Reunion 2007

Richard Peterson (Pete) and Victor Cook at the 7/17th Cavalry reunion, August 2007. Pete and Vic are original Blue Ghosts. Photos in this album were provided by Victor Cook.

7/17th Cavalry Reunion - Louisville and Fort Knox, Ky. August 8-12, 2007

This is a great Article

Fw: This is a great article!‎

From: Adam Mouton (adam.mouton@cox.net)

Sent: Mon 8/13/07 7:20 AM

 

'Eagles Up!' to defend against ANSWER's Washington protest By C.J. Raven U.S. Veteran Dispatch August 12, 2007 The highly-decorated Army officer who coined the phrase "Gathering of Eagles" is calling the flock together again. Retired Col. Harry Riley is giving the "Eagles Up" order for Sept. 15 in Washington to confront the ANSWER anti-war group. ANSWER is supported by such individuals and groups as Ramsey Clark, Cindy Sheehan, Muslim American Society Freedom Foundation, National Council of Arab Americans, Code Pink and similar organizations. "We will be sending a message to Congress and to the administration and to the troops that we've got their backs and Gen. (David) Petraeus' back," Riley said. "We're there. They're not alone, and they're worth fighting for." ANSWER's week-long rally Sept. 15-21 will protest Petraeus' Sept. 15 report to Congress on the success of the surge in Iraq. ANSWER's leaders are calling for 1 million supporters to crowd Washington and protest the war to Congress and the White House. The group says the U.S. cannot achieve military victory in Iraq. ANSWER believes the antiwar movement must take "strategic and bold initiatives that change the political climate in this country." Part of that strategy includes staging a mock funeral and a "die-in," during which they expect 4,000 participants will try to capture the attention of national news media by being arrested. "Nothing will be safe in Washington, D.C. from the hate spewing, anti-America rabble Sept. 15," Riley said in an e-mail to Eagles. "These groups have been involved in vandalizing, destructive, and dishonorable behavior for decades, not only in Washington but across America." The September Eagles Up will offer another view of America's responsibilities to its citizens and military. "We will defend the honor of America, our current warriors, and particularly protect the sacred honor and hallowed ground of our brothers and sisters gone before," Riley said, speaking from his home in Florida. "America is in a slumber. Are we waking? I don't know. I hope so. Our nation is in great danger if we do not pick up the flag and say, This I will defend to the ultimate." Eagles first came together in Washington in March to face down anti-war demonstrators who threatened to damage public buildings and memorials. They again successfully turned away protesters determined to deface the Vietnam War Memorial on Memorial Day. Some estimates placed the Eagles' number as high as 30,000 against the anti-war group's 10,000. Eagles who attended the Memorial Day rally say protesters were shocked at the resistance they faced. Code Pink and the anti-war group were outnumbered and overwhelmed by the support they saw for America. Riley said the same protesters have a lot of events scheduled for September, but he's hoping Eagles will demoralize them again. Eagles are men and women of all ages, races and socioeconomic strata who periodically gather nationally, or in their own hometowns, to show support for American military members. Many are veterans or family members of active service personnel. Riley hopes to see hundreds of thousands of Eagle boots on the ground for the September rally. Already making plans to attend are Move America Forward, Military Order of the Purple Heart, Gathering of Eagles and Rolling Thunder. "We'll be there to show there's another view of America other than the anti-war people," he said. "No one challenged them in the '60s. We fought so they can walk down streets and protest. That's their right. But it doesn't mean we fought, died and bled so they can have the freedom to destroy our public memorials and buildings." Eagles will gather near the Mall, although the exact time and location haven't been finalized. A list of suggested hotel accommodations is available at Riley's Web site, www.eaglesup.us. The site also has a list of suggested items to take to the rally and do's and don'ts for protesting effectively. Riley, recipient of the Silver Star, the Bronze Star, the Legion of Merit and a host of other medals, is a Vietnam veteran who has never forgotten the protests against that war and the scorn faced by returning soldiers. He is determined that men and women fighting in Iraq will not face the same treatment upon their return. "Many of us feel that America is perilously close to falling back into the same mindset of the '60s when our government failed America and failed the people of Southeast Asia," he said. "(The enemy) was way over there and there was no thought of them coming to us here. Now it's different. They're already here. We know they've already attacked us. If we do not stand up for America those people are going to view our actions as a surrender tactic, and it will embolden them

John Shepardson Blue Ghost 6x

Then and now. John in 1968 on Hawk Hill with his C-Model and in 2007 at the VHPA Reunion. Except for the scratches on the windshield, nothing has changed.

Then and now. 1968, 2007

McKenzie

66134-R1-01-1_002.jpg

Photos submitted by Victor Cook, scout crew chief and door gunner 1967-68. Vic made these photos in RVN and had them send home where they remained until 2007 when he viewed them for the first time. Billy McKenzie was the scout platoon leader, Blue Ghost Red, in 1967.

John Alejandro

Photo submitted by John Alejandro, Lift Platoon, 1970-71

Agent Orange

Sick Agent Orange vets owed benefits - U.S. court

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - A U.S. appeals court ruled Monday that Vietnam veterans who contracted prostate cancer and diabetes after exposure to Agent Orange should get retroactive disability payments, setting legal precedent that could cover a wide range of illnesses associated with the toxic defoliant.

The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals affirmed a lower court ruling that held the Veterans Administration incorrectly interpreted rules to deny retroactive payments to veterans who filed claims after early 1994.

The court's three-judge panel held that the VA was bound under the terms of a 1991 consent decree to pay the benefits, in many cases back to the date the veteran first claimed them.

The ruling marked a victory for activists who have been seeking compensation and care for tens of thousands of Vietnam veterans who have fallen sick after battlefield exposure to Agent Orange, a herbicide that contains the known carcinogen dioxin.

The National Veterans Legal Services Program, which filed the initial Agent Orange suit in 1986, said the court's decision would guarantee payments to an estimated 1,200 veterans with Agent Orange-related prostate cancer, as well as thousands more who suffer from adult-onset diabetes.

In both cases, the Veterans Administration had sought to deny retroactive payments on the grounds that the diseases' connection with Agent Orange was not scientifically established when payment regulations were promulgated in 1994.

Barton Stichman, the group's executive director, said the appeals court's ruling could have a wide impact by forcing the Veterans Administration to pay retroactive benefits for illnesses that future scientific research may tie to Agent Orange.

"As time goes on, as a result of additional scientific studies, it becomes clearer that other diseases are associated with Agent Orange," Stichman said. "The Veterans Administration is going to have to accept that the same legal theory will cover these cases."

A Veterans Administration spokeswoman said VA lawyers were reviewing the ruling and would have no immediate comment.

At least 9 million gallons of Agent Orange was sprayed on Vietnam between 1962 and 1970. The chemical got its nickname from the orange stripe on the barrels in which it came.

It has been linked with 10 diseases, including lung cancer, prostate cancer and diabetes.

Scientists are also probing possible links between Agent Orange and childhood leukemia among children of veterans, while Vietnam's government has blamed Agent Orange for causing tens of thousands of birth defects in Vietnam and demanded compensation.

After Agent Orange was found to cause cancer in laboratory rats, the U.S. military suspended its use in 1970 and halted all herbicide spraying in Vietnam the following year.

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Here is the full published opinion of the three judge panel of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco.   http://www.ca9.uscourts.gov/ca9/newopinions.nsf/28D4FD1ECE6EEC3B8825731D0057D6DD/$file/0615179.pdf?openelement

Victor Cook Blue Ghost 12 CE

Summer of 1967, Fort Knox, Ky. Static display of C Troop 7/17th Cavalry. Vic deployed to RVN in Oct 67 and flew as a Scout Crew Chief and Door Gunner.

Victor Cook was an original Blue Ghost 1967-68