"Please forgive my pessimism. The last time I offered my services to the Colonel with my congratulations after he was elected he answered, "Who are you? Identify yourself. Why are you interfering into KWVA affairs." Needless to say I was taken back a bit. I have his email for your viewing.
What we need is a diplomat like Byron Dickerson to run this organization not a dictator.
Mr. Sonley's email didn't strike me as one who is seeking peace.
The Colonel must learn that when you fire on the enemy they will fire back. I was brought up in the shadow of Mafia relatives and a family deep in politics. I ran for the House three times and was a member of the President of the Senate Staff. The Colonel would do well to choose his enemy more wisely.
I admire your determination to save the KWVA. A step in the right direction would be to stop making enemies and kicking fellow veterans out of the organization no matter what they say. It is giving us a black eye around the country as well as Canada and the United Kingdom.
Obtaining fingerprint experts, private investigators and more to find a person who wrote an honest press release with the threat of sending him to jail is unforgivable. Kicking out elected members because you don't like them and nullifying the members voting rights must be undone. The E & G Committee must be abolished. They are still seeking to kick out more members. It is a tool for the administration against those who oppose them. At least one more E & G threat went out to a member right after the convention. So much for making peace!"
I invite you to visit the Dallas VA and ask patients what they think of our organization. I assure you that it will be an embarrassment.
Saying this I am ready to do whatever it takes to return the KWVA to the membership. After an apology is made to ALL injured parties and Mr. Dechert resigns. There is no other way."
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Is Everyone Scared or Intimidated? - Don Ellwood
October 30, 2007
[Don Ellwood is the Indiana State Commander of KWVA.]
"For those who do not know who John Sonley is, he is the National KWVA Sgt-at-Arms. I am sure that the polite & civil words that Charles Smith is stating will be ignored by John Sonley as well as those who also believe that Louis Dechert is the like the second coming of Christ to the KWVA. The question is: what is the reason why the minutes of the San Antonio Convention not being released is there was nothing wrong? Why is there so much resistance to releasing those minutes?
My question is: why hasn't there been any question raised at the Reno convention to Lou Dechert as to his creating a second Korean War veterans organization in which he lists himself as President & Jeff Brodeur as 1st Vice President? Why didn't any Director or member attending that meeting stand up and say something about it? WHY??? Is everyone scared or intimidated so much by Dechert & his E&G committee
that they are too reluctant to say anything? You State Commanders, am I the only State Commander that is brave enough
to challenge our National President to ask why he didn't mention this to the Directors AND the members present at the meeting?? Or maybe MOST of the Directors just DON'T GIVE A DAMN!!!
If Dechert has any intentions of running for Director next year or whenever, then he'd better dissolve this U.S. Federation of Korean War Veterans RIGHT NOW and apologize to this organization, otherwise he won't stand a chance in hell of getting elected if he hasn't already been brought up on charges himself!!"
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The Dogs Are Riled - Ted Barker
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
[Ted Barker is a founder of the Korean War Project.]
"Lee et al, We all know negativity begets negativity. However, from years of interaction with KWVA leadership, the Ad-Hoc and other missives, a picture of neglect or vindictiveness at the highest levels of leadership show a pattern of behavior.
You underscore that behavior in the message below. Neglect of valid requests or redress of wrongs should never be part of a charitable organization. Go back and revisit many dozens of my posts dating to 1995. I used to caution all KWVA, yea, all Vet Groups to find a way to get along in the twilight of life.
Pratt and Krepps used to contact me all the time for advice. Why? Because they found value in what Hal and I were doing via the Internet and in the halls of government.
Since you have taken pains to include Hal and I in your message, here goes! Issues with the Barker Boys:
I have yet to hear directly from any Board Member about the issues raised last October 4th, 2006. The thinly veiled reference to me in the Presidents' Message and in concurrent email to Board and Committee Members has yet to be redressed.
Dechert made a pitiful attempt to deflect the fallout from that poor decision to accuse me of improper contact with KWVA Members. I was the person who wrote thousands of email in Spt 2006 for an update of my personal email address book. While updating I realized that I had 2500 email addresses of KWVA members with whom I had not made regular contact for sometime.
My subsequent email directed to KWVA members both not contacted and regularly contacted ensued early October. All of you got that email and most got the hard copy USPS letter that followed. It was a simple invite to come visit the Korean War Project.
In late October of 2006 Hal and I let about 65,000 persons know of Dechert's Presidential statement. Many of them are or were KWVA members from around the globe. We mentioned legal liabilities that we could face and actually still face if the veiled threat from Dechert were to be acted upon by the sitting Board of the KWVA.
Accusations, however veiled, of theft of records is serious stuff. Go back and review that Presidential Message and read it carefully.
Jake Feaster, Don Finch, Lou and I had many thousands of email tossed between us or to us during the Take Hill 2004 election. Remember, my job was to act as Lou's PR man, unofficially prior to July 12, 2004 and officially afterwards.
Another issue was the scurrilous email from Asst Treasurer Doyle, calling me a scumbag. Sandwich that with the previous email from Warren Weidhahan lumping me into the bastards group from his email to the Ad-Hoc. Officers and Gentlemen do not stoop to that level, let alone members of a charitable organization like the KWVA.
Not long ago, Hal and I received missives from another KWVA National officer in the same vein.
Conclusion: Not Good! So, if the Board Members are now in what I will call a "Cumbaya" stage, where are the apologies to those persons like Naomi, Kronenberger, Fuoco, Ellwood, Hadden (now deceased), Brown or myself?
As a preacher friend of mine likes to say, "Not very Christ-like, eh?"
Folks, it ain't over until the Fat Lady Sings! And, you cannot call off the dogs when you have already riled them up, now can you?"
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Run the Meetings Any Way - Clyde Hooks
October 29, 2007
[Clyde Hooks is the South Carolina Department Commander of KWVA.]
"I'm sorry I didn't make it to Reno. We got as far as Gallup, NM, when my wife had a stroke. That was on Oct. 18th. They moved her to Albuquerque on Oct. 25th. She is improving every day and I hope we can go home before too long.
I would like to believe that I had some influence on the Directors with my letter and that is why they didn't kick anyone out. There are at least two members that think my letter was completely out of order: I shouldn't have used the South Carolina Department letterhead. I shouldn't have signed the letter as Department Commander. I should have put my membership number after my name (so people would know who I was). They claim that Robert's Rules of Order has nothing to do with the meetings of the KWVA. (In other words, just run the meetings any way the President, the attorney and the judge advocate wants to.)
Their letters have been temporarily lost in this computer. They will be in my computer back home and when I get there, I'll send you a copy."
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Proof is in the Pudding - Denise Predmore
Sunday, October 28, 2007 and actions of the Board Members. There are a few I would not trust, although they seemed friendly enough at times. proved they were lies.
[Mrs. Predmore is the wife of Korean War veteran Dick Predmore.]
Lee, your email was uplifting. I am so glad that things will get better among the members. It looks like the proof is in the pudding. Just like the bitter hatred in the email below. [John Sonley letter dated October 28, 2007] By the way, deaf or half blind can describe many of our 75+ year old veterans. What a shame. - A Very Concerned Wife of a Korean War Veteran
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The Spy Was Blind in One Eye
Sunday, October 28, 2007
[Mr. Sonley is the Dechert-appointed KWVA Sergeant at Arms.]
"What happened in Reno is exactly this. NOTHING. The trouble makers were not there, but of course, waiting word at home for one of their spies to send them info to run with, except the spy was blind in one eye and had a cataract on the other eye which clouded his vision. Another spy, or maybe the same one, was deaf and apparently failed to bring some batteries with, therefore got it all wrong. When you have persons like that, feeding you info, what can you expect? He/she most likely wrote something down as "Deal" when Lou broke for a "Meal". One thing I believe that should not have been blasted around was that one Director had his suspendsion lifted. That should have come out when all the facts were out. That may point out to who was one of the spies maybe. But now, who really cares?
Lou did a great if not splendid job as the President. I am sorry all those jerks put him through hell and I would almost say, he would have preferred to have been in a battle, rather then trying to duck all the shooting at him by "know nothings".I had a good seat where I could watch the voting
So, what happened in Reno was, the work was done, some was put off to another time, only because the clock was running out and Lou did not want to keep the Board late every night. I am thankful of that, as I learned I had attended Reno suffering from pneumonia for over 4 days when I got home. I did not know I had pneumonia, but did know I was sick.
So, that is what happened. NOTHING. Now take that and "run" with it. Except business was conducted in a proper manner. The malcontents will take the word "nothing" and say that was what was expected, nothing got done. After Lou is gone, I really have to think about staying in the KWVA and maybe going through what I have the last few years and literly see they were trying to have Lou castrated. There is one person who cannot tell the truth when he brings me into an E Mail and will or has never corrected the statements, after I
But, then he wrote me, someone told him this or that, does not remember who it was and etc, yet never verified anything. But two lies are still floating out in the Internet someplace right now. What does my work at the meeting have to do with a Purple Heart, as Terry in England came up with in an E Mail. I wonder where he got that from. Some people will come out with anything if they think it can do some harm. But, I will continue to back Lou until he is out of office. The new president will not need my services."
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A Change is Underway - Lee Dauster
Sunday, October 28, 2007
[Mr. Dauster is a National Director of the KWVA.]
"To Byron Dickerson and others:
Byron, your mail is the most encouraging KWVA mail I have received in a year. Mike's statement at the Reno meeting is commendable. I know his intent, and I share his call for peace. It became apparent that Mike's thoughts, expressed so competently, were the true thoughts of all present.
The monetary problem alone, is enough for us to tackle. If we don't collectively solve that problem, the rest won't matter. I left Reno with very good feelings. I felt that this group is coming together and that the negativism will end. There is none among us who has not aggravated the situation with overt statements, or failure to respond, at appropriate times. I read Lynnita's statement, Kronenbergers and Fuocco. Their statements are indicative of the anger and distrust we must collectively overcome.
Angry, vindictive, verbal messages accomplish nothing. Have not, and will not, in the future. Each who feels offended by past transgressions may, and does, have some measure of justification for their feelings. But please accept that a change is underway.
We want to work together to save our great organization. "Great"? Yes. KWVA is great because this was our war, and this group of warriors wants to honor our service.
The love of the people we saved, the economic achievement of those people, the continued bond that holds these two countries together should extend to a greater common effort, on our part, to accomplish our mission. To do so is greatness. We are all trying to pull together. To date, this will become our greatest accomplishment if we succeed. Let us not permit a few people to lead us away from this remarkable approach to KWVA government.
If you have felt offended by comments in the past, be assured that 99% of us want peace and a refreshing, fresh start. This requires forgiveness on the part of the offended. There is most assuredly, regret on the part of those who may have been offensive. There will be those, that are not capable of forgiveness. So the vendetta will continue, but largely with no support of the multitude. People who find themselves unwilling to forgive, should dissassociate themselves and stop the vindictive doctrine. I sincerely believe that as the word is spread of a new measure of cooperation among the membership, a greater measure of cooperation will evolve."
