Illinois VFW News - June 2018
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
<strong>June</strong> <strong>2018</strong> <strong>Illinois</strong> <strong>VFW</strong> <strong>News</strong> Page 3<br />
Candidates for State Office<br />
The election and installation of officers will<br />
be held Saturday, <strong>June</strong> 16, <strong>2018</strong> during the<br />
afternoon business session. Below are the<br />
announced candidates as of May 1, <strong>2018</strong>.<br />
Elect<br />
Don Boyer<br />
State Commander<br />
Matthew Carbonelli was recently awarded the <strong>VFW</strong>’s “Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship.”<br />
The funds will help him finish his doctorate in Counseling Psychology at the University<br />
of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.<br />
National Guard Combat Medic earns Counseling<br />
Psychology Degree to help fellow Veterans<br />
Matthew Carbonelli, 30,<br />
of Lake in the Hills, Ill., was<br />
recently awarded the <strong>VFW</strong>’s<br />
“Sport Clips Help A Hero Scholarship.”<br />
The funds will help him<br />
finish his doctorate in Counseling<br />
Psychology at the University<br />
of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.<br />
“I’ve seen friends in the<br />
military struggling with mental<br />
health problems, and I also<br />
work part-time at a shelter that<br />
serves the homeless population<br />
in Milwaukee. I’ve interacted<br />
with several veterans there,” he<br />
said. “This is one of the reasons<br />
I want to spend my career combating<br />
the mental health crisis in<br />
the military.”<br />
Carbonelli served six years<br />
as a Combat Medic in the National<br />
Guard, and deployed to<br />
active duty in Afghanistan.<br />
He related, “I wanted to do<br />
my duty to serve my country,<br />
and follow in my grandfather’s<br />
footsteps.”<br />
Carbonelli is an active member<br />
of the <strong>VFW</strong> and the Student<br />
Veterans of America chapter at<br />
the University of Wisconsin-<br />
Milwaukee. He developed a<br />
training workshop on suicide<br />
prevention and awareness for<br />
student veterans at his campus.<br />
He also traveled to Washington,<br />
D.C., in March to participate<br />
in the <strong>VFW</strong>’s National<br />
Legislative Conference.<br />
“I feel that one of the best<br />
ways the <strong>VFW</strong> supports veterans<br />
is through lobbying,” he<br />
“<br />
I’ve seen friends in the military<br />
struggling ... This is one of the reasons I<br />
want to spend my career combating the<br />
mental health crisis in the military<br />
“<br />
said. “I want to use my expertise<br />
as a psychologist to continue to<br />
advocate for my fellow veterans<br />
throughout my career.”<br />
“I was surprised to see how<br />
many resources and benefits are<br />
available to veterans to further<br />
their education,” Carbonelli<br />
concluded. “The help is out<br />
there – you just need to seek<br />
out and take advantage of those<br />
resources.”<br />
Carbonelli is an <strong>Illinois</strong> Member<br />
at Large of the Veterans of<br />
Foreign Wars.<br />
-Matthew Carbonelli<br />
Dr. Peter Pullara receives the Patriotic Citizen Award from St. Juvin Post 1336 Commander Charlie Brown.<br />
From left to right Broadway Family Dental Center staff members Kate and Amber, Chaplain Ron Hibler, Commander<br />
Charlie Brown, Dr. Peter Pullara, Jr. Vice Commander James “Hoppy” Phillips, Quartermaster Jim<br />
Richards and Dental Assistant Amber. Post Public Information Officer Bill Bomba photo.<br />
Broadway Family Dental Center<br />
recognized with Patriotic Citizen Award<br />
Broadway Family Dental Center<br />
owner Dr. Peter Pullara was<br />
honored by St. Juvin Post 1336<br />
<strong>VFW</strong> with the <strong>VFW</strong> Patriotic Citizen<br />
Award which is “Given in<br />
grateful appreciation for unsolicited<br />
inspirational patriotic service<br />
to the community through the daily<br />
display of our National Flag.”<br />
Dr. Pullara recently rebuilt the<br />
parking area at his 595 N. Broadway<br />
S Coal City office and also<br />
added a new lighted flag pole<br />
where the U.S. Flag is displayed<br />
every day.<br />
St. Juvin Post members presented<br />
Dr. Pullara with the Veterans<br />
of Foreign Wars certificate and a<br />
POW/MIA flag to fly along with<br />
the U.S. flag for his patriotism.<br />
Elect<br />
Brad Gould<br />
State Sr. Vice Commander<br />
Elect<br />
Laurie Emmer<br />
State Jr. Vice Commander<br />
Re-Elect<br />
Michael DeRoss<br />
State Quartermaster<br />
Re-Elect<br />
Rev. Donald Meeks<br />
State Chaplain<br />
Re-Elect<br />
C. Victor Smith<br />
State Judge Advocate<br />
Elect<br />
Nina Petru<br />
State Surgeon<br />
Elect<br />
Larry Shaver<br />
State Surgeon<br />
<strong>Illinois</strong> <strong>VFW</strong> <strong>News</strong> Deadlines<br />
September <strong>2018</strong> - August 10, <strong>2018</strong><br />
December <strong>2018</strong> - November 10, <strong>2018</strong><br />
March 2019 issue - February 10, 2019<br />
<strong>June</strong> 2019 issue - May 1, 2019<br />
Items not received by deadline could be held for a later issue<br />
Email items to:<br />
Barb Wilson, Editor - bwilson@vfwil.org<br />
or send items to:<br />
Barb Wilson, Editor<br />
<strong>Illinois</strong> <strong>VFW</strong> Headquarters<br />
PO Box 13206 • Springfield, IL 62791-3206
Change language