Holiday Salute 2018

A publication of

C O N T E N T S ALL YEAR LONG................................................. 3 GIVE YOUR TIME............................................... 4 LEND A HAND................................................... 5 SHARE A SMILE.................................................. 6 SAY THANK YOU............................................... 7 LOCAL HONORS............................................... 8 SHOW YOUR GRATITUDE.................................. 9 SHOW YOU CARE........................................... 10 PUBLISHER Hank Vander Veen EDITOR Kristina H. Hacker

Merry Christmas!

ART DIRECTOR Harold L. George GRAPHIC DESIGNER Sharon Hofman ADVERTISING Beth Flanagan Charles Webber WRITER Kristina Hacker

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DECEMBER 19, 2018

HOLIDAY SALUTE | ALL YEAR LONG

Days of Celebration

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he sacrifice and risk American service members endure while defending our country should be praised daily.

However, there are a few major holidays dedicated to honoring military members of the past and present.

To celebrate accurately, you should know the differences between Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day and Armed Forces Day.

veterans of all wars. It is celebrated annually on Nov. 11.

The reason for the date of celebration

Each holiday celebrates a different phase

is to commemorate the end of World

of a military members career and life.

War I. While the official resolution wasn’t

Read on to learn a brief history about each special day and how to honor the military accordingly.

MEMORIAL DAY Memorial Day is a time to honor those who died in active military service. It was originally celebrated each year on May 30 but is now recognized on the last Monday of May. History According to the Public Broadcasting Service, the holiday was originally called Decoration Day. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868, to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War Soldiers, by proclamation of Gen. John A. Logan.

It was 1971 when Congress officially passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act, which established Memorial Day would be celebrated on the last Monday of May. Arlington National Cemetery commemorates

until June 28, 1919, when the Treaty of Versailles was signed, Nov. 11 is widely considered as the end of “the war to end all wars.” According to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs, an armistice between the Allied nations and Germany

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ARMED FORCES DAY This day is meant to pay special tribute to the active personnel of the United States Armed Forces.

Until 1949, each branch of military celebrated their own individual holiday.

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HOLIDAY SALUTE | GIVE YOUR TIME

Volunteer at a VA Hospital

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onating your valuable time to volunteer at a Veterans Affairs hospital is a great way to show your appreciation during the holidays or any time. Reach out to your local office to find out how your efforts can make a difference in the lives of service members.

These are a few of the common programs most VA hospitals seek volunteers for, according to the United States Department of Veterans Affairs.

VOLUNTEER TRANSPORTATION NETWORK This important program was established to provide transportation for veterans in need of services from a VA facility.

According to guidelines, volunteers are permitted to offer rides in their privately owned conveyance or government-owned vehicle, including donated autos.

If providing transportation isn’t possible, you can still show your support by

donating to the network.

portance of supporting the veterans and active-duty members of our military is a great lesson to share.

Not only will military men and women benefit, but so will the young participants.

Here are just a few ways the Department of Veterans Affairs reports the program is beneficial: • Exploring health care career options.

• Gain experience in a health care setting.

• Learn new skills while meeting new people.

WELCOME HOME CELEBRATIONS Around the country, the VA sponsors Welcome Home events to celebrate returning service members and their families.

These occasions are generally meant to provide information and guidance regarding health care and benefits through the Department of Veteran Affairs. Check with your local VA Voluntary Service office to learn how to get started.

STUDENT VOLUNTEER PROGRAM Don’t forget to include your children when volunteering! Showing them the im-

It is also a great addition to a college application and will qualify for a nomination for the James H. Parke Memorial scholarship.

Whichever way you choose to volunteer, know that you are making a difference in the lives of those who protect or have protected our freedom.

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HOLIDAY SALUTE | LEND A HAND

Hold a Fundraiser

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here are many organizations that require donations to send care packages and supplies to active-duty service members. You can get the entire community involved by holding a fund raiser and donating the proceeds to an important cause.

Before beginning plans for your gathering, be sure to check with local officials about any regulations about charity drives. They will assist you in choosing a proper venue or location based on the number of attendants you are expecting. It’s important to ensure all rules are being followed so the fund raiser is successful.

INITIAL PLANNING To host a beneficial event for military members, there are many factors to consider during the planning stage. Here are some tips from the Association of Fund raising Professionals to keep in mind.

Choose your team: You will need help from trusted friends or family when throwing the event. Consider who you want on your side as an event coordinator, communications manager, operations manager and fund raising program manager.

Each role is important to a successful fund raiser, so make sure to choose representatives with the same passions as you.

Find sponsors: You can also get a lot of help by soliciting local businesses to sponsor your event. Ask for donations, products to auction or for them to advertise by hanging flyers.

Choose a venue: You should choose a location that is well known in the community. Ensure it is easy

to find and safe for the size of crowd you are expecting.

GET THE WORD OUT You don’t have to have a family member or loved one in the military to show your support. In fact, anyone who feels compelled to raise funds can get involved. After the initial details are in place, it’s time to start promotion. Contact local radio stations or news agencies to advertise the event. Make sure to explain which organization funds will be donated to and the importance of their cause.

Social media will be your best friend as you can reach a large audience in seconds. Consider inviting a local hero from the military as a guest speaker. They can express how important donations are to the recipients.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!

CHARITIES TO CONSIDER When choosing a charity, here are a few great options to pick: • Operation First Response • Soldiers’ Angels •O peration Gratitude Purple Heart These organizations send care packages and backpacks to wounded service members as they re-cover in military hospitals.

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HOLIDAY SALUTE | SHARE A SMILE

Provide Holiday Meals

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any families celebrate the holidays with a bountiful home-cooked meal and gathering of loved ones.

Our active-duty service members sacrifice this wholesome experience while they defend our country.

Fortunately, you can help send a little taste of home while they are away.

Operation Homefront has been around since 2008 and has served nearly 80,000 families. According to the organization, their 2017 events raised enough donations to serve nearly 10,000 families with everything they needed for a holiday meal.

Help them raise that number even higher in 2018 by attending an event in your area or sending a donation.

THE ORGANIZATION’S HISTORY The inception of the Holiday Meals for Military program happened by accident.

In Utica, New York, a soldier, his wife and their infant child were in line at a grocery store, collecting items for their Thanksgiving feast. They soon realized they could

not afford the few products they were attempting to purchase.

Luckily, Ken Ruff, an executive at Beam Global, was in the same store and offered to pay for the groceries. After talking with the family, he learned the soldier had just returned from deployment and was having trouble catching up with his bills. It soon dawned on Ruff that there were many military families in the same situation, and he wanted to help. With only four weeks left until Christmas, Ruff canceled a large order of gift baskets the company would typically deliver to their customers. Instead, he used the funding and donations from partners to provide meals for about 500 families in the first year.

Thanks to generous donations, the organization has seen a growth in the number of meals they de-liver annually.

HOW YOU CAN HELP In addition to sending donations online or by mail, the organization has several other ways you can give back.

Homefront Hero: Become a member of the organization and pledge to donate as much as you’d like. On their website, you can set an amount and recurring time frame for the group to take

donations right from your account.

Planned Giving: This option is a way to donate during your lifetime or at death.

Consider planning your contribution in will, living trust or a bequest.

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HOLIDAY SALUTE | SAY THANK YOU

Send Your Personal Thanks

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ith the internet and social media, sending messages to anywhere in the world has never been easier. Thank a military member this holiday season by preparing a heartfelt thank you for their service.

Whether you choose to send an email, a handwritten letter or upload a video, make sure your appreciation is clearly displayed!

It is easy for soldiers to become discouraged of their lifestyle, especially if they are miles away from their loved ones and home.

You can do your part this holiday by expressing how important their sacrifice and service is to your family and the country.

BY LETTER There may not be a more personal way to say thanks than writing out a handwritten letter. Remember these tips from Operation Gratitude when preparing a thank you.

• Begin with a generic salutation, such as “Dear Hero” or “Dear Brave One.” • Share stories about yourself as well as interests.

• Be sure to include your return address in case the recipient chooses to respond.

• Don’t date letters, it may take months for care packages to be received after they are sent.

BY EMAIL This type of contact is best if you personally know the soldier you wish to thank. While it may seem less personal than a letter, it’s the quickest way to get your message to a hero.

Be sure to include exciting news about their hometowns or

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interests. In addition to thanking them, ask how you can help make their time away easier. This may mean checking in on their friends or family members or sending along pictures of their pets or loved ones. Reminding them of home can be a welcome distraction when far away.

BY VIDEO Record your salute and post it online. It might be hard to address

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HOLIDAY SALUTE | LOCAL HONORS

Turlock expands Military Banner Program

BY KRISTINA HACKER For the past year, one of Turlock’s busiest shopping areas has also been the location of the City’s tribute to those serving in the United States military. The Active Military Banner Program, launched in November 2017, has become so popular that the City Council took action earlier this year to expand the program.

The program currently includes 20, 8-foot tall banners installed on light poles along Countryside Drive between Tuolumne Road and Monte Vista Avenue.

Each banner features the service member’s name, photo and branch of service and will be displayed for a one-year term.

Golden State Farmers Market Association, through the Downtown Central Park Evening Market, donated $5,000 to help launch the banner program in 2017 and once again donated $5,000 for the banner program for the 2018-19 term. The Central Park Market donation covered the cost of the banners and hardware, with American Legion Rex Ish Post 88 sponsoring two of the banners for the 2017-18 term.

According to City of Turlock Event Assistant Amber Traini, the community’s response to the program has been overwhelmingly positive and resulted in a number of questions about expanding the program to include citizens outside of the city limits and those who died while in service to their country.

“Since the installation of the first 20 banners last November, the City has received tremendous appreciation from the community. Almost immediately upon those banners being installed we started getting questions and applications for the ’18-19 banner term. Other municipalities have reached out to us because of the …notoriety it has received throughout other communities and overall the feedback has been

extremely positive,” said Traini.

The City has received some feedback, however, to improve on the program including expanding it to include military members who reside outside of Turlock. Currently, the active military member must have immediate family living in the City of Turlock to be considered for the banner program.

“It has been brought to staff ’s attention that service members may be very active in the community, they may be part Journal file photo of service organiA City of Turlock employee hangs one of 20 banners installed on light poles along Countryside zations, they may Drive in November 2017 to honor local service members. have graduated from high school, lines to include those who live or have The banner will be on display indefinitely graduated from college, maybe lived here immediate family members who live in or until the family requests it be retired. their entire life, joined the military and unincorporated towns bordering Turlock, The costs of purchasing and maintaining their parents moved out of the city limits which are Crows Landing, Hilmar, Keyes, the banner will be borne by the City, unto Denair, to Hilmar to places that still Delhi, Ballico and Denair. less program donations are available. come to do their shopping and are very During the inaugural year, the banner The Council also approved a new active in our community. Those are the program only included active military sponsorship program and created a banner community members we’re hearing from. members. Starting with the 2018-19 retirement ceremony, which was held for They’d like to be honored. They feel they banner term, however, there will now be the first time during the upcoming Nov. 13 are part of Turlock even though they don’t a Fallen Active Military banner option.

City Council meeting. live in the city limits,” said Traini.

Upon approval of the service member’s For more information about the Active Based on the feedback, and input from family, a Fallen soldier banner will be Military Banner Program, call the City of the Turlock Veterans Committee, city staff hung with the name, picture, military branch symbol along with a black ribbon. proposed changing the eligibility guideTurlock at 668-5594.

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HOLIDAY SALUTE | SHOW YOUR GRATITUDE

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PAY HONORS AT A MEMORIAL ather your family to honor the lives and efforts of American military members by visiting a war memorial. The United States features many breathtaking monuments meant to salute our troops and the sacrifices they made. This holiday season, spend your time memorializing the service and give thanks to the soldiers who inspired it.

Here are a few amazing places you should add to your travel list.

NATIONAL D-DAY MEMORIAL BEDFORD, VA. This national war monument honors American troops who were involved in the invasion of France at Normandy on June 6, 1944. It is dedicated to the soldiers involved in the largest air, land and sea operation in history. According to the National DDay Memorial Foundation, the invasion included more than 5,000 ships, 11,000 airplanes and 150,000 servicemen. A total of 4,413 Allied troops lost their lives during the operation.

LIBERTY MEMORIAL KANSAS CITY, MO. This 300-foot tall tower hovers over downtown Kansas City to remember those who served in World War I in defense and liberty and our country.

On Nov. 11, 1926, President Calvin Coolidge said of the monument, “It has not been raised to commemorate war and victory, but rather the results of war and victory which are embodied in peace and liberty.”

VIETNAM WOMEN’S MEMORIAL WASHINGTON, D.C. If you head south from the Vietnam

Veterans Memorial Wall, you’ll find this stunning sculpture. It signifies the 265,000 women that served in the Vietnam war, many were nurses, caring for wounded soldiers. The monument celebrates its 25th anniversary this year.

AIR FORCE MEMORIAL WASHINGTON, D.C. Completed in 2006, this memorial is dedicated on behalf of all airmen, past, present and future. The Air Force District of Washington states the design was inspired by the contrails

of the Air Force Thunderbirds as they peel back in a precision “bomb burst” maneuver. The awe-inspiring memorial overlooks the Pentagon and the Potomac River.

THE PRISON SHIP MARTYRS MONUMENT BROOKLYN, NEW YORK This humbling monument was created to honor the 11,500 American prisoners of war who lost their lives on British ships during the Revolutionary War. Many of the soldiers are buried under the 100-foot tall columns the monument stands on.

Thank you for your service to our great country!

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HOLIDAY SALUTE | SHOW YOU CARE

Celebrate Military Family Members

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elebrating the holidays while a loved one is away serving their country can be trying for the family members at home. If you know a family who is without their loved one this holiday, consider making them a part of your own traditions.

SMALL GESTURES Sometimes, it’s the little things that count. If you notice resistance regarding your invitation to spend the holidays with your family, consider making these small gestures to honor their wishes.

Baked goods: Find the recipe for your favorite baked item to deliver a delicious treat they can serve at their gathering.

Make a phone call: A short conversation can help take someone’s mind off the fact their service member is away for the holidays. Assure them you are there if they need anything and that they are in your thoughts.

Volunteer together: Find a cause the family is passionate about and donate your time to benefit their efforts.

SEND AN INVITE If a family is interested in joining your holiday

gatherings, be sure to incorporate some of their traditions. When planning your event, have a conversation about how they celebrate. This can make them feel more comfortable and less intrusive. If your get-together features a dinner, ask them to bring along a dish they typically share during their holiday meals. You may find yourself with a new tradition.

DONATE Donate to an organization that supports military families. There are many great programs where presents or meals are delivered to thousands of active-duty bases across the country. The charity Operation Homefront does a great job with their Holiday Meals for Military and Holiday Toy Drive.

There are also local groups that are executing similar projects or service drives. You may be surprised by what you can find in your own backyard.

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