Special KWVA "W in Your Dream Vacation Fund-Raiser" Information ...
Special KWVA "W in Your Dream Vacation Fund-Raiser" Information ...
Special KWVA "W in Your Dream Vacation Fund-Raiser" Information ...
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My name of course is Michael<br />
Augustus Ivy, and I live, and have been liv<strong>in</strong>g,<br />
<strong>in</strong> Los Angeles, Ca. for the past (30)<br />
years now. I was <strong>in</strong> the Air Force (an M.P.),<br />
and my last duty station before be<strong>in</strong>g<br />
released was Fairchild AFB. My father had<br />
a bachelors degree <strong>in</strong> bus<strong>in</strong>ess adm<strong>in</strong>istration<br />
(I have an AA, <strong>in</strong> that same field.<br />
Weird, huh? ) So, I’m aga<strong>in</strong>, guess<strong>in</strong>g he<br />
was an officer <strong>in</strong> the military. However,<br />
given the time, and his race (black<br />
American), I cannot be sure of that<br />
assumption. I will do all I can to contact<br />
you aga<strong>in</strong> <strong>in</strong> hopes of be<strong>in</strong>g able to provide<br />
you needed <strong>in</strong>formation.<br />
I understand your hands might be tied<br />
without same. I do, however, want to thank<br />
you for the effort and time you have provided<br />
a complete stranger, and any future<br />
help you might be able to lend to my<br />
search. I now have (3) grown children<br />
(men), (4) grand children, and a younger<br />
daughter (14), of my own. Of course they<br />
have questions about my parents I have<br />
never been able to f<strong>in</strong>d/answer, so this is a<br />
quest (if you will).<br />
Frank ... Mr. Cohee, thank you aga<strong>in</strong> for<br />
all you have done, and I hope we can keep<br />
<strong>in</strong> touch. Until next time; Keep the Faith.<br />
Peace.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally, “The case of the found<br />
bracelet-lost owner“<br />
<strong>KWVA</strong> member V<strong>in</strong>cent Ciantro,<br />
Chapter 55, reported that a friend of his<br />
has a bracelet with the name DONALD<br />
J. MANRELL, U.S. 51131777. On the<br />
back is the <strong>in</strong>scription “Love Aways,<br />
Dot.”<br />
V<strong>in</strong>cent th<strong>in</strong>ks that Manrell may be a<br />
Korean veteran because their I. D. numbers<br />
are similar. He would like to return<br />
the bracelet to Manrell or to some of his<br />
relatives.<br />
If you recognize the name on the<br />
bracelet, please call or send an email to<br />
Frank Cohee, 863-859-1384, fcohee@<br />
kwva.org.<br />
Please support our advertisers<br />
Hopefully, our readers will buy<br />
their products so we can reta<strong>in</strong> our<br />
curent advertisers, attract new<br />
advertisers, and use the revenues to<br />
underwrite the costs of produc<strong>in</strong>g<br />
The Graybeards.<br />
General Walter L. Sharp Delivers<br />
Memorial Day Speech<br />
General Sharp delivered this speech on<br />
22 May 2009 Knight Field, Yongsan<br />
Garrison Seoul, Republic of Korea. It is of<br />
<strong>in</strong>terest to Korea veterans of all eras.<br />
Mr. Yun; General Paik; Admiral Kim;<br />
Mr. Herndon; General Lee; CSM<br />
W<strong>in</strong>zenried; Dist<strong>in</strong>guished Ambassadors<br />
and Diplomats; General and Flag Officers;<br />
Honored Guests, Families and Friends; and<br />
most importantly, veterans of past wars;<br />
Welcome and thank you for jo<strong>in</strong><strong>in</strong>g us<br />
today to pay tribute to all of the men and<br />
women who have given their lives <strong>in</strong> service<br />
to our nation. For those of us who wear<br />
the uniform of the United States military,<br />
today has special significance.<br />
Dur<strong>in</strong>g this ceremony, we display the<br />
colors and render full military honors to<br />
those who have made the ultimate sacrifice<br />
so that we can enjoy the bless<strong>in</strong>gs of freedom<br />
and peace. Our outstand<strong>in</strong>g United<br />
Nations Honor Guard and the Eighth US<br />
Army Band stand before you to honor our<br />
dead <strong>in</strong> somber remembrance. Out of<br />
respect for those we honor, we will not<br />
applaud today - but I want to thank those of<br />
you on the field for help<strong>in</strong>g us to remember<br />
the fallen and for represent<strong>in</strong>g them so professionally.<br />
Ever s<strong>in</strong>ce the very beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>gs of our<br />
country brave men and women chose to<br />
defend the American way of life – often<br />
with great risk to themselves. Because of<br />
their determ<strong>in</strong>ation and dedication to the<br />
pr<strong>in</strong>ciples that kept our country free, they<br />
ensured a future of liberty and prosperity for<br />
their descendants. We stand here today as<br />
beneficiaries of their constant labor, hav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>in</strong>herited their charge to defend that which<br />
is worth defend<strong>in</strong>g - so our loved ones can<br />
live free and prosperous lives.<br />
Next month we will mark the 59th<br />
Anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean<br />
War – a war that ravaged this land and killed<br />
hundreds of thousands of people, <strong>in</strong> and out<br />
of uniform. So as we take time today to<br />
honor our American dead who have fallen<br />
<strong>in</strong> our nation’s wars, we need to be m<strong>in</strong>dful<br />
of the sacrifices of our Korean Allies and<br />
those of the United Nations Send<strong>in</strong>g States<br />
who defended this great land with all they<br />
had.<br />
Comment<strong>in</strong>g on his perceptions of those<br />
young Service-members who fell <strong>in</strong> defense<br />
of their country, Ronald Reagan said of<br />
those we memorialize today:<br />
We see them as someth<strong>in</strong>g like the Found<strong>in</strong>g<br />
Fathers, grave and gray haired.<br />
But most of them were boys when they died,<br />
and they gave up two lives – the one they<br />
were liv<strong>in</strong>g and the one they would have lived.<br />
When they died, they gave up their chance to<br />
be husbands and fathers and grandfathers.<br />
They gave up their chance to [do] everyth<strong>in</strong>g…;for<br />
our country, for us.<br />
And all we can do is remember.<br />
Today we do remember. We remember<br />
all of those brave men and women who did<br />
not make it home. We remember those who<br />
were taken from their loved ones, leav<strong>in</strong>g<br />
only memory and a commitment to remembrance<br />
beh<strong>in</strong>d. Unfortunately, when we<br />
gather on this field aga<strong>in</strong> next year to mark<br />
this day, history will have followed its<br />
<strong>in</strong>evitable course - leav<strong>in</strong>g us more fallen<br />
comrades to remember.<br />
Our fellow countrymen, who are<br />
engaged <strong>in</strong> the great fight of our day aga<strong>in</strong>st<br />
terrorism and tyranny, will cont<strong>in</strong>ue the<br />
cycle of sacrifice that is the burden of a free<br />
people. Our hope is that they all come home<br />
to enjoy the fruits of their labor. But we<br />
know that freedom has its price and today<br />
we are committed to honor<strong>in</strong>g those who<br />
have paid that price for us.<br />
Those young men and women volunteered<br />
to defend the United States aga<strong>in</strong>st its<br />
enemies <strong>in</strong> the wake of the 9/11 attacks -<br />
demonstrat<strong>in</strong>g a will<strong>in</strong>gness to serve a<br />
cause greater than themselves. Like their<br />
forbearers, the fallen among them have<br />
given up ‘their chance to do everyth<strong>in</strong>g…;<br />
for our country, for us.” So we thank all of<br />
them for their service and remember their<br />
sacrifice.<br />
F<strong>in</strong>ally, to those who are serv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>in</strong> the<br />
Republic of Korea today, be they members<br />
of the US Armed Forces, ROK Armed<br />
Forces or from the UN Send<strong>in</strong>g States, we<br />
thank you for be<strong>in</strong>g will<strong>in</strong>g to give up all<br />
you hold dear if that becomes necessary <strong>in</strong><br />
defense of this great and free land.<br />
Let us never forget those we honor today<br />
and may their souls be forever at peace.<br />
Thank You.<br />
11<br />
The Graybeards<br />
May – June 2009