News – Page 112 – Ballard Eagleson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 3063

Post honors its World War II veterans

By Alyson M. Teeter

Post 3063 members, friends, and family gathered with some of the post’s World War II veterans to honor their service at the post’s monthly social on Nov. 17, 2016.

Five of the post’s 14 living World War II veterans, along with two World War II veteran guests, were present at the ceremony. Members included Oscar Borchelt, Genaro Garcia, Herbert Leake, Al Linden, and Orville Mall, and the two guests were Richard Smith and Kristian Nielsen.

During the course of the night, members and guests mingled, recounted war stories, dined, and then participated in the recognition program. Commander Nestor Tamayao started the program with welcoming remarks and the Pledge of Allegiance.

“Freedom isn’t free and what you did kept our freedom,” said Commander Tamayao. “Our thanks extends from the World War II veterans to all veterans. Thank you to those attending.”

Orville Mall, a Post 3063 World War II veteran, examines his certificate after receiving it during the recognition ceremony.

Commander Tamayao also noted that his father was a survivor of the Bataan Death March so he especially understood how important it was to recognize their sacrifices.

Certificates that featured an illustration of the World War II Memorial in Washington, D.C., and membership longevity pins were presented to every World War II veteran in attendance.

Post 3063 Chaplain Bill Griffith then narrated a slideshow that included photos provided by the veterans and a historical overview of World War II.

“’Old soldiers never die, they just fade away,’” Chaplain Griffith said, recounting General Douglas MacArthur’s famous quote. “The VFW doesn’t want our veterans to fade away. But we noticed that World War II veterans weren’t attending meetings anymore.”

He went on to explain that they hoped to devise a program to track veterans closer. Part of this effort was the nexus for creating the night’s recognition program.

After the slideshow, the night ended with group photos, words of gratitude, and farewells. These veterans will not be forgotten.

WWII Members — From left, Richard Smith, Oscar Borchelt, Orville Mall, Herbert Leake, Genaro Garcia, and Al Linden.

Quartermaster’s November Update

By Harold Rodenberger

November marks the beginning of an important holiday period in our American culture. This month brings Veterans Day and Thanksgiving.

On Veterans Day we will be visiting the VA Hospital, distributing poppies, and attending cemetery ceremonies and other Veterans Day activities. If you are interested in participating in any of these events, please drop our commander or me an email so we can fill you in on the details.

An anonymous donor contacted me and made a National Home challenge for the December meeting. He will match all December National Home donations in excess of $100 so save up and let’s make a record contribution to our VFW National Home during the December meeting.

Our own Chuck Murrell will be inducted into the VA Hospital Wall of Heroes on November 9, 2016. Congratulations, Chuck! If you’d like to attend, the ceremony will be at 11:00 a.m. in the Healing Garden. Ask at the Information Desk if you need directions.

Don’t forget the special program honoring our World War II veteran members during the social meeting on Nov. 17.

Finally, November is a good time to remember to be thankful for the many good things in our lives. Even though we all have our troubles and rough spots in life, compared to people in most parts of the world we are living lives blessed with many freedoms and protections. As for me, I’m thankful for the many good and helpful members of our post and the officers who do so much to keep this post moving forward. Thank You!

Ballard Eighteen becomes Ballard Nineteen

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.”

How the VFW stays tax-exempt: Community Service

By Harold Rodenberger

Since our founding as a federally chartered organization in 1899, our members have worked to help veterans and their families, to further patriotism and Americanism, and to help our communities. Because these goals are part of our mission the Internal Revenue Service has granted us tax-exempt status under the provisions of Section 501 (c) (19) of the tax code.

To maintain our tax-exempt status, each month we report community service performed by our members. Reports from the posts and districts are forwarded to and consolidated by the departments and from there forwarded to our national headquarters. To make these reports more complete we ask that each of our members forward qualifying actions so as much as possible can be included each month.

You might be surprised to learn that many things you do should be included so please make a note to compile and forward your contributions in the following areas.

Community Service: Activities that benefit your community, parks or neighborhood such as:

Recycling
Picking up trash
Beautification projects
Monetary donations to a local park, farmers’ market, or similar.

Citizenship Education and Americanism: Participation in:

Parades
Patriotic holiday events
Public ceremonies
Presenting flags or educational materials
Attending funerals
POW/MIA activities
Loyalty Day activities
Legislative activities
Flying the American Flag (please specify lighted or unlit)
Participation in Color/Honor Guard activities or placing flags on veterans’ graves.

Aid to Others:

Hospital and nursing home visits
Visits with senior citizens or house-bound neighbors
Donations of care packages
Helping to organize a blood drive or individual donations of blood, platelets or plasma
Fundraising or assisting to build handicapped ramps or other home repairs and transporting others to doctors or hospital visits
Donations of money or materials to the needy or thrift stores or other charitable organizations (please itemize so we can assign dollar values)
Donations to homeless or to organizations that help the homeless and other charitable causes such as the USO, cancer society, March of Dimes, etc.

Youth Activities:

Assisting at schools as guest speaker, volunteer coaching
Donating money, materials or time to support Scouts, children’s sports or band functions
Helping with Special Olympics or other help for special students or children.

Voice of Democracy, Youth Essay and Patriotic Art:

Donations of time and money to locate, encourage and assist students to enter the VFW Voice of Democracy, Patriot’s Pen, Youth Essay and Patriotic Art contests.

Safety:

Giving or attending classes or time and money spent to encourage safety, broken down by pedestrian, drug awareness, recreational, highway, fire or home safety.

Military Assistance:

Any support given to a military unit, individual, or family member
Sponsoring or attending “welcome home” ceremonies and other ceremonies honoring the military