Congratulations to all of the winners in the various categories at the 11th Annual AUSA Columbia River Chapter 

"FORE! Our TROOPS Golf Tournament".

Pictured here is the 1st Place winning team (L to R: Dean Goettsch, Casey Olinger, Mike Rouiler and Bob Elliott

Other recipients of generously donated skill and non-skill prizes included second place tie-breaker Team Beyrooty, who also won the Persimmon Gift Certificate in the raffle drawing, and Waddell & Reed's Kurtis Inouye with the Southwest Airline tickets.  First-time players from Stone Creek Ladies Golf Club went away with

Special thanks to the following Chapter Corporate Members who generously donated their time, treasure and talent in support of this fund-raiser:

What a great day to chase around a little white ball too with several yellow balls left in various locations at the Tri Mountain Golf Course in Ridgefield, Washington on July 12th, but a few yellow balls did show up at the end of play for this special drawing. The winning Yellow Ball Team Prize of a foursome at Lewis River went to Dave Yang's team. Before play commenced, our own Chaplain Terry Schrick led us in a "Golf Psalm" followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and special announcements from Co-C hairman LTC Verl Miller.

There were many comments about how much fun these AUSA sponsored tournaments produce.  Since this was the eighth (and final) year for Linda Latham to head up the steering committee planning this effort, she spent the day without her golf sticks for this one, instead electing to hang out at the First Tee, where she harassed and challenged the players to renew their membership, join our AUSA Columbia River Chapter, and guess how many tees in the jar (Leupold Range Finder went to Kent Hollingsworth's son).  The food and camaraderie was great, and with the help of a very special MC,  COL (R) George Lanning, all were reminded of our chapter's important work carried on all year with various projects, soldier recognition, and family support as we feasted on the juicy rib-eye steaks provided by an anonymous Vancouver butcher.

THANK YOU to the following sponsors and volunteers for making this a successful event!

On-Course Helpers:

Don Belshaw & Marlin Swick - Wounded Warriors Collections

Laura McCorkle, Elysium Body Therapies - Hospitality & Wounded Warriors

Linda Hill, Nancy Pine & Dawn Taylor - Opportunity Drawing

Linda Hobbs, Explore Promotional Products - Program & Signage

Linda Reyes & Bill Van Natta - Putting Contest

Roberta Janssen, Linda Johnston, Suzanne Lam - Registration

Gail Dreckman & John Welsh, BPA - OR Veterans Home Christmas Event

Gail Horner & Linda Latham - Volunteer Coordinators

Alisha Hame - OR Military History Museum Display

Jordan Givens & Linda Hill - Decorations & Banquet Set-up

Chris Acosta, Tom Mueller & Dianne Nordhaus - Sell the Tiger & Pros Shots

NW Priority Credit Union & Talking Rain - Beverages

Tee Sponsors:

Prize Donors: 

Aspen Lakes Golf Course  |  Benchmade Knives  |  Broken Top Club  |  Crooked River Ranch    Eagle Crest  |  Elysium Body Therapies  |  Fiddlers' Green  |  Golfsmith    Lake Oswego Muni  |  Leupold Tactical Optics  |  Lewis River Golf Course |   Meadow Lakes Golf Course  |  Persimmon Golf Course |   Pronghorn Golf Club  |  Rite in the Rain    Sidelines Sports Bar  |  SOUTHWEST AIRLINES  |  SunRiver Resort Golf Course    Team River Runners  |  Tri Mountain Golf Course  |  Veris Industries  |  WalMart  |  Widgi Creek Golf Club

Without your support we would not be able to do the many things that AUSA does in supporting Soldiers and their families. This year's field of participants was a little lighter than previous year's; however, we still raised over $6900.

In our efforts to continue spreading the word about our Chapter's only annual fundraising event, we hope to reach more supporting partners, friends and fellow Soldiers in order to have a full field of 144 players next year.  Please commit early to play next year or, if you cannot play, please consider sponsoring a hole, donating a prize, or volunteering at one of the golf contests for part of the event.  Additional details about next year's tournament will be available early next spring.

In conclusion, this truly team event has evolved from BG (Ret) Doug Pritt's inaugural scramble raising a few hundred dollars to the current model netting between $5,000-18,000 annually hosting as many as 200 participants in some years.  No two years' events have been the same with locations varying from Persimmon to Langdon Farms to Oregon City to Chehalem Glenn and Tri Mountain Golf Courses.  Various vocalists, a bag-pipe player, video-taped golf swings and team photos were featured while participants competed for prizes donated by Albertson's, AMT, Ankeny Vineyards, Bandon Dunes, Bannings', Benchmade, Columbia Sportswear, Creekside Country Club, Crimson Trace, Danner Boots, Dick's Sporting Goods, Gerber Legendary Blades, Leupold, La-Z-Boy, Manzana Grill, Newport Bay, JetBlue & SouthWest Airlines, Portland Spirit, Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course, Riverside Golf & Country Club, Royal Oaks Country Club, Shilo Inns, Trysting Tree Golf Club, Red Bull, Rogue Brewery, and Warne Scope Mounts, to name a few!

This wonderful tradition can only continue and grow even better with our chapter's ongoing membership support leading the way forward.  Please be a part of the decision...WHERE & WHEN 2014's event takes place?  As I pass along this invitation to continue your tournament, I can most sincerely say 'Thanks for the fond memories and please keep in touch!'

A new national holiday has been proposed and Oregon made it into a law this year.  The Spirit of '45 Day in Oregon, the third state in the nation to legislate the day with Senate Bill 832, designates the second Sunday of every August "to honor the achievements of the men and women of the WWII generation so that their example of courage, self-sacrifice, can-do spirit, unity and service will forever inspire future generations of Americans."

Oregon's first celebration of the Spirit of '45 Day was held on August 11, 2013 at Willson Park next to the capitol building in Salem.  World War II veterans were recognized and honored for their service and perhaps to see themselves in the mural produced for this event.

This inaugural year's celebration honored two of Oregon's most successful WWII veterans; Mark Hatfield, who had a long distinguished career in Oregon politics serving as both Oregon's governor and senator along with other elected positions and Brig. Gen. James B. Thayer, a successful businessman, Civilian Aide to the Secretary of the Army, board member of many important Oregon boards and of whom the Brig. Gen. James B. Thayer Oregon Military Museum is named.

Three speakers at this event were WWII veterans: Ed Johann, a Pearl Harbor survivor who was able to save many lives that fateful day; Leonard DeWitt, a Medal of Honor nominee who saved his company from Japanese invasion in their first real encounter against the Japanese in New Guinea; and Gerry Frank, a veteran of the European theater who spoke about the WWII generation and Mark Hatfield's contributions during the war and to Oregon afterwards.

Lt. Col. Alisha Hamel, the Oregon National Guard Command Historian and Vice President of Military History for the Columbia River Chapter of the Association of the United States Army, was the keynote speaker telling the story of Oregon's Role in WWII.  She told the story of the Oregon National Guard units of the 41^st Infantry Division that was the first American Infantry Division to arrive in Australia then fought through New Guinea, The Philippines and onto occupation duty in the Hiroshima district of Japan, the 249^th Coast Artillery that was based at Fort Stevens.  The 249^th was the only unit fired upon in the United States during WWII when a Japanese submarine fired 17 shells at Fort Stevens.  She told the story about the only casualties in Oregon and the bombs dropped by air outside of Brookings.

Cameron Smith, the director of the Oregon Department of Veterans Affairs emceed the program and orchestrated the laying of the wreath by Reps Julie Parrish and Jim Weidner.  At the moment of the laying of the wreath taps was played to remember those that gave their all and those who have passed before us.

The event also included the Color Guard of the Oregon National guard, WWII enactors and special music, including the "Spirit of '45 Anthem" by Oregon songwriters Bret Lucich and Bonnie Karlyle.

According to the Oregon Department of Veteran's Affairs approximately 152,000 Oregonians served in WWII.  More than 3,700 service members were killed in action and around 24,000 WWII veterans are still living in Oregon today.  All veterans are asked to upload their pictures and stories to www.veteranslegacies.com so that we will never forget your story.

For more information about the WWII Memorial visit http://oregonwwiimemorial.com/.  For information on the Historical Outreach Foundation, the 501(c) (3) non-profit associated with the Brig. Gen. James B. Thayer Oregon Military Museum, go to www.historicaloutreach.com

Registration is open for the 2013 AUSA Annual Meeting, October 21-23, along with the Military Family Forums.  These forums within the Annual Meeting are designed to engage and inform both the military community and the greater civilian community around them.  We are excited to connect with military families, share resources, and gain insight from our scheduled speakers and panelists.  Our forums this year will feature the Army's top leaders and in depth discussions about holistic approaches to self-care, outside the installation community resources, and the rapidly expanding world of military community and family support via social networking and online outreach.

• Military Family Forum I- Our Military Community: Voices from the Top: This forum will feature town hall style presentations from the top Army leaders.
• Military Family Forum II- The Performance Triad: A Holistic Approach to Self-Care: This forum will explore holistic approaches to caring for one's self and family. New and innovative programs from the Department of the Army and the Department of Defense will be discussed.
• Military Family Forum III- Community Resources: A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood: This forum will showcase the growing support of military families by civilian organizations through private /public partnerships with the military community.
• Military Family Forum IV- Expanding Our Reach: Our Neighborhood Knows No Bounds: This forum will explore innovative uses of social media and advanced technology in the military family communications arena. Featured speakers will share techniques and successful approaches to building a virtual support community.

Not able to attend in person?  Don't worry, you can still be part of the action virtually.  We will live stream each of our forums, and will also have several ways for you to interact with fellow virtual participants and our forum speakers and panelists.

Submitted by MG (R) Curtis Loop

This year's Veterans were a tremendous cross-section of The Old/The Young; Men/Women; Officers/Enlisted; High Level Commanders/E-2 Electricians; All Branches of the Service were represented; Deployed/Non-Deployed; Combat Tested/Non-Combat Tested; Warriors of Color/Many Nationalities; and Wounded Warriors.  Veterans from World War II, Korea, Vietnam, all the Gulf Wars, as well as recently returned men and women from Iraq and Afghanistan were introduced throughout the three games.  Induction ceremonies for future servicemen and women were conducted prior to the games.  A special and reverent ceremony on July 3^rd, honored the Oregon family of, and in particular, Ms Cheryl Bennett, the mother, of former SEAL, Tyrone S. Woods, who was one of the four men killed at the Benghazi diplomatic mission on September 11, 2012.  The evenings culminated with fireworks all three nights.

The Salem-Keizer Volcanoes are a professional baseball team, home based in the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes Stadium in Keizer, Oregon.  They are the Single A affiliate team of the 2010 and 2012 World Series Champions, San Francisco Giants.  For several years now, the Salem-Keizer Volcanoes have been a strong Corporate Member of AUSA.

CONGRATULATIONS VOLCANOES!

Submitted by LTC Kevin J. Dial  

These two words don't usually go together and many of us remember High School history meant you had an hour long class reading a textbook, watching an inaccurate Hollywood depiction of something that meant nothing to you, or if you were really lucky there were field trips to museums or historic sites.  But today's students are getting a whole different experience as they are introduced to history in an entirely different way.

With the living history program students now have the amazing opportunity to learn about key historical events that are still shaping America today, while also getting a chance to meet and discuss these events with veterans that were actually on the ground, in the air or on the sea during these crucial times.  This hands-on approach is revolutionizing the way our students see history.  Now instead of thinking of a battle as just a distant and unrelated event, these students get to see the human aspect and the different factors that literally have changed the world we live in today.

The Living History Days will involve students interviewing veterans, creating reports from the firsthand accounts and spending valuable time with the veterans as they share their stories.  As our country changes, there are fewer and fewer households with living service members who are veterans or family connections to currently serving military personnel.  This disconnect in our society causes a situation where many of our youth don't feel connected to the great sacrifice made by members of the military to keep the world safe and maintain America's freedom.  While most high school students are doomed to learn about history from a textbook, many of Oregon's students now have the opportunity to hear about this nation's wars from Veterans who have fought for our country.  

The main goal of the living history program is to teach students the history of our country.  But the biggest benefit may just be the ability of our Veterans to inspire and engage our students, so they have a greater appreciation for our Veterans' sacrifices and accomplishments which in turn allows them to really understand what it means to be an American.

"Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it."  George Santayana - Philosopher 1863-1952

2014 Living History Day Schedule:

Monday, November 4th - Thursday 7th: Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum

Friday, November 8th: Reynolds High School

The theme of this year's event is "REMEMBERING THE DEFENDERS OF BATAAN & CORRIGEDOR".

An impressive group of Veterans from all over the U.S. will be speaking to the students including:

• Defenders of Bataan and Corrigedor
• Bataan Death March Survivor
• Highest Living Decorated American Veteran
• Oregon's Last Living Medal of Honor Recipients
• Tuskegee Airmen
• National Commander American Indian Veterans
• Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde
• WWII, Korean War, Vietnam War, Conflicts, Cold War and Iran & Afghanistan Veterans