Villages Dems Club

Neighborhood Buzz

A news blog for Democrats and Independents

thevillagesdemocrats.org

Click the above link for complete listings of 

club events, plus the event and activity schedules 

of associated clubs.

sumterdemocrats.com

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Another Outstanding

Wall of Honor Ceremony

When the Sumter County Democratic Executive Committee designed the Wall of Honor project, I am not sure they had all the details totally thought out.  Alex Mariano and

Alex Mariano

his committee accepted the challenge and have created a truly moving ceremony and book of memories.

Each quarter of the year is assigned a theme, the history of which is documented and to which living and dead individuals can be nominated for the Wall of Honor and included in the book.

The first quarter, which focused on Civil Rights, generated nominations of national Civil Rights figures, plus the name of many of our friends and neighbors who played important roles, often unbeknown to us.

The just completed second quarter focused on the G.I. Bill, Honor Flight Act and all Veteran Benefits. 

As did the first theme, the second brought to light many of the people around us who have given much in the service of our country.  The Second World War had so many facets I don’t think we will ever know of contributions of most of the people who served. This is  probably true of the conflicts that followed which, although not world conflicts, were filled with thousands of stories of valor, heroism and service.

In a ceremony held at the Sumter County Democratic Headquarters in Wildwood on Saturday, June 29^th, local nominees to the wall shared snippets of their military service with an attentive audience.

Jim Dow

Jim Dow, an Air Force Veteran, described the activity to date of the Villages Honor Flights.  The volunteer group has enabled over 1,000 veterans and their guardians to fly to Washington D.C. for an all-day tour of the city, including the WWII Memorial as well as the Korean War Memorial, the Viet Nam Wall and Arlington Cemetery.  

The trip has generated deep emotion and gratitude from the WWII vets. Veterans of the Korean and Viet Nam wars are now being invited to participate.  There is no cost to any of these veterans.

 D. Karen Knight served in the Army from August 1973 to September of 2001,achieving the rank of Lt. Colonel and retiring as a chemical officer.

She was the first of four women officers to become an Army Engineer.  The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has an active environmental program.  Her service included time in Viet Nam and Iraq.

Elliot Schantz

Ellliot Schantz served in the Air Force.  With other volunteers at the Villages woodshop, he creates wooden barrels for pens into which are inserted pen mechanisms, donated by the Woodcraft Company.  He moved to the Villages in 2017 and with the other volunteers, has produced over 1200 of the pens, which are sent to people on active duty.

Jim & Marilyn Shields

Jim and Marilyn Shields described memories of how both sides of their family were impacted by WWII.  Each had people called to duty and each had family members who did not return.  In one case a death early in the war was not confirmed until almost its’ conclusion.

                                               

Anita Crumel, who nominated Col. Harry Lumpkin for the wall, spoke for him as he was not able to be present.

A retired Army Colonel, his 26 years of service stretched from Viet Nam to Desert Storm. During his assignment to the Pentagon he worked on the Army Staff and the Joint Chiefs of Staff.  His duties included at one point serving as logistics briefer to General Colin Powell.

He is active in Civic groups in the Villages and served on the committee to design the displays in the Eisenhower Recreation Center.

Huey Bridgman

Huey Bridgman, Chaplain, U.S. Army served at a variety of posts including tours of Viet Nam during some of the most intense periods of conflict. During service with the 4^th Infantry Division he was exposed to agent orange which resulted in a medical retirement in 1987. He and his wife moved to the Villages in 2010.

Edward McClister

Edward McClister, a Navy veteran, told of his involvement of one of the mistakes of war.  In June of 1967 he was serving on the USS Liberty which received orders to go to the Sinai Peninsula area to gather information on the war between Israel and Egypt. On June 8^th the unarmed surveillance ship was attacked by Israeli aircraft and torpedo boats in which 34 of his shipmates were killed and 171 wounded.   Shortly after the attack the Israelis admitted a mistake.  McClister said President Johnson accepted the story and ordered the attack covered up.

These stories and those  of the many other nominees have been compiled in a book, which is on display with the wall at the Sumter Co. Democratic Headquarters at 300 Main Street in Wildwood.

Nominations are now being accepted for the third quarter of the Wall program.   The theme for this quarter celebrates the 19^th Amendment and the Women’s Rights movement.  With a small donation of your choice you can place the name of a living or dead individual on the wall.  The reception for these individuals will take place on September 23^rd. 

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Random notes

Last November Florida voters gave 64.5% approval to a constitutional amendment returning the right to vote to non-violent felons who had completed the terms of their sentences.

Republican legislators, apparently see little value in giving the vote back to this group of some one million who qualify. Although the ballot did not say so, Republicans have interpreted “completing the terms of their sentences” as including restitution, court costs and fines.

Outraged Democrats say this basically imposes a “poll tax,” which many of those impacted are probably unable to pay.

A voting rights group, the Florida Rights Restoration Coalition, has launched a fund raising campaign to help pay outstanding fees and fines, and the American Civil Liberties Union, with other groups, has filed suit, challenging the law.

               
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A story by Dan Murphy on drovers.com has added fuel to the criticism of moving two USDA research agencies from Washington D.C. to Kansas City.

The move is billed as saving money but some see it as an attempt to divert research on topics not favored by the White House, such as climate change and the economic status of farm country communities.

Affected are the Economic Research Service and National Institute of food and Agriculture.

Currently all but a handful of people are scheduled to be moved by August.  Both agencies have lost a number of key staff members, who apparently do not want to relocate.

Murphy writes the move seems to be more of an exile than a relocation and comes at a time when agricultural research is desperately needed, to maintain U.S. food production viability and provide food for the additional three billion people expected on earth by mid-century.

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Congressman Justin Amash of Michigan, chose the Fourth of July to announce he is leaving the Republican Party.  Amash has been openly critical of the President as well as party members.  He has criticized his colleagues for failing to take action in response to the Mueller report.

The President, as usual, immediately attacked Amash, saying, “he has been a loser for a long time.”