Kitsap Veterans Life, June 27, 2014 by Sound Publishing

Veterans Life A Sound Publishing Monthly Magazine

Giving back www.kitsapveteranslife.com

July 2014

Florist honors veterans with red, white and blue By Seraine Page In Earl Bowers world, anything worth celebrating in life is done so with flowers. That includes weddings, graduations, prom and other life milestones that come across as orders on Bowers desk at his Bremerton shop, Paul’s Flowers. The owner also pieces together unique arrangements that most florists wouldn’t think of doing or don’t have the opportunity to do. With the Kitsap 9/11 Memorial just up the way from his shop on Pacific Avenue, it’s hard to forget about the military town that surrounds him. His father and father-in-law both served in the Navy, and he also has a nephew who is active duty Army. With that, he likes to give back to the community of veterans that penetrate the county. On 9/11, he’ll arrange a flower assortment for the memorial along with

the flowers he gives out in the community to first responders. “We feel it’s our duty,” he said of giving away the free red, white and blue flowers. “To me, I think patriotism is honoring those who have fought for our freedom.” One of his most delicate and special moments, however, is when he does deliveries for family members to cemeteries. Many live out of state, and some just find the cemetery too painful to make a visit to in-person. On Memorial Day, he usually visits 30 graves for customers, including a woman who has him drop off arrangements off twice a year, including Christmas. “I love it,” he said. “I love to go to the cemetery. I think it’s great. I’m usually the one to do it myself because I can walk to everybody’s grave. I’m very happy to do that for people.” Additionally, here and there, Bowers and his staff will drop off free arrangements to the Veterans Home in Retsil. And, in keeping with his patriotic

Seraine Page/ staff photo

Earl Bowers points out all the Americana items he has in his Bremerton flower shop which he uses in arrangements to honor veterans. pride, he also offers a 15 percent military discount to his customers. Memorial Day through July 4, customers can easily find a steady supply of vintage red, white and blue nostalgic items inside his shop.

“I love Americana,” Bowers said while fixing up his patriotic vignette. While arranging flowers brings Bowers and his employees much joy, there are the somber days that everyone remembers with pain one way or another. To

ease that, and lift the mood a bit, the flower shop owner found a way to give thanks during a time of mourning for the country. Starting in September 2002, he and his staff made up patriotic arrangements for delivery to first

responder offices across the county. They do it, he remarked, “just to be patriotic.” During a difficult day for the nation as a whole, Bowers and his small staff felt the gesture might mean something to those who might otherwise think they were forgotten. “It’s pretty cool,” he said. “It’s lots of ‘thank yous’ and we get thank you notes in the mail, which you don’t often get anymore.” The owner feels a strong tie to the military and its veterans, especially working in Bremerton. Because of his love for his hometown and its heroes, he visits cemeteries every Memorial Day, looking for the veterans he knows may have otherwise been forgotten among the orders. He’ll sometimes bring flowers or small flags, placing each next to a veteran’s grave. “It’s really more reflective,” he said, “and thinking of what those people did for us.”

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On the inside

appy Fourth of July! This edition is full of celebration for veterans who serve this great country we all love and adore. When it comes to service, there’s no better month to give back to the military community than during the patriotic month of July. For this issue we decided to tunnel our focal point on the celebration of veterans and the locals who regularly support and maintain good relationships with the veteran community. There’s Earl Bowers, a Bremerton florist, who loves all things Americana. Bowers also makes it his personal mission to visit the graves of veterans who may otherwise get overlooked. Often, he’ll leave a token of appreciation, like a flower or American flag; other times he just reflects on what it means to give it all for country. Then there’s Seabeck resident and Army vet Vern Christopher who can’t get enough of vintage Army vehicles and restoring them. As a collector, he’s had the privilege of teaching actor Dennis Quaid how to drive a vintage M.A.S.H. ambulance. Lynn Currie Shoup, a Kitsap County mortgage specialist, also has picked up another speciality of aiding veterans. Currie Shoup dedicates her hours off the clock to getting vets —156 in total— help with everything from disability benefits to information on V.A. Loans. Our page 12 story continues the celebration of worthy veterans with the highlight of five who were recently honored for serving their country. Port Orchard Mayor Tim Mathhes recognized the vets for varying efforts, including survival of Battle of the Bulge and a former police officer who received the purple heart. The others’ achievements are just as notable, hence their newest bestowed honor. As always, we’d loved to hear from you, the veterans of this county. Feel free to contact us to share your stories, photographs and words of wisdom about being a veteran. We don’t want your stories or experiences to be forgotten. Please also feel free to keep our staff informed of meetings, events or other veteran-related activities. Contact Leslie Kelly, editor, at lkelly@soundpublishing. com.

ON THE COVER: Scott Leaver and Brian Wilkinson, both veterans, give back by being volunteer firefighters/EMTs on Bainbridge Island. See story page 9.

INSIDE DISABLED VETS RECEIVE HELP FOR SCHOOL One disabled veteran shares his story of reluctance to get help going through college. Once he asked, he realized it was more helpful than he could have ever dreamed.

VET LAID TO REST AT LAST

A veteran who served in four wars was laid to rest will full military honors on June 7. James Berl Waller enjoyed an active lifestyle up until his death.

BREMERTON NATIVE RECALLS WAR TIMES Bremertonian Frank Wetzel, twice awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, recalls his time in war when he served in the Army many years ago.

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Seabeck Army veteran has an olive drab hobby After the Army, he thought he never wanted to drive an Army truck again By Leslie Kelly He calls it “olive drab fever.” It’s that love of Army green, especially on vehicles and Vern Christopher never gets tired of it. “No, no,” he said. “It gets in your blood.” Christopher, a resident of Crosby, a small bend in the road southwest of Seabeck , is an Army veteran and served in Korea. His family settled in Crosby in 1924 when it was called Camp Union. “My dad came here to be a logger and my mother was the camp cook,” Christopher said. “When the camp closed down, the family just stayed here.” Vern was born in 1941, the youngest of five children. “We all had nicknames,” he said. “Buckshot, BB Shot, Birdshot, Slingshot, and when I came along they called me Cannon Ball. I’m not sure why.” Growing up, Vern loved to play with trucks. He was always fascinated by automobile mechanics and tinkered with it as a high school kid. When he graduated from Central Kitsap High School in 1959, he was pretty sure he’d end up being a mechanic, but then a friend suggested he go in the Army. “He talked me into signing up with him,” Christopher said. “I was in three years. He lasted a week.” But during those three years, he gained much, including a career as a truck driver, and a wife, Soo, to whom he’s been married 50 years. His first assignment was to Fort Carson, Colorado, and then to Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri. There he learned to drive a truck, a big olive green Army truck. He was soon sent to Korea for 16 months. In Korea he drove heavy equipment and delivered supplies. A friend introduced him

to Soo, who was a seamstress in a tailoring shop. Years before, she had fled her home on foot near the North and South Korea border, walking south to be safe from the Communists were expected to move south. They fell in love and when Christopher left Korea with nine months left to serve in the Army, he tried to bring her with him. “It would take six to eight months to process the paperwork for us to get married in Korea,” he said. “There wasn’t enough time.” So he returned to Fort Bliss, Texas, and he married Soo by proxy, so that she could come to the United States. But immigration wouldn’t recognize the marriage. The only thing left to do was to return to Korea and get her. If he did that, immigration would acknowledge the marriage. “I got the money together and flew there,” he said. “I had the $25 I needed to pay for her visa, but I was robbed. I

Leslie Kelly/ staff photo

Vern Christopher stands by the M.A.S.H. ambulance he refurbished as part of his olive drab hobby. The ambulance has been used in movies and displayed locally. and they made their home in Kitsap County. Christopher worked driving a truck cross-county using the skills he learned in the Army. He worked at Bangor for about three years as a truck driver and then he bought a logging truck and went to work for himself. For 20 years he hauled

A command vehicle prior to being renovated. tried the U.S. Embassy and they said they could get me home, but they couldn’t give me money. “I tried to get on the base where I’d be able to borrow some money from someone, but I couldn’t get through security. The Gulf of Tonkin had happened and security was beefed up.” His visa to be in Korea was only good for two weeks. He had his mother mail him money, but it didn’t get there in time and he had to leave Soo there again. Once home, he got the money together and sent for her. She arrived

VETERANS LIFE |

“That’s how I got into military equipment,” Christopher said. “After Korean, I never thought I’d want to see an Army truck again. But I found and old Army six-by-six, just like the one I drove in Korea. I thought it would be perfect with that log loader on it. But I never did that.”

The command vehicle post Christopher’s renovation.

Leslie Kelly/staff photos

Some of the many Army vehicles Christopher has recreated. logs for Pulp and Talbot, and for private people.

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truck. And once he had it restored, it was such a good job that when he drove it, people would say “How come the Army lets you use that truck to pull your logs?” he said. Soon, more military vehicles made their way to him. “Someone I knew saw an Army Jeep for sale and

Instead, he decided to restore the cargo

told me about it,” he said. ‘They said ‘You got the truck. Now you need the Jeep.’” Then it was a 1941 Dodge Army ambulance — just like the one used in the television show M.A.S.H. “My daughter saw it for sale down by Wildcat Lake,” he said. “There were only a few thousand of them. They’re kind of rare and not many are left out there.” He bought it and restored it. And then it was 1941 Dodge Command vehicle. “I always wanted one

of them,” he said. “So I could drive military officials in the parades.” Currently he owns nine military vehicles, including a “Weasel,” a World War II track vehicle made to run in snow. There’s still a couple of Jeeps in various states of repair in his yard. He also restores Model-Ts and tractors. He does all the restoration himself, from mechanical repairs to painting. He searches the Internet for parts, and goes to swap meets looking for the things he needs. He drives his military vehicles in many local parades, including Armed Forces Day in Bremerton and Whaling Days in Silverdale and he shows them at community events such as Blackberry Days. He’s even been known to give neighborhood kids rides on the Weasel when it snows. His M.A.S.H. ambulance was driven by Dennis Quaid in “Come see the Paradise,” a movie filmed in Oregon about the Japanese interment camps. “I drove it down there and taught him (Quaid) how to drive it,” Christopher said. “They treated us great, fed us and put us in a hotel.” Just how much he’s invested in his military vehicles, Christopher hasn’t kept track. He’s not really even sure how much his restored vehicles are worth. “More than when I got them,” he joked. “Because when I got them, they were just a pile of junk.” He’s a member of the West Sound Military Vehicles Collector’s Club which has about 25 members. As for the lessons learned in the Army, the most important, he said, was responsibility. “They taught me to be responsible. It was a good experience,” he said, “one that all young people should have. I’ve seen a lot of places that I otherwise would never have seen. And I have a wonderful wife that without the Army, I would have never met.”

Kevan Moore/staff photo Courtesy photo

Lt. Joe Baglio in the cockpit of his airplane in China during World War II.

Bremerton’s Joe Baglio displays the D-Ring of the ripcord he yanked to open his parachute after bailiing out of his P-51 Mustang in northern China.

After bailing from P-51, he walked 900 miles to safety By KEVAN MOORE Bremerton’s Joe Baglio can laugh about it now, but when he joined the Caterpillar Club, an informal association of people who have successfully bailed out of an airplane, it was no laughing matter. Baglio was flying a P-51 Mustang near Peking, China when his aircraft was hit. It was June 10, 1944, just four days after D-Day. “When that airplane was shot — tap, tap, tap, tap, tap — I couldn’t believe that I was not hit,” Baglio said. “Because it went from prop spinner to tail. You’ve seen things in a movie where the bullets come in and crash the control panel and I can’t believe it’s missed the cockpit. All my instruments are still working and I’m not hit. I actually felt myself all over. I said, ‘You’re adrenaline is so high and you’re keyed up, you’ve been hit and you don’t even realize it.’ I actually did. I felt all over myself.” Baglio still has the telegram that was sent to his mother in Massachusetts informing her that he was Missing in Action. And he still has the one informing her that he returned to duty September 23. In those three-plus months evading Japanese soldiers, Baglio would walk more than 900 miles to safely with the help of communist guerrillas. Part of Baglio’s odyssey is featured in William F.X.

Band’s book “Warriors Who Ride the Wind” about the Flying Tigers of the Fourteenth Air Force. “While (Baglio) was eating a bowl of rice one morning, all the Chinese around him suddenly rose to their feet and became silent,” Band writes. “He looked up and saw two men approaching him. They were Mao Tse Tung and Chao En Lai.” Mao, following “the long march” from the south, was consolidating communist power in the northwest provinces. “At this time, in the 1940s, he and Chiang Kaishek had declared a temporary armistice to fight the Japanese invader,” Band writes. “A few years later the Communists would take over China with Mao as party chairman and, in effect, the ruler of all China.” Sitting at his dining room table overlooking Dyes Inlet and the Olympic

Mountains, Baglio flips through a manual for the P-51. “You know, I never read one of these manuals,” Baglio said. “They parked the airplanes out there one day and said they’re yours and there weren’t any manuals in the airplane. I bought this after it was all over. And I found out after I read this that bailing out of that airplane, the only thing I did right was manage to get out of it. I did nothing correctly. Actually, after reading this book, it scared the hell out of me.” After getting hit, Baglio was barely able to clear a hill. Once he did though, a valley opened up below him. “It wouldn’t go any faster than 110 mph,” Baglio said. “I can still see that bastard stuck on that air speed indicator. I couldn’t climb. I’m just holding my altitude and I’m looking at the terrain for where I can belly this thing in if I had

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to, but it’s all terraced. You can’t belly anywhere. If you smack into a terrace that darn engine’s gonna be in your body and crushing you.” Baglio knew it was time to get out, but the lever to release the greenhousetype canopy surrounding him wouldn’t work. So, he started banging the heck out of it with his fists and it finally blew off. The plane started to roll and Baglio knows now that he should have just let it do so and fallen out. Instead, though, he trimmed it up to fly hands off. “I figured I’m just gonna stand up in that thing and run off the wing,” Baglio said. “I really did. You ever try to stand up in 110 mile per hour wind? I found out things in (this manual) that scared the hell out of me. Here it is, bail out procedures. See how they tell you how nice and easy it is? I stood up in the airplane and it just bent me over.”

Baglio clawed his way out of the cockpit and began falling to the earth headfirst. “The ground’s right there, so I reach for my ripcord. And they always told ya, when you’re gonna use the ripcord, look at it and put your hand on thing and pull it. But I didn’t. I reached for the harness where I thought it should be and it wasn’t there.” Baglio eventually found the D-ring he was looking for and yanked it. “The most wonderful thing, the prettiest sight in the world you’ll ever see, what is it, a 26-foot, 28-foot canopy above you,” he said. “This is the D-ring I had that day. I actually hung onto it. Why, I don’t know, but there it is. You think you’re so calm, cool and collected. I must have been 10 miles away from that plane before I realized I had that thing in my hand.” When he landed, Baglio was met by three Chinese

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men and “Japanese soldiers pouring out of the ground like ants.” He unhooked a leg strap of the parachute, reaching for his .45 just in case, and then got the rest of the chute off. Moments later, he was heading away from the Japanese soldiers at a dead run. “That was probably about 2:30 in the afternoon,” he said. “I think I took a second breath somewhere about 5:30.” Baglio left everything at the site except for his .45, a survival knife, his shoes and a leather jacket.

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VETERANS LIFE | 5

One woman’s tireless advocation for vets By CHRIS CHANCELLOR Her name has become synonymous with helping people through the complexities of obtaining benefits through Veterans Affairs. But even Lynn Currie Shoup, a Kitsap County mortgage specialist, acknowledges she did not always understand the value of military service. That changed during the late 1990s when her boyfriend at the time, who served in the mariners, was visiting his active-duty father with her at Fort Lewis. At one point, Currie Shoup asked her boyfriend about the significance of serving. He told her that if she traveled to another continent and was taken hostage or injured, the Marines would risk their own wellbeing to travel with-

Chris Chancellor photo

Lynn Currie Shoup out fanfare to locate her and return her home. “Why don’t we do more for you?” Currie Shoup asked her boyfriend. “Exactly,” he responded. That — and not, as many assume, because of the 38,000

veterans living, working, raising families or enjoying retirement in Kitsap County — was the impetus behind Currie Shoup’s decision to become involved with assisting veterans. Her passion for veterans resonated through a picture of the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C. that hung over her desk for years. She since has donated it to a veteran who works at Worksource. Currie Shoup’s giving does not end there. She has worked in real estate for more than 25 years and specializes in buying and selling homes using VA financing with no money down or closing costs. But her work with veterans does not end there. Currie Shoup, 57, wants to make sure veterans obtain the ser-

vices they are entitled. She has helped more than 156 veterans with disability benefits obtain assistance. Sometimes, she said, forms were filled out incorrect, or veterans believed their circumstances were not difficult enough to merit benefits. “There’s a lot of veterans out there that are entitled to benefits that think it’s a handout,” said Currie Shoup, adding that she has helped more than 156 veterans with their disability benefits. “You earned it. Let’s go ahead and get you what you’re entitled to.” She has lived and worked in both Bremerton and Port Orchard, and is knowledgable enough about the county to point veterans to where the state and federal VA clinics are located, along with hos-

pitals. “I’m humbled when they call and ask for help,” Currie Shoup said. “If I can’t do what they need me to do, I will get them to somebody who can. I have not been able to anything that fills my soul like taking care of veterans.” Currie Shoup, who also takes the time to explain obscure benefits, such as honorably discharged veterans are entitled to a signed certificate from the president when they die, does it all at no charge. She said others were not aware that 24 months of active-duty service qualifies them for the status as a veteran. “I think we owe them,” she said. “To me veterans are the Eighth Wonder of the World.” In recent years, Currie Shoup also has donated 10

percent of her income for K-9 Officers. She said it covers her two passions — vets and pets. Those funds help cover expenses for retiring K-9s for policemen and active military. She said she is honored to help veterans. “I’ve traveled the world because of veterans,” Courie Shoup said. “I don’t think it gets any better. I get up every day and I live in a free country. “I choose what I want to drive, what I wear and what career I want. I don’t have the government telling me what I can and can’t do. I’m thankful for that.” It all comes back to a simple motto Currie Shoup says she lives by: “Have you thanked a veteran today?”

Ceremonial therapies favored by Native American veterans Native American veterans battling Post Traumatic Stress Disorder find relief and healing through an alternative treatment called the Sweat Lodge ceremony offered at the Spokane Veterans Administration Hospital. In the Arizona desert, wounded warriors from the Hopi Nation can join in a ceremony called Wiping Away the Tears. The traditional cleansing ritual helps dispel a chronic “ghost sickness” that

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can haunt survivors of battle. These and other traditional healing therapies are the treatment of choice for many Native American veterans — half of whom say usual PTSD treatments don’t work — according to a recent survey conducted at Washington State University. The findings will be presented at the American Psychological Association conference in Washington, D.C. this August. The study is available online

at www.surveymonkey.com/s/ nativeveterans. Led by Greg Urquhart and Matthew Hale, both Native veterans and graduate students in the WSU College of Education, the ongoing study examines the attitudes, perceptions, and beliefs of Native American veterans concerning PTSD and its various treatment options. The goal is to give Native veterans a voice in shaping the therapies available. “Across the board, Native

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vets don’t feel represented. Their voices have been silenced and ignored for so long that they were happy to provide feedback on our survey,” said Hale. Historically, Native Americans have served in the military at higher rates than all other U.S. populations. Veterans are traditionally honored as warriors and esteemed in the tribal community. A 2012 report by the Department of Veterans Affairs showed that the percentage of Native veterans under age 65 outnumbers similar percentages for veterans of all other racial groups combined. The WSU survey provides a first-hand look at the veterans’ needs, but more importantly, reveals the unique preferences they have as Native American veterans, said Phyllis Erdman, executive associate dean and

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tices including talking circles, vision quests, songs, drumming, stories, sweat lodge ceremonies, gourd dances and more. Elders or traditional medicine men are also on staff to help patients process their physical and emotional trauma. “PTSD is a big issue and it’s not going away anytime soon,” said Hale, a Cherokee and a mental health technician in the Air Force. Urquhart, also Cherokee developed mild symptoms of PTSD after a tour as a cavalry scout in Iraq. He said there have been very few studies on Native veterans and PTSD. He and Hale designed their survey to be broader and more inclusive than any previous assessments. It is the first to address the use of equine therapy as a possible adjunct to both western treatments and Native ceremonial approaches.

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mentor for the study. Urquhart said many Native veterans are reluctant to seek treatment for PTSD because typical western therapy options don’t represent the Native cultural worldview. “The traditional Native view of health and spirituality is intertwined,” he explained. “Spirit, mind and body are all one — you can’t parcel one out from the other — so spirituality is a huge component of healing and one not often included in western medicine, although there have been a few studies on the positive effects of prayer.” For many years, the U.S. government banned Native religious ceremonies, which subsequently limited their use in PTSD programs, said Urquhart. Seeking to remedy the situation, many Veterans Administration hospitals now offer traditional Native prac-

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Disability services helps students with PTSD find success Veterans find help at Brandman University By Margo Myers

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For college students with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), it can impact their educational goals, and often, even how they learn. Brandman University offers special accommodations for those students to provide equal access to achieve educational success.

“Right now, we have 400 students, 200 of them active, who are registered with the Office of Disability Services,” said Dr. Loren O’Connor, Brandman’s director of Americans with Disabilities Act Services. “Of the new students who register with our office, 65 to 70 percent are from the military.” Thirty-year-old Zane Speegle is a Brandman student who registered with Disability Services. He served as a medic in the U.S. Army, completing two tours in Iraq. Describing it as a “crazy place,” Speegle saw upwards of 3,000 trauma patients when he worked in the emergency room at the base hospital in

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Zane Speegle Mosul. “We also had more than 300 mortars to deal with,” Speegle said. “You could figure about a mortar a day would be lobbed onto our base.” The result?

Speegle suffers from PTSD. It makes it difficult for him to concentrate when reading as he pursues his bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership. “At first, I didn’t know about the services,” he said. “But Dr. O’Connor visited the Lacey campus and told us about it, so I had my documentation and signed up right away. Those services are there to help us.” With an estimated one million military service members transitioning to civilian life over the next five years, O’Connor expects the number of students with documented disabilities to grow. And that could prompt universities to

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develop alternate ways for students to learn and retain the information they need to receive their degrees, as well as create an atmosphere for greater understanding of what these students are coping with. “The general population is just not aware of the things service members and veterans go through in combat,” said O’Connor. Brandman University is at the forefront of helping students with a documented disability. They must first register with Brandman’s Office of Disability Services, and show the proper documentation. Registration is voluntary and self-identifying. Documentation is con-

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sidered confidential. Sometimes acknowledging that help is needed is the most difficult step. Dr. O’Connor described one student with a number of issues related to PTSD who had taken several university courses. But it took weeks for that student to seek help, and he finally did so because he wasn’t being successful in his classes. “Often times, there can be a stigma associated with PTSD or TBI,” said O’Connor. “People who have a disability aren’t always comfortable disclosing that information. If you’re a Marine, it’s not part of that culture to admit you need help.” With PTSD and TBI, symptoms don’t always show up immediately. A student may have problems with hearing or with eyesight due to injury. Or, they may have trouble concentrating. There can be various symptoms that interfere with the students’ ability to learn. Students who register their disability with Brandman can be assisted in a number of ways, including extended time on exams, provided with a qualified note-taker, assistive listening devices, use of a word processor on exams and course materials in an alternate format. For Speegle, he uses a computer program that turns text to speech. It helps reinforce the information when he studies because concentrating when reading is difficult. He’s also been able to get more time taking tests. “That just takes the stress out of it,” he said. In fact, Speegle helps spread the word about Disability Services in his Brandman classes. “It’s not a big deal to ask for help, and there hasn’t been any negative with it,” he said. “I recommend it to everyone.” Speegle recently walked in the commencement ceremony at the Lacey campus, and will receive his bachelor’s degree in August. He’ll then start on his master’s degree to continue his education. “The best part of my job is when I hear from students who are successful,” said O’Connor. “The idea is to help them learn and get their degree.”

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J U LY 2 014

VETERANS LIFE | 7

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VETERANS LIFE |

J U LY 2 014

4/21/14 3:28 PM

Brothers in arms back home on Bainbridge Island By Brian Kelly Two veterans who once served on opposite ends of the globe are now brothers in arms back home in the Pacific Northwest. Scott Leaver, a Navy veteran, and Brian Wilkinson, a former Army infantryman, both serve as volunteer firefighters/EMTs for the Bainbridge Island Fire Department. Both said they’ve found their volunteer work gratifying and a bit reminiscent in some ways of their military service. Leaver is a real estate broker by day who joined the fire department at the suggestion of others. He came to Bainbridge Island with his wife, Cathy Lolley-Leaver, who is from Bainbridge and is a fourthgrade teacher at Ordway Elementary. The Pacific Northwest was already a familiar second home to him, however. Leaver enlisted in the Navy when he was 19 and was once assigned to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, where he was assigned to VAQ 140, an electronic attack squadron, as a aviation logistics manager/air warfare specialist. The squadron, nicknamed “the Patriots,” was then comprised of

communication-jamming Prowlers assigned to the USS George Washington, a Nimitz-class aircraft carrier. Leaver was on board the Washington on the carrier’s first deployment, and also was aboard the carrier for Operation Deny Flight (the NATO operation in early 1993 to enforce the United Nations’ “nofly zone” over Bosnia and Herzegovina) and Operation Joint Endeavor (the deployment of peacekeeping forces to Bosnia). During the later part of his seven-year Navy career, he was assigned to the Blue Angels, the Navy’s flight demonstration team, where he reached the rank of Petty Officer 2nd Class. The visits of the Blue Angels to Seafair brought him back to Seattle, and he later took up a job offer from Washington Mutual and stayed. “I love being up here,” Leaver said. The banking job lasted about seven years, he recalled, but he began studying for a real estate license after his position with Washington Mutual lost its luster. “I didn’t like corporate life a lot; it was not exactly what I wanted,” he said. Leaver found greater fulfillment as a volunteer for

Brian Kelly/ staff photo

Scott Leaver, a Navy veteran, and Brian Wilkinson, a former Army infantryman, are both giving back to their community as volunteer firefighters/EMTs with the Bainbridge Island Fire Department. Bainbridge’s fire department. The bond between firefighters is a lot like the one shared by those who have served in the military, he said. It’s tough to put a finger on, but those who’ve worn the uniform know it best. “The camaraderie here, and in the military, you can’t explain that,” he said. Leaver, who will turn 40 in August, has a full family life — three boys, a baby on the way, and a daughter in college — said it’s important to give back to the community. It’s a gratifying gift. “People know, when we show up, we’re there to

help them,” Leaver said. Wilkinson agreed that the best part of being a firefighter is serving with others who’ve made the same commitment. “It’s the team,” Wilkinson said. “It’s kind of hard to explain. You put a uniform on ... and you’re representing your department. But I think the biggest thing is knowing you’ve got a big group of brothers who are here and they are all here to support you.” Wilkinson, 40, owns a contracting business called 3B Square. He comes from sixth-generation Olympic Peninsula stock, and his personal and military background has proven to

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white,’” came the reply. After his Army stint, Wilkinson lived in Germany for four years while his wife, Barbara Z ehent ner-Wi l k ins on, continued her research toward a doctorate’s degree in molecular biology. Wilkinson got a job with the Department of Defense in the Army’s MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation) program in Garmisch, Germany, where he taught skiing and outdoor education. He also apprenticed as a timber framer. With the family now living on Bainbridge — the couple has a boy and two girls — Wilkinson found himself often being the go-to guy in the neighborhood when the power went out or bad weather knocked down trees. He’d clear clogged roads with his tractor, or take firewood to those without. His helpful and resourceful nature got noticed, and people encouraged him to think about volunteering for the local fire department. “It’s the most gratifying thing that I’ve ever done,” Wilkinson said. “Once you’re involved in participating in a CPR and save somebody’s life, it makes your day job look not very gratifying.”

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be an asset in the fire service. “Growing up on a small farm on the Olympic Peninsula, I learned from an early age to kind of take care of myself. If you needed something fixed, you couldn’t call people to fix it for you - we just did it ourselves,” Wilkinson said. He also enlisted at age 19, and served in the Army from 1993 through 1996. He was stationed in Hawaii with the 25th Infantry Division. As an air assault light infantry solider, he was tapped for long-range surveillance as a reconnaissance scout and sniper team leader. His family had to warm up to his Army career a little bit, Wilkinson admitted. His grandfather and great-grandfather were both Navy men. “I came home for my grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary, and I’m wearing my black beret and I’m all decked out in my Class A’s. I’m thinking I’m looking pretty good,” he recalled. “And my grandpa comes walking around the corner, and he looks at me and gets choked up. There’s a tear in his eye and he comes over. And I said, ‘Hey grandpa, what’s wrong?’” “’Son, you’d look so much better in Navy

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VETERANS LIFE | 9

After four wars, he’s laid to rest with honors

Luke Wesson photo

James Berl Waller, who served in four wars, is given full military honors at a service at his former home near Poulsbo recently. He was 87 and lived an active life. By Richard Walker Full military honors were rendered June 7 for James Berl Waller, 87, of Poulsbo. The veteran of four wars died at home on Feb. 8, after a long battle with pulmonary

he enlisted in the Navy after paying someone $5 to sign papers certifying he was 17. Among other duties, he was a 40mm gun pointer on the USS Louisville (CA-28) during the Battle of Leyte Gulf in 1944

Luke Wesson photo

After a tribute, Waller’s ashes are spread in the water. fibrosis. His last wish was fulfilled in 2013 when the Honor Flight Network flew him to Washington, D.C. so he could see the nation’s war memorials. With a variation of burial at sea, his ashes were consigned to the depths of the pond on his property on the 1300 block of Thompson Road NW. Waller, a native of Dixon, Illinois., was parentless at 16 and quit school and headed to Los Angeles to work. Unable to find a job,

and Iwo Jima in 1945. He served on the USS Bunker Hill (CV17), which was hit by kamikazes forward and aft and a bomb amidship during the invasion of Okinawa. After the war, he served on occupation duty in Japan. During the Korean War, he served on the USS Bairoko (CVE115), providing close air support for the Army and Marines. During the Vietnam War, he served aboard the USS Vega (AF-59), which carried stores,

VETERANS LIFE |

refrigerated items and equipment to ships in the fleet. Petty Officer Waller — who was first a boatswain’s mate and then an air controllman — retired from the Navy in 1965. In the ensuing years, he worked as a warehouseman in San Leandro, California, a train brakeman at the Bangor Navy base, a ship painter at the Bremerton Navy yard, and as a cook aboard fishing vessels. During the Gulf War in 1990-91, he worked as a civilian cook on the USNS Kawishiwi (T-AO146), an oiler assigned to the Military Sealift Command. In an interview in 2013, Hospice of Kitsap County’s Jen Cleverdon described Waller as “the epitome of the ‘salty sailor.’ While Jim may not be literally ‘salty,’ although his language is, he is certainly experienced having served in four wars.” He is survived by his wife, Mary; sons, Bill (Charlotte) and Fred (Annette); daughter, Janis (Cliff ); eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren; nieces, Pat, Julie, Nancy, Joan and Rhoda; nephews, Fred and James; and sister-in-law, Odelia.

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Native Bremertonian recalls war experiences By Sandy McKay Like many Americans, Frank Wetzel bravely served his country in important ways. His most significant Army duty was with the 304th Infantry of the 76th Division as World War II ended in Germany, followed by duty as second lieutenant in the 35th Infantry of the 25th Division during the stalemate in Korea. He was twice awarded the Combat Infantry Badge, a recognition for infantrymen and Special Forces soldiers in the rank of Colonel and below who personally fought in active ground combat. His military experience started early. He first put on a uniform at 17 while still in high school. He joined the Army Specialized Training (Reserve) Program. He was sent to the University of Idaho. “As pre-engineers, our subjects included physics, chemistry and math,” the 88-year-old veteran said. “I hadn’t the foggiest notion how to study. I was always satisfied with a ‘Gentleman’s C’ in high school, and I did poorly.” Even so, it didn’t matter. They were all called to active duty. In July 1944 the men were assigned to the Army Air Corps. Basic training at Buckley Field at Denver lasted six weeks. Wetzel was then assigned to gunnery school at nearby Lowry Field, but he quickly washed out when they found he was colorblind. But this was, by no means, the end of his military career. His next destination was the Army Troop Command in Sedalia, Missouri, and soon thereafter to a tiny field at Vichy, also in The Show-Me State. “Then came the Battle of the Bulge in Europe during the winter of 1944,” Wetzel said. Because of this, there was a huge need for infantry

men. “I was yanked from a comfortable assignment and sent to Camp Gordon, Georgia for six weeks of training,” he remarked. “I went back to Bremerton for a short leave, and then to Camp Myles Standish near Boston.” In February of 1945 a troop ship landed the men near Glasgow, Scotland. They immediately went to Southampton and across the English Channel to Le Havre, France. “No more than two or three days there, and finally as a foot soldier, I joined the 304th Infantry of the 76th Division,” Wetzel said. “The 12 men of my new squad were bearded, tough and dirty,” he said. “Some hadn’t taken off their boots in days. In other infantry units replacements were greeted warily because the veterans didn’t want to get too close to newcomers. “But that was not my experience and I felt quickly accepted,” he added. In late March and April of 1945 the war was winding down. “As part of the Third Army we fought against only spotty resistance and were deep in eastern Germany, almost to Leipzig when the war ended on May 8,” he said. “We had liberated some red wine that tasted only slightly of gasoline because of its jerrycan containers, and of course we celebrated. The war was over!” Soon after V-E Day he was reassigned again, to the 83rd Division which was training for a new war. “We were at Graffenwohr, which had been a training ground for the German Wehrmacht, when V-J Day unexpectedly arrived with two big bangs. The United States dropped two nuclear bombs on Japan and the Emperor quickly surrendered. “We celebrated again but perhaps without the same joy

as those months earlier when our immediate danger had ended,” Wetzel said. “If the war against Japan had continued it would have taken months for us to get to the staging areas and, we figured, a lot of things could happen before we took that long trip half-way across the world. “Those of us who remained in Germany, those with the shortest service overseas, became an army of occupation,” he said. “The longtime vets were shipped home as fast as ships could carry them. Russia, France and Britain shared the occupation.” The Allies divided Germany geographically into four sectors, with the United States taking command in Bavaria. The fear the Germans would continue the war from a redoubt in the Alps proved to be unfounded. At some point in Wetzel’s Army career it had been entered on his service record that he could type. On that basis, he was assigned to an intelligence unit that was interrogating Nazi party members at Stalag5V at Moosburg, about 60 kilometers from Munich. “It was a rich assignment,” he stated. “There were only a half-dozen U.S. interrogators most with German backgrounds, and my job was to type their reports. We lived in German homes that had been requisitioned and ate at a local Gasthaus that the Army had commandeered. The assignment gave me the opportunity to learn some of the nuances of NSDAP (Nazi) party membership. The party was everywhere; after 1933 it permeated the German nation. I remained in that choice billet until June of 1946 when I returned to Bremerton,” he said. And then there were the infamous death camps. A visit to Buchenwald

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after the war and before he returned to the states was pivotal in his civilian life. “General Eisenhower wanted the world to know about the concentration camps and one of the ways to advertise it was to set up tours for American soldiers. Some of the inmates in their striped pajamas were

Contributed photo

Wetzel while in the Army. still at Buchenwald when we came through. “Although Buchenwald was a work camp, not a death camp like Auschwitz, our German-Jewish guide said 51,000 had died there. I was aghast at their treatment and I wrote an article that was published in the Bremerton Sun on July 31, 1945. It was my first byline and I was thrilled.” Wetzel joined the ROTC while at the University of Washington and was commissioned as a second lieutenant. “I graduated in June of 1950, just two weeks before the North Koreans invaded South Korea,” he stated. “I managed a long-planned bicycle trip in

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Europe with a friend before I was called back into the Army in June 1951. “I served at Fort Ord, California for almost a year before going to Fort Benning, Georgia for two weeks of infantry training. A brief home leave, then we were flown by Flying Tigers to Japan. They hurried us to the combat zone but when it came time to return to the States it was aboard a pokey Navy transport, the Marine Lynx. But it landed in Seattle. Hooray!” He was in Japan for several days, then on to South Korea where he was assigned to the 35th Infantry of the 25th Division. “I became a platoon leader with three squads of a dozen men each under my command. After a few days we moved forward and took up positions on Heartbreak Ridge, which had been hard-fought earlier but was now stable. “We held our dug-in positions on the forward slope overlooking the Mundungni valley while the North Koreans and Chinese held their traditional positions on the north slope opposite us,” he remarked. “There was perfunctory artillery shelling as we arrived and that continued during our 76 days on line. The most dangerous part for me was the nightly ambush patrols that we sent forward. It was regimental policy that an officer

Wetzel has had a long career in journalism and written several books.

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accompany such patrols and I spent many nights with my men, lying in ambush, trying to keep us all awake. “One morning, just as it started to get light, we were pulling back to return to our lines when we were ambushed,” he continued. “Seven of the 10 men were wounded. I was unable to rally the men from where they were pinned down, despite putting down fire from my ‘burp gun,’ as my machine gun was called. But eventually a rescue squad arrived and we all managed to return to our lines.” In retrospect, he thinks they all survived because the enemy had only concussion grenades instead of the fragment grenades that they carried. Wetzel was discharged in Seattle in the fall of 1952, and almost immediately went to work at the Tacoma News Tribune. He cites a quote by James Madison: “War contains so much folly, as well as wickedness, that much is to be hoped from the progress of reason; and if any thing is to be hoped, every thing ought to be tried.” This accurately reflects how Wetzel feels. “War is humankind’s greatest failure,” he said.

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V E T E R A N S L I F E | 11

Veterans honored with Point of Light awards By DANNIE OLIVEAUX Five veterans and a veteran’s advocate were honored by Port Orchard Mayor Tim Matthes with his “Point of Light” awards during a concert and ceremony June 8 at the Christ of Rock Community Church. Receiving awards were Michael Countryman, Alfred H. Coffelt, Jr., Charles McGuire, Alvie Weatherall and Robert MacFann, along with veterans advocate Karen Taylor. More than 325 people enjoyed a night of patriotic-themed music performance by the Breath of Aire choir. The choir, composed of singers from throughout the state and led by conductor Dr. J. Bayard DuBois, opened up the concert with a patriotic medley follow by other arrangements, such as “God Bless the U.S.A.” and “You Raise Me Up.” Matthes, who presented six awards, recognized the first three recipients after the first hours of the concert. Matthes’ first award recipient was Michael Countryman, who is a chief in the U.S. Navy. Countryman, who resides in Port Orchard with his wife and two children, has been in the military for nine years and served on the USS Alabama. He has been awarded with several medals during his service.

Michael Countryman

Alfred Coffelt

He is also a member of VFW Post 2669 and volunteers at the Washington Veterans Home at Retsil. “We bought our home here four years ago and we just loved the community,” said Countryman. “Thanks for Port Orchard for being so welcoming to everyone, including the military folks who are sometimes just stopping through.” The second award was presented to Alfred H. Coffelt Jr., commander of the American Legion Post 30 in Port Orchard. Coffelt retired from the U.S. Army. “I’ve been told you’re a jack-of-all-trades,” said Matthes. “Besides being post commander, he’s also the post’s real estate manager.” He is also actives with the Knights of Pythias and Saints Car Club. “Thank you for all you do for Port Orchard,” Matthes said. Karen Taylor was surprised when Matthes called her up front as the third

recipient. Taylor started with the ombudsman program in November 1996. She was assigned the Washington Veterans Home in Retsil when she completed her training in April 1997. Matthes noted that since 2003, Taylor has completed more than 6,000 hours at the home. “She is a model ombudsman,” said Matthes. “She is an expert in residential rights, well-versed in assisted living and longterm care nursing requirements. She is committed to each and every resident she visits, and knows each and everyone by name.” Recently, Taylor became a volunteer at Park Vista Retirement and Assisted Living Community, helping local veterans. “She is most deserving of this award, because of her selfless service to our

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first bicycle patrol and was a school resource officer. “He worked hard in making the school resource officer position a viable one,” said Matthes. “One that would meet the needs of the school district and police department.” While working with the police department, MacFann served two tours of active duty with the National Guard in 2008 and 2011. He was wounded in his final tour and was awarded several accommodations, including the Purple Heart. “This is the example I really, really appreciate for a man who served his whole life. He’s so much deserves this award,” Matthes said.

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the Puget Sound Naval Shipyard’s fire department in 1952. He retired as a captain. For more than 25 years, Weatherall was a volunteer for the former Port Orchard Fire Department. “He’s still active with the VFW and other charity work,” said Matthes. The final award went to Robert MacFann, who retired from the Port Orchard Police Department in January after 15 years with the city. In 2000, he was honored as officer of the year for the department. “He has consistently demonstrated his willingness to assume more responsibilities,” Matthes said. MacFann helped in establishing Port Orchard’s

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veterans,” Matthes said. Veteran Charles McGuire was the fourth recipient. McGuire is a survivor from the Battle of the Bulge in World War II and volunteers with VFW Post 2669 where he served in the honor guard. “He’s almost 90 and he had to slow down a little bit,” said Matthes. “But he continues to work for the VFW and other things he is interested in.” Nine-four-year-old Alvie Weatherall, who was the night’s fifth recipient, was unable to attend the ceremony. Weatherall served in the Army from 1937 to 1940, and was recalled in 1943 to serve as a dog handler in the Pacific Theater in World War II. After the war, he went to work as a police officer and transferred to

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New director furthers commitment to veterans

Richard Walker photo

North Kitsap Herald Editor Richard Walker shares this image of his military service: In 1982, this photo was taken of me and some Navy buddies on liberty, on a tour of Israel. This site, on the Jordan River, is according to tradition the place where Jesus was baptized by John. Kneeling from left, Rick Villegas, John Murray. Standing from left, Ben Dinkins, Truitt McKinney, Richard Walker, Rey Rivera, and our guide, Otto. Our ship, the USS Manitowoc (LST 1180), carried Marines to Lebanon during the intervention there in 1982 and withdrew them the next year, and participated in the Grenada operations in October and November 1983. I was a quartermaster aboard the Manitowoc at that time. Do you have an image of your service that you’d like to share with readers? Do you have a memory of your Army, Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard or Marine days that you’d like to submit to The Bond column in Veterans Life? We love to have it! Send your stories and photos to lkelly@soundpublishing.com or give us a call at 360-308-9161, ext. 5050.

Hospice of Kitsap County has announced that Lisa Bukata has joined the organization as the Veterans Program Coordinator to further develop their growing portfolio of veteran-related programs. Lisa Bukata comes with a wealth of experience, having spent the past six years in the funeral service field where she specialized in fostering positive relationships with veterans’ families and organizations to ensure proper memorialization of their loved ones. A veteran herself, she spent six years serving as an officer after graduating from the Air Force Academy.

Bukata will coordinate Hospice of Kitsap County’s efforts to serve and honor veterans in our community through the We Honor Veterans Programs, Armed Forces Day, Veteran’s Day and Memorial Day observances and other relevant activities. She will also serve as a liaison to military and veteran facilities. “It is my belief that all veterans should be cared for in a way that honors their service to our nation,” said Bukata. “I’m honored to join an organization that shares in that belief.” Hospice of Kitsap County is recognized as a Level 2 partner in the We Honor Veterans program, coordinated by the National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization and the Department of Veterans Affairs. This special training from the We Honor

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Veterans Program has allowed Hospice of Kitsap County to provide the very best in end-of-life care for our veteran patients. Bukata will also be promoting the agency’s Veteran-to-Veteran Volunteer Program, which recruits and trains volunteers with military experience to provide companionship to hospice patients who are also veterans. “Lisa’s wealth of experience has already made her a key addition to our team,” said Michael Goodnow, director of development for Hospice of Kitsap County. “We see this appointment as a furthering of our organization’s commitment to honor and serve the military community.” For more information, call Hospice of Kitsap County at 360-698-4611 or go to www.hospicekc.org.

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Why have reunions? By Thom Stoddert Reunions have an undeserved reputation as a party of middle-aged men acting like 20 year olds. However, Branson, Missouri disproved that idea. For many years after I left the war behind, I thought about the whole experience; most of my feelings were on dark side. So, when I got a call one evening from a former platoon sergeant inviting me to a reunion, I was taken back and rather excited. It quickly faded as I thought about it all. Do I want to go and see these people again? Will they want to see me? Is this going to re-inflame a lot of old, bad memories? I have been to several since then. I have learned much each time. I found out that almost every one of the other troopers had a lot of anxiety and trepidation going for the first time. In every case they were glad they ignored their fears and did attend. Old antagonisms were gone and now became a source of laughter. Friendships, fostered years ago, were deepened and new relationships formed. More and more brought their wives and family to each of the subsequent gatherings. Thus a new dimension has developed. The two guys, who mentored me when I got to Vietnam, have married wonderful women, who themselves, have become very good

Contributed photo

Thom Stoddert and his group at a military reunion. friends. Over the years we have lost men, and still their families are welcomed. They have become part of us — enriching us. The underlying theme has been, “what we were then and what we are now.” We used the reunions to teach and explain to each other and our families what we went through. We could now confide to each other what we could not even admit to ourselves then. It was freeing and exhilarating; and now we were sharing this with those we love the most. As one example; Don from Arizona, one of the guys I got to know for the first time that summer because he rotated in, just after I left Nam, Don confided to me of the bitterness he had after Vietnam and now the lack of ease he feels when thanked for his military service. This hit home for me, as

I dislike it when a stranger comes up to me as a veteran and starts thanking me for my service. I could not share it 40 years ago; why now? I never shared this with anybody for fear of sounding like a bitter old man. But I was not alone; many others felt this way and shared it. After the reunion was over I was chatting with the management of the hotel that hosted us. I suggested doing a story on them and all they did for us. She said that would be nice, but for me to remember, the focus is always on the veteran and getting the healing of meeting together once again. She refocused me on the real value of reunions, officers, NCOs, soldiers, their families, and their loved ones being one and caring for each other by learning, sharing and laughing.

Some resources for vets Here is a list of resources for veterans: (more can be found online at www.kitsapveteranslife.com.) American Legion Post 245 Service Office, open every Thursday 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., 19068 Jensen Way, Suite 3A, Poulsbo, 360-779-5456. WorkSource Kitsap County, veterans representatives, 1300 Sylvan Way, Floor 2, Bremerton, 98310, 360337-4767, jmckenna@esd. wa.gov or Michael Robinson, 360-337-4727, mrobinson@ esd.wa.gov. American Legion Post 149, 4922 Kitsap Way, Bremerton, WA, 98312, 360-373-8983, www.legion149wa.org. VWF Post 239 Bremerton Post, 190 Dora Ave., Bremerton, WA 98312, 360-377-6739. Meetings are

7 p.m. 2nd Tuesday of the month. Silverdale American Legion Post 109, 10710 Silverdale Way, Silverdale. Meets on the third Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at All Star Lanes & Casino. Alpost109cmdr@gmail.comFacebook: American Legion Post 109 Silverdale

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