President’s Message
July 2008
Heritage and Unity
On Memorial Day, I spoke at the Rock Island Arsenal ceremonies honoring those who have made the supreme sacrifice and those who served in the military. The thrust of my speech pertained to our survival as a nation and whether we are taking care of business by heeding the “warning signals” of an impending global confrontation with those in the terrorism venue who would rather see us, the USA, fall by the wayside.
We do have the wherewithal to survive if we choose to face the issues head on and practice good survival techniques. One of the primary and fundamental concepts of survival is “unity.” If we are not unified, it is difficult to present an effective opposition to those who would like to see us fail. One detractor and practice that runs contrary to the promotion of unity, in my opinion, has to do with the adherence to the politically correct way certain elements of our society view our ethnicity and personal heritage.
This became abundantly clear when I strolled through the cemetery on Memorial Day and viewed the gravestones. The obvious is staggering, upon viewing the gravestones that there is not one reference to the deceased’s ethnicity or cultural heritage. There is nothing which denotes someone as German/American, Swedish/American, Mexican/American, Italian American, Irish/ American, Greek/American, African/American and so on. The unspoken implication is that those interred are all----Americans, plain and simple. To the contrary, it has become fashionable to refer to one’s origins in terms of an ancestor’s homeland or some other identifying nexus to some place other than America. This, I submit, is divisive and serves only to present something less than a unified society. We are not a hyphenated country!
We should all know and take pride in our familial heritage but we should do it on a personal basis so as not to offend others nor encourage an enemy to believe that we are something less than unified on the home front. This is not to say we cannot have a St. Patrick’s Day, honor Martin Luther King Jr., celebrate Cinco de Mayo, or have a Greek Festival, however, such cultural observations should not “trump” the cornerstones and foundation of our country. The intent of our forefathers was to have our ethnicities and familial cultures woven into the fabric of this country in such a manner to ensure that we all blend in and not set us apart, we are a team……WE ARE AMERICANS!
Ray G. Hamilton
President
VVA Chapter 299
I’ LIKE TO JOIN, BUT I WASN’T IN
COUNTRY…
As your Chapter president, I am always on the lookout for
prospective members. As we know, a bigger Chapter translates to a
bigger voice for all veterans. When, in casual conversation, I
determine that an individual’s military service qualifies him/her to be
a part of our organization, I always invite them to join. As many times
as not, I am successful, but when I am not, it is usually due to the
fact that the veteran was not “in country”.
I get a feeling from the vet that he/she is “not worthy” and that they
can not belong to an organization that bears the name of a place that
they did not go. I explain, I reason, I clarify. But what I can not do
is wash away something that most veterans carry and that is survivor’s
guilt. This is a psychological phenomenon that haunts us all. How is
it that I didn’t have to go? How is it I went, but didn’t end up in the
bush? How is it I was in combat but didn’t die like my buddy?
Read More.
|
I-280 BRIDGE TO BE NAMED AFTER QCA MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPENT
In May of 2007, during the general membership meeting, a hand went up in the rear of the assembled. When recognized, Ray Hamilton stood and addressed the 50 plus Chapter members present. Ray sated that the Quad Cities was home to MSG John Baker, Jr. who was the only recipient of the Medal of Honor to have ever lived in the QCA. He further stated that there was nothing of consequence in the QCA to pay tribute to an area son who had received the highest honor a serviceman could receive...
clcik here for more
|
VVA CHAPTER #299 IS HAVING A
“TACO DINNER”
WEDNESDAY, JULY 16th
FOR THE INCREDIBLE LOW PRICE OF $5.00 - NACHO CHIPS $1.50
TEA & COFFEE, INCLUDED.
SERVING BEGINS AT 4:30 PM AND ENDS AT 7:30 PM
QUAD CITIES CHAPTER 299
We Gather As Brothers to Raise Money for Our Local Quad Cities Area Charities.
Location: Moline American Legion
1623-15th St.
www.qcvva299.org
CAN’T FIND YOUR DD-214?
Outside of a certified copy of your birth certificate, there just isn’t a more important record then your military service/discharge document. For most, it’s a DD-214, but some have a different document that provides the same information. No matter what it’s called, you should ALWAYS have a copy at hand. It is the kind of document that you may not need for twenty years, but when you need it, you usually needed it yesterday.
A painless and private way to secure a copy from the National Office of Personal Records is to apply on line. Go to:
https://vetrecs.archives.gov
Once there, just follow the prompts. Do it today and make sure your family knows where it is kept.
|
| |
|
