2002 Veterans issue - UAW-Chrysler.com

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

VETERANS DAY 

SPECIAL ISSUE 

NOVEMBER 11, 2002 

www.uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.org 


ON GUARD 

FORAMERICA 

A SALUTE TO OUR VETERANS 

AND COLLEAGUES 

WHO ANSWERED THE CALL 

SHEILA HARDEMON 

From DaimlerChrysler 

to Fort Meade

Side by Side 

A Special Remembrance 

DaimlerChrysler Senior Vice 

President John Franciosi (left) and 

UAW Vice President Nate Gooden 

AS UAW LOCAL 1264 PAYS TRIBUTE TO OUR NATION’S 

war heroes on November 11, 2002, it will be creating 

the final chapter in a story of perseverance, pride and 

patriotism. The unveiling of a bronze plaque dedicated 

“To Those Who Served” represents the true meaning of 

Veterans Day, and sends a message none of us should 

forget. The inscription begins: 

We walk for those who no longer walk. 

We speak for those whose voice is still. 

We remember those with memories lost, 

And we honor those who fell. 

These words also capture the spirit of our fourth annual Veterans Day Special Issue 

of Tomorrow. We found members of the U.S. armed forces defending our freedom at 

home and abroad against global terrorism, including men and women from 

DaimlerChrysler. We’re pleased to salute a representative group of them, the many other 

veterans who have served our country so courageously in previous conflicts, and the 

employees who responded as civilians in time of crisis. 

The story behind the plaque began six years ago when Tony Romero, vice chairman of 

the Local 1264 Veterans Association, visited the Fort Custer National Cemetery near 

Battle Creek, Mich. As he walked down the Memorial Pathway for the first time, he was 

inspired by the tributes from veterans organizations on the plaques that lined the walk. 

“I had the feeling this was sacred ground,” recalls Romero, a hi-lo driver at Sterling 

Stamping and a Vietnam vet who served in the U.S. Army’s 59th Ordnance Group. 

Inspired by the experience, Romero undertook what he calls “my mission” to add a 

plaque from Local 1264 to the Memorial Pathway. He led the veterans association’s 

prolonged but successful campaign to obtain a waiver of government policies to become 

the first union local to be represented at Fort Custer, the second largest U.S. military cemetery. 

The association joined organizations like the Veterans of Foreign Wars and the 

American Legion when the plaque was dedicated on Memorial Day in 1999. (Learn about 

the association’s determined efforts to recognize Vietnam vets on page 4.) 

This Veterans Day, Local 1264’s testimonial “To Those Who Served” is coming home. 

A replica of the plaque is being dedicated at the union hall, mounted in a place of respect 

in front of the flagpole. “It represents the membership and will let everyone know they’re 

part of this,” says Romero. “With the world situation the way it is, we need to stand up 

for our country and the people who are putting their lives on the line to protect it. We 

know what they’re going through.” 

UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

2211 East Jefferson Avenue 

Detroit, MI 48207 

313.567.3300 

Fax: 313.567.4971 

E-mail: rrussell@ucntc.org 


JOINT ACTIVITIES BOARD 

NATE GOODEN 

VICE PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR 

DAIMLERCHRYSLER DEPARTMENT 

UAW, CO-CHAIRMAN 

JOHN S. FRANCIOSI 

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, EMPLOYEE 

RELATIONS DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

CO-CHAIRMAN 

DAVE MCALLISTER 

ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT TO 

VICE PRESIDENT, DIRECTOR 

DAIMLERCHRYSLER DEPARTMENT UAW 

KEN MCCARTER 

VICE PRESIDENT, UNION RELATIONS AND 

SECURITY OPERATIONS DAIMLERCHRYSLER 

JAMES DAVIS 

CO-DIRECTOR UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 


FRANK L. SLAUGHTER 

CO-DIRECTOR UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER 


RON RUSSELL 

COMMUNICATIONS ADMINISTRATOR 

BOB ERICKSON 

COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST 

TANISHA DAVIS-PEREZ 

STAFF WRITER 

MICHAEL BULLER 

EDITOR 

KAREN ENGLISH 

SENIOR EDITOR 

MEGHAN ROWLEY 

MANAGING EDITOR 

SUSAN CASSIDY 

COPY EDITOR 

KRISTIN BRADETICH 

ASSOCIATE ART DIRECTOR 

CATHERINE KORN 

PRODUCTION MANAGER 

KEVIN CAVANAUGH 

ACCOUNT MANAGER 

Nate Gooden 

John Franciosi 

This magazine is printed by a union 

printer on union-made recycled paper. 

2 www.uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.org

LOOKING AHEAD AT THE UAW-DAIMLERCHRYSLER NATIONAL TRAINING CENTER 

Volume 6 • Number 5 


Features 

Special Issue: Veterans Day 2002 

5 

10 

14 

16 

Answering the Call 

Workers who serve in the Reserves and National Guard are always 

ready to take up the fight for freedom. 

By Molly Rose Teuke 

United We Stand 

The War on Terrorism puts us all on the front lines. Meet some 

workers who have found different ways to contribute as civilians. 

By Bob Ourlian 

One Nation 

Look around any facility, and you’ll see workers displaying their 

true colors. Our photo essay takes a tour of some of these eyecatching 

displays of patriotism. 

Heroes Among Us 

Profiles of some of the many veterans of different wars who 

work with us. 

By S.C. Biemesderfer 

4 

10 

Departments 

2 Side by Side 

Taking time to remember all 

who stand up for freedom. 

4 Remembrance 

Michigan’s Vietnam Veterans 

Memorial stands proud, thanks 

in part to these workers. 

cover 

Sheila Hardemon 

page 5 

cover photo 

by David Deal 

24 Taking a Stand 

Workers make sure homeless 

veterans are not forgotten. 

26 True Colors 

This veterans committee 

chairman has a mission. 

27 Observances 

How Veterans Day is observed 

at some DaimlerChrysler 

facilities and UAW locals. 

28 Roll Call 

A salute to workers who have 

served in the wake of 9/11. 

14 

16 

Tomorrow (ISSN: 1096-1429) is published quarterly with two special issues in spring and fall for the UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center by Pohly & Partners, Inc., 

27 Melcher Street, 2nd floor, Boston, MA 02210, 800.383.0888. Periodicals postage rates paid at Boston, Mass. and additional entry offices. POSTMASTER: Send address 

changes to Tomorrow, 2211 East Jefferson Ave., Detroit, MI 48207. © 2002 by UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Training Center. All rights reserved. Reproduction in whole or 

in part of any text, photograph or illustration without prior written permission from the publisher is strictly prohibited.

Remembrance 

HONORING MICHIGAN’S VIETNAM VETS 

Sterling Stamping workers help create a legacy 

There’s no lack of patriotism 

in Michigan. During the 

Vietnam era, more Michigan 

residents served in the U.S. 

armed forces than did citizens 

of any other state but California. 

But until last year, Michigan 

had no monument to 

honor these heroes. 

It wasn’t until 1988 — 25 

years after the last troops came 

home — that a serious effort 

was made to honor these veterans. 

The Michigan Vietnam 

Monument was finally dedicated 

on Veterans Day 2001. 

Prominent among those 

who made it happen were 

UAW-DaimlerChrysler workers. 

Among the most determined 

were members of 

Sterling Stamping’s UAW Local 

1264 Veterans Committee — 

which, says Vice Chairman 

Tony Romero, has one of the 

largest contingents of veterans 

in the union. “It was important 

to all of us that Vietnam 

veterans be recognized,” says 

Romero, a hi-lo driver who 

moved ammunition for the 

U.S. Army in Vietnam. 

Committee member Ed 

Czarnecki agrees. “When they 

came back, they had nothing,” 

he says. Czarnecki, a retired 

machine operator and Army 

Vietnam veteran, recalls coming 

home to find anti-war protests. 

“I couldn’t believe what was 

going on,” he says. 

Kevin Balfour also has negative 

memories. “We fought 

under terrible conditions,” says 

Balfour, an electrician and 

former U.S. Marine. “Then to 

come back to an unappreciative 

America — it was very sad.” 

For the veterans, the project 

was a chance to heal. “The monument 

makes us feel vindicated,” 

explains Balfour. So when the 

statewide effort began, says UAW 

Local 1264 veterans committee 

Chairman Fred Pfeiffer, “We 

jumped right on board.” 

Committee members excelled 

at fundraising. “Our vets have 

this knack for collecting funds,” 

says the local’s president, Jesse 

Mitchell, an Army Vietnam veteran. 

“Raffles, dances, hat and 

pin sales — you name it.” 

Over 10 years, it added up. 

“We were the leading contributor,” 

says Romero. “We raised 

more than $15,000.” 

They didn’t stop with fundraising. 

Members took part in 

a motorcycle procession escorting 

beams to the monument 

site in Lansing, the state capital. 

“It was the parade we 

never got,” recalls Pfeiffer, who 

drove his Ram as the chase 

vehicle. “People in Lansing 

lined the streets cheering. It 

gave me shivers.” 

After a decade of pushing, 

it’s not surprising that the 

group was there for the dedication 

ceremony. “Our whole 

committee and our president 

went,” says Committee Treasurer 

Bob Hoffmeyer Jr., a 

hi-lo driver and Vietnam-era 

veteran. “It was completing — 

FROM LEFT: Mark Bliemeister, Kevin Balfour, Tony Romero, Ed Czarnecki, 

Fred Pfeiffer, Jesse Mitchell and Bob Hoffmeyer Jr. at the monument dedication. 

a somber and emotional day.” 

It was an opportunity to hear 

speeches affirming the contribution 

of Vietnam veterans. It 

was also a chance to admire 

the structure they had worked 

so hard to build. “It’s a focal 

point,” says Pfeiffer. “It looks 

like it’s suspended in midair, 

and when it is lit up at night, 

it’s very, very moving.” 

Even though the memorial is 

finished, UAW Local 1264 hasn’t 

flagged in its support. “Now we 

donate money for maintenance,” 

says Hoffmeyer. “It’s all worth it. 

Every dime. Every hour we put 

into it. Those memories won’t 

be forgotten.” ■ 

— Karen English 

PHOTO COURTESY FRED PFEIFFER 


WORKERS IN 

THE GUARD 

AND RESERVES 

MUSTER FOR 

HOMELAND DEFENSE 

ANSWERING THE 

ANSWERING THE 

CALL 

BACKGROUND: RANDY FARIS/CORBIS 

BY MOLLY ROSE TEUKE 

IN THE AFTERMATH OF SEPTEMBER 11, members of 

the National Guard and Reserves answered the roll call for 

Operation Noble Eagle, taking their places on the front lines 

of homeland defense. These servicemen and women come 

from all walks of life. Those who interrupted jobs with UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler were more fortunate than many. In the days 

following 9/11, and since then, the UAW and DaimlerChrysler 

have taken a strong stand supporting workers called to active 

service by extending benefit coverage and short-term military 

duty pay. Meet some coworkers who have answered the call. 

TOMORROW VETERANS DAY 2002 5

SHEILA HARDEMON 

Security Supervisor, 

DaimlerChrysler Technology Center 

Army National Guard 

Operation Noble Eagle: 

March 14, 2002–March 13, 2003 

(or beyond) 

F 

or a patriot with 17 years of part-time military 

duty behind her and just two years to retirement, 

being called to active duty was an eye-opener. 

Aware of the demand for military police in the Middle 

East, Staff Sgt. Sheila Hardemon realizes she could be 

deployed to distant lands. For now, she’s grateful to be 

close enough to home to occasionally see her daughter 

and three young grandchildren. 

Hardemon, 42, is stationed with the 1776th Military 

Police Company at Fort Meade, Md. She sometimes 

works at Walter Reed Army Medical Center, but her primary 

job is access control at Fort Meade, a 5,415-acre 

complex with 40,000 people coming in and out daily. 

One of the surprising aspects of active duty for 

Hardemon is the training — weapons training, land navigation 

skills, law and order, and physical conditioning. 

One skill she’s going to be happy to take back to her job 

is verbal judo. “It’s about getting your point across with 

minimum force,” she says. “I’m not saying I didn’t know 

how to talk to people before — I did — but people come 

in here with a lot of different personalities and attitudes, 

and you learn a lot from that.” 

Hardemon appreciates getting a taste of active duty, 

but she’s looking forward to getting back to enjoying her 

job at DaimlerChrysler and her new house. Meanwhile, 

she says, “There’s satisfaction in serving your country.” 

TOP: DAVID DEAL, RIGHT: BILL SCHWAB 


G 

iven the post–9/11 shortage 

of military police, Staff Sgt. 

Harold “Mal” Forys holds 

a job that lands him in the center 

of homeland defense. As a security 

police trainer with the 127th 

Security Forces Squadron at 

Selfridge Air National Guard Base 

in Mount Clemens, Mich., Forys 

trains soldiers who are then deployed 

worldwide. 

In fact, Forys himself could be 

deployed at any time, which he sees 

as the one downside to his present 

service. For now, he’s close enough 

to home that he commutes. “But 

it’s tough not knowing how long 

MAL FORYS 

Coordinator for Photographic 

Services, DaimlerChrysler 

Technology Center 

UAW Local 412 

Air National Guard 


Oct. 1, 2001–Sept. 30, 2003 

Prior active duty: 1969–1971 

I’ll be serving, or whether we’ll 

get deployed and where,” he says, 

“and the uncertainty is hard on 

family and friends.” 

Forys, 54, teaches a range of 

security skills to soldiers, covering 

everything from how to search an 

occupied building and how to 

handle traffic stops to weapons 

training, personal protection and 

chemical, biological and nuclear 

safeguarding. Most of his time is 

spent researching and developing 

curriculum for classroom teaching. 

He’s also written and narrated 

a video on building searches. 

“The military has been a rewarding 

career,” Forys says. “September 

11 hasn’t made it much 

different. I’ve believed in the military 

all along and now it’s time to 

pay my dues. It’s my way of helping 

my country.” 

Editor’s note: As we went to 

press, Forys was deployed overseas 

to an undisclosed location, and his 

tour of duty extended through 

Sept. 30, 2003. 

ED GINGRAS 

(Gingras was at a classified location 

and therefore unavailable for a photo.) 

Loader, Boston Parts Distribution Center 


Army National Guard – 

Alpha Company: 1-181 Infantry 


Oct. 3, 2001–Oct. 5, 2002 


S 

gt. 1st Class Ed Gingras and his 

platoon of infantry soldiers were 

thrown into a mission they didn’t 

anticipate. Trained for combat, they were 

assigned instead to security duty at U.S. 

Army Soldier Systems Natick, an Army 

research and development facility in 

Massachusetts. “It’s two different mentalities,” 

says Gingras. “It’s not so easy adapting 

infantry skills to base security work.” 

Gingras and his troops patrol the 75- 

acre base, which has special security concerns 

because it’s located in a civilian 

area. Duties entail incident and emergency 

response, screening visitors, searching 

vehicles and maintaining 24/7 watch. 

Normally, Gingras would have a full 

complement of support staff to handle 

transportation, food, medical care, paperwork 

and logistical planning. But Operation 

Noble Eagle is anything but business 

as usual. “The bottom line is that it makes 

me a better NCO [non-commissioned officer] 

because now I know how all these 

things get accomplished,” he says. 

Gingras, 32, is stationed 45 miles from 

home, but as platoon sergeant, he’s responsible 

for his soldiers at all times. That 

means he gets home for only a few days 

each month, just enough to track how fast 

his toddler, Eddie, is growing. 

Yet, he loves the work. “My troops 

think Sgt. G can make anything happen, 

and I have to live up to that. Sure, you’re 

doing it for your country, but I’m responsible 

for my soldiers and I feel very protective 

of my troops,” he says. 


BOB ROLF 

Maintenance Area Manager, 

Huntsville Electronics 

Naval Reserve, 

Naval Air Station, Atlanta, Ga. 


Sept. 20, 2001–April 9, 2002 

Prior active duty: 1971–1973, 

1980–1985 

C 

mdr. Robert Rolf was tapped for active duty 

because of his familiarity with a particular installation, 

the Naval Air Warfare Center Orlando. Some 

1,100 people work on the 50-acre Florida complex, where 

classified research and development are conducted on aviation 

warfare and simulation technology. Just days after 

September 11, Rolf became the facility’s Force Protection 

and Anti-Terrorism Officer for Homeland Defense — a 

full-time job that didn’t exist prior to the terrorist attacks. 

Within 48 hours of receiving the call, he was on his way. 

“You wanted to do something, and the need was in our 

own backyard,” Rolf says. “Basically, we were helping to 

lock down the United States.” 

The most unnerving step in the process was the flight 

down to Florida. “There was no one there [at the Atlanta 

Airport], and nobody knew what was next,” he recalls. “I 

was one of six people on the plane — there were more 

flight attendants than passengers.” 

Rolf immediately had 45 people under his command. 

“Because of the shortage of personnel, they said, ‘Here, 

this is what you’ve been practicing for all these years. Go 

do it,’” he says. 

His days consisted of monitoring classified message 

traffic, overseeing daily armed security staffing on a 24/7 

watch and coordinating with local and federal law 

enforcement agencies. “What we were doing took a revisiting 

of things that were done 60 years ago,” he says. “We 

hadn’t experienced anything like this since Pearl Harbor.” 

It was tough leaving his wife and two teenage daughters 

behind — he saw them only once in seven months, when 

they came to visit at Thanksgiving. Like most military 

spouses, Sharon Rolf supported her husband’s decision to 

serve, even though he was close to military retirement. 

“Do what you’ve got to do,” she told him, “but promise 

me you’ll retire when you’re done.” 

Rolf has nominated DaimlerChrysler President and 

CEO Dieter Zetsche for a Department of Defense award 

for Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve for 

Zetsche’s swift action in pledging wage and benefit support 

to workers serving temporary post–9/11 duty. 

TOP: MARK BONDERENKO, RIGHT: BILL SCHWAB 


TONI SPENCER 

Housekeeping, DaimlerChrysler 

Technology Center 


Army National Guard 


Feb. 4–June 22, 2002 


S 

gt. Toni Spencer felt a poignant 

tug on her heartstrings when 

she was called to serve at 

Detroit’s Light Guard Armory, where 

five separate Guard units are trained. 

Several weeks earlier, her 13-yearold 

daughter, Destiny, had written 

a letter to her grandmother, contemplating 

what she’d do if she lost 

her mother. 

“That made it harder to go,” says 

Spencer, a single parent, “but I told 

her that when I joined, it was to protect 

my country, and that sometimes 

you have to do things because you 

will always have that feeling that you 

made a difference.” 

Spencer, 32, was stationed close to 

home and commuted, which meant 

she saw her daughter most evenings 

and weekends. Still, thanks to long 

days and uncertain demands, she 

left Destiny in the care of the girl’s 

grandparents for the duration of her 

active service. 

The first couple of months were 

unnerving for Spencer, whose 1072nd 

Maintenance Company performed 

security duty. “You didn’t know the 

faces of the people who came to work 

every day,” she says, “and sometimes 

you wondered, were they telling the 

truth? You always had your guard up 

because once you get to that tight 

security point, anything can happen.” 

Despite the constant vigilance 

required on duty, Spencer says, she’s 

never regretted her decision to serve. 

“It’s something to be proud of.” ■ 


STANLEY CYDEJKO 

United 

We Stand 

UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler 

workers 

answer the 

challenge 

of 9/11 


The terrorist attacks of September 11 galvanized the nation and 

altered the course of world history. Their aftermath brought out the 

best qualities in many people around the country, among them 

DaimlerChrysler workers, whose strength, tenacity and ingenuity were 

there when the need was greatest. 

ANN VARNER 

From Ground Zero to the West Coast, workers helped organize tributes, 

vigils and donation drives that showed their depth of concern. As it was at many locations, in 

Toledo the call to band together was answered by workers who placed $100 bills and $500 checks 

in collection baskets outside plant gates. “I cried when I was going through our money and found 

all of these checks and donations that people gave with so much caring and so much emotion,” 

says Ann Varner of Toledo North Assembly’s education department and UAW Local 12 member, 

who spearheaded the effort that raised more than $10,000 for the American Red Cross. 

Week Two at Ground Zero 

At Center Line Parts Distribution 

Center, Stanley Cydejko decided to 

make it personal. Just after September 

11, Cydejko began hearing of local 

efforts to supply needed skilled workers 

for the relief and rescue effort in 

New York City. The UAW Local 1248 

member quickly made a decision. He 

Volunteers pass supplies for Manhattan rescue work. 

and three friends from outside the 

plant contacted disaster coordinators 

at Ground Zero and signed on to help. 

“We said we were willing to do anything 

they needed us to do,” he says. 

Cydejko, a millwright and 17-year 

plant veteran, requested and received 

a leave from his job, and on the 

Monday after the attacks, he and his 

group were in New York. “They 

would only allow us to stay there for 

a week,” Cydejko says, “because they 

wanted fresh help on a weekly basis.” 

When they arrived, these Michigan 

volunteers didn’t realize they were 

traveling in what had become one of 

the stricken city’s most desperate 

needs: pickup trucks. “They had all 

REUTERS/POOL/NY TIMES 

Story by Bob Ourlian Black & White Photographs by John Sobczak 


The U.S. flag flies at 

half-staff on Sept. 17, 2001, 

at the World Trade Center 

in New York. 

these donated supplies that were 

being brought into the city,” Cydejko 

says, “but given how congested the 

city was, there was no way for the 

firefighters and police officers to come 

and get the stuff that they needed, like 

respirators, work shoes, boots and 

safety gear.” 

So Cydejko and his group would 

load up their pickups for supply shuttles 

to Ground Zero or to the Fresh 

Kills Landfill on Staten Island, where 

attack debris was being sorted. “Every 

day, these guys would have to come in, 

and they didn’t reuse any clothing,” 

Cydejko recalls. “They had to have 

fresh clothing.” For up to 14 hours a 

day, for seven hectic days, Cydejko and 

his 2000 Dodge pickup were a welcome 

sight at workstations. 

For the first several days, Cydejko’s 

group camped in the basement of 

Glad Tidings Tabernacle, a base of 

operations for volunteers about two 

miles from the wreckage of the World 

Trade Center. After that, a hotel 

owner donated rooms for volunteers. 

On Thursday of that week, Cydejko 

answered a call to help steelworkers 

at Ground Zero by wielding a cutting 

torch to clear beams and remove 

debris in what was still a desperate 

quest. “Even at that point, they were 

still looking for survivors,” he says. 

“That was something that kept them 

going, knowing there might be survivors 

in there still.” 

And the view from Ground Zero? 

“Whatever you saw on TV, it didn’t do 

justice to the magnitude of destruction 

that was down there,” says Cydejko. 

Cydejko had left his wife, 

Marlene, back home in Sterling 

Heights, Mich., where the couple 

have three grown children and three 

younger, adopted children, who are 

among the 47 foster children the 

Cydejkos have cared for over the 

years. “They figured after we worked 

12 to 14 hours a day for a week, 

we’d be exhausted,” Cydejko says. So 

a week later, now changed forever, 

he returned to his family and to his 

former life. 

Cross-Country Helping Hands 

At the same time, Marysville 

Parts Distribution Center 

millwright Jim Ashbaugh had 

a sizable impact on the relief 

effort without leaving his 

plant or his hometown of 

Marine City, Mich. The 

father of two and member of 

UAW Local 375 heard from 

his wife, Maryann, that there 

was an effort underway at a 

local grocery store to collect 

needed relief goods. Maryann 

pitched in and so did Jim, 

calling on a longtime family 

friend for help. That friend, 

Mary Gave, operates Downriver 

Helping Hands, a wellknown 

Marine City charity 

that provides furniture, food and 

clothing to families in need. 

“Everybody at the time was doing 

whatever they could,” says Ashbaugh. 

“It was neighbors and nieces and 

nephews and cousins. Everybody who 

had a truck got involved. It just snowballed 

and it ended up being load 

after load of stuff for the people in 

New York. There was water, food, 

masks, shovels — everything you 

could think of.” 

Downriver Helping Hands — 

where Jim and his wife already spent 

time volunteering — served as a collection 

center. “It was a really great 

effort,” recalls Gave. “A lot of people, 

including myself, got involved in 

collecting for September 11. And 

because of that, people were inclined 

to be so generous.” 

But when the volunteers realized 

they had collected far more than a 

carload, they were stumped as to 

how to get it to the rescue workers. 

Then they heard stories of goods 

being taken to New York only to be 

left on street corners –— a fate 

Ashbaugh did not want for his effort. 

What better way to guarantee the 

PAT LAROCCA 

CORBIS 


REUTERS/MIKE SEGAR 

JIM ASHBAUGH 

shipment, he thought, than to send 

it straight from Marysville PDC to 

New York PDC. “We ship parts all 

over the country as a parts distribution 

center,” says Ashbaugh. “It’s 

what we do.” 

So he spoke to his plant maintenance 

supervisor, Mike Goforth, who 

made inquiries and sent Ashbaugh to 

shipping clerk Pat LaRocca, then a 

member of UAW Local 889 and now 

a member of Local 375. “Jim was 

wonderful. He organized that whole 

thing,” recalls LaRocca. “He even 

brought all the donations in here, 

and he had the guys in maintenance 

put it in boxes. And the amount of 

stuff he got — Oh my God!” 

Unknown to many, Ashbaugh 

harbored an extra motive to get 

personally involved in fighting the War 

on Terrorism at home: At the time of 

the attacks, his son Jeffery was at boot 

camp as a U.S. Marine Corps enlistee. 

“That made it a bit more scary for us,” 

Ashbaugh says. 

But it was LaRocca who had to find 

an available truck to take the eight 

shipping crates — each one more than 

100 cubic feet. And she did. The 

48-foot truck she was able to 

tap for the relief supplies was 

soon dubbed the “Friendship 

Truck.” When the crates 

arrived at New York PDC, 

stock people and UAW Local 

260 plant committee officials 

were stunned at the amount 

collected, recalls Bruce Ladrick, 

UAW PQI facilitator at New 

York PDC. What’s more, each 

of the carefully packed crates 

carried a note with a large 

heart and the words: “To the 

family and friends who have 

lost a loved one in the terrorist 

attack.… Our hearts, 

prayers and thoughts are with 

you, of you, and for you. We 

share your pain.” 

Writing in the New York PDC 

newsletter about the shipment, PQI 

Communicator Steven Pearce captured 

the feelings of UAW-DaimlerChrysler 

workers at every location who were 

so quick to extend a helping hand: “It 

is this kind of thoughtfulness from a 

facility so far away that made me feel 

like they were right around the corner 

from us.” ■ 

Crews of firefighters, rescue workers and volunteers 

gather near a portion of the collapsed 

remains of World Trade Center in New York on 

Sept. 14, 2001. 

Veterans Weigh In 

We asked some veterans to share 

their thoughts about the War 

on Terrorism. 

Alan D. Opra 

Gauge Runner, Detroit Axle; chairman of UAW 

Local 961 veterans committee 

U.S. Marine Corps, 1981–86, Beirut 1983 

The first thing that went through my 

mind when I saw the attack on the World 

Trade Center was Beirut [the 1983 

attack on the U.S. Marine barracks]. I 

had left the barracks just a few hours 

before it was blown up, but went right 

back to search through the rubble. The 

September 11 attacks reminded me of 

the crater in Beirut, but on a much larger 

scale. The main difference is the loss of 

all those innocent lives. 

Richard Magner, Awarded Purple Heart 

Retired Inspector, Newark Assembly 

Marine Corps, 1967–71, Vietnam 1967–68 

Maryland Army National Guard, 1976–93 

I hope they take better care of the veterans 

or soon-to-be veterans of this conflict. 

In the past, the government took 

care of you in active service but forgot 

about you when you got out. I’d like to 

see them bring the pay scale for active 

duty more in line with private industry. 

I’d like to see the state governments do 

more to take care of things for people in 

the National Guard while they are away. 

Ramiro Alvarez 

Jitney Driver, Toledo Machining 

Ohio Army National Guard, 1980–present 

A lot of people don’t like to get called 

up, but I’m ready to serve my country. 

Because of 9/11, MPs are depleted so 

we [the National Guard] are filling in. In 

January, I’m going to Panama to provide 

security. It’s not an easy war because you 

don’t really know who you are fighting — 

you don’t exactly have a face. 

John Romanowich 

Warehouse Supervisor, Dallas Parts 

Distribution Center 

U.S. Army, VIetnam, 1969–70 

We should have done something a lot 

sooner, but we should definitely do something. 

It seems like Korea was different 

from World War II, and Vietnam was different 

from Korea. This one will be different 

again, but we shouldn’t hesitate now. 


STERLING HEIGHTS ASSEMBLY 

ONE 

TOLEDO ASSEMBLY PLANTS 


BELVIDERE ASSEMBLY 


This collage 

of photographs, 

contributed 

by some locations, 

salutes the patriotism 

NATION 

of all UAW-DaimlerChrysler workers. 


BELVIDERE ASSEMBLY 


BY S.C. BIEMESDERFER 

HEROES 

among us 

OUR ANNUAL TRIBUTE 

to UAW-DaimlerChrysler veterans 

spans the decades, every branch of 

military service and DaimlerChrysler 

locations across America. 

These are just a few of the hundreds 

of heroes among us. 

MICHAEL MERTZ 


Ray C. Leslie 

Ray C. Leslie 

Job: Paint Shop (ret.) 

Marysville Parts 



fter the Japanese bombed 

Pearl Harbor in 1941, 17- 

year-old Ray Leslie of Port 

Huron, Mich., desperately wanted to 

volunteer for the U.S. Army. His 

father wouldn’t sign the permission 

slip for him to go to war, so young 

Leslie guarded bridges and tunnels 

along the Canadian border for the 

Michigan State Guard . A year later, 

he enlisted. Within three months, 

he was bound for Italy. A few days 

later, he was in the thick of battle 

at enemy lines, serving as a rifleman 

and a BAR-man for the 135th 

Infantry Regiment of the famous 

34th Division, 5th Army. 

“I was what they called a BARman 

because I shot a Browning 

Automatic Rifle,” says Leslie, 77. 

As the Germans waged fierce counterattacks 

against U.S. troops in February 

1944, Leslie took several 

shrapnel wounds to the knee but 

refused to leave his post to get medical 

care. “I didn’t want to leave the 

guys,” recalls Leslie, “so I stayed 

there and did what I could — threw 

grenades and kept on shooting.” 

Leslie was hit again in the shoulder 

and chest; he positioned himself 

behind a rock in the crossfire as bullets 

chipped away at his makeshift 

cover. As the day wore on, one of 

those bullets struck Leslie in the 

ankle. All told, he was wounded in 

nine places and survived 24 hours 

before undergoing surgery. 

Leslie returned with military 

honors, including a Purple Heart 

and Combat Infantryman’s Badge. 

He began working in the Marysville 

Paint Shop in 1966 and retired 

in 1983. 


John Tinsley 

Picker/Packer, Marysville Parts Distribution Center 


ohn Tinsley explains more than 15 years of service in three 

branches of the U.S. military in short order. “It’s just something 

that’s inside of me,” he says. And he’s felt that way for a long 

time. This Marine-turned-Navy reservist-turned-Army National 

Guardsman first wore a uniform as an ROTC student in junior high. 

With his parents’ consent, he enlisted at age 17 in the Marine Corps. 

Tinsley served as an infantryman in the 1st Battalion, 9th Marines 

for seven years, then as a communications instructor at Camp 

Pendleton, Calif., for two years, before signing on with a Marine 

Reserve unit in 1989. He was called to active duty in 1990 and 1991 

during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, serving with a support 

unit that traveled to Japan, Korea and the Philippines as part of 

the 1st Battalion, 24th Marines. From 1994 to 1997, he served as a 

Navy reservist; in early 2002, he signed on with the Michigan Army 

National Guard. 

“I gave the decision a lot of thought after September 11,” says 

Tinsley, who’s worked at Marysville for the past nine years. “I guess 

it’s the esprit de corps that keeps me coming back — the great 

honor of serving our country.” 

Michael Bethel 

Welder Repair, St. Louis South Assembly 


hen Michael Bethel learned of the September 11 terrorist 

attacks, he was already in uniform, ready for action. 

Bethel and his fellow U.S. Army reservists were on 

maneuvers at Fort Polk in Louisiana at the time, training for a 

mission to Kosovo, Yugoslavia. And for a while, it looked like 

their orders might change. “It was pretty intense,” says Bethel, 

who’s been a reservist since 1990. “We were on alert at 

Threatcon Delta, and it felt like anything could happen.” 

A few weeks later, as other U.S. troops were dispatched to 

Afghanistan, Bethel’s 2175th Military Police Company was deployed 

to Kosovo. For seven months, the soldiers patrolled the region as a 

part of ongoing peacekeeping efforts there. Although they had to contend 

with rioting Serbian and Albanian factions, as well as extreme 

cold and snow, they were bolstered by a new perspective on their 

role in national and international security. 

“It felt good to be doing something for the country,” 

says Bethel, who, as we went to press, was 

scheduled for a reservist mission to 

Italy. “We were all reminded of 

how important it is to protect 

people’s freedoms.” 


William M. Jones 

Polish Repair, Warren Truck Assembly 


illiam Jones was working at a 

South Carolina cotton mill in 

1967 when the letter came saying 

that he’d been drafted. “I thought they 

might pass me over for younger men, but 

I was committed to going,” says Jones, 

who was 25 years old at the time. 

Soon he was Sgt. Jones in the U.S. 

Army, volunteering for high-risk ambush 

patrol in the midst of fire and fury in 

South Vietnam. In January 1968, during 

the TET Offensive — a major battle that 

began as a surprise attack launched by 

the North Vietnamese — Jones found 

himself dodging artillery from all directions 

as more than 75 men in his company 

were killed or wounded. In a brutal 

battle that would eventually take hundreds 

of U.S. soldiers’ lives and injure 

thousands more, Jones took charge. He 

worked tirelessly to set up perimeters for 

medical choppers to come in and pick up 

his platoon’s fallen soldiers, never stopping 

despite relentless enemy attacks. 

Jerome Burton 

Assembler, Jefferson North Assembly 


“At the time, I just saw it as my job, 

but when I came home, they gave me a 

medal,” says Jones, who was awarded 

the Bronze Star Medal for courage in 

combat. After his tour of duty ended in 

1969, he moved to Detroit with his wife 

and began working for DaimlerChrysler. 

Jones plans to retire in August 2004; 

then he has a trip planned. “I’m going to 

Washington, D.C., to see the Vietnam 

Veterans Memorial Wall,” he says. “I 

have some people to say hello to there. I 

saw a lot of brave men die, and I’m going 

to pay my respects.” 

THIS PAGE: BILL SCHWAB, OPPOSITE PAGE ABOVE: BILL SCHWAB, BELOW: JAY BAKER 

hen you drive an artillery piece for a living, you can get pretty 

comfortable with how world-class vehicles work and move. So 

you might say that Jerome Burton’s transition from the U.S. Army 

to DaimlerChrysler was a natural fit. 

Before he began working on the line at Jefferson North Assembly eight 

years ago, Sgt. Burton built a 13-year career with the Army’s 17th Field 

Artillery Brigade, 3rd Battalion and 2nd Calvary Regiment. His specialty was 

driving — and firing from — an artillery piece. During Operation Desert 

Shield and Operation Desert Storm, Burton spent six months in the Middle 

East, where he drove and served as the No. 1 cannoneer for an M109 Self- 

Propelled Howitzer artillery piece. “Our mission was to drive toward Kuwait, 

and we had some pretty rough fights with Iraq’s Republican Guard, especially 

at the Iraq–Kuwait border,” recalls Burton. 

After Kuwait was liberated and the Gulf War ended, Burton’s unit 

returned to Iraq to enforce the cease-fire. In 1994, his term of service 

ended, and he began working for DaimlerChrysler. 


20 www.uaw-daimlerchryslerntc.org 

Jerry Paul 

Grinder Operator, 

Kokomo Transmission 

UAW Local 685

hey say that life is what 

happens while you’re busy 

making other plans, and I 

suppose that’s quite true in my case,” 

says Jerry Paul. “One minute I was a 

kid in Kokomo; the next I was in a 

chopper in Vietnam, with only a steel 

plate between me and a lot of bullets.” 

At age 20, the only steel Paul had 

given much thought to was that made 

in the local steel mill where he’d 

worked part time. And the biggest 

plan on his mind was getting married, 

which he did about a month before he 

was drafted. At first, the U.S. Army 

stationed Paul stateside, so he and his 

wife set up a home on the West Coast 

— just in time for him to receive his 

orders for Vietnam. He was told that he 

would probably be working as a helicopter 

mechanic, but it didn’t quite 

work out that way. 

“I knew that the life expectancy on 

a medevac crew was about a week, but 

we were losing a lot of guys,” says 

Paul. “So I signed on.” 

Paul became a helicopter crew 

chief for the 498th “Dust-Off” Medical 

Evacuation. They were the soldiers who 

did the work no one else dared to do, 

flying into combat zones to evacuate 

the wounded, almost always under 

enemy fire. More than once, Paul’s 

chopper was shot down in hostile territory. 

But Paul was never wounded, and 

he’s proud to say that he never lost a 

patient. His military honors include the 

Army’s prestigious Air Medal Award for 

Meritorious Achievement. But more 

than the medals, he treasures a poem 

his daughter, Summer, wrote about his 

time in Vietnam. As the poem says in 

one especially poignant line, for Paul 

“the journey was uncertain, but the 

memories are still clear.” 

Fred Hunter 

Warranty Tech, Sterling Heights Vehicle Test Center 


THIS PAGE: JOHN SOBCZAK/LORIEN STUDIOS, OPPOSITE PAGE: LARRY LADIG 

red Hunter doesn’t see much difference between serving in the regular 

U.S. Navy and the Naval Reserves. “We all prepare ourselves to 

do the job,” he says. “When it comes to fire situations, we are all in 

the same boat.” 

And Hunter should know. After spending a stint in Vietnam, loading shells 

in his ship’s powder room, Hunter came home, started a 38-year career at 

DaimlerChrysler, and eventually joined the Naval Reserves — and that was 

nearly two decades ago. “It’s become part of my life, and I love it,” he says. 

“I have almost as much involvement as I had in Vietnam.” 

For Hunter, that involvement included strategic support during both 

Operation Desert Storm and Operation Enduring Freedom at NAS Sigonella 

in Sicily, Italy. The 1st Class Storekeeper is especially proud that, during 

Desert Storm, his Reserve unit was activated early. “It’s the only time they 

called Reserves right off the bat in a war,” he says. 

By the time Hunter’s unit got back to Sigonella just a few days after the 

9/11 terrorist attacks, the strategic base was on high alert. “We are considered 

the hub of the Mediterranean,” he says, “so we always have to 

worry about terrorism.” As in Desert Storm, the Reserves proved they were 

ready. “Everybody was pulling together,” says Hunter, who returned to his 

DaimlerChrysler job in mid-September. “I’m proud they looked at us 

Reserves as a big part of the operation.” 

Hunter is grateful for the support at home. “I don’t think the leaders of the 

UAW and DaimlerChrysler get enough credit for supporting the armed forces,” 

he says. “For me, the people in this facility keep my spirits up.” 

As the War on Terrorism continues, Hunter knows that he could be called 

back at any time. “I know I’m here to do the job,” he says. His level of long-term 

commitment has not gone unnoticed. After his latest stint in Operation Enduring 

Freedom, Hunter was awarded the Navy Achievement Medal. Says Hunter. “It 

makes me even more proud to serve my country.” — By Karen English 


THE KOKOMO CONTINGENT 

When it comes to pride in military 

service, Kokomo Casting is no different 

from any other location. Workers 

everywhere are proud of those who 

served their country. And in every 

plant, there are many workers who 

have served. But of Kokomo’s 1,200 

workers, more than 200 are Vietnam 

veterans, and nearly 100 more have 

served in conflicts ranging from World 

War II to the War on Terrorism. 

With about one in four workers 

who’ve seen active duty, it’s no wonder 

that Kokomo Casting regularly 

pays tribute to a “Veteran of the 

Month.” PQI Trainer Doran Gwyn, 

himself a veteran of the U.S. Army’s 

elite 82nd Airborne Division Aviation 

Battalion, says, “We have so many 

veterans from various conflicts. It’s 

truly an honor to know so many 

coworkers who served their country.” 

Tomorrow salutes the entire Kokomo 

contingent, including these veterans: 

Stephen Nudge 

Safety Supervisor, Kokomo Casting 

t’s the only lottery I ever won,” says Stephen Nudge, as he recalls being drafted 

by the U.S. Army in June 1970. The Indiana, Penn., native had been working 

and going to college part time, and was well aware of the tens of thousands of 

American casualties overseas. More than half a million U.S. soldiers had already been 

deployed to Vietnam, and antiwar sentiment in America had reached new heights, but it 

would be three more years before a peace accord was signed in January 1973 — and 

five more before Saigon would fall. 

“It was a tense time, and I’d heard so many stories about how it was over there,” 

says Nudge. “But it was my duty to go.” Spc. 4th Class Nudge served with the Americal 

Infantry Division that faced heavy fighting in South Vietnam combat zones where U.S. 

troops were most entrenched. He worked on the Chinook helicopters that carried troops, 

supplies and artillery to the battlefields, doing whatever he could for his company in 

the heat of battle. “I was a mechanic; I was a door gunner; I just did what needed to 

be done,” says Nudge, who has worked at Kokomo Casting for six years. “I got to know 

some brave men who never came home — they are the heroes, in my book.” 

Larry W. Parsley Sr. 

Die Cast Troubleshooter, Kokomo Casting 


e fought on ships that were blown up; he was the gunner on transport helicopters; 

he spearheaded air missions under intense enemy fire. He received some 

of the military’s highest honors during his tour of duty with the U.S. Army’s 

1st Aviation Brigade in Vietnam. Yet when you talk to him about it all, Kokomo’s Larry 

Parsley has his heroism in perspective. 

“Once I got there, I thought I might as well do what I could,” says Parsley, who was 

drafted in late 1965. “I knew that being a gunner was hazardous duty, but all of it was, 

really, so I volunteered for it.” 

In February 1967, Parsley led an air assault on a Viet Cong stronghold, then braved 

both enemy bullets and mortar attacks to airlift wounded soldiers, resupply besieged 

troops with much-needed ammunition, and administer first aid to a wounded crew 

member. For his fearlessness and valor, Parsley received a total of 12 Air Medals for 

Heroism and Meritorious Achievement. He has worked at Kokomo Casting for 35 years. 


Gerald Fivecoate Sr. 

Electrician, Kokomo Casting, UAW Local 1166, 

with daughter Julie Tracy 

THIS PAGE AND OPPOSITE PAGE: LARRY LADIG 

is days as a soldier officially 

ended in 1967, but one last 

piece of Spc. 4th Class Jerry 

Fivecoate’s Vietnam experience finally 

fell into place this year. After 35 years, 

Fivecoate’s U.S. Army dog tag was 

returned — thanks to the efforts of his 

daughter Julie Tracy, who tracked it 

down through an organization called 

Tours of Peace (TOP) Vietnam Veterans. 

As it turns out, someone from TOP found 

Fivecoate’s dog tag in Hoi An, Vietnam, 

where Fivecoate was stationed at one 

point during his tour of duty with the 2nd 

Howitzer Battery, 11th Armored Cavalry. 

“I don’t remember losing it,” says 

Fivecoate, who’s worked at Kokomo 

Casting for 10 years. “But then again, 

I had a lot on my mind at the time.” 

Foremost on Fivecoate’s mind was 

field artillery. His job was to compute 

and program firing data for artillery guns 

— the charge and range needed based 

on the target — from various battle locations, 

often under fire. “This was before 

they used computers to do the work,” 

explains Fivecoate. “I did it using a slide 

rule, so at times, in the middle of battle, 

it was quite a challenge.” 

In addition to Julie, Fivecoate has 

two other daughters and a son, Gerald 

Fivecoate Jr., who also works at 

Kokomo Casting. ■ 


Serving 

Veterans in Need 

Taking a Stand 

Workers reach out to needy veterans 

Miguel A. Roldan 

repairs trucks and trailers at 

Byday 

DaimlerChrysler Transport. 

It’s his job to get the big rigs back 

on the road, so maybe it’s only natural 

that he wants to do the same for 

troubled veterans who, for whatever 

reason, have hit too many bumps on 

their way in civilian life. 

Roldan, 52, is one of the organizers 

of the Southeast Michigan Stand 

Down Committee, which helps out 

hundreds of needy veterans annually. 

“I first got involved in this in 1990,” 

he says. “It started with getting 

pledges of supplies, assistance and 

grants, and getting volunteers from 

various places to help out. The work 

has paid off. Now we are reaching 

hundreds of people.” 

Like Roldan, Roger Bogel, who 

served in the U.S. Navy from 1967 to 

1970, has been involved in the Stand 

Downs from the beginning. Now 

president of UAW Local 212, Bogel 

finds a lot of satisfaction in volunteering. 

“Some of these people need help 

as a result of things they have seen,” 

he says, “maybe [they have] problems 

as a result of military duty. If we can 

help just one person, help change one 

life, then it’s worth it.” 

The group’s efforts have been recognized 

with several honors, and 

DaimlerChrysler Transport recently 

received a UAW Region 1 Veterans 

Council award for its support of the 

Stand Downs. Roldan, a 30-year 

member of the UAW and vice chairman 

of the UAW Region 1 Veterans 

Committee, says that the recognition 

is affirming, but not as rewarding 

as helping someone. “We can’t do 

enough for the veterans,” Roldan 

says. “They deserve our respect, our 

thanks and a helping hand if they 

need it.” 

Calling that helping hand a “Stand 

Down” is significant. Explains Rodan, 

“In war, when you come out of the 

jungle, you’re covered with mud and 

just about everything imaginable. You 

‘stand down’ — get cleaned up, have 

a good meal and collect yourself both 

physically and mentally — before 

making your next move. That’s what 

we are trying to do here.” 

Roldan served in Vietnam in the 

U.S. Army’s elite 101st Special Forces 

Eagles in 1971, but was sent home 

after being wounded. Still, he says 

he’s lucky. Both of his brothers have 

had chronic ailments since returning 

from their tours in Vietnam. 

“They [veterans] 

deserve our respect, 

our thanks and 

a helping hand 

if they need it.” 

Knowing firsthand the hardships 

that veterans can face has made Roldan 

and other Stand Down supporters even 

more determined, and the one-day 

event has attracted the help of numerous 

volunteers from national and local 

organizations like the UAW, the U.S. 

Marines, the National Guard and the 

John D. Dingell Department of Veteran 

Affairs Medical Center in Detroit. 

Many volunteers are not veterans 

themselves. Ric Cummings never wore 

a uniform, but the UAW Local 212 

member and diesel mechanic at 

DaimlerChrysler Transport has been 

actively involved in past Stand Downs. 

“I believe those guys did so much for 

our country that they can’t be forgotten,” 

says Cummings. “[Roldan] is so 

passionate, it just draws you in. The 

first year was quite an eye-opener for 

me, but by the end of the day you feel 

good about giving back to them.” 

Last year, volunteers like Cummings 

were disappointed when Detroit’s 

Light Guard Armory, which hosted 

the annual October event, was on alert 

and off limits in the wake of September 

11. But this year, Operation Stand 

Down found a home nearby at the 

former Warren Tank Plant. There, 

volunteers set up tents to process an 

estimated 500 homeless, many of 

them veterans, identified as in need of 

help by shelters around southeast 

Michigan. “About 300 of them are 

people who served in the military,” 

Roldan says. “But we aren’t going to 

turn away any homeless person.” 

That help includes medical and 

dental exams, haircuts and job counseling. 

Volunteers determine if any of 

the needy are eligible for government 

benefits, and some will be provided 

with identification and assistance in 

filling out employment applications. 

But the immediate support is more 


JOHN SOBCZAK/LORIEN STUDIOS 

FROM LEFT: Ric Cummings, Miguel Roldan and Roger Bogel 

basic. Each person is given a hot meal 

and offered a “goodie bag” consisting 

of clothing and everyday personal 

care items most of us take for granted. 

“Some of these people have nothing 

— nothing,” stresses Roldan. 

“When they leave here they have some 

clothing, maybe some pants, a jacket, 

pajamas, a hat. Even boots, long 

underwear and a sleeping bag. And for 

some of them, with winter coming on, 

it might make the difference between 

life and death.” 

The clothing comes from donations 

to the Veterans Administration, 

some of it military issue. The personal 

items come courtesy of the 

UAW, and DaimlerChrysler Transport 

supplies trucks for storage and 

transport of donations. 

Roldan is currently planning to help 

train veterans committee members 

at other UAW locals on how to operate 

Stand Downs elsewhere. “We are 

trying to get some of these guys back 

on their feet,” he says, “and not only 

give them a hand but give them a 

hand up.” ■ — By Mike Martindale 

For information on organizing a Stand 

Down at your UAW local, contact 

your UAW region’s veterans council 

(in Michigan, call 313.576.3345). 


Veterans 

Committee 

True Colors 

Vets Committee Chairman 

Hector Flores continues 

to serve his country 

of last year’s 

terrorist attacks was a 

Oneoffshoot 

resurgence of patriotism. 

Suddenly, Old Glory could be 

seen flying everywhere. But months 

later, many of those flags had seen 

better days, with their colors fading 

and fabric beginning to tatter. 

That’s where Hector Flores Sr., 

chairman of the veterans committee 

at Toledo’s UAW Local 12, steps in. 

Most people know they shouldn’t 

simply toss a worn-out American 

flag in the trash — but they don’t 

know what they should do. Flores, an 

accounting liaison at the local, works 

with committee members to make 

sure flags are disposed of properly in 

a retiring of flags ceremony. 

Appropriately, the committee 

arranged a ceremony last Flag Day. 

“One of our members made a big 

box and decorated it in red, white 

and blue,” says Flores. “We put it in 

the Local 12 union hall and let people 

know they could drop off old flags 

there for proper disposal.” On June 

14, the veterans committee teamed 

up with another veterans group for 

the actual ceremony. “The flags were 

burned in a fire, and the ashes were 

scattered,” explains Flores. “It was 

all done in accordance with proper 

military procedure.” 

Flores served in the U.S. Army in 

the Panama Canal Zone from 1967 to 

1970. Trained as a radio repairman, 

he ended up driving a truck. Later, 

he was assigned to a Special Forces 

unit and became a paratrooper. At the 

same time, Flores had a brother in 

the U.S. Marine Corps and another in 

the Army, and they both did tours of 

duty in Vietnam. 

Despite his family’s outstanding 

contribution to the military and his 

overall positive experience, Flores 

did not get involved with veterans 

organizations for many years after he 

was honorably discharged. “When 

you get out of the service, you just 

want to get back to life,” he says. 

“Later on you realize you want to do 

something to help other vets and the 

community at large.” 

For Flores, it started with joining 

the American Legion and later getting 

involved with the veterans committee, 

at Toledo Jeep Assembly’s UAW Local 

12. In both groups, says Flores, 

“We’d like to see more veterans, both 

men and women, getting involved.” 

And there’s plenty for volunteers to 

do, beyond respectfully retiring flags. 

The group marches in parades, collects 

holiday gifts of toiletries for 

residents of the Old Soldiers and 

Sailors Home in nearby Sandusky, 

provides color guards for opening 

ceremonies at various functions, and 

conducts other events to support both 

veterans and the community. 

“One thing we just started doing is 

offering other organizations a chance to 

buy a flag that has been flown in a plane 

during a military mission overseas,” 

says Flores. The flags will be sent to a 

UAW Local 12 member who belongs to 

an Air National Guard fighter group, 

and he takes them up. And you can be 

sure that when those Stars and Stripes 

are faded and torn, Hector Flores and 

the veterans committee will be there to 

give them full military honors. ■ 

— Michael J. McDermott 

Honor those who served by calling 

your UAW local for information 

on volunteering for the veterans 

committee. 

BILL SCHWAB 


Observances 

Time Out to Remember 

Marking Veterans Day at UAW locals and DaimlerChrysler facilities 

NOVEMBER 11. IT’S A DAY OF 

pride and remembrance, a 

day to pay special tribute to 

the brave men and women who have 

served — and who continue to serve 

— our country. On Veterans Day, 

UAW locals and DaimlerChrysler 

facilities honor the veterans among us 

and remember those who are no 

longer with us. Tributes take many 

forms; here’s a sampling from UAW- 

DaimlerChrysler locations. 

Jefferson North Assembly 


Jefferson North holds an annual 

luncheon to reflect on history, educate 

members about the contributions 

of veterans and pay tribute to 

individual vets. In addition, each 

month a veteran from the plant is featured 

in the “Veteran Salute Corner” 

of the plant newsletter. 

Kokomo Casting 


2001 marked the first annual Veterans 

Day Ceremony for UAW Local 1166 

members. Organized by the local’s veterans 

committee, the event featured a 

dinner, prayer, sharing of friendship, 

and presentation of a plaque in honor 

of military service to Mayor Jim 

Trobaugh of Kokomo and mayoral 

assistant Dick Knight. 

Marysville Parts 



Marysville PDC pays a yearly tribute 

to veterans on Marysville Network 

Television (know locally as MNT) 

with a special TargetVision slide 

show that showcases the military 

service of workers. DC TV Coordinator 

Derrick Froehlich has developed 

a veteran tribute every year since 

1995. The yearly tribute airs at the 

plant each day for two weeks prior 

to the UAW-observed Veterans Day 

holiday and is featured on the NTC 

Web site. Froehlich also plans to create 

Marysville-based national Mopar 

slides honoring veterans. 

Newark Assembly 


Members of the veterans committee 

at the local take time on Veterans 

Day both individually and in small 

groups to honor those who have 

served. Some travel to New York City 

to view or participate in the Veterans 

Day parade. Others decorate cemeteries 

and display flags. After 

Veterans Day, they raise funds to help 

veterans at shelters and in Veterans 

Administration hospitals, as well as 

to buy turkeys to distribute to needy 

families at Thanksgiving. 

Sterling Stamping 


This year, UAW Local 1264 members 

are dedicating a special tribute to all 

the workers from Sterling Stamping 

who have served (see “Side by Side” 

on page 2). The dedication will be 

part of the local’s annual Veterans 

Day observance. As always, the ceremony 

will be followed by an open 

meeting at the union hall, during 

which food is served. Local 1264 will 

also continue to send two veterans 

from the plant floor to Washington, 

D.C., where they will meet up with 

members of other UAW locals, 

march in the city’s Veterans Day 

parade and participate in service 

reunions. This veterans committee 

stays busy all year. Many of their 

activities are related to fund raising 

that supports a needy local family 

for 12 months. 

Warren Truck Assembly 


The annual Veterans Day dinner at 

Warren Truck is in its sixth year. 

Highlights at last year’s event included 

an opening prayer, pledge of allegiance 

and performance of a song 

dedicated to veterans. UAW Local 

140 members are also active 

throughout the year, conducting 

fund raising and supporting veterans 

in numerous ways, from assisting in 

Stand Downs to passing out gifts to 

patients at a Veterans Administration 

hospital. 

New Process Gear 

UAW Locals 624 and 2149 

This year’s annual Veterans Day 

observance will take place at the War 

Memorial in Syracuse, N.Y., erected 

thanks in large part to the efforts of 

the veterans committee at UAW 

Locals 624 and 2149. The daylong 

event includes speakers and presentations 

of awards honoring those 

who have served our country. ■ 

— Jennifer Doll 


ROLLCALL 

Rachel Himebaugh Sheila Hardemon Michael Kiewski Bradley Waligura 

Robert Zbytowski Gregory Brooks Harold Forys Michael Eastridge 

Christopher Blackard David Crowninshield Eric Herdell Thomas Allport 

Paul Cook Thomas Cook Daniel Fultz Steve Mucha 

James Rondo Kurt Utich Ricky Williams David Copeland 

Steve Guerrette Donald Stowe James Gange Michael Taber 

Robert Aiken Jr. David Ferguson Andrew Schaen Linda Brown 

Virginia Stephens John Schokora Eric Johnson Robert Marchese 

Michael Mc Fadden Melvin Watkins Fredrick Hunter Guillermo Best 

John Bonner Helmut Cerino Rhonda Clegg Anthony Crews 

Nicole Garrett David Gillis Sheila Holmes Terry Jenne 

Andrea Kilgore Ivy Mitchell Randy Richard Donald Schrecongost Jr 

Gordon Starks Lawrence Watts Guy Wilson Michael Coil 

Michael Douglas Mark Farley Jason Forsythe Larry Lucas 

Erik Pickett David Rogers Janae St. Amour Lydell Tinnon 

Eric Watters David Aldridge Jr. Andrew Bissinger Linnell Church 

Vaughn Thomas James Ware Jeffery Cluster Lenny Curtis 

Terence Franz Clifford Green UAW- Eric Harris Pharral Martin 

Charles Mills Guy Thomas Yvette Richardson Norris Ryan 

Frederick Stevens Bobby Lott 

DAIMLER 

William Russell Joseph Andrews 

Jonathan Ashby Phillip Davis CHRYSLER Ronnie Deweese Samuel Kirkpatrick 

Carol Tyler Wayne White Len Williams Alfred Barrera 

Keith Burrell John Clayton Jr. WORKERS Harold Hicks Albert Lepper Jr. 

Dennis Winters Joyce Oakley Dean Regazzi Cynthia Taylor 

ON MILITARY 

Henry Belcher Marc Jones Aaron Klein Michael Philips 

Mark Rebeaud Stephen Anderson LEAVE AFTER James Candler Brian Harris 

Dwayne Patillo Marlo Thurlow Lois Achenbach Teresa Beck 

Laura Bissett Anthony Bitner 9/11 Brian Dehaven Michael Denman 

Clifford Ellis Sylvia Gromko Michael Hall David Harris 

Karen Lank Bernard Loer 

(AS OF OCTOBER 1, 2002) 

Kenneth Zartman Carter Hanson 

Ronald Ball Trian Barnhill Charles Broomfield Danny Gross 

Angela Hutchins Alva Jackson Jr. William King Michael Miller 

Jerry Purnell James Townsend III Richard Tucker Gorky Zuniga 

John Donahue Alicia Jones Calvin Salladin William Towsley 

Chad Wiggins Tommy Stephens Stephen Dobbs Robert Kessler 

Jeffrey Rees Chris Ward Donald York Ricky Burditt 

Kevin Donnellon Roy Watkins Jack Williams Ramiro Alvarez 

Nathan Avery Wayne Bradfield Andrew Fausnaugh Christopher Frantz 

Martin Nielsen Gary Vanhorn Gloria Carruth Michael Cospy 

Gerald Grewell II 

Sonya Harris 

Bernard Minnick 

Theodore Perry 

Kelvin Reed 

Kevin Tomko 

Donald Cummings Richard De Rosia 

Andrew Stokes 

James Coltrane 

Robert Rolf 

Reginald Williamson 

Philip Reilly 

Vincent Messina 

George Vranich 

David Bridges 

Reginald Person Daniel Przewlocki 

Michelle Shepherd 

Glenn Warner

2002 Veterans issue - UAW-Chrysler.com

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