Case for Support and Voices : simplebooklet.com

The Veterans Memorial Support Foundation of Los Gatos The Veterans Memorial Support Foundation of Los Gatos VMSFLG is a 501 c 3 nonprofit organization formed to honor and support United States Military service members veterans and their families The VMSFLG is staffed solely by volunteers veterans military advisors parents of active service members and ordinary citizens who look to honor express gratitude and support those who defend America s freedom Our network of donors and volunteers share a mission to Establish and support the ongoing maintenance of a veterans memorial in Los Gatos that delivers honor respect and gratitude to active service members and veterans and to their contributions and sacrifices in support of America s freedom Educate the community on the sacrifices borne by those who have defended America s freedom Support yellow ribbon programs in perpetuity that deliver humanitarian support to service members veterans and their families and in particular provide support to heroes returning from deployment in adjusting to civilian life The current focus of the VMSFLG is to deliver on the first tenet of our mission erect and donate a world class veterans memorial to the Town of Los Gatos one of the few towns in the Bay Area without one The opportunity to build a memorial in such a prominent place in the center of Los Gatos is both a profound privilege and responsibility Once complete the VMSFLG will utilize the memorial not only as a symbol of honor and respect but also as a platform to increase awareness raise funds in support of our community s veterans and their reintegration into civilian life and provide other vital services and educational outreach programs Why a Veteran s Memorial in Los Gatos Los Gatos resident and president of the board Kent Hillhouse Vietnam War Throughout the proud history of Los Gatos residents and community members have participated in the ongoing struggle to defend and maintain our freedom many giving their own lives Currently there are over 80 members of our own community serving on active duty Yet today there is no place to memorialize and celebrate the sacrifice of the men and women who have answered the call In 2012 the VMSFLG was created to set this change in motion They paid the ultimate price and handed us the torch to carry on California has the largest veteran population in the United States at 1 952 910 Over 200 000 California veterans live in poverty There are now between 22 and 26 veteran suicides per day across the country Fifty six percent 56 of veterans under the age of 26 are unemployed Above George Hall vice president John Lochner board director Ellen Manzo board director and Major General Kent Hillhouse U S Army Ret and foundation president Special Forces Ryan Hall left from Los Gatos on his fifth deployment to the Middle East The memorial will celebrate active service members and veterans of the U S Army Navy Marines Coast Guard Air Force Merchant Marines and their families It will also recognize local first responders and the two Los Gatos heroes who bravely attempted to regain cockpit control during the September 11 2001 hijacking of United Flight 93 The memorial will serve to commemorate the liberty made possible by all U S veterans with the support of first responders and local heroic citizens showing that Los Gatos cares

Page 3

Artist Frank Kocian Morris award winning designer illustrator and portrait artist designed the memorial His work includes being selected by the U S Treasury for the coveted role of Master Designer for the U S Mint where he designed three Congressional Gold Medals to honor the WWII Native American Code Talkers and several U S currency quarters and collector coins What better person to design a memorial for veterans than that of a veteran himself Morris served in the U S Air Force The Soldier s Cross is the soul of what it takes to maintain freedom despite all of us wanting world peace Embedded within the flame the beauty of its subtlety portrays a deep internal spirituality something like sacrifice devotion commonality integration connection and oneness It is a voice we need in Los Gatos Dr Clyde Horn Vietnam Veteran The Flame of Liberty The VMSFLG board conducted a national artist s challenge to secure renderings for the memorial design and following public and stakeholder reviews of the top designs recommended its final choice to the Los Gatos Town Council The Town Council has approved the conceptual design the Flame of Liberty by award winning Artist Frank Kocian Morris and has generously donated designated a prime location in the Redwood Grove area of the Los Gatos Civic Center for this memorial The Flame of Liberty will be a sculpture of an eternal flame inspired by the flame of the Statue of Liberty The sculpture is proposed to be made of a thin steel wire frame with sections within the frame filled with thick transparent champagnecolored antique glass evoking the style of a lighthouse lantern or a stained glass window A tough outer layer of clear polycarbonate plastic will protect the memorial from damage Nestled within the interior of the flame will be a second smaller bronze sculpture of the Soldier s Cross a nationally recognized symbol in the form of a helmet resting on an inverted rifle representing the service and ultimate sacrifice of America s fallen military members A serpentine Wall of Honor will serve as the backdrop to the sculpture with the interior light of the flame casting a dramatic nighttime glow on the memorial wall Bronze insignias bas reliefs will recognize the branches of the United States Military The Los Gatos historic fire bell cast in 1899 and historically used to summon firefighters and police will recognize first responders who routinely combine forces with the U S Military in playing a pivotal role in homeland security The Flame of Liberty will engage visitors in the rich history of our military educate viewers of the roles the military has played throughout the history of our country inspire pride in service for those who have served and for those who may develop a desire to serve and honor and express gratitude for the individual contributions and sacrifices borne by those who have defended the freedom we so cherish The Soldier s Cross above first came into being during the Civil War as service members placed the bayonet into the ground identifying the place of the remains of a comrade for later removal Over time the Soldier s Cross a symbol void of any religious connotation has been adopted by all branches of the military and used in tributes to the fallen on deployment where funerals and other services are not possible

Page 4

The Liberty Campaign United We Stand in Gratitude The Flame of Liberty memorial will stand in appreciation of all past current and future veterans and shine an eternal reminder on our community of the value of our personal freedom To accomplish our mission and ignite the Flame of Liberty the Foundation proposes a 2 58 million capital campaign The campaign will require the committed involvement and financial support of our local community members past and present military servicemen and women and their families businesses and foundations who share in our mission to honor express gratitude for and support those who risk their lives to defend America s freedom The VMSFLG plans to conduct celebrations in connection with national holidays that will preserve the history of America s military and educate the community of the role the military has played in our nation s development America s veterans will have a magnificent venue at which to tell their stories of undaunted courage heroic sacrifice and awe inspiring commitment and share the spirit of those who have put so much on the line to extend to all of us the limitless horizons of our freedom We will continue to invite donors and organizations to support the production and maintenance of this long overdue tribute as well as fund and support the critical needs of our service members veterans and their families Let us stand united as one united in gratitude united in Los Gatos General Project Requirements Direct Campaign Costs 1 917 842 Includes Cost of memorial construction and site preparation plaques honoraria and recognition landscaping architecture fees contingencies and escalation Indirect Campaign Costs 666 563 Includes Start up costs goal feasibility study and campaign costs pledge construction financing pledge shrinkage allowance endowment for maintenance support insurance and operations support for Yellow Ribbon Program two years Preliminary Campaign Goal 2 584 405 Many but not all Foundation board members are veterans or have held prominent positions with the military Fran Harvey former 19th Secretary of the U S Army and a director on 14 U S based corporate boards acts as Foundation Advisor The President of the Foundation Major General U S Army Ret Kent Hillhouse is a Vietnam veteran recognized with the Distinguished Service Medal two Silver Stars for valor Legion of Merit the Bronze Star and a Purple Heart for wounds received in combat Founder and Board Director Michael Frangadakis is a Vietnam veteran who served in the 44th Medical Brigade in the highlands of Vietnam and continues to serve through active reserve duty Board Director Gil Decker is a former Assistant Secretary of the Army and a career advisor and consultant to the DOD Board Director John Lochner a former two time Los Gatos mayor served during the Korean War in the 118th Combat Engineer Battalion as Sergeant First Class deployed to Germany during the Berlin Airlift and Navy veteran Jim Free chairs the Campbell Veterans Memorial and also serves as a Foundation Advisor Honoring Our Veterans Veterans Memorial Support Foundation of Los Gatos P O Box 1696 Los Gatos California 95031 www HonorAVet org 408 354 6853

Page 5

Page 6

Page 7

Page 8

Page 9

Page 10

Page 11

Page 12

Page 13

Page 14

Page 15

COMMUNITY INTEREST By Sgt Clyde R Horn It was one of life s special moments You may know what I mean My son Nicolas or Nick as we call him let me know he had booked a flight for me for four days in Washington D C paying for a hotel and my flight to meet him in the city Tears for my deep pain of 50 years It was 50 years to this year I had returned from the Vietnam War as a combat soldier and Purple Heart recipient I had been saying I was now ready to visit the Vietnam Memorial but was I really Tears for the sacrifices in serving our Country The truth is it took the encouragement and support of my son to make the step years of acknowledging my PTSD Post Traumatic Stress and work with other veterans To say I was anxious is to minimize my feelings I was scared to death I experienced six fellow soldiers that died in battles in the month of December 1967 alongside me I needed to touch and etch their names on paper to honor them I needed to touch the Wall to let them go My hand becomes part of the history of soldiers before and after me I m now ready to look for the six soldier names who died next to me We waited awhile to go to the Vietnam Memorial visiting other Memorials Museums and landmarks before taking the step Even thinking of visiting the Memorial brings tears to my eyes The question is Can I do it The last name is too high to reach so she secures a ladder climbs to the top and etches the name for us After visiting the World War II Memorial the Korean War Memorial and the Lincoln Memorial we turn the bend to walk to the Vietnam Memorial my war my experience of one solid year 1967 1968 in combat As we come around a bend I see a curve and wall of deep reflective granite I stop 58 286 names of those soldiers who died Emotions overtake me as my son holds me while I sob He holds me with love as I leak my emotions Tears for the generations of soldiers who preceded me in wars Tears for my trauma I walk with courage to the Wall touching it feeling the power of healing My son and I approach a woman Ranger with my list of names She embraces us with honor We receive paper and a crayon to etch the names I ask my son to etch the names because I m too weak with emotion The Ranger stays by our side She senses I m a wounded warrior Immediately after the last name is etched it begins to rain with thunder It s impossible to etch names with a hard rain Tears from heaven I Believe It s Done Private First Class John D Barnett age 19 Specialist 4 Junius C Collier age 21 Private First Class Gordon T Dalton age 23 Specialist 4 Anthony Mantouvales age 27 Private First Class Raymond L Zimmerman age 26 Specialist 4 Junior E Lott age 24 All confirmed deceased Fellow warriors of the 199th Light Infantry Brigade I will always remember Tears for those who died next to me 12 BestVersionMedia com

Page 16

COMMUNITY INTEREST No Holds Barred Meet Specialist Ryan Hall Army Ranger from Los Gatos Following His Five Deployments to the Middle East By Ellen Manzo Board Director Veterans Memorial Support Foundation of Los Gatos Being a Ranger has changed my life It has shown me what I can do physically and that life is not just a physical battle but more of a mental battle no matter what You really see that your physical abilities are limited only by your mental state To become a Ranger you have to do four weeks of what is considered the most hellish thing on earth You are starved sleep deprived and exercised beyond belief Those four weeks feel like forever It is not just a test of the mental and physical Candidates also have to know their history While you re getting smoked doing a bunch of push ups not getting sleep and having to do exercises candidates also have to study because if you don t pass a written test you don t become a Ranger Ryan Hall is an Army Ranger from Los Gatos who served five deployments in the Middle East once to Iraq and four times to Afghanistan He became an Army Ranger an elite soldier in Special Operations to make the greatest contribution he could to America He credits his father for instilling in him the value to always be the best even if it calls for taking the most challenging road The U S Army puts recruits through extensive rigor as its soldiers compete for this coveted position Of those who enlist only about 0 5 meet all the requirements to ultimately join the Ranger force Ryan knew as he volunteered for Special Operations that he was likely to be called upon for multiple deployments When asked if there was any positive attraction about returning to the front Ryan commented My brothers were going and I had to go to make sure they returned home Second at the end of deployment one could see the major difference we made with enemy forces and the significant impact made by my unit Being part of something that changes the world is uplifting and it makes one just want to keep going Ryan and his wife are currently expecting their first child so returning to war is not on his radar screen at present However if Ryan was called upon to serve in a war that threatened his family Ryan would sign on again without hesitation Ryan s a huge believer that serving is something Everyone needs to do Giving up some day to day basic freedoms and building a stronger self made me the man I am today Ranger training was grueling and exhausting at first but became much easier following adjustment Ryan described the bonds it created with his brothers as unbreakable On Ryan s first deployment he saw and appreciated all the hell he had been put though and realized that boot camp prepared him for most everything he was to meet on the battlefield A typical day on deployment included waking up working out attending a briefing eating performing the day s mission working out again eating again sleep repeat As Ryan looks back on his service he considers his greatest challenge the loss of friends killed in action He views the greatest lessons learned were true friendship survival skills how to follow orders and hold his tongue even when orders were given by someone whose command he didn t respect In Ryan s words 16 LOS GATOS Living NOVEMBER 2016 Serving was an eye opener No school could have adequately prepared me There is no way someone could ever learn the kinds of lessons gleaned from serving without experiencing it firsthand My perspective of life changed as a result of having this experience Most notably I discovered how big in ways and how small in others our world really is Repatriation back to America is a continual struggle for Ryan and many veterans Repatriating is like restarting my life from scratch and I find that I now don t fit in with most of the people around me At first he didn t feel the support of his community Now that support fortunately keeps growing in every direction thanks to individuals close and far Ryan returned to America in December 2012 and then served two years in the Army Reserves His advice for his fellow veterans is to find the help you deserve We don t like asking or seeking help but that is the best thing we can do for ourselves and for our future Second look for resources outside the VA for help There are many resources available to veterans and most do a great job of getting us on the right path Some veterans suffer Post Traumatic Stress Disorder PTSD as a result of their service Ryan has worked with other veterans at the Veterans Administration Hospital and therefore has a view greater than that of his own He concludes that there are basically two levels of PTSD Ryan remarked A service member may first experience PTSD given the obvious traumatic experiences one is exposed to while in combat My own observation is that service members who suffer from PTSD deal pretty well with PTSD while on the front and manage to move on I think that is because our brothers are there and have gone through the same thing to a greater or lesser degree While in combat we re able to support each other and see the light at the end of the tunnel every day Often times a service member may experience PTSD a second time during the acclimation back at home according to Ryan and this second round can have greater intensity That second round of PTSD emanates from what Ryan views as that which society imposes upon the returning combat veteran There is a double edged sword behind the publicity given to PTSD To the positive the public now knows that PTSD is commonly suffered when one experiences trauma PTSD was not well understood in prior conflicts In WWII shell shocked was the phrase often used to refer to the symptoms exhibited by a service member who suffered PTSD Society has come a long way in better understanding PTSD and today recognizes that PTSD is a disorder that veterans have to learn to overcome to the best of their ability through therapy and other means knowing that

Page 17

it will always be present in the shadows However to the negative that publicity has created the common perception that one should be weary of most former combat veterans for there s an assumption that they are likely to experience PTSD symptoms Ryan remarked Perhaps the worst thing that anyone could ever say to a former combat veteran is There is something wrong with you And they often next suggest that the veteran can fix it There is nothing wrong with that returning veteran Human behavior encourages a fight or flight response when presented with conflict or a threat In the military we are taught to ignite from zero to 100 mph towards conflict What might appear as combat anger or how we may react in the face of conflict was part of our military training to the point of becoming the integral fabric that kept us alive on the frontline If a soldier was upset while on the front and angry words were spoken the disruption was quickly resolved and everyone was sent on their way However this reactionary behavior which is how I was trained to behave as an Army Ranger is not adaptable to the normal way of life in America and can result in negative consequences Today s society is complacent and scared of the things the outside world has to show us Sometimes the stereotypes of veterans scare the public I find people fear the vet who has experienced war and trauma As a result we re often shunned away due to the general belief that there is something wrong with us And the irony is that one would expect just the opposite reaction Upon return to America I initially expected that veterans would be welcomed with open arms for the reason that as a community we are individuals who try to do good by protecting others The Veterans Memorial Support Foundation is a newly formed 501 c 3 non profit headquartered in Los Gatos designed to support veterans We asked Ryan What would be the number one thing an organization such as the Veterans Memorial Support Foundation can do to assist those returning from active duty In Ryan s words Find our returning veterans Help them Walk them through the disability claims process Be their friends and give them a place to escape The main issue veterans face is the high suicide rate Every day we lose 20 American heroes as veterans commit suicide The VA and other organizations are loaded with red tape and only manage to care about its pocket book The same is true for America s doctors In my view doctors should be jumping at the bit to work for the VA to help veterans Regrettably sometimes people often are too self centered to care about anyone else The Veterans Memorial Support Foundation should find the vets Just ask what they need We don t want handouts We simply want a path on solid ground on which to put our feet as we launch into our next chapter of life How would Ryan define a perfect world Ryan said he wouldn t be fighting the VA to get the help he needs to fix his knee injuries He would have a job that he loves And he would be able to raise his little girl in a country in which the government was supportive of its people with the goal of helping and protecting its citizens The Veterans Memorial Support Foundation is a 501 c 3 non profit entity headquartered in Los Gatos California Its network of generous donors and volunteers share a mission to Erect a Veterans Memorial in Los Gatos that delivers honor respect and gratitude to active service members veterans and their families Educate the community about the sacrifices borne by those who have defended America s freedom Support programs in perpetuity that deliver humanitarian support to service members veterans and their families and in particular provide support to heroes returning from military deployment in adjusting to civilian life Information about the Foundation can be found at www honorAvet org SUBMIT CONTENT AT bestversionmedia com L I F E File Life Saving Information for Emergencies By Stephanie Stuehler Public Information Officer When responding to a medical emergency Firefighter Paramedics rely heavily upon the patient caretaker or family member to provide medical background information to help with treatment and care of the patient Occasionally patients are alone and unresponsive or caretakers are not knowledgeable of the patient s medical background Residents are now able to provide this life saving information in one place located on their refrigerator Firefighter Paramedics are trained to check the patient s refrigerator for medical information The L I F E File is a vinyl magnetic pouch that can be placed on the front or side of your refrigerator Personal emergency contact medical and medication information needs to be filled out on the L I F E File form that is provided with the vinyl pouch Instructions 1 Please fill out the L I F E File form completely in English 2 Fold the L I F E File form and place it inside the magnetic pouch 3 Enclose copies of any Advanced Directives DNR POLST Living Will etc in the pouch 4 Place the L I F E pouch on the front or side of your refrigerator To obtain one of these free life saving kits please call Santa Clara County Fire Department at 408 378 4010 stephanie stuehler sccfd org 408 341 4444 17

Page 18

Community Interest We Wait We Hope We Pray Until Our Son Comes Home Again By Genevieve Laucher Imagine not knowing where your child is what they are doing or even whether they are still alive This seems unfathomable to most parents but for George and Stacey Hall it was their reality for years Their son Ryan Hall grew up in Saratoga went to Saratoga High and was a first string player on the varsity football team He was offered multiple scholarships and was in his second year at Menlo College when he told George and Stacey that he was joining the army as an airborne ranger for Special Forces At first Stacey was shocked and even tried to talk him out of it but she and George ended up supporting Ryan and learning a lot However it was not easy Rangers are not allowed to tell anyone where they are going or what they are doing even after the fact Ryan was deployed to Iraq once and Afghanistan four times His last tour was when Obama took out Bin Laden Stacey and George know that rangers supported this operation but Ryan can never say whether he was involved One of the most difficult things for Stacey and George was seeing the death tolls on the news and never knowing whether Ryan was still alive Luckily he is and is now married with a five month old daughter but he lost several close friends 10 When Ryan returned he suffered from both PTSD and physical injuries and it was difficult to reintegrate into society It was astonishing for George and Stacey to see how little veterans needs are met and they realized that reintegration is a huge gap that needs to be addressed California is unfortunately one of the least veteran supported states in the country and the VA needs to change this and provide more support Now Stacey gives speeches to different organizations to spread awareness of children in our area that serve in the military Many parents never think this is a choice their children will make but if they have the drive and determination to defend the country in dangerous times they should be thanked and supported Stacey also wants to give back to those still serving George is the Vice President of the Veterans Memorial and Support Foundation of Los Gatos Even before Ryan was in the army George saw how terribly his friends who served in the Vietnam War were treated and he wanted to do something to change this perspective The Halls also want to help people realize that supporting veterans is not the same as supporting a war Regardless of people s positions on war men and women are sacrificing their lives to protect our rights and they deserve to be recognized BestVersionMedia com

Page 19

Page 20

Page 21

Page 22

Page 23

Page 24

Page 25

Page 26

Page 27

Page 28

Page 29

Page 30

Page 31

Page 32

Page 33

Page 34

Page 35

Page 36

Page 37

Page 38

Page 39

Page 40

Page 41

Page 42

Case for Support and Voices

Page 1

Page 2