Veteran 12 17 2015

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VOL. 4/ISSUE 7

THURSDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2015

Brevard council mixes meeting with Christmas cheer

Wreaths Across America — a salute to our veterans

Mary Kemper STAFF WRITER

mkemper@veteranvoiceweekly.com

It was a shortened December meeting for the Brevard Veterans Council Dec. 9, as a party was on tap for afterward, but the council managed to get in all the important items. A Color Guard, performed by members of the Eau Gallie High School JROTC, preceeded the meeting, as did the Pledge of Allegiance and an invocation. Chairman Donn Weaver urged everyone to spread the word about the new City of Palm Bay Veterans Resource Center (see previous Veteran Voice coverage), whose director is Don Overton, “a really capable and nice guy,” he said. It was announced that the VA is preparing to treat those suffering from Agent Orange contamination while serving at sea. Bill Bruden of DAV Space Coast Chapter 123 assisted 136 veterans with claims in November, with a year-to-date 1,608 served. Furthermore, the chapter volunteered a whopping total of 5,820 hours in the past year, which includes helping with survivor reviews, visits to hospices and hospitals and assisting with funerals. The 2016 Stand Down will take place March 19 at the National Guard Armory in Cocoa. Skip Bateman, past council president, said an anonymous woman donor gave money for him to buy a new ship’s bell for the Brevard Veterans Memorial Center, which he presented to current President Bill Vagianos, with the assistance of Chaplain Chip Hanson. It was announced that the center will be closed from Dec. 16-18 for interior renovations. The council has a support committee for the

See BREVARD page 3

Mitch Kloorfain/chief photographer Representing the United States Air Force, Erick Cranford of St. Lucie County laid the wreath for the POW/ MIAs during the ‘Wreaths across America’ event in front of JROTC escort from Westwood High School, Staff Sgt. Jared Costa Saturday, Dec. 12 at Rolling Oaks Cemetery. Wreaths were placed at the gravesides of 175 veterans at the cemetery. See story on page 3.


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