Salute To Veterans Magazine

SALUTE
2016
A TRIBUTE TO MARION COUNTYS VETERANS

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VETERANS |3
4|VETERANS
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VETERANS |5
MAY 2016
SALUTE TO
VETERANS 16
Whats inside
FROM THE MANAGING EDITOR
10 Jim Ross: There are so many veterans in
Marion, and how great is that?
SERVICE LIFE
12 David Baldwin, 92, serves his country, his
profession, and most important his Lord.
EQUINE EPIPHANIES
16 Bob Giles, a Marine who served in Vietnam,
12 says: The outside of a horse is good for the
inside of the man.
6|VETERANS
www.ocala.com
CHECK THE LIST

17 Marion County has many veter-
ans organizations. Where and when
40
do they all meet?
VET LOOKING OUT FOR VETS

18 At the local VA clinic, Dr. Mark
Knapp is passionate and he cares.
FIGHTING PTSD
20 Mitch Coulton had seen enough.
His answer: launch
Project STRAIT.
IN SERVICE TO HIS CALLING

22 Elden Luffman served in World
War II and then again in Vietnam
as a chaplain.
FACES WITH NAMES

26 Local men help the Wall of Faces
project, which puts a picture with
each name on the Vietnam wall.
HELPING OTHERS REMEMBER

29 G. Michael Harrison took over
the annual Four Chaplains Memorial
Service a few years ago.
NO MORE SUFFERING
32 There is life beyond
the 1,000-yard stare.
THE HIGHEST HONOR

34 The story of Hammett
Bowen Jr., local Medal of
Honor winner.
A DIFFERENT WAY TO SERVE

37 County Commissioner
Earl Arnett reflects on a
48 20 life of military and now
government service.
HELP ON THE HOME FRONT

40 Young men like Jason
White come back to Ocala
and find much support
from family, friends, and
CF.
IT WAS A HIT
46 Local officials put on
the boxing gloves last
month to help veterans.
37 THAT DREADED MOMENT

48 Corteney Callis gets
emotional every time he
has to deliver bad news to
10 a military family.
VETERANS |7
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8|VETERANS
HONORING
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country and our freedom.
These brave men and women are

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VETERANS |9
F R O M T H E M A N A G I N G E D I T O R | J I M RO S S
Vets are everywhere and

thank goodness for that!
I
the Navy in 1956 right out of high school
n a county with more than 40,000 military
in Brewster, New York. After his service
veterans I suppose its no surprise that one he designed security systems for banks,
will come right through the office door and worked as a heavy construction supervisor,
and even designed an alignment fixture for
introduce himself. the Hubble Space Telescope (!)
Yes, this is a man who could make good
use of a table saw.
Thats what happened to me recently Besides, at age 77, he has energy that he
with Frank Garcia, a 10-year Navy man who needs to put to use. I was going nuts just
retired at E6 and now lives in Ocala. Garcia sitting around and watching TV, he said.
wanted some advice on his new business So, Garcia decided to start building....
(building custom birdhouses) so he stopped birdhouses? I dont know, he said when
by the newsroom. I asked why.
And, like everyone you meet, he had quite Well, no reason is necessary. The bird-
a story to tell. houses he builds are more like the Taj Mahal
His dad died 20 years ago and gave his than the ones you nailed together as a Cub
table saw to Garcias brother-in-law. Ten Scout. You should see them!
months ago he called Garcia and offered to Garcia moved here three years ago from
ship it down. Port Charlotte. She liked the country, he
Garcia said yes. Hes an inveterate tin- said of his girlfriend.
kerer. He didnt know what he would do Plus, this reminds him of home in New
with the saw, but he knew he could put it York. This from a man who once taught fly
to use somehow. fishing in the Castskills.
Jim Ross, It was a good guess. Garcia is a non-
Star-Banner Managing Editor
degreed mechanical engineer who joined SEE EDITORS LETTER, PAGE 45
Frank Garcia works on

putting a cedar-style roof
on one of his elaborate
ranch-style birdhouses in
his workshop at his home
in the Oak Bend Mobile
Home Park south of
Ocala. Garcia is a veteran
of the U.S. Navy who
served from 1956-1966
and has converted the
lanai of his home into
a showroom for many
of his masterpieces.
Garcia calls his birdhouse
startup business Front
Yard Birdhouses.
Star-Banner Photo/
Bruce Ackerman
10 | V ETERAN S
32
STAFF/CREDITS
Publisher
JIM DOUGHTON
Editor and General Manager

DOUGLAS RAY
Salute Editor
JIM ROSS
Visuals Editor Setzers and Co. Inc

2140 N.E. 36th Ave.
ALAN YOUNGBLOOD
Designer
MORGAN ALFREJD
Ocala, FL 34470
Contributing Writers
352-732-5486
Andy Fillmore, Suzie Kuhn, Carlos Medina, www.setzers.net
Emily Cardinali, KRISTINE CRANE
Advertising Director
SUSAN LEITGEB

SALUTE
A TRIBUTE TO
MARION COU
NTYS VETERA
NS
2016
MICHEL WILSON/
THE LEDGER
PUBLISHED BY
THE OCALA STAR-BANNER
2121 SW 19th Avenue Road,
Ocala, FL 34471
(352) 671-6412
V E T E R A N S | 11
FROM VET TO VET
David Baldwins life of service

To the Lord, to his nation, to the animals in his care
World War II veteran David Baldwin talks about life in the service, his art, and his retirement years in Ocala. Hes shown here in his home, where he enjoy
painting. Alan Youngblood/Ocala Star-Banner
By Emily Cardinali hand out. Throughout his youth and marriage,

Correspondent Baldwin said that even if he wasnt aware of it,
F
God was keeping him safe and led his path. He is a
rom the fighting in the frozen fields father, a grandfather a great-grandfather; a retired
of France in World War II to being a private first class; a retired veterinarian; and, most
veterinarian in the vibrant vegetation important, a full-time servant of the Lord.
of the Virgin Islands, one string ties
together the fabric of David Baldwins nnn
life.
I believe in the balance of the Father, the Son A 3-year-old crawled into his neighbors
and the Holy Spirit. chicken coop. He was small enough to fit through
The 92-year-old Army veteran was born into the entrance and fascinated enough to ignore and
a family spanning generations of Christians and disobey his mothers calls. The clicking and cooing
today, as a Gideon, always carries a mini Bible to of the chickens captured the city boys attention
12 | V E T E R A N S
and kept him mesmerized.
David Baldwins love for animals hatched that
day.
His fascination with animals solidified when
he moved to his grandparents farm in Delaware
during the fifth grade.
I was in a gang then, he said, and my
friends parents were convinced that I was the
bad influence.
This gang was just a motley crew of elemen-
tary school kids stealing cigars and breaking into
things, but his parents sent him to the country- Baldwin, shown
side, anyway. He became interested in veterinary here at his home
medicine and, from then on, had no time to get in in north Ocala,
trouble because he was focused on improving his reviews old
journals from his
grades to go to veterinarian school.
service days.
When Baldwin was a budding freshman at the
Alan Young-
University of Connecticut, World War II was blood / Ocala
winding down. He enlisted in the Army and joined Star-Banner
the specialized training program for doctors. He
ended up joining the 10th Mountain Division in
Camp Hale, Colorado. At 19, he was learning
Arctic survival.
From 1943-1946, Baldwin hid in foxholes in
France, was a part of the first American com-
pany to meet Russians at the Elbe River, and stood
guard in Germany. He keeps a thick, black binder
with rusted rings full of journal entries, letters and
photos from his time in the war.
LOVING MEMORIES OF
OUR SON AND HERO
SPC. ROBERT E. BLAIR

KIA - MAY, 25, 2006 - BAGHDAD, IRAQ
TEN YEARS GONE - BUT NEVER FORGOTTEN
WE LOVE YOU AND MISS YOU SO MUCH ! DAD, MOMMA-K,
AND ALL YOUR FAMILY
OUR TRUE FREEDOM IS YOUR ETERNAL VIGILANCE
Baldwin, now 92, enlisted in the Army at age 19. After his service he went on to become a veterinarian. Alan Youngblood / Ocala Star-Banner
PFC. Dave Baldwin, Germany. June, 1945:
It seems only yesterday when four great
American Armies jumped off on one of the
greatest offensives in history. Our part of the
fighting was most variable; sometimes wed
fight for days just to occupy a few miles of
rubble or then again we travel long distances
unchallenged. German propaganda tried to
cause dissension between American and
Russian soldiers by saying they were fight-
ing each other. Of course, these reports only
made us laugh for just last night I found a
Russian solider sleeping on the floor of our
room.
The journal holds memoirs in the forms of
maps, coins, photos and a bright-red Nazi
patch he cut from a German soldiers uni-
form. Baldwin said he didnt see much action
in the war.
The motto with the Army was not to vol-
unteer for anything, but I had volunteered to
serve, and I served where I was, and I made
the most of it, he said. There were many
heroic soldiers in the war who gave their life
to our country.
After the war, Baldwin returned to the
University of Connecticut and graduated,
married his wife, Phyllis, and worked as
a veterinarian. He spent 60 years as a vet,
working 30 years in a private practice in
Vermont and 30 years in the British Virgin
Islands.
Today, he spends his time painting scenes
from the islands in a converted old barn
behind his home in north Ocala. He is tall,
and his handsome youth sparks behind his
electric blue eyes. After some heart attacks
and two strokes, however, Baldwin and his
family looked for a place where he could
maintain his freedom, albeit with some help.
Connie Hawkins, one of his friends from
bridge, agreed to renovate part of her house
and have Baldwin move in. Its been about
a year since the arrangement began, and
Hawkins said she has been blessed beyond
belief to have a friend like Dave. She was a
widow living alone, and Dave brought a new
kind of joy to her life.
Often they sit on the sunbathed porch,
where they hang their own paintings. They
play chess or bridge, and share their views on
religion and politics. They come from similar
beliefs, and Hawkins said it is an honor for
her to help take care of a WW II veteran.
He approaches anything as a challenge,
she said. Im a rather fearful person, and Ive
learned how to face challenges and go with
the flow.
A VETERAN HORSEMAN
Bob Giles, always looking to help

The outside of a horse is good for the inside of the man.
By Susie Kuhn War who never made it home.
Correspondent We have to do something that
would make the men that didnt
MORRISTON Nestled in come home with us proud. That
the heart of this small town is is what I am trying to do, he
the Winter Hill Carriage Horse said.
Training Center. The farm Giles latest venture will hope-
and its surrounding views are fully partner him and his trusty
reminiscent of the Old West, horse Rose, with first- and sec-
with owner Robert Bob Giles ond-graders in local schools. He
riding the skirts of the dirt roads would like to develop an outdoor
in a carriage pulled by his trusted reading program with his horse
horse, Rose. to help children develop an
Giles, 68, grew up in Lubec, appreciation for the the positive
Maine. I was a foster child, role models of yesteryear.
so I went through 13 different I grew up with positive role
foster homes growing up, he models, such as Roy Rogers
explained. Growing up without and Trigger, Gene Autry and
the consistent love and secu- Champion and the Lone Ranger
rity of a traditional family, Giles and Silver. I truly believe that
Bob Giles, a U.S. Marine veteran who fought in the Vietnam War and earned
found his home and sense of Purple Hearts, holds the Riderless Horse, Panama, an 8-year-old Friesian young, forming minds need
family in the hearts of the horses owned by Jackie Mussler, during the Veterans Day ceremony at the Ocala- these grounded role models, as
that he would work with. Marion County Veterans Memorial Park in 2015. Star-Banner Photo/ opposed to watching cartoons,
The area of Maine that I Bruce Ackerman
playing video games and idol-
grew up in was very poor and Giles spent a year recovering Giles is very open about his izing transformers, he said.
they couldnt afford tractors, so at the Chelsea naval hospital struggle with PTSD and, as For anyone interested in bring-
every home I would be sent to in Boston following his return always, horses have proven to ing this program to their school,
would have a draft horse. Even if from the war. While time can be the best medicine. The out- please contact the Winter Hill
I didnt know where I was gonna heal most physical wounds, it is side of a horse is good for the Carriage Training Center.
go, I always knew that I would the emotional scars of war and inside of the man, he explained. Giles and his wife, Brenda,
have a friend there waiting for absence that are often the most Horses have been a saving grace have owned and operated the
me, he said. difficult to remedy. for many Vietnam veterans. Its carriage training center for more
After graduation, an 18-year- Giles explains that when he our freedom and its how we get than 20 years together. She is
old Giles enlisted in the Marines left for Vietnam, everyone had back in touch with society. It is a part of my success story. Im
and attended basic training in spit-shined penny loafers, crew- the one machine that makes us a great trainer, but a really bad
Parris Island, South Carolina. cuts, creases in their khakis, and equal. businessman. So she does the
He served in the Vietnam War, everything was nice and neat. Despite the many adversi- business end of it and I train. We
at the siege of Khe Sanh during When I was released from the ties that Giles has faced over have a wonderful life. We have
the Tet Offensive of 1968, where hospital after my service and the course of his life, he has thousands of friends across the
he would earn two Purple Hearts. came back into the mainstream, undoubtedly maintained his country and we get to travel all
I was wounded my first day I found myself in a completely enthusiasm and passion for across the nation and I am very
in Vietnam by a mortar and different world. There had been working with horses and the fortunate that I get to judge and
then again six months later by a generation change that I had sport of driving. Giles attended do clinics on an international
a rocket and then I sustained missed. People had long hair. the World Para Equestrian Driv- level, he said.
my third injury from a grenade They had attitudes and a very ing Championships this past Giles continues to train horses
three months after that, Giles different outlook on life. It was June in Sandringham, England, five days a week at the center,
explained. I am a disabled vet- just hard to make that adjust- where he took home the Indi- where he jokingly explains that
eran. I have pins in both of my ment. I wonder where I would vidual Silver Medal for disabled they, bring up all of the horses
legs, a plate in my head, and be if I had been given that year drivers. He dedicated his drive to on LSD: love, security and
one in my back. I cant bend my to re-adjust to my life. the 58,000 heroes of the Vietnam discipline.
fingers.
16| V E T E R A N S
Veteran organizations
Marion County has many

organizations for veterans
that meet monthly. Here is
a master list of when those
groups meet, listed by day of
the month (first Mondays of
the month, for example, or
second Tuesdays.) Schedules
sometimes change, so please
contact the organization to
confirm.
MONDAYS
FIRST
+ Belleview American Legion
Post 284 and Auxiliary, dinner
6 p.m., meeting 7 p.m., 5515
SE 109th St., Belleview. Dinner
donation $5. (245-5832)
+ Marine Corps League,
Marion Detachment 61, 7
p.m., 823 NW 26th St., Ocala.
(266-1936)
SECOND
+ VFW Post 9986, 7 p.m.,
55620 Veterans Drive, Astor. Members and guests gather outside Amvets Post 19 back in 2012 as the flags are raised during the dedication of
(759-3514) the new post. These days, meetings at the post are held on the first Sunday of the month. Jon Singley/Ocala
+ Dumas Hartson VFW Post Star-Banner
8189 and Auxiliary, 7 p.m.,
8856 W. Veterans Drive, West Detachment 1072, 7 p.m., Post 4209 and Auxiliary, 7 314, Salt Springs. (546-2129)
Crystal River. (795-5012 or Sheriffs Substation, Commu- p.m., 4805 NE 36th Ave., Ocala. + Wall-Rives American Legion
795-5012) nity Room, 9048 SW College (732-7744 or 867-0117) Post 58, Auxiliary 4:45 p.m., 7
+ Greater South Ocala DAV Road, Ocala. (237-4242) + Summer Glen Veter- p.m., 10730 U.S. 41, Dunnellon.
and DAVA Chapter 149, 4 + VFW Post 10733, Mens Aux- ans Club, 7 p.m., Summer (489-4453)
p.m., Angela S. Santos VFW iliary, 7 p.m., 19241 N. U.S. 441, Glen Resident Center, 1450 + AmVets Post 99, 7 p.m.,
Post 4781, 9401 SW 110th St., Orange Lake. (591-4359) SW 154th St. Road, Ocala. 4805 NE 36th Ave., Ocala.
Ocala. (245-1455) + AmVets Post 25, 7 p.m., (307-2975) (867-7173)
+ Edward W. Penno VFW Post 16535 N. U.S. 301, Citra. THIRD + American Legion Auxiliary
4864, 7 p.m., 10199 N. Citrus (595-5867) + Angela S. Santos VFW Post Veterans, Memorial Unit 347,
Springs Blvd., Citrus Springs. + Stonecrest Veterans Club, 3 4781, 6:30 p.m., 9401 SW 110th social hour 5:30 p.m., meeting
(465-4864) p.m., Stonecrest Community St., Ocala. (873-4781) 6:30 p.m., American Legion,
THIRD Center. (307-8015) + Womens Army Corps 699 W. Lady Lake Blvd., Lady
+ Ralph J. Green American + Ocala Memorial Post 27, Veteran Association Post 71, Lake. (750-2099)
Legion Post 354, 1 p.m., Sher- potluck dinner and program 1 p.m., 543 NE Sanchez Ave., SECOND
iffs Brian Litz Building, 9408 6:30 p.m., all veterans wel- Ocala. + Vietnam Veterans of Amer-
SW State Road 200, Ocala. come, members-only meeting FOURTH ica Post 814, 7 p.m., USMC
(322-5966) 7:15 p.m., American Legion + Military Order of the Purple League, 2529 N. Magnolia
+ Angela S. Santos VFW Post Building, Tuscawilla Park, Heart Chapter 466, 11 a.m., Ave., Ocala.
4781, Mens Auxiliary, 6 p.m., 516 NE Sanchez Ave., Ocala. Elks Lodge, 702 NE 25th Ave., THIRD
9401 SW 110th St., Ocala. (624-3563 or info@legion- Ocala. Lunch to follow, $9. + Sons of American Legion
(873-4781) post27ocala.org) (817-1654) Post 347, 7 p.m., 699 W.
+ American Legion Post 230, SECOND LAST Lady Lake Blvd., Lady Lake.
noon, 208 Ashley St., Haw- + Kamikaze Survivors, 11:30 + Korean War Veterans (750-2099)
thorne. (481-3266) a.m. lunch and meeting, Ocala Association, 1 p.m., VFW post + Seadragon Base USSVI, 1
FOURTH Elks Lodge, 702 NE 25th Ave., hall, 4805 NE 36th Ave., Ocala. p.m., American Legion Post
+ American Legion Riders Ocala. (622-8470) (262-1845 or 368-1872) 347, 699 W. Lady Lake Blvd.,
Chapter 284, 6 p.m., American + AmVets Post 25 Womens Lady Lake. (874-7358 or
Legion Post 284, 5515 SE 109th Auxiliary, 7 p.m., 16535 N. U.S. WEDNESDAYS 897-6266)
St., Belleview. (625-1030) 301, Citra. (595-5867) FIRST + VFW Post 8083, 6:30 p.m.,
+ VFW Post 10733, Mens Aux- + AmVets Post 1208, Officers 12666 S. U.S. 441, Belleview.
TUESDAYS iliary at 7 p.m., 19241 N. U.S. 6:30, general meeting 7 p.m., (245-8083)
FIRST 441, Orange Lake. (591-4359) Charles Whiteacre VFW Post SEE VETERAN ORGANIZATIONS,
+ Marine Corps League, Ocala + McCullough-Mission VFW 10208, 23498 NE County Road PAGE 28
VET HELPING VETS
Navy man leads local clinic

Dr. Mark Knapp is passionate and he cares
Dr. Mark Knapp directs the VA Community Based Outpatient Clinic in Ocala. It recently expanded by 3,500 square feet. Alan Youngblood /
OCALA STAR-BANNER
By Andy Fillmore
Correspondent
A
t the Veterans Administration Ocala Community
Based Outpatient Clinic, the staffers call World War
II veteran Fred King Top Gun. Its because of Kings
involvement as a Marine Corps Reserve aircrew
member for fighter pilot training in Yuma, Arizona.
King, 89, a native of Miami, ran away from the work is a way to thank veterans for their nurse for 37 years and with the VA for 13
home and joined the Marines in 1941 at age service and sacrifice. years, said a typical day for the three phy-
15. He fought with Carlsons Raiders in the We may have a homeless veteran who sicians and two RNs at the clinic includes
Makin Island Raid in the Pacific, where his walked a mile and a half in the rain from the working as many as 130 lab work orders,
small force approached the island aboard a Salvation Army for help, he said. patient visits, and Telehealth visits, where
submarine and paddled the last leg ashore Knapp said special cases like that are a veteran can sit at an interactive television
in rubber rafts. seen immediately. New consults are given screen here and have a visit with a specialist
After nine months in the Marines, when appointments within at least 30 days, and anywhere in the U.S.
his age was revealed, he returned to school regular patients typically get appointments Malara, born in the Philippines, said her
for a year. He was allowed to enter the Navy within 24 hours. Urgent cases, of course, are family endured invading Japanese and bat-
in 1943, serving on the destroyer USS Kidd seen immediately. tles during World War II. Members of her
and fighting in the Battle of Okinawa and the I hear mostly strong positive feedback family consider American WWII veterans
Marianas Turkey Shoot, a battle where from veterans in Ocala and Gainesville about the men who saved the world.
King said four Japanese aircraft carriers VA healthcare, U.S. Rep. Ted Yoho said. We want to give back to all veterans,
were sunk. He also praised Knapp. Dr. Mark Knapp she said.
King is one of many vets who receive is passionate and he cares, he said. Clinic Administrator DeShannon McNeil
medical care at the VA clinic. According to Francisca Guilford, national president of is from a military family and served in the
Dr. Mark Knapp , director and chief medi- the roughly 500,000-member Veterans of U.S. Army. She has been in federal service
cal officer, the location sees about 12,000 Foreign Wars Auxiliary, said the VA health and the VA for about 15 years. Asked what she
veterans annually. care system has come a long way. would to improve the VA healthcare system,
Dr. Knapp will call you on the weekend to Everyone seems to target the VA (nation- she said he would like to see the compensa-
see how you are doing. Anytime you have a ally) but it has come a long way. Any hospital tion and claims process streamlined.
doctor who will do that you have a good man. can have problems, she said while in Marion Take out the frustration, she said.
He does a good job, King said. County recently to meet Florida VFW Hank Whittier, director of Veterans Help-
Knapp and staff members also volun- officials. ing Veterans, said Knapp has made a big
teer for outreach work at the Ritz Veterans The clinic schedules new patients for difference since he came to the Ocala clinic.
Village, which has programs for homeless primary care within 30 days. The goal is to He will reach out and talk with (the vet-
veterans; at the Veterans of Foreign Wars schedule specialty appointments for mental erans groups), Whittier said.
Veterans Village independent living retire- health, podiatry, optometry, audiology Jeffrey Askew, Marion County veteran
ment facility in Fort McCoy; and at the within 30 days as well. Additional staffing services officer, said he works hand in
Salvation Army. should help in this regard, Knapp stated. hand with Knapp to ensure veterans get
As for womens health: the health care benefits they are due.
Dr. Knapp will call you on the weekend The clinic recently held Knapp said veteran care takes a coopera-
to see how you are doing. Anytime you a womens health fair. tion of agencies. One agency cant do it all.
have a doctor who will do that you Also, In Ocala clinic we We all need to work together in synergy to
have three physicians help veterans, he said.
have a good man. He does a good job. doing womens health. Jason White, 29, who served with the U.S.
We have gynecologists Marines in Iraq in multiple tours between
FRED TOP GUN King
at the main hospital 2005 and 2008, said for him its all about
Knapp, 66, a board certified internal (Malcolm Randall VA Medical Center in support.
medicine and pulmonary disease physician, Gainesville) for referrals from our physi- Dr. Knapp is there for veterans as they go
is a native of Michigan and has been at the cians, and the hospital just started doing through the VA system, he said.
Ocala clinic since 2011. He is a Navy veteran mammograms at the VA, Knapp said.
who served as a medical officer on a nuclear Our three main areas of concern here are
submarine tender while on active duty from access, increased mental health staffing and About the Ocala Community
1979 to 1982. clinic space, he said. Based Outpatient Clinic
After his service in the Navy Knapp Knapp said the clinic recently added 3,500
+ Services: Provides broad
worked for a time at Long Beach Naval square feet of space for mental health care range of general and specialized
Hospital and then was on the faculty at professionals, including three psychiatrist medical, psychiatric, nursing
Duke University, where he was involved in and three psychologists. Another psychia- and ancillary services. Serves
teaching and research. trist and two mental health social workers acute and chronically ill eligible
Knapp moved to Citrus County in the late will be added. veterans.
1980s and worked at Citrus Memorial Hos- Knapp said he has treated Gulf War Syn-
+ Address: 1515 E. Silver Springs
pital from 1989 to 2005, when he joined the drome and the effects of Agent Orange. He
Blvd., Ocala
medical staff at the Lecanto VA clinic. He said the VA has recently added leukemia,
remained there until 2010 and then moved diabetes and coronary artery disease to the + Phone: 369-3320
to the Ocala clinic in 2011. list of ailments that may be covered for dis-
For Knapp and nine teams of primary ability related to Agent Orange. + Hours: 7:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m.,
health care doctors, nurses and health techs, Clinic Nurse Manager CeCe Malara, a Monday-Friday
HELPING VETS
New program helps

those most in need
Someone has to do something for them
Mitchell Coulton is working with vets with PTSD. To learn more about Project STRAIT, go to http://projectstrait.org/about/. Alan Youngblood / Ocala
Star-Banner
By Kristine Crane trial or not guilty because of insanity. developing post-traumatic stress disorder
Correspondent When I was there (at the North Florida (PTSD.) According to the VA, among post-
W
Evaluation and Treatment Center) a number 9/11 veterans, more women than men live
hen Mitch Coulton was of vets were coming throughI realized the in poverty, are on food stamps, and have no
working as an accoun- issue of veterans mental illness was much source of income. They comprise roughly 15
tant at a maximum larger and more acute than commonly known percent of all active duty military, and there
security psychiat- by the general public, he said. are more than 2 million women veterans.
ric facility outside of Studies show that about a third of veterans Coulton decided to start a pilot project
Gainesville several years ago, he couldnt suffer from mental illness. Many are women. for women veterans because he was con-
help but notice that a disproportionate Recent VA research shows that women vet- cerned that many were falling through
number of the patients were veterans erans commit suicide at nearly six times the the cracks. They may have suffered sexual
whom he felt didnt belong at a facility for rate of other women. trauma, which compounds the trauma of
men deemed mentally incompetent to stand Women veterans are also more prone to being in conflict zones, he said. Families
and relationships fall apart, and then they You have to have your wits about you to they often need trauma relief and hands-
go to a womens shelter, and if they act out, get through the system, Coulton said, on counseling as well, Shelef said. Project
they get kicked out. explaining, Extreme PTSD is absolutely STRAIT, staffed with a team of psycholo-
Dr. Loni Shelef, a marriage and family debilitating. gists and social workers, aims to provide
therapist in Tampa, added, Women do Shelef added, (The program is) geared that, Coulton added.
this thing of taking care of everyone around for a narrow population that although is Coultons background is finance and
them. They get embittered because no one most in need of help, they dont know how accounting. After working at the facility
takes care of them. Or theyve been raped to ask for it. For example, veterans who in Gainesville he served as southeast-
and are afraid to tell anyone. have witnessed a plane crash or body parts ern regional director of accounting and
Also, the VA itself says that more men during peacetime in the U.S. may have finance for the Providence Service Corp.,
than women access VA health care. The PTSD and are entitled to VA services, but where he provided privatized government
VA is so overwhelmed. They cant look for they may not think they do. social services contracts, largely for at-risk
people who arent in the system, Coulton The program, which would tentatively populations. Ive always been in the busi-
said. be located near Altoona, in a retreat- ness of helping people, he said.
Thats where his program called Proj- style building potentially housing up to To get his project certified, hes had to
ect STRAIT comes in. STRAIT stands 200 people, would provide veterans with become versed in nearly 1,000 Florida
for short-term residential and intensive showers, clean clothes, food and lessons in policies and procedures on subjects such
treatment, and its mission is to provide functional living. The idea is to also have as environmental health and safety, sui-
community-based services for veterans therapeutic activities such as meditation, cide prevention and infection control. He
who are at risk of homelessness (or who horseback riding and organic gardening. projects that the project will cost $3 million
are already homeless) or suicide. It targets Coulton wanted a central location, close to $5 million in up-front costs, and he is
people who are mentally unstable and most to the Ocala National Forest, where a lot searching for both governmental and pri-
in need of help. of veterans are said to live. vate sources of funding.
Instead of going to a crisis stabilization A native of Miami, Coulton does not Theres a tsunami of vets being dis-
center, they would come to us, Coulton have a military background, but experi- charged from the military due to the
said. enced panic attacks growing up and turned ongoing conflict in the Middle East, Coul-
The transitional program would help to meditation to overcome them. Medita- ton said. No matter what you think of the
veterans both men and women (only tion saved me, he said. conflicts, these people went and fought
the pilot project is women-only)get Most veterans can greatly improve with for us. Someone has to do something for
into the VA medical system, for example. meditation, as studies have shown, but them.
IN SERVICE TO HIS CALLING
Chaplain Elden Luffman

Navy man served in WWII and ministered in Vietnam
Retired Navy Chaplain Lt. Commander Elden Luffman

holds a portrait of himself at his home in Ocala. Sitting
beside him is his daughter Ellen Laseter. The picture
shows Luffman at age 18, in 1943, when he was a Navy
seaman. Luffman later went on to be a combat chaplain
in Vietnam. Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner
By Susie Kuhn
Correspondent
D
uring his years of service in Vietnam, Chaplain
Elden Luffman witnessed the despair, fear and
loneliness that plagued soldiers perpetually
confronted by their own mortality. The chap-
lain routinely provided soldiers with praying
hands pendants and New Testament pocket Bibles to carry
into battle, as tangible reminders that God was with them.
He recalls a grisly morning in Khe Sanh recognized the significance of his service in years and in the meantime, I met the million
when a transport truck arrived at the base Vietnam. dollar baby in the five and ten cent store, he
following a particularly brutal battle. They Luffman, now 90, was born and raised said of meeting his wife, Joyce, at McCrorys
were stacked like cord-wood. It was gut in Ocala to parents who served as char- store in downtown Ocala.
wrenching and heartbreaking but also an ter members of the Oaks-Griner Baptist After marrying in 1947, he recalled, I
honor for me to be there on the scene and Church. Luffman explains of his calling, I figured that I needed to get a profitable job.
pray for their souls and for their family and was in the Navy in WWII, and there was a I had a baby on the way, so I dropped out of
friends. Irrespective of religious faith, I had Navy chaplain at the air station in Jackson- Stetson and worked at the Ocala post office
such a prayer, individually with each man. ville. I heard him preach in the big chapel and for eight years. All that time, I told nobody
It was especially heart wrenching to find I was just impressed by him and then sud- about my calling into the ministry and chap-
a New Testament in a pocket, which I had denly it came to me: This is what you need to laincy. I hadnt even told Joyce.
signed and given to the Marine just a few be doing. I was a young, 18-year-old sailor, He would eventually reveal his coveted
days before. I consider myself so fortunate and that is how it began. But I didnt follow secret to his wife. Together, they relocated
to have been there to minister to them before through with it. their family to Wake Forest, North Carolina,
and after their passing, he said. Luffman returned to Ocala following his where he attended the Southeastern Baptist
It was in such moments that retired U.S. first stretch of military service as an aviation Theological Seminary. By 1962, Luffman had
Navy Lt. Cmdr. Chaplain Elden Luffman electricians mate. I went to Stetson for two officially entered into the Chaplain Corps.
Luffman with a group of Vietnamese children in 1968. cOURTESY OF THE LUFFMAN FAMILY
COURTESY OF THE LUFFMAN FAMILY
As the Vietnam War intensified, he Separated from their family, bereft of operations would not permit services
could no longer resist his decades-long hope and comfort in their darkest hours, to be held on Sunday. I was to learn,
calling to serve, despite his wifes con- many soldiers turned to Chaplain Luff- however, that whenever I arrived, and
cerns. The wives were the ones that did man for solace, often finding God for the the word was passed for church ser-
the hardship tour, he said, recalling the first time. In the midst of war, Luffman vices, the guys crawled out of foxholes,
difficult times his wife endured. routinely held services and performed trench-lines, or wherever to attend.
In a 1967 letter to his wife, Luffman baptisms. They were hungry for the Word.
wrote, Surely hated to leave you a few The chapel was made from a cam- Chaplain Luffman eventually retired
minutes ago. I guess the farther away I ouflage parachute that some of the from the service in 1979; however, his
get the more I will realize the reality of Marines converted into a chapel, and work was far from over. He continued
this trip. As you know, Ive been so busy the men would use wooden ammuni- his ministry back in Ocala and went
until now I really havent had much time tion boxes as pews. You didnt want to on to help establish the counseling
to think. I left so much undone. Sorry have too hot a sermon, he said with a center in conjunction with the Baptist
to leave you low on money, but things clever grin. Association.
should look up after I settle in. Luffman recounted many of his He also served as the project officer
Luffman had a brief hospital minis- Vietnam War experiences in his 2006 for the Four Chaplains program at the
try with the 1st Marine Division in Chu book, Bringing God to War, published Ocala/Marion County Veterans Memo-
Lai before being assigned to the battle by Phillips Publications. In his book, rial Park from 2001 to 2013. Luffman
of Hue City during the Tet Offensive of Luffman explains that in Vietnam, and his family are proud of his legacy
1968. His final assignment brought him Sunday was whatever day the chaplain in both the local community and his
to Khe Sanh for Operation Pegasus. could make it to the unit. Frequently, Vietnam battlefield congregation.
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THE WALL
Putting a face with the name

Wall of Faces project
By Andy Fillmore
Correspondent
R
ick Kovalchick, a native Both Kovalchick and Tyndall served hole of the groups annual benefit golf
in the 9th Infantry during the Viet- tournament, symbolic of the 9th Infan-
of New York, moved nam War, Kovalchick as a military try, for the past five years.
to New Milford, New policeman and Tyndall on an armored Each year, he has placed a placard at
Jersey, at 17 and was personnel carrier. the tee box with the words: Memo-
They reunited several times while in rial: John Harvey Tyndall, Jr. , New
drafted at age 19 after Vietnam. One day, Kovalchick learned Bern, North Carolina, B Troop, 3rd
graduating from Rice High School. He his friend was killed when his APC Squadron, 5th Cavalry, 9th Infantry
became close friends with John Harvey exploded. Division.
I think of him, said Kovalchick, Kovalchick knew Tyndalls name is
Tyndall Jr. when they were in Army basic now 70 and a resident of Del Webb on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial,
training at Fort Riley, Kansas, before they Stone Creek with his wife, Joy. Hes a known as The Wall.
both shipped out to Vietnam in 1966. member of the Stone Creek Veterans But now, like thousands of family
Association and has sponsored the 9th and friends of soldiers lost in the war
Photo assistance
Heres a list of names of service members from Marion, Lake and Sumter counties for whom organizers of the
Wall of Faces seek photos. In some cases, photos have been found for the men on this list. However, the group still
seeks additional photos for them, as well as for those for whom there are no photos on file.
Photos can be uploaded at http://www.vvmf.org/Wall-of-Faces/
Veteran name Hometown County Branch of service Casualty date Rank Panel Row
Gary L. Duvall Mount Dora Lake Marines June 29, 1967 LCPL 22E 83
Richard Edwards Jr. Leesburg Lake Army Nov. 9, 1968 SGT 39W 40
Kenneth E. Fischer Eustis Lake Marines July 3, 1968 2LT 54W 42
Ronald R. Garner Leesburg Lake Army June 15, 1969 PFC 22W 52
Eli W. Knighton Jr. Minneola Lake Army July 24, 1969 SGT 20W 40
Walter B. Krupski Umatilla Lake Army May 19, 1968 CPL 63E 12
Jess Thomas Mascotte Lake Army Feb. 9, 1968 SGT 38E 62
Lucius Anderson Jr. Ocala Marion Army March 14, 1968 SGT 44E 44
James W. Brigham Jr. Ocala Marion Army Jan. 17, 1969 SP4 34W 20
Jessie E. Coy Ocala Marion Army July 4, 1968 SSGT 53W 8
Isadore S. Geiger Jr. Anthony Marion Army May 5, 1968 SP4 55E 12
Harold Goldman Ocala Marion Army Nov. 8, 1965 PFC 3E 31
Daniel E. Hopper Ocala Marion Marines Oct. 28, 1967 LCPL 28E 91
Lewis King Ocala Marion Army Aug. 24, 1968 SP4 46W 4
Steve L. Martin Ocala Marion Marines May 8, 1970 PFC 10W 1
Lawson D. Nelson Ocala Marion Army March 30, 1969 PFC 28W 93
Elias J. Paulk Ocala Marion Army Sept. 19, 1968 SSGT 43W 41
Roger W. Spradlin Orange Lake Marion Army Dec. 5, 1965 SGT 3E 133
Jimmie L. Thomas Ocala Marion Marines May 18, 1967 PFC 20E 37
Oscar L. Thomas Jr. Ocala Marion Army Oct. 23, 1967 SP4 28E 58
Dwight T. Valrie Ocala Marion Marines May 19, 1968 PFC 63E 19
Donald G. Vernon Ocala Marion Army Nov. 21, 1966 SP4 12E 107
Vernon M. Wiggins Ocala Marion Army Jan. 25, 1970 PFC 14W 67
Laurence E. Williams Ocala Marion Army Nov. 28, 1968 PVT 37W 1
Maurice T. Williams Ocala Marion Army Feb. 17, 1968 PSGT 39E 78
Johnny L. Godfrey Webster Sumter Army July 18, 1970 SSGT 8W 28
John T. Hensley Sumterville Sumter Army Oct. 7, 1966 PFC 11E 57
and those who would like to put photos including prom pictures,
a face to a soldiers name, Koval- high school sports snapshots and
chick can go to the online Wall of high school year book and military
Faces, enter Tyndalls name, and portraits, many with youthful
see his friends photograph. soldiers proudly wearing their
According to George De Castro, countrys uniform.
coordinator of the Wall of Faces Some appear to have been taken
program, photos collected to date in the field with soldiers doing
of soldiers who made the ulti- their jobs.
mate sacrifice for their country Sharon Beam, resident coordi-
in the Vietnam War are avail- nator with the Veterans of Foreign
able at http://www.vvmf.org/ Wars Veteran Village retirement
Wall-of-Faces/. facility in Fort McCoy, lost her
The Wall of Faces section of father, Glen Everett Rountree, in
the website states that Tyndalls the Vietnam War.
name is on Panel 18E, Row 20. Staff Sgt. Rountree, who is
The website includes a picture memorialized on the Wall on
that has the look of a high school Panel 35W, Row 84, is pictured
year book portrait. Accompanying on the Wall of Faces wearing
biographical information states his Army uniform. The informa-
Tyndall, whose rank was SP4, tion with the photo indicates the
was born on June 29, 1947, in New Kentucky native was born on Sept.
Bern, North Carolina, and died at 4, 1941, and died on Jan. 13, 1969,
age 19 on April 12, 1967, in Phouc in Binh Dinh Province.
Tuy Province. I think its great to have the
The effort to collect the photos pictures of the veterans. A lot of
was started in 2001 by the Viet- Vietnam War veterans did not get
nam Veterans Memorial fund, the the recognition for their service
originators of the Wall, as part of a back then and some were even
planned Educational Center dedi- told to not wear their uniforms
cated to the memorial that is to be (when arriving in the U.S. It must
placed adjacent to the Wall. be hard for (surviving veterans)
The center, which is in the to see the recognition for veter-
fundraising phase, will contain ans today compared to how they
copies of the photos and be part were treated, Beam said.
of the keeping the legacy alive, John Thomstatter, secretary of
DeCastro said. the Vietnam Veterans of America
DeCastro said thousands of Chapter 1036 of The Villages area,
individuals and numerous groups is spearhead the VVAs photo
have contributed photos. gathering efforts in Florida. He
In Wilmington, North Caro- said 1,955 Floridians are named
lina, two brothers, Tom and Jim on the Wall. When the local VVA
Enjoy our indoor playground, arts & crafts room along
Reece, found and contributed chapters got involved earlier this with many exciting weekly events & specials.
about 1,600 photos to the proj- year, 777 photos were still needed.
ect, according to an article in the Thomstatter said photos of vet- YOUR KIDS WILL LOVE IT!!
Wilmington Star News. Local erans are still sought from Lake, Enjoy free internet. Relax with a cup of coffee while your
resident Steve Johnson has located Marion and Sumter counties. He kids play and much more! Watch our web page or like
and uploaded at least 11 Marion said nine states have completed us on Facebook for daily/weekly specials.
County veterans photos to the the search for veteran photos. PLAY HOURS
collection. Bruce Lamoureux, president Monday-Thursday 9am-6pm Semi Private Birthday Parties
The Vietnam Veterans Associa- of Vietnam Veterans of America & Other group events after
Friday-Saturday 9am-9pm 6pm Monday-Thursday &
tion of America, including local Ocala Chapter 1085, served with Sunday 9am-4pm after 4pm on Sunday
chapters recently began leading the U.S. Navy in active and reserve
the effort in Florida. duty from 1959 to 1970, including
Business 352.732.9739 | Fax 352.690.1831
Decastro said that as of late a tour on the aircraft carrier USS
2023 E. Silver Springs Blvd. Suite 101 Ocala, FL 34470
March, photos had been found Ranger from 1960 to 1962 in the www.monkeymadnessofocala.com| Monkeymadnessofocala@yahoo.com
for 45,753 of the 58,307 names on South China Sea. He is oversee-
the Wall. ing the Marion County chapters
A visit to the website reveals effort to secure photos.
Veteran organizations
Members of the Col. Alice Gritsavage Chapter 16 of the KWVA pose together at VFW Post 4209 on Northeast 36th Avenue in Ocala in June 2015.
Bruce Ackerman / Ocala Star-Banner
CONTINUED FROM PAGE 17 + Brady Owens VFW Post 7193, 6 p.m., + VFW Post 10733, Ladies Auxiliary at 7:30
Auxiliary 4:30 p.m., Mount Moriah Baptist p.m., veterans 7 p.m., 19241 N. U.S. 441,
THURSDAYS Church Annex, 55 SW Third Ave., Ocala. Orange Lake. (591-4359)
FIRST (629-4285) + Angela S. Santos VFW Post 4781, Ladies
+ Cherrywood Veterans Club, 2 p.m., 6253 + DAV Chapter 70, 2 p.m., Gerald Shook Auxiliary VFW, 6 p.m., 9401 SW 110th St.,
SW 100th Loop. (873-1341) DAV, 1039 N. Paul Drive, Inverness. Ocala. (873-4781)
+ Spruce Creek Preserve Vets Association, (344-3464) + VFW Post 4493 Mens Auxiliary, 6:30
4 p.m., Spruce Creek Community Center. + Spruce Creek Golf and Country Club Vet- p.m., Post 4493, 11100 Maricamp Road,
(861-1503) erans Association, 8 a.m., Spruce Creek Candler. (687-4493)
+ Vietnam Veterans of America, Ocala/ Clubhouse. (245-6094) FOURTH
Marion Chapter 1085, 6:30 p.m., Rolling + Spruce Creek South Military Club, 7 + VFW Post 4493, House Committee 6:30
Greens North Club House, 1415 W. Glenea- p.m., Spruce Creek Community Center. p.m., Womens Auxiliary 7:30 p.m., 11100
gles Road, Ocala. Open to all honorably (245-6094) SE County Road 464, Candler. (687-4493 or
discharged veterans who served between THIRD 347-6304)
August 1964 and May 1975. (509-2234) + Veterans of the Battle of the Bulge
SECOND Chapter 48, 11 a.m., VFW Post 8087, SATURDAYS
+ Charles A. Whiteacre Memorial VFW 4065 N. County Road 19A, Mount Dora. SECOND
Post 10208 and Auxiliary, 7 p.m., post hall, (873-8380) + North Central Florida All Airborne Chap-
23498 NE County Road 314, Salt Springs. + Marion County Veterans Council, 10:30 ter, 1 p.m., VFW Post 8083, 12666 SE U.S.
(685-2707) a.m., Marion County Public Library, 2720 E. 441, Belleview. (873-1625)
+ Eugene Quinn VFW Post 4337 and Silver Springs Blvd., Ocala. (671-8422) + WAVES Post 99, noon, call for location.
Auxiliary, 7:30 p.m., 906 E. State Road 44, + Red Tail Memorial Chapter 136 Air (595-4464 or 622-5401)
Inverness. (344-3495) Force Association, 7 p.m., Ocala Airport THIRD
+ Leroy Rooks Jr. VFW Post 4252 and Aux- Administration Building, 750 SW 60th Ave., + U.S. Submarine Veterans, Nautilus Base,
iliary, 7:30 p.m., 3190 N. Carl G. Rose Hwy., Ocala. (861-0886, 527-2729 or BenALan- 11 a.m., Sheriffs Substation, 3260 SW 80th
Hernando. (726-3339) ger@aol.com) Ave, Ocala. (854-6598 or nautilusbase.us)
HIS CALLING
Harrison now leads Four

Chaplains Memorial Service
G. Michael Harrison, a retired Navy lieutenant commander, took over the annual Four Chaplains Memorial Service a few years ago.
By Carlos Medina transport, was hit by German torpedoes near went down with the ship, Harrison said. I
Correspondent Nova Scotia. As the ship began to sink, the wonder, would I have been brave enough to
S
four chaplains aboard Lt. George L. Fox, do that? I dont know.
ince G. Michael Harrison took over Methodist Lt. Alexander Goode, Jewish Lt. But Harrison does know what its like to
the annual Four Chaplains Memo- Clark V. Poling, Dutch Reformed; and Lt. be a military chaplain. He spent four years
rial Service a few years ago, hes John P. Washington, Roman Catholic in the Navy in the 1950s. After he got out
made it a point to always include sprang into action. he got married, went to college and then to
at least one person in the cer- They were ministering to the wounded, seminary. He rejoined the Navy in 1968 as
emony who is unfamiliar with the story. Its passing out life preservers, and suddenly a chaplain.
a way the retired U.S. Navy lieutenant com- they ran out and they all took theirs off When youre a chaplain, youre always
mander can keep the story going. and gave them to others. The crews in the available to counsel people. Thats one of the
On Feb. 3, 1943, the Dorchester, a troop lifeboats watched as they linked arms and things chaplains do a lot of, Harrison said.
A handful of people
braved the cold
to attend the Four
Chaplains Memorial
Ceremony on Feb. 7
at the Ocala-Marion
County Veterans
Memorial Park.
John Earl plays Amazing Grace

at the Four Chaplains Memorial
Ceremony at the Ocala-Marion
County Veterans Memorial Park on
Feb. 7. The ceremony commemo-
rates the actions of U.S. Army
chaplains lieutenants George L.
Fox, Methodist; Alexander Goode,
Jewish; Clark V. Poling, Dutch
Reformed; and John P. Washington,
Roman Catholic aboard the
USAT Dorchester, a troop ship that
was sunk by a torpedo on Feb.
3, 1943. The chaplains gave life
jackets, even their own, to others.
Survivors saw the chaplains pray-
ing with their arm linked as the
ship went down. Of the 902 men
on board, 672 died. Doug Engle /
OCALA STAR-BANNER
During his second stint in the Navy Har- recruits showed deeper problems. didnt get to Vietnam, he said.
rison was stationed with the Marines at I did encounter some that I sent to the After his military services, he pastored
29 Palms, California, aboard a destroyer psychiatrist because there was some serious a church in Miami for 17 years. In 1985 he
tender, and at the Naval Training Center dysfunction, Harrison said. I had a fellow came to Ocala, where he served as chap-
in San Diego. go into a catatonic state in my office. I had lain at Lowell Correctional Institution for
San Diego was a very heavy load of to walk him down to sick bay. seven years.
counseling. There were so many recruits Harrison is a Nebraska native. His father The local four chaplains memorial was
that said, Chaplain youve got to get me served in World War I, and his son and spearheaded by Elden Luffman, a retired
out of here. Of course, there was nothing daughter both served during Desert Storm. Navy chaplain and lieutenant commander.
I could do except listen, Harrison said. Seems like I was the only one to miss all Luffman retired from organizing the event
On a few occasions, however, some the action. I was too young for Korea and in 2013, leaving the task to Harrison.
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Group counseling for PTSD

Life beyond the '1,000-yard stare'
John Wayne Sigley with his wife, Lori, and dog, Katie, talks about his service in Vietnam. Sigley was a draftee and went undiagnosed with
PTSD for many years. He is finally getting treatment at the Ocala Vet Center. Alan Youngblood / Ocala Star-Banner
By Andy Fillmore Looking back, Sigley, 71, said he can see according to www.va.gov. The website
Correspondent the telltale signs of PTSD including once states vet centers served 219,509 service
J
throwing something at a supervisor. members and families of service members in
ohn Wayne Sigley saw death all I stayed away from crowds and was very 2015, with nearly 1.7 million no-cost visits
around him during combat service wary of people. In the middle of the night for readjustment counseling.
in the Vietnam War. He was there I would get up and check everything in the The website indicates the centers offer
in 1966 and 1967 with the Big Red house, he said. veterans returning from war and their
One 1st Infantry Division. Sigley said he marks two dates: Nov. 8, families free and confidential individual
He returned home and put his war expe- 1966, when his unit was surrounded and and group counseling for conditions like
riences aside to go to work for the United shot up; and Jan. 13, 1967, when his unit PTSD, alcohol and drug assessment, and
States Postal Service in his native Elizabeth, was hit by friendly fire. suicide prevention referrals.
New Jersey. Last year his wife guided him to the Vet Vet center services also include military
Nearly 50 years later, after Sigley moved Center of Ocala for group PTSD counseling. sexual trauma screening, traumatic brain
to Ocala, he was diagnosed with post-trau- The 300 community vet centers are part of injury screening, and employment assess-
matic stress disorder, or PTSD, at the Ocala the Veterans Administration and were estab- ment and referral, the website states.
Veterans Administration Community Based lished in 1979 to assist Vietnam War veterans Richard Frank, counselor team leader at
Clinic. with difficulties in re-entering civilian life, the Ocala Vet Center, has likened a soldier
These service photos show
enforcement officers in his state
a 21-year-old John Wayne were killed.
Sigley, back when he was He mentioned the stigma
fighting in Vietnam. Alan that he felt can be attached by
Youngblood / Ocala some to reaching out for help
Star-Banner in macho job settings. Such
moves for help can be viewed
as signs of weakness.
I first thought everybody
Now the Gulf War veteran is
else needed help (but) Im glad
remarried, has a young child and
I got help and the group lets
is doing well.
you know you are not the only
At first, I didnt ask for help.
one suffering from PTSD, he
Hopefully, the younger vets,
added. The veterans wife also
like from Iraq and Afghanistan
attends counseling at the vet
deployments, will ask for help
returning from war to a bran- Frank described cases of going center.
right away of they need it, he
dished sword: readied for attack, to despondent patients homes The Gulf War veteran said
said.
then abruptly put away as the to get them out of the basement PTSD took a toll on his life but
person returns to civilian life. while they brandished a gun. the vet center has helped him
For Frank, a longtime private Frank transferred to the Ocala turn his life around. Learn more
practice and VA counselor and Vet Center in 2011. The cen- We (veterans with PTSD) + Ocala Vet Center
combat veteran, the 1,000- ters two marriage and family didnt have a handle on our + 3300 SW 34th Ave., Suite
yard stare is an example of the counselors, two mental health lives. I lost two marriages and a 140, Ocala
symptoms of PTSD. counselors and one social job, said the Gulf War veteran, + 237-1947
The 1,000-yard stare is part worker now help about 120 vet- who also had legal problems. He + www.vetcenter.va.gov
of the veterans disassocia- erans a month. worked as a police officer in the + The VA also maintains
tion, he said. He described a Sigley said the vet center ses- South following his military a Combat Call Center for
World War II veteran in one of sions have absolutely helped a service for nine and half years veterans 24/7: 1-877-WAR-
and during that time 14 law VETS (927-8387)
the groups who stares and goes lot. The veteran is also dealing
somewhere else at times during with a blood-related disorder
the sessions. he attributes to Agent Orange
Frank joined the Army in 1985 exposure.
and served in the military police,
mainly doing security work in
Now Ive got emotional and
physical concerns related to the
Honoring
Germany and the Middle East.
He served in Somalia and
war, he said.
A Vietnam War veteran and All Who
the Middle East with officers
including Gen. Norman Schwar-
zkopf and in areas including the
a Gulf War veteran, both in vet
center group PTSD counseling,
spoke about their experience
Served
Since 1889 - 4th Generation
Highway of Death south- at the center but preferred to
west of Iran. He also served in remain anonymous.
Al Basrah and in Yemen in the Ive been going to the vet
area where the USS Cole was center group for about three
attacked. years after a referral from the
Frank completed his Army VA Medical Center, the Viet-
service in 1994 and soon earned nam War veteran said. Its a
his masters degree in coun- great group at the vet center
seling and became a licensed and we have each others backs.
mental health counselor. He We dont sit around telling war
has worked at clinics in the area, stories. The group counseling
operated a private practice, and helps you live with PTSD and the
then worked at the John J. Persh- nightmares and bad temper. We CHRISTIAN CRONKRITE
ing VA Medical Center in Poplar werent told about PTSD right Vice President
Bluff, Missouri, with acute after the war.
traumatic cases as a seamless The veteran, a recipient of the
transition ombudsman. Purple Heart, said certain things
EC-13002404 352-629-6933
CFC - 1428940
It was a pilot program. We like helicopter noise can be anxi- Email:christian@needhampe.com
Website: www.needhampe.com
made house calls, he said. ety triggers.
MEDAL OF HONOR RECIPIENT
The story of
Hammett Bowen Jr.
From Ocala boyhood to Vietnam War hero
Hammett Bowen Jr.s Medal of Honor is on display at the Marion County Sheriffs Office. Bowen is Marion Countys only Medal of Honor winner. He was killed
when he threw himself on a grenade during the Vietnam War, saving several members of his squad. Alan Youngblood / Ocala Star-Banner
By Andy Fillmore
Correspondent
Several shrines and monuments in Marion County reflect

the reverence and respect of the residents for those who gave
their lives for their country.
A glass display case under the word indicated.
Valor serves as a shrine to the sac- The citation for Bowens Medal of
rifice of Hammett L. Bowen Jr. the Honor in the display case states the
countys only recipient of the nations 21-yearold U.S. Army platoon ser-
highest military award: the Medal of geant shouted a warning to his men
Honor. and hurled himself on the grenade
The display, located in the lobby of absorbing the explosion with his body
the Marion County Sheriffs Office while on a reconnaissance mission in
Operations Building, contains the Binh Doung Province, Republic of
three actual decorations minted and Vietnam, on June 27, 1969.
engraved for Bowen, authenticated He saved the lives of at least three
by the FBI. of his fellow soldiers at the cost of his
The case also holds his Purple Heart own life.
and Bronze Star awards, which both The citation notes Hammett Bowen
he and his father were awarded, his Jr.s conspicuous gallantry and intre-
uniform patches, and a portrait of the pidity in action above and beyond the
soldier. call of duty.
When a southeast Marion County Sgt. Bowens extraordinary cour-
elementary school was named in Ham- age and concern for his men at the cost
mett Bowen Jr.s honor about 10 years of his own life served as an inspiration
ago, a sheriffs deputy was assigned to his comrades and are in the highest
to accompany the medal when it was traditions of the military service and
taken to an opening event at the school, the United States Army, the citation
according to sheriffs Lt. Chip Wildy, states.
historian and overseer of the display. Sheriff Chris Blair said the display
Assigning a deputy if the medal is serves as an inspiration to all in the
transported is standard procedure and Sheriffs Office, and he feels recogni-
a sign of reverence and responsibility tion of sheriffs employees who served Dee Bowen, Hammett Bowen Jr.s sister-in-law, stands in front
of the Sheriffs Office display that honors his service. Alan
for being caretaker of the award, Wildy their country is important. He has held
Youngblood / Ocala Star-Banner
Dr. Michael Freeman, M.D., P.A Dr. Robert Corwin, M.D.

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This is a service photo
of Hammett Bowen Jr.
Jon Singley/Ocala
Star-Banner file
ceremonies to provide veterans pointed to Agent Orange as the years later the news hit Ocala Remembering a hero
in the Sheriffs Office with ser- cause of his cancer, Dee Bowen that he had died in combat. Kaitlyn Boff and Taylor
vice pins. said. It was awful (but) there was Clement, both fifth-graders
Wildy explained that the Dee Bowen said recently that a great outpouring at his funeral at Hammett L. Bowen Jr.
first Medal of Honor minted for Hammett Bowen, Jr.s action in services here, she said. She said Elementary School, created
Hammett Bowen Jr. was given the Vietnam War mirrored his some of the soldiers whose lives a timeline of Sgt. Bowens
to Bowens daughter, Shan- love for others. he had saved on the fatal mission life and presented it at
non, then 6, on July 17, 1974, by I wasnt the least surprised accompanied his body home. last year's Veterans Day
future President Gerald Ford. when I heard about. He had a program.
I understood one of the sol-
A picture of the presentation great love for his fellow man, Kaitlyn says: The Medal
diers in his unit said as Hammett
of Honor goes to someone
ceremony hangs adjacent to the she said. threw himself on the grenade he who is the bigger person.
display case. Dee Bowen said Hammett was still yelling fall back to his It makes me feel good that
A second medal was minted Bowen Jr. was born in LaGrange, men, Dee Bowen said. someone would do that for
for Bowens parents in 1981 with Georgia, and the family relo- Former Ocala Chief of Police other people, and Im glad
the help of then-Congressman cated to Ocala in 1956. In the Morrey Deen was also in the he got awards and a school
Cliff Stearns and has been on 1960s, the Bowen family home named after him because
OHS Class of 1964 and knew
display at the Sheriffs Office was on Northwest 35th Street, he did something amazing.
Hammett Bowen Jr.
since 1988. just west of Old Jacksonville Taylor says: He pro-
Hammett was from a patri-
The third was found around Road. Hammett Bowens mother tected the country to save
otic family. I was not surprised many people. He sacrificed
2011 in Canada by a Royal operated a beauty salon out of
when I heard (of his action to his life and that is a good
Canadian Mounted Policeman, the home and his father worked
save his men), Deen said. deed. He didnt just help
possibly in a military memora- with a local fuel oil distributor.
A monument to all Florida the people in the war, but
bilia sale. Dee Bowen, in the Ocala High
Medal of Honor recipients holds he helped their families,
All three have been examined School Class of 1964, said the and it helps our school to
a central place in the Medal of
and verified by the FBI, Wildy future Medal of Honor recipi- get them to know him and
stated. ent was a member of the Class Honor Plaza at the Ocala-Mar-
to show that he did a good
The sheriffs Operation of 1965 and was known as a ion County Veterans Memorial
thing and people should
Center building was dedicated jokester who liked girls. Park. The park also contains respect that and learn to do
to Bowen when it was built in Dee Bowen remembered how 5,000 memorial bricks, 200 good from him.
1988. Dee Bowen and other Hammett Bowen Jr. would drive tribute benches, 100 plaques
About the Medal of Honor
family members attended a around Ocala in his 1965 Mus- and numerous monuments.
The monument stands per- + American's highest mili-
dedication ceremony. tang, perhaps stopping at the Big
haps 10 feet tall and details tary honor
Dee Bowen knew Hammett D restaurant for a hamburger on
+ Awarded for personal acts
Bowen Jr. in high school and his way to business administra- Hammett Bowen Jr.s actions
of valor above and beyond
married his older brother, Keith, tion classes at Central Florida and includes five recipients who
the call of duty
in 1982. Community College or headed served in the Navy, five Marines, + Awarded by the president
Both Keith Bowen and Ham- to his job at a local bank. two from the Air Force and eight in the name of Congress
mett Bowen Sr. died in 2008. In 1967, Dee Bowen said, he from the Army in addition to + 3,514 medals have been
Keith Bowen also served in the left for boot camp at Fort Ben- Hammett Bowen Jr., who have awarded since the medal's
Vietnam War and his family ning, Georgia, and about two received the Medal of Honor. creation in 1861
A SECOND CHANCE TO SERVE
Earl Arnett:
county commissioner
and Army veteran
Military service 'changes you in a good way'
Marion County Commissioner Earl

Arnett served as an Army medic
during the Vietnam era. Hes
shown here at the Ocala-Marion
County Veterans Memorial Park
in Ocala. Alan Youngblood /
Ocala Star-Banner
By Kristine Crane
Correspondent
Of the five Marion County commissioners, one speaks

notably less than the others. Its not that Earl Arnett
has less to say; hes just very deliberate about saying it.
Military service changes you in a good way, Marion County Commissioner Earl Arnett says. Alan Youngblood / Ocala Star-Banner
Earl is very quiet, but he carries a for him as a bookkeeper in Marion his own journey in becoming one,
big stick, said his wife, Sheila. He County more than 25 years ago. in part stems from his upbringing
does a lot of research. He doesnt What many people may not know in a military family. He was born in
make a rash decision ever. Then about the 69-year-old commis- Washington D.C., when his father
(once he makes a decision) he doesnt sioner, especially given his quiet worked in military police for the
vacillate. demeanor, is that he is also a Vietnam Pentagon as part of the Criminal
The Arnetts are a recognizable duo Era veteran. In part for that reason, Investigation Division (CID). The
in the Marion County political scene. veterans issues like establishing family moved around during Earls
If Commissioner Arnett is known for the long talked-about veterans nurs- youth, living in New Jersey, Cali-
thoughtful decisions, then Sheila is ing home in Marion County are fornia, Germany and Florida.
his motor and social media maven. priorities. When his father was stationed in
We ran a social media campaign, Marion County finished second in Korea during the Korean War, the
Sheila Arnett said of her husbands statewide scoring last year, and the family stayed behind in Jackson-
2011 election campaign. I was told County Commission made it a leg- ville. I had no idea what he did until
that I changed politics in Marion islative priority for the January 2016 Korea. His life was on the front line,
County forever. session, where it died on the calen- Earl said.
An avid amateur photographer, dar. Marion County has an estimated After graduating from high school,
Sheila takes pictures at campaign 43,000 veterans or 1 in 7 residents Earl went to Bob Jones University.
events which these days, number and the proposed location of the One year later, he dropped out and
three or four per weekend, as Earl nursing home, west of Ocala on State married his high school sweetheart.
seeks re-election next August. Sheila Road 200, is seen as ideal. Then, in 1967, he got drafted.
met Earl when she went to work Arnetts support of veterans, and Thats when life began, he said.
The first thing they do is break you down For example, he thinks in terms of we, fellow commissioners to give the public
as an individual, and build up your respect not me, he said. Despite his enthusiasm some sense of what might happen pub-
for authority. for being on the commission, he came late licly, at a commission meeting.
Earl was tagged as a medic and became to it, after working for many years as a The commission eventually agreed to
a platoon leader in Germany. Hed never private investigator in Marion County, as remove the flag and place a different ver-
had medical training, but a personality well as a salesman, flight instructor and sion elsewhere on the campus. Its hidden
test said he wes appropriate for deal- building contractor. from view from the street, but not tucked
ing with medical traumas. He dealt with A diverse background is important, away inside a museum. The compromise
everything from small scratches to gun- to be a commissioner, he said, adding is indicative of Arnetts thoughts on the
shot wounds stretching himself beyond that its not a glamorous job. He consid- issue.
what he thought he could do, as well as ers himself a hired hand of the people of In front of the governmental com-
what medics and fire rescue workers could Marion County, and says the heart of the plex, it was inappropriate. The flags there
legally do today, he said. job is looking into issues and problems for should represent who we are today, he
You had to reach down to your deepest people and hopefully solving them. said. By the same token, the Confederate
abilities, Arnett added. After a year and a Protecting Marion Countys water, flag is part of our history, and I will not be
half of service he came home and quietly reducing the size of local government and one to re-write history.
moved on with his life. Hes never had supporting initiatives to help veterans, The flag that he holds dearest is of
post-traumatic stress syndrome (PTSD), particularly those suffering from PTSD, course the American flag, in large part
but says, Whenever I hear certain signs, are just a few of the issues that Arnett because he is a veteran.
it will take me back to that time. supports. Whenever he hears the national anthem
The sacrifice I made was nowhere near Another relatively recent issue that he he gets choked up. One of the few times
what others made, he added. His high stood behind was removing the Confed- that he got offended at a commission
school class at Englewood High School in erate flag from in front of the McPherson meeting he has developed a thick skin
Jacksonville lost 175 people to the Vietnam Governmental Complex. The re-raising of through the years was when someone
War. the flag following the shootings in South questioned whether any of the commis-
At the Ocala-Marion County Veterans Carolina last summer put Ocala on the sioners truly appreciated the flag during
Memorial Park, I feel like I am following national media map and led to weeks of the Pledge of Allegiance.
in the footsteps of giants, Arnett said. testimony from residents both for and Arnett definitely does. On serving the
The legacy of his service also led him to against the flag. country, he said: It changes you in a
become county commissioner, he added. At a certain point, Arnett nudged his good way.
Hospice of Marion County

honors our veterans on this Memorial Day and every day.
of Marion County
Feel better. Live better.
As part of our outreach, patients who are veterans are recognized www.hospiceofmarion.com
with Pinning Ceremonies for their dedication and sacrifice. (352) 873-7400
Thank you, Marion County Veterans!
SCHOOL OF LIFE
Recent vets find help at CF

Police Academy training; restarting veterans club
The White family plays badminton at their home. Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner
By Andy Fillmore write a book, said Samantha White, 28.

Correspondent When Jason first came back he didnt
L
know how to show emotion or empathy.
illian White, now 7, hardly I (had been) wife, mom and caregiver and
saw her dad, Jason White, it was overwhelming, she said.
before she was 5. He served Just because Jason didnt lose part of
two combat deployments his body doesnt mean he wasnt changed
in Iraq and remained on by what he saw in the war. He was not
active duty with the Marines until 2013. the same person when he came back,
Samantha White, Jasons wife, said the Samantha White said.
deployments were difficult for her. When Samantha White said her husband
her husband returned he wasnt the same had to get to know their children all over
as when he left. again and he had to learn parenting.
I was a single mom for those years and These were kids not soldiers in boot
I had to do everything, although I did get camp, she said.
help from my folks and in-laws. I should
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Jason White on his wedding day,
when he was a lance corporal. He
retired as a sergeant. Doug Engle/
Ocala Star-Banner
Jason White, 30, now enrolled in business public relations at CF, said the college is involved
management classes at the College of Central in the effort to reboot the club.
Florida, said some veterans may experience tran- CF understands the specific needs of our stu-
sition issues when returning to civilian life after dents who are veterans, and for six years CF has been
deployment. recognized as a military friendly institution of higher
White indicated veterans sometimes find very learning, Brauckmuller stated.
little support network at home. Indeed, the school has won a military friendly
White has taken a leadership role in trying to designation from Victory Media, a veteranowned
re-form the currently inactive CF Veterans Club company that lists schools based upon support for
another step in the veteran networking in daily the military and factors including the number of vet-
civilian life that he feels is vital. eran students, veteran graduation rates, and tuition
Lois Brauckmuller, director of marketing and assistance.
Jason White, a medically retired Marine who served eight years in the Corps, including two tour of duties in Iraq, now lives in Ocala. Hes shown here riding on
a four-wheeler at home with son, Landen, 2; wife, Samantha; and daughter, Lilly, 7. Doug Engle/Ocala Star-Banner
The college also maintains the on-campus Patriot structure of military service to civilian life can also
Center for Veterans, which offers studying and fel- cause issues.
lowship, a library, and a food pantry. Whittier said younger veterans must step in and
Jason White is on the board of directors of Marion take over the support programs and organizations
County Veterans Helping Veterans, which is slated that the veterans before them had established.
to move into a former bowling alley on East Silver A support group composed of veterans with like
Springs Boulevard and open an expanded Veterans experiences is crucial, Whittier said.
Resource Center. Four veterans with recent service who are now
Hank Whittier, director of Marion County Vet- students at the College of Central Florida gathered
erans Helping Veterans, said returning veterans recently to discuss their return to daily life in Ocala
face unique challenges along with raising a family following deployment in the global war on terror.
and pursuing a career. He said coming from the Combat veterans return with a different
Jason White during one of his two tour of duties in Iraq. He retired as a sergant. COURTESY OF THE WHITE FAMILY
experience and outlook, said Chad Haufler, of his service, and he had a positive experience
25, of Ocala, a Marine corporal who served in in the Army.
combat in Afghanistan in 2011 and 2013. Allen said he has blended back into civilian life
What is the public doing to engage veterans, and he hopes to join the Marion County Sheriffs
and what are veterans doing for the community? Office. Allen is married and his wife is expecting.
I think the public does a great job of reaching out Joshua Earhart, 26, of Ocala, served with the
they sure did for me when I came to CF, he said. Marines in Afghanistan in 2012 and 2014 and is
Haufler said he honors all veterans service, also now attending the Police Academy.
combat and non-combat. But the combat vet- Earhart said he didnt have a mentor when he
eran has unique challenges adjusting to civilian first returned home.
life. I was just married and had a baby, he said.
Haufler, who is single, is a student in the CF He called service in the Marines a good experi-
Police Academy. He is scheduled to finish in ence. He especially enjoyed learning the history
July. and traditions of the Corps while serving with
Jon Allen, 26, of Micanopy, served in the U.S. honors guards at Arlington National Cemetery
Army including deployments to Afghanistan in and elsewhere.
2013 and Kuwait in 2015. Earhart said veterans understand structure,
Allen, also a member of the current Police and he has found the public supportive of the
Academy class, said everybody was supportive troops.
We Salute
All of Our
Fellow Veterans!
Frank Garcia poses for a photo with the first birdhouse he made, while some
of his more elaborate birdhouses are shown behind him in his makeshift
showroom at his home in the Oak Bend Mobile Home Park south of Ocala.
Bruce Ackerman / OCALA STAR-BANNER
Veterans of Foreign Wars

McCullough-Mixson Post 4209 & Auxiliary
(The Ocala Post with the tank)
4805 NE 36th Ave, Ocala 34479
All Veterans are welcome at our Post!
Veterans get an
EDITORS LETTER, PAGE 10 We profile World War II vet-
erans. We look at medical and
Advantage
I get behind that (work)
social services available to help Traditional Medicare Insurance and Veterans Benefits
table and lose track of time,
Garcia told me. I get involved.
vets. We chronicle the efforts of May Qualify You For
people to get pictures to match
I tell Garcias story at
the beginning of this spe-
all the names on the Vietnam EXTRA BENEFITS
cial magazine because I think Veterans Memorial wall.
I hope you enjoy this maga-
ON YOUR MEDICARE HEALTH PLAN
its representative of Marion
Countys veteran scene. Where zine and take the chance to get
Im here to get you access to all the VA benefits you
are the veterans? They are to know the veterans who live
everywhere. here and learn about the ser- deserve. Veterans, you may be missing out on extra
Not just at the Veterans Day vices that our community offers benefits with more doctors, hospitals and extra coverage.
and Memorial Day ceremonies. them.
Not just at the VFW halls and They say its an honor to serve Call Me Today To
your country. Quite right. Its
AmVets posts.
They are our neighbors, our also an honor to write about the
Find Out If You
friends. They sit next to us at people who wore the uniform. Qualify
church and stand in front of us Contact Jim Ross at 671-6412
at the grocery store. They are or jim.ross@starbanner.com. Patti Palermo
people like Frank Garcia, toiling Follow him on Twitter @jimros- Palermo@Associates
away in his shed making works sOSB. To reach Frank Garcia,
of art. call 615-6599 or send email to
352-216-4385
(offices on St. Rt. 200
In this magazine we try to frontyardbirdhouses@gmail.
and on SE 17th Street)
bring you a variety of stories. com
V E T ER A N S | 45
FIGHTING FOR A GOOD CAUSE
First Celebrity Boxing Benefit
L
ast month, many Marion County government leaders got
together for a celebrity boxing event at the Southeastern
Livestock Pavilion in Ocala. The event was to benefit Vet-
erans Helping Veterans, which offers many services to the
local veterans community. This could become an annual event.
The veterans group will benefit from county governments plan to
transform the old bowling alley on East Silver Springs Boulevard east
of 25th Avenue into a one-stop center for veterans. That project could
be completed before the end of this year.
Chin music: County Commissioner Stan McClain, left, catches a left hook to the chin from Jacob Sampson. Doug Engle/Star-Banner
Too close to call: County Commissioner David Moore, left, and opponent Jesse Sampson tied in their bout. Doug Engle/Star-Banner
County Commissioner
Kathy Bryant shows off
her muscles to Tax Col-
lector George Albright
before her bout. Doug
Engle/Star-Bannerw
THE HEARTBREAKING KNOCK
Military man must

bear the bad news
than 20 cases, each of which takes nearly a year to close out. Fort
Irwin, for instance, has yet to issue the results of its investigation into
the death of Michael Tucker, which Callis says is par for the course.
While no two fatality scenarios are identical, Callis says many
families whove had relatives in Iraq and Afghanistan tend to sub-
consciously brace themselves for the worst with a sense of fatalism.
Bolts from the blue, like the Tucker accident, are perhaps even more
unnerving. And there have been a number of grim surprises like those
lately.
In addition to motor vehicle wrecks, training accidents, and fatal
illnesses, an alarming number of deaths are self-inflicted. The num-
bers are staggering, Callis says. Id say 30, 35 percent of what were
getting now are self-inflicted. Theyre not broken down into causes.
Maybe it was PTSD, maybe there was a divorce, maybe substance
abuse we just dont have all the answers.
Army reservist Corteney Callis is a casualty notification officer whose job
is to inform the families of the loss of a military veteran. NICK ADAMS / Serving as mentor
Gatehouse staff photo Either way, someone has to be the messenger. And to that end,
Callis is something of an anomaly.
By Billy Cox
Gatehouse Media
RETIRING?
T
he knock on the door came at 10 p.m. or thereabouts
on June 2, 2015, just as James Tucker and his wife,
Gerda, were preparing to pack it in for the night. An
Army officer and a military chaplain stood waiting on
the front porch. Tucker blurted it out: Is it one of
LETS TALK.
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my boys? It can also be confusing. You dont have to figure out how to get
Tucker had two sons in the Army, Michael and Jimmy, both of through it on your own. I can help you create a retirement income
plan for your own unique situation.
whom had survived overseas war-zone deployments. Both were
stateside now, and out of harms way, or so it seemed. But it was Well focus on important decisions you need to consider during this
time: electing Social Security, choosing health care options, and
Michael. Stationed at Californias Fort Irwin National Training
strategies for converting your savings into income to last for life.
Center, Michael, 37, had been killed when the Humvee he was driving
An income plan can help smooth the transition from receiving a
took a tumble in the Mojave Desert. No other details were available. paycheck to creating your own paycheck. I can help guide you
Dizzy with disbelief, Tucker had to sit down as Florida National through this new phase in your life.
Guard casualty notification officer Corteney Callis provided an emo- Contact me today to schedule an appointment.
tional shoulder to lean on. But Callis also had to keep a grieving father
focused on the tedium of protocols, travel arrangements, a maze of B. Diana Williams
Financial Services Representative
red tape. Ultimately, the ordeal played out like clockwork during Princor Registered Representative
burial ceremonies at Sarasota National Cemetery. Financial Advisor
50 SE 16th Avenue
The whole thing was very professional, and Corteney did every- Ocala, FL 34471
thing down to the letter, says the 61-year-old Vietnam era Army (352) 629-6556
williams.diana@princor.com
veteran, who visits his sons grave each week. He was very soft-
spoken and very concerned about me. And I know that if I needed 2016 Principal Financial Services, Inc. Insurance products
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AD3040 | t16020100c2
Closing in on 30 years with the Florida Army
National Guard, Callis assignments have been
diverse. From working the statewide fires of
1998 to disaster relief during Floridas four
2004 hurricanes to infrastructure assistance for
Afghanistan in 2006, Callis attained the rank of
lieutenant colonel only to resign his commission
in 2014.
Its very rare, I know, but I didnt feel like
my work was done, says Callis, an artillery
specialist and licensed general contractor. I
wanted to continue to serve, but not at that
level. I wanted to be out in the field as a mentor
to junior officers.
After assuming his cut-in-pay role as a chief
warrant officer with the Guards 53rdInfantry
Brigade, Callis was asked if hed like another
job as well: coordinator of the Armys casualty
notification program in Florida. After all, hed
Its very rare, I know, but I didnt feel

like my work was done. I wanted to
continue to serve, but not at that level.
I wanted to be out in the field as a
mentor to junior officers.
CORTENEY CALLIS
worked that detail, too. Today, Callis has mili-

tary house-call teams in place for the entire state.
He personally delivers bad news from Tampa to
Naples.
I try to treat people the same way Id want
my family to be treated,says the married father
of four, but its not for everybody, obviously.
Some people I train, they come back and say I
dont ever want to do this again, and thats OK,
thats fine, I appreciate that. At least theyve
gotten a taste of it and they know what its like.
Sitting in strangers living rooms, leafing
through photo albums as the bereaved apply
flesh and blood to the sterile numbers, Callis
has witnessed the full range of grief. He also has
worked rare but no less provocative repatria-
tion cases from wars so distant they may have
outlived memory. Recently, he located relatives
of a GI whose previously forgotten remains came
home more than 60 years after his death in Korea.
The job can also require navigating the brit-
tle psychological terrain of blended or broken
families. Callis remembers his first-ever case, in
James Tuckers son Michael died during Army training in the Mojave 2007, years before he went full time with casualty
Desert in June 2015. Casualty notification officer Corteney Callis of
notification. Sarasotas Christopher North had
Sarasota was assigned to break the news to the family.
just been killed by a roadside bomb in Iraq.
COURTESY PHOTO / JAMES TUCKER
James Tuckers son Michael died during Army training in the Mojave Desert in June 2015. Casualty notification officer Corteney Callis of Sarasota was assigned
to break the news to the family. COURTESY PHOTO / JAMES TUCKER
Norths parents were divorced. His Even so, Riedler says Callis was Augustine resident is well acquainted
mother, Cheryl Riedler, had been out absolutely fabulous during the ordeal with the toll it takes on the messenger.
that morning as Callis and a chap- and adds, I dont know how he does Thats why Corteneys such a great
lain made two unsuccessful house call what he does. selection for the job, because he can
attempts. But her ex had been notified in Some survivors relationships are so cry with the family but he can keep it
the meantime, and Riedler found out her toxic, in fact, that rigid seating arrange- together enough to help them see the
son was dead through a relatives text ments are essential to keep the funeral future, he says. Thats kind of a rare
message. And then there was that awk- from getting worse than it already is. combination but its exactly the kind of
ward graveside moment at the funeral. Callis says the only way to win is to play officer you want.
Expecting to receive the flag that it straight by the book. There can be a But that kind of stress is eventually
shrouded Christophers casket, Riedler lot of drama, so you have to be profes- going to catch up with you. And I think
watched as it was presented to Chris- sional and just do your job, he says. Corteney knows you cant do this full
tophers father instead. Although she Sometimes theyll ask me to take sides, time for years. You have to take care of
was given a second folded flag on the and all I can say is, You guys need to yourself, too.
spot, it did little to relieve the sting of settle that in probate, Im just trying to Just a year into the assignment, Callis
the moment. As Callis explains, Chris- stay in my lane. says the experience has taught him the
topher had named his dad as the PADD, Like Callis, Maj. Jeff Peppers, the importance of getting his own affairs in
or Person Authorized to Direct Disposi- support chaplain for the Florida Guard, order. He also insists hell know when
tion. Tell that to a mom, though, says fields a lot of questions with answers that to quit. I think the day I stop crying,
Callis. That was extremely painful to cant be found in the manual. In helping he says, will be the day I dont do this
watch. survivors accept the unthinkable, the St. anymore.
Thank You
TO ALL OUR
VETERANS AND THOSE
WHO SERVE TODAY.
GOD BLESS
AMERICA
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