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VOL. 2/ISSUE 23
FRIDAY, APRIL 11, 2014
Muscle and steel for SEALS Rick Kaiser, executive director of the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce, at right, reads the plaque presented to the group of New York City firefighters who rode to Florida by bicycle with a piece of steel from the World Trade Center to be presented to the museum and made part of a permanent display. The NYFD members made the 1,400-mile journey by bicycle to arrive for the ceremony on Saturday, April 5.
Mitch Kloorfain chief photographer A steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center debris from the attack on 9/11 was escorted from New York to the Navy UDT-SEAL Museum in Fort Pierce by a group of New York firefighters.
Mitch Kloorfain chief photographer
2 • APRIL 11, 2014 • VETERAN VOICE • THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
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Veteran Voice is a weekly publication designed to provide information to and about veterans to veterans and to the broader community. Veterans are an integral part of their Florida communities, which currently have individual organizations of their own, such as the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the American Legion, the Vietnam Veterans of America and many other groups with a narrow focus, but no convenient way to connect to a wider population of veterans and to the community in general within a limited geographic area, their community. The mission of Veteran Voice is to publish a weekly source of information that will provide, in one place, a listing of resources available to veterans, articles about changes in policies or organizations affecting veterans and events of interest to veterans as well as articles about veterans of interest to the general public. Veteran Voice LLC is organized as a partnership of experienced newspaper executives with an interest in veterans and in the communities of Florida veterans and friends. Veteran Voice is a start-up intended to address a perceived lack of information readily available to veterans on programs and policies affecting them and objective reporting of veteran affairs to the public. To our knowledge, and based on comments from leaders of local veterans organizations, there was no media or website currently meeting this need until the launch of Veteran Voice. We hope you agree, and will support this publication with your subscription. Without subscriptions there will be a limited number of people we can help, without which this mission will not be realized. As part of our commitment to supporting local veteran communities, we will donate 10 percent of our profits each quarter to qualified veteran charities recommended by you, our readers and subscribers. Please let us know what you think by emailing news@veteranvoiceweekly.com or mailing your comments to us at 1919 S.W. South Macedo Blvd., Port St. Lucie, FL 34984.
IMPORTANT NUMBERS ... County Veterans Service Officers St. Lucie County, Wayne Teegardin Phone: (772) 337-5670 Fax: (772) 337-5678 veterans@stlucieco.org Dorothy J. Conrad Building (formerly the Walton Road Annex Bldg.) 1664 S.E. Walton Road, Suite 205 Port St. Lucie, FL 34952 By appointment Mon., Tues, Thurs, Fri * 8:30 am-4:30 pm Wed * 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m. St. Lucie County Community Services Bldg. (Corner of Avenue D and 7th Street) 437 N. Seventh St., Fort Pierce, FL 34950 Walk-ins Mon. and Fri. * 8:30 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. Brevard Veteran’s Services Office 2725 Judge Fran Jamieson Way, Bldg. B, Suite 102, Viera, FL 32940 Office: (321) 633-2012 Fax: (321) 637-5432 Mon., Tues. and Thurs., 8 a.m.-4 p.m. Wed. and Fri, 8 a.m.-noon Manager: Glenn McGuffie Indian River County Joel Herman Vero Beach 2525 St. Lucie Ave., Vero Beach, FL 32960 Ph: (772) 226-1499 Fax: (772) 770-5038 Sebastian Square 11602 U.S. 1, Sebastian, FL 32958 Ph: (772) 589-6597 Fax: (772) 581-4988
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VETERAN VOICE • THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE • APRIL 11, 2014 • 3
General’s adultery plea sharpens debate Mary Kemper staff writer
mkemper@veteranvoiceweekly.com
Source: Wikimedia Commons U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey A. Sinclair, left, deputy commanding general of support with the 82nd Airborne Division and Regional Command-South, prepares to hand an Afghan boy bubble gum during a visit to a bazaar near Forward Operating Base Howz-e-Madad in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Nov. 16, 2011. The bazaar contained businesses that received micro-grants to expand and increase their revenue and customer base, making the area more prosperous and self-sufficient. nificantly affect Sinclair’s pension. Retired officers of all ranks with 30 or more years in service (Sinclair has served 29 years, to date) earn 75 percent of their salary per month. At the current salary of $137,000 per year for a brigadier general, 75 percent is $102,750 — but this doesn’t factor in other income for subsistence, housing, merit awards and the like which, in Sinclair’s case, would be an additional $20,000 or so (slate.com). As a retired lieutenant colonel, however, his base pay per year would be $99,759.60, of which 75 percent is $74,819.70. (Editor’s note: These figures are meant as representative examples. Exact figures depend on the individual officer and his or her unique service record.) Critics of Sinclair’s sentence have been vocal, especially from members of Congress. U.S. Rep. Niki Tsongas, D-Mass., who serves as a chair of the House Military Sexual Assault Prevention Caucus, said she was “shocked” when she heard Sinclair’s sentence, according to stripes.com, The Stars & Stripes online publication. In early March, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-NY, narrowly failed to get a bill through Congress that would have taken prosecu-
“McCaskill has argued that commanders need to be held accountable and should keep this power, arguing that it is the best way to ensure sexual-assault prosecutions are brought forward,” a report in NationalJournal.com stated. tion authority out of the hands of military commanders and into the hands of independent prosecutors. “Gillibrand’s legislation upended normal political alliances,” stated a report in The New York Daily News. “Some conservative senators like Ted Cruz of Texas and Rand Paul of Kentucky backed it, while the liberal chairman of the Armed Services Committee, Sen. Carl
Since 1977
Levin,D-Mich., opposed it.” Gillibrand clashed with Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Missouri, who favored keeping commanders in charge of prosecutions. “McCaskill has argued that commanders need to be held accountable and should keep this power, arguing that it is the best way to ensure sexual-assault prosecutions are brought forward,” a
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By pleading guilty to lesser charges of adultery and travel fraud, Army Brig. Gen. Jeffrey Sinclair avoided being convicted of sexual assault last week at Fort Bragg, N.C. His plea deal, however, has added more fuel to the controversy surrounding military sexual trauma and how to combat it — specifically, whether commanders should have the final say in prosecutions, or a designated civilian prosecutor. The facts of Sinclair’s case: In 2013, Sinclair was deputy commander of support for 82nd Airborne Division in Afghanistan before being removed from command and placed under investigation for allegations of violations of military ethics and sexual assault. On March 6 of this year, Sinclair entered a guilty plea to the lesser charges of improper relationships with two female Army officers, violating orders by possessing pornography in Afghanistan, and conduct unbecoming of an officer. His accuser (who has not been named), a much younger female captain who served on his staffs in Iraq and Afghanistan, reported in March 2012 that she had been the married general’s lover for three years. She also said that he had sexually assaulted her on two occasions and once threatened to kill her and her family if she told anyone about the affair. “As part of his plea deal, Sinclair admitted that he ‘maltreated’ the captain by using his rank and authority to coerce her to keep up the affair and prevent her from breaking it off. In exchange, he avoided a conviction on sexual assault charges that would have required him to register as a sex offender and almost certainly would have landed him in prison,” stated a report in The Washington Post. Instead, Sinclair has been ordered to pay a $20,000 fine, along with more than $4,000 restitution for travel costs relating to the affair, and has been issued a reprimand. Whether Sinclair will be allowed to retire at his current rank “will be decided by the Secretary of the Army (John McHugh) based on a recommendation by a ‘grade determination’ review board,” according to a report by USA Today, which said he could be reduced as low as lieutenant colonel. Reduction in rank would sig-
4 • APRIL 11, 2014 • VETERAN VOICE • THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
For those who served Veterans of all branches of service including Martin County commissioner Joh Haddox line the baseball field at South For High School during a veterans recognition ceremony before the game against Martin County High School Tuesday, April 1.
Mitch Kloorfain chief photographer Veterans being recognized for their service line the baseball field while the South Fork High School Color Guard begins their presentation Tues, April 1 at South Fork High School.
Mitch Kloorfain chief photographer
veteran voice The Voice of Experience
Veteran Voice is a newspaper for veterans, active military, their families and their friends. Veteran Voice is published weekly by Veteran Voice, LLC. 1919 SW South Macedo Blvd., Port St. Lucie, FL 34984 (772) 204-2409 Office • (772) 204-2940 Fax
SUBSCRIBE TODAY $18 YEAR (52 weeks) $12 Veterans or Active Military For more information on distribution and subscriptions of this newspaper, please call our main office (772) 204-2409 or contact us by email at: info@VeteranVoiceWeekly.com POSTAL STATEMENT Veteran Voice (USPS# 9749, ISSN 23302267) is published weekly by Veteran Voice LLC, 1919 SW South Macedo Blvd, Port St Lucie, FL 34984. Periodicals Postage Paid at Ft Pierce, FL POSTMASTER: Send address changes to: Veteran Voice, 1919 SW South Macedo Blvd, Port St Lucie, FL 34984
Theodore Wilson Publisher Steve Erlanger Partner Tammy Raits Managing Editor Debbi Denning Advertising Consultant Kelly Delprete Advertising Consultant Mary Kemper Staff Writer/ Marketing Consultant Patrick McCallister Staff Writer Nicole Rodriguez Staff Writer
Veterans were greeted by the South Fork and Martin County High School baseball teams as they parade on field prior to the game between the crosstown rivals Tuesday, April 1.
Shelley Koppel Staff Writer Mitch Kloorfain Chief Photographer Eric Macon Graphic Designer Phil Galdys Director of Operations Donna Marinak HR/Accounting Manager
Mitch Kloorfain chief photographer
VETERAN VOICE • THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE • APRIL 11, 2014 • 5
Kids take to skies over Fort Pierce Mary Kemper staff writer
mkemper@veteranvoiceweekly.com
The weather on Saturday, March 29, was a bit iffy — black clouds and the threat of rain – but that didn’t deter 11 area youngsters from getting a free airplane flight courtesy of a local aviation club. It’s all part of the Young Eagles, a program conducted by Experimental Aircraft Association Chapter 908, headquartered at St. Lucie International Airport, Fort Pierce. The Young Eagles program seeks to introduce kids to the enjoyment of flight, and to help them “earn their wings” as fully licensed pilots should they so choose. Phillip Oates Jr., 11, was there to take a flight, accompanied by his dad, Phillip Oates Sr., of Fort Pierce. “He’s always wanted to fly, ever since I can remember,” Oates Sr. said. “It all started when we went to an airshow, and he got bitten by
[the flying bug],” he said, laughing. At another airshow, Oates Jr. took a helicopter ride. “The crew guy was trying to put him at ease, and everything, about the flight, but (Oates Jr.) said, ‘I’ve flown before, it’s no big deal.’” After he took his flight, Oates Jr. said, “We flew over Indian River Drive. I saw our house.” The course was conducted by pilots of EAA 908, “at least 50 percent of whom are veterans,” said Paul Dekker, chapter president. Though he’s not a veteran himself, he introduced several club members who are, including veterans from World War II up to the Gulf War. The youngest club member is “about 40 to 45 years old,” Dekker said, and the oldest 87. The youngest child, a girl, who took a flight Saturday, was 8, and the oldest, a boy, 16, Dekker said. All of the pilots enjoy introducing kids to the joys of flying, he said.
“We even help out other (EAA) chapters. Recently we took up 115 kids at the North County airfield.” “He’s always wanted to fly, ever since I can remember.” Phillip Oates Sr., about his son, Phillip Jr. Since the weather was a factor, the EAA chose to give the kids their flight first and briefing afterward, said pilot June Beers, who gave Oates Jr. his briefing. Oates Jr. listened intently as Beers pointed out various parts of the aircraft every pilot needs to check before flying. “Tires, for example,” she said. “You don’t want them over- or under-inflated, because that could cause a problem on landing.” Aside from fairly obvious things like making sure ailerons are moving up and down properly, Beers said to look for less obvious things, like whether bolts are secure. While there are some things
PLEA from page 3 report in NationalJournal.com stated. “The senator’s office argues that if the case had been handled by prosecutors alone, the rape charge would not have been brought forward. It points to reports in The New York Times that a prosecutor in the case resigned after trying to pressure a commander to drop the sexual-assault charges, according to defense lawyers.” Gillibrand has not yet publicly responded to Sinclair’s sentence, but in an opinion piece written for The New York Daily News, stated her commitment to keep up the fight. “We will work harder than ever in the coming year to strengthen our military by taking sexual assaults and other major crimes out of the chain of command — so that no victim is compelled to turn to his or her boss to ask for justice,” she wrote. “We need every case to move forward based solely on the evidence and judged solely on the merits, not political pressure or other nonlegal considerations.”
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EAGLES from page 5 peculiar to a particular type of plane, Beers gave Oates Jr. a rundown of the basics to look for. Later, he got a chance to sit down at the chapter’s flight simulator computer program. Each child got different briefings from different pilots. After Oates Jr.’s safety briefing, he went on to get a briefing on navigation, and another on next steps he could take to earn their pilot’s license. EAA offers access to an online course, offered free of charge, that educates a would-be pilot on the full range of flying issues, according to Mike Ketchpaw, vice president of EAA 908 and the coordinator of the chapter’s Young Eagles program. “Once you complete a certain amount of coursework, you can get a certificate for one hour’s flying time, which includes the instructor’s time, fuel, and so on, which is worth $125,” he explained to Oates Jr. “And every flying hour counts toward the time you solo,” he said. Under Federal Aviation Administration rules, at 14 years old, a youngster can get a student pilot’s license in gliders and balloons; at 16, a private pilot’s license in gliders and balloons, and a student pilot license in airplanes and helicopters; at 17, a
See EAGLES page 9
Staff photo by Mary Kemper June Beers, left, a pilot from the Experimental Aviation Association Chapter 908, gives Phillip Oates Jr., center, a safety briefing after he took a Young Eagles flight March 29 at St. Lucie International Airport, Fort Pierce. At right, Oates’ dad, Phillip Oates Sr., of Fort Pierce, listens in.
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Editorial note: Excerpts of Patrick S. Brady’s editorial, “Not Dead Yet” are used with permission from the Vietnam Veterans of America. There’s probably nothing about the Vietnam War that isn’t disputed. Not even mortality rates among those who served in it. But have two-thirds of in-country Vietnam vets died, as an Internet meme has it? Probably not, Ben Humphries, president of the Vietnam Veterans of America Florida State Council, said. But, he understands why many Vietnam veterans are prone to believe the popular rumor. “What’s fed it is the (Department of Veterans Affairs) won’t release any information,” he said. “We don’t have a true accounting of in-country deaths and what the population left of them is.” In the March/April, 2014, issue of the VVA’s periodical, The Veteran, Patrick S. Brady tackles the Internet meme holding that 390 Vietnam veterans are dying a day. “’If you’re alive and reading this, how does it feel to be among the last one-third of all the U. S. Vets who served in Vietnam?’” Brady quotes websites, forwarded emails and Facebook reposts. “Like a ritual salute, this question has passed from one veteran website to another in the past 18 months, accompanied by a drumbeat of numbers: 711,000 Vietnam veterans died between 1995 and 2000, or 142,000 deaths every year, 390 every day; no more than 850,000 Vietnam veterans remain out of 2.7 million, meaning at least 1.8 million have fallen to the swift scythe of the Grim Reaper; and ‘only the few’ will still be around by 2015.” Bunk, Brady said in his editorial. Brady went on to demonstrate how he came to the conclusion that the claimed extraordinarily high mortality rate was in fact the product of juxtaposing wrong stats. He figures there are about three times more surviving in-country Vietnam veterans than the meme claims. “Statistics are hard enough without phony numbers thrown in,”
Brady wrote. “But in the available statistics, we find no evidence that the number of living in-country Vietnam veterans is only 800,000, and strong evidence that it is much higher. Again, by my own amateur extrapolations, fewer than 300,000 in-country veterans likely died before 2000, and a slightly larger number since, adding up to 600,000 or more dead, leaving 2 million or more alive. So if you’re a Vietnam veteran reading this, how does it feel to stand with the three out of four who are still here and mean to stay for a while?” George Mitler, president of the VVA’s Chapter 1041, Stuart, said he’s seen no evidence that Vietnam veterans are dying at an extraordinarily high rate. “I only have one friend who passed away, who was in my platoon with me, and that was a heart attack,” Mitler said. Additionally, Mitler said that the chapter has 81 members, and none have died. “We haven’t lost one yet since we were chartered,” he said. “That was three and a half years ago, and we’re all accounted for.” John Haddox, who was a veterans service officer in Martin before winning a seat on the County Commission in 2012, said he’s skeptical about the claim that no more than 850,000 in-country Vietnam veterans remain. However, Haddox believes that Vietnam veterans are dying at a faster-than-usual rate. He was a service officer for 14 years. “Unfortunately it was a relatively routine matter for me to lose a friend or two a year who were Vietnam veterans, or guys who came in that I was working claims for,” he said. Humphries, too, is convinced that while there’s likely far more than 850,000 remaining Vietnam combat veterans that their mortality rate is above average. And he points to a reason for that: Agent Orange. “Nobody in combat went into what we went into with the extra ingredient Agent Orange,” he said. “My biggest question is — what is the true figure for the combat-related (military occupational specialties) that were out
See DEATHS page 11
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8 • APRIL 11, 2014 • VETERAN VOICE • THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
Tico Warbird Airshow amazes, delights Editor’s note: This column was originally published in the March 21 edition of Veteran Voice, but because of an editing/production error, several paragraphs were left out. Veteran Voice regrets the error.
C
an I say “wow?” Is it too big of a cliché to describe the 2014 Tico Warbird Airshow? No — no word, cliché or not, is big enough. From the moment we put up our booth till the moment we took it down, it was one wonderful thing after another. It was my first airshow, so perhaps I have a different perspective from those who have attended many of them. But that “firsttime” feeling is why people love to go to airshows, and particularly the Valiant Air Command’s yearly event. It was a trip through yesteryear, set to the roar of engines and astonishing aerial maneuvers. It was veterans, from World War II to the present day, telling their stories and sharing priceless memories. And it was history making history. This year, there was a tribute to the famous Tuskegee Airmen, who served in the Army Air Corps in World War II. Only nine are still living, and three were on hand to chat and sign autographs.
Mary Kemper staff writer
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These gracious men, now in their 80s, had to overcome so many barriers, and fought so valiantly in war and in peace. Though they’ve slowed down a bit, they are every
inch the officers and gentlemen our country can be proud of. Retired Flight Officer (equivalent to first lieutenant) Daniel Keel, formerly of New York and now of Massachusetts, served from 1943 to 1946. “I had to learn how to be not only a pilot, but also a navigator and a bombardier,” he said, “because the colonel didn’t like me.” Why? He smiled, but there was a look in his eye that spoke volumes. Then I got it — because Keel was black. Fellow Airman retired Lt. Col. Hiram Mann, PhD, of Titusville, was cheerful and tireless. Mann showed up on Media Day, the day before the show got under way, and never slowed down the whole weekend, despite being wheelchair-bound. In fact, he was the very first person my managing editor, Tammy Raits, and I ran into when we arrived at the Valiant Air Command Museum. He had pulled into his parking space, rolled down the window, and said, “Can you ladies get a tour guide to bring me a wheelchair?” Which, of course, we did — after realizing who he was and having to catch our breath. I didn’t get a chance to talk to retired Flight Officer Richard Hall Jr., but I did get to meet retired Lt. Col. Robert Hughes, one of the
Airmen’s flight instructors. He is white, and he has kept a close bond with his former students throughout the years. “These guys went through so much,” he said. “And you will never hear an unkind word from any of them about how they were treated. “I think they paid everyone back in the way they flew.” He meant the magnificent record the Airmen had in combat — so much so that they were the only fighter-escort unit to be requested, rather than assigned, to bombing squadrons. Another white instructor, retired Marine Corps Lt. Jerry Kneer, brought along his two grandsons, Contrell Daley, of Melbourne, and Devante McPherson, of West Palm Beach — who are black. It really makes you think about how far our country has come in getting rid of prejudice. Those men gave so much in wartime, and not only in the air. The Tuskegee Airmen were treated terribly by their white countrymen — but kept holding their heads high, because they loved the same country that hated them. Amazing. Not only were the three Airmen at the Airshow, but also two mem-
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bers of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, or WASPs — Florence Mascott and Bea Haydn. The WASPs flew every type of aircraft all around the world, doing transport duty so that men could go into combat. Out of some 25,000 who applied, only 1,074 were accepted. Haydn wasn’t feeling well at the Airshow. Medics checked her out, and she wound up going back to her hotel to rest, and Mascott went with her. While medics were attending Haydn, Mascott told me, “I was never more honored in my life to be a WASP. It was tough training, let me tell you — but it taught us discipline, and how to think properly.” The WASPs were civilian — it wasn’t until 1978 that they were granted military status, and all its benefits and recognition.
EAGLES from page 6 private pilot’s license in airplanes and helicopters; and at 18, a commercial pilot’s license for all types of aircraft. A student’s license allows a pilot to fly solo, but with no passengers. A private license allows pilots to fly passengers, but not for hire, and a commercial license allows all types of flying (FAA
The two pilots, both in their 80s, had planned a helicopter ride, but Haydn just wasn’t up to it. What a shame. Back at the booth, an endless stream of people stopped by to chat and to subscribe to our paper. Naturally, lots of them were veterans. What a neat and interesting bunch of people. We spoke with gentlemen and ladies who served in Korea, Vietnam, Iraq, Afghanistan and peacetime. We spoke with Marines, sailors, airmen, soldiers and Coast Guardsmen. Walter Melton, who is serving in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, was formerly a policeman, and wants to be one again. After being hit in his squad car by a drunk driver, he suffered a knee injury. Undaunted by rejections from various forces due to his injury, he is battling back, and in the meantime serving as his USCGA unit’s public affairs officer.
And the youngest generation made a great impression. Nearby, a contingent from the Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps of Astronaut High School, Titusville, maintained their booth. It was a joy to see these 17- and 18-year-olds in uniform, performing trash pickup and other duties cheerfully and professionally. (A special shout-out to Neil Clark, Brittany Patrick and “The Eagle” mascot — if we can’t use your picture, it’s only because of space considerations. You up-and-coming airmen rock!) Re-enactor George Hachtel stopped by several times, and I wound up checking out his campsite in the World War II re-enactment area. It was way cool. He had a barricade of rocks partially surrounding his tent, and inside the barricade were lots of authentic and replicated artifacts, including guns and communications equip-
ment. Needless to say, Hechtel and his comrades were authentically dressed in uniforms of the period. We even had people from different countries stop by. A couple from Italy wanted a copy of the paper — even though they don’t live here, the gentleman is a veteran. The Steenlands, a family from Orlando, are originally from the Netherlands. Their son, Dean, 6, broke the cute-o-meter in his kid-sized flight suit, which looked pretty authentic. “We are proud to be a part of the museum, the Valiant Air Command,” Dean’s dad said. The wind blew pretty hard on Saturday, and even harder on Sunday. More than once we had to chase flying copies of our paper, and on Sunday, we had to take the canopy off for fear the whole
Regulations, Part 61). Dekker said EAA 908 holds its Young Eagles flights at least twice a year — “usually in the spring and fall — but we’ll fly kids individually, throughout the year,” he said. “Just contact us.” It was clear the pilots of EAA 908 enjoyed getting to know the kids and giving them flights — for most, it was their first ever. As for the veterans, “You can definitely see how great these
kids would be as military pilots,” Edward “Eddy” Kemper, chapter member and former officeholder, said in a previous conversation about the program. He’s a Navy veteran of the Vietnam era. “Regardless, though, this teaches a kid the kind of discipline you want in anybody, not just our military.” Editor’s note: Kemper is Mary Kemper’s uncle. As for Oates Jr., getting a pilot’s
license as soon as he can is a given. Thanks to EAA 908 and the Young Eagles program, he — and any other interested youngster — now knows how to get his license someday with a lot of help and support. For more information on the Young Eagles and other flight programs, visit eaa908.org.
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10 • APRIL 11, 2014 • VETERAN VOICE • THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
thing would topple over. Helicopter flights had to be curtailed, but the fixed-wing flights went on. And at least there wasn’t another micro tornado like the one that hit the Airshow last year. Army veteran Bob Dunn, of Garrison, Va., who owns Wings and Things Military Collectibles, told me he lost $15,000 worth of merchandise. There were lots of vendors, selling everything from collectibles to food to hats. In one booth, a gentleman from Australia hawked his wares (His sign: “Come in and say G’day!”) There were also booths set up for services to veterans, like the one for AVET Project (American Veterans Empowerment Team), run by Garren and Kim Cone. Have a look at their website — avetproject.org — to see just what wonderful things they’re doing to help veterans. Dozens of booths, hundreds of participating men and women, most of them volunteers, all supported the Valiant Air Command in putting on such a historic show. Which, of course was all about the aircraft. You sure knew when the Tico Belle, a restored bomber and the pride of the Valiant Air Command fleet, fired up her engines. The sound was a deafening, throaty roar. I was taken back in
my imagination to the days when thousands of bombers like the Tico Belle would have sat on the runway, gearing up for a bombing run. The higher-pitched planes like the P-51 Mustang and the P-33 trainer emitted a menacing sound as they zoomed past, soared, and looped the loop. “Man, oh, man, that’s flying,” I heard one spectator, a Marine veteran, say. It would take a lot more space than I have to talk about the fantastic pilots who flew so flawlessly, whether it was the fixed-wing planes or the attack helicopters. Each has a long history of fascinating service — they are the top of the top. The whole weekend, from start to finish, was one incredible experience. Meeting the Tuskegee Airmen? Beyond an honor, beyond a privilege. The planes and their pilots? Jaw-dropping amazing. Getting to know some very wonderful veterans? How can you put a price on that? The Valiant Air Command paid such a wonderful tribute to thousands of my and Tammy’s brothers and sisters in arms. We were proud to be a small part of it. For information on the Valiant Air Command and its annual Tico Warbird Airshow, visit vacwarbirds.org.
22nd Annual United Veterans Golf Classic
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CLUES ACROSS 1. Express disgust or contempt 4. Do-nothings 10. Before 11. Gave birth to a horse 12. Spanish pain 14. Khmer Rouge’s Pot 15. Tory opposition 16. Even chance 18. Horse feedbag 22. Selfishness 23. Windward Island nation 24. On and on:ad ___ 26. 2nd musical tone 27. A steady brisk pace 28. People in southern India 30. Withered, dry 31. Central nervous system 34. Short composition for solo instrument 36. Communist 37. Specific localities 39. Garden cultivator 40. Stratford’s river 41. Atomic #34 42. Stalkless leaves 48. Significant other 50. Chilled 51. Dakar is the capital 52. Amuse & delight 53. Explorer Vasco da ____ 54. Annoy 55. 365 days (abbr.) 56. Peremptory command 58. Born of
59. Particle fineness grades 60. Obtain CLUES DOWN 1. Colas 2. Awaken 3. Better half 4. In event that 5. Demotes 6. City in NE Pakistan 7. Lotus roadster model 8. University board trustees 9. 40th state 12. Egyptian Sun god (var. sp.) 13. Hindu exercise discipline 17. Small coin (French) 19. More naked 20. Feel deep affection for
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21. A protected community 25. Nation of birth 29. Two people singing 31. Applauding sounds 32. Variable stars 33. Reject 35. Building up 38. Not a fraction 41. Sailor 43. An evening party 44. Hollow for a lightbulb 45. Type 46. Dutch portrait painter Sir Peter 47. River of Hesse 49. N. Botswanan lake 56. 1/10 gram (abbr.) 57. Original Hawkeye actor’s initials
VETERAN VOICE • THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE • APRIL 11, 2014 • 11
on the front line?” But that’s a hard number to reach. There’s dispute over who exactly were combat veterans. Humphries said he spent much time in areas recently sprayed with Agent Orange around Lộc Ninh. Humphries said he has health complications that he believes are likely due to exposure to Agent Orange: peripheral neuropathy and an ischemic heart disease. He’s a non-smoker. “It was kind of comical,” Humphries said. “They’d say, ‘Don’t touch anything,’ and I’d say, ‘Well, how the (expletive) are we not supposed to not touch anything.’” There is scientific evidence that combat Vietnam veterans are or were dying at an above-average rate going back to the 1980s. In 1987 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention published “Postservice Mortality Among Vietnam Veterans,” which had evidence for a higher-than-average mortality rate among Vietnam veterans than others. “In 1987, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) compared the post-service mortality (through December 1983) of a group of 9,324 U.S. Army veterans who served in
Vietnam with that of 8,989 Vietnam-era veterans who served in Korea, Germany, or the United States,” the 1980s CDC report reads. “Over the entire follow-up period, the total death rate for Vietnam veterans was 17 percent higher than for other veterans. The excess mortality, especially through motor vehicle accidents, suicide, homicide, and accidental poisonings, occurred mainly in the first 5 years after discharge from active duty and (involvement in the military). Thereafter, mortality among Vietnam veterans was similar to that of other Vietnam-era veterans, except for drug-related deaths, which continued to be elevated.” Other reports have made different findings, but the VA has added various presumptive service-related conditions for Vietnam veterans due to the presence of Agent Orange. Humphries, Mitler and Haddox agreed that there’s a lot of good and bad information swirling about for Vietnam veterans to absorb. The three said involvement with reputable veterans organizations is an antidote to misinformation. “I think it’s very important for them to be connected and current on information,” Haddox said.
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12 • APRIL 11, 2014 • VETERAN VOICE • THE VOICE OF EXPERIENCE
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