June 2004

PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE

   This Memorial Day weekend was the most harried and moving in years for me. Our involvement at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial of the "Reading of the Names", is always personally moving, as well as the Memorial Day Parade (Great Float). We also attended the ceremonies at both the City Cemetery and the Mexican-American Veterans Memorial. And, you bet, I found some time to stop by the "Bunker" (Torch Club) to see my brothers. Toasts, hugs and love was shared by all.
     But one of the honors I had was to place flags on the graves of fallen Veterans. As I did so, I thought...although I have my lovely wife, a sister, and many nephews and nieces, I have no children of my own, and the chance that someday I will be forgotten was near. But no, just as long as there are living Veterans, I or my brother and sister Veterans, they will never forget those whom went before them. If you did not have a chance to be involved with something this last Memorial Day, there is always next year. You don't know what an honor you are missing.
                        Your President, Gregory McNeill

NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

May was a particular busy month with all of the Veteran and Memorial Day weekend activities taking place. Due to Chapter 500's active involvement in many of the events, yes, your newsletter is coming out much later than usual. While we say many of you at the various events, many were also among the missing. So, this newsletter will divert from the norm and will be mainly an "After Action" report on all of the activities so you can all share in Chapter 500's involvement.

FREEDOM FLIGHT FOR WWII VETERANS

As of this writing, we do not have the final details on the Freedom Flight yet. KFBK is spearheading a trip for WWII Veterans to Washington D.C. to see the WWII Memorial. See the back page for what we know so far..............

CURRENT NEWS AND ANNOUNCEMENTS
GENERAL MEETING
Tuesday, June 15, 2004

Dan Wagner from the Military Family Support Foundation will be making a presentation to the Chapter on the program his foundation is putting together. This foundation will seek to serve the families of active duty service men and women. VVA's motto is: "Never again will one generation of veterans abandon another". Several calls have come into the office re: how to help. This is your opportunity to find out how.

July 3 - There will be a Sacramento Book Fair held at the Florin Mall between 9AM and 5PM. If you are looking for military type books, there will be a military section included at the showing. Several authors, playwrights, etc. will be in attendance. The Rev. Bill McDonald will be displaying his books at the event.
July 4 - As per tradition, Chapter 500 will be marching in the Dutch Flat Parade. Details will be listed in the July newsletter.

SPECIAL ANNOUNCEMENT

     On June 9, at the Veterans Affiliated Council Meeting, the following officers were installed.
Commander - Gregory C. McNeill, VVA500 President
Senior Vice Commander - Floyd Volker, VVA500 member
       and Commander of VFW Post #1660 and Floyd was also appointed Chair of the Budget Committee.
Junior Vice Commander - Dennis "Doc" Kauffman,
                             Treasurer, VVA500
Trustees: John Canfield, Mel Bisgay, Ted Narasaki,
                            all from VFW Posts
VVA500 E.D. Mary Lou McNeill was appointed Parade Committee Chair and Public Relations Chair. VVA500 member Sanford Ross was appointed Assistant to the VAC Service Officer, Jeff Pealer.
     The VAC is particularly active in representing all Veterans in legislative areas, providing an honor card for those Veterans who have passed away, and hosting the Memorial and Veterans Day Parades. If you would like to be a voting delegate representing Chapter 500 at VAC meetings, please contact the office. The meetings are held on the 2nd Wednesday of every month at 7PM, at VFW Post #67, at 2784 Stockton Blvd.

AFTER ACTION REPORT BY DATE
May 8 - VFW Post #1660
Commander Floyd Volker, also a VVA 500 member held a "Cinco de Mayo" fundraiser for his post. If you didn't attend, you missed some great Mexican food. And, we were treated to a skit produced by Floyd and Mary Ann Wisner. Floyd played a Senorita and dressed for the occasion.

May 22, "A Salute to Veterans"
Rev. Bill McDonald hosted an event in Elk Grove. Veterans poets, authors, artists and musicians attended and performed. It was a great afternoon in a relaxed coffee-shop atmosphere for Veterans to get together, enjoy talking and listening to each other perform and show their art.
Below, Rev. Bill shares his Vietnam experiences.

Below, "Easy Smith", VVA member shares his poetry.

"A Salute to Veterans", continued...
Below, Musician Robert Greene performs.

May 29, "A Tribute to CA Latino Veterans"
The Mexican-American Veterans Memorial Association hosted this event at the Mexican-American Memorial. Phil Rios is President of the Association and also a VVA500 member. Those attending were treated to some authentic Mexican food after the ceremony. Below Brig. General Robert Cervantes, who was the keynote speaker presents a rose to Phil's mom. General Cervantes presented roses to all the mothers of service men and women.

Below Sheryl Schmidt from CDVA reads the Proclamation for Memorial Day from Gov. Schwarzenegger.

"A Tribute to CA Latino Veterans", continued
Below, Roses were also presented by General Cervantes to all Veterans who have served. Here, VVA500 President McNeill accepts his rose. Phil Rios stands to the right.

On, May 28, Chapter 500 assisted the Veterans Affiliated Council with placing flags on all the Veterans graves in the City Ceremony. The organizations bring the flags and then Boy and Girl Scouts place the flags. Afterward they are treated to pizza and soda. The next day, a Memorial Ceremony was held at the Cemetery.

May 30, the 5th Annual "Reading of the Names"

Each year, Chapter 500 hosts "The Reading of the Names". It is the largest consistently presented event for Vietnam Veterans in Northern California. Each year the attendance increases with Veteran organizations, government and community leaders and the public gathering to honor those Vietnam service men and women lost in the Vietnam War. We wish to thank those who helped support and make this event, East Lawn Memorial Park for the programs and wreath for VVA500, the City of Sacramento Parks and Recreation Department for supplying the chairs, podiums, and canopies, Merlyn Knittle of VFW Post #85 for providing the sound system, the Postal Employees Military Veterans Association, the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association for bringing the veteran helicopter and the Vietnamese Community for their donation and to all those who contributed to our scholarship and "Helping Hands" fund during the event.

"Reading of the Names", continued
Wreaths were laid by VVA500, the Postal Employees Military Veterans Association, the CA Mexican-American Veterans Memorial Association, the 27th "Wolfhound" Regiment, 25th Inf. Division, and the Vietnamese Family of Red Berets. Below, VVA500 post the colors and open the "Reading of the Names".

Below, our traditional Master of Ceremonies, Dave Bender from KOVR, Channel 13

Below, VVA500 lays a wreath with the US Naval Sea Scouts standing at attention.

Below, Robert Greene sings "God Bless the USA". To the right, Mary Ann Wisner signer for the hearing impaired.

Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.
           Chapter 500
P.O. Box 255484
Sacramento, CA 95865
916-481-6020
vva500@sbcglobal.net