Kitsap Veterans Life, February 05, 2016

The Voice for Kitsap County’s Veterans, Active-Duty Personnel,

and their Families

Veterans Life

KitsapVeteransLife.com

February 2016

A tangible reminder

Tribute: Rocky Hoffman, Pearl Harbor survivor Quilts of Valor STAFF REPORT Veterans Life

BREMERTON — Maj. Maynard “Rocky” Hoffmann, USMC, a Bremerton resident and Pearl Harbor survivor, passed away on Jan. 8. He was 97.

The following is an excerpt of an article published in a 2012 edition of Veterans Life: Born in Seattle in 1918, Maj. Hoffmann enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserve while a student at Roosevelt High School in Seattle. He applied for active duty in 1940.

“I looked forward to going to boot camp. I didn’t want to be drafted into the See HOFFMANN, Page 3

Maj. Rocky Hoffmann, USMC, regularly participated in the annual Pearl Harbor commemorations at Naval Undersea Museum, Keyport.

Pete O’Cain / December 2015

made to honor those ‘touched by war’

By SOPHIE BONOMI

sbonomi@soundpublishing.com

P

OULSBO — Jay Humphries stood before the crowd of students and staff members at Gateway Christian School’s Peterson Hall and told of his experience as a military gunner, sniper and medic in Iraq.

In April 1991, while deployed there, he stepped on a land mine.

“I lost both legs, one eye, the other eye was badly injured,” he said.

It took him eight months to recover. He is a Purple Heart recipient, and is now a design engineer for a prosthetics manufacturer.

Humphries received another honor recently — “a tangible reminder of the deep appreciation” the country has for his sacrifice 25 years ago.

Humphries received a quilt of valor, made by Gateway secondgrade teacher Linda Hemry

Military veteran Jay Humphries stands with his daughter Olivia while he is presented with a quilt of valor by Linda Hemry at Gateway Christian School’s Veterans Day event, Nov. 5.

Sophie Bonomi / Staff photo as part of the Quilts of Valor Foundation.

Hemry said more than 100,000 quilts have been presented to veterans around the country through the Quilts of Valor Foundation.

“Today, we would like to award [quilt] number 125,975 to Jay Humphries,” she said during the

Veterans Day 2015 presentation.

Hemry has been making quilts of valor for a few years to honor local veterans associated with Gateway Schools. “Who doesn’t love a quilt?” Hemry asked.

She has always loved to sew, but said she realized she wanted to use her passion for sewing to

give back.

“Our servicemen are so valuable,” Hemry said. “This is a tangible reminder of the deep appreciation we have for our service and country.”

The Quilts of Valor Foundation was founded during the Gulf War See QUILTS OF VALOR, Page 2

‘Homes for Our Troops’ helps injured vets build new lives

By RICHARD WALKER

rwalker@soundpublishing.com

LITTLE BOSTON — Army Staff Sgt. Samuel Shockley was on a dismount-

ed route-clearance mission in Panjwai, Afghanistan with the 38th Engineering Company, March 17, 2013, when he triggered an improvised explosive device.

IN VETERANS OPINION VA study on Military Sexual Trauma 5 LIFE

He recalls looking at where his legs should have been, and they were gone.

The blast resulted in the loss of both legs above the knee, the amputation of part

of his middle and ring fingers, and a broken wrist.

Despite his injuries, Shockley — described as a See HOUSING, Page 4

Sgt. Samuel Shockley

UPDATE

Legislation 6

Have a story idea or a story tip? Call the Veterans Life newsroom, 360-779-4464 or email rwalker@soundpublishing.com

Memorial for first director of USS Turner Joy Remembering James D. Porter, CWO3, USN, Ret.

The memorial service for James (Jim) Porter onboard the Turner Joy was a very honorable event. Family and friends paid tribute to the life of Jim as a Navy sailor, technical expert, family man, and friend.

Two themes from Jim’s life story kept resonating with me: the desire to do things right, and having a

USS Turner Joy (DD-951) underway at sea, 9 May 1964.

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First thing that morning, the carrier USS John C. Stennis departed Bremerton for deployment.

Getting underway is typically fairly routine, though deployments overseas anymore never seem to be “routine.” “A fast ship going in harm’s way,” John Paul Jones would say.

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honorable service and sacrifice equate to the “brotherhood” of doing and making things right, even under the most arduous conditions. Definitely a day to reflect about service of the Turner Joy, Jim Porter, the John C. Stennis, and all who go in harm’s way for an honorable cause.

Thank you all, veterans.

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why no rescue force was deployed to save the U.S. ambassador. The movie does highlight the bravery of the men who did stay and try to do the right thing under the worst circumstances.

All three events epitomized service and sacrifice; past, present, and future. Ships and sailors,

Quilts of Valor

by Catherine Roberts, whose son was deployed.

She wanted returning warriors to be welcomed home with love and gratitude, so she developed a national foundation where men and women around the country could come together to sew quilts for those touched by war.

The Quilts of Valor Foundation requires quality materials be used in the making. Quilts must be made to a certain measurement and, as Hemry said, are “stitched with love and prayers of gratitude for those who protect America to keep it strong and free.”

Each quilt is washable and meant to be used and enjoyed by those who receive them.

The pattern in Humphries’ quilt is called, “Standing Strong,” and the quilt has a wool lin-

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good sense of humor, even in the worst of circumstances. Fair winds and following seas, Jim. The last interesting event that day was the opening of the movie “13 Hours,” about the Benghazi, Libya, Consulate attacks on 11 Sept. 2012, of which we may never know the truth about, especially

Jamie Soule Service Manager

Gulf War veteran Jay Humphries shows students and teachers a prosthetic limb made by the company he works for, True Life, in Poulsbo.

Sophie Bonomi / Staff photo ing, Hemry said. “It’s very warm and even has a cross on the back. I love absolutely every part of it.”

Humphries said during the quilt presentation, “I’m really honored to be invited here and asked to share.

I’m a loss for words. This [quilt] is so beautiful.”

Upon retiring from the military in 1992, Humphries pursued an engineering career. He works for True Life, a Poulsbo-based manufacturer of prosthetics. “We make thousands and thousands of feet for people here,” Humphries told students.

During Gateway

Christian School’s Veterans Day presentation — Humphries’s daughter, Olivia, is a kindergartner there — the school’s Girl Scout troop presented the colors and led the salute, and the student body sang the “Battle Hymn of the Republic.” The Northwest Navy Band woodwind quintet performed the National Anthem.

Cmdr. Steve Wilkinson, USN, told students about the significance of the U.S. flag. He was surprised to receive a quilt too (number 125,976), honoring him for his 33 years of military service.

Hoffmann: Tribute to a Pearl Harbor survivor and eternal Marine Continued from page 1 Army and that’s what they were doing at the time.”

Hoffmann was a 23-yearold sergeant when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941. Hoffmann was stationed at the Ewa Marine Corps Air Station, which is now Barbers Point Naval Air Station, located three miles from Pearl Harbor and completed in early 1941.

When the attack at Pearl Harbor occurred, four runways had been constructed, in addition to buildings and hangars.

Ewa was the first American installation hit during the attack.

Hoffmann closed his eyes, recalling the moment.

“It took us all by total surprise. It took several minutes for people to determine what happened and what to do. One guy said, ‘I have never heard of an engine that sounds like that.’ ... It really tipped us all off when we saw the big red meatball on the wing of the plane.”

What happened next?

“You are trained to take cover and the important thing to do was to take cover — only there was no cover. There was a clump of trees so I headed there.

On the road outside the trees there was a group of Marines, standing in the middle of the road. They said, ‘Sergeant, we don’t know what to do,’ so I said, ‘OK, follow me.’

“I turned and headed through some brush to the trees. I got halfway there and looked back.

They were still standing there. They hadn’t moved.

I shouted an old Marine phrase from 1918, ‘Follow me, you can’t live forever!’

That worked. They followed me.”

(NOTE: The actual saying is, “Come on, you sons of bitches — do you want to live forever?” — attributed to Gunnery Sgt. Dan Daly, USMC, Belleau Wood, June 1918.)

“I returned to my barracks and got my rifle, a 1917 Springfield. We had no automatic weapons,” Hoffmann said.

“There were seven of us and we formed a firing squad. We were firing at Zeros that were flying low.

One of them crashed in a cane field just outside the station.”

Hoffmann and his Marines were credited with shooting the only enemy

plane out of the sky at Ewa. According to Hoffmann, the Commandant of the Marine Corps wrote the base colonel wanting to find who shot the plane down. A board of inquiry was held and it was determined that Hoffmann and his crew were the ones responsible. Hoffmann received a field promotion.

Hoffmann served in the South Pacific for three years after leaving Pearl Harbor. His squadron was divided into three groups and they were sent to Midway, Wake Island and Palmyra.

“I went to Palmyra. The ones that were sent to Wake Island — none of them came back.”

While serving in the South Pacific, Hoffmann applied to Officer Training School and returned to Pearl Harbor. “The Sergeant Major of the base greeted me and said, ‘Rocky, I want you to get cleaned up. Tomorrow morning, you go into the colonel’s office. They’re gonna swear you in as a second lieutenant.’ I was sent back to the States to go to OTS. “Years later, here in Bremerton, I noted a brief comment in a newspaper that the sergeant major was retiring. I took him to lunch, which I did several times. On one occasion I asked, ‘Why did you make me a second lieutenant?’

He told me, ‘What you did on Dec. 7 didn’t hurt you any.’ ” Hoffmann became an officer on Jan. 1, 1942.

One little known detail is that Hoffmann attended night school for seven years, gaining proficiency in Gregg shorthand. “Once the Marines knew that, they made me a court reporter. I even got ready to take the test for federal

“It took us all by total surprise. ... One guy said, ‘I have never heard of an engine that sounds like that.’ ” — Maj. Rocky Hoffmann, USMC

court.” The Marine Corps is the only U.S. military branch to employ court reporters.

Married in 1943

Rocky Hoffmann and Marion Hollister were married in Montecito, California, near where he was stationed, in 1943.

“I told my commanding officer that I would just get engaged if I was shipping out, and [get] married if I wasn’t. Well, I got married and two weeks later I had orders to [ship out]. We had a large wedding in a beautiful church.”

The Hoffmanns were married for 62 years. He pulls out some pictures in his wallet. One black-andwhite photo shows two young adults kissing on the beach in Santa Barbara.

“And here’s one of me and my girl getting acquainted . . . We got married one month later,” he says with a laugh. “I keep that one in my wallet. We don’t need to show anyone that picture.”

The Hoffmann family grew to include three children: two sons, Mark and Eric, born in 1944 and 1945, respectively, in Santa Barbara; and a daughter, Denise, born in Seattle a few years later.

Hoffman now has seven grandchildren but “no great-grandkids yet.”

Mark resides in Bremerton and Eric in Iowa. Denise lives in Australia.

Once a Marine, always a Marine

“I’m a strong believer in the military and the

reserves,” Hoffmann says.

“It’s good to always maintain a state of readiness in case of an attack. I don’t know if you want to know this, but I am opposed to the troops sent over to Afghanistan. If anyone wants to have a civil war, then let ’em.”

What are Hoffmann’s fondest memories of being a Marine? “It’s hard to say,” he says quietly. “When I was promoted to major.

Actually, I was very pleased to learn I was one of the Marines who shot down a fighter plane. Once a Marine, always a Marine.”

Hoffmann doesn’t keep in touch with other Pearl Harbor survivors, saying, “No, there’s only a few left in the county.” He says that a good candidate for the military completes training and lives up to the oath to defend the country.

“I spent a total of 45 years in the Marine Corps and Marine Corps Reserve.” Hoffmann retired in 1978. “Military is very important to me and my life. I was proud to be a Marine. I had a good background so I could retire as a major. I have many fond memories of my travels.”

When he became known as Rocky

The origin of the nickname “Rocky” proves an interesting tale. Reluctant to give a direct quote, he thought a bit and then revealed that it involved an active-duty Marine making disparaging remarks about Marine reservists.

After several requests

by Hoffmann (at the time a Marine reservist) to refrain

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from continuing with the cutting remarks, and the failure of the active-duty Marine to do so, Hoffmann knocked the offender out cold.

His commander dragged him outside and told him, “None of my Marines is gonna go around with the name Maynard. From now on, you’re Rocky.” And it stuck with him from that day on.

Hoffmann is an eyewitness to the exact moment that the United States entered World War II. Although most of the attack was focused on Pearl Harbor, the MCAS Ewa sustained enormous damage.

The repairs, along with an extensive construction project on Barbers Point,

initially intended as an outlying landing field for Naval Air Station Ford Island at Pearl Harbor, were still unfinished when it was established as a naval air station on April 15, 1942.

A substantial amount of aviation activity occurred here as the Navy gathered forces in Hawaii to fight across the South Pacific.

MCAS Ewa experienced another surge in activity with the advent of the Korean War. However, with the utilization of jet aircraft, the runways at MCAS Ewa proved unsuitable. The Marine Corps shifted its aviation assets to MCAS Kaneohe Bay. Ewa was officially closed on June 18, 1952 and its property assumed by Naval Air Station Barbers Point.

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FEBRUARY 2016 | VETERANS LIFE I 3

Get to the Point you deserve it

Retired Army Staff Sgt. Samuel Shockley of Homes for Our Troops receives an ovation from employees of The Point Casino and Event Center, Dec. 15.

Richard Walker / Staff photo

Housing

Continued from page 1

We appreciate your service

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naturally vibrant person — saw his survival as a second chance at life. A specially adapted home in Eatonville, being built by Homes for Our Troops, will help Shockley and his wife, Emely, build a new life.

Construction was scheduled to begin in January.

Shockley, an Ohio native, said he and his wife are choosing to live in Washington because she is a native Washingtonian and they have a network of friends and loved ones here.

They say their specially adapted home will be lifechanging; in their current home in Tacoma, Emely worries about leaving him alone in case he needs assistance. In their new home, he will benefit greatly from shorter cabinets, wider doorways and hallways, and a roll-in shower.

The Shockleys are looking forward to adopting children and animals, and are thankful they will have a home with a big yard in which they can play.

Shockley hopes to earn a degree in business management; Emely is an X-ray technician.

The staff of The Point Casino and Event Center hopes to help provide more life-changing experiences for injured veterans.

On Dec. 15, The Point presented a check for $85,000 to Homes for Our Troops, a non-profit dedicated to building mortgage-free, specially adapted homes for injured veterans.

Shockley received the check on behalf of Homes for Our Troops.

“No words can express the depth of what we owe our service people,” The Point general manager Leo Culloo said in making the presentation.

In response, Shockley said he appreciates the gratitude America has for veterans of Afghanistan and Iraq, noting that veterans of the Vietnam War didn’t receive such gratitude. He said the support today’s veterans receive is critical to healing and rebuilding lives.

Shockley is now a member of Homes for Our Troops’ Veteran Action and Advisory Team, and drove

to the check presentation in the GMC Sierra 2500 Duramax he saved for during his three deployments, and which has been adapted for his use.

He had a place of honor at the dinner, and swapped elk-hunting stories with a Point employee and fellow hunter.

For the last several years, The Point’s employees have chosen an annual charitable partner. This year, The Point raised $85,000 through a summer golf tournament, an Autumn Harvest Charity Dinner, employee contributions, and donation bins for guests. In other years, The Point raised $46,000 to fight ALS and $42,000 for the Alzheimer’s Association.

Michael Weeks, food and beverage manager, said Homes for Our Troops was selected by employees because less than 10 percent of its funds is spent on administrative costs. “We wanted to do something for our veterans, and Homes for Our Troops has extremely high ratings,” he said.

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Life

WRITE TO US: Veterans Life welcomes letters from its readers. To make room for as many letters as possible, keep your letter to 350 words maximum. Include your name and daytime phone number for verification. Send to P.O. Box 278, Poulsbo, WA. 98370; fax to 360-779-8276; or email rwalker@soundpublishing.com.

OPINION

STATISTICS: MILITARY SEXUAL TRAUMA

T

he VA assessed data on Military Sexual Trauma (MST) among male and female veterans who served during the Operation Enduring Freedom or Operation Iraqi Freedom eras. VA’s conclusion: The high percentage of MST among women, and the smaller but significant percentage of MST among men, indicates research and health care services that address MST should continue to focus on veterans of both genders.

Life The Voice for Kitsap’s Veterans, Active-Duty Personnel and their Families 19351 8th Ave. NE, Suite 106, P.O. Box 278, Poulsbo WA. 98370 360-779-4464 | 360-779-8276 (fax) Email: (First initial, last name)@soundpublishing.com Copyright 2016 Sound Publishing

ADMINISTRATION Lori Maxim, publisher, ext. 1050 Nicole Clapp, office administrator, ext. 2050

EDITORIAL

VETERANS LIFE ADVISORY BOARD Spenser R. Haley, Jack James, Brian Kelly, Leslie Kelly, Luciano Marano, John Rodriguez, Richard Walker

Richard Walker, editor, ext. 5050 Sophie Bonomi, copy editor, ext. 5054

DISPLAY ADVERTISING Donna Etchey, advertising director, ext. 5831 Bryon Kempf, creative services, ext. 4050

CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING 800-388-2527 classified@soundpublishing.com

CIRCULATION Brian Judge, regional manager, ext. 6060 Brandon Giddens, manager, ext. 6050 Subscription rates: $24 per year by mail

About Veterans Life

Veterans Life continues Sound Publishing’s proud tradition of producing military- and veteraninterest publications on its own or under contract with the U.S. Navy. Past publications include Trident Tides, Puget Sound Navy News, Northwest Navigator, and Kitsap Navy News.

In Kitsap County, Sound Publishing also publishes the Bainbridge Island Review, Bremerton Patriot, Central Kitsap Reporter, Kingston Community News, North Kitsap Herald, and Port Orchard Independent.

SOUND OFF Questions about training areas The lead article in the Jan. 15 North Kitsap Herald, “Navy: training proposal ‘in early stages,’ ” disturbs me greatly.

Despite the fact that the U.S. Navy occupies and operates massive acreage and water resources in the greater Puget Sound already, it appears to me that their planners want to confiscate most of the rest of Puget Sound.

The Cold War is virtually history and Congress should be reducing the Pentagon’s budget instead of expanding it.

Questions: 1. Where are the Navy’s

that good relationship?

The Navy’s timing could not be worse. We are still in the grasp of a long recession and dangerously close to another crash of the economy that could be even greater than in 2008.

R.L. MARSH U.S. Army 7th Special Forces Group (Airborne), 1960-66 Hansville SEAL teams training right now, and why are those sites not available for SEAL Team 3?

2. What obsolete Pentagon programs can be cut to pay for this new venture without raising taxes?

3. Why is the U.S. military still policing the whole

world instead of delegating that job to local states, especially those in the Eastern Hemisphere?

4. Greater Puget Sound has been a good neighbor to the military for many decades. How is confiscating more land and water resources going to affect

Legislation update Be in the know. Go to page 6 for the status of legislation affecting military families and veterans.

FEBRUARY 2016 | VETERANS LIFE I 5

Kilmer pushes VA to improve services for Tribal vets Will authorize Tribes to help with claims for benefits BREMERTON — Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Bremerton, has received a commitment from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs that the agency will make a push to ensure Tribal veterans have improved access to benefits.

Leigh Bradley, the VA general counsel, wrote a letter to Kilmer on Nov. 11 stating that the agency will look at authorizing veterans’ service organizations affiliated with Tribal governments to represent veterans requesting benefits.

The letter came after Kilmer authored report language in a House

Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Bremerton, addresses the Washington State Democratic Party Native American Caucus Jan. 31 at Clearwater Casino Resort’s event center. The caucus hosted a reception for Native American elected officials and candidates before the start of the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians convention.

Richard Walker / Staff photo

Fiscal Year 2016 Military Construction and Veterans Affairs Appropriations Bill directing the VA to properly recognize Tribe-affiliated veterans’ service organiza-

tions by using existing authority so that they can help veterans.

Currently, the VA has not recognized Tribeaffiliated veterans’ service

organizations. This makes it harder for the Tribes and their employees to help Native American veterans receive missing benefits or proper compensation,

Kilmer’s office reported.

“If you serve our country, then we should have your back,” Kilmer said.

“But all too often, Native American veterans find themselves trapped in red tape trying to access the benefits they deserve.

Even worse, Tribal resources that could help

them navigate the process don’t have permission to do so. I’m glad the VA is looking into getting Tribes the right designation so they can help Native American veterans get the care they are owed.”

In the letter to Kilmer, the VA reported that the agency continues to look for ways to get Tribal veterans claiming VA benefits access to representation.

Bradley wrote: “In that regard, we are pleased to inform you that VA is actively evaluating options for rulemaking to authorize VA to recognize certain organizations affiliated with Tribal governments as ‘Tribal organizations’ for the purpose of representing claimants for VA benefits in the preparation, presentation, and prosecution of their claims.”

LEGISLATIVE UPDATE Bills under consideration by the Washington State Legislature.

As of Jan. 22. (You can find more information on each of these bills by visiting www.leg.wa.gov.

HB 1117: Modifying the veterans' scoring criteria in competitive examinations.

HB 1155: Concerning property tax relief for senior citizens and persons retired because of physical disability.

HB 1161: Indexing qualifying income thresholds for senior citizen property tax relief programs.

SHB 1213: Concerning

the definition of veteran for the purposes of the county veterans assistance fund.

HB 1241: Providing a business and occupation tax credit for businesses that hire veterans.

HB 1427: Concerning property tax relief programs available to senior citizens, persons retired because of physical disability, qualifying veterans and widows or widowers of veterans.

HB 1621: Requiring the display of the national league of families' POW/ MIA flag on certain days.

SHB 1644: Concerning veteran survivor tuition waiver eligibility.

SHB 1741: Allowing disabled persons to access public recreational sites or lands without a discover

pass, vehicle access pass, or day-use permit.

SHB 1887: Creating the student veterans' support program.

HB 2101: Addressing veterans' preferences HB 2390: Concerning the enforcement of employment rights arising from state active duty service by a member of the national guard.

HB 2495: Addressing military service credit for members of the Washington state patrol retirement system.

HB 2496: Concerning pro bono legal services for military service members, veterans, and their families.

HB 2534: Creating a community care and supportive services program for veterans.

HB 2535: Concerning

property tax relief programs available to senior citizens, persons retired because of physical disability, qualifying veterans, and widows or widowers of veterans.

HB 2536: Concerning property tax relief programs available to senior citizens, persons retired because of physical disability, qualifying veterans, and widows or widowers of veterans.

HB 2710: Concerning eligibility for lifetime veteran's disability passes.

HB 2718: Providing consumer protections for military members on active duty.

HB 2759: Concerning property tax exemptions for service-connected disabled veterans and senior citizens.

HB 2795: Concerning tax relief for the construction of adapted housing for disabled

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SSB 5691: Concerning property tax relief for senior citizens and persons retired because of physical disability.

SB 5911: Addressing veterans' preferences.

SB 6034: Increasing visibility of and public contracting opportunities for veteran-owned businesses.

SB 6202: Concerning the enforcement of employment rights arising from state active duty service by a member of the national guard.

SB 6254: Authorizing the issuance of Purple Heart license plates for more than one motor vehicle.

SB 6300: Concerning pro bono legal services for military service members, veterans, and their families.

SB 6405: Addressing the civilian health and medical program for the veterans affairs administration.

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SSB 5042: Providing a business and occupation tax credit for businesses that hire veterans.

SB 5074: Modifying the veterans' scoring criteria in competitive examinations.

2SSB 5127: Revising a property tax exemption for veterans with total disability ratings and their surviving spouses or domestic partners.

SB 5137: Providing a complimentary discover pass to veterans with a one hundred percent serviceconnected disability.

SB 5171: Concerning the definition of veteran for the purposes of the county veterans assistance fund.

SSB 5410: Modifying qualifications for disabled veterans to receive fee exempt license plates.

SSB 5561: Concerning veteran survivor tuition waiver eligibility.

Navy seeking historical info about NBK Bangor BANGOR — The Navy is conducting research about Naval Base Kitsap Bangor, formerly known as Naval Magazine Facility

Bangor, Naval Ammunition Depot Bangor, and Naval Submarine Base Bangor.

According to the Navy, the purpose of the research is to “verify the ordnance-related history of the installation and potential areas of concern, and determine whether any

additional actions may be needed to protect human health and the environment.”

If you can provide relevant information about NBK Bangor, contact Ray Kobeski, NAVFAC NW, 360-396-0597, raymond. kobeski@navy.mil.

Pacific Northwest sailors honor veterans at Ivy Green Cemetery

By MCS SN AIME LYKINS U.S. Navy

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BREMERTON — Ivy Green Cemetery is the site of Bremerton’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, the USS Saratoga memorial, and the grave of John H. Nibbe, a Civil War Navy Medal of Honor recipient.

But as a city managed park, Ivy Green Cemetery does not have a full-time caretaker. The cemetery benefits greatly from community volunteers to maintain it and honor the veterans that rest there, said Marion “Mick�

Hersey, a retired U.S. Navy senior chief and the City of Bremerton’s historical memorial preservationist. “We have over 100 veteran’s memorials throughout the county. Honor, dignity and respect is what this

means to me.�

Sailors assigned to Naval Base Kitsap and USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) honored the veterans interred at Ivy Green Cemetery in November and December.

They worked alongside more than 20 community members, cleaning the 15-acre cemetery and preparing military headstones for flags to be placed there for Veterans Day. Sailors and community members returned on Dec. 12 for the annual “Wreaths Across America,� placing donated holiday wreaths on veterans’s graves.

Sailors called the experience humbling.

Ivy Green Cemetery is a division of the Bremerton Parks and Recreation Department; more than 450 service members are buried on the grounds.

Boatswain’s Mate 2nd

Class Shelby Edy, assigned to Stennis, said of the cleanup, “This is something that is actually meaningful, so it gives you a little bit of purpose versus just taking your everyday weekend. “It is eye-opening and it humbles you. My grandfather was in the Navy way back when, and seeing all this makes you take a step back and be thankful for what you have.�

Electronics Technician 2nd Class Matt Corcoran, assigned to Stennis, said, “I’m glad that programs like this exist because, if you think about it, people will pass away as time goes on and people tend to forget, but this way it brings them back into the light. “I’ve never seen any combat action, but this reminds me what it means to be a veteran and that

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who have gone before.�

Castellanos helps to serve as a liaison for annual cleanup and preservation efforts at Ivy Green Cemetery as well as other community events.

NBK Command Master Chief David Lynch added, “The spirit of volunteerism in the Navy is great and as good as it has ever been.�

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Corcoran and Edy were among several active-duty sailors participating in the cleanup efforts. “It’s a great opportunity, especially to recognize all of those that have gone before us and to do something for the community,�

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Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Shelby Edy, of Lewisburg, Ohio assigned to USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), removes dirt from a headstone during a Veterans Day cleanup at Ivy Green Cemetery, Bremerton. Sailors and community members worked to clean up the 15–acre cemetery and prepare military headstones for a Nov. 8 flag-placing event to honor the more than 450 service members buried on the grounds.

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FEBRUARY 2016 | VETERANS LIFE I 7

Help Project Healing Waters help veterans Lt. Col. Robert Kowal,

USAF, ret., sent Veterans Life this notice about Project Healing Waters: Project Healing Waters Fly Fishing, or PHWFF, as many of you know, helps

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Our chapter in Spokane is very active and is helping hundreds of men and women to heal some of the wounds they have, not just physical, but emotional as well. Seeing the joy they exude when they have had a successful day on the water is worth our efforts. To see the effect of PHWFF, go to www.projecthealingwaters.org.

We receive little funding and many of our vets cannot afford the equipment for fly fishing or fly tying.

If you have any fly tying materials or tools, usable rods, reels, lines, fly boxes, nets, etc., and are willing to donate them to Project Healing Waters, they will be received with a grateful “Thank you.”

To donate the equipment, please send it to Lt. Col. Robert Kowal, 11310 N. Lancelot Drive, Spokane, WA 99218.

Project Healing Waters Fishing, Inc. is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit and all donations are tax deduct-

ible including the cost of shipping. If you include your e-mail, you will receive a donation statement you complete by putting in the items, mailing cost and total value.

If you don’t have equipment to donate but would like to make a financial donation, go to https:// donatenow.networkfor good.org/128846. This is the national organization.

Make a note that the donation is to go to the Spokane Project Healing Waters chapter.

If you live within a day’s drive of Spokane and would like to take some veterans fishing on your boat or favorite river, please contact Fred Timms at ftimms2@gmail.com, coordinator for Project Healing Waters. The trips are providing the veterans a wonderful opportunity to grow through fly fishing You will be part of a mission to help our veterans heal. Thank you for your efforts and donations that will make a difference in the lives of veterans.

“Dishonoring the Honorable / Corruption in the VA,”

by Staff Sgt. Maurice Plante, U.S. Army ret.,

Book details 20-year fight for VA benefits Staff Sgt. Maurice Plante, U.S. Army ret., has written a book about his experience fighting for more than 20 years for his service-connected benefits.

Plante sent Veterans Life this notice about his book, “Dishonoring the Honorable / Corruption in the VA”: I am an 81-year-old Korean War veteran. I have written a book to inform the general public about the corruption in the

Department of Veterans Affairs.

Ninety-nine percent of them have no idea, because they don’t have to deal with the VA. Also, I have 20-plus years of experience fighting for my service-connected benefits.

Hopefully, the information and suggestions will help veterans with their claims and benefits that veterans and family members might not be aware of.

— For information about Plante’s book, go to www. dishonoringthehonorable. com. Email Plante at eojig2015@gmail.com.

Founded by a veteran.

For veterans. grantham.edu/kitsap 844.816.2083 Copyright © 2016 Grantham University - All rights reserved - grantham.edu - DEAC accredited The Department of Defense does not endorse any company, sponsor or their products or services - #644

8 I VETERANS LIFE | FEBRUARY 2016