End of an era: Vietnam Veterans group plans its own dissolution

At the Vietnam Veterans of America biennial convention two years ago, delegates voted resoundingly against a resolution that would have opened the group’s membership to future generations of veterans and descendants of current members.

Only those who served on active duty during the Vietnam War are eligible for membership, and this decision cemented the fact that the organization would cease to exist when the last Vietnam veteran dies.

At this year’s convention, VVA approved a roadmap for planning an orderly dissolution. They established a legacy task force to develop a plan. At the same time, they voted against fixing a specific future date for dissolution, which will make VVA a “Last Man Standing” organization.

“I fully support the Last Man Standing concept,” said Father Phil Salois, who leads the James Michael Ray Memorial VVA Chapter 818 in northern Rhode Island and is the VVA’s national chaplain.

“In my opinion, allowing descendants to carry on would never work long-term,” added Salois, who earned a Silver Star as a grunt in Vietnam before he became a priest.

Salois points to the example of the United Spanish War Veterans (a group that had a powerful presence in Rhode Island, incidentally). That group existed until 1992, when its last member, Nathan E. Cook, died one month before his 107th birthday. (Cook was actually a veteran of the Philippine Insurrection of 1899–1902. He enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1901 at the age of 16.)

RI Aviation Hall of Fame honors 10

Some 200 family members and guests packed the Scottish Rite Center in Cranston on Nov. 18 for the Rhode Island Aviation Hall of Fame's recognition of its 21st group of honorees. (Full disclosure: This is an organization and event in which I am actively involved.)

U.S. Rep. Seth Magaziner welcomed the guests, while Rhode Island’s Adjutant General, Maj. Gen. Chris Callahan, participated in the individual presentations.

The honored guest for the evening was Dewey Turilli of Warwick, a WWII Iwo Jima veteran who will be 101 in February. Other highlights included awards to a father/son team with service in WWII and Vietnam, respectively (Lynn and Skip Carter); to the former CO of the Navy squadron supporting Operation Deep Freeze who later became the first manager of the Quonset Industrial park (Cmdr. John Dana); and to Merlyn O’Keefe, a prominent Rhode Island businessman and political influencer who flew for Britain in the Royal Flying Corps during World War I. A full list of the honorees can be found on the Hall of Fame website: riahof.org

The highlight of the event was Callahan’s presentation of the Rhode Island Star, the state’s most prestigious award, to retired Army major and Vietnam helicopter pilot David Nuttall for his many years of service to the Rhode Island National Guard. This was a surprise for Nuttall, whose brother, retired Maj. Gen. Jim Nuttall, pinned the award on his chest.

Italo-American veterans group arranges Thanksgiving dinner

Thanksgiving Day turned into a much more festive occasion than several veterans might have expected. The Rhode Island Chapter of Italian-American War Veterans of the United States provided a free traditional Thanksgiving dinner buffet with all the trimmings for veterans, active-duty service members and their families at Perella’s Ristorante in Warren last Thursday.

Retired Army Master Sgt. John A. Cianci, Veteran Service Officer, reported that Louie Perella closed his restaurant to the public to support the event. “Additionally, he allowed the veterans into Louie’s world – his kitchen!”

The group also arranged home delivery to shut-ins and veterans and families who could not make it to the restaurant.

Meals were prepared by other veterans with the assistance of volunteers from Rhode Island, Massachusetts and Connecticut.

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This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Last Man Standing: Vietnam veterans group plans to cease existence