Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: dyna76 on April 09, 2010, 01:44:52 PM
-
This is our weekly newsletter from central Pa sent to me from a friend....................... .
BEFORE WE GO...
There is a YouTube video making the rounds that I would like to talk about today - sort of. The video is called "Before they go" and it is a kind of warning that our Vietnam Vets are dying off rapidly, and we need to give them a proper "Welcome Home" before they are gone. But I would like to turn that around and talk about, not what people need to do for the Vietnam Vet, but what the Vietnam Vet should do "before we go.
It's a fact that the Vietnam Veterans are dying at younger ages than the general population. Addictions and mental problems leading to homelessness, cancers and other diseases directly or indirectly related to the war, incarceration, all of these factors combine to kill the Vietnam Vet too soon. They are dying in their 60's instead of their 80's as others do.
I am at the tail end of that group - one of the "youngest" veterans of that era. I was only 18 in 1972 when I left high school and joined the Army, by which time most of the friends I have today had already served in Vietnam and come home again. I was trained for jungle combat in the swamps of Louisiana , but by the time I finished AIT it was all over. Whether that's a good thing or a bad thing depends on who you talk to.
My brother David was a couple years earlier than I, joining the Air Force in 1969. He too, as an Air Force military policeman, missed being sent to Vietnam . Instead his overseas tour was spent in Taiwan .
I talk about David today because he is a member of that generation of veterans, and because it is exactly one year ago today that he died. He was only 57 and when he succumbed to cancer, leaving an empty place in the hearts of his family members and the world short one hero.
David served his country his whole adult life. As I mentioned, he joined the Air Force in 1969 and served for four years as a military policeman. After the Air Force he remained near Washington D.C., where his last duty station was, becoming a policeman in the Prince George 's Country police department and starting his family.
Later, David became a member of the Secret Service, and did bodyguard duty for such political luminaries as Brezinski, Jimmy Carter's National Security Advisor. At about the same time he began to teach evening college classes in a Maryland Community College , and he continued in that capacity until his death, over 30 years.
He also joined the Navy Reserves, where he rose to the rank of Lt. Commander, and was an NCIS agent (Naval Criminal Investigative Service).
As an NCIS agent David was put in harm's way in many world hotspots, such as Ireland , Saudi Arabia , Panama and others. He used to get a kick out of telling me that if he told me exactly what he was doing there he'd have to kill me.
I am not the only person who has lost a loved one from that generation of veterans...far from it.. Virtually every one of you reading this can relate to what I am saying. Life is a series of losses - everything good, ends. It is when a good thing ends before its time that we grieve most, and that is why these Vietnam Veteran statistics are so tragic.
The statistics are startling. Of almost three million Americans who served in Vietnam , there are only 800,000 left alive today. 58,000 names are eteched into the Wall. Since then, 130,000 more have committed suicide. Cancer, poverty, addiction, mental illness and chronic homelessness and crime have taken the lives of the rest. Statistically, 16 die every hour, 390 each day. If you extrapolate from there, in the year 2015, five years from now, there will be no more Vietnam Veterans left alive.
Now, that's a bit harsh. I intend to be here in five years, and most of the folks I know from that era do too. But I want to take the point of the video and turn it around. Rather than talk about what needs to be done FOR the Vietnam Vet before they go, I want to talk about what WE need to do for others before WE go. We need to decide what is to be our legacy - the Legacy of the Vietnam Era Vet. I don't pretend to speak for all veterans of my era - certainly not the combat vets - but I know a lot of them and I know that many feel the way I do.
It is no longer about us...our time is past. We were then and then is gone. It is too late for those Vietnam Vets who are locked in the prison of pain and poverty and addiction to be rehabilitated. It is too late to turn it around and take a stab at living a "normal," productive life for those now living in the streets. The claws of their monstrous addictions are dug too deep, their minds are too far gone. The most that we can do for them now is to help ease their pain. Those of us who were spared from the dark pit of homelessness and addiction and mental illness, we can give them one hot meal, give them a safe and warm place to sleep for one night, give them access to social services that can also help in that way.
And when you serve that one hot meal to that homeless veteran, tell him quietly that he has earned this meal through his service to his nation. Let him know through your actions that his dignity is intact - this is no hand-out, it is only his due. You cannot restore his health, but you can restore his human dignity, if only for one night.
So give us no charity. A "welcome home" is nice but that's not necessary either. What IS necessary is what WE need to DO, "before we go." There are two things above all else that we must do before we go:
1. Make peace with those who did not fare as well as we. Contact your local Veteran's Administration office and find out where the nearest veteran's shelter, soup kitchen, or Stand Down is, and go there and volunteer. Give of yourself and your time to help those Vietnam Veterans who are worse off than you are to ease their pain, to make their last days a little more comfortable and dignified. Do that on a regular basis, but ask for nothing in return - not even a "welcome home." Remember - you can't save him. You CAN fill his belly tonight.
2. PAY FORWARD. Unless you are a researcher and come up with a cure for cancer, this is the most important thing that you will ever do - it's what the WWR is all about. Today's warriors are fighting an increasingly dangerous and violent war in Afghanistan. This summer will see a major offensive in Kandahar . Tens of thousands of Marines, Soldiers, Sailors and Airmen will be put in harm's way. Our time is over. Their time is now.
I see it as our duty to ensure that today's warriors do not become tomorrow's homeless - addicted and suicidal. It is up to us - the Vietnam and post-Vietnam Era veterans. It is too late for us as a generation of veterans to save ourselves, but we can use the lessons of our loss like a beacon in a storm to warn the current generation of veterans away from dashing their lives on the rocks. That is our duty as Americans who once were soldiers - it is not optional.
As a member of the Warriors' Watch, I have done many welcome home events for individual warriors and units. Sometimes the warrior of our attentions will ask what he can do to repay the kindness just shown to him. Even if not, I try every time to take the warrior aside and tell him to pay it forward. That's all we want. Pay it forward.
When we are gone, and you, today's warrior, feeling the wear of years and wondering where your youth went, think back and remember what we did for you and what that meant to you. Then go to a member of that day's generation of warrior and look into his eyes. When you see fear and loneliness there, tell him that you understand, that you have been there and you know, that you support him and believe in his mission, that you are thankful for his/her service. Whatever war is being fought in that time, show that warrior the devotion that we show to you today. You, young warrior - take the future warrior aside and tell him that you were afraid, that it is normal to be afraid, and that you know he is afraid. Tell him what you know – that courage is not the absence of fear, courage is doing what you have to do even when you are afraid. Tell him that you honor and respect him for his courage.
That is what you can do to thank us - just pay it forward. If you do that, our actions here today will not have been for nothing. Rather, our actions today will reach out into the future to touch a new generation of heroes, spreading compassion long after our bodies are dust. The affect that we have on the way you treat our future warriors is payment enough.
Even when my country turned against me, I served proudly, and with honor. You serve with honor today, and those not yet born will serve with honor. Never again will a generation forsake the generations that came before, or those yet to come.
Before We Go, it is our sacred duty to ensure that no generation of warrior is ever treated poorly again - not in spite of what happened to us, but because of what happened to us. It has become the very purpose of our lives to tell the younger generation of warriors that we love them and honor them, that we understand their sacrifice, and that we will never, ever, treat lightly what they have lost in the service of their country.
Before We Go, this we vow, because we were soldiers once. Our compassion, our love for and unconditional support of today's warrior - that will be our legacy.
As a member of the Patriot Guard Riders,we will give them the tribute they deserve......:salute
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1f6tN1tt6w
The Origin of the Patriot Guard Riders
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9_RJMsrIT6s
-
Oregon Chapter member here, we make sure they are honored when they are laid to rest :salute to all the Fallen, The Patriot Guard Riders will never let you be forgotten. Everyone is welcomed to assist and you dont need a Bike to be an member. I have close to 45 dogtags as a remeberance of those fallen, sadly one of those tags belongs to my Girlfriends Daughters husband :salute :angel:
-
:salute Zoom
-
:salute Dyna76
-
AZ chapter PGR
American Legion Rider
I participate in every PGR mission I can here and when we are traveling. At Tucson my ALR chapter sponsors a BBQ (grilled hamburgers and bratts) once a month at the local VA Hospital. We make sure those vets do nothing but relax and enjoy something other than the usual hospital food. We take the order and bring it to them and do the clean up later on. Every one of them is a "SIR" or "MAAM" to us. Most of our members are Nam vets or Nam period vets. We are now seeing more and more sand box vets both in the hospital and in the Legion. They all earned their due and we do what we can to see they get it including a thank you whether they are a WW2 Vet or any other time period. They all signed that blank check to the country.
:salute
-
:salute Maverick
-
Big :salute to the Riders who do what they do. It is appreciated more than you will ever know.
-
Not sure if many of you might remember this, but a few years back, there was a group of protesters that would picket at servicemen and women funerals. They made a lot of noise in the media for a while and then finally just faded away. I forgot the group's name.
Anyway, the reason why I mentioned this is about three (3) years ago, there was a funeral in the town I work for that was laying to rest a Lieutenant Booth, USMC. There was a rumor that the group of protesters was going to make an appearance. Well, the Patriot Guard got news of this and showed up. There were approximately 50 riders from the area that attended the funeral services. Not one protester showed up. I know from speaking with several of the members, many are former military, law enforcement, firefighters, and a few civilians.
All in all, truly a fascinating group of individuals. :salute
-
Any protesters, We just stand with our backs to them holding the American flag, words are never spoken to them.
-
Dyna, that work was truly touching. :cry
-Penguin
-
See Rule #14
-
:salute Penguin
Just as Zoom said, we speak no words to those protesters and turn our backs to them.
-
See Rule #14
-
See Rule #14
-
:salute Veterans ,and Riders for Veterans
-
See Rule #14
-
See Rule #4
-
See Rule #14
-
See Rule #4, #14
-
Gentleman, I think you guys are losing what this post is all about. It is not an argument between the two of you, it was a post I put up to honor those that desreved it then and now, plus all the other veterans we have after them.
Please do not turn this thread into a shouting match of disagreements, everyone is entitled to thier own opinion. Just respect each others opinions and leave it at that.
:salute
-
Correct, let us put down our hatchets, but I still don't see what that other guy was so riled up about. I was trying to calm him down!
:salute the fallen may they always :rock in our souls
-Penguin
-
Agreed to disagree
-
Thank you both........... :salute
-
:salute Dyna ,thank you for sharing. Not very much worthwhile reading on these boards most times. Hopefully a few of us are done hijacking your thread. :rolleyes:
-
My father was 22 years old when he was sent over as a supply clerk with the 185th Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard. He and my mother had been married for 6 months, when he was shipped out in April of 1968. He spent a year at Phu Cat Air Force base. He had it easy compared to some guys, but some of the stories he has told would make you think otherwise... such as getting back to base in the "deuce in a half" truck with the supply Cpt from the 40 mile round trip to the port and learn than a convoy that left the port 10 minutes behind him got ambushed by VC. Guess who was in the cross-hairs of the VC and let go for bigger fish??? Yeap, my dad and the chit-for-brains (his words) captain.
He just turned 65 years old.
-
My father was 22 years old when he was sent over as a supply clerk with the 185th Fighter Wing of the Iowa Air National Guard. He and my mother had been married for 6 months, when he was shipped out in April of 1968. He spent a year at Phu Cat Air Force base. He had it easy compared to some guys, but some of the stories he has told would make you think otherwise... such as getting back to base in the "deuce in a half" truck with the supply Cpt from the 40 mile round trip to the port and learn than a convoy that left the port 10 minutes behind him got ambushed by VC. Guess who was in the cross-hairs of the VC and let go for bigger fish??? Yeap, my dad and the chit-for-brains (his words) captain.
He just turned 65 years old.
Next time you see your father, the Hero, give him a hug for me and tell him I said thank you.
-
And that goes for all the men and women who have served this great country, if I could I would give all of ya a hug and a hand shake, doesn't mean were going to shower together, but i have the utmost respect for you and your families who had to do without you while you were gone. I know it wasn't easy and it never will be, especially the memories that you have to live with. Remember that there are those of us who don't think of you as anything less than a Hero and I mean that from the core of my being. I can not put into words the gratitude and thanks that I have fro all of our service men and women. God Bless you all.
-
Ah hugs, the warm, soft reminder that we are all brothers and sisters no matter who we are. :old:
-Penguin
-
Got me a bit choked up there dyna. Awsome post :salute
-
<S> Dyna..thanks from this Vet
-
Thank you Slash and Tomcat <S> bro's
I am proud to be a member of the PGR because as we all know there is still not enough being done to help our boys after they have come home in the past and the present. We need to start taking care of our own before we worry about how other people and countries are doing around the world.
I SALUTE all past and present veterans, because if it wasnt for you guys, we wouldnt even have the simplest of things and the freedom that we have. Sometimes we forget and still take the little things for granted.
And remember, it dont make you a lesser man to tell someone you love them and to give a handshake, hug or a simple thank you.
-
+100 on what dyna76 said, we just want them to be remembered, because there are someones brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers, Dyna heres a video mixed with a couple rides here in oregon, from the 4 minute mark on , Its mostly Ryans, ugh still bring tears to me :salute at 19... he gave the utimate for all of us.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FouA9zwGZQE (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FouA9zwGZQE)
-
Thank you Slash and Tomcat <S> bro's
I am proud to be a member of the PGR because as we all know there is still not enough being done to help our boys after they have come home in the past and the present. We need to start taking care of our own before we worry about how other people and countries are doing around the world.
I SALUTE all past and present veterans, because if it wasnt for you guys, we wouldnt even have the simplest of things and the freedom that we have. Sometimes we forget and still take the little things for granted.
And remember, it dont make you a lesser man to tell someone you love them and to give a handshake, hug or a simple thank you.
In fact, it makes you a greater one, becuase you understand what those men/and/or/women gave for their country.
-Penguin
-
Dyna thanks from this vet and 68zoom thanks for what you do. Is there a local chapter in pennslyvania that you guys might know of??
If so I would love to get ahold of them to see about joining.
-
Dyna thanks from this vet and 68zoom thanks for what you do. Is there a local chapter in pennslyvania that you guys might know of??
If so I would love to get ahold of them to see about joining.
I'm assuming you were referring to the PGR.
Here is the link to the home page. Scroll down and you'll see the rest of the web page and links to other areas. You'll have to look at the all forums button to get to the majority of the web site.
http://patriotguard.org/
Here is the link to the PA. page. You might want to join up and then post a new member notice there. Asking about the local chapter there will get you info about it and probably an invite to receive e-mails about up coming missions.
http://patriotguard.org/ALLForums/tabid/61/view/topics/forumid/106/Default.aspx
Remember you do NOT have to have a motorcycle to participate. There are plenty of folks in cages (cars / trucks) that also participate. All that we ask is that you honor and respect those who gave so much for all of us. Most are Vets but that also is not a requirement.
-
Dyna thanks from this vet and 68zoom thanks for what you do. Is there a local chapter in pennslyvania that you guys might know of??
If so I would love to get ahold of them to see about joining.
Pennsylvania Chapter
Barry "B Bioni" Bioni
bbioni@verizon.net
http://www.patriotguard.org/Home/tabid/53/Default.aspx (http://www.patriotguard.org/Home/tabid/53/Default.aspx)
Feel free to become a member, no cost and you don't need a bike, many members provide support vehicles to carry food, coffee, Flags and any other things that might be requested :salute
-
hehehe beat ya to it 68! :old: :neener:
-
Mav did you get the new LDF patch yet?
-
Mav did you get the new LDF patch yet?
Nope My vest has little from the PGR and just a couple things from the Legion. I have a PGR pin, cap and arm band I wear with my American Legion Riders vest. I have some patches that need to be sewn on. I tried buying stuff from the PGR store but they make it so darn hard I'd rather buy it from Twisters site. http://www.twistersstore.com/ MUCH easier to navigate and professionally done. I do need a new cap, mines faded now.
-
Dyna thanks from this vet and 68zoom thanks for what you do. Is there a local chapter in pennslyvania that you guys might know of??
If so I would love to get ahold of them to see about joining.
There sure is. I live in central Pa about 30 minutes north of State College ( Penn State University).
There is also a organization I belong too that is just as great as the PGR. here is the link for you to check out:
http://www.warriorswatch.org/
-
Here is a video gentleman from us here in Pa. Hope you enjoy.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bbjehItvNY
:salute
-
BTW Zoom..............Damn fine video, keep up the good work out there in the west, us boys in the east got you covered
:salute brother
-
Thanks for the info Dyna, I live in East berlin which is aprox 3 hours from State College and I deliver to the 2 Martins up there.
Also Dyna are you coming to Dayton this year, I'm going and it will be my first AH get together.
:salute
-
Unfortunatly I am not going to Dayton. With everything going on with me traveling this summer, I got my hands full enough. I got plans this summer for Gettysburg and East Coast Sturgis this summer and I would like to get together and meet some guys in Gettysburg. I will be the big ugly dude on the bike.......I will let people know when the times gets closer and I set a date.
-
Ok gents, if you watched my video on the Warriors Watch Riders I am a proud member of, then I suggest you grab a new box of tissues. This is a video that will touch your hearts. There are no words that can describe this one, you will just know when you watch it.
Shed a tear, it does the soul good.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hkGzqpGx1KU
-
Dyna will you be down for the Make-A-Wish convoy may 2 in gettysburg?? Cuz if so I will be participatinf in it.
-
I will have to check those dates. But its a possibility.
-
Dyna wow you was right, didnt make it past the lil girl seeing her dad, just watching her expression wow powerful :angel:
-
Dyna
I did some checking on youtube and I found this video. For all of those who dont know what Dyna and the rest of these fine upstanding gentlemen are doing then watch this and be appalled and thankful at the same time.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rP6gneH1DRU&feature=related
and again thanks
-
Thank you ebfd11. It is an honor to do what we do, but as always it is about THEM. We are there to show them we care and are honored for what those men and women do.
I am surprised to see not many people have said much here on the topic but its ok. It is not an easy subject to talk about or discuss. Unfortunatly it is everyday life and we sometimes forget what is actually going on here in our country and what our soldiers are going through. I salute each and every one of you that have gave me your opinions on this subject and it makes me happy knowing that there is more people out there that feel the way I do about this topic. No matter what your views are on this, just take a second and realize that this IS actually happening and whether you care or not, is your own opinion.
:salute
-
Welcome Home... I CAN'T HEAR YOU!!!
One thing that all Warriors' Watch Riders Welcome Home missions have in common is what I call the "flash." When we do our "thing," it's loud, it's colorful, and it's hard to miss.
If you are new to the Warriors' Watch ( and we get new members every day, thank you for joining us!) you may have wondered something like, "Shouldn't we be in the background? When we make all this noise, aren't we "making it about us?"
Well, yes. And no. When the Warriors' Watch was founded we made a deliberate decision to make our work as visible as possible. In our Vision statement we talk about the need to spread the word about what we are doing so that others will get the idea and so similar things themselves. The goal is to create a culture in which our American warriors are seen by the public as the celebrities that they are to us.
As I began to write this, the TV was on and it was set on "TMZ." If you don't know, this is a show about the media obsession with celebrities (it's really kind of funny, in a ribald way). But the paparazzi were following some celeb through an airport and finally cornered him and were firing questions and flashing cameras. Of the millions of people tuned in to that show at that moment, I wonder how many of them noticed what I noticed - two uniformed soldiers standing in the background, watching all the hubub.
In a perfect world, in a Warriors' Watch world, it would have been those two soldiers who the TV cameras were surrounding and the photographers were shooting. That was my first thought.
My next thought was, "what if a Warriors' Watch Welcome Home had been happening in that airport in that place at that time? Would the noise and cheering and flags and signs have been noticed by the media and drawn their attention and cameras?" The answer is "probably."
In the Philadelphia area the media have become supporters of the Warriors' Watch and A Hero's Welcome to the point of almost being partners in our troop support efforts. They see us again and again, they cover us on their news programs again and again, and that in turn spreads the word and draws more public attention to the rightness of honoring our troops like celebrities.
I consider it a part of the WWR/AHW package to include media, noise, color, and flare. Our goal is to make people take notice, see what's going on, and join in - a culture of "hero worship" in which it is the real heroes who are, not worshiped, but honored.
So take those baffles out and light 'em up!
UPCOMING EVENTS
The nature of most WWR "rides" is that they are all relatively short notice, if not actual short notice. Rarely do we have more than, say, 2 or 3 weeks at the outside to plan a ride. Sometimes we have only 2 or three HOURS. (If you don't believe it, read here about the Army Wedding that the Warriors Watch riders did on 2 hours notice. In two hours we said "yes," got the riders together, got a church, got a minster, got the flowers and a photographer, and got the Army couple married, right before the bride deployed to Iraq. I believe this is still a WWR record.)
But there are a few events coming up this season that we need and want as many of you as possible to participate it - it's even worth travelling for and staying over night.
Ride 1: Wounded Warriors Rider Project, ride to Walter Reed. The Wounded Warriors Rider Project is a permanent organization with a website and a mission. We will be riding to Walter Reed where we will put on a BBQ for 200 wounded warriors, and during this we will bring bike builders and amputee riders to give talks and demonstrations of the kinds of modifications that can be made to bikes to accommodate amputees. The idea is to put the possibilities in front of these heroes in the hopes of giving them motivation to heal, to go on, and to avoid sinking into depression. THE DATE IS STILL IFFY. We are trying for May 29, that is the Saturday of Memorial Day, but it might not work out. So please, continue to follow the mission thread on this ride on the WWR Forums, and check in to the Wounded Warrior Riders website for updates.
Ride 2: The Annual Ride for Freedom in Philadelphia. This is not a WWR ride, but it is a WWR Partner ride, the Friends of the Forgotten. I will be the speaker in a brief ceremony held just before the ride commences. As last year, the beginning point is Norristown High School, and the ride will end on Hallowed Ground, Valley Forge, Pa. Check the FotF website to get details and download a flyer.
Ride 3: Ride of Reflection, September 29. This is a fundraising ride that will be the first of an annual event, for the Garden of Reflection, the Pennsylvania Memorial to the victims of the attack on America on 9.11.2001. This is an awesome opportunity for the WWR to directly aid the memorialization of the honored dead from our state. Check the Ride of Rememberence website for ongoing details as they become avaialbe. This is a first ride, so a lot of planning is still underway.
SPEAKING OF PARTNERS... Our (the WWR) partnership with A Hero's Welcome has, over time, strengthened to the point where we are really two branches of the same organizaiotn. The WWR relies heavily on AHW for planning and logistics, and for volunteers to come to airports and to the home destinations of our charges. The WWR is equally important to AHW, providing the means of transporting our heroes to the places they are returning home to. If you haven't thecked the A Hero's Welcome website lately, please do so now to see the changes that have taken place there.
Finally, the growth of the American Warriors' Watch Coalition is nothing short of astounding. All across America, all manner of Troop Support Organizaitons are lining up to join the AWWC, to share their ideas, resources, communications, while minimizing lost opportunities to serve our troops by covering the most possible area of the country. Check out the lists of members in good standing of the AWWC at the AWWC website.
Another group that has become a steadfast WWR Partner is "Fast Lane Biker" magazine. If you live in New York, New Jersey, or Pennsylvania, stop in to almost any bike shop or dealership and pick up a copy. I write a monthly column for this magazine and in turn they are promoting our organization and our rides. Check it out!
-
This one can't say enough....................
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0vMaJvyXS7A
More from The Warriors Watch......
http://www.lutzkicksass.com/theride/