So, we enter 2016. As usual, we all think about New Year’s resolutions and trying to do better
than we did last year. For many of us old guys
we are glad just to be around at the start of another
year.
As President of the KWVA, I am hoping we can continue in all
phases of our goal of making sure our organization grows and that the
preservation of our legacy is stronger than ever. We have some good
things going in both these areas that I am very pleased with.
Right now we need to be concentrating again on electing several
new leaders who will take us into the next 2-3 years. You will see in
this issue resumes of Korean veterans who are seeking office in the
top jobs of the KWVA. In June of this year we will have elected a new
President, 2 Vice Presidents and 4 new Directors. I am excited about
the number of candidates we have running this year. It is good to see
some very qualified people willing to take part in the leadership of the
KWVA.
As I have said every year about this time, we need to GET OUT
THE VOTE. It is actually a little embarrassing when we have so few
members take part in voting for the new leaders every year. Last year
I think we only had about 25% of our members who voted.
Some have said they don’t know those who are running and therefore
don’t know who to vote for. I ask you to call the candidates and
talk with them about the organization and why they want to be elected
or find someone at the national level who might know them and can
provide you with a recommendation. Most of all, encourage your fellow
chapter members to do the same thing. Let’s have a really good
turnout this year. Call me or Jim Fisher if you want to; we will be glad
to help you out.
I have felt for a long time we have not placed enough emphasis on
those who were Missing in Action or Killed in Action in the Korean
War. Col. Bill Weber and his foundation are making some good
progress with legislation to permit a Wall of Remembrance with the
names of those who were killed to be added to the Korean War
Memorial. In my view, this will be a good thing, and we hope to have
Congressional approval before the end of this year.
Our government has been very slow in recovering the remains of
those who are still listed as missing. Unfortunately, there are many
valid reasons for this, since we cannot get into North Korea, where so
many were killed. KWVA is making strong overtures to General (ret)
Michael Linnington, the new head of the DPAA, to offer any help we
can provide and make sure he knows of our strong interest in what
they are doing.
We are also receiving word from organizations in South Korea
that want to do more for the MIA and KIA families. MPVA is planning
a Revisit trip in May just for these families, and the Sae Eden
Presbyterian Church is planning such a trip in June. Both organizations
are looking to the KWVA to help locate living members of these
families to offer an opportunity for a trip to South Korea.
Military Historical Tours will be managing the May MPVA tour.
Several Sae Eden Church representatives around the country are
helping the church locate participants. If you know members of these
families who might be interested, please contact Warren Wiedhahn,
the KWVA Revisit Coordinator at Military Historical Tours for the
May Families tour, or Jim Fisher, our Executive Director, for the
church trip.
Many of you may know that Congressman Sam Johnson’s wife,
Shirley, passed away last December 3. Besides being a Korean War
veteran and a member of the KWVA, Congressman Johnson has
been, and is still, a huge supporter of our organization. The family
lives in Plano, TX, just north of Dallas. Several Korean veterans from
the Dallas/Ft Worth area attended the funeral at the First Methodist
church in Plano on December 7. I felt it appropriate to send flowers
from the KWVA to the family, and have just received a nice thank
you note, which is shown below.
ALERT—We have tried several times over the last year to negotiate
with the IRS about the possibility of amending the rule pertaining
to the issue of no more than 10% membership of non-war veterans.
This has not been successful. Now we need to proceed with trying
to get it changed through Congressional legislation.
We expect Congressman’s Johnson’s staff to be submitting a new
bill in Congress in the very near future. We will again need every
member of KWVA to help get it passed. More on this later.
PLEASE REVIEW RESUMES IN THIS ISSUE AND CAST
YOUR VOTE!!!
Larry Kinard, President
Korean War Veterans Association, Inc. (KWVA/US)