A Band of Brothers and Sisters January 17th, 2014 Veterans Corner by Ronald Verini The free events in this community rival those in many of the largest cities around. Our veteran community has a chance to participate as spectators or be more actively involved. A new exhibit opened at the Four Rivers Cultural Center focusing on ‘Pacific Asian American’ experiences. It opened with a full crowd including students from Dalila Mong’s High School class. This exhibition from the Smithsonian is an important education about our nation’s history including much about our military. This exhibit will continue until March 5th. The next important exhibit will be co-sponsored by the Japanese American Cultural League (JACL) and Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida (VAOI) and will be called ‘What If Heroes were not Welcome Home’ and it will be about how horribly offensive some Japanese troops that served our country in war were treated when they returned home to Hood River, Oregon. These exhibits are both important about our nations’ history and the role of our military. This second exhibition will be March through April with actual dates to follow when I receive them. There is a place open 6 days a week with a coffee pot on and a friendly smile that veterans can sit down and relax sharing stories from R & R events, war wounds, what happened last night, last year, to paper cuts or when the last baby was born. The mission of VAOI has always been the support of our veterans and now the focus is directed more to the support of our returning combat veterans. Our non-combat veterans also have a place at the table, and a very important one, this place brings the comradely of a true band of brothers and sisters under one roof. See for yourself. The veterans and active duty were well represented at the Ontario Chamber Banquet the other night when Adel and Don Crownover produced an art-piece that honored our military family and all patriots with a lighted American Flag as its pinnacle. Sandy with most of her troops from Intermountain Community Bank occupied the table and also won the bid to take home this wonderful centerpiece. Another table attraction developed by Douglas Dean to honor folks that received awards for success in Ontario was put together by the partnership of Doug as a consultant with TVCC Biz Center, the Small Business Development Center and Veteran Advocates of Ore-Ida to show off that partnerships work in our community and this “Ladder of Success” was bid for and won by Clint Shock the superintendent and professor of the Department of Crop and Soil Science at the Malheur Agricultural Experiment Station and a friend of veterans. Our Ontario Elks Lodge will be doing another fishing trip for our veterans on May 24th and when I get the details I will report them. Coley’s Glass is also a very important community partner that supports our veterans so thank them by doing business with them. Support those that support us. “ When you judge another, you don’t define them, you define yourself.” W. Dyer.
Posted on: Wed, 15 Jan 2014 19:28:42 +0000
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