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Practical Patriotism
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO WAS A WAC, WAVE, WASP, AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND OR MERCHANT MARINE AND DOES NOT HAVE THEIR DISCHARGE, HONORS, MEDALS AND VETERANS BENEFITS , they probably are unaware that they are due them....and may die without their honors and benefits unless you, as I did, help..and SOON !
Many veterans pass away without their recognition...especially, now., WW II Greatest Generation guys (and gals). Doing casual research on the topic when I became irritated that Air Transport Command flyers were not treated as veterans, despite heavy losses on some routes (The Hump,etc), I found out that in 1980, the women's movement , seeking recognition as veterans for WAC and WAVE women, also brought the ATC, Merchant Marine and other services (Radio Telephone Operators of WW 1) into Veteran status, with benefits.
I went to work to verify my father's being ATC under American Airlines in WW 2 and got the job done.
With the help of American Legion Utica Post chief Bill Salsbury and VFW and the Proctor HIgh School Naval ROTC and other outfits, I put together a little surprise for papa..in the office of Loughlin Agency Inc here in Utica.
Have a look at the photos....on these two links...please DO NOT download any..these are personal...and others are involved who cannot grant permission to copy....
It was a moving ceremony led by Lt Col Casey Blaney (the tall lady in Air Force blue).
My point in posting is not a brag...it is to ask all of you who may know anyone who served in the Air Transport Command or any of the abovementioned services who did not know that they were eligible for veteran status and discharge papers (not available prior)...LET THEM KNOW to inquire with the VA...
When I got this rolling, the VA snapped to like a swabby finding an Admiral peeking over his shoulder..FINER SERVICE WAS NEVER RENDERED. Thank you VA Buffalo !!!
Thank you Randolph AFB !
..and you can do this service for a friend..get it done BEFORE they die (I was lucky and got it done.)...or even after..so their kin will have the honors.
Papa flew the USO show folks like Bob Hope and Frances Langford, Imogene Coca and Jerry Collonna to their shows in the war theaters. On several occasions, papa, Tom Loughlin sr, a navigator, flew in planes piloted by famous author Ernie Gann..who wrote The High and the Mightyâ€
Georgia Wise, the last WAC out of Vietnam, signed papa’s medals award letter..She was on a planeload of refugee children which crashed on takeoff from Saigon...most of the children survived, and they left on another flight.
What an experience this was.
IF YOU KNOW SOMEONE WHO WAS A WAC, WAVE, AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND OR MERCHANT MARINE AND DOES NOT HAVE THEIR DISCHARGE, HONORS, MEDALS AND VETERANS BENEFITS...HURRY !!!
We owe it to them.
Tom Loughlin Jr
Please accept my invitation to look at the ceremony the American Legion and I put on for my father.. Someone you love and honor may have one of these due them !! FIND OUT !
Please do not copy or download any of these photos as we cannot get permission for that from the participants and it would be illegal. While I am proud of my camera prowess, the best shot of all was made by my brother Robert , who caught papa in a rare emotional moment as all the realizations of the ceremony hit him. Nice shot, Brat.
AMA National Off Road Chartered Promoter of the Year 1985
HOW DID YOU OBSERVE MEMORIAL DAY FOR OUR VETS? POST HERE !!!!
Hey Tom, I did that several years ago for my MOM who was a WASP ( Womens Air Service Pilots) during WWII. For those that don't know, these were the women whopiloted/ ferriedthe planes from the factories to the bases to free up men pilots for combat duty. MyDAD did 6 years in the NAVY from 1942 t0 1948 and I have his papers. For my MOM I had to do some leg work and phone calls. Lucky she saved all of her paperwork to prove her time of service as the GOVERNMENT has LOST alot of records. We finally got her discharge papers maybe 3 years before she passed away. Yes, she had a MILITARY FUNERAL WITH HONORS. Everything went fine except for blowing of TAPS. They don't have MUSICIANS in the service that can play anymore. So they use a fake horn for music and it broke. That and a rainy day was it. Happy we got what we did.
This is how I spent about 20 hours Friday & Saturday. Don't know how many flags I put out or reset. There is suppossed to be over 4500 VETERANS buried in our local cemetary. And we have a lot of cemetarys in our area. Hope all the VETERANS WERE TAKEN CARE OF. I took some pics of family and friends that were VETERANS. I did not take pictures of everyone I knew there, just the ones I was sharing with my FACEBOOK FRIENDS.
ATTABOY, Yimmie. There are just some things that have to be done...and this is one.
Tom Loughlin Jr.
http://www.honorflight.org/
A lovely program for those who served.
Edited by: FJman
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