Veterans Affairs – I am mad as hell and don’t plan on sitting by anymore and letting the VA and politicians keep on screwing with me and my fellow veterans. It’s time to take a stand and make out voices heard, not sit back and complain among ourselves. That won’t do any good nor will it change anything. The recent disclosure by VA that over 26 million personal data files had been stolen, as a result of an employee downloading the files on a laptop and taking them home, speaks to just how dysfunctional the VA really is. The loss was not even reported to the VA Secretary for over a week. This practice it is now learned as been going on for years. This means that someone in the VA had knowledge that this illegal practice has been going on. Both the Secretary and those responsible for not reporting the loss should be fired now.

I urge all veterans and active duty soldiers to write letters, fax, and email their Congressional and Senate elected officials, as well as the White House. Things need to change in the VA and they need to change now. We can force those changes, if we as veterans and active duty members of the military will take the time to write all our elected officials and express our dissatisfaction. Elected officials only react to pressure and certainly 26 million veterans could bring pressure, if we are willing to get off our duffs and do something about this latest instance of gross-negligence.

For years the VA Secretary and the White House have spoken about reshaping the VA into a more user-friendly service organization. That hasn’t happened and never will unless we force them to. The VA still loses, misplaces, or out right delays the adjudication process as long as they can. I believe that their intention is to frustrate those applying for benefits so they will finally give up, or worse, hoping they will out last the veteran and he will go away from natural causes.

Again, please take the time to call, fax, write or email you elected officials and let them know just how displeased you are with this last tragedy. If we won’t stand up for ourselves, who is going to stand up for us, certainly not the VA.

2006 DMOR INVESTITURE & 1^ST DIVISION RELOCATION CEREMONIES - Thus far we have fifty-nine former DMORs/Members and their families who have made reservations to attend this year’s joint DMOR/1^st Division Relocation Ceremonies and activities at fort Riley to be held during the period July 31^st to August 4^th. We owe thanks to the 1^st Battalion for their efforts in taking the lead for these activities while the 2^nd Battalions continues with their organizational and pre-deployment training. Both Battalions will take part in the DMOR Investiture activities and the Infantry Ball to be held the night of August 3^rd. We have two great Battalion Commanders who are committed to supporting the Association and its activities. Additional, at this year’s DMOR Investiture Ceremony after 11 year years, we will be honoring our new Honorary Colonel of the Regiment, Colonel Retired, Sidney (Skip) Baker. We will be staying at the Marriott Courtyard again this year and I am not sure there are any rooms left from our original block of reserved rooms. That’s why I asked everyone to make their reservations early because of the 1^st Division relocation activities just prior to our Regimental DMOR Investiture Ceremony. If you have not made reservation you can try calling 785-210-1500 and see if there are any rooms left for the 16^th Infantry Regiment.

BOYCOTT HILTON HOTELS – SHOW SUPPORT FOR DISABLED VETERANS

From: Lourake Andrew Lt Col 89 AW/DS 
 
I've sat back long enough biting my tongue and listening to the rhetoric coming from the Hilton Corp concerning the closure of Fran O'Brien's and I have finally had enough.  I keep hearing that the closure of Fran O'Brien's was a business decision, what does that really mean?  I can give you some insight on how the how and what the Hilton Corp considers a "business decision".  Having been a volunteer in helping Hal and Marty for over two years, I have watched this unfold and it is very upsetting to see any company, not to mention one as large as the Hilton behave in such a manner.  Here is the history:  
 
Hal and Marty contacted the Hilton Corp last year, one year in advance of their lease expiring to get things going for a new lease.  In their original proposal Hal asked for some items that any normal human being would consider a landlord's responsibility.  They asked for new carpet, some bathroom and other area upgrades, and the big kicker, an elevator or some other means to get patrons (not just military members) down to the restaurant without having to go through the crowded storage bowels of the basement where the current service elevators are.  Hilton's response to Hal and Marty was that we are going to renew your lease, but the elevator is off the table and once YOU have made the area improvements that are being requested, we will sign a  
new lease.  Let me make that clear, the Hilton wanted the new carpet, bathroom and other area improvements done by Hal and Marty BEFORE they would consider giving Hal a new lease.  That's good business, right?  Hal being the smart business man that he is, stated "let's sign the lease first then I'll make the upgrades", to which the Hilton said "let's talk about it" and stood behind their statement that they ARE going to renew the lease once it all gets worked out.  Hal took them at their word, but was very smart not to make any upgrades until a lease was signed.  Months go by and Hilton's position was, "we still want you there, but upgrade yourself before we sign a new lease for you." 
 
In the meantime, the Hilton stopped paying Fran O'Brien's for the room service they provided to guests that were billed their hotel room.  The Hilton continued to give different accounting excuses on why it could not be  
paid until more than 6 months had gone by and the amount owed exceeded the amount in one month's rent.  Hal, being the smart business man that he is told the Hilton to use the money owed toward that month's rent.  The Hilton came back saying no way and took it as a non-compliance of rent payment. 
 
At about that time, the Hilton stopped all voice and email response to Hal's constant contact.  The Fran O'Brien's lease was up at the beginning of 2006 and Hal repeated contacted the Hilton, but was never given the courtesy of a response either way.  Because the lease expired and Fran O'Brien's was going  
month to month because no one told them otherwise, the Hilton Corp decided it was within their right to increase the rent 100%.  That's right folks the Hilton Corp doubled the rent in an effort to force Fran O'Brien's out of business.  When the Hilton finally saw that Hal and Marty were not folding, they sent them an eviction notice to be off the property within less than 30 days.  That folks is Hilton's way of doing business. 
 
Having said all that, business decisions have to be made, and sometimes they are not always what we want.  But how you act and the integrity behind how you conduct that business is what really should be examined here, and the Hilton should suffer monetarily by losing business from angry people worldwide.  They did not and continue not to have any form of integrity what so ever. 
 
The Hilton continues to do damage control by making statements like they support the troops by moving the dinner to another restaurant and they have been there supporting the dinners all along.  That people, really pisses me off.  With the exception of this past Friday the Hilton has never helped out or been involved in any Friday Soldier dinner for the past 2 ½ years we have been doing this.  It was comical this past week, they saved a parking spot for our bus, escorted us down to an elevator through a neatly cleaned coat closet and hallway where in the past we could barely get by because of all the mattresses and other hotel storage supplies in the way.  The manger was even there holding an umbrella as wounded and family got off the bus.  It was absolutely disgusting as I watched him look to see where the CBS and CNN cameras were pointing and run to get in the background to help like it was something he routinely did.  Statements coming from the Hilton today hints that Fran O'Brien's had paid their, well Hilton how about paying your own bills? 
 
The Hilton before this past Friday night had never, and I repeat never had anything to do with the dinners, with the exception of one thing:  The bell staff, who were always very polite and respectful for the injured troops  
would unlock the doors to the luggage/coat closet enabling us to get the wheelchair patients to the service elevators.  That is the extent of it, and for them to say anything different is a flat out lie, but seeing how they  
conduct themselves, it is evident they are okay with lying to everyone in the name of damage control.  And since the dinners have been put on by Fran O'Brien's and facilitated by numerous volunteers, the Hilton's offer to move it to the Twigs restaurant upstairs will never happen.  If they don't fold, and let Fran O'Brien's stay, we will never go back to that or any other Hilton.  Note:  In the 2 ½ years I have been helping to Fran O'Brien's, I  
have never seen more than 4 people in Twigs at a time.  I always thought that it was closed.  It's obvious what eatery in the hotel was of choice, since Fran's was always packed.  Maybe the Hilton wanted Fran's out because  
they could gain back market share for their own restaurant, just something to think about. 
 
Bottom line here is the Hilton did not want to pay for an elevator that would be a very expensive proposition.  And in the long scheme of things that might have been a sound business decision for the Hilton, they may  
never have been able to recoup that cost.  But the fact of the matter is that the way the Hilton Corp handed themselves very poorly with relation to communication and simple good business practices.  For Fran O'Brien's and the 35 people who will soon be out of work, the Hilton's behavior and business practice is/are just wrong.  They are an American corporation who should have high morale and civic values.  They deserve all the bad publicity and loss of business they get.  I for one will be turning my Hilton rewards card and taking the 20+ weekly room reservations my unit uses elsewhere, I will be passionately encouraging all my co-workers to do the same. 
 

FROM THE DESK OF IRON RANGER 6 (1^st Battalion, 16^th Infantry) - Gentlemen,

A/1-16 is deployed to HOA and will be so until early next year.  A few Soldiers are living in rather austere conditions within Africa, but for the most part, the majority is living in very nice conditions.  Contact with a threat is not likely.  They are conducting MIL to MIL OPNS as well as providing force protection to bases in that region.

B&C/1-16 will deploy as separate companies in the fall to OIF to two different locations.  The remainder of the BN will remain at FT. Riley and train Military Transition Teams by the thousands.  Those members of the MTTs will in-turn deploy to both OIF and OEF.  There will not be any members of 1-16 working as members of MTTs.

Any care packages going to forward can be coordinated through SSG Gurney.    jeffrey.p.gurney@us.army.mil

LTC Frank Zachar

CDR, 1-16 Infantry

Semper Paratus-Iron Rangers!

NEWS FROM IRAQ –LTC John Shantzel is currently serving as the Chief of Staff for the Ministry of Defense Transition Team which advises the Minister of Defense, and all of his civilian leaders. John served in HHC and Company A, 5^th Battalion during Desert Storm. We can get a first hand account of what is really happening in Iraq, as opposed to listening to the news media’s account of what they say is going on in Iraq. Here’s what John wrote for May’s on-line issue of the DD.

TAPS – In the issue of the DD mailed out the first week in May, we inadvertently left off the name of John Krolicki, Alpha Company, 2^nd Battalion, 16^th Infantry in Vietnam. John was deployed with the unit in June 1965 landing in Vietnam in July 1965. He was a strong supporter of the Association’s activists and a Distinguished Member of the Regiment. In November of 2005 John succumbed to his long and courageous fight against Cancer.

We have been recently been informed of the death of Wayne Beck, the 1^st Division’s, first Silver Star winner in Vietnam. The Division Commander awarded Wayne his Silver Star just prior to his rotation home in late 1965.

ZIP CODES =+4 – If you have a plus 4 with you zip code, almost every address has on, please be sure that the Treasurer and Secretary has it. You will get you DD and any other mail quicker if you plus 4 is included on you address. Reason why that is so, because it is machine sorted and read, not manually done. It works. It is also cheaper for us.

PASSING OF A GREAT SOLDIER – On Sunday, April 30^th, I was notified that a good friend, great soldier and American, Roger Seymour, Colonel Retired has passed away suddenly while out for a walk. It was a great shock to his family and to me. Roger has been a close personal friend for more many years, the former Commander, 10^th Special Forces Group (Abn), editor of the Dagwood Dispatches, a Regimental DMOR, and one of five founding members of the Association. Over the years Roger has been a very strong supporter of the Association’s activities, especially those dealing with helping soldiers. During the 1^st Battalions deployment to Iraq, Roger and his wife, Brigitt mailed numerous packages to the troops during their deployment, as well as contributing to the overall 16^th Infantry Regiment Association’s ‘Iraq Soldiers Support Fund.’ As a special tribute to this great soldier, I have asked that from this year forward at the annual DMOR Investiture Ceremony we award a Plaque in Roger’s honor, to the best Company Commander in the Regiment as an annual award. This will act as our tribute to a great Commander, who commanded Alpha Company, 2/16 in 1966 in Vietnam, until he was evacuated due wounds received in November 1966 just north of Di An, the location of the 1^st Division Headquarters . Roger was a West Point graduate, Class 0f ‘60’ and his two son’s are also graduates of West Point, of which Roger was very proud. His is survived by his wife Brigitt and two sons, David and Glenn and his five grandchildren. Glenn and his wife Tracy have three (3) children; Megan who is 14 and shared Roger’s birthday, Emily 12, and Sarah 5. David and his wife, Colleen, have two children: Mikhail 7 and Garrett 4. Roger was an only child and his mother, Gertrude, died in June of this year. 

Buzz Tiffany the company medic, who saved Roger’s life that day, Mick Daley, and I attended the funeral services held at West Pont Military Chapel on May 16, 2006. Here are several Photos.

Roger’s wife Brigitt, and two son’s David and Glenn

Regimental Wreath

SOLDIERS CHRISTMAS FUND – It not to early to start thinking about the Soldier’s Christmas Fund. Four about ten years we have been sending the Battalion money each Christmas to help families during this very special time of the year. It helps about 30-35 families each year. This year we have two Battalions to support and our goal is to send each $1200. It is a great Christmas gift and a way each of us can help our soldiers and their families. They give so much of themselves in the service of their country we can certainly help them at Christmas. Send all Soldiers Christmas Fund donations to our Treasurer, Ken Alderson.

2^ND BATTALION (RANGERS) UPDATE - The following update was received from the 2^nd Battalion that was re-activated in January 2006 and are building and training for their deployment. As you can see the unit has a significant number of Army Rangers assigned to them. For those attending this year’s DMOR Investiture Ceremony and 1^st Division Home Coming to Fort Riley in August you will get to see this great new Battalion of our as well as the reorganized 1^st Battalion.. Both Battalions will make you proud.

HHC    228 Rangers

Companies A, B, C       125 Rangers

Company D      79 Rangers

We are at 77% fill as of right now and expect to be at 106% fill NLT October 2006.

LTC Ralph L. Kauzlarich

Commander, 2-16 IN "Rangers"

4th IBCT, 1st Infantry Division

PICTURES – We are still looking for pictures from the units in WWII, Cold War, Vietnam, Desert Storm and Iraq for out Web Site’s pictorial history. Send them to our Web Master