2/4/2010 6:00:00 AM Vietnam vets chapter provides the support they didn't get after war
JC AMBERLYN/Miner
Vietnam Veterans of America Mohave County chapter President Ralph McKie stands outside the Veterans Service Office in Golden Valley that his organization helped to open in 2009. The VSO office was named after fellow Vietnam veteran Joe Bibich, who died in a fishing accident off the coast of Mexico last spring. Click here to purchase this photo
KINGMAN - When Forrest Blackstock and Ralph McKie came back from the Vietnam War, they didn't get any ticker-tape parades or congratulations for their service. Instead, like many soldiers of that troubled time, they returned to jeers, shame and contempt from their fellow citizens.
"When we got stateside, because of the mixed emotions and feeling in the country ... we were treated unfairly for what we did," McKie said. "You didn't want people to know, and you kept it inside."
"It was best to just take all your medals off and not tell anybody," Blackstock added. "When I came back, I could not see the people I'd known - it just felt odd. And it took years for me to get over that."
It would take many more years of reflection and self-examination for the collective American consciousness to separate the civilian leaders who waged the war from the soldiers who fought it, and even now the war remains a difficult topic for many. But while McKie and Blackstock believe Vietnam veterans have finally started to receive the recognition and acknowledgement long overdue them, they claim the stigma associated with the war has forced many veterans to keep their memories and emotions to themselves.
"That's why so many Vietnam veterans have so many problems today," McKie said. "They've kept it bottled up for so long."
And that's why both men have agreed to never allow another generation of veterans to be abandoned.
McKie and Blackstock are members of the Vietnam Veterans of America, an independent, self-governing organization of vets whose purpose is to advocate for their fellow soldiers, support the new generation of veterans and hold the government accountable for ensuring the injuries and illnesses troops have sustained are properly addressed, whether they were received in the jungles of Quang Nam or the foothills of Kandahar.
While the VVA was founded in 1983, Chapter 975 in Mohave County wasn't established until 2006, with McKie serving as the chapter's current president. In the four years they've been active, the Mohave VVA membership has swelled from a few dozen to more than 100 local vets, McKie said.
The Mohave VVA has already done a lot of good in the county, particularly last year, when they established an all-volunteer Veterans Service Organization branch in Golden Valley at 4225 Highway 68, Suite G. Members also frequently work alongside the Knights of the Patriot motorcycle club to arrange proper send-offs and welcome-home parties for local soldiers sent overseas.
"We're very supportive of our troops today," McKie said. "We plan different events, and we help out other veterans. Anybody who comes to us that has a problem, we definitely try to help them out."
Frequently, that means helping inform veterans of the benefits and services they're entitled to that they might not know about. The Mohave VVA has also gone to greater lengths, such as helping one veteran's widow file the paperwork necessary to secure an American flag to honor her husband's memory, as well as a condolence letter from the president.
But some of the VVA's most ambitious projects, such as establishing three $1,000 scholarships for local high schoolers, cost money. And unlike the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the local VVA does not have a building of its own it can use to host fundraising spaghetti dinners or the like. Instead, the VVA depends on donations from the community, with fundraising assistance from places like IHOP and Arizona State Prison - Kingman, which raffles off grills built by prisoners.
"We do have some pretty good supporters out there," McVie said. "The word's getting out there that we are here, and we need people to join, we need people to donate."
The VVA's next big scheduled event is an all-day Veterans Expo at the Avi Resort and Casino in Laughlin Feb. 20. The event will feature four guest speakers who will address various issues including Agent Orange exposure, suicide prevention and the problem of homelessness among Vietnam vets. Doors open at 10 a.m. and the expo runs through 3 p.m., with entertainment provided by the Swing Dolls, a USO-style singing group.
For more information on the Vietnam Veterans of America, call (928) 377-1101 or visit their Web site at www.vva975.org.
Reader Comments
Posted: Monday, February 08, 2010
Article comment by:
mike pearson sr.
to vn was years ago,yes it has been a long time i`m glad your husband came home safe,tell him i said welcome home please.i have been able to live with the fact that we were not received as we should have been,but because of veterans you had the right to either welcome us home or not.freedom is not free...be thankful that you live in a country where you are allowed to say what you want,
Posted: Saturday, February 06, 2010
Article comment by:
Ralph D. McKie President Vietnam Veterans of America Mohave County Chapter 975
D. Coleman, and all of you that had possitive comments. Thank you for your comments. Yes Gene Crego did start the chapter here in Mohave Cunty. He is still an active member an has gotten the third Veterans Expo organized and will be at the AVI on 2/20/2010. check out our website at www.vva975.org Everyone has their own opinion. As far as get over it, I have six friends on the wall and I will never get over it,and they will never be forgotten. At times it seems like it was yesterday. Welcome home to all Veterans!!
Posted: Saturday, February 06, 2010
Article comment by:
common sence
Just get over it, its that type of mind set that our government counts on.
In my opinion people should look at things in different ways before saying anything we are going to fight wars for profit then at least set a budget for real top of the line health care for soldiers who make it home.
I am to young to have seen that war first hand. But I do see what is going on today and I can put two and two together with COMMON SENCE.
By the way your information most likely came from your husband maybe he should look into the VFW and finally start facing what he went through. Just some of my opinion sorry if I offended anybody.
Posted: Friday, February 05, 2010
Article comment by:
No name provided
THIS WAS PUT IN OUR PAPER ON THURSDAY
THOUGHT YOU WOULD LIKE TO READ IT
Posted: Friday, February 05, 2010
Article comment by:
D. Coleman
Just to give credit where credit is due: Gene Crego started the VVA Mohave County Chapter 975 and was it's President for the 1st. three years in which time it grew to almost 100 members. He's a very hard worker and modest man who works for Vets from behind the scenes. He also puts together that Veteran's Expo at the AVI every year for the past three years. Just a little background history on a great group and organization. Welcome Home all you vets out there and god bless.
Posted: Friday, February 05, 2010
Article comment by:
Ephesian
6:12
"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." BHO = 666 (IL Lottery) = NWO and tyranny and injustice for all.
Posted: Friday, February 05, 2010
Article comment by:
A Patriot
Any active or retired military that has any respect for the liar is a fool. Beware of wolves in sheep's costumes.
Thank you Veteran's. We care and stand with you.
Posted: Friday, February 05, 2010
Article comment by:
BHO 666
"Look, it's an all volunteer force," Obama complained. "Nobody made these guys go to war. They had to have known and accepted the risks. Now they whine about bearing the costs of their choice? It doesn't compute..." "I thought these were people who were proud to sacrifice for their country, "Obama continued. "I wasn't asking for blood, just money. With the country facing the worst financial crisis in its history, I'd have thought that the patriotic thing to do would be to try to help reduce the nation's deficit.I guess I underestimated the selfishness of some of my fellow Americans."
Posted: Friday, February 05, 2010
Article comment by:
John L Boyce
Thank You for this article
Posted: Thursday, February 04, 2010
Article comment by:
No name provided
if the vva,vfw,am legion,amvets, and others I missed, really want to do some thing, then BECOME ONE UNIT, AND ONE VOTOTING BLOC,TO PUT AN END TO SENDING TROOPS TO WAR, WITH RULLES OF CONTACT REG,S,
IF OUR TROOPS ARE SENT TO WAR THEN GO TO WAR, TO WIN,LET THE GENERAL DO THE PLANING, NOT THE POLITICIANS, RE-ACTIVEVATE THE DRAFT, WITH NO EXCEPTIONS, NO MATTER WHAT THE PROBLEM IS.
THAT WAY EVERY ONE IN THE COUNTRY,RICH MIDDLE CLASS, AND POOR, GET A TASTE OF WAR..
Posted: Thursday, February 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Welome Home VVA's, Thx4Srvng & God Bless!
Well, Mrs Out Of Touch "VN was YEARS ago" I hate to tell you this but your ignorance regarding the Vietnam War is showing and you need to inform yourself before you open your mouth trap and stick your in it.
Those who served in Vietnam came home to a country who had been lied to about their so-called loss of a war that the Pentegon had no intentions of ever winning, but to their credit we WON that war because we stopped the spread of Communism in South Viet Nam for 10,000 days! Cronkite sat right there on the CBS 6 O'clock News as Nixon's puppet and LIED to us about the Tet Offensive - The US did not lose that mission! Westmoreland lied about body count. The Pentegon did everything they could to make sure we lost the war and the media bought it as did the American populace for the most part.
It was as Kennedy said, "a no win war" because even if we did win, which we did, it is counted as a loss. Soldiers came home to a country that hated them because the media painted them all as drug fiends and baby killers thanks to Jane Fonda and traitors like John Kerry who sold out his own men and phoney POW's like John McCain who sold out his men and his country to have high tea at the Hanoi Hilton with N. Viet Cong leaders!
I personally saw men return home from Nam who were spat upon, called every name in the book, by US citizens in EVERY state threw beer cans out their carwindows at them, flipped lit cigarettes at them. Even the VFW refused to acknowledge them until the 80's!
I persoanlly didn't serve as I was in high school at the time when the war was declared over in '73 but I NEVER took part in this cursing and spitting upon American soldiers returning home from Vietnam and it has been my mission to say "Welcome home!" and "Thank you for serving your country!" with a handshake and a "God bless you!" since they came back.
Now for the rest of your letter, A Vietnam Vets of America Chapter is not a 'crutch' these men are leaning on! It is a Brotherhood with a comraderie that they themselves understand because they fought a war their country sent them to fight that it's leaders never wanted them to win, they were exposed to defoliant chemicals like Agent Pink (an earlier precurser to Agent Orange) which killed American personel as well as the jungle, which was changed to Agent Orange which has had lasting effects on Troops who were exposed to it many continue to suffer with - those that are still alive as well as their children who suffer thru genetic effects.
These men fought a war against an enemy that 90% of them NEVER saw! They were sent on missions which the Pentegon planned for their failure for the Govt to exploit in the media as Johnson & later Nixon called for increased spending on the war effort, where men like Johnson got filthy rich off stock holdings in Defense Plant manufacture of guns, tanks, planes, ships, bullets and everything else it takes to fight a war.
As far as your husband is concerned, my hats off to him for serving, regardless of his rank, I say "Welcome Home, Thanks for serving and God bless you!" Now as far as him not receiving any jeers from citizens, I would imaging that very few if any were treated that way here in Kingman. Most people here understand true patriotism and recognize a soldier regardless of the war he fought or the politics behind it or the particular administration reflected by the war any troop serves in. Maybe he doesn't say much about it all, and perhaps his time there wasn't all that bad, perhaps it was worse than he will ever share with you. Perhaps he knows you would never understand. Few do - including wives, brothers, sisters, friends or neighbors or whatever. That's WHY we have the Chapter for these men to gather and enjoy that comraderie and brotherhood they share. Perhaps your husband was an officer. That could explain a lot. He still served and as such I believe should be honored for serving. I hope someday he will check out the Chapter in Golden Valley. And I hope someday you will understand better. I grew up with this and as a kid I supported a President who did not want US to go there and the GOVT voted him out for that stance in a very public coup on the streets of Dallas in November 1963. In ten years many soldiers returning home would take busrides to Texas go to Dealy Plaza to pay their respects to a man who had a better vision for them as US GI's and a better vision for our country as well. Many of them were cursed at and spat upon at the very site where JFK was killed!
In closing, your letter has a tone of "get over it" to it. How can you say that when there are 1720 men unaccounted for to date who are lost or missing officially classified by the DOD as POW-MIA from the Vietnam War 1963-1975. Tell the families and friends of those still missing and unaccounted for to get over it. I know such a family of a man who served in the USAF who went MIA on Easter Sunday 1972. A wife still wonders where her husband is. A son and a daughter both wonder where Daddy is, even though they are grown and are raising his grandchildren who have never met him. His fellow servicemen and friends all over the world pray for his return, as do I each day. Get over it? No ma'am, I won't and I will not leave it alone until they all come home.
Posted: Thursday, February 04, 2010
Article comment by:
mh
Yes it was a long time ago... and it maybe it a little late, but Thanks For Your Service. It WAS truly appreciated by some. And thanks for all that you are doing now.
Posted: Thursday, February 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Daniel Swaine- President KOTP Non Profit Inc
Just to Clear up any confusion in this story. The Kingman PGR (Patriot Guard Riders) are the group that welcome homes and sends off the soldier's. Knights of the Patriot first off is NOT a Motorcycle Club but a non profit inc working in the community and supporting our local military by sending Soldiers care packages etc. once they're deployed. Knights of the Patriot support the PGR missions by riding in all the welcome homes and send offs.
K.O.T.P. Non Profit Inc applaud Loren Larson & Steve Casey for building and maintaining the Kingman Patriot Guard Riders(PGR) and supporting our local hero's!
Posted: Thursday, February 04, 2010
Article comment by:
Bullthistle
Because your husband received no abuse here in Kingman, I guess that means nobody anywhere was treated poorly. Actually, there have been many reported instances of ill-treatment of returning Vietnam vets.
And what's this "crutch" business? These guys are doing something to help others. I'd say that's hardly a "crutch." Perhaps the real question is what makes you so hostile.
Posted: Thursday, February 04, 2010
Article comment by:
VN was YEARS ago, guys
Where did these guys live that they had jeers from citizens upon return from VN?? My husband served there, as well, and never had a negative word spoken to him about Nam...he returned to Kingman and life went on...and, btw, fellas- we don't give ticker tape parades for lost wars. Get over it- it was 45 years ago- stop using it as a crutch.
