• On Tuesday March 21st, 2017, Chapter 189 of the Korean War Veterans Association will hold their monthly meeting at the John Mealy Memorial VFW Post 3282 in the banquet room, Port Orange, Florida. The lunch will be served at 12 noon and the meeting will begin promptly at 1 PM. Lunch may be purchased from the VFW Kitchen. Guests are always welcome. (See the KWVA Postcard Notice in Recent Events portion of this website)
  

• Our speaker for the meeting will be Kenneth Fustin, the new Port Orange Fire Chief.  Ken Fustin served 33 years on the Springfield Illinois fire department before retirement.  He held ranks of firefighter, driver engineer, Captain and Battalion Chief prior to appointment as Fire Chief. He is a member of Illinois Fire Chief's Association and served as VP of Central Illinois Fire Chief's Association.  Please be advised that if you serve in Forea prior to the Korean war, DURING the war or ANY TIME After the war you are invited to join Chapter 189. If you have any questions please call Joe Sicinski at 386.492.6551.

•  Dues have be reinstated for 2017. Please pay your dues of $10 either at the meeting or send them to KWVA, POB 214005, South Daytona, Florida 32121.  If you cannot afford the dues, the chapter will pay them for you (It's in the by-laws), see Bob Hawes or Joe Sincinski.

• We are sad to report that Eddie Ko, US Army Veteran passed away due to complications from  heart surgery at 18:35, Thursday, Mar 2. Many of you may remember Eddie from his stirring account of his deployment as a spy for South Korean, in North Korea during the Korean War, which he presented at the KWVA Convention was held in Port Orange several years ago.  Eddie was a teenager during the Korean War and provided valuable intelligence to the USMC fighting the North Koreans.  He was taken in as a “mascot” by the Marines.  He came to the US after the war and became a US Citizen and joined the US Army.  He served in Korea after the War.  He was a member of the Korean War Veterans Association, Chapter 175 and was instrumental in the design and construction of the Korean War Memorial at Veterans Memorial Park.  He also helped raise funds and relocate 1st LT Baldamero Lopez, USMC and Medal of Honor recipient during the Korean War memorial to Veterans Memorial Park located in the Korean War Memorial.  He was a member of the Museum and Park Committee. In recent years he has made numerous trips to Korean, at the direction of the US Government to help identify potential MIA burial sites.  He will be sorely missed. He will be honored at a ceremony, at the Veterans Memorial Park in Tampa, FL at 10:00 AM Friday 17 March 2017.
  

• As some of you may know last year, as an outreach program, the members of Chapter 189 have been serving coffee and doughnuts at the VA clinic on the fourth Friday of each months.  This month the service at the VA Clinic will be on Friday 24 March 2017. The program has been well received by the Veterans going in early for blood work and other appointments.  This is a wonderful outreach program for our chapter and we are always looking for volunteers. The task involves getting to the VA Clinic at about 7:30 AM to help serve coffee and doughnuts. When the coffee and donuts are gone we are gone, which is usually well before 10:00 AM.  If you are looking for a very satisfying volunteer position for a couple of hours, contact Chuck Husbands or just show up. We can always use the help and the spirit of supporting our Veterans. We want to sincerely thank everyone who has donated their time to this effort, in the past, and know the efforts are appreciated. Thanks CRH.

• The Cape Canaveral National Cemetery is now open and accepting in ground burial for caskets and cremated remains.  It is located at 5525 U.S. Highway 1 in Mims, Florida.  Cemetery Administration Office phone is 321-383-2638.  Burial arrangements phone 1-800-535-1117.  The Cemetery is open from dawn to dusk, burials are scheduled between 9:30 AM and 2:30 PM Monday through Friday.  If anyone is interested in visiting the National Cemetery and needs a ride to look the place over or talk with the administration staff, just contact Chuck Husbands at 386.760.7163.
  

• During the past several months the Chapter has been presenting the "Tell America" Program to a number of organizations. If you know an organization that might want to learn about the history of the Korean War please contact Bob McGuire at 396.323.6401,and he would be pleased to set up a presentation. We are in the process of preparing a short brochure on the history and impact of the Korean War, to go along with the presentation. We would like to spread the story of the Korean Conflict for all those who may never have heard of it, or its impact on our current global condition.
  

• In recent days we have become aware that their are Veterans in our community that have recently died and have not been provided with an opportunity to receive a military ceremony in their memory.  Chapter 189 of the KWVA does not think that this is proper, and we will help you receive a small final military ceremony for any Veteran that requests it. If you know of a Veteran's family that needs a final military ceremony please contact Bob McGuire at 386.323.6401 or Chuck Husbands at 386.760.7163 and we will attempt to get that request fulfilled.  If you know of someone who is sick at home or in the hospital and would like a visit from a member of the chapter have them contact Bob McGuire or Chuck Husbands and we will try to make a personal visit.
  

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