POW Committee of Michigan to host POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony in Novi on Friday
The POW Committee of Michigan is hosting a POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremony at
6:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17, at the POW/ MIA Memorial at Oakland Hills Memorial Gardens, 43300 W. Twelve Mile Road, Novi.
This will mark the 42nd annual observance of National POW/MIA Recognition Day, a day set aside to honor former prisoners of war and those still unaccounted for from WWII, Korea, the Cold War, the Vietnam War, Iraq and other conflicts.
The keynote speaker for this year’s ceremony is Maj. Gen. Darren L. Werner, Commanding General, U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremonies are held throughout the nation and around the world on military installations, ships at sea, state capitols, at schools, churches, national veteran and civic organizations, police and fire departments, fire stations, etc. The League’s POW/MIA flag is flown, and the focus is to ensure that America remembers its responsibility to stand behind those who serve our nation and do everything possible to account for those who do not return.
Since the unveiling and dedication on Sept. 19, 1986, the “Michigan Remembers” POW-MIA Memorial has become a focal point for National POWMIA Recognition Day activities in Michigan and is visited year-round by POWMIA family members, veterans and others who come to honor the men represented there as well as all who remain unaccounted for, from our nation’s wars.
The Prisoner of War Committee of Michigan is a Michigan non-profit organization founded in 1973 by POW/MIA family members.
For more information, email Debbie Pineau McClain at powmiapineau@ outlook.com or Marty
Eddy at Eddypowmia@aol. com and visit, www.powmiafamilies.org and www. michiganpowmia.org
Ortonville
VFW Post 582
Ortonville VFW Post 582 Cmdr. Dennis Hoffman has been commander of the post for seven years.
Hoffman was drafted into the U.S. Army and served from 1968 to 1970 with the infantry. During part of that time his unit patrolled the Korean Demilitarized Zone, the demarcation line between North and South Korea after the USS “Pueblo incident.”
The USS Pueblo was seized by North Korea in January of 1968, her crew members taken as prisoners and held in Prisoner of War camps and were released 11 months later in December of 1968.
Hoffman said of his service, “I felt honored to serve at that time and that I made a difference.”
Hoffman said he serves now as commander, because, “I feel that as long as I’m able to, I can help a lot of veterans who aren’t able to serve. There’s a lot of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and some of the veterans are disabled and can’t help.”
The post was founded in 1985 as Sherman-Wudarcki-Sutton Post 582 in Ortonville. Wudarchi was killed in WWII and Sherman and Sutton in Vietnam.
The post has been an All-State Post seven times, serves as honor guard for funerals at Great Lakes National Cemetery in Holly Township and local cemeteries. In addition, the post gives a Veterans Day program at Brandon schools, leads Ortonville parades and has a Purple Heart program for the community in August.
The post supports 16 charities including a Christmas Toy Store and OCEF-Ortonville Community Emergency Fund Food pantry for needy families.
Hoffman has just dropped off applications for the VFW Patriot’s Pen essay contest and Voice of Democracy audio-essay contests for area youths at Brandon and Goodrich High Schools and Brandon Middle School. For more information, visit www. vfw.org/community/youthand-education/youth-scholarships
Post officers include: Sr. Vice Cmdr. Carl Jeffrey, Jr., Vice Cmdr. Ted Lambiris, Quartermaster Loyd Case, Adjutant/Service Officer Ed Gromek, Trustees Ron Allen, Steve Jurewich and Robert Huggins, Surgeon Cliff Filhart, Judge Advocate Don Kengerski and Chaplain John Wudarchi.
The post has 78 members and would like to increase its membership. Meetings are held monthly at the Old Town Hall in downtown Ortonville.
For post information, call Cmdr. Hoffman at 248-6271065 or email botcap@aol. com
Upcoming events
• Pontiac AMVETS Post 101 and VFW Post 1370 to host a POW/MIA National Recognition Day ceremony and Kick-off of the Yellow Ribbon Campaign at 7 p.m. Friday, Sept. 17, at 800 Cesar E. Chavez Avenue. The guest speaker is U.S. Army veteran Mary Angeloff who served from 1984 through 1987 in the Air Defense Artillery unit. Her father,
Staff Sergeant James P. Angeloff served as a wing gunner on the B17 Bomber “Marie” during WWII. His plane and crew are featured in an art mural at the Smithsonian Institute.
• The Yellow Ribbon campaign runs through Veterans Day and raises awareness about the U.S. soldiers that are still missing by distributing yellow ribbons for donations that are used to help in their recovery, in partnership with the POW Committee of Michigan and/or the National League of POW Families. For more information, call 248-858-9501.
• Miracle Quilts for our Wounded Troops hosts a meeting from 9:30 to 2:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 16, at UAW Local 5960, 180 Silverbell Road, Lake Orion. Bring basic sewing supplies, sewing machine and extension cord. Quilters may work on their own project or check out one of the quilt kits available. Members are asked to hold onto completed quilts at this time. Veteran’s hospitals are currently not accepting donations and no space is available to store them. For more information, call Carole 248-3218669.
• Farmington American Legion Post 346 hosts a Military Food Box Giveaway to all veterans, active duty, guard and reserves and their families from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 25, at 31775 Grand River Avenue. Giveaway items include food boxes and information on community resources. Registration is requested, www.eventbrite.com/e/veteran-food-give-away-tickets-165764127969. For questions or reservations, leave message at 248-939-4910.
The Oakland Press is interested in all veterans events in Oakland County. Please send info in the body of an email with subject line “Veterans Affairs” to Sharon Longman at sslstart@aol.com. Allow two weeks’ notice for scheduled events and include a phone number for readers to call for more information.