“I Dreamed I Saw
Joe Hill Last Night…”

This is just kind of an observation, as we get older, and let’s admit it some of us are knocking on Heaven’s door. So we, or at least me, I tend to from time to time to reflect on my own mortality, or how long I will live. If you read the obits in the paper you can just about figure out you are going to cash in your chips somewhere around 72, so that gives me about 12 years and conversely some of you are over the limit. But that’s okay.

Death is like an NVA mortar team the older we get the more rounds they are dropping in and from time to time, with increasing frequency they find the range and take a member out. With every member that goes I think that they are getting the range on me.

A few weeks ago Bobbie Lewis took the hit. We grew up on the Westside his home was about 50 yards from mine, so I consider this a close call, not because we lived close, but because I knew him as a friend. As each month goes by the wall on the elevator gets a little more crowded.

Every few months there is a new “situation” that pisses off some amount of the membership. Usually it is something that is really silly as a matter of fact it is always something silly or unimportant in its own right. A few months ago we started checking the front door because too many guest were coming in and making their selves at home and in some cases running their mouths. What we have found out is that having a club where just about everything is free can be a double edged swizzle stick. Look, I personally, and I am speaking just for myself don’t care all that much if a guest gets a case of the ass. We treat everybody with the courtesy they deserve.

So, let me get back on track with my vague analogy of the NVA mortar attack. As time picks off more and more of us it’s time to consider what we want out of this organization called the “VVA”. Not a week goes by that a member doesn’t ask me what is going to happen when the last member takes the direct hit. My answer is always the same “I don’t know.” What I really should be saying is “I don’t care” I have tried to get concerned about this but I can’t as I said earlier if all goes well I have twelve years left. Recently somebody figured out that if we keep spending the way we currently are we will be completely broke in thirty-six years which is just fine with me because it won’t be my problem. So let’s stop sweating the small shit and have some fun, everybody lighten up.
And no, if you don’t know who Joe Hill was I’m not telling you, it’s just a vague analogy.
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Atta Boy

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE FOLLOWING VVA MEMBERS AND THEIR FAMILIES FOR
COMPLETING THE “HEARTSAVER AED” COURSE THAT WAS GIIVEN AT THE CHAPTER THIS PAST MAY.
CARL GARLITZ
LYNDA GARLITZ
JOYCE SANDBOWERS
BOB PECK
DAVID HUMBERTSON
MARTY KOLB
DAVID SHAULIS
DENNY BANTZ
GARY VALENTINE
CHARLIE PENNINGTON
KEN HAUSMAN
MARIE KRUEGER
SABRINA KRUEGER
JIM FEAGLES
ALSO A BIG THANKS TO DAVE LEWIS FOR TEACHING THE COURSE. LOOK FOR MORE INFORMATION IN THE
POINT FOR ANOTHER CLASS TO BE SCHEDULED LATER ON THIS YEAR.

Christmas Party – December 1, 2007 – Rocky Gap Resort & Lodge

If you would like a room at Rocky Gap for the Christmas party you may want to reserve it now.
Rooms are $89.00 and suites are $149.00 call 301-784-8400 and tell them you are with the Vietnam Veterans of America.
The Fabulous Hubcaps with be playing again this year. Do not forget you must call the Chapter Office at 301-777-7001 or
toll free 800-482-8387 to reserve your dinner reservations with the Chapter by November 19th. The cost will be $20.00 per person and this must be paid at the Chapter office by November 19th. A few changes have been made this year; the hospitality room will open at 1400 and close at 1700, it will them re-open at 2100, last call will be given at 0130 and the room will close at 0200. Also; after 2000 hours drinks at the dance will be $2.00 (the Chapter is being charged $6.50 a drink and $4.50 per beer so this is still a bargain.) Please feel free to express your opinion on these changes; these are strictly cost cutting measures.

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CHAPTER OFFICE NEWS
FROM BARB & SUSAN

Our chapter office will be undergoing some changes. Fixtures have been installed for the new merchandise that has been arriving and will be arriving. Old merchandise will be on clearance for the new coming in. Watch in the Cumberland Times Newspaper everyday for our ads in “Spotlight on Businesses”. Start looking for our new “Monthly Specials” each month.
New items to look for will be service hats, tee shirts, key chains, decals and more. We have already added to our hat pin line. New hats are already starting to arrive with more merchandise coming. Also, to be added will be Iraqi Freedom hats, tee shirts, and decals and some Desert Storm hats.
Our first “Monthly Special” will start September 1st. Take an additional 25% off of all hats except for clearance hats.
We are excited about these changes and hope to see everyone’s smiling face in the office to see our new changes and buy, buy, buy.

THE CHAPTER OFFICE WILL BE OPEN ON FRIDAY,
AUGUST 17TH & 31ST TILL 7:00PM.
THERE WILL ALSO BE A SIDEWALK SALE.

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Summer is On

I don’t care what you say it was never this hot and humid in Vietnam. The current budget for the VA is $8.6 billion about a billion or so short of what they need. Meanwhile the war in Vietnam I mean Iraq goes on with no end in sight, and at the same time the Iraqi parliament took the summer off while we spend $12 billion a month on their country. Now some will say that this is some liberal claptrap, well if you can’t stand the heat get in the air conditioning.
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Adult Picnic

Remember, there is no Saturday night social in September instead we will be at the Mt. Savage Fire Hall for the annual adult picnic (steak feed). As always volunteers are needed call the Chapter or sign up at the Friday TGIF. Please bring a few extra bucks for the gamming and raffles. We will take the existing jack pots with us and there is a rumor going around that there may be a Harley-Davidson, that’s all I can say about that right now. The party begins at 1805 September 15.
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…WHERE COMON SENSE IS NOT COMMON…
William Zapf, USN Ret.

Editorial Opinion

I try to keep my editorials positive and not to sound like a reprimand but, that isn’t always the way things work out. The VVA is a veterans’ organization. It belongs to the people who served in the armed forces during the Vietnam era. At Chapter 172 we have been very fortunate we have enough money that we don’t have to charge our membership for most of our social functions. When we first started having Friday night TGIF events it was members only for a long time. Then it was decided that a member could bring a guest, during the holidays when there is family in town, sometimes more than one guest. The original thought behind the guest policy was that a member could bring his or her wife or husband, girlfriend or boyfriend.
Now what has changed? Every week we have to watch the door, who’s coming in? Are they a member or a guest? Whose guest are they? So on and so forth. This policy was never intended for you to announce to all of your non-veteran friends that everything is free at the VVA; that could all change with the stroke of a pen.
Use common sense read between the lines, stop bringing in people who do not respect who we are or what we stand for. We are a Vietnam Veterans organization and that’s who we prefer to associate within the Chapter home. The same goes for the monthly social Saturday social we don’t want to have to baby-sit, we are not open to the public keep it that way.
If you don’t understand my meaning please feel free to ask me face to face and I’ll spell it out for you.

Steve Parsons
September 2007
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Membership Concerns

Chapter 172 is now the largest Chapter in the Vietnam Veterans of America. As we recruit new members be mindful that military reserve time does not make you membership eligible. A prospective member has to have served in the military on active duty status other than training you had to be tactically deployed for something other than training.
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Category 8 Returns

Once again the VA has resurrected Category VIII veterans. A means test is required and a co-pay will probably be required.

The Official Newsletter of Vietnam Veterans of America

*Cumberland**, Maryland 21502-2316*

The First VVA Chapter in the State of Maryland, the Gold Standard

Phone 1-301-777-7001 Fax: 1-301-777-7041

The Official Newsletter of Vietnam Veterans of America

Cumberland, Maryland 21502-2316

The First VVA Chapter in the State of Maryland, the Gold Standard

Phone 1-301-777-7001 Fax: 1-301-777-7041

*Cumberland**, Maryland 21502-2316*