CHAIRMAN COMMENTS:
Well, we had another picnic that once again proved that we can get things going, if we all cooperate. I have to say we have some outstanding members who when the need to say present, presented itself, they said it. We all had a great time with members from Port St Lucie and Tampa attending. I had the honor to present William Rivera with a certificate for his cooperation and donations to the chapter. He donated shirts, caps, and car flags which raised over a hundred dollars during the meeting. Bill Lynch our member from the VA Nursing Home in Miami was present thanks to the Recreation Staff of the VA, they arranged it so Bill had his own “Limo” for the trip. But the best news about the picnic is that we ended up in the “black”, the funds raised by the raffle and booster fund more than covered the cost of the picnic.. We cannot forget the ladies of the Chapter who assisted us and helped make the picnic the success it was, my thanks go out to them, without them could not make it happen.

Heads up: we have some changes coming. First our May meeting will be a brunch on a Saturday morning at the Piccadilly Restaurant on Flagler Street in Miami. We have made this change for the benefit of our members who live Miami-Dade so they can take part in our meetings and meet all the other members, who knows maybe they will meet up with an old friend or make a new friend and just sit eat brunch and tell war stories. J  If we have good results with this meeting we can do it again. We will be landing at the State Veterans Nursing Home in Pembroke Pines on June 6th for our June picnic. We want to share this day with the veterans there and give them an afternoon of good eats and good times. Also in May the ASIS will be sponsoring The Wounded Warrior/Law Enforcement Day. Last year the Chapter went and made a good showing, ths year I need 8 volunteers to join with me at this activity, tables are $1000.00 or $100.00 per person. Who will join me? If you are interested let me know (305-205-1948) The proceeds go to the Wounded Warriors Fund, where it is spent very well.

The Vietnam Veterans of America will celebrate another week of activities and “Camp Out” at Wickham Park in Melbourne starting on April 27th and lasting all week ending on Sunday, May 3rd. For more information check out FLVIETVETS/reunion. If God permits I will be there, you are welcome to join us. This is one activity you will not regret going to.

The Chapter is growing again but we still need more members to reach 200, what can you do? Bring an airborne friend, show you are Airborne and you will see how many more Airborne Troops are out there. Try it, it worked for me.

We have caps, car flags and T-shirts still available, give Buff a call if you’re interested.

Well I guess I better let you rest and mark your calendar for our future activities, Ah, yes! We will have a meeting in April, that has not changed, same place, same time and hopefully some additional members.
Your Chairman
Jose L. Perez Ortiz (JPO)
 
During our picnic meeting Jimmy Campillo informed all present that our Executive Director and his wife have undergone surgeries for different conditions, our wishes for a speedy recovery goes to them and we will keep everyone informed of any changes.

EDITORS NOTE: Manny and Maggie are doing find. It has been reported to us that Manny is back to work half-day for a while but is still the same ole Manny.
 
2009 MEETINGS: April 21st; May 16th; June 16th Picnic at State Veterans Nursing Home, Pembroke Pines; July  21st; August 18th; September (Picnic) TBD; October 20th; Installation Banquet November TBD
Note: The May meeting will be on a Saturday. See below for reason.
 
Around the Division:
If you desire to send “goodies” to the Panthers (505 PIR) in Iraq send them to the brigade Chaplain at:
Maj Paul Jaedcke, HHC, 3d BCT - 82d Abn, APO AE 09313-9998 email Paul.Jaedcke@us.army.mil  
 

DUES
Renewals: Roger LaBonte, Julius Salletter Ed Kolby
All American Members: Angel Vazquez, also new to our Chapter
New members: Raymond Padron, served with the 17th Cav and 50th signal Battalion;
Osmond Austin Jr. served with the Force Recon Marines;
Anthony Passaro, served with the 504th PIR

We now have in place a installment plan for the purchase of All American Membership if interested contact the Treasurer and he will set up a plan tailored to your desires. If your address label has highlighter on it you are in arrears in dues. If you receive the newsletter via email you will be receiving another email about your dues if you are in arrears. Also when making out application please fill in every blank as best you can to include date of birth and especially phone numbers.

NEWSLETTER BOOSTERS
Mark McCollem, Harold Kravitz, Bev Niskanen, Irv Weinsoff, Chris Watson, Tony Altobell, Moses Johnson,
Martin Gonzales, Gilberto Marin, ron Stirlacci, Lettie Bien, Al Gilliam, Jose Perez Ortiz, Bob Wirt.
 
MARCH 2009
William Rivera, Stu Franke, Myles Gill, Irv Weinsoff, Ron Stirlacci, Bob Wirt, Gus Vass, Bob Buffington, James Bono, Roger Labonte, Jimmy Campillo, William Lynch, Joe Lanzillo, Don Moffett
 
Around the Chapter:
You guys that know me realize that I’m a very big worry-wert. And boy was I worried about the picnic. First Tony called to tell me he couldn’t make it or even purchase the food as he was going into the hospital for a hernia operation. Can you imagine a big paratrooper letting a little hernia operation stop’im. (I kid Tony)

But I need not worry, Al Gilliam stepped up and said he would take care of the picnic. Then I received a call from Al, he had fell and broke his foot and could not get around well enough to make all the purchases nor could he stand long enough to do the cooking. So I worried some more. But Ron Stirlacci stepped up to the plate and said he would get with Al and make sure everything was ready. Thank you Ron. So then the only thing I had to worry about was the rain but I knew deep down in my heart that it does not rain on Paratroopers. So it was proved that I had worried about nothing. Roger Cupo agreed to do the cooking and did an outstanding job. Thank you Roger.

Willie Rivera from the Tampa Chapter donated some caps, and car flags which we sold with the profits going to our chapter. Our chairman presented Willie with a certificate for his support. Along with the T-shirts we still had on hand the sale of the items netted us one-hundred and fifty five dollars. Three of our ladies, Helga, Juli Labonte, and Carolyn Gill sold raffle tickets for the basket of cheer and an Airborne Book. They took in another hundred and twenty-five dollars, Thank you ladies. Stu Franke won the basket and Gus Vass won the book. Question: Do 101st guys know how to read?

I kid Gus, so don’t take offense, if you served with the 101st. The Booster fund collected another $265 so between the booster fund and the raffle the picnic paid for itself.

During the business meeting we discussed a lot of subjects and came to decisions on several items. It was decided that the May meeting would be held in Miami-Dade so the guys living down there would have a chance to come to a meeting and meet the guys and see first hand how we operate. Now I have been attending meetings here in Broward for the past six + years and have seen Don Moffett and Bob Niskanen drive from the upper Keys to attend meetings and then heard other guys living in Miami state that it was too far to drive to come to Hollywood. I know other members here in Broward have wondered about these Dade County members, well now it is our turn to drive to a meeting so I know I will see all the Broward County members sitting in the meeting right next to the Miami-Dade County members on May 16th at the Piccadilly Restaurant in the Flagler Park Plaza at 8301 West Flagler Street in Miami at 10:AM. The members present at the picnic felt that it was only fair to hold a meeting in Dade County as that was where we started back in 1958. Let’s have a good turnout for the Brunch meeting which by the way will be “Dutch treat”. Now I worry that the Piccadilly may be too small… J

It was also decided that our June picnic be held at the Alexander "Sandy" Nininger State Veterans Nursing Home in Pembroke Pines. We are planning on having another great turn-out of our members from both Broward and Dade to give, the 60 or so veterans living in the nursing home, a great afternoon, with good food and fun for all. Let’s take their minds off their problems for an afternoon. It will be held on June 6th which is appropriate as some of them were there on “D” Day. This will be expensive so if you desire you can donate towards the cost of the picnic. Our normal picnics cost us around $200.00 to feed about 50 people, this “D” Day picnic we will be feeding about 100 to 125 people and the cost will go up. More information will be forthcoming.

It was also decided that we will purchase a new 82nd Airborne Flag for the color guard, as the present one is getting worn. This will cost us another $250 to $300 dollars, so help if you can.

During the February meeting it was decided that we would start a phone tree in an attempt to contact those local members who do not have an email address on record with the chapter. We have about 45 members living local without an email address so their names were divided between: Jose Perez Ortiz, Tony Altobell, Al Gilliam, Ron Stirlacci, French Shannon, and Roger Labonte. Make a note of these names if you live here locally and do not have an e-mail address. One of them will be calling you, if they leave a message on your machine give them a call back so they know you received it. They also will not use your number to harass you or to call with non-important information. And speaking of communications, I have changed my email address to AbnBuff@Yahoo.com so please make a note of it and set your computer to receive messages from me.

Our next meeting will be on April 21st at American Legion Post 92 in Hollywood. I twill start at 8 pm.
Hope to see some ‘new’ faces at the meeting.
 
Airborne.
Bob Buffington - the wordy Secretary

Fellow Veterans,

My name is Ric Shinseki, and I am a Veteran. For me, serving as Secretary of Veterans Affairs is a noble calling. It provides me the opportunity to give back to those who served with and for me during my 38 years in uniform and those on whose shoulders we all stood as we grew up in the profession of arms.

The Department of Veterans Affairs has a solemn responsibility to all of you, today and in the future, as more Veterans join our ranks and enroll to secure the benefits and services they have earned. I am fully committed to fulfilling President Obama’s vision for transforming our department so that it will be well-positioned to perform this duty even better during the 21st Century. We welcome the assistance and advice of our Veterans Service Organizations, other government departments and agencies, Congress, and all VA stakeholders as we move forward, ethically and transparently, so that Veterans and citizens can understand our efforts.

Creating that vision for transforming the VA into a 21st Century organization requires a comprehensive review of our department. We approach that review understanding that Veterans are central to everything VA does. We know that results count, that the department will be mea sured by what we do, not what we promise, and that our best days as an organization support ing Veterans are ahead of us. We will fulfill President Lincoln’s charge to care for “. . . him, who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan” by redesigning and reengineering ourselves for the future.

Transforming any institution is supremely challenging; I know this from my own experi ence in leading large, proud, complex, and high-performing organizations through change. But the best organizations must be prepared to meet the challenging times, evolving technology and, most importantly, evolving needs of clients. Historically, organizations that are unwilling or unable to change soon find themselves irrelevant. You and your needs are not irrelevant.

Veterans are our clients, and delivering the highest quality care and services in a timely, consistent and fair manner is a VA responsibility. I take that responsibility seriously and have charged all of the department’s employees for their best efforts and support every day to meet our obligations to you. Our path forward is challenging, but the President and Congress support us. They have asked us to do this well—for you. Veterans are our sole reason for existence and our number one priority—bar none. I look forward to working together with all VA employees to transform our department into an organization that reflects the change and commitment our country expects and our Veterans deserve.

Thank you and God bless our military, our Veterans, and our Nation.

Eric K. Shinseki

Where:
The Waterfront Inn 1105 Lake Shore Drive, Lake Sumter Landing, The Villages, FL 32162-1698
Phone: 352-753-7535 FAX: 352-753-1350 Email: WaterfrontInn.gm@JHMHotels.com

Room Rates:
Standard $83.00 + 9% tax; Lake View  $93.00 + 9% tax; Lake View/Balcony $103.00 + 9% tax
Mention All Airborne Days Reunion for Special Room Rates

Convention Registration Fee: $75.00 per person
 
Schedule of events:
Thursday & Friday Registration Main Lobby 1300 - 1600
Thursday - Friday - Saturday  Hospitality room opens at 1200 Located in Room 115
Friday PM - Bus tour of The Villages
Saturday - Ladies Breakfast & Men’s Annual Chapter’s meeting 0930
Saturday evening - Memorial Banquet Dinner 7 pm

Make Checks payable to: North Central Florida Chapter
Mail to: Donald M Van Alstyne, 10270 SE 175th Place, Summerfield, FL  34491 phone: 352-307-6718