Camp Pendleton Marine Honors Vietnam Veterans

For the last eight years, he's been seen by hundreds of thousands of veterans as he stands there saluting the reason they all came. Sacrifice! People from around the country descend on Washington DC every year. Hundreds from the Nam Knights (Vietnam veterans, police officers, firefighters and other veterans including Iraq and Afghanistan) and hundreds of thousands from Rolling Thunder, all on motorcycles, and you can hear their engines coming from far away. All of these people pass by him but few even know his name.

Staff Sgt. Tim Chambers, from Camp Pendleton, travels across the country to be there every year in full uniform because he says, "It is a reminder of their sacrifice for me." This year, I had a conversation with his parents Randy and Diane Hoge. Staff Sgt. Chambers was recovering from pneumonia he had two weeks ago. He was still just as determined to stand there saluting until the last bike went by. These pictures are from some of the years he's been there to honor our Vietnam Veterans.



The Nam Knights had their ride on Saturday but most of the members also joined Rolling Thunder on Sunday. They pulled out of the hotel at 9:00, due to pull out of the Pentagon Parking lot at 12:00. By all accounts when the bikes started to roll back into the hotel area it was 5:00 and there were still bikes passing through. Hundreds of thousands of veterans being touched by this act of honor by this honorable Marine just wanting to show his appreciation.

One generation honoring Vietnam veterans for their service as Staff Sgt. Chambers' heart is tugged every year. Standing there like the passing of a torch, saluting for four hours or more, in the heat and while many Vietnam veterans wipe tears from their eyes as they see him, they know they are remembered by other generations.

This is so important to them to see this Marine greeting them as they make their way to the Wall. Preparing their hearts for the magnitude of the emotional rush of seeing the names of people they knew engraved on the massive Wall, sadness replaces the joy of riding with their brothers. They remember the cost, they remember the fallen and they also remember how they were treated when they returned back to these states.


I don't know if any has thanked the commanders of Camp Pendleton for sending him or not, but they should be very proud of the impact they have had of Vietnam veterans as well as the newer generation. Many of the Vietnam veterans have sons and daughters serving right now. I know this is true for the Vietnam veterans in the Nam Knights. Some of the veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan were riding in both groups on Saturday and Sunday. I also know this is true with members of Rolling Thunder.

There are so few combat veterans in this nation considering the size of the population. So few understanding what the price of our freedom really is and even less being reminded of the men and women who laid down their lives for it. The reminders of service engraved in the hearts and memories just as surly as the names are engraved on the Wall, connected by this act of appreciation and honor from this Marine from Camp Pendleton. The service trumps generations connecting them in a bond few others can understand.

When we honor the fallen on Memorial Day, we do not honor just one generation, but all of them and this example of dedication stands as a testament this is a family. They grieve for a "brother" and they grieve for a "sister" just as they would grieve for a blood relative. Staff Sgt. Chambers is connecting like a son because he is the son of a Vietnam veteran.

Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City

Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City
By: Ruschell Boone



Some Vietnam veterans got a special welcome home Saturday in honor of Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day. NY1's Ruschell Boone filed the following report.

George Raboni was 17 years old when he went to war in Vietnam. When he returned home three years later, Raboni like so many of the veterans who gathered Saturday for a celebration to mark their service, thought he would get a hero's welcome but that was not the case.

There was a lot of turbulence going on in the country," Raboni recalled.

The thank yous were slow to come because the war was unpopular, but on Saturday area veterans were recognized for their service at the Inaugural Vietnam Veterans Recognition Day.

"We had pride in ourselves and what we did to serve this country but now it is greatly appreciated that the country has come to recognize the service," Raboni said.

"This is the first day that officially by the city government and state government that they are honoring the Vietnam veterans -- long overdue," Patrick Gualtieri of United War Veterans.

For many, the event at Veteran's Plaza in Downtown Manhattan was bittersweet.

"I think we've changed the structure so that people today understand how to separate the war from the warriors and that the veterans coming home, the men and women we see coming out of the military today are hopefully going to get treatments and programs that they need," said Vietnam Veterans of America President John Rowan.

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Vietnam Vets Ceremony A First For City

Why Vietnam Veterans break my heart and restore it again

by
Chaplain Kathie

I've been blessed to have veterans in my life since my life began. My father was a disabled Korean veteran. My uncles were WWII veterans. While they were still living, I met and married my husband, a Vietnam veteran. His father and uncles were also WWII veterans. Not bad considering we are only second generation Americans.

Ever since my life with my husband began, we've been active with veterans. I've been doing outreach work with them helping them to understand what PTSD is since 1982. It seemed only natural to do this. In all of these years, my heart has been broken over and over again because of all the suffering they have gone through, all so needlessly because they never received what they needed to heal beginning with the lapse of coverage from the media. If it were not for bad stories on Vietnam veterans for the last 30 years, there would have been no reporting on them at all. It's what the media does not report on that has restored by heart over and over again.

This past weekend we traveled with the Nam Knights from Orlando to Washington DC. While Rolling Thunder received the coverage for their ride on Sunday, May 24th, the Nam Knights rode on Saturday. We had about 400 Harleys roaring thru the streets of Washington, past Arlington National Cemetery up to The Vietnam Memorial Wall, parking a few streets away with a fantastic police escort getting us from one point to the other. They escorted us after a ceremony on the lawn near the Memorial to the Law Enforcement Memorial. Considering the Nam Knights is a group of Vietnam veterans, other veterans and Law Enforcement this memorial was important to them. The escort then blocked roads all the way from DC into Maryland for a feast provided by the VFW Post.

What does not get reported on is what the Nam Knights do other than once a year. They give back to this country as they have since they gave in Vietnam. The biggest thing Vietnam veterans did was fight for all other veterans. When they came home wounded by PTSD, they fought to have it treated and recognized by the VA and the DOD. Despite the fact other established groups wanted nothing to do with them, they didn't allow that to stop them. They started their own groups and made sure the power of their numbers along with the hearts of warriors, they would not be defeated in fighting for all veterans. Because they pushed to have the wound of PTSD treated, it began to be treated in police officers, firefighters, civilians after tragedies, accidents and crime.

Had it not been for them the older veterans suffering from what was called "shell shock" wouldn't have been treated. The Gulf War veterans wouldn't have been treated. Survivors of the Oklahoma bombing wouldn't have been treated. Survivors and witnesses of the multiple school shootings wouldn't have been treated. Survivors and witnesses of September 11th wouldn't have been treated. The troops and veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan wouldn't have been treated. With all of this, the police officers and firefighters, National Guardsmen and emergency responders wouldn't have been treated for doing their duty. With all of this, when they are informed of exactly how far reaching their efforts accomplished, they are stunned. They never thought about it. They only thought of doing the right thing.

Yet with this, they still die of PTSD and they still die homeless on our streets.

Vietnam veteran buried in Farmington
NewsWest9.com - Midland,TX,USA

FARMINGTON, N.M. (AP) - A veteran of the Vietnam War was buried in Farmington on Memorial Day, more than three months after he died at age 62 in Las Cruces.

Steve Nelson Baker was receiving treatment for post traumatic stress disorder shortly before he died. He was homeless when he died Feb. 2, and had been homeless off and on since his two tours of duty as a private in the Vietnam War.
click link for more

They still see their wound carried so deeply within them but push on with acts of kindness, with humility, seeking nothing than the help and hope they seek to offer to someone in need. Be it a soldier being wounded sent to Walter Reed to recover or coming into the area, they are there.

One of the Orlando Knights has a son serving now and his friend was wounded in Iraq. There was a donation taken up for him and his family and while a stranger to all the Knights, all gave what they could.

We had a family in a chase truck in case one of them broke down. They didn't have their Harelys with them. One of the Knights put out a request for rides for them so they could come with us to the Wall and within seconds, each one had a ride. Without helmets in hand another call was put out and four were offered when only three were needed. The best part of this story is that the man in the chase truck, a Vietnam veteran and Silver Star recipient had never seen The Wall before. He couldn't take his bike for the trip because he was hit by a car and his back was broken. That didn't stop him from making the trip from Orlando to DC. He drove the chase truck the first day and made sure the rest of the pack was safe considering there were drivers trying to cut into the group because they wanted to go faster and endangered the lives of the riders. His son took over after that and protected the group. With all he and his family were prepared to give to the rest of the Knights, they never thought of themselves and how they would be able to go with us to the memorial. They just wanted to help. Yet you will not read their story in the news paper or see it on the news. No one bothered to cover this day or the fact the Nam Knights was been giving back for 20 years.

NAM KNIGHTS OF AMERICA MC
AMERICAN MILITARY VETERAN
& LAW ENFORCEMENT
MOTORCYCLE CLUB
Parent Chapter: Carlstadt, New Jersey
with 36 additional chapters in New Hampshire (2), New York (6),
Maryland (2), North Carolina (2), Georgia (6), Florida (10), Massachusetts (3),
Pennsylvania (1), South Carolina (1), Virginia (1), Alberta (1)
and another in New Jersey (2)

About the Nam Knights
In the summer of 1989 a small group of Harley-riding combat vets of the Viet Nam War, who were also police officers, banded together to form the Nam Knights.

The Club was founded in New Jersey by Jack Quigley, now retired Undersheriff of The Bergen County Sheriff's Department. Jack served as a platoon sergeant with the 11th Motor Transport Battalion, First Marine Division.

Today, the Nam Knights of America Motorcycle Club has grown to 37 chapters in ten states and one Canadian province, with hundreds of members made up of veteran's of all eras as well as law enforcement personnel plus a few special and dedicated "civilians."

As Jack has said: "The club was formed to recapture the brotherhood its founding members shared while serving in Southeast Asia, and to help other veterans of all wars who are unable to physically or financially help themselves.

"The mission of the Nam Knights is to honor the memory of American Veterans and Police Officers who have lost their lives in the line of duty, to assist Veterans and Police Officers in their time of need, and to promote community awareness through sponsorship and participation in various community and fund-raising events.

"The Nam Knights Motorcycle Club continues to grow and thrive due to the extraordinary dedication of its members, their families and our benevolent supporters."

NAM KNIGHTS OF AMERICA MC
President's Message


Dear Visitor:

Our organization is pleased that you have the interest to surf into our web site. We are very proud of our site. NK Carl (Sgt. Maggot) Magnifico, NK David (Wrongway) Lewis and NK Steve (Slider) Mona have certainly put their expertise into compiling a most exciting and interesting web site. This is just an example of what a fine organization the Nam Knights of America Motorcycle Club is.

Membership is made up of 50% police officers (active and retired) and also 50% Viet Nam and other military era veterans, plus a few confirmed "civilians". The members who are non-police/non-veterans enjoy all the benefits of any member, although they cannot hold executive positions from 1st Sergeant At Arms up through the position of President. All members ride Harley-Davidson Motor Company or custom-built motorcycles with the appearance and construction of which is identical to a Harley-Davidson, and which engine parts are interchangeable with a Harley-Davidson with an engine displacement of 750cc or above.

The organization's main interests are to stress the importance of helping our fellow police officers and family members that may be in need of assistance. We also place a great deal of importance in the well-being of our veterans and to bringing out the message to the general public about our prisoners of war and those that are missing in action. We support legislation for the benefit of veterans and veteran's facilities, the advancement of studies and treatment of Agent Orange, Post Traumatic Stress and Hepatitis C. Many of our projects are to benefit the Paramus Veterans Home, police personnel and the betterment and enjoyment of motorcycle safety.

Again, I would like to thank you for your interest in our organization. If you will please sign our Guest Book and let us know your personal feeling about the web site, the Nam Knights, and/or our missions. If you are a Veteran of any conflict, please let us know that too. If you are an active or retired police officer, please let us know which department.

As President of the Parent Chapter, I feel that this is the best organization that I have ever had the privilege to be a part of and to serve. With chapters up and down the East Coast and one in Western Canada we have had many opportunities to meet more of our veteran comrades. We have grown very close and are able to share the importance of being veterans or police officers in our own way. We thank you for your support and help in the past and present in keeping the above issues alive.

To the many police departments that have helped us in the past with our functions -- helping to make them run smoother and safer -- thank you so much. Last but not least, those of you from the biker world: The only thing that I can say is thank you so very much for all the support that you have given us in the past. You have truly been very important and financially supportive in all that we have done to support our veterans and law enforcement personnel. It certainly is true that the biker is a person with a large heart, and not a person without honor. We thank you. To all the veterans' organizations and motorcycle clubs that have helped us in the past, we thank you for your support, interest and friendship in the Nam Knights Motorcycle Club.

Fred (Fritz) Reiman
President
N.K. Parent Chapter
NK1Fritz@aol.com

Please go to the site and thank them for what they do and have done no matter what some people think of them when they see them riding in packs down the street with their Harleys roaring engines, leather vests with the Nam Knights rocker on their backs because in their warriors hearts beats compassion beyond belief and a brotherhood that embraces acts of kindness. Considering they keep giving isn't it time we gave them at least a thank you on a guest book?

When you look into their eyes, you can see what makes a warrior live on. Knowing what they do and how much they give, my heart has been restored over and over again and I feel honored to know them and be counted as a Lady along with the other wives of these magnificent men. All of the wives are standing by their side and doing almost as much as they do.




If you see this on their back, thank them for all they do and have done for 20 years.

Nam Knights Orlando Memorial Dedication

Medal Of Honor Sammy Davis and Silver Star Ken Mellick, both Nam Knights photo by Chaplain Kathie

Yesterday I attended the memorial dedication ceremony of the Nam Knights Orlando Eternal Chapter. It was a very impressive ceremony. I planned to film it all so that I could share it with everyone, but things didn't work out that way. Five minutes before the ceremony was to begin, I was approached by a Nam Knight informing me that the Chaplain scheduled to do the invocation had not arrived. Five minute warning to find someone to hit record on my video camera and then pray to God for the words to use and the courage to speak! God delivered the right words to my mouth and calmed my nerves long enough to get me up there and back down without falling.

This video has the small contribution I made to the event and several speakers but I was very disappointed when I was loading the video onto my PC and discovered that most of the speech Sammy Davis, Medal of Honor Recipient, gave was not included in the video or the rest of the ceremony. Sammy told the story of his time in Vietnam and it was really moving. I hope to be able to get my hands on a copy of the entire program but for now, at least you will know what Sammy did as the account of his actions was spoken. Sammy is warm, down to earth and very humble.

Also on the video is the account of how the Nam Knights began. I've said it more than I can remember of how honored I am to know the men in the Nam Knights and I could not have been more proud to be among them.

I promise the if I do find a copy of the entire event, I will post it up.

Nam Knights Orlando Memorial Dedication - watch more videos

Eric Hall Marine with PTSD Missing in Clark County Florida

(02/08/2008) (Courtesy Photo) -- Eric Hall's family released this new photo of Eric Hall. Authorities are conducting a search for 24-year-old Eric Hall in Harbour Heights, Fla. Friday, February 8, 2008. The Sheriff's Office has set up a mobile command center and is utilizing mounted patrols and K-9 units in the search. According to the Sheriff's Office: Relatives last saw Hall on Sunday at their Deep Creek home. They said he was hallucinating and acting as if he were shooting an invisible gun. His Yamaha motorcycle was found near Sulstone Drive and Pasadena Terrace.
Jason McKibben /

Eric Hall's mother Becky comforts his brother Justin as they wait for news in the search, nearby is Eric's good friend Chaz Kane. Authorities are conducting a search for 24-year-old Eric Hall in Harbour Heights, Fla. Friday, February 8, 2008. The Sheriff's Office has set up a mobile command center and is utilizing mounted patrols and K-9 units in the search. According to the Sheriff's Office: Relatives last saw Hall on Sunday at their Deep Creek home. They said he was hallucinating and acting as if he were shooting an invisible gun. His Yamaha motorcycle was found near Sulstone Drive and Pasadena Terrace. (Photo by Jason McKibben/courtesy of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune)
Jason McKibben /

Search is on for missing local marine


By DAVID MANN
David.Mann@newsandtribune.com

Authorities in Florida are searching for an ex-Marine from Clark County, who is believed to be suffering from Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.


Eric Hall, 24, had been staying at a relative’s home in Deep Creek, Fla., for about two weeks when he began hallucinating and having flashbacks, a press release from The Charlotte County (Fla.) Sheriff’s office says. He was last seen when he left the home on his motorcycle Sunday. The motorcycle was later found along a nearby roadside still running.

The search effort renewed Friday morning in the Harbour Heights, Fla., area, where he may have been after he was reported missing.

Deputies, K-9 teams, a helicopter and mounted patrols participated in the search. By Friday afternoon, officials said, he still had not been located.

Hall has been back from Iraq for about three years and had since been granted medical retirement by the Marine Corps.

He was injured in June 2005 when a bomb exploded while he was on patrol in Fallujah, Iraq. A fellow Marine was killed in the blast.
go here for the rest
http://www.newsandtribune.com/clarkcounty/local_story_040015351.html

This should go to Rolling Thunder, Patriot Guard and Nam Knights to help find Eric Hall. He's a Marine with PTSD and has been suffering since he came home.