Update May 12, 2014

1/83rd Unit News	1. Request for Information - Stan Kalwinski (67-68) asked the following question... "Does anyone remember who the commanding officer was for Headquarters and "A" Battery in Nui Dat from Jan to Feb of 1968 during Tet? Need a copy of commanders report for the DAV. Thanks, Stan" We have some guys from that time so let me know if you remember. 2. Health News - I received the following advice from one of the group. I am omitting his name for privacy reasons. "A long time ago after I was diagnosed with Diabetes caused by Agent Orange, someone said: "Congratulations you will also have Prostrate Cancer when you get older!" For the last 3 years my PSA (which the VA claims is unreliable) has been rising. In just the last two years I have had to undergo biopsies every six months. 7 months ago it came back negative. Last month the urologist found a tumor on my prostrate so I had to have another biopsy. This one came back positive. On April 10th I had a Comp & Pen for some claims I made last September. After the C & P I filed a claim through the DAV for the cancer. I haven't gotten anything back yet. I am lucky, after some tests it has been determined that the cancer is only in the prostate at this time. Monday, May 12th I will have it removed. The reason I'm writing this is so others seek out testing even if you don't have any symptoms. I have a friend I was drafted with who was told by the VA doctors that it's: "it's too late the cancer has spread throughout your body an bones-----there is nothing we can do for you." Bill, remind our people to look out for themselves the VA isn't concerned. When you are diagnosed, it is almost 100% compensation." 3. New Jersey Port Jobs - Dan O'Brien (69-70) sent this if you are looking for work in New Jersey. "URGENT, HELP! We need your assistance to hire over 300 veterans for the NY Shipping Association and now! See attached registration flyer and press release for details, and for your further distribution, posting, social & news media, etc. The NY Shipping Association directly asked The American Legion, NJ Economics & Employment Committee to help them with this enormous hiring initiative. This will be the largest hiring of veterans in NJ and possibly in the country! Since this must be a massive communications effort in order to succeed, we have assembled a remarkable and unprecedented team, managed by the Department of NJ The assembled team includes: The American Legion National Economics Division, Department of NY including PNC Fang Wong, Department of Ct., NBC News, DMAVA, Federal and NJ Labor, ESGR (Employer Support of the Guard and Reserve), the Joint Base – MDL Transition Team, Longshoreman’s Union, and the Port of NY/NJ’s terminal operators. This is the “A Team Legionnaires”, be part of it! Please help us, help our veterans! Thank you! For God and Country, Bob Looby, Past State Commander Economics & Employment Chairman The American Legion, Department of New Jersey New Jersey Governor’s Veterans’ Services Council Member 908-894-0746 (cell)" ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ Be sure to let me know what is going on in your life so we can share it with everyone in this section. See the latest 1/83rd News by clicking here.
General News	1. Neal Schwartz (68-69) sent in these 2 news items from Military History Magazine. a. *Vietnam Opens U.S. MIA Sites* Vietnam has opened four additional sites to U.S. Joint POW/MIA Accounting Command investigators (www.jpac.pacom.mil) seeking American serviceman missing in action since the Vietnam War. The sites in southern Vietnam are linked to specific wartime incidents. The Department of Defense POW/Missing Personnel Office (http://www.dtic.mil/dpmo/vietnam/) states that 1643 U.S. troops remain unaccounted for in Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia in China. b. *World War II Philippines Holdout Onoda, 91* Hiroo Onoda, 91, the last Imperial Japanese soldier in the Philippines to surrender, 29 years after World War II, died on January 16 in Tokyo. Sent to the Lubang December 1944 to disrupt enemy attempts to capture the island 2^nd Lt. Onoda fled to the hills when the Allies landed in February 1945. He remained in hiding, surviving on stolen food, until March 1974, when he emerged from the jungle in patched fatigues to surrender his sword and rifle.
Interesting Links and More	1. Rich Webekind (66-67) sent this. Been around before but worth another look. Lost in the Fifties- Another Time, Another Place
Website Updates	1. A lot of updates were made this week. Check the Table of Contents. 2. If you come across anything that you think may be a good addition to our website let me know. Also, if you have any questions or suggestions regarding the website, let me know. 3. Check out all the latest updates by looking at the website Table of Contents.
Vietnam Veterans of America Update	1. VVA Update for May 9 2. VVA website
2014 Reunion News	1. As you know, Roger and Kathy Hatcher volunteered to organize an optional dinner show excursion during the reunion in Branson. Roger sent me a couple of links to the Hughes Bros show which is reported to be one of Branson's best. If you are on the fence about attending the dinner show, maybe this will help convince you. Show promo. Hughes Bros website ____________________________________________________________________________________________________ 2. Please check the list on the website of those who have said they will attend the 2014 Reunion and make sure you are listed and that you are listed correctly. 3. Unless you are extending your stay longer, please make sure your hotel reservation covers at least 3 nights (October 12, 13 and 14). You will need to stay through Tuesday night Oct 14 (Check out on Oct 15) if you plan on going to the Farewell Dinner on Tuesday evening. Please double check the confirmation you receive from the hotel to make sure the dates are correct. 4. If you have any questions on the reunion, please let me know.
1/83rd Unit Crest Patches and Pins	If anyone is interested in buying an 83rd Artillery Unit Crest Patch let me know. Price is based on how many you order. If you are interested, send me an email with your mailing address and how many you want. Don't send any money until you receive the patches. When you receive them, you will see the cost for the number you ordered plus my mailing address for payment. If you want an 83rd Artillery Unit Crest Pin, I have a link on the website where you can order them from one of the 3 vendors listed. I have bought from all 3 of them and they are identical in quality, all are very good. Please note that Uniform Accessories will ship 2 for one price where the other 2 only ship 1 for almost the same price.
1/83rd Roster	Review your entry on the website Roster and let me know if any changes are necessary. If your email stops working, I cannot reach you if you have incomplete contact details on the roster.
Missing members of the 1/83rd	Help us find those former 83rd members who haven't found us yet!! I am sure that each of us has someone they would really like to reconnect with. If we all pitch in, we may find many more of our old buddies. Here are some ways to do that: 1. If you are in contact or have contact info for any 1/83rd guys please contact them and tell them about our group or at least tell me and I will contact them. 2. Look through the roster on the website and if you know of others who are not listed, let me know who they are. Also, if you see any incorrect or missing info (including your own entry) let me know. 3. If you have copies of old orders tucked away someplace, send me a copy so I can make sure those names are on the roster. 4. Sometimes all it takes is a name and location and we can find someone but the more details we know the better our chances.
Rules & Regs	For a current copy of Rules and Regs, go to Contact Us and submit your request.
Advisory	If you get an email from and it has a website link included anywhere within the email, most times you should be able to just click on the link and you will be taken to the website. Sometimes however, the link will not work because, in sending you the email, the link is deactivated although it is still usable. If this should happen, another way to use the link is to copy and paste it into the address line on your browser. Please be sure to let me know if you have any questions on this. Please make sure that your email system allows emails to be received from both of my email addresses, bill_t_08012@yahoo.com and artillery_83rd@yahoo.com Please note that there are no blank spaces in email addresses. What you see in mine between words/characters is the underscore (_) character.