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Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 203 Mail Call PO Box 23405 Chattanooga, TN 37422 September/ October 2014 Next Meeting: Monday, October 15, 2014 Dinner at 6pm Meeting at 7pm American Legion Post 95 3329 Ringgold Rd East Ridge, TN Inside this issue: Officer Contacts 2 Upcoming Events 2 President’s Message 3 Chaplain’s Corner 3 Membership Update 4 Website Article 5 Website Article 6 7 Above: Picture of Chapter 203 members at the Welcome Home Parade in Pigeon Forge, TN Below : VVA Chapter 203 Members - (Left to Right) Bud Alley, Chris Linville & John Sparks - Speaking to STEM High School students Photos provided by: Charlie Hobbs Chapter 203 Officers and Board of Directors Officers: President - Charlie Hobbs 3619 John Sims Road Chattanooga, TN. 37412 423-495-0202 (H) 423-991-5858 (C) 423-495-1108 (F) [email protected] 1st VP - Rick Simpson 170 Creeks Jewell Drive Ringgold, GA. 30736 423-902-1359 (C) Board of Directors: Larry Anderson 706-676-3458 [email protected] Fred Huskey 423-899-2133 (H) 423-883-9297 (C) Larry Gregory 423-396-3191 (H) 423-667-2415 (C) [email protected] 2nd VP - Larry Johnson 727 Godsey Lane Chattanooga, TN. 37415 423-875-3949 (H) 423-718-9056 (C) [email protected] Bob Holloway 423-802-8681 [email protected] Treasurer – James Lowery Ralph Price 423-580-9611 [email protected] Secretary - Danny Arnold 2014 - 2015 www.vva203.org AVVA - Elected Officers: President: Joyce Simpson Vice President: Charlene Holloway UPCOMING EVENTS September 28th: Sunday - Gold Star Mothers Day Secretary: Vacant Treasurer: Susan Price 423-629-7242 October 15th: Monthly Chapter meeting - Monday 7:00 PM - American Legion Post #95 - Ringgold Rd. Appointed Positions in Chapter 203 VVA Membership Chair: Dan Taylor 423-9915628 October 21st: Tuesday @ 7:30 PM - Tompkins Masonic Lodge - Ft. Oglethorpe, GA. November 1st: Saturday - 12:00 Noon - Colonnade - GA Hwy 2A Salute to Veterans - 21 gun salute Chaplain: Phil Minton Historian: Gerald Sniff 423-326-3177 Honor Guard Coordinator: Tom Sloan 423762-2522 Armory Sergeant: Wayne Walker November 11th: Tuesday - 11:00 AM - Chattanooga National Cemetery - Posting Colors, 21 gun salute November 11th: Tuesday - 6:00 PM - Ridgedale Baptist Church - Chattanooga, TN - Posting Colors Website: Sharon Hobbs 423-495-0202 November 27th: Thursday - Thanksgiving Day Newsletter: David Carne 423-413-0012 or email: [email protected] November 28th - December 6th: Christmas Collection Hwy 153 Walmart - 9 AM - 6PM Daily Social Events: AVVA Page 2 Mail Call President’s Message Let me begin this message on a sad note, due to Judy Baker’s resignation as our Chapter Secretary because of medical reasons and Dan Lovin retiring and moving, we are having to replace two valuable members of our management team. The Chapter BOD recommended that Danny Arnold replace Judy as Secretary and James Lowery replace Dan as Treasurer. This recommendation was ratified by the membership during the last meeting. Judy and Dan, we are going to miss you. Chapter 203 continues to hold the second largest Chapter spot in the nation. That is due in part to some of you who are out there recruiting and the new three-year renewal incentive the chapter is offering. Keep up the good work and let’s continue to widen the margin from the third place chapter. Rick Simpson and I met with the new owner of the old Army Reserve Center on 23rd street last week. The meeting is a step in the right direction and very positive, but we I am pleased to report that the trip to the Sevierville have several things to work out. Details will be forthcomWalmart and Welcome Home Parade in Pigeon Forge ing in the near future. was very successful. I had several TN VVA Chapters Our Veterans Assisting Veterans program, is making retell me that they could not believe the number of chapter markable strides. Since we started the program, we have members we had to make the trip. Counting the twelve placed wheelchairs, walkers, canes, motorized scooters man setup crew and all of the chapter members that and hospital beds in over 30 needy families’ homes. If came on their own, we had forty-two (42) who helped on you, or if you know of someone who needs a wheelchair the collection; most everyone participated in the parade (electric or manual), walker, hydraulic lift, bedside toilet, or on Saturday too. We took the Chapter Bus and four trailcane, please contact me. ers with us; we had a police escort all the way from Knoxville to the Walmart store. Way to go 203. Last, I must apologize that the newsletter did not get Our planned “Faces of Agent Orange Town Hall Meet- out on time this month. We will do better in the future. ing” for October has been put off until the spring of 2015. A tentative date has not been set but we will give you a date as soon as we confirm with the powers to be. Charlie Chaplain’s Corner: God, We Need Help! The terrible tragedy of September 11, 2001, is almost unbeliev- • Instead of hatred, accept others, as you would like to be able. Let this reminder be our wake up call for today. We were accepted. all caught off guard when such perpetrators unleashed their terror and madness. This tragedy served to bring America to- • Instead of ingratitude, give thanks in all things. gether again. Partisanship was forgotten as Congress united in • Instead of sending the children to church, go yourself and outrage. A resurgence of patriotism was seen from every corner take them with you. of our great United States. People from all walks of life united • Instead of seeing the bad in your neighbor, find the good. together to give, to share, to pray and to ask, “Why?” The terrorists’ hatred for others was at the core of that horrific catas- • Instead of road rage, practice road kindness. trophe. • Instead of revenge, seek reconciliation. As most of us have returned to our jobs and are trying to enjoy our families, there is still much suffering and pain, even 13 years later. For those most directly affected, we must continue to pray and provide as much help as we can. Beyond that, what can we do? Tell God we need help as never before. As we do so, here are a few other suggestions. • • • Instead of family squabbles, love--really love, your family. Instead of getting all you can, help others. Instead of talking about the Ten Commandments, read them and heed them. • Instead of complaining about not being able to pray in certain places, make sure you pray where you can. • Instead of complacency, make a firm commitment to the future. • Instead of cursing, console. PO Box 23405 “But it is good for me to draw near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God, that I may declare all thy works” (Psalms 73:28). “My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth” (Psalms 121:2). Sadly today, there are still patriotic Americans who fail to understand that there still remains the constant threat from terrorists, both outside and inside our borders. We must remain alert and on guard for any sign of questionable conduct that might lead to another tragedy. Pray for our brave and over-worked troops who continue their vigil against those who would destroy our way of life. Pray for the peace of Israel. Pray that ISIS will be defeated. Phil Minton Chaplain Page 3 Membership Update and Renewals **Membership Renewals** >>“IMPORTANT NOTICE”<< At this time Chapter 203 is offering a onetime incentive to our active & inactive members, a 3-year membership will cost only $30. (A three-year membership is normally $50). Of course, the one-year and life membership options are still available at the normal price. This incentive is only available through Chapter 203, so be sure to mail your renewal to: VVA Chapter 203, P.O. Box 23405, Chattanooga, TN 37422-3405. Memberships Due June Lloyd Hodges John Hudnall Dennis E. Smith Virgil R. Smith Roy Veal July Terry Brewer George Conrad Ross Hensley James Ronsiek Donnie Sisco September Joe Camp Robert Dickerson James Hammond George Ingle Bill Prater Junior Richerdson Jim Welch Donald West October Steve Bettis Terry Dungan Matt Farrell Terry Gann Johnny Hobbs Larry Houser Michael Meyer Paul Nealon John Nichols Phil Roerdink Charles Thomas Dan Taylor, Membership Chair We want to thank you if you have already paid your dues. Please call me if you have made any change of “Address” or “Phone Number” in the past year. Please send your renewal payments to: VVA Chapter 203 P.O. Box 23405 Chattanooga, TN 37422-3405 This will be a GREAT help in tracking the renewals. Dan L. Taylor, Jr. August Robert Hendrix (423) 991-5628 Membership Chair VVA Chapter 203 Update As of 9/8/14 Page 4 Mail Call The following article is reprinted from the va.gov website: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 11, 2014 VA Secretary McDonald Meets with Congressional Leaders and Military & Veteran Groups to Lay Out His Vision to Reform and Reorganize Department WASHINGTON – VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald met today with the chairmen and ranking members of the Senate and House Veterans Affairs Committees to affirm his commitment to working together to better serve Veterans. McDonald outlined his Road to Veteran’s Day, a series of strategies and actions that will enable the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to rebuild trust with Veterans and the American people, improve service delivery, and set the course for long-term excellence and reform. This meeting today at Veterans Affairs (VA) headquarters between Secretary McDonald, Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Ranking Member Richard Burr (R-NC) and House Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chairman Jeff Miller (R-FL) and Ranking Member Mike Michaud (D-ME) follows a press conference Secretary McDonald held Monday, his first testimony as Secretary before Congress Tuesday and a meeting Wednesday with the leadership of 29 Military and Veterans Services Organizations to discuss his vision to reform and reorganize the department. “I sincerely thank the members of the committees and our Veteran and Military Service Organization partners for their leadership and support of our Nation’s Veterans, their survivors and dependents,” said Secretary McDonald. “I told them that caring for our Nation’s Veterans is a non-partisan responsibility and that we have a lot of work to do to rebuild the trust of our Veterans. But I know that with the help of these partners, VA will be better able to meet the needs of our Veterans and effectively and efficiently provide them with the high-quality care and benefits they’ve earned.” # # # PO Box 23405 Page 5 The following article is reprinted from the vva.org website: IMMEDIATE RELEASE September 8, 2014 No. 14-20 Contact: Mokie Porter 301-585-4000, Ext. 146 Press Release VVA on DoD Announcement of Guidance for Upgrading Discharge Requests “Vietnam Veterans of America is very pleased with the recent announcement by Secretary of Defense Hagel regarding the September 3, 2014, Department of Defense (DoD) guidance to Military Department Boards for Correction of Military/Naval Records (BCM/NR) when considering petitions regarding discharge upgrade requests by veterans claiming Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, who received Other Than Honorable (OTH) Discharges,” said VVA National President John Rowan. “It is the right thing to do, especially for our Vietnam veterans. Many of our brothers and sisters were inappropriately discharged under other than honorable conditions after serving their country, because PTSD was not recognized at that time. In many cases, a PTSD diagnosis was not made until decades after their service was completed. And, because of their OTH discharge, they were unable to receive VA benefits. VVA has been advocating for these veterans for a long time, and we are very grateful that Secretary Hagel has taken this action,” said Rowan. As stated in the September 3 guidelines, “…in cases where service records or any document from the period of service substantiate the existence of one or more symptoms of what is now recognized as PTSD or a PTSD-related condition during the time of service, liberal consideration will be given to finding that PTSD existed at the time of service. Liberal consideration will - Continued on Page 7 - Page 6 Mail Call - Continued from Page 6 also be given in cases where civilian providers confer diagnoses of PTSD or PTSD-related conditions when case records contain narratives that support symptomatology at the time of service, or when any other evidence which may reasonably indicate that PTSD or a PTSD-related disorder existed at the time of discharge which may have mitigated the misconduct that caused the under than honorable conditions characterization of service.” “We thank Secretary Hagel for this effort,” said Rowan, “However, now begins the challenge of reaching out to all those Vietnam veterans affected by such OTH discharges and helping them get their discharges upgraded, so they can access the health care and other benefits due them. We urge the DoD and the VA to initiate such efforts to identify and reach out to the affected veterans.” Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) is the nation's only congressionally chartered veterans service organization dedicated to the needs of Vietnam-era veterans and their families. VVA's founding principle is “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another.” ©2006-2013, Vietnam Veterans of America. All Rights Reserved. Page 7 Mail Call Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 203 PO Box 23405 Chattanooga, TN 37422 We’re on the web! www.vva203.org “Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another”
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