Local Chapter News and Events

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 899 New Jersey

Local Chapter News and Events

VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA

CHAPTER NEW JERSEY 899

NEWSLETTER WINTER 2009

“Welcome Home”

All Vietnam Veterans know the power of those two words.

Chapter 899 of the Vietnam Veterans of America invites all veterans,

their families and members of the general public to join

us in our efforts to support veterans of all wars and conflicts.

Our current mission is to live up to our national motto (below)

by supporting our troops in harms way. When they go to war

we offer support and comradeship as they depart from Ft. Dix

and when they come home, we are there to shake hands and

say thanks for a “Job Well Done”. In addition, we spend several

hours each week visiting our wounded soldiers. While they are

far away from their families, we entertain their children by

sponsoring the “Hearts Apart” programs on base and give

gift certificates for food at the Post Exchange, along with

phone cards during the Holidays. Our chapter awards scholarships

to local students and offers help to veterans filing VA claims.

We are a pro-active Veterans Service Organization, looking

out for veterans and their families. If you would like to become

a part of our growing non-profit, charitable organization or

make a tax-free donation to help support our efforts,The Chapter

meets the 4th Saturday of each month at 1 PM at the

Senior/Community Center next to the Bordentown Township Town Hall.

Please call, email, or write to:www.vva899.org

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter NJ 899

P.O. Box 263

Bordentown, NJ 08505

609-298-3526

‘NEVER AGAIN WILL ONE GENERATION OF VETERANS ABANDON ANOTHER’

Vietnam Veterans of America
N.J. Chapter 899
P.O. Box 263
Bordentown, N.J. 08505
CHAPTER REPORT DECEMBER 13, 2009
October 21, 2009 Chapter 899 members along with its Honor/Color Guard participated in the N.J. Mission of Honor’s 3^rd Interment at the Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Cemetery.Three unclaimed/abandoned cremains of veterans were laid to rest with full military honors. Two of which were World War II Veterans, that had been unclaimed for 27 years and 14 years.The other was a Viet Nam Veteran, who had been unclaimed for 13 yrs.November 7, 2009 Chapter members along with the Honor Guard participated in the Bordentown Township Annual Veterans Day Ceremony. Among the distinguished guests was Maj. Gen. Maria Falca-Dodson , Commander of the New Jersey National Guard.November 11, 2009 Chapter members attended the Veterans Day Ceremony at the Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery.November 19, 2009 Chapter members attended a ceremony at the Lakeland Regional High School, where Special Education students adopted the New Jersey Mission of Honor as their fundraising project. The students presented $800. to the Mission of Honor. The students were presented with Mission of Honor hats and honorary I.D. cards.November 22, 2009 Chapter 1^st V.P. Roman Neidzwiedz participated in a N.J. Mission of Honor Can Shake at the Shop-Rite in Sareville, and over $900. was raised.November 24, 2009 Chapter 899 gave away over 40 turkeys to veterans families in need.SPECIAL NOTE: Since our last chapter report dated October 11, 2009, Chapter 899 members have been at Ft. Dix/Maguire for both Incoming and Outgoing Flights of Soldiers either going to or returning from Iraq and Afghanistan. Of these Incoming flights, Chapter 899 members greeted, shook hands, and “Welcomed Home” 5,752 soldiers.Of the Outbound Flights, Chapter 899 members shook hands with 1,781 soldiers..
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TREASURES NOTES: DECEMBER 2009

WE CONTINUE TO THANK OUR SUPPORTERS THAT HAVE SUPPORTED OUR EFFORTS AT FORT DIX’S WTU. THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR CONTINUED GENOROSITY AND SUPPORT.VERY IMPORTANT NOTE:PLEASE NOTIFY OUR CHAPLAIN JERRY SKORCH 856-810-2568 OR ANY OFFICER IF YOU KNOW ANY MEMBER THAT IS IN THE HOSPITAL, RECOVERING FROM ILLNESS AT HOME, OR IN NEED OF HELP.THE CHAPTER MEMBERS ARE STILL GOING TO BRAVO CO ATFORT DIX TO WELCOME HOME ALL OF THE SOLDIERS RETURNING FROM THEATER ON DEMOB AND FREEDOM FLIGHTS NO MATTER WHAT TIME THEY ARRIVE AND ALSO THE MEMBERS CONTINUE TO GO TO MCGUIRE TO SEE THE TROOPS OFF AS THEY DEPART FOR THEATER. THANKS TO ALL THE MEMBERS WHO HAVE SHOWN THEIR CONTINUED SUPPORT IN BEING AT THESE EVENTS.CHAPTER MEMBERS WERE AT FORT DIX TO WELCOME HOME SOLDIERS OF THE NEW JERSEY NATIONAL GUARD 50TH DIVISION AND THE PA 56TH DIV THEY ARRIVED AND HELPED THE USO SERVE FOOD TO THE SOLDIERS AND THEIR FAMILIES .I WOULD LIKE TO THANK ALL OF THE MEMBERS THAT HELPED OUT WITH OUR POPPY DRIVES, WITHOUT YOUR HELP IT WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN POSSIBLE.

THANK YOU.

DONALD MOHR, TREASURER

Chaplains Corner

God and the Spider(Author Unknown)

During World War II, a US marine was separated from his unit on a Pacific island. The fighting had been intense, and in the smoke and the crossfi re he had lost touch with his comrades. Alone in the jungle, he could hear enemy soldiers coming in his direction. Scrambling for cover, he found his way up a high ridge to several small caves in the rock. Quickly he crawled inside one of the caves. Although safe for the moment, he realized that once the enemy soldiers looking for him swept up the ridge, they would quickly search all the caves and he would be killed. As he waited, he prayed, “Lord, if it be your will, please protect me. Whatever your will though, I love you and trust you. Amen.” After praying, he lay quietly listening to the enemy begin to draw close. He thought, “Well, I guess the Lord isn’t going to help me out of this one.” Then he saw a spider begin to build a web over the front of his cave. As he watched, listening to the enemy searching for him all the while, the spider layered strand after strand of web across the opening of the cave. “Hah,” he thought. “What I need is a brick wall and what the Lord has sent me is a spider web. God does have a sense of humor.” As the enemy drew closer he watched from the darkness of his hideout and could see them searching one cave after another. As they came to his, he got ready to make his last stand. To his amazement, however, after glancing in the direction of his cave, they moved on. Suddenly, he realized that with the spider web over the entrance, his cave looked as if no one had entered for quite a while.“Lord, forgive me,” prayed the young man. “I had forgotten that in you a spider’s web is stronger than a brick wall.” We all face times of great trouble. When we do, it is so easy to forget what God can work in our lives, sometimes in the most surprising ways. And remember with God, a mere spider’s web becomes a brick wall of protection. ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE WITH GOD.

Chaplain Skorch

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Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 899 Color Guard participated in the memorial services conducted at the Vietnam Memorial at Holmdel New Jersey May 25, 2009. Members of the Color Guard are Donald Mohr, Ron Hathaway, Lynn Gsell, Dale Watson, Louie Kocsis and John Lesko

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 899 President Donald Smieszek and Tony Laudicna layed a Wreath at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial at Holmdel, New Jersey Honoring those Veterans of New Jersey that made the supreme sacrifice at a memorial service conducted on May, 25, 2009.

The New Jersey Mission of Honor Soldiers’ unclaimed remains receive military burials On Friday, May 15th 2009 at 10 am., a ceremony was held to remove veteran’s cremains from the Alesso Funeral Home Lodi, NJ. Joseph P. Glass was a decorated World War II veteran who served in the Army from 1943 to 1945, and George F. Wells served in the Navy y from 1941 to 1945. Both were honorably discharged. Neither received a military burial. Their remains were never recovered by the families when they died in 1943 and 1945, respectively. More than one hundred veterans, many with American Flags, formed a ring at the entrance of the funeral home. The program began with a call of attention. The veterans remains in service urns, were walked through the Vietnam Veterans Chapter 800 Honor Guard and placed in a deuce and a half military vehicle, followed by the placement of folded American Flags. Speakers included Vietnam Vet and Co-chair of NJ’s Mission of Honor, Francis Carrasco, Herb Worthington, Viet Nam Veterans of America State Council President, Bergen County Executive Dennis McNerney, with Pastor Steve Janke, Community Baptist Church, in Garfield, Delivering the Eulogy. A mile long procession down the NJ Turnpike was led by NJ State Police and, Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and the Lodi Police Department and about 130 motorcyclists from all over New Jersey, led by the Patriot Guard Riders, and escorted the Veterans to the Brigadier General William C. Doyle Veterans Cemetery in Arneytown / Wrightstown, NJ. Over 300 people joined a ceremony with full military honors; internment took place a 1:30 pm. At the ceremony each abandon Veteran was given a separate ceremony consisting of a eulogy and prayer conducted by Viet Nam Veterans of America Chapter 899’s Chaplain Jerry Skorck. A 21 gun salute was rendered and Taps was played by a lone bugler. Honor guards from the Army and Navy folded their respective Veterans Flags. Assemblyman Jack Connor accepted the flag of Joseph P. Glass from VVA 899 Honor Guard Captain Ron Hathaway and retired Colonel Stephen G. Able, NJ Deputy Commissioner of Veterans Affairs, received George F. Wells fl ag on behalf ofthe state. At the end of both services a pass and review command was given as every attendee paid their last respects as Bag Piper Curt Anderson from VVA 899 played amazing grace. The Mission of Honor is the organization representing various Veteran and non-profit groups whose mission is to identify and collect orphaned, abandon or forgotten Veteran cremated remains. Inspired by the national wide campaign known as the “Missing in America Project” Vietnam Veterans of America Roman Niedzwiedz (South Jersey Chapter 899) and Francis Carrsaco (North Jersey Chapter 800) initiated this program about two years ago. Together they shepherded legislation to change the law whereby theVeterans organizations can claim abandoned Veterans remains. The Law (2613A) passed by the legislature last year, was signed by Governor Corzine February 4th 2009.

Herb Worthington President of the Vietnam Veterans of America State Council was one of the main speakers at the funeral services conducted for Army Veteran Joseph Glass and Navy Veteran George Wells at Alesso Funeral Home Lodi, NJ. Both men were World War II veterans. Herb Worthington President of the Vietnam Veterans of America State Council was one of the main speakers at the funeral services conducted for Army Veteran Joseph Glass and Navy Veteran George Wells at Alesso Funeral Home Lodi, NJ. Both men were World War II veterans.Francis Carrasco Co - Chairman of New Jersey Mission of Honor spoke about the background and history of Army Veteran Joseph Glass and Navy Veteran George Wells and the Honorable burial that they oth richly deserve. Both men will be interned at Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery. Both men were World War II Veterans. The Cremains of Army Veteran Joseph Glass and Navy Veteran George Wells were placed on a Vehicle to be transported to Brig. Gen. William C. Doyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery.