As promised, I want to give you some specifics on the Forks Stand Down. There were 99 veterans seen. There were 27 homeless veterans, of which five were women.

 

There were many service providers present. Some examples: The Health Department gave 14 people a total of 19 immunizations for tetanus and hepatitis A & B; 18 got haircuts; all attending got a hot breakfast and lunch; 13 were given reading glasses; 38 had health screenings; the clothing room saw 79 veterans of which 22 got outdoor equipment; the Friends of Forks Animals set up appointments for 10-12 pets that need altering and the Housing Resource Center was able to arrange housing for three veterans.

 

The Sequim Lavender Growers Association came to the Stand Down with sheets, towels and cookware for Sarge’s Place — they got the idea to help from this column! Thank you so much. The ladies from Michael Trebert Chapter of the DAR assisted veterans in the clothing room.

 

The next Stand Down will be in Port Townsend on July 25. The Port Angeles Stand down is Oct. 6. We do not need any more used clothing. We can use donations of toothpaste, tooth brushes, dental floss, deodorant, shampoo, combs, nail clippers, camping gear, dog or cat food and money. If you have donations or questions, call me at 683-6419.

Blue Star partners

The Blue Star Museums initiative is a partnership among Blue Star Families, the National Endowment for the Arts and more than a thousand museums across America. Blue Star Museums are offering free admission to active duty personnel and their families — military ID holder and up to five immediate family members — from Memorial Day through Labor Day.

 

Among the Blue Star Museums in Washington are the Museum of Flight in Seattle, the Museum of Glass in Tacoma and the Seattle Art Museum. For a complete list visit www.arts.gov/national/bluestarmuseums. Active Duty National Guard and Reserve also are eligible.

 

Korean War Remembrance Day is June 25. The Korean War erupted on June 25, 1950, when the Democratic People’s Republic of Korea army invaded the Republic of South Korea. Of the 122,000 personnel serving from Washington, there were six Clallam County residents killed in action between 1950 and 1953. The Clallam County Korean War Memorial is in Clallam Bay. There will be a memorial service there at 11 a.m. on the 25th to commemorate the 61st anniversary of the beginning of hostilities.
The Clallam County commissioners, City of Port Angeles and City of Sequim will read proclamations at their meetings recognizing the anniversary and encouraging all citizens to remember the American service personnel who made the ultimate sacrifice during and after the Korean War.

Seeking volunteers

OlyCAP, Community Relations, Retired & Senior Volunteer Program is looking for volunteers to help contact veterans on the Olympic Peninsula. Volunteers will make phone calls to veterans asking if they need help in accessing their veterans benefits or other community services. Many veterans have service-related disabilities and all of them face the challenges of working in a civilian society. This program is to help veterans of all ages tap into the resources they need. There will be a training session on June 15. Please call Mike McEvoy at 457-2129 or Ralph Lovely at 457-1771 to volunteer or for details.

 

Tuesday, June 14, is Flag Day. There will be a Flag Disposal Ceremony at 2 p.m. at the American Legion Post at 107 E. Prairie St. in Sequim. All are welcome and we will accept unserviceable flags for disposal. Many thanks to Ted Bedford, who during the rest of the year properly disposes of unserviceable American flags.

 

Contributors: DAR, Regent, Patricia Graham, pattyg@wavecable.com; American Legion and MOAA, Lorri Gilchrist, cdrlgilchrist@gmail.com; VFW Commander Roger Padie, commander@vfwpost4760.com; Marine Corps League, Terry Roth, mroth@olypen.com; Korean War Veterans, Jerry Rettela, eletteor@msn.com