The Spirit of 776 October 2017

VIETNAM
VETERANS OF
AMERICA
CHAPTER 776
Never Again Will
Meeting at Rosss 53rd Street & 18th
One Generation of
November 23 at 1900 hours 7:00 P.M. Veterans Abandon
Another.
Volume 21 Issue 10

Veteran
Service Officers
&
Service
Coordinators
Clarke Barnes
309 944-3674
Ed Gaudet
563 343-9456
David Woods
563 326-8723
Ernest Ledjte
563 785-6182
Tom Lemon
563 359-3201

Honor Guard
John Lavelle
563 355-4213

Web Master
Roger Granbois
roger@granbois.net

Officers and Board of Directors

President Ed Guadet 563 659-5421 Dir. Ernest Ledjte 563 785-6182
Vice-President Bruce Cheek 563 349-4129 Dir. Sonny Kempf 563 505-1609
Treasurer Harold Hansen 563 505-9674 Dir. Bill Matthews 563 355-5618
Secretary John Lavelle 563 355-4213 Dir. Steve Satre 563 289-1776
Trustee Greg Paulline 563 650-3055 Dir. Larry Witt 563 388-7179
 Minutes for membership meeting October 2017 - Bettendorf Library

Meeting was called to order at 1900 hrs. 26 July 17 by President Ed Guadet. Officers
present, Bruce Cheek, Harold Hansen, and John Lavelle. Members ind distress include
Linda Granbois who is preparing for an hip replacement. Bruce Cheek read the
communications we received, a thank you from The Texas State Council and the
Florida State Council for our donation to hurricane relief. Melody Williams spoke to
the chapter about Christian Care in Rock Island and the number of homeless veterans
that hey provide for during the year. Coin stories were shared with the members,
Darrel Thede presented a coin to an Air Force veteran, Edwin Hildebrand presented a
card to an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran. Larry Witt informed the members that we
are currently at 232 members, 39 members and 164 life members and 29 AVVA
members. The Christmas party will be December 7 at Post 26, the bar is open at 5:30
and dinner at 6:30. Members met up at the HyVee on Kimberly and Spring for the
veterans breakfast. Roger Granbois sent the following information on his opportunity
to read names at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in D.C. I really did have a
great experience in D.C. this past weekend. The Vietnam Veterans Memorial Fund
(VVMF) put out a call for volunteers to read names at the 35th anniversary of the Wall
ceremony from 7-11 Nov. So I applied online in August and was selected... you could
also request a particular name to read and they would fit you into that time-slot. So my
assigned 30 names, to include Patrick Loyal Fricke, was at 8:52 on Friday evening the
10th. So I planned my trip to D.C. around this event. The reason Lt. Becker's name is
on my poem plaque (and all the other names on my plaque) is because when the moving
Wall was in Erie Illinois in 2005, they read all 58K plus names at that event and I
helped organize the reading, so I wrote my poem to honor our heroes at that name
reading event. When I made my plaque I asked some of the chapter members for
names that are on the Wall that I could add to the bottom of the plaque and so that is
how Lt. Becker was added to it. I built my plaque as a remembrance memento from
VVA Chapter 776 to those that we wanted to recognize on the wall as a combined
family of Vietnam Vets. The Rock & Roll Bingo event held at American Legion Post 26
on 35th Street in Davenport was a rousing success. Many members attended and the
room was full of fun, singing, and dancing. Larry Witt will share how much money was
obtained through this event at the November meeting. Reminder that the Christmas
party is December 7th and the cost is $7 per person, the bar will open at 5:30 and the
dinner will begin at 6:30. If you plan to take part in the gift exchange bring a wrapped
gift or $10 and label if it is for a man or a woman. There will be entertainment and
games that will assist you in garnering the Christmas spirit.
Minutes submitted by John P. Lavelle, chapter secretary.
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Chapter Christmas Party

December 7th at Post 26
Doors open at 5:30 and
dinner is at 6:30. Be sure to
reserve your spot for this.

REMINDER THAT
THIS MONTHS
MEETING WILL
BE AT ROSS
RESTAURANT
If you want to eat
come at 6:00!