The Official Newsletter of Vietnam Veterans of America

Chapter 172

17 North Liberty Street

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

                                    1-800-482-VETS                                                                                   Email:vva172@atlanticbbn.net                                  

May 2007

 

 

FAMILY PICNIC DATE AND LOCATION CHANGED 

DUE TO A FOUL UP WITH THE RESERVATIONS AT HIDDEN SPRINGS CAMPGROUND WE HAVE BEEN FORCED TO MOVE THE DATE AND LOCATION OF THE CHAPTER FAMILY PICNIC.

 

The new date is June 30, the new location is the Ali Ghan Shrine picnic grounds. If you are not familiar with the location just go east on I-68 just like you were going to Rocky Gap and take the exit at the old Masons Barn Restaurant.

 

The festivities will begin at noon. B&B Meats will be doing the catering which is always good as you know.  The Shrine Railroad Unit will be running their train and a few new games will make their debut. Sorry there will be no camping this year.

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Letters To The “Point”

15 May 2007

 

To the Editor of VVA 172 newsletter "The Point"

 

I have three subjects to address in regards to the latest rendition of lour newsletter:

 

1.  As a resident of 15545 postal code, we receive your news letter a little time late.  The announcement of the 5 April elections edition was received on April 17, and the latest April edition was received yesterday, the 14th of May.  Perhaps an email edition could be promulgate at the same time as the mailing. 

 

2.  I have a hard time admitting it in public, but this time I have to agree with the editorial comment about opening our membership to anyone who does not meet our Charter requirements.  As a Navy "lifer", I am a member of the FRA, American Legion, NCOA, National CPO Association, VFW; AMVETS: BVA; DAV; and some others that slip my mind right now, but manage never to slip by my mailing address come dues time.  Should the current generation of warriors want or need an organization for their time, let them form one, or as you stated, let them join an existing chartered organization for all veterans.  I was not welcomed by certain Veterans organizations, even while on active duty, and saw the same disgust shown toward "Desert Storm" by these same people.  I agree, lets make sure they have a parade, get their heroes welcome, and the benefits they are due; but also it they want their own VSO, go get chartered the same as every VSO has had to do.

And OBTW, I suggest we arrange for the last man standing to be allowed to have as big a party as he or she wants, then donate anything left to the home for retired ladies of the night.

 

3.  Finally; another lifer perspective for the person bored by the elections and same of the rhetorical statements:  As an air crewman maintaining his airplane, and as a shop Chief responsible for all our own equipment maintenance, we hated the Preventative Maintenance System (PMS) for aircraft and ships.  Take it apart, put it back together, and hope it works; when a good cleaning of the fans and filters is all that's required.  "If it aint broke, don't fix it."  Maybe things are going good, and maybe the folks in charge are doing a fairly decent job, and maybe they're keeping the fans and filters clean..  (Yawn).  Quit bitchin and enjoy it while it lasts.

 

Regards to all;

 

 

Chris Harden

Hyndman, PA    

 

Reply:

 

First of all, you live in Pennsylvania and as everybody knows civilization stops at the state line, on the Maryland side. Those last two hundred feet to your house takes two additional weeks. My suggestion to you would be to wait until the dark of the moon then sneak across the state line into Maryland. You could hide out in the Chapter home until we made you some fake resident papers. Then you could go see a real estate agent who has helped us in the past and could fix you up with a home in Maryland.

 

Also, I like the idea of an email newsletter. As a matter of fact I like it so much that we have been doing it for a couple of years now. You can find it on the Chapter BB or at the Chapter website.

 

On point #3 I agree pretty much so.

 

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Volunteers Needed

The Chapter is in need of volunteers we need clean up people, door people, people to run the paper fundraising, refreshment servers, cooks organizers etc. Contact Roger Krueger or let your name be known to a Board member.

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Guess It’s Summer

Editorial Opinion

 

 

I guess it must be summer the price of gas is through the roof and no one in D.C. seems to give a poop.  I mean where is the outrage?

Where are the false promises to look into price gouging and do nothing about it? When is some brave politician going to stand up and declare that the middle class is being squeezed to death? Even though, we here at the bottom of the petrol food chain already know the entire poop.  Then in September when summer is all but over the gas companies will register their highest profits in history.   Everybody will be outraged and promise an investigation as soon as the hearings on Gonzales firing 8 silver spoon attorneys is over and there is some more stalling on Iraq. The problem as I see it is the President and Vice President doesn’t understand the oil industry. No, not Bush and Cheney you dumbass, I am talking about Krueger and me.   

Enjoy your summer

Steve Parsons

                            May 2007