salute to veterans 2015

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InSIDE: HOnOR GUARD COnTInUES TO SERVEA special publication of the Ludington Daily News, Nov. 10, 2015

Salute to

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Land of the freeBecause 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.

2 | LUDInGTOn DAILy nEwS/VETERAnS TAB | TUESDAy, nOVEMBER 10, 2015

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TUESDAy, nOVEMBER 10, 2015 | LUDInGTOn DAILy nEwS/VETERAnS TAB | 3

By Brian MulherinDAILy nEwS STAff wRITER

The American Legion can be a place where a veteran finds fel-lowship and fun, but it’s also a

place where a veteran can take on a solemn duty to his or her fallen comrades.

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 veter-ans who have passed and perform ceremo-nies 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 presen-tation of his flag and firing of rifles over his casket,” said Ray Cummins, a rifleman with the guard and U.S. Army veteran.

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

The honor guardNeil Williams has 22 years in on the honor

guard and perhaps the best perspective of what it means. His service with the honor 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.

COnTInUED on page 5

Honor & RespectHonor Guard members continue to serve

jeff kiessel | DAILy nEwSMembers 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.

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

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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 ex-plain 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 emotion-al duty on an honor guard detail?

“Folding the flag,” he said. “It’s like that flag is that per-son’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

guard, the last few as bugler. Hunter had taken a year off for knee surgery when he found out that honor guard bugler Dick Hamilton had passed. Hunter made it a point to get back into the honor guard for at least

that funeral. Dick Sterns then told him he wasn’t go-ing to get to re-retire from the guard, that he’d been drafted.

“Again?” Hunter said.Although there’s some

levity when guard members

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 experi-ence.”

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 outdoor venue. He knows that whether he sounds Taps by playing it or just pressing play, that it’s often the most emotional part of a funeral service.

He said he’s often ap-proached by people who tell him that they were moved to tears when he sounded Taps at a funeral and there are

times when it chokes him up as well.

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

Bill Swan has been chap-lain 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, vet-erans who go before us,” Swan said.

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

Dick Sterns, an Army vet-eran 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 Kore-an War-era Marine, said it’s

all they can do for the family and past veterans to remem-ber them.

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

He added that in Luding-ton, 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 con-tact with veterans. It’s a well paid-back system any time we do a service. Not neces-sarily through smiles but tears. The majority of

COnTInUED on page 6

American Legion Post 76 mem-bers from left, Richard Sterns, Ray Cummins, Neil Williams, Dottie Brown and Rob-ert 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

Neil Williams sits at a desk in the American Legion Post 76 office while preparing for a service.

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Continued froM page 5

the time it’s tears and that makes us very proud we have done some-thing. 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 uni-forms.

Dottie Brown, who served as an Army medic from 1961-63 said she joined the honor guard more than six years ago.

“I just wanted to complete something I wasn’t able to finish years ago,” she said. “I wanted to help in any way I could. They’ve been very good to me.”

She said the hardest part of serving on the honor

guard is obvious.“It’s keeping your emo-

tions in check,” she said. “It’s very hard, especially when it’s someone you knew or someone who was a hero. We should be so lucky to serve at their funerals.”

She generally holds the American flag and said it’s a duty she’s proud to do.

COnTInUED on page 7Members of the Honor Guard ride a bus to a location of a military funeral service they were participating in.

An Honor Guard member selects a rifle for firing a salute at a veteran’s funeral.

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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.

“We appreciate any thanks

we get from those attending or just observing,” Cum-mins 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 mili-tary and I’m still serving. We’re doing it because we want to do it.”

[email protected] x348

jeff kiessel | DAILy nEwSUnited States Marine veteran Stanley McClellan talks about what many of the local services mean to him and his generation.

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

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By keVin BraCisZeskiDAILy nEwS STAff wRITER

SUMMIT 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, be-cause 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, Ma-laysia and the Azores.

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

He said the Barry spent years on dis-play 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 BoardCooper recalls being on the Barry

when it chased down a Russian sub-marine 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 flag-ship for a squadron of five ships and it had both a captain and a commodore

on board.“So we were always in pressed uni-

forms,” 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 evac-uated,” Cooper said about that first tar-get. “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.

Cooper saw the world in the NavyUSS Barry was part of Naval blockade of

Cuba and saw action off coast of Vietnam

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.

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By keVin BraCisZeskiDAILy nEwS STAff wRITER

About 30 Navy veterans gather for breakfast every

month to share their sto-ries about their service and places they’ve seen.

Duane Cooper of Sum-mit Township said Roger Dereske originally started the club many years ago, fo-cusing on sailors who had served on destroyer escorts.

Cooper said the club was later opened up to all Navy veterans and he took over notifying the vets about up-coming events after Dereske

moved from the area.“It’s going real well,” Coo-

per said about the club, which meets at House of Flavors Restaurant in down-town Ludington at 9 a.m. on the first Wednesday of every month.

“It’s guys talking and shar-ing 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 re-lated story about Cooper.)

Jack Ereon of Ludington is another member of the club.

“I joined them about four

or five years ago,” said Ere-on, 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, de-stroyers and a battleship.

“We just meet to talk,” Ere-on said. “We’re well diversi-fied, but we have something in common — we all served in the Navy.”

Naval veterans group meets monthly to talk

jeff kiessel | DAILy nEwSNaval 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.

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Mason County Veterans Endowment Fund 2015 Veterans of the Day

The Mason County Veterans Endowment Fund has been saluting a Mason County Vet-eran of the Day through Veteran’s Day, Nov. 11. The fund has been naming a veteran and list-ing his/her branch of service on its Facebook page, with the hope that family and friends will post information about that veteran to sa-lute her/his courage, duty, and sacrifice. Veter-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.

maRshall mattis, U.S. Army. Served in Oc-cupied Japan after the “official” end of WWII in the Pacific, then in Korea.

FRed ReadeR JR., U..S Army. In support of

Operation Enduring Freedom, he served in the Army as an infantryman with a deploy-ment to Afghanistan.

stan Bennette, U.S. Marine Corps. Proudly served in Vietnam. Known locally as the “quiet” Marine.

maRgaRet (OlsOn) yeageR, U.S. Air Force 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.

JOhn “Jack” BulgeR, U.S. Army. Served in ‘69-’72 as a Field Artillery Officer.

steVe BegnoChe | DAILy nEwS fILE pHOTOSAmerican Legion Post 76 Honor Guard members Pat Lange, Ray Castillo and Dot Brown hold emotions in check during a ceremony in 2014.

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Mason County allied Veter-ans CounCil

The Mason County Allied Veterans Council is an um-brella organization that in-cludes the American Legion, VFW posts in Ludington and Custer and the Amvets.

Pat Lange is the command-er of the council and also historian at the Ludington American Legion.

Each organization serves veterans in a different way and membership require-ments 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.

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 Le-gion, including the Auxil-iary, Sons of the American Legion, Legion Riders and the Honor Guard and Color Guard. Sons of the Legion is for those who are not vet-erans but have a parent or grandparent who is a veter-an. The Legion Riders have a special interest in motorcy-cles. PTSD group meets the second and fourth Monday of the month. The Honor Guard takes part in funer-als 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 spe-cial group.

In addition the Legion of-fers members the oppor-tunity to consult with a VA

officer on Wednesdays, and with the post service officer to learn about the avail-ability 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 sta-tion.

Membership is open to those who served in any branch of the armed ser-vices 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 Lud-ington 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 Le-gion. To join or for informa-tion 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, 757-9665.

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, member-ship is open to any honor-ably discharged veteran who served from WWII to the present in any branch including National Guard. Meetings are held at the American Legion. For infor-mation contact Commander Lou Wolven, 843-2718.

Veterans endowMent fundIn 2009 Budde Reed and

Rick Plummer, both Viet-nam veterans, established the Veterans Endowment Fund, which is adminis-tered through the Commu-nity Foundation. Since then Michelle Hemmer and Gary Ferguson have also become board members. Accord-ing to Hemmer, the fund helps veterans and their

families who have “fallen through the cracks” and have been unable to obtain help through other agen-cies. Funds are available for emergency needs to Mason County veterans “faster and with less red tape” than through some other sourc-es, said Hemmer. Money for the fund is raised primar-ily through donations, but two recent events, the Lake Jump and the traveling Viet-nam 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 Hem-mer, (231) 690-5845 or Rick Plummer, (231) 852-0685 or email [email protected] or [email protected].

Local veterans groups, services

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

steVe BegnoChe | DAILy nEwS fILE pHOTOS

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America’s Veterans: Standing Tall for Freedom

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.

We thank you,veterans and soldiers.

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Honoring, serving veteransIn addition to Veterans Day

programs, there are services and events for veterans that occur on a regular basis. Here are some:

noVeMBer 11VeteRans day program, 11 a.m.,

Mason County Courthouse (at the veterans memorial)

VeteRans day program, noon, Scottville Optimist Hall

appleBee’s RestauRant offers free meals to veterans on Veteran’s Day and will hold a flag-raising cer-emony at 10:30 a.m.

noVeMBer 14daR ReceptiOn to honor veterans,

1-3 p.m., Hart City Hall Building, 407 South State St., Hart

recurring eventssecOnd mOndays

ptsd gROup, 6:30 p.m. American Legion, 318 N. James St., Ludington

thiRd mOndaysVFW gOld Bar Auxiliary 5096, 2 and

7 p.m., VFW Post, 2022 E. U.S. 10,

CustersecOnd tuesdays

Va seRVice officer, 1-4 p.m., Custer VFW Gold Bar Post, by appointment, 757-3353

custeR VFW 5096 Men’s Auxiliary, 6:30 p.m., Custer VFW Gold Bar Post, 2022 E. U.S. 10

thiRd tuesdayssOns OF American Legion, 7 p.m.,

Edwin H. Ewing Post 76 American Legion, 318 N. James St., Ludington

FOuRth tuesdaysVa seRVice officer, 1-4 p.m., Custer

VFW Gold Bar Post, by appointment, 757-3353

ameRican legiOn Riders, 7 p.m., American Legion Post, 318 N. James St., Ludington. Greg Walker 843-8383

secOnd WednesdaysedWin h. Ewing Post 76 The Ameri-

can Legion, 7 p.m., American Legion Post, 318 N. James St., Ludington

thiRd thuRsdaysVFW pOst 6842, 7:30 p.m., American

Legion Post, 318 N. James St., Lud-ington. Bob Peterson 843-3602

FiRst FRidayspOst 76 service officer, 2-5 p.m.,

American Legion Post, 318 N. James St

steVe BegnoChe | DAILy nEwS fILE pHOTOMembers of the VFW Gold Bar Post 5096 salute during the 2014 Vietnam Traveling Wall program in Ludington.

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By eriCa karMeisoolSpECIAL pROjECTS wRITER

Local 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 per-sonal guidance in locat-ing 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 go-ing to stand up and be the voice for that.”

Veterans represent rough-ly 12 percent of the popu-lation in Mason, Lake and Oceana counties, with a larg-er concentration in Manistee County at 14 percent. Howev-er, 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 (Airmo-bile Infantry) of the Army in

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

Welch’s disabilities became so bad that he was unable to work, and he relied on ser-vices, such as the Disabled American Veterans (DAV) transportation van. In 1999, Welch and his wife, Lori, drove to Ann Arbor for a sur-gical 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. “Anoth-er veteran overheard us talk-ing. 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 chal-lenges that may develop or worsen as a result of trau-ma they experience while serving. While terminology has changed by era, disabili-ties 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 re-fer to a chronic condition as-sociated 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 neg-ative stereotypes associat-ed with the diagnosis made some of those living with that trauma feel undeserving of benefits. “That diagnosis was really haunting,” said Welch.

“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 com-ing back still think it’s a la-bel,” 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.” Doug-las Welch trained to become a PTSD counselor in 1990, at Ft. Bragg, North Carolina.

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

help for all generationsAccording to the Septem-

ber 2014 United Way AL-ICE (Asset Limited, Income Constrained, Employed) re-port, the veterans most at risk of being in poverty are those who are unemployed, especially when they have exhausted their temporary health benefits and unem-ployment benefits expire. Veterans experiencing the most unemployment are

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

A veteran’s lack of knowl-edge about qualifying bene-fits and available services is the main obstacle the MVA works eliminate.

The MVA met with Michi-gan Works, which offers pri-ority 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 vet-erans take what they learned in the military and translate those skills for civilian occu-pation. “All they have to do is walk in the door and say, ‘I’m a veteran,’ and they’ll get tak-en 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 ethnic-ity in Mason County, they are the second among veterans,

according to the U.S. Cen-sus 2013 American Commu-nity 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 Execu-tive Director Jerry Langhann. He said that the MVA works closely with local and state governments, including the Michigan Veterans Affairs Agency, and strives to pro-vide help where it is needed the most. The MVA is cur-rently creating packets of in-formation for the National Guard, where some discharg-es are unaware they qualify for educational, medical and financial benefits.

Marty Kensil, MVA direc-tor, is a stateside veteran who first joined the National Guard in 1978, and is one of the 2,825 estimated vets liv-ing in Manistee County. He was a tank commander sta-tioned at Camp Grayling and was injured in 1997, during a training exercise that oc-curred during a storm. “The wind caught [the hatch of the tank] and slammed it. It hit me on top of the head and

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 medi-cally discharged and received 10 percent disability, which gradually increased to 40 percent. In 2010, he went to the VFW for help with ben-efits and talked to Art Gale, service officer at VFW Post #4499. Kensil’s benefits were increased to 100 percent within three months of work-ing 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 inju-ry, but the war ended before his deployment. He and oth-er MVA members said that some vets are not seeking benefits because they do not consider themselves “veter-ans,” since they were not de-ployed 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 Ken-sil. “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 de-nied two or three times be-fore qualifying. “We en-courage 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.”

This is an abridged version of a story that ran earlier this year.

Supporting those who servedLocal organization provides service to veterans through volunteerism

MVa faCts:michigan VeteRans Alliance, “Supporting

those who served”Began sept. 1, 2014nOn-pROFit cORpORatiOn registered Dec.

10, 2014, ManisteeapplicatiOn pending for 501(c)3 status15 liFetime charter members, veteran and

non-veteran, unpaid volunteersthe mVa’s purpose is to:pROVide diRect support to veterans by

providing guidance in locating servicesseek indiVidual veterans who are in neededucate VeteRans about available serviceseducate the public about veterans’ needssuppORt cOmmunities through volunteer-

ismdOnatiOns accepted to support the MVA

Financial cOntRiButiOns are accepted at

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 1-800-642-4838the mVRc is a collaborative partnership be-

tween 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/

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Saluting thoSeWho Were there

Stan BennetteAssociate Broker5492 W. US 10, Ludington

(231) [email protected]

Former MarineStaff Sargent.

1st Marine Air Wing,Vietnam Veteran

1001 Diana Street, Ludington, MI 49431

(231)845-5185

Mason County’s

MEDICAL CARE FACILITYOakview


Veterans Day is Nov. 11, but one group wants vet-erans to be remembered all year long. The Ameri-can 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 vet-eran’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 Nan-cy Hall at 843-3162.

Wreaths Across America Day preparation begins Veterans names neededAs part of

the Wreaths Across

America Day ceremony held

at Oak Grove Funeral Home

on U.S. 10, wreaths are placed at a

memorial hon-oring Mason

County veter-ans. Following

a procession from the cha-pel, a wreath is placed for each branch

of the U.S. military.

steVe BegnoChe | DAILy nEwS fILE pHOTO

Veterans in West Michi-gan have easier access to emergency assistance, fed-eral benefits claims and oth-er state and local services, through a program designed to assist those who have served in the Armed Forces.

Through the Regional Co-ordinator Program provides access to comprehensive, coordinated services avail-able in veterans’ own com-munities. 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, Osceo-la and Ottawa counties.

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

ing Operation Iraqi Freedom.Local service providers

can contact Loney by email-ing [email protected].

The MVAA serves as the central coordinating point for Michigan veterans, con-necting 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).

Coordinator program seeks to assist veterans

15


By dale Barnett

While we can all rejoice this Veterans Day that the steady flow of U.S. casual-

ties 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 Del-ta 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 father-less 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 ter-rorist attack aboard a train bound for Paris this summer.

Airman First Class Spencer Stone, Army Specialist Alek Skarlatos and An-thony 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 in-stant death or maiming for them and all of the other innocent people within range.

Fortunately, this story is remem-bered 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 ac-tions 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 under-standably fleeing from a mass shooting at Oregon’s Umpqua Community Col-lege 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 in-side. Mr. Mintz survived the attack and continues to recover after being shot five times.

These stories are inspiring, but cer-tainly 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 fan-fare.

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 differ-ent 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

War, sacrifice and America’s veteransNo better way to thank a veteran

than to provide him or her employment

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

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

steVe BegnoChe | DAILy nEwS fILE pHOTOS

‘…we must never forget the incredible sacrifice that America’s defenders continue to make on our behalf.’

16


WELCOME VETERANSAND FAMILIES!

URKA AUTO CENTERCHEVROLET • BUICK

www.urkaauto.com

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

(231) 845-6282

We are proud to be chosen a Vets-Cars approved dealer.With our excellent customer service and low low prices, we havevowed that our service members will receive a superior vehicle

buying experience. Come and experience thedifference 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.

salute to veterans 2015

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