Last Chance to W in Your Dream Vacation Fund-Raiser Information ...

10
BUSINESS
Frank Cohee
In response to my
articles in the
May-June issue, I
received two
phone calls offering
to help me in
locating people or
providing requesters with information
on how to get their records even if they
were allegedly destroyed in the 1973
fire. I say “allegedly,” because I have
been informed that a lot of those records
that were supposedly destroyed were
only scorched and are still readable.
Member Robert Rudolph informed
me that if a Korean veteran lives in a
state that paid a bonus, they had to submit
their discharge papers to that state
in order to receive the bonus and those
records are on file in that state. He
specifically stated that was the case in
Michigan. The contact there is
Michigan Veterans Trust Fund, 3425 N.
Martin Luther King Blvd.,, Lansing MI
48906.
Member John Mallon, of Omaha,
NE, commented that he has been
involved in this type of thing for many
years and that there are many sources
outside of the records center to get
information, like the school system and
many others. I definitely will be contacting
John for help on future requests.
I received a request from Stanley
Kennedy, Department Vice Commander
of the American Legion. He was looking
for a certificate that could be presented
to Korean veterans acknowledging
their service in Korea. Fortunately, I
had such a certificate. Our webmaster,
Jim Doppelhammer, was able to locate
the source and I provided that information
to Stan.
Troy Howard, Commander of CID
223, asked when veterans can wear their
old military uniform for certain events.
He knew that it is appropriate on
Veterans Day, but are there any other
times veterans can wear their uniforms?
Here is my response to Howard: you can
wear it to any military-sponsored event
and any other event that is recognizing
the military or in Memorial Day, 4th of
July, or any other related military
Ask the Secretary
parades. Those are the legitimate times.
Personally, I wear mine whenever I
feel it is appropriate, e.g., at
Chapter/Department meetings, Tell
America presentations, at schools, etc. I
have never been challenged.
Here is something a little different:
how many of you remember Al Jolson,
one of the greatest in entertaining our
troops, along with the great Bob Hope?
I do, but what I do not remember is
where I saw him in Korea-Pusan, Masan
or Teague? Maybe you do. If so you
may want to respond to the following
request:
All Veterans of Korea!
We Need You!
Do You Remember That Great Entertainer,
Al Jolson?
Al performed before thousands of servicemen
and women during your time of service.
Jolson appeared in September 1950
at Tokyo, Yokohama, Pusan, Chinhae,
Masan, Miryang, Taegu, Kyonsong,
Fukuoka, Osaka, Kobe, Kyoto, and a final
show in Hawaii.
The International Al Jolson Society,
www.jolson.org, is seeking contact with
vets who saw Jolson entertain in any of
the many shows he did. If these soldiers
would write about their experiences, or
perhaps tape record their precious memories,
The Jolson Society would publish
these accounts and share them as part of
a special Jolson Service Project. Any photos
of these historical shows would be
greatly appreciated, too. This would be a
wonderful way to honor our brave vets
and to honor the memory of an entertainment
legend who worked tirelessly in three
wars to ease our soldiers’ burdens and
bring them a few hours of laughter, tears,
and sweet musical memories.
Interested veterans and their families are
urged to contact Mr. Kirk Estee, of The
International Al Jolson Society, at
esteek@cox.net if they wish to contribute
their respective stories/memories. He will
ensure that all accounts will be lovingly
reported. Any direct mailings can be
addressed to: Kirk Estee, 13617 Shirley
Street, Omaha, NE 68144, (402) 616-0460.
USS Winston
(AKA-94)
This is Winston’s Korean War history.
Additional information about the ship can be
found at http://www.history.navy.mil/
danfs/w10/winston.htm. Source: the
Dictionary of American Naval Fighting Ships.
USS WINSTON
The USS Winston (AKA-94) was laid
down on 10 July 1944 at Kearny, N.J.,
by the Federal Shipbuilding & Drydock
Co. under a Maritime Commission
contract (MC hull 216); launched on 30
November 1944; sponsored by Mrs.
Benjamin Fairless; delivered to the
Navy on 18 January 1945; and commissioned
at the New York Navy Yard on
19 January 1945, Comdr. Morgan C.
Wheyland, USNR, in command.
[In 1950] For the next seven months,
See related story on page 68
Winston made training voyages out of
Norfolk and conducted amphibious
exercises with Marines embarked.
However, the eruption of hostilities in
the Far East late in June 1950— when
communist North Korea invaded South
Korea— took the attack cargo ship back
to the Orient.
On 14 August, Winston stood out of
Hampton Roads, bound— via the
Panama Canal and the California
coast—for the western Pacific. She
transited the canal on the 19th and
arrived in San Diego on the 27th.
On 1 September, the ship embarked
upon a non-stop voyage to Kobe, Japan,
which she reached on the 16th. After
two days at Kobe, Winston continued
her voyage to the combat zone off the
Continued on page 59
July - August 2009
The Graybeards