the vietnam salute for october 2020 newsletter …...secretary: joel garcia 915-373-7727...
TRANSCRIPT
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THE VIETNAM SALUTE FOR SEPTEMBER 2020 NEWSLETTER VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, INC.
PO BOX 26842 EL PASO TX 79926-6842
www.vvachisolm844.org
Newsletter Editor Edward E. Wilkes
LIASIONS Texas State Council: Mike Grijalva
D.A’s Victim Crime Walk Ray Fierro & Sukie Fierro
UAVO: Moe & Virgie Molina
Sun Bowl Flag unfolding: Doug Davis
National VVA
:
SUPPORT Parliamentarian: Raul Vargas 915-309-4437
Chapter 844 Chaplin: Doug Davis 915-204-0723
Sgt.at Arms:
Ben Flores 915-256-4832
George Enriquez 915-496-7490
Juan Huerta 915-252-1365
POW/MIA of the month: Tony Vega 915-999-1420 Accredited Service Officer: Virginia (Virgie) Molina 915-591-3670
Marketing Director: Gilbert Blancas 915-3093791
PIO: Steve Nordberg 915-833-5915
Newsletter Editor: Edward E. Wilkes 915-500-0178
Need a document Notarized?
Elias Camacho (915) 843-6889
Free to Members of VVA & AWA
Standing Committees Chairs 2020 1. Membership Affairs: Joe Ortiz 915-356-8667 2. Scholarship Committee: Al Dozal 915-566-0025 3. Public Affairs/ PIO: Steve Nordberg 915-833-5915 4. Community Services
Committee: Doug Davis 915-204-0723
5. Finance Committee: Russell Vincent 915-204-2698 6. Website: Rene Rodela 915-345-4211
7. Social Media Committee: Bonnie Jones 580-919-1110
8. Awards and Public Relations Committee
Moe Molina 915-591-3670
9. Color Guard / Vietnam War
School Education Mike Grijalva 915-873-4878
10. Fund Raising and Promotions Committee:
11. Government Affairs/Legislation:
Tom Shaughnessy
915-252-8008
12. Elections Committee:
DIRECTORS: #1 Edward Wilkes: 915-500-0178 [email protected] #2 Arturo Ramirez: 915-422-7796 #3 Ramon Fierro 915-920-7415 [email protected]
#4 Douglas Davis: 915- 204-0723 [email protected]
#5 Eusebio Molina 915-591-3670
#6 Frank Rios 915-259-7837 [email protected]
#7 Joe Ortiz 915-356-8667 [email protected]
Life: Robert Chisolm 575) 874-1004 [email protected]
AVVA Advisor: Sukie Fierro
915-920-0237 [email protected]
2019-2021 Board Of Directors Officers President: Elias Camacho 915-843-6889 [email protected]
Vice president: Miguel Grijalva 915- 8734878 [email protected]
Secretary: Joel Garcia 915-373-7727 [email protected]
Treasurer: Russell Vincent 915-204-2698 [email protected]
Happy Birthdays October 2020 Xavier Gonzalez 1 Oct Jim Paul 10 Oct
Salvador Montelongo 2 Oct US NAVY Birthday 13 Oct
Miguel Grualva 9 Oct Isela Davis 31 Oct
Alfred Saenz 9 Oct
THE VIETNAM SALUTE FOR OCTOBER 2020 NEWSLETTER
VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA, INC.
CHAPTER 844
PO BOX 26842 EL PASO TX 79926-6842
www.vvachisolm844.org Newsletter Editor Edward E. Wilkes
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PRESIDENT’S NEWSLETTER FOR OCTOBER 2020
Greetings, Brothers, and Sisters.
I Hope you are all in the best of health and staying safe.
Ed Wilkes our newsletter editor has been very busy lately. Ed came up with the idea of having all our newsletters condensed digitally and saved electronically and categorized by year. This will enable us to have years’ worth of newsletters in one simple thumb drive versus having stacks of paper. Ed is also doing the same with the general meeting agendas and minutes and is thinking of continuing with other Chapter records. This will alleviate having stacks of paperwork. Ed is scanning these items one at a time, ( when not available electronically) his work will simplify things and give us quick access to our records and avid having to search through all the boxes. Way to go Gunny! We greatly appreciate your efforts. Hua! And thanks Joel for keeping all those records.
Just learned a couple of weeks ago that one of our members, Harry N Ball who lived in Colorado passed away February of last year, I never had then honor of knowing Ball. May he rest in peace. Also, our condolences to Roy Jones on the passing of his son, we expect to have our children outlive us, and when something like this happens It really hurts. Also, our condolences to our Chaplain Doug Davis on the passing of his brother. This is the 3rd family member that Doug has lost within the last couple of months. May the Lord be with each and everyone of you and give you the strength needed at this difficult time. Our prayers for Bertha Wilkes on her upcoming operation, may it be a success and quick recovery
We are currently living through a time of many uncertainties. We have no control of many things in our life and our age and health conditions only make it worse. Things are rapidly changing within our society. Businesses are closing , we can’t enjoy the company of friends and relatives like we used too, we can’t go to church, movies or dinning , we make fast trips to the store and cover our faces, and we don’t socialize . It is uncertain if the Vietnam veterans of America will survive this, it remains to be seen. This reminds me of conditions in Vietnam and the lack of certain commodities such as showers, toilets, beds, mess halls, sleep, freedom of movement, one had to adjust to the circumstances in order to survive. Becoming angry, bickering, fighting among ourselves, complaining, and blaming others did not help the situation. What prevailed was learning to adjust to the situation and being innovative and having discipline and using what was at hand, never forgetting the ultimate goal and sticking together.
This is also true of our Chapter situation right now. Declining membership due to deaths, lack of participation due to illness, and physical deterioration and now with the presence of this epidemic in which those who are still active cannot meet and participate as we did. It only makes the stress and uncertainty more realistic. Realistically speaking there has to come the time when we will have to close the doors to the VVA as we know it. But it is not NOW. You elected a board to run the chapter, to look after chapter affairs and follow our directives. Nothing was said that we should fold when things got tough.
The reason I bring it up is because things have come up recently with some board members questioning why we are having meetings, that we should just close shop till after this virus is over with and questioning if the virtual meetings are legal and why we have so many virtual meetings in the first place. Others say we should have person to person meetings. I often wonder if these
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people are familiar with our Chapters nomenclature. Brothers, let’s not surrender yet and let’s hang on, let’s not die before our time lets be optimist but careful and safe. We have a tendency of fearing the unknown. Let’s accomplish our task, Not recklessly but with caution and care. First let’s make ourselves familiar with the situation and things we need to do. This however may require us to reinvent ourselves and to know ourselves as a corporation and as individuals.
I often wonder, does anyone ever read our by-laws? Does everyone understand that we are not just a simply social club of good old fellows that hang out together once a month to eat, exaggerate our stories and simply do as we wish? No! We are a Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America Incorporated and we pledged, in order to be accepted and be a part of, to follow their Constitution, by-laws, directives, guidelines and operational procedures. Each State has a State Council which oversee the Chapters and we fall under the Texas State Council and again we are obligated to follow their Constitution, by-laws and so forth. But better yet, we are a Corporation under the laws of the State of Texas, we are classified as a domestic not for profit and again we have certain commitments and obligations as a Corporation which are required from the State and the others . All of this entities require certain regular actions and reports from our Chapter, may it be the IRS, National VVA, TSC, or the Texas Secretary of State. We must follow all laws pertaining to these entities and requirements and these things have not changed.
I as President am required and responsible that all of these requirements are followed and that all reports are made and turned in in a timely matter. These forms and reports are no longer the type you fill out with paper and pencil and mail out, they are now online, and you must make your reporting online and there are always deadlines. To a certain extent we are not autonomous, and our composition is such that we are subordinate in many ways. We must adjust to the situation and continue to meet all of our obligations.
How many of you in Vietnam gave up when situations got scary and seemed doomed? On the contrary, we obeyed, we fought, we believed, we trusted, hoped and prayed and we made it home.
Schools, Government agencies, businesses and doctors, as well as other organizations are adjusting to the situation. They are all going to virtual meetings in order to keep up and continue operating during this virus. They are NOT shutting down. I think the virus not only hastened us in using new methods of communications and meetings and how we proceed, I think sooner or later this was coming. Look around you, everything is changing. Our world is changing into a virtual, computerized world and we need to keep up or we will be like fish out of water. Town hall meetings, political rallies and a variety of other services as well are now virtual
Recently my wife and I went to get tested for the virus since it was free, short lines and the newspaper said we did not have to register. When we got there, I was told I had to register online, I quickly went to google and registered otherwise we could not have the test. The results were sent by e-mail.
(Even McDonalds now has a touch screen to order food.)
Most of us at our age are afraid of the new technology but we must move up or be left behind. This is not 2000, nor 2010, its 2020 and if you don’t want to join and choose to stay behind,
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that is your prerogative , I’m okay with that, as for our chapter we will accept that and we will continue to keep those members informed in the old traditional way. But as for the people running this chapter it has become essential. I feel that as board members and leaders of this Chapter we need to keep up with the trend in order to better serve our members. The status quo is not enough anymore. We need to change with the times or become stagnant. I encourage those of you who don’t text or email, use this valuable time of staying at home to learn. At the lease ,everyone has a cell phone now in days and you can best keep in touch by texting and you can even join zoom meetings with your cell phone. It is not hard and once you learn you’ll say, “oh this was easy”.
This is why I feel that the board must continue to meet on a regular basis to make sure that
we are following all requirements especially during this time of the pandemic when these entities keep changing as situations change and we must keep informed , communicate with each other , act accordingly and remain connected.
Our zoom meetings at the beginning were frequent because we were all learning how to use it. Some had trouble signing in and by the time we got started and we had our invocation and roll call 15-20 minutes were up and we have only 30 minutes of free zoom time. We are using a free version which only allows us 30 minutes. We are getting better now; we are adjusting, and we will start having one meeting per month.
At the same time, I would like to thank and recognize those board members who went through all the pain of learning how to use a computer and learning how to zoom. Not only was it a sacrifice in patience for some, but some even made personal financial expenses to get the proper equipment. And it’s not a waste, you can use it to contact and communicate with your children and grandchildren whom you are unable to see because of the pandemic. You can even connect with the VA.
We the Board asked for your vote and volunteered to oversee the Chapter, we are standing guard duty and keeping watch to make sure everything is kept on order and running smooth until we come together again, anything else would be a dereliction of duty.
For some of you including our founders who cannot or will not try to step up to the new technology I say thank you very much for giving birth to this Chapter and bringing it up to this point. But now please trust and support those members who can and are willing to continue to take the Chapter to the next level. Make no mistake, you are still instrumental, and your experience and knowledge are appreciated, this is still your Chapter but please don’t criticize, gossip, or belittle, please, help us. It is during these times that we more than ever need to be united and cover each other’s back just like we did in Nam and let those willing to take point - lead. Having said that, I must also state that we have some brothers who don’t text, or email but when it comes to helping out, they are the first in line and I thank you. In another note, Thanksgiving is November 26th and the BOD is going to be discussing this month if we are going to give away some turkeys to some underprivileged families. If you have any suggestions call one of the board members and let us know what you recommend and no Alfred, you do not qualify as underprivileged.
Take car Don’t forget to vote. You earned it. “All ahead Flank!”
May your Journey bring you clear skies, smooth seas, and favorable calm winds.
Elias A Camacho, President
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Jim Paul was born on October 10 in El Paso and attended St. Patricks’ Elementary and
El Paso High schools. Entered Texas Western on a Basketball scholarship as a freshman and
work the following years as a student assistant in the athletic department. Paul was drafted and
served at Ft. Bliss and Long Binh, South Vietnam with the First Logistical Command. Upon
completion of his obligation, he departed Vietnam and the US Army as a Sergeant.
Jim Paul Autobiography
The team broke six consecutive attendance records, and 19 total in his 23 years, and began to
revolutionize all of minor league baseball with fan friendly marketing, promotions, creative ideas, and plenty
of involvement. Next, he began a promotions/marketing seminar in September in El Paso where all these
creative ideas were presented and exchanged to everyone who attended. The “El Paso baseball seminar”
began with 12 attendees for two days and ended in 1998 with over 307 attending for 3 days.
El Paso enjoyed the spotlight and reputation as being the most famous and most written about minor league baseball operation in the entire history of minor league baseball. Here as just a few publications and networks who did features on El Paso: (front cover) National Geographic, Sports Illustrated, Southwest Airlines magazine, Houston Chronicle, USA Today (2), NBC Nightly news, Los Angeles Times, CBS News with Dan Rather, The Washington Post, The Today Show (twice) NBC, Dallas Morning News, Texas Country Reporter, Baseball America, and many more !
Paul was President and CEO from 1974 through 1996 (23-years). He received every Minor League recognition award possible (four) and most up to 5 different times. Diablos were chosen the “Organization of the Decade’ -80s, and Paul was selected by Baseball American as the outstanding minor league executive for Two Decades’ (only 1 was chosen), during their first 20-years of publishing.
During and since his ownership, he has received the following recognition awards for his successes
and a for his involvement in the El Paso Community; “Distinguished Alumni” UTEP, State of Texas, “Small
Business “ ‘Person of the Year’ (only one is chosen), Conquistador Award, city of EP, EP ‘Hotel-Motel
Association ‘ “Hospitality Award”, EL Paso’s “Small Business Person of the Year” –SBA and EP Chamber
of Commerce, “Humanitarian Award”- ‘Fellowship of Christian and Jews’, “Outstanding Ex-Student”, El Paso
High School, “President’s Award” – New Mexico State Univ., El Paso Athletic Hall of Fame, “UTEP School
of Journalism” ‘Outstanding Alumni’, ‘ University of New Mexico Award’ for Sports Administration.
During his time with the Diablos he collaborated with Dr. Jim Mason of UTEP to co-author the first college
textbook on sports administration and management. It was published in 1988 by Prentice Hall, the top publishers
of college textbooks. “Modern Sports Administration” Book was dedicated to Walter O’Malley, former owner of the
LA Dodgers, for his foresight of universities needing to academically prepare students for careers in sports
administration and management. The Diablos were sold in 1996, and Paul was hired at New Mexico State as Director
of Athletics in 1997. There he helps double the average attendance at football games in his second year and broke
the all-time attendance record for average attendance his third year. (Team w/l records were 1-10 and 3-8 those 2
years).
Due to his relationship with George W. Bush, Paul joined the “Bush for President Campaign” in 1999 - 2000 , doing fundraising and
achieved the “Pioneer Level” of the ‘Exploratory Fundraising Committee’ (only 186 reached the assigned goal), and then achieved the “Team 200” level for the final Campaign, in which only 110 nationally achieved goals for both campaign fundraising levels.
From 2001 to 2007, Paul did sports consulting, published a monthly magazine, and promoted an average of four major concerts a year (from Rap to Christian and everything in between) in El Paso.
He has served on 23 different El Paso non-profit boards and participated in an additional 9 more non-profit campaigns as a volunteer or chairman of their various fundraisers. He is currently active in three other non-profit organizations.
Jim Paul has been with Hospice El Paso for 12 years, the last seven as the CEO.
Most importantly for the past 4 years is a member of the
Vietnam Veterans of America – Robert E. Chisolm Chapter 844 El Paso Tx, And was presented with the” President Award” in the Month of May 2019.
Diablos Baseball Team
President and CEO
Jim Paul Owner
1974 - 1996
He returned and graduated from UTEP while holding down two part time jobs. His career in
athletics took him to Kent State and Louisiana – Lafayette before returning home to take over El Paso’s AA
minor league baseball team then owned by friends. The team was known as the Sun Kings. He immediately
changed the name to Diablos. After a successful first year and due to some unimaginable circumstances,
he became the owner in March of 1975. He bought the team with all the money he and wife Connie had in
their savings….. $1,000… and inherited over $50,000 of past due debts. The next ten years the operation
made Minor League baseball history for its uniqueness and creativity evolving around the fan experience.
Inducted into the Original
El Paso Baseball Hall of Fame.
Class of 1988
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From: VVA Chapter 844 Vice President Mike Grijalva The Veteran’s arade:
I am sorry to have to inform everyone, we have been informed that because of COVID-19 and all the restrictions,
health, safety, and liability factors involved; we WILL NOT BE ABLE to conduct a Veterans Parade this year.
Chaplain’s Corner Prayer for the Month of October 2020
You pray, Jesus seeks.
We pray for a person to find God, But Jesus said it is the other way around. He said that
He came to “seek and to save the lost” (Luke 19:10}
Jesus does the seeking, and the Holy Spirit open’s the person’s heart. There is no other
way to get an unsaved person to respond. That is what we should be praying for it took years to
understand that. When we pray urgently and faithfully by name for a specific lost person, asking
God to reach them, God works, often in unique and unexpecting ways to open hearts to Himself.
A person can pray for a loved one for many years without any apparent effect. And yet they
go on to say that their prayers finally have been answered. If God has put a burden on your heart
for an unbelieving loved one or friend, keep on praying. Jesus taught that we “ought always to
pray and not lose heart.”(Luke 18:1}.
Luke 19:10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”
Matthew 18:1 For the Son of Man has come to save that which was lost.
{Billy Graham}
Vietnam Veterans of America
Robert E. Chisolm Chapter 844 El Paso Texas
Chaplain / Rev/ Paster Douglas Davis
Respectfully Submitted
Rev / Paster Douglas Davis
VVA Chapter 844
Be Safe use your Mask
God Bless You All
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From your VVA Chapter 844 Vice President:
Greeting Brothers and Sisters,
Needless to say and due to a family health crisis and elementary online school, I have not been active at all with the chapter and with the Board of Directors on online. After conferring with members of our color guard, we have accepted a request for a Veterans Day Event on November the 14th at 1000 hours at Flags Across America. I hope to see as many of our blue shirts there. Stay safe and healthy!
Respectfully Submitted
Mike Grijalva Vice President Vietnam Veterans of America
Robert E. Chisolm Chapter 844 and Color Guard Commander
Charley Golf Six, News Reference your Colors
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Brother and Sisters,
My name is Edward Elmer Wilkes and at present I’m your Newsletter Editor.
I have been working with members of the VVA Chapter 844 for the past year and
have got know them very well
We have continued with producing the Newsletter each month to ensure up-
to-date information is provided to the members as it happens. Due to the fact that
there are sickness and members and family passing away each month.
I’m asking all the members to please provide any information so I can include
them into the monthly I’m trying to make the Newsletter more informative so
members can enjoy reading the news that happens each month. I need the help of
every member make this work. I started in July 2019 and my plan is to improve each
month the quality and informative new as it happens each month. Please feel free
to call me 915-500-0178 or email me [email protected] to provide info and
or comments so I can add it to the Monthly Newsletter.
I would like to give a prayer for my wife Bertha Guadalupe Wilkes, (her middle
name is her Saint Name) she went into the Hospital Sahara Providence on 12101
Edgemere Boulevard, El Paso, Tx. on the 6th of October 2020.
I love very much and our 20th Wedding Anniversary is on the 14th of October
2020, we are never apart and it seem that when she goes to th hospital it is on a
special day. This time it is our celebration of our vows on the 14th of October 2020,
But by Catholic Church on 18 November 2020. I would honestly be lost if anything
happened to her she means to world to me. We have a son together; his name is
Edward Paul Wilkes, he is 16 at present and is a LTJG in Navy JROTC and is a
Junior at Fabens High School and is doing Great. My son and I are praying
together for her to get through this so we can be together on the 18th of Nov 2020.
Respectfully Submitted
by Edward E. Wilkes
VVA CHAPTER 844
NEWSLETTER EDITOR
Happy 243 Birthday
13 OCTOBER 2020
UNITED STATES NAVY Edward E. Wilkes
USMC
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Joke of the Month for October 2020
After a long illness, a woman died and arrived at the gates of Heaven.
While she was waiting for Saint Peter to greet her, she peeked, the woman said
to him, This such a wonderful place! How died through the gates. She saw a beautiful
banquet table. Sitting all around were her parents and all the other people she had
loved and who had died before her. They saw her and began calling greetings to her.
When Saint Peter came by, the woman said to him, This such a wonderful place! How
do I get in? “You have to spell a word,” Saint Peter told her. “Which word?” The
woman asked. “Love” The woman correctly spelled love, and Saint Peter welcomed
her into Heaven.
About six months later, Saint Peter came to her and asked her to watch the gates
of Heaven for him that day. While the was guarding the gates to Heaven, her husband
arrived. “I’m surprised to see you” The woman said. “How have you been?” “Oh, I’ve
been doing pretty well since you died, “her husband told her. “I married the beautiful
young nuse who took care of you while you were ill. And then I won the lottery. I sold
the little house you and I lived in and bought a big mansion. And my wife and I traveled
all around the world. We were vacation and I went water skiing today. I fell, the ski hit
my head, and here I am. “How di I get in?” “You have to spell a word,” the woman told
him. “Which word?” her husband asked. “Czechoslovakia”
VVA Robert E. Chisolm Chapter 844 Calendars
There are only 25 calendars to be given away this
year, this will be done on a first come first serve basis.
Unfortunately, due to lack of funds, this year we will only
be distributing one calendar per member and you must
personally pick up your calendar. Calendars may be
picked up on October 19, 2020 at the El Zarape restaurant
located at 6369 Montana suite B, behind the Bingo Plus
from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Please help me thank Rudy
Escajeda for allowing our chapter to distribute calendar at
this location and support El Zarape restaurant.
Respectfully submitted
Jesus Dominguez
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Advertising in the
“Vietnam Salute”
VVA Chapter 844 Newsletter
Your Advertisement will help pay for the Newsletter
and support the Vietnam Veterans of America
Robert E. Chisolm Chapter 844 Service activities. AD SIZE COST
½ Business Card $75.00 for 12 Months
Full Business Card $125.00 for 12 Months
2 ½ Inch x 3 ½ Inch $150.00 for 12 Months
½ Page $250.00 for 12 Months
½ Business Card Offering
for VVA Chapter 844 Free Services
Members
Advertising Committee Chairman
For more information Please contact
Gilbert (Gil) Blancas (915) 309- 3791
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EL PASO COMMUNITY ADVERTIZING
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