Cpl. William F. Reardon MA. Chapter 57 “The Can Do Chapter” Chapter 57 Newsletter P.O. BOX 57 Taunton, MA 02780 508-823-0409

site: www.davchapter57.orgE-Mail - davchapter57@verizon.net

Commander Ben FortierSr. Vice Cmdr. William EganJr. Vice Cmdr. James AndradeAdjutant Mort MorinAssistant Adjutant Denise FurtadoTreasurer Deborah Stull Chaplain Walter ElliotOfficer of The Day Vacant Sergeant At Arms Manuel Lopes Service Officer Dir. Mort Morin Quartermaster Norm WilloughbyLegislative Officer Bill DubeArmorer Mort MorinJudge Advocate Will Egan

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Commander’s Message:

My favorite time in New England has finally arrived – Autumn! Not only is it filled with beautiful weather and vibrant colors, but some of my favorite Holidays and Birthdays happen around this time of year.

Back on September 18th we said Happy Birthday to the US Air Force! October 13th, we said Happy Birthday to the United States Navy! On November 10th, we will say Happy Birthday to the Marine Corps! All these great birthdays within the span of a few months! (Sorry Army – you’re a Summer baby.)

Our Brothers and Sisters in the TAVVA commiserated their 35th Annual POW / MIA remembrance at Church Green back on September 16th. If you’ve never experienced this powerful ceremony, please make an effort to attend in the future! It is very moving.

We hope to see you on November 10th for our viewing of “Stripes”, and on the 11th for Veteran’s Day celebrations!

Carry on! - B. Fortier

We are starting on a new season, a new year, and we have to really dig in.Our ROMEO breakfasts, on the last Wednesday of the month, are scheduled to start again in September. For newcomers: We meet at Good Days Restaurant at 0930 hours. We have been seated in the rear dining room; usually having it to ourselves. The talk covers everything from chapter problems to bitching about the unfairness of getting old and decrepit. The “M” in ROMEO stands for members. This includes our female members. The first “O” stands for old; which is a subjective term indicating that all members are welcome.

The chapter MUST, and this is not to be taken gently, find several additional Chapter Service Officers. We have lost five of our seven CSOs last year. Consequently, we have had to ask the existing staff to cover the vacant shift. They cannot be expected to continue this for very much longer. What it means is that when you come in to the office for work on your claim – you aren’t going to find a CSO unless you go the DAVNSO in Providence or one of the twice a month DAVDSOs in Brockton.

Please, this is a very serious situation. Our telephone is not being answered. Walk-in clients have to wait or be rescheduled or referred elsewhere. And, you members are not getting the help that you expect and deserve from your chapter.

Mort

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Committees

Which committee are you serving on? Is it the Constitution & By-laws, FundRaising, Service and Charitable,?????

How about the newly commissioned auditing committee?

You don’t know what those are or what they do?

Check in with CDR Fortier to get it squared away. He’ll be calling for committee reports very shortly. You might be surprised when he’ll be calling upon you to make your report.

2017 FMN Drive

First, we need to be thankful for and appreciative of the Members and their team mates for manning the Forget Me Not posts this year.

As you all know, our roster is not filled with bodies that are able to stand out in the sun for four hours at a time while soliciting money. Despite the challenges we faced this year, we still had a very successful fundraiser drive.

The total amount raised this year was $13,034.29. Congratulations to all who helped out in raising this money. It may not be as much as it has been in years past, but it better than a big fat goose egg.

Moving forward, how can we alleviate pressure on our members to stand post? Are there new ways to raise money? We are looking to you, the body, for ideas. We need to think outside the box to stay relevant in the years to come.

Inventory Volunteers

In an attempt to draw up the appropriate framing of our next budget, we need to do an inventory of all the “stuff” in the Chapter Office.

We want to get together once a month for four months for these inventory sessions. Once we get the entire building inventoried, we can move forward with a new budget proposal.

Public Relations

Having a “digital presence” is vital in the Information Age. Our new website (www.davchapter57.org) is geared towards members who want to keep in touch with the Chapter and be privy to events and communications, including the Chapter newsletter and episodes of “The 57 Show”, the Chapter’s very own television program.

You haven’t heard of “The 57 Show”? It is filmed at the beautiful TCAM TV Studios on Ingell Street. Former guests include recipients of the Medal of Honor, Former Prisoners of War, and representatives from amazing organizations like Homes for Our Troops, VetCenter, and the Boston VA Healthcare System.

If you have a suggestion for a guest on the program, contact CMDR Fortier’s work email at Bfortier@tcamtv.com

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Sometime, about when the eighth or tenth race is over, pizza arrives. Pizza is more important than races! We close down the TV and start serving pizza and soda. There usually are 25 to 35 residents and staff. To take care of them we have 10 cheese and 10 pepperoni pizza delivered. Large size pizzas; 160 slices in all. We bring four cases of soda and the plates, napkins, etc.. Needless to say, any pizza left over is delivered to residents who didn’t make it in to the dining hall.

In June we normally don’t serve pizza. This is Ice Cream Social time. We come with gallons of ice cream, syrup, jimmies, etc. and extra napkins. The residents move down the “bar” where a couple of us scoop out the flavor desired, another one of us doles out syrup, someone else handles jimmies or something else until everything is gone.

It isn’t out of the ordinary for one of the residents to have a second of third sundae – similar to taking a third or fourth slice of pizza when that is on the menu.

All the while, we chat and mingle with the residents. Remembering, we’re lucky that we are on the giving rather than receiving end. There but for the grace of God - go I.

Let Norm or Mort know if you would like to be part of our visiting team.

Building Two at Brockton VA

Some of our newer members may not know of the relationship Chapter 57 has with the residents in Building Two at the Brockton VAMC. Let’s try to bring them up to date.

Building Two has several wards that are called, in the street vernacular, the “Chronic Psych Wards”. These are not patients locked-up because they are suicidal or pathological killers. They are guys and girls, mostly young and middle aged, who at this particular time have difficulty living on their own. They might not be able to manage their money, or might have difficulty adjusting to having to live on their own. Most will be moving out of the hospital on to an outside facility where there is someone to oversee their adjustment back in the real world.

It isn’t unusual to see one of the residents for a single visit or another for three or four visits. It is unusual for them to be in Building Two on a long-term basis. It isn’t that unusual to see a member of Chapter 57 staying there for a short time.

You might see them outside the building getting fresh air or having a smoke. Or, you might see them in the canteen using up the chits that we give them on our visits.

Now! This is how the chapter interfaces with these wards. On the fourth Tuesday of most months, a group of us visit the dining room on the second floor. Residents arriving in to the dining room are given a chit book used to make purchases at a VA canteen and directed to a seat at a table. We usually conduct greyhound races, using discs that show real live races that have been run in the past. We put the show onto a TV screen; sign all the residents on to a log that gives each of them a personal dog in each of the races that we will put on the screen. As the screen lights up with the dogs coursing around the track the residents and some of us start rooting for “our dog”. The winner(s) get chits.

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Those Rats!

Dugout 622, the Rats of Massachusetts (most of whom call Taunton there base), put on a cookout in Holyoke! Good work. They finally got up the strength to do something.

Seriously, a group ranging from Deerfield to Quincy and back to Springfield put on a burger, dog and chip feast for a gathering of almost 200 challenged adults in Holyoke under the sponsorship of the Taunton based RATS.

The Rats involved were: “Gene” Albee, Rollie Blanchard, Bob Maurice, Mort Morin, Stan Pratt, Tom Salter, Lori Santy, Leo Vance and Norm Willoughby. Mort claims he drove 230.3 miles for the trip; ’course he pigged out on two burgers, chips and a Pepsi and had Norm along to keep his mind on Chapter 57 problems.

In 1924 a group of DAV members, who had formed an independent organization, similar to the modern Shriners, became an auxiliary of the DAV. These were the National Order of Trench Rats (NOTR). When one group was in trouble or needed a helping hand the other group came along and made a difference.

The RATS, as they refer to themselves, were less in to regimentation and bureaucracy than the DAV. As disabled vets they wanted to be as free and unfettered as they could. They built their organization around fun and frolicking and providing service to other less fortunate disabled vets.

Like most social service, volunteer groups the original membership became old and the newer members didn’t have the cohesiveness necessary to keep things going at the original levels. The DAV changed leadership and the RATS changed leaders and the two groups began drifting apart. This September, the RATS decided to call it quits. They had had enough of the “big Brother” leadership and the NOTR officially severed the relationship between the two groups.The unfortunate part of the separation is that every RAT was a DAV member. This, apparently, is not going to hold true in the future. The RATS, in all probability, are going to change their membership requirements to look for veterans and service members who are more flexible and less beaurocratically inclined. A ninety plus year relationship between brother and sister disabled American veterans has been broken. Locally, Chapter 57 has at least 15 active members that belong to local NOTR Dugout 622, including several key officers and chairpersons. How this is going to affect the two groups remains to be seen. Let’s hope for the best.

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THE LAME AND THE HALT AT THE DOOR

The other day our CSO office was visited by several of our members from the “almost forgotten” column. Needless to say, they were welcomed with enthusiasm.

First to stick his head in the door was Neil Theisen, our past Treasurer. He was tanned, 17 pounds lighter, and making a last minute visit before departing for his new home in the land of the Southern Belles. Neil was on his way to “pass papers” on the sale of his Dighton house. He had moved everything by himself. Accomplishing this with back and forth trips in a cargo trailer and his pickup. No wonder he lost all those pounds. He looks and sounds great. Neil – God speed and enjoy your new life.

Next to grace our quarters was Arthur Brownell. For those of you who don’t know Art let me describe him. Skinny as a rail. Usually covered with purple hematomas from shoulder to wrist, his skin was pretty clear. His face was clear and healthy . He’d spent several visits in the VAMC in Boston. But, bounced back from a minnie stroke that send him there the first time. Eats steak like it’s going out of style and doesn’t gain an ounce; ‘course they can’t figure out why. He is a researchers dream. Last blood work they took 17 vials, including some large size, from him!!! Usually they are pumping blood in to Art. The man is a miracle. We love you. If you can’t get any better Art don’t change; you look terrific. Hope to see you at the meetings!

Another stranger was Ken Kooyman, former chapter adjutant and department commander (both RI and MA). Ken was up from his SC home to attend a wedding. He paid a very welcomed visit. His “organization” has changed from the DAV to the Kiwanis Club; where he has become quite active on a local basis. He didn’t say so; but, it sounds as if state and national groups really don’t turn him on. Ken may you and Nancy enjoy a long, healthy, happy Southern experience.

Twisted Metal JuggernautsRays of the sun bounce harshly off the

Glittering glass sprinkled at the baseOf the smoldering wreckage

Encompassed by filthSeething with a profound sense of disgustThe towers heave, and we anxiously hold

Our breathAwaiting the moment when thousands of voices

Fell silentPulled to the EarthHe closed his eyes and leapt into the

Open skyPulled to the EarthShe looked behind her, into the ever expanding

Wall of flamesShe pressed down her skirt, quietly stepping offTo embrace the ground below herPulled to the EarthThe giants groan, giving way to the

Hatred and maliceExtinguishing thousands of sparksIn the blink of an eye

If you’ve never been to the September 11th Memorial & Museum in New York City, you’re doing yourself a disservice. I wrote this poem shortly after having been to the museum and letting it all “sink in”.

The Memorial, like many others that commiserate tragedy and violence, is very mentally and emotionally exhausting. You will learn things that you didn’t know before, and realize that amidst all of the violence and chaos, humanity was never overshadowed by hatred. The selfless acts of the first responders and ordinary people that put themselves in harm’s way to save complete strangers is the essence of what makes us human.

I highly recommend getting down to NYC to visit the September 11th Memorial and Museum. -B. Fortier

Veteran’s Day Activities2017

Taunton Ceremonies around the monuments begin at 1100. TAVVA is hosting a slideshow of photographs from Vietnam – 1400 at the Old Colony HistoryMuseum (Church Green)

Middleborough Parade assembles at 0930 behind Town Hall & will step off at 1000. Ceremony for WW2 Veteran’s after the parade in Town Hall Audiotorium

Upcoming Meetings:November 21st at 1830

December – Christmas Party TBD (Keep an eye on the website)January 20th at 1PMFebruary 17th at 1PM

Cpl. William F. Reardon Chapter 57 NON PROFIT ORGANIZATIONDisabled American Veterans US POSTAGE PAIDP. O. Box 57 PERMIT #57Taunton, MA 02780 TAUNTON, MA RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED