Chapter 218 Newsletter - March 2011

[boardman]

SERVING VETERANS AND THE COMMUNITY SINCE 1985

HTTP://WWW.VVACHAPTER218.ORG

Veterans Memorial Building
VVA CHAPTER 218
112 W Cabrillo Blvd
SANTA BARBARA, CA. 93101

March 2011

Publisher/Editor: John Selfridge (johnselfridge218@hotmail.com)

The Santa Barbara Chapter of the Vietnam Veterans of America is a tax exempt, non-profit, community service organization. Our members are Vietnam era (you need not have served “in country”) Veterans and associates (individuals from all walks of life who may or may not have served in the military). Our Chapter is successful because of the efforts of Vietnam Veterans, Vietnam Era Veterans, and associates, all of whom are equally welcomed and prized.

The Chapter meets the second Tuesday of every month at the Veterans Memorial Building at 112 W. Cabrillo Boulevard at 6:00 P. M. The meetings usually last around an hour. Several members usually go out for an informal dinner afterwards. (Individual checks)

Definition of a veteran: A veteran - whether active duty, retired, national guard or reserve, - is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to "The United States of America", for an amount of "up to and including my life." (Author unknown)





Acronym: ZULU TIME: Setting your watches ALL to the clocks as they appear at the Royal Observatory in Greenwich, England. If all service personnel use the EXACT SAME TIME ZONE SETTING, then their watches will all hit MIDNIGHT at the very same time, all over the world. This is crucial, as Radio and Teletype Cryptography keys need to be changed simultaneously. Also, coordination of actions could be confusing if many commanders used different clock settings, but needed to coordinate an attack or other activity. Radio Operators often set their watches to Zulu Time.




UP COMING EVENTS


Hap: Don't forget the Welcome Home Viet Nam Veterans Day on 30MAR. We may all just drive up to Guadalupe to join with our Brothers for the day. I for one want to start the ball rolling. I have talked to Guadalupe's VP Richard Segovia about the Run For The Wall. He is determined to make it ALL THE WAY
Memorial Day with services at Goleta, Santa Barbara, and Carpentaria cemeteries.
Fourth of July parade with helicopter.
Fiesta and all that Fiesta booth entails
Moving wall placed on East Beach including the foundation setup and removal.
Veterans Day parade with flyover and all the extras.

These are all great reasons for all of us to be sure our chapter shirts are correct.


FROM THE PRESIDENT
Hello 218!

This is my last message as President for 2010/2011. I hope that you have been following along. I'm pretty sure that I made good on the one promise that I made to you..."I could never do as good a job as Keith Perkins did!" Frankly, that was a safe bet, but I will reiterate what I feel has been accomplished in this last year:
1) We established a less argumentative and more respectful atmosphere at our meetings.
2) We recovered some of our Discipline by requiring that any Member who wishes to Represent 218 to other entities must be a Board Member.
3) Enforced Discipline upon Board Members Representing us to other entities by requiring said Member to give a written report to the Board, and an oral report to the Chapter.
4) Prepared written Agendas for meetings, and provided written Minutes of meetings. Members need to be informed of Chapter activities, even if they can't attend meetings.
5) Initiated Daughter Of The Regiment Award. Maria Perkins and Cathy Franco have been recipients of this distinction.

Turning our thoughts to this coming year, I don't know who will be President, but I do know that I will support this Chapter, whatever my position in it. I have always felt that the Heart and quality of our officers makes them truly interchangeable. It shouldn't matter who holds the meeting gavel, we can get business done. So let's look to our coming challenges, shall we?

The Moving Wall coming in late September is one of the most powerful things that effects us as individuals. It is difficult for me just to approach it. Find in yourself what you can sign up to do. The training is going to be mandatory for anyone who will deal with the public this time, to provide them with the level of service that we would want as a Wall visitor ourselves. We can all do this together, because we DESERVE to work as a team.

The wheels on Chaplain Pattie Murdy's Homeless Clothing Drive have already left the runway. We will also look forward to picking up highway trash once we get a stretch of highway designated. Chaplain John Parsons is OIC of that one.

My primary concern for 218 is our Direction and our Mindset. The importance isn't just Where we are going, but Why we are going there. I invite you to recall your worst experiences to illustrate my point:

During our Service years we were effectively De-Motivated by a loud, angry voice that constantly demeaned us. We are now afloat in a polite society. That kind of anger coming from us will just give 218, and all Veterans, a black eye. I vote to put on a civil face to the world.

I also challenge you all to put aside our concerns for ourselves and look outwardly. Whether or not my 40 year old problems are getting any better is a moot point. There are other fish in the sea, many of whom could use a helping hand. Consider the wealth of knowledge that we are privy to as Veterans. We are afloat in a society that abhors, but doesn't truly understand, War. As we are less than 1% of that society, we hold rare
knowledge based on our experience.

Remember the lack of support that we received as Veterans from other, older Vets? Let's not be angry about it, let's steel ourselves to NOT REPEAT IT. There are plenty of new Veterans being minted every single day that ache for the acceptance of those around them. Who is more a peer than a member of society who has been through what they have? We are the 1% of society that UNDERSTANDS. We have rare knowledge and experience that can be useful to others.

The motto of the Vietnam Veterans used to be "Together Then, Together Now". We have actually changed it to: "Never again will one Generation of Veterans Abandon Another". I feel challenged and purposed by these words. I get up off my duff and stand and say "No, I won't forsake and ignore them!" It is our Calling and our Duty to not let them slip through our fingers. To not let them down. This I see as 218's focus. Our Direction. Our Legacy. There may be many paths that 218 can take this year. This is the tone I wish to set. This is the promise I wish each of us could make to ourselves, and to those whom we do not even know. Look inside yourself and see if this is the Direction that YOU wish to go.

SGT Hap


FROM THE VICE PRESIDENT


Another month for the best Chapter in the world, this one being election month. I'll be mercifully short this month. NUMBER ONE.....A big thank you to those who are showing up at the meetings again. For those of you who won't be able to attend this month's, here's YOUR chance to show you care. Great people who care are running to keep the aforementioned Chapter #1. Honor them by voting for who you believe in foe the continuing advancement of 218, especially Member Of The Year. Best fact OVERALL.....if you do not vote, you cannot bitch. Debate, dissent or question, but VOTE!!!!!! And thank you again for your continuing support of this Chapter and please continue such throughout the busy upcoming year.
Forward and Onward
Proudly Serving
Dennis



FOR THE GOOD OF THE CHAPTER

Homeless Veterans Clothing Project –

Many thanks and a huge debt of gratitude are owed to the following people who stepped up to the plate and donated clothing during our monthly drive in January & February:
Hazel & John Blankenship, Dan Burnham, Madeline Moreaux, Pattie Murdy
Patricia Rumpza, Wayne Siemens
Hazel Blankenship & Pattie Murdy were able to inventory and deliver the following items to Casa Esperanza, a 24-hour Homeless Shelter in Santa Barbara:
The itemized list is available in the full report to Board of Directors.

We continue to collect new and used clothing in good condition during the coming months as an ongoing project of local Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 218. Thank you for your continued support.
Pattie Murdy, Committee Chair



EMAIL MIA’S (bounce back because of bad e-mail addresses)

If ANY body knows the e-mail addresses of the following members or want this newsletter e-mailed to you please let me know at (johnselfridge218@hotmail.com)

xxxx


















Board Of Directors (Refreshed Every April)

Hap DeSimone, Pres. (SGTHAP218@yahoo.com)
(Army E-5 SGT Second Field Force, Long Binh, `69-`70)
Dennis Hartman, 1st Vice-President
(USAF E-5 Aircraft Crew Chief Bien Hoa, Da Nang `69 - `71)
Domingo Nuñez, 2nd Vice-President
(Army E-4 Reconnaissance Delta`69.)
Gerry Roberson, Recording Secretary
John Kerr, Treasurer (805-680-5624)
(Army E-4 Door Gunner Tay Ninh, Bien Hoa‘70 - ‘72)
Board Members:
William Frieburg, Director
(Army E-4 Small Arms Repair Germany ’68 - ’70)
Keith Perkins, Director
(USMC E-5 Radar Technician Chu Lai `66)
Gerry Roberson, Director
Charlie Franco, Director
(Army E-5 Combat Engineer Delta - My Tho`68 - `69)


California State Council Representative: Hap DeSimone
Alternate: Craig Taylor (USMC E-5 Helicopter Structural Mechanic & Door Gunner Phu Bai ’65 - ’67)
Santa Barbara Veterans Coordinating Council Representative: Dennis Hartman
Membership Chairman: Dennis Hartman (805-965-2162) or (805-477-0083)
Chaplain: John Parsons (USMC O-3 Combat Engineer Chu Lai ’65 - ’66)
Alternate Chaplain: Patricia Murdy (life member)
Veterans Affairs Coordinator: Joseph Narkevitz (Army E-5 3rd Field Hospital, Saigon ’68)
PTSD & Agent Orange Coordinator: Hap DeSimone (962-5765)
Memorabilia: Is available at chapter meetings and at chapter events

Vance Memorial Fund
The Chapter’s Vance Committee distributes funds ($39,994 thru 01/11) to qualified disabled American veterans. Committee is refreshed every April.

John Kerr (Chairman) (Cambodianred@gmail.com) Bill Griffin
Madeline Moreaux Gerry Roberson
George Ogle Dennis Hartman
William Stewart Don Matter
Keith Perkins Patricia Murdy


Thank you for serving our country.
John Selfridge (E-3 V-3 division CVA-43)























IF you for any reason cannot make the meeting
Address for members who won't be at the meeting mail their votes to:

Veterans Memorial Building
VVA Chapter 218
112 w Cabrillo Bi Santa Barbara, Ca 93101

ELECTION SLATE FOR THIS COMING YEAR:

PRESIDENT ____Hap DeSimone ____Peter Bie
Write in_________________________________

Highest two vote getters will be 1st and 2nd Vice President
VICE PRESIDENT ____Dennis Hartman, ____John Blankenship, _____Domingo Nunez
Write in__________________________________

SECRETARY ____Melinda Bie ____Gerry Roberson
Write in __________________________________

TREASURER ____Gerry Roberson/Domingo Nunez, ____ Hazel Blankenship
Write in __________________________________

SERGEANT-AT-ARMS ____Bill Frieburg, ____George Ogle
Write in___________________________________

CHAPLAIN ____ Pattie Murdy, ____John Parsons,
Write in__________________________________

Board of Directors
Highest votes for board members produce five Board of Directors.
Charlie Franco_____
Bill Fieburg______
George Ogle______
Don Matter_______
John Selfridge______
Hazel Bie______
Write in________________________________________________
Due to reasons already submitted a (Member of the Year) ballot for 2010 was not submitted. Here is your chance to honor your choice.
_________________________________________________________________