iiERALD Official Organ Of The Slavonic Benevolent Order Of The State Of Texas. Founded r..97. BENEVOLENCE
VOLUME 55 — NO. 15
HUMANITY
BROTHERHOOD
Postmaster: Please Send Form 25'79 with Undeliverable Copies to: SUPREME LODGE, SPJST, POB 100, TEMPLE, TEX. 76501
APRIL 12, 1967
FROM THE EDITOR'S MK VIET NAM THINS OUR RANKS It seems that when sadness and tragedy strike, they come in large doses. During the several years of the continuing struggle in Viet Nam, the ranks of our SPJST remaind untouched. Then, about a year ago, the first member of our Order made the supreme sacrifice in that far-away jungle battlefield. He was PFC Robert Urbanovsky of Fayetteville, and member of Lodge No. 1 of that city. In the year since, our ranks were again untouched. The last three weeks, however, have brought sadness into the homes of three of our fraternal families. SP4 Charles Moudry of Bellville and member of Lodge 68, Nelsonville, was killed March 8th. PFC Billy Joe Witzkoski of Houston was killed on March 22nd. The most recent casualty is SP4 Allen S. Mican of El Campo, and member of Lodge No. 40, Billie. To many people in this country the war in Viet Nam has remained just another struggle on foreign soil. To the families and survivors of young men who have made the supreme sacrifice, the war has become a very personal matter. Like so many things in life, tragedy, crime, and other misfortune don't affect us too much as long as they don't happen to US. Until we are personally affected, war casualty figures are mere statistics. Before
MY WAGE I bargained with Life for a penny, And Life would pay no more, However, I begged at evening When I counted my scanty store; For Life is a just employer, He gives you what you ask But once you've set the wages, Why, you must bear the task. I worked for a menial's hire, Only to learn, dismayed, That any wage I had asked of Life Life would have paid. —Jessie Rittenhouse
we personally become the victims of assault or a robber, editorials on crime don't shake us up too much. After we get personally involved all of these things become a very personal matter. So it is in war. Viet Nam suddenly becomes a place very close to us. We are suddenly jolted from our lethargy and reminded that as a fraternal society, we have a very high stake in the struggle in that dense, jungle country. The stakes are indeed the highest — human lives.
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How many more will there be? God only knows. We hope none, of course. As your editor, I plan to pay special tribute to each and everyone of these fallen warriors with front page coverage. That's the least we can do. After all, we are allowed to continue our work here because of the sacrifices of our brothers over there. And let's not forget that for a second. Postal Rates To Go Up It was bound to happen. Last week, President Johnson asked the Congress for an increase in postal rates. The present 5c stamp will cost 6c. Air mail will go up a penny to 9c. Postal cards will cost a nickel. We are primarily interested in the increase in rates for second class mail, which includes newspapers, which will be increased 22 per cent over a threeyear period, beginning next January 1st. All other increases will go into effect, if passed by the Congress, this coming July 1st. All of these increases will not make a dent in the deficit of the PO Department, which has not shown a profit since 1944. The only part of the department that has paid its way is first class mail. Second and third-class mail constitutes 80 per cent of the nation's growing mail volume. The second class deficit is $416 million; the deficit in third class (so called "junk mail") is