military

Thank You Veterans

I’m sharing the post from the National Day of Calendar about National Yellow Bat Day. It was information I didn’t know. Thank you to all our veterans from any time period. The U.S. might not be perfect, but it sure is a grand country and I am proud to be part of it.

April 21st honors National Yellow Bat Day. On this day in 1967, the 265th Army Security Agency Company (Airborne) with the 101st Airborne Division was activated at Fort Campbell, Kentucky.

The official insignia of the 265th is a bat with outstretched wings on a full moon rising with the motto Through the Night below. Symbolically the bat represents mystery and secrecy due to its nocturnal nature, which well describes the intelligence support provided by the Army Security Agency Battalion.

Before deploying, all the military vehicles and equipment were painted with a yellow bat symbol which was clearly visible from a distance and aided in the identification of all unit equipment.

On November 19th of the same year, they were deployed to Vietnam with the designation 265th Radio Research Company (Airborne) to provide intelligence support to the 101st Airborne Division. Arriving a few weeks ahead of the Viet Cong Tet Offensive, they soon learned of the of the North Vietnamese campaign, but few commanders would believe the intelligence.

January 31st on the Vietnamese calendar, Tet, is the celebration of the lunar new year and is considered a most important holiday. During the conflict between North and South Vietnam, there had been a long-standing, informal truce on this day.

General Vo Nguyen Giap, commander of the North Vietnamese, was prepared to ring in the lunar new year with a series of coordinated attacks, to break the informal truce.

Doug Bonnot, who was assigned to the 265th RRC (ABN) Operations NCOIC in the spring of 1970 and author of The Sentinel and the Shooter says,”The offensive would come as a surprise to many but personnel of the 265th RRC (ABN) were manning their sector defensive perimeter of Bien Hoa Air Base, along with the very few small units that believed their intelligence reports, some 12 hours before the Tet Offensive was launched.”

The Viet Cong never breached these positions, and the Battle Flag of D: 275th Viet Cong Battalion hangs in the Sentinel Museum today.

The Sentinel Museum is a traveling museum which is designed to provide insight into the Vietnam conflict and awareness of the contributions of the 265th Radio Research Company. The 265th’s activities were highly classified, and the sacrifices of these honorable men cloaked in secrecy until decades after the end of the war. Even today the general public is unaware of these men who worked in the shadows providing silent and ceaseless support to the infantry soldier during the Vietnam War. The Yellow Bat is a symbol of their secrecy and their service, through the night.

HISTORY

National Yellow Bat Day was submitted by Doug Bonnot, President of the Sentinel Chapter of the 101st Airborne Association. He and the chapter members are all 265th RRC (ABN) personnel. The Registrar at National Day Calendar approved the day in 2016. For more information on National Yellow Bat Day or the Sentinel Chapter of the 101st Airborne Association, please write to Sentinel Chapter, PO Box 205, Telford, TN 37690.

04/21/2017 2

Pearl Harbor Day

National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is observed across the nation this day in honor of all those who lost their lives serving this nation at Pearl Harbor. There were more than 3,500 Americans who lost their lives or were wounded on that solemn day.

Think about that number for a minute. 3,500 Americans. That’s a lot of people! Each one of those people had families, neighbors, school friends, and home-town acquaintances that were emotionally stunned by the loss. The fact the attack happened on our own soil also had a profound effect. No wonder most able-bodied young men, and women, signed up to fight for our country. The American populace understood why we needed to get involved.

I have the privilege of spending one morning a month with a WWII veteran in a writing group I belong to. He tells how a military member at that time had to earn points in order to be discharged from service, and he was one of the Americans that helped regain control of Rome for the allies. His history lessons are fascinating. He still wonders, 70 years later, why he was lucky enough to come home.

If you have young people in your life that think WWII happened on another planet, in another time, because it was soooo long ago, please take a minute today and share some of your, or your parents, memories of what happened after the Pearl Harbor attack. It was a time when national pride was fierce and respect for our nation and it’s government was a given. Maybe even add a bit about that’s why we stand and place our hand over our heart when the National Anthem is played. It’s a sign of respect, unification and loyalty.

Thank you to our veterans that keep us free.

12/07/2016 0

Thank a Veteran

Today is Veterans Day. I will be spending the evening with a special group of Veterans who are my personal friends. We belong to the Rochester (NY) Veterans Writing Group. Following is part of my portfolio that is on our web-sight page:

When we gather, we catch up on each other’s news and then write for about twenty minutes from a prompt sheet that gets our ideas forming. There are usually four prompts provided by one of our facilitators. After writing, each person reads aloud what he or she has written. Members of the group then offer constructive criticism on how to improve semantics. Suggestions are made for extending the piece into an essay, short story, or whatever. That’s the plan.

This is what really happens; most of us have chosen a prompt that requires a walk down memory lane: it can be a poignant memory with a good, or not so good, outcome while in the military; a humorous escapade from childhood or adult life; something a loved one did or experienced; a subject we feel strongly about and why; or sharing what losing a loved one feels like. After each person reads, the others acknowledge that the emotions shared are legitimate, worthy, and acceptable. The military brotherhood understands the range of feelings and the impact of PTSD. It’s a safe place to share. Personally, I always need my box of tissues; that’s just how I’m wired. Funny, I can talk about a situation, but when I read my own writing, I cry. Sometimes it’s embarrassing.

The number that attends the group ebbs and flows. There can be as many as twelve people and sometimes only five. Most attendees have served in a branch (or two) of the U.S. military and others have close affiliations to a current or past military member. There are no rules other than to have a desire to write, share, and learn. And, it’s free.

Attending this group for over a year now has given me some remarkable gains — friends, understanding, and knowledge. I am part of the tribe and I belong.

My husband is a veteran, as is the father of my children. I pay close attention to the Veterans who are my Facebook friends and vote the way they do because I trust their judgement. They have paid the price for the freedoms we enjoy in this country. May I suggest, today and every day; Thank a Veteran.

11/11/2016 1

Happy Birthday USMC

Happy Birthday to the United States Marine Corps!

I have a lot of connections to the military in this great country. I can name people who I know both past and present in all branches of the service, except the Marine Corps. I never thought of that until today. My lawyer’s son is a marine but I don’t know him personally. Funny how that works. I wonder why the marines are avoiding me?

If you are at all familiar with my blog, you know I am pro-military because I believe our United States would not be what it is today without them. Yes, sometimes our government gets us involved in fights we don’t think are ours, and we lose young men and women for no apparent good reason. I have trouble with that too. But, think about the fact that it is us as a country that is looked to for help. We are strong enough and big enough to help others. It’s part of our job as a super-power.

The presidential election was two days ago, and we now have people protesting and rioting in the streets because of who won. This is sad and scary. I was raised to give a person a chance to sink or swim before passing judgement. If the protesters are also being destructive, aren’t they part of the problem instead of the solution. I’m all for freedom of speech, but please folks, wake up! Destruction and failure to cooperate is only making the problem worse.

Do I believe our president-elect has what it takes to be a strong, good president, able to keep us in a position of power? I have no idea. But he sure won’t get there with his constituents tearing apart the cities and causing more problems for the police and their neighbors. Let’s hope the “educated” that disagree with the outcome of the election come to their senses before the Marines get called out to work on their birthday.

Peace!

11/10/2016 0

Day of the Deployed and the Family too

National Day of the Deployed honors all of the brave men and woman who have been deployed, are sacrificing, or have sacrificed their lives to defend our country. The day also acknowledges their families who are separated from them during deployment and the sacrifices they make in order for their family members to serve our country.

WOW! A military recognition day that also honors the family left at home. I’ve been in that position and it isn’t easy! You function as a single parent the best you can (and get used to being in charge) then your spouse returns home, and thinks he is in charge. It’s always an adjustment to relearn how to share the responsibilities of the family and household. Today, it’s almost as common to have the Mom gone instead of the Dad. I would guess that’s even more difficult if the separation is for a long time.

When my nephew was deployed during Dessert Storm, I sent him the Sunday comics each week. I got more than one letter of thanks, and it is still mentioned at the holiday dinner table. He laughs, “If I had been a drinking man, I would have charged rent on them. As it was, there became a pecking order of who got to read them when I was finished. They got passed along until they were tattered.” Those funny papers were a touch of American life and home for the guys deployed.

I recently attended a church service where a young man was recognized before being deployed to Iraq the following week. He told us he would be back in a year, if all went well. I hate to admit, when we said good-bye to Dillon, we were all thinking, I hope you do come back. It made sending him off a little harder to do.

These days the deployed can communicate much easier with home via cell phones and Skype. I thought it would make deployment easier on both sides, but a good friend, a Captain in the Army, told me it makes it more difficult for some, because the parent at home shares all the troubles (car won’t start, mother-in-law didn’t send a birthday card, child is acting out because they don’t understand where Dad/Mom is) and the person deployed can’t do anything from so far away except feel guilty for not being there. As I said, it isn’t easy.

If you know someone who is deployed, may I suggest you take the time to send them a card or stop by their house and ask the family if they need something done. I promise, they will appreciate knowing someone recognizes the sacrifice they are making for the U.S.A.

10/26/2016 0

VFW or Coffee? Why Not Both?

September 29, is National VFW Day and National Coffee Day. It was hard to choose which to write about, so I decided to do a little of both.

The VFW was established on September 29, 1899, by a group of veterans from the Spanish-American War and the Philippine Insurrection. It has since grown to be the nation’s largest group of combat veterans. They continue “to honor the dead by helping the living.” The VFW promote patriotism, good will and youth scholarships. They also provide military assistance and community service programs, promote youth activities and volunteer many hours in their local communities.

VFW membership since its inception has been instrumental in the establishment of the Veterans Administration, the creation of the national cemetery system and passage of the GI Bill. Through the VFW, veterans honor veterans and serve their communities. On National VFW Day, take a moment to recognize all the VFW does in your community.

I borrowed those two paragraphs from the National Day of calendar because I wanted to share the background of the organization and what it does. The one common statement I keep hearing in the Veteran’s Writing group I attend is that the military is a brotherhood, in combat you take care of the guy next to you because you have to and he does the same for you. People that have never served will never understand that brotherhood and when a military person leaves service that is often what they miss most, someone they can talk to that “gets it.” The VFW provides that unified group working together for the good of others. The American Legion is another brotherhood of veterans. They have my utmost respect and you can bet they all stand at attention when the National Anthem is played!

On to coffee…before someone doth protest….American’s are obsessed with coffee, why do you think we have a Starbuck’s, Dunkin Donut’s, and Tim Horton’s on every other corner. And we all know about McDonald’s extra hot coffee. Personally, I make mine at home and take it with me. I’d rather spend five dollars on a single serving of ice cream. We all have our priorities.

May I suggest, to celebrate VFW Day and Coffee Day, you share a cuppa with a vet and say, thank you.

09/28/2016 0

Sue Spitulnik

Writing, Sewing, Travel, and Thoughts

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