The Graybeards - KWVA - Korean War Veterans Association

Official KWVA Notices and
Announcements
From the President
An Open Message to the
Membership
I think it is time that our KWVA membership
be informed on a pending matter of
more than routine importance. We have had
under consideration for some months the
matter of a pending claim by the former
financial advisor Stanley Myrda for payment
of an additional bill for services in the
amount of $16,870.00 (increased he claims
to $19,004.00 with accumulated interest.)
While some, perhaps a majority, of
Executive Board members seem to favor
payment of this bill I, as your president, I do
not. I have refused to pay the claim until Mr.
Myrda provides itemized additional information
and a description of the time and type
of services for which he seeks reimbursement.
By way of background it can explained
that Mr. Myrda was retained during the
administration of former President Nick
Pappas, to among other things, handle insurance
claims to recover some $250,000 in
KWVA loses from theft, fraud, or mismanagement.
In due course, a $131,000 payment
was received from the insurance company.
The company requested additional documentation
for remaining claims in the
amount of about $100,000. When it did not,
over an extended period, receive that documentation
from the KWVA, (Mr. Myrda) it
advised us on Sept. 3, 1998 that unless the
documentation was received within 90 days
it would close the claims file which it did at
the end of that 90 day period. By failing to
provide the information requested, Mr.
Myrda may have prevented the KWVA (See
page 14, 15 March- April 2000 Graybeards)
from receiving substantial additional insurance
payments. Mr. Myrda, however,
demanded and received, with Executive
Board approval, of over $80,000 in payment
for his services. Following FBI investigation,
the former treasurer John Maison was indicted
for his involvement in these loses. While
awaiting a trial date Maison died in an auto
accident. The charges against him became
moot and the FBI closed the case.
At the Mobile annual meeting in
September, 1999, the Executive Board and
membership terminated the services of Mr.
Myrda and I promptly so advised him a few
days later. Over the months he has, with the
support of Pappas, objected to that termination
in correspondence, saying that he was
hired during the term of the past president
Pappas and could only be terminated by him.
Upon assuming the presidency, with the
help of the secretary and treasurer, I persuaded
the insurance company to reopen our
claims file. It has done so and has been waiting
for the submission of additional documentation
of loses. That documentation in
the form of numerous KWVA financial and
other records, however, has been in the
hands of Mr. Myrda. Despite repeated
requests he has failed or refused, with the
support of past president Pappas, to turn over
those records so that we can go forward with
additional claims to recover KWVA losses.
With respect to the pending bill of Mr.
Myrda, I have refused, as stated, to pay it
until I have more detailed and exact information
of the services for which he seeks
payment. If the bill is for services prior to his
termination, then I feel they are not warranted.
He has already been greatly overpaid for
a period involving under or non-performance
in that he did not process claims and the
insurance company closed the files. It would
be unthinkable I feel to pay Mr. Myrda for
services after he was terminated by the
Board in Mobile. It has been my intention,
and I repeatedly so notified Mr. Myrda, that
I would submit this matter to the Executive
Board for its decision at its next regular duly
constituted meeting later this year. Some
Board members, perhaps a majority, seem to
feel that Mr. Myrda’s bill should be paid. At
a recent meeting in St Louis, it was decided
by board members in attendance that Mr.
Myrda should be paid. That meeting, however,
was ruled illegal and invalid by the
Judge Advocate because of the failure to
fully comply with By-laws requirements
concerning complete and full notification.
On Dec. 21, 00 Mr. Myrda, by his attorneys,
filed suit in a southern Illinois court for
collection of the bill he claims he is owed
and I was served with notice that an answer
was required by January 16th if default judgment
was to be avoided. In the complaint,
Myrda stated that the Defendant’s Executive
Board had approved payment in October
2000. With the help of our Judge Advocate,
pending retention of an Illinois attorney, I
filed a timely Answer and Motion to Dismiss
on behalf of the KWVA defendant. I filed on
grounds, generally, that KWVA and its president
was beyond the jurisdiction of the
court; that the plaintiff had already been
overpaid for his services before termination;
that he was not entitled to compensation for
services subsequent to his termination; that
the meeting ordering payment of the bill was
declared illegal; and that the filing of the
complaint was premature since the plaintiff
had not exhausted his recourses short of
adjudication. I asked for damages from the
plaintiff to cover legal and other costs in
defending this suit. It should be noted that the
KWVA had not yet formally refused to pay
Mr. Myrda. On the contrary we have advised
him that the matter would be considered by
the Executive Committee. We are now
awaiting further developments in the court
suit or action by the Executive Board.
I have provided the members of the
Executive Board with copies of this message
and have directed that the editor of the
Graybeards make available, in the same
issue this appears, equal space to any board
member, or members, or others, who may
wish to respond hereto.
Harley Coon, President
National KWVA Fund Raiser Flower Rose of Sharon
The Rose of Sharon is the National KWVA fund raising flower. The Rose of
Sharon is sold by the dozen.
❒ Sample order is 4 dozen @ $10 plus $3.00 S/H.
❒ Minimum order is 20 doz. @ $50 plus $5.00 S/H.
Order from: Earl House
1870 Yakona Rd.
Baltimore, MD 21234
Phone 410-661-8950
Make Checks payable to: Maryland Chapter – KWVA
January/February, 2001 Page 7