From kpleuss at cfl.rr.com Thu Sep 3 20:01:00 2009 From: kpleuss at cfl.rr.com (Kenneth Pleuss) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 16:01:00 -0400 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Fw: Luke Air Force Base Message-ID: <995E6F4BADB44E798F0541FD37E96C7E@ownerb104403c1> ----- Original Message ----- From: Jane Loveland To: Doug Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 1:10 PM Subject: Fw: Luke Air Force Base --- On Thu, 9/3/09, Russell wrote: From: Russell Subject: Luke Air Force Base To: Date: Thursday, September 3, 2009, 12:13 AM Subject: Luke Air Force Base True Story..... Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were. A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall. When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must Have stung quite a bit. The complaint: 'Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special? Any response would be appreciated. The response: Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m . , a perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-1 6s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day. At 9 a. m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured.. A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects. The letter writer asks, 'Who m do we thank for the morning air show? The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives. Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you....Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom. Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr. USAF How ALL phones SHOULD be answered! GOOD MORNING, WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA .......... Please Press '1' for English. Press '2' to disconnect until you learn to speak English And remember only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ And the American Soldier One died for your soul, The other for your freedom. If you agree.......Keep it going From MisterAdvocate at aol.com Fri Sep 4 01:35:02 2009 From: MisterAdvocate at aol.com (MisterAdvocate at aol.com) Date: Thu, 3 Sep 2009 21:35:02 EDT Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Fw: Luke Air Force Base Message-ID: A damn good response. keep it going. Dwight In a message dated 9/3/2009 4:01:21 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, kpleuss at cfl.rr.com writes: ----- Original Message ----- From: Jane Loveland To: Doug Sent: Thursday, September 03, 2009 1:10 PM Subject: Fw: Luke Air Force Base --- On Thu, 9/3/09, Russell wrote: From: Russell Subject: Luke Air Force Base To: Date: Thursday, September 3, 2009, 12:13 AM Subject: Luke Air Force Base True Story..... Luke AFB is west of Phoenix and is rapidly being surrounded by civilization that complains about the noise from the base and its planes, forgetting that it was there long before they were. A certain lieutenant colonel at Luke AFB deserves a big pat on the back. Apparently, an individual who lives somewhere near Luke AFB wrote the local paper complaining about a group of F-16s that disturbed his/her day at the mall. When that individual read the response from a Luke AFB officer, it must Have stung quite a bit. The complaint: 'Question of the day for Luke Air Force Base: Whom do we thank for the morning air show? Last Wednesday, at precisely 9:11 A.M, a tight formation of four F-16 jets made a low pass over Arrowhead Mall, continuing west over Bell Road at approximately 500 feet. Imagine our good fortune! Do the Tom Cruise-wannabes feel we need this wake-up call, or were they trying to impress the cashiers at Mervyns early bird special? Any response would be appreciated. The response: Regarding 'A wake-up call from Luke's jets' On June 15, at precisely 9:12 a.m . , a perfectly timed four- ship fly by of F-1 6s from the 63rd Fighter Squadron at Luke Air Force Base flew over the grave of Capt. Jeremy Fresques. Capt Fresques was an Air Force officer who was previously stationed at Luke Air Force Base and was killed in Iraq on May 30, Memorial Day. At 9 a. m. on June 15, his family and friends gathered at Sunland Memorial Park in Sun City to mourn the loss of a husband, son and friend. Based on the letter writer's recount of the fly by, and because of the jet noise, I'm sure you didn't hear the 21-gun salute, the playing of taps, or my words to the widow and parents of Capt. Fresques as I gave them their son's flag on behalf of the President of the United States and all those veterans and servicemen and women who understand the sacrifices they have endured.. A four-ship fly by is a display of respect the Air Force gives to those who give their lives in defense of freedom. We are professional aviators and take our jobs seriously, and on June 15 what the letter writer witnessed was four officers lining up to pay their ultimate respects. The letter writer asks, 'Who m do we thank for the morning air show? The 56th Fighter Wing will make the call for you, and forward your thanks to the widow and parents of Capt Fresques, and thank them for you, for it was in their honor that my pilots flew the most honorable formation of their lives. Only 2 defining forces have ever offered to die for you....Jesus Christ and the American Soldier. One died for your soul, the other for your freedom. Lt. Col. Grant L. Rosensteel, Jr. USAF How ALL phones SHOULD be answered! GOOD MORNING, WELCOME TO THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA .......... Please Press '1' for English. Press '2' to disconnect until you learn to speak English And remember only two defining forces have ever offered to die for you, Jesus Christ And the American Soldier One died for your soul, The other for your freedom. If you agree.......Keep it going _______________________________________________ Blindvet-talk mailing list Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org From MisterAdvocate at aol.com Sat Sep 5 20:10:21 2009 From: MisterAdvocate at aol.com (MisterAdvocate at aol.com) Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2009 16:10:21 EDT Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Fwd: Remarks from CBS Sunday Morning - Ben Stein Message-ID: ____________________________________ From: bigmanhuggi at yahoo.com To: bettyhuggins1948 at yahoo.com, tanispcollins at hotmail.com Sent: 9/5/2009 10:50:46 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time Subj: Fwd: Remarks from CBS Sunday Morning - Ben Stein Remarks from CBS Sunday Morning - Ben Stein I Only hope we find GOD again before it is too late ! ! The following was written by Ben Stein and recited by him on CBS Sunday Morning Commentary. My confession: I am a Jew, and every single one of my ancestors was Jewish. And it does not bother me even a little bit when people call those beautiful lit up, bejeweled trees, Christmas trees. I don't feel threatened. I don't feel discriminated against. That's what they are, Christmas trees. It doesn't bother me a bit when people say, 'Merry Christmas' to me. I don't think they are slighting me or getting ready to put me in a ghetto. In fact, I kind of like it. It shows that we are all brothers and sisters celebrating this happy time of year. It doesn't bother me at all that there is a manger scene on display at a key intersection near my beach house in Malibu . If people want a creche, it's just as fine with me as is the Menorah a few hundred yards away. I don't like getting pushed around for being a Jew, and I don't think Christians like getting pushed around for being Christians. I think people who believe in God are sick and tired of getting pushed around, period. I have no idea where the concept came from, that America is an explicitly atheist country. I can't find it in the Constitution and I don't like it being shoved down my throat. Or maybe I can put it another way: where did the idea come from that we should worship celebrities and we aren't allowed to worship God as we understand Him? I guess that's a sign that I'm getting old, too. But there are a lot of us who are wondering where these celebrities came from and where the America we knew went to. In light of the many jokes we send to one another for a laugh, this is a little different: This is not intended to be a joke; it's not funny, it's intended to get you thinking. Billy Graham's daughter was interviewed on the Early Show and Jane Clayson asked her 'How could God let something like this happen?' (regarding Hurricane Katrina).. Anne Graham gave an extremely profound and insightful response. She said, 'I believe God is deeply saddened by this, just as we are, but for years we've been telling God to get out of our schools, to get out of our government and to get out of our lives. And being the gentleman He is, I believe He has calmly backed out. How can we expect God to give us His blessing and His protection if we demand He leave us alone?' In light of recent events.... terrorists attack, school shootings, etc. I think it started when Madeleine Murray O'Hare (she was murdered, her body found a few years ago) complained she didn't want prayer in our schools, and we said OK. Then someone said you better not read the Bible in school. The Bible says thou shalt not kill; thou shalt not steal, and love your neighbor as yourself. And we said OK. Then Dr. Benjamin Spock said we shouldn't spank our children when they misbehave, because their little personalities would be warped and we might damage their self-esteem (Dr. Spock's son committed suicide). We said an expert should know what he's talking about. And we said okay. Now we're asking ourselves why our children have no conscience, why they don't know right from wrong, and why it doesn't bother them to kill strangers, their classmates, and themselves. Probably, if we think about it long and hard enough, we can figure it out. I think it has a great deal to do with 'WE REAP WHAT WE SOW.' Funny how simple it is for people to trash God and then wonder why the world's going to hell. Funny how we believe what the newspapers say, but question what the Bible says. Funny how you can send 'jokes' through e-mail and they spread like wildfire, but when you start sending messages regarding the Lord, people think twice about sharing. Funny how lewd, crude, vulgar and obscene articles pass freely through cyberspace, but public discussion of God is suppressed in the school and workplace. Are you laughing yet? Funny how when you forward this message, you will not send it to many on your address list because you're not sure what they believe, or what they will think of you for sending it. Funny how we can be more worried about what other people think of us than what God thinks of us. Pass it on if you think it has merit. If not, then just discard it... no one will know you did. But, if you discard this thought process, don't sit back and complain about what bad shape the world is in. My Best Regards, Honestly and respectfully, Ben Stein ____________________________________ From bigmanhuggi at yahoo.com Sun Sep 6 04:17:41 2009 From: bigmanhuggi at yahoo.com (Clarence Huggins) Date: Sat, 5 Sep 2009 21:17:41 -0700 (PDT) Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Fw: a good one Message-ID: <612099.41230.qm@web35605.mail.mud.yahoo.com> ? ? ? ?Subject: Please Participate??? We have a little less than?two weeks?and counting to get the word out all across this great land and into every community in the United States of America . ? If you forward this email to least 11 people and each of those people do the same ... you get the idea?? THE PROGRAM:? On Friday, September 11th, 2009, an American flag should be displayed outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every individual should make it their duty to display an American flag on this eighth?anniversary of one of our country's worst tragedies. We do this to honor?those who lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and abroad to preserve our cherished freedoms.??? In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood shoulder-to-shoulder against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another attack to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds.? Action Plan:? So, here's what we need you to do.? (1) Forward this email to everyone you know (at least 11 people). Please don't be the one to break this chain. Take a moment to think back to how you felt on 9/11 and let those sentiments guide you.? (2) Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11. Honestly, Americans should fly the flag year-round, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority on this day.? Thank you for your participation. God Bless You and God Bless America! ?? I am using the Free version of SPAMfighter. We are a community of 6 million users fighting spam. SPAMfighter has removed 1515 of my spam emails to date. The Professional version does not have this message. From blindedveteran at gmail.com Sun Sep 6 10:45:10 2009 From: blindedveteran at gmail.com (Gerard Fitzpatrick) Date: Sun, 6 Sep 2009 06:45:10 -0400 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Fw: a good one In-Reply-To: <612099.41230.qm@web35605.mail.mud.yahoo.com> References: <612099.41230.qm@web35605.mail.mud.yahoo.com> Message-ID: <996e9dbc0909060345m42026aafjaa377c0ad02b767b@mail.gmail.com> *I agree I fly my flag everyday of the year, remember to fly it half staff in honor of Patriots day !!* On Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 12:17 AM, Clarence Huggins wrote: > > > > > > > > > > > Subject: Please Participate > We have a little less than two weeks and counting to get the word out all > across this great land and into every community in the United States of > America > . > If you forward this email to least 11 people and each of those people do > the same ... you get the idea > THE PROGRAM: > On Friday, September 11th, 2009, an American flag should be displayed > outside every home, apartment, office, and store in the United States. Every > individual > should make it their duty to display an American flag on this > eighth anniversary of one of our country's worst tragedies. We do this to > honor those who > lost their lives on 9/11, their families, friends and loved ones who > continue to endure the pain, and those who today are fighting at home and > abroad to > preserve our cherished freedoms. > In the days, weeks and months following 9/11, our country was bathed in > American flags as citizens mourned the incredible losses and stood > shoulder-to-shoulder > against terrorism. Sadly, those flags have all but disappeared. Our > patriotism pulled us through some tough times and it shouldn't take another > attack > to galvanize us in solidarity. Our American flag is the fabric of our > country and together we can prevail over terrorism of all kinds. > Action Plan: So, here's what we need you to do. > (1) Forward this email to everyone you know (at least 11 people). Please > don't be the one to break this chain. Take a moment to think back to how you > felt > on 9/11 and let those sentiments guide you. > (2) Fly an American flag of any size on 9/11. Honestly, Americans should > fly the flag year-round, but if you don't, then at least make it a priority > on > this day. > Thank you for your participation. God Bless You and God Bless America! > > > > > I am using the Free version of SPAMfighter. > We are a community of 6 million users fighting spam. > SPAMfighter has removed 1515 of my spam emails to date. > The Professional version does not have this message. > > > > > _______________________________________________ > Blindvet-talk mailing list > Blindvet-talk at nfbnet.org > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/blindvet-talk_nfbnet.org > -- Blinded Veterans Helping Blinded Veterans From JFreeh at nfb.org Mon Sep 14 16:29:57 2009 From: JFreeh at nfb.org (Freeh, Jessica) Date: Mon, 14 Sep 2009 11:29:57 -0500 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] National Federation of the Blind and Motorola to Cooperate on Making Cell Phones Accessible to the Blind Message-ID: FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE CONTACT: Chris Danielsen Director of Public Relations National Federation of the Blind (410) 659-9314, extension 2330 (410) 262-1281 (Cell) cdanielsen at nfb.org Jennifer Erickson Motorola, Inc. (847) 435-5320 Jennifer.erickson at motorola.com National Federation of the Blind and Motorola to Cooperate on Making Cell Phones Accessible to the Blind Baltimore, Maryland and Libertyville, Illinois (September 14, 2009): The National Federation of the Blind, the nation's oldest and largest organization of blind people and the leading advocate for making mainstream devices accessible to the blind, and Motorola Inc., a leading manufacturer of cell phones and other mobile communications devices, announced today that they have entered into a cooperation agreement to promote technologies that improve the accessibility of cell phones to blind consumers. Certain future Motorola cell phones will provide verbal readouts of information such as the time and date, battery level, signal strength, user's phone number, caller ID information for incoming calls, missed and received calls, and voice mail alerts. Blind users will also be able to take advantage of verbal readouts and voice-command features for ring tone status, inputting and accessing contacts, and various other settings. Motorola expects these cell phones to be available in 2010. The parties have also agreed to work together to make additional phones and features accessible to blind users. Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: "In an age where productivity and success increasingly depend on access to mobile technology such as cellular telephones, it is critical that blind Americans have equal access to today's cell phones through user interfaces that do not require vision. The National Federation of the Blind appreciates Motorola's commitment to making the features of its cell phone products accessible to blind users without the need for third-party software, and we look forward to working together with Motorola to make future improvements to the accessibility of telecommunication technology." ### From MisterAdvocate at aol.com Sat Sep 19 00:18:25 2009 From: MisterAdvocate at aol.com (MisterAdvocate at aol.com) Date: Fri, 18 Sep 2009 20:18:25 EDT Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Fwd: US Navy Ceremonial Guard Silent Drill Team Message-ID: ____________________________________ From: vickie_murphy at bellsouth.net To: cdgib at bellsouth.net, robert.phillips at kwcf.net, res083wm at msn.com, misteradvocate at aol.com, Bea.Martin at regions.com, colburnmaxx at aol.com, StringBass54 at aol.com, e_johnson_sr at hotmail.com, monyj60 at aol.com, ptiffany at traveleaders.com, rwalden2 at cfl.rr.com, chief33 at cfl.rr.com Sent: 9/18/2009 5:18:23 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time Subj: US Navy Ceremonial Guard Silent Drill Team Hi everyone, Thought you would like to see this. Joyce (youngest sister & former USN Chief Petty Officer & Nuclear Power Instructor) shared this with me. She is a reservist, recruiter and supervisor at the Watts Bar Nuclear Plant in Tennessee. > US Navy Ceremonial Guard Silent Drill Team was invited to compete in > an International Tattoo in Norway .. The Navy competed against military > units from all over NATO and won first place. Once you see the video > you'll understand why they won. > > Their headquarters is two buildings over from where I was working when I > was in Washington, DC this summer. > > > http://www.whc.net/rjones/USN/USN_team.html From info at michaelhingson.com Tue Sep 22 03:08:48 2009 From: info at michaelhingson.com (Michael Hingson) Date: Mon, 21 Sep 2009 22:08:48 -0500 Subject: [Blindvet-talk] On-line Demonstrations of KNFB Reader Mobile Software and Nokia N86 Message-ID: The National Federation of the Blind and The Michael Hingson Group will hold online demonstrations and discussions of the KnfbReader Mobile this Friday afternoon, September 25, 2009, and Saturday, September 26, 2009. The purpose of these meetings is to showcase the KnfbReader Mobile using the new Nokia N86 platform. "We are excited about the possibilities afforded by the Nokia N86 and its ability to support the KnfbReader Mobile in the future", states Michael Hingson president of The Michael Hingson Group. During these online sessions we will discuss the features of the KnfbReader Mobile as well as pricing and availability with the Nokia N86. The N86 has many new and interesting features not available on earlier platforms supported by the KnfbReader Mobile. These sessions will be of interest both to existing users as well as those who are interested in purchasing a Reader in the future. After opening presentations Michael Hingson will take questions on all aspects of the reader. Those who received this announcement are invited to encourage their friends and colleagues to join the session so that as many as possible can learn about this amazing device which is changing the lives of many blind people throughout the world. If you have questions or want to learn more about decay NFB reader mobile please contact: Michael Hingson Email: info at michaelhingson.com (415) 827-4084 Date: Friday September 25, 2009. Time: 2:00 P.M. Pacific, 3:00 P.M. Mountain, 4:00 P.M. Central, 5:00 P.M. Eastern, and elsewhere in the world 21:00 GMT Friday September 25. Date: Saturday September 26, 2009. Time: 10:00 A.M. Pacific, 11:00 A.M. Mountain, 12:00 P.M. Central, 1:00 P.M. Eastern, and elsewhere in the world 18:00 GMT Saturday September 26. Where: KnfbReader Mobile conference room: which you can locate by clicking on the following link: Enter the Conference Room Here Or, alternatively, http://74.208.96.53/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsb18eeae3cfd2. After reaching the conference room entry page follow the instructions to enter the conference room itself. No password is required. We will record the event and put it on Michael Hingson's web site http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com so if you are unable to participate live at the above times then you may download the presentation or podcast from the website listed above. This online interactive program requires no password, is free of Charge, and open to anyone worldwide having an Internet connection, a Computer, speakers, and a sound card. Those with microphones can interact audibly with the presenters and others in the virtual audience. If you are a first-time user of the Talking Communities online conferencing software, there is a small, safe software program that you need to download and then run. A link to the software is available On the entry screen to the online conference room. The Michael Hingson Group "Speaking with Vision" Michael Hingson, President (415) 827-4084 info at michaelhingson.com www.michaelhingson.com for info on the new KNFB Reader Mobile, visit: http://knfbreader.michaelhingson.com http://michaelhingson.com/images/knfbReader-michael_hingson.jpg From PresidentNABV at aol.com Sat Sep 26 00:12:52 2009 From: PresidentNABV at aol.com (PresidentNABV at aol.com) Date: Fri, 25 Sep 2009 20:12:52 EDT Subject: [Blindvet-talk] Fwd: Huntington VIST Newsletter Message-ID: Dwight D. Sayer National President, The National Association of Blind Veterans A Division of the NFB presidentnabv at aol.com president at nabv.org _www.nabv.org_ (http://www.nabv.org/) ____________________________________ From: BlindguysRus1 To: PresidentNABV Sent: 9/25/2009 12:26:08 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time Subj: Fwd: Huntington VIST Newsletter ____________________________________ From: Dalene.Renfroe at va.gov Sent: 9/24/2009 11:03:09 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time Subj: Huntington VIST Newsletter Huntington VAMC VIST Visions Newsletter from the Visual Impairment Services Team VIST Coordinator/Newsletter Editor: Dalene Renfroe Office Phone: 1-800-827-8244, ext. 2847 August/September/October 2009 The VIST Program is designed to provide service to severely visually impaired and legally blind veterans. This Newsletter is also available on cassette tape and by E-mail. Please contact the VIST Office if you would like to receive the newsletter in a different format. 1-800-827-8244, ext. 2847 VIST SUPPORT GROUP October 16th at 10:30 am ? Director's Training Room, 1st Floor November 20th at 10:30 ? Director's Training Room, 1st Floor **December 11th at 11:30 ? Holiday Dinner, Recreation Hall** Please join us each month for the VIST Support Group meetings. It is a great way to get to know other blinded veterans, learn new things, and discuss concerns. DRIVE THROUGH FLU SHOT CLINIC The Medical Center will offer convenient drive through flu shot clinics for veterans on Tuesday, September 22, Saturday, October 3 and Tuesday, October 6, from 8:00 a.m. to 3 p.m. Walk-in flu shots are available at your Primary Care Clinic or at the entrance of the VA Medical Center. LOCAL VIST VETERAN SPEAKER IN FRANCE FOR D-DAY 65TH COMMEMORATION CEREMONY (http://www.uscgsanfrancisco.com/go/doc/786/279447/) UTAH BEACH, France - Mr. Tommy Harbour made three trips in LST PA33-4 delivering troops and equipment to the beaches of Normandy June 6, 1944. Photo by John Tomassi Huntington VIST Veteran, Tommy Harbour, was a speaker at the 65th Commemoration Ceremony of D-Day in France. Many of you know Tommy from the VIST Support Group, our host for the fishing trips, and/or as the former mayor of Milton. Tommy was honored when asked to speak. His landing craft, the PA33-4, is located at the Memorial. He said he spoke from the heart and just told it like it was. Someone commented that he spoke without any notes. He reminded them that even if he had had notes he wouldn't have been able to see them! Tommy was 18 when he was sworn into the Coast Guard on July 5, 1943. He was trained by both Coast Guard and Marine Corps personnel to become a motor machinist or "motor mac" (now known as a boat engineer) for the vehicle and personnel landing craft (LCVP), also known as the Higgins boat. He was then assigned to the Coast Guard-manned attack transport USS Bayfield (APA-33), where he served s a motor mac for one of the USS Bayfield's LCVP landing craft, PA33-4. During the invasion of Normandy, June 6, 1944, Tommy's landing craft had orders to land soldiers on Utah Beach. However, due to heavy losses, Tommy was instructed to land on Omaha Beach instead. After delivering troops to Omaha Beach, Tommy made several more landings on Utah Beach under heavy gunfire from German shore batteries. Two months later while preparing his landing craft for the invasion of southern France, a German airplane dropped a bomb, which hit LCVP PA33-4 while cradled on the Bayfield. Unharmed, Tommy then made several landings at Saint Raphael in a different landing craft with another boat crew. After his European campaign, Tommy continued his assignment aboard the Bayfield and participated in the invasion of Iwo Jima. During the invasion and despite heavy Japanese gunfire, Tommy transported Marines and supplies to the beaches of Iwo Jima. On the second and third days of the invasion, Tommy continued to make landings, hauling supplies such as flame-thrower fuel, mortar shells, and hand grenades to Marines who were clearing the island. Additionally, Tommy took part in the Okinawa invasion with a force that simulated landing operations in an effort to confuse the island's Japanese defenders. Tommy completed a total of four invasions from the Bayfield in a 10-month period. Following his active duty service in the Coast Guard, Tommy served his community as the mayor of Milton, West Virginia for 17 years. Tommy became legally blind due to macular degeneration in 2003. He attended the VA's Southeastern Blind Rehabilitation Center, Birmingham, Alabama, in 2005. He has great things to say about his time at the blind rehab center and tells other blind veterans they need to go. Tommy remains active and he is a member of the Blinded Veterans Association and the Disabled American Veterans. He is active in the VIST Support Group and the Huntington Veterans Center. He continues to advocate for veterans benefits. FISH TALES Our June VIST Support Group Fishing Trip and Cookout was a great success! The weather was perfect and the fish were really biting! Jim caught the largest fish. It was so big it wouldn't fit into the net! Honest! One of the volunteers got down on the bank and pulled it to shore. I believe Roy caught "Big Blue", the biggest bluegill ever known to man. Richard caught the most fish and Charlie snagged the prize for smallest fish. We had several that just came for the fun of it and enjoyed the cookout. That Betty is the best cook ever! Thank you Tommy and Betty for having us. Thanks also to our volunteers that helped ? Tom Moore, Eric Renfroe, Pat Rice, our volunteer drivers, and optometry students. IT'S A SCAM! The Office of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs has issued the following warning: ?I have received many reports that veterans are being contacted by "Patient Care Group" representing that they are helping administer VA prescriptions and stating that the pharmacy billing procedures have changed and they are therefore requesting Veteran credit card numbers for prescription payments in advance of filling their prescriptions. This is false. VA does not call veterans asking to disclose personal financial information over the phone. VA has not changed its processes for dispensing prescription medicines.? Be safe. Never give out personal information to any unsolicited phone caller. OCTOBER 15 NATIONAL WHITE CANE SAFETY DAY Ever have anyone ask you why you carry that "stick"? Do people think your white cane is pretty but have no idea that it means anything? How could they possibly not know about the white cane for the blind? Unfortunately, many people don't know or don't see a white cane often enough to remember. It could be one of those memories buried way down deep in the brain and they know, but they don't know. The first special White Cane Ordinance was passed in Peoria, Illinois in December 1930. It gave blind pedestrians protections and right-of-way while carrying a white cane. In the early 1960?s, organizations and rehabilitation agencies serving the blind and visually impaired urged Congress to proclaim October 15 of each year to be White Cane Safety Day in all fifty states. In 1964, a joint resolution of the Congress, HR 753, was signed into law authorizing the President of the United States to proclaim October 15 of each year as ?White Cane Safety Day? and was signed within hours of passage. President Lyndon B. Johnson first proclaimed National White Cane Safety Day in 1964 with these words, ?A white cane in our society has become one of the symbols of a blind person?s ability to come and go on his own. Its use has promoted courtesy and special consideration for the blind on our streets and highways. To make our people more fully aware of the meaning of the white cane, and of the need for motorists to exercise special care for the blind persons who carry it, the Congress, by a joint resolution has authorized the President to proclaim October 15 of each year as White Cane Safety Day.? HISTORY OF THE WHITE CANE Where did the White Cane come from? There are references in the Bible in Deuteronomy and in Ancient Greek Mythology about giving a staff to a blind man. It is known that in Scotland in 1800 blind men used a stick or cane, but it is not clear how they used it. In 1874, a man named Levy in England came up with the first organized cane system. His system was not truly practical. A man carried a stick that was very tall. He would hold it straight up and down. He then would move it from side to side and walk very slowly. Levy did talk about extending the cane forward when looking for drop-offs. In the 1890?s a man named Robinson, also in England, came up with another method. He had a man hold a metal cane. The person would hold the cane straight up and down also. He would then swing the cane back and forth like the pendulum of a clock. This was not a very practical system; however, his idea of a metal cane was very innovative. He also noticed that roads were crowned in the middle, that people tend to go to the right as they walk, and that people pick up information through their feet. During World War I the British rehabilitated their war blind at St. Dunstan's. They used a fairly modern technique that had the person holding the cane forward and using a side-to-side movement. In the period between the World Wars, the Lions Club advocated for laws protecting the visually impaired from motorists. They provided white canes with red tips so that the visually impaired pedestrian could be clearly identified. The red and white color for canes still is used today. Veterans blinded in WWII were the inspiration for the development of lightweight canes and travel techniques still used today. The basis of modern Long Cane travel came from the Army and a remarkable man named Richard Hoover. Most of his techniques are seen today in the cane travel many of you have been taught. IF I ONLY HAD A CANE Lyrics by VIST Veteran, Carolyn Calhoun (Sung to the tune of "If I Only Had a Brain" from "The Wizard of Oz") I've spent oh so many hours Tripping over flowers, Falling in storm drains. I could unravel the great riddle, What is the curb and what's the middle. My life would be so easy, I would move so nice and breezy, If I only had a cane. Oh, I could walk so easily >From the mountain to the shore, And then I turn around And walk some more. Boy would I be something, I would be really strutting, I would be tripping over nothing, My life would be so easy, I would move so nice and breezy, If I only had a cane. HAND WASHING AN EASY WAY TO PREVENT INFECTION Hand washing is a simple habit that can help keep you healthy. It is something most people do without thinking. Yet hand washing, when done properly, is one of the best ways to avoid getting sick. This simple habit requires only soap and warm water or an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. THE DANGERS OF NOT WASHING YOUR HANDS Despite the proven health benefits of hand washing, many people don't practice this habit as often as they should ? even after using the toilet. Throughout the day you accumulate germs on your hands from a variety of sources, such as direct contact with people, contaminated surfaces, foods, even animals and animal waste. If you don't wash your hands frequently enough, you can infect yourself with these germs by touching your eyes, nose or mouth. And you can spread these germs to others by touching them or by touching surfaces that they also touch, such as doorknobs. Infectious diseases that are commonly spread through hand-to-hand contact include the common cold, flu and several gastrointestinal disorders, such as infectious diarrhea. While most people will get over a cold, the flu can be much more serious. Some people with the flu, particularly older adults and people with chronic medical problems, can develop pneumonia. The combination of the flu and pneumonia, in fact, is the eighth-leading cause of death among Americans. Inadequate hand hygiene also contributes to food-related illnesses, such as salmonella and E. coli infection. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), as many as 76 million Americans get a food-borne illness each year. Of these, about 5,000 die as a result of their illness. Others experience the annoying signs and symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. PROPER HAND-WASHING TECHNIQUES Good hand-washing techniques include washing your hands with soap and water or using an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. Antimicrobial wipes or towelettes are just as effective as soap and water in cleaning your hands but aren't as good as alcohol-based sanitizers. The combination of scrubbing your hands with soap ? antibacterial or not ? and rinsing them with water loosens and removes bacteria from your hands. PROPER HAND WASHING WITH SOAP AND WATER Follow these instructions for washing with soap and water: Wet your hands with warm, running water and apply liquid soap or use clean bar soap. Lather well. Rub your hands vigorously together for at least 15 to 20 seconds. Scrub all surfaces, including the backs of your hands, wrists, between your fingers and under your fingernails. Rinse well. Dry your hands with a clean or disposable towel. Use a towel to turn off the faucet. PROPER USE OF AN ALCOHOL-BASED HAND SANITIZER Alcohol-based hand sanitizers ? which don't require water ? are an excellent alternative to hand washing, particularly when soap and water aren't available. They're actually more effective than soap and water in killing bacteria and viruses that cause disease. Commercially prepared hand sanitizers contain ingredients that help prevent skin dryness. Using these products can result in less skin dryness and irritation than hand washing. Not all hand sanitizers are created equal, though. Some "waterless" hand sanitizers don't contain alcohol. Use only the alcohol-based products. The CDC recommends choosing products that contain at least 60 percent alcohol. TO USE AN ALCOHOL-BASED HAND SANITIZER: Apply about 1/2 teaspoon of the product to the palm of your hand. Rub your hands together, covering all surfaces of your hands, until they're dry. If your hands are visibly dirty, however, wash with soap and water, if available, rather than a sanitizer. WHEN SHOULD YOU WASH YOUR HANDS? Although it's impossible to keep your bare hands germ-free, there are times when it's critical to wash your hands to limit the transfer of bacteria, viruses and other microbes. Always wash your hands: * After using the toilet * After changing a diaper ? wash the diaper-wearer's hands, too * After touching animals or animal waste * Before and after preparing food, especially before and immediately after handling raw meat, poultry or fish * Before eating * After blowing your nose * After coughing or sneezing into your hands * Before and after treating wounds or cuts * Before and after touching a sick or injured person * After handling garbage * Before inserting or removing contact lenses * When using public restrooms, such as those in airports, train stations, bus stations and restaurants (Source: mayoclinic.com) WALKING THE DOG A plane was flying from Seattle to San Francisco. Unexpectedly, the plane was diverted to Sacramento along the way. The flight attendant explained that there would be a delay, and if the passengers wanted to get off the aircraft, they would re-board in 50 minutes. Everybody got off the plane except one lady who was blind. The man had noticed her as he walked by and could tell the lady was blind because her "Seeing Eye" guide dog lay quietly underneath the seats in front of her throughout the entire flight. He could also tell she had flown this very flight before because the pilot approached her, and calling her by name said, "Kathy, we are in Sacramento for almost an hour. Would you like to get off and stretch your legs?" The blind lady replied, "No thanks, but maybe Buddy would like to stretch his legs." Picture this: All the people in the gate area came to a complete stand still when they looked up and saw the pilot, who was wearing sunglasses, walk off the plane with a "Seeing Eye" guide dog! DID YOU KNOW? Did you know? ? That on average a two (2) mile section of road contains approximately 32,000 pieces of litter? ? The most common item found during a litter cleanup is fast food wrappers? ? The second most common item is aluminum cans? Don't be a litter bug! Keep our beautiful area beautiful!