May - Dept. Pacific Areas

Volume VIII – Number 6
AROUND THE PACIFIC
20 May 2013
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Veterans of Foreign Wars
of the United States
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VII
Department of Pacific Areas
Commander
Darin Combs
The Around the Pacific newsletter showcases local activities throughout the VFW Department of Pacific Areas
through articles, photos, etc. The Department Editor may provide articles on the various programs that both support.
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District I Okinawa
District I - BEAR Country
Department Jr. Vice Commander William “BEAR” Hudson paid us a visit April 10-13, 2013. Bear installed the District and
Post 9723 new officers during meetings for the upcoming year 2013-2014. A dinner was held at Jack’s Place on Kadena
Air Base the evening of the 12th of April 2013.
BEAR ARRIVING!
Volume VIII – Number 6
AROUND THE PACIFIC
20 May 2013
Commander Provencher Receiving Bear Hug!
Papa Bear with his Pack
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20 May 2013
Bear Talk with Translator Willie T!
Bear with Post Comrades
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District I and Post 9723 Installation of Officers
followed by words of wisdom from our DPA Jr. Vice Commander “Bear” Hudson
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20 May 2013
Commander Provencher presenting a VFW Award to one of the outstanding Cadets
at an awards ceremony held at Kadena High School AFROTC program on the 29th of April 2013
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Commander Provencher pinning 3 new members at the Post 9723 meeting on 9 May 2013.
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As we all know Willie T is a friendly comrade.
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District II Japan
VFW Post 9612, Camp Zama
Patriot's Pen Awards
(L-R) SVC R. Himes, Sasha M. Rafael, Bruce G. Stephens, CDR D. Wykes, QM J. Staudacher
Post 9612 CDR D. Wykes and JVC J. McBroom presented the 2012-2013 Patriot's Pen Awards on 07 Feb 2013 at
the Camp Zama Middle School. With a total of 32 entries submitted it was hard to narrow the field down. Post 9612
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winners, 1st Place Bruce G. Stephens, 2 Place Sasha M. Rafael.
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We sent both of them down to District 2 judging and the outcome was good with Ms. Sasha M. Rafael taking 1 Place
District 2, Mainland Japan. She went on to Department were she did not place. We wish her good luck in the coming
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years as she is planning on doing Voice of Democracy when she starts 9 grade next year.
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AROUND THE PACIFIC
20 May 2013
Voice of Democracy
(L-R) SVC R. Himes, 3rd Place, Malike Z. Holmes,
CDR D. Wykes, QM J. Staudacher
(L-R) SVC R. Himes, 1st Place, Madison L. Miller,
CDR D. Wykes,
Our 2nd Place winner was Ms. Kayla N. Nieder, She was unable to attend when we took photos.
Senior Vice Commander Himes, on 07 March 2013 presented the Voice of Democracy winners for Post 9612 their 20122013 certificates and awards at the Camp Zama High School during their Awards Assembly Voice of Democracy
PDC Richard Keeley’s Farewell from Pacific Areas
Post 9612 at Camp Zama has had to really pull up hard on our boot straps as we said goodbye to Comrade Richard
Keeley with his retirement from MWR Zama and return to the States on 01 April 2013. Everyone was hoping it was just a
big April Fool’s joke. But he got on the bus and departed for Narita International Airport.
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Comrade Joe Mortimer’s Farewell from Pacific Areas
Also on 04 April 2013 we had to say goodbye again to another Comrade Joseph Mortimer, he was picked up for a
position at MCB Camp Pendleton to work with NAVFAC. Joe left Japan on 06 April 2013 he just had to stick around and
make one last Post meeting. In attendance was the District 2 Commander and the Post Commander from 9555 also
came down.
I believe there are not enough good words that can be said about Comrade Keeley and Comrade Mortimer. Both
Comrades did so much for not only our Post 9612 but District 2 Mainland Japan and the Department of Pacific. With the
two of them gone there is a GREAT gap at the Post but like I said above we are pulling up our boot straps and I am sure
we will work everything out. I can only hope that I can take everything I learned by watching these two OUTSTANDING
VFW members and put it to good use.
I am standing up and taking on the responsibly of the Post Adjutant and I hope that if I stray off course someone will
point me back in the right direction.
Randell E. Himes
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District III Korea
Bonifas Barrett Memorial Post 8180
Canton resident, Korean War veteran returns after nearly 60 years
SEOUL, Republic of Korea - Korean War veteran Wayne Mitchell returned to divided peninsula for three days in early
March, visiting the area when he served in the final few months of combat. Mitchell, 82, visited with his wife, Sharon, from
Canton, S.D., and were joined by their daughter, Catherine, who lives with her family in Singapore. This was his first trip
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to Korea since the war, where he served with the 555 Field Artillery Battalion.
Past Veterans of Foreign War Post 8180 Commander Stephen Tharp and the Republic of Korea-U.S. Alliance Friendship
Society vice chairwoman Woo, Hyun-euy helped get Mitchell and his family to the Joint Security Area at Panmunjom and
back to the area where his unit fought near the South Korean city of Cheorwon, which sits almost at the middle of the 155mile long demilitarized zone diving the peninsula.
The Republic of Korea Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs, the equivalent to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs,
also arranged to present Mitchell with a medal and certificate thanking him for his service.
Mitchell first arrived in Korea in February 1953 and left in April 1954. Between his arrival and the signing of the armistice
on July 27, 1953, Mitchell’s unit provided artillery fire for Korean and United Nations forces. “We started in the
‘Punchbowl’ when I got here,” said Mitchell about a large crater-like area where heavy fighting had taken place in both
1951 and 1953. “We were all over the line. We moved about six times in a few months.” Near Cheorwon on the night of
July 13-14, 1953, two weeks before the ceasefire, Mitchell survived when his unit was overrun by Chinese communist
forces. About 300 men out of about 700 were killed, wounded or captured, and most of their artillery pieces were
captured or destroyed. “Before the ceasefire, you were busy supporting the troops with artillery,” he said about the
fighting. “After the ceasefire, we built a permanent camp in the Cheorwon valley. Our mission was to help defend Seoul.”
After his military service, Mitchell returned to South Dakota and took over running the family farm. He married, raised
seven children, and still today farms 160 acres of corn and soybean. He has also been an active member of VFW Post
3164 in Canton, having served as quartermaster, post commander, district commander. He is currently the VFW District 1
chaplain, and is serving his second tour as the national aide-de-camp, in which he was selected by the national VFW
commander-in-chief.
Returning to Korea more than 60 years later, Mitchell was able to return to today’s “front line,” both at Panmunjom and at
the Seungni observatory, near where he had fought. In both locations, he saw Republic of Korea soldiers defending the
line, much as he had. “They look very professional,” he said of the troops. “They’re taking good care of their equipment
and look ready to go.”
Visiting the VFW Post 8180’s Seoul home the night before he left Korea, Mitchell talked about how the city had changed
since he last passed through.
“Seoul was all beat up; bombed out, shelled out. It was a mess,” he said about how the city looked in 1953. “Now, I can’t
believe how it’s built up with big buildings. It’s hard to comprehend that they’ve come this far. “The progress [South]
Korea has made is phenomenal,” he said. “Then you go up there to the DMZ and it’s the same situation as I left it 60
years ago.” “Half the country is doing well,” said Mitchell. “But we couldn’t save it all.”
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Wayne Mitchell prepares to take a photo at the White Horse Memorial near Cheorwon, the Republic of Korea, March 10. The memorial
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was set up to commemorate the Korean 9 Infantry Division, which Mitchell’s unit, the 555 Field Artillery Battalion, supported during
the Korean War. Mitchell and his wife, Sharon, of Canton, S.D., visited Korea March 8-12. This was his first visit to the country since
he fought here in 1953-1954. Photo by Jason Chudy
From left, Sharon Mitchell, Wayne
Mitchell, and Catherine Reeves stand
with their U.S. Army security escort on
“conference row” at Panmunjom, the
truce village between North and South
Korea March 9. With them is their
U.S. Army security escort sergeant
from the United Nations Command
Security Battalion. Wayne Mitchell
served in the Korean War with the
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555 Field Artillery Battalion between
February 1953 and April 1954. His
unit was overrun by Chinese troops on
the night of July 13-14, 1953.
Mitchell survived and returned to his
family farm in Canton, S.D., after the
war. The blue buildings house the
United Nations conference rooms, and
the border between the two nations
separates the buildings. The large
building in the background is the
Panmungak, which houses the North
Korean military guards. The two
South Korean Soldiers facing north
are also members of the security
battalion. They are in a modified
taekwondo stance known as “ROK
ready.” The soldier at the corner of the blue building stands with only half his body exposed to the north, to present a smaller target if
the North Koreans were to fire across the border. North Korean troops last fired across the border in 1984 in an attempt to stop the
defection of a journalist from the former Soviet Union. Photo courtesy Catherine Reeves
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Volume VIII – Number 6
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Wayne Mitchell and his wife, Sharon, in front of the White
Horse Memorial near Cheorwon, the Republic of Korea,
March 10. The memorial was set up to commemorate the
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Korean 9 Infantry Division, which Mitchell’s unit, the 555
Field Artillery Battalion, supported during the Korean War.
The Mitchells, of Canton, S.D., and his daughter,
Catherine, visited Korea March 8-12. This was his first visit
to the country since he fought here in 1953-1954. Photo
by Jason Chudy
Department of Pacific Areas
20 May 2013
Wayne Mitchell stands in front of a tourist map near Yangjith
ri, Republic of Korea, March 10. Mitchell’s unit, the 555
Field Artillery Battalion, was overrun by Chinese troops
here on the night of July 13-14, 1953. Mitchell survived
and served with the unit on the front lines until April 1954,
when he returned to Canton, S.D. Mitchell; his wife,
Sharon; and daughter Catherine, visited Korea March 8-12.
This was his first visit to the country since he fought here in
1953-1954.
Photo
by
Jason
Chudy
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“Miles for Heroes”
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8180 recently donated 200 pedometers to the Seoul Elementary School for its “Miles
for Heroes” program. Representing the VFW were, from left, Jason Chudy and Richard Krebill. School staff included
Samia Mounts, center; and Alex Han and Melinda Lowder at right.
Students participating in the Miles for Heroes program will research and make a presentation on military members killed in
action. They will then walk in honor of those service members and measure their distances with the pedometers.
The VFW’s mission is to foster camaraderie among United States veterans of overseas conflicts; serve our veterans, the
military, and our communities; and to advocate on behalf of all veterans. Its core values include promoting patriotism,
honoring military service and ensuring the care of veterans and their families. Photo by Allison Fenimore
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District VII Philippines
CLARK VETERANS CEMETERY
MAY 2013 UPDATE
VFW POST 2485
John Gilbert, Chairman
Focus on Services to Our Fallen Comrades
Although most are aware of our efforts to maintain and improve the Clark Veterans
Cemetery, less well known are our Memorial activities.
The Cemetery remains active with our staff participating in 30 Burials during 2012,
as well as providing support to organization and family sponsored Memorial
services. When possible, our Burial detail also supports Veteran Burials at other
locations.
Additionally, we host a well-attended Veterans Day Observance and support other
organizations’ special events and Ceremonies.
A special Thanks to all of our members who serve on the Post Burial Detail, or
support our Memorial activities in other ways.
See you in the next edition, July 2013!
Department of Pacific Areas
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