Taps

BY FATHER PHIL SALOIS, M.S.

Almighty God and Father, Grandfather Spirit, once again we come together as members of your created family to give thanks on the Feast of Thanksgiving for the many blessings you have shown to us and to our families.

Many, however, may not think they have much to thank you for as they struggle through this seemingly never-ending pandemic that has killed more than 200,000 Americans. In addition, many suffer from devastating fires in California and Colorado and hurricanes in Louisiana and elsewhere in the South. We must acknowledge, too, the devastating and destructive riots in our major cities as we struggle to live a hope-filled life in a very divided country. 

With all that said, we need you now more than ever in our lives, dear Lord, to send your healing power to us, as well as your graces that will keep us strong in our fight against all evil and everything that wills us harm.

We are all veterans who know how to fight against evil. November is also the month we honor all veterans—men and women who have answered the call to serve in good times and in bad. Stay with us, dear God, and keep us safe and strong during this time of Thanksgiving.

Give comfort to all veterans suffering from the virus; those in our Medical Centers, our veteran homes, and those who are homeless or in prison. Safeguard all our active-duty men and women the world over from all harm and bring them home. Never forget, dear Lord, those still missing in action and prisoners of war. Bring them all home, dear Lord.

In your Holy and Divine Name, we pray! AMEN!

Paul F. Anderson, 78, Kansas Chapter 809, died August 29.

Benjamin D. Armstrong, 84, Florida Chapter 1059, died September 17.

Raymond Ashby Ayers, 77, South Carolina Chapter 303, died July 20.

Robert L. Bailey, 85, California Chapter 472, died recently.

Harry Neal Ball, 91, Texas Chapter 844, died February 9, 2019.

Mark Earl Barker, 80, Oklahoma Chapter 751, died September 23.

Gary Wayne Barringer, 72, North Carolina Chapter 909, died September 18.

Jerry Lee Baylor, 73, Pennsylvania Chapter 862, died August 27.

Garry C. Bechtel, 77, Pennsylvania Chapter 542, died October 5.

Robert W. Beck, 77, West Virginia Chapter 906, died August 9.

James Herman Behrens, 77, South Carolina Chapter 1017, died September 2.

James John Bockley, 73, Ohio Chapter 55, died September 15.

John L. Bonvillian, 69, at-large Indiana, died August 20.

James G. Boots, Sr., 75, Pennsylvania Chapter 862, died July 29.

Mary Belle Border, 76, Maryland Chapter 172, died July 4.

William J. Boyes, Jr., 73, at-large Pennsylvania, died February 10.

Shaun Michael Branon, 76, Vermont Chapter 753, died July 5.

Charles Roger Britt, Sr., 73, at-large Montana, died October 7, 2018.

Alan Joseph Briggs, 75, at-large Nebraska, died September 26.

William D. Browning, 67, Michigan Chapter 528, died September 1.

Bruce Eliot Burnham, 68, Florida Chapter 787, died September 26.

Joe Campbell, 74, North Carolina Chapter 994, died August 25.

Harry W. Carrelli, 72, at-large New Jersey, died July 3.

Wayne Steven Cartier, 69, New Hampshire Chapter 992, died October 3.

Thomas F. Cenzi, Sr., 76, New York Chapter 20, died August 14.

Stephen W. Chubb, 74, Florida Chapter 1048, died July 23.

Joseph D. Clayton, 73, Maryland Chapter 172, died September 10.

Gary Douglas Coakley, 77, Oregon Chapter 585, died April 29.

Richard Henry Collins, Jr., 82, Alabama Chapter 416, died September 27, 2019.

Ronald Wayne Copple, 72, at-large Indiana, died June 22, 2019.

Joan Marie Coughran, 82, Illinois Chapter 669, died July 30.

Neil M. Coy, 67, Florida Chapter 1048, died recently.

Patrick Dale Crawford, 73, Texas Chapter 292, died August 1.

George Freeman Cumberledge, 73, West Virginia Chapter 906, died December 12, 2019.

Scott James Cunningham, 71, Tennessee Chapter 875, died June 3.

John Wesley Dial, 77, North Carolina Chapter 909, died August 26.

Thomas J. Driessen, 76, Wisconsin Chapter 351, died August 5.

George Edward Dye, 68, Maryland Chapter 172, died September 20.

Reginald Calvin Earley, Jr., 56, Virginia Chapter 936, died September 3.

Dwight D. Edwards, 75, Pennsylvania Chapter 542, died September 22.

William James Elander, Jr., 86, Nevada Chapter 989, died August 28.

Thomas Joseph Ellam, 72, Massachusetts Chapter 116, died September 23.

Dwight Allen English, Sr., 74, Georgia Chapter 671, died September 27.

Larry Raymond Erwin, 77, Ohio Chapter 1045, died September 8.

Daniel John Erzen, 73, Pennsylvania Chapter 862, died August 11.

John V. Farley, Jr., 71, New York Chapter 20, died August 14.

Dennis K. Feaster, Sr., 76, Maryland Chapter 172, died September 4.

Richard Joel Felberg, 77, South Dakota Chapter 1054, died October 1.

Glenn Frazier, 80, California Chapter 535, died August 9.

Robert A. Giannini, 69, New York Chapter 459, died July 9.

Howard Randall Gibson, 72, South Carolina Chapter 1017, died August 4.

Gene Arthur Goble, 79, Indiana Chapter 295, died July 17.

Julian Gonzalez, 72, Idaho Chapter 890, died September 17.

John Henry Gordon, Jr., 72, Ohio Chapter 97, died July 27.

Verne James Abbott Grant, 79, Philippines Chapter 887, died recently.

Philip Jerome Grushetsky, 84, New York Chapter 803, died September 23.

Robert Arthur Hagan, 92, Florida Chapter 1036, died August 18.

Willie Joel Hall, 74, Alabama Chapter 607, died August 18.

William Kent Hayes, 81, South Carolina Chapter 303, died May 28.

Donald E. Head, 72, Maryland Chapter 965, died September 15.

Steven Curtis Hedrick, 72, Indiana Chapter 71, died July 27.

Joseph Robert Herbert, 74, Wisconsin Chapter 324, died August 19.

Te-Ata Renee Hery, 81, Virginia Chapter 957, died June 4.

Betty Paulette Holten, 73, Georgia Chapter 671, died August 9.

Robert E. Howes, 77, Ohio Chapter 385, died September 29.

Charles Raeburn Hunter, 77, Louisiana Chapter 1131, died October 6.

Daniel Leroy Johnson, 84, Illinois Chapter 299, died August 8.

Howard James Jones, Sr., 74, Ohio Chapter 35, died June 14.

Stanley F. Kahn, 75, Maryland Chapter 1091, died September 20.

Roger L. Kehrier, 75, Michigan Chapter 528, died October 12.

Jack Russell Kempter, Sr., 71, South Dakota Chapter 1054, died September 4.

Gary Wayne Kern, 74, Minnesota Chapter 290, died July 20.

Joseph Eugene Kernan III, 74, Indiana Chapter 1027, died July 29.

Stanley Lewis Kline, 73, Maryland Chapter 172, died August 22.

Michael Morris Kraus, 73, Texas Chapter 1013, died August 4.

David Roman Krejci, 72, Wisconsin Chapter 448, died June 29.

James R. Ladden, 70, Pennsylvania Chapter 131, died July 2.

John Burchett Liles II, 71, Kentucky Chapter 1006, died August 9.

Daniel Merle Lloyd, 71, Maryland Chapter 172, died July 10.

Allen Dennis Lowry, 72, West Virginia Chapter 949, died August 14.

James Michael Lowry, 63, Virginia Chapter 1061, died August 7.

Dennis Ludwig, 71, Michigan Chapter 109, died May 22.

Jimmy Lee Mabry, 81, Oklahoma Chapter 751, died August 1.

Luigi Marinaccio, 70, North Carolina Chapter 909, died June 1.

James E. Massey, 73, Tennessee Chapter 1078, died July 11.

David B. Mauch, 70, Kentucky Chapter 454, died May 20.

Mickey McDonald, 72, Alabama Chapter 864, died August 23.

John A. McMaster, 73, Colorado Chapter 1106, died July 16.

Roger L. Mellott, 66, Pennsylvania Chapter 1008, died September 14.

Fred Warner Miller, 74, Tennessee Chapter 1124, died September 24.

Jimmie D. Miller, 83, Arizona Chapter 106, died September 3.

John Franklin Mosely, Sr., Florida Chapter 1046, died July 26.

Daniel Leroy Mozisek, 73, Texas Chapter 870, died May 10.

Fredrick Robert Muela, Sr., 73, Maryland Chapter 1091, died July 9.

Charles H. Nash, Jr., 70, at-large Montana, died February 9, 2018.

Carl C. Neely, 85, Pennsylvania Chapter 862, died May 6.

Larry Anthony Nicholson, 72, Virginia Chapter 936, died October 2.

James G. Oien, 73, South Dakota Chapter 1054, died December 18, 2019.

Vincent Hajime Okamoto, 76, California Chapter 53, died September 27.

John Charles Ostapovich, Sr., 79, New Jersey 452, died August 26.

John E. Parker, 78, at-large Maryland, died recently.

John Thomas Parks, 77, Tennessee Chapter 1089, died July 19.

Kenneth J. Payne, 74, Florida Chapter 1046, died July 28.

Robert Eugene Pemberton, 75, Tennessee Chapter 950, died August 16.

James Clinton Perry, 73, North Carolina Chapter 1107, died March 2.

Paul W. Peterson, Sr., 74, New Jersey Chapter 12, died February 3, 2019.

Leo J. Pimple, 83, Arizona Chapter 1093, died July 20.

John Henry Price, 74, Pennsylvania Chapter 1032, died September 12.

John Edward Quaty, 73, Maryland Chapter 965, died August 20.

Rene Leopoldo Ramos, 74, Florida Chapter 620, died August 17.

Harlow C. Reseburg II, 75, Wisconsin Chapter 448, died February 19.

Harry Jay Rexford, 78, South Carolina Chapter 828, died August 3.

Richard Phillip Ricci, 76, Oklahoma Chapter 751, died September 17.

Ronald Lee Richards, 71, Michigan Chapter 109, died September 15.

Brian Edward Rusch, 75, Wisconsin Chapter 448, died May 31.

Alan P. Saunders, 75, Utah Chapter 1079, died July 29.

Arthur Aaron Schmid, 72, Wisconsin Chapter 448, died August 12.

Vernon Everett Sears, 91, Alabama Chapter 373, died July 26.

Danny Stephen Shaffer, 73, Maryland Chapter 172, died August 17.

Ralph Edward Six, 76, Ohio Chapter 1064, died July 16.

Robert Lewis Skipper, 74, Maryland Chapter 172, died July 14.

Edna Louise Sloan, 73, Tennessee Chapter 203, died March 14.

James Thomas Snyder, 91, Florida Chapter 1048, died August 25.

Gary D. Stephens, 72, Michigan Chapter 154, died August 11.

Eugene Michael Sullivan, 70, New York Chapter 333, died August 16.

Kathleen Jean Swazuk, 72, Pennsylvania Chapter 862, died August 31.

Nathaniel Sterling Taylor, Jr., North Carolina Chapter 966, died September 26.

David Henry Teke, 72, Indiana Chapter 71, died August 10.

George William Thompson, Jr., 76, Alabama Chapter 864, died August 1.

Cornelius D. Tindal, 73, North Carolina Chapter 892, died September 20.

Terrance Allen Treutel, 74, New York Chapter 77, died August 11.

Archie Turner, Jr., 75, Philippines Chapter 887, died recently.

Franklin Eugene Tyndall, 75, South Carolina Chapter 303, died January 8, 2018.

Paul Raymond Van Brunt, 78, Pennsylvania Chapter 1032, died July 9, 2019.

Jerome M. Wait, 78, South Dakota 1054, died August 26.

Donald Walker, 78, Colorado Chapter 1075, died October 3.

Robert R. Wanless, Jr., 73, Illinois Chapter 534, died October 13.

Ronnie Dean Warner, 72, Kansas Chapter 604, died July 26.

John Luther Webster, 73, New York Chapter 20, died August 11.

Mason Edward Wiggins, Sr., 92, Florida Chapter 1059, died August 13.

Russell Jan Wignall, 75, Illinois Chapter 669, died August 22.

Gerald Lee Williams, 66, South Dakota Chapter 1054, died October 6.

James Charles Williston, 75, Maryland Chapter 172, died July 14.

Charles E. Wilson, 67, Kansas Chapter 75, died March 12, 2012.

Gerald Edward Wingate, 78, Delaware Chapter 1105, died September 7.

Stanley E. Zajac, 72, Massachusetts Chapter 111, died August 14.

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