The VVA Veteran, a publication of Vietnam Veterans of America

Vietnam Veterans of America

From the National Chaplain, March/April 2021

Taps

BY FATHER PHIL SALOIS, M.S.

Vietnam War Veterans Day Prayer

Gracious and Almighty God, every year on the 29th day of March, Vietnam veterans and those who love and care for them come to You asking for healing of memories, forgiveness for misdeeds, and blessings for the freedom we enjoy in America.

May our observance be a timely reminder that our freedom was purchased at high cost and should not be taken for granted. Bless the families and friends of those we honor today, and bless the veterans who share memories, stories, and tears to enrich this day. Finally, dear Lord, grant eternal rest for all those whose names are inscribed on The Wall and for those You have called to Yourself since the war ended. Let us not forget those who never returned. We pray that a full accounting of them will be attained one day soon. Amen.

Full, detailed, and expansive obituaries—
going back to 2009—are online at www.vva.org/taps.html

Eugene R. Aarrestad, 74, Montana Chapter 938, died January 16.

Arthur Alfredo Arias, 75, Tennessee Chapter 240, died January 24.

Charles Herbert Armstrong, 72, Ohio Chapter 55, died February 5.

Joseph T. Armstrong, Jr., 72, Pennsylvania Chapter 210, died November 21, 2020.

Henry H.E. Banks, Jr., 78, Ohio Chapter 1095, died December 31, 2020.

William Jerry Barnett, 79, South Carolina Chapter 1017, died December 30, 2020.

Richard Wayne Barta, 74, Kansas Chapter 604, died December 9, 2020.

Carl David Bethurum, 73, Tennessee Chapter 1123, died December 19, 2020.

Harold Joe Briggs, Sr., 76, Arizona Chapter 1011, died January 14.

Harry Brown, 71, Indiana Chapter 1027, died December 15, 2020.

Robert F. Broyles, 81, Pennsylvania Chapter 542, died January 21.

Roger Albert Bull, 76, New York Chapter 459, died January 21.

Rodger M. Burkhart, 77, New York Chapter 20, died January 26.

Jon Phillip Busch, 71, South Carolina Chapter 1017, died January 21.

George Luis Cajigal, 74, Florida Chapter 1097, died November 15, 2020.

John Uther Cardwell, 72, Tennessee Chapter 953, died January 20.

Donald Roy Carper, 74, Pennsylvania Chapter 974, died November 30, 2020.

Jimmie Carter, 81, Virginia Chapter 433, died November 16, 2020.

Gerald Casares, 69, Arizona Chapter 835, died December 8, 2020.

Jeffrey L. Chewning, 76, Pennsylvania Chapter 415, died August 3, 2020.

Russell A. Chimera, 78, New York Chapter 20, died January 29.

Carol Jane Chute, 74, New York Chapter 77, died January 10.

Dolores Agnes Crawford, 73, New Jersey Chapter 721, died December 25, 2020.

Robert L. Crowell, 74, Nevada Chapter 388, died September 12, 2020.

Billee Culin 1946-2021

Helene Florence “Billee” Culin, one of Vietnam Veterans of America’s most active and accomplished leaders, died of brain cancer on January 19. She was 74 years old.

She joined the Army in 1969 and served on the administrative staff of the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon. After moving with her family to Connecticut in 1987, Billee Culin joined VVA’s Greater Hartford Chapter 120. She went on to become chapter vice president and Connecticut State Council President. She also served on the VVA National Agent Orange and Women Veterans Committees, was Connecticut Director of the Order of the Silver Rose working for recognition of Agent Orange victims, and won an at-large seat on the VVA National Board of Directors.

After her husband’s retirement, the couple moved to Arizona in 2010. That didn’t end Billee Culin’s advocacy. Far from it. She founded West Valley Chapter 1043 in Peoria, Arizona, served as a Veterans Service Officer, and helped form the chapter’s Help-A-Vet financial assistance program. In honor of her longtime veterans advocacy, the chapter was renamed The Billee Culin West Valley Chapter 1043, and in 2017 Billee Culin was inducted into the Arizona Veterans Hall of Fame.

“Billee was a warrior—a fighter—for all of VVA,” said Pattie Dumin, the Connecticut State Council President. “She did almost every job at the chapter, state, and national levels, and she never slowed down, starting the chapter in Arizona after ‘retiring,’ and coming to VVA Conventions. She didn’t let anything stop her.”

Billee Culin once said that she “loved being with VVA because I love to help people. It’s been a very important part of my life.”

Lee Roy Davis, Jr., 81, Florida Chapter 1097, died September 11, 2020.

Norman Leroy Davis, Jr., 82, Texas Chapter 987, died January 5.

Kevin Peter Deegan, 75, Florida Chapter 522, died June 10, 2020.

Norris Lee DeFisher, 73, New York Chapter 20, died January 22.

Kenneth Wayne Demastus, 72, Virginia Chapter 1061, died January 8.

John L. Doubt, 72, Texas Chapter 987, died January 7.

Dwayne Tilman Enos, 75, Florida Chapter 1046, died December 31, 2020.

James C. Ernst, 98, Texas Chapter 915, died January 20.

Joseph A. Fleming, 78, Illinois Chapter 534, died January 1.

George E. Folk, 94, Pennsylvania Chapter 415, died November 17, 2020.

Herman Lee Fritsch, Sr., 73, Kentucky Chapter 454, died January 4.

Lloyd W. Grote, 72, Nebraska Chapter 279, died December 31, 2020.

William L. Groth, Jr., 87, Missouri Chapter 1028, died January 15.

Earl Lynn Gsell, 73, New Jersey Chapter 899, died January 27.

Theodore G. Holmes, 72, Ohio Chapter 35, died December 27, 2020.

Verne R. Horton, 79, Nevada Chapter 388, died October 19, 2020.

Kevin F. Howell, 73, Nevada Chapter 388, died August 9, 2020.

Harry William Hughes, 74, Florida Chapter 1097, died December 11, 2020.

Calvin Leroy Jordan, Jr., 74, Pennsylvania Chapter 974, died January 2.

Gary M. Kay, 76, Michigan Chapter 180, died May 29, 2020.

Fillmore Champion Kelley, 77, at-large Tennessee, died December 25, 2020.

Steven T. Kuykendall, 73, California Chapter 53, died January 22.

Gordon C. Lane 1947-2021

Gordon “Gordie” Lane, a founding member of Central New York Chapter 103 and one of VVA’s most dedicated leaders since the early 1980s, died February 23. He was 73.

“I worked with Gordie for over thirty years, and he was a true veterans’ advocate,” said VVA New York State Council President Ned Foote. “He did not mind speaking his mind to anyone when it had to do with veterans issues.”

A lifelong resident of Syracuse, New York, Gordie Lane served a tour of duty in the Vietnam War with the U.S. Marine Corps. In 1982, in the wake of the dedication of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, he was one of the founding members of Chapter 103 in Liverpool, New York. He was elected chapter president in 1987, New York State Council president in 1988, and won an at-large seat on the VVA Board of Directors in 1989.

A former chair of VVA’s National POW/MIA Committee, at the time of his death “Gordie was still serving the chapter as its first vice president,” Foote said.

Steve Lauritzen, 73, Nevada Chapter 388, died August 2, 2020.

Danny Everett Leslie, 74, Virginia Chapter 1061, died December 11, 2020.

Michael Thomas Lyons, 77, South Dakota Chapter 1054, died August 6, 2020.

Donald M. MacDougall, 80, California Chapter 201, died January 15.

Garold Lee Marconette, 72, Kansas Chapter 912, died October 8, 2020.

Ronald Naylor Marshall, 76, Tennessee Chapter 950, died December 26, 2020.

Ronnie L. Mattox, 74, Louisiana Chapter 1131, died January 15.

Leonard Vincent McCarthy, 75, Illinois Chapter 699, died November 24, 2020.

Ronald W. Messa, 72, Donor to Rhode Island, died January 12.

Robert Earl Moore, 73, Tennessee Chapter 950, died December 23, 2020.

Donald C. Muscott, 70, Nevada Chapter 388, died November 6, 2020.

Richard George Nickum, 82, Kansas Chapter 604, died October 24, 2020.

Maclyn Owens, 74, Texas Chapter 292, died January 5.

William Mark Pacak, 72, Ohio Chapter 135, died November 20, 2020.

Kenneth Pae, 75, Tennessee Chapter 942, died December 13, 2020.

Joseph Palica, 70, New Jersey Chapter 233, died recently.

John Gary Pasquinelli, Sr., 73, Pennsylvania Chapter 720, died December 15, 2020.

Joseph J. Pavlik, Jr., 71, New Jersey Chapter 233, died January 5.

Susan J. Perfetto, 68, Pennsylvania Chapter 131, died December 9, 2020.

Lane E. Poore, 71, South Carolina Chapter 1017, died January 5.

Salvatore E. Popolo, 72, New York Chapter 72, died January 12.

Rodney Phillip Prickett, 73, Wisconsin Chapter 437, died March 12, 2020.

Clyde W. Rains, 71, Michigan Chapter 528, died November 30, 2020.

Frank Ramirez 1948-2020

Frank Ramirez, the longtime president of Chapter 968 in Roswell, New Mexico, and a former VVA New Mexico State Council president, died in August 2020 at age 71.

“Frank was a strong voice on VVA’s Minority Affairs Committee,” said Region 9 Director Dick Southern, “and was one of VVA’s outstanding leaders for many years. He was elected president in 2008 when the New Mexico State Council needed to get on track with scheduled meetings and activities, and he proved to be a very effective leader, and was an active and influential member of the Conference of State Council Presidents.”

David W. Register, 73, Georgia Chapter 1082, died December 22, 2020.

Michael L. Regrut, 72, Pennsylvania Chapter 415, died October 12, 2020.

Jerry O. Relph, 76, Minnesota Chapter 290, died December 18, 2020.

William Lee Reynolds, 74, California Chapter 355, died January 11.

Larry Haden Riley, 77, Oklahoma Chapter 751, died January 8.

Lowell R. Robbins, 84, Oklahoma Chapter 751, died January 29.

James A. Rogers, 74, Florida Chapter 1036, died January 18.

Rodney S. Rohde, 75, Illinois Chapter 669, died November 2, 2020.

Charles F. Rossel, 69, New York Chapter 72, died September 3, 2020.

Donald Ray Scott, 85, Oklahoma Chapter 751, died December 26, 2020.

Richard C. Southard, 88, New York Chapter 268, died November 26, 2020.

Robert Sparks, 79, Wisconsin Chapter 101, died January 16.

Andrew Stamatelatos, 72, California Chapter 53, died August 5, 2020.

Paul Crawford Stancliff, 77, Virginia Chapter 227, died January 19.

Lee Lawrence Steen, 71, North Dakota 487, died November 13, 2020.

Vader Thomas Stultz, 78, Tennessee Chapter 240, died October 6, 2020.

Stephen Douglas Trimmer, 71, Ohio Chapter 55, died November 23, 2020.

Kenneth Reed Tucker, 81, Idaho Chapter 972, died January 18.

Kenneth Dean Urbatsch, 69, North Dakota Chapter 487, died October 3, 2020.

Stephen J. Van Pay, 69, Wisconsin Chapter 224, died December 8, 2020.

John Laddey Walker, Sr., 75, Tennessee Chapter 950, died December 22, 2020.

Albert J. Walters, 75, Pennsylvania Chapter 862, died November 28, 2020.

Harold G. Warp, 74, Illinois Chapter 242, died December 25, 2020.

Larry Rolland Watson, 77, Idaho Chapter 972, died December 11, 2020.

John Mac Weaver, 89, Texas Chapter 1013, died November 30, 2020.

Delbert L. Witherwax, 75, Iowa Chapter 798, died January 26.

Boyd C. Yaden, 74, Oregon Chapter 392, died June 10, 2020.

Jerold Metsel Zerfoss, 81, South Dakota Chapter 1054, died September 24, 2020.

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