Remembrance The newsletter for our Families of our Fallen

Issue 23 January 2012

It is with our hope that your holiday season is one of Peace. Your Being There-Reaching Out Board of Directors.

Prayers needed

Our Gold Star Grandfather facing Cancer Our Board member from Back Surgery

Our little Angels still facing medical problems Our Gold Star Family facing many difficulties

And for all of you.

Announcements

Sent in by Grandma Bruss:>)) MARIETTA CLAIRE BRUSS BORN ON SEP 13

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Events April 12-14, 2013:

8th Annual Being There-Reaching Out Weekend Retreat for our Families of our Fallen

in Green Bay at the Tundra Lodge.

The questionnaire is enclosed, Please return it to me by March 15th Make your hotel reservations ASAP.

We have 40 rooms set aside…but when they’re gone, additional rooms will be given to you at the

full price. So hurry!!

June: Freedom Fest La Crosse

August: our 6th Annual Walk for our Fallen

November: Unveiling of our 2013 Wall of Honor And Veterans Day Parade

Hope to see you at all of them!

Pray for them this Christmas.

Rest in Peace

This picture was taken about 18 months ago in Gettysburg, PA. It is

of me, Ann Wilcox (Vietnam Gold Star Mother and past National

President of Gold Star Mothers) and Terria Chernak, who turned 60

yrs old last month. Terria is the wife of Andrew Chernak, who is the

Sculptor of the National Gold Star Monument. She was buried today

(Sept 28th

). A dear friend of mine...May she Rest in Peace...Ann

Wolcott

Fallen Warrior Bears

In Honor of Those Who Have Fallen

Among life's many events is the tragic loss of a loved one in military or public service. In an effort to help bring some comfort to the survivors, we have made it our mission to donate specially made memory bears, handmade from the clothing items of the fallen warrior and presented to the children or family member as a special life-long memento. www.azheartsforheroes.org

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*****If you want photos of your loved one, our hero, on the 2013 Memorial CD, please send your photos to Tim

Bossert at: WIFallen@hotmail.com. This includes sending replacement photos if he/she is already on the

previous Memorial CD’s. *****

More “Walk for our Fallen” photos

Sent in by Sue Vrooman. We walked at Ft. Lewis, Washington! We are at the wall pointing at Jason Lemke's name. Pictured are Justin and Keri Vrooman, Kylie, Lynneigh, Noah, Sue & Bruce Vrooman.

The Family of our Hero Eugene Uhl III, not only had a Walk, they had a raffle and bake sale! Now that’s planning!!!! Next year those of you who live near Amherst should attend: I’d go if we weren’t having a Walk in Milwaukee at the same time. Great job Uhl Family...Great Job!

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Hi, wanted to send this pic to you because I'm a very proud Mom! Lanny has been gone 6 years and is still bringing honor to his family! When SFC Lance Cornett was KIA in Iraq 2/3/06, they renamed the camp he was at to Camp Cornett in his honor. Recently Camp Cornett was closed with many of the other camps in Iraq. There was a Navy Seal at the camp when it was closed. He and his brother, another seal, took the time to track me down to bring me the sign that was hanging over the camp. They also brought a beautiful memorial plaque that was at the camp too. It was such a wonderful thing that they did and shows what great men they are. Just had to share this with you.

Karen McMullen

Remember them this Christmas.

Lucy Henzig of Milwaukee, Gold Star Mother of Michael McGlothin,

and her grandson “Falcon.”

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Who is this woman? You know her:>))

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Ground is broken for education center

at Vietnam Veterans Memorial

By C.J. LIN Stars and Stripes Published: November 28, 2012

WASHINGTON, D.C. — A new memorial that will show the faces and tell the stories of service members who died in the Vietnam War and the more recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan reached a milestone Wednesday as officials broke ground on the project on the National Mall. To be built under a field adjacent to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall and near the Lincoln Memorial, the Education Center at the Wall will feature photos and other details of the 58,282 service members killed as a result of the Vietnam War and the more than 6,600 killed in post-9/11 wars. “Preserving our stories requires more than a place of remembrance,” said Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta. “It requires a place of education and understanding. The sacrifices that were made, the lessons of war that we have learned must never, never be forgotten.” The 35,000-square-foot center will have digital and interactive displays where visitors can type in a name to learn more about a fallen service member, bringing to life the names etched into the granite of the existing memorial wall, said Jan Scruggs, founder and president of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund. “A photograph is very different than a sea of names,” Scruggs said. “Once you see people’s facial features, you really remember and you can imagine what they were like, you can imagine the life that they

lost, the hopes and dreams that were never fulfilled. And what you owe them, because they gave their lives for your freedom.” Wednesday's groundbreaking was ceremonial — timed to fall on the 50th anniversary commemoration of the Vietnam War — as organizers still need to raise another $38 million for the $85 million project. Officials hope to start construction by next year, in time to complete the center in 2014 to coincide with the return of the last of troops from Afghanistan. “Today’s veterans deserve a healing place of their own,” Panetta said. “Over the past decade of war, a new generation of Americans has answered the call to fight for their country and to sacrifice on foreign soil. They’ve done all this country has asked them to do, and more.” The center will serve as a temporary memorial for veterans of recent wars until one is built to honor them, Scruggs said. “One day, they’ll have their own memorial,” Scruggs said. “But this is one place that they will be honored, and it’ll happen 10 or 12 years before they get their own monument.” The center will also include a history of all of America’s conflicts dating back to the Revolutionary War, and display some of the more than 200,000 mementos left at the wall. As a Vietnam War veteran who lost a brother in the same war and a son in Iraq, the education center has added meaning for Virgil Deckard, who served in Vietnam from 1969 to 1970. His brother, Spc. David Deckard, was on a minesweeping mission in Vietnam when a rocket hit the side of his vehicle. He was paralyzed from the chest down for the rest of his life. He died in 2006, and his name was etched into the wall last year. Virgil Deckard’s son, Sgt. Matthew Deckard, was 29 and on his second tour in Iraq when he was killed when his Abrams tank hit an IED in 2005. To know that they’ll both be honored at the center “means the world to me,” Virgil Deckard said. “If [visitors] want to type my son’s name, and my brother’s name, their stories will come up and they can read it,” Deckard said. “They’re going to see his life story. They’re going to see he was a living human being. And they won’t forget about him.” For Janice Chance, knowing that her 29-year-old son’s face and story will be shared with the public only adds to her pride. Marine Capt. Jesse Melton III had offered to take the place of a fellow Marine when his Humvee was blown up by an IED in Sept. 2008. “Not only did he put his life on the line for his country, but for a fellow officer,” said Chance as she clutched two framed photos of her son. “It warms my heart to know that long after I’m gone, that people can go into that center and see the faces of my son and all of those who made the ultimate sacrifice and then go out and tell somebody else. That’s a living legacy.” ***If you have a photo to add or can help get the information out to others who might have photos, please contact them. L-J*** For more information, visit www.buildthecenter.org.

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December 7th

Pearl Harbor Day

The base was attacked by 353 Japanese fighters, bombers and torpedo planes in two waves, launched from six aircraft

carriers. All eight U.S. Navy battleships were damaged, with four being sunk. Of these eight damaged, two were raised, and with four repaired, six battleships returned to service later in the war. The Japanese also sank or damaged three

cruisers, three destroyers, an anti-aircraft training ship, and one minelayer. 188 U.S. aircraft were destroyed. 2,402 Americans were killed and 1,282 wounded.

Prisoners of War-Missing in Action

From the War on Terrorism

2006 SPC Ahmed K. Altaie: On October 23, 2006, Altaie was categorized as Missing in Action when he allegedly was kidnapped while on his way to visit family in Baghdad, Iraq. The Pentagon changed his status to Missing-Captured on December 11, 2006.

2009 SGT Bowe Bergdahl: Captured in Paktika Province, Afghanistan, on June 30, 2009. The Pentagon declared him Missing in Action (MIA) on July 1, 2009; his status was changed to Missing-Captured on July 3, 2009.

Remembering our Dearly Beloved Fallen

January-March

January MAJ Andrew Olmstead 3-Jan 2008

SGT Jason Lemke 5-Jan 2008

MAJ Stuart Anderson 7-Jan 2006

PFC Timothy Hanson 7-Jan 2008

SFC Matthew Pionk 9-Jan 2008

LCPL Jacob Meinert 10-Jan 2010

PFC Keith Lloyd 12-Jan 2008

SPC Matthew Grimm 15-Jan 2007

SPC Richard Kemp 20-Jan 2011

LCPL Andrew Matus 21-Jan 2007

CPT Lance Sijan 22-Jan 1968

1LT David Johnson 25-Jan 2012

AW1 Cory Helman 26-Jan 2007

PFC Jon St. John II 27-Jan 2007

SA George Schultz 28-Jan 2004

SPC Robert Cook 29-Jan 2004

SGT Lindsey James 29-Jan 2005

February

PVT Josh Gokey 2-Feb 2012

SFC Lance Cornett 3-Feb 2006

SFC David Hartman 3-Feb 2010

LCPL Travis Wichlacz 5-Feb 2005

SGT James Holtom 8-Feb 2007

CPT Eric Simpson 10-Feb 2010

SPC Nicole Smith 11-Feb 2010

SPC Eric Ramirez 12-Feb 2004

PVT Josh Gokey 12-Feb 2012

PFC Nichole Frye 16-Feb 2004

LCPL Kielin Dunn 18-Feb 2010

TSGT Craig Smith 20-Feb 2008

1LT Daren Hidalgo 20-Feb 2011

PFC Conrad Myers 22-Feb 2010

SGM Scott Schade 23-Feb 2009

SGT Daniel Thompson 24-Feb 2009

LCPL Adam Van Alstine 25-Feb 2006

SGT Chad Allen 28-Feb 2007

March

SSGT Jordan Bear 1-Mar 2012

CPL Randy Mueller 3-Mar 1969

Major Eric Bauer 3-Mar 2011

SFC Michael Zuelsdorff 3-Mar 2012

SFC Donald Eacho 4-Mar 2005

SSGT Christopher Frost 4-Mar 2008

SGT Gregory Braun 6-Mar 2006

Shelli Maier 6-Mar 2012

SSG Andrew Bossert 7-Mar 2005

CPL Loren Buffalo 9-Mar 2011

PFC Bert Hoyer 10-Mar 2004

SPC Michael Rounds 11-Mar 2010

SSGT Jesse Grindey 12-Mar 2012

SSGT Jordan Bear 12-Mar 2012

CPT John Kurth 13-Mar 2004

LCPL Nicholas Anderson 13-Mar 2006

PO2 Jared Krutke 15-Mar 2007

LCPL Harry Timberman 17-Mar 2007

SPC James Weigl 17-Mar 2009

SPC Robert Rieckhoff 18-Mar 2010

SGT Craig Birkholz 20-Mar 2011

LCPL Coltin Bellin 22-Mar 2010

SPC Justin Ross 26-Mar 2011

PFC Sean Schneider 29-Mar 2004

SFC Timothy Danko 29-Mar 2009

Donating, one tree at a time, To brighten troops' spirits

Neenah - Tom Schroeder bent down, grasped the stump of a freshly

cut Christmas tree and attached a card that read: From one vet to another. Thank you for protecting our country. Have a Merry Christmas.

The tree's ultimate destination is unknown, but Schroeder knows the evergreen will bring a smile to someone in uniform spending Christmas far from home.

The central Wisconsin Christmas tree farmer has participated in Trees for Troops for several years, and this season his tree lot in Neenah is the only spot in the state where folks can buy a tree and write a personal message.

"When people fill them out, I'll read some of them," said Schroeder, owner of Schroeder's Forevergreens. "When you read some of the responses from the troops it's hard not to get a tear in your eye."

Trees for Troops collects about 18,000 Christmas trees each year from farmers and customers across the country who want to buy conifers and send them to military members and their families at 69 bases in the U.S. and Middle East.

More than 100,000 Christmas trees have been donated since Trees for Troops began in 2005. Among them were plenty of evergreens planted as seedlings in Wisconsin eight to 10 years before they were cut, bundled and sent to military bases.

This season, 30 Wisconsin farmers donated trees for the program and 20 others donated money. There are two ways for members of the public to participate - donating money on the Trees for Troops website or stopping at Schroeder's Forevergreens in Neenah this weekend to buy a tree.

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, customers can pay $20 for a tree at the Neenah tree lot and write a message on a Trees for Troops card to be attached to each fragrant Fraser fir. Fed Ex, which handles pickup and distribution around the country, is collecting trees from Schroeder's Forevergreens after this weekend to ensure they end up at Naval Station Great Lakes in Illinois and Fort Leonard Wood in Missouri in time for Christmas.

Tom and Sue Schroeder, whose trees were chosen last year to grace the White House, already selected the evergreens that will be donated to Trees for Troops - 5- to 7-foot Fraser firs that will fit in smaller military housing.

"We both were taught growing up that when you give something, you give your best. They're our best Fraser firs," Sue Schroeder said.

The trussed tannenbaums are stacked like cordwood in the Schroeders' lot, waiting to be loaded on to a Fed Ex trailer. Tom and Sue Schroeder are committed to donating 100 trees. If customers buy fewer, they'll donate the rest. And if more than 100 trees are purchased, the couple will send as many as customers want to donate.

In a small building on the tree lot in Neenah, where customers can buy gift baskets and pay for trees and wreaths, Sue Schroeder flipped through a book of letters from Trees for Troops recipients. Some military members took pictures of their trees to send as a thank you.

"I can absolutely tell it's one of ours because the two little girls are holding our little yellow ribbons," Sue Schroeder said. "We love seeing pictures of people enjoying our trees."

Many of the notes reveal just how something as simple as a Christmas tree made a difference, particularly for families spending the holidays with a loved one deployed to a war zone.

"It seems like a small thing, but when you read some of the messages we get back from the families you realize small things matter," Trees for Troops spokesman Rick Dungey said.

Dungey said each military base decides how to distribute the donated Christmas trees. Some bases have drawings; some are given on a first-come, first-served basis. Trees headed to U.S. military bases in the Middle East came from an Indiana tree farm and were shipped earlier this month.

By Tuesday, 10 longtime customers of Schroeder's Forevergreens already had purchased trees and written notes on Trees for Troops cards. One of the notes was in a child's handwriting; others were from veterans or families. All conveyed the same message: Thank you for your service.

Merry Christmas! We appreciate all you do to keep us free!!

"From our friend Joe in the Marines."

From one vet to another. Thank you for protecting our country. Have a Merry Christmas.

Thank you for helping keep our families safer and our American values strong.

The Schroeders donate $5 of the $20 fee to the Christmas Spirit Foundation, which operates Trees for Troops. The trees normally retail for $45 to $50.

In addition, this week 550 trees donated by Wisconsin growers were picked up in Wausau, Green Bay and Madison for the Trees for Troops program, said Cheryl Nicholson, executive secretary of the Wisconsin Christmas Tree Growers Association.

"A lot of the trees collected are going to the families of military people," Nicholson said. "I know those families really appreciate trees, especially if they can't afford to buy one."

Medal of Valor

Members of the US military, state militias and public safety officers are eligible for the Medal of Valor when they display an act of courage that goes beyond the nature of their duty: Exhibit a single act of exceptional courage, extraordinary decisiveness and presence of mind while attempting to save or protect a life. The action must be performed with unusual swiftness without regard for personal safety and deemed to be above the call of duty.

Medal of Valor will be presented posthumously To Or Hero

SSG Jeremy Dale Vrooman

The following letter was written by Chaplain Bryan T Smith

SSG Jeremy Dale Vrooman was a courageous man who had two great loves in his life: his family, and the United States Army. He loved both with passion, and always strived to give to each his very best. He loved his wife,

Latrecia. They had met while stationed at Fort Carson. While working as a chemical corps private, she applied her knowledge of chemistry and put together a potion that captured Jeremy’s heart: they fell deeply in love. Friends say their relationship was one of passion. They could be seen walking together down the streets of Nuremberg holding hands, and anytime one was at home sick, the other would be there, nursing them and caring for them. And when one was feeling down or having a bad day, the other would say “Don’t worry about it. God is going to

take care of us, and didn’t God say that all things work together for the good.” They loved each other.

Jeremy deeply loved his children. He could be seen at his house wrestling on the floor with Xavier, or taking him outside and watching him ride his bike, or playing video games and watching movies together. It seems like they were always together. Jeremy would even invite Xavier with him to conduct the Palehorse weekend safety brief, and all of the Palehorse would gather around and listen as Xavier said, “Don’t do drugs. Don’t drive drunk. And don’t do anything stupid.” And the Soldiers of Palehorse would laugh and take Xavier’s advice.

Jeremy loved his daughter, Jade. He would hold her and be in awe at every new thing she did. He loved walking and talking to her. He loved his little girl. I know that as she gets older she’ll come to know how much her daddy loved her, and she will grow up and will speak of her daddy, SSG Jeremy Dale Vrooman, with pride, telling others about how much of a hero her daddy was, and how much he loved his family.

Jeremy attended chapel service on post with his family, and was supportive of Latrecia who was part of the praise and worship team. They often would read Bible stories to their children. It is said that Jeremy’s favorite Christian song was Forever Faithful. The chorus of the song says, “Forever God is faithful, Forever God is strong, Forever God is with us, Forever.” And Jeremy believed this in his heart. He believed it so much that these lyrics became part of him and defined who he was: faithful and strong.

SSG Jeremy Vrooman loved the Army. He especially loved being a Cav Scout. He loved the training the Army gave him. While we were training up at Hoenfels to go to Iraq, SSG Vrooman took part in the war games as a dismount leader for Palehorse, and did such an incredible job leading his men against the opposing forces that he was later decorated, receiving the Army Achievement Medal for his efforts. As the Palehorse rear detachment NCOIC, he took good care of his Soldiers. They said that he always took the time to show them what they needed to do to be successful and accomplish their job.

But SSG Jeremy Vrooman was not all work and no play. He knew how to have fun. He had a tremendous sense of humor, and loved to play practical jokes. It is said that SSG Vrooman once called the Stars and Stripes and advertised that a certain Sergeant First Class was giving away his chocolate Labrador retriever, and that he was willing to drive the dog to anyone’s house in Germany if they were willing to take him. He left the Sergeant First Class’s phone number so he could be contacted anytime day or night. That Sergeant First Class turned out to be Jeremy’s supervisor, SFC McConnell.

And although Jeremy did a superb job on rear detachment and loved his family, he couldn’t stand the thought of not being downrange. He once confided to Latrecia that if anything ever happened to his close friend SSG Horn while he was seading his old dismount team, he would never forgive himself. So SSG Vrooman pushed to come to Iraq, even though he could have stayed home, and no one would have thought a thing about it. Before he left, he put a memorial video tribute on his computer for Latrecia to find. It’s as if somehow Jeremy knew he was going to be giving his life to save the lives of his men. And that is exactly what he did.

On the morning of July 15 at approximately 0700, SSG Jeremy Vrooman stepped out of Stryker truck number two, and led his dismounts, SPC Humphrey and SSG Mainard, toward their objective, which was to search one of approximately a dozen buildings believed to be holding weapons caches. What was not known that morning was that at least ten of the houses were wired with high explosives. It was a trap. Jeremy stepped off that morning forty-five seconds ahead of the other dismount teams, and by being first, he saved the lives of not only SPC Humphrey and SSG Mainard, but also the lives of many of the Palehorse First Platoon Soldiers who were only minutes from entering the other houses themselves. SSG Jeremy Vrooman did indeed give his life not only for his dismount team, but also for all the Soldiers of Palehorse First Platoon. He was a hero in the truest sense of the word.

But what does it mean to be a hero? When we were growing up, we would watch superheroes like Superman, the Flash, or the Fantastic Four on TV. As adults, we go to see Spiderman. They represent for us the struggle of good against evil, and right against wrong. They are always saving others and fighting for truth, justice, and the American way. There is something about this that draws us in. There is something deep inside us that desires good to triumph. But these superheroes possess supernatural powers. Does one have to have supernatural powers to be a hero? No, Jeremy Vrooman didn’t possess supernatural powers.

So what then is a hero? Is a hero someone who never experiences fear? No, for that is not even human, we all experience fear. A hero is someone that takes the right action at the right time at great sacrifice to himself for the good of others. But how does someone like SSG Vrooman get to the place where he is able to make that sacrifice? He does it by preparing himself to be a hero long before the occasion arises. Soldiers like Jeremy Vrooman prepare themselves to be a hero by making right choices and by taking right actions whether anyone sees them or not. A hero trains to be a hero by putting the needs of others before their own. A hero lives a life of daily self-sacrifice for his wife, his family, and for his Soldiers. Latrecia told me that before Jeremy deployed, he would come home from work and would cook for the family and wash dishes. It was not expected of him, but he did it anyway. By making little sacrifices daily for others, a hero, when it is time to make a great sacrifice, is able to do it because he is used to putting others before himself. SSG Jeremy Vrooman was a hero. A hero is able to climb a mountain because he has been practicing on hills his entire life.

But why do we seek out heroes and honor them? We seek them out because they give us hope in the midst of a broken world. Jeremy’s actions give us hope. We all look for heroes. Every wife wants her husband to be a hero, to stand by his convictions, to speak up for what is right, to do the right when the pressure is on to do wrong or to look the other way. And every husband wants a wife that they can trust to stick with them through the tough times and the good. The husband wants a wife who will do right whether they are there with them or deployed. Every husband wants a wife who is a hero. Every parent wants their children to be heroes. They want them to stand up under peer pressure, not use drugs, drink, steal, lie, or sleep around. Every parent wants their children to have integrity and be their own person. Every child wants their parents to do right, to love each other, and to love them. Every child wants their parents to be heroes.

Are we training to be heroes? Jeremy Vrooman was. Remember our Soldiers and our families are watching us. They want us to be heroes. What will we be? Jeremy Vrooman was a hero. A hero is someone who is able to see with clarity what needs to be done, and possesses within himself an irresistible urge to act when others will not. A hero sees what needs to be done and does it. He sees with moral clarity what is right and wrong. He sees with an eye for the future of what will happen if he does not act. A hero feels compelled to act, even if it comes at great personal sacrifice to himself, like deploying to Iraq when he didn’t have to. A hero feels compelled to action, like leading his dismounts, knowing it might cost him his life, because a hero puts the personal safety of his Soldiers above his own. We will be presenting the Medal to Bruce and Sue Vrooman in April.

“Greater love hath no man than this that a man lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13

Over 100 strong at our Float this Veterans Day

See you next year!

And the 4th

Annual Unveiling of our Memorial Wall of Honor at the Safe House Restaurant-

Owned by our Sponsors Dave and Shauna Baldwin

Our Ride...Thanks Patti Anne.

Our Memorial Wall of Honor Dave Baldwin-our Sponsor

…And a New Year full of good health and Peace!

L-J