Salute To Veterans 2015

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Salute to

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InSIDE: HONOR GUARD CONTINUES TO SERVE A special publication of the Ludington Daily News, Nov. 10, 2015

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Land of the free Because of the brave.

We proudly honor and remember those who served in the U.S. Armed Forces and the great sacrifices they made during the Vietnam War.

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jeff kiessel | daily news

Members of the American Legion Post 76 Honor Guard include Robert Greiner, Neil Williams, Richard Sterns, Dottie Brown, Peter Probst, Ray Cummins, Larry Rogner, Marshall Mattis, Art Hyde, Jerry Hunter, Stanley McClellan and Chaplain Bill Swan.

Honor & Respect Honor Guard members continue to serve

By Brian Mulherin Daily News Staff Writer

T

The members of the post will clear their calendars and meet at the post prior to funeral services. They will perform honors at a church or funeral home or at graveside for fallen veterans.

he American Legion can be a place where a veteran finds fellowship and fun, but it’s also a The honor guard place where a veteran can take on Neil Williams has 22 years in on the honor a solemn duty to his or her fallen guard and perhaps the best perspective of what it means. His service with the honor comrades.

Jerry Hunter is the American Legion Post 76 Honor Guard bugler.

At any given time, the American Legion Post 76 has 25 or 30 members enrolled in its honor guard. Members of the honor guard attend the funeral services of veterans who have passed and perform ceremonies to honor the veteran and his or her family.

Whether it’s a prayer from Chaplain Bill Swan, a flag being folded and presented to surviving family members, a 21-gun salute or the sounding of Taps, Legion members take their duty seriously.

“Army doctrine says the highest honor we can give to a deceased veteran is the presentation of his flag and firing of rifles over his casket,” said Ray Cummins, a rifleman with the guard and U.S. Army veteran.

guard didn’t start at the American Legion Post, but in the U.S. Army.

“I did this in the Army,” Williams said. “I buried 55 brothers in the Army.”

Williams served with an honor guard from 1964 through ‘66 when he wasn’t busy with his primary specialty of communications intelligence.

He said it’s hard for people to understand the gravity of the duty.

“It’s hard to explain,” Williams said. “It’s the most honorable, saddest thing you can do.”

He got emotional as he remembered watching a C-130 come in for a landing at an air base.

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We Thank You For Your Service

| TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

We Salute Our Veterans

To all of our veterans and active-duty military, we thank you for your service.

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American Legion Post 76 members from left, Richard Sterns, Ray Cummins, Neil Williams, Dottie Brown and Robert Greiner discuss the day’s service with Larry Rogner at the Legion last week.

The honor guard was preparing for a veterans service at St. Simon Church on Oct. 20.

Jeff kiessel | daily News

From page 3

“You watch a C-130 come in, the ramp comes down and there’s 30 coffins in there and one of them is yours,” he said. “I can’t explain it.”

An honor guard is made up of two flag bearers, seven riflemen, a squad leader, three who fold the flag and a chaplain.

“We like to have at least 14 at a funeral,” Williams said. “I’ve been a rifleman, a flag bearer — whatever the squad commander wants me to do.”

What’s the most emotional duty on an honor guard detail?

“Folding the flag,” he said.

“It’s like that flag is that person’s flag. No one else has ever owned that flag, no one else will ever own that flag.”

Jerry Hunter has more than 20 years in with the

talk about their time served, there are no smiles as their bus approaches the funeral home or church.

“I’m a Korean War veteran and it just seemed to me that I had the time to do it,” Hunter said of signing up in the first place. “It was just something I thought I should help out with. It’s been a rewarding experience.”

Hunter sounds Taps from an electric bugle, which he said is standard these days.

The tone can be adjusted up or down for an indoor or Neil Williams sits at a desk in the American Legion Post 76 office outdoor venue. He knows that whether he sounds while preparing for a service.

Taps by playing it or just pressing play, that it’s often guard, the last few as bugler. that funeral. Dick Sterns the most emotional part of a then told him he wasn’t goHunter had taken a year off funeral service. ing to get to re-retire from for knee surgery when he He said he’s often apthe guard, that he’d been found out that honor guard proached by people who tell drafted. bugler Dick Hamilton had him that they were moved to “Again?” Hunter said. passed. Hunter made it a tears when he sounded Taps Although there’s some point to get back into the levity when guard members at a funeral and there are honor guard for at least

times when it chokes him up as well.

“It’s important for the families and for the veterans,” Hunter said. “I enjoy doing it, it’s for the veterans.”

Bill Swan has been chaplain since 1982. He says it’s because he keeps getting elected to the position, but he takes his duty seriously.

“It’s to honor people, veterans who go before us,” Swan said.

The hardest ones are burying his friends, he said, and in 33 years he’s buried a few.

Dick Sterns, an Army veteran who served in military intelligence from 1953-56, said serving on the honor guard gives the volunteers a sense of personal pride that they can show respect for others who served, and their family members.

Stanley McClellan, a Korean War-era Marine, said it’s

all they can do for the family and past veterans to remember them.

“It’s in memory of the verterans who served our country and it also encourages other outside the organization to become more aware of veterans who served our country,” McClellan said. “It makes a big mark with kids, grandkids, moms and dads to be proud of their forefathers.”

He added that in Ludington, most are already well aware.

“I really give Ludington a lot of credit,” McClellan said.

“It basically begins in middle school when the kids serve us dinner or breakfast— all of these kids come in contact with veterans. It’s a well paid-back system any time we do a service. Not necessarily through smiles but tears. The majority of Continued on page 6

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Continued from page 5

Members of the Honor Guard ride a bus to a location of a military funeral service they were participating in.

the time it’s tears and that makes us very proud we have done something. That means something.

McClellan, the commander of the VFW who serves primarily as a rifleman with the guard, said the honor guard is funded entirely by donations, which pay for the uniforms.

An Honor Guard member selects a rifle for Dottie Brown, firing a salute at a veteran’s funeral. who served as an guard is obvious.

Army medic from “It’s keeping your emo1961-63 said she joined the tions in check,” she said. honor guard more than six “It’s very hard, especially years ago.

“I just wanted to complete when it’s someone you knew or someone who was a something I wasn’t able to hero. We should be so lucky finish years ago,” she said.

“I wanted to help in any way to serve at their funerals.”

She generally holds the I could. They’ve been very American flag and said it’s a good to me.” duty she’s proud to do.

She said the hardest part Continued on page 7 of serving on the honor

Thank You for Your Service!

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The book that Bill Swan uses when performing a military service for veterans.

Continued from page 6

we get from those attending or just observing,” Cummins said. “Sometimes they hit very, very close to home, and these are very special.

“I like to tell people I spent two years in the military and I’m still serving.

We’re doing it because we want to do it.”

When Bill Swan reads off what each of the stripes on the flag means, she said she can feel the goosebumps on her skin.

“And when they sound Taps, you choke up a little bit,” she said.

Cummins said the whole experience is a true honor. bmulherin@ludingtondailynews.com “We appreciate any thanks 843-1122 x348

Jeff Kiessel | daily news

United States Marine veteran Stanley McClellan talks about what many of the local services mean to him and his generation.

Veterans THANK YOU FOR YOUR COURAGE

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Cooper saw the world in the Navy USS Barry was part of Naval blockade of Cuba and saw action off coast of Vietnam

BY KEVIN BRACISZESKI DAILY NEWS STAFF writer

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UMMIT TWP. — Duane Cooper joined the Navy in February 1962 and served a little longer than four years — including about a year off the coast of Vietnam.

He had begun attending Michigan State University before his enlistment, but had returned home to take care of his younger siblings after his mother was killed in a car accident.

Cooper said he then decided to enlist in the Navy.

“I just was lost, really,” he said about the decision. “I didn’t know what to do so I thought I’d join the service and see the world. And I did.”

He chose the Navy, Cooper said, because it gave him a dry bunk and three meals a day. It also allowed him to see the world and he enjoyed seeing Tokyo, Pompeii, Spain, Italy, France, India, Malaysia and the Azores.

Cooper said he also traveled 50,000 miles around the world on the destroyer USS Barry as a fire control operator for a 5-inch gun on the ship.

He said the Barry spent years on display at Washington, D.C., but said it will soon be sunk because a new bridge is planned for the site where it had been displayed.

“It hurts,” Cooper said about learning his ship will be sunk. “I hate to see it be sunk, but it’s a sign of the times.”

Life on board

Duane Cooper shows a 1960s photo of his destroyer, the USS Barry, to the left of the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise. It’s also seen in the inset to the story.

Cooper recalls being on the Barry when it chased down a Russian submarine during the Cuban Blockade of 1962.

“We chased a Russian sub down and made him service,” he said. “The Cuban blockade was one of the first things I did.”

The Barry was part of a nuclear task force that included the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, Cooper said. He said the destroyer also served as the flagship for a squadron of five ships and it had both a captain and a commodore

on board.

“So we were always in pressed uniforms,” he recalled, adding that the advantage in that is that he was already dressed for shore leave and could be the first sailor off the ship.

He served off the coast of Vietnam from September 1965 to April 1966 and even met entertainer Martha Raye while he was there.

“I got a chance to sit with her and eat.

It was really nice,” Cooper said.

Not every memory of that time was nice, he said.

Cooper vividly remembers his first target in Vietnam. He said a gunner’s mate named Martindale wrote both their names on the first shell.

“It was a leper colony and they said the women and children had been evacuated,” Cooper said about that first target. “That always bothered me. It seems like it happened last night.

“I have a lot of good memories though,” he said. “We didn’t receive a lot of fire toward us.”

Cooper said the Barry was anchored off Vietnam one night and the captain felt uneasy about the situation. He said the captain then ordered the anchor to be quietly lifted by winch so the ship could drift about a mile away.

“A couple hours later they shelled the old position,” Cooper said. “From that day on they called us the Gray Ghost of the Mekong Coast.”

He spent one 78-day stretch on board the Barry without stepping on land and said the ship was often involved in shelling targets for a full 24 hours a day every day until it would need to be rearmed with ammunition.

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Jeff Kiessel | Daily News

Naval eterans who gathered Wednesday, Nov. 4, to talk at House of Flavors Restaurant in Ludington were, front from left, Ken Smith, Dennis Osborn, Alfred Ardolf and Nellis Riisberg; middle row, Alan Vecheek, Robert Andrews, Jack Ereon and Sid Wilkins; standing, Duane Cooper, Bob Gancarz, RonaldLamb and Bob Dolson. They gather at House of Flavors on the first Wednesday of the month at 9 a.m. and is open to all who served in the U.S. Navy.

Naval veterans group meets monthly to talk

BY KEVIN BRACISZESKI DAILY NEWS STAFF writer

Duane Cooper of Summit Township said Roger Dereske originally started the club many years ago, fobout 30 Navy cusing on sailors who had veterans gather served on destroyer escorts. for breakfast every Cooper said the club was month to share their sto- later opened up to all Navy ries about their service veterans and he took over and places they’ve seen. notifying the vets about upcoming events after Dereske

A

moved from the area.

“It’s going real well,” Cooper said about the club, which meets at House of Flavors Restaurant in downtown Ludington at 9 a.m. on the first Wednesday of every month.

“It’s guys talking and sharing stories — things you did and places you went,”

he said about the meetings.

“We have a good time and it helps, sometimes, to talk about that stuff.

“We’re open to anyone, as long as they served in the Navy,” Cooper said. (See related story about Cooper.)

Jack Ereon of Ludington is another member of the club.

“I joined them about four

or five years ago,” said Ereon, who served in the Navy for World War II in the South Pacific.

During the war, Ereon’s job was transporting troops to the beaches for landings.

“It’s a good group,” he said about the club. “We’ve got guys from submarines and two full captains that I know

of and a chaplain.”

He said there are members of the group who served on aircraft carriers, cruisers, destroyers and a battleship.

“We just meet to talk,” Ereon said. “We’re well diversified, but we have something in common — we all served in the Navy.”

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Mason County Veterans Endowment Fund 2015 Veterans of the Day Operation Enduring Freedom, he served in The Mason County Veterans Endowment the Army as an infantryman with a deployFund has been saluting a Mason County Veteran of the Day through Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11. ment to Afghanistan.

The fund has been naming a veteran and listStan Bennette, U.S. Marine Corps. Proudly ing his/her branch of service on its Facebook served in Vietnam. Known locally as the page, with the hope that family and friends “quiet” Marine. will post information about that veteran to salute her/his courage, duty, and sacrifice. VeterMargaret (Olson) Yeager, U.S. Air Force ans of the Day this year are: Jack Rasmussen, WWII USAAF. Jeremy Ver Strat, Chief Petty Officer, U.S. Navy, a graduate of Mason County Eastern and a nuclear submariner from 1995-2006.

Al Kalchik, U.S. Army. Served in Vietnam as a Mechanized Infantryman in The Big Red One.

Veteran earning her status during the War on Terror.

Ron Martin, U.S. Army. Vietnam Veteran who proudly served in the Cavalry.

Alex Shappee. Alex is currently serving in the U.S. Air Force and is a graduate of Mason County Central.

Ray Cummins, U.S. Army. Serving in Ft. Sill, Oklahoma, Ray was a Field Artillery Instructor.

Marshall Mattis, U.S. Army. Served in Occupied Japan after the “official” end of WWII in John “Jack” Bulger, U.S. Army. Served in the Pacific, then in Korea.

‘69-’72 as a Field Artillery Officer.

Fred Reader Jr., U..S Army. In support of

Steve Begnoche | Daily News File photos

American Legion Post 76 Honor Guard members Pat Lange, Ray Castillo and Dot Brown hold emotions in check during a ceremony in 2014.

To our men and women in uniform:

From the bottom of our hearts

PROUDLY SERVING AND REMEMBERING THOSE WHO SERVED

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Local veterans groups, services Mason County Allied Veterans Council The Mason County Allied Veterans Council is an umbrella organization that includes the American Legion, VFW posts in Ludington and Custer and the Amvets.

Pat Lange is the commander of the council and also historian at the Ludington American Legion.

Each organization serves veterans in a different way and membership requirements differ as well.

All of them were founded to help returning veterans find companionship and aid in finding resources for the veterans and their families.

Veterans walked and rode in the Ludington Area Jaycees Freedom Festival Parade this past July 4.

American Legion - Edwin H. Ewing Post 76 American Legion - Edwin H. Ewing Post 76, founded in 1919, was named after a WWI veteran. The Legion, located at 318 N. James Street, is open to members and guests for social events and meetings throughout the month. Several special groups are part of the Legion, including the Auxiliary, Sons of the American Legion, Legion Riders and the Honor Guard and Color Guard. Sons of the Legion is for those who are not veterans but have a parent or grandparent who is a veteran. The Legion Riders have a special interest in motorcycles. PTSD group meets the second and fourth Monday of the month. The Honor Guard takes part in funerals and remembrances for deceased veterans and the Color Guard has taken part in ceremonies at football games, Memorial Day and Veterans Day activities. Both are composed of the same men and women, but serve different functions. They are all volunteers for this special group.

In addition the Legion offers members the opportunity to consult with a VA

Steve Begnoche | Daily News File photos

officer on Wednesdays, and with the post service officer to learn about the availability of benefits. Various social events take place each week including dinners and dances. Any service man or woman currently on active duty is welcome at the post as well as those who are part of the local Coast Guard station.

Membership is open to those who served in any branch of the armed services during specific years.

The Post Commander is Lou Wolven. For information on how to join, contact Pat Lange, (231) 794-7847 or Lou Wolven, 843-2718.

“We are looking for more vets to join,” said Lange.

He said it is important for returning service men and women to be able to “sit down and talk to a fellow

brother or sister. Sometimes they hold stuff in and this is a chance for them to open up.”

Veterans of Foreign Wars - Delbert E. Brimmer VFW Post 6842 Veterans of Foreign Wars - Delbert E. Brimmer VFW Post 6842 started in Ludington in 1987. As the name indicates, members have served in wars around the globe. Veterans must have had “boots on the ground” said Pat Lange. Those who were in the armed services during wartime but were not in combat zones are not eligible to join, but may join the Amvets or American Legion. Meetings are held monthly at the American Legion. To join or for information call Commander Stan McCullen, 845-8587.

Custer VFW Gold Bar Post • Custer VFW Gold Bar Post has its own clubhouse in Custer on Route 10.

Membership requirements are the same as those for the Ludington post. Social events open to the public such as steak dinners and Thursday night dances are fundraisers for the post. In addition there is an auxiliary for those who have a parent or grandparent who was a veteran. For information call Commander Lyle Hanson, 757-3353 or the Post, 7579665.

AMVETS The name stands for American Veterans and was founded after WWII and chartered by Congress in 1947. William Charette Post 82 was founded locally in

1982 and named after the local Navy Medal of Honor winner. Unlike the American Legion or VFW, membership is open to any honorably discharged veteran who served from WWII to the present in any branch including National Guard.

Meetings are held at the American Legion. For information contact Commander Lou Wolven, 843-2718.

Veterans Endowment Fund In 2009 Budde Reed and Rick Plummer, both Vietnam veterans, established the Veterans Endowment Fund, which is administered through the Community Foundation. Since then Michelle Hemmer and Gary Ferguson have also become board members. According to Hemmer, the fund helps veterans and their

families who have “fallen through the cracks” and have been unable to obtain help through other agencies. Funds are available for emergency needs to Mason County veterans “faster and with less red tape” than through some other sources, said Hemmer. Money for the fund is raised primarily through donations, but two recent events, the Lake Jump and the traveling Vietnam wall, have also helped to increase the endowment.

Each year, the Lake Jump chooses a charity or group to receive the pledges and this year it was the Veterans Endowment Fund. Hemmer said there was money left after meeting all the costs of the wall and that money was also given to the endowment fund.

If you wish to donate, or if you are a veteran in need of help, contact Michelle Hemmer, (231) 690-5845 or Rick Plummer, (231) 852-0685 or email michelle.hemmer@ gmail.com or RJPlummer@ westshore.edu.

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Honoring, serving veterans In addition to Veterans Day Custer Second Tuesdays programs, there are services and events for veterans that occur on a VA service officer, 1-4 p.m., Custer VFW Gold Bar Post, by appointment, regular basis. Here are some: 757-3353 Custer VFW 5096 Men’s Auxiliary, NOVEMBER 11 6:30 p.m., Custer VFW Gold Bar Post, 2022 E. U.S. 10 Veterans Day program, 11 a.m., Third Tuesdays Mason County Courthouse (at the Sons of American Legion, 7 p.m., veterans memorial) Edwin H. Ewing Post 76 American Veterans Day program, noon, Legion, 318 N. James St., Ludington Scottville Optimist Hall Fourth Tuesdays Applebee’s restaurant offers VA service officer, 1-4 p.m., Custer free meals to veterans on Veteran’s VFW Gold Bar Post, by appointment, Day and will hold a flag-raising cer757-3353 emony at 10:30 a.m.

American Legion Riders, 7 p.m., NOVEMBER 14 American Legion Post, 318 N. James St., Ludington. Greg Walker 843-8383 DAR reception to honor veterans, Second Wednesdays 1-3 p.m., Hart City Hall Building, 407 Edwin H. Ewing Post 76 The AmeriSouth State St., Hart can Legion, 7 p.m., American Legion Post, 318 N. James St., Ludington Recurring events Third Thursdays VFW Post 6842, 7:30 p.m., American Second Mondays Legion Post, 318 N. James St., LudPTSD group, 6:30 p.m. American ington. Bob Peterson 843-3602 Legion, 318 N. James St., Ludington First Fridays Third Mondays VFW Gold Bar Auxiliary 5096, 2 and Post 76 service officer, 2-5 p.m., American Legion Post, 318 N. James St 7 p.m., VFW Post, 2022 E. U.S. 10,

Steve Begnoche | Daily News file photo

Members of the VFW Gold Bar Post 5096 salute during the 2014 Vietnam Traveling Wall program in Ludington.

America’s Veterans: Standing Tall for Freedom

LOCAL CITIZENS TO LOCAL HEROES WITH YOU, EVERY STEP.

We proudly salute America’s veterans and active-duty military for their drive and dedication, contributions and courage. Their commitment to our country and our freedom has protected us for generations, and we owe them a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid. This Veterans Day, please join us in honoring the brave men and women of our Armed Forces who have fought, sacrificed and served their country with pride.

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Supporting those who served Local organization provides service to veterans through volunteerism

By Erica Karmeisool Special Projects Writer

L

ocal veterans are continuing their service, out of the military and on home soil. The mission: to let no veteran fall through the cracks. Banding together, the Michigan Veterans Alliance (MVA), a non-profit seeking 501(c)3 status, was recently established to provide direct support to veterans through personal guidance in locating available services.

“We want to make sure that (veterans are) taken care of, and their life doesn’t have to go down the tubes after they’ve been in the military,” said the Rev. Douglas Welch, president of the MVA and a Vietnam veteran. “There are agencies and programs out there that can help. We’re going to stand up and be the voice for that.”

Veterans represent roughly 12 percent of the population in Mason, Lake and Oceana counties, with a larger concentration in Manistee County at 14 percent. However, disability, unemployment and homelessness rates are higher among veterans. On average, unemployment is 40 percent higher and disability rates are 83 percent more for area veterans compared to other adults.

“I didn’t realize there was such a tight-knit veterans community until I wound up being in need,” said Welch.

“There were a lot of veterans who stepped up and helped out.” Welch served in the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile Infantry) of the Army in

Vietnam. During his service, Welch was shot while in an explosion. In addition to sustaining extensive physical injury, he was diagnosed with stage three battle fatigue.

Welch’s disabilities became so bad that he was unable to work, and he relied on services, such as the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) transportation van. In 1999, Welch and his wife, Lori, drove to Ann Arbor for a surgical procedure he needed.

“We were deciding if we were going to eat or make it back home, because we didn’t have enough money to do both,” said Welch. “Another veteran overheard us talking. He handed us a hundred dollar bill and said, ‘Feed your wife and put gas in the car.’ From that moment on, I’ve been paying back.”

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs states the many reasons veterans can become homeless include poverty, lack of support from family or friends, substance use, or mental health challenges that may develop or worsen as a result of trauma they experience while serving. While terminology has changed by era, disabilities resulting from mental or emotional trauma have been pervasive throughout conflict history. Shell shock, battle fatigue, combat stress reaction, and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) all refer to a chronic condition associated with service-related psychological trauma.

“Battle fatigue was not a good diagnosis when you’re in the military back then,” said Welch. He said the negative stereotypes associated with the diagnosis made some of those living with that trauma feel undeserving of benefits. “That diagnosis was really haunting,” said Welch.

MVA FACTS: Michigan Veterans Alliance, “Supporting those who served” Began Sept. 1, 2014 Non-profit corporation registered Dec. 10, 2014, Manistee Application pending for 501(c)3 status 15 lifetime charter members, veteran and non-veteran, unpaid volunteers The MVA’s purpose is to: Provide direct support to veterans by providing guidance in locating services Seek individual veterans who are in need Educate veterans about available services Educate the public about veterans’ needs Support communities through volunteerism Donations accepted to support the MVA Financial contributions are accepted at “I had to go through a lot of crap, but I hung in there and I didn’t let it break me.”

“I think the new guys coming back still think it’s a label,” said Lori Welch, vice president of the MVA. “Even though (the name) has been changed from battle fatigue to PTSD, I think they’re afraid it means they’re weak.” Douglas Welch trained to become a PTSD counselor in 1990, at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.

“I started helping other veterans with their PTSD back then,” he said. “(I try) to teach them that it’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s not something you did; it’s something that happened to you.”

HELP FOR ALL GENERATIONS According to the September 2014 United Way ALICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) report, the veterans most at risk of being in poverty are those who are unemployed, especially when they have exhausted their temporary health benefits and unemployment benefits expire.

Veterans experiencing the most unemployment are

The Michigan Veterans Alliance (MVA), 1462 Olson Road, Manistee MI 49660

RESOURCES: If you are a veteran in need of assistance locally, call the MVA: 723-2715 For general information about veteran services, call the Michigan Veteran Resource Service Center (MVRC): 1-800-MICH-VET or 1-800-642-4838 The MVRC is a collaborative partnership between the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency (MVAA) and the Michigan 211 system To volunteer with the DAV Transportation Program, call the Manistee County MI Dep. of Veteran Affairs: 231-398-3587 Monday - Thursday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. www.manisteecounty.com/

under the age of 35, an age group likely to have less education and training or to have a disability.

A veteran’s lack of knowledge about qualifying benefits and available services is the main obstacle the MVA works eliminate.

The MVA met with Michigan Works, which offers priority job placement service for veterans. “The biggest thing we learned is that you have to tell them you are a veteran, because they won’t ask,” said Lori Welch.

Douglas Welch said the job placement agency helps veterans take what they learned in the military and translate those skills for civilian occupation. “All they have to do is walk in the door and say, ‘I’m a veteran,’ and they’ll get taken care of,” he said.

“We’re trying to get the word out to everybody: If you were in the military, you have benefits coming,” said Welch, making special note of Native Americans. Despite the fact that Native Americans make up the third largest ethnicity in Mason County, they are the second among veterans,

drove me to the turret floor,” he said. “I woke up getting pulled out of the tank, and they sent me to the hospital.

From there started a million tests.”

In 2001, Kensil was medically discharged and received 10 percent disability, which gradually increased to 40 percent. In 2010, he went to the VFW for help with benefits and talked to Art Gale, service officer at VFW Post #4499. Kensil’s benefits were increased to 100 percent within three months of working with the VFW. “At that time, it was probably 9 or 10 years that I was trying to get my disability increased (on my own),” said Kensil. “(Gale) knew the people to contact.

Knowing people and who to contact is what gets the job done.”

Kensil had orders to go to Kuwait years before his injury, but the war ended before his deployment. He and other MVA members said that some vets are not seeking benefits because they do not consider themselves “veterans,” since they were not deployed or did not engage in combat. Others do not think they qualify if they were not hurt. “I wanted to do my thing [at war], and never got that opportunity,” said Kensil. “I can do my thing now and help veterans get what they’re entitled to.”

The MVA helps with the benefit application process, noting a veteran may be denied two or three times before qualifying.

“We encourage everybody to be persistent and stick with it,” said Welch. “Not one veteran do I know anywhere wants a hand out. They just want the help they need.”

according to the U.S. Census 2013 American Community Survey. “(Many) go back to their tribal life, and don’t realize that federal and state benefits apply to them, too.”

“Veterans are the solution, not the problem,” said Executive Director Jerry Langhann.

He said that the MVA works closely with local and state governments, including the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, and strives to provide help where it is needed the most. The MVA is currently creating packets of information for the National Guard, where some discharges are unaware they qualify for educational, medical and financial benefits.

Marty Kensil, MVA director, is a stateside veteran who first joined the National Guard in 1978, and is one of the 2,825 estimated vets living in Manistee County. He was a tank commander stationed at Camp Grayling and was injured in 1997, during a training exercise that occurred during a storm. “The wind caught [the hatch of the This is an abridged version of tank] and slammed it. It hit me on top of the head and a story that ran earlier this year.

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Wreaths Across America Day preparation begins Veterans names needed

As part of the Wreaths Across America Day ceremony held at Oak Grove Funeral Home on U.S. 10, wreaths are placed at a memorial honoring Mason County veterans. Following a procession from the chapel, a wreath is placed for each branch of the U.S. military.

Veterans Day is Nov. 11, but one group wants veterans to be remembered all year long. The American Legion Post 76 Riders will be placing wreaths on area veterans’ graves on Dec. 12.

The event, part of Wreaths Across America Day, will be commemorated by a memorial ceremony at noon Dec. 12 at the veterans’ memorial wall at Oak Grove Funeral Home and Cremation Center.

The Riders need the name of the veteran, the name of the cemetery where the veteran is buried, the location of the grave site, the name of a contact relative and phone number.

People who wish to have a wreath placed on a veteran’s grave need to sign up by Nov. 30 at American Legion Post 76, where a list will be posted.

If you are not able to sign the sheet, contact Nancy Hall at 843-3162.

Steve Begnoche | Daily News file photo

Coordinator program seeks to assist veterans Veterans in West Michigan have easier access to emergency assistance, federal benefits claims and other state and local services, through a program designed to assist those who have served in the Armed Forces.

Through the Regional Coordinator Program provides access to comprehensive, coordinated services available in veterans’ own communities. The goal of the program is to better connect

veterans to federal, state and local resources.

Tim Loney serves as the West Michigan Regional Coordinator in Region 4 – which includes Mason, Lake, Oceana, Allegan, Barry, Ionia, Kent, Mecosta, Montcalm, Muskegon, Newaygo, Osceola and Ottawa counties.

Loney, a retired Army colonel with more than 28 years on active duty, served 11 years in Europe and Asia and was deployed overseas dur-

Saluting thoSe Who Were there Stan Bennette Associate Broker

5492 W. US 10, Ludington

(231) 690-1190

sdbennette@greenridge.com

Former Marine Staff Sargent.

1st Marine Air Wing, Vietnam Veteran

ing Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Local service providers can contact Loney by emailing loney@micounties.org.

The MVAA serves as the central coordinating point for Michigan veterans, connecting those who have served in the U.S. Armed Forces, and their families, to services and benefits throughout the state. Learn more at MichiganVeterans. com or call 800-MICH-VET (800-642-4838).

Mason County’s

Oakview MEDICAL CARE FACILITY 1001 Diana Street, Ludington, MI 49431

(231)845-5185

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 2015

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| Ludington daily newS/VETERANS TAB

War, sacrifice and America’s veterans No better way to thank a veteran than to provide him or her employment

By Dale Barnett

W

hile we can all rejoice this Veterans Day that the steady flow of U.S. casualties in Iraq and Afghanistan has slowed to a trickle, we must never forget the incredible sacrifice that America’s defenders continue to make on our behalf.

Such is the case of Master Sergeant Joshua Wheeler, who died leading a Delta Force rescue mission of ISIS hostages held in Iraq on Oct. 22. A veteran of 14 combat deployments, his sacrifice is shared by four boys who are now fatherless and his wife, who became a widow far too early. But another important part of his legacy are the 70 hostages who were spared brutal executions by an enemy that is as ruthless as any that America has faced.

The willingness to face pain and death so others can be spared isn’t unique to just the fallen. Consider the case of two American veterans and their longtime friend when they bravely stopped a terrorist attack aboard a train bound for Paris this summer.

Airman First Class Spencer Stone, Army Specialist Alek Skarlatos and Anthony Sadler could have run from the danger when a heavily armed gunman boarded the train.

Instead, Specialist Skarlatos said, “Let’s go,” as the men ran toward a future that could have easily meant instant death or maiming for them and all of the other innocent people within range.

Fortunately, this story is remembered not for the horrific tragedy that nearly happened but for the heroism that did. Even after enduring serious stab wounds that were inflicted as he disarmed the gunman, Airman Stone administered life-saving first aid to a passenger that was shot.

The terrorist was carrying 270 rounds of ammunition. But because of the actions of these three young Americans, and two Europeans who assisted them, the death toll aboard the train was zero.

There is also the incredible story of Chris Mintz. As others were understandably fleeing from a mass shooting at Oregon’s Umpqua Community College on Oct. 1, the 30-year-old former Army infantryman bravely confronted the gunman at a classroom door, as he attempted to save others who were inside. Mr. Mintz survived the attack and continues to recover after being shot five times.

These stories are inspiring, but certainly not surprising to me. As national commander of The American Legion, I meet veterans all of the time who have demonstrated tremendous heroism yet blend in our communities without fanfare.

There are many ways to thank the men and women who have served in our Armed Forces, but I cannot think of a better method of showing gratitude than to hire one. Employers who make this smart decision will usually benefit from the discipline, skills and loyalty that are found abundantly in today’s military.

Isn’t it likely that people who have survived firefights in Afghanistan can handle whatever tasks are thrown their way at the office without too much stress?

My old classmate, C. Hughes Clark, summed up the humble nature of most veterans. “I can say without regret that I wouldn’t have done anything different through it all, simply because it has given me a sense of accomplishment that I couldn’t have accomplished any other way.”

Dale Barnett is the national commander of the 2.3 million member American Legion, www.legion.org. A digital photo is available at www.legion.org

The Honor Guard and local veterans of the U.S. Armed Forces march down Ludington Avenue during the 2015 Ludington Area Jaycees Freedom Festival Parade.

‘…we must never forget the

incredible sacrifice that

America’s defenders continue to make on our behalf.’

A fallen soldier memorial stood before the traveling Vietnam Wall memorial in 2014.

Steve Begnoche | Daily News file PHOTOS

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WELCOME VETERANS AND FAMILIES! We are proud to be chosen a Vets-Cars approved dealer.

With our excellent customer service and low low prices, we have vowed that our service members will receive a superior vehicle buying experience. Come and experience the difference here at Urka Auto Center.

Veterans please stop in and sign our “Wall of Honor” and let us say “Thank You” to you and your families for all you’ve done for our country.

URKA AUTO CENTER CHEVROLET • BUICK www.urkaauto.com

3736 W. US-10 (TOLL FREE) 888-462-8752 (231) 845-6282