The Listening Post

M A Y 2 01 4
N E WS LE TT ER OF T HE VI ET N AM VE TER A NS OF A ME R IC A, C HA PT ER 35 , GR E ATE R TO LE D O, O H
The Listening Post
35
Newly Elected Officers Take Oath of Office At April Meeting
2014-15 Officers
Gene Shurtz / Pres.
Dick Nolte/ V. Pres.
George Hart / 2nd V.P
Bob Stewart/ Secretary
Gil Gonzales/Treasurer
Board Members
Bob Stewart / till 2015
Dick Nolte / till 2016
Ralph Wineland/till 2016
Tom Loomis/till 2017
Full Slate of New Officers Elected, Chapter Energized By Election
Chapter 35 elections have were held in
April, resulting in some new officers as
well as some holding current or just moving to different positions. The duties of
each office was read before each vote to
insure all were aware of what would be
expected of them if elected.
Gene Shurtz was elected President for
2014, Mr. Shurtz formally our treasurer
and has served as president in past years.
Dick Nolte was elected to the position of
1st Vice President 2014. Mr. Nolte has
served as president and secretary before.
Elected as VVA Chapter 35 State Representatives were Al Meadows and Dick
Nolte, with Raymond Soto as alternate.
Jerry Eversman was elected as Chapter 35
AVVA Representative. His election was
held April 27, 2014. Mr. Eversman has
been serving as appointed chapter AVVA
rep and recently was appointed as State of
Ohio, Point of Contact for the AVVA.
All non-Vietnam Veterans are eligible for
membership in the Associates (A.V.V.A.).
www.ohioavva.org
Leave No one Behind
“Out of every one hundred solders, ten shouldn't
even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are
the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them,
for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is
Bob Stewart was elected to the office of
a warrior, and will bring the others back.”
Secretary 2014 Mr. Stewart has served as
Heraclitus
board member in the past and has served as
1st Vice President for Ohio V.V.A.
May Meeting
George Hart is returning to the office of
2nd Vice President 2014. Mr. Hart served
in this office in 2013.
Gil Gonzales was elected as Treasurer
2014. Mr. Gonzales will take office pending an audit, has accounting experience
Tom Loomis was elected for a 3-year term
as Board Member, succeeding the late Ed
Willmarth.
Sunday, May 18, 2014 at 7 p.m.
Office (419)-242-4293
Chaplin/419.350.4105
April Meeting
Important Notes
Needed: Someone to manage
the Color Guard unit; someone
to train members; while serving
as leader of the unit and schedule services.
Also needed are more members
to serve with color guard; uniforms are furnished by chapter.
Contact President Gene Shurtz
if you are interested.
The fundraiser car show is
scheduled for Sept and help is
needed to promote the event.
On the day of the car show volunteers are needed, too. Contact
2nd VP George Hart, Danny or
Bonnie Skirvin for more information about how you can help.
Lake Township, Wood County
Tiger bus trip will probably be
in August, details are still being
worked out so as to have good
seats at a good game.
“Coffee and fellowship at 6:30 p.m.”
Chaplin on Call / 419.350.4105
LAKE TOWNSHIP BUILDING
Corner, St. Rt. 795 & Cummings Rd.
On the Internet at: www.toledovietnamvets.com
M AY 2014
P AGE 2 TH E LIS TEN I N G PO S T
Free Day of Dentistry
for Veterans
Amanda Szparka is helping to organize this year's Stars, Stripes and Smiles
Event. Stars, Stripes and Smiles is a
non-profit that provides free dentistry
to our deserving veterans.
Event Date and Time: May 16, 2014
from 8 AM - 4 PM
Event Description: Hires Dental Care
will host its 5th annual Stars, Stripes&
Smiles event to extend their appreciation to our Toledo Area Veterans by
providing a free day of dental care. As
a growing number of Americans lack
dental insurance, Stars, Stripes &
Smiles provides an opportunity to give
back to those who have sacrificed so
much for our freedom.
Oregon’s Memorial Day Service Set
Chapter 35 has been a big
part of the annual City of
Oregon Memorial Day
observance since the
Vietnam War Memorial
was dedicated in October
2008. Many of our members served on the committee that established
the memorial.
Dr. J Eric Hires of Hires Dental Care
and his staff hope to treat more than
100 patients between the hours of 8
am and 4 pm, on a first-come, firstserve basis. Tents will be set up in the
Hires Dental Care parking lot the day
of the event, with complimentary food
and beverages provided, in addition to
music and a variety of activities and
games to pass the time between patients. Additional services will be provided by nurses from ProMedica
Health System.
Since its founding in 2009, Stars,
Stripes and Smiles has provided a
total of $82,000 in dental treatment
to 342 patients.
We hope to add to our capacity,
treating more Veterans each and
every year.
For more information, please contact Amanda at 419.360.4686, the
Hires Dental Care office at
419.475.6673, or visit
www.starsstripesandsmiles.com.
Best regards,
Amanda Szparka
Marketing Coordinator
Hires Dental Care
[email protected](Office)
419-475-6673
(Mobile) 419-360-4686
Chaplain John King has
offered words of tributes
and prayers at the ceremony. Our color guard
has posted colors. Members have placed wreaths
at the war memorial, too.
The Memorial Day ceremony lasts about an hour.
OREGON
MEMORIAL
DAY
OBSERVANCE
MONDAY
MAY 26, 2014
11:00 AM
EVERYONE
INVITED
Clay High School, 5665 Seaman Rd., Oregon
JUNE MEETING
SUNDAY, JUNE 8, 2014 / 7:00 p.m.
M AY 2014
P AGE 3 TH E LIS TEN I N G PO S T
Stolen Valor Act Of 2013 Signed By President Obama
Jun 03, 2013 / by Bryant Jordan AP
President Obama on Monday signed
into law the latest version of the Stolen Valor Act, which makes it a federal crime for people to pass themselves
off as war heroes by wearing medals
they didn't rightfully earn.
The legislation passed both houses of
Congress with overwhelming majorities.
An earlier version, passed in 2005,
was struck down in June 2012 when
the Supreme Court ruled that lying
about military heroics was constitutionally protected speech unless there
was intent to gain some benefit or
something of value by fraud.
The law signed Monday at the White
House includes such a provision, making it illegal to make the claims with
the intent to obtain money, property or
other tangible benefits.
Veterans organizations were quick to
applaud Congress and the President
for acting quickly on the amended
version of the law.
"I think this was necessary because
people were using it to receive the
benefits of decorations of valor, and
they were getting monetary benefit
from it," said John Stovall, director of
national security and foreign relations
for The American Legion. "That's why
we supported the amended version,
not to infringe on anyone's First
Amendment rights but to protect the
reputation and meaning of the decorations."
The 2005 law made its way to the Supreme Court after a California man
challenged his conviction and $5,000
fine for unlawfully claiming to be a
Medal of Honor recipient. The court
declared the law unconstitutional unless the fabricator intended to get
something of value by making the
claims.
William "Bill" Hillar of Maryland
spent years claiming to have been a
Special Forces soldier with expertise
in human trafficking and counterterrorism. Colleges and universities
paid him to teach classes, and law
enforcement organizations paid to hear
his presentations.
But the charge that got Hillar sentenced to 21 months in federal prison
was wire fraud, not the 2005 Stolen
Valor Act. Among Hillar's claims was
that he went on a one-man search for a
daughter kidnapped and sold into slavery; the story was the basis for the
Liam Neeson film "Taken."
He was arrested finally in Jan. 2011
after his scam was exposed by veterans through the website ProfessionalSoldiers.com.
The Stolen Valor Act of 2013 was
introduced into the House by Rep. Joe
Heck, R-Nev., who has said the
awards, like the men and women who
earned them, are worthy of respect.
Other lawmakers shared Heck's sentiment. "I'm very happy the President
signed the Stolen Valor Act," said
Rep. Paul Cook, R-Calif., a retired
Marine colonel. "The new law ensures
that we protect and honor veterans and
the sacrifices they've made. When
people make false claims of military
rank and heroism, it does a tremendous disservice not only to our vets,
but to the public.
What is “Stolen Valor”?
“Stolen Valor” is a term applied to the
phenomenon of people falsely claiming military awards or badges they did
not earn, service they did not perform,
Prisoner of War experiences that never
happened, and other tales of military
derring-do that exist only in their
minds. Some phonies, with zero military experience, create their stories
from whole cloth. Others, having
served an honorable but peaceful stint
in the military, choose to embellish
their records and “spice up” an otherwise unremarkable career.
Yet others, who are legitimate
combat veterans – some of whom
were decorated for bravery – also embellish an already-impressive military
resume.
The common thread is that these folks
are lying in public about their military
service. It’s nothing new – there are
stories going back many centuries of
people boasting of their war record,
and sooner or later are found to be
lying.
In the United States, thousands of
cases have been documented in recent
years in which persons and average
citizens have been exposed for lying
about their military record.
Some of them simply boast of their
fictional exploits. Others take it a couple steps further and don military uniforms and awards. Others go so far as
forging government documents they
use as “proof” of their stories. In a
recent case in Texas, a young man
claiming a Marine career - complete
with combat tours and decorations used forged paperwork to join the Army as a sergeant, even bypassing basic
training.
While the phenomenon is most
closely associated in the U.S. with
Vietnam-era military fakery, many
cases have sprung up in recent years
with the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq;
likewise, several fraudulent claims by
World War II and Korean War-era
“veterans” also have been exposed.
By Thomas Ruyle
Stars and Stripes
M AY 2014
P AGE 4 TH E LIS TEN I N G PO S T
Don’t Mess with A Veteran, Actual Newspaper Ad
To the guy who tried to mug me in
downtown Savannah night before last
09/27/2010, 1:43am EST.
I was the guy wearing the black Burberry jacket that you demanded that I
hand over, shortly after you pulled the
knife on me and my girlfriend, threatening our lives. You also asked for my
girlfriend's purse and earrings. I can
only hope that you somehow come
across this rather important message.
First, I'd like to apologize for your
embarrassment; I didn't expect you to
actually crap in your pants when I
drew my pistol after you took my
jacket.. The evening was not that cold,
and I was wearing the jacket for a reason.. my girlfriend was happy that I
just returned safely from my 2nd tour
as a Combat Marine in Afghanistan ..
She had just bought me that Kimber
Custom Model 1911 .. 45 ACP pistol
for my birthday, and we had picked up
a shoulder holster for it that very evening. Obviously you agree that it is a
very intimidating weapon when pointed at your head ... isn't it?!
I know it probably wasn't fun walking back to wherever you'd come from
with crap in your pants. I'm sure it was
even worse walking bare-footed since
I made you leave your shoes, cell
phone, and wallet with me. [That prevented you from calling or running to
your buddies to come help mug us
again].
After I called your mother or
"Mom" as you had her listed in your
cell, I explained the entire episode of
what you'd done. Then I went and
filled up my gas tank as well as those
of four other people in the gas station,
-- on your credit card. The guy with
the big motor home took 153 gallons
and was extremely grateful!
I gave your shoes to a homeless
guy outside Vinnie Van Go Go's,
along with all the cash in your wallet.
[That made his day!]
I then threw your wallet into the
big pink "pimp mobile" that was
parked at the curb ..... after I broke the
windshield and side window and
keyed the entire driver's side of the
car.
Earlier, I managed to get in two
threatening phone calls to the DA's
office and one to the FBI, while mentioning President Obama as my possible target.
The FBI guy seemed really intense
and we had a nice long chat
(I guess while he traced your number
etc.)
In a way, perhaps I should apologize for not killing you ... but I feel
this type of retribution is a far more
appropriate punishment for your
threatened crime. I wish you well as
you try to sort through some of these
rather immediate pressing issues, and
can only hope that you have the opportunity to reflect upon, and perhaps
reconsider, the career path you've chosen to pursue in life.. Remember, next
time you might not be so lucky.. Have
a good day!
Thoughtfully yours, Semper Fi,
Alex
Two Vets Confront Man In
Fake Military Uniform:
Pretending to be someone in uniform
is no laughing matter, and this guy
learned the hard way when two veterans chose to take him to task for portraying himself as a member of the
Army. The former Army Ranger confronted the man on campus, saying the
tab was not a real unit, and that the
man was improperly portraying himself as someone who served. Somebody else also chose to stand up
against the man in fake uniform, also
questioning the validity of the tab he
was wearing.
The real veteran got angry and escalated the situation when he said, “I
had four brothers die with this f***in’
Ranger tat on their arm.” After this,
the man faking his military service
inquiries as to why he should have to
take his uniform off, and the veteran
quickly reminds him because it’s a
fake.
Later, the real veteran was arrested
for disturbing the peace and making
threats against the fake man. Police
said they could not arrest the man that
was portraying a military member
because it is only illegal to do if someone is trying to receive benefits by
dressing in uniform. The fake man
continued to claim to authorities and
those around him that he was in the
service and has the right to wear the
uniform.
It is not verifiable whether he actually was, but you can guess, given the
man who actually did serve and knows
the sacrifice so well of the military,
that he would not have gone after the
guy if he wasn’t certain. It’s awesome
these veterans took such pride in their
service and stood up to someone who
tried to dishonor the uniform in such
way.