From Dick Gorby, Oregon State Council President

President's Message:

When I took office, we were challenged to get the Oregon State Council back to business and more in line with the fine work that all of the Oregon chapters had been doing. The council was less than stellar, the books were a mess, the presidency was in question, and outstanding issues were costing the membership thousands of dollars that could have been better spent elsewhere. Our only real communication system was e-mail, fifty percent of the chapters were not in compliance with state non-profit regulations, and one chapter wasn't even non-profit. Through the hard work of many, those problems have been corrected. Fortunately, for us, the strength of the organization was in its' membership. It would have been convenient to blame the last president for everything, but that would not have been right. The history of poor leadership goes way back, with a couple exceptions that kept us going. Thanks, Ned.

Today, I'm pleased to report that VVA National is seeing us more positively, our books are in order and balanced, the chapters are in compliance, or moving in that direction, and we have a new website--www.vetwatchnw.com. When you go tot he site, click on the OSC/VVA button. This site gives us the tools to stay in compliance and to access services we all need. We can post our meetings, have chapter links and provide you with important information such as meeting agendas and maps to meeting locations. Our newsletter is moving forward, with chapter input essential for its completion. Clyde Evans, our Treasurer, has been directed to be available to help any chapter with their accounting systems (so, call him). Because of my work (Veterans Representative for the Oregon Employment Division), I'm able to promptly respond to your needs during the day. So, call if you have questions (541/388-6079).

I believe it is important to develop our next generation of leaders now. I will be sending VP Ignacio Saenz in my place to the next Presidents gathering in Springfield, Virginia, in October. This will give him an opportunity to participate and learn more about its purpose, operation and how it relates to our State. I hope all of you will actively take part in our committee process. Our VP is working on those issues as we speak. We are also monitoring the actual cost of being an Oregon State Council officer. Our budget process needs to be accurate and respond to your needs. The days of freely spending are over, accountability is alive and well. Last, but not least, Ned Devereau provides an invaluable history lesson for me. His perspective, knowledge and hard work keep me moving forward. I can always trust that I have someone who will give me the other side of the issue. I can tell you we are doing our best to get the operational process back in order and the future looks bright.

So, what's next? Continue our fiscal responsibility. Focus our quarterly meetings on educational and chapter needs. Our committee process should look at doable projects instead of name-only titles. The newsletter will show our good work, past and present, and acknowledge those who make a positive difference. We need to tell others how good we really are (they seem to enjoy seeing our mistakes and using them to their own benefit). Most of all, the newsletter will highlight your community service and patriotism. Each day, Vietnam Veterans are moving toward being the last generation of old fighters. We can do that with pride, hard work and commitment to the interests and needs of our membership, the communities we serve, and all veterans. Thanks for your trust.

Richard Gorby, President
Oregon State Council
Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc.

www.vetwatchnw.com: Double-click, here. When the home page is up, click on "OSC/VVA." You can find all of the information for each Oregon VVA chapter, upcoming meetings and events and other issues of importance to Oregon VVA members.

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VVA Oregon State Council Gets Involved in the Plight of the Montagnards

For those of you who dont know, the Montagnards are the native people of Vietnam. They are the descendants of Polynesian natives who landed on the coast of South Vietnam in 200 BC. Their ancestral homelands are the Central Highlands of Vietnam and their people can be found in several areas of Cambodia. During the Vietnam War, the Montagnards fought with Americans and our allies, usually as indigenous guerilla fighters under the command of Special Forces or MACV. When America pulled out of Vietnam, we abandoned the Montagnards and the current Vietnamese government has been trying to exterminate them ever since. They have destroyed the Montagnard rain forest habitat, old growth timber from their lands have been logged and sold for export, and the Montagnard lands have been cleared for state-run coffee plantations.

On April 10-11, 2004, during the Easter holidays, some 30,000 Montagnards peacefully demonstrated in the village of Buon Ma Thout (remember that place?) for religious freedom and the return of their ancestral lands. According to numerous reports, Vietnamese military forces and police attacked the Montagnards, with between 200 and 400 killed. Both before and after the massacre, many parentless Montagnard children managed to escape and make their way across the border into Mondolkiri Province, Cambodia. In 2003, Cambodia Corps, Inc., a non-profit organization, opened a shelter in Mondolkiri. There are now 188 parentless Montagnard children there and Oregon VVA members have become involved, both in the shelter project and in the resettlement of entire Montagnard families in North Carolina.

Bill Farrell, Oregon State Council secretary and a member of Chapter 757 in Brookings, has become heavily involved in the plight of the Montagnards. During his tour in Vietnam, Bill worked closely with the Rade tribe in the Khe Sahn area and since the Summer of 2000 has been hard at work helping to raise money to support the orphanage and assist in resettling Montagnards in several areas in North Carolina. Bill said that in early 2000 he read a story in one of major news magazines about members of the Bru tribe being resettled in North Carolina in a place called Cherokee. Bill set off for North Carolina immediately, but was unable to locate the Montagnards, so he returned to Oregon.

Two weeks after arriving back in Brookings, Bill learned that he was looking in the wrong part of the state. It turned out the Montagnards were settled around Greensboro, Charlotte and Raleigh. I was looking in the far west corner of the state and they were way further east. Bill said that there are currently about 5800 Montagnards living in the three areas. As soon as Bill learned where the tribes were located, he returned to North Carolina where he spent time with members of the Rade (pronounced rah-day) tribe, the same group he had worked with in Vietnam. At the 2001 VVA National convention in Greensboro, Bill introduced a resolution of support for the Montagnards that passed unanimously. He said that, They sent three bands to the convention. A gong band, a band that played traditional instruments and a rock and roll band. The rock band had the convention jumping. Bulldog Smith, a retired Special Forces lieutenant colonel who had worked with the Montagnards during the war, addressed the VVA convention, describing the bleak plight of the Montagnards and efforts of the resettlement project. By the time the convention ended, Bill said, VVA members donated more than $12,000 to help with the Montagnard programs.

In regard to the North Carolina project, Bill says that the tribes now own 101-1/2 acres where they are farming eight or nine crops and theyre raising chickens. They have a two-acre cemetery and theyve built a 3,000 square foot picnic shelter. Bill said that, twice a year, around Memorial Day and in September, the Montagnards have celebrations at the picnic shelter. The September gathering is held as close as possible to September 19, which is the anniversary of the 1958 Montagnard revolt against the Vietnamese government.

The orphanage in Mondolkiri now has fresh water, a guinea hen farm and electricity. Bill Farrell says that the children have separate showers for boys and girls, sports equipment, a new well and a 1600-gallon tank and toilets with a new septic system. According to Cambodia Corps, Inc., some of the children are now going to college, which costs about $1,018.00 per year for tuition, room and board. Cambodia Corps, Inc., needs $21,380.00 for the 2004-05 school year in order to support 21 students. Bill said that, We are trying to help these kids survive. Its brand new, this going to college thing, and having hope in their lives for the first time. Bill is the Oregon State Council liaison to Cambodia Corps, Inc., a non-profit organization working to support the Montagnard childrens shelter in Mondolkiri, as well as efforts to resettle Montagnard people in the United States.

For more information about the Montagnard situation, go to www.cambodiacorps.org. If you would like to make a donation, call Bill Farrell at 541-469-0179.

Montagnard Children in Formation at the Mondolkiri Shelter