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Purple HeartPurple HeartM A G A Z I N EPurple Heart

July/August 2011

FOREVERSTAMP UNVEILED

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Offi cial Publication of the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A., Inc.

4 National Commander’s Note

6 National Sr. Vice Commander’s Note

7 National Jr. Vice Commander’s Note

8 National VAVS Director’s Note

9 VA Fee Basis Program

10 Editor’s Corner

11 Mail Call

12 Someone You Should Know

14 MOPHSF Car Donation Program

16 Hand in Hand in Branson

18 News & Gatherings

26 2011 Scholarship Recipients

30 LAMOPH National President

31 LAMOPH Candidacy Announcement

32 LAMOPH National Sr. Vice President and Jr. Vice President

33 LAMOPH National Chaplain and LAMOPH Taps

38 Taps

THE MISSION OF THE Military Order of the Purple Heart is to foster an environment of goodwill and camaraderie among Combat Wounded Veterans, promote Patrio-tism, support necessary legislative initiatives, and most importantly, provide service to all veterans and their families.

MOPH VISION STATEMENT

“MOPH is to undertake a Pro-Active Representation in all forums of public opinion that will consistently seek to improve the status and stature of its Veteran Members, their dependents, families and survivors.”

MISSION STATEMENT

Offi cial Publication of the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A., Inc.

Purple HeartM A G A Z I N E

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Acceptance of advertising contained herein does not imply endorsement nor attest to the effi cacy of advertised products by the Military Order of the Purple Heart or any of its members or staff.

July/August 2011Vol. LXXVI, Number 4TABLEOFCONTENTS

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LAMOPH Taps

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33 LAMOPH National and LAMOPH Taps

38 Taps

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July/August 2 0 1 1 PURPLE HEART MAGAZINE 3

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4 PURPLE HEART MAGAZINE

During World War II the Army Corps of Engineers needed to hide the Burbank, CA Lockheed Aircraft Plant to protect it from a possible Japanese air attack. They covered it with camoufl age netting to make it look like a rural subdivision from the air. It was strong enough to walk on and they hired people to ride bi-cycles and move around as if they lived there to make it look authentic.

National Commander’s Note by Clayton Jones

1) An American Indian who is a veteran now has the choice to go to the closest VA or Indian Health Services Medical facility to him/her.

2) Veterans who are members of the MOPH can get assistance going through TSA checkpoints at airports. All they have to do is to send their information to Patriot Frank Van Hoy at MOPH Headquarters.

3) We procured new computers for all of our National Service Offi cers and National Headquarters.

4) On May 5, 2011, the United States Postal Service unveiled the Purple Heart Forever stamp on the fl ight deck aboard the USS Midway Museum in San Diego, Ca-lif. MOPH members were instrumental in bringing the stamp to fruition. Patriot Boyd Barclay, MOPH’s current Finance Offi cer, originally developed the concept of a Pur-ple Heart Forever stamp; Past National Commander Lou Spinelli orchestrated a letter from then Senator Hillary Clinton supporting the stamp; and Past National Com-mander Bill Wroolie was National Commander when the fi rst Purple Heart stamp was issued. All three of the above

Past National Commanders, along with Past National Commander Al Silvano, attended the ceremony on the Midway. I want to thank everyone who has been involved in getting the Forever Purple Heart stamp issued.

On May 7, the U.S. Navy honored Medal of Honor recipient Navy Lt. Michael Murphy with the laying of the keel for the future USS Michael Murphy (DDC-112) at Bath Iron Works Shipyard in Maine. Lt. Murphy was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during Operation Red Wings in Afghanistan on June 28, 2005 and was the fi rst recipient of the Medal of Honor in the War on Terrorism. The date was chosen because it would have been Lt. Murphy’s 35th birthday. Lt. Murphy’s father is Patriot Dan Murphy, MOPH’s Nation-al Judge Advocate, who attended the ceremony with his family. Dan, I want to thank you and your family for allow-ing the MOPH to be a part of the ceremony.

It has been my privilege to serve you as your com-mander this past year. I look forward to many more years in service to the order. �

AS I WRITE MY LAST ARTICLE as your National Commander I do so with a heavy heart. I have really enjoyed my year as your National Commander. Not everything goes the way you want it to, but that is life. When I look at what we as an Order have accomplished this past year I am very proud. The following things have been accomplished this year:

A Farewell from National Commander Jones

Hiding the Lockheed Plant during World War II

from the air. It was strong enough to walk



Purple Heart Magazine©

ISSN: 0279-0653July/August 2011

Offi cial Publication of theMILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART OF THE U.S.A., Inc.

Chartered by Act of Congress

RUSSELL SMITH, EDITORLOLLO SCHNITTGER NYLEN, PRODUCTION MANAGER JEFF TAMARKIN, COPY EDITORE-MAIL: [email protected]

SUBSCRIPTIONS, CHANGE OF ADDRESS, REPORT OF MEMBERS DEATH: Contact MOPH National Headquarters at 5413-B Backlick Road, Springfi eld, VA 22151; Phone (703) 642-5360; Fax (703) 642-1841; Email: [email protected].

NEWS, PHOTOS, EDITORIAL SUBMISSIONS and CORRESPONDENCE: The Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A., Inc. (MOPH) is comprised of combat-wounded veterans who have been awarded the Purple Heart Medal by the Government of the United States. Purple Heart Magazine is the offi cial publication of the Military Order of the Purple Heart of the U.S.A., Inc., a Congressionally chartered national veterans organization.

Copyright 2011 by Military Order of the Purple Heart, Inc. All rights reserved.The cost of a subscription to Purple Heart Magazine is included in the membership dues paid by members. Rates for non-members in the United States and its possessions are $15 per year (6 issues) or $3 per single issue; in other countries, $25 per year, which includes postage. Published bi-monthly.

POSTMASTER: Please send change of address information to: Purple Heart Magazine, 5413-B Backlick Road, Springfi eld, VA 22151. Postage for periodical mailing of Purple Heart Magazine is paid at Springfi eld, VA and at additional mailing offi ces.

NATIONAL OFFICERS 2010-2011NATIONAL COMMANDERCLAYTON JONES (SHARON)703 PINEY RIDGENixa, MO 65714-8784RES: (417) 724-1095Cell: (417)[email protected]

SR VICE COMMANDERWILLIAM HUTTON (SUE)3106 RIKKARD DRIVETHOUSAND OAKS, CA 91362CELL: (805) [email protected]

JR VICE COMMANDERBRUCE MCKENTY (FRANCINE)10216 89TH AVE SWLAKEWOOD, WA 98498-3812CELL: (253) [email protected]

COMMANDER - REGION IPATRICK LITTLE345 CARLISLE DRIVEAVONDALE, PA 19311RES: (610) 268-1621CELL: (302) [email protected]

COMMANDER - REGION IICHRISTOPHER SMRT (JENNIFER)1304 TYCOON WAYLOUISVILLE, KY 40213FAX : (502) 458-3797CELL: (502) [email protected]

COMMANDER - REGION IIIRON SIEBELS (ELAINE)1945 NO. SALEM DRIVEANCHORAGE, AK 99508-5180RES: (907) [email protected]

COMMANDER - REGION IVWILLIAM EVERETT (JACQUIE)5727 BUCK WARD RDBAKER, FL 32531RES: (850) 537-8553CELL: (850) [email protected]

COMMANDER -REGION VFEDERICO REY (ELAINE)4903 TRANSIT CIRCLEAUSTIN, TX 78727-5144RES: (512) 339-8034CELL:( 512) [email protected]

COMMANDER - REGION VIJACK SHIMIZU (TERRY)5370 E. CRAIG ROADAPT. 1432-6LAS VEGAS, NV 89115-2177RES: (702) 522-7311CELL: (702)[email protected]

NATIONAL ADJUTANT JACK LEONARD (SHEILA)5413-B BACKLICK RD.SPRINGFIELD, VA 22151-3960OFC: (703) 642-5360FAX: (703) [email protected]

NATIONAL SERVICE DIRECTOR FRANK VAN HOY (CINDY)5413-B BACKLICK RD.SPRINGFIELD, VA 22151-3960OFC: (703) 354-2140FAX: (703) [email protected]

MOPH CFODAVID AHEE (LAURA)5413-B BACKLICK ROADSPRINGFIELD, VA 22151-3960OFC: (703) 642-5360FAX: (703) [email protected]

LEGISLATIVE DIRECTORHERSHEL GOBER (MARY LOU)5413-C BACKLICK RD. SPRINGFIELD, VA 22151CELL: (202) [email protected]

FINANCE OFFICERBOYD BARCLAY (JUDY)820 N. E. 63RDOKLAHOMA CITY, OK 73105-6442OFC: (405) 842-1971FAX: (405) 842-1972CELL: (405) [email protected]

FINANCE COMMITTEE CHAIRMANDENNIS WALLOT (GAIL)2066 SO. WAYNE ROADWESTLAND, MI 48186-5428RES: (734) 595-6571OFC: (734) [email protected]

JUDGE ADVOCATEDANIEL J. MURPHY (KAREN)P.O. BOX 321RIVERHEAD, NY 11901OFC: (631) 852-2395CELL: (516) [email protected]

INSPECTORDAVID BOWMAN (MARTHA)P.O. BOX 1715CARMEL, IN 46082RES: (317) 525-8852CELL: (317) [email protected]

SERGEANT-AT-ARMSKEN SWORDS (SHERRY)2826 SAPPHIRE CTTALLAHASSEE, FL 32309RES: (850) [email protected]

DEPUTY SERGEANT-AT-ARMSJAMES L. HALL1925 STATE ROUTE 8COLD BROOK, NY 13324-2003RES: (315) [email protected]

PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR JOHN E. BIRCHER III (CAROL)6001 SPINNAKER LOOPLADY LAKE, FL 32159RES: (352)-753-5535CELL:(352)[email protected]

EDITOR-Purple Heart MagazineRUSSELL SMITH (JANIE)8900 Oakmont Valley DriveOklahoma City, OK 73131-7257CELL: (405) [email protected]

PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE CHAIRMANRICHARD CHERONE (BARB)12880 WIMBLEDON DRNEW BERLIN, WI 53151RES: (262) 786-9663CELL: (414) [email protected]

WELFARE OFFICERJIM CASTI (HELEN)2214 PARK AVEP.O. BOX 639NEWPORT, NC 28570-9649RES: (252) [email protected]

ROTC OFFICERFEDERICO REY (ELAINE)4903 TRANSIT CIRCLEAUSTIN, TX 78727-5144RES: (512) [email protected]

CHAPLAINJIMMY L. YOUNG (MARY LYNNE)525 NORTH FARM RD #205SPRINGFIELD, MO 65802-7272RES: (417) 869-8724CELL: (417) [email protected]

AMERICANISM OFFICERRON SIEBELS (ELAINE)1945 NO. SALEM DRIVEANCHORAGE, AK 99508-5180RES: (907) [email protected]

SURGEONDR. KENNETH K. LEE (KATE)715 TALON TRAILBROOKFIELD, WI 53045RES: (262) 794-0133OFC: (414) 384-2000 X [email protected]

VAVS DIRECTORDEL “BULLDOG” TURNER (ANN)104 SHIMMER POND COURTMADISON, AL 35757-7751 RES: (256) 837-3474FAX: (256) 837-3474 (call fi rst so he can hook it up)[email protected]

VIOLA CHAIRMANGARY KINSER (KATHY)7899 ALDEN WAYFRIDLEY, MN 55432-2408RES: (763) 574-9678CELL: (763) 242-6621OFFICE: (651) 290-0624FAX: (651) [email protected]

VETERAN EMPLOYMENT OFFICERDON NICHOLS2030 ASPEN DRIVETAHLEQUAH, OK 74464-6035RES: (918) 453-9206OFC: (918) 453-0838CELL: (918) 931-8632FAX: (918) [email protected]

CELL PHONES FOR SOLDIERS COORDINATOR EARL SCOTTY MACKENZIE4107 WEATHERTOP AVECHEYENNE, WY 82001CELL: (307)[email protected]

SCHOLARSHIP COMMITTEE CHAIRMANDR. ALEX WAIGANDT (MARTI)13 HILL HALLUNIVERSITY OF MISSOURICOLUMBIA, MO 65211OFF: (573) 882-4741CELL: (573) [email protected]

PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICERHARRY SMART (DOE)5059 CREEKMOOR DRIVESAN ANTONIO, TX 78220-4903RES: (210) [email protected]

POW/MIA COORDINATORART BISHOP (ELLEN)2910 AMERICAN RIVER DRIVESACRAMENTO, CA 95864-7123RES: (916) 359-2910bishop@winfi rst.com

NATIONAL HISTORIANJAMES J. KLUG (STEPHANIE)329 GRAND VIEW DRASHLAND, OR 97520RES: (541) [email protected]

LAMOPH PRESIDENTKAREN HALTINER (ROBERT)19138 BEDFORD DROREGON CITY, OR 97045RES: (503) [email protected]


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July/August 2 0 1 16 PurPle HeArt Magazine

National Sr. Vice Commander’s Note by Bill Hutton

of your organization. Be thorough in your investigation of candidates and be willing to accept the consequences of your decision for a minimum of the next three years.

Speaking of candidates, may I offer my full support for the election of Bruce McKenty as the next National Senior Vice Commander. Bruce and I have worked together as Region Commanders and now, as Junior and Senior Vice Commander. I have become well acquainted with Bruce as we speak almost daily by phone. He possesses the integrity, credibility and professionalism that are so important for an organization to thrive and grow. Also, may I add my sup-port on the LAMOPH side for the election of Barb Cherone as National President. Again, as my LAMOPH counterpart,

I communicate with Barb on a daily basis via phone or e-mail in regards to organizational goals, leadership and the future direction of our organizations. If I am elected as the National Commander in August, I will be so honored and privileged to have the opportunity to work with such dedi-cated and committed individuals as Bruce and Barb.

In closing, may I offer my prayers and condolences for those who have lost a loved one this past year. Many have left their footprints for us to follow as we move forward to carry the torch for our veterans and their families. Lastly, let us not forget those brave warriors across the world that protects the same freedoms that we enjoy on a daily basis. See you in August. U

AS we MOVe tHROugH tHe dePARtMeNt and chapter elections and into the “dog days of summer,” we are gearing up for the 2011 National Convention in the twin Cities of Min-nesota. As many of you will visit the great Mall of America and have an abundance of items to select from for purchase, another event will be happening within that city during the same

period of time. You will have a field of candidates running for national office at the Military Order of the Purple Heart National Convention. the most important decision that you, the membership must make, is whom you are going to elect as your next National Junior Vice Commander, as he will be the future face

The Journey Forward

On March 30, natiOnal cOMMander clayton Jones testified on behalf of the Military Order of the Purple heart (MOPh) before a Joint hearing of the Senate and house committees on Veterans’ affairs. this annual event brings together the lead-ers of all of the major Veteran Service Organizations, and allows those Members of congress directly responsible for Veterans’ affairs to hear first-hand the issues of most concern to veterans. this year, commander Jones addressed many of the is-sues that veterans face, especially the top MOPh legislative priorities for the 112th congress, including: elimination of the Survivor Benefit Program (SBP) and the de-pendent indemnity compensation (dic) offset; concurrent receipt of military retired pay and Va disability; improvement of the timeliness and accuracy of the department of Veterans’ affairs (Va) claims system; Medicare subvention; Va health care, espe-cially traumatic Brain injury (tBi) and Post traumatic Stress disorder (PtSd); and veteran employment/contracting opportunities within the federal government.

Military Order Of The Purple Heart Testifies Before Joint Hearing Of Senate And House Committees On Veterans’ Affairs

National Commander, Clayton Jones


July/August 2 0 1 1 PurPle HeArt Magazine 7

National Jr. Vice Commander’s Note by Bruce McKenty

at all levels. However, this does not mean that the Military Order of the Purple Heart does not have clout in Congress or other federal agencies. We do have clout. In fact, it is said that the only Veterans Service Organization that has more influence than ours is the Paralyzed Veterans of America.

With that said, recruiting more members is paramount to our organization and its survival in the long term. We must do everything we can to get more Purple Heart re-cipients to join our ranks. But more important than more members is getting more of our current members to be active and participate in local, regional and national events. That is where we gain greater power, through local, regional and national recognition.

It is very difficult to determine what needs to be done at the chapter level to get more members active. I know this from personal experience as the adjutant of my chap-ter for seven years. We tried having barbeque lunches on

weekday afternoons. We tried switching days and times from weekday afternoons to weekend mornings. We tried breakfast buffets. We tried guest speakers and entertain-ment. We sent out postcards every month to remind members of meeting days and times. None of it worked, at least not to any great extent. There is no magic answer that will fit every chapter. It will always vary by chapter, by state and by region. There are some chapters that have great attendance at their monthly meetings by making them interesting and enjoyable. So, here is the challenge:

To all the chapters that have great attendance at their monthly meetings, I challenge you to write an article for the Purple Heart Magazine telling all of us what you do and how you do it to attract a large number of members to your meetings.

Please share this information with the rest of us so that our chapters may benefit from your experience. Submit your articles to the Purple Heart Magazine for publication. U

AS Of THe JANuAry 2011 ISSue of The Purple Heartbeat newsletter from our National Headquarters, total membership in the Military Order of the Purple Heart is 44,124 mem-bers. It sounds like a lot of members but when you compare it to other Veterans Service Organizations like the VfW, DAV, American Legion, AMVeTS, etc., we are very small. An

example, for comparison, is this: I live in Washington State where the VfW state membership is more than the MOPH national membership. I point this out not to slight the MOPH, but to compare our strengths to others. Membership numbers and money equate to power, prestige and political influence

Membership

MOPH MeMbersHiP TOP recruiTers as of June 13, 2011Member Chapter Dept No Recruited National Service Officer State No Recruited



National VAVS Director by Del “Bulldog” Turner

An extension of the NAC is its Executive Committee [EC], which is made up of 20 organizations that moni-tor the performance and provide oversight of NAC mem-bership policies and procedures. The MOPH is a voting member of the EC and a chair of one of the subcommit-tees. The training at the NAC was a great experience and an enormous amount of information was provided in a short period of time. The following topics were covered:

1. Training for local VAVS representative: department pro-vided an in-depth look at their duties and responsibilities.

2. VA Maternity Program: a real eye-opener. A female veteran may receive prenatal care, give birth and receive after-care as part of her VA entitlements.

3. A Peaceful passing: how the VA provides care for vet-erans at the end of life as part of hospices.

4. Overview of the mechanics of the social media and how it applies to the VA, as they enter into this new phase of communications.

All of this training was top-notch, and valuable infor-mation was gained by all who attended the classes.

Training and orientation materials for volunteers is an ongoing program with much of the training provided via the Internet. Courses include Computer Security, Privacy Action and Prevention of Sexual Harassment, and more.

The development of volunteer recruitment materials con-

tinues to be a priority. These materials are continually updat-ed. The VA is using Facebook and Twitter, where videos can be posted, and linked to the VA’s YouTube channel. They are exploring every avenue to increase their volunteer numbers. Health programs for veterans can also be found on Facebook, Twitter and closed VA-only internet sites. The VA is develop-ing a dashboard to show the impact of volunteers in their po-sition and listing volunteer opportunities at local VA facilities.

The MOPH has scholarships available for youth vol-unteers. Information and applications are on our national website. All Patriots need to be involved in recruiting these highly motivated youth. Small gifts are provided for volunteers; the local VAVS representatives can contact the National VAVS Director for more details. Many of you are aware of our Christmas Stockings program for Wounded Warriors at the VA Polytrauma Rehabilitation Centers. A new VAVS program is in development for the 11 Blind Vet-erans Rehabilitation Centers across the country.

In closing I request that all newly elected chapter and department commanders become involved with our Na-tional VAVS program. Please review the quarterly VAVS committee meetings, where you have Patriots assigned as your local VAVS Representatives and obtain copies of the Annual Joint Review {AJRs} reports we completed by your Representatives during each October. U

AT THE END OF APRIl, lAMOPH VAVS representative Ann Turner and I attended the Department of Veterans Affairs, National Advisory Committee [NAC] in Cincinnati, Ohio. Also in attendance was Patriot William Ware, a newly appointed MOPH national VAVS representative. The local MOPH Chapter 3620 provided many volunteers to work the reg-

istration desk for the NAC members checking in.

VAVS Training is Top-Notch

MOPH new cHaPters as of June 14, 2011Charter Date Region ChapterDept Chapter Name Location Organizer

4/20/2011 2 OH 0699 SummitCounty Akron,OH PaulH.Suscinski5/31/2011 4 SC 0817 Sumter Sumter,SC DavidJ.Blanding

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Pre-Authorized Outpatient Medical Care

VA may authorize a veteran to use local community providers for hospi-tal and outpatient care if VA facilities can not meet a veteran’s needs due to a lack of available specialists, long wait times or extraordinary distances from the veteran’s home. VA must pre-authorize these services before a veteran receives treatment. There are several ways for a veteran to be eligible for this program, the most common being treatment for service-connected conditions or any condi-tion of a veteran who is 50 percent or more service-connected.

Emergency Care of Service-Connected Conditions

VA may pay for emergency care for treatment of a veteran’s service-connected condition if it is impos-sible for the veteran to get to a VA

facility. An emergency is defi ned as a situation in which, without im-mediate treatment, the veteran’s health or life is threatened. When this happens, the veteran, the fam-ily, friends or hospital staff should contact the VA within 72 hours. VA should be provided with the reason for the emergency treatment and the services being offered. VA should be questioned as to how reimburse-ment will be made. The name and phone number of the VA individual should be recorded as well as the date and time of the call. VA may move the veteran to a local VA facil-ity as soon as it is feasible. There are several ways for a veteran to be eligi-ble for this program, the most com-mon being emergency treatment for a service-connected condition or any condition of a veteran who is per-manently and totally disabled due to service-connected conditions.

Emergency Care of Non-Service-Connected Conditions

VA may also pay for emergency care for treatment of a veteran’s non-service-connected condition if it is impossible for the veteran to get to a VA facility. To be eligible the veteran must meet all of the following:

1) Enrolled in VHA health care system and received care within 24 months before the emergency.

2) Financially liable to the medical provider for the emergency care.

3) Has no entitlement to care or services under a health-plan.

4) Has no other contractual or le-gal recourse against a third party that would in whole extinguish such li-ability to the provider.

5) Does not qualify for payment as a service-connected veteran as noted above. Once again, VA must be noti-fi ed within 72 hours but any claims must be fi led within 90 days.

The purpose of this article is to remind you of what benefi ts are available. Do not use it to determine your eligibility for these benefi ts, as there are too many variables. If you have questions, contact your local MOPH National Service Offi cer, who is there to assist you with all your VA questions. �

I AM SERVICE-CONNECTED for arthritis but the VA is too far for me to travel to in order to receive treatment. I have a medical emergency but I can’t get to the VA. What do we do?

These are common questions that many veterans ask. Too many times a correct answer is never received. Do you know that VA has a fee program that may authorize and pay for medical care in non-VA medical facilities? Let’s review some of the key details of this program.

by Casey Matuszak

VA Fee Basis Program

4/20/2011 2 OH 0699 Summit County Akron, OH Paul H. Suscinski5/31/2011 4 SC 0817 Sumter Sumter, SC David J. Blanding


July/August 2 0 1 110 PURPLE HEART MAGAZINE

PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE AWARDS FOR BEST NEWSLETTERSTHE PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE IS VERY INTERESTED in the Department and Chapter News-letters. Awards for the best in several categories are given at the National Convention each year including best story and best photo. To qualify, each Department and Chapter must submit at least one hard copy (through the postal service) of their newsletter to each committee member listed below by June 1 of the current convention year. It would be a good idea if the committee members were added to your circulations list during the year. Remember, the committee members must receive one hard copy of your newsletter regardless how many electronic newsletter you send to them.

RICK CHERONE (CHAIRMAN & 4-year Member) 12880 Wimbledon Dr. New Berlin, WI 53151(262) [email protected]

NEIL VAN ESS(3-year Member)P.O. Box 665Totowa, NJ 07511(973) [email protected]

NICK MCINTOSH(2-year Member)4112 Chapel LaneNew Albany, IN 47150-9611(812) [email protected]

ROBERT LINDEN (1-year Member)3367 Virginia St.Atwater, CA 95301 (209) [email protected]

CLAYTON JONES (Ex-Offi cio with vote)National Commander703 Piney RidgeNixa, MO 65714-8784(417) [email protected]

PUBLIC RELATIONS COMMITTEE AWARDS FOR BEST NEWSLETTERS in the Department and Chapter News-

letters. Awards for the best in several categories are given at the National Convention each year

Editor’s Corner by Russell Smith

your stories of combat. I have tried to reserve the “Some-one You Should Know” column for heroes of the War on Terror to ensure we tell their stories too. We have tried to print every “News and Gatherings” item submitted. This does not always happen, usually due to poor picture reso-lution. Early on we printed a picture of a veteran whose ribbons, pinned to his civilian clothing, were not in the proper order of precedence. Lesson learned. Due to your input, we carefully screen all pictures to ensure this does not happen again. Keep your input coming!

Setting it StraightIn our last issue I wrote a piece about the late, great

Patriot Jimmy Leach. I typed in 78th Division, when in fact the unit in question was the 87th Division. I received a letter, printed in full on page 11, from Mr. Wayne Robin-

son, historian of the 761st’s association. Mr. Robinson’s correction regarding the 87th is right-on and welcome. Mr. Robinson, I am sure, understands that our quoting a report circa 1944 does not signify our concurrence with its contents. As someone who has been recognized by the Buffalo Soldier Association for supporting their mission, I am aware that many, if not all, of the segregated black units of World War II and Korea had their reputations and their readiness misrepresented. This, of course, was the case with the 761st, who went on to perform magnifi cent-ly. Mr. Robinson claims that I asserted a negative estimate of the 761st when I clearly stated that it was Jimmy Leach’s commander, Colonel Scruggs, who Jimmy Leach quoted. Anecdotes from Patriot Leach’s friends indicate that he was fi ercely proud of the 761st and all of its soldiers. The editorial staff concurs with Patriot Leach. �

AS I END MY FIRST YEAR as Editor, I want to thank all of you for your service to the order and for your letters and emails. It is my intent to ensure that the magazine refl ects what the membership wants and to be available to you when you call, write or email me with your questions, ideas and corrections. The “On Being Wounded” column is intended to showcase

Your Input Makes Us Better

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Unsupported HearsayIn your artIcle about captain Jimmy leach (Purple Heart Magazine, May-June 2011), you describe leach’s support of the 345th Infantry regi-ment of the 78th Infantry Division. In fact, it was the 87th Division, not the 78th. you also wrote that the 761st tank Battalion “was said to have all of its gear in maintenance and to be not combat ready,” “everyone knew the 761st was the black battalion and the officers and men on the ground had the opinion that they were not hold-ing their own as an effective force,” and leach, quoting the regimental commander, colonel Sugg, as saying, “If you’re no better than those black goddamn tank battalion (sic), you can take your tanks now and go,” and im-plying that the 761st would not fight and only give excuses for not fighting. considered together, these unsup-ported hearsay descriptions present an inaccurate, unacceptable, deroga-tory picture of the Battalion and their accomplishments during the time period at issue, December 12-14, 1944.

according to 87th Div. records, the 87th’s 346th and 347th Inf. regts. ar-rived at the Saar-German border on December 9, 1944, where they relieved the 26th “yankee” Inf. Div. the 87th was officially committed to action as part of Patton’s third army on 13 De-cember 1944. according to the 761st tank Battalion’ after-action reports for this time period, “a” company of the 761st provided tank support to the 347th regt on 12 December, 44; “a”

company supported the 346th regt on December 13, 1944, knocking out one enemy tank and one personnel car-rier. on 14 December, 44 “a” company supported the 346th regt in its attack on rimling, engaging a self-propelled gun and forcing it to withdraw.

By December 15, 1944 the 761st was down to three operational Sher-man tanks, and therefore was relieved from 87th Div and attached to its sup-port group, the 17th armored Group at Sarre union for maintenance and refitting from Dec. 15-20, 1944. It is therefore unlikely that the “officers and men on the ground” had the time or opportunity to form the overwhelm-ingly negative estimate of the 761st tank Battalion asserted by you and in captain leach’s quote of colonel Sugg.

In its 183-day combat odyssey across six countries in the european theater of operations, the 761st tank Battalion provided armor sup-port for the 26th, 71st, 79th, 87th, 95th and 103 infantry divisions, 17th airborne Division, 3rd, 7th and 9th armies, eliciting nothing but praise and official commendations for their work. they earned 10 Silver Stars, 69 Bronze Stars, 291 Purple Hearts, six battlefield commissions and both a belated Presidential unit citation and Medal of Honor, despite their status as a separate, segregated battal-ion dependent on the units they were attached to for decorations. anyone having evidence tending to tarnish the record of this battalion should be required to support their allegations

with substantial evidence, not unsup-ported hearsay and innuendo.

Wayne RobinsonHistorian

761st Tnk Bn and Allied Veteran’s Assn.

Wounded Warrior SoftballI woulD lIke to personally thank you all, the Military order of the Pur-ple Heart and the Military order of the Purple Heart Service Foundation, along with my coaches and players on the wounded warrior amputee softball team, for your kind and very generous support at our team dinner at Brion’s Grille thursday, May 5th, and our softball game held May 6th at George Mason university. I would also like to thank you for all the press releases and national exposure you gained for us. I can honestly say it was a homerun for all involved!

It is kind monetary gestures like this that make it possible for these wonderful amputee veteran/soldier/Marine athletes to travel and partici-pate in a sport they love. at the same time, they are an inspiration to all who see them, and are a shining example of the triumph of the human spirit.

again, thank you.David P. Van Sleet

General Manager/Head Coachwww.woundedwarrioramputeesoftballteam.org

Mail Call

Send letterS to:The preferred submission procedure for letters are via email to: [email protected]. Letters can also be submitted by regular mail to: Russell Smith, 8900 Oakmont Valley Drive, Oklahoma City, OK 73131. The maga-zine reserves the right to edit letters as it deems necessary.


http://www.woundedwarrioramputeesoftballteam.org

http://www.purpleheart.org


ARLINGTON, Va.—Gunnery Sgt.

Brian M. Blonder shot and killed an insurgent who was aiming a rocket-propelled grenade at his Marines. Af-

ter that, Blonder and his Marines averaged killing one insurgent about every 10 minutes.

At the end of an all-day fi ght, more than 50 Taliban were dead, scores were retreating, and the Marines took control of a key supply route through the village of She-wan, Afghanistan.

Blonder said it was what he came to do, and it’s what Marines do best: kill the enemy. And his unit did that ex-ceptionally well even though the Taliban outnumbered the Marines roughly eight to one.

For thriving in the face of danger, Blonder, a native of Deer Beach, Fla., was awarded the Navy Cross during a ceremony at the Marine Corps War Memorial in Arling-ton, Va., May 10. Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus pre-sented the award and said Blonder is “one of the most selfl ess and disciplined Marines” he’s ever met.

“He’ll be remembered for this for generations,” Mabus said. “His attack was relentless. The insurgents grew afraid.”

Blonder deployed to Afghanistan in the summer of 2008 with 2nd Battalion, 7th Marine Regiment. As a re-connaissance Marine by trade, he was serving as platoon sergeant for Force Reconnaissance Platoon, a group of 30 Marines, who were attached to the battalion’s Company G.

The fi refi ght began when Marines and Afghan Na-tional Police were patrolling in Shewan, Afghanistan, a desert village in southern Afghanistan close to the Iranian border, late morning Aug. 8, 2008. Blonder and Force Recon Platoon, along with an equal-sized element from Company G, were patrolling the village streets, anticipat-ing enemy activity. Blonder and his Marines entered the village from its eastern border, while the Company G Ma-rines entered from the North.

Taliban insurgents had control of the village and were known to man fi ghting positions along Route 517, a major roadway in southern Afghanistan.

Blonder said Afghan National Police had previously re-ported heavy resistance from insurgents in the village, to include many roadside bombs on Route 517. The Marines’ mission was to gain control of the roadway, rid the village of Taliban, and help the Afghan police establish a presence in the village.

The Marines planned weeks in advance for a sure fi ght when they stepped foot into Shewan. Blonder wasn’t surprised when he saw the inhabitants had either left or stayed inside their homes.

“It’s standard when Marines or coalition forces enter towns with insurgents that the local populace don’t come out,” said Blonder.

Someone You Should KnowBy Sgt. Michael S. Cifuentes, Headquarters Marine Corps



Force Recon Platoon patrolled for three hours before the first shot was fired. Taliban fighters, who were hidden in a drainage trench, fired an RPG at Blonder and his crew. Chief Petty Officer Joe Martin, the platoon’s Navy corpsman, spot-ted the enemy through the smoke trail of the RPG.

Blonder and Martin dropped into the trench, which the three-man enemy RPG team used as a getaway path, and pursued the attackers.

“At one point, one of them kind of popped up and sil-houetted himself. So, I shot that guy and killed him. The other two continued on down the trench line,” Blonder said.

A four-man team of Marines, led by Gunnery Sgt. Garrett Dean, supported the pursuit by flanking the enemy’s escape.

The pursuit ended in minutes when the two insurgents where killed by Dean’s team.

When intense small arms fire and explosions erupted nearby, Blonder and his men moved to the sound of the fight. Taliban had ambushed the Company G Marines and were in multiple fortified fighting positions firing a barrage of RPGs. Blonder’s team rescued a destroyed humvee’s occu-pants and withdrew to a safe area away from Taliban gunfire.

Blonder repositioned his outnumbered Marines, and in direct, close combat, maneuvered against the enemy.

Through Blonder’s order, the aggressiveness of the Marines, and their leaders’ selfless actions and initiative, a unit of approximately 30 Marines ousted a force of an estimated 250 Taliban combatants—some intelligence reports claimed there were as many as 500 insurgents. Blonder’s planned flanking attacks slowly but surely gained more and more territory that was once occupied by Taliban insurgents earlier in the day.

The Marines’ assault was also bolstered by mortar and air support. Several 500 to 1,000-pound bombs were dropped on enemy positions.

“Our goal was to push the enemy out of their trench-es,” said Blonder. “We kept pressing the attack until we did just that.”

More than 50 insurgents were confirmed dead and nu-merous more were wounded, while the Marines suffered no losses. Blonder was personally responsible for killing at least three that day.

Fighting ceased by sunset when the enemy had either

fled or were killed.Blonder said he was happy to be victorious.“When it was all over with, and I was standing on the

battlefield and the enemy was gone, I had a great sense of pride and accomplishment,” Blonder said. “When you’re not standing on the ground of the enemy at the end of the day, the enemy won. Instead, we took the stand, we drove the enemy out of their homes, and then we left on our own terms when we were ready to.”

Many Marines who participated in the battle were awarded with medals for valor.

“When you inflict that number of casualties on the enemy and none of us were killed, that’s a pretty success-ful fight,” said Martin. “The more chaotic things got, the more calm and on point [Blonder] was. I don’t think I’ll ever have another platoon sergeant like Gunny Blonder.”

Their mission of seizing control of Shewan’s portion of Route 517 and ridding insurgents from the village was ac-complished. In fact, Blonder said he hadn’t heard of Marines or coalition forces receiving any more casualties in that area from insurgents during the rest of the deployment. The vic-tory disrupted several Taliban unit networks, which Blonder said crippled Taliban spirits in southern Afghanistan.

“Our number one job is to locate, close with and kill the enemy,” said Dean. “What we did that day is what we trained for, and that’s what we’ll always do.”

Blonder remembers the triumphant and tiring day viv-idly. From the rifle fire Sgt. Frank Simmons bestowed upon the enemy, killing “countless” insurgents with single shots to the head or chest, to the accurate sniper fire of Staff Sgt. Richard Powell, Blonder said he’ll wear the Navy Cross as a representation of the Marines he fought alongside that day.

“It was a busy day,” Blonder said. “Every Marine out there was a huge part of that fight. From the NCO (noncommis-sioned officer) leadership all the way up to the officer leader-ship – everyone contributed all they had to that fight.” U

Editor’s NotE: Although Gunny Blonder is not a PHM recipient, the editorial staff felt the story of his heroism ought to be told. We are also wondering if Gunny Blonder is made of steel and on behalf of the order wish him luck and a hearty Oorah, Gunny!



MOST OF US KNOW that there is a Purple Heart Car (PHC) donation program, but do you know what really makes the program tick and why it is so important to what we do? Most people learn about the program through highway billboards, advertisements they receive through the mail like ValPak or MoneyMailer, or even while watch-ing a football game in the stadium at a Washington Red-skins game. But what happens to that car after they call in to make a donation? And, more importantly, how exactly does the MOPH benefi t when a car is donated to Purple Heart Cars?

What you may not know is that about 70 percent of the overall revenue raised by the MOPH Service Foundation comes from the Purple Heart Car Donation Program. In turn, the fi nancial grants given each year by the Service Foundation to the MOPH and LAMOPH are what allow us to operate every aspect of the organization. The Purple Heart Car Donation Program provides the necessary re-sources to fund programs and services for combat wound-ed warriors, disabled veterans and their families, including

the National Service Program and VAVS program, as well as the Americanism, Scholarship, Jr. ROTC, the National Convention, the National Appeals Offi ce, the Court of Veterans Appeals, the National Outreach Program, various other educational scholarship programs, and United Ser-vice Operations (USO), among others. For most of these programs, the needed funds go not only to veteran hospi-tals and clinics, but to the families and dependents, as well. Over 500,000 donors have trusted Purple Heart Cars with their vehicle donations. It is the generous American public that makes it possible to provide these programs and a variety of local programs for disabled veterans.

Why Donate Your Vehicle to Purple Heart Cars? Donated vehicles, trucks, RV’s, and motorcycles are eli-

gible for a tax deduction. Purple Heart Cars has stream-lined the process and much of the donation form can be completed online. It is fast and secure. Towing is free, and the vehicles do not have to be in running condition. And most importantly, Purple Heart Cars offers employment opportunities to disabled veterans. Many of the current Donor Service Agents are veterans.

Who Gets the Call?In most cases, when a call comes in to Purple Heart

Cars, it is a disabled veteran who takes the call. Many were trained at the Veterans Vocational Technical Institute (VVTI), which provides virtual call center and help desk job training for combat wounded and disabled veterans. The job skills provided allow disabled veterans to succeed in high-demand technical positions and maximize their employment opportunities. This year VVTI is also offering contract specifi c training to spouses of active duty mem-bers in the armed forces. Did you know that the VVTI is owned and operated by the MOPH Service Foundation? For more information on VVTI go to www.vvti.org.

What Do You Know About the Purple Heart Car Donation Program?

Board members receive check from Michael Lasini and Sal Cuomo in Baltimore


http://www.vvti.org


What Happens to the Car After the Donation is Made?MOPHSF has partnered with Manheim/Total Resource Auctions (TRA)

to pick up and auction the cars that have been donated to Purple Heart Cars. More than just a contractor that disposes of the cars, TRA cares deeply about what they are doing on behalf of the MOPH. Not only do they provide pref-erential hiring to veterans, but in the past several months, the TRA facili-ties in Philadelphia, Pa., Baltimore, Md., and Fredericksburg, Va., have each

held special events in conjunction with veteran related holidays to honor their own veteran employees. At each of these events, TRA presented special checks to the MOPHSF that represents a portion of their own profi ts, in addition to what the contract calls for. For more informa-tion about Manheim/Total Resource Auctions go to www.manheim.com/products/total_resource_auctions.

If you would like to learn more about the Purple Heart Car Donation Program, including interviews with both a Purple Heart Car donor and a buyer, you are invited to watch a short video we recently produced to explain the Purple Heart Car Program to the public. Go to www.youtube.com/watch?v=HNXMVHCm94Q to see the video. Contact the Purple Heart Car Donation Program toll free at 888-414-GIVE (4483). Or visit us online at www.purpleheartcars.org. �

Bobby Penny, a visually impaired veteran, working in the Purple Heart call center

7008 Little River Turnpike P.O. Box 49

Annandale, VA 22003 (703) 256-6139

PRESIDENTJames M. Blaylock

P.O. Box 308Tucker, GA 30085

1st Vice PresidentR. Louis Spinelli17 Seventh Street

New Brunswick, NJ 08901

Vice PresidentJames Durkin

42 Whitebark LaneBlu� ton, SC 29909

TreasurerWilliam A. Wroolie1111 Lakeview LaneBrainerd, MN 56401

SecretaryAl Silvano

20 Lady’s WalkLady’s Island, SC 29907

DIRECTORSFrank A. Athanason

7217 Veneto DriveBoynton Beach, FL 33437

Robert (Bob) E. Gaylord5610 Tilia CourtBurke, VA 22015

John L. Hammel2752 Lake Forest Park Dr.Sturgeon Bay, WI 54235

Joseph R. Hems1271 Stockton Drive

North Brunswick, NJ 08902

Michael J. McNelly905 16th Street, N.W.

Washington, DC 20006

James D. Randles344 Brookshire Drive

Lilburn, GA 30047Je� rey RoyPO Box 414

Longmont, CO 80502

Frederick A. Taylor, Jr.4213 Raccoon Loop

New Port Richey, FL 34653Louis C. Tebbe

P.O. Box 976Gaylord, MI 49734


http://www.manheim.com/

http://www.youtube.com/watch

http://www.purpleheartcars.org

16 PURPLE HEART MAGAZINE

T’S THERAPEUTIC TO COME HERE,” said a veter-an to Chaplain Jimmy Young, who had just said “I’m glad you’re here.” Indeed it was. Each year, Branson.com honors Purple Heart recipients in April with a free, three-day event in Branson, Mo., they call “Hand in Hand: Branson Honors Purple Heart Re-

cipients.” Larry Milton, the owner of Branson.com and a Marine veteran, has funded the event for three years.

The brainchild of Marlyce Stockinger, the event draws rave reviews from all Purple Heart veterans who attend. Stockinger stated at the opening ceremony, “We are about love of country, honoring our veterans and God.” Stockinger has been nicknamed “The General” by the veterans because she is fi rmly in charge and keeps the attendees moving.

Registration is one of the fun events at Hand in Hand. The Golden Corral provides coffee and pastries and the Fac-tory Merchants Mall provides a large meeting room where veterans and their families, meet, socialize and share stories.

For lunch we headed to the Barbara Fairchild Diner. The food was terrifi c and inexpensive. Fairchild, known as “The Veteran’s Sweetheart,” sang her famous Grammy-nominated hit, “The Teddy Bear Song,” to the delight of everyone. It didn’t hurt that she sang it cheek to cheek with some of our members.

Hosted graciously by magician Dave Hamner and ventril-oquist Jim Barber at the Hamner-Barber Theater, the event kicked off with a solemn opening ceremony, which included

a color guard provided by the Vietnam Veterans of America.The Military Order of the Purple Heart National Service

Offi cers provided a presentation on benefi ts for veterans. After the presentation, the service offi cers met with veterans in a town hall meeting format, with questions and answers.

Thursday night we headed for the Presley Family The-ater. Four generations of Presleys perform each night where, in 1967, the family opened the fi rst music theater on Branson’s strip. The show struck a perfect balance of humor, music, Christian worship and patriotism.

Friday Morning it was back to the Hamner-Barber The-ater for a free show that included some of Branson’s best per-formers. The show was emceed by Gene Dove, a Vietnam vet-eran, member of MOPH and accomplished country singer.

Lisa Layne, who stars in the critically acclaimed coun-try musical Always, Patsy Cline, is one of only three women licensed to perform and sing Patsy Cline songs. She per-formed “I Fall to Pieces” and “San Antonio Rose.”

For Elvis fans, the ladies present and fans of America’s Got Talent,” Joseph Hall performed “GI Blues” and “Di-xie.” His show, Elvis Rock ’N’ Remember Tribute, is fre-quently sold out and he wowed the crowd with his impression of Elvis, which seemed eerily natural.

PERHAPS THE TWO MOST spectacular shows of the weekend, The Legend of Kung Fu and the Chinese Acrobats, dazzled

Hand in Hand

in Branson

Magician Dave Hamner and ventriloquist Jim Barber

1 2

3

4

8

cipients.” Larry Milton, the owner of Branson.com and a III

by Russell Smith


http://www.Branson.com

PurPle Heart Magazine 17

everyone with a combination of martial arts and acrobatics.Comedian Yakoff Smirnoff performed and took ques-

tions from the audience. He recalled his performance for President Ronald Reagan and told the story of his family’s journey to America and his own path to American citizen-ship. He was funny and inspiring.

The Fishing Tournament was cancelled due to rain. The tournament is sponsored by the Central Pro Am Associa-tion. The State of Missouri waives licensing and Scottie’s Trout Dock provides pontoons, equipment and tackle. Stockinger arranged for Purple Heart recipients and their families to attend the Missouri food and wine festival free of charge at the Chateau on the Lake. The food was from lo-cal restaurants, the wine from throughout Missouri. There was even corn whiskey, aka moonshine, for sale.

That evening a fish fry took place at the Taney County Airport in Hollister, Mo. This was the highlight of the event. Stockinger remarked about the kindness she sees veterans show one another, and the camaraderie. Pictured above are Iraq veteran Paul Schmitz and Vietnam veteran Eddie R. Beesley. Beesley’s inspirational story, Lucky Enough, should be required reading for every veteran with similar wounds. This encounter typified what Hand in Hand is about: veterans

from every war since WWII coming together in brother-hood, sharing a meal, stories and a common bond. Lisa Layne was there, entertaining us again with her band.

Saturday morning we were invited to the Hamner-Barber Theater for a screen-

ing of a movie, Last Ounce of Courage. Set to premier on Veterans’ Day in

Branson, this holiday movie tells the story of a war hero who is the mayor of his town. He realizes that freedoms are being taken away and his first battle is to restore Christ-mas. Concluding the film is a dramatic oration where he challenges the town to “Wake up!” and take back freedoms. This movie is set at Christmas and is sure to spark holiday joy in your heart. I heartily recommend it.

On Saturday, Rolling Thunder arrived, making quite an entrance. Taney County Sheriff Jimmie Young insured that Rolling Thunder had clear roads. Missouri State Troopers es-corted the riders in to the Hamner-Barber Theater parking lot.

Sadly, with Saturday evening came the closing ceremony. Barbara Fairchild and her husband sang each of the service songs. The ceremony included a prayer by MOPH National Chaplain Jimmy Young, and the National Anthem sung by Ambrus Presley. Colonel Michele Hovland, a 27-year combat veteran, who is the Director of Intelligence and Communica-tion for the Missouri Army National Guard, gave a patriotic, “Patton-esque” speech. The Vietnam Veterans of America re-tired the colors and MOPH Director of Public Relations John Bircher and National Commander Clayton Jones presented awards to Larry Milton, CEO of Branson.com and Marlyce Stockinger. Stockinger presented Jones with an award for supporting the event for three years. It should be noted that all performers performed for free and veterans were offered discounts on show tickets, meals, hotel stays, etc.

I arrived home Sunday, turned on the news and learned that U.S. Navy SEALs had hunted down and killed Osama Bin Laden earlier in the day. A perfect ending to a perfect weekend. See y’all in Branson next year! U

1. The Presley Family 2. Joseph Hall 3. Legend of Kung Fu 4. National Commander Clayton Jones greeting

Rolling Thunder riders5. Colonel Michele Nolvin 6. Paul Schmitz and Eddie Beesley 7. Marlyce “The General” Stockinger 8. Rolling Thunder arrives9. Lisa Layne10. Roy Morris and Barbara Fairchild

4 5 6 7

8 9 10


http://www.Branson.com

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Military Order of the Purple Heart Honors America’s Fallen Heroes on Memorial Day ON MARCH 30, National Commander Clayton Jones, Senior Vice Commander Bill Hutton and Jr. Vice Commander Bruce McKenty, assisted by National Sergeant at Arms Ken Swords, paid tribute to our nation’s fallen heroes by laying wreaths at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington National Cemetery, the World War II Memorial, the Korean War Memorial and the Vietnam Memo-rial Wall. According to Hutton, “It was so humbling to be able to pay my respects to our fallen, while in the company of men who served this nation so honorably, and sacrifi ced so much, during a time of war. I stand in awe and salute these Americans for their leadership and friendship.”

Following the wreath laying ceremonies, the MOPH leadership was in-vited to join board mem-ber Michael McNeely and Director of Administration and Foundation Activities Lin Peacock in the review-ing stands of the National Memorial Day Parade as the guests of the MOPH Ser-vice Foundation. As a Three Star Sponsor of the parade, the MOPHSF was honored to have actor Gary Sinese and six wounded warriors from VA Medical Center in D.C. ride in the parade as their guests.

pay my respects to our fallen, while in the company of men who served this

“Let us, then, at the time appointed, gather around their sacred remains and garland the passionless mounds above them with the choicest fl owers of springtime; let us raise above them the dear old fl ag they saved from dishonor; let us in this solemn presence review our pledges to aid and assist those whom they have left among us a sacred charge upon the nation’s gratitude…”Excerpt from General Order N. 11Issued by:Headquarters, Grand Army of the RepublicWashington, DC

May 5, 1868

MOPHSF Memorial Day Float

Hutton, Jones & Swords at Tomb of Unknown Soldier

COMMANDER Jeff Cizek, USN (Ret.), presents Cadet Celyn Beato the Military Order of the Purple Heart JROTC Award on May 26 at E. J. King High School, Sasebo, Japan.

COMMANDER Cizek, USN (Ret.), presents Cadet Celyn Beato the Military Order of the Purple

ON APRIL 19, Chapter 780’s Patriot of the Year, George E. Smith Jr., received the award from John T. Bonacorda, left.

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LAMOPH Member Graduates Basic TrainingLAMOPH TULSA UNIT 589 member Aimee Sanders, 21, graduated from basic military training at Fort Leonard Wood, Mo., on March 10.

During 10 weeks of training, Sanders participated in integrated train-ing that produces values-based, disciplined soldiers who are trained in basic skills, warrior tasks, and battle drills. She was promoted to an E-3 during her initial training.

PFC Sanders is currently stationed in Monterey, Calif., for the fi rst portion of her Advanced Individual Training. Her area of expertise will be linguistics. The U. S. Army soldier is the daughter of Amber Hardin, and the great grand-daughter of Jackie Baker, who are both members of Tulsa Unit 589.

THE MOPH HIGH SCHOOL AWARDS were presented by Ch. 593at East High School,

Anchorage, Alaska on April 9. Four schools conducted an afternoon event. Students pic-ture are (l. to r.): Chugiak High School Cadet LCDR Alyson Tucker, Diamond High School Ca-det 1st Sgt Thamya Morales, East High School Cadet 2nd LT Donniece Hoskins, Service High School Cadet LT Robert Wasser and Emmet Heidemann.

member Aimee Sanders, 21, graduated from

During 10 weeks of training, Sanders participated in integrated train-ing that produces values-based, disciplined soldiers who are trained in basic skills, warrior tasks, and battle drills. She was promoted to an

PFC Sanders is currently stationed in Monterey, Calif., for the fi rst portion of her Advanced Individual Training. Her area of expertise will be linguistics. The U. S. Army soldier is the daughter of Amber

PATRIOT JIM SAMUEL and his therapy dog Rocky are visiting the Sitter and Barfoot Veterans Care Center located on the campus of the McGuire VA Medical Center in Richmond,Va. Patriot Samuel is Junior Vice Commander of the State

of Virginia and Junior Vice Commander of Wil-liamsburg Chapter 1754.

PATRIOT JIM SAMUEL and his therapy dog Rocky are visiting the Sitter and Barfoot Veterans Care

of Virginia and Junior Vice Commander of Wil-

3RD FIELD HOSPITAL (SAIGON)September 9–10, 2011, Chicago, IL, Holiday Inn Mart Plaza(888) 348-7398 (toll free)Contact: Duane Thompson 303-459-4060Web: http://3fi eld.rmhcn.org/

reunions


http://3field.rmhcn.org/


News Gatherings&

MOPH NATIONAL JUDGE Advocate Daniel J. Murphy and Maureen T.

Murphy had the honor on May 7 of chris-tening one of the U.S. Navy’s newest and most advanced guided missile warships, DDG-112, the USS Michael Murphy, named in honor of their son, U.S. Navy SEAL and Medal of Honor recipient, Lt. Michael P. Murphy. The christening took place at the General Dynamics fa-cility, Bath Iron Works, in Bath, Maine, and the date coincided with Michael’s 35th birthday. Following U.S. naval tradition, Maureen Murphy cracked a bottle of champagne against the hull of the USS Michael Murphy, saying “Happy Birthday, son!”

In addition to the Murphy family and friends, the christening was at-tended by U.S. Chief of Naval Operations Gary Roughead, U.S. Navy

Adm. Eric Olson, commander of U.S. Special Operations Command, Naval Special Warfare Command Rear Adm. Garry Bonelli, U.S. Senator Olympia Snowe, Maine Governor Paul LePage, MOPH National Commander Clayton Jones and his wife Sharon, MOPHSF Board Director and Past National Commander Jeff Roy and his wife Angelique, family friend and past MOPH Region Commander Joe Genduso, and Bath Iron Works President Jeff Geiger. Also in attendance were family members of the other Navy SEALs who lost their lives alongside Murphy.

Lt. Michael P. Murphy was killed by enemy forces during a reconnaissance mission, Operation Redwing, on June 28, 2005. Murphy led a four-man team tasked with fi nding a key Taliban leader in the mountain-

ous terrain near Asadabad, Afghanistan, when they came under fi re from a much larger enemy force with superior tactical position. Mortally wounded while exposing himself to enemy fi re, Murphy knowingly left his position of cover to get a clear signal in or-der to communicate with his headquarters. While being shot at repeatedly, Murphy calmly provided his unit’s location and requested immediate support for his element. He returned to his cover position to continue the fi ght until fi nally succumbing to his wounds. For his valor and heroism, on October 22, 2007, President George W. Bush posthumously presented the Medal of Honor to the parents of Lt. Murphy. He was the fi rst person to be awarded the medal for actions in Afghanistan, and the fi rst member of the U.S. Navy to receive the award since the Vietnam War.

Medal of Honor Recipient’s Parents Christen DDG-112, USS Michael Murphy By John Bircher, MOPH Public Relations

on June 28, 2005. Murphy led a four-man team tasked with fi nding a key Taliban leader in the mountain-ous terrain near Asadabad, Afghanistan, when they came under fi re from a much larger enemy force with superior tactical position. Mortally wounded while exposing himself to enemy fi re, Murphy knowingly left his position of cover to get a clear signal in or-

Maureen Murphy christens DDG-112 with champagne

ADM Olson, Dan and Maureen Murphy, ADM Roughead

Offi cial DDG-112 Patch

Offi cial Christening Program

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MOPHSF Supports Wounded Warrior Amputee Softball Team Exhibition Games by Tempie Thompson

The MiliTary Order of the Purple heart Service Foundation (MOPhSF) proud-ly hosted the Wounded Warrior amputee Softball Team (WWaST) welcome dinner on May 5. The following day, MOPhSF Board President James Blaylock threw the first pitch in the game of the WWaST vs. the FBi all Stars.

“The team players are an inspiration to all veterans and we salute each and every one! We are honored to be able to support and participate in the Wounded Warrior amputee Softball Team events,” stated Blaylock.

The Military Order of the Purple heart Service Foundation also sponsored the WWaST’s welcome dinner at Brion’s Grille in, Fairfax, Va. James Blay-lock, a decorated wounded warrior and amputee, was asked to throw the first pitch of the WWaST game against the FBi all Stars.

Team visionary and general manager david Van Sleet established WWaST to raise awareness of the sacrifices and resilience of U.S. soldiers and highlight their ability to rise above any challenge. The team is comprised of veterans and active duty soldiers who have lost limbs during post-9/11 military service.

Team members range in age from 20 to 39. Two players are arm amputees, three above-knee ampu-tees, six below-knee amputees, one bilateral below-knee amputee, and one symes (foot) amputee. The team’s spring training camp and debut game was held in March at the University of arizona. The camp was made possible through a congressional grant ob-tained by the U of a. louisville Slugger is the official equipment sponsor. local veterans and local and na-tional service organizations provide housing for team members in the Washington area.



News Gatherings&

FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:

Private First Class Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano, Company H, 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infan-try Division, distinguished himself by extraordinary heroism in action against the enemy in the vicin-ity of Chupa-ri, Korea, on 1 September 1951. On that date, Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano was

in charge of a ma-chine-gun squad supporting the defensive posi-tioning of Com-pany F when a numerically superior enemy force launched a fi erce attack. Because of the

enemy’s overwhelm-ing numbers, friendly troops were forced to execute a limited withdrawal. As the men fell back, Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano ordered his squad to take up more defensible positions and provide covering fi re

for the withdrawing friendly force. Although hav-ing been wounded in the shoulder during the initial enemy assault, Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano gathered a supply of grenades and ammunition and returned to his original position to face the enemy alone. As the hostile troops concentrated their strength against his emplacement in an effort to overrun it, Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano fought fi ercely and courageously, delivering deadly accurate fi re into the ranks of the onrushing enemy. When his ammunition was depleted, he engaged the enemy in hand-to-hand combat until he was killed. Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano’s heroic stand so inspired his comrades that they launched a counterattack that completely repulsed the enemy. Upon reaching Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano’s emplacement, friendly troops discovered 11 enemy soldiers lying dead in front of the emplacement and two inside it, killed in hand-to-hand combat. Private First Class Kaho’ohanohano’s extraordinary heroism and selfl ess devotion to duty are in keeping with the fi nest traditions of military service and refl ect great credit upon himself, the 7th Infantry Division, and the United States Army.”

in charge of a ma-chine-gun squad supporting the defensive posi-tioning of Com-pany F when a numerically superior enemy force launched a fi erce attack. Because of the

enemy’s overwhelm-ing numbers, friendly troops were forced to execute a

MEDAL OF HONOR Offi cial Citation PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ANTHONY T. KAHO’OHANOHANO UNITED STATES ARMY

Medals of Honor for Korean War Awarded Posthumously

PRESIDENT OBAMA POSTHUMOUSLY award-ed the Medal of Honor to two Korean War heroes, Privates First Class Anthony T. Kaho’ohanohano

and Henry Svehla, on May 2. Both were members of the US Army’s 7th Infantry Division when they were killed in combat performing actions that saved American lives.

In presenting the awards to the soldiers’ families, Pres-ident Obama said the following:

“They did not grow old. These two soldiers made the

ultimate sacrifi ce when they were just 19 and 21 years old. Age did not weary them. In the hearts of their families, they remain forever young, loving sons, protective broth-ers, hometown kids who stood tall in America’s uniform. Today, we remember them. And we honor them with the highest military decoration that our nation can bestow, the Medal of Honor. In so doing we also honor their fami-lies, who remind us that it is our extraordinary military families who also bear the heavy burden of war.”

“Lost in the news sometimes are the

stories of American heroes, who unlike the whining and pathetic who hide safely at

home, give their all to protect us.”—William McCullough


PURPLE HEART MAGAZINE 23

News Gatherings&

MEDAL OF HONOR Offi cial Citation PRIVATE FIRST CLASS ANTHONY T. KAHO’OHANOHANO UNITED STATES ARMY

SERGEANT FIRST CLASS Leroy Petry, an Airborne Ranger from Santa Fe, N.M., will receive the Medal of Honor from President Barack Obama. SFC Petry will be the second living active-duty ser-vice member to receive the Med-al of Honor for actions in Iraq or Afghanistan. The offi cial date of presentation has not been re-leased. We will keep you posted.

FOR A WEEK EACH YEAR in April, the city of Gainesville, Tex., sponsors and is host to Medal of Honor recipients. Eight Medal of Honor recipients (l. to r.) are Hershel Wil-liams, Barney Barnum, Harold Fritz, Michael Fitzmaurice, James Taylor, Robert Patterson, Duane Dewey and Robert Modrzejewski. The Muenster State Bank sponsored a lun-cheon for these Medal of Honor recipients and wives. The picture was taken by Fred Rosenbaum, Commander of Chap-ter 744, who was invited to join them along with Mugg Paw-less, a WW II Purple Heart recipient from Omaha Beach.

FOR A WEEK EACH YEAR in April, the city of Gainesville,

FOR CONSPICUOUS GALLANTRY and intrepidity at the risk of his life above and beyond the call of duty:

Private First Class Henry Svehla distinguished himself by acts of gallantry and intrepidity above and beyond the call of duty while serving as a Rifl eman with F Company, 32d Infantry Regiment, 7th Infan-try Division, in connection with combat operations against an armed enemy in Pyongony, Korea, on 12 June 1952. That afternoon while Private First Class Svehla and his platoon were patrolling a strategic hill to determine enemy strength and positions, they were subjected to intense enemy automatic weap-ons and small arms fi re at the top of the hill. Com-ing under the heavy fi re, the platoon’s attack began to falter. Realizing the success of the mission and the safety of the remaining troops were in peril, Pri-vate First Class Svehla leapt to his feet and charged the enemy positions, fi ring his weapon and throwing grenades as he advanced. In the face of this cour-age and determination, the platoon rallied to the attack with renewed vigor. Private First Class Sve-hla, utterly disregarding his own safety, destroyed

enemy positions and infl icted heavy casu-alties, when sudden-ly fragments from a mortar round ex-ploding nearby seri-ously wounded him in the face. Despite his wounds, Private First Class Svehla re-fused medical treatment and continued to lead the attack. When an enemy grenade landed among a group of his comrades, Private First Class Svehla, without hesitation and undoubtedly aware of the extreme danger, threw himself upon the grenade. During this action, Private First Class Svehla was mortally wounded. Private First Class Svehla’s ex-traordinary heroism and selfl essness at the cost of his own life, above and beyond the call of duty, are in keeping with the highest traditions of the mili-tary service and refl ect great credit upon himself, his unit, and the United States Army.”

enemy positions and infl icted heavy casu-

First Class Svehla re-

MEDAL OF HONOR Offi cial Citation PRIVATE FIRST CLASS HENRY SVEHLA UNITED STATES ARMY



News Gatherings&


Oklahoma Honor Flights Salutes WWII VeteransOKLAHOMA HONOR FLIGHTS is a part of the National Honor Flights program that provides WWII Veterans with an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D. C., to visit the WWII Memorial.

Seated left to right are WWII veterans and members Ola T. (O. T.) Grider, Jr., Gene Beleele and John W. Whalen. Standing, on the left, is Karen Fuller, President of LAMOPH Tulsa Unit 589, who accompanied her father, O.T. Right is Lilly Whalen. Lilly’s son, Robert, accompanied his father to the Memorial.

Grider served in the Army from 1943-1945, in the European-African-Middle Eastern theatre with the 632nd Engineers Light Equipment Company as con-struction machinery operator. He was wounded Febru-ary 1, 1945 in the Normandy, Northern France, Rhineland

and Ardennes campaigns.Beleele served in the Army

from 1943-1945, in the Euro-pean-African-Middle East-ern theatre with the 146th Engineer Combat Battalion. He landed on Omaha Beach on D-Day, June 6, 1944 and fought in the Battle of the

Bulge in December 1944. He was wounded in March 1945 fi ghting on the Belgium-Germany border.

Whalen served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 1942-1946 in the Asiatic Pacifi c theatre with B Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Marine, 6th Marine Division, as a rifl eman. He was wound-ed May 11, 1945, during the battle to recapture Guam and the capture of Okinawa.

Tulsa chapter and unit members are most grate-ful to Oklahoma Honor Flights for enriching the remaining years of our veterans by providing these fl ights.

and Ardennes campaigns.

from 1943-1945, in the Euro-pean-African-Middle East-ern theatre with the 146th Engineer Combat Battalion.

Bulge in December 1944. He was wounded in

U. S. Navy personnel salute as senior veterans depart the D.C. airport for

the WWII Memorial.


News Gatherings&


On May 4, 2011, the Deputy Postmaster Gen-eral of the U.S. Postal Service, Ron Stroman, unveiled the “Purple Heart with Ribbon” forever stamp during the annual U.S. Postal

Forum, held this year in San Diego, Ca. The following day, the USPS held the official “First Day of Issue” cer-emony aboard the USS Midway aircraft car-rier, assisted by Clayton Jones, national Com-mander of the Military Order of the Purple Heart, and RaDM Mac McLaughlin, CEO of the USS Midway Museum. The ceremonies were attended by the leadership of the MOPH, including Commander Clayton Jones, Sr. Vice Commander Bill Hutton, and Jr. Vice Com-mander Bruce McKenty; MOPHSF Directors Louis Spinelli, al Silvano, and Bill Wroolie; LaMOPH President Karen Haltiner; Depart-ment of California Commander Jon Williams;

and officers, members and Ladies of MOPH California Chapters 106, 493, 604, and 1898.

In his remarks, Mr. Stroman noted that, “With the is-suance of this stamp, the Postal Service, along with the rest of our nation, can pay tribute to those whose sacri-fices have given all of us, a country that is truly the “land of the free and the home of the brave.” In his remarks, Commander Jones said, “Because the Purple Heart is

awarded in the name of the President of the United States to members of the U.S. military who have been wounded or killed in action, this stamp has special meaning. Un-til now, the only ‘forever’ stamp has been the Liberty Bell stamp, which is the symbol of our nation’s freedom. The significance of the Purple Heart forever stamp is that it

now honors the symbol of the cost of our nation’s free-dom. The Purple Heart Medal on every recipient’s chest is a reminder that the bill for freedom is paid in full.”

The first Purple Heart stamp was issued in 2003. Since that time, each time the price of a first class letter changed, a letter writing campaign had to be mounted to ensure that a Purple Heart stamp would continue to be available to the public. Following a successful 12-year campaign mounted by then national Commander Boyd Barclay and continued by successive commanders of the Military Or-der of the Purple Heart and other veterans organizations to create a “forever” stamp, as of May 5, 2011, the new Pur-ple Heart postage stamp will continue in circulation in-definitely, and supporters will no longer need to advocate for a new issue each time the price of stamps increases.

The United States Postal Service Issues the Purple Heart Forever Stamp

L-R: Leonard, Jones, Barclay, Hutton, McKenty, VanHoy

All MOPH Participants in Purple Heart Forever Stamp Unveiling

by MOPH Public Relations

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OPH

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Brian G KOLFAGETucson, ArizonaUniversity of ArizonaMember, Chapter 442*** 2011 Recipient, Lieutenant Michael Murphy Scholarship

Julian A ALMEIDALittle Compton, RIPortsmouth High SchoolFather: Dennis Almeida, Chapter 1812

Rhett ASCHIMSunburst, MTMontana State UniversityGrandfather: Lester Raymond Peters, Chapter 309

Eric D BARONIncline Village, NevadaIncline High SchoolGrandfather: Herman Baron, Chapter 730

Adam J BATESFort Worth, TexasTexas A&MGrandfather: James Bates, Chapter 457

Brian J BERTULIMark, IllinoisIllinois Central CollegeMember, Chapter 175

Paul S BLACKBURNRaleigh, North CarolinaNorth Carolina State UniversityMember, Chapter 637

Jamal BOUBETANASan Diego, CaliforniaUniversity of PhoenixMember, Chapter 49

Joanna E BOYLESLucedale, MississippiGeorge County High SchoolFather: William Boyles, Chapter 690

Kenneth C BRONSDenton, TexasUniversity of North TexasMember, Chapter 768

Dillon R BUCKNERFayetteville, ArkansasDuke UniversityGrandfather: James Buckner, Chapter 460

Ryan BUERMANNSelah, WashingtonYakima Valley Community CollegeMember, Chapter 1993

Jonathan J BURRJacksonville, North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina – WilmingtonMember, Chapter 642

Brian D CAMPBELLIndianola, IowaUniversity of IowaFather: Bill Campbell, Chapter 777

Jordan J CANNONSeattle, WashingtonUniversity of WashingtonMember, Chapter 12

Guo CHENMililani, HawaiiUniversity of HawaiiMember, Chapter 483

Kimberly D CHEWNINGCrystal River, FloridaFlorida State UniversityGrandfather: James Dunaway, Chapter 316

Lindsay D CLAYSONLee, MassachusettsLee High SchoolGrandfather: David Bowers, Chapter 446

Jodi C COONBlountsville, AlabamaUniversity of AlabamaGrandfather: John Snodgrass, Chapter 575

Chelsea CORKINSHutchinson, KansasKansas State UniversityGrandfather: Raymond Dolezal, Chapter 688 (Deceased)

Jason C DEGUZMANSanta Rosa, CaliforniaHumboldt State UniversityMember, Chapter 78* 2010 Michael Murphy Scholarship Recipient

Hannah L DENNISGrand Forks, North DakotaSt Olaf CollegeGrandfather: Joseph Grams, Chapter 308

Alicia L DOMINICKScottsdale, ArizonaArizona State UniversityGrandfather: Armand Dominick, Chapter 790

Daniel DRISCOL Boone, North CarolinaUniversity of North CarolinaFather: Donald Driscoll, Chapter 638

Aaron B DUNNNew Matamoras, OhioOhio State UniversityGrandfathers: Donald H Dunn, Chapter 743; Daniel B Metz, Chapter 743 (Deceased)

Mark D DURANWilliams Bay, WisconsinGeorge Williams CollegeMember, Chapter 437

Casinda R ELDERBillings, MontanaMontana State UniversityMember, Chapter 309

Larissa J EMERYWilmington, NCUniversity of North Carolina – WilmingtonGrandfather: James Grose, Chapter 641

Jeffrey J ENGLEArlington, VirginiaVirginia Polytechnic InstituteMember, Chapter 353

Megan K FLANARYMontrose, ColoradoColorado State UniversityGrandfather: Robert Parker, Chapter 422

2011 Scholarship Recipients



Taylor J FLETCHERBartonville, IllinoisIllinois Central CollegeFather: Stephen Fletcher, Chapter 175

Jeffrey T FOWLERChesnee, South CarolinaUniversity of South CarolinaMember, Chapter 1781

Michael E GREENBakersfi eld, CaliforniaCalifornia State University – Bakersfi eldMember, Chapter 549

Evan J GRIFFITHNew York, New YorkManhattan School of MusicGrandfather: Paul Kaufman, Chapter 911

Timothy M GUSTAFSONManhattan, KansasKansas State UniversityMember, Chapter 780

Jason L HAGLUNDLiberty Hill, TexasHouston-Tillotson UniversityMember, Chapter 1919

Spencer M HANSONRoswell, GeorgiaLassiter High SchoolGrandfather: Roger Bartholomew, Chapter 576

Noah C HARRISONDuncanville, TexasUniversity of Texas – ArlingtonMember, Chapter 542

Davis HARRISONBainbridge, WashingtonBainbridge High SchoolGrandfather: Ray E. Foster, Chapter 392

Benjamin G HENBESTFayetteville, ArkansasJohn Brown UniversityMember, Chapter 460

Robert HERNANDEZLa Mesa, CaliforniaGrossmont CollegeMember, Chapter 49

Samantha L HIGGINSPeoria, ArizonaGrand Canyon UniversityGrandfather: Thomas Higgins, Chapter 691

Michael E HOLMESAnchorage, AlaskaUniversity of Alaska – AnchorageMember, Chapter 593

Danielle K HORANOakdale, MinnesotaMetropolitan State UniversityFather: John Dingle, Chapter 5

Donald T HOWELLDenton, TexasTexas Woman’s UniversityMember, Chapter 768

Paul E INMANOkarche, OklahomaOklahoma Baptist UniversityGrandfather: Delbert Inman, Chapter 612

Kylie J JOHNSONFairfax, OklahomaOklahoma State UniversityFather: Christian Johnson, Chapter 568

Kristen L JOYNERLongwood, FloridaUniversity of PittsburghFather: Dennis Joyner, Chapter 1979

Brenda J KELLEYNorman, OklahomaUniversity of OklahomaGrandfather: Wendell Keyser, Chapter 606

Alexander LAFOLLETTBooneville, ArkansasUniversity of ArkansasGrandfather: Tom Vaughn, Chapter 783

Jeffrey W LONGSalem, UtahUtah Valley UniversityMember; Chapter 756

Latoya R LUCASRocky Mount, North CarolinaPikes Peak Community CollegeMember, Chapter 657

John D McCLELLANColumbia, MissouriUniversity of MissouriMember, Chapter 575

Timothy McHUGHBoone, North CarolinaAppalachian State UniversityMember, Chapter 642

Raymond A McPADDENFranklin, TennesseeMember, Chapter 487

BRIAN KOLFAGE IS THE RECIPIENT of the 2011 Lieutenant Michael Murphy Scholarship. A member of Chapter 442 (Tucson, Ariz.), he

is a medically retired Air Force Staff Sergeant who lost both legs and his right hand in Iraq. Today he is an honor student in architecture at

the University of Arizona, where he is known for his exceptional computer modeling skills, as well as

his ability to make friends easily. Among his many civic and community activities, he is the presi-

dent of the local chapter of American Military Engineers. Since he was wounded, Kolfage

has returned to Walter Reed and Bethesda on his own time and expense to visit with newly

wounded soldiers and Marines, in order to visit with them about what he

has been able to accomplish without limbs, to motivate and inspire them, and to

show their families that they will once again live

a full, normal life. Kol-fage has been select-ed by the Air Force Chief of Staff to be

included in a book of stories of hero-ism, Portraits in Courage.

the University of Arizona, where he is known for his exceptional computer modeling skills, as well as

his ability to make friends easily. Among his many civic and community activities, he is the presi-

dent of the local chapter of American Military Engineers. Since he was wounded, Kolfage

has returned to Walter Reed and Bethesda on his own time and expense to visit with newly

wounded soldiers and Marines, in order to visit with them about what he

has been able to accomplish without limbs, to motivate and inspire them, and to

show their families that they will once again live

a full, normal life. Kol-fage has been select-ed by the Air Force Chief of Staff to be

included in a book




Dylan MEADOWSLafayette, IndianaPurdue, UniversityMember, Chapter 1922

Jannette G MEIRELESFt Walton Beach, FloridaNorthwest Florida State CollegeMember, Chapter 811

Howard J MIDGLEYManhattan, KansasKansas State UniversityMember, Chapter 780

Peter MILINKOVICChampaign, IllinoisUniversity of IllinoisMember, Chapter 1922* 2009 Michael Murphy Scholarship Recipient

Harold G MOOREDallas, TexasTexas A&MGrandfather: Hal Moore, Chapter 2205

Emily MOOREGaithersburg, MarylandPoolesville High SchoolGrandfather: Harold B. Moore, Chapter 638

Joshua L MORRISEl Paso, TexasUniversity of Texas – El PasoGrandfather: James Devine, Chapter 393

Megan M NAVARRETTEWest Allis, WisconsinUniversity of WisconsinGrandfather: Robert Navarrette, Chapter 96

Nicholas G PEELSurf City, North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina – WilmingtonMember, Chapter 636

Edward E PERRYOklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma State UniversityMember, Chapter 568

Rachel PHILLIPSPrattville, AlabamaUniversity of MarylandSpouse: Eric M. Phillips, Chapter 596

Carson A RANDALLBoca Raton, FloridaFlorida Atlantic UniversityMember, Chapter 674

Mark G RASElizabeth, New JerseyRutgers UniversityMember, Chapter 2296

Jonas C RIDES AT THE DOORMissoula, MontanaUniversity of MontanaMember, Chapter 309

Shannon RITZERTFountain, ColoradoPikes Peak Community CollegeMember, Chapter 614

Emily J SALBERBrownville, MinnesotaUniversity of Minnesota – Twin CitiesFather: Roger Salber, Chapter 194

Kyle J SCHMIEDEKNECHTSanford, MichiganFerris State UniversityMember, Chapter 18

Paul A SHOOKMadison, OhioLake Erie College Member, Chapter 606

Cory D SNOOKSColorado Springs, ColoradoUniversity of ColoradoMember, Chapter 423

Mary E SOKOLOWSKILittleton, ColoradoRegis UniversityMember, Chapter 375

Zachary E ST LOUISSan Diego, CaliforniaMesa Community CollegeGrandfather: Ken Pitta, Chapter 49

Samantha L STARNSRoseburg, OregonPortland State UniversityGrandfather: William Starns, KIA

Samuel D TALKINGTONTacoma, WashingtonTacoma Community CollegeMember, Chapter 423

Joanna M TRIPLETTPerkasie, PennsylvaniaArcadia UniversitySpouse: Brendan Triplett, Chapter 170

Olivia I VANDEN HEUVELFuquay Varina, North CarolinaUniversity of North Carolina – WilmingtonGrandfather: Syd Staton, Chapter 125

Robert D WARDENPalm Harbor, FloridaUniversity of South FloridaMember, Chapter 1963

Allison C WILHELMFort Wayne, IndianaIvy TechGrandfather: Edward LeBlanc, Chapter 693

Charles B WILLIAMSOrange Park, FloridaWestminster Theological SeminaryFather: Richard Williams, Chapter 524

ALTERNATESRomey J TALLASNorth Tonawanda, New YorkNiagara County Community CollegeMember, Chapter 264

Margo A RECLAIron Mountain, MichiganMichigan Technological UniversityGrandfather: Gustaf Groeneveld, Chapter 1879

James D RYANChesterfi eld, MissouriLafayette High SchoolGrandfather: Saul Karasyk, Chapter 674

Jacia Therese SHIMIZUMangiliao, GuamUniversity of GuamFather: Jack Shimizu, Chapter 1315

Shannon A BEBEEKirkland, WashingtonLake Washington High SchoolFather: Robert Peltier, Chapter 12

Kanin C CAMPBELLMedford, OregonSouth Medford High SchoolGrandfather: John Waldrop, Chapter 147

Elizabeth Q PERISINPeoria, IllinoisUniversity of IllinoisGrandfather: Raymond Perisin, Chapter 575

Katheryn E FROSTBerry, AlabamaBevill State Community collegeGrandfather: Oliver Fugere, Chapter 395

Gregory CALLANANDurham, North CarolinaDuke UniversityGrandfather: John J. Callanan, Chapter DML

Andrea E CASHONMilford, MaineCornell UniversityFather: Robert Cashon, Chapter 1865




I want to thank my leadership team; if it wasn't for them I would be at a loss. I could not have done it by my-self. I want to give a special thanks to Dar, our National Secretary; she really knows how to get things done and done correctly and in a timely manner.

To Commander Clayton Jones, thanks for lending a hand and an ear when I had to ask him a question. Thanks to the MOPHSF for all their help and understanding and the information they have shared with the ladies and to the MOPH in general in keeping the lines of communication open between the LAMOPH, MOPH and the MOPHSF.

I give my best to the new and upcoming officers for the coming year. They have some very important jobs and

they need our support in all they do.Last but not least I want to send out a great big thanks

to my husband of 42 years, Bob. He has been with me in my ups and downs as National President. Without his help I could have not done it. He is my soulmate and best friend. May God bless all our military serv-ing abroad and here at home. If it wasn't for them we would not be living in this great country. Please remem-ber each and every day those brave soldiers, men and women who have paid the ultimate price. We love you and will always remember you, hold you in our hearts. Thank you and remember, freedom is not free! God bless everyone. U

National President by Karen Haltiner

TO ALL MeMBerS of the LAMOPH, I bring you greetings from Oregon. I can hardly believe my year as National President is coming to an end. I have met so many members and made so many friends. At this time I want to send to all of you a great big thank you for all your kindness and thoughtfulness to myself and my husband.

Thanks and Goodbye from LAMOPH President Haltiner

Ladies Auxiliary



✯ ✯ ✯ ✯ L A D I E S’ A U X I L I A R Y ✯ ✯ ✯ ✯NATIONAL OFFICERS 2010-2011

PRESIDENTKAREN HALTINER (Robert)19138 Bedford DriveOregon City, OR 97045Phone: [email protected]

SR. VICE PRESIDENTBARB CHERONE (Rick)12880 Wimbledon DriveNew Berlin, WI 53151Phone: [email protected]

JR. VICE PRESIDENTELAINE REY (Fred)4903 Transit CircleAustin, TX 78727Phone: [email protected]

SECRETARYDARLINE (Dar) SCHUFF (Lee)742 Millbrook DriveNeenah, WI 54956Phone: [email protected]

TREASURERRHIANNON CUPKIE (Wade)1219 W. Sunset DriveWaukesha, WI 53189Phone: [email protected]

MEMBERSHIP OFFICERCHRISTINA FINN (Daniel)3400 W. 111th St. PMB494Chicago, IL 60655Phone: [email protected]

REGION I PRESIDENTJANICE NULL (Norman) 15826 Bradford DriveLaurel, MD 20707Phone: [email protected]

REGION II PRESIDENTBARBARA CANNODE (Daniel)5852 Crossbrooke LaneWaterville, OH 43566 Phone: [email protected]

REGION III PRESIDENTCORA EDLUND92883 Garden Ln.Coos Bay, OR 97420Phone: [email protected]

REGION IV PRESIDENTJACQUELINE EVERETT (Bill)5727 Buckward RoadBaker, FL 32531Phone: [email protected]

REGION V PRESIDENTMARGARET A. SCHIPPER (William)2225 NW 25th StreetOklahoma City, Oklahoma 73107Phone: [email protected]

REGION VI PRESIDENTDEBBIE SWEET (Carroll)16635 Jackson Ave.Lemoore, CA 93245Phone: [email protected]

CHAPLAINA.J. HERRAN P.O. Box 414Longmont, CO 80502Phone: [email protected](understroke between h and d)

PARLIAMENTARIANBONNIE DUMLERP.O. Box 179Davenport, NE 68335Phone: [email protected]

MARSHALBARBARA THOMAS BURR (Bob)1680 Hanover RoadDelaware, OH 43015Phone: [email protected]

PATRIOTIC INSTRUCTORCHARLOTTE S. DUNN716 Eastmoor CourtMoore, OK 73160Phone: [email protected]

SERGEANT-AT-ARMSJEANETTE MOSLEY (Jack)11078 240th St.Blanchard, OK 73010Phone: [email protected]

INSPECTORJEANNE HELLARD (Danny)14 Maple CircleSand Springs, OK [email protected]

SECURITY AND FINANCEFAITH BRENNER632 W. Karen DriveDecatur, IL 62526Phone: [email protected]

GWENDOLYN GILLIARD (Isaac)102 Norland AvenueNew Orleans, LA [email protected]

JUDITH SPAULDING (Leroy)85 Michael BoulevardFrankfort, KY 40601Phone: [email protected]

JOAN WALSH4716 Rohrway NWMassillon, OH 44647Phone: [email protected]

PRESIDENTIAL APPOINTMENTS:

AMERICANISMSTEPHANIE KLUG (James)329 Grandview DriveAshland, OR 97520Phone: [email protected]

COMMUNITY HOSPITALSANDY STATON (Syd)73 Sparrow Point CircleFenton, MO 63026Phone: [email protected]

COMMUNITY SERVICEBARBARA WILSON (Don)7320 Spurgeon CourtFt. Worth, TX [email protected]

HISTORIAN DORENE HUNLEY (Gary)15023 Pebble Beach DriveOregon City, OR 97045Phone: [email protected]

PUBLIC RELATIONS FAITH BRENNER632 W. Karen DriveDecatur, IL 62536Phone: [email protected]

NATIONAL SERVICE OFFICER LIAISONJANET SULLIVAN (Tom)1016 Sullivan LaneCrystal Springs, MS 39059Phone: [email protected]

MUSICIANLINDA JACKSON (Kerry)2841 Tierra Drive #201Lincoln, NE 68516Phone: [email protected]

VAVS REPRESENTATIVEOUIDA (ANN) TURNER (Del “Bulldog”)104 Shimmer Pond CourtMadison, AL 35757Phone: [email protected]

VAVS DEPUTYSANDRA RAINS 912 Rockwood Rd.Columbia, SC 29209Phone: [email protected]

VIOLA CHAIRELAINE KEMPER617 So. 51 AvenueOmaha, NE 68106Phone: 402-553-4769

WEBMASTERA.J. HERRAN P.O. Box 414Longmont, CO 80502Phone: [email protected](understroke between h and d)

WITH GREAT ENTHUSIASM I ask for your support in my candidacy for LAMOPH Nation-al Junior Vice President. I am a life member of

Northwestern Michigan Unit 1988 through my husband Ron Knapp. We have four daughters, all members of LAM-OPH, and one son who is an Associate member. My in-volvement began with John F. Donovan Unit 1986 in Che-boygan, Mich., where I served as Unit President. In 1999 I formed our unit in Petoskey, Mich., where I still hold the position of Secretary. I have made membership a priority and have received membership awards from our National LAMOPH and assisted in forming two units in Michigan.

At the department level, I have been Jr. Vice, Sr. Vice and President twice and held other department positions.

In 2005 I started a bimonthly depart-ment newsletter and have continued as the editor. I also proposed and became coordinator of a department plaque pro-gram for families of service members.

At the national level, I served on the Publications Com-mittee for three years, the Constitution and Bylaws Com-mittee as Chairman, and the Credentials Committee.

I worked for the State of Michigan for 30 years in job placement, often exceeding veteran placement over two veterans employment reps in our offi ce (one of which was my husband, Ron). My persistence to uphold veter-ans’ preference is long-standing. I have the full support of my family and the Department of Michigan Patriots and Ladies. If elected, it will be my focus to assist the Ladies Auxiliary, our veterans and their families. �

Candidacy Announcements

JAN KNAPPCANDIDATE FOR LAMOPH JR. VICE PRESIDENT



































National Jr. Vice President

National Sr. Vice President by Barb Cherone

accomplishing our mission statement of helping veter-ans and their families. If the final approval is given by the convention body in August, we will also be receiving the total grant allocation, with which to help veterans. I want to thank everyone who assisted me in this grant request process. A lot of questions were asked and answered; it was through this communication that we were able to

accomplish this task by the deadlines. It definitely was a team effort of working together with the foundation, MOPH, headquarters, and the LAMOPH. I’m sure that this team effort will flourish throughout the coming year, and continue in the future. I want to thank everyone for everything that you have done for the betterment of our veterans; it is very much appreciated. U

A 2011-2012 LAMOPH budget has been formulated, voted on and approved by the S&F Committee and the MOPHSF. If approved by the convention body at the national con-vention in Minnesota we will have an approved budget at the commencement of the con-vention. this will allow us to reimburse all convention attendees in a timely manner. but,

a lot more important is the fact that we will be given the entire grant for VAVS this year, resulting in

Teamwork Pays Off

Ladies Auxiliary

by Elaine Rey

I mailed out a Ways and Means letter in March and I hope your departments and units will assist in securing items for the silent auction such as a basket, items for a specialty-themed basket, major chain gift cards or anything else you think would be a good item or idea for earning money for Ways and Means. If your department or unit does not have a representative attending the National Convention,

you may mail your items to me and I will make sure that they get to the Convention Ways and Means table. Please send your items to: elaine Rey, 4903 transit Circle, Austin, tX 78727-5144.

I sincerely thank you in advance for supporting Na-tional Ways and Means and hope to see you at our National Convention. U

I sincerely hope that each department and unit will be able to send a representative to the National Convention in St. Paul, Minn. the convention is mostly held to handle national business but it is also a lot of fun.the National Convention is when we have a chance to earn money through National Ways and

Means. As National Jr. Vice President, it is my job to gather and organize items for the silent auction.

National Convention: Attendees & Support Needed!

Ladies Auxiliary



Following that tradition, Christopher Anderson, 4th generation Navy and son of a Navy SEAL, stepped for-ward to join the U.S. Naval Hospital Corps. Christopher finished his training, earned his caduceus—his sign of healing—and went to Ramadi to serve with Alpha Com-pany, 1st Battalion, 6th Regiment. Christopher earned his title “Doc” from his Marines and was healer to both his Marines and the children of Iraq where he was “winning the war one Band-aid at a time.” Chris “Doc” Anderson, KIA on December 4, 2006, personified the tradition of the Naval Hospital Corps support to Marines and sailors by more than standard medical means.

As part of the Base Realignment and Closure Act, a new Medical Education Training Campus (METC) has been

established in San Antonio, Tex. Rear Admiral William R. Kiser, Commandant, Medical Education Training Campus, and Captain Raymond G. Craigmiles, Commanding Officer, Navy Medical Training Command, will dedicate the Medi-cal Instructional Facility Number 4 honoring the duty and ultimate sacrifice of Hospital Corpsman Third Class (Fleet Marine Force) Christopher “Doc” Anderson on July 8. On this day, Christopher’s mother, Debra Anderson (LAMOPH Unit 375), father, Rick, and brother, Kyle (MOPH Chapter 434), along with Christopher’s Marine and Navy family, will dedicate this new school that will stand as a model of the unspoken bond for generations of healers to come.

For no greater love can one show than to be healer to another. U

AT THE NATIONAL NAvAL MEDICAL CENTER in Bethesda stands a bronze statue called “Unspoken Bond” whose inscription reads: “This memorial is dedicated to the hospital corpsmen who served with the Marines in the Pacific during World War II. “Doc” was that special comrade who pulled them to safety, patched their wounds and shared their foxholes.

Established in war and ennobled in peace, this bond will always endure.”

Winning the War, One Band-Aid at a Time

National Chaplain by A.J. HerranLadies Auxiliary

REGION IFlowers, Martha PA 227 27FEB11

REGION IIPDP Leibham, Vernetta WI 152 12MAY11Baehman, Marjorie WI 162 20SEP10Bauer, Loretta Irene WI 597 7APR11

REGION IVPNP Krewson, Stella FL 87 30DEC10 Carper, Joyce FL 466 26MAR11 PDP Duvall, Ruth FL 535 28MAY11

REGION VPeterson, Delores G OK 563 30OCT10Owens, Ruby Idell OK 641 15MAR10Waits, Angela TX 1836 11MAY11Castro, Sallie Ann TX 1919 20JUL10Cowden, Mary Frances TX 1919 27JUL10Heebe, Sook Ja TX 1919 22FEB11Seidl, Margaret V TX 1919 29MAY11

REGION VIRigby, Virginia CA 15 7FEB11Burrows, Carmel S CA 106 17SEP10Gonzales, Dora S CA 106 31MAR10

LAMOPH Taps 1 April 2011 – 31 May 2011

Name DEPT Unit Deceased Name DEPT Unit Deceased

PNP = Past National President • PDP = Past Department President • C = Charter Member


LADIES’ AUXILIARY MILITARY ORDER OF THE PURPLE HEART

SUPPLY LIST 2010-2011PINS101 MembershipPinwithlogo $5.00102 LifeMemberPin 35.00103 UnitPresidentPin 20.00104 PastUnitPresidentPin 50.00105 DepartmentPresidentPin 20.00106 PastDepartmentPresidentPin 50.00107 25YearMemberPin 25.00 108 30YearMemberPin 25.00109 35YearMemberPin 25.00110 75thAnniversaryPin 5.00

EMBLEMS201 Emblem,embroideredheartshaped4inch 6.00202 Emblem,embroideredheartshaped7inch 12.00203 Emblem,embroideredroundAssociateMember3inch 4.00204 Patch,LifeMemberembroidered¾x3inch 3.00205 Patch,AssociateMemberembroidered¾x3inch 3.00206 Patch,L.A.M.O.P.H.embroidered¾x3inch 3.00

CARDS301 Notecards,pkg.of20 4.00302 Sympathycards,pkg.of12 4.00

UNIT SUPPLIES401 Flagset,AmericanandLAMOPH,4x6incheson10inchpoleandstand 12.00402 Charter,DepartmentorUnitincluding12names($1.00peradditionalname) 25.00403 Constitution,Bylaws,Rules,Regulations,Rituals,StandingRules,Handbook 13.00404 CBL3ringb in d e r 4.00405 Directory,UnitsandDepartments(PriceperNationalConvention2010) 5.00406 Minutes,NationalConvention(PriceperNationalConvention2010) 10.00407 Membershipcardreplacement 4.00408 Stickers,peeloffwithemblem,pkg.of60 3.00409 Decals,windowwithemblem,2inch,pkg.of4 1.00410 Bookmarks,pkg.of25 2.00411 Portfoliofolder,imitationleatherwithLAMOPHlogo 20.00

All supply items are ordered through the National LAMOPH Headquarters atNational Secretary Dar Schuff

742 Millbrook DriveNeenah, WI 54956

LAMOPHcapsareorderedthroughKeystoneUniformCapCorporation2251FraleyStreet,Philadelphia,PA19137•Phone:215-821-3434•Fax:215-821-3438

Onlineorderscanbeprocessedat:www.keystoneuniformcap.com/LAMOPH

Application for Membership


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Such membership is subject to conditions set forth in Article 1 of the bylaws of the LAMOPH. Life and Associate Memberships are available. Contact the National Secretary.

Membership of the Patriot must be verified through certified evidence of the Purple Heart Award.

Dues include subscription to the Purple Heart Magazine.

Ladies Auxiliary Military Order of the Purple Heart

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Application for Life Membership

Evidence of the award of the Purple Heart must be submitted with the application. Certificate alone does not constitute proof of award. If discharged, discharge document such as a DD214 must be provided reflecting character of service as honorable or under honorable conditions.

See Reverse for information on proof.

For a parent, spouse, sibling, lineal or adopted descendant of either a living or deceased Purple Heart recipient, evidence of the award of the Purple Heart and the relationship must be submitted with the application. However, if the Purple Heart Recipient is an active member of MOPH, he/she can sign the application certifying to the relationship.

See Reverse for information on proof.

PLEASEPRINTALLINFORMATION

ApplicantName

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Dues ScheduleMilitary Order of the Purple Heart

Life Membership $50.00Life Membership Installment Plan with application, $25 within 24 months of Application Date $25

Associate Life Membership $50.00Associate Life Membership Installment Plan with application, $25 within 24 months of Application Date $25

Dues ScheduleLadies Auxiliary

Military Order of the Purple Heart

Life Memberships $50.00

Associate Life Membership $50.00

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Dues Schedule



TapsName Service War Dept Chapter Name Service War Dept Chapter



Taps

Name Service War Dept Chapter Name Service War Dept Chapter


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