National Purple Heart Hall of Honor Luncheon, June 25, 2010

George Fisher is pictured with General David H. Petraeus

While awaiting his Senate confirmation, General David H. Petraeus was the keynote speaker at a luncheon hosted by the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor, June 25, 2010 in New Windsor, New York. General Petreaus was chosen by Pres. Obama to replace Gen. Stanley McChrystal who resigned following remarks made by him and some of his aides about Obama in an article published in Rolling Stone Magazine. 

Some 1200 guests and 100 recipients of the Purple Heart attended the luncheon.

George Fished, pictured with the General, is a Purple Heart Life Member and President of the Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge Fla SE Chapter (62).

Korean War Memorial Unveiled on 60th Anniversary, June 25, 2010

Story & Photos by Jimmy Shirley

Korean War Memorial

Joe W. Green, 1st Vice President of the Richard E. Cronan Chapter #17 of the Korean War Veterans looks on during the ceremonies.

Doo Hwa Oh, a Sgt. in the ROK Marine Division, stands with the Memorial. He has lived in Palm Beach County for over 35 years.

On Friday, June 25th, the 60th Anniversary of the beginning of the Korean War, a Monument to the Veterans of that war was unveiled at the Boynton Beach Bicentennial Park.

The monument was sponsored by the Richard E. Cronan Chapter #17 of the Korean War Veterans, Delray Beach. Some 200 people attended the unveiling.

Monuments for WWI, Pearl Harbor, POW/MIAs, plaques commemorating individuals, and now Korea, fill the park.

According to the Department of Defense, more than 54,000 U.S. troops gave their lives during the war and some 100,000 were wounded.

   Memorial Day, May 31, 2010    "A Day to Remember"

JWV Post 520 was well represented: 

L-R (front row) Mel Shubert, Marion Shubert, Mickey Wecker. 

(rear) Cdr. Samuel Rosen, Marilyn Rosen, Seymour Kirschner, 

Bernard Weixelbaum, Abe Dunn

Photo by Betty Thomas

Post 520 of the Jewish War Veterans was among the many organizations presenting wreathes. Seen here are the presenters, David Waldstein and Commander Samuel Rosen (extreme right)    with two unidentified Boy Scouts who participated in the ceremony.

 Submitted by Bernard Weixelbaum

(Left) Michael Coleman, of Forgotten Soldiers Outreach accepts a check from 

Seymour Kirchner and 

Cdr. Samuel Rosen 

of JWV Post 520.

Photo by Betty Thomas

Culminating the program was the dramatic release of white doves by the 

Cub Scout Troop 241.

Photo by Betty Thomas

Palm Beach Memorial Park in Lantana and Forgotten Soldier’s Outreach presented their Memorial Day program on Monday, May 31st. Guests and dignitaries included Lt. Col. Allen West, Ret., Congressman Ron Klein, Co. Comm. Shelley Vana, P.B.C. Supervisor of Elections Susan Bucher, Roy J. Foster of Faith Hope Love Charity, Inc., Bill Baggett, of Royal Palm Memorial Gardens, and David H. Bludworth, former Palm Beach County State Attorney. The program Emcee was Jay Cashmere, Vice Chair of Forgotten Soldiers Outreach, Inc.

Fifteen Veteran and Patriotic Organizations presented wreaths followed by the presentation of the Wreath of Honor.

The program was culminated by a dramatic dove release by the Cub Scout Troop 241.

POW/MIA Ceremony. 

Narrated by Col. West. 

Text supplied by the 

Patriot Guard Riders.

Those who have served and those currently serving the uniformed services of the United States are ever mindful that the sweetness of enduring peace has always been tainted by the bitterness of personal sacrifice. We are compelled to never forget that while we enjoy our daily pleasures, there are others who have endured and may still be enduring the agonies of pain, deprivation and internment.

We call your attention to this small table, which occupies a place of dignity and honor near the podium. It is set for one, symbolizing the fact that members of our armed forces are missing from our ranks. 

They are referred to as POWs and MIAs. 

We call them comrades.

They are unable to be with their loved ones and families tonight, so we join together to pay our humble tribute to them, and bear witness to their continued absence.

This table, set for one, is small, symbolizing the frailty of one prisoner, alone against his or her suppressors.

The tablecloth is white, symbolic of the purity of their intentions to respond to their country's call to arms.

The single red rose in the face signified the blood many have shed in sacrifice to ensure the freedom of our beloved United States of America. This rose also reminds us of the family and friends of our missing comrades who keep the faith, while awaiting their return.

The yellow ribbon on the vase represents the yellow ribbons worn on the lapels of the thousands who demand with unyielding determination a proper accounting of our comrades who are not among us tonight.

A slice of lemon on the plate reminds us of their bitter fate. 

The sale sprinkled on the plate reminds us of the countless fallen tears of families as they wait.

The glass is inverted - they cannot toast with us this night.

The chair is empty - they are not here.

The candle is reminiscent of the light of hope which lives in our hearts to illuminate their way home, away from their captors, to the open arms of a grateful nation.

Let us remember and never forget their sacrifices.

Let us now have a moment of silent prayer that all of our comrades will soon be back within our ranks.

May God forever watch over them and protect them and their families. 

South Florida National Cemetery Memorial Day Ceremony

Retired Co. Connie Christensen (guest speaker) and Charlotte M. Rebilliard (P.B.C. Veterans Committee Secretary and Women Veterans of America Ch. #11 Commander. 

Photos submitted by Charlotte Rebilliard

l to r—Jerry Klein [Vietnam Veterans of America]; Joe Green (Korean War Veteran); Charlotte M. Rebillard (Women Veterans of America Chapter #11 Commander); David Knapp (P.B.C. Veterans Committee Chair); and Barry Tutin (Korean War Veteran). Note: All five of are on the P.B.C. Veterans Committee.

A Visit to Omaha Beach

Story & photos by Ralph Wugman, 

Cdr. Golden Century Post #501 Jewish War Veterans of the USA

Omaha Beach in its present peaceful condition. The size of this beach, compared to the length of New York beaches where the writer grew up, was, in comparison, small, yet deadly, where many of our troops lost their lives. 

Omaha Beach American Cemetery Memorial

Visitors at the Omaha Beach American Cemetery. Each grave marker has the name of the deceased, his rank, his unit, date of death, but not the age of these heroes.

Grave markers at the Omaha Beach American Cemetery with Star of David markers in the foreground. 

On a visit to Normandy, France last year, I visited Omaha Beach and the American Cemetery there. There are over 5,000 graves of the young men who made the supreme sacrifice for our country. Many of the fallen heroes from WWII remains were returned t their families in the United States.

Helping Homeless Veterans

By Jimmy Shirley

Roy Foster at the Stand Down House in Lake Worth

Photos by Jimmy Shirley

L-R: Tairetha Foster, Casimiro Hampton-Crocket, Ph.D., Admin. Dir. of Faith*Hope*Love*Charity, Inc. (resident of Mayfair House Condominium in South Palm Beach), (name) , and Roy Foster at City Hall in West Palm Beach on Veterans' Day, Nov. 11, 2009, where Roy was honored as a nominee for CNN Hero of the Year 2009 Award.

Roy J. Foster is a modern success story. An Army veteran, 54 years old, he overcame the hopelessness of being a homeless alcoholic to co-found The Stand Down House, a rehab halfway house for what is a national scandal - homeless veterans. I say this because it aught to fall on the federal government, for whom these proud men and women pledged their very lives, if need be, in the service to their country, to care for them the rest of their natural born lives.

Mr. Roy was one of those who found it hard to readjust back to the civilian life they had left behind. After serving nearly 6 years in the Army, four of those in Germany, he came back home with little sense of direction. Heading to California, where he had some family, Mr. Roy mostly found some drinking buddies and party animals that only wanted to good times to roll forever. He began to realize this was not the life for him and headed back east.

Arriving in South Florida he connected with Faith Farm to have a place to stay and something to do, refurbishing the furniture they sell to help fund their program. Eventually, through his Faith Farm connection, he got a job working to counsel borderline criminals in the Palm Beach County jail, contracting through the Sheriff’s Department. His counseling was with drug addicts and alcoholics, having some real life experience with the latter. Mr. Roy worked for a time out at the county stockade located near the South Florida Fairgrounds.

In 1994, Mr. Roy and his friend Donald Reed, deceased, formed Faith*Hope*Love*Charity, a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to offering struggling veterans a hand up to help them find dignity in their lives once again and to find a worthy endeavour for their life’s work. In May of 2000, Stand Down House opened on Davis Road in suburban Lake Worth. The facility has the sound endorsement of Rep. Ron Klein (D) Florida, Rep. Tom Rooney (R) Florida and Charisse Grant, VP for Programs of the Dade Community Foundation, among others.

Currently, Stand Down House provides 46 beds and has contracted with the Department of Veterans affairs to provide 21 more on referral. The help they provide includes medical classes, substance abuse classes, psychiatric visits and compensated work therapy. My hat is off in total respect for what Mr. Foster and his dream has done, the good that has come from it and the broken lives from war, that he and his organization have helped put back together.

For more information on how you can help, please call their administrative office at 561-968-1612, the Stand Down House at 561-649-9919 or visit their website at http://www.standown.org/. Trust me on this. Their mission is worthy, you could almost say "They are on a mission from God."