Next Meeting:

25 October at 7:00 PM

September Meeting Minutes

Meeting called to order at 1900 by Commander Wrigley. Opening ceremonies conducted.

Motion to suspend normal business seconded, passed, to allow Boy Scouts Troop 260 to address Post. John Pelletier and Mr. Dribble of the troop explained they have been involved with the Boy Scout Troop since 2001. With the closing of Infant Prague church, they are losing their charter sponsor. They asked if we would sponsor them so they can continue as a Troop in town. Questions and Answers from members covered issues, including no financial obligation required, signature yearly for annual renewal, Liaison between the Post and the Troop to assist in their review process for leaders. They do not plan to use our hall for any meetings, as these are held at the Daniels Academy. Post advised Troop leaders the Post would consider their request and let them know our answer.

Meeting resumed for normal business.

Minutes of July and August read, motioned for acceptance, seconded and accepted.

Financial report read, motioned, seconded and accepted.

No New members brought forward.

SICK CALL: None to report.

COMMITTEE REPORTS: The committee for the Veterans Appreciation Day did not meet this past month. No update.

OLD BUSINESS:

·       George Farwell followed up with Fire Chief Scott Knowles regarding letter sent to Post and confirmed we are on a slow and acceptable schedule to satisfy them regarding the items contained in the letter, i.e., signage, etc.

·       Insurance for Liability lapsed, will be followed up by Ben Perreault and Commander Wrigley.

NEW BUSINESS:

·       Discussed the Boy Scout request, answered remaining questions; everyone had a say. Provided no BSA meetings will be held at the Post, general agreement to become the sponsor for Troop 260 Brookline passed unanimously.

·       Hank Vezina volunteered to be the liaison. Commander Wrigley will also ask Greg d'Arbonne if he is interested as he is an Eagle Scout. Bill Graham volunteered as well to be liaison if needed.

·       Commander Wrigley addressed the Post as the District Commander to inform them there will be a District meeting at Post 74 on November 15. Also, on October 21, a joint meeting with the Merrimack Post will be held with a luncheon at noon followed by a1 PM meeting.

·       Commander Wrigley reminded all the annual Senior Oratorical contest will be held in January and she is enlisting Hollis teachers at P/S as participants to compete. Also, the Junior Oratorical contest will be held at St. Anselm’s. She is planning a fund raiser raffle which will draw for rings.

·       Announcement of Nashua Post Meat bingo on Oct 7.

·       Announcement for Flag disposal - Sat, 29 September, at 2 PM.

·       Commander Wrigley will contact the BSA to advise we will sponsor their charter.

·       Discussed having supply of flags for next year. Issue discussed that the Post provides flag supports for deceased members. Others may acquire them from us at cost.

·       To date, Post 74 membership is at 34% paid. Will contact those who have not replied to late notices.

·       It was noted that our recently deceased member, Ron Denehy, is still shown as an active member on the State’s roster. Commander Wrigley to address and fix.

CORRESPONDENCE:

·       None received.

There being no further business, the closing prayer was read, colors retired, and meeting adjourned at 2000.

Commander’s Comments

I have been going around to the various Middle and High Schools in the area talking about the Senior Oratorical and Junior Oratorical Contest. We have 2 interested contestants for the Senior Oratorical; one from Merrimack and the other from Nashua. It would be great if we could have a student to compete in the District 2 Senior Oratorical from Hollis-Brookline High School -- still working this effort.

To date there has not been a contestant from District 2 in the Junior Oratorical (per Department). Maybe this year we can break our record.

By now you know Post 74 is sponsoring Boy Scout Troop 260 of Brookline. Welcome aboard Scouts!

We need to have the remaining 21 folks of our Post pay this year’s dues so we can devote our time and energy to more than calling and sending out late notices regarding dues. I need some volunteers to take at least 3 names and call on those that have not paid. I will be willing to go along if needed.

On November 15 we will have a joint meeting with District. Both the Post and District will have a regular meeting. After the meeting refreshments (catered) will be served. This is my way of saying how thankful I am to know each and everyone of you. You have and will continue to be a blessing in my life.

My schedule for this month is as follows:

15 Oct: Visit Merrimack Post 98, 7 PM

16 Oct: Meet with Boy Scout Troop 260 and talk about Boy's State and the Junior and Senior Oratorical Contests. Work with Senior Scouts on their Eagle Scout community project.

17 Oct: Visit Greenville Post 13, 7 PM

18 Oct: Call Posts on upcoming Joint Meeting at Merrimack Post 98

20 Oct: Family in Laconia Photos (visit Mom and Legionnaires at the Merrimack County Home (bring cookies, juice drinks, lots of hugs and smiles)

21 Oct: Joint District and Auxiliary Meeting at Post 98 Merrimack – 1200, Light lunch; 1300 Meeting starts (bring TV for CD).

25 Oct: Post 74 Brookline meeting (Bring Donuts and coffee), 7 PM

26 Oct: Work day off: Address the History Classes at Hollis Brookline Senior and Junior High School; talk and help with sign up for Junior and Senior Oratorical contests. Assign a guide to assist student.

30 Oct: Boy Scouts, Troop 260, 7 PM

NOV 2007

3 Nov: Welcome Back at Manchester VA, 718 Smyth Rd 10 - 3PM

4 Nov: Visit Peterborough Post, 2 PM

5 Nov: Visit Hudson Post, 7 PM

6 Nov: Visit Nashua Post, 7 PM (all visitations completed 1st round before the snow starts!!)

9 Nov: (DAY OFF) Go to Nashua High Schools, Time TBD, Senior Oratorical, AM. Merrimack High Schools Time TBD Senior Oratorical, PM.

15 Nov: District 2 and Post 74 Meeting, 7 PM. Commander Wrigley to have a light meal of thanks to all who attend.

Always,

Ruth

Do You Have An E-mail Address?

E-mailing the newsletter saves mailing costs. If you have e-mail access, send a message to Greg, at Gdarbo6844@aol.com. Addresses are for the exclusive use of the members to pass information and not to be sold or freely passed to others outside the Post without formal consent of the member. No funds solicitation is authorized via e-mail.

News For & From Members

Jeff Smith Sends Regards from Iraq

From Col Jeff Smith, our Post member serving an extended 2^nd tour in Iraq – Things here continue to go well, as I continue to support our folks in the field.

Still here, and will be for a while yet. My current orders are through November, but may get extended / redeployed.

My snail mail address is: Col Jeffry Smith, MNF-IC2 CIOC ITFC, Unit 42002, APO AE 09342-2002

Best wishes to all there and keep us in your prayers.

Jeff

News of Interest to Veterans

Manchester VA planning “WELCOME BACK” CELEBRATION for all OIF/OEF Veterans, Military personnel, and their families!

The Manchester VA Medical Center is planning a huge Welcome Back Celebration for all Veterans and Military members who have served in America’s Global War on Terrorism, and their families. The celebration will take place on Saturday, November 3rd, from 10:00 A.M. until 3:00 P.M. at the Medical Center located at 718 Smyth Road in Manchester. Medical Center Director, Marc Levenson, M.D., said: “The Medical Center is going all out to provide a great day of free entertainment, food, and educational activities for those who have fought in Iraq and Afghanistan and their families. We are also inviting the families of service members currently serving in combat situations to come for this free day out with the kids and to learn more about the services that are available to their loved ones when they return”.

There will be free pony rides, face painting, a kids “tattoo parlor”, a bouncy house, and more. Miss Rockingham County will be there and is donating raffle prizes that include two children's bicycles, autographed bicycle helmets and free tickets to attend the Miss Rockingham County Pageant. She will also be engaging the children in an interactive bicycle safety presentation, bicycle helmet decorating, and providing free pencils, pens, games, reflectors and stickers that are provided by the Brain Injury Association of New Hampshire. And what’s a Celebration without plenty of food and a live concert by local entertainers and bands! Bring the family for a free family portrait and more surprises that are still in the works.

Dr. Levenson also stressed the importance of information that will be provided about VA resources for those returning from combat. These include medical benefits, help with readjustment issues, filing disability claims, and home loans. There will even be job search and educational information and federal job locator assistance.

For more information call 1-800-892-8384, extension 6040, or 603-624-4366, extension 6040.

Study Says Veterans' Data Are at Risk

Associated Press, by Hope Yen (Washington, September 19, 2007) - Veterans' personal data and health information remain at risk of identity theft because the Veterans Affairs Department has yet to implement several safety measures, government investigators say.

The report by the Government Accountability Office, released Wednesday, comes more than one year after the VA pledged renewed security efforts after the loss of personal information for 26.5 million veterans and active-duty personnel.

It found that the VA had not yet fully secured access to its computer network and department facilities nor worked to ensure that only authorized changes and updates to VA computer programs were made.

Moreover, the VA has operated without a chief information security officer since June 2006 to oversee changes and still lacks clear and adequate procedures for quickly notifying veterans when their sensitive data is lost, the report said.

"Because these recommendations have not yet been implemented, unnecessary risk exists that the personal information of veterans and others, such as medical providers, will be exposed to data tampering, fraud and inappropriate disclosure," investigators said.

Responding, VA Deputy Secretary Gordon Mansfield said he generally agreed with the findings but insisted the VA's data security was "legally adequate." Many of the recommendations, which were proposed a year ago by the GAO and the VA inspector general, were in the process of being implemented, he said.

"VA has taken aggressive and proactive measures that are, or were at the time, above and beyond legal requirements, such as mandating encryption of sensitive data accessed remotely or used outside VA facilities," Mansfield wrote.

In May 2006, the VA stunned the veterans community when it announced that thieves had stolen a computer hard drive containing millions of names, Social Security numbers and birth dates from a VA employee's Maryland home.

The hard drive was eventually recovered intact, but not until after the VA suffered blistering criticism from Congress for waiting more than two weeks to call in the FBI. VA Secretary Jim Nicholson, who wasn't immediately informed either, said he was outraged and pledged to make the VA the "gold standard" in data security.

"The security regimen at VA has been totally revised," Nicholson, who steps down Oct. 1, reported to Congress this week. "I believe that this reorganization, and the modification and strengthening of our regulations governing IT, its use, and its security will minimize the risk of a significant data loss in the future."

On Wednesday, the GAO said the VA had made progress by developing a plan to correct identified weaknesses in its information technology system, requiring security and privacy training for VA employees, and providing regular reports to the VA secretary.

But significant gaps remain because responsibility for overseeing VA data security is split among several offices and no clear process exists for the officials to work together.

The GAO cited in particular last January's threat of identity theft for 1.8 million veterans and physicians after a backup hard drive with their Social Security numbers went missing from a research site in Birmingham, Ala.

Medical providers involved in the incident were not notified until 85 days after the data loss because the VA did not have clear plans in place for coordinating with other agencies, which in this case was the Department of Health and Human Services.

"Until VA addresses recommendations to resolve identified weaknesses, it will have limited assurance that it can adequately protect its systems and information," the GAO said.

VA Accused of Distorting Wait Times

Associated Press (Washington, September 11, 2007) - The Department of Veterans Affairs repeatedly understated wait times for injured veterans seeking medical care and in many serious cases forced them to wait more than 30 days, counter to department policy, an internal investigation shows.

The review by the VA inspector general's office, released Monday, examined 700 outpatient appointments for primary and specialty care scheduled in October 2006 at 10 VA medical centers.

It found that the Veterans Health Administration in recent months falsely reported to Congress that nearly all of its appointments – about 95 percent - were scheduled within 30 days of a patient's requested date. In fact, only three in four veterans - 75 percent - received such timely appointments.

Of the veterans kept waiting more than 30 days, 27 percent of them had more serious service-connected disabilities, such as amputees and those with chronic problems including frequent panic attacks. Under VHA policy, such veterans must be scheduled for care within 30 days of their desired appointment date.

In addition, despite warnings by the IG in 2005 to more accurately report wait times, department officials last year also may have understated the number of veterans on their electronic waiting lists by more than 53,000.

"While waiting time inaccuracies and omissions from electronic waiting lists can be caused by a lack of training and data entry errors, we also found that schedulers at some facilities were interpreting the guidance from their managers to reduce waiting times as instruction to never put patients on the electronic waiting list," VA investigators wrote.

"This seems to have resulted in some 'gaming' of the scheduling process," the 34-page report said.

Responding, VA undersecretary for health Michael Kussman partly agreed that the agency should take additional steps to improve scheduling with better training, procedures and better accounting of records. But he insisted the VA in most cases was doing the best it can and challenged the IG report's methodology, citing patient satisfaction surveys showing roughly 85 percent of veterans getting appointments when they needed them.

In April, Kussman testified to Congress that 95 percent of veterans were receiving the timely appointments. The VA's 2006 annual report, issued last November, makes similar claims.

"To obtain a more objective, professional analysis of all components of VHA's scheduling process, including electronic wait lists and waiting times reporting, I plan to obtain the services of a contractor who will thoroughly assess the factors," Kussman wrote in Monday's IG report.

The report comes amid intense political and public scrutiny of the VA and Pentagon following reports of shoddy outpatient care of injured troops and veterans at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and elsewhere.

In recent weeks, injured Iraq war veterans have filed a lawsuit against the VA alleging undue delays in health care. The department also is struggling to reduce a severe backlog of disability payments, with delays of up to 177 days to process an initial claim, and it awaits a new leader to make changes once outgoing VA secretary Jim Nicholson steps down Oct. 1.

"This is simply not acceptable," said Sen. Daniel Akaka, D-Hawaii, who chairs the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee. He said the report showed the VA was "skewing" its performance on veterans' health care and that the VA was not taking responsibility.

"It is disturbing that VA is refusing to concur with all of the findings and recommendations," he said.

The VA medical facilities reviewed in the IG report were for both primary and specialty care in the following cities: Birmingham, Ala.; Atlanta; Columbia, S.C.; San Antonio, Temple and Dallas in Texas; Cincinnati; Detroit; Indianapolis; Chillicothe, Ohio.

Other findings:

·       The VA facilities with the worst record of scheduling appointments within 30 days were Columbia (64 percent), Chillicothe (64 percent) and San Antonio (67 percent). The best performance was seen in Detroit (84 percent), Temple (83 percent), Birmingham and Cincinnati (both 80 percent).

·       VA monitoring of scheduling procedures was spotty and incomplete.

In one case, a veteran with eye problems visited a VA clinic in December 2005 and was told by his doctor to return in six weeks. However, it wasn't until many months later, in September 2006, that the VA scheduler set an appointment - for October of that year.

The scheduler then reported the veteran had requested an October date, when in fact he had waited 259 days from the six-week target date appointment in January, the report said.

"We saw no documentation to explain the delay and medical facility personnel said it 'fell through the cracks,'" investigators said.

Shingles Vaccine Available for Veterans

A vaccine for shingles is available to veterans who are patients at VA medical facilities nationwide. Veterans Administration (VA) physicians will offer the shingles vaccine to patients with appropriate medical conditions, usually those who are 60 years of age or older and have healthy immune systems

Shingles (herpes zoster) is a painful disease marked by a blistering rash and sometimes complicated by nerve damage. The disease is caused by the reactivation of the virus that causes chickenpox and it can occur in anyone who has had chickenpox.

In May 2006 the Department of Veterans Affairs announced the results of one of the largest studies ever conducted by the VA. Over 38,000 men and women older than age 60 participated; VA investigators examined the effectiveness of a vaccine that would eliminate or reduce the severity of shingles in older adults.

The Shingles Prevention Study findings indicated a 51% reduction in the risk of developing shingles in those who were vaccinated compared to participants who received a placebo vaccine. The study was a collaborative effort of VA, NIAID, and Merck & Co, Inc., the producer of the vaccine. The FDA approved the vaccine in May 2006. For more information visit the Center for Disease and Control website: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/vpd-vac/shingles/default.htm, and Dept of Veterans Affairs: http://www.research.va.gov/news/research_highlights/shingles-052606.cfm

VA Reaches Out to Former Prisoners of War

Department Enlists Public’s Help in Contacting Former POWs

Washington - Do you know any former prisoners of war (POW) or their family members? If so, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) needs your help.

VA is once again reaching out to former prisoners of war not currently using VA benefits and services, urging them to contact the Department to find out if they are eligible for health care, disability compensation and other services.

“One of VA’s highest priorities is meeting the needs of former prisoners of war,” said Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson. “They are extraordinary men and women who have endured captivity, suffered extreme deprivation and sacrificed their own freedom to preserve the freedom of all Americans.”

VA estimates more than 25,000 former prisoners of war are alive today. VA is trying to contact the remaining POW’s not receiving any benefits or health care through an outreach program that includes asking citizens to pass the word to veterans they know.

VA also extends a helping hand to the surviving spouses and family members of former POWs, who may be eligible for certain benefits and services.

In recent years, VA has expanded benefits to all former POWs with strokes and certain common heart diseases. More than a dozen other diseases were already covered.

The government's effort to inform former POWs about improvements in benefits faces a particular hurdle with older veterans who may not have been in touch with VA for decades.

A majority of former POWs are veterans of World War II, and their military service was before the use of Social Security numbers as military "service numbers." As a result, it is difficult for VA to track down those who have not been in contact with the Department in recent years.

During recent years through a nationwide outreach campaign that included direct mailings and the help of news media and veterans organizations, VA has added hundreds of former POWs to its compensation rolls, people who had not previously been receiving benefits to which they were entitled.

If you know a former POW, please ask him or her to contact VA at 1-800-827-1000. Details about benefits and services available to former POWs and family members are available at http://www.vba.va.gov/bln/21/Benefits/POW/index.htm.

VETERAN.COM – Building a Community for Military Veterans

Tampa, Florida (September 25th, 2007) - Veteran.com today announced that it is building an online community for U.S. Military Veterans.

Veteran.com is one of the lesser-known online communities. Unlike other community sites that try to cater to everyone, Veteran.com has a simpler premise: provide a premium community for U.S. Military Veterans.

“I got the idea of this community when I retired from the military and lost track of many of my old friends. We all used our local e-mail addresses and now everyone has moved on to other places,” said Steve Lecarpentier, President and Founder of Veteran.com. “In fact, about a third of online customers in America change e-mail addresses every year, losing about half the relationships they had set up with people that communicate with them via e-mail. Joining Veteran.com is a great way to maintain your relationships with friends and former comrades in arms.”

Why Veteran.com?

·       Patriotic domain name tells everyone what this site is about – U.S. Military Veterans.

·       Since we are a new community, your preferred user name may still be available (e.g. john or airborne, not johnqpublic1968, etc).

·       Veteran.com does not distribute your e-mail address or send unwanted promotions.

·       No Pop-Up/Pop-Under advertising.

·       Personalized profile pages.

·       Military Forums – where you can tell your stories and pose your questions to an audience of fellow Veterans.

·       Ability to upload pictures and videos of your favorite memories.

·       Veteran.com is owned and operated by Veterans for Veterans.

Veteran.com is based in Tampa, Florida and provides an online community for U.S. Military Veterans. For more information, or to contact Veteran.com, please visit the company’s website at www.veteran.com or call (813) 997.9636.

Gordon H. Mansfield to Become Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs

Washington - Deputy Secretary of Veterans Affairs Gordon H. Mansfield will become the Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs following the resignation of Secretary Jim Nicholson. Secretary Nicholson tendered his resignation to President Bush on July 17, 2007, to be effective no later than October 1, 2007.

Mansfield assumes the role on October 1 under the terms of the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, where a Deputy Secretary begins to serve as the acting officer immediately and automatically upon the occurrence of the vacancy. Mansfield will serve as Acting Secretary until the next nominee of the President is confirmed by the United States Senate.

Appointed by President Bush in November 2003, Deputy Secretary Mansfield served as the chief operating officer for the federal government’s second largest department, responsible for a nationwide system of health care services, benefits programs and national cemeteries for America’s veterans and their dependents.

He previously served as VA Assistant Secretary for Congressional and Legislative Affairs since August 1, 2001, serving as the legislative advisor to the Secretary of Veterans Affairs. He was responsible for VA’s Congressional relations and representing VA programs, policies, investigations and legislative agenda to Congress.

Prior to joining VA, Mr. Mansfield served as executive director of the Paralyzed Veterans of America (PVA) since April 1993. In that position, the highly decorated Vietnam veteran oversaw daily operation of PVA’s national office in Washington, D.C. Mr. Mansfield held a number of positions at PVA from 1981 to 1989, and served as the organization’s first associate executive director of Government Relations.

Mr. Mansfield served as Assistant Secretary for Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity at the Department of Housing and Urban Development from 1989 to 1993 under President George H. W. Bush’s Administration. Prior to 1981, he practiced law in Ocala, Fla.

Mr. Mansfield received his undergraduate degree from Villanova University and law degree from the University of Miami. Following his 1964 enlistment in the Army, Mr. Mansfield served two tours of duty in Vietnam. While serving as company commander with the 101st Airborne Division during his second tour, he was wounded during the Tet Offensive of 1968 sustaining a spinal cord injury. For his actions while his unit was under fire, he was decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross, the second highest personal decoration for valor in combat. He was medically retired by the U.S. Army at the grade of Captain. His other combat decorations include the Bronze Star, two Purple Hearts, the Combat Infantryman’s Badge and the Presidential Unit Citation.

Mr. Mansfield is a recipient of the Presidential Distinguished Service Award and the Villanova University Alumni Human Relations Medal. He was inducted into the U.S. Army Officer Candidate School Hall of Fame in 1997.

Fund Unveils Scholarships for Veterans Returning From Iraq and Afghanistan

The New York-based Fund for Veterans Education announced it would award up to $1 million in undergraduate scholarships for veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and during the spring 2008 term. The awards, which may be renewed for following academic year, are intended to cover financial need not met by need-based grants and military education benefits. Application deadline is Monday, Oct. 15. For more, visit: http://www.veteransfund.org/contact_us.html

VA Honors Little Caesars Founder for Supporting Veterans in Business

Washington (September 17, 2007) - Secretary of Veterans Affairs Jim Nicholson today presented a Secretary's Award to Little Caesars founder Michael Ilitch in recognition of his advancement of veterans in business through pizza franchise discounts.

Ilitch's restaurant franchise has a program to aid any veteran interested in starting a Little Caesars restaurant and also offers special opportunities with additional deep discounts, credit, training, and marketing support for those veterans who are service-disabled.

"Michael Ilitch recognizes the value of veterans in business," said Nicholson. "VA's Center for Veterans Enterprise will assist veterans seeking to become Little Caesars franchise owners and looks forward to helping veterans translate the leadership skills they learned while in uniform to business ownership and expansion."

In conjunction with the award ceremony, Ilitch, who is a former Marine, served pizza to homeless veterans at the VA headquarters in Washington from Little Caesars' "Love Kitchen," a pizza kitchen on wheels that travels across the U.S. and Canada to feed the homeless and disaster survivors.

To assist service-disabled veterans who want to open a Little Caesars restaurant, the program waives a $20,000 franchise fee on the first store, provides $10,000 credit on the initial equipment order, and provides a variety of marketing support and financing options and other benefits, which can total $68,000. For other veterans, the fee is reduced by $5,000 and the credit extended for equipment is $5,000.

Veterans are offered business opportunities by a variety of franchisers through the International Franchise Association's VetFran program. More information about the companies' special benefits for veterans is available at www.franchise.org and the VA Center for Veterans Enterprise's resource site to assist veteran entrepreneurs at www.vetbiz.gov.

Points To Ponder

The views expressed in the following article were deemed interesting enough by me to include in the newsletter. I take full responsibility and the content does not reflect the opinion of the members of the Post. Please contact me if these articles offend you. – Greg d’Arbonne

 

Cadet Chapel, West Point, September 27, 2007

By Brian McEnany, West Point Class of 1962

The Cadet Chapel was jammed. The lower panels in the high, stained glass panels were open, but not enough to clear the air. Generals and ex-generals filled the front pews behind Wayne’s family. General McCaffrey (now an NBC news analyst) passed by along with the Superintendent, the Commandant, and the Dean. The NBC news team– Brian Williams, Lisa Meyers, Anne Curry and the video crews that had gone to Iraq with General Downing were all there to pay tribute to a fallen hero and friend. Representatives from each of the Special Operations Commands were present. Most were in civilian clothes– the varied uniforms from the memorial service in Peoria were not as evident this time.

The Class of ‘62 and their wives filled almost half of the Chapel. We had come by car, bus and train from various states to attend reunion activities that were put on hold for the day. We arrived and parked at the Cavalry Plain and caught the buses to the Chapel. Wayne’s old tactical officer – LTGEN (R) Richard Trefry and his wife Jacque - sat behind us. His old cadet company (H-2) was well represented. Talk of cadet days flowed back and forth across the pews until the organ began playing as the clock reached two o’clock.

The commands of the honor guard were muffled by the granite walls of the chapel, but we could hear ruffles and flourishes played by the West Point band. The US Army honor guard from Washington brought the casket to the church door where it was then carried to the front of the Chapel by the Ranger honor guard. Prayers and hymns were said and sung – then the eulogies began. Jim Kimsey (’62) gave the first one, ending by paying tribute to the loss of his best friend. Jim Heldman (’62) talked about Wayne as a cadet and roommate – “Wayne was unique and never caught.” Keith Hightower, a fellow Special Ops comrade, talked about Wayne as a soldier and the respect and honor shown him as the father of the modern Rangers. Wayne’s daughter, Liz, spoke from the heart and in a choked, emotion filled voice, told us about her Dad and what his loss meant to her and her children. Tom Brokaw (the ex-NBC news anchor) gave us a well-crafted account of Wayne as correspondent and advisor to NBC news, putting into words what many of us remembered about Wayne and his career.

The military took charge after the service ended. The Ranger honor guard carried his casket back to the front door, the tread of their boots echoing in the still air of the Chapel. The West Point band played ruffles and flourishes as the US Army honor guard then carried his casket to a hearse for the procession to the cemetery.

A contingent of cadets in full dress gray over white – a brigade staff and First Classmen with their swords and reds sashes - stood ready to march. Wayne’s four-star flag was carried behind the color guard from the Corps of Cadets. A contingent of Rangers, the band, the immediate family and honorary pall bearers and finally the rest of us, walked down the hill to the cemetery. The flag at Trophy Point was at half-mast and hung limply in the humid air. When we turned the corner toward the cemetery – a slight breeze made the mile long walk a little easier.

The procession halted before the gates of the cemetery as the casket was transferred from the hearse to a horse drawn caisson for the trip to the gravesite. We followed the military procession past the Old Chapel and around the care-taker’s cottage. Just on the other side of the cottage, under the spreading arms of a giant oak, the final resting place for the general had been prepared. The military contingents drew up in a semi-circle around a canvas canopy – the cadet honor guard, the Rangers, the flag details. The caisson and horses were soon led away, their tasks were finished.

We crowded around the canopied area amidst the gravestones of past graduates to hear the final words. This time, the various representatives from the Special Operations commands added their thoughts about Wayne’s dedication to the Army, to West Point, and to the country. Our prayers rose skyward under the direction of the chaplain. The flag draped over his casket was carefully folded by the honor guard.

Commands rang out! For the first time, I saw the arms of my classmates raised in hand salutes – not the cover your heart gesture that so many of us have done at Arlington – but an Army salute in respect for a fallen warrior and classmate. The cadet sabers snapped up and down, the Rangers saluted - ribbons from tens of secret campaigns emblazoned on their crisp, green uniforms. An artillery battery fired 17 guns, the measured blasts echoing off the hillsides around us. A squad of Rangers fired three precise volleys into the air. The bugler played Taps – its mournful notes flowed across the gravesite and down the hillside to the river. Emotions rose within many of us and lots of handkerchiefs were pulled from pockets when the music died away. Just as the bugler finished playing, a strong breeze blew across the gravesite as if Wayne’s spirit was anxious to be lifted away.

A reception was held at the Hotel Thayer after the services and we made our way to its terraces and ballroom where discussions about Wayne continued. We shook hands with the NBC news crew. Brian Williams soon left to broadcast “The Evening News” from West Point that night. He added a short memorial segment at the end about the passing of a warrior. We had a chance to talk with members of Wayne’s family – his mother and sister told us tales about how they always kept Wayne in his place even when he arrived in Peoria with his Secret Service detail. His sister made sure we knew that she was better in math than Wayne. Kathy Downing, surrounded by so many people, graciously accepted all the condolences.

The mountains surrounding the Academy looked down on the scene below as they have for two hundred years or more. The river below flowed past serenely quiet. A train on the far bank wound its way through fields and forests. You could almost hear the strains of Benny Havens playing in the wind. I am sure that if Benny had lived during our time he would have known Wayne Downing. Nestled in the quiet of the Hudson Highlands, West Point had laid another member of the Long Gray Line to rest.

The next morning, the Class of ‘62 returned to the Cadet Chapel for a class memorial service as we have done each reunion weekend. This time when the roll was read, Wayne A. Downing’s name stood listed with our other 84 classmates honored that day. 

Be Thou at Peace!