The last time someone received a second Medal of Honor was in World War I, and it's unlikely we'll ever see another two-time recipient in our lifetime. But if anyone were going to come close to receiving multiple Medals of Honor, it would have been U.S. Army Col. Robert L. Howard. During his 54 months of active combat service in Vietnam, he was wounded an astonishing 14 times and received eight Purple Hearts and four Bronze Stars.

He was also nominated for the Medal of Honor three times in 13 months, the only soldier ever to receive three nominations. Two of those were downgraded to the Distinguished Service Cross and Silver Star because his actions took place in Cambodia, where the United States wasn't technically at war. He would be awarded the medal on his third nomination, forever changing his life and career. 
 
Alabama-born Howard enlisted in the Army in 1956 and would spend the rest of his working life serving his country. Some 36 of those years would be spent in the Army, first as an enlisted Special Forces soldier, then as a Special Forces officer. He was a Staff Sergeant when he was sent to Vietnam as part of the secret Military Assistance Command, Vietnam – Studies and Observations Group (MACV-SOG) in 1967. It was the first of five tours in Vietnam.

In December 1968, he was on a rescue mission looking for six missing American soldiers. It was a mixed American-South Vietnamese Hatchet Force based in Kon Tum. It was a platoon-sized force that would be inserted by helicopter into the soldiers' last reported location. As they moved to the landing zone, his force began taking ground fire and casualties. Immediately upon landing, he took three men to secure a perimeter. The incoming fire caused him to fall.

His three men were killed immediately. Two companies of enemy troops completely surrounded the LZ. One of the helicopters had been shot down. They had to fight their way out of the drop zone and made a move for the high ground. Howard pushed his way to the front of the unit, but before he could warn his lieutenant about enemy fire from their flanks, they were ambushed – and had walked right into it.

Howard had been hit by a grenade, his weapon destroyed. When he came to, his platoon was in disarray, and he was left temporarily blinded. When his vision returned, he realized his hands were wounded, and the enemy troops were burning the Americans with a flamethrower. Howard got up and pulled his lieutenant down the hill. As he moved, he acquired a sidearm from an unhurt-friendly soldier just as the North Vietnamese came running out of the bush. 

He killed two of the attacking enemy soldiers before he was hit yet again. One of the rounds hit the rifle magazines on his belt, causing them to explode. Out of ammunition, he returned to the landing zone, now a casualty collection point. He ordered that every wounded soldier in the field be treated while every unharmed soldier rallied to his position. In the melee, he'd seen soldiers watching his comrades being shot up by the enemy and not even firing their weapons. He told the men who had watched without fighting that they were going to establish a perimeter and that they were either going to fight or die. 

"I want you to get every live person we've got that's able to fight," he told a wounded medic through gritted teeth. "I want to talk to them right now." 

He located three strobe lights and assembled them in a triangle around their position, got on the radio, and called in an airstrike on their position, hoping the incoming aircraft could avoid hitting the friendlies inside the strobes. They fought for four hours without help before Air Force pilots 20 minutes away volunteered to make a rescue attempt. Before the airmen could arrive, the North Vietnamese made another desperate charge. Howard was forced to order an airstrike on his own position. 

The incoming air power was so intense the fire from the assault struck close to his feet. But as the airstrike receded, the sound of helicopters replaced it. The Air Force was able to extract what was left of his platoon. Of the 37 troops who went into the landing zone that day, only six walked out. Howard was the last man on the helicopter, waiting until everyone else had been evacuated first. 

For his gallantry and the reorganization of his battered platoon, Robert L. Howard received the Medal of Honor from President Richard Nixon in a White House ceremony on March 2, 1971. He would become one of the most decorated soldiers of the Vietnam War and would serve until 1992. In his post-military career, he would work with veterans in Texas. Howard died on December 23, 2009, and was interred at Arlington National Cemetery. 
 

Have you claimed your FREE Military Service Plaque yet? This attractive custom presentation, which can be accessed via the 'Plaque" button on your Profile Page, contains a visual summary of your military service including service photo, ribbon rack, badges, primary unit patch, and sleeve insignia.

Your plaque is very versatile. It can be printed out as an 11"x 6" landscape print and framed. You can also upload your Plaque to your cellphone which is perfectly sized to display as a convenient Veteran ID or printed out as a business card.

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In the days before industrialized warfare, armies would hole up in winter months, as colder temperatures and harsher weather limited the mobility and food quantities of forces on campaigns. Even after the rise of industry, mechanized warfare, and powered flight, the operational tempo of fighting seems to have slowed down slightly. 

Christmas is a national holiday for the United States (even celebrated by most non-Christian Americans), and so having a combat operation is rare. Even more rare is a pitched battle. But that doesn't mean it didn't happen. Wars stop for no one, and if the timing is right, one side or another is going to strike, and American troops are no exception. Here are three times the United States decided to give the enemy a taste of defeat for Christmas. 

1. The Battle of Trenton, 1776

By the end of the year 1776, things weren't looking so great for Gen. George Washington and his Continental Army. They had beaten the British in Boston but were walloped in New York and New Jersey and were forced to push into Pennsylvania. Morale was understandably low; it was cold, enlistments were ending, and reinforcements weren't coming. Washington's brain went into overtime as the British and their Hessian allies went into winter quarters. 

He needed a win and decided Christmas was the time to strike. Reinforcements made it to Washington's camp, so he used them. Every soldier who was able to carry a musket was issued one. As soon as dark came on December 25, thousands of men, horses, and 18 artillery pieces were ferried across the icy Delaware River, almost without incident. They surprised the Hessians, drunk or tired from Christmas celebrations, at Trenton the following day, forcing them to withdraw to Princeton, where Washington whooped them again less than three weeks later.

2. The First Battle of Fort Fisher, 1864

North Carolina's Fort Fisher isn't one of the most storied fortifications in Civil War history, but it was a vital one for the Confederates. Fisher protected the vital port city of Wilmington, where supplies of cotton and tobacco were shipped to try and break through the Union blockade in exchange for weapons, ammunition, and other vital war supplies. For most of the Civil War, Fort Fisher went unmolested. By the end of 1864, it was the last rebel port on the Atlantic Coast and a prime target. However, the attack did not go as planned. 

The Union Navy attacked on Christmas Eve with an explosives-laden boat meant to destroy the citadel's walls. The Union tried to shell it into submission when that didn't work. That didn't work either. On Christmas Day, the Union Army landed to lay siege to the fort. It achieved some success, but with weather worsening and rumors of reinforcements to the north, Gen. Benjamin Butler believed the fort was impregnable and withdrew. 

It was not impregnable, however. He was soon relieved of command and replaced by Gen. Alfred Terry, whose assault on January 13, 1865, captured the fort in two days of fighting. 

3. Operation Linebacker II

Peace in Vietnam was at hand in 1972, as President Richard Nixon's National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger negotiated terms with representatives of North Vietnam in Paris. The communists were eager to get the deal done before Nixon's reelection, and the U.S. was willing to make some concessions. Somewhere along the way, the deal got mucked up, and the North Vietnamese began retracting their agreements. Talks broke down, and the communists refused to return to the table.

To bring them back to the table, Nixon authorized the "11 Days of Christmas," an operation of 11 straight days of strategic bombing from B-52s based in Guam. Officially called Linebacker II, the operation dropped 15,000 pounds of ordnance on North Vietnam, got the Vietnamese back to the table, and is generally credited with ending the war. 
 

Do you have old photos from your service days stashed away in a drawer or in a shoe box in your attic? Old photos fade with time and if they are not scanned and preserved digitally, they risk eventually being lost forever.

This is where TWS can help. We have just invested in a high quality Fujitsu book and photo scanner that can scan any size of photo or yearbook. As a service to our members, we would like to offer you a free photo scanning service for your most significant photos from your service which we will then return to you, in original condition, along with a CD containing your photo files.

In addition, we can upload your photos for you to your Photo Album on your TWS Service Profile which will also appear in your Shadow box and available to you to access or download at any time.

Please contact us at Admin@togetherweserved.com for full details on this Free Service.

GMC Jory Luchsinger, US Coast Guard (Ret) 
Served 1965-2001

World War II was a total war, meaning that once the United States entered the war, everyone fought it somehow. The troops, of course, did the fighting, but civilians on the home front made sacrifices, collected scrap and grew gardens to keep food fresh for the soldiers and sailors on the real front. There was also the American workforce, who built the machines and materials needed to do the job. From the very moment the U.S. was thrust into World War II, civilians were ready to do their part. 

There were some like George Walters who literally fought in World War II, even though he wasn't wearing a uniform. Walters was a dock worker at Pearl Harbor who happened to be on duty when the Imperial Japanese Navy launched its surprise attack on Dec. 7, 1941. What he did that day may not have changed the outcome, but it made sure some Japanese airmen didn't make it to the victory celebration.

Walters was born in Colorado but came to Hawaii when he was one year old. He worked on a 50-ton crane at the Pearl Harbor drydock in the days leading up to the attack. At the time, the drydock was working on the USS Pennsylvania, the lead ship of its class of super dreadnought battleships. Being in drydock kept Pennsylvania safe from torpedoes during the fighting, but it didn't keep her sailors out of the fight. When the Japanese Zeros started dropping ordnance, it created a lot of confusion, but Walters knew what was happening. And tried to get the sailors' attention. 

Instead of fleeing to safety, Walters stood his ground. He began using his massive crane to shield the Pennsylvania from incoming attackers. The size and shape of the massive construction equipment prevented low-flying fighters and bombers from approaching the ship from the direction of the Japanese attack. He even began using the crane to try to swat fighters out of the sky. 

Eventually, the battleships' sailors figured out they were under attack and immediately got to their guns. But as they tried to shoot at incoming aircraft, the large crane kept getting into their way. At first, they found the crane and its erratic movements a hindrance to their defense, but they soon realized that Walters, sitting in the crane's booth 50 feet off the ground, had a better view of the incoming attackers. They began using the crane's movements as a guide to track incoming Zeros. Once they did, the Japanese attacking Pennsylvania began to take devastating losses. 

Not only did Pennsylvania survive the worst of the attack on Pearl Harbor, but the combined effort between its crew and George Walters allowed them to down at least ten enemy fighters. Walters only stopped fighting after Japanese aircraft started to attack the crane with 500-pound bombs. He was able to move the crane out of the way of the bulk of the blast, but he was knocked unconscious by the explosion. 

 Walters survived the attack on Pearl Harbor and continued working the crane until 1950. He worked at the dockyard until 1966, the year he retired. He lived until 1999 when he died at age 95.
 

Together We Served has a growing archive of more than 23,000 Boot Camp/ Basic Training Graduation Photos which we now display on your Military Service Page and Shadow Box. We also have a growing collection of Yearbooks which we will be made available on the site shortly.

We are still searching for Boot Camp/ Basic Training Photos and Yearbooks. So if you have yours available, please contact us at Admin@togetherweserved.com.

Either you can send us a scanned file of your photo or you can send it to us for scanning. We will add this for you to the Recruit/ Officer Training section of your Military Service Page.

All photos and yearbooks will be returned to you in the original condition along with a CD containing your scanned photo.

VFA-31 (Strike Fighter Squadron 31) is the second oldest Navy attack fighter squadron. Known as the Tomcatters with the call sign "Felix," it is currently based at Naval Air Station Oceana in Virginia Beach, VA. It flies the F/A-18E Super Hornet. "V" stands for fixed wing, "F" stands for fighter, and "A" stands for attack. Chief Of Naval Operations Instruction (OPNAVINST) governs the squadron designation system. The Navy's oldest currently active squadron is VFA-14, and it has been redesignated 15 times since it was established in 1919.

Over the history of U. S. Naval Aviation, many designations have been used multiple times, resulting in numerous unrelated squadrons bearing the same designation at different times. The use of letter abbreviations for squadrons was promulgated in the "Naval Aeronautic Organization for Fiscal Year 1923," which is the first known record associating the abbreviated Aircraft Class Designations (V-heavier than air, Z-lighter than air, and letters designating role) with abbreviated squadron designations. Originally known as the Shooting Stars, this unit began as VF-3 and took on Felix the Cat for its insignia, which remains to this day. It was officially designated VF-31 in 1948. Charles Lindbergh and Butch O'Hare flew with this squadron which had first been established on July 1, 1935, flying the F4B Wildcat. Navy Together We Served currently includes 118 members who have been assigned to this historic unit.

Throughout its history, the unit has flown off several carriers, including the USS Langley, USS Lexington, and USS Enterprise, aboard which they were engaged at Pearl Harbor, Wake Island, Marcus Island, Midway, Guadalcanal, and Eastern Solomons, as well as combat action over the Philippines, Formosa. Okinawa and China. In addition to the current Super Hornet, during their many sorties, they also piloted the F6F Hellcat, F9F Panther, F2H Banshee, F3H Demon, F8F Bearcat, F-4 Phantom, F-14A Tomcat, A-7 Corsair, and A-6 Intruder. Other carriers they have cruised aboard include the USS Saratoga (for twenty-four years), USS John F. Kennedy, USS Independence, USS Forrestal, USS Carl Vinson, USS Abraham Lincoln, USS John C. Stennis, USS Theodore Roosevelt, USS Gerald Ford and maiden voyage of the USS George H.W. Bush. Today, they report operationally to Commander, Carrier Air Wing Eleven, and administratively to Commander, Strike Fighter Wing, Atlantic. "Before converting to the F-14, the Tomcatters had a notable history, being the only U.S. squadron (of all three air arms) to score confirmed kills in three wars: World War II, Korea, and Vietnam. VFA-31s' association with their namesake, the F-14 Tomcat, began in late 1980…" 

"Felix is a wily cartoon cat created by Pat Sullivan in 1919. The image of Felix was adopted by Squadron VB-2B in 1928, which took on the name Felix Cat Squadron. The next year, Lt. Emile Chourre, with the help of squadron mates, including Lt. Paul Clyde, created an updated version of the logo featuring Felix running with a bomb. That redesigned logo has been used on this squadron's aircraft ever since. Felix, the mischievous bomb-toting cat, is now recognized worldwide as the beloved symbol of the VFA-31 Tomcatters. The squadron has changed designations and aircraft many times during its history, but the Felix image has essentially remained the same…" while the unit's numerical and other aircraft fuselage and tail markings continue to evolve. Since the Tomcat is associated with a particular aircraft nickname which they no longer fly, they are trying to associate its motto as being the Fighting 31st.

Excerpt from a Tomcatter air combat diary by Capt. Dale "Snort" Snodgrass:
"… I was leading a night Fighter Sweep in support of an A-6 strike on a power plant on the north side of Baghdad. My flight had flushed a couple of MiG-29s, and we were in 'Hot Pursuit.' My ECM and radar warning gear had been lit up like an X-Mas tree, so I was vigilant in jinking in altitude and heading while rolling and visually checking for missile plumes. During one check, I saw a missile clearing the haze and undercast below us. We were 25-26 thousand feet at the time, and the undercast was broken around 13-15 thousand. The net result is that there is little time to see and react to a Mach 4 missile. Fortunately, I was looking at the right piece of sky as the missile cleared the clouds. I immediately saw it had constant bearing and big time decreasing range. I immediately rolled the Tomcat into the missile and pulled 8-10 G's while deploying chaff to aid in breaking the missile's radar lock. The missile exploded just above and behind me. The missile defense worked as advertised (though it was really, really close). Unfortunately, the F-14 tends to depart controlled flight when a very hard rolling pull is executed at high subsonic airspeeds (I was at .95-.97 IMN). It is exacerbated with external stores, and I had two external fuel tanks and six missiles loaded. I was able to recover the jet quickly, but in the process, I lost my right engine…"

VFA-31 is currently on a scheduled deployment with the Gerald R. Ford Carrier Strike Group in the U.S. Naval Forces Europe area of operations, employed by the U.S. Sixth Fleet to defend U.S. interests. This squadron has been established as: 
VF-1B on July 1, 1935
VF-1B redesignated VF-6 on July 1, 1937
VF-6 redesignated VF-3 on July 15, 1943
VF-3 redesignated VF-3A on November 15, 1946
VF-3A redesignated VF-31 on August 7, 1948
VF-31 redesignated VFA-31 in 2006

Since 2006, the unit has been flying the Boeing F/A-18E Super Hornet. It was announced that Boeing will not accept any more orders for these multi-role fighters. It is planned that the last eight production aircraft for the U.S. Navy will be made in 2025, and the production line for the Super Hornet will be closed. The Tomcatter squadron's 21st-century deployments have been: 
September 2008 - April 2009 with CVW-8 aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt 
May 2011 - December 2011 with CVW-8 aboard USS George H. W. Bush 
February 2014 - November 2014 with CVW-8 aboard USS George H. W. Bush 
January 2017 - August 2017 with CVW-8 aboard USS George H. W. Bush 
May 2019, with CVW-11 aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt 
January 2020 - July 2020 with CVW-11 aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt 
December 2020 - May 2021 with CVW-11 aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt
October 2022 - November 2022 with CVW-8 aboard USS Gerald R. Ford 
May 2023 - present with CVW-8 aboard USS Gerald R. Ford 

The ship's squadron complement is ten to twelve aircraft. They describe their weapon this way, "We fly the single-seat variant of the Navy's strike fighter aircraft, the F/A-18E Super Hornet. This model was designed for traditional air superiority, fighter escort, reconnaissance, aerial refueling, close air support, forward air control (airborne), air defense suppression, and day/night precision strike, at the same time increasing strike mission survivability and supplementing the fleet air defense." According to Rand Corporation USAF estimates, the cost of building a single one of these fighters is $70 million, and a single fighter pilot's training costs range from about $6 to $10 million. The USS Gerald Ford cost a little more than $13 billion to build. Over time, the squadron's investment in and dedication to national defense cannot be calculated. 

TWS has nearly 2 million members who served in a wide range of units, ships, squadrons and duty stations. Get more people to your Reunion by sending your Reunion information to us in the following format and we will post it for free in our Reunion Announcements on Together We Served, in emails that go to our members and in our Newsletters.

Please contact us at admin@togetherweserved.com with the following details of your Reunion:

Service Branch Reunion Applies To:
Your Reunion Name:
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Date Starting:
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MGySgt  John Street, US Marine Corps (Ret)
Served 1972-1999

Janine Stange is on a mission. 

Actually, she's currently on her 101st mission. Each mission happens around once a month. She and her squad, Janine's Team, band together to send birthday greetings to veterans around the country. Veterans are floored when their mailboxes explode with well-wishes from a grateful nation – most even join Janine's Team to carry it forward.

Janine is a motivational speaker, singer, and on-air personality. You can hear her every Thursday morning on Sirius XM's "'60s Gold with Phlash Phelps." But she's best known for her historic journey to sing the Star-Spangled Banner in all 50 states to honor America's veterans, a journey documented in the film "National Anthem Girl." 

"My mom always sent birthday cards to her family and friends," she says. "Each month, she would go to the stationary store and get stacks of cards, write a personal note inside, seal the envelopes with those shiny gold stickers, and time their delivery just right so they arrived on the recipient's birthday."

Young Janine grew up thinking that mailing stacks of personal notes and cards was a normal thing. Even when mailing cards were more common, her mom's handwritten notes were rare. Her mom sadly passed away in 2012.

"I still hear from people who loved receiving those cards," the singer says. "I recently saw an old friend of hers, and she told me she always knew she could rely on a birthday card from my mom to make her feel special, even at times when her own family would forget." 

While Janine was on the road completing her 50-state tour, she gathered stacks of handwritten notes and cards for Operation Gratitude, forwarding a little of her mom's style to the troops deployed overseas. People loved them. Her tour ended in 2014, but Janine had earned a healthy following of patriots and well-wishers along the way. She calls them "Janine's Team."

"I must admit, I didn't 'formalize' or start counting and documenting each mission until a few years in," Janine says. "So technically, we're well over 100 missions; veterans of WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Desert Storm – ages 50 all the way up to 105!"  

In 2015, she occasionally would hear about a veteran having a big birthday, and she'd put it out to Janine's Team, either over email or on Sirius XM, to help get a wave of birthday cards sent to that special vet – and it works.

"Over the years, word began to spread, the list has grown, and so has the number of requests," says Stange. We went from around a dozen requests a year, and now we're at about four dozen yearly. So we are up to mission 100, but well over 100 veterans have received hundreds and, at times, thousands of cards."

These are her "missions," and with her team's help, she can make at least one happen per month. Church groups, DAR chapters, office groups, and more band together to send birthday greetings. Some even make extraordinary efforts when they realize the veteran lives nearby.

"I must admit, I didn't 'formalize' or start counting and documenting each mission until a few years in," Janine says. "So technically, we're well over 100 missions; veterans of WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Desert Storm – ages 50 all the way up to 105!"  

"One member drove over two hours to drop off birthday cupcakes to a veteran during COVID, " Janine recalls. "Some end up becoming pen-pals, and many of these vets are in their 90s and 100s, so they stay active by writing letters… Seeing and hearing about all that transpires is truly amazing and heartwarming."

To be considered for a mission, all you have to do is send Janine an email (the link is on the Join Janine's Team page) with at least eight weeks' notice. To join Janine's Team, write cards, and help make veteran birthdays special, fill out this form.

During Veterans Month, I had the opportunity to brief several companies' Veteran groups about the benefits they earned from their military service. During my presentations, I provided a quick overview of all the benefits and then devoted three-quarters of the hour to answering questions from the attendees. I've found that answering questions enables me to provide more situation specific information and often suggest next steps they can take to receive their benefits. Inevitably, there are more questions than time allows, reinforcing my belief that so much more needs to be done to educate our Veterans on these benefits.

One question that came up in each session had to do with the possible negative consequences of filing for an increase in benefits. This is often referred to as a "Claim for Increase." This occurs when a Veteran has previously filed for disability compensation and been granted a service connection.  This is awarded in percentages from 0 to 100 percent, in numbers divisible by 10 (e.g., 10%, 20%, up to 100%), and is used to identify the tax-fee monthly payment this benefit provides.

After receiving a service connection, a Veteran may file a Claim for Increase for a variety of reasons, including:
•    A condition has worsened – over time, as we age, conditions generally worsen. As a result, a higher service connection (percentage) might be appropriate. Hearing loss is an example. Generally, hearing worsens over time. This is true for many conditions.
•    A new condition has been identified – after the award, additional conditions are identified that merit a service connection. This could be something new or related to an existing condition. The latter is called a secondary condition that occurs because of a previously identified condition. For example, a service connection for an ankle injury is granted. Later, issues with the corresponding knee occur, which happened because of the ankle injury. If the knee injury were deemed a secondary condition, additional benefits would be granted.

The natural intuition is that after filing for an additional condition, once granted, the total service connection will increase. Many are wondering, however, when filing for an increase, can the total service connection decrease? That is, will other conditions be reviewed and downgraded so my total percentage decreases? Given that this question keeps coming up, my sense is that Veterans who might merit additional benefits (including healthcare) are not refiling, concerned their benefits might decrease. So, let me address this.
Yes, as directed by law and regulations, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) can reduce benefits under certain circumstances. But do continue reading because this occurs rarely, and there is a process to protect Veterans.

Let's start with fairness. Veterans should receive the benefits that are appropriate for their situation. Obviously, if a condition has improved, then reduced disability compensation makes sense.

This is the VA process to address a possible reduction:
1.    VA notifies the Veteran a reduction is being considered.
2.    Veteran can request a hearing to present new information within 30 days of the notification.
3.    Veteran has 60 days to present new information that their condition has not improved.
4.    After VA makes a determination, the Veteran may appeal.

In reality, a reduction in benefits occurs infrequently. Best estimates are reductions occur between 2 and 5 percent of the times a Claim for Increase is made. With such a small chance of reduction and a true need for additional support, a Claim for Increase would appear to be worth doing.

One way to better understand your specific situation and the possible consequences of applying is to work with a Veteran Service Officer to develop and file your claim. Service Officers are trained on VA benefit processes and have experience from helping other Veterans apply for benefits. Ideally, a skilled Service Officer can review your application and, based on their past support for Veterans, provide an informed perspective on a possible decrease before applying.
Service Officers are available at no cost from:
•    The American Legion
•    Disabled American Veterans (DAV)
•    Paralyzed Veterans of American (PVA)
•    Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW)
•    Wounded Warrior Project

You can also access a Service Officer from your state Department of Veteran Affairs/Services. Some counties also provide Service Officers.

Given the existence of a possible reduction process, the facts that indicate it doesn't occur often, and the availability of help from a Service Officer, if you believe an increase in your disability compensation is appropriate, my best advice is to weigh the facts carefully and not really anecdotes or rumors.

Paul R. Lawrence, Ph.D., served as Under Secretary of Benefits at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs from May 2018 to January 2021.  He is the author of “Veterans Benefits for You: Get what you Deserve”, available from Amazon.

Honolulu -- May 11, 2001

Sitting on Kalanianaole Highway in my pickup the other morning, watching traffic lights cycle from green to yellow to red and back with little perceptible forward movement, my wandering attention was snagged by a radio announcement regarding the upcoming Miss Universe Contest to be held in Puerto Rico this month. I'm really not a fan of beauty pageants, but because of a very personal association with the Miss Universe Contest the summer I graduated from high school, I was transported back those many years to the day I escorted Miss New Mexico in the grand parade down the main street of Long Beach, California.

The nostalgia of that memory was so strong that when I got home later in the day, I dug through old boxes of certificates, photos, and other memorabilia until, lo and behold, there it was, slightly worn from a dozen cross-country and cross-ocean moves: a glossy 8X10 photograph of a beaming, bathing-suit clad Miss New Mexico and her youthful, grim-faced military escort, decked out in his best dress blue uniform. 

Grim-faced? Why grim? 

And therein lies the tale.

With high school graduation imminent and the first semester of college still several months away, my summer of lying about on the beaches of La Jolla was firmly on track. Well, not so firmly, it turned out. Through some glib persuasion and possibly some veiled threats of intense yard work, my father convinced me that a 90-day program at Los Alamitos Naval Air Station--sort of a fun-filled boys' camp-- was just what I needed to fill my idle summer days. 

Thus, within days of graduating from high school, I found myself marching around in a Sailor suit as a member of the Naval Air Reserve. A combination of boot camp and classroom study, the accelerated training program I found myself in had no resemblance to the carefree beach program I had originally planned. Every waking moment, from reveille to lights out, was accounted for. Our education included mess duty and midnight fire watches, guarding clotheslines with useless wooden rifles slung over our shoulders, and intense classroom sessions to teach us why airplanes stay in the air. 

With only 90 days to turn us into "squared away" sailors, our instructors/tormentors filled our days with a steady stream of verbal and sometimes physical abuse: noise after lights out could result in the entire company being turned out to duck walk around the flagpole dressed only in skivvies and boondockers. An unsecured shirt button was automatically and gleefully pulled off (and it better by God be sewed back on before the next day). 

This was not the boys' camp my father promised me. 

So it was somewhat of a surprise when an announcement was made at quarters one morning that certain volunteers were going to be allowed to participate in the Miss Universe Parade coming up the following weekend. A select number of volunteers would be assigned escort duties for the contestants. An additional inducement (as if one were needed) would pair volunteers with contestants from their home state. 

Who could pass up a deal like that? 

I eagerly put forth my name and asked that I be assigned to Miss New Mexico (my birth state). It was almost like Christmas when the notice was posted, and my name appeared next to Miss New Mexico. 

The pageant consisted of a parade down the main street of Long Beach, ending at a fancy hotel where the actual ceremony would take place in the grand ballroom. Escorting this lovely lady through the ceremony, exchanging small talk while nibbling hors d'oeuvres at the luxury hotel, and maybe even a dance were the fantasies that fueled my enthusiasm and made the onerous "boys' camp" routine bearable.

On D-Day, we volunteers donned our best dress uniforms, our Dixie-cup hats, and our inspection-ready black shoes polished to a mirror finish and boarded a bus for the parade site. On arrival, we escorts were briefly introduced to our respective Miss Universe contestants, who were clad in one-piece swimsuits, looking every bit like beauty queens. Considering it was a hot July day, they were much better prepared for the long march ahead than we escorts in our heavy dress blues.

At this point, the fantasy started to unravel. 

We volunteers were directed to some rather cumbersome wheeled vehicles decorated with large banners identifying each contestant's home state. The clam-shell-like contraption was over 10 feet high and 6 feet wide, with a supporting apparatus inside to allow the contestant to maintain her balance while waving to the admiring crowd--basically, a one-person float powered by, you guessed it, the volunteer "escorts."

For those who are not familiar with Ocean Boulevard--the main street of Long Beach and the route of the parade--a series of trolley tracks intersecting with other trolley tracks runs the length of the boulevard. So, in addition to pushing this awkward wheeled contrivance the length of the parade route, with frequent stops and starts familiar to parade goers, we had to maneuver through those trolley tracks without losing Miss Whoever in the process. Had they thought of it, I'm sure parade planners would have placed us behind the Long Beach Rodeo Association. 

As we wrestled our vehicles and our precious cargoes the length of the route, sweat running into our eyes and shiny black shoes now a collection of scuff marks, we were sustained by the thought of reaching the hotel and the more rewarding escort duties that lay ahead. As we arrived individually at the hotel entrance and the contestants dismounted to great fanfare and applause, each was met by an officer in cool dress whites and escorted into the ballroom. We sailor escorts, sweating and dirty from the giant slalom event down Ocean Boulevard, were directed to a waiting bus, where we sat in fatigued silence, trying to recall a recent classroom presentation on the Uniform Code of Military Justice and the punishment for mutiny and striking a superior officer. 

When all the contestants had been delivered to their beaming officer escorts and all sailor escorts were aboard the bus with no air conditioning, we departed for the return trip to the base. On the ride back to the barracks, as I sat there, wondering if my scuffed inspection shoes were salvageable and pondering the humiliating finale of my trek down Ocean Boulevard, I thought of the lessons I had learned from this character-building experience. Certainly, it had reinforced a fundamental military caveat: never volunteer for anything. Secondly, as we are reminded all too often in life, nothing is as good as it sounds. 

Available for Together We Served members only! Together We Served has two hard-working Marines devoting their time and energy to help our members find long-lost friends who are not yet members of our Together We Served.

If you are looking for someone, email us at admin@togetherweserved.com with name, approximate age, where they were from, last known address, marital status, and name of spouse. We'll do our best!

SP 4 Orlando Maione, US Army Veteran
Served 1958-1961

"Joining the Braves" is a must-read for anyone considering joining the military, especially young Americans and immigrants who want to give back to the United States, as author Winique Payen comes from both backgrounds. 

Today, he is a non-commissioned officer in the United States Army who has served multiple deployments overseas and is currently stationed in Tennessee. But Payen started his life in Haiti, where he was born and raised. He came to the U.S. in 2009, but his enlistment was not his first encounter with the U.S. military. 

In 1994, the United States invaded Haiti to overthrow the military regime that unseated Haiti's ​​President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who was elected in 1991. 

"I saw those guys walk in with pride," Paten recalls in his book. "Everything from their discipline to their honor to their integrity all influenced me greatly… I wanted to see myself standing among those troops."

From the day he first saw them, his priority was the U.S. military. When he finally entered American soil in 2009, his first move was to take the ASVAB. Since he's still serving in the Army, you can guess how well he did on that test and in his U.S. Army career. 

His book, "Joining the Braves," takes a hard look at the cultural differences he learned while becoming Americanized, serving in the military, and rising through its ranks. It begins as a kind of "how-to" guide for any newcomer to American citizenship to learn what they can expect while learning how to thrive. Once he was in the military, his life began to change dramatically. 

"I have come to a realization that whether you are an immigrant or a refugee, you should not confine yourself to a migrant camp or even a small apartment because you cannot speak the same language," he writes. 

He brought that same discipline to his service, and he shows readers countless examples from history and his own life experience that show how important discipline is to joining and excelling in military service. 

One doesn't need to be an immigrant to take the lessons of Winique Payen's journey to heart. Even young Americans who may or may not have considered military service as a means of advancing their own lives can learn from his prose. From altering the course of one's entire life to gaining an education and providing for family and fellow soldiers, "Joining the Braves" is probably one of the most authentic and comprehensive calls to action for joining any branch of the military. 

"Joining the Braves" by Winique Payen is available on Amazon Kindle for $9.99 and in paperback for $19.99 right now. 

If you wish to make a post to our new Bulletin Board - People Sought, Assistance Needed, Jobs Available in Your Company, Reunions Pending, Items for Sale or Wanted, Services Available or Wanted, Product or Service Recommendations, Discounts for Vets, Announcements, Death Notices - email it to us at admin@togetherweserved.com.

Service Reflections Video of the Month

#TributetoaVeteran - SSgt William Paulson U.S. Air Force, 1980-1991

Are You a Writer?
As you know, TogetherWeServed is always looking for interesting articles to post to our forums and in this newsletter. Have you written any military-related articles you want to share with a broader audience? Send your submissions to admin@togetherweserved.com, and you may see them in an upcoming issue.

TWS Flyers Available
Do you have a reunion coming up and would like to spread the word about Together We Served? We now have flyers that help explain who we are and what we do.

Send your requests to admin@togetherweserved.com. Please include your name and address and how many flyers you require.

TWS Invite Cards
Did you know we have Together We Served invite cards you can hand out to any veteran you meet? We have included a handy QR code on the back of the card so prospects can scan the card right away to get started.

If you would like some cards, email us your name and address at admin@togetherweserved.com, and we will get them in the mail. 

Association Chapter Logos 

Does your association chapter have a different logo from your state or national association chapter? We are working on programming that will allow us to add chapter logos. If you have one, please email it to admin@togetherweserved.com, and we'll add it.

Military Volunteers Needed

TWS has recently been working with an organization called Stories Behind the Stars. They are working hard on telling the stories of all our World War II fallen. We can help them tell the story by checking the military details added to the profiles they have built or edited. We have the tools for you, and we will train you!

If you love details and some time on your hands, please contact us at admin@togetherweserved.com, and we'll get you started.

Your Personal Invite QR Code

Is now available for you to download to your phone and share it with the veterans you may meet. Through this QR code, you will get credit for their membership. For every five people who join from your invite, you receive six months of full membership. If 50 people join, you'll receive a life membership!

Military News

Remains of WWII Heavy Bomber Gunner Identified Decades After His Death
By The Associated Press Military Times

A U.S. Army Air Force gunner's remains have been accounted for nearly eight decades after the heavy bomber he was flying in was shot down over France during World War II, military officials said Monday.

Staff Sgt. Franklin P. Hall, 21, of Leesburg, Florida, was identified in July by scientists who used anthropological and DNA analysis, the Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency said in a news release.

Hall was assigned to the 66th Bombardment Squadron, 44th Bombardment Group (Heavy) in the European Theater in January 1944, officials said. The airman was the left waist gunner on a B-24D Liberator called "Queen Marlene" when it was attacked by German air forces near Équennes-Éramecourt, France. German forces found the crash site and recovered nine sets of remains, which were interred in the French cemetery at Poix-de-Picardie. Hall's remains were not accounted for after the war, and he was declared non-recoverable in 1951.

Ongoing research into soldiers missing from combat around Équennes-Éramecourt eventually led to the discovery of two sets of remains buried in Normandy American Cemetery, an American Battle Monuments Commission site. The remains were disinterred in 2018 and transferred to the DPAA laboratory, where one set was identified as Hall.

Hall's name is recorded on the Tablets of the Missing at Ardennes American Cemetery, France, along with others still missing from WWII. A rosette will be placed next to his name to indicate he has been accounted for.

Hall will eventually be buried in Leesburg, Florida, though officials didn't say when.

West Point Fires Civilian Following Criminal Sexual Conduct Charge
By Todd South Military Times

The U.S. Military Academy at West Point in New York has fired its deputy brigade tactical officer following a second-degree criminal sexual conduct charge in Michigan.

William F. Gentry, 56, a civilian employee at the academy since February, previously served as an Army infantryman, retiring as a sergeant major, Lt. Col. Terence Kelley, an academy spokesman, told Army Times Tuesday.

Details of the alleged crime were not available in court records.

"The U.S. Military Academy takes these allegations very seriously," Kelley said in the statement. "The charges are unrelated to his role at West Point, and we assisted New York State law enforcement in his arrest and extradition to Michigan, terminated his employment, and he will not return to West Point."

Gentry's LinkedIn page lists service as a curriculum development and education senior enlisted advisor from 2015-2018 at Fort Bliss, Texas. The site also lists him as serving in the position of deputy director of education at the Noncommissioned Officer Center of Excellence from 2016 to 2018.

From early 2018 to 2019, Gentry lists contract work at Keybridge Technologies for the Army.

According to Michigan court records the alleged incident took place on Nov. 1, 2022, in Livingston County, Michigan.

The county prosecutor's office issued the criminal complaint on Oct. 24, 2023. Gentry was extradited from New York state to Michigan following the complaint. He was arraigned on Nov. 20 and posted a $50,000 bail bond on Nov. 27.

A probable cause hearing was scheduled for Tuesday. He is scheduled to return to court on Dec. 5, according to Michigan court records.

Gentry served in the Army from February 1986 until February 2018, according to information provided by Army officials. He made sergeant major in April 2007. He served on a 2004-05 Afghanistan deployment, a 2007 and 2009-2010 Iraq deployment.

His service awards include the Legion of Merit, six Meritorious Service Medals, 10 Army Commendation Medals, a Combat Infantryman Badge, and Drill Sergeant Identification Badge.

VA Delays Disputed Change in How It Pays For Veterans' Ambulance Trips
By Leo Shane III Military Times

Veterans Affairs officials will postpone a controversial rule change regarding ambulance service reimbursements after objections from industry officials and members of Congress who worried the move could endanger some veterans living in rural areas.

Department leaders have not completely given up on the plan, but promised lawmakers on Nov. 22 that they will not implement the changes until February 2025 at the earliest. The new rules had been set to go into effect by mid-February 2024.

VA press secretary Terrence Hayes said leaders are making the reimbursement changes "to better align with the rest of the health care industry." A VA inspector general report from 2018 found the department had been paying 60% more than typical industry rates for air ambulance services, potentially wasting taxpayer money.

In remarks at the National Press Club earlier this month, VA Secretary Denis McDonough said the goal of new reimbursement rules is not to cut costs for emergency medical care but instead to push local providers into formal contracts with VA for the services, ensuring stability and consistency in pricing.

"As near as we can tell, VA alone among all major health care systems in the country pays for each individual ambulance," he said. "We're just paying cash for each run."

But industry opponents have said sharp cuts in reimbursement rates for ambulance services could severely cripple operations in rural areas, potentially even forcing the closure of some emergency response services.

And lawmakers have decried VA's proposed fixes as too broad and possibly dangerous. In a statement, Senate Veterans' Affairs Committee Chairman Jon Tester, D-Mont., hailed the one-year delay as critical time needed to work out disagreements between VA and the emergency services companies.

"The availability of emergency air and ground transportation services in Montana and rural America can be the difference between life and death," he said. "VA's hasty implementation of its rate change for these services could have been the final straw for providers in rural America, and I'm glad to see VA answering my call and taking steps to fix this reimbursement issue."

Both the House and Senate are considering legislation on the issue. Lawmakers can now work on those proposals without a looming deadline early next year.

Ben Clayton, CEO of Life Flight Network, one of the groups involved in the lobbying efforts against the rule change, called the decision "a significant victory" for veterans.

"I look forward to working with the VA to ensure that reimbursement rates for air medical care are sustainable, protecting veteran access to this lifesaving service," he said. "Although there is still work to be done, this delay reflects a genuine effort by the VA towards a solution."

This ‘Puerto Rican Rambo' Went On 200 Combat Missions in Vietnam
By Jon Simkins Military Times

Eloy Otero-Bruno and Crispina Barreto-Torres welcomed a son into the world on April 7, 1937, in the small municipality of Vega Baja, Puerto Rico, just west of the island's capital of San Juan.

When they gave him a name inspired by his father's admiration for America's first president, the family certainly had no inkling that little Jorge would one day be something of an American icon in his own right, a status earned after becoming one of the most decorated soldiers of the Vietnam War.

Jorge Otero Barreto joined the Army in 1959 after pursuing biology studies in college. Less than two years later, he embarked on his first deployment, one of five such tours he would make to the embattled nation between 1961 and 1970 as a member of the 101st Airborne, 82nd Airborne and 25th Infantry Division, among others.

Over the course of five deployments, Otero Barreto volunteered for approximately 200 combat missions — a lofty number that eventually earned him the moniker "The Puerto Rican Rambo," after the fictional death-dealing character made famous by actor Sylvester Stallone.

He would earn 38 total commendations during the five combat tours, including three Silver Stars, five Purple Hearts, five Bronze Stars, five Air Medals and four Army Commendation Medals.

One particular award was the result of actions on May 1, 1968, when the platoon sergeant, along with men from the 101st Air Cavalry Division, nestled into positions designed to pin down a North Vietnamese regiment in a village near the deadly city of Hue.

In the early morning hours, Otero Barreto and his men came under a heavy bombardment and faced waves of charging enemy soldiers desperate to rid themselves of the incoming Americans.

U.S. troops managed to repel the first two enemy assaults, killing 58 in the process and forcing the assailants to limp back to the village.

Instead of awaiting a third assault, Otero Barreto opted to lead a counter-attack. But shortly into their advance, the first platoon came under a barrage of machine gun, small arms, and rocket-propelled grenade fire from enemy spider holes and bunkers strewn across the platoon's fire sector.

The Puerto Rican Rambo wasted no time getting to work.

Otero Barreto sprinted to the nearest machine gun bunker and quickly killed the three men manning the position.

Gathering the rest of his squad, he then moved through three more fortified enemy bunkers, dashing from one to the next until all that remained was a trail of destruction.

The assault by Otero Barreto, which allowed the rest of Company A's platoons to maneuver into advantageous positions and overrun the enemy, would earn him one of his three Silver Stars.

Otero Barreto, now 85, would later retire as a sergeant first class. And while the eventual conclusion of Vietnam would mark the end of his extensive combat career, it would not be the last of his many lifetime achievements.

In 2006, Otero Barreto was named the recipient of the National Puerto Rican Coalition's Lifetime Achievement Award. Since then, he has had veterans homes and museums named in his honor, and in 2011, he was recognized in his hometown when the city named the Puerto Rican Rambo its citizen of the year.

Read more about Otero Barreto via one of his Silver Star citations here.
https://valor.militarytimes.com/hero/113830

Army Soldier Killed in Helicopter Crash Remembered in New Hampshire
By The Associated Press

GORHAM, N.H. — A U.S. Army soldier from New Hampshire who was one of five aviation special operations forces killed when their helicopter crashed in the eastern Mediterranean Sea was remembered Saturday as a devoted family member, friend and leader.

Staff Sgt. Tanner W. Grone, 25, of Gorham, was on board the MH-60 helicopter on Nov. 10 when it went down during an air refueling mission as part of military training. The U.S. Army Combat Readiness Center is investigating the crash.

"We will hold onto the memories we have of our little boy that grew up to be a man and never forget the ultimate sacrifice he made for this country," Grone's mother, Erica Grone, told the crowd during his funeral service at the Gorham Middle High School gymnasium.

Grone enlisted in the Army in 2017 as a UH-60 repairer. He served as a flight instructor and MH-60M crew chief for the 160th Special Operations Aviation Regiment based at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, known as the "Night Stalkers."

Grone was deployed to Afghanistan and multiple times to Iraq, and he was awarded the Air Medal with Combat device, the Army Commendation Medal and the Army Achievement Medal with combat device among many other awards.

Tanner had planned to apply for flight school, which would have taken him to Fort Rucker, Alabama, where his grandfather served, according to his obituary.

Tanner's father, Steve Grone, said in remarks read at the ceremony that fellow soldiers who served with Tanner spoke of his trademark smirk. They also described him as a consummate professional during a mission and as a "badass."

"We have been told of a few things that he did on some of his missions, and we are in awe of what he became, the experiences he had," Steve Grone said. "He lived life more in his short time with us than most of us do in a lifetime."

The fatal helicopter crash was the second involving a unit based at Fort Campbell this year. In March, two HH-60 Black Hawk helicopters assigned to the 101st Airborne Division collided during a nighttime training flight, killing all nine soldiers aboard.

Fort Campbell is home to multiple Army aviation units. The 160th group has almost 3,000 soldiers and 200 aircraft assigned to it.

23 Things Veterans Carry with Them for Life
By Sarah Sicard Military Times

In the back of every veteran's closet, you're likely to find some old uniforms, dusty caps, a stack of medical, training, and discharge records... maybe a few ribbons or medals. But these are just a few of the typical things that separated or retired service members keep with them. Other things, they're stuck with forever.

So we compiled a list of the more non-traditional things that veterans carry for life.

1. An incessant need to roll socks
2. Bad knees
3. The misguided idea that ibuprofen and fresh socks will cure any ailment
4. Tinnitis. ZNNNNNNNNNG.
5. The ability to sleep anywhere
6. The plight of not being able to sleep at all
7. Old combat boots. They're great for mowing the lawn or a trip to Home Depot.
8. Fear of tape tests
9. Issues with authority figures
10. Back pain
11. T-shirts from strange events and places they don't remember going
12. A woobie that has seen better days.
13. A swearing problem that is FUBAR
14. A love/hate relationship with acronyms
15. Total disdain for PowerPoint
16. Scars from barracks shenanigans gone awry
17, A few ugly divorces
18. A truck they bought after gaining some sense and selling that Camaro they financed at 27% APR
19. Some weird strip club stories
20. Sleep apnea
21. Bad tattoos that seemed like a really good idea at the time
22. Boxy brown t-shirts that somehow have sweat stains in a different, more gross shade of brown
23. A deeply stained, never-before-washed coffee mug that they tell everyone is "seasoned"

Were You There?

The creators of this book would love to get access to any videos or film that was taken during this festival back in 1972. There were thousands of GIs there, me being one of them. Some of my pictures are in the book. If anyone would like to contact one of the creators of this book I will give you his email:

roger_kautz@hotmail.com

His name is Roger, and he would love to hear from any G.I. that attended the festival.

Thank you again, and if I could be of further assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Tom Spahr
Chehalis, WASHINGTON
360-951-3415
spahrjab@comcast.net

1981-1982 USS Truxtun Cruise Book Available

A member came across a cruise book, "Voyage of the USS Truxtun (CGN-35) Oct 81- June 82."

Any member interested can have it. Just email him.

Donald Hartley
dp.hartley@yahoo.com
720 300-7487

Reunite & Remember
Veteran-Owned nonprofit providing travel expenses to veterans, active-duty military members, and their families for funerals of fallen comrades, helping veterans reconnect with brothers and sisters in arms and build new connections

We believe that travel can be a powerful tool for healing, growth, and community building, and we are committed to helping those who have served our country to access the resources they need to thrive.

For more information, visit our website.