BLUE GHOST NEWS
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VA Updates As we get older more and more things start going wrong, our bodies seem to be talking louder and louder to us. Some of these ailments and illnesses could be linked to your time in Vietnam. There have been changes recently in the VA to help you get compensation for various health problems. First you must register with your local VA hospital or Out-Patient Clinic. Next you need to apply for service connection for any illnesses or ailments you think are related to your time in Vietnam. Some of these could be hearing loss, vision problems, type 2 Diabetes, arthritis, cancers, back problems, joint problems, PTSD, etc. New regulations signed into effect July 2001 give the veterans statements more credibility. Basically if you were in combat the VA has to take your word on incidents or accidents unless they have proof that it didn’t happen! Ask your local VA service officer about CFR 3.304-1. Or call or email Doc Anderson and he will send you a copy of the document. Also, the rumor on the street is that the VA is looking for more cases of disability. This is because they are loosing monies in large quantities with the rapid loss of WWII veterans and if they do not use the entire budget this year, next year they get less and then their jobs are in jeopardy. Doc’s email: blugstdoc@aol.com snail mail address: 5920 Deer Creek Way - Paso Robles, CA 93446 Cell phone # (805) 886-3538
The Wall That Heals 2002 Sites June 13-16 Millington, TN Naval Support Activity Mid-South June 20-23 Bloomfield, MO Stars and Stripes Museum/Library Assn. July 4-7 Frankfort, IL Frankfort VFW #1493 July 18-21 Aberdeen, SD American Legion Post 24 August 1-4 Hamburg, IA Hamburg Kiwanis Club August 15-18 Bowman, ND Bowman County Development Corp. Aug. 29-Sept. 1 Thebes, IL Thebes Junior Volunteers Sept. 5-8 Florence, AL Florence/Lauderdale Tourism September 26-29 Saddle Brook, NJ VFW Post 3484 October 3-6 Pottstown, PA Pottstown Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter 565 October 10-13 Cincinnati, OH Arlington Memorial Gardens October 24-27 Elkton, MD Cecil County American Legion November 7-10 Modesto, CA First Baptist Church of Modesto November 14-17 Atwater, CA Castle Air Museum Foundation, Inc. |
Reunion 2002 There were about twenty Blue Ghosts and family members in attendance at San Diego. What we lacked in attendance we more than made up for in enthusiasm. Ernie Arzabal and his wife showed us a very good time in their city. We had dinner Thursday night at a fish & chips place where the food was very good and we all chatted and got caught up on all the latest with each other.
Blue Ghosts smiling pretty at the dinner Saturday Night. Friday we were all going to go to the Marine Corps graduation, however for some unknown reason the graduation was cancelled so Arnie and his wife gave us a tour of San Diego. We went to the Point Loma Cemetery which is up on a bluff overlooking San Diego harbor and the Coronado Island Naval Station. Then it was back to the hotel for more “stories” and looking at photos. Friday evening we all went to a local bar/restaurant called, “Dick’s Last Resort”. What a fabulous place, it was very busy so we had to wait a little while for a table since there were about 25 of us by that time. One of the customs of this place was that they encourage you to throw wadded up napkins at one another. Now this may not sound too interesting but I’m here to tell you we had a great time pelting not only one another but all the other patrons also! There was also music playing and one of the Ghosts at our table decided to dance with the neighboring table of young ladies out for a bachelorette party. He showed them all that the Blue Ghosts can still shake their booty! Then there was an announcement over the PA system that a group of Vietnam Veterans in attendance were celebrating a reunion, at this point the crowd cheered and applauded and some stood and raised their glasses in a salute. What a night!
Saturday the Blue Ghosts in attendance had a meeting which lasted about an hour and half, business was discussed and a city for next year’s reunion was suggested. For complete details the minutes are located on page 2. Some of us were planning to go on cruise of the harbor, but because of the cool weather and threatening rain only Bob and Betty lou Neill took the cruise, they said we all missed a great boat ride. Saturday evening the dinner was held in hotel outside dinning area, which wasn’t bad because they had big heaters to keep us toasty. Jack Kennedy spoke to the group and gave a very interesting speech tell of some of the Blue Ghost history. After dinner, Dan Buckley played a tape of the original recording of the Blue Ghost song to the tune of Ghost Riders; he then played a tape of the same song re-recorded by professional musicians. Since the words were passed out to everyone it turned into a fabulous sing-a-long. The party was continued up in the hospitality suite and more stories, pictures, and slides were shown and discussed.
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Meet a Blue Ghost & His FamilyIntroducing Paul & Ellen Reitchell
Paul & Ellen in their new house! Paul was born in Boston, Massachusetts. He moved to Maine after High School. As one of Lynden Johnson's final acts he drafted Paul on 12-05-68.He didn't like where he was headed so he re-upped a week later to take an Avionics course. Paul landed in Vietnam on 08-11-69 assigned to
Blueghost in Chu Lai at the Ky Ha pad. He left a year later, spending 14 months in hell in Texas. His enlistment ended 12-04-71. Paul says it was the most memorable year of his life! Upon returning home from Vietnam Paul became a police officer for the Augusta Police Dept. in Maine, and retired as Deputy Chief in 1990. He continued in Law
Enforcement with Maine's Secretary of State, he is still there. Paul kept up on his college studies through the years and now he had two Associate degrees and one Bachelors degree in Business. Paul circa 1969 Viet Nam Paul and Ellen were married in October 1998 and live in Augusta, Maine with Paul’s children Ed, Dorice, and Allison. Ellen is a Nurse working for the State of Maine, Ed is gainfully
employed (Paul says yeah!), Dorice is a Sophomore at the University of Maine studying to be a high school teacher, and Allison just got her Driver’s License (Look-out Maine drivers!) Paul
says, “They are all the best things that ever happened to me”. Editor’s note: I thought it might be nice to get to know some of the Blue Ghosts and their families so we wouldn’t seem like strangers at the reunions. With that in mind what I would like from all of you out there is a photo of you “Then” with a short bio of where and what you were doing. Also a recent family photo with an update of what everyone is doing now!
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 Sick Call!Let me know if there are any other Blue Ghosts or family who should be added to this section. You can send via email or snail mail. Email: blugstdoc@aol.com Snail mail address: 5920 Deer Creek Way Paso Robles, CA 93446 Cell phone # (805) 886-3538. |
Vietnam “Stories” Editor’s Note: Since NONE of the Blue Ghosts sent in any “stories” I had to go else where! I hope you enjoyed this newsletter. Let me know if there is something you would like to see in upcoming issues of the newsletter. Most importantly, send
in those pictures and stories, if you don’t, I’ll be forced to make things up or worse yet I will find some stories written by Marines!
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Blue Ghost Association News BlueGhost Membership Meeting Newsletter:
Linda Anderson has volunteered to do the newsletter. This will go out e-mail to those who have an e-mail. BE SURE TO LET US KNOW YOUR NEW E-MAIL WHEN YOU CHANGE IT. Discussion
of the next reunion: 1) BlueGhosts are a part of their history. 2) Rocky Blyer's book: Rocky's War mentions the BlueGhosts in his
book.
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