion. Commander Hall urges the comrades toto give enthusiastic recognition and supportto Pets For Vets.

PetsforVets

TeachersoftheYearSelectedinNorthCarolinaState Americanism Chairman Jack Goin and hisselection committee announced the winners of theState Citizenship Education Teachers of the Year for2011-2012. They are Mr. Shearon Miller of HopeMills, Ms. Anne Avery-Foster of Plumtree, and Mr.Tom Stanfa of Chapel Hill.The Citizenship Education Teacher of the Year isa VFW National program which recognizes greatteachers in each Department (State) who excelin teaching their students about citizenship andpatriotism in the United States. Each Departmentcan select one teacher from the elementary grades(K-5), middle school (6-8), and high school (9-12).Those individuals are honored by the Departmentby the presentation of a National Certificate and aDepartment check at the winner's school in front ofhis/her peers and students.

Mr. Miller, the winner at the Elementary Schoollevel, teaches at C. Wayne Collier Elementary Schoolin Hope Mills. Sponsored by Post 10630, he teaches

music to fascinated young students. His citizenshipspecialty is to expose his students to the music, cus-toms, and cultures of the United States of America.Many of the lessons and activities have led to studentperformances for Veterans' Day and other patrioticholidays. A native of Smithfield-Selma, Mr. Miller

was educated in the Johnston County school system,and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree in MusicEducation at Livingston College in Salisbury. Heis currently serving his seventh year as the MusicTeacher at C. Wayne Collier. Mr. Miller has earnedmany honors during the past seven years, to includeChairman of the School Improvement Team, Teacherof the Year at C. Wayne Collier for 2011-2012, andDepartment/Grade Level Chair for the ResourceTeam at the same school.

Ms. Avery-Foster is the winner at the middle schoollevel, and teaches at the Cranbery Middle Schoolin Elk Park on Highway 19E North. Sponsored byNewland Post 4286, she is an expert in teaching

Exploring Careers in Agricultrue and Computers.She emphasizes setting high goals for her students

with service for others modeling the sacrifices madefor Americans by patriots. Her lessons engage stu-dents in flag etiquette and history lessons thatremind young citizens to stand at attention withrespect during the Pledge of Allegiance and playingof the National Anthem.

Ms. Avery-Foster's classes are filled with good exam-ples of young, patriotic businessmen and busi-nesswomen. One group of students has openedtheir own business called "Scarf It Up!" Thesestudents will be making and selling scarves, which

will then donate money to the Wounded Warriorsand the Susan G. Komen Organization for BreastCancer Awareness." Another project is "Trees ForTroops", which donates Christmas trees to send tothe troops.

She received her Bachelor of Science degree in

Business Administration from Lees McRae Collegeand her North Carolina Teaching Certification from

Appalchian State University. She has previouslyreceived the Entrepreneurship 101 Award in 2011.

Mr. Tom Stanfa, the top choice in the High Schooldepartment, lives in Chapel Hill and teaches HonorsEnglish I & 2, and Yearbook Journalism 1 & 2.He has earned his Bachenlor of Arts in EnglishLiterature from Northern Illinois University, andis partially finished with his Master of Arts inEducation from Saint Xavier University in Chicago.He was sponsored for the award by Chapel HillPost 9100.Mr. Stanfa strives to teach American ideals whilebringing technology skills into his curriculum. Last

year he organized a unit where his Honors Englishclass teamed with an Advance Placement (AP) WorldHistory and Web Design class to create a documen-tary about D-Day, based upon the Alex Kershawnovel, The Bedford Boys. He led two field trips to

the National D-Day Memorial in Bedford,

Virginia, a town that suffered the highest per capitalosses on D-Day, and another trip to D-Day sites inNormandy, France. His students created a 45-minutedocumentary that recorded the testimony of a dozen

veterans, preserving their history while teaching hisstudents about sacrifice and devotion to country. Inaddition, he inspired his students to raise funds tohelp the financially troubled memorial by amass-ing over $2000 for the National D-Day Memorial'sEducation Center.

The book and the documentary are about a VirginiaNational Guard unit that was filled with citizensoldiers from Bedford, a town of 3200 people. Theunit from Bedford went to D-Day together and weregunned down as a group as the struggled to getashore from their landing craft. 19 of them died onD-Day itself and three more later in the Normandycampaign.

The Department of North Carolina has announced itsthree state-level winners of the 2011-2012 Public ServantGold Medal Awards. They are Franklin Lee Westbrook ofFayetteville for the Emergency Medical Technician GoldMedal, Jeffrey G. Hill of Hope Mills for the FirefighterGold Medal, and Melissa Kiefer of Charlotte for the LawEnforcement Officer Gold Medal. Westbrook and Hill

were sponsored by Hope Mills Post 10630, and Kiefer wassponsored by Monroe Post 5464. The Emergency MedicalTechnician (EMT) award is presented to any individual,

who actively gives emergency medical treatment, provides

rescue service of civil disaster assistance as a member of anypublic or volunteer company organized to give emergencymedical care, and/or provide rescue and civil disaster assis-tance to our nation's citizens. Westbrook is a member ofthe Cumberland County EMS System of Cape Fear ValleyHealth. No stranger to awards, he was the champion ofthe 2010 Journal of Emergency Medical Services nationalparamedic competition. He and his team helped to placeCumberland County EMS in elite company by defeating

teams from major metropolitan areas such as New YorkCity and Miami Dade. Having served continuously inCumberland County since 1998, Westbrook teaches special-ty certification classes for the American Heart Association,has participated in the tactical medical program with lawenforcement, and currently trains and responds with theNorth Carolina Urban Search and Rescue Team. He is a

veteran of the United States Air Force.

The Firefighter award is given to any individual who activelyfights fires as a mem ber of any public or volunteer company

organized to fight fires and give assistance to our nation'scitizens. Jeffrey Hill joined the Hope Mills Fire Departmentin 2007 after attending Emergency Medical Technicianschool, obtaining his state EMT certification, serving as a

volunteer firefighter, and obtaining his state firefighter certi-fication. He is currently the primary Driver/Engineer on his

work shift. His many accomplishments include certificationsas an Hazardous Materials Responder, an Emergency VehicleDriver, a Pumper Operator, an Aerials Operator, a Rescue

Technician, and Fire Service Instructor. He also has ribbonsfor many of those accomplishments.

The Law Enforcement Officer award is presented to anyindividual who serves in municipal, county, state or federalunit tasked with enforcement of the laws pertaining to theirarea of responsibility. It does not apply to individualsemployed by private companies or security services. MelissaKiefer is an officer, soon to be promoted to Sergeant, of theCharlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department. She began herlaw enforcement career in 2004 as a patrol officer, and then

advanced to directed patrol units, community coordina-tion, civil emergency unit work, and administration. Shehas certifications in RADAR, crime scenes, bicycle patrols,high risk warrant, segway patrol, crisis intervention, childmaltreatment investigations, standardized field sobrietytesting, and field force operations. She has a Bachelor'sDegree in Criminal Justice from Western Carolina Universityin Cullowhee.

DepartmentPublicServantAwardGoldMedals

Franklin Lee Westbrook Melissa Kiefer Jeffrey G. Hill


9/10


Tar Heel Happenings

State Commander Jason Schoolcraft and his wife Tanya attend theValentine's Day party at Calabash Post 7288. There were 131 attendeeswho were served a sit down dinner by waiters from the Men's Auxiliary,

and music for dining & dancing. In this photo, Post Commander RayKetcham is capturing the moment for the State Commander and his wife.

The March of the Buddy Poppy hats at the Council of AdministrationMeeting at the North Raleigh Hilton. Looking good from Left to Right:

State Jr. Vice Commander Ernie Allis, State Membership Chairman LewisHunt, Dist. 5 Commander Joe Stanley, Past Dist. 2 Commander Erwin

Wade, and an enthusiastic final comrade. Who won?

Durham VA Med. Ctr. Staff accept donations of much needed comfort items and clothing frommembers of Wake Forest Memorial Post 8466, VFW. The hospital voluntary service staff's supplyhas reached a critical stage. These comfort items are the much desired personal comfort items not

normally provided by the VA hospital. The $700 donation of goods that came straight from a dona-tion list will be put to great use for the Vets who are housed at this center. L-R: Bill Wilkinson PostAdjutant, Howard Lowdermilk, Hank Pierwola Post Quartermaster, Comdr., Frankie Anderson,

Sara Haigh Asst. Dir. VA med. Ctr, Rich May Dist 7 Chaplain & Rich Heroux Sr. Vice Comdr.

Christmas gifts delivered to shut-in vets. Local vets of the VFW Post 8466 & Walter E. Cole Post187 American Leg. prepared Christmas meals and fruit baskets for delivery on Dec. 24th to areashut in vets. The meals are prepared by the staff of the "Border" Restaurant and fruit baskets are

prepared by "Lowes Foods." Members assembled early Sat. morning at the local restaurant to affectthe personal transport. Members of the VFW and Amer. Leg. participating in the delivery process

are L-R: Alec Heroux, Joe DeLois, Howard Lowdermilk, Owner Jerry Ammon, Rich Heroux, HankPierwola, Dave Frohnapple and Frankie Anderson. The vets have been performing this annual

undertaking for over 10 years. Christmas gifts are always graciously accepted by the shut in vetsand their family members.

Buzz Griggs, the State National Guard Coordinator, presents SGM(Ret) Andrew Jackson with a VFW plaque of appreciation at the NorthCarolina National Guard Headquarters in Raleigh. SGM Jackson is the

head of the NCNG's Transition Program.

Buzz Griggs, the State National Guard Coordinator, presents SGM (Ret)James T. Gaddis with a VFW plaque of appreciation at the North Carolina

National Guard Headquarters in Raleigh. SGM Gaddis is the head of the

NCNG's Yellow Ribbon Program.

The Service Santas. Marine Santa (Joe Echols), Holly Ho (Cathy Boze), and Army Santa (Brian Boze),all of Indian Trail Post 2423 visited the Salisbury VA Hospital with Post Commander Jack Campbell.

They were allowed to go room to room, as well as attend the Christmas Party held in the Social Hallfor all veterans. The veterans were wished a Merry Christmas, thanked for their service to the nation,

and presented a small American Flag and a VFW hat pin. When the Service Santas left the room,Commander Campbell call room to attention and the Service Santas saluted the veterans.

Jim Milstead, center is joined by Rich Murray, Left and Ray Ketcham during Calabash VFW Post 7288's Annual

Golf Tournament in 2010. Milstead has been looking for Soan Ngo for 41 years, ever since the Vietnamese boatcrew Jim was an advisor to was shot up so badly that everybody was feared killed. Milstead was badly wounded in

the attack and Ngo survived, was later a boat person to escape the pressure of Communitst rule, made his way to

Thailand, Singapore, to an Indonesian Island and eventually America. He now lives in Venice, Fl. where a realtor

named Jack Gang began a search to find Milstead, who thought Ngo had been killed by the enemy fire on that

fateful Jan. 4, 1971. Gang somehow found the picture above in the VFW Leader and showed it to Ngo. Ngo called

Milstead, an emotional contact which is leading to a reunion over President's Day weekend in Feb. A great ending

for a story 41 years in the making and 41 years awaiting resolution.

State Q!uartermaster Bruce Edwards presents MG Gregory Lusk with a VFW

plaque of apprec iation for the Guard's cooperation in VFW recruiting. MG Lusk

is the State's Adjutant General and commands all the Guardsmen in NC.


10/10


Vietnam Moving WallThe Indian Trail Memorial Veterans ofForeign Wars Post 2423, will be hostingTHE VIETNAM MOVING WALL fromThursday June 14th through Monday June

18th 2012 at the VFW Post located inIndian Trail, NC."IN HONOR OF THE MEN ANDWOMEN OF THE ARMED FORCES OFTHE UNITED STATES WHO SERVEDIN THE VIETNAM WAR. THE NAMESOF THOSE WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES AND THOSE REMAIN MISSING AREINSCRIBED IN THE ORDER THEYWERE TAKEN FROM US." Preamble ofthe Vietnam Veterans Memorial

"The Moving Wall" is the half size replicaof the Washington, DC Vietnam VeteransMemorial and has been touring the coun-try for more than twenty-five years. When John Devitt, a former helicopter doorgunner and Army veteran, attended the1982 dedication of the Vietnam VeteransMemorial in Washington, he felt the pos-itive power of "The Wall." He vowedto share that experience with those whodid not have the opportunity to go toWashington and created The Moving Wallin 1984. The wall coming to Indian Trail isthe "original" wall that contains all of the58,272 service members that were killedduring the Vietnam War and is an exacthalf size replica of the

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