Trying once more to get military compensation costs "under control," the Obama administration has asked Congress to cap annual active duty and reserve component pay raises, and to phase in over four years a complex formula for raising TRICARE fees on retirees of all ages and their families.
The five-year budget plan unveiled Wednesday proposes that annual pay raises be held at one percent from 2014 through 2016 and be raised to 1.5 percent in 2017 and to 2.5 percent in 2018, said Robert Hale, the Department of Defense's under secretary and comptroller.
The first year's pay cap alone, which would trim just eight-tenths of a percentage point off a scheduled 1.8 percent increase to match of private sector wage growth, would save $540 million in 2014 and $3.5 billion through 2018, officials said.
As in years past, the administration seeks to cut health costs by having retirees and families pay more under all three options of TRICARE.
Here are details of these proposals:
TRICARE Prime – The current family enrollment fee of $539 for working-age retirees (under age 65) would increase next year to equal 2.95 percent of the individual's gross retired pay. But for 2014 the fee would be subject to an annual minimum, or floor, of $548 and a ceiling of $750 ($900 for flag officers). The fee would be raised to 3.3 percent of gross retired pay in 2015 with a floor of $558 and ceiling of $900 ($1200 for flag); 3.65 percent in 2016 with floor of $569 and ceiling of $1050 ($1500 for flag); and so on until reaching 4 percent of gross retired pay in 2018 with a floor of $594 and ceiling of $1226 ($1840 for flag).
Fees for single coverage would be half these amounts.
TRICARE Standard/Extra – For the first time, users of these options would face an annual enrollment fee, starting at $70 for single coverage or $140 for family, and rising each year until reaching $125 (individual) and $250 (family) in 2018. Also, the current annual deductible of $150 (individual) and $300 (family) would gradually increase, starting in 2014 and until it reached $290 (individual) and $580 (family) in 2018.
Adjustments – After 2018, all TRICARE enrollment fees, floors and ceilings, and deductibles for retirees would climb yearly by the same percentage increase of cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs) for military retired pay to keep pace with inflation.
TRICARE for Life – Beneficiaries 65 and older can use TRICARE for Life as a golden supplement to Medicare. Officials said a comparable individual policy in 2009 would cost $2100 in the private sector. So, they reason, military elderly should at least pay a small enrollment fee. But these changes would be grandfathered to impact only retirees who become TFL beneficiaries after enactment.
The fee would equal one half of one percentage point of gross retired pay in 2014; one percent in 2015; 1.5 percent in 2016, and two percent in 2017 and in 2018. But the fees would have ceilings: no more $150 a year in 2014; no more than $300 in 2015, $450 in 2016, $600 in 2017 and no more than $618 in 2018. Flag officers would face higher ceilings though not substantial. After 2017, these fees would be adjusted by the percentage of retiree COLAs.
Pharmacy Fees – The administration wants to follow last year's increases in pharmacy co-pays with additional increases phased in to encourage greater use of mail order and generic drugs.
Catastrophic Cap – The current cap on total out-of-pocket costs TRICARE costs of $3000 a year would be raised for retirees in two ways: by excluding any TRICARE enrollment fees from counting toward the cap; and by raising the cap annually by the percentage of retiree COLA.
Officials hope tying the size of fees to level of retired pay will soften resistance in Congress. Also, this year's plan would exempt from any fee increases the survivors of members who die on active duty and persons medically retired from service. And the department no longer is asking that TRICARE fees be adjusted annually based on medical inflation.
That concession to use retiree COLAs instead might be less than it appears. The Obama budget proposes, as part of a larger debt-reduction deal, that all federal COLAs, including for social security, veteran benefits and retirement plans, switch to a "chain" Consumer Price Index to measure inflation. This CPI would save the billions of dollars annually by shaving every COLA by a fraction of a percentage point.
Obama's support for it is conditional; Republicans must agree to close some corporate tax loopholes and to raise taxes on the wealthy. Still, Obama support of chain CPI has drawn fire from some Democrats and liberals in Congress. Sen. Bernie Sanders, an independent from Vermont who chairs the veterans affairs committee, added language to the Senate's non-binding budget resolution to oppose it. If the chain CPI is adopted, said Sanders, "veterans who started receiving VA disability benefits at age 30 would have their benefits reduced by $1,425 [a year by] age 45."
In unveiling the 2014 defense budget request, Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said the smaller pay raises and TRICARE changes would save $1.4 billion next year and $12.8 billion over just five years. The TRICARE changes, he said, would "bring the beneficiary's cost-share closer to the levels envisioned when the program was first implemented."
In 1996, officials said, retirees covered 27 percent of total TRICARE costs with enrollment fees, deductibles or co-payments. Today, their out-of-pocket costs cover only 11 percent.
Asked to recall how hard it was to vote for higher TRICARE fees when he was a senator, Hagel said times are different now. When he left Congress in 2009 the global financial crisis was just beginning. Today, the Department of Defense is struggling with $41 billion in automatic cuts this year from budget sequestration. It faces $500 billion in more cuts over the next decade if the administration and Congress can't partner on a solution.
The $527 billion defense budget for 2014 assumes that a large debt-reduction deal is reached and sequestration ends. The defense share of the deal would be $150 billion in cuts over the decade versus $500 billion under sequestration. If slowing compensation growth isn't as part of that $150 billion cut, Defense officials said, deeper force cuts are inevitable.
Sunday, December 29, 2013
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Merry Christmas - From Special Forces Association Chapter IX, the Isaac Camcho Chapter, El Paso, Texas
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Chapter IX held it's annual Christmas Party this year on Saturday 21 December at VFW Post 812. Every second year the Chapter seats the new officers. This year the Chapter voted unanimously to keep the present board and in all their glory they are, from L to R above: Chaplain John Szilvasy, Vice-President Steve Franzoni, President Pete Peral, Secretary Bill Snider, Treasurer Jose Ibarra, and Chapter namesake Ike Camacho who gave the oath of office.
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Chapter hosted approximately 100 attendees to the catered party with live music provided by Chapter IX Honorary Member Tony Lara and his live band, the Villa Band. Ike Camacho and Pete Peral (picture at right) led off the entertainment with a rendition of the Ballad of the Green Beret. It is at times like this where the Chapter missing the voice (and personality) of Jerry Rainey, who was no doubt looking down upon the proceedings from the base camp in the sky.
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Merry Christmas and please members our service members who are not at home this Christmas as they risk their lives to defend our Freedoms in faraway places.
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Major Coventry, Rhodesian SAS - a Bucket of Balls and Backbone
From the article "A Bucket of Balls & Backbone like a Boss- Maj. Coventry, Rhodesian SAS", posted by Breech, Bang and Clear
This is Edgar Walter Dudley Coventry. At the time he was Officer Commanding (that's how they put it; we would say Commanding Officer), D Company Rhodesian Volunteer Battalion. He received his commission as a Lieutenant in 1938 and volunteered for duty in Finland, where he fought during the Talvisota or Winter War (if you don't know anything about it and you're interested in military history, read up on it - Frozen Hell is a great book).
Afterward he joined 5 Cdo (5 Commando) and the Allied Command "Special Raiding Forces Middle East" from 1944-45. There were 17 Commandos - as in a type of unit - deployed by Great Britain during WWII, fighting across every theater; Raiding Forces ME was established in OCT '43 and was composed of Commandos, Special Boat Service, the Greek Sacred Squadron, the Long Range Desert Group, other specialized groups the Raiding Support Regiment.
"The Rhodesians waged a campaign of extreme military professionalism that will deserve a place in the world's Staff College courses for many years to come." - John Keegan
In 1946 he transferred to the Parachute Regiment and went on to serve in the Independent Parachute Squadron and ultimately C Squadron (Rhodesian) SAS. During the Malayan Emergency at the age of 41 he was awarded Mention in Dispatches (MID), 1956. The MID is a commendation for meritorious service or gallantry.
He went on to serve in the RLI (Rhodesian Light Infantry) and commanded C Squadron Rhodesian SAS in 1963 and went on to serve in the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organization in 1970. He was wounded in action several times in Rhodesia and then again as a Lieutenant Colonel commanding the Zimbabwe SAS.
During one combat operation Maj. Dudley Coventry, then 72 years of age, jumped with the Zimbabwe Parachute Battalion in Mozambique armed with only a walking stick and a Browning semi-automatic pistol. Bucket of balls and backbone. Maj. Coventry was a warrior.
This is Edgar Walter Dudley Coventry. At the time he was Officer Commanding (that's how they put it; we would say Commanding Officer), D Company Rhodesian Volunteer Battalion. He received his commission as a Lieutenant in 1938 and volunteered for duty in Finland, where he fought during the Talvisota or Winter War (if you don't know anything about it and you're interested in military history, read up on it - Frozen Hell is a great book).
Afterward he joined 5 Cdo (5 Commando) and the Allied Command "Special Raiding Forces Middle East" from 1944-45. There were 17 Commandos - as in a type of unit - deployed by Great Britain during WWII, fighting across every theater; Raiding Forces ME was established in OCT '43 and was composed of Commandos, Special Boat Service, the Greek Sacred Squadron, the Long Range Desert Group, other specialized groups the Raiding Support Regiment.
"The Rhodesians waged a campaign of extreme military professionalism that will deserve a place in the world's Staff College courses for many years to come." - John Keegan
In 1946 he transferred to the Parachute Regiment and went on to serve in the Independent Parachute Squadron and ultimately C Squadron (Rhodesian) SAS. During the Malayan Emergency at the age of 41 he was awarded Mention in Dispatches (MID), 1956. The MID is a commendation for meritorious service or gallantry.
He went on to serve in the RLI (Rhodesian Light Infantry) and commanded C Squadron Rhodesian SAS in 1963 and went on to serve in the Rhodesian Central Intelligence Organization in 1970. He was wounded in action several times in Rhodesia and then again as a Lieutenant Colonel commanding the Zimbabwe SAS.
During one combat operation Maj. Dudley Coventry, then 72 years of age, jumped with the Zimbabwe Parachute Battalion in Mozambique armed with only a walking stick and a Browning semi-automatic pistol. Bucket of balls and backbone. Maj. Coventry was a warrior.
Sunday, December 15, 2013
1st SF Group Airborne Operation Video
Great Video on 1st Special Forces Group making Static Line and HALO jumps into Japan.
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Vietnam - Green Berets and Nungs
Great article mentioning SFA Chapter IX's own Joe "China Boy" Lopez written in an article by Major John F. Mullins, U.S. Army Special Forces (Ret.) and
published on SOF Magazine on-line.
In the period May 1966 to March 1967 the men of Special Forces Detachment A- 302 were awarded one Medal of Honor, three Distinguished Service Crosses, twelve Silver Stars, eleven Bronze Stars for Valor, and seventeen Purple Hearts, making it quite possibly the most decorated small unit in U.S. Army history. This for a unit that seldom had more than nine men operational at any given time.
Eight of the Purple Hearts were posthumous awards. During this period the men of A-302 and their indigenous troopers, known as Nungs, took part in every major battle in III Corps Tactical Zone, and a lot of smaller ones that nobody has ever heard of. They fought Main Force Viet Cong, North Vietnamese regulars, and all too often, poor leadership and downright stupidity on the part of “Regular Army”. They were known as the Mobile Strike Force, most often shortened to “Mike Force”.
This is the story of only one of those battles.
The formation of the Mike Forces was the result of a stark truth that had been shoved into the faces of the Special Forces A Detachments that were scattered in some 80 fighting camps throughout Vietnam. If you got into trouble, nobody was going to help you. Most Viet Cong attacks took place at night, for obvious reasons. The South Vietnamese Army didn’t fight at night. By the time ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) units got around to reinforcing you, the action was likely over. Places like Nam Dong and Dong Xoai had learned that lesson all too well; only the stubborn resistance of a handful of Special Forces troops saving the camps from utter annihilation – as witnessed by the fact that Captain Roger Donlon at the former and Lieutenant Charles Quincy Williams at the latter were awarded the first and second Medals of Honor of the Vietnam Conflict.
III Corps Tactical Zone Camps Besieged
By the summer of 1965, the camps in the III Corps Tactical Zone (III CTZ) had been particularly hard hit. III CTZ ran from the bottom of the Central Highlands to the top of the Mekong Delta, and from the Cambodian border to the South China Sea. It included the capital city of Saigon as well as a number of other heavily populated cities and villages. It was a priority target for the Viet Cong and, increasingly, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). Many of the fighting camps in the III CTZ were located squarely athwart the major supply route from the Cambodian border to Saigon and thus became the primary targets for the summer offensive that the Viet Cong hoped would win them the war before the major part of the American troops now arriving in country could foil their plans.
The Special Forces had been looking toward the American troops too, but for different reasons. ARVN couldn’t be counted on to help when needed, but surely the much better equipped, trained and motivated fellow Americans could.
The Green Berets found out pretty quickly that wasn’t necessarily the case. The history of the war in Vietnam is replete with cases of American conventional forces refusing to come to the aid of the beleaguered fighting camps, at least in anything like a timely manner. Many ascribed it to the dislike shared by so many regular army officers for the men they regarded as elitist cowboys. Far more likely is that it was a result of the casualty- averse policy of the American Army. It sounded hardhearted, and it was, but the math was inescapable. If a camp got completely wiped out, at worst you would lose twelve American soldiers; whereas if you mounted a rescue and ran into a Viet Cong ambush, you were likely to lose dozens, perhaps scores more. In a war where propaganda victories counted for more than battlefield success, the enemy fully understood the effect of more and more coffins returning to the United
The Fierce Chinese Nung Mercenary Force
Special Forces needed their own dedicated reaction forces, but where would they get them? There weren’t enough Green Berets available to fully staff the fighting camps, far less provide the manpower necessary for an effective reaction force. Indigenous troops led by a Special Forces cadre were an obvious answer, but where would they get reliable, hardy troops who would actually fight? No one was impressed with the soldierly quality of the South Vietnamese – a constant question was how could the Viet Cong fight so well and their adversaries so poorly?
By 1965 Special Forces troops had been in Vietnam for nearly five years and had formed some pretty good ideas about whom they could depend on. One group that often came to mind was the Nungs. The Nungs were ethnic Chinese who had, at various times, fled that country and had settled in and around Cholon, a suburb of Saigon. Recruited by Special Forces advisors, paid far more than their ARVN counterparts, and properly led, they had established a reputation as dependable, fierce fighters who could more than hold their own against the Viet Cong.
Many of them were already in service, as camp guard forces, forming some of the Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) companies in various “A” camps, or acting as bodyguards for important people. More could be recruited and trained. The nucleus was a company of Nung CIDG troops who had survived a fierce battle at Special Forces Camp Ben Cat, located adjacent to War Zones C and D, at the edge of the infamous “Iron Triangle.” Led by Captain (later Brigadier General) Joseph Stringham, the Nungs were given less than two weeks to recruit new troops, issue equipment, train, and be ready to fight.
Fight they did, in places like Bu Gia Map, Bu Dop, and Loc Ninh. Oftentimes the intelligence that the Mike Force had reinforced a camp was enough to convince the VC to shift their attention elsewhere. When it didn’t, the Mike Forces’ fighting spirit and leadership were enough to bloody the nose of units far larger than they, even though they were not only outnumbered but outgunned as well. The Mike Force was armed with American weapons left over from past wars. In the early days of Special Forces involvement, when the CIDG program was still under the authority of the CIA’s Combined Study Division, a bewildering plethora of German, Danish, Swedish, French, English, and even obsolete Soviet weapons had been purchased from arms dealers all over the world.
The author’s own experience at Loc Ninh Camp in 1963 found him having to train Cambodian troopers armed with Schmeisser MP-40s, Danish Madsens, Swedish Ks, KAR 98s, French MAT-49s, Thompsons, Grease Guns, 1919A6 machineguns, MG-42s, BARs, M1 Garands, and M1 and M2 .30 caliber carbines. Imagine, if you will, the logistics of having to supply all the different types of ammunition.
If You Came to This Country to Die, the Mike Force Is the Place to do It As time went on the exotic weapons went to village defense forces and the CIDG settled on obsolete American guns. The M1 Garand, an excellent weapon, was simply too much gun for the small-in-stature indigenous forces, so by the time the Mike Forces were formed almost every trooper was armed with an M1 or M2 carbine. Readers familiar with the weapon know that it was primarily intended for officers and senior enlisted personnel, and rear area troops. The .30 caliber carbine fired essentially a glorified pistol round. This against main force Viet Cong and North Vietnamese units armed with the SKS and the AK-47.
The successful actions of III Corps Mike Force proved the concept, and shortly thereafter 5th Special Forces Group Headquarters directed the other CTZs to form their own Mike Forces. Another Mike Force formed and stationed at the Nha Trang headquarters was kept in readiness to respond country-wide. With the fighting camp situation now somewhat stabilized (though there would be further fierce battles, particularly at the border camps), the emphasis now shifted from defensive to offensive operations. With that shift came the inevitable increase in body count. As Captain Tom Myerchin, commander of III Corps Mike Force during many of the most ferocious battles related, “When I got to Nha Trang I asked about the Mike Force. I was told that, if you came to this country to die, the Mike Force is a good place to do it.”
On 1 November 1966, the Mike Force had been patrolling around Loc Ninh Camp, close to the Cambodian border, in response to intelligence that the Viet Cong intended to overrun the camp just prior to the scheduled South Vietnamese elections. As so often happened, the threat didn’t materialize, whether from bad intelligence, the VC realizing they couldn’t do it, or another unknown reason. But new intelligence indicated a threat against Camp Soui Da, another frequent visiting spot for the China Boys. After some message confusion the three companies that made up the unit were assembled and air lifted to Soui Da.
In overall command of this battalion-size unit was Captain Tom Meyerchin. First Company—China Boy 1—was commanded by SFC Joe Lopez, who would forever be tagged in Special Forces circles as “China Boy Joe,” was assisted by SSG José Garza. SFC James Edgell, a Korean War vet, commanded second company—China Boy 2. Sergeant Paul Taylor, a medic, was his second in command (2IC).
Third company—China Boy 3—had SFC James N. Finn, with SFC George Heaps as his 2IC, and SSG James P. Monaghan, as Irish as you can get and later a legend in his own right, filling out the command structure. Heaps had been CB-3 commander, but was getting ready to rotate and was taking the number two slot while Finn was getting broken in.
“Find and Fix the Enemy”
All three companies were helicopter-inserted into clearings surrounded by second-growth jungle in the Soui Da area. Their insertion points were six to seven kilometers away from one another. This in itself was not unusual. Their mission was to “find and fix the enemy,” whereupon other assets—air, artillery, conventional army troops—would destroy them. More important, at least in the opinion of the Mike Force leaders, was that it cut down on the possibility of fratricide, which could happen when one unit stumbled upon another.
CB-1, despite being the second one inserted, made the first contact. It collided with a VC company marching in the same direction and a fierce, but short, firefight ensued. No casualties were taken by First Company and none, to anyone’s knowledge, were inflicted on the enemy. This, too, was not unusual. The enemy made every effort to disguise his losses, dragging off not only the dead but often the wounded, with hooks made for that purpose. CB-3 was by then having its own fight, and the outcome was different. Four Nungs were wounded, and Jimmy Monaghan was hit first in his right arm. Then a round hit his M-16, shattering the stock and driving pieces of plastic deep into his right hand, rendering both the weapon and his hand useless. Now the priority became getting the wounded out. When the call came out for a medevac and there weren’t any dedicated Dustoff ships in the area, helicopters on other missions would often divert to pick up the wounded. A bird on a “milk run” from Bien Hoa heard the call and was soon marking smoke and landing on the tiny LZ. Then came one of those circumstances that was completely unforeseen, unplanned, and immensely important.
SSG William Balt Hunt was aboard the chopper. He’d just returned from R&R in Hong Kong and had hopped on board when he found out that the chopper was making an administrative run to his “A” Camp at Soui Da. Hunt was not a member of the Mike Force at all, but soon became one.
Monaghan says, “The pilot told us the chopper was overloaded. I started to get off. Hunt stopped me, said he’d take my place. I gave him my web gear. He was unarmed and my weapon was useless, but nonetheless he was determined to help. He grabbed one of the carbines from a Nung who was being evacuated with me. He asked me to take the Christmas presents he’d bought in Hong Kong and make sure they got to his wife and kids. I promised that I would. That was the last I saw of him.” Forty-four years later that decision still haunts Jimmy Monaghan.
Hunt had been on the author’s team back in the newly-formed 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg. He was a big guy, over six feet, heavily built. Not one to push himself on you, but when needed, he was always there. Now his presence seemed to energize the beaten-up company. The Nungs of CB-3 took to him immediately. With renewed sense of purpose they moved forth to battle the Cong.
Later that day CB-1 ran into the VC again, and a sharp firefight ensued. SSG Garza took a round to his buttocks, which doesn’t sound bad, unless you’ve been shot in the butt. Immediate swelling ensues and walking becomes well-nigh impossible. During this engagement seven Nungs were killed. Lopez called for a medevac, Garza and the dead were loaded out, and Lopez continued mission, now the only American. After that the night passed uneventfully. The next morning the company ran into a minefield and one Nung was killed and three others wounded. Yet another medevac was called. An hour later the chopper arrived overhead, only to be greeted with a volley of small arms fire. The ensuing crash killed one crewman and wounded three others. That pretty much put paid to First Company’s day, what with pushing out the perimeter and engaging in sporadic, but sharp, firefights with the VC while yet another medevac came in and took out the casualties.
At this point one should mention the work the Air Force was doing to keep the China Boys alive. Forward air controllers (FACs) were constantly overhead, bringing in what passed as the wrath of God on the VC. It was a delicate ballet, coordinating strikes from F-100 SuperSabres, C-47 Gunships (the ancestors of today’s AC-130 Spectre), Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) Douglas A-1E Skyraiders, F-4 Phantoms, and Army heavy gunships, all with different flight characteristics, all with different ordnance. At times, and this would be one as well, the FACs had planes stacked from fifteen thousand feet to thirty thousand feet, making lazyeights, waiting their turn to drop ordnance. During the entire war there wasn’t a Special Forces detachment bar where FACs could buy their own drinks. The FACs were coordinating the strikes through the air liaison office at Bien Hoa. The pilot of one of the F-100s overhead was Captain Mark Berent. Berent had a special feel for the Mike Force, having decided once assigned to the job to find out exactly what the Mike Force did. Flouting custom, and possibly some Air Force regulations, he talked his way into a combat patrol with the unit. From then on he was the best friend they ever had.
Viet Cong Ambush
CB-3 (Finn, Heaps, and now Hunt) was having its own problems. Early afternoon they came upon an enemy base camp, the biggest and most sophisticated the Nungs had ever seen, even those who had fought the Viet Minh during the French Indochina War. Completely bunkered in, it had hospital facilities, a motor pool with trucks, generators, ammunition and supply dumps – clearly the enemy was here in force, and intended to stay. The complex was guarded by a platoon-size security force, which reacted with unaccustomed ferocity. The Viet Cong tended to fight first and then fade away. These guys weren’t fading anywhere.
The Nungs wisely retired and called in air strikes. As they waited they suffered under mortar fire from the complex, as well as machinegun fire from at least a couple of Viet Cong squads who had trailed after them. Four Nungs were wounded. Sergeant Finn moved forward to treat them, all the while under such heavy fire that one of the Nungs was wounded again as Finn worked on him. He directed CB-3 to increase the distance between them and the complex, remaining behind and coordinating the retreat until contact was finally broken. The FAC overhead was directing flights of F-100s out of Bien Hoa, striking on both sides of the column with 20mm cannon as they retreated. “Pour it on them!” CB-3 said. “I can hear them screaming.”
The air strike allowed the Nungs to back off more, making it to a small clearing where they hoped to be extracted. It was not to be. They would have to wait until morning. A lone chopper came in, took out casualties, and dropped off food and ammunition. They settled in for the night. They could hear digging just outside their perimeter. Finn and Heaps knew that meant that the enemy was not going to fade away, as so often happened in this war. They were preparing for the air strikes and indirect fire that would be coming their way when they got ready to assault. Finn was breaking out the ammunition and was in the process of distributing it when two companies of North Vietnamese attacked. Under withering automatic weapons fire Finn ran for a foxhole. He didn’t make it. He was hit in the head, dying immediately.
Command now went to George Heaps. Heaps was a Special Forces medic, one of that special breed of warrior/ healers. By the time an SF medic has completed a combat tour he has more time in the field than anyone else on the team. Every patrol that goes out wants a medic with them. There are two medics on the team. That means that the medic is going to be cycled through at least every other patrol, while the weapons, demo, operations and intelligence, and communications NCOs can, at least theoretically, go out on every fourth or fifth operation. David Ryder, another China Boy hand who later distinguished himself in Project DELTA and SOG, states that, “I learned more about tactics from George Heaps than [from] anyone else in my entire career.”
To their credit, there was no panic among the Nungs despite the heavy casualties they were taking. A line of at least fifteen enemy soldiers mounted the first assault. They were mowed down. Then came another forty, supported by well-sited heavy machineguns. Heaps got on the radio to Captain Myerchin and asked for help. Within thirty minutes tactical air was again striking the North Vietnamese with napalm, fragmentation bombs ranging from 1,000 to 250 pounds, cluster bomb units (CBUs), and rockets. Huey gunships from the 1st Infantry Division got into the act, trying to blast a way clear for the Nungs to get out of there.
In the period May 1966 to March 1967 the men of Special Forces Detachment A- 302 were awarded one Medal of Honor, three Distinguished Service Crosses, twelve Silver Stars, eleven Bronze Stars for Valor, and seventeen Purple Hearts, making it quite possibly the most decorated small unit in U.S. Army history. This for a unit that seldom had more than nine men operational at any given time.
Eight of the Purple Hearts were posthumous awards. During this period the men of A-302 and their indigenous troopers, known as Nungs, took part in every major battle in III Corps Tactical Zone, and a lot of smaller ones that nobody has ever heard of. They fought Main Force Viet Cong, North Vietnamese regulars, and all too often, poor leadership and downright stupidity on the part of “Regular Army”. They were known as the Mobile Strike Force, most often shortened to “Mike Force”.
This is the story of only one of those battles.
The formation of the Mike Forces was the result of a stark truth that had been shoved into the faces of the Special Forces A Detachments that were scattered in some 80 fighting camps throughout Vietnam. If you got into trouble, nobody was going to help you. Most Viet Cong attacks took place at night, for obvious reasons. The South Vietnamese Army didn’t fight at night. By the time ARVN (Army of the Republic of Vietnam) units got around to reinforcing you, the action was likely over. Places like Nam Dong and Dong Xoai had learned that lesson all too well; only the stubborn resistance of a handful of Special Forces troops saving the camps from utter annihilation – as witnessed by the fact that Captain Roger Donlon at the former and Lieutenant Charles Quincy Williams at the latter were awarded the first and second Medals of Honor of the Vietnam Conflict.
III Corps Tactical Zone Camps Besieged
By the summer of 1965, the camps in the III Corps Tactical Zone (III CTZ) had been particularly hard hit. III CTZ ran from the bottom of the Central Highlands to the top of the Mekong Delta, and from the Cambodian border to the South China Sea. It included the capital city of Saigon as well as a number of other heavily populated cities and villages. It was a priority target for the Viet Cong and, increasingly, the North Vietnamese Army (NVA). Many of the fighting camps in the III CTZ were located squarely athwart the major supply route from the Cambodian border to Saigon and thus became the primary targets for the summer offensive that the Viet Cong hoped would win them the war before the major part of the American troops now arriving in country could foil their plans.
The Special Forces had been looking toward the American troops too, but for different reasons. ARVN couldn’t be counted on to help when needed, but surely the much better equipped, trained and motivated fellow Americans could.
The Green Berets found out pretty quickly that wasn’t necessarily the case. The history of the war in Vietnam is replete with cases of American conventional forces refusing to come to the aid of the beleaguered fighting camps, at least in anything like a timely manner. Many ascribed it to the dislike shared by so many regular army officers for the men they regarded as elitist cowboys. Far more likely is that it was a result of the casualty- averse policy of the American Army. It sounded hardhearted, and it was, but the math was inescapable. If a camp got completely wiped out, at worst you would lose twelve American soldiers; whereas if you mounted a rescue and ran into a Viet Cong ambush, you were likely to lose dozens, perhaps scores more. In a war where propaganda victories counted for more than battlefield success, the enemy fully understood the effect of more and more coffins returning to the United
The Fierce Chinese Nung Mercenary Force
Special Forces needed their own dedicated reaction forces, but where would they get them? There weren’t enough Green Berets available to fully staff the fighting camps, far less provide the manpower necessary for an effective reaction force. Indigenous troops led by a Special Forces cadre were an obvious answer, but where would they get reliable, hardy troops who would actually fight? No one was impressed with the soldierly quality of the South Vietnamese – a constant question was how could the Viet Cong fight so well and their adversaries so poorly?
By 1965 Special Forces troops had been in Vietnam for nearly five years and had formed some pretty good ideas about whom they could depend on. One group that often came to mind was the Nungs. The Nungs were ethnic Chinese who had, at various times, fled that country and had settled in and around Cholon, a suburb of Saigon. Recruited by Special Forces advisors, paid far more than their ARVN counterparts, and properly led, they had established a reputation as dependable, fierce fighters who could more than hold their own against the Viet Cong.
Many of them were already in service, as camp guard forces, forming some of the Civilian Irregular Defense Group (CIDG) companies in various “A” camps, or acting as bodyguards for important people. More could be recruited and trained. The nucleus was a company of Nung CIDG troops who had survived a fierce battle at Special Forces Camp Ben Cat, located adjacent to War Zones C and D, at the edge of the infamous “Iron Triangle.” Led by Captain (later Brigadier General) Joseph Stringham, the Nungs were given less than two weeks to recruit new troops, issue equipment, train, and be ready to fight.
Fight they did, in places like Bu Gia Map, Bu Dop, and Loc Ninh. Oftentimes the intelligence that the Mike Force had reinforced a camp was enough to convince the VC to shift their attention elsewhere. When it didn’t, the Mike Forces’ fighting spirit and leadership were enough to bloody the nose of units far larger than they, even though they were not only outnumbered but outgunned as well. The Mike Force was armed with American weapons left over from past wars. In the early days of Special Forces involvement, when the CIDG program was still under the authority of the CIA’s Combined Study Division, a bewildering plethora of German, Danish, Swedish, French, English, and even obsolete Soviet weapons had been purchased from arms dealers all over the world.
The author’s own experience at Loc Ninh Camp in 1963 found him having to train Cambodian troopers armed with Schmeisser MP-40s, Danish Madsens, Swedish Ks, KAR 98s, French MAT-49s, Thompsons, Grease Guns, 1919A6 machineguns, MG-42s, BARs, M1 Garands, and M1 and M2 .30 caliber carbines. Imagine, if you will, the logistics of having to supply all the different types of ammunition.
If You Came to This Country to Die, the Mike Force Is the Place to do It As time went on the exotic weapons went to village defense forces and the CIDG settled on obsolete American guns. The M1 Garand, an excellent weapon, was simply too much gun for the small-in-stature indigenous forces, so by the time the Mike Forces were formed almost every trooper was armed with an M1 or M2 carbine. Readers familiar with the weapon know that it was primarily intended for officers and senior enlisted personnel, and rear area troops. The .30 caliber carbine fired essentially a glorified pistol round. This against main force Viet Cong and North Vietnamese units armed with the SKS and the AK-47.
The successful actions of III Corps Mike Force proved the concept, and shortly thereafter 5th Special Forces Group Headquarters directed the other CTZs to form their own Mike Forces. Another Mike Force formed and stationed at the Nha Trang headquarters was kept in readiness to respond country-wide. With the fighting camp situation now somewhat stabilized (though there would be further fierce battles, particularly at the border camps), the emphasis now shifted from defensive to offensive operations. With that shift came the inevitable increase in body count. As Captain Tom Myerchin, commander of III Corps Mike Force during many of the most ferocious battles related, “When I got to Nha Trang I asked about the Mike Force. I was told that, if you came to this country to die, the Mike Force is a good place to do it.”
On 1 November 1966, the Mike Force had been patrolling around Loc Ninh Camp, close to the Cambodian border, in response to intelligence that the Viet Cong intended to overrun the camp just prior to the scheduled South Vietnamese elections. As so often happened, the threat didn’t materialize, whether from bad intelligence, the VC realizing they couldn’t do it, or another unknown reason. But new intelligence indicated a threat against Camp Soui Da, another frequent visiting spot for the China Boys. After some message confusion the three companies that made up the unit were assembled and air lifted to Soui Da.
In overall command of this battalion-size unit was Captain Tom Meyerchin. First Company—China Boy 1—was commanded by SFC Joe Lopez, who would forever be tagged in Special Forces circles as “China Boy Joe,” was assisted by SSG José Garza. SFC James Edgell, a Korean War vet, commanded second company—China Boy 2. Sergeant Paul Taylor, a medic, was his second in command (2IC).
Third company—China Boy 3—had SFC James N. Finn, with SFC George Heaps as his 2IC, and SSG James P. Monaghan, as Irish as you can get and later a legend in his own right, filling out the command structure. Heaps had been CB-3 commander, but was getting ready to rotate and was taking the number two slot while Finn was getting broken in.
“Find and Fix the Enemy”
All three companies were helicopter-inserted into clearings surrounded by second-growth jungle in the Soui Da area. Their insertion points were six to seven kilometers away from one another. This in itself was not unusual. Their mission was to “find and fix the enemy,” whereupon other assets—air, artillery, conventional army troops—would destroy them. More important, at least in the opinion of the Mike Force leaders, was that it cut down on the possibility of fratricide, which could happen when one unit stumbled upon another.
CB-1, despite being the second one inserted, made the first contact. It collided with a VC company marching in the same direction and a fierce, but short, firefight ensued. No casualties were taken by First Company and none, to anyone’s knowledge, were inflicted on the enemy. This, too, was not unusual. The enemy made every effort to disguise his losses, dragging off not only the dead but often the wounded, with hooks made for that purpose. CB-3 was by then having its own fight, and the outcome was different. Four Nungs were wounded, and Jimmy Monaghan was hit first in his right arm. Then a round hit his M-16, shattering the stock and driving pieces of plastic deep into his right hand, rendering both the weapon and his hand useless. Now the priority became getting the wounded out. When the call came out for a medevac and there weren’t any dedicated Dustoff ships in the area, helicopters on other missions would often divert to pick up the wounded. A bird on a “milk run” from Bien Hoa heard the call and was soon marking smoke and landing on the tiny LZ. Then came one of those circumstances that was completely unforeseen, unplanned, and immensely important.
SSG William Balt Hunt was aboard the chopper. He’d just returned from R&R in Hong Kong and had hopped on board when he found out that the chopper was making an administrative run to his “A” Camp at Soui Da. Hunt was not a member of the Mike Force at all, but soon became one.
Monaghan says, “The pilot told us the chopper was overloaded. I started to get off. Hunt stopped me, said he’d take my place. I gave him my web gear. He was unarmed and my weapon was useless, but nonetheless he was determined to help. He grabbed one of the carbines from a Nung who was being evacuated with me. He asked me to take the Christmas presents he’d bought in Hong Kong and make sure they got to his wife and kids. I promised that I would. That was the last I saw of him.” Forty-four years later that decision still haunts Jimmy Monaghan.
Hunt had been on the author’s team back in the newly-formed 3rd Special Forces Group at Fort Bragg. He was a big guy, over six feet, heavily built. Not one to push himself on you, but when needed, he was always there. Now his presence seemed to energize the beaten-up company. The Nungs of CB-3 took to him immediately. With renewed sense of purpose they moved forth to battle the Cong.
Later that day CB-1 ran into the VC again, and a sharp firefight ensued. SSG Garza took a round to his buttocks, which doesn’t sound bad, unless you’ve been shot in the butt. Immediate swelling ensues and walking becomes well-nigh impossible. During this engagement seven Nungs were killed. Lopez called for a medevac, Garza and the dead were loaded out, and Lopez continued mission, now the only American. After that the night passed uneventfully. The next morning the company ran into a minefield and one Nung was killed and three others wounded. Yet another medevac was called. An hour later the chopper arrived overhead, only to be greeted with a volley of small arms fire. The ensuing crash killed one crewman and wounded three others. That pretty much put paid to First Company’s day, what with pushing out the perimeter and engaging in sporadic, but sharp, firefights with the VC while yet another medevac came in and took out the casualties.
At this point one should mention the work the Air Force was doing to keep the China Boys alive. Forward air controllers (FACs) were constantly overhead, bringing in what passed as the wrath of God on the VC. It was a delicate ballet, coordinating strikes from F-100 SuperSabres, C-47 Gunships (the ancestors of today’s AC-130 Spectre), Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF) Douglas A-1E Skyraiders, F-4 Phantoms, and Army heavy gunships, all with different flight characteristics, all with different ordnance. At times, and this would be one as well, the FACs had planes stacked from fifteen thousand feet to thirty thousand feet, making lazyeights, waiting their turn to drop ordnance. During the entire war there wasn’t a Special Forces detachment bar where FACs could buy their own drinks. The FACs were coordinating the strikes through the air liaison office at Bien Hoa. The pilot of one of the F-100s overhead was Captain Mark Berent. Berent had a special feel for the Mike Force, having decided once assigned to the job to find out exactly what the Mike Force did. Flouting custom, and possibly some Air Force regulations, he talked his way into a combat patrol with the unit. From then on he was the best friend they ever had.
Viet Cong Ambush
CB-3 (Finn, Heaps, and now Hunt) was having its own problems. Early afternoon they came upon an enemy base camp, the biggest and most sophisticated the Nungs had ever seen, even those who had fought the Viet Minh during the French Indochina War. Completely bunkered in, it had hospital facilities, a motor pool with trucks, generators, ammunition and supply dumps – clearly the enemy was here in force, and intended to stay. The complex was guarded by a platoon-size security force, which reacted with unaccustomed ferocity. The Viet Cong tended to fight first and then fade away. These guys weren’t fading anywhere.
The Nungs wisely retired and called in air strikes. As they waited they suffered under mortar fire from the complex, as well as machinegun fire from at least a couple of Viet Cong squads who had trailed after them. Four Nungs were wounded. Sergeant Finn moved forward to treat them, all the while under such heavy fire that one of the Nungs was wounded again as Finn worked on him. He directed CB-3 to increase the distance between them and the complex, remaining behind and coordinating the retreat until contact was finally broken. The FAC overhead was directing flights of F-100s out of Bien Hoa, striking on both sides of the column with 20mm cannon as they retreated. “Pour it on them!” CB-3 said. “I can hear them screaming.”
The air strike allowed the Nungs to back off more, making it to a small clearing where they hoped to be extracted. It was not to be. They would have to wait until morning. A lone chopper came in, took out casualties, and dropped off food and ammunition. They settled in for the night. They could hear digging just outside their perimeter. Finn and Heaps knew that meant that the enemy was not going to fade away, as so often happened in this war. They were preparing for the air strikes and indirect fire that would be coming their way when they got ready to assault. Finn was breaking out the ammunition and was in the process of distributing it when two companies of North Vietnamese attacked. Under withering automatic weapons fire Finn ran for a foxhole. He didn’t make it. He was hit in the head, dying immediately.
Command now went to George Heaps. Heaps was a Special Forces medic, one of that special breed of warrior/ healers. By the time an SF medic has completed a combat tour he has more time in the field than anyone else on the team. Every patrol that goes out wants a medic with them. There are two medics on the team. That means that the medic is going to be cycled through at least every other patrol, while the weapons, demo, operations and intelligence, and communications NCOs can, at least theoretically, go out on every fourth or fifth operation. David Ryder, another China Boy hand who later distinguished himself in Project DELTA and SOG, states that, “I learned more about tactics from George Heaps than [from] anyone else in my entire career.”
To their credit, there was no panic among the Nungs despite the heavy casualties they were taking. A line of at least fifteen enemy soldiers mounted the first assault. They were mowed down. Then came another forty, supported by well-sited heavy machineguns. Heaps got on the radio to Captain Myerchin and asked for help. Within thirty minutes tactical air was again striking the North Vietnamese with napalm, fragmentation bombs ranging from 1,000 to 250 pounds, cluster bomb units (CBUs), and rockets. Huey gunships from the 1st Infantry Division got into the act, trying to blast a way clear for the Nungs to get out of there.
Saturday, December 7, 2013
December 7th, Anniversary of Pearl Harbor Attack
Posted on Facebook by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas):
"On this day 72 years ago, thousands of Americans lost their lives or were injured in the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor -- an act of aggression that compelled the United States to defend itself and enter World War II. The greatest generation answered the call and responded heroically, as many have before and continue to do after. Today, we honor the sacrifice of those men and women who lost their lives on that date that continues to live in infamy, and all those who wear the uniform of the United States so that we may be free."
Picture above: The aftermath of the Japanese sneak attack on December 7th, 1941.
Photo below: Memorial for the Battleship, the USS Arizona, as it lays in it's watery grave.
Wednesday, December 4, 2013
Chapter Meeting Notes 19 November 2013
18th Annual Ralph Dominguez/Jerry Montoya Food Drive: Chairman Naipo Robertson, Co-Chair Tom Melgares. Pablo Sanchez has a large truck and is on the committee. Other members are: Rod, Chuy, Leo, Steve and Sam. $1500 approved for approximately 75 boxes, hams (Chuy) and items that we don’t get donated. We will load boxes at 1730 hrs on 17 December and distribute them on the 18th. Jerry donated 80 boxes.
Christmas Party: Chairman Joe “China Boy” Lopez. 21 December at VFW 812. 1800 Social hour, 1845 short meeting, 1900 dinner. Holiday meal menu, members and spouses are at no charge, any other guests are $10 each. Chapter approved $1000 for entertainment. New incoming Chapter members can join the Chapter at the Christmas Party and the Dinner attendance for the new member and one guest are free, however you still need to RSVP China Boy Joe Lopez at .
Wreaths Across America – Civil Air Patrol: Debbie Torres (Rolando) Chairperson. Ceremony will begin at 09:45 on Saturday, 14 December, so arrive early at the FT Bliss Cemetery. Chapter will again sponsor all SF and Spouse wreaths this year. Wear your Blazers and Berets.
Chapter Elections: The same officers were elected for the next 2 years. Installation of Officers takes place at the Christmas Party.
Veterans Day Events: Chapter member Joe "China Boy" Lopez was the keynote speaker at the Veterans Day ceremony at the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC). See picture above.
SF Room at VFW: This is project actually is foremost oriented towards building an SF Team House. Research continues on land ownership and viable options including quotes on construction. Project Chairman = Steve Franzoni; Teamhouse Committee = Gus, Brian, Chuck, Tom, Tony and Chuy.
Chapter IX Shirts, Coins, Mugs and Blazers: Shirts, mugs and coins are available. Coins are $10 each. Anyone needing a blazer needs to talk to Pete. We currently have a 36R and a 38R blazer on hand for purchase. We are also selling golf balls for $2.00 each, hats for $10.00, cups for $7.00 and the new Chapter 9 shirts for $25.00. Get your coins before Bill coins you.
Billy Waugh’s book “Isaac Camacho, an American Hero” is still available. Website http://www.isaaccamachoamericanhero.com
Rest and Recreation Center Fort Bliss: PTSD Soldiers still meet with Chuy every Monday from 1100 hrs to 1600 hrs in Bldg. 48 at FT Bliss. Chapter donates $200 each month for arts and crafts.
Isaac Camacho Head Start School: 125 students in the school. Any school supplies that you wish to donate please bring them to the meetings. Chapter is donating up to $100 per month as needs arise.
Soldier Mentors Program: Mentor program is in progress with the El Paso Courts system for Soldiers who have no violent offenses for 8-12 months. See Tom Brady.
Veterans Summit: 62 organizations are involved.
82nd News: Benavidez-Patterson All Airborne Chapter. Chapter meets the 4th Saturday’s, lunch at 1300 and meeting at 1400. Chapter bar is open every Friday and Saturday from 1500 until whenever. Chairman Joe “China Boy” Lopez. Website: www.bpaac.org
VFW Post 812 News: 812 Commander Ramon “Moose” Saiz. 1st Sunday of every month is a fish fry from 1100-1400. Bar is open every evening. Moose is selling WWII shirts for $15. Web site: www.vfwpost812.com
Chapter President's Message:
It’s December 2013 and I remember December 2009 when I first accepted the office of Chapter President like it was yesterday. This chapter has blossomed like a cherry jumper to a HALO sky-God and I wish I could take the credit for that but I can’t, it’s been you, the members. We all know the leader just keeps the insanity to a minimum but it’s the worker-bees that make $hit happen. From golf tournaments to scholarships to food drives, to Special Olympics prom dances, to troop parties to the SOG Expo to......you get the idea. Like a well-tuned machine with a maniac behind the wheel (me) when I push the pedal, you all mesh, plan, execute and complete the mission in the tradition of true Special Forces trained soldier. No task too great no mountain to high SFA Chapter 9 makes it happen.
We have our food drive packing at the VFW on 17 Dec. and you can pick up your boxes then, or on the 18th after 1700 but this is the last day. If you can’t make the pick-up DTG let me know and we’ll get someone to get your boxes to you. Our Christmas party will be on December 21st and I hope to see as many members as possible. This is the time of year that we reunite with members who have not been able to join in our other events. RSVP to Bill Snider if you are attending for the head count.
Lastly I would like to thank the 2011-2013 board of Officers for accepting another term. As you know it’s not always easy and sometimes even a big pain in the back side to run the Chapter but read above and remember all that you do makes what WE do worth it. Thank you.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
De Oppresso Liber!
Pete Peral
Christmas Party: Chairman Joe “China Boy” Lopez. 21 December at VFW 812. 1800 Social hour, 1845 short meeting, 1900 dinner. Holiday meal menu, members and spouses are at no charge, any other guests are $10 each. Chapter approved $1000 for entertainment. New incoming Chapter members can join the Chapter at the Christmas Party and the Dinner attendance for the new member and one guest are free, however you still need to RSVP China Boy Joe Lopez at .
Wreaths Across America – Civil Air Patrol: Debbie Torres (Rolando) Chairperson. Ceremony will begin at 09:45 on Saturday, 14 December, so arrive early at the FT Bliss Cemetery. Chapter will again sponsor all SF and Spouse wreaths this year. Wear your Blazers and Berets.
Chapter Elections: The same officers were elected for the next 2 years. Installation of Officers takes place at the Christmas Party.
Veterans Day Events: Chapter member Joe "China Boy" Lopez was the keynote speaker at the Veterans Day ceremony at the El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC). See picture above.
SF Room at VFW: This is project actually is foremost oriented towards building an SF Team House. Research continues on land ownership and viable options including quotes on construction. Project Chairman = Steve Franzoni; Teamhouse Committee = Gus, Brian, Chuck, Tom, Tony and Chuy.
Chapter IX Shirts, Coins, Mugs and Blazers: Shirts, mugs and coins are available. Coins are $10 each. Anyone needing a blazer needs to talk to Pete. We currently have a 36R and a 38R blazer on hand for purchase. We are also selling golf balls for $2.00 each, hats for $10.00, cups for $7.00 and the new Chapter 9 shirts for $25.00. Get your coins before Bill coins you.
Billy Waugh’s book “Isaac Camacho, an American Hero” is still available. Website http://www.isaaccamachoamericanhero.com
Rest and Recreation Center Fort Bliss: PTSD Soldiers still meet with Chuy every Monday from 1100 hrs to 1600 hrs in Bldg. 48 at FT Bliss. Chapter donates $200 each month for arts and crafts.
Isaac Camacho Head Start School: 125 students in the school. Any school supplies that you wish to donate please bring them to the meetings. Chapter is donating up to $100 per month as needs arise.
Soldier Mentors Program: Mentor program is in progress with the El Paso Courts system for Soldiers who have no violent offenses for 8-12 months. See Tom Brady.
Veterans Summit: 62 organizations are involved.
82nd News: Benavidez-Patterson All Airborne Chapter. Chapter meets the 4th Saturday’s, lunch at 1300 and meeting at 1400. Chapter bar is open every Friday and Saturday from 1500 until whenever. Chairman Joe “China Boy” Lopez. Website: www.bpaac.org
VFW Post 812 News: 812 Commander Ramon “Moose” Saiz. 1st Sunday of every month is a fish fry from 1100-1400. Bar is open every evening. Moose is selling WWII shirts for $15. Web site: www.vfwpost812.com
Chapter President's Message:
It’s December 2013 and I remember December 2009 when I first accepted the office of Chapter President like it was yesterday. This chapter has blossomed like a cherry jumper to a HALO sky-God and I wish I could take the credit for that but I can’t, it’s been you, the members. We all know the leader just keeps the insanity to a minimum but it’s the worker-bees that make $hit happen. From golf tournaments to scholarships to food drives, to Special Olympics prom dances, to troop parties to the SOG Expo to......you get the idea. Like a well-tuned machine with a maniac behind the wheel (me) when I push the pedal, you all mesh, plan, execute and complete the mission in the tradition of true Special Forces trained soldier. No task too great no mountain to high SFA Chapter 9 makes it happen.
We have our food drive packing at the VFW on 17 Dec. and you can pick up your boxes then, or on the 18th after 1700 but this is the last day. If you can’t make the pick-up DTG let me know and we’ll get someone to get your boxes to you. Our Christmas party will be on December 21st and I hope to see as many members as possible. This is the time of year that we reunite with members who have not been able to join in our other events. RSVP to Bill Snider if you are attending for the head count.
Lastly I would like to thank the 2011-2013 board of Officers for accepting another term. As you know it’s not always easy and sometimes even a big pain in the back side to run the Chapter but read above and remember all that you do makes what WE do worth it. Thank you.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.
De Oppresso Liber!
Pete Peral
Tuesday, December 3, 2013
Chaplains Corner - November 2013
Suggested Christmas Prayer for You:
O God our Heavenly Father, it’s me…(your name)... I am getting older and things are getting worse here on earth. Gas prices are too high, no jobs, food and heating costs too high, and my health insurance costs are out of control. I know some have taken You out of our schools, government and even Christmas.
Lord, I'm asking You to come back and bless America again with Your Holy Spirit as You did with our Founding Fathers. Raise up strong and moral leaders to lead the US Government to do what they were elected to do: Serve the people of the United States. We really need You! There are more of us who want You than those who don't! We know that You are still with us, and we trust You and yield to Your leading us through these difficult times.
Most of all, Lord, I want to thank You in this Christmas season for sending Jesus, the promised Messiah (Christ), who through faith in Him is now my personal Savior and the Lord of my life. Help me to keep Jesus as the heart and the focus of this Christian Christmas Season. Thank You for the gift my salvation and the promise of eternal life. Thank You Lord for all of your blessings given to me as gifts from You. I love You and will always love You.. In the Holy Name of Jesus, I pray. Amen
Your Chapter Chaplain’s Christmas Prayer for you is:
May the Lord in this Christmas Season bless you with a full understanding and acceptance of the meaning of Christmas. May the Lord make His presence to shine upon you and fill you with His love. May the Lord bless you with His perfect peace that will enable you to love Him with all of your heart, mind, and soul until He calls you to your eternal home in Heaven. I ask this in the Name of Jesus Christ, our Savior and Lord, Amen.
Chapter IX Chaplain John A. Szilvasy
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