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76 Members in the Bob Banker featured on Air America Bob Banker was interviewed on the national network Air America on 25 May. Here is Mr. Banker’s summary of the event: I was interviewed by Ms. Nicole Sandman. She was substituting for Ron Reagan, who was on vacation. Since it was Memorial Day, she wanted to interview a veteran from the Korean War. I was chosen for some unknown reason. In her words, the Korean War is known as the “Forgotten War”—and she wanted it to be remembered. She asked what I had done yesterday. I informed her of our Chapter’s Memorial Day ceremony at our Korean War Memorial in Baltimore, Maryland. There was a special moment, as a new name, Vernon Onion, was added to our Wall of all Maryland residents killed in action. His was a special case, since he died as a POW on Christmas Day in 1950. I learned about this some three years ago. Through our Chapter member, Ray Glock, we finally received the necessary approval from the State to add his name. His brother and sister were in attendance. I also spoke to the never-ending feature of this war and my particular role while in Korea. More importantly, I spoke about what I viewed as the most significant feature since the ending of hostilities in July 1953. I reminded her that, although the war ended, the hostilities did not, as evidenced by those who were killed and wounded while serving on the DMZ. We touched on the current role of North Korea having the ability to explode an A-bomb. In my view, the most important feature of the Korean War is the creation of the Republic of Korea and the steps taken, some good and some bad, to forge the world’s 11th largest economy. In my mind, the ROK has achieved its level of success due to three factors, in no particular order of importance: • close family unity • a strong work discipline • solid education Of these, education provides South Korea with the ability to rise above its present circumstances and become a world leader.ok at what the Republic of Korea has achieved. Looking back over these many years, I am pleased to have been a very small part of the overall mission to maintain a free country. There have been many, many sacrifices, as we all know, but in the analysis of time, the people of Korea, through their effort, have made these sacrifices very worthwhile. President Abraham Lincoln referred to this in his address at Gettysburg: our dead have not died in vain—and so it is with ours of the Korean War. Don Peterson, 19 gallons of blood and still giving Don Peterson, a member of CID 24, Charles Parlier, Decatur, IL, was featured in a 13 January 2009 article, “Don Peterson marks lifesaving milestone,” in the Life section, p. D6, of the Decatur Herald & Review. The article commemorated Peterson for giving his 19th gallon of blood. As an excerpt from the article noted: “A World War II and Korean War Army infantryman, Peterson has been a member of the Macon County Honor Guard for 34 years, starting when the VFW organized it. … “I love to give blood,” he emphasizes. “My mother lived in St. Elmo In 1960. She had kidney trouble and needed three pints of blood. The blood was sent to her from Decatur.” Read the entire article at http://www.herald-review.com/. Search for Donald Peterson. Reach Peterson at 2524 Dunn Drive, Decatur, IL 62526 Hawaii chapters featured in 29 December 2008 article The Honolulu Advertiser ran a great front-page article in its 29 December 2008 edition. (Copyright restrictions prevent us from reprinting the article in its entirety. And, unfortunately, the newspaper charges a fee for copies from its archives.) The article, written by the newspaper’s Military Editor, William Cole, focused on Tuesday morning breakfast meetings attended by members of CID 20, Hawaii #1. Cole began the article thusly: Pacific battles such as Midway, Guadalcanal, Iwo Jima and Okinawa have their commemorations. The 100th Infantry Battalion — the “One Puka Puka” — and the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, drawn heavily from Hawai’i, have a revered place in history. Local combat vets who served in the Korean War have Like Like Drive Inn, and one another. Every Tuesday morning, the aging warriors of the Korean War Veterans Association, Chapter 1, gather at the Ke’eaumoku Street restaurant to shoot the breeze, flirt with the waitresses, and collectively keep at bay the demons of war in which waves of Communist Chinese charge through their dreams. Fifty-five years after the end of the 1950-53 conflict termed a “police action” by the U.S., Korea remains a forgotten war whose sacrifice gets lost between the global significance of World War II and the social upheaval of Vietnam. Harry Fanning, chapter Secretary, explained that about a dozen members go to breakfast at the Koa Pancake House in Kaneohe. That was the focus of the article. Cole’s conclusion says it all: The vets experienced a war more than 55 years ago that forever changed and bonded their lives. [Francis] Yasutake, a Kalihi boy, remembers firing at the enemy one minute and then being on a stretcher the next. He found out he suffered a concussion from an exploding shell. After living in bunkers and making a bed atop ammo cans, Yasutake was evacuated on a train and he still vividly remembers the simple comforts of a bed with springs, the smell of clean cotton sheets and the nurses’ perfume. “You don’t know what you have, how good you have it, till it’s gone,” he said. May – June 2009 The Graybeards
Spinal Cord Injury Center named for CID 159 member I’m enclosing a program and photograph from a ceremony which recently took place at the James A. Haley Veterans Administration Hospital in Tampa, FL. In recognition of U.S. Congressman Michael Bilirakis’ lifetime endeavors to improve the circumstances of veterans, active service, and families of those who served their country with honor, the “powers that be” decided to rename the Spinal Cord Injury Center of the James A Haley hospital in honor of Congressman Bilrakis, a Korean veteran. Congressman Bilirakis is a Regular Life member of both the Association and the Sunshine State Chapter. In view of the latter, the Chapter was invited to attend the renaming ceremony and show the Chapter standard. Congressman Bilirakis did not miss the opportunity at the podium to thank his Association/Chapter colleagues for their attendance. Peter Palmer, President, P.O. Box 159 Largo, FL 33779-5298 Mike was one of the primary authors of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act and guided its passage through Congress. This critical law made health insurance more accessible and affordable by al-lowing insurance portability from job-to-job and limiting exclusions on pre-existing conditions. Attendees at Congressman Bilrakis event (Front, L-R) Mrs. Evelyn Bilirakis, Mel Routt, Congressman Michael Bilirakis, Peter H. Palmer, Mike Tucci (Back, R-L) Gene Peeples, Ed Richards, Lou Michaud, Gordon Bennett, Fred Strahlendorf As a member of the Veterans' Affairs Committee, Mike helped secure additional resources for Florida's veterans - including $43.8 million for a spinal cord injury unit in Tampa and a more equitable resource allocation method implemented by the VA. 77 The Graybeards May – June 2009
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Special KWVA "Win Your Dream Vacati
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From the President Iremind our memb
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TO HONOR KOREAN WAR VETERANS EXCLUS
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Thanks for Supporting The Graybeard
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Call for the Meeting: A special Boa
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My name of course is Michael August
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Worth, Texas, for their approval. S
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55 - NASSAU COUNTY #1 [NY] Chapter
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Operation Spitfire, June 1951, 8086
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No soldier shall be left behind By
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LEFT: This rock from Incheon, Korea
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A couple years ago I joined the ran
Page 26 and 27: Reunion of Basic Trainees at Camp B
Page 28 and 29: The Where, When, and Why of the Kor
Page 30 and 31: 30 The Commandant and the Cat......
Page 32 and 33: Korean War Veterans’ Mini-Reunion
Page 34 and 35: Korean War Veterans’ Mini-Reunion
Page 36 and 37: Chapter & Department News EDITOR’
Page 38 and 39: 30 INDIANA CHAPTER ONE [IN] We have
Page 40 and 41: Sen. Charles Grassley and CID 99 Pr
Page 42 and 43: Douglas C. Gamage, 303 Twin Brook L
Page 44 and 45: 187 WESTERN MASSACHUSETTS 2000 [MA]
Page 46 and 47: 289 MOUNTAIN EMPIRE [TN] On Thursda
Page 48 and 49: Paul Spescia displays his Eddie Ko
Page 50 and 51: Korean War Veterans Association (KW
Page 52 and 53: 52 Several years ago Douglas J. Hal
Page 54 and 55: Reunion Calendar - 2009 To post you
Page 56 and 57: Monuments and Medals Korea: the For
Page 58 and 59: 58 Doing something big for Fred By
Page 60 and 61: Feedback/Return Fire 60 This sectio
Page 62 and 63: 62 The French saw more action at Ar
Page 64 and 65: 64 Reference: “Outpost Harry,”
Page 66 and 67: 66 Book Review A Cape Cod Kinship
Page 68 and 69: 92nd ARMORED FIELD ARTILLERY BATTAL
Page 70 and 71: 70 ganda mill, which loudly claimed
Page 72 and 73: Welcome Aboard! New Members of the
Page 74 and 75: Official Membership Application For
Page 78 and 79: APPLICATION FOR KVA SEOUL REVISIT T
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