January-February, 2011 Newsletter

"IF I CANNOT SPEAK GOOD OF MY COMRADE,

I WILL NOT SPEAK ILL OF HIM OR HER."

OFFICERS OF THE BLIND CHAPTER

Commander Dennis O’Connell
Phone 516 328-3438
Email: bvnc1@verizon.net

Senior Vice Commander Richard Bugbee
1st Junior Vice Commander Eddie Humphrey

2^nd Junior Vice Commander Joe Wallace

3^rd Vice Commander Junior Farley

4^th Junior Vice Commander William Burgess
Judge Advocate Dave May
Chaplain Rev. Tony Martino
Phone 847 736 2111
email: Deaconmart@wi.rr.com

Adjutant/Treasurer Paul Kaminsky (also webmaster)

Phone 904 291-0576
email: pkjax@kaminsky.com

Immediate Past Commander Eddie Humphrey

If you know of any member who is sick or deceased please inform one of the officers whose contact information is listed above.

REST IN PEACE

Ken Davis, Malvern, AR

James Harris, San Antonio, TX

Gerald Kinkade, Oakdale, NY

William Parker, Hazel Crest IL

Richard Pedder, Willowick OH

Herman Smith, Saint Marys KS

WELCOME ABOARD

Ronald Mackie, Jacksonville, FL

Gerard McDonnell, Garden City, NY

MESSAGE FROM THE COMMANDER

As you read above, we are losing many members due to the grim reaper. Many times you hear the words, Membership is the life blood of our order, and it is so true. We all should do our part and find at least one new member to join our ranks. If our decline of membership goes on we might be dwindled down to just 3 delegates allowed to go to the 2011 National Convention in New Orleans in August.

On February 26 Paul Kaminsky & I will be travelling to Washing DC to represent our Chapter at the DAV Mid-Winter meetings.

Stay well and please go out there and sign up a new member.

Patriot Day

On December 18, 2001, President George W. Bush signed into law designating September 11 as Patriot Day. This is an annual observance to remember the nearly 3000 people who died during terrorist attacks in New York, Washington DC and Shanksville, Pennsylvania during the terrorist attacks in the United States on 11

SEP 01. Many Americans refer Patriot Day as 9/11 or September 11 day. On the direction of the President, the flag of the United States of America should be displayed on the homes of Americans, the White House and all United States government buildings in the whole world. A few steps you can take to make the most of this important day of

remembrance are:

. Fly the American Flag at your house on11 SEP. And if possible, fly it at half-staff to remember those who died. If your flagpole doesn't allow a half-staff display, just displaying the flag is a good way to show respect for those who have died both during the attacks and in the wars that have followed. Don't have a flag? Perhaps you can go out and purchase red, white & blue bunting to hang from your porch or red, white & blue decorations to use to display your patriotism on Patriot Day.

. Light a candle (or use an electronic candle) in memory of those who died on 9/11 as a way to celebrate Patriot day.

. Observe a moment of silence at 8:46 AM Eastern Standard Time. This marks the time the first plane flew into the World Trade Center.

. Take time to remember the heroes in your life. You can use Patriot Day to thank your local firemen and local police officers for the hard work they do. Thank the teacher who inspired you to work just a little bit harder. Thank the men and women in uniform who fight to protect you.

. Take a moment to call family and friends and let them know how much they mean to you. The events of 9/11 remind us of the uncertainty of our future. Use this day to celebrate the important people in your life.

. Celebrate life. Take a walk on the beach or through a park. Enjoy the sunset. Gaze at the stars. Use Patriot Day to remember that every day is a gift.

Patriot Day is not a federal holiday and schools and businesses do not close. Public transit systems run on their

regular schedules. Many people and organizations take some time out to hold prayers for the victims of the attacks,

but these do not usually affect public life for more than a few minutes. Patriot Day should not be confused with Patriot‘s Day, also known as Patriots Day (19 APR) which commemorates the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775, which were two of the earliest battles in the American Revolutionary War.

More from last issue: Flag Presentation Update 06:

The flag in mourning

To place the flag at half-staff (or half-mast, on ships), hoist it to the peak for an instant and lower it to a position half way between the top and bottom of the staff.

. The flag is to be raised again to the peak for a moment before it is lowered.

. On Memorial Day, the flag is displayed at half-staff until noon and at full staff from noon to sunset.

. The flag is to be flown at half-staff in mourning for the death of designated, principal government leaders.

. The flag is to be flown at half-staff for thirty days in mourning for the death of the current or former President of the United States.

. The U.S. flag is otherwise flown at half-staff (or half-mast, on ships) only when directed by the President of the United States, a state governor (within that state), or the mayor of Washington D.C. (within the district).

. When used to cover a casket or coffin, the flag should be placed with the union at the head and over the left shoulder. It should not be lowered into the grave.

. The U.S. Flag is to be flown half staff on Patriot Day (11 SEP)

DID YOU KNOW ABOUT THIS?

It started last Christmas 2009, when Bennett and Vivian Levin were overwhelmed by sadness while listening to radio reports of injured American troops.

"We have to let them know we care," Vivian told Bennett. So they organized a trip to bring soldiers from Walter Reed Army Medical Center and Bethesda Naval Hospital to the annual Army-Navy football game in Philly, on December 3, 2010.

The cool part is, they created their own train line to do it. Yes, there are people in this country who actually own real trains. Bennett Levin - native Philly guy, self-made millionaire, is one of them. He has three luxury rail cars. Think mahogany paneling, plush seating and white-linen dining areas. He also has two locomotives, which he stores at his Juniata Park train yard. One car, the elegant Pennsylvania, carried John F. Kennedy to the Army-Navy game in 1961 and '62. Later, it carried his brother Bobby's body to D.C. for burial. "That's a lot of history for one car," says Bennett.

He and Vivian wanted to revive a tradition that endured from 1936 to 1975, during which trains carried Army-Navy spectators from around the country directly to the stadium where the annual game is played. The Levins could think of no better passengers to reinstate the ceremonial ride than the wounded men and women recovering at Walter Reed in D.C. and Bethesda, in Maryland.

"We wanted to give them a first-class experience," says Bennett. "Gourmet meals on board, private transportation f