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Welcome from the

 Vietnam
Helicopter Pilots Association
Washington State Chapter
Our Mission
To
enhance and accredit the cohesiveness, esprit de corps, and traditions of valor
of rotary wing aircrews that flew in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam Era.

To seek out, using whatever means available, individuals who piloted rotary
wing aircraft in Southeast Asia during the Vietnam era and inform them of the
existence of the VHPA and encourage all eligible individuals to become members.
Membership is open to all helicopter pilots who flew in Southeast Asia during
the Vietnam era (1961-1975).
Next Meeting
The next meeting is scheduled to be held Saturday, Feb 20th at 09:30-12:00 at
Famous Dave's Barbecue off South 72nd street in Tacoma. Lunch will include
barbecued chicken, coleslaw, beans and corn muffins.
Guest speaker is Steve Vermillion, a retired Army Lt. Col, Silver Star and DFC
recipient in Vietnam and author of
"DUSTOFF". Meeting agenda
includes election of officers, VHPA reunion in San Diego, future chapter meeting
dates and locations for 2010.
Contact Pat Staeheli at (253) 859-4185 or
pgstaeheli@yahoo.com.
Pick up a copy at Amazon and have him sign it at the meeting--it's a great
way to say "Thanks..."
New Links
We received mail from Douglas Karr a US Navy
veteran who represents the
Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center, a leading Internet
resource for information about mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer. Doug is also a
veteran of the United States Navy, and a proud advocate for veterans. The MAA
Center has been recognized by the Health on the Net Foundation as a reliable &
trustworthy source of medical information on the web and is approved by
Disability.gov as an excellent resource for veterans and all members of the
military community.
As you may know, mesothelioma cancer is caused by previous exposure to asbestos.
Countless veterans (as well as civilians who may have worked in a shipyard or in
the shipbuilding industry) were exposed to asbestos while aboard naval ships,
while repairing military vehicles and aircraft, and while residing in aging
military housing. Troops currently serving in Iraq are also at risk of asbestos
exposure, making this a very timely health and safety issue for veterans and all
members of the military community. In addition to featuring information about
asbestos exposure and the health consequences for veterans, we also provide
content on a number of other veteran issues, including PTSD, addiction, and
more.
Mesothelioma cancer affects countless veterans each year. In addition, those at
risk of developing
mesothelioma include those who worked in shipyards such as the
Brooklyn Navy Yard in NYC. Veterans from all branches of service are at risk
of developing this disease, but the rates of
mesothelioma navy cases remain the highest. For additional information,
please visit the Mesothelioma and Asbestos Awareness Center.
Chapter Profile
The Washington State Chapter of the Vietnam Helicopter Pilots Association
(VHPA) was founded in September, 2000 by Jack Salm, Jr. It holds regular
meetings in Washington state.
VHPA-WA 2009 Officers
Members at Large:
Past Presidents: Started Year 2000
| 2000 |
Jack Salm Jr. Founder, now National VHPA 2009 President |
| 2001-2002 |
Tom Wie (had to drop out, Jack Salm reelected) |
| 2002-2003 |
Jack Salm Jr. |
| 2004 |
Pat Staeheli |
| 2005 |
Dave Rosenkranz |
| 2006 |
Dick Glasgow (Died Feb. 21, 2007) |
| 2007 |
Chris Farwell 360-459-9121 |
| 2008 |
Paul Fleming 253-851-2396 |
Contact Information
David P. Eck: (President)
253-447-4993
apache35@hotmail.com
Vice President: Frank Jones
360-280-5224
dfjret@comcast.net
- Electronic mail
Webmaster:
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- Please note: This website may contain
information that the webmaster, VHPA or VHPAWA considers proprietary and confidential.
Information contained herein shall not be used for commercial solicitation
purposes, or any correspondence related thereto. Correspondence relating to
commercial purposes or solicitations shall only be sent to the webmaster
whereupon it will be forwarded to the appropriate VHPA or VHPAWA
representative or thrown away if he thinks it's trash (as he usually does).
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