My Nonprofit Reviews

As one of the USS Liberty survivors, and the former chaplain for the Liberty Veterans Association, I have always felt Divine Intervention kept the USS Liberty afloat. I was assigned the hideous task of being the enlisted man in charge of the body recovery and identification, and I thought my job was done after the last body was taken care of. Little did I know that the families of these men would require my attention, and my efforts were sidetracked more then once by my own injuries, and the problems life hands you as a combat veteran in the aftermath. It has always been on my heart to confort every last family by telling them I was with their loved one, but time seems to be running out on me, until this type of help was discovered. Even at my late age, it is entirely possible that I can still accomplish that task. Our president Calvin Coolidge once said, "That nation that forgets it's defenders, will be forgotten itself". That my friends is something I must try to correct, and if there is still time in my life I want to do just that. Any help I get in this project is certainly a plus in my life. God willing that will happen.

The Silver Star Families of America was sort of confusing for me in the beginning. It was my thoughts that it was for the military Silver Star award winners, and their families. I consequently went barreling in asking if I could get help for a Silver Star medal winner and his daughter. The winner of the Silver Star was a shipmate of mine who had recetnly passed away. I got in contact with his daughter, and found out that she had her dad cremated and wanted to get his ashes to Arlington, but with no finances to do so. I told Steve the story, and almost immediately we were on the Go Fund Me website looking for donors to help Kim Hines Halbardier make the trip to Arlington with her father's ashes. We had enough cash to get this underway within a week. I have dealt with the government for many years, and dealt with other organization for as long as I can remember trying to get the help that was needed, in whatever circumstance we were in. No one moved faster then Steve on this, and I think Dianne was the one who got us on the You Fund Me site. As a USS Liberty survivor, and knowing the past political problems we have had to put up with, I might say I was astounded to see the help we needed happen so fast, and even more happy when I told Kim that it looked like we were well on our way. I will be meeting with Kim in Billings, Montana where she takes her daughter for medical care. It will be exciting for both of us and her little girl to get together and talk a bit about the trip. Taking that last trip with her dad to get him where he needs to be, has caused this girl to awaken to organizations like this one. I know it certainly has been a wild trip for me, and thanks is never enough. Since father and daughter were not that close during their lives, this seems to me to be a sort of healing trip for KIm as she travels with her father's remains, and puts them in a place of honor, where they rightfully need to be.