Disabled American Veterans

Blind Veterans National Chapter #1

WEB SITE: is down for now

November/December, 2012 Newsletter

Editor: Dennis O’Connell

Bvnc1@verizon.net

 

"IF I CANNOT SPEAK GOOD OF MY COMRADE,

I WILL NOT SPEAK ILL OF HIM OR HER."

 

OFFICERS OF THE BLIND CHAPTER

Commander Richard Bugbee (AZ)
Phone 480 986-0304

Email: dadbug37@gmail.com

Senior Vice Commander Dave May (OH)
1st Junior Vice Commander
Carroll Prosser (SC)

2nd Junior Vice Commander Gary Traynor (WI)
3rd Vice Commander James Hogan (CA)

4th Junior Vice Commander Stephen Moffitt (RI)

Judge Advocate & Immediate Past Commander Dennis O’Connell (NY)
Chaplain Rev. Tony Martino (IL)
Phone 847 736 2111
email:
Deaconmart@wi.rr.com

Adjutant/Treasurer Paul Kaminsky (FL) (also webmaster)

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

 

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

 

 

WELCOME ABOARD TO THE NEW MEMBER

 

Robert D. Casto Akron, OH

 

 

R I P

 

James H. Fox, Toms River, NJ

 

MEMORY of JAMES H. FOX

Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Blind Veterans National Chapter has lost someone very special. Our Supreme Commander has seen fit to call another of our comrades to answer the final Roll Call. Our Comrade and friend, James H. Fox, passed away on October 15. Over the years, we were blessed to have known him. Jim was a dual DAV member, belonging to the Blind Veterans National Chapter, as well as, his local DAV Chapter 24 in Toms River, NJ. As a Blind Chapter member he touched many hearts because Jim believed in the DAV Mission,  Service to Veterans.

I hope that you can find comfort in your many special memories you may have of Jim’s leadership and the success of the blind chapter. Jim was elected 4th Jr. Vice Commander in 1994. The following year, 1995, he was elected as Adjutant/Treasurer and served 14 dedicated years for the Blind Chapter. After stepping down in August 2008, due to health issues, Jim  was always available to assist our chapter officers when they had questions about conducting chapter business.  On the local level Jim served as Commander of DAV Chapter 24 in Toms River, and served on several committees for the DAV Department of New Jersey.  Jim was a member of the DAV Commanders and Adjutant Association and was a very active member in  the C&A. He encouraged our Blind Chapter Commanders to get involved with C&A. You could say that “Camaraderie” was Jim’s middle name.

Jim was a proud Navy veteran serving 22 years.

In his community of Toms River he was active in many organizations; the Lions Club, and was a progressive Melvin Jones Fellow and was a former Trustee of the District 16-B Board Charitable Foundation; Navy Lakehurst Historical Society serving 15 years as their treasurer; the VFW Post 6063;  the Eye Openers, and also the National Church Conference of the Blind. Jim, being a leader, served as President of the Blind Veterans Association Regional Group of New Jersey and over the years he served in several other offices as needed. Also, he was a life-member of the Hines Bind Center Alumni. As a member of the Toms River Community Church, he was the head of the men's ministry and the ushering staff, worked on the building committee, and was the recipient of the 2011 Excellent Ministry Award.

May I share (in part) the words of our DAV Chapel Service Ritual?

“Perhaps we members of the Disabled American Veterans Blind Veterans National Chapter, from our own experiences and close, constants with the sufferings of our comrades, can best understand a philosophy of death that brings us a large measure of consolation. For surely, a Merciful and Just God could not do other than provide a life of future happiness for our departed comrade, as a recompense for the many trials and tribulations he endured here on earth. It is the thought that gives us the courage to mark our comrade’s passing without tears, secure in the knowledge that he is not dead, but rather, he gone on to something infinitely better than his happiest moments on earth: that he has been discharged from this earthy army and accepted for service in that glorious army of the hosts of heaven, where we may hope eventually to join him in eternal peace.”

 

“Comrades, ATTENTION!  Please join me in a Final Salute to our fallen comrade, James H. Fox. By the numbers, Hand Salute! ..... Two!  May Jim Rest in Peace.

 

I feel privileged to have counted Jim as a friend especially when I was serving as Commander of the Blind Veterans National Chapter.

s/David May, Past Chapter Commander

DAV Blind Veterans National Chapter

 

Disabled American Veterans National Service Foundation

Mission Statement: The DAV National Service Foundation

 develops financial resources for the assistance, aid, maintenance, care, support and rehabilitation of disabled veterans and their dependents, either directly or by contributions to the service programs of the Disabled American Veterans national organization or its Departments and Chapters.

 

If you would like to donate “In Memory of James H. Fox”  to the DAV Blind Veterans National Chapter, we can combine all donations into one large donation to the DAV National Service Foundation (NSF). I honestly feel this would be a great honor to recognized Jim for all he did for the Blind Chapter.  FYI: DAV NSF fiscal year is January-December. We need to make Jim’s donation before the end of the year to have Jim’s name added to the NSF 2012 Honor Roll Annual Report. Thank you for your consideration. Please submit your James H. Fox donation to our ADJUTANT PAUL  KAMINSKY, DAV BLIND VETERANS NATIONAL CHAPTER,  4295  POWDERHORN  CT, MIDDLEBURG  FL  32068  no later than December 15, 2012. Donations received after December 15 will still be submitted in Memory of James Fox but the donation will not show up in the NSF Annual Report until 2013 (report given in 2014).

          Memory of James H. Fox

 

Disabled American Veterans (DAV) Blind Veterans National Chapter has lost someone very special.  Our Supreme Commander has seen fit to call another of our comrades to answer the final Roll Call. Our Comrade and friend, James H. Fox, passed away on October 15. Over the years, we were blessed to have known him. Jim was a dual DAV member, belonging to the Blind Veterans National Chapter, as well as, his local DAV Chapter 24 in Toms River, NJ. As a Blind Chapter member he touched many hearts because Jim believed in the DAV Mission,  Service to Veterans.

 

I hope that you can find comfort in your many special memories you may have of Jim’s leadership and the success of the blind chapter. Jim was elected 4th Jr. Vice Commander in 1994. The following year, 1995, he was elected as Adjutant/Treasurer and served 14 dedicated years for the Blind Chapter. After stepping down in August 2008, due to health issues, Jim  was always available to assist our chapter officers when they had questions about conducting chapter business.  On the local level Jim served as Commander of DAV Chapter 24 in Toms River, and served on serval committees for the DAV Department of New Jersey.  Jim was a member of the DAV Commanders and Adjutant Association and was a very active member in  the C&A. He encouraged our Blind Chapter Commanders to get involved with C&A. You could say that “Camaraderie” was Jim’s middle name.

 

Jim was a proud Navy veteran serving 22 years.

 

In his community of Toms River he was active in many organizations; the Lions Club, and was a progressive Melvin Jones Fellow and was a former Trustee of the District 16-B Board Charitable Foundation; Navy Lakehurst Historical Society serving 15 years as their treasurer; the VFW Post 6063;  the Eye Openers, and also the National Church Conference of the Blind. Jim, being a leader, served as President of the Blind Veterans Association of New Jersey and over the years he served in several other offices as needed. Also, he was a life-member of the Hines Bind Center Alumni. As a member of the Toms River Community Church, he was the head of the men's ministry and the ushering staff, worked on the building committee, and was the recipient of the 2011 Excellent Ministry Award.

 

May I share (in part) the words of our DAV Chapel Service Ritual?

 

“Perhaps we members of the Disabled American Veterans Blind Veterans National Chapter, from our own experiences and close, constants with the sufferings of our comrades, can best understand a philosophy of death that brings us a large measure of consolation. For surely, a Merciful and Just God could not do other than provide a life of future happiness for our departed comrade, as a recompense for the many trails and tribulations he endured here on earth. It is the thought that gives us the courage to mark our comrade’s passing without tears, secure in the knowledge that he is not dead, but rather, he gone on to something infinitely better than his happiest moments on earth: that he has been discharged from this earthy army and accepted for service in that glorious army of the hosts of heaven, where we may hope eventually to join him in eternal peace.”

 

“Comrades, ATTENTION!  Please join me in a Final Salute to our fallen comrade, James H. Fox. By the numbers, Hand Salute! ..... Two!  May Jim Rest in Peace.

 

I feel privileged to have counted Jim as a friend especially when I was serving as Commander of the Blind Veterans National Chapter.

 

s/David May, Past Chapter Commander

DAV Blind Veterans National Chapter

 

Disabled American Veterans National Service Foundation

Mission Statement: The DAV National Service Foundation develops financial resources for the assistance, aid, maintenance, care, support and rehabilitation of disabled veterans and their dependents, either directly or by contributions to the service programs of the Disabled American Veterans national organization or its Departments and Chapters.

 

If you would like to donate “In Memory of James H. Fox”  to the DAV Blind Veterans National Chapter, we can combine all donations into one large donation to the DAV National Service Foundation (NSF). I honestly feel this would be a great honor to recognized Jim for all he did for the Blind Chapter.  FYI: DAV NSF fiscal year is January-December. We need to make Jim’s donation before the end of the year to have Jim’s name added to the NSF 2012 Honor Roll Annual Report. Thank you for your consideration. Please submit your James H. Fox donation to our ADJUTANT PAUL  KAMINSKY, DAV BLIND VETERANS NATIONAL CHAPTER,  4295  POWDERHORN  CT, MIDDLEBURG  FL  32068  no later than December 15, 2012. Donations received after December 15 will still be submitted in Memory of James Fox but the donation will not show up in the NSF Annual Report until 2013 (report given in 2014).

 

 

NEWS FROM PAUL KAMINSKY

 

When I got home from the BVA National Convention, I immediately went to the Prosthetics webpage. What I found real helpful was one of the links is to the "staff directory" which list the VISN prosthetic representatives such as: 

Rhonda Shipman Arlington, TX 615-225-3646. She is the nice lady who gave the lecture at the convention. 

    Also there is a link to download a copy of the PSAS National Staff Directory (http://www.prosthetics.va.gov/Docs/PSAS_National_Directory_updated_Revised_04242012.pdf).

Here is the PSAS home page:

http://www.prosthetics.va.gov/

 

 

PAST COMMANDERS TO PRESENT

BLIND CHAPTER (51001)

 

Wayne Wimberly                           1991 – 1992, 1992 - 1993

Theodore Romig                           1993 –1994, 1994 –1995

Robert Williams                             1995 – 1996, 1996 – 1997

David May                                     1997– 1998, 1998 –1999

Rubin Martinez                              1999 –2000

Terry Livingston                             2000 –2001, 2001 –2002

Harold E. Humphrey                      2002 –2003, 2003 –2004

Joseph B. Link                               2004 –2005

Stephen C. Moffitt Sr.                         2005 –2006, 2006 –2007

Harold E. Humphrey                      2007 –2008, 2008 –2009

Dennis J. O'Connell                       2009 –2010, 2010 –2011

Richard Bugbee                             2011 –2012

 

 

MESSAGE FROM THE EDITOR

 

May your Christmas, Hanukah and New Year bring to all of you and your families the Blessings and Good Health that you richly deserve. 

 

 

GOD BLESS AMERICA!