November 2015

Volume 18, Issue 11

Veterans Day, November 11th, 2015, is a day to reflect on the significance of this holiday. World War I officially ended when the Treaty of Versailles was signed on June 28, 1919. However, fighting ceased seven months earlier when an armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect on the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. November 11th, 1918 is generally regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” In November 1919, President Woodrow Wilson proclaimed November 11th as the first commemoration of Armistice Day.

After World War II and the Korean War, veterans’ service organizations urged Congress to change the name to Veterans Day to honor Americans of all wars. It became law on June 1, 1954. Then in 1968, Congress decided to include Veterans Day as one of four national holidays to be observed on Mondays. Supported by the desires of the overwhelming majority of state legislatures, veterans’ service organizations and the American public, in 1975 President Gerald Ford signed Public Law 94-97, which returned the annual observance of Veterans Day to its original date of November 11th, beginning in 1978.

I am truly gratified to see how hometown America honors its veterans. From subtle plaques gathering moss to the granite statues of soldiers with muskets, the names of our hometown heroes are etched in stone in memorials across the nation. Living veterans also keep me ever-mindful of their place in military history. I recently I spoke to a veteran who spent a year at Da Nang, 9 months of combat and 3 months in the hospital, and a person whose father was a glider pilot in Belgium in WW-II. There are hundreds of thousands of memories of men and women who served. Veterans Day is their day and we should be proud just to know them and to honor them. Fellow E-9ers, we are among those who served. We should take a moment with our friends and loved ones, near and far, to reflect on our own military service on Veterans Day, November 11th, 2015.

THE E-9ERS ASSOCIATION

NEXT MONTHLY MEETING

November 18, 2015

11:00 AM

Mr. Panda Restaurant 2852 S Havana St

Aurora CO

The E-9ers of Colorado

www.e9ers.org

www.e9ers.com

The E-9ers Officers The following officers of the E-9ers Association are interested in hearing from you and what suggestions that you may have to improve our group. If you have any thoughts that you would like to share, please give one or more of them a call. They would love to hear from you. President: Jerry Gamache 303-400-6752 sjgam@comcast.net Vice President: Tom Smola 303-683-5160 masmola@msn.com Secretary: VACANT Treasurer: Ann Kelm 303-955-2514 billannkelm@gmail.com Director: Jack Hunter 303-797-3136 jackhunter@e9ers.org Director: Bob Olson 303-503-4884 olsonb475@earthlink.net Director: Patty Lee 303-796-9650 robertlee1937@aol.com Sergeant-at-Arms: Cal Keil 303-755-8532 calkeil@aol.com Newsletter Editor: Andrew Grieb 303-283-1801 newsletter@e9ers.org

PRESIDENT’S COLUMN BY JERRY GAMACHE

E-9

“Now over $1 billion over-budget and delayed well beyond its originally scheduled opening date, the new state-of-the-art facility will open in 2017.”

We have been remembering the 70th Anniversary of the end of World

War II over the course of the last month or so.

I am not of that generation. I look at that history with many feelings of

awe and wonder.

I, as a member of the DAV and the E-9ers, find myself as a friend with

men and women who fought in that war. I am regaled by tales of my

great-aunt, who went undercover in Germany during the war. My great-

uncles also fought in the war and one of them survived the Bataan

Death March, barely. I never got to know these family members, but

they are remembered by the rest of my family as heroes who helped

preserve our way of life and defeat tyranny.

I look in wonder at my friends who fought that war with the equipment

that I think of as antiquated and obsolete. I am further awed by the

personal stories they tell of their

brushes with death and danger. I am

humbled to be called their friend.

Tom Brokaw, in his book, called them

the “Greatest Generation”. I can’t help

but agree.

To all of you who served in this or any

War… Thank you and welcome

home.

VA MEDICAL CENTER IN AURORA FULLY FUNDED

REMEMBERING THE END OF WWII BY ANDREW GRIEB

In typical dramatic fashion, Congress finally passed, and the President

signed, a bill that would fully fund the beleaguered VA Medical Center

in Aurora, Colorado.

Now over $1 billion over-budget and delayed well beyond its originally

scheduled opening date, the new state-of-the-art facility will open in

2017.

We wish to thank the Colorado Congressional delegation for not letting

go of this important project and making sure that the contractors will

“Finish the Damn Thing”.

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NEWSLETTER SUBMISSIONS

Articles and photographs are due to the Newsletter Editor by the 15th of each month for publication in the next month’s newsletter.

Articles will be reviewed and edited for content, grammar and spelling.

Photographs should be submitted in JPEG format and in their original file. Please do not rename files. (I’ll do that later.)

Submission of articles and photographs does not guarantee publication.

Thank you,

Andy Grieb

By Heath Druzin

Stars and Stripes Published: October 5, 2015

WASHINGTON — A year and a half into an ongoing veterans’ health care scandal, a Washington lawyer has been tapped to be the first permanent Department of Veterans Affairs inspector general since 2013.

On Friday, President Barack Obama nominated Michael Missal, a partner at the law firm K&L Gates who works on government enforcement, internal investigations and corporate governance. He also has participated in several high-profile government and private industry investigations.

“The president selected Missal because he has a distinguished legal background and a proven record of expertly leading prominent, sensitive and extensive investigations,” a White House official said on background.

If confirmed by the Senate, Missal, 59, would be the first permanent VA inspector general since George Opfer stepped down in December 2013.

The office has been without a permanent leader during the entire VA scandal that broke in April 2014 and cost former VA Secretary Eric Shinseki his job.

The VA Office of Inspector General has been under fire for what critics say is excessive secrecy and coziness with the VA, and for aiming their investigations at whistleblowers rather than corrupt or incompetent VA officials. Acting VA Inspector General Richard Griffin resigned in July under intense pressure from congressmen and whistleblowers.

Germaine Clarno, a social worker at the Edward Hines Jr. VA Hospital in Illinois and the co-founder of the whistleblower group VA Truth Tellers, said her group still gets bombarded with messages from VA employees who report wrongdoing, experience retaliation and contend they get little help from the VA Office of Inspector General.

“It’s important that we have somebody who’s able to make some changes, including being transparent, independent and protect whistleblowers,” she said. “We have to make these changes because we’re not going to have world-class health care for veterans if the frontline employees can’t safely make disclosures.”

Missal was the lead counsel to the examiner in the WorldCom bankruptcy proceeding, led an independent review of journalistic issues at CBS and assisted in an ethics investigation of Sen. John Ensign, R-Nevada, who resigned amid scandal.

Missal did not immediately return a message left at his office Monday.

Wisconsin’s senators, both of whom were angered by the VA Office of Inspector General’s failure to initially release a report related to painkillers at Wisconsin VA, where a veteran later died from an overdose, said the nomination could be a first step toward improved oversight.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, D-Wisc., said a permanent inspector general is key to “stable leadership and oversight of the agency.”

“I now look forward to engaging in a careful review of Michael Missal’s qualifications for this important job,” Baldwin said in a released statement. “Permanent leadership of the Department of Veterans Affairs Office of Inspector General is long overdue.”

Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wisc., said he hopes Missal will be more forthcoming with investigation materials requested by lawmakers, who have expressed frustration at the lack of willingness by the Office of

Inspector General to release documents to Congressional committees.

“For far too long, the VA OIG’s lack of permanent leadership has compromised veteran care, fostered a culture of whistleblower retaliation within the agency, and compromised the independence of the VA’s chief watchdog,” Johnson said in a released statement.

LEGAL EXPERT NOMINATED AS VA INSPECTOR GENERAL

3

VA PROGRAMS REAUTHORIZED BY CONGRESS

STORY COURTESY OF DAV

E-9ER TO RECEIVE LEGION OF HONOR AWARD

On Monday, November

9th at 11:00AM, Angelo

L. Mazzi, CMSgt, USAF

(Retired) will be meeting

with the Honorary Consul

of France in Denver, Mr.

Jeffrey Richards, Esq. to

received the Chevalier

dans l’Ordre National de

la Legion d’Honneur

award for his

distinguished service in

France during World War

II.

Also receiving this award

will be Master Sergeant

Julian R. Kler, US Army;

Sergeant Uwe G.

Grapengeter, US Army;

Private 1st Class Odell

Plylar, US Army and

Private 1st Class Louis J.

Zoghby, US Army.

The awards will be given

to these gentlemen at the

Colorado State Capitol

Building Old Supreme

Court Chambers.

Congratulations to Angelo

Mazzi on this high honor!

For just the third time in the past 40 years, veterans will see zero

increase in service-connected disability compensation next year.

http://bit.ly/1OxfJlj

By law, the annual cost-of-living

adjustment, or COLA, is based on a

government measure of inflation. This

will affect benefits for more than 70

million people, more than one-fifth of the

nation's population, including about 4

million disabled veterans.

How a COLA is calculated:

http://1.usa.gov/1Oxgw5H

NO COLA FOR 2016

On September 30, 2015, the House passed S. 2082, the Department of Veterans Affairs Expiring Authorities Act. This bill, which cleared the Senate last week, extends VA authority to continue certain VA programs, including its Caregiver Support Program, assistance for child care, and the pilot program on counseling in retreat settings for women veterans. This bill has been submitted to the President and is expected to be approved. While this measure did not eliminate the sunset date and funding cap for the Caregiver Support Program, Disabled American Veterans (DAV) worked closely with appropriators and authorizers, strongly recommending an additional $74 million above the President's request for this program for fiscal year 2016. Congress agreed. DAV can take pride in effecting this accomplishment for thousands of families of the severely wounded. DAV also called on Congress during hearings held in April concerning the needs of women veterans, to highlight DAV's 2014 report Women Veterans: The Long Journey Home, to make permanent the pilot program on counseling in retreat settings for women veterans, to improve access to child care, and provide better responses to the needs of women veterans as they transition to civilian life.

CONTINUING RESOLUTION APPROVED

Congress and the President have approved a 10-week continuing

resolution to fund the federal government. This legislation continues VA

spending at the fiscal year 2015 rate, but then reduces it by 0.2108

percent. However, the VA's General Operating Expenses appropriation

was increased to almost $2.7 billion, to aid the Veterans Benefits

Administration in working down the disability claims backlog.

4

Marine Corps News | Oct 28, 2015 | by Lance Cpl. Caitlin Bevel The roar of an engine, the breaking of waves against a bulkhead and the jarring shift from the rocking sea to solid land could disorient any Marine, but for military working dog handlers, keeping their canine partners focused presents an even greater challenge. To overcome this obstacle, Marines constantly train to improve proficiency with the weapons and equipment needed for their specific job fields. For the Marine dog teams with 1st Law Enforcement Battalion, I Marine Expeditionary Force Headquarters Group, this includes any and every vehicle that could be used to transport them to where they are needed. On Oct. 21, 2015, 1st LEB Marine working dog teams used Landing Craft Air Cushions to perform amphibious landings and search for simulated explosives on a beach aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, California. "The LCAC is basically a hovercraft that goes over water and lands on the beach," said Cpl. Suzette Clemans, a military working dog handler with 1st LEB. "It's good training because the dog goes from being on a vessel to working right onto the beach." Amphibious landings often require Marines to adjust quickly from waiting in the vehicle to the explosive activity of the mission on dry land. This becomes more complex when dogs are involved.

"Some dogs can get nervous inside tight spaces, the waves might make them feel sick or uncomfortable, and getting on and off the vessel can be stressful for them," said Clemans, an Orlando native partnered with Denny, a Belgian Malinois patrol explosive detection dog. The LCAC is large enough to hold multiple trucks or pieces of large equipment, but passengers like the dog teams ride in a compact room with only two small windows. "When you first get off of something like that it's up to you to get the dog settled," said Gunnery Sgt. Chris Willingham, the Kennel Master for 1st LEB. "It's very important for handlers to understand their dog's capabilities and limitations." The LCAC is one of the few vessels where the dogs experience a change of terrain without being able to explore or see what is happening around them. They boarded the vessel in one area and came ashore somewhere completely different where they immediately searched for possible explosives. "Anything you can expose a dog team to prepares them for future unknowns," said Willingham. "What you don't want is to have your dog in a bland situation all the time where they know exactly what's going on and there's nothing with shock value or extra variables thrown in." The dog teams train with everything from trucks to helicopters to make sure they are ready for whatever situations they might face, said Willingham, a Tuscaloosa, Alabama, native who has been with the program for 15 years. "You can't plan for everything, but we always try to think outside the box to expose our dogs to different sites, sounds and smells," said Willingham. "If we identify any issues, we want it to be during training rather than combat." Willingham said he could not be more proud. The handlers brought their partners' attention back to the mission immediately and conducted off leash searches of roadways and vegetation where they gave positive responses to odors planted at the scene. "Being part of the military working dog program, you are part of a very special legacy," said Willingham. "It doesn't matter what branch of service you're in, if you're K-9 then you're K-9 and that's something we take a lot of pride in." Clemans said that she has been with Denny for a year and a half, since she joined the program, and it gives her confidence to know he has her back. The dogs and their handlers support the amphibious and expeditionary nature of the Marine Air Ground Task Force by enhancing the security environment. "We are definitely ready," said Clemans. "Any time, any place, you name it and we're there."

MARINE DOG TEAMS SNIFF OUT TROUBLE

5

"You can't plan for everything, but we always try to think outside the box to expose our dogs to different sites, sounds and smells,"

Joe, Joan and Jung Ae Choi take Italy by storm!

Joe Annello, his wife,

Joan and her sister,

Jung Ae Choi went on a

trip to Boston, MA and

later to Italy.

They went to Boston for

the Medal of Honor

Convention.

Of course, for the Italy

trip, it was to relax and

have fun.

Thanks for sharing the

pics, Joe!

PHOTOS TELL THE STORY BY JOE ANNELLO

6

32 of 74 Living Medal of Honor Recipients at the Harvard Chapel.

From left to right: Hiroshi (Hershey) Miyamura, Medal of Honor recipient and friend of Joe Annello for over 65 years, Joan Annello, Jung Ae Choi, Joan’s sister, and, of course, Joe Annello!

This was a letter written by an Air Force friend of ours and originally printed in the Gazette on Sept 30th, 2015. I think you will find it very interesting.

To the editor:

I believe all US Citizens do (or should) recognize the Constitution is America's most important document. By law, we all celebrate it, annually, during the week of September 17-23. This year -- September 2015 marks the 228th anniversary of the drafting of the Constitution of the United States of America by the Constitutional Convention.

I know several of you are doing the math... and you are correct. The Constitution was not signed in 1776 with the Declaration of Independence. It took 11 years to draft this most special

Document –our Constitution was signed in September 1787. The Constitution stands as evidence of America's efforts to record, preserve, and protect our liberties, our freedoms and our inalienable rights. On August 2, 1956 President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed a public law establishing September I 7-23 as Constitution Week.

During this special week we, as citizens should:

Emphasize our responsibilities for protecting and defending the Constitution.

Inform people that the Constitution is the basis for America's great heritage and the foundation for our way of life, and

Encourage’ the study of the historical events which led to the framing of the Constitution in September 1787.

One last important point - the Oath of Office taken by every senior official in the United States Government says: I, David Johnson, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America against all enemies, foreign and domestic; That I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; That I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion, and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office I am about to enter - so help me God.

It is interesting to note that all Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines in stating this oath of office do NOT swear allegiance to their unit or to their Commanding Officer -OR to the Army, Navy or the Air Force. In this oath, they do not swear loyalty to the current Commander in Chief - instead, they all – including myself - swore allegiance to the Constitution and what it tasks us to do. Namely, all Federal Employees – including those in the uniform services are tasked "to establish Justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty."

During the very early years of my military career - I remember reciting the words and not really understanding what it meant by – defending against all enemies, foreign AND DOMESTIC. I don't think we had many domestic enemies in those days - but today it's different. I believe a lot of what our constitution stands for is under attack. Think about the efforts to dis-establish or undermine justice – the efforts to insure domestic turmoil, to provide vulnerability in America. Just think about the headlines you've read recently - or in the last few years. There are those who would not promote general welfare and don't really care about our liberties - rather, they would tell us all what to believe, how to think and how to act. There are those who would even tell us what is "politically correct" to say - or not say.

Our oath of office is the highest calling – one that most take very seriously ,- to support and defend the Constitution of the United States. I want you to know – that if there comes a time to choose between supporting the Constitution ' and anything else - I'll support and defend our nation's highest document and what it says.

Like many others.... I've sworn an oath.

David Johnson Brigadier General, US Air Force (ret) Lake Gaston

A LETTER TO THE EDITOR SUBMITTED BY BOB LEE

7

PLEASE PLACE STAMP HERE

November - Happy Anniversary

Charles & Georgia Loveland ......... 11/1

Don & Lolita Young ....................... 11/1

Michael & Lila Osborn ................... 11/3

George & Margaret Nowakowski 11/14

Chuck & Kyung Joga .................. 11/14

November - Happy Birthday

Barbara Dick ................................. 11/2

Lois Vansciver ............................... 11/3

Greg Egan ..................................... 11/3

Wally Reid ..................................... 11/4

Ralph Yannutz .............................. 11/6

Donald Gier ................................... 11/7

Marie Disenso ............................... 11/7

Sam Pitzen .................................... 11/7

Rosalyn Mitchell ............................ 11/8

Paul Lietz .................................... 11/11

Willie Roundtree .......................... 11/11

Violet Hoffman ............................ 11/12

Ann Ellington ............................... 11/13

Perry Gore................................... 11/14

Loy Brown .................................. 11/15

Jerry Gamache ........................... 11/15

Robert Ochsner .......................... 11/16

Cheryl Six ................................... 11/17

Troy Engholm ............................. 11/17

JoAnne Sube .............................. 11/18

Debbie Gamache ....................... 11/18

Bill Allan...................................... 11/18

Susan Allen ................................ 11/19

Vince Patton III ........................... 11/21

Fred Hamblen ............................ 11/21

Susan Gallik ............................... 11/22

Theda Victor ............................... 11/24

Billie Musslewhite ....................... 11/25

Clyde Leckie ............................... 11/28

Karen Schwanke ........................ 11/28

Charles Loveland ....................... 11/29

The E-9ers Association

Andrew Grieb, Editor

2980 S Racine St

Aurora CO 80014-3329

Phone: 303-283-1801

E-mail: newsletter@e9ers.org

Return Service Requested

November 2015 Aurora Veterans Salute 11/4 Veterans Day ............. 11/11 November Meeting .. 11/18 Thanksgiving ............. 11/26 December 2015 Christmas Social ....... 12/9 Christmas Eve ........... 12/24 Christmas .................. 12/25 New Year’s Eve ......... 12/31 No Meeting in December!

CALENDAR

US Marine

Corps

240 years old

11/10/2015