Shelby County Vets to D.C.: A gathering of heroes...

Monday, September 9, 2013

A gathering of heroes...

This past week, we had the pleasure and honor of helping an old friend with his Army reunion. Weldon Oakley is a member of the 58th Engineer Company (Treadway Bridge Company) which fought at the Chosin Reservoir in Korea. This was a really big deal in terms of the Korean War and these guys were right in the thick of it. If you would like more info on their unit, mission, and some of the things they went through, check out this web site (Chosin Reservoir ).

Weldon was hosting this reunion and we thought maybe our Vets to DC committee could be of assistance. The group was rather large at one time, but they are down to just a handful that are able to travel. In fact, there were only 6 members (below) left to attend the Sidney reunion. There is still a "buddie" in Kentucky, but he is not able to travel so they will try to see him next year for the get together.

The remaining members of the 58th Engineer Co. (Treadway Bridge Co.) attending the 2013 reunion.

This is the team picture of the Vets and their guests.

Our group played a small part in making their reunion a success. We attended their get together on Wednesday evening, Sept. 4 at the Hampton Inn located in Sidney and presented each of the Vets with a hand carved wooden cane, courtesy of the Shelby County Wood Carvers Association. This is the same cane we have presented to each of the Vets who travel with us to DC. We also presented them with a copy of the book, Forgotten No More, "The Korean War Veterans Memorial Story" by Carol Highsmith and Ted Landphair., a couple of Korean War and U.S. Army pins for their hats, and a bookmark for the book.

We also supplied drivers for the group for their Thursday tour of the local area. They toured the Airstream plant in Jackson Center and the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum in Wapakonetta. We also drove them to dinner at the Cracker Barrel in Piqua for a leisure dinner.

It was an honor for our members to assist and help these heroes get together again.

The true soldier fights not because he hates what is in front of him, but because he loves what is behind him. G.K. Chesterton

Hooah

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Vietnam Memorial

The Memorial Wall, designed by Maya Lyn, is made up of two gabbro walls 246 feet 9 inches (75 m) long. The walls are sunk into the ground, with the earth behind them. At the highest tip (the apex where they meet), they are 10.1 feet (3 m) high, and they taper to a height of eight inches (20 cm) at their extremities. Stone for the wall came from Bangalore, Karnataka, India, and was deliberately chosen because of its reflective quality. Stone cutting and fabrication was done in Barre Vermont. Stones were then shipped to Memphis, Tennessee where the names were etched. The etching was completed using a photo emulsion and sandblasting process. The negatives used in the process are in storage at the Smithsonian Institution. When a visitor looks upon the wall, his or her reflection can be seen simultaneously with the engraved names, which is meant to symbolically bring the past and present together. One wall points toward the Washington Monument, the other in the direction of the Lincoln Memorial, meeting at an angle of 125° 12′. Each wall has 72 panels, 70 listing names (numbered 1E through 70E and 70W through 1W) and 2 very small blank panels at the extremities. There is a pathway along the base of the Wall, where visitors may walk, read the names, make a pencil rubbing of a particular name, or pray.

WWII Memorial...

The memorial honors the 16 million who served in the armed forces of the U.S. during World War II, the more than 400,000 who died, and the millions who supported the war effort from home. Symbolic of the defining event of the 20th Century, the memorial is a monument to the spirit, sacrifice, and commitment of the American people to the common defense of the nation and to the broader causes of peace and freedom from tyranny throughout the world. It will inspire future generations of Americans, deepening their appreciation of what the World War II generation accomplished in securing freedom and democracy. Above all, the memorial stands as an important symbol of American national unity, a timeless reminder of the moral strength and awesome power that can flow when a free people are at once united and bonded together in a common and just cause.

Korean War Memorial ...

From 1950 to 1953, the United States joined with the United Nations forces in Korea to take a stand against what was deemed a threat to democratic nations worldwide. At war's end, a million and a half American veterans returned to a peacetime world of families, homes, and jobs - and to a country long reluctant to view the Korean War as something to memorialize. But to the men and women who served, the Korean War could never be a forgotten war.

The passing of more than four decades has brought a new perspective to the war and its aftermath. The time has come, in the eyes of the Nation, to set aside a place of remembrance for the people who served in this hard-fought war half a world away. The Korean War Veterans Memorial honors those Americans who answered the call, those who worked and fought under the most trying circumstances, and those who gave their lives for the cause of freedom.

How to see and download a picture.

1. Click your mouse on any of the the links (below) and the pictures will come up.
2. Click on a picture and that single picture will come up.
3. When it does, if you want to download it (free), click on the "Actions" tab at the top of the page, and then on the word "Download." You will then be prompted to save this picture to a folder -- select your "download" folder.
4. The picture will be downloaded to your download folder on your computer and you can either save it to your computer or print it on your printer.
5. When you click on the "download" button, and the picture is downloaded, you can continue to look at pictures or download another one.

Shelby County Vets to D.C.

Monday, September 9, 2013

A gathering of heroes...

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Pictures from Trip #10

Applications for the 2016 Vets to DC Trip - TBA

See pictures of our trips below:

Contact us ...

Our Mission...

Schedule of Events...

Committee Meeting Dates:

Vietnam Memorial

WWII Memorial...

Korean War Memorial ...

Thoughts from a fundraising weekend...

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