Taps

BY FATHER PHIL SALOIS, M.S.

Almighty and ever-loving God and Grandfather Spirit: Once again at this sacred time of year for all military veterans we come together to honor the blessed memory of all men and women who have served our great nation and paid with the ultimate sacrifice of their lives. For us who are devoted members of Vietnam Veterans of America and Associates of Vietnam Veterans of America we commend to your loving care all those former members whom you have called to yourself. Many of these men and women were dear friends, and as we get older we treasure the time allotted to us and call upon you to bless all of us that we may live out the rest of our lives to the fullest in the service of our fellow Vietnam veterans. Give us the strength to reach out to our younger veterans that they may pick up the mantle and carry forth the message to all of America—that freedom is not free. In your holy name, we pray. Amen.

Visit the VVA Memorial List at http://vva.org/memorial_list.html

Donald Wayne Abbe, 71, died July 16, 2011. He was a life member of Denton, Texas, Chapter 920.

Harley Adams, 63, died February 13. He was a member of Henlawson, West Virginia, Chapter 308.

William Carl Alexander, 63, died February 12 from liver failure. He was a life member of Franklin, North Carolina, Chapter 994.

Allen Anderson, 60, died recently. He was a life member of Central Minnesota Chapter 290.

John Edward Angier, 78, died January 31 from cancer. He was a member of Yountville, California, Chapter 702.

Charles Arnold, Jr., 65, died November 3, 2012. He was a member of Brandon, Mississippi, Chapter 1057.

Michael Arrington, 62, died in October 2012. He was a member of Liberty Bell (Philadelphia) Chapter 266.

Glen Alan Baxmann, 72, died March 3. He was an at-large member of Tennessee.

Robert J. Beard, Jr., 60, died recently. He was a life member of Longview, Texas, Chapter 987.

Kenneth Abraham Berez, 64, died January 29 from bladder cancer. He was an at-large life member of Maryland.

Ronald C. Bethard, 64, died March 2, 2001. He was a life member of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Chapter 301.

James Roderick Bigelow II, 70, died October 10, 2012. He was an at-large life member of Michigan.

James Michael Blandford, 62, died February 2. He was a member of Kentuckiana (Kentucky) Chapter 454.

Ronald Dale Blanton, 68, died October 25, 2012. He was a life member of Stanhope, New Jersey, Chapter 327.

John F. Bozan, 66, died February 3. He was a life member of Valley Forge (Pennsylvania) Chapter 349.

Ronald B. Bradshaw, 64, died March 24, 2013. He was a life member of Miami Valley (Ohio) Chapter 97.

Colin Keith Brame, 70, died August 5, 2012. He was a member of High Desert (Oregon) Chapter 820.

Robert Henry Bramlett, Sr., 76, died March 7. He was a life member of Tupelo, Mississippi, Chapter 842.

Stanley H. Brown, 67, died October 17, 2012, from lung cancer. He was a life member of Hico, West Virginia, Chapter 860.

J. Ned Holmes Burford, Jr., 62, died February 15, 2011, from cancer. He was an at-large life member of Maryland.

Richard J. Carlin, Sr., 72, died December 25, 2012. He was a member of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Chapter 67.

Ronald Cherry, 69, died recently from respiratory failure. He was a life member of Queens, New York, Chapter 32.

Osby Childress, Jr., 70, died January 30 from a heart attack. He was a member of Sandpoint, Idaho, Chapter 890.

Bruce H. Clark, 68, died recently. He was an at-large member of Arizona.

James L. Coverstone, 66, died September 24, 2012, from pancreatic cancer. He was an at-large member of Ohio.

Barry Conway Crouch, 64, died July 30, 2012. He was a life member of Firebase One (Texas) Chapter 734.

Dennis Orland Croucher, 63, died February 8 from cancer. He was a life member of Mariposa, California, Chapter 368.

Robert Daniels, 67, died recently. He was a permanently hospitalized veteran member of Geneva, Illinois, Chapter 693.

Ronnie W. Davis, 63, died September 30, 2012. He was a life member of Elizabethtown, Kentucky, Chapter 1051.

Arthur Edward Decker, Jr., 69, died February 9. He was a life member of Kentuckiana (Kentucky) Chapter 454.

Frank DeSanctis, 69, died March 13 from a heart attack. He was a life member of Hicksville, New York, Chapter 82.

Patrick Michael Doyle, 69, died recently. He was a member of Mesquite, Nevada, Chapter 993.

Don Walker Edgmon, 71, died February 6 from heart disease and cancer. He was a member of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Chapter 203.

Donald Lee Epright, 70, died January 17 from Parkinson’s disease. He was a member of Springfield, Illinois, Chapter 534.

Albert Homer Fisher, 71, died January 25. He was a member of St. Amant, Louisiana, Chapter 725.

Roger Wayne Francisco, 63, died January 3. He was a member of Tri-Rivers (Virginia) Chapter 840.

Michael James Gaffney, 66, died February 14 from multiple sclerosis. He was an at-large life member of Washington, D.C.

Barrie D. Gibson, 70, died January 25. He was a life member of Quad Cities (Illinois) Chapter 299.

Robert Carroll Glick, 69, died January 22. He was a member of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Chapter 301.

John Joseph Goss, Jr., 67, died February 22. He was a life member of Bordentown, New Jersey, Chapter 899.

Pasquale Grecco, 68, died February 9 from a heart attack. He was a charter and life member of New York City Chapter 126.

Tom William Haden, 67, died March 6. He was a member of Humphreys County, Tennessee, Chapter 1053.

William F. Haldeman, 66, died recently. He was an at-large member of Pennsylvania.

Gilbert Starling Haney, 64, died October 17, 2012. He was a life member of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, Chapter 301.

Steve W. Harden, 69, died January 28, 2012. He was a life member Dallas, Texas, Chapter 137.

James Lee Harmon, Sr., 67, died July 8, 2012. He was a life member of Asheville, North Carolina, Chapter 124.

John Billie Harris, 66, died February 1 from cancer. He was a life member of Columbus, Mississippi, Chapter 997.

Melvin Arthur Hemby, 62, died February 20 from cancer. He was a member of Humphreys County, Tennessee, Chapter 1053.

Walter J. Henriksen, Jr., 65, died March 22 from cancer. He was a life member of Oneonta, New York, Chapter 85.

Philip E. Hodge, 72, died recently. He was an at-large life member of Oregon.

William Hoggatt, 81, died February 24. He was an at-large life member of Washington.

Russell Don Howe, 78, died February 21 of heart failure. He was a life member of Ponca City, Oklahoma, Chapter 750.

Douglas A. Johnson, 66, died in November 2012. He was an at-large member of Minnesota.

Ross Hastings Jones, 65, died February 18 from a heart attack. He was a member of James Michael Ray Memorial (Rhode Island) Chapter 818.

Gary R. Kamats, 65, died January 16 from heart disease. He was a member of Saint Marys, Pennsylvania, Chapter 720.

William J. Kehoe III, 66, died February 1. He was a life member of Shore Area (New Jersey) Chapter 12.

Gregory James Kingbird, Sr., 62, died September 24, 2012. He was an at-large member of Minnesota.

Marie S. Knasiak, 93, died March 21 from congestive heart failure. She was life member of Gulf Coast (Florida) Chapter 1037.

Robert B. Krivach, 62, died November 21, 2012. He was a member of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, Chapter 364.

Joseph A. Kurak, 71, died March 15. He was a member of Shore Area (New Jersey) Chapter 12.

Albert W. Lajoie, 79, died February 11. He was a member of Athol, Massachusetts, Chapter 340.

Gary Wayne Leach, Sr., 60, died February 13. He was a member of Central Coast (California) Chapter 982.

Matthew P. Ledford, 65, died November 28, 2012. He was a member of Gainesville, Georgia, Chapter 772.

Robert S. Lock, 72, died recently. He was an at-large member of Florida.

Paul Moritz Marschalk, 73, died January 31 from Alzheimer’s disease. He was a member of Kingsport, Tennessee, Chapter 979.

Frank Martin, Jr., 76, died November 15, 2011. He was a life member of New Bedford, Massachusetts, Chapter 499.

Dennis E. Matthews, 65, died August 29, 2011, from a heart attack. He was an at-large member of Connecticut.

Calvin R. May, 70, died October 25, 2012. He was an at-large member of Arkansas.

Darrell Gene McComb, 62, died March 24 from pancreatic cancer. He was a life member of New Philadelphia, Ohio, Chapter 857.

George Wainright McHugh, Jr., 70, died February 15 from Agent Orange-related Hodgkin’s lymphoma. He was a life member of Acadiana Hill (Louisiana) Chapter 141.

Michael Thomas McWhirter, 62, died November 19, 2012. He was a member of Cumberland, Maryland, Chapter 172.

Jackie Dale Meadows, 66, died February 12. He was a member of Henlawson, West Virginia, Chapter 308.

Audrey V. Meculskas, 92, died March 8. She was an associate member of Elizabeth, New Jersey, Chapter 779.

Robert L. Meeks, 63, died December 25, 2012. He was a life member of Cleveland, Tennessee, Chapter 596.

Frank B. Meyer, 58, died February 12, 2007. He was a permanently hospitalized veteran member of Geneva, Illinois, Chapter 693.

Dwight Hale Montgomery, 66, died February 17. He was a life member of Humphreys County, Tennessee, Chapter 1053.

Michael D. Murphy, 65, died February 16. He was a member of Angeles City, Philippines, Chapter 887.

James Ray Murray, 79, died January 6 from a heart attack. He was a life member of Concord, North Carolina, Chapter 909.

Melvin Lee O’Briant, 70, died February 19. He was a life member of Angeles City, Philippines, Chapter 887.

John Joseph Ociepka, 65, died October 19, 2012. He was an at-large member of Florida.

Lionel R. Perez, 64, died September 21, 2012, from diabetes mellitus type 2. He was a life member of Houston, Texas, Chapter 343.

Gary Edward Peshek, 68, died February 14. He was a member of Corsicana, Texas, Chapter 1009.

Patrick J. Pohnan, 57, died June 23, 2007. He was a permanently hospitalized veteran member of Geneva, Illinois, Chapter 693.

Ronald N. Polito, 61, died October 8, 2012, from cancer. He was a member of Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Chapter 23.

Homer O. Poorman, Jr., 82, died February 19 from heart failure. He was a life member of Licking County, Ohio, Chapter 55.

Allen Leo Quesnel, 66, died February 7 from male breast cancer. He was a life member of Bristol, Vermont, Chapter 926.

Richard Allen Relf, 59, died January 8, 2003. He was a life member of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Chapter 67.

John Samuel Restaneo, 57, died June 28, 2006. He was a life member of Delaware County, Pennsylvania, Chapter 67.

Alfred H. Rex, 67, died April 28, 2012. He was a member of Western New York Chapter 77.

Teddy Roy Reynolds, 68, died April 10. He was a member and past president of Grove, Oklahoma, Chapter 878.

Jerry B. Rivers, 60, died March 21 from a stroke. He was a member of Clarksville, Tennessee, Chapter 396.

Ben H. Roberts, 69, died recently. He was a life member of Santa Barbara, California, Chapter 218.

Paul Rollings, 81, died December 2, 2012, from complications after heart surgery. He was a member of Chattanooga, Tennessee, Chapter 203.

Clyde M. Root died recently. He was a life member of Southern Utah Chapter 961.

Carrol Allen Rottman, 64, died March 4. He was a member of Mississippi Valley Memorial (Illinois) Chapter 669.

Stephen J. Ruleau, 58, died recently. He was a life member of Brown County, Wisconsin, Chapter 224.

Helene Henriette Salois, 84, died March 22 from a stroke. She was an associate member of James Michael Ray Memorial (Rhode Island) Chapter 818.

Michael R. San Felice, 66, died October 22, 2012, from injuries sustained from a car accident. He was a member of Valley Forge (Pennsylvania) Chapter 349.

Jackie Scarbrough, 78, died February 26 from cancer. He was a member of Jon Panarese (North Carolina) Chapter 654.

Vernon L. Schultz, 66, died February 25 from a heart attack. He was a member of East Central (Minnesota) Chapter 684.

Rocco J. Sgro, 63, died December 18, 2011. He was a member of Dixon, Illinois, Chapter 687.

David R. Shenk, 67, died November 24, 2012. He was a life member of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Chapter 1008.