Pete Krawitz, Post 3063 Sr. Vice Commander, presents the VFW Sea Cadet Medal to Jessica Chacko, April 20, 2017.
You may recognize Jessica Chacko’s name: she’s a high schooler who has volunteered with Post 3063 at the Seattle VA Medical Center and she represented Post 3063 at the district level for the Voice of Democracy Essay Contest, where she placed third. Jessica also serves as a petty officer third class with the U.S. Naval Sea Cadets Corps based out of Naval Station Everett.
As a way to recognize these efforts, the Naval Sea Cadet Corps and Post 3063 decided to award her with a VFW Sea Cadet Medal. The medal is granted for outstanding achievement and exceptional leadership ability. Post 3063 Sr. Vice Commander Pete Krawitz formally presented the medal to Jessica, with her family and friends in attendance, at the monthly post social April 20, 2017.
The post greatly appreciates Jessica’s dedication to serving veterans. Thank you, Jessica!
During the post social Jan. 19 Kay Seelig (pictured) narrated a photo presentation about her and her husband’s (member Russ Seelig) two-month trip around Eastern Australia. Kay noted that they were “due” a trip since they both recently retired.
Post 3063 hosted its annual holiday party during the December social on Dec. 15, 2016.
It was a jovial event for young and old. More than a hundred members, loved ones, and guests attended and dined on free Prime Rib cooked by Marco.
Ann Leake gave gifts to the children as Santa: she has played Santa for the past several years. Annette Russell played holiday music on her keyboard and the Top of the Hill barbershop quartet sang to the crowd. The Top of the Hill quartet hails from the Seattle Seachordsmen, a local barbershop chorus.
Guests fill their plates with Marco’s Prime Rib while the Top of the Hill barbershop quartet entertains the crowd. Approximately 110 people attended the event.
Harold Rodenberger organized the event. Margaret Philips set-up, decorated, and organized the gift giving.
Ann Leake plays Santa, The Top of the Hill quartet sings, and Annette Russell plays holiday music on her keyboard.
Bob Kettle’s daughter meets Santa for the first time.
We recently received an email from local writer and Ballard High School graduate, Jerry E. Smith, who is researching and writing a book on the eighteen (now nineteen) students from Ballard High School who were killed in Vietnam. A ceremony to add Doug Zeller to the Vietnam Memorial Plaque is scheduled Nov. 10, 4 p.m. at Ballard High School. The following is an excerpt from that email.
Then Ballard High School student, Doug Zeller.
I contacted Ballard High School Principal Keven Wynkoop and asked him whether there were a list or roster of the Ballard High School students killed in Vietnam. Keven photographed the Vietnam Memorial Plaque which is on display in the school and emailed me the photographs showing the names of the eighteen men whom had been killed. Three of them were boys I had personally known. Thus the “The Ballard Eighteen” began. I spent hours of research at the Ballard High School Library, the Suzzallo Library at the University of Washington, online with the Texas Tech University Vietnam Archives, and many other online sites, telephone calls, and emails searching for and contacting family members of the “Eighteen.”
By the beginning of 2016 I thought that I was close to being finished and decided to do a final edit with each of the families of the “Eighteen,” giving them an opportunity to review and fact-check my work. While I was at the home of Tom and Dianne Riordan they said that they thought that student Doug Zeller was killed in Vietnam. I explained that Doug was not listed on the Vietnam Memorial Plaque, so he must have survived. I promised them that I would do some additional research on Doug Zeller and find out what had happened to him.
Unfortunately, I learned that Doug Zeller was indeed killed in Vietnam but not listed on the Ballard High School Vietnam Memorial Plaque. So “The Ballard Eighteen” became “The Ballard Nineteen.”
Bill Hoeller, Gail Engler, and Pete Krawitz help shred documents Oct. 2, 2016 during a community shredding event in the post parking lot. During the three hours the truck was there the post shredded about 600 pounds of sensitive documents brought in by post members. The post will plan another shredding event next summer, so save wear and tear on your home shredder and save those old documents, ledgers, and check books for a professional shredding operation. This shredder can handle staples, paper clips, smaller bull clamps, ledger books, and other bulky documents that won’t go through a home shredder.
