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ViętNow warmly welcomes all Veterans as members. We
encourage all Veterans to join ViętNow by clicking
here or by phoning
1-800-837-VNOW. In Illinois phone 1-815-277-5100
Welcome to the 19 Annual ViętNow Convention
in Rockford, Illinois
Vietnam Veteran & granddad, John Grogan,
shares a moment
with his daughter, Hannah
"From Brotherhood to Family"
How did ViętNow get started?
Legend has it that
in Vietnam, sometime in 1969, two soldiers from the same hometown
(Rockford, Illinois) met each other on a hilltop near Pleiku and promised
each other that if they ever made it back home, they would get together to
talk over their wartime adventures. Sometime in the early 1980s, a group
of Vietnam veterans did come together to share their experiences.
From those beginnings, ViętNow was
formed...first with a group in Rockford that just kept growing and growing, until a few years later, the group went national, forming
chapters all around the country. Since those days, ViętNow has changed
with the times...starting with a focus on the Vietnam experience, and
along the way accepting all veterans and tackling veterans' issues
right up to the present day.
Trang Nguyen was a child in Vietnam when these brave soldiers
and their fallen brothers
were fighting to keep her country free. She
came and thanked each Vet
in the audience for his or her sacrifice
and for the sacrifice of those
who
did not return. Seen here speaking
to all while next to ViętNow National President,
Rich Sanders.
After his presentation for The FAIR Foundation, Dr. Darling joined the
National
Delegates at their dinner ceremony: L-R: Scott
Morrison, President, Minocqua,
Wisconsin
Chapter; Dr. Darling; Robert Kolling, National Chairman, Hepatitis C Awareness
Committee; Matt Davison, National Incarcerated Veterans Chairman
This photo and the last photo on this page are courtesy of
Sara
Kwiatkowski, daughter of Vietnam Veteran Ed Kwiatkowski, 1st
Chicago Chapter ViętNow
But no matter what
the issue, the primary focus of ViętNow has always been on the veterans and the
families of the veterans. Important issues ViętNow is working to improve
are the following: POW/MIAs, Agent Orange, Homeless Vets, Support of
“Women in Military Service Memorial,” VA Hospital volunteers, Gulf War
Illness, PTSD (Post-traumatic Stress Disorder Illness), Incarcerated
Veterans, lobbying efforts in Washington, DC, and Hepatitis C.
Dr. Darling with
Major General John L. Borling, USAF (retired)
Major General Borling
spent over 6˝
years as a POW in Hanoi. His
37-year military career included
Head of
Operations for Strategic
Air Command (SAC)--responsible for SAC’s execution of the nation’s
nuclear war plan. Most recently
Chief of Staff
of NATO’s Headquarters North.
Photo courtesy of Bob Gutsche
Indeed, hepatitis C is the single most
important emerging pathogen in the VA healthcare system. The prevalence in
veterans is 20-30% with as many as 280,000-350,000 being infected.
Hepatitis C accounts for 55% of all liver transplants in the VA and 63%
of all infected Veterans fought in the Vietnam War. Many attribute
this high number to the injection guns used to
inoculate troops during that era. Hepatitis C kills almost as many
Americans as AIDS and is 3-5 times as prevalent. The NIH is spending $25
on each Vet with Hepatitis C in research versus $3,084 on each AIDS
patient.
ViętNow members present a check to Michelle Baugh and Jim Sampers,
National Board
members of the organization,
"Son's and Daughters in
Touch-They Were our Fathers"
to help finance return trips to Vietnam by the children of the men
who
perished in Vietnam. Son's
and Daughters in Touch (SDIT) helps the children
of Vietnam
Vets who make this pilgrimage to visit and memorialize the sites where
their fathers were killed in action. L-R: ViętNow National Directors John Davis
& Darrell Gilgan; National Treasurer Terry Buscher; John (Augie) Augustynowiz,
National
Director; Rich Sanders, National President; Jim Sampers and Michelle
Baugh of SDIT; Jim Stepanek, National Vice President
Michelle Baugh in Vietnam where she memorialized her dad
SP4 Richard E. Givens, and
brought pictures of his grandchildren to
be with granddad.
At the final day's breakfast ceremony
National ViętNow Chaplain John L.
Steer
led prayers and
sang to
the his fellow veterans the telling song, "He Ain't
Heavy, he's my
Brother." Everyone stood and held hands with emotions
flowing as he led all Veterans and their families in singing
"God Bless America."
POW/MIAs...Never Forgotten...
Indeed, God Bless America.
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