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SPIRITUAL
WARRIOR
VIETNAM VETERAN
NEWSLETTER
ISSUE 34 - September 8, 2001
EDITOR - BILL
McDONALD |
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UPDATES on 5-0 DUCE - HUEY For
Documentary Film |
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From: "Jerry
Turner" egturner@mail.ev1.net
Date: Fri, 07 Sep 2001
We're looking for "pledges" to the 5-0-Duece restoration fund,
no money only pledges of money at this point, please send them to me and I
will keep track, to call for the cash (or check) later, thanks guys!
Jerry forward this message from John D. Kennedy to update us
on the status and what is happening with the 5-0 DUCE. (John D.
Kennedy a member of A Co. 101st Avn. Bn. "Winged Warriors" and
chairman of our "Save the Deuce" Committee. email is kennedyj101@home.com
)
Subject: 502 Update 09/06
Gentlemen: This update is intended for worldwide distribution, and I'm not
sure what everybody already knows, or doesn't, so a brief summary of past
activities first. Sheriff Clement released 502 back to the State of
Florida, which in turn, notified GSA. We had been tracking the turn in
paper work and had made arrangements for 502 to be frozen in place until
an authorized recipient could take possession, but - GSA had been notified
by the Army's Tank, Automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM)
that the Army had recalled 502 to hold her for donation to a veterans
organization. Donation, in this regard, is bad news. This would have
resulted in 502 becoming a permanent monument fixed-in-place-forevermore
never to fly again.
The POC at TACOM told me the 101st Abn Div had
requested 502. The 101st had become involved at our request to
General Cody, CG, to help us save and re-restore her. Apparently
there was some misunderstanding by the TACOM POC when the 101st
Project Officer called him for information. I've spoken to the Project
Officer and have been assured the 101st does not want to take possession.
But, with their hold on the bird, she's out of reach and not available to
be grabbed by any other agency. I've had email and phone contacts with the
Army Aviation Heritage Foundation (AAHF) (near Atlanta at Hampton GA) and
a person closely associated with the Collings Foundation (listed as being
in Stow. MA, but their aircraft seem to be scattered about the U.S.and not
all at one place). Both of these organizations receive, restore and fly
military aircraft. Conversations and emails back and forth with these
contacts indicate both have some interest in obtaining 502. Of course,
both are concerned about the present state of 502 and what will be
required - parts and cost - for restoration. Both also have web
sites, www.armyav.org
and www.collingsfoundation.org
.
Check 'em out. I believe that if either one of these gained possession,
502 would be
restored and flown if feasible . The big difference, in my view, is in
what I see as the
philosophy of each....The Collings Foundation, and this is based on only
one conversation with an associate of the foundation, seems to be more
open and would be far more agreeable to allowing 502 to be used in filming
The Shadow of the Blade.
Bob Collings is the power and probably most of the wealth behind the
foundation. My contact told me that Mr. Collings wants aircraft to be self
supporting. That's why they are scattered about the country. Groups of
interested and dedicated people, at where ever an aircraft is does the
work to rebuild it, service, maintain and fly it. Does that sound good for
502 and Florida or what? This man was a door gunner on a Marine helicopter
in Vietnam. He was taught to fly after he got out of service by a retired
Army Warrant, and he owns and flies a restored H-34. He described our
problems with Sheriff Clement as a culture clash. Said we need to get over
it and keep moving toward the objective of getting and rebuilding 502. He
thinks Mr. Collings will be interested in her and said he would call him.
I'm going to email the contact again tomorrow to see if any thing has come
of his phone call. He said we must get organized, not to worry now about
trying to become a 501(c)(3) now, that takes too long, so do that
later. Just get organized now and raise some money. Said (and this is a
verbatim quote ), "I will commit now to a limited donation. "I
have no idea what a limited donation is in his mind, and would have been
tacky to ask. Based on all the above, if we have a say in who gets 502, I
strongly support Collings.
If we are ever going to be serious about trying to have any control over
502, we have got to be organized. This has been bantered about several
times over the past few months, but nothing has come of it. I think that
if we're ever going to do it, we must start now, and seriously test the
waters about our capability to raise funds. If we try to get funds from
other people or groups, we got to be able to tell them that our own funds
are in the kettle. It is time for us to spread the word far and wide that
we are serious about
getting structured and ask for pledges - no money now, just pledges.
Nobody sends money now, but make a pledge that they will be comfortable
with sending when the time comes. Does not have to be a big one, or all at
once - pledge $X in a lump, or spread over Y number of months. This will
give us an estimate of the support out there and we need to establish an
initial goal. I think at least $100K to start is not too ambitious. It
isn't enough to even start if the burden of rebuilding 502 falls on us,
but it will demonstrate to potential donors that we are serious. Pledges
are not limited to just us (we?) that have been tracking the fate of 502.
There are many veterans and veterans organizations that have never heard
of 502 and we need to spread the
word. With all those who were Huey crewmembers, or others that remember
having their butts saved by Huey's, we cannot loose. If there are 100
among them and us that can pledge $1000, we've met that goal, but that's
not intended to be a cap.
Jerry Turner has volunteered to receive the pledges and will hold them in
confidence. Send email pledge (not money) straight to him egturner@mail.ev1.net
.There'll be no stain on anybodythat cannot pledge or that pledges small,
but we need to be able to tell the guy that has already committed to a
donation that we are trying. I really believe we can do this, and believe
the time we have to do it is now. Please give me comments and send your
votes to Richard. Warm regards to you all, John (John D. Kennedy)
QUESTION ABOUT DONATIONS
From: "Frank Reilly" ahc116@mail.naisp.net
Jerry,
With all the talk about 502 and Shadows of the Blade, what are we
to do? This entire situation is bad news. The politics stink, who
is correct and who is wrong? If I was to make a donation, what does
it support? I have donated my fair share to Vet's needs, the $$$
is not the issue. What % of the money goes to the 502 and what %
goes to the 'administrative staff'. I am probably missing something
here.
Respectfully,
Frank
RESPONSE
From: "Jerry Turner" egturner@mail.ev1.net
Frank, good question. The answer is that 100% of the money goes to
restore
5-0-Duece, all labor on 502 and administration of the funds are
voluntary.
No one gets paid and none of this money goes to a political organization.
As to Shadow Of the Blade, that will be funded by Arrowhead
Films, we are
not providing funds for that endeavor.
PTSD WEB SITE
AIRBORNE
PRESS
"The Vietvet Family Project " is a nonprofit charity
conceived and managed by Vietnam veterans. It is located on the Airborne
Press web site. Their primarily goal is to assist Vietnam
veteran families in any way possible. One immediate way is helping
eligible vets negotiate the bureaucratic maze and qualify for
benefits.
"The Vietvet Family Project's" main focus is on PTSD
-Post Traumatic Stress Disorder related benefits, especially for
disadvantaged veterans who experienced continuous combat for extended
periods.
Symptoms of PTSD include nightmares, insomnia, anxiety or panic
attacks, sudden vivid memories so strong that the person thinks the
incident is happening again, outbursts of irritability, or explosive anger
and avoidance of any place, or thing, or person, that is a reminder of the
traumatic event.
If you have any of these symptoms and would like to discuss, click Tell
It to the Chaplain (ptsd.padre@netzero.net
) at their web site. ( www.airbornepress.com
) If you would like to file PTSD claims immediately contact your
county Veterans Administration Representative.
Legislative Update
September 7, 2001
The Retired Enlisted Association (TREA)
Legislative Affairs Office
909 N. Washington St, Suite 301
Alexandria, VA. 22314-1555
Phone: (800) 554-8732
Fax: (866) 548-4876
Email: treadmin@treadc.org
FORMER SPOUSE PROTECTION ACT (FSPA)
The long awaited report from the Department of Defense (DoD) has finally
been delivered to Congress. DoD recommends that former spouses receive
payment of retired pay on the rank and length of service at the time of
divorce (this would apply to future divorces and not be retroactive) and
to permit designation of multiple Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)
beneficiaries. TREA will continue to advocate and educate Congress to make
improvements to FSPA and request a hearing. No action is anticipated until
the second session of the 107th Congress that will start approximately Jan
22, 2002.
Former Spouse Protection Act: Rep. Cass Ballenger (R-NC) introduced
HR 1983, the "Uniformed Services Former Spouses Equity Act of
2001", on May 24, 2001 and now has 50 co-sponsors. This bill will
terminate payments upon remarriage of former spouse, award of retired pay
to be based on retirement length of service and pay grade at time of
divorce, limitation on time for seeking division of retired pay and
limitation on apportionment of disability pay when retired pay has been
waived (Note: the language of this bill would not allow courts to count
amounts which are deducted from the retired pay of such members as a
result of a waiver of retired pay required by law in order to receive
compensation under title 38).
Sign up for TREA's Weekly Legislative Update at: http://www.capwiz.com/trea
and click on "Action E-List". You will receive the email version
of the Weekly Update
*********************************************************************************
FSPA SERIES - COMING TO THIS NEWSLETTER
This fall a series of articles explaining the FSPA
and it's shortcomings, will be featured in these newsletters written by Eric
Nelson. Stay tuned for more information...
VietnamVets.org: Serving
the Vietnam Vet Community
http://www.VietnamVets.org/
Highlights from the VietnamVets.org's Weekly Newsletter for the Week of
8/25/2001
Reprinted here with permission of the organization as a service to
Vietnam Vetwrans
Featured Site
------------------
The Lost and Found - This section is a World Wide Web Vietnam
Veteran Location Service. The purpose of this section is to help other
Veterans and friends of Vietnam Veterans locate Veterans and others who
served in Vietnam during the war years. http://grunt.space.swri.edu/lostfnd.htm
MetroActive: Coppola revisits 'Apocalypse Now'
http://www.metroactive.com/metro/apocalypse-0135.html
Posted 8/31/2001
Captain Willard, mulling over the career of Col. Kurtz, says, 'I
think the
light and space of Vietnam had put the zap on his head.' This
line--probably written by Vietnam war correspondent Michael Herr, who
supplied the film's narration--is the most autobiographical in the 1979
film Apocalypse Now. It keys in with what we've heard about how far up the
river director Francis Ford Coppola went making his bold, mad and
sometimes irresolute classic.
Philly Inquirer: Disabled-vet memorial advances
http://inq.philly.com/content/inquirer/2001/08/31/national/VETS31.htm
Posted 8/31/2001
A small site near the Capitol and the National Mall won approval yesterday
from the National Capital Memorial Commission for a memorial honoring the
nation's 2.3 million disabled veterans.
Former Veterans Affairs Secretary Jesse Brown said the monument, to be
about two blocks west of the Capitol and across from the National Botanic
Garden, should be in a place where members of Congress will see it often.
'As they consider military actions and critical national security issues,
this shrine will provide a reminder of war's true human cost,' he said.
Amarillo Globe: Memphis veteran receives Vietnam-era medals
http://www.amarillonet.com/stories/083001/new_memphis.shtml
Posted 8/30/2001
It took 31 years, but on Tuesday afternoon a Memphis man finally received
a Silver Star and Purple Heart for his valor in Vietnam.
Albert Stone, 52, was presented the medals by U.S. Rep. Mac Thornberry,
R-Clarendon, at the First Bank and Trust of Memphis' Bronze Room in front
of a large audience that packed the room to pay homage to the local hero.
Stone received the Silver Star for his actions July 14, 1970, when his 1st
Airmobile Cavalry reconnaissance unit was ambushed.
The shy veteran, a radio operator in the Army, did not care to detail
exactly what happened that day and downplayed his heroism.
Boston Globe: Honoring a memorial
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/240/editorials/Honoring_a_memorial+.shtm
l
Posted 8/28/2001
For the Vietnam veteran - or civilian - who remembers that war, the stark
power of Washington's Vietnam Veterans Memorial is enough. The weight of
58,226 names carved into black granite is enough. The memory of gunfire,
protests, lost friends, and homecomings without parades is enough.
But for young people born long after the last helicopter left Saigon, the
wall honoring the dead may not resonate with the same depth. That's why
the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund - the organization that rallied support
for building the unforgettable wall by architect Maya Lin - is pressing
for an accompanying education center. The group would raise the estimated
$2 million to $3 million to build this addition.
DetNews: Viet vets hunt fakes
http://detnews.com/2001/nation/0108/27/a04-279344.htm
Posted 8/28/2001
Joe Mauk wears the green beret of the Army's elite Special Forces and a
uniform bedecked with ribbons and medals for bravery.
He talks about his time in Vietnam, his 11 purple hearts for wounds,
his Silver and Bronze stars for valor, and his captivity as a prisoner of
war for nearly 2 1/2 years.
His stories have brought tears to the eyes of adults at his many
speaking engagements. When the Vietnam Memorial Traveling Wall came to the
Denver area July 13-15, 'Master Sgt.' Mauk was invited as the keynote
speaker.
There's only one problem.
According to Army records, Mauk was never a prisoner of war, never in
Vietnam, never a member of the Special Forces, never wounded in battle and
never a master sergeant.
Boston Globe: Vietnamese exiles' protest targets UMass
http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/238/metro/Vietnamese_exiles_protest_targ
ets_UMass+.shtml
Posted 8/26/2001
Coming from as far away as California and France, about 500
Vietnamese-American activists are expected to ramp up their battle today
against the University of Massachusetts at Boston for inviting two North
Vietnamese scholars to study at the school.
Bringing the two men from Hanoi reopened old wounds, according to a group
of Dorchester residents victimized by communists during their homeland's
20-year civil war.
The fact that so many people are flying into town to denounce UMass for
hosting ''revisionist'' scholars from Vietnam is proof, the activists say,
that their cause is gaining international momentum.
ADN: Moving wall tugs heartstrings of soldiers left behind
http://www.adn.com/front/story/669212p-711874c.html
Posted 8/26/2001
The sunshine reflecting off the Moving Wall Vietnam Veterans Memorial
vanished for John Lopez as soon as the bugle sounded the first haunting
notes of taps.
Chin trembling, Lopez dragged himself back to a hot, muggy night in 1965,
a night near the central Vietnam farm town of Quang Tri.
The night his brother died bleeding in his arms.
SP Times: Vietnam Vet Memorial Causing Controversy
http://www.sptimesrussia.com/archive/times/698/rest/r_4426.htm
Posted 8/26/2001
It is Washington's most visited memorial, honoring the dead of the 20th
century's most divisive war. Now the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, created
two decades ago amid bitter acrimony, is becoming the subject of
dissension and controversy yet again.
The veterans who helped build the memorial want to add a structure nearby
to educate visitors, not about the war but about the memorial itself.
Critics, not least among them the National Park Service, are appalled.
The black granite wedge is engraved with the names of the 58,226 men and
women killed in or still missing from the war. Its designer, architect
Maya Lin, intended it to be 'a quiet place, meant for personal reflection
and reckoning.'
Please visit our friend's page, Sarge Lintecum's really radical
writings.
http://members.nbci.com/MrMrsSarge/
Army to retire
Vietnam-era helicopters
The U.S. Army announced that it would retire the
UH-1 Huey and AH-1 Cobra helicopters, eliminating the venerable workhorses
of the Vietnam War as it reduces its helicopter fleet from 4,500 to 3,500
by 2003.
The end of an era is fast approaching and that day will come when you will
no longer be able to hear that sound of a Huey flying over some base. For
those of us Vietnam Veterans, this news comes with some sadness - we, much
like the huey, are approaching the end of an era - things will never be
the same again. The once proud fleet Hueys that carried our youthful souls
through harm's way - are now considered just dinosaurs. To those of us who
flew in them and lived and died in them - they will forever live on in our
dreams, our photos, our memories and in our hearts! Good-bye old friend we
will miss you greatly!
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